60/60 Review #30: Freaks.

If this is the first movie of the month, made in 1932, and I'm already feeling uneasy, I have a lot ahead of me. Freaks tells the story of a group of circus performers, including the sideshow people, and their interactions as a group. Within the overall look, we're given the story of Hans (Harry Earles), a midget in love with a normal-sized trapeze artist, Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova). But Hans is already engaged to another midget, Frieda (Daisy Earles). Frieda picks up on the fact that Cleopatra doesn't really have feelings for Hans, but that she's just teasing him. However, she lets slip Hans has come into some money, and Cleopatra formulates a plan with Hercules (Henry Victor) on how to get it. But also onto their trail is a clown named Phroso (Wallace Ford) and a woman named Venus (Leila Hyams).

The craziest thing about this movie was that all of the so-called "freaks" were real. They weren't people in costumes. They actually went out and found circus performers and used them in the movie. That completely made everything that much more fascinating yet disturbing. And there's a nice little prologue that you have the option of reading before the movie starts (on the DVD), which I'd recommend doing. It's a fun and interesting history lesson that made my anticipation for the movie increase even more.

Thankfully the movie is only an hour (and 2 minutes) long, though. There was only so much of it I could take. For instance, the acting is terrible--most likely due to the fact the majority of the cast aren't film actors. And it doesn't help that almost all of the cast has a thick accent (usually either French or German). I actually had to put on subtitles to understand some of them, particularly Hans and Frieda. It's also a long hour. The story is a slow build, and the movie spends the majority of its first act just getting you acquainted with all of the characters and performers... and there are a lot. I'd say the best (and/or my favorite) of the movie in all regards would be Phroso the clown. The actor was good, the character was interesting (and would have been even better had the film given him time to be fleshed out), and he was just overall likeable.

I know the movie was made in the early 30's, but I was still let down by the ending. I watched a behind-the-scenes bit where they discuss what the original ending was supposed to be, which sounds awesome. Alas, they went for something more subdued. Just when the freaks move on for the attack, it fades away and you don't see anything happen. Granted, everything up to that point was totally creepy and unnerving.

There's no way this movie could be done today the way it was done in the 30's. Everything is too politically correct, and they'd definitely go for people in costumes mixed with a bit of CGI. And that's a shame, really. This method was completely successful in what it was attempting. It's not a perfect movie, as I've said, and there's a lot I would have liked to have seen done differently. But for what it was, it was effective.


I Am McLovin!

(P.S. This officially puts me halfway through the List!)

THE HANGOVER PART II.

So, before the movie even came out, people were complaining that it looked exactly like the first film. Then the movie came out, and people were complaining that it was exactly like the first film. As I've seen the film, I can tell you--it's literally a carbon copy of the first film. But that's not a complaint.

It's 2 years later, and Stu (Ed Helms) is getting married to Lauren (Jamie Chung) in Thailand. Along for the wedding are friends Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Doug (Justin Bartha). Also, they reluctantly invite Alan (Zach Galifianakis). Come wedding weekend, Phil, Stu, and Alan wake up in Bangkok, and Lauren's little brother Teddy (Mason Lee) has gone missing. They have no idea what happened. Their only clues are Alan's shaved head, Stu's tattooed face, a monkey, Teddy's cut-off finger, and a naked Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong). Just as before, they must figure out where their missing person is, try to remember what happened to them, battle some gangsters, and get to the wedding before it's too late.

You've heard it all before, as I've said: This movie is a carbon copy of the first film. It's the same full outline and same exact jokes, just a different setting. But did that bother me? Not really. It almost became a game trying to figure out how they were going to emulate something from the first film (this might make me sound like an idiot, but that being said, I still couldn't figure out what happened to Teddy until the reveal). The main difference, though? This film felt much darker than the first. The first was much more lighthearted; even the gangster stuff never felt threatening, but silly (in a good way). The sequel, however, ups the stakes and makes you feel there's some real danger. It's actually uncomfortable how seriously the movie is taking itself at times (though it's not the whole time, thankfully).

But because of these similarities, I have nothing to review. The only new thing I can talk about is Teddy. His acting is iffy, and the movie missed a huge opportunity to have any kind of character development with him. Otherwise, I'll just leave it at this: if you liked the first one, there's no way you can dislike this one... unless the carbon copy/been-there-done-that feel of it bothers or annoys you. If you can get over that, you'll enjoy it. If you hated the first one, you probably weren't gonna see this one anyway. I saw it. I laughed. It was a good time. Could it have been better? Sure. But I went in knowing (mostly) what to expect, and that's what I got.


I Am McLovin!

Musical Monday: Newsies - Seize The Day (#31).

[Every Monday, I'm going to be counting down my 52 favorite musical numbers from musical movies and TV shows. I might not like the full movie/show, but the number makes the list for various reasons: 1) I have to like the song, 2) the visual of how the number is performed is most likely unique or fun, 3) both song and visual mixes well to create an exciting or powerful number. So let's get to the next on the list.]

I never noticed this until I re-watched this movie recently (and thanks to Jess for pointing it out), but at about the halfway point of this movie, the songs just kind of stop and/or stop being all that good. Also, there is an uneven-ness with the choreography. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's spotty. But there are a couple songs that hit all the right notes. One of these such songs is "Seize the Day," both the first time and the reprise (which occurs after that strange halfway mark).

First, Seize the Day:



The Reprise:

News: Man, I Love Films Contributor.

For those unaware, I have recently been added as a contributor at the Man, I Love Films website. Every Saturday, I will be putting up a review for films that are New-To-DVD. This week, I chose the best movie of the year so far (...or not...), I Am Number Four. Check out the website here and my review here. And make sure to, at the very least, go back every Saturday for more reviews from me!

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES.

Unlike everyone else, I didn't absolutely loathe the second and third Pirates movies. Sure, they weren't as good as the first one, and all the Davey Jones stuff was just a wee bit too much, but they had their moments. I particularly liked the crazy, over-the-top sword-fighting sequences--mainly for their fun choreography. But with a new director coming in, would this fourth installment be even remotely the same?

This installment gives us almost sole focus on Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Because of his past with Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he ends up on the Queen Anne's Revenge, the pirate ship helmed by Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Blackbeard then forces Jack to help him find the fountain of youth. But he's not after it alone. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is back and working for the British king, leading his men to the fountain, as well, bringing along Jack's first mate Gibbs (Kevin McNally), too. Along the way they meet some people, fight some mermaids, and have generally wacky adventures.

The first thing I noticed was that it was horribly clear this was a different director. Not only does the movie feel different, but Jack as a character feels off slightly. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not necessarily a good thing, either. The film pulls back and tries to capture the charm of the first film, though it doesn't quite get there. And in the process, it loses even some of the better things from the two sequels. For instance, there are maybe 3 good sword fights, but only one is really all that memorable, and it's pretty early on in the film. The action in the movie is scaled back, which is unfortunate, as that was always my favorite part.

Also sorely missed are some of the more secondary characters from the first three films. And no, I don't mean Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. No, I mean the comedic duos (and often Greek Chorus) Pintel and Ragetti, as well as even the two British guards whose names I can't remember at the moment (that both become pirates by the end of the third movie, if I remember correctly). In fact, the whole of the Black Pearl crew is gone because, well, the Black Pearl is gone. It's a plot device--a really weak and overall unexplored one, but one that's there.

But the movie isn't all that bad. It's not all that great, but it's not all that bad. There's just nothing incredibly memorable about it. It's a fun time while watching, but afterwards it's just pretty decent thinking back. The mermaids are a lot of fun, though, to be honest. The whole mermaid sequence was pretty scary, actually, and unnerving. And then the use of the mermaids from that point on is interesting, even though the movie doesn't really go too deep into their mythology after the surface level.

Is Captain Jack back? Not completely, but he's getting there. My feelings on this film were almost equal to my thoughts on Fast & Furious (the fourth installment in that series, as well). It's fun while you're there, but there was a lot that could have been better about it. And hopefully, like that same series, a fifth will come about that will prove to be just as good as if not better than the original. If you're a fan of the series, this one won't hurt you. It's good--it just could have been better.


I Am McLovin!

(P.S. It's a weak McLovin, but between the few fight scenes we got, some good Jack humor, and the mermaid stuff, I think it was good enough to bump up from an OK to that score.)

60/60 Extra: Haute Tension.

I have to admit that I'm a fan of director Alexandre Aja. The Hills Have Eyes remake was intense and pretty dang good. Mirrors was much better than expected. Piranha was decent fun. But his first big film wasn't even in English. No, he busted onto the scene in 2003 with the French horror flick, Haute Tension (High Tension). I've been wanting to see this movie for years, especially since I heard it had a crazy twist ending. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay away from the twist forever, and I had it spoiled for me. But did that throw off the rest of the film for me?

The movie tells the story of Marie (Cecile De France) who is going with her friend Alex (Maiwenn Le Besco) to her parents' farm home. But when a psychotic truck driver (Philippe Nahon) shows up and kills Alex's whole family and kidnaps Alex, it's up to Marie to save her friend from certain death.

Like the title says, the tension is rather high throughout the film. Though speaking of titles, I read something rather interesting. Apparently this movie completely rips off Dean Koontz's novel Intensity (even taking the root word for the title). I used to be a big fan of Koontz, though I hadn't read that one. But even looking up information on the book, I have to say--it's damn near plagiarism what this movie did. It should have given at least inspirational credit or something. IMDb gives Koontz credit, but I don't think the official filmmakers did, which stirred some controversy.

Regardless, the movie was intense and entertaining. The twist, as I'd been warned, doesn't make a lick of sense. I mean, a lot of you think the twist in Book of Eli doesn't make sense because things don't match up... just check this one out. Just thinking about it will make your brain explode. Still, the movie mostly overrides its twist and stays a good, fast ride.

I don't have a heck of a lot to say about the movie. Let's put it this way: If you're a fan of French horror--or even The Hills Have Eyes remake (particularly the portion of the film where Doug slowly becomes a badass)--you'll enjoy this movie. It's well made and entertaining. It's definitely not perfect, but you get what you want out of it. And it also continues my theory that I'll enjoy anything Luc Besson touches (even though he's only an uncredited co-producer in this case).


I Am McLovin!

(P.S. That ends "What A Twist!" Month. It was a lot less fun than I thought it would be. I didn't love it or hate it. I actually came off rather blah about the whole month. Next we'll be getting into a particular month that I've both been looking forward to and dreading. There will be a lot of you that won't care about this particular month of the 60/60 List--mostly because it's full of disturbing and/or horrific films where just even one would make the average viewer want to crawl into a hole. And I'm taking on 9. So stay tuned for WTF Month!)

60/60 Review #29: 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Let me begin by taking you back to the beginning of this project. 2001: A Space Odyssey was originally in my first month--"Space/Sci-Fi"--but it didn't arrive in time from Netflix. Because of this, I had to switch it out with the only other film that made sense to switch it with. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was originally, obviously, in the "What A Twist!" Month, but it also worked with the first month of the project. That being said, 2001 came in from Netflix immediately after I originally needed it... and I've had it ever since. That's right, this little piece of work has been sitting on my coffee table for 6 months, relatively untouched, waiting for this moment. And now that moment has arrived.

Troll 2, which I'll be reviewing later this year, is known for being the "Best Worst Movie." I can honestly say, even by the time I was less than an hour into 2001, that this is the "Worst Best Movie." After 3 minutes of blackness and music, about 7 more minutes of landscapes and music, another 15 minutes of monkeys (and/or early human species) and music, a random monolith (which shows back up later) and music, and another 35 minutes of random space travel and boring talkie stuff (sometimes with music), we reach the hour mark of the movie when the "story" picks up. Humankind is studying this strange monolith thing, along with a computer system HAL. And other really boring crap happens, too.

There are 2 things this movie excels at: Visuals and Music. Let me start with the visuals. The visual effects are mindblowing, and I found myself questioning how Kubrick pulled off a lot of stuff. But everything visually--practical and otherwise--definitely holds up. The soundtrack, of course, is fantastic, as well. But with its reliance on such a classical track and minimal talking, there are some obvious issues that arise. The movie is awfully dull, despite some fascination on how things were pulled off. There's only so much you can take with almost nothing going on for 2.5 hours.

The HAL stuff is definitely interesting. But, of course, that's the part that is most famous. It's the most quoted or referenced bit. It's mysterious and creepy. It also leads into the movie's "twist," which is why it fits into this month. But at the same time, it's still pretty dry and not supremely fascinating. Still, it's the best part of the movie (once things start going bonkers).

On the other hand, there's absolutely no reason to show us every single second of movement and whatnot. There's a reason movies and books tend to skip over scenes of the eventless, menial tasks of everyday life--sleeping (that's not horror or romantic), going to the bathroom (that's not a comedy), quiet meal times (that aren't filled with dramatic tension). I've always dreamed about going into space. But if there were a movie that could possibly make space travel unexciting and actually stop the child-like wonderment of being an astronaut, it's this one. Congratulations, Kubrick. You've made the "eventless scene" movie and killed my childhood dreams in the process.

So this is my summation of the film: The first hour of the movie is a dry Sci-Fi Fantasia with "talkie" interludes and without the charm of Mickey Mouse and dancing hippos. The second hour of the movie is like taking the music out of a techno song, leaving only the monotone, pointless, repetitive babbling. And the last 20 minutes? Um... God had an orgasm, ejaculated Tron, got pissed at how crappy it looked, destroyed the universe in an effort to get rid of the evidence, took some LSD, and remade everything--though with a slight uncertainty on what to do with Dave. That's about the best I can explain it (sorry if you found that offensive). You want to see what a more entertaining (and sensical) version of this movie would be like? You're in luck. It's called WALL-E. Check it out.


WTF

(P.S. I've since looked up information on what even Kubrick said was going on in the film. I figured aliens and evolutionary jumps and all that while watching... but I like my silly interpretation better.)

60/60 Extra: Primal Fear.

Note: I'll be writing this in a Short Review format.

----------------------------------

Premise: A no-nonsense lawyer takes on the case of a disturbed alter boy accused of murdering a priest, but things aren't quite what they appear to be.

Starring: Richard Gere, Edward Norton, Laura Linney, and Frances McDormand.

My Reaction: This was a good little thriller. This was one of the only films this month I didn't know the twist for (though Jason nearly spoiled it for me about 30 minutes before it was revealed). The acting is pretty dang good. The story is interesting, though almost too bloated. There are a couple side stories that fortunately tie into the main one, so they aren't too extraneous. Overall a really good film. The film bordered on too predictable and slightly cliche, but the last 15 minutes or so really does make up for most of it. Good stuff.


I Am McLovin!

(P.S. That's a strong rating. I almost went one higher, but I just didn't feel overall too strongly for it outside the ending. I'd definitely watch it again, though. Another viewing could get a stronger reaction from me--totally possible.)

Musical Monday: Sweeney Todd - A Little Priest (#32).

[Every Monday, I'm going to be counting down my 52 favorite musical numbers from musical movies and TV shows. I might not like the full movie/show, but the number makes the list for various reasons: 1) I have to like the song, 2) the visual of how the number is performed is most likely unique or fun, 3) both song and visual mixes well to create an exciting or powerful number. So let's get to the next on the list.]

I didn't exactly love Sweeney Todd, and it takes a while for the movie to really pick up. But it's about this point in the movie I started liking it. The second I realize the direction the story is going and what this song is going to be about (pretty quickly), I couldn't help but laugh. The whole thing is morbid, punny, and hilarious. It's my favorite song in the movie--A Little Priest.

I'm Lammy Nominated!

Hey! I'm a Lammy-Nominated blog yet again! Hopefully this will be the year I'm a Lammy-Award Winning blog. Make sure to go out and vote for me!









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