Tag: And Palladino

  • Rally with ‘Challengers’

    Rally with ‘Challengers’

    Zendaya in Challengers

    “Never marry a tennis player…

    Love means nothing to them!” – Dad Jokes

    Despite being all about the romantic entanglements of those who partake in the sport, not once does Challengers make that hackneyed observation. This is but one sign you’re in for something greater than expected.

    Challengers feels like a sports film from the 1980s along the lines of Bull Durham or Personal Best. When the balls stop flying and the rackets are put down, the real competition begins.

    Pro tennis player Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) is in a career slump. Once one of the best in the field, he is now playing a lesser-esteemed tournament as a means of rebounding. He’s up against Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor), another once-great player whose career has seen misfortunes. 

    But, wouldn’t you know it, these two have a history. Thirteen years prior, Art and Patrick were on the same side as doubles partners. The courses of their lives change irrevocably when they meet Tashi Duncan (Zendaya). The Duncanator is herself a top tennis player, up until a serious injury puts an end to that. But off the court, she takes a sexual interest in the pair, who soon compete for her affections in a rivalry fiercer than their sporting one.

    The story is another that is told in a nonlinear fashion, flashing backwards and forwards as the script sees fit. I was curious as to what a version of the film re-edited to be in chronological order would be like until I read through the plot summary laid out on Wikipedia which is arranged that way. Quite frankly, it doesn’t land with the same impact. Despite the viewer knowing where some things will end up, there’s still a remarkable sense of tension in keeping certain parts close to the vest.

    The focus is squarely on the drama between these characters and not so much the minutiae of tennis. If you don’t know what a junk ball is, Challengers isn’t going to tell you. It also doesn’t feature a supporting cast to speak of, giving the film the feeling of a stage play. This is a three-hander with no weak link.

    That said, however, the standout is most certainly Zendaya, whose hold on the audience is as strong as the one Tashi has on her white boys (the character’s words, not mine). She has a mysterious side to her and the actress handles this superbly. Her facial expressions and body language provide a baseline for interpreting her thoughts and feelings but are never so much that they give away her machinations.

    But the movie can be too stylized for its own good. Although director Luca Guadagnino does a few interesting things with the camera, he sometimes overdoes it in places where conventional framing and movements would be more warranted. Likewise, the score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is very good but often intrusive.

    Nevertheless, Challengers is a more than worthy addition to the neglected tennis film sub-subgenre. Whether you’re getting in the mood for Wimbledon or need a double feature pairing for Wimbledon (though, might 16-Love be a more fitting companion piece?), this film. does more than nicely. Serve it up and swing away.

  • Looking Again: ‘Cold Case’ at 20

    Looking Again: ‘Cold Case’ at 20

    Kathryn Morris in Cold Case

    Warning: The following article will contain spoilers for some episodes.

    The early 2000s saw an explosion in crime television programs. CSI debuted to immense popularity and would come to influence how society as a whole views forensic science. Law & Order began branching out with its Special Victims Unit spinoff living on to this day as the longest-running primetime series. And The Wire is regarded as one of (if not the) the finest ever made.

    But there’s one show that, while not as renowned, approached the genre from a different angle and provided audiences with highly memorable episodes. Stories that demonstrated how it is never too late to do the right thing.

    Created by Meredith Stiehm (current president of the WGA) after having worked on NYPD Blue and ER, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Cold Case debuted on CBS in 2003 and ran until 2010 for seven seasons. Kathryn Morris starred as Detective Lily Rush of the Philadelphia Police Department. Rush mainly works on present-day murders but is asked to look into an unsolved killing from the 1970s. With a newfound affinity for delivering justice long overdue, she leads a mini-division for cold jobs. She’ll be there to reopen and close the case whenever new evidence comes to light.

    Justin Chambers initially filled the partner role but departed the show after the first few episodes. Danny Pino as Detective Scotty Valens took over and remained through the rest of the show’s run. As did the supporting cast, which consisted of Jeremy Ratchford and Thom Barry as an additional pair of detectives and John Finn as the commanding officer. In the third season, Tracie Thoms was added as another investigator who joined the team.

    The show featured a unique format. Whether the crime occurred a week prior or nearly a century ago, flashbacks were always utilized. Thus, the characters would often be portrayed by two actors as past and present versions. Moreover, high attention to detail was paid in production design, costuming, music, and even filming stock to accurately capture the periods.

    What this format truly excelled in, however, was humanizing the victims. Typically, in shows of this nature, such characters are either only given very limited screen time at the start of the story or just bodies. On Cold Case, as the flashbacks occur all through the episode, these figures can become as major a character as the detectives. As a result, their inevitable demises are made all the more impactful.

    Several renowned directors worked on the series, including Peter Medak, Jeannot Szwarc, Agnieszka Holland, Michael Schultz, Emilio Estevez, Roxann Dawson, Allison Anders, Tim Matheson, Andy Garcia, Nicole Kassell, and Mark Pellington, who directed the pilot.

    Then there are the guest stars who, befitting the show’s theme, spanned generations. Several actors were introduced to the world for the very first time (such as Tessa Thompson, Madeline Carroll, and Aimee Teagarden) while others took some of their final screen bows (like Harve Presnell, Diana Douglas, and Robert Symonds).

    Notable guest stars also include Melissa Leo, Barry Bostwick, June Lockhart, Jeffrey Combs, Donna Mills, Chadwick Boseman, Scout Taylor-Compton, Roddy Piper, Jennifer Lawrence, Bobby Cannavale, Mare Winningham, Ken Howard, Lee Majors, Yara Shahidi, Veronica Cartwright, Jenna Fischer, Michael B. Jordan, Peter Graves, Shailene Woodley, Ernie Hudson, Jesse Plemons, Diane Ladd, Samantha Eggar, Nicholas Braun, Randall Park, Kate Mara as the pilot episode’s victim, and Meredith Baxter as Rush’s mother.

    Despite the focus on the past, the show made it a point to address contemporary issues and was even prescient in warning viewers of the troubles ahead. Take, for instance, the 2008 episode “Spiders” which can be seen as uncannily predicting the rise of the alt-right. In that story, the ultimate villain was a Richard Spencer-type college professor who was contrasted against the two-bit punks that people might typically think neo-nazis are. “The War at Home,” made and released in 2006, was one of the first stories to address PTSD in soldiers returning from the war on terror. And in the fictionalized “Boy in the Box” episode, the team discovered the victim’s identity, preceding the same happening in real life.

    A likely reason that this show has been overlooked is that, unlike its contemporaries, it has had no presence in the home video market. Presumably, licensing issues with the music prevented DVD releases. It could only live on in syndication, but even that would run its course. Fortunately, all seven seasons can currently be found on Max. 

    But despite how under-the-radar the show may have been, some of its influence, however slight, can be seen in other programs that share its elements. The casting of multiple actors for different time periods is becoming a more common practice, employed by the likes of The Crown and Yellowjackets. Consider, too, successor procedural programs like Motive which also feature flashbacks fleshing out the victims in the episodes. Much more directly, non-fiction shows such as Cold Case Files and Cold Justice certainly owe a debt of gratitude to this one for their existence.

    As time marches on and the television landscape fills with more crime shows, Cold Case remains one of a kind and continues to hold a special place in the hearts of its viewers. To this day, it remains an unusual entry into the genre that provides a template for others to build upon. But most of all, it serves as a needed reminder that one’s fellow human beings matter and should not be forgotten. Whether someone dies one week or one century ago, whatever their markers of identity may be, they deserve to see justice served and have their stories told.

  • Remembering Richard Belzer

    Remembering Richard Belzer

    Richard Belzer and myself in 2011

    Richard Belzer, an actor who parlayed his comedic success into a decades-long tenure in hard-hitting drama, passed away yesterday at the age of 78. 

    Born Richard Jay Belzer in Bridgeport, Connecticut on August 4, 1944, he worked as a reporter for the Bridgeport Post before getting into comedy. His stand-up shows led to him joining the Channel One comedy group and making his screen debut in their film The Groove Tube. Following that, he worked as a warm-up comedian on Saturday Night Live and a featured player on the National Lampoon Radio Hour. He continued to work on television and radio in addition to live performances.

    In 1993, Belzer was made part of the main cast of Homicide: Life on the Street. It was here that he first portrayed the character he would become most associated with, Detective John Munch. Crossovers with Law & Order brought him into that show’s universe, and while Dick Wolf wasn’t able to get him in time to be Lennie Briscoe’s partner, he did land him as one of the original cast members of the spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Belzer stayed on the show as a regular for 15 seasons, thereafter making sporadic appearances as a guest star when his character shifted to a D.A. investigator. At the time, he broke the record for the longest consistent portrayal of a live-action television character (he’s since been eclipsed by none other than his fellow SVU castmates Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T). 

    Throughout all this time, Belzer’s Munch also appeared on numerous other shows. These include The X-Files, The Wire, Arrested Development, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, The Beat, Jimmy Kimmel Live, 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and American Dad. 

    His film roles alternated parts in comedies with working for auteurs such as Spike Lee, Milos Forman, Brian De Palma, and Abel Ferrara. Some of these are The Wrong Guys, Scarface, Night Shift (which also starred his cousin Henry Winkler), Fame, A Very Brady Sequel, Man on the Moon, Mad Dog and Glory, Species II, Café Flesh, The Bonfire of the Vanities, Author! Author!, North, Fletch Lives, Get on the Bus, Missing Pieces, The Puppet Masters, Off and Running, Girl 6, Dangerous Game, Jump, The Big Picture, Deadly Pursuits, Polish Bar, Santorini Blue, Alive in France, The Comedian, and Gilbert.

    He also acted on other shows like The Flash, Lois & Clark, Miami Vice, Sesame Street, Moonlighting, The Larry Sanders Show, Monsters, The Invaders, South Park, Mad About You, and 3rd Rock from the Sun. Appearances were also made in music videos from Pat Benatar, Mike + The Mechanics, and Kansas. Additionally, he is the author of several popular books.

    He is survived by his wife Harlee McBride and two stepdaughters.

    As to the above picture, I met him in 2011 at a stand-up show he did at The Stress Factory in New Brunswick, NJ. The set was hilarious and even incorporated his BelzerVision videos. When he was finished and I introduced myself and requested an autograph, he replied immediately, “Yeah, why not? You seem like a nice guy.” It’s exactly that sharp wit that made him so good at his craft. The following year, though I did not work with him directly, I was an extra in one of his SVU episodes. 

    I feel very fortunate to have had those experiences. Richard Belzer was a very talented, gracious, and, most of all, funny guy. He will be greatly missed.

  • Live Tonight! Channel 0: ‘Deathrow Gameshow’ at 35

    Live Tonight! Channel 0: ‘Deathrow Gameshow’ at 35

    The set of Live or Die in Deathrow Gameshow.

    Warning: The following article will contain spoilers

      The story, all names, characters and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious, but wouldn’t it be neat if they weren’t?

      So reads the disclaimer in the end credits of Deathrow Gameshow, the 1987 satirical film directed and written by Mark Pirro. Live or Die is the name of the show and on it, contestants are all death row inmates who have the chance to evade execution, provided they can answer trivia correctly, make the right deal, or get through the physical challenge. Otherwise, it’s certain death, which from what is shown to the viewer seems to predominantly be the case.

      Deathrow Gameshow was a contemporary of The Running Man, and a precursor to the likes of The Hunger Games, but differed in several key areas. Its interest is not in getting points across with solemnity, but with humor and playing as many pieces for comedic effect as it can. 

      Unlike those other films, a contestant is not the narrative’s focal point. The protagonist is Chuck Toedan, the host and producer of the show. He is not presented as a villain like how other pictures of this kind do, however oily and sleazy he is as a person. The story is told from his perspective, not that of a contestant who has to overcome the challenges of the show. Chuck has his own set of obstacles as only the face of a controversial program can have. For him, a good day means receiving just two bomb threats.

      The character in the film that serves as the voice of moral outrage is Gloria Sternvirgin. The given name of this character is no doubt a reference to Allred and/or Steinem, and the surname is no doubt a harsh jab at both and other women like them. Sternvirgin is the leader of a special interest group called WAAMAF, Women Against Anything Men Are For. There’s also a scene earlier in which she’s leading a protest rally, where some of the signs held up say “Only God Can Kill” and “Chuck Should Be Aborted.”

      It’s rather odd that the film opts to use a feminist for this role. The contestants shown are all men and the issues that she raises are not ones of gender. This is perhaps done as a critique of the current feminist movements in how they jump on bandwagons of unrelated causes to stay relevant. This is especially true by the end of the film when Gloria has fallen for Chuck and all but abandoned any objections to his work.

      Despite this, Live or Die is shown to have a large number of fans. Chuck regularly encounters Dinko, a fanatic who begs to be let on the show, apparently not realizing the obvious basic requirement. He also has groupies, and one is shown sleeping with him to convince him to make her imprisoned boyfriend a contestant. Some religious types also approve, believing the show to be doing God’s work in the transition between life and death. The tapings of the episodes always have a full studio audience, including sometimes a contestant’s family members who he can win money for. Interestingly, this was a component of the original novel of The Running Man but was not used in the film version.

      The contestants of Deathrow Gameshow are not humanized in the manner that is seen in those other films. They have no names, only referred to by numbers. When Chuck is asked if he remembers a past player, his memory only gets triggered when it’s mentioned how he was killed on the show. This is not limited to the game show, as one of the commercials features a prisoner as a test subject for rat poison. Furthermore, no real histories are given and it is never specified whether any may be innocent of the crimes they were sentenced for. 

      That is until Luigi Pappalardo and his mother enter the story. Luigi is a mob hitman who’s out to avenge his boss Don Guido Spumoni, who was killed on Live or Die in a challenge where he had to avoid getting an erection while the show’s model Shanna Shallow did a lengthy striptease or else would be electrocuted. He managed not to get aroused during this, but as soon as Chuck put his hand on his shoulder in a congratulatory gesture, the contraption went off and he was fried. So not only was this powerful crime figure killed but he was humiliatingly outed as well.

      Mama Pappalardo and Spumoni are played by the same (male) actor. This is rather fitting, as the former replaces the latter as Luigi’s motive for vengeance. He brings her to the studio (K-SIK) to get her on a different game show called Make Your Big Deal and dresses her in a black and white horizontal striped shirt, thinking that it will get her noticed and chosen for the show. It does, but for Live or Die. Her challenge there is to jump through flaming hoops while holding two cans of gasoline and then place the cans on a podium between candles, which she manages to do but the podium collapses and she is blown up. Ironically, she proves to be a more capable contestant than the actual death row inmates.

      When Chuck realizes the error and Luigi discovers it, he then is forced to put Luigi on the show and then make certain that he fails to complete his task. However, he does not die and tries to finally take revenge on Chuck and Gloria by forcing them to complete the challenge he had, but is at last mortally wounded by Dinko in his attempt to commit a crime that would put him on death row. That wish won’t be granted though, since Luigi manages to shoot and kill him before dying. In essence, the show proves to be so well-loved that any attempt to stage a coup against it will be thwarted. 

      But what chiefly sets Deathrow Gameshow apart from the dystopian stories is that it is in fact not dystopian at all. The setting is the present, the same world as we know it. All the excess and debauchery that the 1980s became known for are front and center. A radio announcement says: “We’d like to remind our alcoholic friends out there not to drive while drinking – you could spill it.” When the other films set themselves in a far-off time and place, they become less linked to our reality. The audience just sees it as fantasy and not something that could legitimately happen or holds any relevance to the real world. But when the setting is immediate, there’s a tangibility to the picture.

      Deathrow Gameshow is not a cautionary tale to warn about perverse sensibilities running rampant in the future. Its point is in illustrating how those exist in the present.

  • ‘Unicorn Store’ is a rare breed

    ‘Unicorn Store’ is a rare breed

    Brie Larson in Unicorn Store

    “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl

    Brie Larson the actress recently headlined a big action movie where she committed to intense training, but as a director has chosen her first project to be a small coming of age at post-college years drama. She’s gone from being the next Cynthia Rothrock to the next Lena Dunham.

    Tiny Furniture with a fantastical bent, Unicorn Store is a slight but nevertheless winning effort from its director/star. Funny and whimsical while also quite dramatic and grounded, it’s a portrait that captures the mindset of many in her generation.

    Kit (Larson) has failed out of college where she was pursuing an art degree and moves back in with her parents (Bradley Whitford and Joan Cusack). A brief bout of not quite hard depression but still feeling down in the dumps, she is motivated by TV commercials to get her life together. She buttons up and gets an office job, though has some difficulty acclimating or befriending co-workers.

    Before long, she receives an invitation to what turns out to be the eponymous locale. She goes there and meets the proprietor (Samuel L. Jackson). But instead of offering her a Capital One account, he claims that he can give her the one thing she’s wanted since childhood: a unicorn. An actual, real live unicorn. She’s excited at the prospect, but he tells her that she first needs to prove herself a worthy caretaker. 

    The tasks she needs to complete to show that improvement – building a stable, being able to pay for food and supplies, having a greater capacity for love – are all things that make it clear that this is all a metaphor for growing up. Unsubtle as it is, this part of the story gives her needed development and it’s interesting to see the events play out. As she begins to succeed at achieving these steps, her creative side comes back to her. When it does, it runs the risk of coming into conflict with the corporate life she’s gotten into. 

    Much like Dunham’s earlier film, this one speaks to those in a life period that’s a kind of purgatory. As someone straddling between the two worlds but not really finding a way into either, I found Larson and screenwriter Samantha McIntyre’s (her first feature film script after working on shorts and sitcom episodes) movie to be a great representation of the feeling. You really do want to go back to the other when you get a taste of it again, only to find that state incompatible with the conventional. 

    If there’s a list of things that the film needed for its own improvement, a couple can be put on it. There’s certainly an in or two to explore clinical depression and mental illness that aren’t taken. Although such material may have thrown off the tone, it would make the proceedings richer and her victories all the more joyous. The store itself could have been more ornate to match the level of surreality built up. Larson’s direction, though, is quite strong and she has a keen eye for visual flair. If she wants it, there’s a future for her in directing that’s as bright as any of the colors on display.

    While I don’t know if I’ll ever attain any lofty goals or the inner peace that Kit works towards, but I can say that Unicorn Store is a fine entry in its genre, whichever one you want to put it in. It reminds us that dreams are worth fighting for, no matter how old you are.

  • ‘Avengers: Endgame’ needed to assemble more

    ‘Avengers: Endgame’ needed to assemble more

    Chris Hemsworth and Brie Larson in Avengers: Endgame

    “A billion souls have known death at my hand. It is time you joined them!” – Thanos in Marvel Super Heroes (1995)

    As those who saw Avengers: Infinity War know, the above quote from the classic arcade game is no exaggeration. If anything, that’s being modest. Yes, we resume things as they left off with half of all living things in the universe wiped from existence by Thanos (Josh Brolin), and correspondingly a much smaller team to deal with the aftermath.

    Remaining are Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Rhodey (Don Cheadle), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and Nebula (Karen GIllan). But missing from the last film and finally arriving are Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), and Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). How will they manage to set things right? 

    Avengers: Endgame – all right time out, that is a really dumb subtitle. What is it with fourth installments using it (see also Highlander)? Plus it makes no sense in context since the villain’s endgame was already achieved in the previous movie.

    Anyway, the latest Avengers has been hyped up to a ludicrous degree as the grand finale of this era of the so-called “Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Of course we know that that isn’t really the case and more movies are coming (one of them in just two months), but for what it is it’s a fun time with one or two genuine surprises in store.

    Much speculation and theorizing about the plot have gone on in the time between installments, and those turn out to pretty much be what happens here. A few suspicions are upended, but not nearly enough. For better or worse, what you suspect will happen pretty much does. However, it should be said that those unexpected moments do land strong in emotional impact.

    Throughout the ensuing events, characters and actors from various past adventures make returns. The appearances of most figures are welcome, but one definitely is not. Not to give away who that is, but as Marvel’s most heinous casting decision, this character was best left forgotten and moved on from. Apparently not.   

    But the focus here is on the central characters (it’s not really a coincidence that the whole first Avengers line-up is among the initial survivors) and they get to shine brightly. After plots over the past few years have kept them apart, it really is a treat to see them all united once more. On the downside, those expecting the newer team members to have a large presence are going to be disappointed (particularly Carol and Okoye). The standouts of the cast are Gillan, who gets more to do this time, and Rudd, making such a great addition to the group that you wish he was brought in earlier.

    The review for Infinity War on this site has its headline saying that the film “goes very very big.” But if you ask me, the problem with that movie and now this one is that they did not go big enough. There are a whole host of other characters who we have gotten to know and see prove themselves as effective heroes that are completely ignored here. Melinda, Daisy, Matt, Jessica, Luke, Danny, Frank, Alex, Nico, Chase, Molly, Gert, Karolina, Tyrone, Tandy, heck I’ll even say Black Bolt and Medusa absolutely deserve to have a place in these movies. There’s also the characters who have played a part in these tales that ought to be here, yet are MIA. Where’s Lady Sif? Nakia? The Nova Corps?

    All that said though, the climax is very engaging. Despite the aforementioned predictable developments, the tension runs high and the action is fierce. The denouement is satisfying, giving some characters more great moments. And the teases of future projects are quite enticing, especially for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, a promise that had better be delivered on.

    Conclusion, new beginning, bit of both, something else entirely; whatever you want to call this, this could have been a lot better than it was. Still, it provides the audience with a solid journey that doesn’t at all feel as long as it is. Going forward, there’s more interesting places to go and sights to see. I for one can’t wait to get there.

  • Cast a vote for ‘Long Shot’

    Cast a vote for ‘Long Shot’

    Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron in Long Shot

    “The past is never where you think you left it.” – Katherine Anne Porter

    One year from now, the United States presidential election will completely dominate daily discourse. At this moment, anticipation is building for just who will end up competing and prospective candidates are out there trying to convince the public they’re the best fit for the job. Naturally, the movies have tried to cash in on this fever, and Long Shot is one of the better efforts.

    Though regurgitating some genre conventions and featuring a sense of humor that isn’t for everyone, this film gets by more than well-enough thanks to the charms and abilities of its stars. It’s a team-up that sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it does and amazingly so.

    U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) has just learned that President Chambers (Bob Odenkirk) won’t be seeking another term and would like to endorse her to run in 2020. Gearing up for a campaign trail, her strategist (Lisa Kudrow) shows that favorable opinions of her are high, but a little lacking in the humor category. Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) has just resigned as a reporter for a small-scale left-wing news outlet when they are taken over by a giant media conglomerate. Unable to bounce back and feeling low, he is taken by his best friend Lance (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) to a fancy party with big time guests like Boyz II Men and, unbeknownst to him, Charlotte.

    At that party, Charlotte and Fred bump into each for the first time in a quarter-century. As it turns out, they were neighbors growing up and she used to babysit him. This culminated in a very awkward and embarrassing declaration of love from Fred that left things on a sour note for him all this time. Fortunately, Charlotte doesn’t seem to remember the incident, and after he publicly chastises the mogul who bought his paper (Andy Serkis), someone who she also has a strong dislike of, she hires him as a speechwriter to help give her some more funny lines. In reconnecting, they find themselves not only crafting more honest and personable speeches, but also becoming lovers.

    The romantic comedy story beats are familiar and fit to pattern, but a little different in that they’re playing out within an uncommon context. Charlotte’s assistant Maggie (June Diane Raphael) frequently has to urge her boss to be conscious of her public image, and Charlotte herself is afraid that being the one with power will be a turn off as it has proven to her in the past. Fred’s inevitable clashes with Charlotte come in the form of stances on her official duties and what one would like to do versus what they’re forced to do.  

    For the most part, the political parties are made vague. Fred is certainly a leftist, but it’s said that he reported on corruption of the Chambers administration, which would seem to imply that the President and Charlotte are on the right. Yet, she is not lionized and in fact held to scrutiny by the presumably-conservative news channel, and of course Fred is willing to work with her. Also her main initiative in the plot is an environmental one, which is conservative in the literal sense but often taken up by the other side as well. The words “Democrats” and “Republicans” are mentioned specifically in dialogue towards the end, but still not said who of the politicians belong to which.

    The humor therefore isn’t really high-minded satire and leans more to Rogen’s comedy oeuvre than Theron’s, but the latter does show that she is completely game for whatever is thrown at her. She can certainly handle the stateliness aspect of the role, giving off an Elizabeth McCord vibe at those points. When it’s time to go into Selina Meyer mode and be crude, though, she gets right into it. Rogen, already reliable for this kind of material, gets some good physical bits in this time. And while underused, Jackson shows that comedically he’s a chip off the ol’ Cube.

    If this type of comedy doesn’t put you off, consider giving this one a, um, shot. Real-life elections sure aren’t as funny as they used to be.

  • ‘Back Fork’ deals deftly with drugs and death

    ‘Back Fork’ deals deftly with drugs and death

    A.J. Cook and Josh Stewart in Back Fork

    “There’s no tragedy in life like the death of a child.  Things never get back to the way they were.” – President Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Movies about drug addiction are not new. Movies about a death in the family are not new. Movies about small rural towns are not new. And yet, Back Fork feels like something fresh and needed.

    (more…)
  • ‘Homefront’ is incomplete and underdeveloped

    ‘Homefront’ is incomplete and underdeveloped

    Jason Statham faces off against backwoods drug dealers in 'Homefront'
    Jason Statham faces off against backwoods drug dealers in ‘Homefront’

    While lately movies made from kids and teen books have been all the rage and able to develop as franchises, adult-oriented fare hasn’t been as lucky. Last year gave us the very disappointing Alex Cross and Jack Reacher, which likely stopped any plans for follow-ups dead in their tracks. Now Phil Broker comes to the screen in Homefront, and although not renaming the film after the character was a good start, more wrong choices were made than right.

    Here, Broker (Jason Statham) is a DEA agent who resigns when an operation ends with a suspect (Linds Edwards) receiving the Amadou Diallo treatment. Two years after that incident, he and his daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic) move to a Louisiana town where the late Mrs. Broker grew up. One day at school, classmate Teddy Klum (Austin Craig) provokes her into a fight and gets his clock cleaned. The school calls in Broker and the boy’s parents Jimmy (Marcus Hester) and Cassie Klum (Kate Bosworth). Jimmy tries to attack Broker but his reflexes are still sharp and he easily counters.

    For some reason this really gets to Cassie, so she enlists the help of Gator Bodine (James Franco), her brother and the town’s meth dealer, Cassie herself being an addict. Gator breaks in and in the process of abducting a cat and stuffed animal, comes across something infinitely more valuable: Broker’s file. Familiar with the players in Broker’s final case, Gator has his sidekick/lover Sheryl Marie Mott (Winona Ryder) reach out to biker leader Danny T (Chuck Zito), imprisoned by Broker and the father of the suspect killed. Gator plans to spill the beans on Broker in exchange for state-wide control of the meth trade.

    James Franco is a bad ass
    James Franco is a bad ass

    I have not read the novel by Chuck Logan, but a look on Amazon’s page for it shows this synopsis:

    Nina Pryce, one of a select few women attached to the Army’s elite Delta Force, is on an extended medical leave, recovering from a firefight with a terrorist that claimed the lives of two teammates and left her badly injured. While her body has begun to heal, her psychic wounds are still raw; unable to care for her daughter, repair the damage to her marriage, or face the fact that her military career is over, she and her family take refuge in a remote Minnesota town. But trouble seems to follow in her wake, and what begins as a schoolyard fight between her daughter and a bullying classmate soon escalates into a terrifying standoff with a clan of backwoods methamphetamine “cookers” and a hitman bent on revenge against Nina’s husband Phil Broker, a former undercover cop. Logan expertly balances the tough and the tender, as Broker attempts to nurse his wife back to health, protect eight-year-old Kit from the effects of her mother’s post-traumatic depression, and guard those he loves from the legacy of his own violent past.

    While the second half of that matches up, that first half, the one that actually sounds interesting, is completely MIA. Heck, simply having that as a story would make a compelling picture in its own right, certainly moreso than what we ended up with. It’s curious too that the setting was changed for no good reason. Why the needless hixploitation?

    Winona Ryder in 'Homefront'
    Winona Ryder in ‘Homefront’

    But what did make it to the screen is still incomplete and underdeveloped. In Sheryl’s negations with the biker, they make it quite clear that they will not relinquish distribution, but this leads nowhere. Gator learning of this and turning on them – and thereby proving to be the true threat to Broker – is what should have ensued. Another noticeable place is with Cassie and her addiction. They go out of their way to show that Jimmy and Gator worry for her, with the latter accusing the former of not doing a proper job as a husband. However, this is neither followed up on nor given any prior hint towards.

    The plot holes are as glaring as they come. Halfway through the movie, it becomes established that Broker keeps in contact with the DEA and reaches out to them when he starts to learn of Gator. But later on when he inevitably realizes his cover’s been blown and is in serious danger, he doesn’t call them. He has plenty of time to do so, but doesn’t. Is this supposed to make any sense?

    But the action is pretty satisfying and the actors are more than serviceable. Statham continues to hold his mettle as an action star and Vidovic shows promise. But it’s Franco, fresh from a similar wild-card part in Spring Breakers, who is the most fun to watch.

    Director Gary Fleder coincidentally is also the director of Kiss the Girls, the first – and best – of the Alex Cross films. It’s really too bad he couldn’t do for Broker what he did for Cross. Then again, given that the most intriguing elements of the story were excised, it’s just as well.

  • ‘Gravity’ is likely the best science fiction film of 2013

    ‘Gravity’ is likely the best science fiction film of 2013

    Sandra Bullock fights to survive in 'Gravity'
    Sandra Bullock fights to survive in ‘Gravity’

    Gravity is probably the best movie in which the main character spends half the time in her underwear. But to leave it at that does the movie a big disservice; it may well end up being the best science fiction film of the year.

    Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), Commander Matthew Kowalski (George Clooney), and some redshirts are in space repairing a satellite, connected with NASA below (Ed Harris). But soon wreckage debris rushes through, destroying the satellite, the shuttle, and communications, and of course leaving the two of them as the only survivors. Tethered together, they must explore the immediate area to find an operational station and/or craft that can get them home.

    With this simple a set up, Gravity is kind of film that’s hard to believe hasn’t already been made. But when seeing it, the reason why becomes clear: 3D. It and the other visual effects are truly what make this an enthralling experience, so much so that a standard viewing will not impress the same impact. So pony up the extra money for this one, it’ll be worth it.

    Sandra Bullock spends a good portion of film in nothing but her skivvies
    Sandra Bullock spends a good portion of film in nothing but her skivvies

    To some, this might just seem like something that could be pitched as Open Water in space (a comparison to the more recent All is Lost might also be in order). And sure the basic tenants are there: man and woman marooned in a vast void, no one coming to the rescue, fast-ticking clock on survival, and so on. This however comes from a different place tonally. The focus is more on the adventure for survival rather than a meditation on hopelessness.

    Looking more into this movie, I was surprised that many young actresses were considered for Dr. Stone. Were that to pass, it would have been a major detriment. Bullock provides the maturity needed for a character who’s not only a scientist but an astronaut that we need to believe has had years of training and experience in these fields. While I’m sure that Blake Lively and Olivia Wilde look equally as lovely in their undergarments, they just can’t deliver that. Bullock’s work here is a career best and proof that the Academy Award on her shelf was no fluke.

    At this point I’m not sure how many out there haven’t yet experienced this film or if they are going to need any more persuading for doing so. But as the theaters are becoming crowded with space saga titles of a more fantastical sort, Gravity is the one to go to for something real. Something, um, grounded.