Hollywood Remakes

“The Next Three Days”is a stylish thriller now in theatres. Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) and her husband John (Russell Crowe) are a happily married couple with a three year old son. Their world is shattered when Lara is arrested. Wrongfully accused of murdering her boss and unable to disprove the charges, she is imprisoned for twenty years. Three years later John has exhausted all avenues of appeal and Lara despondent over this news attempts suicide. John decides to take the law into his own hands, spring Lara from jail and flee the country with his wife and son. He has no idea how he can pull this off and starts by visiting a multiple escapist (Liam Neeson) who he has read about. His need for false passports and ID, and for a large amount of cash, lead him into some unfamiliar underworld dealings. The movie has Russell Crowe in most scenes and he does a decent job but the plot-line is pretty farfetched and certainly requires some suspension of belief. Be warned, it is bloody and violent at times.

The movie is a remake of a “Pour Elle” (2008) , a French movie released (subtitled) in North America as “Anything For Her”. I have seen the original and I quite enjoyed it. I didn't think that it needed to be redone; however I know people who tell me 'I don't watch movies with subtitles'. This attitude has created a void that Hollywood, sometimes desperate for new ideas, is happy to fill. Paul Haggis wrote the screenplay and directed the film. He stayed true in large part to the original but added a few twists and turns which mainly add more tension and unneeded melodrama. ”The Next Three Days” is not a bad movie;just not exceptional.

Some Hollywood remakes have been successful, and some disastrous. Several very good Japanese and Korean horror movies have suffered badly when transplanted into an American screenplay. Other interpretations have fared better. Michael Haneke made “Funny Games” in Austria in 1997. The movie has two psychopathic young men taking a family hostage at their summer cottage, imprisoning them and torturing them violently. The movie is a statement about the portrayal of violence in the media. It is very unsettling and difficult to watch at times, but it was very well made. In 2007 Haneke remade “Funny Games” in America in English with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth. His remake was basically frame-by-frame true to the original and was well crafted. Nonetheless it was not an improvement and I prefer the original.

Similarly, Ole Bornedal made a movie “Nightwatch” (Nattevagten) in 1994 in Denmark and remade it in America in 1997.The movie is about a law student who takes a job as a nightwatchman in a morgue to finance his studies. The bodies of the victims of a serial killer of prostitutes begin arriving in the morgue and horror and suspicions ensue. The remake features Ewan Mcgregor and Nick Nolte and as good as the remake is, it is not near as good as the first pressing.

“Let The Right One In” (2008) is a Swedish film about a lonely bullied twelve year old boy who befriends a strange girl who moves into his neighbourhood. She helps him find revenge and he falls in love with her, later discovering why she is so different;she is a vampire. More a coming-of-age story than just another vampire tale, this movie was the hit of the Vancouver Film Festival two years ago and subsequently enjoyed a good run in regular theatrical distribution. This year it was remade in English in the USA as “Let Me In”. Although I have not seen it yet, I have heard and read very good reports, and look forward to it's imminent DVD release.

“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” is the first of a trilogy of films made in Sweden recently based on three books from Stieg Larsson. The story is a mystery crime thriller featuring an investigative reporter, Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander, a strange young woman with a large dragon tattoo, who assists him in his research. It is a very good story and keeps you engaged for the full two and a half hours of the movie. It is currently being remade in America. Director David Fincher does very good work (including his recent success with “The Social Network”) and I look forward to seeing what he brings to the screen in his retelling of this fine work.

Arizona Wine

"Blood Into Wine" is a newly released dvd that is mainly about the wine industry in northern Arizona. Yes,I'm not surprised that you didn't know there are wineries in Arizona;not many are aware of this. The movie features Maynard James Keenan who is known mainly as a singer/songwriter;frontman for TOOL ,A PERFECT CIRCLE,and recently in his solo project PUSCIFER. Maynard has also done standup comedy and some acting. Needing some time away from Los Angeles,he visited Arizona and fell in love with the idea of growing grapes there. He bought land in a mountain valley and set to work,later discovering other vineyards in the state and befriending Eric Glomski,an established winemaker;studying under him and forming a partnership. The movie shows the hard work,frustration,failures and persistence needed to make things work out. Eric and Maynard are pioneers in one of the few frontiers left on the continent and have dared to follow their dreams.
There are a few moments showing Maynard's musical interests and interaction with his fans. The movie also has some comedic elements in some tongue-in-cheek interludes. Comedian Patton Oswalt and actress Milla Jovovich make cameo appearances.(How can you not watch a movie with Milla in it;even if she just walks through the frame??!!). I was entertained and learned a lot about growing grapes and making wine. I hope you can find this dvd if the subject matter speaks to you.

TV Series

Some people never go the movie theater any more.They may watch the odd Hollywood blockbuster when it comes out on dvd but otherwise they are content with television programming for their 'moving picture' entertainment.Long gone are the days of "Father Knows Best","Lassie","The Adams Family",Dragnet" or "All In The Family".Contemporary tv fare offers a much greater variety ,including some very violent or very adult shows on the cable networks like HBO.I seldom watch any network tv series because they are all too often very bland and middle of the road.The only remarkable,in fact outstanding ,thing I have ever seen on mainstream tv was "Twin Peaks"(1990-91).This show was so different from what we were used to seeing.It was in a category of its own.It had a great creative team led by David Lynch.We marked the calendar to make sure we wouldn't miss the next episode and we made sure to have a blank VHS tape in the machine to record the week's new episode.We would wear out the tapes with repeated viewings and we spent endless hours around the water coolers at work or in the neighbourhood bar after work debating and analyzing what the latest installment meant;and trying to figure out "WHO KILLED LAURA PALMER?'Those were the days!
Recently some interesting shows have grabbed my attention,but rather than tuneing in at 8 o'clock Wednesday night each week,or setting the tivo to record it for me,I wait untill the end of the season and pick it all up on dvd.This way I can watch it all in a few evenings or go at my own pace and schedule.
"Dexter" is now in it's fourth season.It is a quirky police soap.Dexter is a forensics specialist,a blood spatter analyst,in the Miami Police dept.Dexter's 'hobby' is killing bad guys who have managed to avoid paying for their crimes in the legal justice system.A serial killer of serial killers.This is good stuff but the ethics of the premise will limit the audience."Breaking Bad" has also found a strong fan base.A high school chemistry teacher,diagnosed with cancer,hooks up with a former student and starts cooking up meth.His brother-in-law is a drug enforcement officer.Now in its third season it has won some awards."Lucky Louie" was an HBO sitcom series featuring standout comedian Louie C.K.It's humour is very adult and unfortunately it only ran for two seasons (2006-7) and thirteen episodes.HBO also brought us "Bored To Death" last year.It is about an unlicensed private detective and is very funny but perhaps not as good as "Terriers", a new series about two PI's in San Diego.This buddy detective show is getting rave reviews and has just aired its tenth episode.
"Dollhouse" was a futuristic sci-fi series,involving mind wiping,that ran two seasons ending in Jan. this year.Some friends of mine loved it."Sons of Anarchy",now in its third season,has a dad struggling to balance his home life with a young son and his involvement with a motorcycle gang in a small town in California.Gun running and making porn films are some of the gangs illegal money ventures.This show is also getting rave reviews.
Some of my favorite tv series come out of Great Britain."Wallander",based on the Swedish detective stories,has recently had six ninety minute episodes put out by the BBC.Starring the very talented Kenneth Branaugh,as the title detective,these programs are of very high quality.(As is much of the output of "the beeb')"Doc Martin"is about a London surgeon who moves to a quaint little seaside village in Cornwall.Although we're not sure what he's fleeing from in the big city,his bumbling encounters with the eccentric locals in his new practice make for some very funny viewing."The IT Crowd" is another rollickingly funny Brit series(four seasons) about the two men who make up the IT crew in a large company.They're not in the main offices,but relegated to the basement,and when someone finally finds them to see if they can get their computer problems cleared up,their favorite line is"Have you tried turning it off and on again?"Finally,my favorite comedy show out of England is "Pulling".The first show starts with Donna breaking off her engagement at the last minute and moving in with her friends.Her flatmates,also thirty-somethings are Karen ,who is an alcoholic slut working as a kindergarten teacher,and Donna,a coffee shop server desperate to find a man,any man.This is black humour at its finest.Unfortunately this show only lasted two seasons,thirteen episodes.In Brit slang 'pulling' means going off to the pub and picking someone up after some alcoholic lubrication and some cheesey come-on lines.I hope you can find this two dvd set,but I warn you,you will laugh so hard you will cry,or pee!

Drowning in Love

"Reprise"(2006) is a Norwegian drama;the directorial debut of Joachim Trier who will be hard pressed to make another movie this good.(I sure hope he does BECAUSE I LOVED THIS MOVIE).
It is about a group of long time friends,twenty-something young men moving into aduthood.The two main characters are Erik and Philip,aspiring writers submitting their first manuscripts to a publishing house.Erik's is accepted;Philip's rejected.Philip meets Kari and falls hard for her.He takes her vacationing in Paris and they come home as a couple.Philip has a mental breakdown and is admitted to a mental institution after a self destructive psychotic episode.The doctor suggests his intense love for Kari triggered his mental disintegration.Six months later he is released and rejoins Erik and their friends.He is discouraged from seeing Kari but they meet up and.....
'Reprise' means return,restart or repitition.Can they refind their love for one another?Can they return to Paris and in retracing their past restart the fire?Can the past be recreated or recaptured?
Is this movie 'arty' and 'artsy'?YES.It is not linear,but filled with flashbacks,mixed viewpoints,imagined futures and what-might-have-beens.It is darkness and light.Elation and despair.Madness.Love and confusion.Music and literature.Frailities and shortcomings.Angst and sorrow.Gifted and troubled.Happy and sad.Madness.Success and failure.Frustration and elation.Obsession and depression.Silliness and melancholy.Dreams and aspirations.Questions and answers.Madness.Acceptance and rejection.Humour and silliness.Empathy and understanding.It is joyful,sad and funny.It never bores you and it has a great soundtrack with punk rock-tinged moments at just the right time.
I found that when Viktoria Winge,the actress playing Kari was on the screen,I was mesmerized;in fact,INTOXICATED.I empathised with Philip's infatuation;with his inability to focus or 'think straight' when he was with her.I could see how he was drowning in the present;confused about the past and terrified of the future.Love is a mighty emotion.How can you let go and hold on at the same time?MADNESS........

Trapped In The Fish Tank

It's nearing the time that movie lovers start thinking about which films will make up their top ten list for the year."Fish Tank"will certainly be on my list.This is a 'hard' drama set in modern day England in a grim,gritty working class neighbourhood.Fifteen year old Mia;a foul-mouthed,troubled teen;lives in a bleak housing project in a socially deprived area of Britain with her single-parent mother Joanne,and her little sister Tyler.Joanne is an alcoholic,a lush,a party animal,who most often seems more concerned with her appearance and her relationships with the opposite sex than she does with the best interests of her two daughters.Mia can't get along with her peers;is kicked out of school;and feels trapped in the dysfunctional family home.Filled with rage,loneliness and boredom she wanders aimlessly.She dreams of being a dancer and thinks this might be her escape if she can win a dance competition.She takes her hip-hop cds and ghetto blaster and kicks in the door of a deserted flat to practise her dance moves.
Mia strikes up a friendship with her mother's new boyfriend,Connor,a handsome Irishman.Mia needs a friend,someone to talk to;someone to pay some attention to her;to show some interest in the things that are important to her.She becomes infatuated with Connor.She's desperate to escape from the miserable circumstances of her life.Things get complicated.Although not exactly a 'coming-of-age'movie,this is a story about survival.
The director Andrea Arnold does a terrific job.She is a student of the'Dogme' film movement,and uses hand held cameras and natural lighting.She didn't give the cast the whole script;just their lines for the next days shoot.She didn't cast an experienced actress in the lead role Mia.She chose unknown Katie Jarvis,who had never acted before,after spotting her at a train station yelling and arguing with her boyfriend on the opposite platform.Katie delivers a very good performance.We begin to care about Mia and pull for her to find her way through and out of depression and the turmoil of teenage hormones and emotional confusion.Some movies make you laugh;some make you cry;some make you think;some let you walk in someone else's skin and feel their pain,confusion,loneliness and despair;and their hope and joy and salvation.Andrea Arnold takes us into a world we may not be aware of and lets us feel and think about the issues others have to deal with in order to grow and find themselves and their way in life.Thank you Andrea Arnold and Katie Jarvis for the journey.
I can also highly reccommend the movie "Red Road" which Andrea made in 2006.It is a very good drama,mystery and thriller set in a world of closed circuit surveillance cameras in a bleak working class Glasgow.

Committment to family, country, truth and justice

Tonight I went to the theater to see "Fair Game".This movie examines the real-life outrage of the White House's 2003 outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson(Naomi Watts) in retaliation against her husband,former U.S, ambassador, Joe Wilson(Sean Penn),due to his challenging President Bush's reasons for the invasion of Iraq.Confronted by blatant untruths in the media,Wilson comes forward to accuse the Bush administration of lying to the people and manipulating intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the war in Iraq.Ongoing attempts to discredit Wilson lead to an information leakage outing his wife,revealing her CIA agent status;and subsequently cutting her loose and hanging her out to dry.This is not just a movie about politics and espionage;about the use and abuse of power by government;or about the conflict between paranoia and fear versus truth reason and logic.This is a movie about marriage and intimacy,about love and devotion, and about committment.Committment to family,committment to country,committment to the democratic process,committment to oneself ,and most of all committment to truth and justice.Naomi Watts gives a very strong performance and Sean Penn is masterful as always.Penn is one of the best actors in Hollywood. (As much as I love his acting I'm even more impressed by his work as a director).He is an artisan and a craftsman who will never be a hack.He works only on projects that he believes in strongly.He delivers from the heart.Political allegiances may divide people over viewing this movie,but those who choose to will find themselves well entertained and perhaps less inclined to swallow 'hook line and sinker',and without questioning,the proclamations of officialdom.

Finding Films

Someone commented that I've been writing about movies which are far too obscure for them to ever find in their little one horse town.I am fortunate to live in a big city (Vancouver B.C.) and to be able to shop in a number of local video stores which carry a variety of foreign,classic and specialty films.The Vancouver Public Library also has a surprisingly large collection of dvds.I never need to patronize Blockbuster or other large chain outlets.Videomatica offers rentals by mail anywhere in Canada and you can view their entire catalogue online and browse it by genre,country or title.(videomatica.bc.ca)They carry a lot of foreign films,festival favorites and gay and lesbian titles.Black Dog Video has two locations and always seems to bring in some quirky horror and cult flicks I'd never find otherwise.(blackdogvideo.bc.ca)Limelight Video has a niche for British films(limelightvideo.ca);Happy Bats cinema has a lot of Buffy-type tv offerings(happybatscinema.com) and Cinephile Video is a cozy little neighbourhood shop with a friendly and knowledgeable staff.Most of the smaller independent video stores seem to have film buffs working in them.
If your town doesn't have these kind of shops you can buy dvds online,pay your cable provider for the offerings on their movie channels or go online and sign up for netflix.There are other online sites like letmewatchthis.com where you can watch movies online;or MUBI,a film service offering classic,independent and art house films to stream directly.Another great place to visit is the National Film Board of Canada site(nfb.ca)where you can watch Canadian animation,documentaries and drama online.
I discovered a site (atdhe.net) which offers many tv sporting events streaming live;but also carries news programs MSNBC and Fox News and also,Movie Lounge,Movie Madness and Movie Channel.
If this is not enough the internet also offers different P2P options where people share their audio and video files.There are certainly some legal issues with these options but many folks get a lot of their entertainment this way these days.Limewire was shut down recently as a result of legal action and The Pirate Bay has faced many lawsuits and was once assessed a hefty fine.They have been shutdown for a few days but have fought back.Many download BitTorrent and use isohunt to search for movie,tv and music torrents.When these torrents have been downloaded to their computer they can then view on their monitor,or run a feed to their flatsceen tv and watch them on that. Some may choose to buy a program like ConvertxtoDVD and use it to burn the torrent file to a dvd.You may wish to avoid getting your movies in this questionable fashion, although this may be the only way you can find some movies and tv shows,particularly some that have never been made available on dvd(like "Highway To Hell").
Whatever route you choose to find your entertainment, I hope you will look beyond the Hollywood mainstream and discover some hidden gems.

Sex Comedy and Gory Thriller

This weekend I watched two movies very different from those I have previously written about here."The Auteur"is an 'indie' film,a laugh-out-loud comedy,that you may have trouble finding unless you know a specialty video store,or download it online.The word 'auteur' means-'a film maker whose distinctive style and complete control reflects his personal vision'.The movie is shot with a 'cinema verite' look;a mock documentary.Arturo Domingo,the world's greatest living porn director,is being honoured with a lifetime achievment award at a theater in Portland Oregon.During the bizzare weekend his crazed fans fill a theater to view his classic movies;including "All That Jizz","Five Easy Nieces","Gang Bangs Of New York" and "Requium For A Wet Dream".The climax of the presentation is to be a re-edited director's cut of his magnum opus "Full Metal Jack-Off".Arturo is tormented by his broken career and his estrangement from his last wife and his former leading man,Frank,who is now the star of his own cable reality show "Lets Get Fucked".Along the way he meets a pot smoking dreadlocked hippy named 'Friend' and visits a free-love commune.This movie,although soft-core, is obviously adult only,with full nudity,simulated sex,and one crazy group 'money shot'.It even includes a cameo appearance from Ron Jeremy.

The 'Mockumentary'is a fun movie genre which includes the classic"This Is Spinal Tap" about an aging rock band back out touring;"Best In Show"about the characters at a national dog show;and "A Mighty Wind" about the reunion of a 60's folk trio."Bruno" and "Fubar" ,which you may be familiar with are also in this genre.Check these movies out if you need a good laugh.

"Giallo" is the other movie I watched this past weekend.It is the latest from famed Italian director Dario Argento.He is known for horror and crime thrillers including "Deep Red","Tenebre","Phenomena","The Stendhal Syndrome" and my favorite "Suspiria"."Giallo"is a crime thriller with some horror elements.It is set in Italy but all the dialogue is in english.Celine,a beautiful american model working in Italy, is abducted on her way home to see her sister Linda who has come for a visit.Linda goes to the police station to report her sister's disappearance and meets Enzo,an F.B.I, agent from NYC,working to help solve a string of vicious murders by a sadistic serial killer.Adrien Brody does a good job as the special agent who has a disturbing background that led him into this line of work.Some may see this as a suspensefull cop thriller,although others may find it to be a gore-filled torture flick.It does get very bloody and it may not be your cup of tea.I enjoyed it;and you have been warned

Mermaid Romance?

Last night I watched a delightful movie."Ondine",recently released on dvd ,is a drama/romance set on the coast of Ireland.Colin Farrell plays a fisherman,Syracuse, who pulls in his seine net and is startled to find a beautiful young woman in it.Somehow she gasps sputters and breathes;she's alive.Although she is thankful,she refuses to come ashore and be seen by other people,so he takes her to an isolated cove with a little cottage where his deceased mother used to live.

Syracuse,or 'Circus',as the locals call him ,has an alcoholic ex-wife and a beautiful daughter Annie.They say you should never share the stage with children or animals;they'll steal the show.Annie steals the show.She is around 11 years old and in a wheelchair as she is sickly due to a failed kidney requiring regular dialysis treatment.Syracuse tells Annie a bedtime story of a fisherman who pulls a beautiful woman from his net while out fishing.Annie says she must be a 'selkie',a seal come ashore in the guise of a woman.She goes to the library and researches selkies and mermaids.Her curiosity leads her to discovering her fathers secret.

The movie is filmed in Ireland and the scenery is gorgeous and the soundtrack plaintive and haunting at times.Is this a modern day fairy tale?Is she a mermaid?a selkie? an ondine or undine,a water spirit or nymph?

Although the film has a few darker moments it is basically charming and romantic and suitable for most members of your family.I'm sure your wife,girlfriend or young teen daughter will thank you for turning them on to this movie and I hope if you find a copy that it brings you as much joy as it did for me.

Michael Caine

There are some actors whose work I really enjoy and respect .I look forward to the next movies with Johnny Depp,Sean Penn or Edward Norton in them.They are some of the best actors of their generation.This year I got to watch two movies starring another of my favorites-Michael Caine.
Like some wines and scotches,he just seems to get better with age.He was born into a working class family in England 77 years ago and has enjoyed a stellar career;six Oscar nominations and two Academy awards;appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992 and knighted in the year 2000.He continues to act in movies and will play Alfred in the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises"due out in 2012.
"Harry Brown" starred Michael Caine as an elderly pensioner forced to live in a highrise council flat in a depressed neighbourhood.On his daily walks to the hospital to visit his terminally ill wife he goes the long way round in order to avoid the underpass below the motorway,as it is the hangout for a local gang of unruly youths.After his wife dies he passes the hours in the pub playing chess with his only friend Len,another lonely senior.Len is fed up with the harassment from the local hooligans and decides to take a bayonet with him for protection on his walk through the underground passage.Len is found beaten to death and the police tell Harry that they are powerless to make a case against the punks who would just claim self-defence.This is when the quiet retired marine decides to dole out his own form of justice.
I have enjoyed many vigilante movies over the years with Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood.This ranks right up there with them.The movie paints a bleak gritty portrait of modern Britain.It is one of Michael Caine's finest performances.
My favorite revenge movie is also set in England-"Dead Man's Shoes" starring Paddy Considine.I'll write more about it another time;but I recommend it highly.
"Is Anybody There?" is a movie that you've probably never heard about.This is unfortunate as it also has an outstanding performance from Michael Caine.Released in 2008 ,it is set in seaside England in the 1980's.Ten year old Edward's parents run a small old folks home in their house.Edward is a lonely child obsessed with ghosts and the afterlife.In order to discover what happens after death,he places a tape recorder under the bed of seniors near death.Michael Caine plays Clarence,a retired magician who is forced to move into the house.He is grouchy and wants to be left alone, but something magical happens when he befriends Edward.The movie is mainly a drama but his some darkly comic moments.It is poignant and moving and sure to touch you if you can find a copy of it to watch.
I'll leave you with one of Clarence's lines from the movie-"You live all your life on your own and then someone thinks it's a good idea to put you with complete strangers".

Super-Hero Movies

One of the most popular movie genres is the super-hero flick. Based on comic books they often feature people like Superman,the Incredible Hulk,the Fantastic Four,Spiderman or the X-Men;crimefighters with superpowers.Batman and Iron Man are the other kind of super-hero;the ordinary mortal fighting the bad guys with a few special weapons.These type of movies are aimed at a teen and pre-teen market,but some of us adults are willing to suspend belief and indulge our inner child by continuing to watch super-hero movies.
"Kick-Ass" is a terrific Hollywood movie based on a comic book.It was released in the spring this year and came out on dvd this summer.This movie is a fun romp all the way and never lets up.The title character ,Kick-Ass, is David,a bored teen,high school student and comic book fan who dreams of thwarting evil-doers.He decides to actualize his fantasies of being a super-hero and after receiving a costume ordered off the internet,he dons it and takes to the street.His first bumbling encounter is painful but on his next outing, his running off of 3 punks is captured on video and posted on youtube,turning him into an internet sensation.Things turn nasty when he crosses the path of Frank,the evil crimelord;and turn interesting when he meets up with 'Big Daddy' (Nicholas Cage) and his pre-teen daughter,11 year old 'Hit-Girl'.'Big Daddy' has been training his daughter to help him avenge some bad stuff done by Frank and his gang.Kick-Ass gets caught up in this vendetta and things get ugly.The crimelords teen son also adopts a super-hero personna,'Red Mist', and gets into the mix.Nicholas Cage turns in a great performance ,but it's 'Hit-Girl'(played by Chloe Moretz)who steals the show.The main criticism of the movie from some folks is the extreme violence and foulmouthed cursing from an 11 year old girl;but let it go;it's a comic book fantasy.The movie has a terrific soundtrack.Indulge your inner child.
"Defendor"is another super-hero movie that I highly reccomend.It was filmed in S.Ontario, Canada;and released on dvd this past spring.This movie stars Woody Harrelson as Arthur,a mentally challenged traffic sign holder by day who wants to escape his ordinary life and stop punks and help others.He makes himself a costume and takes to the streets with marbles,firecrackers and a jar of angry hornets as his weapons in his quest to find and stop 'Captain Industry'.Although determined and fearless,his courage and bravery aren't enough to keep him from getting hurt.This is a sad and touching story with some dark comedy,carried by a masterful performance from Woody Harrelson.Kat Dennings,as a teen street hooker who Defendor befriends,and Sandra Oh ,as a psychiatrist/counsellor ,also shine in their roles.This movie had a budget of only $3.5 million;"Kick-Ass" had $28 million to put their picture out there.Here is proof that small budget pictures can also KICK ASS.
"Kick-Ass" is 208th on the top 250 Alltime on IMDB.This shows that a lot of people loved it and took the time to vote on it.
IMDB(Internet Movie Data Base),if you're not familiar with it is one of the 2 top sites providing info about movies.The other one is Rotten Tomatoes.IMDB is my favorite and I visit it every day.The main difference between the two is that the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are from professional reviewers,and on IMDB the reviews are posted by anyone who cares to do so.I like this because a professional reviewer may have to view and review many movies of genres outside his area of interest.The reviews on IMDB are more likely to be from someone with an interest in that specific genre.On IMDB you can find out everything you might want to know about a movie-date of issue,genre,playing time,location(s),cast and crew,soundtrack listing and so much more.You can also click on the name of the director,producer or any of the actors and actresses and be linked to info on all the other movies they've done.In the 'olden days' we'd have to leaf through a movie guide or search the racks of books in the library to get this kind of info.

Documentary Night

Movies are an interesting medium.Some people watch only Hollywood blockbusters like "Spiderman","Mission Impossible" or "Avatar".Movies can thrill,terrify or titallate;but they can also enlighten and educate.I have broad tastes in movies(and music),and I watch movies from a lot of different genres.
Documentaries find their way into my dvd player every few weeks and a couple I viewed recently were quite interesting.
"Temple Grandin" is a bio-pic from HBO which was recently released on dvd.The movie is about Temple Grandin an autistic woman who didn't talk untill she was 4 years old and who succeded in life because she had a mother who refused to institutionalize her.Nurtured and encouraged to make her own way into the world she graduated high school and(reluctantly) went on to college;getting a B.A. in Psychology and a Masters and PhD in Animal Science.She has gone on to be a leading expert in the US in animal behaviour ,particularly the ethical and humane treatment of livestock in feedlots and slaughterhouses.Claire Danes won an Emmy for her outstanding performance in her portrayal of Temple.The movie was not only very informative about autism and animal behaviour.but was also very moving and choked me up at times.I also reccommend the book "Animals In Translation:Using The Mysteries Of Autism To Decode Animal Behaviour" written by Temple in 2005.I listened to it as a CD Audiobook and found it fascinating and was never bored in its' 8 hour run time.
"I Think We're Alone Now" is another documentary, recently released on dvd, after playing to accolades on the film festival circuit.It tells the story of two people who are fans of 80's pop star Tiffany;and not just fans,but IN LOVE WITH HER !!!Jeff is a 50 year old man with Asperger Syndome living in Santa Cruz.He is obseesed with Tiffany and has been going to her concerts since 1988 and also to autograph sessions and public appearances.He is a deluded stalker with no idea of appropriate behaviour or respect for privacy.Kelly,living in Denver is a hermaphrodite in her late 30's who is also obsessed with Tiffany.Kelly lived as a boy/man through high school,but is living as a woman today.She had a serious bicycle accident that left her in a coma a number of years ago and has suffered much mental anguish and depression since then.Jeff has now replaced his obsession with Tiffany with a new 'thing' for Alyssa Milano.He admits to wandering the grounds on her estate and looking in the windows!For much of the movie my mouth hung open-OH MY GOD-;but at other times it felt very sad,disturbing and scary.
They walk among us.After watching this,that guy at work who you've always thought of as crazy,will seem much more normal.

Halloween viewing

I watch over 300 movies a year and I am going to start making daily posts about movies. I have been to the theater about twice a month this year but I watch most movies at home on DVD. I keep up with all the new theater and DVD releases and I invite your questions, comments, criticisms and suggestions.
Yesterday, being Halloween, I watched "Night of the Demons"; both the original from 1988 and the recent remake. The movie is set on Halloween night at a party in an old abandoned mansion which used to be a funeral parlour. In the original the 10 teens that gather there hold a seance(smart idea eh?), and unleash a demon. The movie has a great soundtrack, some sex and nudity; and of course some gore and violence; but it is more cheesy than terrifying. It is a cult classic which I look forward to watching again. The remake is a big waste of time and money. So many good movies don't need to be remade, but Hollywood keeps trying, without much success. The remake is loud and flashy with more characters and subplots but is ultimately unsatisfying. Stick with the original.
I can reccomend two other movies appropriate for this season. "Suck" is a recent DVD release made in Toronto,Canada. It is from my favorite genre 'horror-comedy'. The hot female in a touring rock band leaves a party with a creepy guy and when she returns to the band's van the next morning she has been transformed....into a vampire. The movie is a lot of fun with good music and includes Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Moby and Malcolm McDowell.
"Highway To Hell" is also a horror-comedy. Charlie and Rachel are a couple of kids eloping to Las Vegas when a zombie (in the form of a Hellcop) grabs Rachel and takes her to Hell to become one of Satan's brides. Much fun ensues in Charlies quest to save his bride-to-be. The movie includes cameos from Ben, Amy and Jerry Stiller. The main problem with this flick is that it has never been released on DVD, so if you can't catch it on cable or uncover an old VHS copy you may be out of luck. I hear it can be found online and downloaded with Bittorrent.
I'll close with a warning to avoid Wes Craven's newest, "My Soul To Take".I won a pass to see a preview of this in the theater last month; unfortunately. It's the 16th birthday of 7 teens born the night a serial killer died (or did he) in their home town. He vowed to return and kill them all. This is a huge waste of film, especially as it is in 3D. The movie is crap and the 3D barely noticeable and certainly not a good example of what the new 3D technology can do. See "Avatar" or "Alice in Wonderland" in the theater to see the new 3D technology at its best.