Awesome Quotes: Ghostbusters (1984)

Tell him about the Twinkie ...

Happy Birthday: 4 on the list

Sir Anthony Hopkins - best know for his portrayal as Hannibal Lector.  I also liked him in The Edge and The Mask of Zorro.

Sir Ben Kingsley - too many great movies he has done to name, but two of my favorites are Searching for Bobby Fischer and Shutter Island

Val Kilmer - my favorites of his are The Doors and Heat

Tim Matheson - check out his filmography sometime - he has done a ton of work, very under the radar.  My two favorites of his are Animal House and Fletch.

Happy Birthday: Eliza Dushku

Better know for her roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Dollhouse on TV - had a decent role in Wrong Turn.

Happy Birthday to 4

Denzel Washington: actor extraordinaire

Noomi Repace: of recent Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame (Swedish version)

Stan Lee: creator of some of the best comics ever, many of which have made their way to the big screen

Maggie Smith: of Harry Potter fame

Bob's Look: A Christmas Story (1983)

For 24 hours starting on Christmas eve, this movie is screened for celebrating families everywhere, and I usually watch 3 of the 12 showings. This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest holiday films ever made. Based on the writings of Jean Shepherd, who himself narrates the film, A Christmas Story follows young Ralphie Parker in his quest for the ultimate gift; an “official Red Ryder carbine action 200 shot range model air rifle” “…with a compass in the stalk, and this thing which tells time.” There are many obstacles in his way of obtaining his coveted weapon, let alone making it to Christmas, including a bully and his toady, peer pressures, Freudian slips, and the dreaded bb gun block “you’ll shoot your eye out.” This movie is hilarious while never straying away from family friendly humor, which is never an easy thing to do. The entire cast performance was excellent, especially Peter Billingsly who is absolutely brilliant in the role of Ralphie Parker, which makes me a little sad that he never went far beyond this roll. The movie has a good amount of childhood tomfoolery, such as daring a friend to stick his tongue to a light poll then abandoning him to the elements at the sound of the school bell, as well as lessons learned, such as getting the long awaited decoder pin to decipher an Ovaltine add. These all fit together nicely in the grand scheme of Ralphie Parker’s Christmas, I also like how Ralphie’s state of mind is shown through daydream sequences. My favorite of these occurs just after Ralphie has soap on his tongue for saying THE word, and he imagines coming home a blind man, telling his parent it was caused by “soap…poisoning.” This is something every kid imagines a time or two when they are punished; that it will come back on mom or dad. Hey, we were kids, right? This is the perfect Christmas film for the whole family; very quotable and very funny. I recommend making this one a Christmas tradition.

 Fun facts: It’s never stated directly when the film is set, but period markers such as an issue of Look magazine, mention of the Red Sox trading Bill “Bullfrog” Dietrich, and the edition of the “Speedomatic” decoder pin Ralphie receives in the mail, the story can be placed between 1937-1940, which puts it between the depression and World War II.
The Daisy toy company have confirmed that the Red Ryder bb gun was available during this movie’s time period except for one detail; the model in that era did not have a compass or sundial in the stalk.
Red Ryder is a real character that appeared in comic books and on the radio during the 30’s and 40’s. The house in Cleveland, Oh. that served as the Parker home for the film was restored and furnished to resemble the way it appeared in the movie, and is now a popular tourist attraction.

Happy Birthday to 5

To me...

Also to
Ava Gardner- The Killers
Deidrich Bader - Office Space
Ricky Martin- singer from Menudo
Matt Passmore- star of the Glades

Awesome Quotes: Christmas Vacation (1989)

Clark: "Kids, I heard on the radio that some airline pilots spotted Santa in the air..."
Eddie: "Are you serious Clark?" 

Awesome Quotes: Die Hard (1988)

"Now I have a machine gun, Ho Ho Ho..."

Happy Birthday: Corey Haim

Star of 80's staple films  The Lost Boys and License to Drive

Happy Birthday: Ralph Fiennes

What do you get Lord Voldemort for his birthday?

Holiday Look: Christmas Vacation (1989)‏

Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid return to reprise their roles in a third ‘Vacation’ film, this time during the Christmas holiday season. Tomfoolery ensues when Clark Griswold and family attempt to have the perfect family Christmas. There is nice mix of one-liners, physical comedy, and a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I think this movie stands alone perfectly. If you had not otherwise been introduced to the other Vacation movies, this works well – maybe almost better. Holidays always tend to bring out the best (and worst) in family situations, and Christmas Vacation uses many cliché holiday experiences to fuel the laughter. A cold, long walk to get a Christmas tree, decorating the exterior of the house with enough lights to illuminate a small city, antics while shopping at the mall, fun while sledding, and mishaps that result from cooking the Christmas Eve dinner are all highlighted.
The Griswold house quickly fills up with relatives; both sets of grandparents, Cousin Eddie and family, plus later a crazy aunt and uncle show up for the aforementioned dinner. In typical ‘Vacation’ fashion the movie is slow crescendo of craziness ending in Cousin Eddie kidnapping Clark’s boss for stiffing Clark out of his holiday bonus. Some other elements which add to the fun: the snotty, yuppie neighbors, Eddie emptying his RV’s septic tank into a storm drain early one morning, a cat munching on the Christmas tree lights, the actors playing Russ and Audrey changing yet again, and the tree getting burned down – which triggers Clark to running around with a chainsaw (if you can picture that one).

Fun facts: the studio execs wanted the cat munching the xmas tree lights scene cut, but the producer begged to keep it in. The test groups found audiences loved it, and noted it was one of the most funny, memorable scenes… the movie ends on Christmas Eve; it never actually made it to Christmas Day… Clark used 30 different words to describe his boss during his insane rant after finding out he did not receive a Christmas bonus check…

Bob's Look at Movies and Video Games: A dysfunctional relationship.

Movies and video games make great gifts, especially at Christmas time.  They are small enough to make stocking stuffers, yet big enough to place under the tree, unless you have a dog that likes to chew on plastic (James still has that copy of Austin Powers.)  
But, ever since video games became a home entertainment staple back in the early 80s, game producers have made a practice of using popular movie titles and their stories to make cheap, mediocre, if not just plain horrible games designed to move units based on title alone.  Let’s consider some of the worst:

E.T.(Atari 2600) - Accepted by the gaming industry as one of the worst games ever made this is one of the games that led to great video game crash of the mid 80s,  The player takes on the roll of E.T. who has to find components to build a communication device to signal his people to pick him up.  The engine practically made the game unplayable, you could fall into a bit without being anywhere near it, and there was no rhyme or reason to how the board was laid out.  In other words, even to kids like us who played the game, it was clear that making a good game was not on the producer’s agenda. 

Top Gun (NES) - Not that the game was absolutely horrible, it was just a very cheap version of “After Burner.”  It could have been much better, though. 

Rambo (NES) - Basically a cheap knockoff of “Zelda 2” you assume the roll of John Rambo and are given a mission…you know what, I’ll the review the movie sometime.  Suffice it to say that again, the engine was horrible and pretty much made the game ten times more difficult than needed, and there is no clear path from point a to b, so you’re going to die, a lot. 

The Fifth Element (PS1) - Whoever made this game either did not like, or did not even watch the movie.  The cut scenes are all out of order, the voice acting that wasn’t taken directly from the movie was horrible, and the game play was nothing short of worthless.  What’s sad is the movie would have made a great action game with a little effort. 

Bad Boys: Miami Takedown (PS2) - Another title on many a “worst games ever” lists.  The voice acting and the dialog are both insulting while the game play remains consistently crappy.  

Now, this is not a one sided story.  Hollywood has tried the same tactic several times to sell tickets to poor made movies due to the fact that they carry a familiar title.  These include but are not limited to:

Super Mario Brothers - Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo play the Brooklyn plumbers in this absolutely horrible film. 

Street Fighter - Sadly, this was Raul Julia’s final theatrical film performance.  

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation - The first MK wasn’t bad, but this movie went beyond the typical sequel inferiority. 

Max Payne - The trailers made the movie look like a gothic horror film, but those of us who played the game knew the real story and were not disappointed by the plots twists, we were just disappointed by how bad the movie was. 

Bloodrayne -  This is one of those movies that makes me wonder if bad movies were once good before the editing process.  Otherwise I would have to ask why Ben Kingsly and Michael Madsen would consent to appear in such a piece of garbage.  

There are exceptions to every rule, of course.  Like I said, Mortal Kombat was pretty good, and Prince of Persia was alright as well.  And the Lord of the Rings films inspired a couple of good games such as “Return of the King” and “Battle for Middle Earth.”  But with games today being much more cinematic, and movie fx being done more on computer, crossing the two mediums seems like a bad idea, and history has proven it so.      

Bob's Thoughts On: A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite holiday stories. I've read the book many times, seen many of the film adaptations, and make it a holiday tradition to see the stage production the day after Thanksgiving, and I agree with my brother that this is the best way to view the story visually.

The Scrooge character to me is a somewhat sympathetic character in spite of his cruelty and hard disposition. Fear of poverty as a young man had twisted him into the greedy old miser that we are introduced to in the beginning. Many of the losses he endures in life, such as his fiance and his best friend, occur at Christmas. The word "humbug" is also an important element to understanding his character. The word "humbug" is defined in the dictionary as "something intended to delude or deceive." So in effect, what Scrooge is saying about Christmas is that it is a time for people to put on false faces and pretend to care about their fellow man in an effort to get something for themselves, such as free food or a break on their loan dues. When he taken to see the shadows of his past, he is shown the real reason he hates Christmas, which he finds out is much more personal. When he is taken to the present, he's shown the happiness that he is missing out of and could very easily share, as well as how his personal anger effects people other than himself. In the future, he is shown the end of his journey, where his death is celebrated in a somewhat morbid way as his body is robbed and people who owed him money were suddenly given a chance at life (which is rarely shown in film.)

Like my brother said, George C. Scott and Patrick Stewart both do a very good job in portraying the title character. Another version I tend to watch once or twice during the season is the 1938 version of the film staring Reginald Owen as Scrooge and Gene Lockhart as Bob Cratchit. I have to say I also like the CGI version Disney did a few years ago with Jim Carey as the voice of Scrooge and Gary Oldman (one of my favorite actors) as Cratchit. And, being a fan of Jim Henson, I am also a fan of A Muppet Christmas Carol, which stars Michael Caine as Scrooge and Kermit the Frog as Cratchit. And Bill Murray as the Scrooge-like Frank Cross in "Scrooged" was simply brilliant. It's a story for the whole family, and one to take to heart, especially at Christmas.

Happy Birthday: Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg

A Christmas Carol, aka Scared Straight for the Holidays

There are so many versions of Charles Dickens' classic tale out there, it is hard to really point any one as the "right one" to see.  I personally prefer to see a musical version on stage, it gives the story a much more organic feel.  For the TV versions, I would point to ones with Patrick Stewart and George C. Scott playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, as the ones I would look for.
The "holiday spirit" of the story is clear: your afterlife will be terrible if you value your money (or your work) over your human relationships, and have utter disdain for poor people.  Four ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning and show him that while he was once attached to the human race - he had a sister he loved, and a girlfriend/fiance - he is now a miserable miser with no compassion or love in his heart.  His former partner Jacob Marley died on Christmas Eve (how pleasant), and his ghost is the first to visit Scrooge and inform him, in my interpretation, that he is probably going to die soon, and unless Scrooge wants to wander around in purgatory, like Marley, he better straighten up.  Scrooge, of course, takes more convincing.  The ghost of Christmas past re-introduces him to painful memories of love lost - the aforementioned sister, now deceased, and the fiance who left Scrooge while he was a younger man, because he worked a lot of overtime.  The ghost of Christmas present shows Scrooge that his estranged nephew is living a good life, without Scrooge's presence, and that Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's employee, is living in poverty because Scrooge is paying him at slave's wages.  The ghost of Christmas future (or Christmas yet to come) shows Scrooge dead, and no one seems to care except the homeless people who rob his corpse.  This ghost (usually show having an appearance like the grim reaper) showing Scrooge his own grave is an especially nice touch for the holiday spirit.
Scrooge awakes from this torturous nightmare, and suddenly has an epiphany that he needs to re-connect with his nephew, raise Bob's wages and pay for Bob's sick son's medical care, as well as treating human kind better, in general.  Uplifting, yes... but that is up to interpretation.    

Happy Birthday : 5 actors to mention

Milla Jovovich - of Resident Evil fame, also a good part in the Fifth Element

Bill Pullman - my favorites of his are Lost Highway and Serpent and the Rainbow

Eugene Levy - great comedic actor, my favorites of his are Splash and American Pie

Ernie Hudson - a very underated actor,  my favorites of his are Ghostbusters and the Crow

Wes Studi - an excellent dramatic actor, my favorties of his are Last of the Mohicans, and Geronimo: An American Legend

Bob's Holiday Review: Die Hard (1988)

Principal cast: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, Paul Gleason, William Atherton.
Director: John McTierman
Genre: Action (Machine guns and explosions.)

The Basics: On Christmas Eve, New York cop John McClane (Willis) travels to Las Angeles to spend the holidays with his estranged family. While attending a party at his wife’s office, a group of terrorists seize control of the office building and hold the partygoers hostage. Armed only with his police issued 9mm, and no help from the outside world (or shoes for that matter) it is up to McClane to thwart the plans of Hans Gruber (Rickman) and his team of terrorists and save innocent lives.

Recommendation: One of the all time great 80's action flicks, this is a good movie to watch anytime, but especially during the holidays while the wife or girlfriend or mother is watching happy Christmas movies on the Halmark channel. The movie is rated R for heavy action, blood, and adult language.
My Take: One of the things I like about the action movies that came out of the eighties is that most of them were for pure entertainment and did not include any kind of social or political commentary. They were just for fun. *Spoiler Alert* The plot of the movie is a pretty simple one. Terrorists take control of a building and hold people captive, and the hero cop fights by himself to take the enemy down. This paves the way for a good amount of machine gun shootouts and explosions, which this movie has plenty of without getting in the way to the greater plot. And even though the plot is simple and the action is plentiful, the writers of the film still pay attention to character development and do a good job of balancing their tier of round, flat, and static characters. I particularly liked the chemistry between McClane and Al Powell (VelJohnson), being two cops dedicated to principle, which they are able to build despite the fact they do not meet face to face until the end of the film. Also, even though they are enemies, McClane and Gruber seem to have a chemistry all their own, which serves to make the main conflict as much a battle of wits as a battle of bullets. I also enjoyed the overall tone of the movie. Like I said, this movie is for fun and not intended to teach any morals about the state of society. The movie has a good amount of humor and faced paced movement to keep the air light, so to speak, but still puts in the right amount of drama to build McClane’s character without making the overall movie to melodramatic. In the 80's, filmmakers were still concerned with finding a cast of actors who could act and not just look good in closeups. So the acting in the movie will not disappoint. Apart from the aforementioned chemistry between characters, the cast overall do a good job in bringing their characters to life. But, seeing as melodrama was not part of this movie, it is hard to point to one performance and say that this actor stands out as truly great. That’s not was this movie was about. To put it another way, no one tries to be the reigning star or upstage anyone else, which I like. Also, since it was the 80's, the filmmakers had to rely on physical special effects rather than generating awesome explosions on a computer. This movie is a good example of what can be done with pyrotechnics, a few strobe lights, and some people who know what they are doing. This movie makes me miss the 80's. They knew how to keep it simple and use story to convey the emotion and tension of the film’s conflict. Sometimes I’m a little afraid that the action genre is going the way of the dodo. For the most part, action movies of the 21st century have been based on comic books, involved the supernatural or science fiction elements, or were based on specific elements such as car chases. Filmmakers today could learn a valuable lesson from this film on how to make an action movie that a lot of people will want to see. And, this is a great movie to watch during the holidays since it is set on Christmas eve.

Statistics
Cast Performance: Good. Both Arnold and Sly Stallone (among others) were considered for the roll of John McClane, but I thought Willis brought an everyman quality to the roll that would have been lost.

Violence: Heavy. Not as bloody as some of the horror movies I’ve reviewed, but the machine guns were a blaring, and the body count was high (22 to be exact.)

Nudity: Very brief: There’s only one shot and you practically have to slow down the dvd to catch it, but when the terrorists round up the hostages, there is a couple getting naughty in an office and her shirt is off.

Ambiance/music: Very good. McTierman does a good job giving the sense of claustrophobia to the movie. I particularly like the music cue at the beginning of the film that sounds like distorted Christmas bells. Nice touch.

Overall rating: 4.75/5 on the Bob Kline scale.

Christmas Look: The Ref (1994)

Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey star in this Christmas comedy about a thief who takes a family hostage.
Lloyd and Caroline Chassuer (Spacey and Davis) are on the verge of divorce when they are kidnapped by a thief named Gus (Leary) who is fleeing the scene of a botched burglary and needs a place to hide until his partner can find them a way out of town, which is no easy task since the small, upper-middle class community has been quartered off due to the robbery. Gus unwittingly becomes a third party observer to the kind of family drama the holidays have a way of bringing out.
*Spoiler Alert* This is a movie I watch a few times between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Like some of the movies found on the Halmark channel this time of year, the film focuses on a family’s conflict coming to a head and subsequently moving toward resolution on Christmas eve. The humor is more adult oriented and peppered heavily with colorful expletives. In other words, this is not a movie you’re going to want to watch with the kids. The cast performance in this film is very good. Denis Leary gives one of his best performances, bringing a humanity rarely seen in a cat burglar. Spacey and Davis have an excellent chemistry together and both play off of Leary very well.
The only thing about this movie I don’t really like is the ending. According to the internet movie database (IMDB.com) the original ending of the movie had Gus being arrested in front of the Chasseur’s troubled son, showing him that crime does not pay which prompts him to open a dialogue with his parents. This ending was changed to the family helping Gus escape due to poor test audience reactions, and the director of the film has stated that he regrets the change.
All in all, this is a very funny film to watch during Christmas after the kids go to bed.

Christmas Look: Love, Actually (2003)

A big budget, ensemble cast, romantic comedy about relationships, love and lust, that takes place in London in the days leading up to Christmas.
Some of the actors: Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, Emma Thompson, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, and Alan Rickman (to name a few).
This is possibly one of the greatest Christmas films ever released.  There is no true main character.  All of the "big name" actors have different love stories explored- romantic love, familial love, friendship/brotherly love - as well as having to deal problems associated with love and marriage such as: a cheating spouse, death of a spouse, being in love with your best friend's spouse, or having a chance at true love but not being able to act on it.
The main actors are also all linked to each other via friendships, marriage, or through work.  Somehow the director/ writer Richard Curtis was able to weave a very well thought out, well acted, well written, perfectly cast story without too much melodrama, sappy/ cheesy moments or noticeable on screen friction.  The comic moments work well, and the dramatic moments do not bog down the flow.
I highly recommend this as the best feel good movie of the season - even above A Christmas Carol.

Review: Gremlins (1984)

People in the Movie:  Zack Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axron

Director:  Joe Dante

Pigeonhole:  Black Comedy / “Horror”

The Basics: There are 3 rules: 1) keep him out bright lights, sunlight will kill him; 2) don’t get him wet; and 3) never, never feed him after midnight.  These are the instructions given to Randall Peltzer (Axton) when he buys a Mogwai (a small teddy bear-like creature) from a junk shop in Chinatown to give to his son for Christmas.  The rules are broken and what follows is total mayhem for the town of Kingston Falls.          

Recommendation: This is one of my favorite holiday films, and great film of the 80’s, which I highly recommend.  The movie is rated PG, but I would caution for younger kids due to some scary images and violent scenes.

My Take: This is a somewhat strange movie because while it appears the target audience was kids (a cute cuddly talking Mogwai), the subject matter is much more ‘young adult’/adult, in my opinion.  Gremlins was heavily marketed, as well as having a huge toy line tie in, with other supporting products like breakfast cereal (remember “Gremlins, Gremlins, bite after bite..”) and clothing.  While predictable in the sense that once the warnings are spoken, the audience knows that each rule will be eventually broken; it is the “how far will this go” that really hooks our attention to the screen. 

**spoiler alert** Gremlins has a 50’s creature-feature sort of feel to it.  Randall, a goofy inventor, and a fun character himself, brings the Mogwai home to Billy (Galligan) for Christmas.  The Mogwai’s is quickly named Gizmo, and he has a silly cartoonish voice (done by Howie Mandel) when he speaks- which is usually one or two word phrases.  For example, when Gizmo sees bright lights, he says “light bright”.  Gizmo and Billy become quick friends, and that’s when the trouble starts. 

Billy’s neighbor Pete (Corey Feldman) accidentally spills some water onto Gizmo, which causes him to start shrieking and convulsing.  Five little fur balls pop out of Gizmo which then quickly turn into new Mogwai, and Gizmo is later seen with a very depressed look on his face.  One of the five new Mogwai has a white mohawk tuft of hair on his head, which earns him the name Stripe.  Stripe appears to be the leader of the new ones, and is seen to be a bit mischievous.  But, mischievous quickly turns to dangerous, as Billy wakes up one night hearing his dog howling.  Billy heads outside to find his dog tangled in the Christmas lights on their front porch.  Stripe, meanwhile, is seen smiling while he “sleeping”.

The final rule is broken as Billy feeds the Mogwai – minus Gizmo – late one night, thinking it is before midnight, only later to discover his clock’s cord has been chewed.  The next morning Billy wakes and finds 5 disgusting looking cocoons in his room.  That night the Gremlins hatch; they are reptilian looking with long arms, claws, and sharp teeth.  The mayhem then commences as Stripe and a whole group of Gremlins (spawned by Stripe falling into a pool), proceed to tear apart the town with death and destruction.

The rest of the movie is mix of somewhat comical  scenes: Gremlins seen drinking and  breakdancing in a bar, a Gremlin in an overcoat pretending to flash onlookers, Gremlins going door to door singing Christmas carols, a large group of Gremlins watching Snow White and singing along to “Hi-ho” - as well as some violent scenes: Billy’s mother fighting and killing several of the Gremlins in their house, Gremlins driving through a house in a snow plow attempting to kill a man and his wife, one Gremlin shooting another with a pistol, and Gizmo dressing like Rambo to fight the Gremlins, just to name a few.

Billy’s love interest Kate (Cates) tells a somewhat disturbing story of why she dislikes Christmas.  She and Billy do survive the film.

As I noted, it is very much the formula of a creature feature – the naïve Anytown, America being overrun by creatures because of a simple failure to heed a warning.

The only question I have ever been left with is why is Gizmo not inherently “bad” as all the other Mogwai appear to be?       

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  This film, along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, would lead the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating… The sequel is called Gremlins 2: The New Batch…

Awesome Quote: Clerks (1994)

Randal Graves: "I believe in the authority of a ruling class, especially since I rule."

Happy Birthday: C. Thomas Howell

His best role was in Soul Man

Awesome Quotes: Caddyshack (1980)

"Are you gonna eat your fat?"

Awesome Quotes: Spaceballs (1987)

Dark Helemet :  " um... he did it"

Happy Birthday: Nick Stahl & Walt Disney

Nick - my favorite movie of his is Bully

Disney - his name alone is probably worth more now than when he died in 66.

Happy Birthday: Julianne Moore & Daryl Hannah

Julianne - my favorites films of hers are Children of Men and The Big Lebowski

Daryl - my favorites of hers are Kill Bill (1,2) and Blade Runner

Awesome Movie Quote: Love Actually (2003)

Billy Mack: "Hiya kids. Here is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don't buy drugs. Become a pop star, and they give you them for free!"

Bob's Quick Look: A Very Harold and Kumar 3d Christmas (2011)

After burning down his father-in-law’s prize Christmas tree (in a marijuana related accident) Harold sets out to replace the fir tree before the family returns from midnight mass.  At his side throughout this new adventure is his old, yet estranged friend, Kumar, who again cannot help but to cause more problems than he solves.  
In their quest for the perfect tree, Harold and Kumar are drugged at a holiday party, pursued by mafia thugs, and are pressed for time as Christmas Eve presses on. 
*Spoiler Alert*  I am a fan of “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.”  “…Escape from Guantonamo Bay” was okay at best.  
I’ve seen this movie in the theater twice already, and might go one more time before Christmas; it is THAT funny. 
All the classic elements are there; pot jokes, sexual humor, comical chases, a fantasy-esque sequence, and Neil Patrick Harris acting like a perverted drug fiend.  
The 3d effects in the film are very well done and do a good job of adding to the humor of the film.  One of the first shots of the movie is Kumar blowing pot smoke into the face of the audience in 3d, which I thought was funny.  Also, the film takes the opportunity to poke fun at the gimmick by adding a minor plot point of Harold buying a 3d TV for his holiday party to make his father in law happy.  
The film also takes the opportunity to lampoon other holiday movies and specials.  For example, Harold gets a body part frozen to a poll much like in “A Christmas Story,” but let’s just say it’s not his tongue that gets stuck.  Also, one of my favorite scenes in the film involves Harold and Kumar drinking spiked egg nog and trip out, which causes them to see themselves in claymation, at which point they are chased by a giant, psychotic snow man.  
The acting in the film is what one might expect.  John Cho and Kal Penn have an excellent chemistry together on screen and Danny Trejo is awesome as Harold’s father-in-law (seeing him in a Christmas sweater in just hilarious to me.)  Elias Koteas has a small roll as a Russian mafia lord and plays his roll very well.  
As I said, you know what your gonna get for the most part.  This one is for fans of raunchy comedy.  Definitely try to catch this in theaters in 3d.    
 
Interesting note: There is a joke in the film in which on of Kumar’s friends says, ”If anyone asks, I said you work for the White House,” to which Kumar replies, “like anyone will buy that.”  This is a joke in reference to Kal Penn’s position as an associate director for the Obama administration, which means he works at the White House.  He took time off from his job to make this movie. 

Review: Predator 2 (1990)

People in the Movie:  Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Kevin Peter Hall

Director:  Stephen Hopkins   

Pigeonhole:  Action / “Sci-Fi”

The Basics: Seven years into the future, during a very hot summer, Los Angeles is being torn apart by a gang war in between two drug cartels.  Lt. Mike Harrigan (Glover) is a shoot-first-ask-questions-later street cop, who, along with 3 of his detectives are trying to save the city.  There are even bigger problems, a humanoid-like alien, a Predator (Hall), is also stalking, hunting, and killing in the city, and he is not choosing sides.  

Recommendation: This is nice action film that reasonably succeeds as a sequel.  As a standalone (meaning you did not see the first film) it will work fine, in fact, it might actually “seem” better not having seen the first film.  “R” rating is for violence, language, and brief nudity.

My Take:  The idea of the Predator in the “urban jungle” works well.  The movie also follows some sequel good rules: the kills are more gory, the Predator has more diverse weapons, and the good guys are no better at stopping this Predator than in the prior film.  My only criticisms of the film lie in the casting, and the subplot of the government’s desire to capture the Predator.   

**spoiler alert** Let me start by saying that Danny Glover is a great actor, and I respect his place in Hollywood, as well as enjoying many of his films.  However, I did not like his role being cast as Lt. Harrigan in Predator 2.  The role called for an action character capable of taking on vicious street gangs, shrugging off politics and ultimately interference from the government, as well as physically taking down a Predator.  I accept him as the “rogue cop who can’t follow the rules” (a favorite movie moniker of my brother), but appearing physically able to be fighting the street gangs early in the film then taking on the Predator later – especially chasing him building to building as it is portrayed towards the end of the movie- is too much of a stretch for me.  Glover was just coming off his role in Lethal Weapon 2, where is portrayed as getting “too old for this”, yet he comes back and does this, an even more physically challenging role, and as a detective, no less?  Unfortunate. 

In addition, the whole subplot of a DEA group headed by Agent Keyes (Busey) attempting to capture the Predator was bordering on ludicrous.  Keyes and his crew supposedly have a bunch of intelligence and data tracking the Predator through Los Angeles, including information about the Predator who took out the Special Forces group in the original movie, yet they believe they can capture him by spraying him down with liquid nitrogen?  That is almost horror movie stupidity on display.  Fortunately, that stupidity is rewarded with the Predator dispatching Keyes and his team with haste.

In spite of these issues, it is still a good paced movie, with good action sequences, and even better is that at the end of the movie when more is revealed about the Predator mythology, specifically about their hunting and trophy collecting.  Harrigan has chased the Predator back to his ship where it appears he is going to escape, when Harrigan kills him with one of his own weapons.  Several other Predators de-camouflage witnessing the action.  Two Predators pick up their dead comrade, while another Predator then throws Harrigan an old pistol with “Raphael Adolini 1715” stamped on it – basically giving Harrigan a trophy for his kill.  This tells the audience the Predators have been hunting on Earth for centuries, and opens the door for all kinds of story possibilities.  Even more “exciting” is that while on the Predator ship, Harrigan sees a trophy room where mounted on the wall is a head/skull of an Alien, from the Alien movie franchise.  This obviously foreshadows what will become the Alien vs. Predator movies.   

Very good supporting roles are played by Ruben Blades as one of Harrigan’s detectives, by Bill Paxton also as a detective and comic relief, and finally Morton Downey, Jr. as a loud mouthed guerilla journalist.       

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  This was the first film to be rated NC-17 for violence and gore, NC-17 was new at this time from the MPAA, but the movie was re-cut (allegedly over 20 times) to have the R rating for theatrical release… The Jamaican drug cartel was based on real gangs in New York and Kansas City from the 80’s… The original Alien vs. Predator idea came from Dark Horse Comics, which were out around this time…   

Happy Birthday: Ed Harris & Judd Nelson

Ed - my favorite films of his are Enemy at the Gates and History of Violence

Judd - my favorite of his remains The Breakfast Club

Awesome Quote: The Hangover (2009)

"Tigers LOVE pepper.  They hate cinnamon."

Awesome Quotes: Heathers (1988)

"F-ck me gently with a chainsaw.."

Review: Predator (1987)

People in the Movie:  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Kevin Peter Hall

Director:  John McTiernan   

Pigeonhole:  Action / “Sci-Fi”

The Basics: An elite Special Forces squad led by Major “Dutch” Schaefer (Schwarzenegger) is sent to Central/South America by CIA operative Dillon (Weathers) to assist in the rescue of a cabinet member who has been kidnapped by a guerilla force.  They quickly learn the rescue operation was a ruse, and that “something” is in the jungle stalking and hunting them all.         

Recommendation: This is a testosterone driven, guns and explosions fest, with some Academy Award nominated special effects.  When you have Schwarzenegger in the lead and McTiernan directing you know what you are in for: a well paced action movie that should be checked out.   “R” rating is for violence and language.

My Take:  The plot is fairly straightforward: the Special Forces unit takes out the guerilla army only to discover a single humanoid-like extraterrestrial is stalking and killing humans in the same jungle.  We also learn that the Predator hunts when it is especially hot in the jungle, and that he has been there before or for some extended amount of time.  I also especially like Jesse Ventura and Bill Duke as supporting actors in this on the Special Forces squad.  They are portrayed as buddies going to back the Vietnam War, and both bring that “badass factor” to the screen.

**spoiler alert** While I usually root for the “good guys” in big time action films, I found myself drawn to the Predator (Hall) character the most in this movie.  McTiernan took his time building up suspense before revealing the Predator in full visage.  The audience sees first person the Predator viewing his prey in infrared vision (an excellent visual effect), somehow recording and voice mimicking men from the squad, then finally we see him strike (although he is still in stealth mode, which is also an awesome effect). 

The Predator is hunting for trophies, although there does not seem to be an apparent pattern as to whose skulls he collects versus who he skins and suspends upside down in the trees of the jungle.  Nor is there any pattern to which soldiers he shoots with his shoulder mounted plasma gun, versus whom he impales with his wrist blades.  I like these elements; it keeps the movement of the film less predictable, and it is also clear there is no way to reason with an antagonist such as this one.  It is a pure struggle to overcome a superior fighter with better weapons. 

I did not really think the final hand to hand fight between Dutch and the Predator was all that great, but it almost seemed as if the film would end no other way. 

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  The original working title of this film was “Hunter”… Kevin Peter Hall, who was 7 foot 2 by the way, could not see well out of his mask, so the final fight was very difficult to shoot… Two of the actors in this film went on to become governors: Schwarzenegger in CA, and Ventura in MN… Final body count (according to IMDb) is 64… This is the first of 3 Predator only films; Predator 2, Predators, plus the Predators appear in 2 crossover films Alien vs. Predator, and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem…

Happy Birthday: Ben Stein & Ricardo Montalban

Ben - best know for role as the droning teacher in Ferris Beuller, "anyone, anyone?"

Ricardo - my favorites of his are Star Trek 2 and Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad

Thanksgiving Picks

If your stomach is full, and you are either tired of football for the day or not interested in the teams playing, try some these films which will not involve too much thinking since the blood has flowed to your gut temporarily :

Revenge of the Nerds - a great 80's frat flick.
Raiders of the Lost Ark - a nice action film in which Harrison Ford is still young enough to be believable as an action character.
Airplane - one of the all time great spoof comedies.
A Christmas Story - watch it now, and get ahead for the holiday.
American Pie - a funny high school comedy mostly about what teenage boys are constantly seeking: sex.

Happy Birthday: Harold Ramis and Goldie Hawn

Harold - probably better know for his writing than his acting, but my favorites of his include :  Caddyshack, Animal House, and Groundhog Day (all as writer), plus Ghostbusters and Stripes (as writer and actor)

Goldie - my faovrites of hers are Wildcats, and Death Becomes Her

Happy Birthday: Sean Young

My favorite film of hers is Blade Runner

Awesome quotes: Europeon Vacation (1985)

"Hey kids, Big Ben, Parliment.."

Happy Birthday: Meg Ryan & Jodie Foster

Meg - my favorite of hers is when Harry met Sally

Jodie - my clear favorite is Nell (not)... it's Silence of the Lambs

Happy Birthday: Martin Scorsese

One of the great American Directors of all time.

Bob’s guide to Star Trek films: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Principal Cast: First Generation + Christopher Plummer, Kim Cattrall, Iman, Kurtwood Smith, and David Warner.

The Basics
The Klingon homeworld has suffered catastrophic damage to their atmosphere caused by the explosion of its moon, Praxis, which was also the Klingon’s key energy facility.  This leaves the Klingons with about 50 years of breathable air left on their world.  
In the wake of this disaster, the Klingons begin discussing a possible peace treaty with the Federation, which does not sit well with many of its members.  Nevertheless, Kirk and his crew are assigned, as their final voyage, to escort the Klingon chancellor and his company to Earth to discus peace. 
While en route, the Klingon ship is fired upon, and the chancellor is murdered by two assassins in Federation pressure suits.  Kirk and McCoy are arrested, tried, and convicted for the crime.  
It is up to the Enterprise crew to find the true murderer and prevent them from striking again when the new chancellor continues the talks of peace. 

My Take
This is another film I highly regard, not just as a great Trek film, but a great work of science fiction altogether.  A lot of what makes this film great can be seen as a “right place, right time” scenario.
*Spoiler alert* The obvious allegory of this film is the fall of the Soviet Union, due in part by the meltdown of the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, which is represented by the explosion of Praxis.  Both were “key sources of  energy,” and “:insufficient safety measures,” led to catastrophe in both cases.  
And like the hostilities between the US and the USSR, the conflict between the Federation and the Klingon empire had been a long one, and the thought of the peace was something that Kirk and company thought they would never see in their lifetimes.  This led very naturally to the conspiracy to murder Gorkon, which would have started a full scale war for no other reason that to keep the status quo.  In my humble opinion, the film does a very good job in presenting the allegory.
In the Trek universe, the Klingons started out as little more than a race of antagonists to be brought in when action was needed.  They, as a whole, began to gain depth of character throughout the series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that progression continues and grows through this film.  We learn a little about their culture, their core values, and that their blood is purple.  But more importantly, there is a civilization behind their actions, which gives them motivation beyond the scope of plot development.  This is a good thing.  
The cast performance in this movie stands out from the series in my opinion.  The tension runs high in many parts and the cast does a very good job portraying these emotions.  For example, when Spock realizes that the Federation has been betrayed by his protégé, Nimoy does a great job showing Spock filling with anger that his logical upbringing tells him he must suppress.
The film also features one of the finest supporting casts in the franchise.  Christopher Plummer stands out amongst them as General Chang, who represents the old world Klingon school of thought that war is a way of life, and peace is another word for surrender.  David Warner had played a bit of a static part in Trek five, but shows his character acting ability in the role of Gorkon making him stand out, even though he is in less that five minutes of the film.  Kim Cattrall does a good job playing the Vulcan Valeris, who is somewhat flawed in her sense of logic and brash a certain points, but Cattrall does a good job making this character believable.  Kurtwood Smith also appears as the Federation president, and shows that he can play a more reasonable character than he’s known for (watch Robocop, Dead Poets Society, and that 70’s Show.) Iman rounds out the cast as a shape shifting alien who helps Kirk and McCoy escape their prison and lead them into a trap.  She does a good job of portraying a character of strength and a less that trustworthy demeanor.
I’m not one to praise special effects for the most part, but they were done very well in this movie.  But then again, this was still an era where filmmakers knew what effects shots to use to enhance the story, rather than wow the audience away from a bad story.  
Originally, Trek 5 was meant to be the last film to feature the original cast, and this film was to be a prequel showing Kirk and Spock at Starfleet Academy.  But, due to the poor reaction to the film by critics and fans, it was decided to reassemble the cast for one more adventure.  Like I said, “right place, right time.”  The world was changing, and the world of Star Trek changed with it.  Like Wrath of Khan, this should be in your collection.  

Interesting Notes:  Originally, Kim Cattrall’s character was to be Lieutenant Saavik, frst portrayed by Kirsty Alley.  But Cattrall objected to this because she did not want to be the third actor to play this role, and she also thought it would be a betrayal of the original character to have her betray Spock the way she did.  So the character was changed.
Also, Michael Dorn, who is best know for playing Lieutenant Worf on TNG, has a small part in this film as General Worf, Kirk and McCoy’s defense council for their trial.  It has been implied by the writers that this is Worf’s grandfather.  General Worf is present at the peace talks at Camp Kitomer.  In the TNG storyline, Worf’s parents are killed in an attack on the Klingon outpost on Kitomer, which makes this a very significant locale in Klingon history.          

Happy Birthday: Beverly D'Angelo

From Columbus, OH, my hometown...  My favorite films of hers were the first 2 Vacation movies

Full Review: Freddys Dead: The Final Nightmare (Nightmare on Elm St. 6) 1991

People in the Movie:  Robert Englund, Lisa Zane

Director:  Rachel Talalay  

Pigeonhole:  Horror / Teen Slasher

The Basics: Freddy Krueger (Englund) has killed all but one teen left and in Springwood, Ohio.  He luckily  escapes town (and Freddy), but with amnesia, and he ends up in contact with Dr Maggie Buroughs (Zane).  Maggie and John Doe (as he is now called), along with 3 other teens travel back to Springwood, where some interesting discoveries are made.  Freddy, before he was killed by the mob, had a child.  It is a fight to the end, and to not ruin it, but as the title suggests, Freddy is dead.     

Recommendation: Fans of the series should see this one.  As a standalone (meaning you have not seen any of the preceding films) it would make very little sense.  “R” rating is for violence, and language.  

My Take:  This is a tough movie to gauge.  It does not feel like any of the other Nightmare films despite Freddy killing several teens, and it’s almost as if it stands alone in some ways bringing in elements that the audience was never aware of to the Freddy mythology.  The tone feels almost detached either intentionally to separate it from the other Nightmare movies, or because of poor writing.  Nothing going on seems to be real, like a dream within a dream, or some other similar metaphor.  The final 10 minutes were shot in 3D, this being the first Nightmare movie to have that feature.  By the end of the film I was almost expecting someone to wake up from a nightmare, having imagined it “all”.  Some entertaining cameos are made by Johnny Depp, Tom and Roseanne Arnold, and Alice Cooper.  There is a great montage run during the credits of some of the “best scenes” from all the prior films.

**spoiler alert** There seems to a lot of head-scratching new plot items in this movie.  Maybe it was the writer’s desire to not really expand the storyline, but more to go in a different direction from the previous 5 films. 

The story picks up 10 years after Alice’s last encounter with Freddy in ‘Dream Child’.  We do not know how he came back, or how he managed to kill all the teens in Springwood.  Further disjointing the mythology are 2 facts; Freddy had a daughter before he was killed (we also see that she may have inadvertently caused his mental state to crumble), and that Freddy’s power to invade people’s dreams and exist on a different plane has come from 3 “Dream Demons” that live in his essence.  The daughter element is somewhat entertaining, and the fact it is his daughter who takes him down at the end makes it somewhat sweeter.  However, the Dream Demon element was completely absurd.  I have always preferred the idea of a “bad” character being evil by his/her own choice or doing.  Doing the bidding of or for a demon just does not have the same weight, in my opinion.  I will give credit to writer for bring back an element from the first film: to defeat Freddy, Maggie had to pull him out of the dream world and into the “real world”.

While Freddy’s demise is probably the best part of the film, there is one somewhat goofy kill he makes with a teen stuck in a video game.  Freddy plugs his glove into a game deck (a la the Powerglove from Nintendo) and “plays” with the character.   As I also mentioned earlier, Alice Cooper has a nice little cameo as Freddy’s adoptive father who is scummy pimp-type guy.

Not the best Nightmare installment, but certainly not the worst.      

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  While this was supposed to have been the end of Freddy Krueger, there were two more Robert Englund Freddy/Nightmare movies, plus now the reboots with Jackie Earle Haley…

Full Review: Nightmare on Elm St (5): The Dream Child (1989)

People in the Movie:  Robert Englund, Lisa Wilcox

Director:  Stephen Hopkins   

Pigeonhole:  Horror / Teen Slasher

The Basics: Freddy Krueger (Englund) is back to terrorize and kill even more teens, while continuing to spout off one-liners.  He is using the dreams of Alice’s (Wilcox) unborn child to “attack”, and Freddy also wants to be re-born into the “real-world”.  Maternal issues are abound as we also learn more about Freddy’s mommy.

Recommendation: If you are a fan of the series, you should see it, so you can say you watched it.  As a standalone (meaning if you had not seen any of the prior Nightmares) you would be lost. “R” rating is for violence, language, and brief nudity.

My Take:  To at least focus on the positive, the special effects are entertaining and more eye catching than the prior Nightmares.  The overall tone also feels darker than some of the preceding films; the filming was done with filters on the cameras giving it a more somber look.  The acting, on the other hand, is worthless, the story seems full of holes, and seems driven purely by the FX and waiting for the next kill and/or one-liner.  And one item that somewhat bothers me - the body count is not that high- considering the fact this is a fifth installment of a series.  

**spoiler alert** Alice and Dan (Danny Hassle) having survived Nightmare 4 are now graduating high school, and a couple.  That is short lived – Dan gets killed in a traffic accident/ Freddy attack (one of the interesting FX scenes). 

Alice is pregnant and is dreaming about Amanda Kruger, Freddy’s birth mother.  We later learn that Amanda, of course, will become the key to destroying Freddy this time.  The audience is given a little more about Freddy’s past, which does add to the Freddy Krueger mythology, but that’s about it on the story side. 

Several of Alice’s friends are dispatched; one my favorites is the comic geek vs. Freddy in a comic drawn story that appears to be unfolding with the events of the movie, it reminded me a little of the Ah-Ha video “Take on Me”.  But as I noted earlier, the story is somewhat of a mess.  Alice comes in contact with a young boy named Jacob, that we find out is like an avatar of her unborn son (I couldn’t figure it out, either), and it is Jacob along with the soul of Freddy’s mother who was formerly trapped at the now abandoned Westin Hills Sanitarium (Nightmare 3) who must take away Freddy’s power in the final battle this time.    

Alice survives, which is a first in the Nightmare series: a main character surviving more than 2 movies.

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  Robert Englund has stated this is his least favorite of the Nightmare series … The movie is not actually called Nightmare on Elm Street 5, it is referred to throughout as Nightmare on Elm St: The Dream Child.  That is of little consequence, everyone calls it number 5.  

Bob's Full Review: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Bob’s guide to Star Trek Films
­Principal Cast: First Generation + Laurence Luckinbill and David Warner

Basic Plot
While the Enterprise crew is on shore leave, the Federation receives a message from a Vulcan cult leader who has taken political hostages and demands to negotiate for their release, in person.  Kirk and company answer the call and head for the Neutral Zone while working to correct the severe design flaws that are causing problems aboard the new Enterprise. 
After fighting their way past Sybok’s army, Kirk and his crew are forced to surrender after finding out the cult’s “hostages” are part of the greater plan.  Kirk and company are taken prisoner and their ship commandeered for Sybok’s ultimate goal.  
One by one the crew of the Enterprise are mesmerized into the service of the strange Vulcan leader who uses a form of emotional hypnosis to win loyalty in others.  It is up to Kirk, Spock, and McCoy to find a way to save the Enterprise, and perhaps once again, the whole galaxy.

My Take
*Spoiler Alert*  The basic plot of this movie, the Enterprise seeks God, was conceived as a possible storyline for the original Trek film, but was abandoned in favor of the V-Ger story.  It was later rehashed and used for this film.  
That being said, the plot of this movie is somewhat weak, if not coming completely from left-field.  We are asked to believe that Sybok is able to influence the will of others by making them face their greatest pain without any explanation as to what he is actually doing to the subject’s mind, let alone that it works on Spock and not Kirk.  Sybok also reveals that he is following a vision given to him by God himself.  It is never explained whether the entity they encounter at the end of the film (who turns out not to be the one true God) somehow gave him these visions or if Sybok is merely delusional.  
It is also never explained what “The Great Barrier” is.  We are shown that whatever it is, it is blue and no one has ever crossed it.  It is spoken of as if it is highly dangerous, but the Enterprise and a Klingon Bird of Prey cross through it with no problems.  I would have like to known where this thing is and what makes it so intimidating to space farers.  
The fact that Sybok is Spock’s brother didn’t bother me.  What bothered me is the idea that Spock is so strict with his syntax that he never told Kirk, his best friend, that he had a brother, simply because he and Sybok were half siblings rather than full.  I can only guess that Sybok is the elder brother since Sarek was still married to Spock’s mother at the time, and as far as I know, Vulcans do not practice polygamy.  So, what happened to Sybok’s mother?  Did they get along or hate each other?  And why did Sybok abandon his peoples’ adherence to logic?  These are a few items I would have liked to know more about.  
In Star Trek lore, the Neutral Zone is an area of space that separates Federation, Romulan, and Klingon territories.  According to the Neutral Zone treaty, no one is permitted to colonize or set an outpost on any world within the Zone.  Yet, Sybok lures the Enterprise to a colonized planet within the Neutral Zone without explaining why such a thing exists.  It is explained that the planet was seeded with the dregs of the galaxy, but it is never stated for what purpose and/or when the treaty was ratified to allow colonization of the planet. 
The last thing I had a problem with is the fact that the Enterprise, which is a brand new ship in this film, is falling apart around the crew while they’re on this mission.  Would the federation really build such a substandard starship?  I think not.  If the ship had been damaged by its trip through the great barrier, it would have filled two big plot holes in this film.  
It sounds like nitpicking, but when you pile up this many inconsistencies in one film, especially a Trek film that is going to be seen by hordes of lifetime die-hard fans who know the names of every actor who played the red shirt ensigns who died left and right in the original series, people are going to notice.  
This was the Trek film that inspired the infamous “odd movie curse,” which states that all odd numbered Star Trek movies are destined to suck What’s really sad about this film is that it did have some potential.  I liked the idea of Kirk going up against a fanatical cult leader and his minions.  And like I said, I didn’t have a problem with the prospect of Spock having a long lost brother, by the dynamics of their relationship should have been developed a little better.  I’m not sure how I feel about the idea of the search for God, but as explained earlier, it needed a little work.  Basically, what this film really needed was more revision on it’s script.  If you’ve never seen a Trek film, DO NOT begin with this one. 

Interesting note: A scene was scripted but never shot which involved the “false God” taking the form of a giant rock monster and chasing Kirk across the desert before being shot down by the Klingon Bird of Prey.  The idea of this scene was later lampooned in the film “Galaxy Quest.”
     

Awesome movie quote: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)

"Come see the violence inherent in the system. Help, help I'm being repressed!"

Bob on Bram

I agree that Bram Stoker's Dracula is a central icon to the figure of 
the vampire. The novel essentially took a folklore monster and made it 
into a darkly romantic and mysterious figure. There is no doubt in the 
novel that Dracula is a monster and a force of evil, but there is 
something alluring and beautiful about him and brings forbidden desires 
to surface. This is the kind of quality that nearly every vampire in 
film and literature since has embodied.

Interesting note: Even though he is the title character, Dracula is only 
physically seen in about 30% of the novel.

Full Review: Kids (1995)

People in the Movie:  Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce, Chloe Sevigny

Director:  Larry Clark  

Pigeonhole:  Drama / Indie

The Basics:  An indie film that takes a raw look at a day in the life of teenagers in New York City.  Telly (Fitzpatrick) and Casper (Pierce) spend their day looking to have sex with teen girls they know from around the neighborhood, as well drinking and smoking marijuana throughout.  Jennie (Sevigny) learns that she HIV positive and spends her day trying to find the boy who infected her.  The movie looks and feels almost like a documentary with the camera work and dialogue, but it is not.   

Recommendation: Understandably a very polarizing film due to the subject matter.  I personally hold it in high regards, and recommend seeing it.   I have seen the same version of the film called both NC-17 and unrated, either way, I would urge caution with younger teens.

My Take: Eye-opening is the phrase I would use to best describe this film.  Seeing these urban teens defiling themselves with a seemingly invincible (or maybe more like completely apathetic) attitude was a wake up call to this former suburbanite.  Yes, the movie is a work of fiction, but based on real people (according to the writer), and the production very much made the on-screen product feel all the more genuine.  

**spoiler alert** The opening scene is Telly talking a very young looking 13 year old girl into having sex with him.  We also learn this girl is a virgin, and that Telly “prefers” this.  Meanwhile his friend Casper sits on the stoop of the apartment building drinking beer and reading a comic book.  Telly soon exits the building having finished his conquest for the morning; he and Casper then proceed to walk through the city for more debauchery, thievery, substance abuse and eyebrow raising conversations with other delinquent friends of theirs.

The movie flips between the activities of Telly and Casper, and the other “lead” Jennie.  We are introduced to Jennie and her friend Ruby (Rosario Dawson) as they and 2 of their friends are hanging out, discussing sexual encounters they have had, and why they like sex.  Their conversation is equally as raw as the same discussion going on across town with Telly, Casper, and an apartment full of their buddies.  Jennie and Ruby proceed to a local clinic where they have previously had blood drawn to check themselves for STD’s.  The irony (of course) is that Ruby reveals she has had risky unprotected sex with multiple partners and she is STD free, while Jennie, who has only had sex with Telly learns she is HIV positive.  Jennie, very distraught, then begins searching for Telly, presumably to inform him he is HIV positive.

Telly and Casper continue along their day’s expedition and; steal money from Telly’s mom, go to a skateboarding park to smoke a blunt, beat a kid unconscious for disrespecting them, hook up with a few friends, break into a private pool for a swim, and make their way to that night’s party.  Jennie ventures around hitting most of the spots Telly and Casper were hours before and ending up in a rave where she takes a home-made rave drug (similar to ecstasy), before ending up at the aforementioned party.

The finale:  we see this party where pre-teens are smoking weed, Telly working his way into the pants of his next virgin victim, and many other guys and gals trying to make out with each other, as well as being in various states of intoxication.  Jennie shows up, still loaded on the drugs from the club, and sees Telly having sex with another girl, so she walks away to pass out on a couch – without saying anything, but still distraught.  The scene cuts and Casper wakes up in the bathtub, and gets up to wander through the apartment seeing everyone passed out.  He sits down next to Jennie, still passed out, pulls off her pants and has sex with her – and yes, since she did not consent, it is rape.   The scene cuts again, we see Casper wake up and utter “what happened?”

Final Thought/Extras/For Fun:  This movie has a great soundtrack that I would recommend giving a once over, even if you choose not to watch the movie…

Vampires among us...

While Bram Stoker did not invent the vampire - the legends and myths had been around Eastern Europe for centuries - he created a character and a writing such that it became the template for most vampire fiction, and subculture that is alive (ha,ha) and thriving today.
It would be hard to imagine horror/fantasy movies, TV, and literature without the vampire.

Happy Birthday: Bram Stoker

The writer of Dracula, one of the most famous horror novels of all time.

Awesome movie quote: They Live (1988)

Spoken by Nada (Rowdy Roddy Piper.) "I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubble gum."

down but not out... mother nature strikes again

To review the weather that has struck the homestead this year:

- Record snow fall
- Ice storms
- Tornado and microbursts, back to back
- Hurricane Irene
- and now the motherlode- a Nor'easter that did more damage than Hurricane Irene.  About 12 inches of snow in less than 10 hours, and it took down more trees than I have ever personally seen.  Pictures will be pending.
Bear with us, more reviews are pending, I just have to get power back to be able to make my usual posts.

Thanks for your continued viewing.

James

Quick Look: Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

A prequel to a prequel, Paranormal Activity 3 begins with Katie bringing a box of VHS tapes over to her sister, Kristi's house to store. On the next camera shot, the basement is ransacked and the tapes are missing. Then we see what is on the tapes. The tapes were made in 1988 when Kristi and Katie were children. Their mother's live-in boyfriend is a videographer who, like in the previous two movies, sets up video cameras around the house to investigate a series of strange occurrences, and his cameras pick up more than he bargained for.

*Spoiler Alert* There really isn't much in this film that hasn't been seen in either of the other two films. There's creepy/possesed sleepwalking, loud noises through the surround system, a girl getting pulled off camera, and the male lead becoming obsessed over the process while his girlfriend becomes exceedingly agitated. There were a couple of cool effects such as the sheet that appears behind the babysitter in the form of a classic ghost them collapsing, but other than that, nothing really new. What is new is the story of the film which tries to explain the origins of the demon that has been stalking the family since 1988. Throughout the film, Kristi speaks to an "imaginary" friend named Toby who we are led to believe is the beast. The family flees to grandma's house where the origin comes to a head. I know I warned of spoilers, but I'm not giving this one away. Sorry. You know what you're going to get with this movie, but I would still recommend catching it in the theaters if you enjoy pov horror flicks. Just like the first two installments, the film does a good job using the surround sound system to create atmosphere. And, if you haven't seen the first two movies, no problem, it does just fine as a stand alone. If you have seen the other two movies, don't expect anything new.

Happy Birthday: Winona Ryder & Richard Dreyfuss

Winona - my favorite moive of hers is Heathers

Richard - my favorite of his is Jaws

Happy Birthday: John Cleese

Of Monty Python fame...

Bob's Full Review: The Evil Dead (1981)

Principal Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor (as Hal Delrich), Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly (as Sarah York)
Director: Sam Raimi
Genre: Horror

The Basics:  Five friends rent a cabin in the woods for a weekend of partying.  While exploring the house they find an old tape recorder and an array of ancient artifacts, including a book bound in human skin.  Listening to the tape made by the cabins previous owner, they learn that the items came from an excavation site of the ruins of an ancient city, and the book, titled “Book of the Dead,” was a record of the forest demons, the people of the city.  The recording of the cabin’s owner includes him reading a passage of the book, which turns out to be the resurrection spell that wakes the sleeping demons.  
Ash’s (Campbell) four friends are attacked by the evil spirits who use the forest to beat/rape them and posses their flesh, turning them into demonic zombie-like creatures.  
Can Ashe survive til morning?

Recommendation: Fans of indie horror and cult cinema will get into this one.  This film was not rated by the MPAA until 1994 where it got an NC17 for intense violence, blood, and gore (the DVD box lists the film as unrated.)

My Take:  This film is another good example of what can be done with a small budget and some imagination.  The estimated cost was $350,000 and what was produced was one of the true classics of horror cinema. 
This is also a good example of “claustrophobic” horror in which the people being hunted are confined to a small space and cannot escape (see James’ review of Alien.)  The cabin in the woods setting has been a staple of horror films since “Night of the Living Dead,” where they couldn’t leave because the cabin was surrounded by zombies.  The claustrophobia in this film comes from the fact that when characters try to leave the woods, they are attacked by the trees which forces them to stay in the cabin, which I found to be an effective plot device as well as a good scare factor.  
This film also shows that Raimi is not afraid to be brutal to his characters.  One girl is literally raped by the demon possessed forest and another’s face is set on fire while she is inhabited by evil spirits.  While gruesome, scenes such as these show a creative mind at work.  There are plenty of haunted cabin movies out there where the victims are merely stabbed to death and/or chopped apart by some idiotic “manic.” 
I also like the demonic take on what is essentially a zombie movie.  Even though the “Book of the Dead” goes by a different name in this film, it is based on “The Necronomicon,” which is a fictitious book invented by H.P. Lovecraft and mentioned in a number of his works published in the 1920s.  And as a matter of fact, the book was renamed Necronomicon for Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness.   Raimi does a good job weaving the elements of the occult, demonic possession and zombie horror to create a terrifying movie experience.  
Very little is actually known about the five characters.  The group is two guys, their girlfriends, and Ash’s sister.  But other than that, nothing is known about them or their lives before they go to the cabin.  In one sense, I might have wanted know a little about who I am watching die, and creating back story for a character could have led to some more horrifying means by which the demons could attack them.  On the other hand, leaving out back story helped Raimi “get on with the terror” without having to slow down the movie with what might feel like superfluous conversation.  So I’ll bow to the professional on this one.  
The make up effects in this movie were amazing given the tight budget.  Even in 1978, when the film was shot, $375,000 was not a lot to work with.  In later interviews, the actors would say that Evil Dead was a very hard movie to shoot partially because of their creature makeup, particularly the solid white contact lenses that made them blind and had to be removed after 15 minutes due to the severe discomfort.  It was also bitterly cold during principal photography and the ladies shot several outside scene in thin fabric night clothes.  
Even though Ash is the lone survivor of this movie, I would hesitate to call him the main character of the film.  Again, without back story, it is hard to establish any character as central.  I say Ash survives despite being nailed by the demon wind at the very end because of Evil Dead 2, where Ash is very clearly the hero of the picture, but I’ll save that for later.
All in all, this is a very good horror film.  Even if one does not like horror films, one must acknowledge this movie as an American classic that should be studied.

Statistics:

Cast Performance:  Good.  All five actors do a great job performing their roles without hamming it up, which occasionally happens with horror films. 

Violence/Gore: Intense.  Lots of blood and bodily harm.  Definitely not for the squeamish.

Nudity: A little.  One scene where the demon wind is peeping a girl getting undressed, and the forest rape scene are the two instances.  These add up to about 4 seconds of breast shot.  The story did not call for anything more than that.

Ambiance/Music: Effective.  We get the typical horror film score, but pair that with the creepy atmosphere, the end result racks the nerves.  The film was shot in an actual abandoned cabin in the woods, which made the atmosphere all the more chilling.  

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 on the Bob Kline Scale. 

Interesting notes: Richard DeManincor and Theresa Tilly went by different stage names for this film because they were members of the screen actors guild and would have been penalized for working on a non-union production. 
Also, the cabin where the film was shot has since burned down and the only remaining structure is the fireplace.  No one will give complete directions to its location due to the fact that fans of the film kept stealing its bricks.