Welcome back fan(s?) to the new addition of my weekly post of movies watched for the week. Again there's no real thematic hook, although I guess there is a theme running through 4 of them of morally ambiguity. Which, fucking hell, just accidentally happened. But I jump through time and genres to make the list a bit funky. And while there where no lows as low as Only God Forgives (UGHHHH), we don't reach the highs of Inside Llewyn Davis or the Before Sunrise trilogy, we stay very even throughout. So read through, enjoy and do something new and lets have a convo about some of the picks/ratings. Let's get to it.
The Negotiator (March 16th, 2014)
Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, JT Walsh and Ron Rifkin
This is not a particularly smart movie. I don't mean that as an insult. If you know me long enough, you'll know that I love, and own, all the Friday The 13ths among other movies that aren't technically "good". So don't take it as a demerit, just as a warning. If you can't handle a movie that gets really stupid and has huge leaps in logic, go look elsewhere. Because it may not be great, this is still an entertaining and thrilling little movie. Sam Jackson plays police negotiator Danny Roman. Roman is a highly successful hostage negotiator and he just got married. But he gets caught up in a police corruption investiagtion, he makes a desperate play to take a suspect and others hostage so he can clear his name. And his first demand is a negotiator from another precinct, Chris Sabian as portrayed by Kevin Spacey. See, leaps of logic Michael Bay would scoff at. But lo and behold, the movie holds itself together among some of the iffier moments and manages to entertain. Jackson is completely committed, as always, as the desperate yet brilliant man on the edge. Spacey is on point as the good guy dragged into a murky situation. The supporting cast is made up of alot of "Oh hey, its those guys" guys, so they bring more life to the roles then needed. Grays direction is solid throughout, keeping the proceedings humming along with enough energy to distract you from the silly elements until the movie ends and you actually think on it. But the reason to keep going is the surprisingly interesting mystery at the heart of the movie. Again, it's all fairly obvious when the movie ends. But the movie grabs a hold of you and you go for the ride, letting the twists overtake you. Another entry in the category of late night viewing.
Rating: 7.5/10
The Searchers (March 18th, 2014)
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, and Natalie Wood
I gotta admit something and it took me watching this movie to finally prepare myself to admit it. I can't stand John Wayne. I know. I'd seen some of his stuff when I was a kid and didn't dig it. Figured it was just me being a stupid kid, so I gave this movie a shot. And while I liked the movie for the most part, I just cannot stand Wayne. It's really weird, but there we go. Cards on the table. But for the most part, the movie is really damn good. In my opinion, it's for two reasons. One, the story is really damn good. Two is John Ford is on point with his direction. The story is a tragic epic about vengeance and family. And Ford manages to direct the movie for optimal impact and entertainment. But, I gotta say that the movie hasn't aged well for me. There's a subplot with Jeffrey Hunters characters girlfriend or whatever that would have worked best out of the film, saved for the ending. Not to mention Hunters acting style isn't very transformative, playing the guy with that old school style of acting of going wide eyed and whyioughta style of tough guy posturing. Just an annoying performance. But I still gotta admit I rolled with the story. It had me hooked. I had to imagine Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson instead of Wayne the whole time, but the movie got me. Especially the ending, which is much more emotional than one would think. So if you're more open to old school movies like this than I am, you're in for a treat. But if you are less tolerant than me, don't deal with it. Personally, I would love to see a remake of this. It worked for True Grit and that's better than the original. But hey, that's just me.
Rating: 7/10
The Monster Squad (March 19th, 2014)
Director: Fred Dekker
Starring: Andre Gower, Stephen Macht, Dungan Regehr, and Tom Noonan
The only movie that Shane Black was involved in that I hadn't seen until this week. Saw it as Best Buy so I had to buy it. Heard great things about it, so I was excited. And it was worth it for the most part. I won't lie and say the movie is perfect. Far from it. It is totally a movie of the 80s and it is very short and rickety. It feels like a chopped up version of a longer movie. The plot kind of just happens with no real drive, until it happens and it's over. But the movie has a certain appeal, a heart that just makes it so fun to watch. We follow these nerdy kids who have a monster movie club. Then one day, they find out the monsters from these movies exist and are trying to end the world. The squad tries to find this amulet to stop them. That's it. No side plots. Just straight ahead to it. But the kids are all fun to watch, including probably the cutest little girl to ever appear in a movie. The effects are cool, as coming from Stan Winston it's not a surprise. Regehr and Noonan bring alot of soul to the characters of Dracula and Frankensteins Monster, respectively. Regehr makes it totally believable that he would grab a little girl by the face, pick her up, then call her a bitch. Noonan makes the monster very innocent and believably the kind of "man" who'd side with the kids. Honestly, if you aren't into horror movies and/or you hate 80s movies about kids you won't like the movie. But since I love horror movies and this movie is made for those fans, I dug it while acknowledging full well it's a messy movie.
Rating: 7.5/10
Centurion (March 20th, 2014)
Director: Neil Marshall
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, and Olga Kurylenko
When Neil Marshall is directing a project, you know two things. One, it's gonna be a down and dirty movie. Two, the movie is gonna be bloody as all fucking hell. So when he's doing a movie about Roman soldiers stuck behind enemy lines, it's best to brace one self for a bloodily insane movie. Probably one of bloodiest movie in a pre Gareth Evans time. The plot is just as simple as I said. The Romans are trying to force the resistance out of North Britain and get stuck behind enemy lines and try to survive the hunting party that is after them. Simple, to the point. Simplicity is where Marshall shines. Look at the difference between The Descent and Doomsday. Where Doomsday isn't a mess, it's a fun little B movie that tries a little too much. So the simplicity of the movie is welcome. It is by no means a classic, but the actors all bring grit and honor to the roles of these men we are supposed to care who lives and dies. Fassbender and West are the two big Romans we get to know, but The Governor from The Walking Dead and Davos from Game of Thrones show up and retroactively make their two characters even better with the new perspective we have on them. Marshall directs the action with his typically great eye, making every hit hurt and every hit a bloody mess. We can see whats going on in each action scene, a rapidly fading skill in action movies. There's really not much else to say without just talking about each beat of the plot. The movie is dirty, grimy, bloody and fun as hell. If you wanna watch a smaller scaled, intimate swords and sandals movie, this fits the bill pretty well.
Rating: 8/10
Tequila Sunrise (March 21st, 2014)
Director: Robert Towne
Starring: Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Raul Julia
I'm not gonna say this was a bad movie, or it had a bad script or that it was directed less the capably. All I will say is that the success of this movie, the fact that it works at all, is on the shoulders of the cast. And what a cast it is. I will say that the story isn't bad. For the most part it's good. We follow Gibson as an ex drug dealer trying to reform his ways, while Russell plays his friend who just so happens to be a cop who is pressured to take down Gibson. The only weak part of the script is a love triangle between the two friends and Pfeiffer. It's the only really boring parts of the movie, as it's just a sort of rushed along thing. You feel like the only reason this women would fall for these guys is because the script says so. The cast trys their best, but they couldn't elevate the subject for me. But the crime stuff is cool, as you get Raul Julia playing a crime boss from Gibsons past looking to unload a big score while in town. The movie plays with expectations a bit, as Gibson should kind of be the bad guy of the movie being a drug dealer and all. But he comes across as the semi good guy, while Russell comes off as kind of bad because he's trying to take down his friend, but not really. And Julia just owns, as usual, every scene he's in. The subversive and morally ambiguity is personified in him, as he is a very bad guy who isn't mustache twirling evil and does care about his friendship with Gibson. While the tacked on romance doesn't destroy the movie, it deflates it a bit and bumps it down a little. But it is still an enjoyable romp with a great cast of actors having a blast with a morally grey premise. I'll be watching it again.
Rating: 8/10
Three Outlaw Samurai (March 23rd, 2014)
Director: Hideo Gosha
Starring: Tetsuro Tanaba, Isamu Nagato and Mikijiro Hira
Usually, the great Samurai movies usually invoke the name Akira Kurosawa in cinemaphiles heads. I mean, the man did for them what John Ford did for Westerns, if John Ford was more like Sergio Leone. So when I'm told about this Samurai classic and am told that Kurosawa didn't make it, I was a bit surprised. Now, that sounds a bit ignorant. But I'm sorry, Kurosawa just looms large over the genre. A prequel movie to a Japanese tv show, this movie was a lot different than I expected. I saw that it was about three wandering Ronin that get involved in a kidnapping plot, I thought it was gonna be a much more noble and clean cut movie. But this movie, unlike it's visuals, is not a black and white affair. The three ronin aren't friends at the beginning. Hell, only two of them become friends before the third act. And not even friends. Fellow Ronin that share similar ideals, different than the clans of Japan. The kidnapping itself is murky, as it is perpetrated by peasants looking to negotiate lower taxes with the clan of the area. Now, you'd think it would just be a case of getting the kidnapped (the daughter of the magistrate) back. But this clan acts like a criminal organization, from killing witnesses to trying to steal evidence and reneging on deals just to save face before the boss comes through town. The ronin themselves aren't typically good protagonists. One just gets involved because he doesn't like the clans actions, another gets involved because he was a peasant/loves a peasant, and the other is working with the clan only because they will put him up. This is just a great, early example of morally ambiguous storytelling that maybe tips its feeling a little too much towards one group but isn't shoving it in your face. The only thing that I didn't like in the movie was a romance subplot that just kinda happens. It's there and I was a bit perplexed at it, because it isn't built up or natural. It's there to make us like one of the Ronin I guess, but it doesn't work for me. And not a big deal, but alot of the sword play is very monotonous, but they make it kind of hurt by having blood spurt out, a welcome surprise for such an old movie. All in all, this is a very surprising movie that challenges you and doesn't play by the rules. A great early Samurai movie that plays like a crime film, the way Yojimbo was like a Western.
Rating:8.5/10
This is not a particularly smart movie. I don't mean that as an insult. If you know me long enough, you'll know that I love, and own, all the Friday The 13ths among other movies that aren't technically "good". So don't take it as a demerit, just as a warning. If you can't handle a movie that gets really stupid and has huge leaps in logic, go look elsewhere. Because it may not be great, this is still an entertaining and thrilling little movie. Sam Jackson plays police negotiator Danny Roman. Roman is a highly successful hostage negotiator and he just got married. But he gets caught up in a police corruption investiagtion, he makes a desperate play to take a suspect and others hostage so he can clear his name. And his first demand is a negotiator from another precinct, Chris Sabian as portrayed by Kevin Spacey. See, leaps of logic Michael Bay would scoff at. But lo and behold, the movie holds itself together among some of the iffier moments and manages to entertain. Jackson is completely committed, as always, as the desperate yet brilliant man on the edge. Spacey is on point as the good guy dragged into a murky situation. The supporting cast is made up of alot of "Oh hey, its those guys" guys, so they bring more life to the roles then needed. Grays direction is solid throughout, keeping the proceedings humming along with enough energy to distract you from the silly elements until the movie ends and you actually think on it. But the reason to keep going is the surprisingly interesting mystery at the heart of the movie. Again, it's all fairly obvious when the movie ends. But the movie grabs a hold of you and you go for the ride, letting the twists overtake you. Another entry in the category of late night viewing.
Rating: 7.5/10
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, and Natalie Wood
I gotta admit something and it took me watching this movie to finally prepare myself to admit it. I can't stand John Wayne. I know. I'd seen some of his stuff when I was a kid and didn't dig it. Figured it was just me being a stupid kid, so I gave this movie a shot. And while I liked the movie for the most part, I just cannot stand Wayne. It's really weird, but there we go. Cards on the table. But for the most part, the movie is really damn good. In my opinion, it's for two reasons. One, the story is really damn good. Two is John Ford is on point with his direction. The story is a tragic epic about vengeance and family. And Ford manages to direct the movie for optimal impact and entertainment. But, I gotta say that the movie hasn't aged well for me. There's a subplot with Jeffrey Hunters characters girlfriend or whatever that would have worked best out of the film, saved for the ending. Not to mention Hunters acting style isn't very transformative, playing the guy with that old school style of acting of going wide eyed and whyioughta style of tough guy posturing. Just an annoying performance. But I still gotta admit I rolled with the story. It had me hooked. I had to imagine Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson instead of Wayne the whole time, but the movie got me. Especially the ending, which is much more emotional than one would think. So if you're more open to old school movies like this than I am, you're in for a treat. But if you are less tolerant than me, don't deal with it. Personally, I would love to see a remake of this. It worked for True Grit and that's better than the original. But hey, that's just me.
Rating: 7/10
The Monster Squad (March 19th, 2014)
Director: Fred Dekker
Starring: Andre Gower, Stephen Macht, Dungan Regehr, and Tom Noonan
The only movie that Shane Black was involved in that I hadn't seen until this week. Saw it as Best Buy so I had to buy it. Heard great things about it, so I was excited. And it was worth it for the most part. I won't lie and say the movie is perfect. Far from it. It is totally a movie of the 80s and it is very short and rickety. It feels like a chopped up version of a longer movie. The plot kind of just happens with no real drive, until it happens and it's over. But the movie has a certain appeal, a heart that just makes it so fun to watch. We follow these nerdy kids who have a monster movie club. Then one day, they find out the monsters from these movies exist and are trying to end the world. The squad tries to find this amulet to stop them. That's it. No side plots. Just straight ahead to it. But the kids are all fun to watch, including probably the cutest little girl to ever appear in a movie. The effects are cool, as coming from Stan Winston it's not a surprise. Regehr and Noonan bring alot of soul to the characters of Dracula and Frankensteins Monster, respectively. Regehr makes it totally believable that he would grab a little girl by the face, pick her up, then call her a bitch. Noonan makes the monster very innocent and believably the kind of "man" who'd side with the kids. Honestly, if you aren't into horror movies and/or you hate 80s movies about kids you won't like the movie. But since I love horror movies and this movie is made for those fans, I dug it while acknowledging full well it's a messy movie.
Rating: 7.5/10
Centurion (March 20th, 2014)
Director: Neil Marshall
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, and Olga Kurylenko
When Neil Marshall is directing a project, you know two things. One, it's gonna be a down and dirty movie. Two, the movie is gonna be bloody as all fucking hell. So when he's doing a movie about Roman soldiers stuck behind enemy lines, it's best to brace one self for a bloodily insane movie. Probably one of bloodiest movie in a pre Gareth Evans time. The plot is just as simple as I said. The Romans are trying to force the resistance out of North Britain and get stuck behind enemy lines and try to survive the hunting party that is after them. Simple, to the point. Simplicity is where Marshall shines. Look at the difference between The Descent and Doomsday. Where Doomsday isn't a mess, it's a fun little B movie that tries a little too much. So the simplicity of the movie is welcome. It is by no means a classic, but the actors all bring grit and honor to the roles of these men we are supposed to care who lives and dies. Fassbender and West are the two big Romans we get to know, but The Governor from The Walking Dead and Davos from Game of Thrones show up and retroactively make their two characters even better with the new perspective we have on them. Marshall directs the action with his typically great eye, making every hit hurt and every hit a bloody mess. We can see whats going on in each action scene, a rapidly fading skill in action movies. There's really not much else to say without just talking about each beat of the plot. The movie is dirty, grimy, bloody and fun as hell. If you wanna watch a smaller scaled, intimate swords and sandals movie, this fits the bill pretty well.
Tequila Sunrise (March 21st, 2014)
Director: Robert Towne
Starring: Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Raul Julia
I'm not gonna say this was a bad movie, or it had a bad script or that it was directed less the capably. All I will say is that the success of this movie, the fact that it works at all, is on the shoulders of the cast. And what a cast it is. I will say that the story isn't bad. For the most part it's good. We follow Gibson as an ex drug dealer trying to reform his ways, while Russell plays his friend who just so happens to be a cop who is pressured to take down Gibson. The only weak part of the script is a love triangle between the two friends and Pfeiffer. It's the only really boring parts of the movie, as it's just a sort of rushed along thing. You feel like the only reason this women would fall for these guys is because the script says so. The cast trys their best, but they couldn't elevate the subject for me. But the crime stuff is cool, as you get Raul Julia playing a crime boss from Gibsons past looking to unload a big score while in town. The movie plays with expectations a bit, as Gibson should kind of be the bad guy of the movie being a drug dealer and all. But he comes across as the semi good guy, while Russell comes off as kind of bad because he's trying to take down his friend, but not really. And Julia just owns, as usual, every scene he's in. The subversive and morally ambiguity is personified in him, as he is a very bad guy who isn't mustache twirling evil and does care about his friendship with Gibson. While the tacked on romance doesn't destroy the movie, it deflates it a bit and bumps it down a little. But it is still an enjoyable romp with a great cast of actors having a blast with a morally grey premise. I'll be watching it again.
Director: Hideo Gosha
Starring: Tetsuro Tanaba, Isamu Nagato and Mikijiro Hira
Usually, the great Samurai movies usually invoke the name Akira Kurosawa in cinemaphiles heads. I mean, the man did for them what John Ford did for Westerns, if John Ford was more like Sergio Leone. So when I'm told about this Samurai classic and am told that Kurosawa didn't make it, I was a bit surprised. Now, that sounds a bit ignorant. But I'm sorry, Kurosawa just looms large over the genre. A prequel movie to a Japanese tv show, this movie was a lot different than I expected. I saw that it was about three wandering Ronin that get involved in a kidnapping plot, I thought it was gonna be a much more noble and clean cut movie. But this movie, unlike it's visuals, is not a black and white affair. The three ronin aren't friends at the beginning. Hell, only two of them become friends before the third act. And not even friends. Fellow Ronin that share similar ideals, different than the clans of Japan. The kidnapping itself is murky, as it is perpetrated by peasants looking to negotiate lower taxes with the clan of the area. Now, you'd think it would just be a case of getting the kidnapped (the daughter of the magistrate) back. But this clan acts like a criminal organization, from killing witnesses to trying to steal evidence and reneging on deals just to save face before the boss comes through town. The ronin themselves aren't typically good protagonists. One just gets involved because he doesn't like the clans actions, another gets involved because he was a peasant/loves a peasant, and the other is working with the clan only because they will put him up. This is just a great, early example of morally ambiguous storytelling that maybe tips its feeling a little too much towards one group but isn't shoving it in your face. The only thing that I didn't like in the movie was a romance subplot that just kinda happens. It's there and I was a bit perplexed at it, because it isn't built up or natural. It's there to make us like one of the Ronin I guess, but it doesn't work for me. And not a big deal, but alot of the sword play is very monotonous, but they make it kind of hurt by having blood spurt out, a welcome surprise for such an old movie. All in all, this is a very surprising movie that challenges you and doesn't play by the rules. A great early Samurai movie that plays like a crime film, the way Yojimbo was like a Western.
- Tom Lorenzo
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