Guy X

I picked up this DVD as a birthday present for myself as it looked to be a bit of an “off the wall” comedy that could be quite good.

Jason Briggs plays a US Army private who ends up at a top secret miltary base in Greenland thanks to a mess up.

The camp turns out to be a pretty mad place with all sorts of “characters” that spark some fairly amusing moments, but there’s no real big laughs to be seen.

The “secret” that the base is hiding, and apparently no-one other than the “top brass” knows about, is never really explained, and apart from some funny moments with Puffin’s, the plot never really gathers pace.

This is another movie that I feel didn’t quite hit the mark, I couldn’t say where it went wrong, but it never seems to really get going.

Not one I’ll bother watching again or recommending to friends…

The Prestige

In one of those strange Hollywood coincidences that looked like a game of chicken both sides were determined to not to lose and so both went over the cliff still in the car, two movies about magicians and their loves came out within weeks of each other last fall. One was The Illusionist, which I wrote up a month ago, starring Edward Norton and Joaquin Phoenix fighting over Jessica Biel.

In The Prestige Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) fight each other over their magic, not their women (Piper Perabo and Rebecca Hall), but the women get involved in their unfriendly competition nonetheless. Michael Caine has the lead supporting role as a man who creates tricks for magicians and is somewhat of a confidant to Angier and Borden who, early on, meet while working under the tutelage of the same star.

David Bowie is delightful as Nikola Tesla, a real person who was Thomas Edison’s employee, vitcim and primary competitor in the commercial development of electricity. The Prestige is set later in Tesla’s life, after Edison has won the corporate battle; though we never see the Wizard of Menlo Park onscreen, his agents are shown hounding Tesla, forcing him to be constantly on the defensive and on the move, though willing to assist Angier when he travels to wintry Colorado Springs in quest of a copy of a device he believes Tesla built for Borden.

Director Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, Insomnia, Memento), who co-wrote the snappy, intelligent script with his brother Jonathan from Christopher Priest’s novel, points out right at the beginning that in the world of magic nothing is ever what it seems to be, that the show must be watched carefully and that the performers will go to great lengths to create illusions. This is very useful advice, so I pass it along to you.

recommended

Lithium Springs

I was asked to review an independently made movie called Lithium Springs but have nothing positive at all to say, so I will just leave my comment as this note.

Shoot ‘em Up - Review

You know what the difference between films like ?Shoot ?em Up? and “War? is? ?Shoot ?em Up? is a good bad movie, while ?War? is just a plain ole bad movie. To elaborate, while films such as ?War? sincerely believe they are God?s gift to the action genre and legitimately artistic and inspiring pieces of celluloid, ?Shoot ?em Up? is completely self-aware that it?s an over-the-top, leave-your-brain-at-the-door bulletfest and only aspires to have a good time and never takes itself more seriously than it ought to. And that?s why I can in good conscience give a thumbs down to stupid cliché-ridden films like ?War? while simultaneously enjoying goofy brainless films like ?Shoot ?em Up?.

Smith (Clive Owen) is just your average Brit living in America with a chip on his shoulder and carrot-fueled super eyesight. He inadvertently becomes the protector of a newborn infant who has become the target of the pudgy hitman Hertz (Paul Giamatti) and his legion of dispensable cannon-fodder assassins. Smith?s only ally in this crazy ordeal is a Eurotrash hooker named Donna (Monica Bellucci), whom he needs to feed the baby breast milk while he deals with all the psychos out to get them.

As previously stated, ?Shoot ?em Up? is entirely self-aware that it is insane and ridiculous and not a movie to be taken seriously for a split second. So as such, it ignores the requirements of physics or character depth or coherent plotting all for the sake of having some fun at whatever the cost. The action scenes in this movie are intentionally as crazy and impossible as you can imagine, but they all have a sense of humor to them so you know you should be smiling instead of sneering. If you can get past the fact that the physics are complete nonsense, you shouldn?t have any trouble going along for the ride.

And that?s what makes ?Shoot ?em Up? a fun movie. The gun battles are completely outrageous and will have the audience laughing and cheering at the preposterous ?improve? on the part of Smith and the ludicrous situations going on around him. I also enjoyed the film?s soundtrack, featuring the likes of Motorhead, Motley Crue and AC/DC, but I?m a sucker for oldie metal.

While the fight scenes are fun, the characters aren?t all winners. Clive Owen is hilarious as Smith, with his constant carrot-chewing and hair-trigger temper winning the audience over mighty quick. His one-liners weren?t all gold, but I think they were supposed to be intentionally cheesy and stupid at times. Paul Giamatti managed a particularly memorable villain, who never seems all that threatening, but then that?s kind of the point. Like everything else in the movie, the villain has a sense of humor about him which makes him almost as likable as the hero. Now, outside of fun character quirks and inspired casting, the main characters don?t come across particularly deep. They try to throw in a thin and watery backstory for Smith, but it seems more like an afterthought than anything necessary for the character, and in all honesty, they pretty much ripped it from “The Punisher?, anyway.

?Shoot ?em Up? is a fun little goofball movie, and when I look at my to-see list for this month, well, it looks to be about the best action flick that?ll be out for the next four weeks. Anyhow, if you can lighten up, then I?m sure you?ll enjoy ?Shoot ?em Up?.

Grade: B-

Aeon Flux

Less than a decade from now, a lab-created virus is unleashed and decimates the human population; only a few million of us survive, all of whom live in a single city governed by the sons of Dr. Goodchild, the scientist who found the cure for the virus. After 400 years, though, not all the citizens are satisfied with the state of things and the most disaffected have formed an underground rebel group called the Mohicans. The group’s leadership have decided that direct action is required to make a change in the status quo and dispatch an assassin.

Based loosely on the MTV animated series from the mid 1990s, 2005’s Aeon Flux stars Charlize Theron as the titular character, the Mohican assassin, Martin Csokas as Trevor Goodchild, the current governor, and Jonny Lee Miller as Trevor’s younger brother Oren. Frances McDormand and Pete Postlethwaite have supporting roles as Aeon’s Mohican handler and the ancient Keeper of genetic records.

The script by Phil Hay and Matt Manfreddi (the pair also collaborated on Jacky Chan’s The Tuxedo and Crazy/Beautiful) has to account for the practical differences between live action and animation, and between a continuing series and a 90 minute movie as well, though I think most fans of the original were disappointed in this film. I’ve not seen the old series except for bits and pieces so the comparison wasn’t too important for me yet I felt the writers could’ve done better in keeping all the various aspects more consistent with each other.

This is the movie Karyn Kusama chose as the followup to her critically acclaimed 2000 indie drama Girlfight. I can understand the attraction for her, the chance to develop a similar theme on a much broader canvas, but have to wonder how constrained Kusama was by the studio production execs. They were probably a lot more interested in having as many cool fight scenes and big action sequences as could be stuffed in, and far less emphasis on Flux’s inner turmoil and the philosophical conflict between the Goodchild brothers.

recommended

The Good Shepherd

I’m always a sucker for a movie that Angelina’s in, but she doesn’t play much of a roll in this one, it’s mostly Matt Damon and it’s mostly very confusing…

I did enjoy it, and I think I got most of what was going on, but I’m going to have to watch it again to really get it all!

My wife on the other hand gave up after just 15 mins.

This is not an “easy watch” movie, but if you enjoy a movie full of intrigue, twists and turns, then this should be right up your street!

Just be prepared to give it your full attention, or you’ll probably be lost before tyou get half way through.

The Three Stooges-Classic Comedy Icons

Ahhhh...The Three Stooges...Classic slapstick comedy and an American tradition. Who hasn't seen a Stooge classic film short? But, who were these men who brought their caustic brand of physical comedy into our living rooms and theaters?

We all know them as Curly, Larry and Moe, but when they first started in1922 they were with a vaudeville act called Ted Healy and his Stooges (which was originally called Ted Healy and his Southern Gentlemen).

The ensemble consisted of Ted Healy, brothers Harry Moses Howard (Moe), Samuel Howard (Shemp) and Larry Fine (Larry). In 1931, Shemp left the group for a career in feature films, and needing a third stooge, Moe suggested his brother Jerome. Ted, not enamored with his long hair and facial hair, stated he (Jerome) was not a character like Moe and Larry. Jerome left the room and quickly returned with a shaved head and face and Curly, as we know him, was born.

In his autobiography, Moe Howard and The Three Stooges, The Stooges and Ted Healy parted company in 1934 because, as Moe recalled, of Healy's abrasiveness and alcoholism. This is when they began their Columbia Pictures film career and the Three Stooges, as most of us know them, started their long journey into comedy history.

From 1934 until 1959, the Three Stooges starred in 190 film shorts; the longest such series in film history. They also appeared in a dozen movies and entertained millions throughout the world with their catch phrases, physical routines and masterful comedy.

In 1946, Curly suffered a stroke and Shemp was asked to rejoin the group. Knowing that Moe and Larry careers and the Stooges would be finished, he reluctantly agreed to rejoin the group, but only on a temporary basis. Unfortunately, Curly never recovered and died in January of 1952.

The Stooges, with Shemp as Curly's replacement, went on to appear in 77 more short films and a feature film called Gold Raiders (1951). Additionally, in 1949, Moe, Larry and Shemp made a pilot for a Three Stooges television show called "Jerks of All Trades". The show was never picked up, but the pilot is public domain and is available on home video.

The Three Stooges dynasty took another hit when Shemp Howard died of a sudden heart attack in November of 1955 at age 60. Joe Besser replaced Shemp in 1956-57, appearing in 16 short films. Interestingly, Joe had a clause in his contract specifically prohibiting him from being hit too hard, although it was lifted as time passed. Unfortunately, the market for short films and for the Stooges had passed. Columbia Pictures, the last studio still producing short films fired the Three Stooges in 1957. (Because of contractual obligations and backlogs, final Stooge shorts weren't released until 1959). A new medium, television, had taken over.

The Stooges weren't down for long as the "rebirth" of the Stooges came rather quickly. In 1959, Columbia Pictures syndicated the entire Three Stooges film library to television and the Stooges were rediscovered by the baby boomers.

Stoogemania quickly swept across the country and Moe and Larry found themselves back in the spotlight again. But Joe Besser's wife had a heart attack and he withdrew from the act, so Moe quickly signed Joe DeRita as his replacement. DeRita shaved his head and became Curly-Joe, because he looked like the original Curly.

This version of the Three Stooges went on to make 39 short films and a few full-length movies in the late 1950's and through the 1960's. In 1969 they filmed a pilot for a new TV series called "Kook's Tour", which would have been a show about the "retired" Stooges traveling the world, with episodes filmed on location. Alas, during production, Larry suffered a stroke that ended his acting career as well as the TV series. Larry suffered another stroke in December 1974 and another month later suffered a fatal stroke and died in January 1975.

It was thought that they could carry on, several movie ideas were considered, however Moe Howard passed away in May 1975. Although Curly-Joe (Joe DeRita) did some live work with a new group of "Stooges" in the early 1970's, the Three Stooges, as we knew them, we gone.

This has been a synopsis of the lengthy careers and the phenomenon that was and still is the Three Stooges. With the advent of cable television, home video, dvds and with a loyal army of loyal fans, the Three Stooges are still entertaining the masses and will be for years to come.

Article Source: http://www.marketingarticlebank.com