a filmblog

Terminal CIty [TV Series] - Review

mercurial — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:40:32 GMT

Terminal City is one of the many victims of bad timing. Either that or it is a hastily concocted doppelgänger produced for the sole purpose of replacing a rival networks hit show that was soon coming to an end. Unfortunately from my own perspective, it appears to be the latter. When HBO unleashed Six Feet Under onto the airwaves in 2001 it was an immediate sensation. The morbidly fascinating ensemble drama about a disconnected family reuniting after the death of the patriarch was exciting and new, heartfelt and absurd; every minute of the hourlong was engrossing to a disturbing degree and shows in the five seasons it stayed on primetime cable television. The blending of drama and comedy with a dash of fantasy and the occasional musical number was a revelation for viewers bored with the parade of uninspired dribble that clogged every channel for hours until infomercials were a welcomed distraction. Needless to say, I was a fan of Six Feet Under and miss it dearly. Thusly it was painful to watch the ten episode season of Terminal City. From the eerily appropriated title sequence to the oft used fade to white for dramatic effect: a disturbing sense of deja vu enveloped me as every passing moment of the show seemed ham-handedly ripped from Six Feet Under and executed in a less than skilled manner to showcase the sappy story line being attempted by the shows writing staff. Accusing the show of plagiarizing is difficult when those points of contention could be viewed by some as merely a reflection of the current trends in film and television, however, when entire scenes of awkward dialogue and character development are almost entirely played out in similar fashion, one has to wonder. I will however credit the creators of the show for the apropos title of the show which was all too evident in the last moments of the shows final episode in which the pain and suffering I felt throughout the ten plus hours of the series runtime came to an end.

While She Was Out - Review

mercurial — Tue, 05 May 2009 21:11:20 GMT

Another case of a great story handled by an inexperienced director and executed poorly. When mousy housewife Della (if you think Kim Basinger with slightly tussled hair could ever be construed as mousy) must brave the throngs of last minute shoppers at the local mall the night before Christmas she gets more than just wrapping paper. After leaving a note on the windshield of a car taking up two parking spaces, Della somehow spends a number of hours buying just a couple rolls of wrapping paper and ribbon in the crowded mall only to find herself miraculously alone in the gigantic parking lot that just moments ago was swarming with people. Psychotically angered by her mild mannered note, the bizarrely concocted gang of every racial stereotype, appearing to have come straight out of a United Colors of Benetton advertisement, confronts Della and thus begins our story. Managing to escape her would be attackers, a subsequent car chase, crash and game of hide and seek ensues. Relinquishing her quaint suburban housewife tiara, Della picks up her trusty toolbox o' blunt murderous objects to defend herself against any I Spit On Your Grave shenanigans and the hilarity begins. Any chance for the film to retain a realistic portrait of an ordinary woman thrown into an extraordinary situation is impossible after the first act of the film. Despite it's failings, While She Was Out does seem to capture that absurd B-Movie quality that was perfected in the 80's which makes for some unintentionally hilarious viewing.

The Informers - Review

mercurial — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:58:58 GMT

With three of his literary works already translated onto the big screen, it was only a matter of time before another one of Bret Easton Ellis' novels was adapted into a film. The Informers is a collection of short stories following the lives of various glitterati, dealers of flesh and Colombian snow, and the occasional supernatural bloodsucking fiend. These characters were woven throughout the book to emphasize how their disparate lives and disturbing stories weren't all that different. Somehow this easily adaptable collection of wide-ranging stories with incredible mass appeal has been filmed into a chaotic mess of boring cliches, overstuffed homages to the requisite gaudy hairdos and totally tubular lingo, and oft gratuitous nude scenes that convey nothing within the hour and forty minutes it runs.

Chocolate - Review

mercurial — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:01:05 GMT

The offspring of two lovers from rival gangs, Zen is raised by her mother Zin in exile away from the dangerous underworld in which she once surrounded herself. Despite being autistic, Zen manages to learn the art of fighting through martial arts films on television and mimicking the kickboxing students practicing next to her home. When her mother becomes ill, Zen and her portly sidekick take it upon themselves to collect some her mothers old debts in order to pay for the costly hospital bills. Chocolate, or When Autistic Girls Attack!, is a rather disjointed film hindered by the scant development of its back story, but delivers ten fold with awe inspiring martial arts and a dementedly slapstick quality throughout.

He's Just Not That Into You - Review

mercurial — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:37:05 GMT

An Altmanesque romantic comedy for the dwindling subset of Generation X that still identifies with that moniker, He's Just Not That Into You is a rather uncomplicated examination of modern relationships and the havoc that the act of examining them causes the individuals involved. Set against the lovely urban paradise known as Baltimore, the film floats its attention between nine individuals desperately trying to find love and maintain a lasting relationship amid the whirlwind of advice from friends, family, coworkers and overly sentimental consciences. The startling amount of A-list thespians littering the screen surprisingly blend together rather harmoniously: characters are developed and individual story arcs completed without any single one trying to overshadow the other. Obviously the result of a television obsessed society, the later portion of the film falls prey to annoyingly sporadic jumps between the parallel story-lines, however, the film remains true to its focus on relationships and thusly succeeds with its thoughtfully articulated dialogue and insightful ruminations on love.

Taken - Review

mercurial — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:07:12 GMT

Hesitant about allowing his teenage daughter to travel to Paris with a friend, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) reluctantly agrees to let her go in a bid to strengthen their limited relationship. Ecstatic, Kim (Maggie Grace) and her friend Amanda arrive in France and are immediately wrangled in by a charming young Frenchmen. Hoping to make the best of their vacation, they make plans to meet up with him later after they have settled in their lush accommodations. However, their simple trip is shattered by a burst through the door and a group of men determined to capture them. Thus begins the whirlwind that is Taken and the fast-paced search for Kim by her ever determined father. Although it is a rather straightforward premise and packed with the usual shoot-outs and bloody fisticuffs, Taken maintains a firm hold of reality and keeps the audiences heart focused on the mission of a father desperately trying to rescue his only daughter. Adequate action packed fun for a humdrum Friday night.

Neo Ned - Review

mercurial — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:04:24 GMT

Simultaneously wrestled to the ground during fits of rage, Ned (Jeremy Renner) and Rachel's (Gabrielle Union) eyes meet as if by kismet across the floor of the mental institution in which they are both patients. The violent, yet restrained by a childish innocence, Ned is an adamant racist and proudly flourishes the tattooed symbols of his commitment to the Aryan Brotherhood to both his overseers and cellmates while the despondent Rachel believes herself to be the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler. Together they form a surprisingly healthy symbiotic relationship in which the truth behind their need for institutionalization is revealed and their lives are changed forever. Neo Ned is a great low budget dramatic rom-com with an incredible ensemble of memorable characters and a simple, yet fulfilling story.

Humboldt County - Review

mercurial — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:13:53 GMT

Inexplicably drawn to an outspoken musician (Fairuza Balk), a faltering medical student (Jeremy Strong) is seemingly guided by the powers that be to escape the world he knows and follow her to an isolated glade in Northern California. Sheepish and straight-laced, Peter soon warms to the community of vagabonds, hippies and other bohemian types that reside in the eccentric modern commune that he now finds himself trapped. Cut off from the life he once knew and the overbearing father he reluctantly obeyed, Peter's perceptions of his own life and future are soon skewed as he becomes tied to his newfound family and embarks on a rigorous adventure helping them harvest an illegal crop of marijuana. A light-hearted, soul searching dramatic comedy laden with enough emotion to make anyone want to plan a trip to Humboldt County.

My Bloody Valentine 3-D - Review

mercurial — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 08:27:25 GMT

After a comatose mass murderer awakens and begins his rampage anew, an oblivious congregation of hard-partying youth falls prey to the madman's weapon of choice at the site of his first killings. Saved by the local geriatric authorities, the surviving teens remain traumatized from the massacre but attempt to rebuild their wistful lives amid rumors that the killer still roams the labyrinthine caverns of coal. My Bloody Valentine 3-D is a film-by-numbers homage to the original and others of its time; gore laden visuals enhanced tenfold by 3-D add a extraordinary flair and perverse appeal to the film but ultimately fails the help the dreadfully mundane story line.

Bride Wars - Review

mercurial — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:39:53 GMT

When the omniscient wedding planner (Candice Bergen) begins her droll narration of the film, the audience knows they are in for a truly tainted treat. Examining the deprave and ultimately ludicrous nature of modern day weddings, Bride Wars follows two lifelong friends, Liv (Kate Hudson) and Emma (Anne Hathaway), as they find themselves engaged at the same time and competing to one up the other as their nuptials have been accidentally scheduled for the exact same time and place. As the severity of the pranks pulled on one another increases, the hilarity takes heed and vanishes until all that remains is a rather trite attempt at conveying the boring power of true friendship. Has it's moments (all of which were carefully compiled for the film's trailer) but eventually just falls to pieces.