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Something Strange in the Neighborhood

21 Feb

Back in the day, I fancied myself an amateur filmmaker.

I made these really bad films where I played all the parts — for example, He’s a Wonderful Salesman, a cross between Death of a Salesman and It’s a Wonderful Life, where Willy Loman is shown (by an angel named Mar-T) what life would be like if he was never born.

Of course, my sister helped, and I’ll always remember her immortal line, “I feel a breeze.”

Anyway, I thought of those movies while watching Be Kind Rewind, the new movie from the mind of Michel Gondry, the director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

It’s a truly strange and random movie about two guys in Passaic, New Jersey: one, played by Mos Def, who works at a video store, and another, played by Jack Black, who hangs around the store.

One day, Black’s character is magnetized (don’t ask) and he accidentally erases all the tapes at the video store. So the two decide to recreate the movies in their own amateurish way, starting with Ghostbusters and Rush Hour 2.

And these remakes — the “Sweded” versions — become so insanely popular that they have to make others — including When We Were Kings, 2001, King Kong, and Lord of the Rings.

Yes, the remakes are absurd, and the making-ofs are very amusing.

The whole film has the look of a low budget, amateur production, making it all seem very authentic.

Black and Mos Def throw themselves into their roles, and keep the tone silly. Danny Glover and Mia Farrow, of all people, fill out the cast, giving it a little “weight” and substance.

It’s probably safe to say you’ve never seen a movie quite like Be Kind Rewind, and it’s not exactly great, but it has some really inspired moments and scenes that make it worth recommending. You’ll likely never look at Ghostbusters or Boyz n the Hood the same way again.

So, I’m giving Be Kind Rewind a B.

From My Perspective

20 Feb

First, the good news about Vantage Point: despite what you may think, the trailer doesn’t give away the entire plot.

So that’s a nice surprise.

And also, there is about 20 minutes of a good movie here.

The problem is that the film’s main gimmick of watching a presidential assassination from multiple points of view grows really tiresome really fast. Just when the film starts to pick up momentum and you want to see what will happen next, you’re rewinded back to the same starting point only to watch the same scene unfold again.

And again.

And it’s not like every replaying adds a new layer to the story. Rather, you just meet someone else who was there.

This isn’t Rashomon.

When, at about an hour into the movie, the story begins again and then keeps on going, that’s when the action really kicks into gear and it gets pretty exciting, especially during a fast-paced car chase through the streets of Salamanca, Spain.

But there’s some lame dialogue, and the impressive cast of actors (including Forest Whitaker, William Hurt, Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, and Sigourney Weaver) is pretty much left high and dry. Weaver in particular gets introduced first and then basically disappears.

Wish I could recommend this movie; I actually liked the trailer and had high hopes. Alas, it’s another waste of 90 minutes.

I give Vantage Pointa C-.

Quick Thoughts

19 Feb

After the rain stopped, Monday was a really nice day.

Teflon-coated pots are excellent. One of the best inventions ever.

I wish I had given Gossip Girl more of a chance and hadn’t given up on it after the first episode.

We’re negotiating, and I should have a decision on the apartment on Tuesday. I’m now feeling more 65-35 as far as excitement and nervousness go.

Ben & Jerry’s Crème Brûlée ice cream is so so so good.

I’m rooting for a There Will Be Blood Best Picture upset on Sunday.

There’s something about seeing baseball players practicing down in Florida, smiling, happy, with the sun shining, that makes everything all right.

Are you on Facebook? Why not? Sign on and let’s be friends.

Days off would be more enjoyable if there was something good on TV in the morning. At least on Saturdays there’s three hours of repeats of 90210 and two of The O.C.

Which is the more annoying instrument to listen to: violin or the flute?

I don’t think there’s any movie in theaters right now that I haven’t seen that I want to see.

My early American Idol favorites are Amanda Overmyer, a.k.a.: the rocker nurse, and Michael Johns. Kristy Lee Cook is cute, but she won’t get past the top 8. And David Archuleta is overrated. And anyone who sings “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” will never win, much less make it to the top 12.

Sometimes when scrolling through the names and numbers in my cell phone I’ll come across Bubby and I’ll be tempted to call. I wish I could.

Next week, March 1 to be exact, marks the 11th anniversary of the day I moved to Boston. Still the best decision I’ve ever made.

I own way way way too many books, CDs, and DVDs.

Can’t believe I still haven’t finished The Year of Living Biblically.

Kupels went and raised their prices, and in so doing went from being a great deal to a total rip-off.

When I move, I think I’m going to hire a cleaning person to come regularly.

Some movies I can watch over and over and never get tired of them. The Shawshank Redemption is one of them.

Long weekends are great … until you have to go back to work the next morning.

Destination Anywhere

13 Feb

If you learned one day that you could teleport anywhere in the world on a moment’s notice, where would you go? Paris? Rome? The South Pole? And would you use this power for good or for evil? Whatever your choice, I hope you don’t choose to go to a movie theater to see Jumper, a movie about a guy (played by Darth Vader himself, Hayden Christensen) who can teleport anywhere he wishes. When he’s 15, David Rice (that’s Christensen’s character), learns he has the skill and he decides to run away from his unhappy life in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and head to New York, where he robs banks and travels the world, and becomes a spoiled, selfish brat. But Rice has never gotten over his childhood crush, Millie, so eight years later he returns home to find her. Lucky for David, Millie has grown up to look a lot like Summer Roberts (yes, Millie is played by the lovely Ms. Rachel Bilson). And they live happily ever after.

Yeah, if only. You see, hot on Rice (and all Jumpers)’s trail is Samuel L. Jackson, leader of the Paladin organization, whose goal is to kill Jumpers — deemed too powerful to exist. Thankfully, Rice meets Griffin (Jamie Bell), another Jumper, who is trying to take down the Paladins. And somewhere in this plot is David’s mother (Diane Lane), who abandoned David when he was just five years old, but who has some unexplained connection to the action.

I guess it all sounded cool. And after all, the movie was directed by Doug Liman, whose credits include Go, The Bourne Identity, Swingers, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith — all good, fun, exciting movies. Surprisingly, there’s none of the zip found in those films here. But I don’t necessarily blame Liman. Instead, I blame Christensen, who is without a doubt one of the worst actors working today — if he can even be called an actor. His stiff performance and almost monotone delivery of the lines conveys almost no excitement at all. He only emphasizes how lame some of the dialogue is. But worse is the fact that he has, like, zero chemistry with Bilson. Come on, man, she’s smokin’! Christensen must not read GQ. (Of course, he gets the last laugh because the two are dating in real life. What a bastard.) Anyway, Jumper features some relatively cool effects and Bell is certainly the most engaging member of the cast (one wonders if he should have played David), but overall this is a pretty stupid flick.

Now, after all that, you may be wondering where I would go if I could teleport. The answer is easy: Portland, Oregon, so I could see Erin and explain to her that even if a movie is free, and even if it’s only 88 minutes long, and even if the cast includes Rachel Bilson and Diane Lane, going home to watch American Idol is always the better option. I’m giving Jumper a C-.

Laugh-In

7 Feb

Vince Vaughn does a solid for four up-and-coming stand-up comedians in Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show. The film is nothing more than a document of Vaughn’s tour, during which the five-man troupe played 30 shows in 30 nights all across the country. Unlike, say, Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedian, which had a lofty purpose of trying to bring meaning to the life of a stand-up, or even, say, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, this film doesn’t seek to do anything but give exposure to these four rising talents and show the group having a good time performing. Along the way, you meet the guys’ families (which tries to explain where their comedy comes from) and hang out as the guys prepare to take the stage. Special guests appear, including Jon Favreau and Justin Long, plus Peter Billingsley (from A Christmas Story), who is not only one of the film’s exec producers but also Vaughn’s best friend. Some of the comedy hits and some misses — Ahmed Ahmed seems to be the most consistent performer — and there’s an extended section about the guys supporting victims of Hurricane Katrina (the movie was shot in the fall of 2005) that is a bit of a downer, but mostly, this is a fun film. Is it as funny as the trailer would have you believe? No. Is it worth running to the theater to pay $10? No. Is it as bad as Vaughn’s most recent comedy flicks, The Break-Up and Fred Claus? Thankfully, no. But if you’re a fan of stand-up, this is an enjoyable 100 minutes. I’m giving VV’s WWCS a B.

See and Be Seen

28 Jan

Two PSAs for y’all …

See them: People always complain that they’re not interested in the Oscars because they haven’t seen many of the nominated films. Well, the AMC theater chain is hosting an all-day marathon showing of the nominees for Best Picture on February 23, the day before the Oscars are handed out, at theaters all over the country. That’s right: you can see Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, There Will Be Blood, and No Country for Old Men all in one day, one after another, and then you’ll be ready for the big show. It’ll cost you only $30, and when you buy your ticket, you’ll also get a large popcorn with unlimited refills. Score! (Thanks to Dan for the heads up.)

See him: I’d tell you that Love Is a Mix Tape was my favorite book of 2007, but considering I only read three, that’s probably not saying much. Still, Love was the first book I read start-to-finish in many years (too many, really), so that’s saying something significant about how good it is. And this Wednesday, the book’s author, Rob Sheffield, is going to be at Brookline Booksmith reading from and signing copies of his book. I’ll be there. If you’re looking for a great memoir about love, loss, and music, then come on down and meet Rob with me. The book is now out in paperback too, so you can buy your own copy.

All the Colors Came Out

27 Jan

Despite the weather outside, it was a beautiful day up in Reading today. I braved the elements so I could see U23D, which if you haven’t heard, is the 3D IMAX film that captures the U2 Vertigo tour in all its glory. And oh man, does it ever. From the very first frame to the last, you are right there in the action. I mean, I’ve seen U2 live before. Technically, I suppose you could say that was 3D. But wow. This was, to make the obvious reference, even better than the real thing. First of all, it’s a huge movie — in sight and sound. Bono is already a bigger-than-life figure, but this is crazy. And the bass literally shook the seats. Secondly, the camerawork is just amazing. Add in the 3D effects and you have a film experience that can’t be duplicated. The crowd shots look so layered. The stadium, so deep. There were times when I thought people seated in front of me were up and dancing, but they were really on screen and not in the theater. Sure there are some gratuitous guitar-in-camera shots (mostly courtesy of Adam Clayton), but really, this is a rock show filmed with a minimum of cheese. It’s the technology that makes it look even better, not anything the band is doing differently. For example, nearly every shot of Larry Mullen’s drum kit is impressive. The set list includes 14 songs, and all are performed with the typical gusto, but for me, “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own” and “Where the Streets Have No Name” were highlights. The band plays “The Fly” during its encore, and it’s notable, I think, more for the superimposed effects than for the music itself. If U23D doesn’t exactly duplicate the concert-going experience — I felt sort of wimpy just sitting there and not applauding or cheering or singing along — then that’s alright. It the next-best-thing to actually being there and it’s a damned cool experience. I fully intend to go back and see the new Rolling Stones film, Shine a Light, when it plays on the IMAX screen. (All this can be yours too. Click here to find a theater showing U23D.)

More Blood

26 Jan

I went with Barry today to see There Will Be Blood and I’ve gotta say, I still think the movie is, ahem, bloody great. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say I’ve now sat through this two-hour-and-forty-minute-long movie twice and I could certainly stand to do it again. And again. I can’t quite explain it, but I feel the same way about P.T. Anderson’s other epic-length movies, particularly Magnolia, in that I can watch them over and over and they never get tired. Here, Daniel Day-Lewis is just incredible, that music is awesome, the screenplay is great, the cinematography is breathtaking … it’s all just amazing. Even on a second viewing, the film didn’t drag or anything. And, despite how many times I’ve repeated or used that milkshake line in recent weeks, it still works in context. Yeah, I really do like this movie. Have you seen it yet? No? Well, what are you waiting for? Go! Go now!

There Will Be Oscars

22 Jan

Oscar nominations this morning were basically as expected (for me, at least), but four things in particular are worth mentioning:

1. Tommy Lee Jones’ nomination for In the Valley of Elah was an awesome surprise. I liked the movie, and Jones’ performance in it is one of the best of the year. I said it when I saw the movie and I’m saying it now. Jones totally deserves his spot on the list. Even if he had to take the spot from Ryan Gosling or Denzel Washington.

2. That there is no nomination for Jonny Greenwood’s score for There Will Be Blood is just a crime. Music is as integral a part of that movie as Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance, and it too deserved to be recognized. Blood would still be great without the score, but it’s even better with it. [Update: Apparently, the score was not eligible. Who knew?]

3. Overjoyed that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova got a nomination for “Falling Slowly,” the song from Once. But jeez, the rest of that category is just embarrassing. Nothing from Hairspray or Into the Wild?? Hopefully “Falling Slowly” will be a lock to win now. As it should be anyway. (And in a perfect world, Once would also have been nominated for Best Picture.)

4. Norbit: 1, Hairspray: 0. That’s just wrong on so many levels, even if Norbit‘s nom is for makeup (no surprise, I guess).

You know, some people make a big deal about how “no one’s seen (or heard of) the nominated films.” Well, whose problem is that? The films nominated are very good. Go see them! Especially There Will Be Blood. I may actually go see it for a second time this weekend. And I guess I’m going to have to go see Atonement now after all, even though I really don’t have much interest.

But in the meantime, I’m rooting for most anything Blood-related. And so should you.

Some Thing Stupid

19 Jan

So here’s my question: if some random monster was on the attack in your city, and you were running for your life, and you were filming everything on your camcorder, and it was nighttime … at what point do you turn the camcorder off and just run like hell?

That’s the question I found myself asking multiple times during Cloverfield, the new flick from the J. J. Abrams factory.

Essentially, Cloverfield is Godzilla crossed with The Blair Witch Project.

It’s a horror movie for the YouTube generation. Continue reading →

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