From Israel comes this tale of friends living and loving in Tel Aviv. Ohad Knoller, Yousef Joe Sweid, Daniela Vitzer, Alon Friedman, and Oded Leopold star. Check out the official site and the MySpace page. The film, presented in Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles, opens in limited release in select cities on Friday. Larger trailer available in the Full Diagnosis.
The Bubble (Buah, Ha-)
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This Week in Foreign Film Read More »
Will Arnett and Will Forte star as the socially-inept Brothers Solomon who attempt to grant their dying father’s last request and produce a grandson. Directed by Bob Odenkirk, the film also stars Kristen Wilg, Jenna Fischer, David Koechner, and Chi McBride. Check out the official site. The film opens everywhere on Friday. Larger trailer available in the Full Diagnosis.
The Brothers Solomon
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Here we examine video games and the people who play them, not just for fun, but for recognition, glory, and world records; this is the subject of an outstanding documentary, with perhaps the best title of any film released this year (and the rest of the film ain’t too shabby either).
Director Seth Gordon paints us a surprisingly complex tale of two very different men. Billy Mitchell is the king of his universe, the world record holder for Donkey Kong, who once played the first perfect game ever recorded on Pac Man, owns his own company, and is a longtime friend and contributor to Walter Day, the founder of Twin Galaxies (an organization which tracks video game records).
Mitchell was once named “the greatest video-game player of all time” and “Gamer of the Century.” Confident and arrogant to a fault he is the undisputed master of his domain.
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The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters Read More »
Well, it’s not An Inconvenient Truth (read the review), let’s get that out of the way first. This new documentary on the increasing problems with the environment doesn’t have the jau de vive, the heart, or the spirit of Al Gore’s documentary from last year. Though it may not live up to the Gore standard there is plenty to watch (especially in the film’s second half) and more than a little to discuss.
The documentary focuses our attention on the changing climate of the Earth due to a variety of factors including global warming, pollution, over population, and man’s destructive effect on the environment. Leonardo DiCaprio narrates the film which is filled with interviews from scientists from many fields and countries including Stephen Hawking.
The documentary breaks down into two parts. The first showcases the increasing dangers and causes and foretells of a dangerous and disastrous future if real change isn’t embraced soon. This part of the film comes dangerously close to the scare tactics many wanted to, falsely, lay at the feet of An Inconvenient Truth. This first section of the film comes off as part lecture and part blame instead of the imploring and instruction Al Gore utilized to much better effect.
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The 11th Hour Approaches Read More »
Years ago Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) blew his chance at the 1988 Olympic Games. Not a washed-up has-been and punchline Fogler is offered a chance by FBI Agent Ernie Rodriquez (George Lopez) to return to glory and avenge the death of his father (Robert Patrick) by entering a secret underground tournament held by the man responsible, the crime lord Feng (Christoper Walken).
The film is filled with predictable dumb and gross-out humor and cheesy cliched training scenes involving a blind ping-pong master (James Hong) and his sexy niece (Maggie Q). And you know it’s not a comedy without a suppository joke and male sex slaves! *Sigh*
The acting is okay, at times, and Fogler comes off as a poor man’s Jack Black. Walken is back to his silly over-the-top performance he gives in films like these, and Maggie Q looks good in short-shorts and Aisha Tyler spends the movie in a leather dominatrix outfit. Yes, pre-teen males are obviously the target audience here.
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Balls of Fury Sure, but Where’s the Heart? Read More »
