Gotcha!

This week's suggestion is a cute little spy flick from the 80's.
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Gotcha! stars Anthony Edwards as a college student who goes to Europe on vacation and unwittingly falls for a spy (Linda Fiorentino) who uses him as a courier.
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It is a little bit cliche in parts and a bit dated (KGB bad guys, East Germany...). But it's funny and suspensful. A good movie if you're in the mood for something light, yet isn't completely mindless.

Final

This week, my suggestion is the 2001 cerebral thriller Final.
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It's about a man who wakes up in a hospital babbling that he's from another time. He's suffering from delusions and flashbacks of an auto accident.
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It stars Denis Leary. Yes, THAT Denis Leary - comedian and usually bad actor. But in Final he shows that he actually can act!
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And it's a good thing. This movie is driven on atmosphere, dialogue and acting. This isn't an edge-of-your-seat thriller like The Sixth Sense. It doesn't have the big payoff like The Sixth Sense, and it's not as good (how many are?). But it is intriguing enough that I recommend seeing it.

Who Killed The Electric Car?

Time to change gears again (pun intended). Who Killed the Electric Car? is a must-see documentary from 2006.
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Written and directed by Chris Paine, this is an unflinching look at the electric cars from the mid to late 1990s and the forces that conspired against them: big oil, big business, California and federal governments...
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There is a lot of really good information packed into this movie. Why it makes more sense for electric rather than hydrogen, for example.
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I haven't seen Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, but I'd venture a guess that Who Killed the Electric Car? is as important a movie. If you haven't seen this yet, I recommend it highly!
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Paine is filming a sequel, Revenge of the Electric Car, which is due out in 2011. I can hardly wait. If it's half as good as the first it'll be worth the price to see it in the theatre.

Oscar

If you're in the mood for a silly comedy that won't strain your mind, you'll enjoy this week's suggestion: 1991's Oscar.
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It stars Sly Stalone as "Snaps" Provolone, a gangster boss (circa 1930s) who promises his dying father he'll give up the racket. Unfortunately for him, circumstances - along with the police, family, his henchmen - conspire against him.
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It's got a wonderful supporting cast: Tim Curry, Marisa Tomei, Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, Kutwood Smith, to name a few.
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This is a cute, light-hearted comedy in the same vein as Clue. It's directed by John Landis, one of the Clue writers.

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It isn't quite as good as Clue. But then again, very few are.

The Last Innocent Man

My suggestion this week is a taut court-room thriller from 1987, The Last Innocent Man.
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It's an HBO film starring Ed Harris as the best defense attorney in Portland. He's burned out but gets seduced into defending a man charged with murdering a woman vice cop.
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As always, Harris is great, and so is the supporting cast: Roxanne Hart (Highlander), David Suchet (Foolproof), and Bruce McGill (Animal House).
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It's rated R for nudity, language and a little violence.
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It got less-than-glorious reviews on imdb.com, and an average viewer rating of 6.6 out of 10 stars. But I really liked this movie.
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Yes, it has some cliches but the main characters are all 3-dimensional; superbly written, directed and acted.

Watch It

This week's suggestion is the 1993 comedy Watch It.
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It has the one of the best taglines ever: Four men and the women they annoy.
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Too bad the movie isn't quite as good as its tagline. I'm still recommending it, but don't be expecting a great movie. It's just good.
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It's all about relationships, but I would not call this a "chick-flick" by any stretch.
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John moves in with 3 house-mates, one who's his estranged cousin. It shows as he tries to reconnect with his cousin, along with the romantic relationships of the womanizing guys.
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It's got a lot of good actors: Peter Gallagher, Suzy Amis, John C. McGinley, Tom Sizemore, Cynthia Stevenson, and Lili Taylor. All of whom do good jobs here.
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It's rated R for it's vulgarity, and I found some scenes hard to sit though. So I won't say run right out and Watch It. But if you're looking for a brutally honest, yet funny film it's worth renting.

Tapeheads

This weeks suggestion is one of my favorite comedies of all time. 1988's quirky indictment of the music video industry, Tapeheads.
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It stars John Cusack and Tim Robbins as a pair of under-achievers who have a dream of making rock videos.
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This is Cusack and Robbins at their comedic bests. Cusack's character is kind of a sleaze, and he plays it perfectly. Robbins is equally good playing the artsy, creative type.
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It has a ton of musicians who make cameos: Ted Nugent, Weird Al, Jello Biafra, Michael Nesmith (who also produced) to name a few.
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It is rated R for some "adult situations" and for language. And it does get a little cheesy in parts. But it's also really entertaining.
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I read a review that called it "the next generation Blues Brothers". I don't know if I'd go quite that far. But I do love this movie. It's a light-hearted romp through the rock video business.

The Children of Huang Shi

Here's another film based on real events. 2008's The Children of Huang Shi.

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It's about George Hogg, a British journalist trying to report on the Japanese invasion of China in 1937. He soon discovers a new purpose at an orphanage where the children are without supervision. With a Australian nurse and a Chinese soldier he leads the children on an impossible trek to freedom.
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Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh (both from Crouching Tiger)are great in their supporting roles. I've heard some criticism for the leading roles by Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Bend it Like Beckham) and Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black), but despite Radha's lack of an accent I really can't complain.

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This is a powerful and moving story, and it's my favorite film of this era. Yes, better than Empire of the Sun.

Snatch

This movie is a bit mainstream, but I know too many people who haven't seen it yet.
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It's Guy Ritchie's best film, I think. A crime thriller/comedy masterpiece from 2000, Snatch.
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Basically, this is about a guy trying to fence a huge diamond in London after a heist. But everyone and their dog, it seems, is after the diamond.
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It's hard to explain any more than that. There are too many stories overlapped and intertwined. And Ritchie does an amazing job mixing them all in seamlessly.
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This movie is packed full of violence and harsh language. So if you're easily upset you'll want to skip this one.
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But it's also packed with humor (often dark) and great characters.
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Brad Pitt has an amazing role as a pikey (english gypsy), who has an accent so odd it's hard to understand. The DVD has a "pikey translator" that gives subtitles every time he talks. But it's much more fun to watch it without, gradually you pick up more and more of what he's saying.
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I love this movie. And it stands up well to repeated viewings.

Outland

To show my age a little bit...
Here's another older movie that not very many people younger than I am have seen. It's the futuristic 1981 film Outland.
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Sean Connery plays a marshal who is transferred to a mining outpost on Io, moon of Jupiter. There he stumbles on a drug-smuggling ring with lofty connections.
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Don't be fooled, this isn't so much of a sci-fi movie. It's more of a western that happens to be set in outer space.
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It is very slow moving, especially by today's standards, but still good. All The characters are well written and acted and there's a constant air of tension .
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As you watch this movie keep an eye out for 2 cast members who would later wind up as relatives on the TV series Cheers.

Something the Lord Made

Here's another movie based on historical events. This one, though, is not depressing - quite the opposite, in fact - it's inspirational and moving.
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It's 2004's Something the Lord Made, an HBO film starring Alan Rickman and Mos Def.
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Starting about the time of the great depression, it tells the true story of Alfred Blalock (Rickman), a pioneering cardiologist, who hires an African-American lab assistant, Vivian Thomas (Mos Def). Thomas soon becomes much more useful than just sweeping floors. He manufactures new surgical tools and even assists Blalock in radically new procedures. Together they try to cure Blue babies - babies with a terminal heart condition.
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This movie shows some of the racial tensions of the time (although understated at times), and a really cool time when surgeons had to build their own equipment.
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Rickman (as always) and Mos Def are both spectacular. This is a must-see!

The Grey Zone

This next movie is the Aptly-named The Grey Zone. From 2001, it's a dark, macabre look at a horrifying time in history.
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Based on actual events at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, it's about a Jewish doctor recruited by Josef Mengele and other Jews who get special privileges for working for the Germans, called Sonderkommandos. Together they raise arms and mount the only armed revolt in any German WWII death camp.
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The cast is good: Steve Buscemi and Harvy Keitel are great, and I even didn't mind David Arquette - a rarity.
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This movie doesn't pull any punches. It is unflinching, depressing and hard to sit thru. But it's well worth it. It explores the moral grey zone and you often find yourself asking tough questions like what would you do if you were put in this hell.

Taps

Here's an older movie for you. The 1981 drama Taps.
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It's about a group of students at a military academy who take up arms and get into a stand-off with the police when their academy is threatened with closing to make room for condos.
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Timothy Hutton is excellent as the ranking cadet leading the students and George C. Scott and Ronny Cox are good too. But they are not the reason to watch this movie.
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This movie basically launched the careers of Tom Cruise and Sean Penn. They didn't even get their names on the original movie poster (the studio changed that once they got famous).
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But their roles in Taps are opposite of their typical roles later in the 80s. Sean Penn, who I remember as Spicoli or a tough delinquent in Bad Boys, is the straight-A-getting book worm. And Tom Cruise plays the gung-ho, trigger-happy tough kid - quite a change from the spoiled rich kid from Risky Business.

If you remember Penn and Cruise from their typical 80s roles this movie should give you a nice chuckle at the ironic casting. Oh, and it happens to be a pretty decent movie otherwise, too.

Wit

Time to change things up again. Here's a great tear-jerker: a 2001 HBO film called Wit, based on a play by Margaret Edson. The screenplay was written by Emma Thompson and director Mike Nichols.
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Don't let that description scare you off (GUYS!), this is a really interesting, engaging, witty, intelligent look at a tough subject.
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It tells the story of Vivian Bearing (Emma Thompson), a rigid professor of 17th century English Lit, who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. The movie follows Vivian as she looks back and also at the relationships she has with her medical staff, including one doctor who was a former student of hers.

Because this was not theatrically released it makes the performances not eligable for Oscars. What a shame! Thompson would have been a virtual shoe-in for one. She is so amazing that you sometimes forget you're watching an actress playing a part. And even Christopher Lloyd is great as the head doctor.
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This is a truly great movie - enough said. To quote Vivian Bearing: After all, brevity is the soul of wit.

Wicked City

If you're a fan of anime you've probably seen Ninja Scroll. If you liked that movie you will like Wicked City. If you haven't seen Ninja Scroll yet...DO! NOW! [well, wait till you read the rest of this blog, please... then watch Wicked City after that.]
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There are a bevy of similarities between the two films. Both are writen and dircted by the same guy; both use some of the same voice actors; neither has robots, spaceships, transformers, or any variation there of; and both are very violent and very sexual; and very NOT for children .
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And both are very fun.
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But this is about Wicked City: which is about two "Black Guards" assigned to protect a diplomat who is about to sign a very special peace treaty between humans and "the other side" (supernatural). Of course, not of all the "other side" wants the treaty signed. Conflict ensues...
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This is not an Academy Award winner by any stretch of the imagination. But it is a very nice distraction, where you may actually have to think in parts [GASP!!]
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(Check out my favorite animated flicks on the right-hand side)

House of Flying Daggers

If you liked Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon you'll love this movie: 2004's House of Flying Daggers.

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A subtitled, Chinese film from the director of Jet Li's Hero [also worth seeing], this is a beautiful, "stylized" martial arts movie and romance drama. The only actor you'll probably recognize in Flying Daggers, also happens to be in Crouching Tiger, Ziyi Zhang.

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It's set in ancient China where a corrupt government rules. The local police are charged with getting rid of the House of Flying Daggers, a ruthless group with a secret martial art who are trying to stage a coup. The police see their way in when it's discovered a new dancer at the local club (Zhang) has ties to the Daggers. But the cop who infiltrates the clan didn't plan on falling in love with the dancer. Complications ensue...

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Like Crouching Tiger it's got great action. But it requires suspending disbelief for the really amazing looking, albeit impossible, martial arts and effects. Thrown daggers curve around obstacles to hit their intended targets, for example.

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But this movie is so much more beautiful than Crouching Tiger. It was nominated for the Oscar in cinematography and how it didn't win is a mystery to me. It's the most visually stunning film I think I've ever seen. It's worth watching just for the scenes in the bamboo forest - THAT's how pretty this film is! It also should have been nominated for [if not won!] the Oscar for best foreign film.

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Watch House of Flying Daggers and when you do, watch it on the largest screen possible.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

This week's movie is another favorite of mine: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang from 2005.
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It's a Film noir-ish dark comedy/detective movie, too adult for for kids. It's got lots of bad language, violence and nudity - so if you're easily offended this movie is not for you. But it's also one of the smartest, wittiest and funniest detective movies I've ever seen.
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Without giving too much away, it's about three people who get thrown into the midst of a murder mystery - a private investigator, a petty thief from New York, and an aspiring actress.
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Val Kilmer, Robert Downey Jr. and Michelle Monaghan (respectively) do superb work.
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However the writing is what sets this movie apart. It's written by Shane Black (writer of Lethal Weapon), who also makes his directorial debut. Black is at the top of his game: great dialogue, witty banter, spoofing other movies while not taking itself too seriously...
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See Kiss Kiss Bang Bang if you're in the mood for an intelligent, funny, unconventional movie!

Stranger Than Fiction

To change things up a little bit, here's a cute, light-hearted American romantic-comedy: 2006's Stranger Than Fiction.
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I know. This is a bit more mainstream than most of the films I review. But there are many people who haven't seen this movie yet. Most are people who are not fans of Will Farrell.
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Do not fret, Farrell haters (and I consider myself one of your ranks). There is no SNL-like silliness, no Ron Burgundy or Old School shenanigans. Will is the straight man here!!
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And as hard as it is for me to write: Will Ferrell does a fine job.
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He plays an IRS agent who suddenly starts hearing a female voice narrating his daily activities. Only he can hear this voice and it starts driving him mad; especially when the voice says something cryptic about his impending doom. So he sets out on a quest to find the narrator and change his fate, if possible.
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Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Thompson all do wonderful work in this film. It is well directed by Marc Forester (Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball), and written. It does get a tad cheesy in sections, but no worse than most romantic-comedies.

The Twilight Samurai

This next movie is one of my all time favorites. The Twilight Samurai is a 2002 period piece set in feudal Japan.
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This is NOT your typical samurai film. There are no armies massing, no blood baths, revenge yarns, or characters driven to ritualistic suicide or otherwise ridiculous extremes by outdated (most will say) codes of honor.
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Set in Japan's Meiji era, the last days of the samurai warriors, it follows Seibei Iguchi, a low-level samurai widower who has to look after his 2 daughters and senile mother. Most lesser samurai in that period were relegated to bureaucratic work rather than actual fighting, although Seibei does have tremendous skill with the sword.
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This movie is all about conflicts. To name a few: conflict with the parents of his late wife, with his clan, within himself whether or not to give up his samurai status to farm and spend time with his kids...
This was a huge deal in ancient Japan. Class systems ruled - the gap between the lowliest samurai and a well-to-do farmer was a really big deal. [Sidebar: this is a point missed by the movie The Last Samurai: just how much of an insult to samurai it was to all of a sudden promote peasants to warrior status.]
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This is a great drama with a little samurai swordplay, and a whole lot of insight into an every-day man of Japan long ago. Amazingly shot, acted, written, directed...
I can't possibly say enough about this movie.

Foolproof

This week's suggestion is Foolproof. A 2003 Canadian movie.

It's about 3 friends who play a game pulling off theoretical heists. Of course they'd never do this in real life...

Until they get blackmailed into doing just that.

It does have some harsh language, but it's an intellegent, well acted thriller.

If you liked Ocean's Eleven or The Heist, you'll enjoy Foolproof.

Battle Royale

This week's movie, Battle Royale, is harder to find. But you can find it on NetFlix: http://www.netflix.com/?mqso=80015652

Known as Batoru Rowaiaru in its native Japan, where it's won a ton of awards. It was deemed too controversial to be theatrically released in the US.

Indeed, this is NOT a movie for the kiddies!

It takes place in the near future. After Japan has a near apocalyptic economic crisis, they pass the "Battle Royale Act" as way to thin the herd. Every year they drop a very surprised middle school class on an abandoned island, give each kid a survival bag complete with a weapon of some sort, and let them battle it out till there's only one alive.

This movie is not as gory as your typical Hollywood slasher flick. But it is very violent.

Fun to watch if you have even the least bit of schadenfreude.

The Zero Effect

This week's suggestion is the oft overlooked 1989 movie The Zero Effect starring Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller. A dark comedy/detectve story, filled with subtle humor, great characters and a good plot.


Do not worry if you're not a Ben Stiller fan. I'm not. But he's great in this.

But this movie is driven by Bill Pullman as the reclusive PI Daryl Zero. He is both funny and desperately vulnerable. It's been whispered that this character was the insperation to create Monk. Whether or not this is true, Daryl Zero is truely a great character - afraid to be in his own skin when not working a case.

Run out today to rent The Zero Effect