February 14, 2012
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommends:
Superman The Movie
I am as anti-Valentine’s as it comes, I think the day itself is rubbish, and just a cash grab. But since we’re stuck with it, might as well celebrate it my own way.
My way would be with some action or martial arts film, as far away as romantic as possible. However instead of being completely heartless, I thought I’d recommend one of my favourite films and one that certainly fits the mold with romantic but also suits me with action. Superman the Movie is a classic, it may even be my favourite film based on a comic book. For me this is perfection, everything about this, they got right. The script is really solid, and it not only tells an origin story but it takes off into something else, something that really just completes what and who Superman is.
The casting is exactly as it should be, no one has ever been able to match Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent and Superman (Brandon Routh came close, but he was a far better Clark than Supes). He is perfect, he understood exactly what he needed to do, and he convincing with Clark and Superman being two different people. Margo Kidder was the perfect Lois, embodying everything about the character, it is easy to fall for her just like our hero does. And who could forget Gene Hackman was Lex Luthor, a great role and a memorable performance. Of course everyone else is fantastic, and I love every second of this film.
It will make you believe a man can fly …
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Logan J. Fowler Recommends:
One Fine Day
Ok, so, I’m gonna say it: This is my favorite straight up romantic comedy. Even a chick flick, if you will. I caught this movie once on cable and it was love at first sight. Now I pine away to pick it up on DVD.
Anyway the movie stars George Clooney pre Oscar mode (and before he butchered the Batman franchise for good) and Michelle Pfeiffer (honestly, I think she is super cute in this movie, she’s never looked better to me) as two single parents destined for each other. Each of their children attend the same school and one (fine?) day they are supposed to go on a field trip. Melanie (Pfeiffer) has arranged to pick up Jack’s (Clooney) daughter Maggie (Mae Whitman, who would go on to become the butt of jokes in Arrested Development and kick butt in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) but Jack leaves with his child anyway, making her and Melanie’s son Sammy (Alex D. Linz) miss the trip entirely. They two adults scatter back and forth taking care of both kids, but really, it’s one of those scenarios where the kids act like adults and the adults act like kids. The banter between Pfeiffer and Clooney is priceless, and the child actors in Whitman and Linz are absolutely adorable.
In addition, I like how the movie ends. It’s sugary sweet, although not in a cliche way, but you kind of can guess how the movie wraps up. It’s called One Fine Day, after all, not One Bad Day. In any case, I love this movie. You should watch it with someone special. Happy Valentine’s Day yo!
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Bede Jermyn Recommends:
Once
Now I’m not ashamed to admit that I like romance films. Whether they be big budgeted Hollywood films (TITANIC, MOULIN ROUGE, THE NOTEBOOK etc.) or smaller independent films (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, BEFORE SUNRISE & BEFORE SUNSET etc.), if the romance at the heart of it gets to me then the film has succeeded.
With Valentine’s Day upon us I’ve decided for my latest recommendation I’d pick one of my personal favourite romantic films, which happens to be the 2007 film ONCE. The film tells the story of an unnamed singer/guitarist (Glen Hansard, who is the lead singer the Irish band The Frames), who spends his spare time busking of the streets of Dublin in order to earns some extra money when isn’t working in his Father’s vacuum cleaner shop. One night his life changes when he meets a young unnamed Czech immigrant woman (Marketa Irglova), who sells flowers in the same street that he busks on every day. When they start to get to know each other, he discovers she also has the same passion for music and he tells her his dream of moving to London to become a famous musician. She decides to help him with raising some money to record a demo CD and as well as to help him co-wrote some songs. Over the course of a week they write, rehearse and record their music, they start to develop feelings for each other.
This is an absolutely terrific and beautifully made romantic/musical film that I adored from beginning to end. Writer/director John Carney has crafted a film that has a lot of heart and soul. Both Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are absolutely wonderful in their roles. They both have real genuine chemistry together and their potential romance felt very real and honest (it’s no wonder they actually became a couple in real life). However one thing that stood out the most for me from this film was its soundtrack. If you’re going to make a film that relies on music to tell its story, you better have some pretty damn good songs for it. Luckily all the songs in the film (which were written by either stars Hansard & Irglova) are all fantastic, each one is beautifully written and performed by its two leads (the stand out song, of course, being the sublime “Falling Slowly”. It deservedly won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2007). Also the film has an absolutely moving and bittersweet ending which, I’m not afraid to admit, actually made me cry. There is so much I could say about ONCE but I will say if you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favour and check this film right away. To me it’s definitely one of best romance films made in the last couple of years and hopefully you’ll feel the same way to after you have seen it too. Once you do, buy the soundtrack as well. You won’t regret it.
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Garrett Collins Recommends:
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Valentine’s Day. A day of either happiness, sadness, or anger. If like me, you are deciding to stay in and watch a movie on this very polarizing day, why not make it a movie that makes you feel all three of these emotions, and more? After The Majestic, I really had given up on Jim Carrey in drama. Yeah, the Andy Kaufman movie Man On The Moon showed he had some range, as did The Truman Show (a movie I find to be overrated myself), but it wasn’t until Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind that I found him to be a character to identify with. I think that everybody has that somebody in their lives that, you just wish you could erase from your mind, and get rid of them forever. Not necessarily because you hate them, but because you do not want to think about what their loss means to you.
The film is about a troubled couple’s decision within themselves to go through a procedure that erases the memory of their relationship. However, it is as they go through it that they both discovered what it is that they are losing. Not only is it Winslet and Carrey’s best roles to date (Winslet said in a recent Empire Magazine article that it is still her favorite role to date), but Charlie Kaufman shows other reasons as to why he is such a brilliant writer. He really has a knack for making who were once intolerable actresses tolerable, as 1999’s Being John Malkovich is still Cameron Diaz’s best performance of her career, and this made Kristen Dunst more than tolerable for a couple hours. But, he came up with a brilliant plot device to show Winslet’s point of time within the relationship she was in. He had her dye her hair the colors of blue, orange, red, green, and brown. This helps the viewer keep track of what point of time they are in, as the film does jump around a lot. This film really hit Carrey and Winslet’s career in stride, and they have never seemed more, well, human, than in these roles. Highly, highly recommended.
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Posted by supermarcey
January 20, 2012
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommends:
These Amazing Shadows
Having gone on a bit of a documentary binge recently, I was eager to discover something new. I wanted to find horror or film related documentaries, and good friend of the site A.J. Hakari recommended These Amazing Shadows, his favourite film of last year. I looked up the synopsis and I saw it was about the National Film Registry, the organisation that works to preserve motion pictures for the current and future generations.
What a great idea I thought, but I didn’t expect the film so have so much heart and actually cause me to tear up several times. It reminded me of why I love cinema so much and why I devote so much time to film and bringing you readers this wonderful website. They talk about how the Registry got started, after Ted Turner wanted to colourize old black and white films. They go over how films get chosen, and even over the restoration process. It is a fascinating film and one that every fan of film should see.
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Logan J. Fowler Recommends:
We Bought A Zoo
Last week I tried to go see The Adventures of Tin Tin, but apparently I guess I missed the boat on that one because it wasn’t at my local theater. Oh well. As a substitute, me and my lady friend chose We Bought a Zoo for the viewing of the evening,
Cameron Crowe’s latest is a very cute film that has some vulgarity in it, but is fun for pretty much all ages. The story centers around Benjamin (Matt Damon) a widower with two kids who needs a life change. He has a very troublesome relationship with his son (Dylan), who is rebellious against his father’s parenting. When Benjamin decides to buy a house in the country that is actually on zoo property, he needs the help of the staff he becomes acquainted with and his family to put the animal attraction back on the map.
I must give major applause to Maggie Elizabeth Jones, who plays Rosie, Benjamin’s daughter. She is the cutest little actress I’ve ever seen and she steals every moment she has in the film. Her facial expressions are priceless and she never, ever came off as annoying. Hollywood may not be kind to her in the future, as with child actors, it never is but I hope she gets roles in the near future. She was absolutely adorable.
We Bought a Zoo does run some cliche routes-the father/son problematic relationship, and its a “by the numbers” kind of tale with the zoo upkeep and the “will they/won’t they” ability to succeed by the date of opening, but the film uses its wonderful cast, both humans and animals, to rise above those factors and make it its own. With that said, We Bought a Zoo is an uplifting, beautifully shot film, and I quite enjoyed it, as well as the company I was in the presence of.
Nick Bosworth Recommends:
Sexy Beast
There’s been a huge amount of British gangster films over the past decade or so that have been pretty amazing for the most part. However one gem always stands out in my mind as one of the best ever and that is the unforgiving and powerful SEXY BEAST. It’s the story of a former British gangster anmed Gal (Ray Winstone) who has left his criminal life behind in the secluded hills of Spain yet he still suffers the demons of his past life. The demon I speak of is a psychotic gangster named Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) that tracks him down to his home in Spain in order to recruit him for a special job back in Britain. However Gal has had enough of that life but his refusal to Don has major consequences that take place throughout the rest of the story (I won’t spoil anything here).
There’s no question whatsoever that this film is purely about a battle between two men which means that the performances are absolutely key to the film making an impact. Well Ben Kingsley not only made an impact but he forever proved that just because he played Gandhi doesn’t mean that he can’t scare the piss out of you in another role playing a hardened criminal. The role of Don Logan earned Ben a Best Supporting Actor nomination and I still feel to this day that he deserved the win even though it was taken by Jim Broadbent for “Iris”. On top of Ben’s legendary performance was also the rest of the cast who were superb with the biggest stand-outs being Winstone and the king of cool Ian McShane.
With top-notch directing, a terrifically mind-bending soundtrack, a brilliant script and amazing performances given by all involved, SEXY BEAST while still a small gangster film remains one of my all-time favourites amongst others like LONG GOOD FRIDAY and GANGSTER NO. 1 (which funny enough came out the same year). It gets an incredibly high recommendation from myself so if you haven’t seen it like so many out there haven’t still, you’re really missing out. Cheers!
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Garrett Collins Recommends:
Imaginarium by Nightwish
When thinking about what I could recommend to readers of this site, it occurred to me that there really hasn’t been anything that has caught my eye as of late. However, something has caught my ear. This week, the highly anticipated Nightwish album Imaginarium hit shelves here in the US, and, I must say, it has lived up to every bit of anticipation that I had. For those that do not know, Nightwish is a heavy metal band that got their start in 1997, and have really turned the term ‘progressive metal’ on its heels. With each passing album getting bigger and more grandiose, Nightwish had hit after hit overseas, yet has never quite caught on Stateside. I feel with Imaginarium, that is going to change. If I were to describe their sound to someone who has not heard their music before, I would say think heavy metal combined with a ripping Hans Zimmer-type background score. On this album, they combine these aspects, along with 80s era metal riffs, and lead singer Annette Olzon’s strengths. She sings sometimes playfully, sometimes captivatingly, but on this album, almost always dead on.
For those who have followed this fabulous band over the years and say repeatedly that the absence of old lead singer Tarja Turnenen in 2006 has destroyed their sound, are really doing a disservice to the songwriting skills on keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen. The criticism lashed at their last album was really unfair, given it was the first without Tarja. But, here, Holopainen answers all the critics with a vengeance. Songs like “Ghost River,” “I Want My Tears Back,” Rest Calm,” and “Last Ride of the Day” are Nightwish at their best. Swooping guitars with the sometimes there, sometimes not background singing of bassist Marco Hietala. What was most interesting about this album though is how they have used Olzon’s voice. It is not an experiment anymore. This being her second album with the group, they have instilled shrills and some tracks of her singing in the background, which is a great way to use her voice. If you are a heavy metal, progressive rock, or even movie soundtrack music fan, you could do way worse than checking this album out. Speaking of soundtracks, there is supposedly a movie based on this album’s concept in the works. Consider me officially signed up for Nightwish’s ‘Storytime.”
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Pat Torfe Recommends:
Alien
Alien. That’s it. What more do I have to say? Okay, Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic not only introduced us to the concept of screaming in space (and how no one can hear it), but also gave us one of the most memorable heroines in film history in Ellen Ripley. Plus, it gave us an excuse to not turn the lights off at night. To this day, the trailer for Alien is the only one that I consider to be the scariest trailer that I’ve ever seen. Some have come close, but nothing grips you like that one. And like the trailer, the film grips you just as much, if not more.
Okay, quick intro: the crew of the Nostromo (a commercial towing spaceship) are heading home to earth when their journey is interrupted by a distress call from a nearby planet. The crew descend onto the planet where three of them investigate on the surface. There they find what appears to be a crashed spaceship with hundreds of eggs, one of which hatched and the organism inside attaches itself to one of the crew’s face. In the ensuing hours, the crew make a horrifying discovery about the organism, and what happens when you break quarantine.
Originally written by Dan O’Bannon, Alien has a story that grabs you by the balls and doesn’t let go. It may seem a little slow at the beginning for some of the younger fans, but dammit, the film just envelopes you in its details and its environment (credit Ridley and his crew for going above and beyond for that). It’s so enveloping that I never noticed Jerry Goldsmith’s score, which is subtle enough and shows up in the right moments to add to the horror onscreen. Of course, the big thing about this film is the alien itself. Created by H.R. Giger, the xenomorph’s look is a sleek techno-organic nightmare. Plus, the exclusion of eyes makes it, as Giger puts it, “more dangerous”. I couldn’t agree more.
If you haven’t seen this one, by all means SEE IT. If you have, SEE IT AGAIN. While you’re at it, grab the Alien Anthology on Blu-Ray or the DVD equivalent Alien Quadrilogy. ’nuff said.
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Leave a Comment » | Recommends | Tagged: Alien, film, imaginarium, nightwish, sexy beast, these amazing stories, we bought a zoo | Permalink
Posted by supermarcey
December 16, 2011
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommends:
Silent Night, Deadly Night
It is Christmas time, and in what should surprise no one Miss Marcey is a bit of a scrooge. So to help get myself in the spirit of the Holidays and hopefully you readers, here is my new favourite holiday flick Silent Night, Deadly Night. Here is a sample from my original review.
“Colour me surprised, I really enjoyed this film! I actually wasn’t expecting much, but this turned out to be one of those ‘more then meets the eye’ films. I had heard a lot about this film, some liked it while others didn’t, hard to form any real expectations. Then I saw a documentary called ‘Going To Pieces’ which chronicles the rise and fall of the slasher films. Silent Night, Deadly Night was featured in the film, more so for the controversy it stirred up with family groups over it showing a Santa killing people. After I saw that I added this to my list of films to see and finally I watched it, and damn why did I wait so long? This films tells the story of Billy, who at a young age witnesses the brutal murder of both his parents at the hands of a criminal dressed up in a Santa suit. Fast forward several years later and Billy (Danny Wagner) is living with his younger brother at a Catholic run orphanage. Things are not going too well as Billy is still traumatised by the murders, and this isn’t helped by the abuse of Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin) who claims she is trying to help him. The only kind person appears to be Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick), who tries to help him. Billy gets confused by things, thinking Santa means evil things and those who do naughty things should have bad things happen to them. We again fast forward, now 10 years later and Billy (now played by Robert Brian Wilson) is 18 years old and Sister Margaret helps him land a job at a toy store. It isn’t long before it is Christmas time, and Billy is about to get set off and begin a murderous spree.”
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Logan J. Fowler Recommends:
The Nightmare Before Christmas
It’s amazing how timeless this movie has become, fitting in with classic holiday tales. Well, at least that’s how I perceive this film, which, at being 18 years since released, still looks amazing for all that it has accomplished in the technical department.
TNBC tells the story of Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon, with vocal voice provided by infamous music composer Danny Elfman), the pumpkin king of Halloween town. He has become quite bored with the yearly tradition he has become accustomed to celebrating, and on a nightly walk he comes across a set of trees that are in a circular formation. He notices a Christmas tree shaped door on one of these trees, and is sucked in by the wind that the town of Christmas provides. Jack is severely taken aback by the locale he has found himself in, and he returns to his Halloween town to make Christmas his-and his followers-own.
The film contains some great music, amazing voices, one of the best romances to come out of Hollywood in recent memory (even if they are portrayed by stop motion figures), and it was kind of like a horror film, but for the little ones. It even provided some genuine scares to a 10-year-old Logan when the film was released, but I look back on The Nightmare Before Christmas as something uniquely original, a nice holiday fable, and a fun little movie to watch around this time of year.
Pat Torfe Recommends:
Hellraiser
This week, I’m going with what some people call a “Black Sheep” of horror. It’s also been called boring, slow and “a little on the pretentious side”. I’m talking about Clive Barker’s little 1987 ditty Hellraiser. Before I go any further, when I’m referring to “some people”, I’m referring to one of my buddies from Arrow In The Head. Said individual is of the opinion that Clive Barker’s directorial debut was the above description. Truth be told, said individual just never clicked with Clive Barker. That’s cool. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and sh*tstorms are bound to happen from time to time. For me, Hellraiser is one of those films (and subsequent franchises) that you either dig or you don’t. With that out of the way, let’s move on.
Based on one of Clive’s short stories, Hellraiser introduced us to the likes of the Cenobites and their warped idea of pleasure and pain (think S&M to the max), and their “leader”, Pinhead. Of course, he’s just credited as the Lead Cenobite in the first film, but he gets his name in the follow-up. Anyways, the story goes that there’s this dude name Frank Cotton who’s obsessed with finding the ultimate pleasure. His quest leads him to Morocco where he purchases a puzzle box, which would lead him to the ultimate pleasure. Problem is, when he solves it, he opens up the gates of hell, gets torn apart by the Cenobites and disappears once Pinhead resets the box. Flash forward to Frank’s brother Larry and his wife Julia (who was also Frank’s lover) and their daughter Kirsty. The trio are moving into Frank’s now-abandoned house. After an accident in which Larry cuts his hand, the blood that drips onto the floorboards brings Frank back, albeit in skeletal form and confined to the attic unbeknownst to everyone but Julia. Frank asks Julia to help him by getting more blood, which leads to Julia being a cocktease and bringing home men for Frank to feast on. Eventually, the Cenobites find out and want Frank back.
So yeah, the film does have a bit of exposition involved. It’s the 80s, so it wasn’t uncommon for films to have a slow start. Really, I’m the type that digs the slow burning preamble if it leads to character development and advancement of the plot, which in Hellraiser it does its job. We learn that Julia is a cheating bitch who wants to be with Frank and is willing to commit murder to get him back. Frank is a borderline psycho and sexual sadist who does deserve to be in hell, with Kristy caught in the middle of it all while her father remains oblivious to everything until it’s too late. As for the Cenobites, Clive rightfully keeps them in the background as secondary antagonists, since it’s not about them. Unfortunately, the later sequels decide to turn the focus on them with mixed results, but that’s for another story.
Another great thing about the film is the gore and makeup factor. Really, it’s taking the uncomfortable idea of S&M and cranking things up a notch. It’s all about the idea of pain for pleasure, and the Cenobites take it to the next level. Hooks tearing into flesh, pins in one’s head (naturally), flesh pulled into twisted grins, muscle left exposed from skin being peeled away, it’s all otherworldly and unsettling. The MPAA surprisingly let the film get away with much of this, though a few seconds of hammer hits were given the axe (go figure). For those in the market for DVDs and Blu-Ray, you have a bit of a decision: There’s the older boxset of the first 3 Hellraiser films that was released in Europe in the puzzlebox (go on eBay) or the new Blu-Ray, which takes pieces from the feature-length doc that was found on the European DVD set as well as a few other extras. I guess the bottom line is what’s your pleasure.
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Garrett Collins Recommends:
Die Hard
Ahhh, Christmas. A time to spend with loved ones, decorate a tree, open presents. And, oh yeah: watch Detective John McClane save the holidays and wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) again! When thinking about what to recommend for this week, a bunch of ideas crept into my head. Gremlins? Silent Night, Deadly Night? Hell, even Jack Frost, where a killer snowman was thought of. However, I went with a staple. An action ‘classic’ (yes, that word gets thrown around a bit too much. But, in this case, the use of that word cannot be denied.
John McClane (Bruce Willis) has come to Los Angeles from his hometown of New York on Christmas Eve to reconcile with his wife, Holly Generro McClane (Bonnie Bedelia) and attend a company Christmas party. However, the party is disrupted by twelve terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). McClane manages to slip away, and realizes that if he and his wife are to get out alive, he must take on the whole group by himself. The thing that is so ironic about Die Hard is that while it is now thought of to be Willis’ franchise, the producers wanted anyone BUT him to play this role. Willis only got the role after Robert DeNiro, Mel Gibson, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Burt Reynolds, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Nick Nolte turned it down. Obviously, Willis was not thought of as a bankable star, but within this series (and this film especially) Willis is vulnerable. I remember reading the back of this video cassette box for the first time, and one phrase
that described McClane’s situation always stuck out to me: “…..armed with his revolver and wit…” And that is exactly what this film is about. Willis doesn’t have muscles like Arnold, but his sense of police skills and cunning make him at almost an advantage. However, how is he going to outwit twelve terrorists? That is a question that this film does an excellent job of uncovering the answer to.
While there is the human game of chess going on, let’s not forget what this film is known for: action! And, my friends, it has a lot of it! What’s cool though is almost 20 minutes goes by before a single gunshot is fired. And, that is because it does something that most of today’s action films do none of or do so poorly: it develops the characters. The verbal sparring between John and Holly in the beginning of the film makes you want them to get back together. And, what Gruber & his gang are doing makes that even harder. With action served up on a platter, characters we care for, and a great lead villain, Die Hard is really almost the perfect action film. Sure, there are also characters who are not even a factor in the end and should have been cut (I was never a fan of Ellis and found him to be useless). But…you want great holiday viewing? You sure could do a hell of a lot worse than Die Hard. Now, yippee kai…uhh, I mean, Merry Christmas
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Leave a Comment » | Recommends | Tagged: die hard, film, hellraiser, horror, silent night deadly night, the nightmare before christmas | Permalink
Posted by supermarcey
October 14, 2011
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommends:
Saw
Looking back at my horror viewing last year, I spent a weekend watching the Saw series. Now back then I had only seen the original Saw and Saw II, the rest were new to me. So in honor of that, I recommend the first film, you can check out the original review.
“This film hooked me in right from the start, the beginning is one of the best I had seen for a long time. These two men waking up the way they do, in the situation they are in, it is frightening. Just being thrust into this situation, much like those two, I had to know what was going on. The film does slowly reveal things, and it does so in such a clever way. The events unfold in sequences and they are not all in chronological order either, which is something I figured out early on during my first viewing. This film is like a jigsaw, you have to put the pieces together, and by the end they are. The antagonist of the story ‘Jigsaw’ is one of the most unique characters I have seen, while we do not see that much of him here, we find out about him. Through the flashback’s of the other games he’s played it is clear he has a serious agenda, and we soon find out where the nickname of ‘Jigsaw’ comes from. I loved the way things get revealed, not only to the audience but to the characters in the film as well. Nothing is what it seems, however there are clues through out the film as to what is going to happen and who ‘Jigsaw’ really is. Upon my first viewing there were a lot of things I did not pick up on, but watching it again, there clues are there as to who he really is.”
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Logan J. Fowler Recommends:
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Back when I was a wee lad, I used to watch this flick a ton. I was mildly disturbed by the man eating plant featured within, but Rick Moranis always reminded me of the Ghostbusters, a property that I loved at the time (still do actually), so I probably watched it out of respect for him.
I recently purchased it on DVD and gave it a watch, and it still holds up; the music (yes, it’s a musical) is still toe-tappingly awesome, the plant looks AMAZING (kudos to the puppeteers), and it has a stellar cast-besides Moranis, John Candy, Bill Murray, Steve Martin and Jim Belushi all show up. I really never liked Ellen Greene as Audrey, but hey, what are you going to do?
Little Shop of Horrors tells the tale of Seymour (Moranis), a nice guy who just wants to get out of his home town, known as Skid Row. Audrey (Greene) thoughts run a parallel line to Seymour’s wishes, and the two almost seem destined to be with each other, if not for Audrey’s relationship with a crazy, deluded dentist (Martin). Both Seymour and Audrey work in a plant shop that has no customers, and it is run by Mr. Mushnik (Vincent Gardenia). When Seymour puts a strange plant (he came across it after a total eclipse of the sun) that he purchased at a local plant shop in the store window, people bombard the store with questions, and then make purchases to follow. However, the plant (which Seymour has dubbed, “Audrey II or 2”), seems to be willowing. Seymour takes it downstairs and cuts his finger on a thorn. Seymour then discovers that Audrey II doesn’t eat typical plant food…he needs blood to thrive. Seymour listens to Audrey II (“It talks, baby!”) as it promises Seymour all beyond his wildest dreams if he gives him the food he needs. Seymour accepts, but his path isn’t as easy as he hoped it would be…
My biggest complaint about this movie is it would be almost perfect if they kept the original ending. This version of Little Shop stamps the conclusion with the “Hollywood Happily Ever After” theme, and after witnessing the true completion of the musical at a stage production many years later, the original ending is way more terrifying, which makes the overall story much more satisfying.
Despite that, I love this movie anyhow; Little Shop of Horrors is entertaining, enjoyable, and a bloody good time. And I’m sure Audrey II wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Pat Torfe Recommends:
Pumpkinhead
Thinking about creature features again this week, I figured that I’d touch on a little overlooked gem directed by the late great FX wizard, Stan Winston. Of course, I’m talking about Pumpkinhead. Now I know that the film is kind of a one-hit wonder (not from a directorial standpoint, but from a series standpoint), but it’s still one of the more original films to come out of the 80s, and dammit, it starred Lance frickin’ Henriksen.
The story goes like this: Ed Harley is a hard-working single father living with his young son Billy in a small community. One day, some big city folk show up with their motorbike toys and decide to do some biking around and being a nuisance. Things take a tragic turn when one of the asshole teens driving one of the bikes accidentally runs over and kills Ed Harley’s son. Angry and full of a thirst for revenge, Ed Harley takes his boy’s body to a witch for help in extracting his revenge. Harley remembers as a boy the legend of Pumpkinhead, a monster of vengeance that could be summoned to seek revenge for those who were wronged. The witch agrees to help him and directs Ed on how to summon the monster. Soon the beast is running around killing the teens involved in the crash and anyone else who gets in its way, but Ed has a change of heart and wishes that the beast would stop. The only problem: it won’t.
Aside from the unique concept was the age-old tale of morality and revenge that is able to reach anyone, regardless of how old this movie happens to be. Helping things along is Lance Henriksen’s performance as Ed Harley. You really feel for the guy, who is so distraught over his son’s wrongful death that he goes the route of vengeance, which we know never solves anything and so on. His stuff can be a little over-the-top in spots, but given that he realizes that innocent blood is now on his hands, he’s kind of a little high-strung. As for the teens, you do care for them, but they kind of get the short end of the stick when it comes to development (Ed Harley again), but they’re effective. I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on the awesomeness that was the effects and the Pumpkinhead creature itself. After all, this is Stan Winston. The creature looks damn good, and damn scary, too. It still holds up well today after 20+ years.
This is the part where I bash you guys over the head about grabbing the DVD. It’s a great one by MGM, starting with a revamped transfer that blows the original DVD out of the water. Tack on some great extras like an informative commentary, an hour-long documentary that takes a look at everything (including the monster, of course), a nice tribute to Stan Winston who sadly passed away while the DVD was being produced and more. Once again, if you’re in the mood for a great monster movie this Halloween, pick this one up for sure.
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Bede Jermyn Recommends:
The Descent
While many horror films have appeared in my end-of-year top 10 year lists over the years, but it’s very rare that I would have one that would actually make it to my no.1 spot. Although there have been some in the past but they have been few and far between. But in 2005, one horror film beat out many more established and critically acclaimed films to become my pick as the no. 1 very best film of that year. Not only that, it has since made onto my list of my top 10 horror films of all time. So which film is it? That particular film that I have chosen for my recommendation this week is Neil Marshall’s 2005 horror masterpiece THE DESCENT.
The film tells story of Sarah (Shauna Macdonald), a British woman who is suffering both depression and grief after losing both her husband and young daughter in a car crash a year earlier. In effort to help her recover from her grief, her friends decide to take her on a trip to the Appalachian Mountains in the U.S. for a holiday. Once they get there Sarah’s two oldest friends Juno (Natalie Mendoza) and Beth (Alex Reid) tell her that for something fun that they can do together, they have organized a caving expedition. The following day they set off on dive into the caves. While crawling through a very harrow tunnel, Sarah gets herself stuck and she starts to panic. When Sarah’s friends pull her out, the cave behind her collapses and they become trapped. Knowing that they get out the way they came in, they continue on though the caves hoping to find another way out. However they soon discover that they are not alone as that something lurking in the darkness of the cave.
I absolutely love this film, this to me is what every horror film should strive be and it’s perfect in every way. Writer/director Neil Marshall did a fantastic job with this film. He had crafted a film that is dark, claustrophobic, intense and surprisingly even emotional as well. But most importantly: it is absolutely scary. Seriously, this film made me jump so many times during the course of it that I completely lost. It’s rare when a horror film really scares me but this one did. Also the film’s ending is very powerful and I still think about it to this day. The all female cast did a terrific job with their performances, particularly Shauna Macdonald who is especially amazing as Sarah. Her character’s journey though this film as absolutely engaging. She brought so much pain, heartache, complexity and even bad arse to her performance (also I want to give a shout-out to fellow Aussie Natalie Mendoza, who was also great as Juno). The technical aspects of the film are flawless: the production design, the creature design, the gore, the editing and the cinematography are all pitch perfect. Also score by David Julyan (who did the scores for MEMENTO, THE PRESTIGE and HEARTLESS) is very powerful and memorable. There is so much more I can about this film but all I can say is that if you haven’t seen THE DESCENT, do yourself a favour and check this film out right away. Hopefully after you watch it, you definitely understand why this is one of my favourite horror films of all time.
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Posted by supermarcey
October 5, 2011
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommends:
The Loved Ones
I asked everything to think outside the box in regards to this months recommendations, for October we’re all about horror. I don’t want the a-typical suggestions, and I want to bring you readers something different. So for week 1 I have decided to go with a recent favourite of mine, and a great one to add to your horror viewing – The Loved Ones. Here is a sample from my original review.
“What unfolds before us is a very sick and twisted pairing of father and daughter, and the sick games they play. Lola is quite simply a crazy psycho! They have kidnapped Brent for what seems like a date, he’s tied up at the table, they have dressed him up and Lola and her father are also dressed up. Someone else is with them who appears to have been lobotomised, whether it is Lola’s mother or not isn’t entirely made clear. But what is clear is just how demented these people are, and things are not looking well for Brent. It seems no matter what he does, things are going to get worse, but how deep does this all go? Quite deep in fact, not to give too much more away but Brent isn’t the first victim of these two, and what has happened to them is truly frightening.”
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Logan J. Fowler Recommends:
Ghostbusters
If there’s something strange, in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?
To me, Ghostbusters is perfect viewing for this time of year. While it is not a R rated horror fest like some people choose for October movie watching, it has ghosts in it, and a heck of a lot more supernatural atmosphere to it than the title implies.
Ghostbusters tells the tale of four men- Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stanz (Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson)- who are exterminators of things that go “bump in the night.” The whole idea of a ghostbusting service is frowned upon at first, but when a five star hotel has a pesky green ghoul in the interior, the boys strap on their equipment known as proton packs, take down the ghoul, and this sets of a chain reaction of more ghost busting and trapping for the team. When they are encountered by New York apartment resident Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) who tells the boys of a strange vision in her fridge, the quartet discover her residence is in a building containing ties to a possible horrible fate for humanity.
The laughs keep rolling in this sci fi comedy, and it has earned its place as not only one of the best films of the 1980s, but even of modern day standards. It’s spawned a cartoon, a sequel, a slew of merchandise, die hard fans, and a popular catchphrase-”I ain’t afraid of no ghost!”
And there’s no better time of year than now to prove that by watching a cinematic comedy classic with a pack of twinkies and your toy proton pack by your side. Just remember, don’t cross the streams.
Pat Torfe Recommends:
The Creature From The Black Lagoon
So for this month, I’ve been told that I have to “think outside the box” when it comes to my picks, which makes sense. I mean, it’s October, which means that it’s Halloween, which means you folks are looking for some great horror films. Now I know that many of the films that I’ve previously chosen fall into the category of being “outside the box”, like Jacob’s Ladder, Dark City, Videodrome, etc. So I’m forced to ask myself just what else I can recommend? How about reaching way back into the Universal catalogue and pulling out one of their classic movie monsters? One of my all time faves, even from when I was a kid, was the Gill-man.
Besides Frankenstein, The Creature From The Black Lagoon turned me onto horror when I was a wee tyke. I’ve always had a thing for creature features, and The Creature From The Black Lagoon is prime example of why. The story goes that after discovering fossilized evidence of a creature between land and sea animals, a scientific expedition goes searching for more fossils along the Amazon River. Along the way, they discover a living prehistoric Gill-Man in the legendary Black Lagoon. The explorers attempt to capture the mysterious creature, but it breaks free. In retaliation (and because it needs some poontang), the Gill-Man returns to kidnap the girlfriend of one of the scientists in the expedition.
Obviously, a film from 1954 will seem tame and primitive by today’s standards (watch for the bat on the string), but dammit, the Gill-man suit is still cool. Initially designed by Disney animator Millicent Patrick (though makeup artist Bud Westmore took credit for the suit, instead), the suit was made from molded sponge rubber and cost $15,000. It also left Ben Chapman, the unfortunate guy in the suit, unable to sit down for the 14-hour day shoots and hotter than hell. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find any visible zippers, because it’s that damn good. Also, like Kane Hodder in Jason mode, Chapman made you actually believe that this was a living creature through his body movements. In the water, swimmer Ricou Browning made the creature’s movements graceful and effortless. An amazing effort, to say the least.
All coolness of the suit aside, the film sports some great acting by genre regulars Richard Carlson and Richard Denning, and some nice eye candy from Julia Adams. The production values are good for the time, as well. Yes, even the rubber bat on the string. Bottom line, grab the Legacy Collection that was released a few years back that has this film and its two equally good sequels. On top of that, there’s also info about the productions and some great documentaries. The Gill-man might not get the exposure that Frankenstein or Dracula gets on a regular basis, but it’s still a great entry in Universal’s library.
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Bede Jermyn Recommends:
Inside
If you have been following me over the last few years (either on the podcast, MovieFanCentral or Twitter), you would know that I’m not a fan of French horror films. Ever since HIGH TENSION (which I do really like despite it’s unnecessary twist ending) was released back in the mid-00′s, pretty much nearly all the horror films that have come out of France since have, in my opinion, ranged between okay-to-crappy. I could go into reasons on why that is so but that would be an entirely different article all together.
However despite my dislike for them, there is one horror French horror film that I do absolutely love and I believe to be absolute best one that France has produced so far. For my recommendation this week I have chosen the 2007 film INSIDE. The film tells the story of Sarah (Alysson Paradis), a young depressed pregnant woman who four months earlier survived a car crash which unfortunately took the life of her husband Still dealing with her grief and the eventually birth of her baby, she decides to spend Christmas Eve alone and get herself ready for her delivery the following morning. However during the night, a mysterious woman (Beatrice Dalle) knocks at her door. When Sarah refuses to let her in, she discovers that the woman wants her baby and she will do anything to get it. What follows next is a night of grueling terror for Sarah. This truly is a fantastically dark, violent and terrifying low-key horror film that grabs hold of you from beginning to end.
First time writing & directing duo Alexandre Baustillo & Julien Maury have crafted a film that successfully combines old school style horror and suspense (I can definitively see that John Carpenter’s masterpiece HALLOWEEN was a major influence on the directorial style of the film) and modern day techniques as well (Especially the gore which was very violent, hard-sitting and stomach-turning). The performances from both Alysson Paradis and Beatrice Dalle are terrific but standout of the two for me was Dalle. Her performance as the “Woman” was absolutely frightening and relentless. Seriously, every time she was onscreen I would get chills. Also the cinematography is very atmospheric and creepy, the score is haunting and the ending is one that stays with you long after you have watched it. While it does have a couple of flaws that stop it from becoming a 5 star masterpiece of the genre (the cops in this film are without a doubt the dumbest I have ever seen in a long time) but if you a true horror fan like myself, this is absolute must see. It won’t be for everyone (I wouldn’t show this any of my family members. While some of them do like horror, this one might be a little too much for them) but I can guarantee that after watching it, you won’t forget it anytime soon.
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Leave a Comment » | Recommends | Tagged: creature from the black lagoon, film, ghostbusters, horror, inside, recommends, reviews, the loved ones | Permalink
Posted by supermarcey
September 16, 2011
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommends:
Fast Five
New to DVD and Blu-ray, is the 5th installment of the Fast And The Furious series, Fast Five. This film I think is going to be one of those awesome Sunday afternoon films. Here is a little bit from my original review from KillerFilm.com
“To really enjoy this film and feel any kind of investment you really need to be some what familiar with the series, it does help to have seen the previous entries. They do however add in some details for those who aren’t in the know or need a quick refresher. Smart move in my book, as I hadn’t seen the other films for awhile and I had almost forgotten what had happened. We also see the inclusion of characters from the previous films with Vince (Matt Schulze) from The Fast and The Furious, Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris ‘Ludarcris’ Bridges) from 2 Fast 2 Furious, Han (Sung Kang) from Toyko Drift and Gisele (Gal Gadot) from Fast And Furious. So you have a lot of already established characters and it is difficult to connect with them if you aren’t already familiar with them. And new characters have a little bit of build up but nothing really substantial. I enjoyed being with these characters, they are likable and fun to be around. The main villain wasn’t really explained too well, he just looked evil which I think was meant to be good enough. The coolest new character and one I definitely wanted to see more about was Hobbs.”
Logan J. Fowler Recommends:
Face/Off
Face/Off is by far one of my favorite flicks. Would I call it a guilty pleasure? I don’t think I can. I don’t feel bad watching it. In fact, I could watch it all the time if I could.
Face/Off tells the story of two men, Sean Archer (John Travolta) and Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). Many years back, Castor sets out to assassinate Archer but ends up killing Sean’s son in the process. Sean is left haunted, seeking revenge for the death of his son, so he continues to hunt down Troy years later. After an intense shootout, a series of events leaves Castor unconscious. Sean thinks he’s finally buried his past, but unfortunately for our hero, the real problem is just beginning. Seems that Troy and his brother Pollux (Alessandro Nivola) have set up a bomb to detonate in the city in a matter of days, and Sean is told in order to disarm the bomb, he must literally go undercover as Castor Troy. After an intense surgery, Sean looks and talks exactly like Castor, and he heads to the prison where Pollux is being held to get the details of the bombs disarming. Each day Seas gets closer to the truth, but a surprise visit from an old enemy in a new skin revs the film into high gear from there on out.
Face/Off has two main stars, and while I enjoyed Nicolas Cage as the crazy Castor and the mild mannered Sean, John Travolta really steals the show here. His time as Archer is all quiet and ho-hum, but once he lets loose as Castor, the actor looks and acts like he had a blast playing the bad guy. That isn’t to say that Nic Cage isn’t bad; no, he’s insanely awesome in his brief time as “the villain,” and for that matter, Face/Off is insanely quotable between both Cage’s and Travolta’s time in Castor’s shoes…err…face. In my opinion though, Travolta’s bad guy is really the flick’s highlight.
Complete with furious shoot outs, a great score, a stellar side cast, and an overall original premise, Face/Off is one hell of a fun ride. “I’M READY, READY FOR THE BIG RIDE BABY!”
Pat Torfe Recommends:
Escape From New York
Anyone who’s anyone knows what film I’m talking about. John Carpenter’s Escape From New York is a cult classic action film that brought Kurt Russell out of his Disney phase and into the badass movie star he’s largely known for today. The story goes like this: In the far-off year of 1988, the crime rate in America rises 400 percent. To counter this, the government walls off Manhattan, turning it into a maximum security prison. In 1997, when the President’s plane is brought down by the anarchist group National Liberation Front of America and the President is kidnapped by the Duke of New York, US Police Force Commissioner Bob Hauk sends in convicted felon/hardass (and former Special Forces soldier) Snake Plissken to get the President out.
Really, that’s all you need to know, other than Kurt Russell is badassness personified as Snake Plisskin. Of course, there’s more to the film than that. Escape also features the talents of Lee Van Cleef (is it just me, or does he always look like a sly motherf*cker?), Donald Pleasance as the President, Isaac Hayes as The Duke Of New York and Adrienne Barbeau showing off her cleavage (which isn’t a bad thing). These characters aren’t just cardboard, either. Carpenter develops everyone into folks you either love or hate.
John Carpenter also does his thing with the budget, achieving the intended look of New York without having the location necessarily being New York. See if you can tell which shot is in St. Louis, Chicago or Atlanta. You really can’t, because that’s how good John Carpenter is with his technique. True, while some of the shots now are kind of dated (the computer-eque radar shots of Snake gliding into New York), it’s still impressive when you consider that this was 1981 and Carpenter was still relatively new as a Hollywood director.
Any sort of criticms would be levelled at the shots that seem kind of not quite right (the airport scene, for example). Also, given that the secondary characters have been developed as well as they have, it sucks that Snake’s basically the one left standing after all is said and done. But hey, it’s Carpenter’s decision. While the Blu-Ray sports a great transfer, the best version to grab is the 2003 DVD release, which has all the goodies like commentary and a making-of. Plus it also came with a mini comic book of the film, which was decidedly just as awesome as the film. Do yourself a favour and see this film if you haven’t already, and while you’re at it, hit up the sequel, too!
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Nick Bosworth Recommends:
Misery
There have been a huge amount of Stephen King book-to-film adaptions over the years but when it comes to quality, they’ve been all over the place. Usually they range from downright awful to Oscar caliber but usually meet somewhere in the middle for the most part. But with this review however, I’m going to focus on my all-time favourite adaption which is the wonderful and terrifying world of MISERY. Probably director Rob Reiner’s best film after A FEW GOOD MEN, MISERY focuses on the story of a famed novelist named Paul Sheldon (played by James Caan) who is just about to finish the last book in a very popular series featuring the lead character named Misery. She’s a beloved character that the world has fallen in love with but unfortunately Paul is tired of living the rest of his life pinned to this one character and writing books forever about her as that’s not what he intended from the beginning.
So he completes the book and after a celebration he takes his final draft copy on the road from a remote snowy retreat but sadly ends up getting in a deadly accident due to a powerful blizzard. Thankfully he’s rescued by a woman driving by named Annie Wilkes (played by Kathy Bates who won the “Best Actress” Oscar for the role) and she carries him to safety and nurses him back to health in her remote home. However things are not as wonderful as they seem as Paul is painfully recovering and realizes that Annie has been obsessed with his Misery novels from the very beginning.
I could go on and on but I don’t want to ruin anything from the film because if you haven’t seen it or read the novel, things get brutal from the point I left off. First thing I want to say is that Kathy Bates is absolutely brilliant in this role. Sure she was honored with an Oscar for her performance but I think her role redefines mental instability because never in my life have I ever been so afraid of a woman like I was of her. The actual fear of the film though really comes from the fact that Caan’s character has the complete inability to defend himself against Annie due to his injuries cause like any normal man, he’d crack her skull in two seconds if he was 100%. The movie is a portrayal not only of obsessive fans torturing their idols but I always saw it as a story of a man being punished for trying to avoid what he was destined to continue, that being continuing the Misery novels. It was almost as if his encounter with Annie was the sacrifice he had to make in his life to completely wipe Misery from his life forever, as if Annie actually is Misery incarnated.
As you can imagine both actors are the key focus of the film and both play wonderfully off each other. Caan especially gets funnier as the film moves along and he heals more and more as he quietly rips her a verbal asshole every chance he gets. Bates’ character on the other hand gets more devious by the minute as she starts to realize that her grip on Sheldon is weakening as he gets better so she raises the stakes at every turn. While all at the same time, the outside world is determined to find Sheldon and rescue him even though most believe he’s already dead. This amazing duo then leads to one of the most epic David vs. Goliath confrontations ever put on film and it’s an incredible payoff for such an amazing build-up.
In technical terms, the film has some beautiful cinematography and even though we’re restrained to a small room in which Sheldon is contained for most of the film, the use of fresh angles and perspectives never stops (famed director Barry Sonnenfeld of “Men In Black” was tasked with the cinematography). The film is exceptionally paced given the story which is a credit to Reiner as well cause this could have easily become a very boring flick. Overall this is an incredible thriller, one of Stephen King’s best stories and I highly recommend it to anyone. I just hope you’re not very squeamish.
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Leave a Comment » | Recommends | Tagged: escape from new york, face/off, fast five, film, recommends, reviews | Permalink
Posted by supermarcey
August 24, 2011
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommends:
Fish Tank
Need a good Michael Fassbender fix? I know I always do, one of his best performances is in Fish Tank. What do you know, it is a fantastic flick! Here is a little bit from my original review.
“What is Fish Tank about? What do you think of when you hear the words fish tank? Small environment, trapped maybe? Well that really does sum up the film, our main character is Mia (Katie Jarvis), she is a 15 year old who dreams of becoming a dancer. She is being raised by her alcoholic single mother. Things change when her mother gets a new boyfriend Connor (Michael Fassbender).
From the start of the film you see Mia shouting and being abusive as she walks around the local neighbourhood. It is obvious she does not really have any friends, and her abusive behaviour easily stems from her mother. Her younger sister shows the same traits and the mother does not seem to care. These early scenes are shot so well, there is a strange beauty to them, and you just can’t take your eyes away. Our lead Mia played by new comer Katie Jarvis is nearly flawless in this film. She becomes her character, and she feels awfully real and true to the story being told. This girl wants an escape, she craves a father figure and she craves love and attention.”
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Logan J. Fowler Recommends:
Super
My recommendation starts off with a warning.
You may love superheroes, comic books, Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page (crush central for yours truly), Kevin Bacon, Liv Tyler, Nathan Fillion (man crush I mean what?) and think that all these things in one film should be spectacular.
Is the movie spectacular? No. It is a good film? Yes. May it be your type of film based on all of the above. No.
Super is different. Vastly different. Last week I said that movies like Kick-Ass led the way for films like Super. To say that the two films are the same seems fine, considering the fact that they both feature a nobody who goes out and fights crime. But the way the films are handled in structure and storytelling are completely different.
When Frank D’Arbo (Wilson) has his wife Sarah (Liv Tyler) stolen by a drug dealer name Jacques (Bacon), he has an epiphany of religious proportions in where he meets with tv superhero The Holy Avenger (Fillion) and decides then following he will become a superhero, going by the name of The Crimson Bolt. He attracts the attention of Libby (Page), who teams with Frank as his sidekick Boltie. The two fight crime, but they don’t always do it in the most non violent or well mannered ways.
I originally pegged Super as a dark comedy. While there are bits of comedy to it, there is also drama, gore, and a religious theme. Super, while it seems all over the place, really is a unique type of film, as it darkens the superhero genre quite a bit, even leading viewers to believe that Frank is psychologically troubled.
If Frank isn’t, then Libby totally is; Page’s character screams with glee with a bad guy bites it, she makes sexual poses when in her costume, and there is a disturbing scene near the final showdown between Frank and Libby that is extremely awkward. But to Page’s credit, she totally steals the show here as she cuts loose in more ways than one can expect, and she demonstrates acting chops beyond what she provided in Juno and Inception.
The rest of the cast is solid, as Wilson does a great job, Tyler plays a confused druggie/sweetheart wife really well, and Bacon showcases awesome talent, just like he did in X-Men: First Class (even though Super was released before that film came out). And of course, Fillion just owns like he always does.
I’m rambling on, but don’t let the cutesy animated opening fool you; Super is dark, depressing, and different. Its attempts at humor are overshadowed by such raw emotions and scenes, but what’s great about Super is that even though it bases itself on superheroes, it’s original, mysterious, and it is a film that sticks with you after you’re done watching. On that note, Super is worth a watch if any of what I said appeals to you.
Pat Torfe Recommends:
The Fly
I visited Cronenberg before with Videodrome, but it’s a no-brainer as to what I have to recommend: Cronenberg’s remake of the 1958 film The Fly. Originally chosen to direct but passed up (due to committments to Total Recall which fell through) then picked up again, Cronenberg reimagined the George Langelaan short story as only Cronenberg could: gory, with great acting by everyone involved. In the film, Seth Brundle (played by Jeff Goldblum as only Jeff Goldblum can) is a scientist currently working on a set of ‘telepods’, which would allow teleportation of anything from one pod to another. A journalist for Particle magazine, Veronica Quaife (played by Geena Davis), takes an interest in Seth’s work and agrees to document his findings. Initially, Seth is only able to teleport non-living objects (an unfortunate experiment with a baboon is the reason why), but Seth is able to successfully reprogram the pods to accept live hosts. Eventually, Seth teleports himself. However, unbeknownst to him, a housefly flew into the pod and merges with Seth. Soon Seth begins to feel changes in his body, such as increased strength and stamina. Unfortunately, the changes manifest themselves further, as Seth begins to lose hair, teeth and fingernails and grow coarse hair on his body…
Bar none, the star of the film is Goldblum. His eccentricities are manifested in Seth’s eccentric behaviour and cranked up. The guy goes from a rather calm and collected guy to a darkly threatening character as the transformation progresses. In the midst of this is Geena Davis, who pulls off a great performance as the woman who loves Seth but at the same time is scared and threatened by what he’s becoming. And then there’s John Getz, who plays Davis’ editor and former lover in the film, Stathis Borans. The guy is a complete asshole and creep, trying to weasel his way back into Veronica’s life while stoking the jealousy fires.
The other great thing about the film? The effects. There’s a damn good reason why this film won an Academy Award, since it’s downright awesome and gross to see Seth transform. Part of the transformation involves Seth developing the fly’s ability to use its saliva to liquify and digest food. I’ll leave that thought with those of you who haven’t seen the film yet, and why haven’t you? Cronenberg crafted a tragic lovestory and a metaphor for AIDS (though he was going for disease in general) and laid it on with a grim tone that really sold the film. Really, this is one film that both repulses and endears as you feel for both Seth and Veronica and their eventual fate. Grab this DVD (or better yet, Blu-Ray) now!
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Bede Jermyn Recommends:
Wolf Creek
If you have been following my recommendations over the last couple months, you would have heard me say time and time again how much of a big supporter I am of Australian films. While my home country has created so many fantastic films from many different genres, there is one sub-genre of Aussie film that I’m really fond of, which is the horror genre. Over the last few years Australia has delivered many really good horror films (highlights including THE LOVED ONES, DAYBREAKERS, ROGUE) but for my recommendation this week I’ve decided to pick one particular film which is not only in my opinion the best horror film that my home country has produced but it happens to also be the one practically revitalised the genre in Australia.
That of course is one of my favourite horror films WOLF CREEK. Inspired by true events (the Ivan Milat backpacker murders and the Peter Falconio case) the film tells the story of Liz & Kristy (Cassandra McGrath & Kestie Morassi), two British backpackers who, along with their Australian friend Ben (Nathan Phillips) decide to drive out into the outback to visit Wolf Creek National Park, which just happens to be the sight of giant meteor crater. When their car breaks down as they are leaving, a friendly bushman named Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) comes along and helps them out by taking their car to his place to fix it. However what follows next is a night of grueling terror as discover that Mick isn’t as friendly as he seems. The first time watched this film in the cinema it completely floored me. Seriously, my heart was pounding in my chest the entire time while I watching it. Plus the many I’ve watched since then, it still does to this day.
Writer/director Greg McLean (who made his directorial debut with this film) crafted a terrifying, brutal, disturbing and almost realistic horror film. What I liked about the film is that it is an old fashioned slow burn horror/thriller. Unlike most horror films these days that relay on having loud “boo!” noises and lots of fast cuts and let the action happen right away, this film takes it time so that we get to know and care about characters (about 45-50 minutes to be exact) so when the horror begins we, as audience, are terrified of the things that are happening to them. The three leads (Cassandra Magrath, Krestie Morassi, Nathan Phillips) all give real and likeable performances as the backpackers. However the stand-out performance without a doubt was John Jarratt. His turn as Mick Taylor is absolutely one of the most sick, creepy and frightening characters to be put on the screen in the last couple of years, and that I stand by.
It’s completely unforgettable. Also the cinematography is absolutely terrific (the beautiful and isolated landscape of the Australian outback at times feels like another character) and score is effectively creepy and unnerving. While this film will not be for everyone (over the last few years I’ve seen just as many haters as I do lovers) but I still highly recommend you all to check it out. If you give it a chance, hopefully you’ll agree that this is an absolutely terrific horror film as well. This to me was a true horror film.
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Leave a Comment » | Recommends | Tagged: film, fish tank, recommends, reviews, super, the fly, wolf creek | Permalink
Posted by supermarcey
August 17, 2011
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommend’s:
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane
In the mood for Amber Heard? Look so further than this little gem, if you can find it! Here is a little bit from my original review.
“I had been waiting for what seemed like years to see this film, I heard about it, saw the trailer and I was really interested. And then in the US there was all kinds of release issues, too much to go into here. However the film was released on DVD in Australia earlier in the year and I actually blind bought it when JB Hi-Fi had a buy 2 get 1 free deal. I don’t blind buy all that often, but I am sure glad I picked this up!
Mandy Lane (Amber Heard) is a quiet girl at school, but the boys sure do want to nail her. The film begins with an incident at a party (I wont spoil that for you) and we fast forward a few months down the track. Mandy gets asked to go away with some school people for the weekend (the boys want to nail her of course, why else was she asked, right?), she accepts. They go away, and well things of the slasher type start to happen, so who is doing it and why?”
Logan J. Fowler Recommend’s:
Kick-Ass
When high school student Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) ponders why people in the real world don’t suit up and fight crime, he takes it upon himself to do so. His first attempt at stopping an incident lands him in the hospital, but upon release, Dave enters into the fray again, saving a man who from being beaten. His exploits make their way onto youtube to the discovery of Mindy (aka Hit-Girl) and Damon Macready (aka Big Daddy, roles played by Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage, respectively), who have their own crime fighting agenda against mob boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong). Dave’s superhero ways also call to the attention of the mysterious Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and the four noble citizens begin to fight the bad guys on their own terms.
Kick-Ass is a vulgar, bloody, raunchy take on the superhero genre, and I loved every single second of it. Earning the award of “movie I loved just as much as the first time” status when I saw it in the theater, Kick-Ass demonstrates the realistic and also the comedic side of a boy becoming a superhero when he has no superpowers.
The film is over the top at points, especially with Hit-Girl spouting too many inappropriate words for a girl her age. Moretz definitely steals the show here, as her character pulls off acrobatic stunts while decapitating villains. Nic Cage also is in rare form, as he seems to be loving his time as Big Daddy, even doing an impression of Adam West. Plasse is also good as Red Mist, and Johnson is very likeable as the lead.
With a very different take on the material, Kick-Ass, as I’ve heard, is the predecessor to films like Super and Defendor, movies that feature a normal human being becoming a super hero. If it got a good ball rolling, then I’m all for more similar stuff, but as I haven’t seen either of those films, I can’t really compare. All I know is, Kick-Ass kicked ass, and was one of my favorite films in 2010. As far as superhero films go, it’s a good call, baby doll.
Pat Torfe Recommend’s:
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
This week, my pick is controversial in the fact that a lot of folks won’t appreciate it. Then again, they probably haven’t heard the whole story or haven’t seen the director’s cut of the film. Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III obviously isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s not the red-headed stepchild of a film that many fans perceive. It’s more like a good idea gone astray thanks to interference from the usual suspects. The story goes that Michelle and her boyfriend Ryan (Kate Hodge and William Butler, respectively) are traveling through Texas when they invariably become lost after some crooked directions from a hitchhiking cowboy named Tex (theViggo Mortensen). Soon Michelle and Ryan meet up with a survivalist named Benny (Ken Foree) and the three of them try to find their way out of wherever they are. Eventually, Leatherface shows up along with other members of his new family, Michelle and Ryan are captured, and it’s up to Benny to save them.
The film is obviously broken, thanks to interference from New Line who wanted changes thanks to “test screenings”, and the Nazis known as the MPAA. The less broken of the theatrical and unrated cuts is obviously the former, since it restores the gore that was snipped in order to secure an R rating and makes things more coherent. Acting-wise, the new family is a mix of crazy characters that you can’t help but be fascinated by. The little girl (played by Jennifer Banko, who also played a role in Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood) was decidedly creepy, as was the allusion that she’s actually Leatherface’s daughter. Her scenes were (surprise) largely cut from the theatrical release thanks to a certain group. Tex is decidedly nuts, with or without an apron. The motormouth pervert Alfredo (played by Tom Everitt) was also a delight as both being a pervert and a weasel. Ken Foree was Ken Foree, so you can’t help but love that one. R.A. Mihailoff as Leatherface was a scary mofo in a psychotic sort of way. The guy isn’t the nutty Leatherface of Gunnar Hansen, but rather a psycho who has a presence about him, in addition to the massive chainsaw.
Again, the film suffered from studio interference in script and in final product, but that shouldn’t dissuade you from actually seeing the uncut version. It’s a nasty affair, and the extras on the DVD help to show that New Line was in the wrong with what it was doing, and also how director Jeff Burr had to put up with crap from the MPAA. To sum it up, my favorite line of the documentary accompanying the film is one where Burr discusses the MPAA cuts: “If you cut a film enough times, it starts to bleed, and Leatherface was a bleeder.”
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Nick Bosworth Recommend’s:
The Cannonball Run (1981)
What really is there to say about the legendary Burt Reynolds that hasn’t already been said? Pain in the ass? Sure. Terrible with investing his money? Damn straight. One thing you can’t call Burt however is not funny because as far I’m concerned this man ruled the 70′s. From Deliverance to Smokey & The Bandit, Burt and his epic mustache/laugh did it all and his legend will forever live on because it. One of my personal favourites however will always be the legendary “Cannonball Run” comedy from 1981 which Burt was the leading man along with a supporting cast of some of the biggest names in entertainment including Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Dom DeLuise, Farrah Fawcett and many more (sadly every single name I just mentioned other than Burt has died). The film depicts the real life competition where some of the most daring street racers in the U.S. come together for the chance at a massive cash prize by crossing entire country from East cost to West and see who gets there first. From ambulances to Aston Martin’s to Lamborghini’s, all the drivers face off for the big event.
Now I’ll be honest that this is a very tough movie to review as there’s so much going on all throughout the entire movie. There’s so many characters, so many plot devices and tons of laughs throughout including some awesome car chases involving cops, Jackie Chan beating the crap out of people in his first American film and Roger Moore fantasizing about being James Bond while getting bitch slapped by a biker dude. The main focus however is on Burt and Dom (and his split-personality counterpart Captain Chaos) who play best friends determined to win the competition that year. They both decide to drive an ambulance and recruit a hilarious yet strangely psychotic doctor and a beautiful blonde Farrah Fawcett to pose as their patient. Together they all race across the country but run into some heavy opposition including Dean and Sammy who play two fake priests driving a Ferrari (these two are fucking hilarious together), Terry Bradshaw and so many more hilarious talent from that era.
I guarantee you’ll need to watch this movie twice to catch all the cameos. The car chases are thrilling, the stunts are real, the music is hysterical, the one-liners are non-stop and I recommend this to anyone who loves watching fast cars, hot women and Burt’s classic smile. It’s also worth mentioning that this movie has the greatest outtake reel of all-time during the credits. Enjoy and keep on truckin’!
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Bede Jermyn Recommend’s:
Captain America: The First Avenger
Just like everyone else on the planet, I absolutely can’t wait for THE AVENGERS to come out next year. All the films that Marvel Studios produced so far (IRON MAN 1 & 2, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, THOR) have all been successful at setting up the characters who will eventually be teaming up for that epic superhero film. However, before THE AVENGERS can truly take off, there is one more character whose story also still needs to be told to set up that film. That story, of course, is told in the most recent comic book film CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.
Set during World War II, the film tells a story of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a young man who desperately wants to join the army but due to his physical frame and health issues, he keeps being rejected. While attempting to enlist at another recruiting centre, he meets a scientist named Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) who offers him a chance to join the army by volunteering for a top secret project that he is working on that could turn him into a “super-soldier”, which will help him to become bigger, stronger, faster and better than he ever was before. When the experiment becomes a success, he decides to use his powers to become Captain America, in an effort to become both a hero and symbol for his country during the war. However when finds out that a man by the name of Johann Schmidt a.k.a. the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), the head of Adolf Hitler’s advanced weaponry and science division, is planning to take over the world, he must do whatever takes to stop him.
This is an absolutely awesome and highly entertaining film that I had an absolute blast with from beginning to end. Seriously, I had the biggest grin on my face throughout the entire time I was watching this film. I think that it is due to director Joe Johnston (HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, and JUMANJI) who does a terrific job with his direction. The film could have easily not worked, but Johnston was able to tap into the spirit and tone of the great superhero and adventure films of the past like RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, as well as his underrated 90′s superhero film THE ROCKETEER.
It helps that he has a fantastic cast on his hands: Chris Evans does a fantastic job in the role of Steve Rogers, he brings an everyman quality to character that makes Rogers a strong, determined and likeable; a character that we as the audience can root for. The supporting cast (which includes the likes of Hugo Weaving, Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper and many others) all deliver pitch perfect turns in their roles.
The art direction/costume design both capture the time period very well, the action scenes are well staged, the visual effects are terrific and the great score by Alan Silvestri captures the old school charm of WW2 film scores.
Overall I absolutely loved CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, it is definitively without a doubt one of the purely entertaining films that I have seen lately. So if you love superhero or comic book films, then I highly recommend everyone to check it out. I guarantee that you’ll have great time with it as well. After watching this film, it has me even more pumped for THE AVENGERS.
Leave a Comment » | Recommends | Tagged: all the boys love mandy lane, cannonball run, film, kick-ass, leatherface, recommends, reviews | Permalink
Posted by supermarcey
August 2, 2011
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommends:
Undisputed III
A little while back I recommended the awesome martial arts film Undisputed II starring Michael Jai White and Scott Adkins. Well this week, I’d love for people to check out its sequel Undisputed III, which brings back Scott Adkins ad Boyka. Here is a little bit from my original review.
“This is a perfect sequel, it has the same feel as Undisputed 2, it brings back the awesome character of Boyka and of course the awesome director too Isaac Florentine. We’re still in that prison fighting setting, and that is fine, it works really well. The stakes are higher this time around, and the competition is fierce. This film boasts some of the most fantastic and awesome martial arts scenes, they really are breath taking. Undisputed 2 and 3 for me are the future of martial arts action films, Florentine has the right idea, he also has decent scripts behind him with these and fantastic people to work with. Again Scott Adkins delivers the goods, with the action and his performance as Boyka. He is right at home with that character, you can tell he loves to play him and he easily made it so you can get behind Boyka in this film.“
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Logan J. Fowler Recommends:
Super Mario Bros. Game
I know what you’re thinking; Logan, why are you recommending a video game? Either a) you don’t play them or b) I’d play it anyway. Well my response to a) is fair enough, my response to b) is to sit down and shut up. And listen.
Life is hard. We have jobs, we have school, we have parents or guardians that bug us, and therefore, we need an escape. What better way to do it than engage yourself in classic gaming? Good idea, right? No. It’s a GREAT idea.
Super Mario Bros came out way back when in 1984, when the Nintendo Entertainment system was released. It stands the test of time of 2-D gaming at its best, and yes, it is only 8 bits, graphically speaking, but who cares? The difficulty level ramps up world after world, and the only thing standing between Mario and the kidnapped princess is a slew of baddies, fireballs, pits, 7 cloned Bowsers and the real one. Get those hands ready to duck, dodge, and destroy.
While Super Mario Bros. 3 had better power ups and the design improved upon the original (I’m not counting SMB 2 because it wasn’t a “real” sequel) and Mario games since then have only built upon the classic formula, this is the plat-former that saved the video game world. Respect it. Play it. Love it. DO IT. NOW.
Pat Torfe Recommends:
From Beyond
I’m heading back to the well with Stuart Gordon, Brian Yuzna and Jeffrey Combs with 1986′s From Beyond. After being floored with Stuart Gordon’s first trip with H.P. Lovecraft in Re-Animator, I had to give From Beyond a go. What a surprise, I wasn’t disappointed in the least! The story for this one (if you haven’t read Lovecraft’s original) goes like this: Doctors Crawford Tillinghast and Edward Pretorius (played by Jeffrey Combs and Ted Sorel, respectively) are working on a machine called The Resonator. The Resonator stimulates the pineal gland of the brain, allowing those within range to see beyond normal perceptible reality. What happens is that when the device is turned on, Crawford sees weird eel-like creatures floating in mid-air, and one of which takes a bite out of him. Pretorius gets the worst, as his head is ripped off and taken away to the ‘other side’. In the psych ward, Dr. Katherine McMichaels (the very lovely Barbara Crampton) takes an interest in what the two scientists were up to. So, with the aid of detective Bubba Brownlee (Ken Foree), all three return to the house where The Resonator was. The only problem: when the device is turned on, Pretorius isn’t dead. Then again, he’s also no longer human.
Besides the weird first-person acid trip moments involving the pineal gland, the film features some great acting. Combs tends to be a bit over-the-top in this one, but it’s expected when your character’s brain is f*cked up. Ted Sorel is creepy as all hell, and with the latex it’s even creepier. Barbara Crampton goes through character transformations as often as she goes through clothes in this film, and that’s a bonus in more ways that one. As for Mr. Foree, it’s always fun to see him doing these tough guys roles, whether it’s agains zombies or Leatherface or whatever the hell lies beyond. The other great thing about this film is that it takes delight in showing us some bizarre creatures and gore, often centring around Pretorius returning in various forms. In fact, the movie nazis (aka the MPAA) forced Gordon to snip out scenes which were thought lost until recently, when the scenes were found in a box. In preparation for his film’s broadcast on Monsters HD, Gordon worked to restore and reinsert the cut scenes, as well as produce a new master of the film. Eventually, this was turned into a DVD release, which is an obvious no-brainer to snag. I know that I sound like a broken record with all of these DVD pimpings, but hey. Humans, after all, are easy prey for gadgets and what lies beyond.
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Bede Jermyn Recommends:
Bridesmaids
Ever since making her big screen debut four years ago in her small but hilarious role in KNOCKED UP, actress/comedian Kristen Wiig has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the comedy world by delivering so many stand-out supporting turns in many comedies (highlights including PAUL, MACGRUBER, WHIP IT, EXTRACT etc.) and while also continuing her amazing work on the legendary T.V. sketch comedy show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE at the same time. For my recommendation this week I’ve decided to choose her most recent film that she has appeared in, which just happens to be a film where she finally gets to take centre stage as the lead. That film of course is the recent critically acclaimed smash hit comedy BRIDESMAIDS. The film tells the story of Annie (Kristen Wiig), a single 30-something woman whose life has hit rock bottom over the last few years since her bakery went bankrupt and as well as her boyfriend leaving her. Plus it doesn’t help that she is currently living with two flatmates who she can’t stand, her sex buddy Ted (Jon Hamm) isn’t interested in having a real relationship with her and she hates her job at the jewellery store. However the only good thing in her life is her friendship with childhood friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph). When Lillian becomes engaged to her boyfriend, Annie is ecstatic when Lillian asks her to like to be her maid of honour and to help her plan her bridal shower and wedding. However while meeting the other bridesmaids at the engagement party; Annie meets Helen (Rose Byrne), the rich young wife of Lillian’s fiancée’s boss. Annie starts to be become jealous of Lillian’s new friendship with Helen, even more so when she discovers that Helen also wants to help out with both the bridal shower and wedding as well.
When you read the plot, you automatically think that this is going to be another crappy forgettable run-of-the-mill “chick flick” but the film itself is far from it. Co-writer/star Kristen Wiig, producer Judd Apatow and director Paul Feig take this story and create an absolutely hilarious and hugely entertaining comedy that had me laughing from beginning to end. It successfully combines the raunchy gross out humour that we always expect in a Judd Apatow production while also giving us some genuine honesty and insight with its female characters. Wiig gives a terrific performance in the role of Annie, it great to finally get to see her shine in a lead role. Plus it helps that the character of Annie is much well developed and interesting that most female characters in these types of films. The supporting also great job as well with their performances (the stand-out for me, of course, is Melissa McCarthy. Who is absolutely hilarious and steals every scene as Megan, the sister of Lillian’s fiancée). Paul Feig’s direction was really good and the script is simply terrific. Overall I really loved BRIDESMINDS; it’s absolutely great comedy that I highly recommend everyone to see. Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s a “chick flick”, if you give it a chance I think you may even get some pretty big laughs out of it as well.
Leave a Comment » | Recommends | Tagged: bridesmaids, film, from beyond, recommends, reviews, super mario bros, undisputed 3 | Permalink
Posted by supermarcey
July 19, 2011
Every week the people of Super Website (Super Blog) will give you a recommendation of a Film, DVD, Bluray, Book, Soundtrack or any other item for you the readers to check out.
Super Marcey Recommend’s:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
With the second half of the Deathly Hallows currently breaking every single Box Office record, I figured why not re-visit Part 1? It is a great film in its own right, and definitely what you want to be watching before you see Part 2! Here is part of my review:
“I had the highest of expectations and excitement going into this film; I have been a fan of the series since I was dragged on opening day by my father to see the first film. Last thing I expected was to completely love that film, and go forward to read all of the novels. While both the films and books have their ups and downs, I have enjoyed them all, in different ways. I felt a little under-whelmed by Half-Blood Princethe film, but I knew that was the set up to the huge finale. And it worked, as this film delivered on all points. This film grabs you in from the first frame with Rufus Scrimgeour the Minister of Magic (Bill Nighy) giving a speech, which informs us the audience, exactly what is going on. Soon enough we see what Voldermort and his followers (including the likes of the Malfoy’s and Severus Snape) are up to and what they have planned. This then leads us to see where Harry is, and what lies ahead for him.“
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Logan J. Fowler Recommend’s:
I Love You, Man
When I first viewed I Love You, Man in theaters, I was quite surprised by it. It really is one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a long time, and one that I revisit over and over again.
When Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd at his best IMO) sets his sights on marrying Zooey (Rashida Jones), his family makes mention that Peter doesn’t really have any real male friends to be best man. Through the help of his mom (Jane Curtin) and his brother Robbie (Andy Samberg), as well as the internet, Peter goes on “man dates”, which end up going pretty poorly. However, at an open house for a pad Peter is trying to sell (that would be the house of Lou Ferrigno), Peter meets Syndey Fife (Jason Segal) and the two instantly hit it off, forming a strong friendship over the course of the film, and it later causing a rift between Peter and Zooey. Will Zooey and Peter have a happy wedding? Will Peter and Sydney rekindle their bromance?
I Love You, Man is insanely quotable, insanely funny, has an impressive cast (I haven’t even mention J.K. Simmons, Jamie Pressly, Jon Favreau, Rob Huebel, Joe Lo Truglio, and Thomas Lennon), a great soundtrack (with a special appearance by the band Rush-SLAPPA DA BASS!) and is a love story-about two bromosexuals. Do I love this movie? Totes McGotes!
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Pat Torfe Recommend’s:
Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood
Digging into my DVD collection this week, I pull out another Friday The 13th film that I’m surprised that I hadn’t recommended earlier. Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood obviously follows the formula of Jason wreaking havoc around Crystal Lake, but this time we get someone who is a match for him. Directed by John Carl Buechler, the film marked the debut of Kane Hodder as hockey puss, and features Lar Park Lincoln as the telekinetic Tina Shepard. The story goes that Tina unwittingly causes her alcoholic father’s death after he physically abuses Tina’s mother (played by Susan Blu) by collapsing the dock he was standing on and drowning in the water of Crystal Lake. Flash forward years later, and Jason is stuck at the bottom of the lake, while a distraught Tina, her mother and her psychiatrist Dr. Crews make the trek to Crystal Lake. Why? Dr. Crews wants to ‘study’ Tina’s telekinetic gifts by keeping her stress levels high. Anyways, one night, Tina unknowingly resurrects Jason from the bottom of the lake, who returns his gratitude by going about and killing folks in unpleasant ways, as usual. So it’s up to Tina to put Jason back. Yes, the formula is just the same as it always has been, but it’s so much fun when Jason gets to off people in creative ways like bashing a camper against a tree while still in their sleeping bag, a party horn in the eye, a hedge trimmer with a saw blade (?!) and other wonderful things. Unfortunately, Paramount (being the dicks that they are) trimmed the kills down so we hardly get much of anything. Good thing Buechler kept his VHS tapes of the unedited kills for our pleasure, despite the poor quality. The film is still fun, mind you. Jason looks predictably gross after having been down in the lake for so long, and the makeup is just awesome. And yes, Paramount was still ‘caring’ about the series at this point. So much so that they tried to get us Freddy vs. Jason two decades earlier than what we got, but couldn’t work out a deal with New Line. So instead, we get a Carrie-esque protagonist vs. everyone’s undead mongoloid slasher. Not a bad trade-off. Grab the deluxe DVD set or the Friday The 13th boxset to see the cut footage as well as a humourous commentary by Buechler and Hodder, who are best buds and enjoy watching the film.
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Bede Jermyn Recommend’s:
Exotica
I have to admit I haven’t really seen that many films from Canadian director Atom Egoyan, the only one that I have seen is his most recent film CHLOE (which I thought was a solid but from what I understand that it’s his most commercial film to date). However I knew that I needed to check out more of his films. So based on a recommendation from Super Marcey I decided to check out his best known film, which is the 1994 film EXOTICA. I wasn’t sure what to expect from it but I knew after watching it, that this was one that I needed to write about as my recommendation for this week. The film tells the story of a group of four characters who are linked to a strip club named “Exotica”: Christina (Mia Kirshner), a young exotic dancer whose main attraction to the club is that dresses up like a school girl. Eric (Elias Koteas), the club’s DJ who also just happens to be Christina’s ex-boyfriend. Francis (Bruce Greenwood), a tax auditor who happens to be Christina’s no.1 customer and finally Thomas (Don McKellar), a gay pet shop owner whose accounts are being audited by Francis. Over the course of the film, we discover just how these four characters are connected to each other.
I know it sounds like that I’m being very vague on the film’s story but that’s only because that this is one of those films that it’s best not to know too much before going in. So you can understand why I’m trying to be vague about it. But what I will say is that this is truly a terrific film that I found to be very intriguing, complex and powerful. I will admit that for a little while, I felt that film was a bit distant and cold. However as the film progressed I started to become even more engaged by it and eventually it won me over. The performances from the four are excellent, the stand-outs for me were definitely Bruce Greenwood and Elias Koteas who were both utterly fantastic in their roles. The supporting cast were all great as well (which includes Victor Garber and a young Sarah Polley) and both Egoyan’s script and direction are absolutely wonderful (his screenplay in particular is superbly written and multi-layered). After watching his work as director here, I’m definitely going to seek out more of his films in the future. Overall while I admit that the film may not work for everyone but I still definitely recommend everyone to check out EXOTICA, it’s a really good film that deserves to be seen.
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Leave a Comment » | Recommends | Tagged: exotica, film, Friday The 13th VII The New Blood, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, I Love You Man, recommends, reviews | Permalink
Posted by supermarcey
