rate the last movie you saw

[Monterey Jack]

Told you you'd like it, Andy. It is a patchwork quilt of its sci-fi ancestors, but it's just nice to see a sci-fi movie actually about ideas, and one that allows a little breathing space for more than just overproduced action setpieces.

[Paul MacLean]

The Tenant

An atmospheric and visually interesting but overlong and convoluted psychological thriller. Roman Polanski is one of my favorite filmmakers (and one of the greatest living directors), but this is not of of his better films. It is better than Frantic or Pirates, but nowhere near in league with Chinatown, Macbeth or The Pianist.

Part of the problem is that The Tenant is the story of a man going insane but told from his point of view...so we're never really sure which scenes are "real" and which are products of his ebbing sanity. The film does boast effectively moody, intense photography by Sven Nykvist and a nice (if sparse) score by Philiipe Sarde (who also cameos early in the film).


Reservoir Dogs

Continuing my efforts to catch-up on those early Taratino films. Reservoir Dogs is undeniably a taut, suspenseful thriller, with superb acting from a first-rate cast (well, except for Chris Penn, who merely does a Joe Pesci impression -- a good Joe Pesci impression, but nothing more than that).

Tarantino's main strength is his ability write excellent dialog and characters which allow actors to really shine (no doubt in part because Tarantino was trained as an actor himself). However, such is the emphasis on dialog (and the fact the film mostly takes place on one set) that Reservoir Dogs isn't especially cinematic, and is almost more like a stage play than a movie.

But my only real misgiving is that sick scene where Michael Madsen tortures the cop. Of course it's established that Madsen's character is psychotic, but Madsen brings a kind of twisted charm to the roll, and fact that "Stuck in the Middle With You" (one the most awful songs ever written) enjoyed a newfound popularity in the wake of this film (and in particular its use in this scene) suggests that a lot of people thought this scene was "cool".

In any case, it is a decent, well-acted if somewhat irresponsible thriller (and considerably better than Tarantino's later, more talky work).

[AndyDursin]

From the front page:

THE CONJURING
9/10

Gut wrenching, beautifully filmed and perfectly paced, THE CONJURING isn’t just one of the best supernatural chillers of recent years – it truly deserves a place next to “The Exorcist,” “The Innocents” and “Poltergeist” as one of the more memorable cinematic excursions into the paranormal ever produced. That may sound like high praise, but walking out of director James Wan’s stunning thriller, I was hard pressed to think of other horror movies that have captivated me from start to end as much as this one did.

Chad and Carey Hayes’ screenplay takes the true story of a Rhode Island family’s haunting in the early ‘70s and embellishes it into a film that grips you from its earliest frames, while Wan – the director who single-handedly launched a decades worth of gory “torture porn” pictures with the original “Saw” – here demonstrates a far greater command of the screen with what many have already called a directorial tour de force. In fact, Wan utilizes a documentary-styled approach that’s closer to William Friedkin’s 1973 classic than any other supernatural film I can recall, and expertly works with John R. Leonetti’s cinematography and a masterful sound design to create one of the more brilliantly directed pictures this genre has seen in years.

The Perron family – led by parents Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston – move into their home in northern Rhode Island and quickly notice standbys of any film haunting: bumps in the night, unseen forces that cause their dog to bark, and an occasional chill that permeates the air. Their five young daughters, though, are quickly put into the crosshair of a supernatural entity that wants more than to just make its presence known, physically announcing itself by grabbing the girls and causing bruises to Taylor that she believes are just the result of an iron deficiency. Ultimately, the Perrons call in paranormal experts Lorraine and Ed Warren (Vera Fermiga and Patrick Wilson), the earliest “Ghost Hunters,” who soon realize the family isn’t suffering from a noisy oil burner on its last legs causing a ruckus.

“The Conjuring” carries an R rating but the film’s violence is minimal and its profanity nearly non-existent. Wan eschews the gratuitousness of his past works in favor of a less is more approach that’s just as scary for what you don’t see as what you do (particularly when young Andrea Perron first encounters a ghost, standing in the corner of her room but only visible to her – not the audience). At first, it might be easy to resist the movie’s familiar structure, but as the story unfolds, it’s nearly impossible not to get wrapped up in the family’s plight as the supernatural occurrences increase. The effectiveness is all due to Wan’s direction and the uniformly believable performances of Taylor, Fermiga and Wilson, not to mention the unaffected young actresses playing the tormented Perron girls. Yet even with all the chilling moments, you come to care about these people, and the emotional catharsis that closes the picture is something few films in this genre have been able to duplicate (kudos to Joseph Bishara for a moody, effective score as well, with Mark Isham contributing a poignant “family theme” that plays a significant role in the film’s concluding moments).

“The Conjuring” is at a disadvantage compared to other films in its genre because it’s had to follow classic films like “The Exorcist,” “The Haunting” and “Poltergeist.” For viewers resistant to horror films in general, there’s probably little here they haven’t seen before, and one could argue the more explicitly visceral elements of the haunting are its weakest asset. Nevertheless, Wan’s movie grabs you and doesn’t let go until the credits have rolled – and even then, you might be checking the rear view mirror, just to make sure nothing’s followed you home. That’s frightful filmmaking at its finest, and “The Conjuring” is unquestionably the most effective cinematic haunt of this generation.

[mkaroly]

Well, you've certainly got my interest up - remains to be seen when I'll have time, but I might just have to check this one out.

[Monterey Jack]

Have an $8 ticket to The Conjuring, hoping to see it early next week.

[AndyDursin]

The one thing I'll say on THE CONJURING -- try to dial down your expectation level. I wouldn't go in expecting it to be "the greatest horror movie ever." It isn't the "scariest film ever made," it doesn't have the most shocks. But given my knowledge of the film's reviews, that I still found it to be an incredibly well made FILM, in general, I absolutely would put it up there with the better supernatural films I can recall. It's the overall atmosphere and tension it generated that really worked for me, not because it had a bunch of gory set pieces or what not.

I could also see the film being ruined with the wrong audience. Granted it's fun seeing a horror film with an active set of viewers, but so much of this movie is SILENT, that even hearing the guy in back of me crinkle his M&M bag throughout the film was a distraction. I can only imagine having to sit there with some giggling teenagers or talking couples who would ruin the atmosphere.

Have an $8 ticket to The Conjuring, hoping to see it early next week.

$8 off?

I buy all of my Showcase Cinema passes through AAA (my wife can also get them at work), they end up being $7.75 per ticket.

[Monterey Jack]

$8 off?

I buy all of my Showcase Cinema passes through AAA (my wife can also get them at work), they end up being $7.75 per ticket.

I got the ticket on a Blu-Ray copy of Book Of Eli. With various "movie cash" promos, you'd be surprised how few movies I pay for out of my own pocket.

[Paul MacLean]

Side By Side

Fascinating documentary about the revolution in digital cinema and the potential obsolescence of celluloid, co-produced by Keannu Reeves (who also conducts the interviews). While most people (even film fans) might find this topic less-than-interesting, it is an important subject that has far-reaching repercussions for the way films are shot, edited and exhibited.

Quite a few high-profile directors and cinematographers offer their insights on the digital revolution, some in favor of it (Lucas, Lynch, Soderbergh) some adamantly against it (Nolan). Highly recommended.

[AndyDursin]

THE WAY WAY BACK
8/10

If you're looking for a nice switch from the loud, bombastic effects spectacles of this summer, "The Way Way Back" is a satisfying, splendidly performed tale of a withdrawn teenage boy trying to make a lousy summer on Cape Cod -- with his mom (Toni Collette) and her obnoxious new boyfriend (Steve Carell) -- palatable. Veteran screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash have written an honest, and poignant, film about a kid trying to find his footing amongst a group of primarily annoying, self-absorbed grown-ups in a location one character describes as "spring break for adults".

Less comedic than "Adventureland" (a good, underrated movie) but more honest and substantial dramatically, "The Way Way Back" is a heartbreaking, well-rounded and believable film. Even the annoying character Carell portrays exists in a credible state of ambiguity -- he's clearly not a nice guy, but his character's also not written as a stock, totally awful person either. Sam Rockwell is terrific as the boy's ultimate mentor: a slacker working in a local Water Park. Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, Amanda Peet and Rob Corddry fill out other supporting roles -- and both Liam James (as Duncan, the awkward teen) and AnnaSophia Robb (as Janney's understanding daughter) are winning as the movie's young leads.

The lone oddity in the film is the time and place: the film looks like it's set in the 80s, is filled with 80s songs, 80s references, and 80s cars...yet for no obvious reason, the characters have cell phones and ipods. I don't know if it was a studio concession or not, but it's the lone, strange element in a very human picture that ends with a perfect, semi-open ended conclusion that hints at a brighter future for at least two of its characters -- without wrapping the conclusion up in a tidy little bow.

Incidentally, the water park (Water Wizz!) where much of the film takes place is a real location on Cape Cod. There's also a fellow, smaller park near me in Westerly, RI -- and there are a few shots of it in the movie too. Oddly, that park was ALSO featured in another Carell film shot locally, DAN IN REAL LIFE...who knew he'd be in two films shot in the same southern New England water park??

Well worth it -- Fox is releasing the film only in limited distribution, and it might make a fast track to video if it doesn't catch on, but it's definitely worth tracking down.

[Monterey Jack]

X-Men movies, ranked best-to-worst...

-X2 (2003): 9/10

-First Class (2011): 8.5/10

-X-Men (2000): 7/10

-The Wolverine (2013): 7/10

-The Last Stand (2006): 6/10

-Origins: Wolverine (2009): 5/10

[AndyDursin]

I don't know what it was, but I just had no interest in seeing THE WOLVERINE. It looked okay, but I've been superheroed out and the story didn't really appeal to me.

It's interesting to see the powers-at-be now pairing up characters and franchises because the returns are slowing down just a bit. MAN OF STEEL didn't knock it out of the park, so we'll be getting a BATMAN/SUPERMAN movie instead of a straight, solo Superman sequel. X-MEN FIRST CLASS did fine, but they feel the more viable commercial option now is to combine BOTH casts of the X-Men franchises for this next movie. It's like they are starting to hedge their bets a little because the audience may not be that interested.

WOLVERINE's opening was down a whopping $25 million from the prior Wolverine movie. Certainly a product, perhaps, of that film being bad, but also quite possibly viewer fatigue starting to settle in as well.

[Monterey Jack]

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994): 7.5/10

You know, for kids!

[AndyDursin]

GREYSTOKE
7/10

I hadn't watched this picture in years (Warner Archive just released it on Blu-Ray) and what a missed opportunity. Entertaining, great to look at, but Hugh Hudson mangled what could've been a thrilling adventure picture. That whole second half in Scotland -- Hudson's creation -- is like a mediocre Merchant-Ivory film and totally plays at odds with the source material. Add in a limp romantic relationship that never ignites between Lambert and the Glenn Close-dubbed Andie McDowell and you have a film that occasionally flirts with greatness but is sabotaged by some fundamentally poor filmmaking decisions (casting, script, etc.). Overall, I was left lamenting that Towne's original script wasn't filmed as written, and that he didn't get the chance to direct it himself.

Excellent production history of this troubled film (including how Warner drastically recut the picture, removing 40 minutes, after bad test screenings) is up at TCM for those you might need their memories refreshed:

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.h ... 3%7C359334

[mkaroly]

Fritz the Night Owl (who is almost 80!!) hosted a double feature here in Columbus at CAPA, so this is what I saw:

THE BLACK CAT (1934) - 10/10. This is the first time I have ever seen this film (shame on me) and all I can say is, "WOW!" Lugosi and Karloff are wonderful and frightening (loved Lugosi's line "Baloney, perhaps not."); the film is amazingly disturbing in its story and the interactions/motives of the characters. The set was unsettling but beautiful, and many of the images in the film were haunting and downright creepy: the women encased in glass, and the shadow of Lugosi flaying Karloff...black and white film does things color just can't. The film is full of highly charged sexual imagery as well: I was not expecting Karloff to grab the arm of a statue of a naked woman when he saw Julie Bishop's character (and frankly I am amazed that got by the censors!); the framing of that was perfect! I was equally shocked when I saw Karloff and Lugosi's daughter in bed together, and the erotic "touching" between Alison and his wife the next morning - overall it is a weird story but incredibly effective (at least to me). Lugosi really shined in this film. Yes, it is goofy at times but overall very dramatic, unsettling, and effective. There is a fluidity to the film that distinguishes it from the next one I am about to review.

SON OF DRACULA (1943) - 2/10. I appreciated the special effects in the movie. They did a great job with the flying bat (whose strings I rarely saw), the transformation into Dracula from a bat, and the mist. However, as good of an actor as Lon Chaney Jr. was, he looked too much like Clark Gable and completely unthreatening. His Dracula was more of a tragic character than a horror icon. Additionally, I have never seen a movie where every day happenings (opening and closing doors, lighting pipes, movement from one space to another) seemed so UNnatural and staged. The story wasn’t that enthralling, and I felt it was somewhat anti-climactic (though Dracula’s repetition of how “young and virile” the American race was smacked of Hitler…or at least made me think of Hitler and World War II). Ultimately I don’t think it was a very good movie. And the “Van Helsing” character had about as much charisma as a silly sci-fi B movie scientist.

[AndyDursin]

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
7.5/10

Derek Cianfrance’s second picture is an impressively shot, absorbing character study of two individuals: a struggling young man (Ryan Gosling) who makes several poor decisions in order to support his girlfriend (Eva Mendes) and their young son – even though she’s already moved on with another man – and the cop (Bradley Cooper) whose life crosses paths with him and is irrevocably altered as a result.

Although the picture runs nearly two-and-a-half hours, Cianfrance, Ben Coccio and Darius Marder’s original screenplay can be summed up over the course of just a few sentences. For some viewers that may be an issue as “The Place Beyond the Pines” (named for the film’s Schenectady, New York setting) is definitely leisurely paced, yet other viewers may find the picture’s straight, uncluttered narrative to be refreshing. What’s unquestionably remarkable is Cianfrance’s spectacular use of widescreen – the angles and dimension of the movie’s visual scope give the material dramatic heft, and with Sean Bobbit handling the cinematography, I’d go so far as to say this is one of the more memorably shot crime-dramas I’ve ever seen.

“The Place Beyond the Pines” doesn’t have a powerhouse conclusion, and the movie’s female leads don’t have much to do (Rose Byrne’s role is especially thankless), but this is nevertheless an ambitious and occasionally spellbinding dramatic work that signals great things may lie ahead for its director.