MikeEverleth Blog

Under discussion:

Straw Dogs  (1971)

No Through Road  (2008)

No Through Road is an extremely tense little thriller-slash-horror movie that's at turns scary, suspenseful and pretty gory and disturbing. It's kind of like a low-budget Australian update of Straw Dogs.

However, this time the nerdy guy who needs to find his inner barbarian is a mousy, reclusive amateur photographer who needs to protect a strange girl hiding in his bedroom closet. She claims she's just been raped, but the three thugs outside who want to have a "chat" with her claim she's involved in a drug plot. Of course, the outside creeps eventually find their way inside for a cat-and-mouse game that involves several sharp objects.

The film has a nice script that slowly builds the tension and deftly explains away all of the nagging implausibilities, such as giving the hero a good, solid reason to not automatically call the cops when he finds the girl. But the film really shines with giving us terrific characters to care about, especially in developing the villains who are grounded and realistic and not just cartoonish ruffians.

Read my full review at Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film.

Under discussion:

Wonderland  (1997)

I guess this is a hard-to-see film since it was never released on DVD, which is a real shame because it's a fun, quirky little documentary.

Director John O'Hagan does a nice job spotlighting the eccentric characters living in America's first suburb, Levittown, NY, without poking fun at them. The residents proudly discuss their quirky hobbies and obsessions while O'Hagan mixes in nice archival footage of the suburb's ambitious beginnings. We also get to meet a few of Levittown's more famous former residents, like musician Eddie Money and Bill Griffith, the creator of Zippy the Pinhead.

It's a real shame more people can't get to see this as this is a very charming documentary.

Under discussion:

Circulation  (2008)

Ryan Harper's debut feature is a nice twist on the desert thriller genre. A young Mexican woman is helped by a crusty, but kind, stranger as she escapes from her abusive ex-husband. While it may look like she's still in the same desert community where she grew up, she eventually realizes she's trapped in a nighmarish mirror world.

Her journey is kind of like Dorothy's in The Wizard of Oz, except the Munchkins here are normal-sized and like to vomit bile on and eat people; and instead of a dancing scarecrow, she's accompanied by a cranky bald guy in a rundown truck.

Read my full review on Bad Lit.

Under discussion:

The Strangers  (2008)

The mood and character set-up are pretty good here and there are certainly some nice scary parts. However, what I think totally sinks the film is that director Bertino never sets up a good sense of space. About halfway through the film I realized I had no idea where the characters were in relation to the house from one scene to the next. They seemed like they were in this very big house, but we only get to see like two or three rooms in it. Then, a barn is introduced halfway into the film that it's not clear how far it is from the house. I lost track of where Tyler and Speedman were in each scene and thus lost interest in their predicament. But, still didn't totally dislike it. More like a missed opportunity.

Under discussion:

Jack Smith & The Destruction of Atlantis  (2007)

This was a pretty thorough profile of underground filmmaker and performance artist Jack Smith. Although most well-known for the groundbreaking film Flaming Creatures, his experience with the film's distribution led him to never complete another film ever again. Instead, he devoted his life to putting on avant-garde plays in his studio loft to bewildered art crowds.

Smith spent his life fighting his fame and drove most people who knew him away. So, he's probably the most mysterious of the underground film crowd who came to prominence in the '60s. This documentary finally sheds some light on his life and career. Featuring great archival footage, we get to see Smith's humble small-town beginnings, the successful photography career he abandoned, clips from his never-completed films and some performace video. There's also interviews with Smith's contemporaries and admirers, so it's a good all-around profile.

You can read my full review at Bad Lit.

Under discussion:

Vacancy  (2007)

Vacancy starts out kind of sluggishly and uninterestingly. The opening scenes with Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale in the car features fairly pedestrian dialogue and a cliche set-up that eventually leads them to the murder motel. It all feels kind of padded to make the film come up to a feature-length runtime.

But once the unhappy couple gets stuck in their room and are hunted by the killers, the action becomes pretty intense. There's not much to get invested in these characters on an emotional level, but at least the cat-and-mouse game becomes fun to watch.

Doesn't nearly live up to the premise, but it's not a total wreck of a film either.

Under discussion:

Body of Lies  (2008)

Body of Lies feels like the kind of movie Ridley Scott can direct with his eyes closed. it's like an old-time espionage film gussied up with hi-tech gizmos and made "relevant" by partially being set during the current Iraq conflict -- even though it could have been re-set just about anywhere or any time.

Leonardo DiCaprio is just kind of there in the movie without really carrying the action and a drinking game can be made out of the film based on the times Russell Crowe peers over the top of his glasses. Mark Strong is good, smarmy fun as the head of the Jordanian secret service.

But the real star here is the goofy, convoluted script for William Monahan, who should be the go-to guy now for over-the-top movies about professional backstabbers.

Under discussion:

What Would Jesus Buy?  (2007)

Rev. Billy is on a mission to reduce mindless consumerism, which is a noble and probably impossible goal. He's a very charismatic figure and even though his reverend persona is meant to be humorous, one can't doubt his absolute sincerity and dedication to his cause.

He's a great character and he comes across as exuding a terrific natural charm on screen. He's a man made for the media if anyone wants to heed his call.

The film veers a little off track, though, when it sets up its story as a road movie about Billy and his choir traveling across the country to prevent the Shopocalypse. But rather than follow the road movie format, the film's broken up by traditional documentary title cards that halt the flow of fun. At times it even gets confusing what city and state Billy is even in.

It's a fun documentary, though, through the sheer force of Billy's personality.