Music in Film - some exceptional moments

Musical moments in film
Music is, and has always been, a big part of movies. (Thank you Captain Obvious, I know.) Even in the days of Silent film, the movie would be accompanied by music played by a pianist, organist, or in some cases an orchestra. In the golden age of talking pictures, music was composed and/or compiled for films to help build scene and ambiance, which is a tool of filmmaking that is still used to this day, This is something I talk about in most of my reviews; the quality of the music composed or compiled for the films and how it helps to build the atmosphere of the movie overall. But what about those memorable movie scenes where a song or a melody is used for a few minutes of the film to convey a character’s emotion, set the mood for a scene, or make us laugh? When the action and the music of a moment fit together perfectly what results is the kind of scenes that go on to represent the movie in award shows or retrospectives, and stick in our minds making us want to hear more from the artist behind the piece of music used in the scene. Here is a list of some of my favorite musical moments in film. (Might wanna grab a snack.)

Caddyshack - The scene is a choreographed water ballet in the country club pool set to the “Waltz of the Flowers” from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.

Reservoir Dogs - A now famous scene involves Mr. Blonde cutting the ear off of a bound and gagged police officer while dancing to Steeler’s Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle with You.”

Fight Club - “Where is My Mind?” by The Pixies is playing while a pair of buildings is demolished in slow motion while the observers watch from an apartment window, as if the very reality of what they’re seeing is in question.

Revenge of the Nerds - The Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity scores a major victory by performing a high production rap number during their university’s homecoming carnival and winning control of their student government.

Cool Hand Luke - After learning of the death of his mother, Luke sits alone strumming a banjo and sings “Plastic Jesus” as a tear falls from his eye, which shows him to be a human being with a heart that can feel pain, and not just a rebellious troublemaker.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - Another famous movie scene sees our hero appear on a parade float and lip sync to the songs “Danke Shoen” by Wayne Newton and then “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles.

Dirty Dancing - Arguably, the most famous scene in the film is the final dance sequence. But, my favorite musical moment comes in the middle of the film where Johnny and Baby dance to Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me.”

Sixteen Candles - Farmer Ted attempts to seduce Sam by “dancing” to Oingo Boingo’s “Wild Sex” which ends…embarrassingly for our lovable geek.

A Clockwork Orange - Another famous scene comes when Malcolm McDowell croons “Singing in the Rain” while he and his “droogs” assault a couple in their own home. While campy and somewhat laughable at first, the scene becomes more and more disturbing as McDowell sings happily and prepares to rape the lady of the house, while showing his glee at causing harm and pain to complete strangers.

Batman (1989) - The Joker and his goons walk into the Gotham City Museum of Art and defaces paintings and sculptures while dancing along to Prince’s “Party Man.” It sounds like the start of a joke, but it is the Joker we are talking about, and the scene is a classic.

Adventures In Babysitting - This is one of my mother’s favorites. To get through a Chicago blues bar and escape her pursuers, Elizabeth Shue must sing a blues number. So, she belts out the “Babysitting Blues” with the help of Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Maia Brewton, and of course, Bo Diddly.

The Big Lebowski - The Dude has been drugged and passed out. While he sleeps he dreams of staring in a Broadway number/porno by name of “Gutterballs,” the opening song of which is “Just Dropped in (To See What Condition my Condition was in” by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition.

The Silence of the Lambs - A unsettling scene in which Buffalo Bill is dancing naked in front of a camera is made all the more disturbing with Q. Lazarus’s “Goodbye Horses” in the background.

American Psycho - Pat Bateman builds his way up to hacking his business rival to death by playing as discussing the song “Hip to be Square” by Huey Lewis and the News in this gruesomely comical scene.

Blue Velvet - A creepy performance takes place in an already tense situation when the character of Ben the Pimp lip syncs to Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams.”

Trainspotting - This film has a good example of how a song can set a scene. The opening scene of the film has Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, and Johnny Lee Miller running from the police to the tune of “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop, creating a high energy ambience with a air of humor. Later in the movie, the same scene takes place with Blur’s “Sing” playing in the background, which creates a much more somber atmosphere and conveys desperation and sadness. Same scene, different songs, much different impact.

History of the World Pt. 1 - Between the Roman Empire and the French revolution comes an event known as “The Inquisition” which sees the grand inquisitor torture and abuse Jews in an attempt to convert them to Christianity, while performing a Broadway style musical number.

Napoleon Dynamite - Jon Heder improvised his dance scene to the tune of “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai at the end of the film. Another memorable scene has Napoleon performing alongside the “Happy Hands Club” to the tune of “The Rose” by Bette Midler.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - Given the target audience for this film (fans of In Living Color and Friends for example) one would not expect to find death metal on the soundtrack. But, in a scene where the lead character goes to seek help from a friend, the band Cannibal Corpse is on stage belting out “Hammer Smashed Face.”

Office Space - A now famous scene involves Peter, Michael, and Samir issuing a beat down to a faulty printer in slow motion to the tune of “Still” by Geto Boys.

Wayne’s World - The scene where Wayne, Garth, and the crew head bang to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is not my favorite, but I acknowledge it as a cinema classic.

The Full Monty - While the final striptease is a classic, the scene that sticks out in my mind involves the gentlemen break out into dance in the unemployment line when Donna Summers’s “Hot Stuff” comes over the radio.

The Crow - A truly memorable action sequence ensues as Brandon Lee takes on a group of thugs and bangers in a nightclub office while My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult performs “After the Flesh” on the main stage.

Apocalypse Now - “The End” by The Doors comes both in the beginning as we see a Vietnamese landscape get firebombed and at the end where Martin Sheen, having lost his mind, murders Marlon Brando.

Of course, this is just a few of the great ones out there. What’s your favorite?

Awesome movie quotes: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

"..after all, he was the Walrus.  I could be the Walrus, I'd still have to bum rides off people..."

Quick Look: A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

This is an excellent British film about a group of 5 friends that, while on a hike, discover a kidnapped child and are then pursued by the kidnappers, with dire consequences for all.  A Lonely Place to Die has a great mix of suspense, "jump moments", excellent camera work, and a good story.  It is written and directed by Julian Gilbey.  'R' rating is violence and language.
**spoiler alert**
Melissa George (30 Days of Night, TV's Grey's Anatomy) plays Alison, the main character.  She and 4 of her friends are rock climbers who are on a trip/vacation to the Scottish Highlands.  While in the woods one afternoon they hear what sounds like a child screams.  They search around and locate a girl, possibly 8 or 9 years old buried in pine box with a breathing tube sticking out of it.  She is thought to be either Serbian or Croatian, so she is unable to communicate with the adults about what has happened.  Figuring that the girl has been kidnapped, the group wants to get to help as quickly as possible, so using a map they locate a town which is still hours away, over the terrain.
The situation goes from bad to worse as the kidnappers return, and being stalking them through the woods and highlands.  The natural elements provide as much of a lethal challenge, and create as much tension as the men with guns who are chasing them.  Three of Alison's friends are killed, while Alison and Ed are severely battered by the terrain, while trying to protect this child.
Finally making it to the town and to the police, Ed and Alison have no time to relax as the relentless kidnappers kill the local constable and chase them through the town, eventually killing Ed.  At this point we learn that Anna, the little girl, is the daughter of a powerful mob/gang boss, who has hired men who are also pursuing the kidnappers and attempting to recover Anna.  Not many are left alive by the time the credits roll, but I will note the little girl survives.  You will need to watch to discover how it all turned out.
The cinematography and direction of this film is top notch.  The shots in the woods and the highlands were just a treat to watch.  The different views and movements that were used were breathtaking at times, and downright scary at others - literally looking over the edge of the cliff at one point, and falling into a river at another.  The final act that was shot in the town showed a street festival going on that was a great visual back drop to the foot chase and stalking that was happening with Alison, Anna, the kidnappers, and the mob guys.  Definitely a cat and mouse chase worth viewing.    

Review: Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)

People in the Movie: Dean Winters (TV’s Law & Order: SVU; Mayhem on the Allstate commercials), Ashley Laurence, Doug Bradley

Director: Rick Bota

Pigeonhole: Psychological Thriller / Horror

The Basics: This is the sixth Hellraiser movie, and was direct to video/DVD.

The film opens with Kirsty (Laurence), one of the main characters from the first 2 Hellraiser films, riding in a car with her husband Trevor (Winters).  There is an accident, and the car goes off a bridge into a river.  Trevor is pulled out and sent to the hospital, but Kirsty’s body is not found.  Even worse, Trevor’s memory seems to be full of holes, and his reality appears somewhat fractured, as well.  As the plot unfolds, and his memory returns, all is not what it seems.   

Recommendation: I enjoyed seeing Laurence return – even in a limited role – and that the story plays out more like a psychological thriller than a horror movie.  I enjoyed the film, as I believe it stayed true to the Hellraiser theme.  ‘R’ rating is for violence, language, gore, and sexuality.  This film works just fine as a standalone (meaning you had never seen any of the previous films), although you feel more attached to Kirsty’s plight if you have seen the first one.

My Take: **spoiler alert**

Very much like Hellraiser: Inferno, this film plays out like a murder mystery story with the Hellraiser elements woven into background and the periphery.  I personally feel like this was the correct way to continue using the Hellraiser themes without butchering the Hellraiser mythology as happened in several of the preceding sequels.  I was slightly disappointed Pinhead (Bradley) was, again, more of a cameo because I feel that using these murder plots would allow us to see Pinhead very much like a “judge” witnessing and waiting to hand down a sentence to the “guilty”.  But, that is another story for another day.    

Trevor is portrayed to us, initially, as a sympathetic character who seems to be a victim of circumstance and just trying to put his life back together after the car crash.  Even worse, his reality, memory, and dream states all seem to be criss-crossing each other.   Work colleagues and other acquaintances speak to him about things that happened in the recent past that he seemingly has no recollection of, much to his frustration.  Two police detectives continue to question him about Kirsty and the state of their marriage, as well as the events prior to the crash.  The tension builds while fragments slowly fall back into place and suddenly the proverbial picture becomes clearer.

Piecing the flashbacks, dreams, and memories together the audience learns that Trevor is, in fact, a dirtbag.  He was having affairs with his aggressive female boss, his neighbor, and his acupuncturist.  After learning that Kirsty was the beneficiary of her uncle Frank’s (remember him?) large estate, Trevor decides he is tired of his marriage and having to work for a living, so he conspires with his co-worker to have her killed by presenting her with the infamous puzzle box so that he can inherit the money.  What Trevor does not know is that Kirsty has a history with what the puzzle box and what it does, so the tables are turned on Trevor.

In the climax/reveal we that Kirsty opens on the puzzle box only to make a deal with the Cenobites to trade 5 other people’s lives for hers – those 5 being Trevor, his sexual partners and his murder plot conspirator.  Trevor ends up in the hell he has created, and sees his own body on the slab after the accident.  While I would say that the conclusion had shades of the wrap-up of Inferno, there was something satisfying with Trevor’s demise in Hellseeker, and that the door was left open for Kirsty to come back in a future installment.  As I previously noted, I felt that it stayed to true to what my interpretation of Barker’s Hellraiser mythos is all about.

Final Thought/ Extras/For Fun:  Kirsty has not returned to any other Hellraiser films as of this writing… 

Awesome(?) movie quotes: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Opening narration:

"The film which you are about to see is an account of the tragedy which befell a group of five youths, in particular Sally Hardesty and her invalid brother, Franklin. It is all the more tragic in that they were young. But, had they lived very, very long lives, they could not have expected nor would they have wished to see as much of the mad and macabre as they were to see that day. For them an idyllic summer afternoon drive became a nightmare. The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

** see the little know facts about Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in relation to this

Little Known Facts: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

- Despite the opening narrative, this story is not true.  The Leatherface character was loosely based on the Wisconsin serial killer/murderer Ed Gein.  Also - the film was shot in July and early August of 1973, and the description states it took place on place on August 18, 1973.

- Only one person actually dies from by being cut with a chainsaw

- Only one person is actually show being cut by the chainsaw: Leatherface, when he accidentally cuts his own leg   

- The human skeleton show in the house was a "real" skeleton bought from India.  It was cheaper than a plastic model skeleton

Little Known Facts: Valentine (2001)

- Tara Reid was originally cast as Dorothy

- Jennifer Love Hewitt was originally cast as Paige

- The order in which Jeremy asks the girls to dance in the opening scene, is the order in which they die.  There is also foreshadowing to either attacks, or how they die in their verbal refusals to dance with him.

(beyond a) Quick Look: Jeepers Creeper II (2003)

Taking place just a few days after the first story - and seemingly in the same area.  The Creeper attacks a farm house and then school bus carrying a high school basketball team and cheerleaders.  The film is written and directed by Victor Salva, the creator of the first film.  'R' rating is violence, and language.
**spoiler alert** 
The first Jeepers Creepers film relied on building tension by using visuals, atmosphere, music and a slow mysterious reveal to the antagonist, the Creeper.  The result was a successful horror / monster movie with some good scares and a great ending. 
This film, unfortunately, sunk into horror movie cliche with a weak story, borderline characters, and very few scares.  The film opens with the Creeper attacking and carrying off a child out of a corn field, while his dad, Jack Taggart, Sr. (Ray Wise) and older brother Jack Jr., can only look on in horror.  Jack Sr. seems to "lose it" and quickly begins constructing an impromptu harpoon cannon out of a piece of farm equipment that he and Jack Jr. mount to the back of their pick up truck, in order to hunt down the Creeper.

Next we see the school bus out on a 2 lane country road, possibly the same road as the first film.  The Creeper disables the bus by blowing out a few of the tires, and then proceeds grabbing the adults (the driver and coaches) one at a time.  There is little the high school kids can do to fend off the Creeper's attacks, and when they do finally wound him, he heals himself by consuming another victim to regenerate his damaged body (like we witnessed in the first film).  Using the CB radio on the bus, the remaining kids are able to contact the Taggarts who head towards the bus to assist.  The fight ensues with the home-made weapons to try to stop the Creeper once and for all.
What I liked: I thought the opening sequence in the Taggart's cornfield was very well done.  It was scary, and the look and feel of a scene that could have led into an even better movie.
I liked that Salva had the kids turn on each other on the school bus, especially because these were basketball "teammates".  It really portrayed the elitist, even racist attitudes that people have - and when it was crisis time, it was very much an "every man for himself" attitude, rather than a "let's all work together".
Overall, I felt that most of the actors did a reasonable job with the high school aged characters.  I think Eric Nenninger who played Scott, stood out as the "bad guy" among the victims rather well.  And by "bad guy" he was the most racist, self-centered character in the film.  
I also enjoyed the ending; basically we are meant to think the Creeper had not been killed, he was just going into hibernation until the next spree.
What was lame: The reveals and insight into the Creeper mythology were, once again, given to us by a psychic - this time one of the cheerleaders named Minxie was having visions (which we are led to believe she has on a semi-frequent basis).  Darry (Justin Long), from the first film, informs her in one of these visions, that the Creeper feeds for 23 days every 23 years.
First, the whole psychic angle was already used.  I do understand there would have been no way to make a reveal without it, but I feel like maybe Salva should have left the psychic angle out, and just let the mystery of the Creeper hang on the characters' own interpretations.  Second, and I don't know why, but that element of the 23/23 did not seem congruent to me with what we had seen of the Creeper.  He appeared, in my mind, as a humanoid-like monster who used stalking and stealth techniques to collect prey, very much like serial killer, and not like a brainless eating machine.  It also seemed to me like the Creeper never "took a break", like 23 years off.  And that is based on the hundreds of victims' bodies which he had preserved in the basement of the church, witnessed in the prior installment.
I thought Ray Wise's performance was just a little too nutty.  He was obviously hell bent on revenge for the death of his son, which I get, but then he seemed like a crazed lunatic at the wrong moments, based on the action going on around him.  There should/could have been a better balance of the aggressive but calculating versus the out of control emotions.  
Final Thought: Like many sequels I consider Jeepers Creepers II just a garden variety horror movie, with failed expectations.  The elements and the potential were all there (great opening, great first film to build on, very good actor in Ray Wise, returning director), but the execution, and the final on screen product left me for wanting.

Extras:
- Jeepers Creepers 3 was slated for 2013 release, although I have seen no updated information indicating that it is still in production

Awesome movie quotes: The Prophecy (1995)

"I can lay you out and fill your mouth with your mother's feces, or we can talk."

Happy 50th Birthday: Jodie Foster

I am not sure she will ever hit that peak like Silence of the Lambs again, but who knows?

Quick Look: 30 Days of Night (2007)

30 Days of Night is vampire movie that takes place in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in North America.  In that part of the world the sunlight will go below the horizon line for an extended amount of time (its actually more than 30 days), and hence would be dark during "daytime" hours - lending itself to be the perfect environment for vampires to hunt.  This movie is based a comic book miniseries, it stars Josh Hartnett and Melissa George; with David Slade directing.  'R' rating is for violence, gore, and language.
**spoiler alert**
The town is preparing for the polar night (the days without sunlight) where a significant portion of the population leaves.  A mysterious stranger shows up and Eben Oleson (Harnett), the sheriff, with his estranged wife Stella (George) end up taking him into custody for vandalism.  It seems he has disabled communications and travel, so everyone still in town is basically "trapped".  The stranger promptly informs them that death is on the way.
A group of vampires show up and kill their way through the remaining townsfolk.  Some of the survivors, including the 2 leads, hide out attempting to survive until the sunlight comes back which will apparently kill the vampires if they are still there.  The cat and mouse games ensue, and with the vampires being stronger and faster the humans can do very little to save themselves.  By the end, almost everyone who was still there is dead, and Eben had to sacrifice himself to save his wife and few others.

Where this movie succeeds is that vampires are more primal and dirty, compared the "sexy" vampires that tend to dominate the cinematic landscape right now.  They speak and understand language, and have a clan-like mentality, but they are not reasonable and do not have a code about their behaviors.  They are essentially killing machines.  It was a very refreshing idea to use this type of monster-like vampire, compared to their more civilized "brethren".  Using the extreme environment in Alaska is also a great element that I enjoy in movies; it creates a great atmosphere and backdrop that can take on a life of its own if used in the right way.
Other than the vampires, I did not find any character's acting anything spectacular.  I would point to George's performance as probably the "best", her emotions and performance matched the scenes appropriately.  The film unfolds in a predictable fashion, but the director was able to guide it enough for some tense moments, a few scares, and some decent horror movie splatter moments - including several beheadings.  All in all, this is a fun vampire flick that I recommend seeing, because it takes us away from the monotany of vampire portrayals like Twilight, True Blood, and Underworld.

Extras:    
- there is a direct-to-DVD sequel called 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, and 2 TV mini-series that aired on FearNet...

(more than a) Quick Look: Hard Candy (2006)

Hard Candy is an outstanding independent-style film in which a 14 year old girl confronts a 32 year old man she suspects is a sexual predator whom she met online.  It stars Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson; both turning in exceptional performances, and is directed by David Slade in his big screen debut.  'R' rating is for language, subject matter, violence, and psychological torture.

I highly recommend seeing this film, it is well acted, directed, shot, the story is relevant, and while the believability is very close to crossing the line - it stays on the right side, in my opinion for a great finish.  Hard Candy is movie that carries tension scene to scene, and while there are peaks and valleys throughout, there is an overall crescendo all the way to the end that I have to applaud.  The film also has that ability to make you look twice at what is going on around you in the world.

**spoiler alert**

The film opens with an instant message online conversation going back and forth between 2 unseen people.  It seems flirty and light, and they finally agree to meet at a coffee shop.  Hayley (Page) is 14 year old girl whose appearance is somewhat boyish looking and "innocent", but seems years older by her dialogue and intelligence.  Jeff (Wilson) is a handsome, well dressed, bookish looking type who we learn is a photographer.  They continue their mundane conversation about her reading and music tastes, at which point Jeff mentions having a recording of certain song, which he states he will email to her.  Hayley seems a bit eager to want to go to his place to listen it.  Within about ten minutes of the films opening, Hayley is in Jeff's car on the way to his house, where they will spend the remainder of the movie.

After some back and forth flirting and conversation about Jeff being a photographer, Hayley makes screwdrivers for both of them, the movie seems headed for a certain bad outcome - but then the rug gets pulled out from under the audience.  Jeff passes out from being drugged, to which he awakens tied to a chair and now subject to aggressive questioning and psychological torture by Hayley about being a sexual predator, specifically in relation to the disappearance of another teen girl named Donna Mauer (that we assume Hayley knows).  She even goes so far as to make Jeff believe she is going to castrate him by placing an ice bag on his genitals, while showing him a video of a castration while he is prone and restrained - being unable to see or sense what be happening.  It was disturbing to watch, I must note.

Jeff maintains his innocence for quite awhile, enough to have you believe that maybe Hayley is crazy, until she eventually discovers a secret safe in his floor full of explicit pictures of underage girls.  She now takes the stance that Jeff should kill himself or she will expose him to his friends and to the world.  She says that this will lead to him going to jail, and likely be brutalized for being a child molester.  I won't ruin how the end plays out here.

Page, even though she was 18 at the time of the filming, still came off as the perfect mix as a very young teen but with the mindset of an adult, in both physical appearance and line delivery.  Wilson was able appear a seemingly innocent person, yet, physically we see facial nuances and behaviors of a predator lurking beneath.  Again, I cannot say enough good things about their performances considering this was a 2 person movie, only.  The direction and editing really created superior mood and atmosphere throughout.  It was subtle, in that you cannot point to one exact thing, but the lighting and camera angles in Jeff's house at any time never let the tension subside, even as the movie is coming to a close.

My only real criticism of Hard Candy comes from the earlier mentioned believablity factor - and that lies in the fact that Jeff was able to get free of his restraints at several different moments in which Hayley had to re-subdue him.  It just seemed an ever so slight stretch for the smaller Hayley to be able to fight Jeff in the manner which it unfolds.  Using the idea that "with the adrenaline flowing" people are capable of almost anything, then there are no flaws in the story.

Awesome movie quotes: Next Friday (2000)

"Ahhhhhh!! She sprayed the pimp! She sprayed the playa!"

Awesome movie quotes: Johnny Dangerously (1984)

"I am handicapped... I'm psychotic."

Little known facts: American Psycho (2000)

- The single biggest cost for this film was buying the song rights to multiple 80's favorites

- The film takes place in 1987; the story in Bret Easton Ellis' book takes place in 1989

- Patrick is an obviously a well-to-do yuppie, yet we never see him work

- Christian Bale was warned not to take the part as it could negatively affect his career; this of course made him all the more eager to do it

- Strangely, Bret Easton Ellis received death threats after the book was published

What if? E.T. the Extra Terrestrial

I think Barry White should have done ET's voice.
That would have made the movie much more entertaining.

Review: Better Off Dead (1985)

People in the Movie: John Cusack (Say Anything, Grosse Pointe Blank), Curtis Armstrong (Revenge of the Nerds), Amada Wyss (A Nightmare on Elm St)

Director: Savage Steve Holland

Pigeonhole: Comedy

The Basics: Starting with his girlfriend Beth (Wyss) dumping him for the captain of the ski team, Lane Meyer’s (Cusack) life seems to be spiraling into total turmoil.  Lane, like many teenagers after their first break-up, thinks his life is over so he considers killing himself (again, this is a comedy so no worries) - but there is light at the end of tunnel.  Beyond Lane’s despair over Beth, all of the people in his life have very strange quirks, which are comically highlighted throughout.  With the help of his friend Charles (Armstrong) and the French foreign exchange student living across the street, Lane actually has a lot to live for. 

Recommendation: As far as I am concerned, Better Off Dead stands up as one of the best “high school” comedies of the 80’s, alongside titles like Ferris Bueller and Sixteen Candles.  The film is rated ‘PG’, although I would treat of it more like a light ‘PG-13’ with some references to sex, and drinking.

My Take: The storytelling for this movie is done like how a teenager would view the world.  Lane’s family, friends and neighbors are almost caricature-like in their various portrayals, and it works great.  I think the movie really hits on the mindset of a teen loveable loser who was dumped, and what his coping mechanisms become.     

**spoiler alert** Beyond the break up, we learn about many other dysfunctions in Lane’s life.  His younger brother, Badger, is a genius but does not talk or leave the house.  Badger builds a working laser gun out of toy; learns how to pick up trashy women, and subsequently throws a late party in his room.  

His stay at home mother cannot cook, despite her various attempts.  So every meal that they sit down to the food is either horrible (like green boiled bacon), or in one instance the substance she prepared gets up and crawls away.

Lane’s dad, played by David Ogden Stiers, seems to be normal but through various comic moments seems to end up standing outside their house every time their garage door gets destroyed, and the next door neighbor is always looking on.

Some of Lane’s other misadventures include; drag racing daily with 2 Chinese guys, one of which announces the race with a Howard Cosell voice; getting a job at burger joint where Lane imagines an awesome dancing food sequence to “Everybody Wants Some” by Van Halen; and having to hide out from Johnny the paperboy constantly demanding his “2 dollars”.

Things do get straightened out for Lane after he begins hanging out with the French foreign exchange living across the street.  Her name is Monique; she helps him fix up his 67 Camaro and goes skiing with him.  As Lane’s confidence gets built up, he is able to win a race against the ski team captain, skiing on one ski (in a particularly hilarious scene), and the proverbial victory for the little guys everywhere.   By the end of the movie, Monique and Lane end up together.  All in all, a great story start to finish.

Final Thought/ Extras/For Fun: Savage Steve Holland has stated this film somewhat auto-biographical in regards to his girlfriend breaking up with him to date the captain of the ski team, and even noting he had a crazy paperboy named Johnny who would hassle him for 2 dollars…

Awesome movie quotes: Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)

"Welcome to the worst nightmare of all.  Reality."

Happy 50th birthday: Demi Moore

Is it sad I cannot remember the time I saw one of her movies upon release?

Worst Movie Ending: A Walk in the Clouds (1995)

**spoiler alert** This is a decent romantic drama, a little heavy on the cheese, but entertaining enough right up until the end.
Victoria's drunk father sets fire to their vineyard in Napa Valley, essentially destroying their livelihood.
Keanu Reeves runs off to dig up a "good vine" with its root system intact.
So the scene is the audience looking at the whole incinerated vineyard while Keanu is now showing his soon-to-be-father in law this root, which they will be able to use to regrow the vineyard.  In maybe a decade or two.  And somehow we are supposed to believe it is this emotional moment of happiness.  What?
Sorry, the only emotions at this moment I felt were anger and despair.  I understand the metaphor, but this ending killed the movie for me.

Quick Look: Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)

This is fourth Hellraiser film, and the last to be wide-released to movie theaters (the rest are all direct to DVD).  There are 3 timelines examined, and the plot focuses mainly on the history of the puzzle box and its creator.  Bloodline stars Bruce Ramsay, and Doug Bradley; it is directed by Kevin Yagher and Alan Smithee.  'R' rating is for violence, gore, language.  As a standalone (meaning you had never seen any of the prior films) the movie still works as most elements are explained.
The movie opens on board a space station in the future.  We see a man named Paul Merchant (Ramsay) "commandeer" the station and then use a robot to open the infamous puzzle box.  Merchant is then captured by a security team, so he decides to "tell his story", which involves 2 ancestors of his we learn about.
Merchant is a descendant of an 18th century toymaker named Philip Lemarchand (Ramsay) who built the puzzle box for a rich man named Duc de L'Isle.  L'Isle practices dark magic, and with his assistant named Jacques they use the box to summon a Cenobite named Angelique.  I would say next to Pinhead, her visage is one the creepiest of all the other Cenobites, to date.  Jacques and Angelique soon turn on L'Isle and he is killed.   Lemarchand having witnessed this dark magic, decides he wants to steal his box back to stop the demon, but he is caught, and before Angelique kills him, Jacques informs him that his bloodline is cursed forever for making the box.  It was a nice little historical look at this piece of the Hellraiser mythology.

Now we move forward to the 1990's.  We see the building from the end of Hellraiser 3, with the puzzle box designs decorating the architecture.  The man who designed the building is named John Merchant (Ramsay), a descendant of Lemarchand.  Angelique comes to the building and gets the puzzle box out of the pillar that it was previously buried in, and Pinhead is summoned.  Pinhead wants John to help them "leave open" the gateway into the hell dimension by threatening his child.  The plan does not work to open the schism to hell, and John is killed, but his wife uses the puzzle box and is able to send the Cenobites back to hell.

Move forward (or back) to the space station.  The now freed Cenobites are killing their way through the security guards with ease, making their way towards Paul.  This turns out to be trap, and we see Paul activate the station which seems to fold itself into a giant cube filled with light - then it explodes, while Paul escapes.  I believe we are meant to think that the original puzzle box and the Cenobites are now destroyed.  

My Take: The idea of the back-story of the puzzle box was certainly entertaining, in fact the whole sequence in the 18th century was probably the best part of the movie.  Angelique was a great addition, visually, to the Hellraiser universe.  It's too bad that more of the movie could not have been spent building up this story a little more.
The 1990's storyline was nothing special.  It was nice to see Kim Myers of Nightmare on Elm St. 2 make her way into another movie.  As far as a compliment, I will say that the creation of the "Twins" Cenobite was also an intense scene.  However, my single biggest problem at this point in the film was that Pinhead was still acting like the 'evil incarnate character' from number 3.  This is not what his character is about, so that took some of my appreciation away from this installment.
The remaining part of the film aboard the space station was forgettable, including the the supposed end of the puzzle box and the Cenobites.  It was cookie cutter horror movie action, although it still pre-dated Jason X as far as the sequel in space idea.
When Bloodline was over, my thought was: not great enough to praise, but still better than the prior installment.  I think the original director had much grander ideas, however he quit part way through production over creative issues.  The movie does have a hodge podge feel to it, like something great was started but then died.  Too bad.      

Quick Look: Tell No One (2006)

Tell No One is an excellent French film, that I highly recommend seeing.  It is based on the book of the same name, written by American author Harlan Coben.  It is directed by Guillaume Canet, and stars Francois Cluzet and Marie-Josee Croze.  It is not rated, but I would treat like an 'R' for language, violence, and brief nudity.  The language spoken is French.

Alexandre Beck (Cluzet) is arriving at a depressing anniversary.  It has been 8 years since his wife Margot (Croze) was murdered, and the killer was never caught.  He is portrayed as a man ready to move on, but with still a touch of grieving widow.  Except something strange happens on the anniversary day - he receives an email from her.  It has a video clip attached to it, and she appears to be alive and well.  The narrative warns him to 'tell no one' about her message and that they are both being watched.

**spoiler alert**

2 persons are soon murdered where his wife's body was found those 8 years ago, so the police who suspected him of his wife's murder (but could not prove it), now suspect Alex's involvement in this recent crime.  It turns out there is, in fact, a conspiracy at hand, and Alex becomes a Hitchcockian "wrong man".

A friend of Alex's is soon killed and the police get a warrant for his arrest, so he must go on the run from both the "bad guys" (who we still do not know what their motives are), and the police; all while trying to prove his innocence in multiple crimes, as well as discover what happened to his wife, and where is she now.  All roads appear to lead back to that night 8 years ago, and as Alex unravels the mystery we find that those closest to him were hiding dark secrets.

This is perfectly paced thrill ride that is extremely well directed, and the actors played out their roles beautifully, by all involved.  Even though it is a foreign film and I needed to read the subtitles, it is like my mind took over, becoming so engrossed with the story that when it was over, I almost forgot that I had been reading them, all along.  The action sequences (namely Alex escaping both the police and the bad guys) are all very believable, which often is not the case in films similar to this one.  The characters were all developed to the point that you felt attached to them, yet this movie did not drag with unneeded fluff.  The plot unfolded in such a way as not to leave elements left for the audience to either have to guess or to have to "suspend the disbelief" of what transpired, and the ending was perfect.  It is rare feat for all elements (story, acting, directing, production, music) to all come together, and Tell No One is definitely one of these films.

Final Thought: I have read Coben's book, which was excellent, and normally book to movie adaptions have to "lose" something to insure on-screen time constraints are met, but I can honestly say that the film is as good as the book.  Any elements that were altered, actually might have worked to make the film more believable.  Coben himself has also praised the movie.
There is an American production of this movie in the works now, which I do not believe will measure up to this one, as no American remake I have ever watched stood up to its foreign counterpart.

Review: 8MM (1999)

People in the Movie:  Nicholas Cage (Con Air, Gone in 60 Seconds, National Treasure), Joaquin Phoenix (Signs, Walk the Line)

Director: Joel Schumacher

Pigeonhole: Drama / Mystery / Suspense

The Basics: A recent widow named Mrs. Christian discovers an 8mm film in her dead husband’s safe that depicts a young girl being murdered by a man in a black leather mask, and it does not appear to be staged.  She hires private investigator Tom Welles (Cage) to discover if the film is an authentic “snuff-film”.  Welles, with the help of an adult book store clerk named Max Christmas (Phoenix), delves into the dark, disturbing world of underground pornography to locate the people who created the film and what really happened to the girl.  When it is over, he may have wished he hadn’t taken the case. 

Recommendation: This is an unsettling movie to watch due to the subject matter.  It does not come off as glamorous, and there is no Hollywood ending.  It is a very well done film that is believable, and that is why I would caution against anyone who might not be comfortable with the topics I have mentioned.  ‘R’ rating is for violence, language, sexuality (as in pornographic material), and subject matter.

My Take: This, as I noted, is a very good film, the only thing that kept it from being ‘excellent’ was the ending, which I will get to shortly.  I would note that 8MM, in my opinion, is one of Cage’s best acted roles.   

**spoiler alert** Welles starts off by attempting to identify the victim.  With a little research into missing person’s cases, he discovers the girl’s name was Mary Ann Mathews.  He then travels to speak to Janet Mathews, Mary Ann’s mother, about what may have happened to her.  After a brief examination of Mary Ann’s room, and reading a diary entry about going to Hollywood, Welles heads to California.

Working the angle of how the film was made, Welles goes to an adult video store and questions Max about snuff films.  Max attempts to warn Welles off about continuing this case and what they might “see”, but deciding to persist, the two then proceed to track leads into the world of underground pornography.  Very much like Dante’s Inferno the deeper they go, the worse it gets. 

They finally come across Eddie Poole (James Gandolfini), a slimy talent recruiter for porn movies, who eventually leads them to an equally shady director named Dino Velvet.  We soon learn that Velvet may have produced the 8mm film.  Welles, attempting to set up a “sting” of sorts, tells Poole he wants to finance Velvet to make a film with the man who was in the original 8mm, who is being called “Machine”.  The meeting is set up, and Welles decides to go in alone, without Max.  Velvet, Poole, and Machine all show up, but Welles’ plan quickly crumbles as Mrs. Christian’s attorney steps out of a car, too.  The light bulb takes the final proverbial twist, and we learn that the film is, in fact, authentic, that Mr. Christian had his attorney commission the film with Velvet– and now Welles’ life in danger.  Velvet has Machine pull a bloodied Max out of their car, who they threaten to kill if Welles does not turn over the original 8mm film to them.  Welles hands it over, and they destroy it, but then promptly kill Max, as well.  And here is where the movie steps a little out of bounds…

The bad guys are about to kill Welles when he informs them that Christian paid 1 million dollars to have the snuff film made – most of which the attorney obviously pocketed himself, and subsequently infuriating Poole, Machine, and Velvet.  The group begins fight amongst themselves and guns are pulled; Velvet and the attorney end up dead, Poole escapes, and Welles hurts Machine, but he also gets away.  Now in “revenge mode” Welles hunts down Poole, and quickly calls Janet asking permission to kill him.  She agrees.  He also locates Machine, and before killing him as well, he unmasks a very plain looking middle aged guy with glasses – meant to contrast what we might have expected in our minds.  Of course, the ultimate irony is that Welles is killing these men with more hatred and violence in his heart than how Mary Ann’s murder happened.   

Starting from the aforementioned meeting through Tom killing Machine, 8mm was at times just slightly to the side “not so believable”, in my opinion.  This segment felt somewhat disjointed from the rest of the movie, and almost appeared like the direction was to try to take it to a slam-bang Hollywood ending, but could not reconcile how to do that with all the elements on the table.  I will note that Cage did a very good job and stayed within the Welles character through to the end.

Final Thought:  By the conclusion of the movie, everyone minus Tom and Janet that had any knowledge of the 8mm snuff film is dead.  Mrs. Christian committed suicide, leaving payments for Tom and Mrs. Mathews, and a written apology.  It was an extremely melancholy ending to this film, as Tom ponders all that he has seen and done in the past few weeks.  This is one of the reasons I escalate 8MM beyond a typical police style procedural/investigation story; because there were consequences for all the parties, and because the film was believable enough to make me want to look a little more suspiciously at people, in general, and what secret activities they could be involved in.   

Politically Flavored Movies

On this Election Day 2012 check out a few of my favorite politcally themed movies:

Wag the Dog (1997) - The president's "spin doctors" led by Robert DeNiro create a fake war with the help of Hollywood director Dustin Hoffman, to divert the public's attention away from a sex scandel during election.  My Take:  Great acting, great directing and enough material to make a person wonder what exactly is the truth we see on TV or read about...

Primary Colors (1998) - John Travolta portrays a man running for president (with many similarities to prior man who held the office, in reality) while his staff works to garner support as well as cover up past indiscretions.  The story is somewhat told through the eyes of a naive young man, who quickly learns how deep loyalty lies, and how far people will go to support this candidate.  My take: The movie was clearly "based" on Bill Clinton, and the scary (good) part is that I do not know if we as the audience should have accepted or hated how the actions played out.  It makes you think.

Dave (1993) - This is a fun, light-hearted comedy: Kevin Kline is a temp agency owner who physically resembles the sitting president.  The president has stroke so the preisdent's staff brings in Kline to act as "puppet" while they keep the country running the way they want.  Kline, being an admirable person and genuinely concerned about the country has other plans.  My take: The comic moments make this worth seeing, and the supporting actors including Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, and Ving Rhames are great.   

Quick Look: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)

Hell on Earth, interesting title and somewhat descriptive considering the product that ended on the screen for the third film of the Hellraiser series.  This movie stars Doug Bradley in a kind of a dual role, and Terry Ferrell; it is directed by Anthony Hickox.  Clive Barker the original creator of Hellraiser had a limited role as an executive producer.  'R' rating is for violence, language, sexuality.

Where the first two films provide insight into the human condition, and portray a realm of dark experience and figures beyond our own limited earthly comprehension, this installment sadly crumbles into horror cliche.  The subtle scares, dark environment, and moderated use of horrific imagery have been replaced with bad dialogue, a cheesy late 80's glam look, and a half-hearted attempt at a splatter film.

**spoiler alert**   

Pinhead (Bradley) has split into two entities - his demon visage which we are all familiar with, the "pure evil" is now trapped in the Pillar of Souls (an approx. 8 foot tall, 2x2 feet stone pillar) we saw appear at the end of the prior film; and his original human soul, Eliot Spencer (Bradley) which we also briefly encountered in the prior movie.  Eliot seems to be in limbo, neither in the living world, nor in the hell dimension, although we do not really know for sure.  The Pillar of Souls is creepy looking - it looks like it has faces and contorted bodies sculpted into its 4 side - including the face of Pinhead.  It is purchased by a sleazy club owner named JP Monroe from an art gallery.  Pinhead, still in the Pillar, tells JP he wants him to help him collect enough victims so he can escape the Pillar, and of course JP agrees.  Pinhead eventually escapes the Pillar and kills some people.

Joey Summerskill (Ferrell) is a sad-sack TV reporter, who begins investigating a story at JP's club, possibly linked to our plot.  Eliot then starts communicating with Joey in her dreams, telling her about his evil half - now separated from his human soul as described - is basically attempting to run around earth killing people, like most evil demons tend to do.  It is up to Joey to stop Pinhead.  She, with Eliot's help and a lame whimper "go to hell", stops him.

I want point out that the element of introducing us to Eliot's prior human existence was an entertaining idea, but it was not executed in a way that gave us any better attachment to him as a character, or develop the history of Pinhead in the Hellraiser mythology.  So basically it was a waste, other than to see Doug Bradley without the Pinhead make-up on.

Having Pinhead degenerate in a cliche spewing, mass-murdering, evil-laugher is probably what ruined this film for me.  The Cenobites were originally dispassionate beings who only acted as they were called upon, to do.  Bradley just happened to the be one that had an awesome sounding voice that lent itself to being the "leader".  The idea that Pinhead was evil all along, but being "balanced" internally by his former human soul, was ludicrous, and basically spits on the prior history.

The bottom line is that this film offered nothing entertaining in my opinion; and very little plot-wise or element wise, towards future installments in the Hellraiser mythology.  This is my least favorite of the Hellraiser sequels, and I suggest not bothering to waste your time with it.     

Extras:

- The Pinhead character was supposed to have been ended in number 2; his popularity is what led to his continued existence.

Happy Birthday : Dolph Lundgren

How you lost the fight in Rocky 4 is beyond me...