Thin Ice

Midwest insurance salesman Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) hatches a get-rich-quick scheme that depends on him gaining possession of a rare and precious violin, but his planned score results in wild and unexpected consequences. Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup and Lea Thompson co-star in this meditation on lying and its consequences, written by sisters Jill and Karen Sprecher (Thirteen Conversations About One Thing).

Matt
Rating: 8 out of 10

The only reason I watched this movie is because it popped out of the Red Box by mistake. I literally knew nothing about this movie when I started watching. But the Red Box machine’s mistake became my surprise fortune. Now that’s good movie karma!

Greg Kinnear leads an excellent cast as a truly unlikable human being. He swindles people in business, cheats on his wife, doesn’t take care of his finances or family, and when pushed to his limits, will cover up a murder. This is one of those movies where there’s no good guy to root for. It’s definitely not filmed like an Alfred Hitchcock movie, but the script has the feel of it. Kudos to the Sprecher sisters for writing an intriguing script that unfolds very nicely, keeps the intensity at a great level, and inspires great performances by Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, David Harbour and Lea Thompson.

This is a movie where nothing goes right, there are no heroes, and no possibility of a positive outcome. Sounds bleak, right? Well, it works very well with the balance of some humor. Bad deeds lead to more bad deeds, and they keep piling up. As the audience, we feel the tension build. the danger grow, and the risks get higher. It’s an entertaining movie, for sure.

The Night of the Hunter

 

Bogus “preacher” Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) learns cellmate Ben Harper (Peter Graves) has stashed stolen loot on his property. So after the demented Powell is released, he charms Ben’s widow (Shelley Winters) into getting hitched, and in time, only Ben’s kids stand between him and the money. As he stalks the siblings relentlessly, they seek refuge with the indomitable Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish), setting the stage for a battle of wills.

Brian
Rating: 10 out of 10

It’s really a shame that the late, great actor Charles Laughton only directed one film in his entire career. The upside of that is that he created one of the best screen thrillers I have ever seen.

When this film was released back in 1955, it was both a critical and box office failure and it was hard to see how when you watch it today. The performance by Robert Mitchum is nothing short of perfection, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, and the screenplay is filled with intelligence and memorable characters. But, because of its lack of success and a less than warm reception from audiences, Laughton was so heartbroken that he decided to never sit in the director’s seat ever again. He would go on to pass away before the film was rediscovered by art film students in the 1970’s. Today, it has been on numerous top 100 lists, was added to the Library of Congress, and is held in the highest esteem by directors such as Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese.

The story is simple enough. A man robs a bank, shoots two people dead, and returns home with $10,000 and tells his children to never tell anyone where it’s hidden. While in prison, he talks in his sleep and his cell mate (Robert Mitchum) hears about it. Once Mitchum is released, he goes after the family in hopes of finding the money. The premise, while terrific, is not the only thing that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. There’s a real tension here from beginning to end. The Mitchum character not only has self-motivated intentions but he does it through the fog of posing as a man of God. The underlying current of religion being used as a tool for evil deeds is not only subtle, but also extremely effective. Who back in those times would believe the family of a murderer over a man who claims to be a preacher? This sets up a great cat and mouse between the children who know where the money is and the man who has moved in on their lives in hope of taking it away. I wouldn’t dare give away any more details but just know that the mood and style of this film is unmatched within this genre. I have never seen a movie that had a better sense of gloom through its black and white cinematography and its use of sound except Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” Shadows are always lurking, evil permeates through Mitchum singing church hymns, and the rivaling between hush quiet and loud anger is felt deeply when you view it. Trust me, if you enjoy a good thriller, I cannot recommend one higher than “The Night of the Hunter.”

 

Dark Knight Trailer #3 Released

Matt

The Dark Knight Rises, coming July 20, is the final and much anticipated conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s brilliant vision of Batman. The latest trailer looks very promising, leaving much to be the imagination while whetting our appetites for what promises to be an incredible closing chapter in the Nolan series. Enjoy.

 

The Cabin in the Woods

Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.

Matt
Rating: 8 out of 10

I love it when a film comes along in a tired genre and kicks it in the ass.

The first “Scream” movie was a revolation for horror fans tired of countless sequels. Believe it or not, this movie actually doesn’t leave much need for one, either. To me, that’s the hallmark of a great movie. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The beauty of this film is that it starts like every other teenager-targeted slasher flick. It moves well, injects quite a bit of humor along the way, and keeps us engaged while we have fun. It works. But by the ending, which I will not spoil, it takes some very interesting twists and turns that will leave both fanboys and the general public happy.

Mind you, if you’re not a horror or fantasy fan, I think you’ll still enjoy this, though on a different level as horror fans. As a horror fan, I delighted in the playful nature the director took with horror and folk lore and turned it on its head a bit and looked at these conventions with a fresh take. It was a nice change of pace. Don’t go to the “Cabin in the Woods” hoping for your typical movie. You won’t find it, but that’s the beauty of it. If you don’t like change, and you like your teenagers predictably walking into dark rooms where the killer was just seen, or you think Freddy needs a 20th sequel, this may not be the flick for you.

Seven Days

Surgeon Bruno Hamel (Claude Legault) is living a seemingly idyllic life until his young daughter is raped and murdered. Obsessed with vengeance, Bruno concocts a plot to kidnap, torture and execute the man responsible for the crime. Once his plan comes to fruition, he’ll turn himself in. Director Daniel Grou makes his feature-film debut with this thriller based on a novel by Patrick Senécal. Rémy Girard and Fanny Mallette co-star.

Brian
Rating: 6 out of 10
Warning: some minor spoilers!

If you think, based on the description above, that this is another Hostel it most definitely isn’t. The grief of loss is presented in a very real and palpable way that drew me in. The husband and wife (played brilliantly by Claude Legault and Fanny Mallette) are real people dealing with the most horrific thing that can happen to a human being, the loss of a child. It’s that sense of reality that drew me into the story. Who wouldn’t want revenge for the rape and murder of their child? Who wouldn’t want to make their attacker suffer unimaginably? Who hasn’t questioned whether imprisonment is “enough” for a crime of this magnitude?

So, for a film raising all of these interesting questions, why is it a lowly 6? I feel the story takes a lot of turns that made it too ridiculous that it started to lose me. For one, there’s a point where the father kidnaps the mother of a previous victim of the same killer who murdered his daughter. Why? He saw her in a TV interview talking about how she has forgotten about the killer. He finds it so offensive that he chloroforms her and takes her to the hidden cottage where the killer is being tortured so she can face him. All of this is done while there’s a massive manhunt for him going on. It really never needed to get that ridiculous. The more basic the story became, the better it was. Why take the doctor away from the confrontations with the murderer as well as his own demons? That also reminds me of another weakness of the story. The writer decided to have zero dialogue interaction between the father and the killer. I can understand the idea that he wouldn’t even want to speak with him but why deprive the audience of what could have been several interesting exchanges to further flesh out the characters?

On a positive note, newcomer director Daniel Grou has a terrific sense of pacing and his use of silence in the film is excellent. I love when filmmakers take the time to show us a story visually without music or dialogue to paint a story.

I must also note that the film is horribly violent and contains scenes of extended torture. It’s certainly not for the squeamish. In fact, I would bet most of you will not like or enjoy it. I don’t think that was the ever the intention. I took from it that if you were given a chance to make the punishment fit the crime, would you lose your soul in the process?

Amazing Spider-Man trailer leaked

Kyle

As some of you may know, I’m a huge Spider-Man fan. He’s my favorite comic book character in the Marvel universe. He’s a smart and misunderstood kid who gains superhuman abilities and, after an incident involving his uncle, tries to make the best of it, as hard at times as it can be. Even as Spider-Man, he was never is well liked or trusted.

I was not disappointed from what I saw after watching the trailer. Marc Webb is definitely coming at this with a different approach. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect seeing as he had just finished “500 Days of Summer.”

The trailer began with Parker’s parents going away. I’m not sure if this essential to the story, a flashback or a brief introduction but I’m really hoping it’s essential to the story. None of the three films went into Parker’s past with his parents but from the comics, there’s a lot there. Anyway, there are cuts of him in school, at home, and of course him going to where he meets his fate. In those images, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is wearing a lab coat, which pretty much shows they’re being consistent in the comics with her pursue of science (unlike in SM3); she is also the first love of Peter.

The one thing that threw me off, though, was at the end of the clip. Yesterday I read on First Showing that Webb was trying to do as many effects physically as opposed to CG; which took them months to capture. What threw me off was the clip was a first-person shot of Webhead swinging about NYC, obviously using lots of CG. I’m guessing this is one of the few shots that they had to succumb to using CG. It is heartening to read a director trying to avoid CG on their film (didn’t Lucas give Jackson shit for not using CG in LotR?). Spider-Man is probably the worst superhero character to shoot a movie with regards to trying to avoid a lot of CG because of his abilities and all the web-slinging he does.
Even though I am getting sick of the reboots, remakes, prequels, sequels, and adaptations, Spider-Man is one I will never get sick of… wait, I said the same thing prior to seeing SM3. Oh shit. Let’s cross our fingers for no SM3, you guys.

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer Released

Matt

The promise of “The Dark Knight Rises” is unlimited. I felt like that before “The Dark Knight,” which is hands down one of the best comic book films ever made.

I had concerns about the number of characters and villains in “The Dark Knight.” There was Two Face and Joker, and it’s difficult to pull off two villains in the same film because they can often not be developed into anything more than a cookie cutter bad guy. But that was not the case, at all. Christopher Nolan understands storytelling and has handled the Batman franchise with great care and respect for his audience.

I have no qualms saying that “The Dark Knight Rises” will be just as good as its prequels. The Bane charater, played by Tom Hardy, looks nothing short of menacing and terrible. The above photo is enough to give you the creeps. We also get a small glimpse of Catwoman, thought it’s hard to see much. Even though this trailer is a mere wetting of our appetites, “The Dark Knight Rises” already looks amazing. It’s going to be a long year of waiting.

Thanks for our sister blog TV-Tastic for the trailer!

Hobo With a Shotgun

This gory, gleefully over-the-top revenge fantasy stars Rutger Hauer as the Hobo, a bum who rolls into town hoping to start over, only to find his adopted city saturated in violence and ruled by a vicious crime lord known as the Drake (Brian Downey). The Hobo’s answer? Pick up his handy pump-action scattergun and start laying waste to crooks, corrupt cops and every other lowlife who crosses his path.

Brian
Rating: 5 out of 10
Warning: This review contains minor spoilers.

I literally spent half the day trying to figure out how to rate this movie. Do I rate it a 7 and praise its audacity to offend and repulse its audience or do I go the other way and rate it a 3 for its lousy production value and over the top antagonists? I decided to take the easy way out and go right down the middle.

There’s a lot to like and lot to dislike about “Hobo with a Shotgun.” I’ll start with the praise by saying that the movie delivers exactly what the title implies. It’s a hearkening back (similar to the Tarantino and Rodriguez’s recent efforts) to the 1970’s grindhouse cinema that was known more for shock than substance. Rutger Hauer is perfectly cast as the title character and adds an element of humanity to a film containing extremely little of it. It has been interesting to see these Grindhouse resurgences starring extremely talented actors. It definitely goes against traditional films of this type. Only a few of them contained even a shred of acting chops. Nowadays, we have Rutger Hauer, Kurt Russell, Robert Deniro, and others starring in them.

But, I digress. The other elements that worked are the over the top action scenes — one containing two assassins sent to a hospital dressed like a cross between an S&M dominatrix and Darth Vader is particularly good. Another is a montage of scenes where the hobo gets revenge with… well, you guessed it… his shotgun. Blood flies, limbs are severed, decapitations occur, and the film is off to a terrific and bloody start. Then, something terrible happens. The three main antagonists, all played horribly over the top, decide to “shock the people.” Two of them enter a school bus with a flame thrower and taunt a bus full of 6-9 year old kids. It ends with the flame thrower mowing them all down and a young girl half on fire pounding on the bus window and screaming. All of a sudden, I wasn’t having fun anymore. There are certain lines you don’t cross while trying to make a fun and bloody romp and the #1 amongst them is leave the kids out of it. It’s impossible for almost anyone to laugh and have a good time during a grindhouse flick when they’re watching young children screaming while they’re being burned to death. It’s clear that director Jason Eisener was trying to cross every line he could find. I’ll never knock anyone for trying to go places others won’t go but it ruined a film I was starting to like. I think “Hobo with a Shotgun” is going to be a cult film for a long time, but it won’t get a repeated viewing by me.

The Hidden

From The Vault is our new feature, showcasing forgotten favorites from all our writers. Victor DeLeon kicks off the series with one of his favorites, “The Hidden.”

A string of cold-blooded murders puzzles diligent Los Angeles detective Tom Beck (Michael Nouri), who can’t figure out why regular people keep turning into merciless killers. When mysterious FBI agent Lloyd arrives (Kyle MacLachlan), Beck learns his problem is from another world. Soon, Beck is the human caught in the middle of an extraterrestrial showdown that’s playing out on the streets of Los Angeles. Jack Sholder directs this sci-fi cult classic.

Victor
Rating: 8 out of 10

Jack Sholder directs this 1987 sci fi-action film that oozes 80s buddy cop charm but with a neat “Terminator meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers” twist. The Hidden stars Micheal Nouri and Kyle MacLachlan as two law enforcement agents paired up to investigate why regular people are turning into wicked killers that rob, flirt, attack, drive very fast and love to shoot civilians. MacLachlan’s character is not all that he seems — and he seems to know many things regarding the perps. Nouri of course is in the dark for most of the film as he is lead around the city trying to figure all this out.

“The Hidden,” besides it’s charm, sports great make-up and alien FX and some great shootouts and car chases that solidify it as a fast action film. Also, just about every conceivable character actor from every 80s action film is in this. The film also has plenty of great humor and plays out with many nods to early classic sci fi films of the 50s and 60s. And the “X-Files” type storyline doesn’t feel dated, either.

“The Hidden” easily rates a retro classic with it’s amusing amalgam of sci-fi heart and action. Mouri and MacLachlan are the meat of the film as we watch them take on some nasty alien slugs that cause mayhem and destruction throughout. A fun, under-rated movie, “The Hidden” is a must watch for sci-fi fans.

Love Ranch

Inspired by the story of the couple who introduced legalized prostitution to Nevada with the opening of their Mustang Ranch brothel, this Taylor Hackford-directed drama focuses on the devastating consequences of infidelity in the land of sex for pay. Helen Mirren stars as Grace Botempo; Joe Pesci plays her husband, Charlie; and Sergio Peris-Mencheta plays the boxer who, on entering their world, sets into motion a violent chain of events.

Matt
Rating: 6 out of 10

“Love Ranch” is like a Chia Pet. Sure, it’s kinda neat. But in the end, it just sits there doing nothing.

This film features two outstanding actors in Pesci and Mirren, and they are very sharp as a couple who are at odds, have a strange love that involves a lot of business and no passion, and exist in a very cold world. They’re not likable people, by any stretch, but they’re intriguing. The small nuances given by the actors, from a subtle accent to facial expression, give the sense that you know them.

But in the end, the film is flat. It suffers from a lose script that allowed Pesci and Mirren to stretch their legs as actors, but doesn’t engage the viewer’s attention. It’s kind of a tragic love story focused on Mirren, Pesci, and a boxer who draws Mirren’s affection. But the boxer is a cookie-cutter character with a funny accent because he wasn’t given time to be developed. If you’re a big fan of Mirren or Pesci, it’s worth a watch. As a film, it’s not completely there.