November 2006

For Your Consideration

/ / Movie Reviews

Christopher Guest has enjoyed poking fun at many different groups of people, from folk singers (A Mighty Wind), to dog lovers (Best in Show), to community theater (Waiting for Guffman), to a heavy metal band (This is Spinal Tap).  Here Guest takes on those ripe for parody – the entertainment industry, and the fickle and surprising effects the word Oscar can cause amongst them.

For Your Consideration
3 & 1/2 Stars

The latest from writer/director Christopher Guest is a scathing look at the entertainment industry.  Though it seems to lack the heart of some of Guest’s better work, the jokes are deliciously droll and derisive.

A new film titled “Home for Purim” gets some unexpected Oscar buzz on the Internet (“the one with e-mail”) for aging actress Marilyn Hack (Catherine O’Hara), commercial actor Victor Allen Miller (Harry Shearer), and comedian turned actress Callie Webb (Parker Posey) whose one woman show, “No Penis Intended,” was described distinctly as “a humorless romp.”

All of a sudden these struggling actors are the focus of interviews, speculation, and studio intervention to try and convince the writers (Bob Balaban, Michael McKean) to make the film “less Jewish” to appeal to a broader audience.  And Jennifer Coolidge provides an example of what Guest believes the role and importance of a producer to be.

The film sinks its teeth into Hollywood’s self-importance and just rips it to shreds.  Particularly vicious, and amusing, are Fred Willard and Jane Lynch as Entertainment Tonight/Access Hollywood “reporters,” and the writer’s public appearance on The Charlie Rose Show (which might be the best scene of the film).

The major problem with the film is every situation and every person is rife for satire and so become walking punchlines.  Unlike some of Guest’s previous films, we don’t get a sense that he cares for these characters, and so why should we?  Still, he manages to put them in humorous, and sometimes near perfect, moments to laugh disdainfully with glee at their misfortune.  Cruel?  Without a doubt, but damn funny too.

It’s not Guest’s best work, but the film contains many good jokes and gags and some bitterly funny parodies of what has been come to be known as “entertainment news.”  Fans of his other films will enjoy themselves while others might wonder if the writer/director hasn’t chosen a subject too easy for him to mock, and too hard for him to care about.

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Comic Book Shelf

/ / Comics

Hey there true believers!  Due to the short week, and our need to stuff our faces with turkey and stuffing, the fifteenth issue of our Comic Book Shelf edition hits our newsstand one day early.  Want to know what’s getting released tomorrow at the old comic shop but too busy, or lazy (not that there’s anything wrong with that), to bother?  Well no sweat Bat-fans as we’ve got the scoop of what comics and graphic novels are hitting the shelves tomorrow.

This week’s releases include Conan, Daredevil, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Heroes for Hire, Red Menace, Superman/Batman, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Wolverine, and more!

If you’re looking for graphic novels you don’t want to miss Captain America: Red Menace, Marvel Holiday, Emily the Strange Vol. 1, Showcase Presents: The Unknown Soldier Vol. 1, Superman/Batman: Absolute Power, Swamp Thing: Infernal Triangles, and more.

For the full list check inside…

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New On DVD

/ / Home Video News 

Need something to throw in the DVD player while all that tryptophan takes effect?  Don’t worry, Razorfine’s got you covered.

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Oh man, I love Thanksgiving.  From the delicious sweet potatoes, the standard turkey and the under-rated stuffing, nothing makes me happier than stuffing a plates full of food into my face.  Nothing, that is, except for writing about NEW DVDs!!!

Film:

An Inconvenient Truth – As charming as Al Gore makes this documentary, I don’t know that it’s the kind of movie ripe for purchase – there’s not much replay value to a film that works like a well organized college lecture.  But for those who have yet to see the film and don’t mind being educated about impending dilemma of Global Warming rather than being entertained, it’s worth a rental.  Gore is just funny and likable enough to make you feel like a fun evening with that kooky guy Al, and justifies the price of rental.  You can check out Alan’s review here.

Scoop – I’ll admit that I’m not a connoisseur of Woody Allen, I’ve only seen a select few from the long list of films he’s directed.  Still, I can’t come close to understanding why so many critics lashed out at Allen’s latest, the supernatural comedy Scoop, just because it was one of the director’s weakest.  But even after seeing what I’ve been led to believe is his best work, namely Bananas and Annie Hall, it alludes me as to how seeing those superior films makes this gut-buster any less worthy of viewing.  No, it isn’t a brilliant character study like Annie Hall, but how many movies are?  Scoop is a delightfully silly comedy that delivers laughs and is worth viewing, even if you’ve seen every other Allen flick around.  Alan liked it too, you can read his review here.

Special Edition:

Home Alone: Family Fun Edition – Oh man, I enjoyed Home Alone to no end as a child whenever it was run on TNT and other basic cable networks.  Hell, who am I kidding, I still check it out whenever I find it on the tube.  But, well gee, I just wish there was a little something more to it.  You know a little bit of extra umph.  Wait, what’s that?  You say that there’s a new edition of the film out on DVD today, a film with more family fun?  Well, heck, that’s exactly what I was looking for, why didn’t you say so in the first place!?  Although the single-disc edition of the film doesn’t merit a double dip for owners of previous releases of the film, I know for a fact that I would have killed for a special feature like “How to Burglar Proof Your Home: The Stunts of Home Alone” when I was five-years-old.  And hey, they even have the feature “Mac Cam: Behind the Scenes with Macaulay Culkin!”  Oh man, that Macaulay.  What a cute kid.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Special Edition – Now available in a brand new, shiny special edition DVD is perhaps one of the best examples that not everything can be made into a decent movie.  But the top grosser at the 2000 box office is, nevertheless, reacquainting itself with the new releases wall at Wal-Marts nationwide.  Unless you’re a fan of blooper reels and Faith Hill music videos, there shouldn’t be any reason to pick up this wannabe Holiday Classic.

Television:

Alias: Season Five – I was a diehard J.J. Abrams’ Alias for a solid year and a half, until the show introduced a sort of family of super spies dynamic that felt more like a Saturday morning cartoon than a prime-time drama.  Ever since then, I’ve felt alienated.  Still, I watched the show every once and a while through its five year run, and I was sad to hear of the show’s cancellation earlier this year.  This last season of Alias houses somewhat of a return to the original formula of the show: sexy spy (Jennifer Garner) gets into sticky situations on international missions and sometimes with a total cutie pie (Michael Vartan,) instead of complicating the show with extranious subplots that try to turn Garner’s character into someone that might have shown up on Felicity (another show created by Abrams.)

Also available today is the 29-disc box set of the entire series.  The set includes everything from the previous five season releases over the past five years, along with an extra bonus disc.  But what sets the set apart is its design, modeled after the highly sought Rembaldi Artifact – an item dating back five centuries whose mythology often drove the show when there wasn’t anything else interesting about it.  The design is detailed and, sorry for the awful pun that is about to ensue, but utterly geekgasmic for the Alias fans out there.

Da Ali G Show: Da Compleet Seereez – Now available for all of you haters out there who didn’t buy these seasons individually comes the complete, two-season, four-disc set with all 12 episodes starring Sasha Baron Cohen.  There’s nothing new in this set, so don’t get too excited for this obvious tie-in with the insane success of Cohen’s film recent film that you may have heard of, Borat.

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Shout Out

/ / Film News & Trailers

It’s been awhile since we’ve had something to shout about, but this is certainly deserving.  Recently I attended an early screening of Freedom Writers, a terrific new film starring Hillary Swank as a teacher of at-risk-students.  It’s based on the real story of Erin Gruell and her experiences as a first year teacher in Long Beach, CA.  It’s a remarkably engaging and moving film that breaks from the mold of so many recent films about teachers and provides an emotional punch that will take your breath away.  The film won’t be released until next year (January 12), so it’s sadly not in the running for our top ten lists and award consideration, but it is definitely worth shouting about.  So here’s a RazorFine Shout Out to the first great film of 2007, Freedom Writers!

Freedom Writers
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It’s been awhile since we’ve had something to shout about, but this is certainly deserving.  Recently I attended an early screening of Freedom Writers, a terrific new film starring Hillary Swank as a teacher of at-risk-students.  It’s based on the real story of Erin Gruell and her experiences as a first year teacher in Long Beach, CA.  It’s a remarkably engaging and moving film that breaks from the mold of so many recent films about teachers and provides an emotional punch that will take your breath away.  The film won’t be released until next year (January 12), so it’s sadly not in the running for our top ten lists and award consideration, but it is definitely worth shouting about.  So here’s a RazorFine Shout Out to the first great film of 2007, Freedom Writers!

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This Week

/ / Movie Reviews

So what’s out there this week?  Well today we’ll take a look at the films scheduled to be released early for the Thanksgiving holiday rush. Following films will be opeing this week on the 22nd: Deck the Halls, Déjà Vu, The Fountain, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny and Valley of the Wolves: Iraq.

C’mon in and let us get you ready for the week!

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Here’s what’s scheduled to hit theaters this week.  Want to know more?  Just click on the title for film info including a full cast list.  Want a closer look?  Just click on the poster to watch the trailer.

Opening Wednesday:

Deck the Halls

Contending neighbors, Steve (Matthew Broderick) and Danny (Danny DeVito), duke it out over the holidays. Steve and Danny are exact opposites, Steve runs a tight ship around the house and is very conservative and Danny is an all out wild guy who likes to enjoy a little holiday decorating competition. Danny is looking to light up his house so bright that he might knock out the power grid to cities surrounding miles away and this is interrupting Steve’s perfectly planned out holidays. The neighbors are duking it out and one is sure to conquer the other, but, I have know doubt, they’ll end up shaking hands in the end. Rated PG for some constructive crude and suggestive humor and language.

Here is a silly holiday film that falls very short of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Projected .5 out of 5 razors.

Déjà Vu

Wonderful, how exciting another weird ass movie with mind jacking moments and the star being Denzel Washington. No, if you couldn’t tell, I’m not much of a fan of old Denzel, his acting abilities are identical in every role he is cast and Déjà Vu is, but another. Yes, it is directed by Tony Scott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, but seriously, aren’t most of their films mediocre at best? Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) gets flashes of Déjà Vu, but these are not just mysterious visions in his memory, but warnings of bad things to come. Doug is an ATF agent who is sent in to investigate a bombing in New Orleans and ends up finding out he has powers that could save hundreds of people.

I don’t see this film being any more exciting than any of Denzel’s past films.  Projected 2 out of 5 razors.

The Fountain

A century long story about a man who tries to save his beloved from death. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz play the couple in love looking for the Tree of Life and her salvation. Starting out in the 16th century, conquistador Thomas Creo (Hugh Jackman) begins his search to save Isabel’s (Rachel Weisz) life. Moving forward he becomes a modern-day scientist and even a 26th century astronaut to cure his wife from the consuming cancer. The Fountain promises to be an interesting twist and should be an exciting film, but I fear that it might get a little too out of touch with reality to work.

Rated PG13 for violence and action, some sensuality and language. Projected 3.5 out of 5 razors.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

Jack Black and Kyle Glass star in a film about their band (that’s a given by the name). There doesn’t seem to be much that can be said about Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. However, if you find Jack Black funny and if you enjoy is band duo Tenacious D, then you will enjoy this little escapade. Guaranteed to be full of dirty, raunchy and disgusting comedy and will fulfill your quota for off the wall humor for a year. You would never guess, it’s Rated R for language, sex and drugs. Projected 1 out of 5 razors.

Currently in Limited Release, Opening Wednesday, Novemeber 22:

For Your Consideration

Christopher Guest brings to the big screen another laugh out loud story about human’s infatuation about self-gratification. For Your Consideration has a few repeat players and a couple of new, a cast list that boasts Carrie Aizley, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Jennifer Coolidge, Paul Dooley, Ricky Gervais, Christopher Guest, Rachael Harris and on and on and on, how does Guest get so much talent in one film? The show is all about making an independent film and the award buzz that taunts the actors afterwards. Once again, Guest throws the obvious in our face and makes us look at the ugly beast in the eye.

Yes we are a greedy society that needs constant rewards and pats on the back for simply doing our job. Luckily he makes quite a farce of it and a completely enjoyable viewing experience. Read Alan’s review here.

Currently in Limited Release, Opening Thanksgiving Day:

Bobby

Wow, the films out this week have some serious talent. Bobby, written and directed by Emilio Estevez (yeah, I wondered where he went too) has quite the list with Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, William H. Macy, Helen Hunt, Christian Slater (he disappeared too), Heather Graham, Laurence Fishburne, Freddy Rodriguez…I’ll stop now. I’ve got to give it to Emilio; he has created a culturally and politically powerful film set around the night Robert F. Kennedy was shot. It focuses on 22 people who are all waiting for the arrival of Kennedy’s primary election night and the events that were set in history.

Many issues are covered from racism to women’s rights and each actor plays their part to bring the characters to life, most doing a brilliant job and a few a little rusty. It’s a well-written story and, for the most part, a well acted and directed one at that. Read Alan’s review here.

Opening Friday, November 24, in Limited Release:

Valley of the Wolves: Iraq

Here is a very politically charged film with a mix of fact and fiction about the beliefs and thought amongst Turkish, Arabic and Muslim people. An extremist one-sided story depicting Americans in a very bloodthirsty and heartless way. Much controversy and conversation has stemmed from this film, especially from Germany. I’m having a hard time finding the rating on this film, but from the descriptions and content I would assume it’s a different R, if not worse.

The English title, Valley of the Wolves: Iraq is well shot and very poignant. Projected 5 out of 5 razors.

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