Windbreaker

Under discussion:

The International  (2009)

It won't be remembered as a classic thriller, but The International is not bad.  I know, that's not glowing.  But these days when you're looking through the aisles of Blockbuster and see only lame sequels or dime-a-dozen sadistic slasher indies, you could do much worse.

This is NOT your standard globe-hopping James Bond wannabe.  In fact, the DVD cover is all wrong.  It should have a picture with Clive Owen, staring at a pile of newspaper clippings with his reading glasses on.  That's why I liked this movie.  Clive used to be a beat cop, but he isn't an expert marksman with a wake of blood behind him.  He's just a smart guy trying to bring bad guys to justice. 

The final clips during credits were pretty good... shows the futility of some battles.

Rent it, don't buy it.

Under discussion:

Heroes of the East  (2008)

Must see. 

HEROES OF THE EAST contains:

Swords, spears, knives, hooks, darts, daggers, chains, fists, and large straw hats.

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

Twilight  (2008)

I had zero desire to see TWILIGHT when it hit theaters.  I had zero desire to see it when it hit DVD.  But when most of the wives in the circle of friends raved, I checked it out.  My thoughts:  meh.

Content:  It feels too much like the pilot episode of a TV show that only the die-hard fans will watch regularly.  Think the two X-FILES movies.

Style:  tried too hard to be overly artsy.  Don't get me wrong, I like some oddball flicks, but trimming 15-20 minutes of fat would have made this a lot more tolerable.  There's a reason CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON isn't 3 hours long.

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

Panic in Year Zero  (1962)

First things first... as a rule, any movie with an exclamation point in its title is worthy of at least a rental.  PITYZ isn't great, but it's not terrible as far as atom-bomb-explodes-on-American-soil plot lines go.  Following one family on their vacation turned quest for survival is actually pretty gripping at times.  Of course, as a child of the 80s, it was all I could do not to yell "WOLVERINES!!!" at the screen.

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

The Matrix Reloaded  (2003)

Ahhh... Reloaded... It had just been too long since I watched this series.  My fellow comic book geek Private America just pulled out his 10-disc set -- I haven't done that yet.  But back to Reloaded... as soon as the credits played the Rage Against the Machine tune I wanted to watch Revolutions. 

I know at the time it seemed overly complex, but now that all the characters are thoroughly ingrained, it seems very straightforward.  I also watched the trailer for MATRIX and forgot how completely badass that trailer was!

Under discussion:

The Counterfeiters  (2008)

I think it was AICN's weekly DVD column that brought COUNTERFEITERS to my attention.  It's not at all what I thought -- it's the truthy story of Nazi Germany using skilled prisoners to develop counterfeit currency.  It's really a war flick led by some really strong characters.  Recommended, but maybe not for the squemish due to some brutal scenes.

Under discussion:

A Simple Plan  (1998)

"I mean, hell, Hank, I've never even kissed a girl. You know, if me becoming rich is gonna change all that, you know I'm all for it."

Long has Sam Raimi's low budget flick, A Simple Plan, been in my queue.  What would Bill Paxton & Billy Bob Thornton do if they found millions of dollars?

Under discussion:

Metropolis  (1927)

It's a shame you have to get Netflix or Blockbuster Online to see Metropolis.  At least I've never seen it on shelves.  Epic sci-fi by Fritz Lang.  Don't even ponder the plot in advance -- as a movie fan you owe it to yourself to watch this!

Under discussion:

Justice League: The New Frontier  (2008)

I'm posting a "review" of JL: New Frontier out of obligation since I told myself I'd comment on all the DVDs I was watching, but JJ79 pretty much sums up my feelings in his review.

First, I know the source material well.  A comic book junkie, I loved the mini -- old school storytelling, unique art, 6 degrees of separation implications, etc.  I highly recommend the comic.  The DVD... I like it, but the best parts would probably only be truly appreciated by us fanboys.  Hal Jordan's development, for example.  That and Martian Manhunter are central to the original story.  Still, at 75 minutes there just isn't enough time to tell everything.

Under discussion:

I Trust You to Kill Me  (2006)

Someone brought this to my attention last year.  I completely missed it when it hit theaters.  I've known Kiefer was one of those actor-loves-rock types, but it turns out he's more committed than that -- he puts his money where his mouth is and busts his butt to get Rocco Deluca & the Burden signed.

The band is decent with a few very good songs that strike you as instant hits.  I'm such an opponent of top 40 radio that it's possible all the crazy kids are listening to Rocco and I had no clue...

But the real reason to watch I Trust You to Kill Me is it's a voyeur's dream.  Jack Bauer's real life is a train wreck.  Chain smoker... get hammered... grab some skank in Denny's.... get hammered again... the guy is an 18-year old!  Unbelievable. 

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

The Fog  (1979)

"You are weird. Thank God you're weird. The last one was so normal, it was disgusting."

I don't know why some Spout tools tagged The Fog with the words they did.  This movie is plain and simple, a tale of bad weather.  You know how some people say "man, this is bad weather"?  You know?  Well, that saying was derived from John Carpenter's little gem, The Fog.  Some of you won't believe me and will Google fact-check me.  Well, those some of you are morons.  Hear me now and believe me later:  this film first aired on the Weather Channel.

Ok, plot synopsis:

• Jamie Lee Curtis hitchhikes because a storm's a comin.  (We think.)  She's picked up by a strange, unattractive man who drives her through the night then bangs her like a screen door in a wind storm.  (Cover your eyes, children, this review is for your parents.)
• Jamie's new beau gets a knock at the door.  Probably a Jehovah's Witness or one of those obnoxious 10-year old girls selling cookies.  We never get to see who it is because this fog is so damn thick.
• Pirates appear in 1979, board a fishing vessel, slay the crew, and disappear into the fog.  (Yes -- this is the same movie.)
• Local radio show hostess with the mostess, Adrienne Barbeau flashes her breasts because it's so foggy and everyone knows that fog creates heat.  Ok, Adrienne never does lift her shirt, but only because she was sleeping with John Carpenter during the filming.  He was jealous of her fun bags even though every 14-80 year old male in America had seen them in other feature films.
• The fog moves around town but never brings any rain or noticable humidity.  Sometimes fog is just annoying, like in The Fog.  You're like, ok, rain?  Good for my crops (what, you don't call your goods 'crops'?).  And humidity is supposed to be good for some ailments, so that's not all bad, but it's not so good for allergies, so that's not all good.
• Jamie drives to town with her fornication buddy but they keep changing directions because it's so freakin foggy.  According to the special features, the crew received kudos from Carpenter because they made the foggiest fog of any fog movie. 
• Ahoy!  Pirates land at Adrienne's house and kill the nanny.  ARRRRGGHHH
• Janet Leigh of Psycho fame leads a candlelight vigil around town because the fog has knocked out the power.  [p.s. I once waited 18 hours for the power company to get my lights back on because of fog... I hate fog.]
• A handful of townspeople who decide to boycott fog run to a church where they're met by the anarchist, atheist Pirates.  Pirates win!

Under discussion:

Film Name  Production Year

The Razor - The Snare  Production Year

Hanzo the Razor... wow.  I had no idea there was such a thing as S&M samurai flicks.  This was a crazy, crazy mind coming up with plots like this:  tough as nails cop (in ancient Japan) busts illegal abortion ring when not busy having sex with a bundle of hay... HAY, PEOPLE... and raping women who like it.  That's right - who like it.  Disturbing.

That aside, Hanzo is quite the badass swordsman. 

Pictured below, Hanzo the Razor entertains a guest... against her will... who is willing... kind of...

Under discussion:

Juno  (2007)

Know that fans of all genres thoroughly enjoyed Juno.  Now go rent or buy it.

Under discussion:

Unforgiven  (1992)

Blood Work  (2002)

Let's face it, you could do a lot worse than renting Blood Work.  I know, I know... not much of an endorsement, but you know what?  Blockbuster Online has spoiled me with all the free rentals exchanged in-store.  After seeing the DVD case, I correctly guessed the outcome of the movie -- but that's not the point of Blood Work.  It's the path to the finish line.  Think Unforgiven Clint Eastwood -- still has a gun at his side, but might not have the reflexes to reach for it in time.

Under discussion:

The Long Goodbye  (1973)

The Long Goodbye is a decent noirish flick, but there are sooooooo many other titles out there I'd recommend first.  The only reason I watched this is the luxury of fast-turnaround Blockbuster Online DVDs.

The highlight for me was Henry Gibson.  That guy makes any movie watchable, even if he's only onscreen 5 minutes.

Under discussion:

Stephen King's The Mist  (2007)

I'm very, very irritated with Frank Darabont right now.  The first half of The Mist had so much promise, but the second half turned ridiculous.  And I'm not talking ridiculous in the sense of creatures lurking in an ominous mist outside the store where you're trapped -- I'm talking ridiculous in the sense of what normal people might do when faced with real terror.  History tells us that mass suicide is not a likely scenario.

What *really* turned me off was the phony Bible-thumping character.  So much so that once her role escalated, I never recovered.  I could not bring myself back to the feeling I had in the first 60 minutes -- extremely nervous due to the claustorphobic nature of the set.  She was phony because Darabont didn't bother trying to make this woman 1% believable.  Does ANYONE in Hollywood know a born-again Christian?  Anyone?!  Half of her poppycock dialogue alleged to be biblical prophesy was just wild ad-lib on Darabont's part.  Bah!

And the "shock" finale was just that -- shock value.  No merit.  (I'll be kind and warn you to turn away if you don't want to be spoilerized)

Look, you want me to believe that the dad, chick, old lady, and nice geezer sit in the car for 30 seconds after driving who-knows-how-far before deciding they better off themselves?  What's to say the mist doesn't stop 50 feet ahead of them?  I saw this freakin ending coming a mile away and hated it.  Not for the sheer fact that dad turned the gun on everyone, but because it wasn't the time for it.  Maybe if they had been in the car 3 days without food and water, surrounded by creatures... but not the immediate sacrifice.  "Let's drive as far as we can because we want to survive, dammit!"  "Oh, out of gas now?  Ok, I had a nice life.  Buh-bye."

Under discussion:

On Dangerous Ground  (1951)

Be like me and buy every one of the WB Film Noir Box Sets.  On Dangerous Ground is the first one I watched out of Vol. 3 and it alone makes the box worth grabbing.

Noir staple Robert Ryan plays Robert Ryan (a tough cop who regularly beats up bad guys).  "Why do you make me do it? You know you're gonna talk!"  The first act takes place in a dark, rainy city.  The cinematography sets up the first-person, lonely, hopeless sort of feeling quite well.  Then the film completely shifts character -- Ryan is transferred out to the wintry countryside to catch a killer on the loose.  Watching Ryan act is always a treat.  There are some scenes where he doesn't even speak, but manages to speak volumes through expressions and body language. 

Don't rent it, buy the set!

Under discussion:

L'Avventura  (1960)

I want to say I love L'avventura... it's unique and considering it arrived in 1960, way ahead of its time in terms of the method of plot delivery.  This film basically has a surprise beginning, as opposed to a surprise ending.  My beef is that it was a smidge too long (2:20).

At the beginning, Anna is the centerpiece.  She and some friends are on a remote island when she disappears without a trace.  Boyfriend Sandro and pal Claudia pursue the few leads that surface without success.  Then at some point (I'm not exactly sure when), they don't really care about finding Anna anymore.  And neither does the viewer.  It becomes clear that the film's focus is Claudia, not Anna -- and not Claudia's physical adventure tracking Anna, but her emotional adventure with and without Sandro.  Sandro is a tool.  Claudia should realize it, but doesn't until the end. 

The disc looks great.  It's Criterion, and you know those guys can restore an old film like nobody's business.  Rent it.