The Adjustment Bureau

I get crap sometimes for not taking Franco's advice on entertainment experiences...most times I am just slow in my consumption of the films and other times I am just waiting to be ready to experience the film or TV show or whatever (I will get to the shield someday)...but I am always interested in what my BFF suggests. He did say this Matt Damon film was good and I agree...it's definitely a PLUS...it has a lot of sci-fi fantasy stuff I love...watching this made me think of Dark City, Gattaca, and Guys and Dolls...(more on that later)...I also loved Matt Damon in a role like this along with Mad Men star John Slattery and newcomer to me Anthony Mackie. The action was paced well and the sci fi for the most part was unique and refreshing (also as a side review I saw Source Code...not as groundbreaking as Moon but the Duncan Jones film was good and similarly paced...thoughtful and like Groundhogs Day meets 12 Monkies...what I hated was the acting by all the government workers...)...so I am watching The Adjustment Bureau and inevitably I start questioning some things...here is a list that I came up with:

1. I hate Emily Blunt: I have heard her name mentioned a million times for films but I have never seen her...she is supposed to be this great modern dancer but she reminded me of like the 3rd contestant eliminated from "So you Think You can Dance"...she is no Natalie Portman...and this is a PG 13 film...when did we need the "Love interest"...and a female mind you to have such a fresh mouth...she is obviously a slut in the film...she talks like a sailor and for no reason says the word "Fuck"...since when in PG 13 films is this acceptable...its is needed in Scarface granted...but in this love story where I am supposed to believe that Matt Damon...soon to be President of the US according to "The Plan"...is gonna fall in love with this foul mouthed and pretty ugly slut?

2. The Chairman?...really?...OK so they never say it and obviously its to make the film non-religious...but if they refer to the chairman as pretty much God...why not say God?...I mean obviously when we think "Chairman" we think Frank Sinatra...and these guys who all work for the "Chairman" all are wearing suits and fedoras..like who?...Frank Sinatra...just ridiculous...and no we never see the Chairman...Matt Damon wants the black guy to be the Chairman...but supposedly we all have met the chairman...but we don't know when...WTF?

Anyway I see similar silly stuff in Source Code...not enough for me to give these a minus...I am slow to write here because I have seen a lot of stuff and am trying to get it all wrapped in my head and then blamo...I see another film...well just wait and see what I come out with next...till then...BOOM

SMC Book Club

We are the Kings of All Media. (You should see Vinny High Life's cuneform.) Or, at least, the Kings of Talking About All Media. Though more like a Viscount. By marriage.

Ahem...Announcing the opening title of the SMC Book Club: The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant:

Based on the true story of Matt Bondurant's grandfather and two granduncles, The Wettest County in the World is a gripping tale of brotherhood, greed, and murder. White mule, white lightning, firewater, popskull, wild cat, stump whiskey, or rotgut -- whatever you called it, Franklin County was awash in moonshine in the 1920s. When Sherwood Anderson, the journalist and author of Winesburg, Ohio, was covering a story there, he christened it the "wettest county in the world." In the twilight of his career, Anderson finds himself driving along dusty red roads trying to find the Bondurant brothers, piece together the clues linking them to "The Great Franklin County Moonshine Conspiracy," and break open the silence that shrouds Franklin County.

More importantly, it's going to be a movie. A movie about a book about whiskey? Boom! A movie directed by John Hillcoat (The Road) and starring VHL fave Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, and Gary Oldman. (And Shia LaBeouf, but I told VHL that I wouldn't hold that against the book). Oh, and it's written by none other than Nick Cave (who's also doing the music).

So, read along and let us know what you think. We'll do a book discussion podcast later this summer.

SMC Podcast 2.3

The Best Picture Oscar winner is, by definition, the best film from any given year. Or so THEY have led us to believe. Now, the truth can finally be told. Or, if you prefer, now the truth can finally be told.

We have taken the Academy to task and unleashed The Distillery on every "Best" Picture. Ever. Hollywood, I hope you're sitting down.




Download the show here.

I Don't Want to Fight with You Club

I like when things are written just for me. This is from xkcd (a very smart webcomic):



Yes, my offer to re-watch this with Vinny High Life is still on the table. Just saying.

Love & Other Drugs

Or, Love & Other Drugs & Anne Hathaway's Naked. A Lot. I'm not saying that's the reason I watched this in the first place, but...I can't even think of another excuse. But then it turns out that the rest of the movie wasn't that bad. Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal have a lot of chemistry and they save a basic romantic formula with sweetness and charm.

This is a good time to explain how I rate these films. Basically, I try to consider each movie for what it is. Just because I give a PLUS to something doesn't mean I consider it the equal of Goodfellas. Something like Piranha 3D is not a work of art. No one at any part of its creation (except probably the screenwriter) ever considered it as such. It was intended to be a campy diversion. And it was, but that doesn't mean I'm putting it in the time capsule next to Citizen Kane. The art of The Distillery system is its simplicity--did you enjoy it, yes or no? Different movies have different stakes, different degrees of difficulty. It's like figure skating. A well-made Holocaust epic is like sticking a triple axel. That doesn't mean your half lutz wasn't technically sound, but, c'mon, a triple axel.

Two other L&OD notes: Check out director Edward Zwick's resume. This guy is way under the radar. I see a sweet distillation in his future. And then there's Josh Gad. If you ever ask me about The Rocker, I will tell you how Gad gave one of my favorite comedic performances in recent years (then I'd probably start talking about Emma Stone, though, sadly, never about star Rainn Wilson). Here, he plays Gyllenhaal's brother and steals every laugh again. I was surprised to see that he hasn't really been in anything else of note. Now that Jonah Hill has followed Seth Rogan into skinnyville, we need a new funny chubby guy. PLUS

High Life Update

The summer list had one item I really wanted to indulge in. Tonight I sit on my grand veranda overlooking the mighty Alafia River. I sip Makers Mark 46 and smoke a Hemingway Arturo Fuente Gran Riserva I got in Ybor City. The combination is electric on this fine evening...the deep tones of the cigar make the whiskey taste much sweeter then it does alone. The Fuente is a Tampa Cigar I...I have been sampling Tampa's own Cuban sandwiches this summer...Sure I went and got one from Publix a few weeks ago...It was ok...but the high life demands authenticity...so I ventured to taste a Cuban and devil crab from 4 locations:

1. Ybor Grille in Ruskin (I know...Ruskin?)...the devil crab was great...hunking pieces of crab and the sandwich can get 3 out of 5 cigars.

2. La Septima in Brandon (2nd Location) - devil crabs were much better sandwich also...3 out of 5 cigars

3. Silver Ring - in Riverview - sandwich was real good and crab was not so great 2 out of 5 but that's more to due with the devil crab...the sandwich is real good with the La Segunda bakery real bread and all

4. The Columbia in Ybor - You can tell that the salami is tops on this sandwich (salami for the Italian influence...pork for the Cuban ans Swiss Cheese for the?...Swiss in Ybor?)...needed more pickle but was pretty perfect and the crabs well small..they pack a punch...4 out of 5 cigars.

As for the Arturo Fuente Cigar that is now half way done...its very mild and I can recommend as a great go to Cigar...it was a little pricey at $11 but what the heck...its the High Life

Until next time...Franco and I have a Humidor to Buy..now that's the High Life

Hobo with a Shotgun

Another Grindhouse trailer come to life, though in a far less accomplished package than Machete. Maybe it's not fair to compare inexperienced director Jason Eisener to the cinematic whiz Robert Rodriguez, but you have to accept those comparisons when you're treading in the same water. Hobo is fun in a way, particularly if you're into the gore and squirting blood of video game kill shots. It reminded me of the Rock Star game, Manhunt. Or any first-person shooter, really. And Rutger Hauer is always cool in his B-movie legend way. This is a pretty solid homage to those 70s/80s urban wasteland stories where entire cities are overrun by gangsters and punks. Yet there's something missing.

I've already heard talk of this film being a "cult classic," and, well, that's ridiculous. While there are other variables, the basic formula to achieve cult status is Camp + Time. And while "cult" has been overused to the verge of uselessness, "camp" is usually applied even more indiscriminately. Not all bad movies are campy. Almost all of them are just bad. And not all movies that attempt to be campy are actually campy. Almost all of them are just sad. There's a certain earnest charm needed for true camp, a sincere attempt to make a "good" film undermined by a complete lack of ability and/or resources. I think the Hobo makers confused their ultraviolence with campiness. There's no accompanying wit to the onslaught, no offsetting comedic undertone outside the title. Believe it or not, Hauer doesn't even get any cool one-liners even though the entire movie is set up for that. This wasn't not entertaining. It just wasn't as good as it could have been. Or, rather, as worse. MINUS

My 3 favorite Rutger Hauer roles? The Hitcher, Blind Fury, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  

SMC Podcast 2.2

Where we subject SMC favorite Darren Aronofsky to The Distillery. Rumor has it Darren held off making his 5th film for so long just to avoid the Big D. Daren, pal, don't be silly. The Distillery can out wait your puny human body. And you don't want a posthumous Distillation. Trust us. The Distillery is into some sick stuff.

Plus, Vinny High Life eats bugs!





Download here.

The Next Three Days

Paul Haggis, who could care less what I think of him because he has an Oscar and none of my statuettes have names, is a hack whose Oscar is for the worst Best Picture of my lifetime, 2004's Crash. So, it surprises me that here I am 7 years later writing about one of his films. I heard it was good and besides, 7 years? Wow. I have no concept of time.

Fine, I'll just say it: this was pretty good, and a lot of that has to do with Haggis' direction. (No, he's not a hack, he just made an insulting and inept film that was unjustly rewarded.) Russell Crowe plays a mild-mannered community college professor whose wife (Elizabeth Banks) is inexplicably convicted of murder and sentenced to a long time in the clink. Crowe, of course, doesn't buy the rap, and he eventually concocts a scheme to bust her out of county jail  after her appeal is denied and she is sent to the state prison. I know, but stay with me: this is probably the most plausible take on this implausible premise. (Would I do it? I would absolutely bust out Elizabeth Banks. Then again, he had a shot with Olivia Wilde on the outside, so, no, probably not. It was a lot of work.)

Crowe gives a terrific understated performance, playing up the everyman angle instead of chewing scenery and Haggis complements him by keeping the story from ever seeming unbelievable. Maybe not ever, but for the most part. Ultimately, it is still a fantasy scenario, but its tone keeps the plot tense and leaves you not quite sure how it will end. You know, an entertaining movie. PLUS

The Taqwacores

Taqwacore is the Islamic punk movement and before you ask, what the hell is the Islamic punk movement, let me refer you to the first word of this sentence. This film is based on Michael Muhammad Knight's 2003 novel and centers on an off-campus house at the University of Buffalo and the band of misfit Muslims living there. While featuring a good deal of music, it's not about that necessarily. It's mainly about fitting in, or rather, not fitting in--subculture outcasts caught between two seemingly incompatible worlds. And it does this by neither preaching or patronizing, but instead simply showing us a slice of life most of us didn't even know was there. Reminded me of another little-seen film, SLC Punk! (1998, PLUS), that explores the punk scene within another extremist religious society.

I was surprised to see this film get such a low score on IMDb. It contains some important questions asked in an intelligent manner. But more than that, it's just different. PLUS

13 Assassins

Easily I would put this up on my top 10 list of 2010...this actually could be number 2 or 3 on my list. I like the Samurai Genre of films but have never seen alot of them...or at least never saw the classics yet like Seven Samurai...I know its a classic but I think the language is a barrier. Black and White may also be a barrier. This film is by Takashi Miike...the director that makes like 8 films a year...most are just films to make others are diamonds in the rough and other are Like the classic Ichi The Killer (a classic)...this film is violent...not as violent as Ichi but this film is deep, it feels like a classic...it is a "men on a mission" type film...it is a war film...it is a piece of history from the Japanese culture. Sometimes the effects are a bit too ridiculous for the events shown on screen...but that is a part of the Miike tradition. To me this film is an immediate classic for the war/samurai genre...it is a must see and is one of the best films of last year.

Plus

Top 10 of 2010

What, I needed time to think. And see True Grit, which took forever to come out on DVD. Sorry, but 6 months is forever in the high stakes world of sporadic movie blogging. At least it was worth it as the Coen Brothers' latest cracked the vaunted top ten. Imagine if I had been waiting for Little Fockers.

***Disclaimer: This is my list and not the official SMC rankings. That list is still being transcribed by albino monks.***

So, what kind of film gets into my top ten? There's no formula, of course, because what a waste of science that would be. It is more the feeling of enjoying the act of watching a particular film, be it the story itself, the acting, the cinematography, the music, or, as is the case with the best of the best, the beautiful confluence of all the above. (Note: if the script contains the word "confluence," it is more than likely a pretentious mess.) All kidding aside, you never quite know why a great piece of art moves you, but you definitely know when it does. The why only matters if you actually get paid to be a critic.

1. The Social Network (David Fincher, director)

2. Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)

3. Never Let Me Go (Mark Romanek)

4. Inception (Christopher Nolan)

5. Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance)

6. Winter's Bone (Debra Granik)

7. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Edgar Wright)

8. Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese)

9. True Grit (Joel & Ethan Coen)

10. A Prophet (Jacques Audiard)

Hmm. There you go. I'm good with the top three. The rest could be mashed up without much of an argument from me. Black Swan was better the second time around, and honestly, it has a strong claim on number one. Overall, a solid year, although almost entirely thanks tot he final quarter.

So?

Sucker Punch

Well, I said this was going to be the best movie ever or a piece of rancid crap when I first saw the trailer. And, shock of shock, I was wrong. It was crap, yes, but not rancid. Once I let go of hope that it would gain any substance, I enjoyed the over the top steampunk/mecha/kung fu action scenes...to a point. I'm CGI'd out at this point, especially blatently obvious CGI sets and backgrounds. Also, I didn't really ever get the point of the story which felt like it was based on some emo band's concept album about an abused, persecuted girl's fight to be herself. Or stop cutting or something. Let's forget this, Zack Syder, and focus on Superman.

Then again, Don Draper showed up at the end so who am I to complain that much. Still, MINUS

Someone To Watch Over Me

Check out Roger Ebert's review of this film...he nails it pretty good. I saw this for one reason...to see my last Ridley Scott film...the cop is played by Tom Berringer...he is a terrible cop and terrible husband and terrible father...Mimi Rogers plays the women he must "watch over"...oh, and that also means the woman he must fuck...she is trite and terrible...so that's the film two terrible people I could care less for...Scott did this after Legend to get into the action business and leave fantasy behind...he should have stuck with fantasy like he is doing and returning to next year with Prometheus...the only reason I would re-watch this crappy 80s throw back is for the cop's wife who has more balls then all the cops in this movie and in her own street wise way is 100 times prettier then Mimi Rogers...and that women was Lorraine Bracco...I never knew she was in this and she by far was the real star of this film...but for christ sake she takes back the cheating husband in the end...foreshadowing Goodfellas I guess.

By the way, Mad Men star Duck Philips gets stabbed with an ice pick at the start of the film

MINUS

Kung Fu Panda 2

Probably my favorite children's film in the past 15 years is Kung Fu Panda (Toy Story was 1995 so it's out of the time frame). The story was original and yet hearkened back to the mythology of kung fu films and fighting styles and all the hoopla and grandiosity of kung fu films I had seen (not that I had seen many but the ones I had stuck with me). Jack Black was a perfect match for the panda and the art of the film and lighting was just magical in every way...the fact that they incorporated different art styles to show dreams and flashbacks was original to me and I could watch the original over and over. This is the sequel...it matches everything I liked about the original...there are segments that drag a bit and the finale could have been "bigger"...but the added positives out rule any negatives...

Positive One: Gary Oldman as the Evil Peacock...Gary Oldman is just perfect here as you can recall so many of his bad guys in older films and see Oldman as this little evil peacock

Positive 2: Word had it that Charlie Kaufman was a big fan of the original and they gave him a crack at adding to the script..it was fun to watch the film and look for possible Charlie added script and or "polish"...I found one that I am sure must be him and it was a dream sequence involving a radish

Postive 3: an added dimension to the character of Tigrees...this could also be a negative since I think they just spend too much time on the Panda...I know he is the lead but the other characters could add so much to these stories.

Negative 1 or possible Positive You Decide: The end sets up a Panda 3...but the focus will be on more Pandas...which conflicts with my above thesis that we already have too much Panda

PLUS

Layer Cake

When it comes to British Gangster flicks I would say Frank is probably the expert. I saw this because I was hungry...no I saw this because I am trying to see as many Tom Hardy films as possible...I didn't realize that it was Matthew Vaughn's first film and forgot that Daniel Craig was in it and I was pleasantly surprised that Dumbledore makes a cameo.

First on Tom Hardy...you can tell with his limited role that this guy has charisma...Russel Crowe charisma?....maybe not the tough guy/angry side of Crowe that we all discovered in LA Confidential...but Hardy has this boyish rogue charm with a hidden strength...maybe close to a young Harrison Ford. As Clarkie he was good and I was satisfied...but the real star is Daniel Craig...pre-Bond and pre-stealing Rachel Weitz away from Darren Aronofsky (although lately I am convinced she wanted to be married and he did not...so she found a man that would marry her...where was she like 10 years ago when I was single and free to mingle?)...anyway...Layer Cake has Craig as a man with no name...funny...it took the last line in the film for me to catch that...I had to watch it with the subtitles on to understand this variety of English accents...I love the English but once they don't have to kowtow to American audiences they really let the accent fly in various directions...take Trainspotting and any Guy Ritchie film for example...I have not seen Snatch or Rock n Rolla yet (RNR is next on my Tom Hardy films)...but this was a plot that keeps the twists coming...over and over again...its tough to keep up...it's like those ball under the hat games at the ball park...the 3 hats move around a lot and you can get confused...but if you concentrate (and have subtitles on) and watch for the middle you and always find the ball...or in this case the plot of Layer Cake. PLUS

Tree of Life

It's a lot to take in. This is by far the most radical of Terrance Malick films...the plot is about everything...but at the same time is about a family and its unique grief. Malick has a tendency to have a full script ready and then during filming just shoot and shoot and shoot everything...perhaps he feels that the unique story can change if he shoots hours of film. Then comes the editing and in this case CGI. How can a master of Philosophy and story and lighting and film, change and shape a story? For Malick the story is constantly changing, life moves on and like real life this film has evolved for nearly 20 plus years. In the editing which for Malick may last two or more years (Malick like Kubrick before him demands final cut and that yields quality films but takes a lot of time). Malick may be looking at hours of film and his original thought might have been to tell the story of a family and their loss, but to Malick he can interweave the beginning of time, planets, dinosaurs, birth, and many many shots of children playing...from this meditation on childhood we can glean a sense of childhood maturity and innocence lost. Most films like this can be tedious...stretches of time are spent on wandering people (see Gus Van Sant's Gerry, Elephant, and Last Days)...there are other examples but Malick is a master and this film needs several viewings...I cant even start to think of other film example because this film is so special in its attempt to lead us on a philosophical journey. A few things if you have seen the film...realize that Sean Penn is a central figure in this film...his back story as an adult is sparse but I can see that they must have shot much much more of his part of the story...I can see this because this is an ongoing trend in Malick films...we may never see those clips...but IMDB has a listing of characters that just baffles me...if you have seen this film you can try to recall names of characters...I remember just one...JACK...all others are pretty much nameless (Why?...because they could be anyone...anyone you relate to...OH and because Malick will eventually fill in all the gaps with scenes of trees, a beach, landscapes, animals both real and CGI)...but the IMDB page alludes to a son of Jack's (son?...I cant remember him)...also a wife of Jacks (I remember her)...and an EX-WIFE of JACKS????...what...really?...there is more to this story...but does it matter?...Just like David Lynch or any other absurdist, abstract, or existential film maker...it does not matter...Tree of Life has won the Palm d'Or..it probably deserves it...I can see it being nominated for an Oscar...at this moment it is my favorite film of 2011 (but I haven't seen Transformers 3 yet)...Tree of Life is a film I could have watched for 1000 hours...its beautiful, but the plot is thin...or is about everything...I cant wait to see it again (with the subtitles on because you can hear whispers)...The acting is fine but this is a filmmakers film...Malick continues to be a master and I am looking forward to his next films. PLUS

SMC Night Out

Go ahead, check that calendar, I'll wait.

No, just check the one on the computer. Oy, it was really just rhetorical. Nevermind. Ok, great.

See. I know, it's that time of year already. Last night SMC hit the road for our Semiannual trip to an actual theater. This round we visited the historic Tampa Theatre for a limited engagement showing of our Most Anticipated Film of the Summer: Terrence Malick's Palm d'Or-winning, The Tree of Life. You know, the Brad Pitt dinosaur movie.

Was it a masterpiece? A pretentious flop? Something else not covered in those two extreme categories? Oh, you'll have to wait, dear readers. Allow Vinny High Life time to digest what he saw and you will be rewarded. Remember, his metabolism isn't what it used to be.

American: The Bill Hicks Story

We need Bill Hicks again. I had a discussion with our own Franco about how some comedians after 20 years or so, now looking back at their comedy just does not connect today. Look at Pee Wee Herman or Andrew Dice Clay for those examples. On the other hand I have now seen this new DVD which is a retelling of Bill Hick's life told from friends and family of the dead comedian. While Andy Kaufman died too young he was a performance Artist...Bill Hicks died of cancer at the young age of 33. The documentary is weird...it has way too much production and animation...I guess an old friend of his is into graphics...because you see animations and pictures move but you never see the people that are talking, talk...I like seeing people talk and actual lips moving...we are limited to seeing some great clips of Bill Hicks stand up...he started at age 13 and stand-up in adult comedy clubs at 15...his story is a great rise, a sad addiction to drugs, a great sober rise again and then a sudden death.

But go back to his comedy especially his last 8 years or so and you see a genius at work...he held up a mirror to the American Dream..he was a great patriot but never trusted to sale of goods that governments and companies have tried to sell us. In one scene he goes to Waco during the FBI take over of the Koresh Compound to be able to use it in his routine...Go to you tube and see some of his comedy...there is no one close to the commentary he describes...maybe Louie CK...but Louie doesn't do a lot of political commentary. Hicks discusses drugs, war, celebrity, music, advertisement, religion...and does it as if fire and truth are permeating through his every pore...he is more philosopher then comic...we at SMC miss him.

Barney's Version

Single Malt Scotch, Monte Cristo Cigar's, the high life rolled into the low life of Barney...Paul Giamatti must be my favorite contemporary actor (maybe tied with Phillip Seymour Hoffman)...but one thing they both have in common is a movie like this...Barney's version is an actors delight...a story told over a long period of time about one man and his faults and frailty...picture a straight telling of Synechdoche NY...you know without all the Charlie Kaufman high jinx...Dustin Hoffman plays his father...also has great Canadian Film Directors playing terrible Canadian TV Directors (Cronenberg and Egyon)...

I have watched now several Giamatti films in a row (Pretty Bird - PLUS), (The Hawk is Dying - PLUS) and now this film...I have found that Giamatti has his catch phrase...no one and I mean no one says the phrase "Jesus Christ" like Giamatti...this guy is pretty great to watch and Barneys version is a definite PLUS