3.5 Razors

Hidden Gem – The TV Set

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The TV Set
  • IMDb: link

“I’m fucking freaked because this show, it’s not Shakespeare I know.  It’s not The Sopranos, but it’s my show and if I don’t worry about the content of my show, if I just sit back and let them turn it into another cannibalized piece of shit then I’m part of the problem.  I am the one who’s responsible for pumping shit into people’s living rooms.  I’m making the world more mediocre.”

the-tv-set-poster

Mike Klein (David Duchovny) should be on top of the world.  He and his wife (Justine Bateman) are expecting their first child and a television network is interested in this script for a new comedy based on the aftermath of his brother’s suicide.  So what’s the problem?  Well, this is Hollywood.

At every turn Mike is forced to make concessions to casting, shooting, and script which slowly chip away at the original premise until it is almost unrecognizable.  Here’s a great look at how talented people get roped into bad television shows, and how the power does not come from the actors, directors or writers, but the network.

…

Hidden Gem – The TV SetRead More »

Hidden Gem – The TV Set Read More »

Bourne to be on DVD

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Bourne Ultimatum
  • IMDB: link

bourne-ultimatumJason Bourne (Matt Damon) returns for a third entry picking up right where The Bourne Supremacy ended.  Bourne gets himself out of Russia and goes after those responsible for Treadstone looking for answers and revenge for Marie’s (Franka Potente) death.  The film is filled with amazing stunts, and yet another great car chase, this time through the streets of New York City.  For more on the plot and review of the film check out my original review.

I liked, but was slightly disappointed with, The Bourne Ultimatum as I feel it was a small step backward from the second film.  Still, it’s a fun ride and with the extras offered here it’s an easy recommendation to make and a nice addition to anyone’s collection.  Also worth noting, if you don’t already have the first two films in the series, Universal is putting out “The Jason Bourne Collection” – a four-disc set filled with all the extras, complete with a Jason Bourne passport, and housed in a safety deposit box tin.

Bourne to be on DVD Read More »

Men are from Earth, Children are from Mars

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Martian Child
  • IMDb: link

“I don’t want to bring another kid into this world, but how do you argue against loving one that’s already here?”

martian-child-poster

John Cusack stars as David, a science fiction writer who is still dealing with the loss of his wife.  A social worker (Sophie Okonedo), who had been working to place a child with the couple contacts David about a special case.  Dennis (Bobby Coleman) is an odd little kid who spends most of his time in a box, collects (steals) items from other children, and wears a weight belt made of batteries.  Oh, and he thinks he’s a Martian.

You can probably guess where the film goes from here.  David and Dennis have their problems and grow to love each other.  It terms of storytelling the film doesn’t break any new ground, but the script from Seth Bass and Jonathan Tolins, based on the novel by David Gerrold, does hold our interest with smart characters and a story willing to hedge its bets on whether the kid is delusional or actually an alien.

There are some nice supporting performances here in roles that are could have been easily forgettable with less talented actors.  Amanda Peet charmed the socks off me as David’s sister-in-law, Joan Cusack is good as always playing a role she knows well – the sister, and Richard Schiff brings his trademark gruffness to the head of the review board who has the power to take Dennis away from David.  Although none of the characters are that well-written, these actors infuse them with energy and charm; there are several scenes between Peet and Cusack which nearly steal the film.

…

Men are from Earth, Children are from MarsRead More »

Men are from Earth, Children are from Mars Read More »

We Own the Night

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: We Own the Night
  • IMDb: link

Studio execs love to take a film and change it in some way to make a different film which can play to the same audiences.  Die Hard is a classic example as studios rushed to make Die Hard on a boat (Under Siege), Die-Hard on a plane (Passenger 57, Con Air, Executive Decision), Die-Hard on a train (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory) and many others.  The only other thing execs love more (than easy sequel or adaptations) is to combine two different films.  Now I don’t know for sure that this is how this film came about but I think it went something like this…
“Hey, I got a great idea for a movie.  It came to me as I was watching The Departed”
“I don’t know, I mean Scorsese just did that.”
“No man listen to this.  When I finished the movie and popped out the DVD I turned the cable on and there was that Studio 54 flick with Austin Powers.”
“Yeah?”
“We combine the two films!”
“That’s a great idea!”
“Yeah, we can even cast some of the stars of The Departed.”
“Not Nicholson, he’s way too expensive.  Hmm, what about Marky-Mark?”

We Own the Night

The film’s story centers around nightclub manager Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) whose lifestyle is at odds with his father (Robert Duvall) and brother (Mark Wahlberg) who are hard-nosed NY cops.  When his brother is put in charge of a taskforce to clean up the drugs in the city Bobby is forced to examine his life and choose between his family and his friends and business partners.

What you expect is what you get.  Phoenix acts moody, crazy, and looks like he needs a good night sleep.  Wahlberg is a tough and stand-up guy (sadly without the humor of his Departed character), Duvall is the hardboiled but loving father, and Eva Mendes is the girlfriend (or more accurate – the whining eye-candy).

The story is good though not great and the incident that forces Bobby to help his father and brother is well executed (although I would have liked to have seen more time spent on the fallout).  The film also includes several sequences which are both engaging and compelling including a most memorable car chase and a tour and an escape from a drug house.

…

We Own the NightRead More »

We Own the Night Read More »

Trade

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Trade
  • IMDb: link

Trade

The film begins with the kidnapping of Adriana (Paulina Gaitan), a 13 year-old girl from Mexico, and Veronica (Alicja Bacheleda-Curus), a young woman from the Baltic States.  They are taken by force to an unknown location and then put in the pipeline to be sold with others as sex slaves.  We watch their journey from Mexico, into the United States, and to New Jersey where they will be sold.

The other part of the story concerns American cop Ray (Kevin Kline) and Adriana’s brother Jorge (Cesar Ramos) who team-up to try and rescue his sister.

The film is full of disturbing scenes including the brutal rape of Veronica and highly suggestive scenes involving Adriana and girls and boys her age performing sex acts on the side of the road for money.  There are also scenes in which the girls are forced to change and pose provocatively for the camera, forcibly drugged, and beaten.  I honestly don’t know how this film avoided an NC-17 rating, which it justly deserves; it’s certainly not a film for the squeamish.

…

TradeRead More »

Trade Read More »