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Indie Spotlight: New Releases for August 8
Filed under: Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Independent, New Releases, Quentin Tarantino, Columns, Indie Spotlight
What with the Olympics and the Batman and the pineapple express and the pants, you might be a little overloaded with things to watch this weekend. On the other hand, maybe you've seen all that and want something different. In that case, hooray for the Indie Spotlight! It's our weekly roundup of what's opening beyond the multiplexes, designed so movie fans can keep an eye out for those less-publicized titles. There are eight indie films for you to examine this week: Beautiful Losers, Beer for My Horses, Bottle Shock, Elegy, Hell Ride, Patti Smith: Dream of Life, Red, and What We Do Is Secret. Here's the skinny on each of them.
Bottle Shock
What it is: A fictionalized account -- very heavily fictionalized, it would seem -- about the plucky California winery that managed to beat French wines in a blind taste test in 1976.
What they're saying: The reviews at Rotten Tomatoes are almost evenly split down the middle. My own take: It's the Two Buck Chuck of wine movies.
Where it's playing: Various places throughout Northern and Southern California, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.
Official site: Take a sip.
Hell Ride
What it is: Executive-produced by Quentin Tarantino, it's Larry Bishop's homage to the sleazy biker movies of the early 1970s.
What they're saying: They're saying they hate it. Ten of the 12 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes are negative, and that includes the two from Cinematical, by James Rocchi and yours truly.
Where it's playing: Quite a few cities, actually; check out the map here.
Official site: Hop on, easy rider.
Fan Rant: 'The Deal' is Better Than 'The Queen'
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Independent, Casting, Deals, New Releases, Celebrities and Controversy, Scripts, Home Entertainment, Politics, Columns, Fan Rant
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When Stephen Frears' The Queen came out in 2006, all the buzz emphasized Helen Mirren's icy performance as London's reclusive royal highness. The ubiquitous praise lead to her Oscar win, but it overwhelmed recognition of the movie's secret weapon: Michael Sheen as Tony Blair, quietly pressuring his Majesty to face the public in the wake of Princess Diana's untimely demise. There's a reason why Sheen conveyed the nuances of Blair's role in the event, which transpired a mere three months after the Prime Minister rose to power -- he had practice. The Deal, a fantastic made-for-TV movie Frears directed in 2003, tracked Blair's cunning (and morally questionable) instincts in the years leading up to his position at the top of the Labor Party.
Sheen played Blair in The Deal first, and it's both a superior performance and a superior film. Whereas The Queen had a tabloid hook and only tangentially explored the deeper political ramifications of a reclusive national leader, The Deal delves into precisely how Blair managed to emerge at the top of British politics with a series of calculated maneuvers. Political drama at its finest, The Deal hit DVD in the United States last month, where it has been touted as "the prequel to The Queen." That's not quite fair; The Queen is the sequel to The Deal, and the two movies ought to be seen as a single, wholly fascinating package depicting British politics in the 1990s.
Review: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Filed under: Drama, New Releases, Warner Brothers, Theatrical Reviews
I figure I'm about 20 years older, at least, than the target demographic for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. I understand that there are some movies where I'll always feel a little old or out of touch, because they're just not made with me in mind, no matter how good or bad those movies are. Fortunately, I had no trouble empathizing with the four young women who are bound to friendship through their magical bifurcated nether garment -- more so than I did with the Sex and the City gang, who are much closer to my age.
Like Sex and the City, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 works better if you know the characters already through their previous appearances, because you're already emotionally invested in them. I hadn't read the young-adult novels by Ann Brashares, but my sister, who is a big fan, filled me in and we determined that this movie is based mostly on the fourth book in the series, with a few changes, so even if you've read the books you get some surprises.
'Can't Hardly Wait' Is Back 10 Years Later ... Will Amber Benson Finally Appear?
Filed under: Comedy, New Releases, Home Entertainment
While I feel a little bit guilty about it, I love Can't Hardly Wait. It's not a huge, universally loved high school film on par with the likes of The Breakfast Club, but it is a quirky little film that nicely captured the skewed politics of high school and teen life in the '90s. And it's full of Buffy the Vampire Slayer co/guest-stars. FULL. Seth Green - Oz - Kenny. Paige Moss - Veruca - Ashley (girl who remembers Kenny's Cheetos incident). Clea DuVall - Invisible Girl Marcie - Jana the allergic dancer. Christopher Wiehl - Owen - Horny Guy. Channon Roe - Zeppo Jack - Jake, Jock #1. Eric Balfour - Jesse - brownie licker. John Patrick White - Beastly Pete - Tassle Guy. Nicole Bilderback - a Cordette - "Ready to Have Sex Girl."
And finally, Amber Benson - Tara - Stoned Girl. Now here's the potentially awesome news: After the last disappointing release that didn't have any deleted scenes (although her role was talked about and infamous), the Tenth Anniversary release is including deleted scenes! They better include Benson's stint, or I think Elfont and Kaplan will get accosted with discs flying through the air.
Beyond that, the disc offers both the original commentary and a new one, a 10-year reunion, and some featurettes. The DVD will hit shelves on September 30. Get your pop tarts and get ready!
New DVD Pick of the Week: 'Nim's Island'
Filed under: New Releases, DVD Reviews, New on DVD, Family Films, Home Entertainment
The movie DVD choices from this week's release schedule are quite scarce, but there is Abigail Breslin swinging in to save the day.
Nim's Island
In the vein of classic family adventure scenarios, Breslin stars as Nim, a young girl who lives with her scientist father on a far-off tropical island. Life is idyllic until Nim's dad (Gerard Butler) is stranded far away leaving Nim to not only survive on her own, but also fight off the tour companies that threaten her island home. But she needs help and unknowingly turns to the worst person for the job -- the agoraphobic author (Jodie Foster) of her favorite literary adventure character, Alex Rover.
The DVD has a healthy amount of features for those looking to dip behind the scenes. You can choose between two commentaries -- one with Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin, and the other with directors/writers Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. There's also 3 featurettes, a piece called "Abigail's Journey and Working on Water," and finally, deleted scenes.
Read Jeffrey M. Anderson's Review | Buy the DVD
Other New DVD Releases (August 5)
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
Heavy Metal
Miss Conception
Wasted
Be sure to visit Peter's Indies on DVD for more new releases this week.
Nim's IslandIn the vein of classic family adventure scenarios, Breslin stars as Nim, a young girl who lives with her scientist father on a far-off tropical island. Life is idyllic until Nim's dad (Gerard Butler) is stranded far away leaving Nim to not only survive on her own, but also fight off the tour companies that threaten her island home. But she needs help and unknowingly turns to the worst person for the job -- the agoraphobic author (Jodie Foster) of her favorite literary adventure character, Alex Rover.
The DVD has a healthy amount of features for those looking to dip behind the scenes. You can choose between two commentaries -- one with Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin, and the other with directors/writers Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. There's also 3 featurettes, a piece called "Abigail's Journey and Working on Water," and finally, deleted scenes.
Read Jeffrey M. Anderson's Review | Buy the DVD
Other New DVD Releases (August 5)
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder
Heavy Metal
Miss Conception
Wasted
Be sure to visit Peter's Indies on DVD for more new releases this week.
Discuss: How Many Chances Do You Give An Actor?
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, New Releases, Remakes and Sequels
First, I'll freely confess that I didn't go see The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor this weekend -- call me a bad blogger if you will, but I'm short on money (summer is always so expensive!) and nothing I hear about the film has me dying to spend anything on it.
But there is a time I would have gone to see it solely for its leading man, Brendan Fraser. I used to really like him. I don't think his poster ever decorated my wall, but one of his numerous photographic appearances in People's "Sexiest Man" issues probably did. But now I just feel annoyed by him and his films. I feel like Fraser is one constant comeback -- he makes a few big movies, and a few small ones which garner him critical acclaim. Then he vanishes into obscurity, only to come roaring back with a blockbuster, his return heralded with "Fraser! I wondered what happened to that guy!" It feels like this is the third comeback round of Fraser's career, only this time, it seems absent of the buzz that followed him after the first The Mummy.
But there is a time I would have gone to see it solely for its leading man, Brendan Fraser. I used to really like him. I don't think his poster ever decorated my wall, but one of his numerous photographic appearances in People's "Sexiest Man" issues probably did. But now I just feel annoyed by him and his films. I feel like Fraser is one constant comeback -- he makes a few big movies, and a few small ones which garner him critical acclaim. Then he vanishes into obscurity, only to come roaring back with a blockbuster, his return heralded with "Fraser! I wondered what happened to that guy!" It feels like this is the third comeback round of Fraser's career, only this time, it seems absent of the buzz that followed him after the first The Mummy.
Fan Rant: My First Walk-Out in Years
Filed under: Action, New Releases, Fandom, Fan Rant
My general rule is: I don't walk out of movies. The last time I did so was in 2006 during the fairly wretched bar mitzvah comedy Keeping Up with the Steins -- but only because I was with a friend who wasn't into it; we were bored and I was embarrassed because I had suggested the film. I'm occasionally tempted to leave in the middle of a movie that's giving me no earthly reason to hope it will get any better, but something always keeps me in my chair. Often I'm at a press screening, where it's poor form to walk out. Even if I'm seeing a movie on my own dime, I'm usually driven by a sense of duty and completism. I like talking about movies, as you've probably guessed, and it doesn't seem legitimate to do so not having given the whole thing a chance. "Oh man, I despised Movie X." "Really? What did you think of the ending?" "I left halfway through." "Oh."
I've been doing some traveling, and am spending this weekend in San Francisco. Friday was a gorgeous day, but for various reasons I'm a bit behind in my movie-watching duties, so after exploring the city for a while in the morning, I decided to head to the theater for a double feature. The first thing I went to see was Swing Vote, which I found irritating and politically gutless but certainly watchable. My next choice: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
Review: America the Beautiful
Filed under: Documentary, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews
A non-fiction inquiry into the toxic ramifications of the U.S.'s obsession with female beauty, Darryl Roberts' America the Beautiful certainly doesn't lack for a worthy topic, nor for endless avenues of investigation. Choice subject matter, however, only gets a film so far, and the director's everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to tackling the myriad ways that women are beset by unreasonable and/or dangerous body-image ideals ultimately does as much harm as good.
Roberts is well-trained in the Michael Moore school of documentary filmmaking, using a personal story - his break-up with a potential wife over superficial qualms with her looks - as the impetus for a wide-ranging analysis of the modeling industry, the cosmetics trade, magazine advertising, the field of plastic surgery, and, for good measure, a tragic tale of bulimia to cap things off in suitably wrenching, cautionary-tale fashion. His strategy is to cram in as many facts and tidbits as 105 minutes will allow in order to present an overwhelmingly damning case against our cultural priorities. Frustratingly, though, his film is sometimes overwhelming less because of its convincing conclusions than simply because of its mountain of cursorily handled arguments.
Review: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, New Releases, Universal, Theatrical Reviews
I haven't seen the previous two movies in the Mummy series, although people have recommended them to me as rollicking old-fashioned action-adventure movies, from the same Saturday-afternoon-matinee roots as the Indiana Jones series -- not exactly brain teasers, but good silly fun. The good news is that if you too haven't seen the preceding movies, you can watch The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor without fear of getting confused or lost or not understanding the recurring characters. The bad news is that regardless of whether you've watched the other films, the third Mummy entry is a headache-inducing mess that piles on unimpressive special effects to stretch a slight and often incomprehensible storyline.
The movie begins with an extended backstory: the history of the Dragon Emperor from thousands of years ago, in which a ruthless tyrant (Jet Li) bargained with an infamous witch (Michelle Yeoh) in his ambitious drive to seek immortality. The backstory, narrated in a manner befitting the History Channel, goes on for far longer than necessary. (Hellboy II did this so much better and faster, and with cool puppetry too.) It's a full 10 minutes before the story begins and we encounter the leads from the previous Mummy films, Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello this go-round), who have retired from the action business and are trying to lead humdrum lives in the English countryside.
Vulture Declares August a Cursed Movie Month
Filed under: Casting, New Releases, Box Office, Newsstand
Beginning with the summer of Surf Ninjas and concluding with last year's Underdog, Vulture has compiled a list arguing that August movies generally blow. Sifting through the titles from the past fifteen years, it's hard to ignore their point. If Bushwhacked, Spawn and The Thirteenth Warrior don't convince you, how about Hollow Man? The Adventures of Pluto Nash? Anacondas? August usually means a lot to America. It's big for vacationers. The sun comes out and everyone gets one last hurrah before the summer recedes for the year. So why would studios dump their worst movies at this time? Maybe it's just a coincidence, but either way, it's hard to say whether or not this August will break the trend. Swing Vote seems to confirm Vulture's dire prediction, but Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Pineapple Express and Tropic Thunder will surely find some appreciative audiences. And we all know The Dark Knight will continue to make bank. However, before you start thinking that a turnaround is on the way, consider the third Mummy movie -- and, once again, Vulture might have something here: Variety has called it "cheeseball stuff." Could that be the codeword for "typical August movie"? It would seem so.
