Lean on Pete
8 years ago
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Surveillance (2009)
Jennifer Lynch -- daughter of David -- directs “Surveillance,” a grisly mystery set in a speck of a New Mexico town. The film opens with some daddy trademarks … coffee pouring, small town landscapes and shocking violence, but Ms. Lynch spins toward “Se7en,” with solid “B” movie intensions. The plot: FBI agents (Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond) arrive in a small town to help local police investigate a mass murder. The sun-baked cops are snarky, and at least two are psychopathic. The film is tense, dark and stuck in my head all night. Red herrings abound as almost every character is over-the-top nuts or appears to have secrets, and that hurts the film. Whether you catch the ending before Lynch pitches it depends on what weirdo has your attention. I missed it. What won me: Pullman and Ormond in black suits, white shirts and oozing badass appeal. Great actors. B
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Favorites: Superhero movies
The Best
1. The Incredibles (2004)
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. Superman (1978)
5. Flash Gordon (1980)
6. Iron Man (2008)
7. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
8. Hellboy (2004)
9. Batman Begins (2005)
10. X2: X-Men United (2003)
The worst
1. Batman & Robin (1998)
And in no order, and not all inclusive: Batman and Robin (1995), Catwoman (2004), Daredevil (2003), Ghost Rider (2007), The Punisher (1989), Spawn (1998), Zoom (2006), Superman III (1983), and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).
1. The Incredibles (2004)
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. Superman (1978)
5. Flash Gordon (1980)
6. Iron Man (2008)
7. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
8. Hellboy (2004)
9. Batman Begins (2005)
10. X2: X-Men United (2003)
The worst
1. Batman & Robin (1998)
And in no order, and not all inclusive: Batman and Robin (1995), Catwoman (2004), Daredevil (2003), Ghost Rider (2007), The Punisher (1989), Spawn (1998), Zoom (2006), Superman III (1983), and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).
Monday, November 23, 2009
2012 (2009)
Roland Emmerich’s latest world-ender “2012” is a helluva lot like his previous efforts “The Day After Tomorrow” and “Independence Day” – humankind ignores glaring signs of cataclysmic event/big attack and suffers for it. Immensely. Billions die. Most of our heroes and their dog (where's the cat, man??) live. The end.
“Tomorrow” was heavy-handed leftist crap and silly. “Independence” was clever – and I kid you not – the best sci-fi genre satire ever made. (I have erased “Godzilla" from memory, only recalling that I wished every character on screen would die. Bloodily.) “2012” falls in the middle, jumping off the age-old premise our number is up in two-plus years.
It has all the eternally re-rehashed Emmerich elements – the father, his estranged child(ren), the ex-wife, the brilliant scientist, the tough president, the a-hole bureaucrat, blah, blah, blah. John Cusack stars. I need not go into details. OK – one detail – Woody Harrelson is the guy with the scoop of being dead-on correct smothered under 40 gallons of crazy glue. Harrelson looks like he couldn’t wait to get on set every morning. He’s a delight.
As long as the dim-witted chore “Transformers” sequel, “2012” mostly squeaks by all the science and logistical plot holes and “come on!” scenes where characters walk around in freezing temperatures but the actors barely seem slightly chilly. The special effects are seriously top-notch, and let’s face it -- this film exists for no other reason than to wow people with special effects. Consider me wowed.
Yet, the film irks, even past the Emmerich standards. There are long moments where - despite the thrills – I’m watching billions of people die and skyscrapers fall. For fun. I got the feeling Emmerich watches news footage of earthquakes, terrorist attacks and tsunami’s with one eye for mild concern and the other glazing over with an “I smell movie” high. The movie snob and liberal inside me winces. The other part of me, who laughed his way through the most tragic scenes in “Independence Day” (and got mean glares for it), stares in awe. For awhile.
Like the film’s long climax, "2012" is a washout. B-
“Tomorrow” was heavy-handed leftist crap and silly. “Independence” was clever – and I kid you not – the best sci-fi genre satire ever made. (I have erased “Godzilla" from memory, only recalling that I wished every character on screen would die. Bloodily.) “2012” falls in the middle, jumping off the age-old premise our number is up in two-plus years.
It has all the eternally re-rehashed Emmerich elements – the father, his estranged child(ren), the ex-wife, the brilliant scientist, the tough president, the a-hole bureaucrat, blah, blah, blah. John Cusack stars. I need not go into details. OK – one detail – Woody Harrelson is the guy with the scoop of being dead-on correct smothered under 40 gallons of crazy glue. Harrelson looks like he couldn’t wait to get on set every morning. He’s a delight.
As long as the dim-witted chore “Transformers” sequel, “2012” mostly squeaks by all the science and logistical plot holes and “come on!” scenes where characters walk around in freezing temperatures but the actors barely seem slightly chilly. The special effects are seriously top-notch, and let’s face it -- this film exists for no other reason than to wow people with special effects. Consider me wowed.
Yet, the film irks, even past the Emmerich standards. There are long moments where - despite the thrills – I’m watching billions of people die and skyscrapers fall. For fun. I got the feeling Emmerich watches news footage of earthquakes, terrorist attacks and tsunami’s with one eye for mild concern and the other glazing over with an “I smell movie” high. The movie snob and liberal inside me winces. The other part of me, who laughed his way through the most tragic scenes in “Independence Day” (and got mean glares for it), stares in awe. For awhile.
Like the film’s long climax, "2012" is a washout. B-
1991: Best and Worst
The Best
1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. JFK
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Boyz in the Hood
5. Truly, Madly, Deeply
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7. Dead Again
8. Barton Fink
9. Thelma and Louise
10. The Fisher King
The Worst
5. Hook
4. Bill and Dead's Bogus Journey
3. Not Without My Daughter
2. Mortal Thoughts
1. Hudson Hawk
1. The Silence of the Lambs
2. JFK
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Boyz in the Hood
5. Truly, Madly, Deeply
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7. Dead Again
8. Barton Fink
9. Thelma and Louise
10. The Fisher King
The Worst
5. Hook
4. Bill and Dead's Bogus Journey
3. Not Without My Daughter
2. Mortal Thoughts
1. Hudson Hawk
1992: Best and Worst
The Best
1. Unforgiven
2. Reservoir Dogs
3. The Crying Game
4. Malcolm X
5. The Player
6. Aladdin
7. Glengarry Glen Ross
8. The Last of the Mohicans
9. Howards End
10. A Few Good Men
The Worst
5. The Bodyguard
4. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
3. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot
2. Consenting Adults
1. Toys
1. Unforgiven
2. Reservoir Dogs
3. The Crying Game
4. Malcolm X
5. The Player
6. Aladdin
7. Glengarry Glen Ross
8. The Last of the Mohicans
9. Howards End
10. A Few Good Men
The Worst
5. The Bodyguard
4. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
3. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot
2. Consenting Adults
1. Toys
1993: Best and Worst
The Best
1. Schindler's List
2. The Piano
3. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
4, (Tie) Jurassic Park and The Fugitive
5. In the Name of the Father
6. The Remains of the Day
7. Cronos
8. Romper Stomper
9. Short Cuts
10. Groundhog Day
The Worst
5. The Real McCoy
4. Son of the Pink Panther
3. Body of Evidence
2. Striking Distance
1. Last Action Hero
1. Schindler's List
2. The Piano
3. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
4, (Tie) Jurassic Park and The Fugitive
5. In the Name of the Father
6. The Remains of the Day
7. Cronos
8. Romper Stomper
9. Short Cuts
10. Groundhog Day
The Worst
5. The Real McCoy
4. Son of the Pink Panther
3. Body of Evidence
2. Striking Distance
1. Last Action Hero
1994: Best and Worst
The Best
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Natural Born Killers
3. Heavenly Creatures
4. Once Were Warriors
5. The Lion King
6. Quiz Show
7. Hoop Dreams
8. Ed Wood
9. Bullets Over Broadway
10. The Shawshank Redemption
The Worst
5. Maverick
4. Interview With a Vampire
3. (Tie) Junior & North
2. The Air Up There
1. On Deadly Ground
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Natural Born Killers
3. Heavenly Creatures
4. Once Were Warriors
5. The Lion King
6. Quiz Show
7. Hoop Dreams
8. Ed Wood
9. Bullets Over Broadway
10. The Shawshank Redemption
The Worst
5. Maverick
4. Interview With a Vampire
3. (Tie) Junior & North
2. The Air Up There
1. On Deadly Ground
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