020: Risky Business (1983)

Title: Risky Business (1983)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano
Directed By: Paul Brickman

You know those movies that you swear you've seen, but then it'll be on TV and you won't recognize the scene that's on? For me, this was one of those movies.

I already knew what was going to happen, and to whom, and how. But, I guess I just never actually sat down and WATCHED it. I figure it's probably pretty pointless to write it up now, 27 years after it's release, so what I'll say is this...

Risky Business is every bit the 80's classic it's cracked up to be. Things are in this movie that would NEVER fly with audiences today, and it's all the better for it. I'm sure most of you didn't miss out on this, and now I'm glad I haven't either.

Recommended.

Score: 8/10

019: Comic Book: The Movie (2004)

Title: Comic Book: The Movie (2004)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Billy West, Donna D'Errico
Directed By: Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill produces, directs and stars in this documentary-style commentary on the comic book-to-Hollywood trend. In it, he plays Don Swan a small-town comic collector who's been asked by a major film studio to consult on a new comic book movie. Can the nerdy comic book collecting everyman go out to San Diego Comic Con and convince the Hollywood studio to make a straightforward translation that honors the original book's legacy? No. And yes. I won't over-spoilerize and explain, let's just say that everything works out in the end. I expected no less.

Since it is done (mostly) documentary style, we get to see a TON of nerd-cred cameos (mostly) in the form of interviews conducted by Don Swan. We see Stan Lee, Kevin Smith, J.J. Abrams, Bruce Campbell, Hugh Hefner, and a LOT more. For the most part, the interviews are used cleverly to move the loose plot forward. Fans of Kevin Smith will delight in his "giant spider" story. He's told it before and he'll tell it again, but here it's used with a wink and a nod. It's very funny.

While more of a co-star than a cameo, special recognition goes to Billy West as Leo Matusik. Billy is best known as a voice actor, having provided voices for well over a hundred projects, e.g. Futurama and Ren & Stimpy. But here, he shines as a down-on-his-luck simpleton thrust into the Hollywood nightlife.

As a director, Hamill takes tangential snippets and comedic "bits" and somehow transforms them into a fluid easy-to-follow story. This film becomes a celebration of nerd culture, and Comic Con especially. Recommended.

Score: 7/10

018: Lil' Pimp (2005)

Title: Lil' Pimp (2005)
Starring: Bernie Mac, Ludacris, William Shatner
Directed By: Mark Brooks & Peter Gilstrap

Originally scheduled by Sony for a theatrical release in 2003, this movie kept getting pushed back further and further until it was released straight to DVD in 2005. It's understood that the reason it kept getting the shaft was that it had one horrendous test screening after another. The people who had the "pleasure" of seeing this ahead of time and for free, were right to walk out angry.

You see, there actually is a good, funny movie here somewhere. Something along the line of Bebe's Kids. It's written, directed by, and starring two of the guys responsible for The Slim Shady Show, the animated Eminem web series. The problem with this movie, similar to Slim Shady, is that for every good joke (and there are a couple), you've got to put up with about 20 useless minutes filled with really BAD dialogue and sub-par delivery.

You can tell this was meant to be a big theatrical release too. The animation style is defined and done well, and the cast is pretty impressive. It includes Bernie Mac, William Shatner, Ludacris, Lil' Kim, John C. McGinley, Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite!), Jennifer Tilly, David Spade, Danny Bonaduce and more. It's a shame that most of them are wasted on ridiculously awful "off-color" humor, each joke trying to be more raunchy than the one before. Ludacris, playing a talking hedgehog named Weathers, has the most successful jokes. It's a shame that that's all his character is, a delivery system for over excited, fowl-mouthed one-liners.

I'd say, if you can set your expectations a little low and have a soft spot in your heart for raunchy cartoons with plenty of immature adult humor, you could probably do worse than Lil' Pimp. Probably.

Score: 4.5/10

017: Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

Title: Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
Starring: Kevin James, Jayma Mays, Keir O'Donnell
Directed By: Steve Carr

I get it. He's fat.
That's hysterical.

Kevin James, you deserve so much better than this; AND you're credited as a writer! I'm guessing the credit came from improv moments or general character quirks, but come on!

The basic plot (if you can call it that) is "lovable fat security guard + Die Hard = hilarious!" I chuckled once. And I was ashamed. For those who've suffered through this mess, it was at Jamal Mixon's "Happy Meal" joke. Yeah, I'm sorry.

The fact that this movie made barrels of money (earning back more than it's $25 Million budget in its first weekend and going on to gross well over $145 Million in the US alone) is disturbing. And that's not to mention the added attention it got when it was nominated for a 2009 Teen Choice Award for favorite comedy (which it lost to Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian)!

Hollywood will not stop churning out these mindless wastes of celluloid EVER! But why would they? They're so inexpensive to make, they really only need 1 out of 5 to make any kind of bank to remain profitable.

Here's my personal note to America: STOP PAYING TO SEE CRAP MOVIES! IF YOU MUST SEE IT, WAIT FOR CABLE!

Oh, and avoid Paul Blart: Mall Cop, cuz it sucks.

Score: 4/10

016: The Book of Eli (2010)

Title: The Book of Eli (2010)
Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Directed By: The Hughes Brothers

The Book of Eli is your standard post-apocalyptic wasteland fare. You've got the lonely wanderer on an unexplained quest. You've got the desperate scavengers, the barely-standing settlements run by bad guys, the beautiful and out of place damsel in distress, the cars that run even though there hasn't been a gas station in 30 years, etc. You know, all the things that the Mad Max movies said you have to have in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

The thing that's so depressing about this, is that none of it is ever explored more deeply than that. How did Carnegie (Gary Oldman) take over his town in the first place? He's obviously not the strongest or most dangerous person there, but he gets to bark orders at his soldiers. Why did they ever START listening to him? Why is Eli (Denzel Washington) alone? He's on a quest, we get that. But why wouldn't he be trying to get others to participate in his pilgrimage? How did he learn to fight? He tells us he's been on this journey for a long time, but at what point did he stop to practice his aim and hone his swordsmanship? I wished for more from these characters, because all we really got were carbon copies of things we've seen before. There is one "big reveal", but it wasn't the game-changer that the Hughes' had hoped for; and they even screwed it up for themselves earlier in the film.

There were plenty of good things. I liked the look of this movie, the colors are washed out a little. The sky is always clear, the sun always bright, but it's harsh and never optimistic. The costumes seemed appropriate. The cameo appearances were great as well: Michael Gambon, Tom Waits, Malcolm McDowell; all perfect for this type of story. The action was (mostly) handled well too.

Really, the film's biggest downfall is that we've already seen all this before. I guess I just hoped for at least something different from the first movie by Albert & Allen Hughes since 2001's From Hell. Instead, I got exactly what the trailer told me I would.

Score: 6.5/10

015: Humpday (2009)

Title: Humpday (2009)
Starring: Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, Alycia Delmore
Directed By: Lynn Shelton

Two days ago, Vanity Fair published an article about what they've dubbed the "Humpday Effect". It explains how the smaller, less lauded indie films get overlooked come awards season. In it, they make a strong case for the strength of the script and for the powerful performances in the film. It's sad that without a significantly expensive campaign by the studio, a film like this will be overlooked. No offense to Robert Downey Jr. or to Sherlock Holmes, but if it were up to me to reward a comedic performance from this year with say, the Golden Globe, I would personally be inclined to give it to one of the two leads in this movie over him. Although, then we wouldn't have gotten his amazing acceptance speech or this hilarious interview.

But back to the issue at hand, how is Humpday? It's good. Really good. The plot involves two straight college buddies reconnecting after some years apart and deciding to make a porno film. Together. Starring only the two of them. Ridiculous as it may sound, the set up is handled nicely and with just enough substance to make it somewhat believable. Also handled deftly in the script is what the idea of making this film becomes. It's the elephant in the room. The movie is more about the emotions that come with the moment at hand moving ever more near than it is about the actual moment.

Most of the film was improvised by the three leads. Mark Duplass and Joshua (Josh from The Blair Witch Project) Leonard play the two friends, Ben and Andrew. Alycia Delmore plays Ben's wife Anna. There is a REALLY good chemistry between these three, and when they're given the chance to play off of each other, the film gives us some truly tender and amazingly heartfelt moments. Not all of the improv works quite so well. There are some scenes that tend to go on a little too long and that become a little too repetitive. All in all though, they work more than not.

The direction is a little all-over-the-place and sometimes the camera shots are disorienting, so that's a definite minus. The best thing the film has going for it though is it's pacing. We get just enough intro time to the characters to know who they are and to have an expectation as to how they'll react to the impending situation. Then it's full steam ahead with the plot, right up until the ever more tense and frustrating moment of truth. I won't spoil what goes down or how, but I will say this that you could cut the tension oozing off the screen with a knife. It's tangible. It's real.

This is definitely a funny twist on the whole "bromance" genre, and I truly do wish it could have reached a bigger audience than it did. Maybe then, this awards season would have a few more indie underdogs to root for. Recommended.

Score: 7.5/10

014: World's Greatest Dad (2009)

Title: World's Greatest Dad (2009)
Starring: Robin Williams, Daryl Sabara, Alexie Gilmore
Directed By: Bobcat Goldthwait

The premise of this film, from writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait, could alone have spelled its doom. The troubled son of a failed writer kills himself. The grieving writer then ghostwrites a suicide note which becomes public at the kid's school. The kid becomes a sort of folk hero and the writer reaps all the benefits. There is a little bit more to it than that, but I'll leave it at that as not to over-spoilerize. What could easily have been a melancholy character study about the selfishness we sometimes indulge in when grieving, instead becomes a piece of darkly comic gold.

Robin Williams is in top form as Lance Clayton, the boy's father. It's his performance that allows us to share in this journey with him. The character could have come across as a callous, selfish ass of a man. Instead, we sympathize. We get it. When speaking for his dead son, Lance finally found a voice of his own. It makes sense that he would be hesitant to give that up.

Another performance worth mentioning is that of Daryl Sabara as the son, Kyle. Goldthwait wrote Kyle as everything a teenage boy should be. He's crass, vulgar, horny, disrespectful, innocent and confused. But the words on the page can only take us so far. Sabara brings to him a certain amount of credibility. He makes him not only believable, but likeable. Maturation is a tough thing to go through and Sabara conveys this masterfully. He makes us understand where he is coming from.

I tip my hat to Bobcat Goldthwait. This movie is incredible. It hits every single note that it strives for. From the script, which includes well-developed and insightful characters; to the editing, which is done masterfully; to the (perfect) soundtrack, this film succeeds from top to bottom.

Highly recommended.

Score: 9/10

013: The Gamers: Dorkness Rising (2008)

Title: The Gamers: Dorkness Rising (2008)
Starring: Nathan Rice, Carol Roscoe, Brian Lewis
Directed By: Matt Vancil

So, I'm a dork, right? And I have been known to game from time to time. And I do really like inside jokes and dorky, nerdy humor. So basically this movie was made for me. I do think that non-gamers and non-dorks can find something to enjoy in the story and humor though, so I'm gonna rate this movie kind of high. It's very low budget and very independent. But the movie is all the better for it. This is, after all, a love letter to role playing.

The production issues and cast took a little getting used to in the beginning, but by the end I was fully immersed and definitely entertained. I loved how detailed game characters' world was. I loved all the inside jokes for nerds (allusions to everything from comic strips to Star Wars). There were some flaws, but overall nothing major and I found myself really really enjoying this movie.

Recommended if you know anything about RPG's and you want a good laugh or for fans of The Big Bang Theory, The Guild, or Legend of Neil (similar humor).

Score: 7/10

012: Sunshine Cleaning (2009)

Title: Sunshine Cleaning
Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin
Directed By: Christine Jeffs

There came a time while watching Sunshine Cleaning that I realized something just isn't right. This character is way too sweet and likeable to have such a perceivably hard life. And then it hit me, it isn't hard. Her kid's a kid. Her relationship's a relationship. Her life's a life. That's how it goes sometimes. The thing that was bothering me about the film was how difficult it tried to make everything look, while still moving inevitably toward its (forced) happy ending.

Rose (Adams) is a sweet single mom in a crappy relationship with her married high school sweetheart. She has a crappy job and drives a crappy car. We know all we need to know about Rose about 5 minutes in. Yet, all of these points are thrown at us again and again and again in its 91 minute runtime. Also in the first 5 minutes, Rose gets the idea to open her own crime scene cleanup company. It would have been a fascinating five minutes really, if all the hard work weren't done by EVERYONE ELSE.

In fact, Rose begins to become an afterthought because the people in her life are so much more interesting than her. Her son Oscar (played by Jason Spevack) has wonderful, interesting exchanges in most of his scenes. His is a story worth exploring more than watching Rose cry by herself for the fourth time because of how crappy everything is. Or perhaps we could have spent more time with Rose's sister Norah (Blunt). Norah begins an ill-fated friendship/relationship with Lynn (played impeccably by Mary Lynn Rajskub) through her connection to one of their crime scene jobs. And I definitely could have spent some more time with Winston (Clifton Collins Jr.), the one-armed model plane building cleaning supply store clerk. His scenes with Oscar are among the best the film has to offer.

I know it sounds like a lot of negative, but the movie isn't bad by any means. It sticks perfectly to the indie formula, even when the script forces it a little as with the "tying up all loose ends into a nice happy bow" ending. The direction and camera work are good. The performances are solid throughout with the exception of Amy Adams whose "so-pathetic-it's-cute" schtick wears a little thin by the film's conclusion. All in all, standard fare.

Score: 6.5/10

011: Idiocracy (2006)

Title: Idiocracy (2006)
Starring: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard
Directed By: Mike Judge

The problems plaguing Idiocracy stem from 2 things. 1) Their ideas were a little too big for their budget. 2) Mike Judge has done better, so the bar may have been set a little too high.

I liked this movie a lot, honestly. But I can't help but think of what this could have been instead of what it was. Luke Wilson is funny and engaging as the lead. Maya Rudolph steals nearly every scene she's in. The graphics look par for a film released in 2006. But there's just something that's missing. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Mike Judge has long been ahead of the game. His works tend to be the kind that you appreciate even more when you're looking back on them. Perhaps in a few years, I'll give this one another look and have a completely different take on it. For now, though, I can only say that it's watchable enough to take a look at but it isn't exactly reinventing the comedy wheel.

Score: 6.5/10

010: Big Fan (2009)

Title: Big Fan (2009)
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Kevin Corrigan, Michael Rappaport
Directed By: Robert D. Siegel

I've been trying to see this movie for 5 months or so. It was scheduled to play a very limited run a few months ago at a relatively close theatre but, truth be told, if it actually made it there then I missed it. The movie was released on DVD yesterday. I'm writing this today. So (I think it's probably a moot point but I feel I should tell you), I had pretty high hopes for this one. I was not let down.

As Paul Aufiero, Patton Oswalt is incredible here. Sure, there's a lot of his typical "lovable schlub" in this character, but he delves deeper than that. You get an inside look at the two warring sides of Paul, the fan and the man. As for the football fan, I'm a long time listener of sports talk programs, and Oswalt's "Paul from Staten Island" who calls regularly to a local radio show was spot-on. As for the conflicted person behind the fan, the actor shows us a side of himself that even his biggest fans might not have known was there. We see a proud, conflicted, beaten man and the lengths to which he's willing to go to maintain his own sense of "normalcy". It is easily a career performance for him, and one that I can't praise enough.

The cast supporting him are all wonderful as well. Kevin Corrigan is pitch perfect as Paul's best friend and maybe the only person who understands him. Also in top form are Marcia Jean Kurtz as Paul's mother and Gino Cafarelli as his successful brother. I believed them as members of the same family. They all played really well off one another.

It is Oswalt's show to steal, but that isn't a very easy task considering how well-drafted the script is. First time director Robert D. Siegel (who also scripted 2008's The Wrestler) did the writing duties here as well. Without blowing too much smoke, all I can say is that this guy has definitely come a long way since his previous gig as Editor-In-Chief of The Onion. I am eagerly anticipating whatever comes next from him as a writer AND as a director.

In a previous review, I talked about how a performance can elevate an indie movie to "must see" status. This is one of those movies. Patton Oswalt's is one of those performances. Recommended.

Score: 8.5/10

009: Good Dick (2008)

Title: Good Dick (2008)
Starring: Marianna Palka, Jason Ritter, Martin Starr
Directed By: Marianna Palka

Good Dick is an odd film. Not bad! Just odd. It follows many of the rules of your typical indie romantic comedy, but it isn't a romantic comedy. It's funny at times and sweet at times, but the characters themselves won't allow this to become a rom-com. It is in fact, an exercise in brutal honesty.

Jason Ritter is the man, Marianna Palka is the woman (neither of them are ever given a name). Man works at a video store with his friends. Watching them interact with each other and with the customers feels real. You could see these guys working at this exact video store and saying these exact things. Woman is a customer at the store. She rents porn there. Exclusively. Man becomes quite enamored with woman and decides to pursue her. He does this as creepily as possible. After much ado, Woman allows man into her life. She does this as begrudgingly as possible. The two don't make a good pair at all. But then again, they're perfect for each other. It's quite odd.

What follows are often unexplainable exchanges between Man and Woman. Eventually the exchanges lead to consequences for each of them, both in the relationship and outside of it. And then eventually the credits start. That's honestly about as detailed an account of this movie anyone could truthfully write without quoting Man and Woman verbatim.

You see, this isn't just a movie about what happens between two new lovers. It's not a giant McGuffin just to get them to their happily ever after. It's a brutally honest portrayal of two broken people coming together and, in their own ways, helping one another. During the movie, I laughed, because there are some very funny parts. But I also knew that what I was watching was powerful. Much more so than your typical rom-com.

I'd say that's what first-time writer/director Marianna Palka captured best. The sheer power of a relationship, regardless of how rocky it is or how messed up the people in it are. Recommended.

Score: 7/10

008: Youth In Revolt (2010)

Title: Youth In Revolt (2010)
Starring: Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Zach Galifinakis
Directed By: Miguel Arteta

A lot of people are getting tired of the Michael Cera "schtick". I'm one of them. How many times can we be expected to believe him as the softspoken and lovable offbeat teenager? If you, too, are sick of this typecasting then you should give Youth in Revolt a try.

You will have to put up with Michael Cera being Michael Cera, but occasionally you'll be treated to the masterpiece that is "Francois Dillinger". Francois is the alter ego of Cera's character Nick Twisp. Nick falls for Sheeni and wants to be with her. But the only way that's going to happen is if he's bad (there's more to it in the plot, but I'll not get in to it here). Enter Francois Dillinger. Francois is the embodiment of all Nick's pent up aggression, and his actions give Nick a chance to be with Sheeni.

How this all plays out, I'll leave a secret but know this... Whenever "Francois" is on the screen, I liked it. And that sincerely is a credit to Cera. The character could've come across as forced and terrible, but what I saw could've been a spot-on Michael Cera impersonator doing an evil Michael Cera. And it was good. I liked seeing him step outside his comfort zone and just let loose a little.

The rest of the cast are all great as well. Zach Galifinakis and Ray Liotta nail their parts. I wish we would've seen more of both of them. Jean Smart and Steve Buscemi are tops as always as Nick's parents. Just as good were Justin Long, M. Emmet Walsh and Fred Willard in supporting roles. But there were 2 actors who surprised me. First was Portia Doubleday as Sheeni. The character was written a little more stuck-up and coldhearted, I think. But when it's coming from Doubleday, everything gets a little nicer. The second actor to catch me off guard was Adhir Kalyan as Vijay. It takes a certain skill to really pull off the "second banana" part, and Kalyan was aces throughout.

All in all, Youth in Revolt is a pretty good movie all around. But the young cast makes the best of their material, giving it that little something extra. Recommended.

Score: 8/10

007: Runaway (1984)

Title: Runaway (1984)
Starring: Tom Selleck, Cynthia Rhodes, Gene Simmons
Directed By: Michael Crichton

Runaway is a perfect example of a bad movie. The characters make bad decisions that don't make sense, and they apparently have no inner monologue. The enemy is predictable and foolhardy. The "tech" is cheesy and needlessly overcomplicated (even for the 80's). The direction is all over the place. The performances are stiff. It. Is. Bad.

Having already explained my stance on defending action movies, allow me to provide for you the exception that proves the rule. There are good "bad" movies. You know, the ones you can't help but enjoy even though you know it's crap. There are bad "good" movies too. These would be the films that are superior from every technical standpoint, yet they're just not enjoyable. You don't know why, but something irks you about it and you just don't like it. Runaway is neither. It's the "bad bad movie that you wanna watch with a group of friends so you can all laugh at how excruciatingly terrible it is" movie.

Watching this, I was amazed that it wasn't Crichton's first time in the director's chair. Then I remembered Westworld and how much I liked it when I saw it as a kid (maybe that'll have to be reviewed for this blog!). It was baffling how truly awful some of the ideas that ended up on the screen were. Add to that phoned-in performances from Tom Selleck & Kirstie Alley, a way-too-excitable Cynthia Rhodes, and a "Look at me! I'm evil in a movie!" Gene Simmons and you've got a big hot mess.

You probably haven't seen it yet, so don't. Unless you've got a 12-pack and 4 or 5 buddies to truly embrace the suck.

Score: 3.5/10

006: The Ant Bully (2006)

Title: The Ant Bully (2006)
Starring: Zach Tyler, Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts
Directed By: John A. Davis

As a superdork, I make it a point to watch most animated projects. There's just something about them that's always appealing to me. The problem with that though, is that I've pretty much seen it all. Been there, done that. And that's the feeling I had while watching this movie.

Sure, there were impressive enough visuals; and it has a stellar cast (especially considering it's a non-Pixar and non-Dreamworks CG film). But the whole time, I couldn't help but think how predictable and dated the whole idea felt. Smaller kid gets picked on by bigger kid. Smaller kid takes out his frustration on ants. Ants make smaller kid even smaller and teach the kid to be an ant. Ants get attacked by exterminator (which is of course all the kid's fault). Ants fight back with kid's help. Happy ending. If you feel that this was too spoiler heavy, I emplore you to look at the above image. How is it NOT about that? You see the entire plot in 1 picture!

Honestly though, you're not seeing this movie for the plot. You're seeing it either because you have kids and they wanna see it, or because you like cartoons too. Kids probably really like this movie. It's got lots of bright colors and funny parts and there's a lesson to be learned (what else is new?). As for us grownups though, there just really isn't much to this movie. The humor? The Story? The visuals? Everything is just par. Even for a movie released in '06, it was par.

The ONE thing that this movie can really boast about is its cast. And as an adult, you'll be just as entertained by whose voice pops up next and in which character, as the kids are with the movie itself. You'll hear Paul Giamatti hamming it up as the sleazy exterminator, Bruce Campbell as an over-confident ant, Cheri Oteri & Larry Miller as the kid's distracted parents, and you'll hear other familiar voices from Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Ricardo Montalban, Regina King, Allison Mack and Nicole Sullivan; and even seasoned voice actors Rob Paulsen, Frank Welker, Paul Rugg and Tress MacNeille. That was the the only fun I really had with this picture! Listening to the next voice and saying to myself, "okay now who was that?"

A completely forgettable 90 minute distraction, with a nice list of names attached.

Score: 5/10

005: Helvetica (2007)

Title: Helvetica (2007)
Starring: Dimitri Bruni, Jonathan Hoefler, Paula Scher
Directed By: Gary Hustwit

Documentary filmmaker Gary Hustwit seems to have a knack for finding the extraordinary stories behind the mundane, everyday things we all overlook and the people who designed them. He more recently explored similar subject matter in 2009's Objectified, but here we get a look specifically at typography and graphic design via the most easily read font in any language around the whole world.

Helvetica. It's the world's most used font. It's on street signs, it's used for the logos of stores and cars and food products, it's seen in countless magazines and newspapers. But where did it come from? How long ago? Who still uses it? These questions and a bunch more you wouldn't have even thought of are answered with absolute certainty by a varied panel of typographers and graphic designers.

What's most interesting to me about this documentary is that, not only are there several successful and well-spoken people who KNOW the story of Helvetica and other fonts, but they all have a very passionate take on it. In fact, some time ago the graphic design field was split into two very separate groups. Those for this particular san serif and those adamantly against. It truly is fascinating to hear the different takes on this subject matter, even though for lack of a better term "who cares?"

If you're a fan of well-made, truly intriguing documentaries, I highly recommend you take a look at this film. It'll capture your attention, and you won't even understand why.

Score: 9/10

004: Skills Like This (2009)

Title: Skills Like This (2009)
Starring: Spencer Berger, Kerry Knuppe, Brian D. Phelan
Directed By: Monty Miranda

The strength of many "indie" films is often their performances. It's hard to overlook a movie, even if it has $0 advertising budget, when the performances are top-notch. Early reviews start raving about a particular actor or actress and eventually it becomes the "oh I have to see it because so-and-so is supposed to be really good in it" movie. For this movie, Spencer Berger (who also co-wrote) is "that guy".

The film centers on lovable loser Max and his friends and family. Max isn't very good at his job. In fact, Max can't think of a single thing that he is good at. During a particluarly nerdy (yay!) casual conversation with his buddies at their usual lunchtime hangout, robbing the bank across the street comes up. Without warning, Max decides that this is what he'd be good at, robbing banks. So he does. And he's right, he's good at it. From there we get a better look at his relationships with his friends and family and how this radical decision effects them all. We also get to watch the progression of Max's budding romance with Lucy, the teller he robbed.

The characters here aren't necessarily the most original or creative group of people to spend a few days with, but they certainly aren't the most boring either. We watch as all that Max knew of himself is tested and we see the reactions of those dearest to him. And at the middle of it all, holding it all together, is the unflappable performance of Spencer Berger. Similar to Sharlto Copely in last year's District 9, you will want to see more from this guy. And hopefully he'll get a chance to keep writing so he plays to his own strengths as an actor, because I have the feeling this was more of a warm-up then the actual at-bat.

Recommended.

Score: 7/10

003: Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)

Title: Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Brandon Lee, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Directed By: Mark L. Lester

OK. First things first. I have to admit that I have kind of a soft spot in my heart for cheesy, over-the-top action movies. When reviewing a film of any kind, you have to first put it in its place before you can critique it. How does it compare to the best that genre has to offer? So when writing about films such as this, I will not be comparing apples to oranges. Is it fair to say this film is rubbish because it doesn't live up to the standard of quality set by Casablanca? No. Because that's not what you should be judging it against. It (and all action movies) should be compared to the best of its own kind. Movies like Die Hard, Rambo, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc. So know going in that in this case, a film is likely to be rewarded for certain cliches done right, instead of penalized for using cliches at all.

Now that that's out of the way, how's the movie? Amazing. Awful. But amazing. It throws every single action movie staple it can think of at you. Sometimes, in quick procession! Nearsighted henchmen? Check. Racist stereotypes? Check. Unnecessary gratuitous nudity? Check. Neverending ammo? Check. Unexplained explosions? Check. The whole movie is just one payoff after another for those of you looking for a little action-packed cheese on a movie night.

As a fan of the genre, I have NO IDEA why it took me so long to watch this. I think I've always seen the cover and thought that I saw it already. And in a lot of ways, I have. If you've ever seen and enjoyed an 80's action movie, then you know what's coming. You know. As you're being introduced to the characters and situations, you have no doubt what fate holds in store for them.

Performance wise, Dolph is solid but Brandon Lee really steals the show. I've always been a fan of both these guys and the two are definitely typecast here. You get EXACTLY what you expect from each of them. Also, besides the always aces Tagawa (as the main villain natch), I was quite impressed with the supporting cast. It was nice to see Tia Carrere (a year before her turn in Wayne's World), as well as cameos from some of the staples of the genre such as Philip Tan & Roger Yuan. The real surprise for me though, was seeing Toshiro Obata (aka Tatsu from 1990's live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie). It was double-entertaining for a nerd like me to see Brandon Lee fighting "Tatsu". Teehee.

Overall, this is a great "turn-off-your-brain-and-just-be-entertained" kind of a movie. Highly recommended if you like stereotypical action movies like this and haven't seen it yet. Or even if you have seen it and need to get away from real life for 80 min's. That is the point of movies like this, right?

Score: 8.5/10

002: Franklyn (2009)

Title: Franklyn (2009)
Starring: Eva Green, Ryan Phillippe, Sam Riley
Directed By: Gerald McMorrow

The tagline on this poster is "two worlds are about to collide". If you're going to watch this film, which I suggest you do if you're a fan of solid oldschool sci-fi, you should probably have that in your mind going in.

As I was watching it, I was equally interested by the different stories being told and wondering how they were going to become interwoven. It was a little taxing as a viewer though, because I wasn't quite sure what anything had to do with anything until the end. Normally that wouldn't bother or confuse me, but in this case the stories are so drastically different in terms of time and space; I couldn't help but wonder why this was all a part of one movie. The dovetailing of these stories is handled quite well on all parts, and the payoff is satisfying, if a little predictable. I just wish I would've had an inkling of the eventual overlap going in.

I really liked the action beats and the overall tone in the story of Jonathan Preest/Franklyn. This primary plotline is dependent on the film's stunning futuristic visuals and the performance of Ryan Phillippe, who does not disappoint. Easily the best part of the movie, I found myself anticipating the next appearance of Meanwhile City with it's sepia tones and sprawling cityscapes and classic sci-fi/anime imagery whenever I was watching the secondary stories of Emilia, Milo and Peter. Don't get me wrong, the performances by Eva Green, Sam Riley and Bernard Hill are all top-notch; they just weren't given material as interesting as the character of Franklyn.

Overall I recommend the movie for those who like strong, traditional sci-fi, as that's what the film best delivers.

Score: 7/10

001: Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Title: Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams
Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Now, this should have been AMAZING! Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes! Jude Law as Watson! An action-y take on Sherlock Holmes directed by Guy "Lock Stock..." Ritchie! My $7.50 was out of my pocket when I first heard about this movie!

But alas, the end result was just "meh". I found myself very underwhelmed the whole time. The film starts with an action scene. A brilliant move, since it sets up THIS Sherlock Holmes. You know what you're in for from the character in the first 3 minutes, and I like that. Soon after, the mystery is revealed and it's your standard Sherlock Holmes setup. Someone is doing bad and it is seems supernatural (a la The Hound of the Baskervilles) things. Unlike most whodunnits, this film places the mystery second and the quirkiness of our heroes first. But that's all well and good since it got to the point where I had figured out everything that they were holding out on for the big "reveal" and would have grown rather bored waiting for the inevitable conclusion had it not been for the "bromance" of the leads.

It was fun getting to know this Holmes and Watson, and all in all it makes for a splendid kind of buddy cop picture. The problem though, is that at no point during the proceedings did I feel A) exhilarated by the action or B) confounded by the mystery. Something that I would expect from A) an action film by Guy Ritchie and B) a Sherlock Holmes story.

I definitely think it's worth a look, as the performances are inspired and the visuals themselves look great. But as for repeat viewing, I personally don't see myself chomping at the bit for this when it's released on DVD & Blu-Ray.

Score: 7.5/10

Can it be done?

Hello!

Somehow, you have found this blog. This is where I, Robbwith2bees will be entering my reviews of each of the 365 films I watch in 2010. BUT! Can it be done? Can 1 man actually see a movie a day and maintain whatever semblance of sanity he still has? I think so. But hey, if not, I'm pretty sure no one's gonna complain that this thing falls apart halfway through. ;)

Anyways, here's how it'll all go down...

There probably won't be a daily film review. I will not be able to post immediately following every single movie I watch. Nor will I be able to set the time aside every single day of the year to watch a film and review it. I will however be able to double up some days and I'll get the reviews up ASAP.

So this won't necessarily be a daily updated blog. It will however, contain my musings on the films I do watch. And it comes with the promise that there will be 365 seen this year.

If this goes well, I'll think about continuing my film (re)education and keeping this blog alive into 2011 and moving forward.

I hope you enjoy. For now I'll just say, "wish me luck"!