With only a month left in the summer movie season, I figured there was not a more awkward time to do a review of this summer's movies than now (hey that’s how I roll).
But before I begin, I would be remiss (as your humble narrator) if I did not get on my television soapbox and provide a few inane brain droppings. Now, as loyal droogies of this here blog, you all know my unrequited love and admiration for all things FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.
However, since the FNL season concluded I've been overcome by my deep seeded urge to preach (to no one in particular) about how my taste in all things pop-culture is far superior to all the rest of the peons on this small piece of matter we call earth. But without FNL, what would I talk about? RESCUE ME? Usually I would, but since it’s been getting a whole bunch of attention and noms, there is not much to complain about?
FLIGHT OF THE CONCORDS? Maybe, but that show is so brilliantly quirky that I am just going to keep that one to myself for a while.
HELL’S KITCHEN or RAMSEY’S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES? Well, even bringing up that fact that I watch those would make me look like a cheesy dork wouldn’t it? Oh, and I should probably not mention that I have a giant man crush on Gordon Ramsey. And that I really want to be him, should I? Yeah, I won’t bring those up at all.
No, actually the summer FNL for me is BIG LOVE. I promise I won’t get off on a rant here, but the fact that this isn’t one of the most talked about an beloved shows on TV is a mystery to me. The best compliment I can give the show is that it easily…EASILY…filled that SIX FEET UNDER void in my heart. The first season was good, and the last episode was exceptional (seriously my droogies…go rent the first season on DVD, you won’t rebgret it), but this second season is truly a revelation.
The direction and pacing is crisp, the writing is edgy and original, but what truly makes BIG LOVE better than anything else on TV right now is the acting. The ensemble cast is on the level of a SIX FEET UNDER, THE WIRE, SOPRANOS, RESCUE ME, and THE SHIELD. Sure Bill Paxton is one of my all time favorite actors anyway…but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t tear it up on this show. And please…has Harry Dean Stanton ever been bad?
But it’s the women of BIG LOVE that make the show really special. These actresses are AWESOME - Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Chloe Sevigny (or as my wife like to call her…Couch Snot…because not matter how hard she tries, she just can’t pronounce her name correctly). It’s not often that I am fully engrossed in a show and I still find the time to turn to my wife and say, “Wow, that was an incredible moment.” Each one of these fine thespians brings their own interpretations and nuances to their characters, and as a result give some of the most textures and vivid performances on TV right now. And when the three of them have scenes together, or with Bill, it’s truly a master class in acting.
Please, if you have not seen BIG LOVE…give it a shot.
OK, now onto the summer movies…
Yuck, blach, and ech…is how I need to start describing most of films I have seen this summer. Up until recently, this has been one of the worst summer for films. Major disappointments abound, but that is not to say there weren't some pleasant surprises (LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD), and some flat out fantastic films (HAIRSPRAY), but as a whole, it's been just plain awful. So without further ado, I, your humble narrator, give you my “With a Month to go, My 2007 Summer Movie Reviews”
SPIDERMAN 3 – By far the biggest disappointment of the summer. The first one was good, the second one is one of the greatest comic book films ever made. But this one just felt like everyone involved wanted it to back home counting there money. Plus, since these same people knew it was their last Spiderman film it felt as if they tried to squeeze too much into this film, and as a result all those great character development moments from films 1 & 2 were lost. For my man Sam Raimi I am truly embarrassed. That all said, there were some pretty kick ass action sequences. GRADE: C
PIRATES 3 – Not only one of the worst films of the summer, but it could be one of the worst films I have ever seen. When a sequel spends the first hour of a two hour and forty minute movie explaining what went on in the previous film...you’ve got a problem. And for a swash-buckling adventure film to only have one action scene…well, that is just sad. Plus, this is the first time (and I can’t believe I am going to actually write this) Johnny Depp was not even worth watching. Bad, bad, bad film. GRADE: D
SHREK 3 – This film falls privy to the same problems as SPIDERMAN 3 and PIRATES 3…tried to squeeze too much into a short film, felt like everyone working on it sleep walked through it, and it was just not entertaining at all. Another bad, bad, bad film. GRADE: D+
28 WEEKS LATER – Being a sequel to a film that by no means needed it, this was a pretty darn good time. This film found some new ways to scare me, and the filmmaker had some of the more creative horror set pieces I have seen in a long time (night vision in a abandoned subway line…creepy). If you liked the first one, I think you will dig this. GRADE: B
HOT FUZZ – Honestly what is there left to say about the brilliant team of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost? These guys do for movies what Rickie Gervais and Stephen Merchant to for TV - brilliant. I loved this movie, I plan on seeing it 10 more times (which will since my DVD arrived yesterday) because I know new jokes and moments that I missed the first time will appear. SHAUN OF THE DEAD and this put together easily put Wright, Pegg, and Frost at the top of any list of sure fire hits. GRADE: A-
NORBIT – Sucked (Sorry Mike Tollin...but you're laughing all the way to the bank anyway). GRADE: F+
KNOCKED UP – Now it’s not really fair for me to offer up ethoughts on this film since I have not made it a secret to anyone that other than Sean Connery (circa 1963), Jim Henson, and Gillian Anderson’s pant suits from season 4 & 5 of the X FILES, there is no one person (or thing) on this planet I would rather be than Judd Apatow. He is my hero, and I have loved everything he’s done THE BEN STILLER SHOW, THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW, FREAKS AND GEEKS, UNDECLARED, ANCHORMAN, THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN). This film was no different. The one thing that surprised me was that, although it was not as funny as VIRGIN, this film was…well, a better overall movie (in all categories). And I will say it now, I would not be surprised to see Apatow get a nod for best original screenplay come February…mark my words. GRADE: A
FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER – I hated the first one…HATED it. It was like watching flies have sex during the first round of any PGA event. The good news is this one was not as bad, but the bad news is it was still pretty awful. You can’t put a fur coat on a turd, but that don't make it classy...it's still a turd. GRADE: C
A MIGHTY HEART – I actually really liked this film. I’d forgotten how good an actress Angelina Jolie could be, and Michael Winterbottom is just a fantastic director. This was a small, well acted, and tightly directed film. It felt a little like FLIGHT 93 in that it was shot almost like a documentary. It was not seen by many people which is a shame because it really was a good flick. GRADE: B+
WAITRESS – One of the top five best films of the summer season so far. This film took me completely by surprise. I had little to no interest in it, outside of the fact that I am a fan of all the cast members. But boy, what a truly delightful film. The characters are quirky, the dialogue is snappy, and Keri Russell is just pitch perfect. The two things I did not like about the film were the fact that it had to end and that as a result of an awful tragedy I was not going to be able to get another movie from the clearly talented Adrienne Shelly. GRADE: A
OCEAN’S 13 – Enjoining a film like this boils down to this question...do you like hanging out with these guys? If not, well, then you won’t like the film. This installment was much better than 12, but not as good as 11. That said, it had some really terrific moments (Affleck and Caan in Mexico), and some very funny performances. The best way I can describe this film is as a giant piece of visual Cotton Candy. GRADE: B
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD- Easily the most surprised I’ve been coming out of a film in a long time. I thought this franchise was dead (the first is a classic, the second is OK, the third is just a tired piece of junk). I thought, Bruce Willis was too old, the McClane character has since been done better (see Jack Bauer), and all coupled with the fact that Len Wiseman is a hack. Well, I can’t say the film was ALIENS, but man, what a fun pop-corn action film. It never took itself too seriously, and the script was really funny. This is a perfect mindless summer movie…invest nothing, and really get nothing but a smile out of it. Lots of fun! GRADE: B+
RATATOUILLE – If you take away the fact that the lead character is voiced by my favorite comedian of all time (Patton Oswald), Bard Bird is one the best working writer/directors in the business today, and that I've LOVED (well, CARS I just liked) every single PIXAR film ever made…I would still think RATATOUILLE was brilliant. Seriously, I don’t know what else to say about this film other than…brilliant. If you haven’t seen it, consider me hating you until you do. GRADE: A+
1408 – Another extremely pleasant and welcome surprise. I know this term is tossed around a lot, but this film was truly a tour-de-force for one of my favorite actors – Mr. John (GROSS POINTE BLANK, HIGH FIDELITY, SAY ANYTHING, BETTER OFF DEAD, ONE CRAZY SUMMER, THE GRIFTERS, etc…) Cusack. I had no idea what to expect going into this film. I’d never read the Steven King short, I’d never seen anything this director had done, but wow…what a scary film. It’s the perfect cure for the god awful torture porn films being released right now (SAW, HOSTEL, CAPTIVITY, etc…). This is a psychological and just moody flick. Lost of fun, check it out. GRADE: B+
SICKO – Everyone should see this movie. This is a film that crosses the political aisle, and say what you want about him, this could be Michael Moore’s best film. An extremely well crafted doc about humanity and our country’s willingness to sacrifice that humanity just to make a buck. It amakes you think, it makes you want to act, and more than this, it makes you want to move to a country that has Universal Health Care (seriously, my wife and I had an intense talk about it). Please, go see it…but be careful on the way to the theater because you don’t want to get hurt and have your claim be denied ;) GRADE: A-
TRANSFORMERS – What is there to say other than this is a Michael Bay film. Incredible SFX, crazy action sequences, loud noises, quick cuts, no story, and I can’t remember if there were even actors in it. All in all…I had to take a nap after seeing it because I had a severe headache. GRADE: C+
I NOW PRONOUCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY – I now pronounce this film not funny. For all you guys out there…go see it just for Jessica Beil. Seriously, I am not one to talk about “hot celebs”, but WOW, she is nuts. Even my wife turned to me during the film and said, “She’s really hot.” The film sucks though. GRADE: C-
SUNSHINE – It’s a always a toss up between Sam Raimi, Danny Boyle, and Peter Jackson as to who my favorite director actually is…but Boyle usually comes out on top. He so versitle, just look at his resume - SHALLOW GRAVE, TRAINSPOTTING, A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, THE BEACH, 28 DAYS LATER, MILLIONS. He can jump genres and styles better than any director out there. This combined with the fact that he always gets an incredible writer on board makes his film a “must see” in my book. This all said, SUNSHINE is a truly unique and quite taut sci-fi thriller. Extremely well executed by all those involved. The ending is a little “Dias ex machina”, but the film is still better than most of the other stuff out there. GRADE: B+
HARRY POTTER: AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX – Best Potter film since AZKABAN, but the most impressive film of the series so far. Why? Well, ORDER OF THE PHOENIX was the longest and most boring book of the seven, but the filmmakers streamlined it, made it more entertaining, and were still able to stay true to the source material. What’s more, the director of this installment, David Yates, actually had a visual style. He chose to make a movie, not a book on film (does that make sense). Cuaron did this in the third film, but the others (Columbus and Newell) did not. They chose to just let the action play out…they had no style. Yates has a visual poetry about him, and as a result made a really kick ass film. The opening Dementor sequence sets the tone and it rolls from there. GRADE: A-
HAIRSPARY – No doubt about it…this will be the BEST film of the summer. Mark my words (othert than BOUNE…maybe) there will not be another movie this summer, and possibly, this year, that will even come close touching it. HAIRSPAY is a triple threat…well made, great soundtrack, and relentlessly likeable. Like he Broadway version, the film is quite possibly the best musical in 20 years. Travolta is a marvel as Edna. He takes the character of Edna to another level. He’s the first person to play this role as a woman…not a man playing a woman. More than this, I promise that you will catch yourself bouncing to all the musical numbers, and when the film is over…smiling ear to ear (if not, well, you are not human). I could go on forever, but to conclude...like a true John Water’s film, HAIRSPRAY makes you understand that we humans are ALL alike and should always accept and love each other. Oh, and one more thing…mark my words (again)…you’ll see this film come Oscar season. GRADE: A+
THE SIMPONS MOVIE – I am happy to say that I really liked this film. It would have crushed me if this film was not good. In my opinion THE SIMPSONS and SOUTH PARK are the best pieces of American satire since Mark Twain. Basically, this movie is exactly what it should be; a 90 minute TV episode. The filmmakers utilize the feature length and freedom of a theater viewing to push the envelope (slightly)…but nothing feels un-SIMPSONS like. All the jokes play like they belong in THE SIMPSONS universe, and if the filmmakers could have, they would’ve used these gags in the TV version already. My one big critique of the film is that we were not given a classic SIMPSONS musical number. But with comparisons to the SOUTH PARK movie already abounding, I understand why they did not do one. That said, we did get Spider Pig out of the film…and honestly…that’s enough for me. GRADE: B+
Well, that’s it for now. Not sure what my next entry is going to be abour, but I am sure something soon will rub me the wrong way soon, so keep checking your email. On that note, I bid you, my loyal droogies, a fond adu…
Your Narrator,
Alex Banky
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