Deliverance - 1972

Movie #176

4 stars

Four friends from the suburbs take a canoeing trip down a Georgia River but the locals start to turn on them.

Cast: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Bill McKinney

Director:  John Boorman

Screenplay/Novel: James Dickey




I wanted to watch this movie after reading about FULL METAL JACKET.  Stanley Kubrick wanted Bill McKinney to play Sgt Hartman but Kubrick said that he was so unsettled after watching him in DELIVERANCE that he didn't even want to meet McKinney....wow.

For some movies it is especially important to put them in context.  DELIVERANCE, which was made in 1972, would have scared the living daylights out of me if I watched in the theatre.  The movie just gives you the creeps...the location, the characters, and especially the music...all creepy.

"Dueling Banjos" is an integral part of the film.  We first hear it when the 4 men arrive in a small town (could you even call that a town?).  Every time I heard the song in the rest of the film, all I could think about was that creepy boys face.  See the video below.  In 1973, the song was #2 for four weeks on the U.S. pop chart.  I sure as he** know that I would never want to listen to that in my car.  Then again...the next time I'm driving through a rural part of somewhere, I'm going to play it....I'll let you know the effect.

Even though the film was a little slow paced...the shots of the river made it bearable.  It was actually pretty....but it made me never, ever, want to canoe down a river.

I have to give best actor to Jon Voight.  It's not that I didn't like Burt Reynolds performance it's just that the role didn't require a lot of acting.  The runner up would definitely be Ned Beatty.  His role required a lottttt.

****spoiler alert**** Don't read if you haven't watched it

The ending could have been a lot more effective if the hand came out of the water and Voight jumped up in bed...then immediately cut to black.  The whole thing with his wife comforting him was just irritating.  It would have had a better shock effect on the audience...because seriously...that had to have been what they were going for.  I mean...that rape scene could go down in movie history as one of the most disturbing...a man raping another man...in 1972!

****end of spoiler alert****

Overall Recommendation: Squeal like a pig...and watch this movie!!! 

And if you don't feel like watching the movie then at least watch the clip of the dueling banjos

Red Road - 2006

Movie #169

4 stars

Jackie's job as a security surveillance monitor in Glasgow allows her to journey into the lives of others...as well as her own.  Zooming from one camera to another, she sees someone from her past.  Jackie tries to understand the past but her future is just as perplexing.

Cast: Kate Dickie, Tony Curran, Martin Compston, Nathalie Press, Paul Higgins, Andrew Armour

Director: Andrea Arnold



This is the first film in the Advance Party series, a concept by Lars Von Trier (Antichrist), Lone Scherfig and Anders Thomas Jensen.  I am already excited.  I love Jensen...writer of Adam's Apples and After the Wedding.  The three films in this series have certain rules--  they must take place in Scotland, filmed within 6 weeks, have a budget of less than 1 million pounds and use the same characters.  This sounds pretty cool but I do have one concern...are 2 more movies going to be just as good as this one using the same characters.  They have big shoes to fill.


Like:  The concept is very interesting.  What would it be like to be able to see every single street...every single person walking in the US.  First of all, it would be creepy.  Second of all, it might be a whole lot safer.  Or more unsafe?  It all depends on the person in charge of keeping the people safe I suppose.

Like:  The shots of Glasgow were really cool.  But at the same time we only saw a couple of different places...mostly Red Road.

Dislike:  I thought I was pretty good at understanding people's accent but this movie was unbearable at times.  Some of the characters I could barely understand.  The main character, Jackie, was very easy to understand though.

Caution:  The sex scenes in this film were very very explicit...maybe even a little bit gross...but they were not in there just to have sex. It did add to the film.

Overall Recommendation:  Check it out...its one of those films that may seem a little slow moving but I assure you..everything is important.

The one thing to take away from this film:  Jackie was just trying to get along with her life...but in order to do so she had to confront her past.  When she had her head near the open window in the apartment it was as if she was breathing...really living...for the first time in a long time.

Spiral - 2007

Movie #151

3.5 stars

Mason (Joel Moore), a socially awkward would-be artist, works as a telemarketer for a car insurance company run by his only friend, Berkeley (Zachary Levi). Enter Amber (Amber Tamblyn), a charming and friendly new employee who reaches out to Mason, not knowing how troubled he really is.

Cast: Joel Moore, Annie Neal, Amber Tamblyn, David Muller, Zachary Levi, Tricia Helfer, Arlene Ancheta, Lori Yohe, Jeremy Danial Boreing, Rileah Vanderbilt

Director: Adam Green, Joel Moore

Filming Location: Portland, Oregon

The most incredible thing about this film is that its budget was $1.5 million.  It may sound like a lot to someone who doesn't know a lot about movie budgets....so lets compare it to some other thrillers...

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt - $25 million
Tell-Tale - $12 million
Gossip - $24 million

Do you realize how incredible a budget of $1.5 million really is now?  Part of the reason may be that Joel Moore both starred in and directed the film....and he did an incredible job.  Oh, and he wrote the film too.  But was all this hard work worth it?  I would say yes.  The film grossed $3 million----on only 2 screens.  That is pretty good I must say.

Adam Green and Joel Moore won the Gold Vision Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.  The award is given to the most innovative and unique film with an inspiring and groundbreaking vision.

When trying to pinpoint what makes this film enjoyable...its kinda simple...the film instance is simple.  It doesn't try too hard, the script is good, the cast is perfect, and most of all....the film was enjoyable.

Amber Tamblyn won me over again in this film...and I am starting to have moer faith in Zachary Levi.  He was also in Shades of Ray, which I enjoyed.  I just really do not like him in Chuck.

So...it seems like I really like this film...so why not a 4 or even a 5?  Well...it's a film that is forgettable. But that shouldn't stop anyone from seeing it.

Overall Recommendation:  Check it out!

Beyond A Reasonable Doubt - 2009

Movie #145
4 stars

Michael Douglas stars as corrupt district attorney Mark Hunter in this remake of Fritz Lang's noir classic about a reporter, C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe), who sets himself up as the prime suspect in a murder he didn't commit in order to expose Hunter's misdeeds.

Cast: Michael Douglas, Jesse Metcalfe, Amber Tamblyn, Orlando Jones, Joel Moore, David Jensen, Megan Brown, Michael Byrnes, Tony Bentley, Grant James, Juli Erickson

Director: Peter Hyams


Like: I was actually in suspense...or maybe it was more like an uneasy feeling because you knew something was going to go wrong.

Like: The length-- it was perfect...not too short not too long and everything was explained. I feel like some filmmakers are afraid of shortness...A pretty good film can be ruined by an irritating extra 20 minutes.

Like: The cast! Michael Douglas plays an excellent villain...always (think the Perfect Murder). Even though I'm not a huge fan of Amber Tamblyn, she did a pretty good job. Joel Moore was the PERFECT sidekick. What Jesse Metcalfe lacked in acting skills and seriousness, Joel Moore was right there saving the scene.

Dislike: WHY?!?...is there always a scary scene in an empty parking lot?

Overall Recommendation: It is definitely worth watching...at least once.

Shutter Island - 2010

Movie #143
4 stars

World War II soldier-turned-U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by his own troubling visions and by Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley).

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Max von Sydow, Emily Mortimer, Jackie Earle Haley, Elias Koteas, John Carroll Lynch

Director: Martin Scorsese

Tagline: Someone is missing. (hmmmm...not that enthralling)



Why do people hate this movie? Yes, it could have been better but people need to realize that high expectations almost always leads to disappointment. So I am going to start with my overall recommendation: Just watch it...its entertaining. The film may have flaws but it is still worth your time.

Since I don't really have any distinct likes about the film, I guess I'll go into the dislikes:

1. The music- it reminded me too much of King Kong as Leonardo DiCarprio was approaching the Island. Does the audience really need to hear creepy/unsettling music to associate the island with suspense. I think the music was a cop out.
2. The flashbacks, even though they were interesting at first, took something away from the real story. It's not that it was confusing or anything but the flow of the movie seemed a little off...and slow at times.
   
3. Is Leo capable of making any face other than that slightly confused/slightly scared expression. Was he trying to make this face the whole time...or is it lack of range?
4. There just wasn't enough crazy people in it. I love movies that take place in mental hospitals...Girl Interrupted...come on now...great movie.
5. Overall, I think shutter Island's biggest problem was just that it tried to hard. However, the performances of Mark Ruffalo and Ben Kingsley were terrific. I couldn't picture better actors for the roles.

Last line: Is better to live as a monster or die as a good man?

In The Cut - 2003

Movie #139

2.5 stars

Frannie (Meg Ryan) is a New York writing professor entwined in an erotic affair with a police detective (Mark Ruffalo) who's investigating the murder of a young woman in Frannie's neighborhood. But soon Frannie begins to suspect her lover's involvement in the crime.
Cast: Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kevin Bacon, Nick Damici, Sharrieff Pugh
Director: Jane Campion

Tagline: Everything you know about desire is dead wrong

Revised Tagline: If you think this movie looks good then you are dead wrong.

Filming Location: NYC...at least this gave the viewers something interesting to look at.

Wow...what can I even say about this one. It is categorized as a thriller...and yes...the plot shows hints of a thriller but deep down this movie is more like an HBO porn...that just has a tiny bit more of a storyline.

Meg Ryan commenting on the nudity and sex in In the Cut: "You don't go, 'Wow! I get to do a nude scene.' But I love the sex scene in this movie. It was scary, honest and raw. But people could find my body very unattractive. There could be a backlash against it".

scary...check...honest...hmmm....raw...well that scene in the bathroom of the bar sure was raw.

The movie (notice the lack of the word film) could have had potential...well not really now that I think about it. The most interesting character was Pauline, Meg Ryan's sister, that was played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. But other than that the characters were uninteresting. And what was the point of Kevin Bacon? I guess he just wanted to increase his 6 degrees of separation.

Interesting to note: Meg Ryan lost the lead role in Washington Square (1997) to Jennifer Jason Leigh


Nicole Kidman was originally supposed to star in the movie but dropped out because she was going through her divorce with Tom Cruise. She thought it would be to hard....emotionally. What? Are we sure that Tom Cruise isn't the only looney tune.

I can't really think of anything else to say...so I'll borrow some words from BBC's review of this fine "film"

Unfortunately, in a story chiefly concerned with the inner-life of its anti-heroine, the suspense factor is almost as lax as Frannie's knicker elastic. It would matter less if the complexity of her dilemma was more tangible; instead Campion substitutes unsettling visuals for genuine mystery.

While it is bold, ambitious and often striking, In The Cut isn't as incisive as it pretends to be. Wavering between romanticism and gritty reality, it ultimately slips through the crack in a finalé that could leave you feeling cheap and used.

Overall Recommendation: STAY AWAY...FAR FAR AWAY!!!

note: Campion also directed Bright Star...all hopes I had for the movie kinda just went down the train.

Tell-Tale - 2009

Movie #123

3 stars

In this thriller inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," Josh Lucas stars as Terry, a single dad who's kept alive by another man's heart -- a scenario that suits him fine until he discovers that the ticker's original owner was murdered. Worried that he might come to a similar end, Terry embarks on a desperate search for the donor's killer.

Cast: Josh Lucas, Lena Headey, Brian Cox, Beatrice Miller, Dallas Roberts, Ulrich Thomsen, Pablo Schreiber, Jamie Harrold, Tom Riis Farrell, Tom Kemp

Director: Michael Cuesta

Tagline: Truth Lies a Heartbeat Away.

Filming Location: Rhode Island


Likes: The movie was interesting I suppose. There were times that were definitely suspenseful. I liked Josh Lucas and I like Lena Headey...but....

Dislikes: ....the writing was pretty bad. To say that the movie was inspired by the Tell-Tale Heart is an overstatement. Yes, the main character can hear his heartbeat...but that is about it. Even I guess my major complaint is just the fact that the movie dragged...a lot.

I was reading a review on IGN and this paragraph pretty much sums it up...

But ultimately the movie is a disappointment for fans of Cuesta's previous feature output who might be looking for something more than just a standard thriller here. The director seemed to feel the need to explain himself in this regard at the screening IGN attended, telling the audience prior to the film's start that this was much more of a genre picture than his other movies. That's pretty much all it is -- a decent if unremarkable little thriller.

Blindness - 2008

Movie #120

2.5 stars

After a plague of blindness overtakes the residents of a city, all sense of order breaks loose in the hospital where the victims are being quarantined. It's up to a woman (Julianne Moore) who's keeping her sight a secret to lead a group safely to the streets.

Cast: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga, Danny Glover, Gael García Bernal, Sandra Oh

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Filming Locations: Canada, Uruguay, Brazil

Tagline: Your vision of the world will change forever.


Why a 2.5? It could have been so much better. The book was totally changed to try to make it a successful movie. The book is not only in Porteguese but it takes place in the 30's...the movie is in English ("If you do it in English you can sell it to the whole world and have a bigger audience") and it takes place in the 60's...or later (so audiences could relate to the characters). So whats my problem? Like I said before, the movie could have been better. If there goal was to appeal to a larger audience then the movie should have been more exciting...people who watch subtitled movies are more open...but that's just my observation. And the thing about the time period....isn't the whole point of the movie to make people feel uncomfortable...to make them think about life. If the movie was based in the 30's then viewers may feel (a) appreciative that they are not blind and (b) grateful of technology. But that's just my thoughts.

Ok...so my major dislike how they went about making the book into a movie. One thing I am not too sure about is the fact that the characters did not have names and you did not know their past. How are we supposed to put ourselves in the characters shoes in order to have an emotional connection to the character when we don't know anything about them? Maybe it is reverse psychology...by not giving the characters any names, the viewers may see themselves in any of the characters.

****SPOILER ALERT*******
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In the final minutes of the movie, the first man who went blind gets his sight back. All of the other characters start to have hope that they will get their sight back too. Julianne Moore goes out onto the balcony and looks up...all she sees is white....is she going blind??!? No....the camera then cuts back to the skyline and she can see all of the buildings. Yes, it may have been effective by the fact that the audience would have had a sinking feeling thinking, "oh no...don't make her blind." (this is a stupid viewer) But why revert back to doing what the audience is comfortable with. First it was making the movie in English then it was not having a depressing ending. In my opinion...the movie would have been more effective...and thought provoking....if Julianne Moore, the only person who had not been affected by the blindess, would have gone blind.

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Julianne Moore lookin tore up















Gael looking crazy and Danny Glover (best actor in the movie)


Overall Recommendation: Watch it while surfing the internet...you won't miss out on anything.

Control - 2004

Movie #118

3.5 stars

2004R98 minutes Lee Ray Oliver (Ray Liotta) -- a sociopath a few cans short of a six-pack -- secretly gets a second chance to duck death row when pioneering scientist Miles Copeland (Willem Dafoe) uses Oliver as a test subject for an experimental drug designed to stifle violent tendencies. Oliver assumes a new life under an alias but his killer instinct remains strong … too strong. Stephen Rea and Michelle Rodriguez costar in this direct-to-video thriller.

Cast: Ray Liotta, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Rodriguez, Stephen Rea, Polly Walker, Kathleen Robertson, Stewart Alexander, Nick Brimble, Glenn Wrage, Mark Pickard, Tim DeKay, Ivan Kaye, Mark Letheren, Raicho Vasilev, Mac McDonald

Director: Jonathan Baker, Tim Hunter

Ok...so what is up with Bulgaria? Contractor (movie #117) was also filmed in Bulgaria. AND...just like Contractor, Control went straight to DVD. I wouldn't feel so bad about spending $9 to see Control in theatres...Contractor on the other hand...

Likes: The acting was good...the story line was kinda unique...Ray Liotta actually made me like him a little bit...and the ending was good. Do you notice something? The word "good." Well, the movie was just that...good.






Ray Liotta lookin craaazy










Michelle Rodriguez was in her prime in SWAT :)









Dislikes: The movie dragged a little in the middle. If the ending wasn't as good then I would have given it a 3.

Trivia: Ray Liotta replaced Matt Dillon in the lead role. --> I used to mix the two up when I was little.

Echelon Conspiracy - 2009

Movie #114

3.5 stars

After stumbling upon a strange cell phone that seems to steer him toward limitless wealth, a young engineer (Shane West) goes along for the ride. But the road veers into dangerous territory when he becomes the target of a global conspiracy. Edward Burns, Ving Rhames and Martin Sheen co-star in this politically charged thriller about a deadly device and the lengths to which people will go to get their hands on it.

Cast: Shane West, Edward Burns, Ving Rhames, Martin Sheen, Steven Elder, Yuriy Kutsenko, Tamara Feldman, Sergey Gubanov, Sandra De Sousa, Ilan Goodman

Director: Greg Marcks

Filming Locations: Bangkok, Thailand; Moscow, Russia; Prague, Czech Republic; Sofia, Bulgaria

Tagline: Security comes at a price... (hmmmm...not a very good one)

The power of one: After Shane West gets a mysterious package containing a phone, he becomes extremely lucky....but civilization is in danger!

The best part of the movie was the fact that it really was never boring. The concept may have been a little....stupid...but it was exciting. Shane West is still a pretty bad actor. Remember Whatever It Takes?




















Fun little fact about Mr. West: At the end of A Walk to Remember (2002), his character had gone off to and was accepted to medical school. Two years later, he played a doctor on "ER" (1994)--> now, whoever came up with this is truly a nerd....but it is kinda cool














Moving on....the female lead in this movie was pretty hot. But the question is...what the hell is she doing with Bruce Willis:













gross






Ok...enough of the ragging. The best actor (of the movie) goes to Edward Burns. It wasn't that he was particularly good it is just the fact that I kinda forget about him. He's not bad lookin...but what do I know ;)

Overall recommendation: if you are in the mood for something mindless but entertaining...watch this.