Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon. Show all posts

Friday, January 30, 2015

Three Not To Watch (1/30/2015)



Here are three films recently watched or re-watched that I wanted to quickly review (none of which are recommended):

Band of the Hand - Wikipedia says that this film, produced by Michael Mann and directed by Paul Glaser, was originally intended as a TV pilot but was re-cut into a theatrical release. I haven't been able to 100% confirm that, but it makes perfect sense. It looks and feels like a TV movie with a limited budget and a desire to pander to some lesser instincts without breaching 9pm broadcast standards and practices (i.e., OK to blow lots of people away, but watch the swearing and nudity). The movie has some truly cringe-worthy moments - such as Laurence Fishburne's role as a neighborhood crime kingpin that appears to have been crafted by someone that had no more knowledge of the subject than having watched a few bad 70s blaxploitation movies. Or the ridiculous scenes involving junkies and prostitutes that again appear as if out of only the fever dreams of a white suburbanite Reaganista. The right-wing message of this junker is that what the "inner city" (read: black people) really needs is some folks with machine guns to clean things up. It's basically the same brand of crackpot that you hear out of the NRA every time there's a mass shooting - that somehow what the world needs is more guns and violence, not less. So it isn't entirely irrelevant to modern times and even has some anthropological value for those wanting to further explore the seeds of modern right wing paranoia, white flight, and violence fetishism. If the movie weren't so dumb, it might have been dangerous. Screened via Amazon.

Deep Star Six - This Alien knockoff isn't the worst movie you'll ever see, and you could do worse, but why not try to do better? I mean, why not just rent Alien? Everything is shot in neutral, medium shots, which robs this undersea horror movie of any tension or claustrophobia (which the writer tries to convey but it never comes across visually). There is a bizarre lack of urgency throughout the movie, the result of failures by the writers, director, and actors. The movie also spins off on wild tangents, rather than staying focused on the matters at hand. Instead of creating one ticking clock or one problem for the crew, it tries to create 3 or 4. The result is that there's a monster out there, but it gets forgotten for long stretches. And then everyone keeps getting distracted by this or that challenge that pops up at any given time. There just isn't a coherent through-line, no real interesting characters (Miguel Ferrer's character comes closest), and nothing at all surprising. Nothing worth remembering. Streamed via Netflix.

The Prince - This piece of shit almost comes close to the level of "so bad it's good," but even at that it misses the mark. Jason Patric, Bruce Willis, and John Cusack (the latter two probably only showed up for a few days of shooting, although Willis is purportedly the villain) should be embarrassed to have taken the checks for this one. Patric is supposed to be the hero, a reformed New Orleans criminal who does not speak with a New Orleans accent and a purported badass that does not appear to have worked out in a while. Cusack shows up and reasonably goes through the motions, if flatly so, but Willis seems to be actively angry that he agreed to do this pile of crap. You can tell he doesn't want to be there and seems to be gritting his teeth at having to humiliate himself with this material. That makes the crappy script even worse when a key actor can't even be bothered to give a pro's effort. The script is terrible and there's nothing worth watching. There isn't even much entertainment value out of watching three 1990s superstars slumming in this one. The best part might be counting how many times the extras/stuntmen playing henchmen get killed and then reappear (in ballcaps and sunglasses to hide their faces) to get killed again. Go watch John Wick instead, a movie in the same vein but a thousand times better. Screened in the theater.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Thoughts on Some Movies (1/15/2015)


I'm still catching up on some movies released last year. The Academy Award nominations were released earlier today. The list confirms my belief that 2014 was a pretty shitty year for the types of films that get nominated for Academy Awards - but an otherwise solid year overall if you explore the places where the old white men of the Academy do not often play.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Capsule Reviews - Girl Most Likely (2012), Clerks II (2006), and Galaxy Quest (1999)


Galaxy Quest (1999) - It is hard to believe that it has been 15 years since this outstanding entertainment was released. It remains remarkably fresh and, given the budget even for the time, looks pretty darn good - of course smartly using the fact that some of it is supposed to look cheap. While the film doesn't exactly spend a lot of extra time fleshing out the character backgrounds, if you're at all savvy about film and TV it won't matter. A fun story with hints of wit dropped throughout, this is an outstanding comedy well worth a refresh for those that haven't seen it in a while.

Girl Most Likely (2012) - If this were intended as an experiment in seeing what happens when filmmakers mash up a Todd Solondz film with a Farrelly Brothers movie, it might be interesting, if only to prove it doesn't work. Wild tonal inconsistency and characters that don't add up in the least are problems, but the cardinal sin is that it isn't funny - either as a dark comedy or as a broad one. I suspect part of the problem is that the filmmakers intended satire but really didn't have a clear sense of what they wanted to satirize. It also has a really mixed message - suggesting that the lead character, played by Kristen Wiig, needs to stop believing she's entitled to her princess fantasy, only to kind of let her have it anyway. Just go watch the superior Muriel's Wedding instead.

Clerks II (2006) - The sequel to Kevin Smith's DIY indie classic keeps the amateurish direction and poor acting but loses the original's chaotic, punk sensibility and sharp sense of humor. Most of the bits fall flat here and the story feels really forced. There's actually a bit too much story here, departing from the original's slice-of-life feel. Even Smith's stand-up tour videos work best as the witty raconteur delivering unstructured, off-the-cuff anecdotes that are more or less Smith going off on tangents about things that have happened in his life. That doesn't come through here. Because this one is packed with more by-the-books plot drama, it needs actors that can sustain it and that can provide depth beyond just reciting the (amply packed) words. Rosario Dawson mostly gets that done, but that is, unfortunately, about it, and she is really a sideline player here. It just doesn't work, although perhaps Kevin Smith die-hards will disagree (and it is really only for them).

All three were screened on Amazon Prime Instant.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Escape From New York (1981) - Brief Review

Harry Dean Stanton and Donald Pleasence in Escape From New York
Escape from New York is an iconic comedy-action film featuring the second of what would become a five film collaboration between director John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell. The film has well-deserved status as not just one of the top cult action films of all-time, but one of the most enjoyable action movies, period.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Stepmother (1972) - Brief Review


File The Stepmother under "I watch it so you don't have to." What a waste of time.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

The Last American Hero (1973) - Brief Review



The Last American Hero is a 1973 film starring Jeff Bridges and is a fictionalized version of NASCAR legend Junior Johnson's entry into stock car racing. Best when it sticks to character drama and Jeff Bridges' classic Bridges-esque performance, the film only sags, ironically, when the racing begins.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Brief Reviews (5/22/14)



Check out after the jump for three very brief reviews of DamNation, Black Dynamite, and The Kentucky Fried Movie.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) - Brief Review


The first question I had when I started re-watching Jamie Babbit's But I'm A Cheerleader is whether, 15 years later, it would still hold up. The short answer is it actually holds up quite well, although its struggles with some issues that will always leave it as a worthwhile but somewhat minor film.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) - Brief Review


Jon Chu's G.I. Joe: Retaliation is closer to the spirit of the cartoon series than the earlier Rise of Cobra, which is to say that Retaliation has a convoluted plot, is gun-happy, and is completely silly. That's not to say it rises to the level of the very best of the cartoon (or comic book). Too many body bags and no moments like this. At least, however, it does not feel like a total insult to my childhood.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Au Pair Girls (1972) - Review

Classic sexploitation films generally follow a set of rules that range from the silly to the destructive. In the more silly category, the viewer must accept it as normal that women drop their dresses routinely and without thought, and that people fall into and out of love (or the sack) at the drop of a hat. On the more destructive side in sexploitation is the cavalier treatment of rape - where rape is typically no big deal or even presented as just a normal part of a female's sexual experience.

In 1972's Au Pair Girls, from experienced Hammer Films director Val Guest, we get a lot of the silly and a little of the destructive. The movie tells the story of four very attractive au pairs that arrive in England. Each has a story about their first day's experiences in England, ranging from falling in love to learning about the very worst of humanity. 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Brief Film Reviews (4/24/14)


After the jump three pans: Cockfighter, Knights of Badassdom, and If You Don't Stop It, You'll Go Blind:

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Six Pack Annie (1975) - Brief Review


Six Pack Annie is a dreary drive-in comedy starring Lindsay Bloom. Basically a bluer, less amusing, less musical, extended episode of Hee Haw. You might call it "hicksploitation" (a term that I don’t always love in part because people make frustrating lists like this of films that don’t merit the appellation).

Thursday, April 17, 2014

DVD Bargain Bin (4/17/14)

For you collectors out there, a few DVD bargains on some movies and TV I like (all prices, of course, subject to change without notice):


- I've spoken before about my affection for 1970s sitcom Barney Miller, and as I write this Amazon is selling Shout! Factory's DVD set of Barney Miller: The Complete Series for $65.99 - a healthy 59% markdown. That's just over 39 cents per episode and about $2.64 per disc. A good deal; I'd expect that price to change very quickly.


- Another outstanding sitcom from the 1970s is Taxi, and a seller on Amazon right now is offering Taxi: The Complete Series on DVD for $68.14. Not quite as bargain basement here for 17 discs, but at $4 per disc, it still is a pretty darn good price, and you'd probably struggle to find a used set at that price.

- Some independent sellers on Amazon have posted the outstanding The Tillman Story at excellent prices, with fulfillment via Amazon Prime. As I write this you can get the Blu-Ray at $8.03 here and the DVD at $6.35 here. Great documentary - see it one way or another.




- Amazon is also holding a sale on the Mad Max Trilogy on Blu-ray for $24.99. Buying them individually on Blu-ray would run you about $40, so it's not a bad deal if you don't already have any of them (but there doesn't appear to be anything new here if you have one or two already and are just looking to complete the set). I'd rank order them (1) Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior), (2) Mad Max, and (3) Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. I highly recommend all three and all three have different feels while building around the same lead character (the role that made Mel Gibson an international star). Wildly influential in the last few decades.


- Both Wal-Mart and Amazon have the cheesy, but fun Highlander (Director's Cut) Blu-Ray for $5. Once you figure out which seller you can most live with morally and politically, you can buy it from Amazon here or at Wal-Mart here.

- Amazon has also price-matched Wal-Mart for Winter's Bone [Blu-ray] ($5.39), King Of New York [Blu-ray] ($5.39), and Reservoir Dogs [Blu-ray] ($5.00).

Enjoy.