revere-7 Reviews

Fyre (2019)

Boasts the Production Values But Also the Moral Compass of a New York Ad Agency.

[6/10 · 14 November 2022]

You're a marketing company that sold people on a what you knew was a lie. What do you do? Spin, of course! Make your own documentary about what happened and who was *really* to blame.

At first glance (and for the unwary) this documentary seems like one set to analyze what went wrong with the disastrous Fyre Festival; however while it does recount the events, it puts all the blame on the CEO of Fyre, while ignoring the marketing company that spun up the fantasy festival... because the film was - you guessed it - made by that very marketing company. Which is not to say that the Fyre CEO doesn't belong in prison (he most definitely does), but what he did he couldn't have done alone.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

Will make X-Fans into Ex-fans.

[5/10 · 22 May 2021]

Judged completely on it's own merits, as if no other X-men movies (or comics) ever existed... it's still pretty lackluster. But the film doesn't exist in a vacuum, it's clearly part of a series... a series it seems to care nothing about.

So much not to like here. Sophie Turner is not at all appealing as Jean Grey (the X-Man who was so beautiful, charming, and charismatic that Cyclops, Havok, Beast, Wolverine, and even Professor X all had a crush on her at one time or another). But she's not alone in that. As a matter of fact, nearly all the X-Men seem to be lacking personality. On top of that every mutant in this is ridiculously overpowered, yet still somehow easily taken out by nameless grunts. It's like the writers weren't even familiar with the characters or their powers.

But the bad doesn't end there, oh no. The film completely messes with the timeline and established characters, not only is it inconsistent with the comics, and the earlier X-Men films, it's not even consistent with it's own quasi-rebooted storyline. And speaking of story, the film craps all over the cosmic magnum-opus of the X-Men comic series, completely leaving out key elements like the Shi'ar - and you know the destruction of an entire star system that kind of IS what the Dark Phoenix saga is all about. Instead the whole thing plays out in a suburb of New York like a low-budget generic superhero story about good vs. Evil. Even the special effects aren't so special. Like, for example, the Phoenix force itself, which is super impressive giant yellow firebird in the comics, yet here is mostly just a magenta (why?) plasma swirl.

If you don't know or care about these characters, the comics, or any of the other films in the series, yeah, it could still be enjoyable, but realistically how many people are in that boat and still interested in seeing this film? The whole thing is extra sad given that 20 years ago the X-Men films were the gold standard and kicked off the era of the modern superhero movie. As much as I absolutely hate reboots, this is one comic series that desperately needs it.

I'd give it about a 5 out of 10 for general audiences who don't care about the story, like a grade C film for the average movie goer, but surely a grade F for X-men fans.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

Star Wars Redone

[8/10 · 18 December 2015]

In 'Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens', director J.J. Abrams gives us what he's best at - a good but not great sci-fi film that is entertaining and breaks zero new ground.

First of all the entertaining part - the film is definitely that. It limits the CGI overload by including at least a fair amount of practical effects, wisely forgets about all the characters introduced in the horrendous prequels and has a lot of homages to the original series and a few homages to other films (a light saber duel modeled after the bamboo forest samurai duel of 'Shogun Assassin' for example are some of the highlights.

Unfortunately it is The. Exact. Same. Story. As. The. Original. 'Star Wars' (now known as 'Episode IV').

R2D2 is rounder, Han Solo is blacker, and Darth Vader is younger, but the "Resistance" looks exactly like the "Rebel Alliance", the Empire 2.0, "The First Order" looks exactly like the Empire. There's a creepy bald-headed Emperor, the stormtroopers are the same, and the new Vader-like character dresses in black and wears a mask that changes his voice (for no apparent reason).

The plot involves secret plans put into the round R2D2 who is then dropped on a desert planet that looks EXACTLY like Tattooine, where it's found by a female Luke Skywalker type character (probably the daughter of Luke, as it's strongly hinted). When the Empire First Order finds them they have to flee the planet in the Millennium Falcon. They of course visit a cantina just like the Mos Eisley one, and eventually have to get the plans to the Resistance so they can blow up the newer bigger Death Star 2.0.

Anyway, you get the idea - the exact same movie remade.

Sadly, Abrams is equally as bad at directing deep emotional scenes as Lucas, so the few of those in the film are pretty cringe-worthy. But, at least there are no horrible Jewish or African-American pidgin-speaking stereotypes or obnoxious kids in the film.

So basically the legacy of Episode VII is that it helps wash the bad taste of the Prequels away. Shame it has nothing else to offer.

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

'Bridge to Terabithia' is a beautiful and unforgettable film filled with lessons about life

[8/10 · 1 October 2015]

I was just a little too old to have read the book when I was a kid, so I don't know how the film compares, but I can say it is a wonderful fantasy film.

Jess is a budding young artist who's picked on at school, he befriends the new girl, Leslie, a social misfit who encourages him to dream in spite of his father's constant admonishments to "get your head out of the clouds". Together Jess and Leslie visit the magical woods of Terabithia, their after-school refuge. But real life has a funny way of throwing you curve balls when you least expect it, and life changes so fast when you're an adolescent.

'Bridge to Terabithia' is a beautiful and unforgettable film filled with lessons about love and loss, friendship, regret, family, and the value of imagination, hard work and compassion.

Remember Me (I) (2010)

Experience Life... and This Movie.. In the Moment, Because You Don't Know How Either Will End

[8/10 · 29 November 2014]

I know what you're thinking: a 'romance' starring that 'Twilight' guy - "Ugh. I'll pass." But, I'm telling you right now - don't. The film is surprisingly good. It's primarily the story of a romance, but it's also about relationships, one between a father and a son, and two between fathers and daughters. And, yes, Robert Pattinson actually can act.

There is a bit of a shocking twist ending - which I didn't know about going in - and judging by the amount of talk about it online, creates some really knee-jerk responses to the film - but it's actually pretty irrelevant - even if a different set of circumstances resulted in the same ending it wouldn't change the impact or the message of the film.

The best thing I can tell you is to go into the film with as little preconceived notions as possible (for gods sake, avoid reading any spoilers), and experience it in the moment - which is what the film wants you to do in life.

The Wolfman (2010)

A Worthy Remake

[8/10 · 12 April 2011]

Before I get into the review itself, I'd like to say that like many, I'm surprised by the number of negative reviews. It seems like this is happening more and more as IMDb is fractured between the huge 'Echo Boom' generation with no attention span for movies that don't have non-stop video game like action, and the smaller (but also Internet active) Generation X reviewers.

Also, my review is of the *unrated* version - perhaps that accounts for some of the difference. I do not know how that version differs from the theatrical release, so please bear that in mind.

Now to the review - I for one see this as a very worthy sequel to the original Wolfman (which is one of the best of the Universal monsters series).

It features great performances all around - and particularly by Anthony Hopkins as the elder Talbot. And while Benecio Del Toro is a curious casting choice, and certainly a far cry from Lon Chaney Jr., he's not bad either, once you see how the character has been interpreted here.

In fact the only performance that I think the original had over this one was the Gypsy cred of Maria Ouspenskaya as Maleva, played much more flatly by a miscast Geraldine Chaplin.

The story is similar to the original, but differs enough to entertain even those who've seen the 1941 version a multitude of times. Also, like the original, it is dripping in moody atmosphere. From the moors of rural Britain to the heart of Victorian London, the attention to detail here is incredible, including references to Gévaudan, 'lunatics', Jack-the-Ripper, Scotland Yard, lycanthropy, etc.

It also features some of the best werewolf transformations in recent film history.

Ultimately, though, the film makes it's stand on exploring the beast inside man issue and the acting, facade we all hold up to present ourselves as civilized rather than a step above the animal. Sir John Talbot is a big game hunter, as cruel and vicious in his own way as the animals he hunts, and Lawrence Talbot is an actor, very good at hiding the emotions he harbors inside.

This is not just your blood-and-guts werewolf film (all though it has plenty of that - especially in the deleted scenes, which hopefully one day will be added back in), it is cerebral, and akin to the classic horror films of the black and white era - but with enough modern sophistication and luridness to balance it out.

Well worth your time!

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

It's a Bitter Pill - Now Take Your Medicine

[9/10 · 15 January 2011]

With a title like Taxi to the Dark Side, you know it's not going to be a light-and-fluffy film, but it's a film that needed to be made, and should be seen by everyone.

The measure of a nation is how well it lives up to its ideals in the worst of times. 9/11 was that trial for America, and America failed. If you do not believe that former U.S. president George W. Bush, former vice president Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, White House Council John Yoo, and at least a half dozen other members of the Bush Administration are guilty of war crimes, you must see this documentary.

Even if you suspect they do, but have lingering doubts – you must see this documentary.

And especially if you don't know either way, and know nothing about this issue – you must see this documentary.

This is not some sort of Michael Moore propaganda piece. This transcends partisan politics. It deals with a broader issue. It focuses on the treatment of just one detainee and will probably make you sick to your stomach – if you can stomach it at all. And then reminds you that this happened not to just one guy, but to 83,000 others too.

Hell yes, its difficult to watch - there is graphic photos of torture – but is that an excuse not to watch it? The fact is they are presented because showing them is necessary to fully understand the extent of what went on. And guess what? If you are an American, you damn well should sit through this, because you are guilty too – this is what your elected officials did.

Of course when word finally got out, and they got blowback for it, in an outrageous act of cowardice, they left their own subordinates out to dry.

The film makes the case, clearly, efficiently and thoroughly. Which makes it not only an excellent documentary, but an important one too.

Casshern (2004)

Makes the Matrix sequels seem like Shakespeare

[3/10 · 21 January 2010]

This is bad.

Really bad.

The film is totally nonsensical, and worst of all it thinks it's a deep message movie of the 'War is bad, mmmmkay?' variety.

The one redeeming feature is that the visuals are fantastic. But even that gets hard to watch after about an hour.

Any attempt to make sense of the plot, or pay attention to the bad dialog (yes, I know it was translated from the Japanese, but it's so moronic it can't all be poor translation) will only make you want your life back.

My recommendation is to turn the volume all the way down, and put on some music you really like, and watch it like the 2+ hour music video it is.

Hour of the Wolf (1968)

Not Bergman's Finest Hour

[6/10 · 15 December 2009]

Let me start by saying, I am a Bergman fan. Outside of Hollywood there were very few people making fantasy based films on the international scene prior to the 1970s.

Hour of the Wolf, however is not a film I'd rank among Bergman's best. Yes, there are elements of the supernatural, and the brooding atmosphere we've come to expect from the master storyteller, but this is Bergman as influenced by those he originally influenced. It seems to be a film similar to the works of the French New Wave directors of the time, as well as Frederico Fellini (especially similar to Fellini's Satyricon, even though it predates that work by a year).

Hour of the Wolf seems very unfocused, and derivative of the experimental cinema of the 1960s that was taking place around the world, and less distinctively a signature Bergman work. Which is all to say that the film isn't bad – even lesser Bergman works are worth your time – just be sure to watch The Seventh Seal or The Virgin Spring first.

Zeitgeist (2007 Video)

With all the talk of auditing the Fed lately...

[10/10 · 13 December 2009]

'Zetigeist: The Movie' is actually 3 documentaries in one.

There are three parts here, the first one, dealing with religion, seems to be the one that gets the most attention. It puts forth the notion that modern Christianity is in fact strongly linked to a long tradition of death/rebirth religions dating back millennia - long before the birth of Christ.

The second documentary here is the most conspiracy-minded, suggesting that the 9/11 attacks were much more complicated and raise many more questions than the official 9/11 Commission Report relates.

The third documentary is the most timely given the (at the time of this writing) calls for investigation of the Federal Reserve. It deals with the founding and operations of that National Banking system, and its inherent flaws.

This film is definitely worth a look. There are certainly problems with it - it glosses over meticulous research in favor of a more accessible, watchable, narrative flow. But if one takes it as a beginning point - a film that brings up the questions that one can further research on one's own, rather than as a reference book, it can be a very enlightening experience.

If one enjoys this film, there seems to already be at least one sequel 'Zeitgeist Addendum' which further delves into the state of society today.

The Music Box (1932)

A timeless classic anyone can relate to

[8/10 · 7 December 2009]

The Music Box is a timeless classic.

Unlike a lot of silent comedies, the very premise of this film is tailor made for the medium. Laurel and Hardy are piano movers who have to move a piano to the top of an immense flight of stairs.

Slapstick hijinks of course ensue. It's also impressive because, as anyone who's ever filmed or videotaped a hillside knows - they almost never look as steep on camera as in real life - but the photography here - capturing the stairs from all angles - really helps give a feel of just how big this location was.

Also because the concept is so simple, it's very accessible even to modern audiences - who hasn't had to move something big up a flight of stairs,and experienced at least one of the many problems Laurel and Hardy

encounter here? Simple concept, very effective, highly recommended.

Sleuth (1972)

A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma

[8/10 · 4 December 2009]

I highly encourage you to seek out this hard to find film. This is NOT the movie 'Sleuth' with Michael Caine and Jude Law made in recent years, but rather, the original film version starring Michael Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier.

Olivier is a wealthy mystery writer who knows his wife is cheating on him with Caine, a blue collar London salon owner. Olivier invites Caine to a meeting at his mansion in the rural English countryside. But, what starts as a friendly get together turns into a battle of wits with the woman, a small fortune, and more at stake! Basically an adapted stage play, this film is not heavy on action, but on dialogue, character interaction and intrigue - which could have been a snooze-fest in lesser hands. But with veteran director Mankiewicz at the helm, and two of the best actors to ever come out of the British theater, it's an exciting ride.

Highly recommended for gamers and murder mystery fans.

A Wednesday (2008)

A prescient film released a few weeks before the 2008 terrorist attacks on Mumbai!

[9/10 · 3 December 2009]

A Wednesday. An average day in Mumbai. That is, until a man calls up the police claiming he has set bombs in 5 places around the city - set to explode simultaneously - if the police do not release four terrorists they have in custody. But what exactly is the mystery man really after?

No standard Bollywood film, this. There are no song-and-dance numbers, or any of the other conventions you might expect from a Hindi film - instead, it's a race against the clock between a Mumbai police detective, and the mystery man.

A Wednesday is a thriller with a great twist ending that proved eerily prescient, with a timely message, when several simultaneous terrorist bomb attacks actually occurred only a few weeks later around the city of Mumbai.

State of Play (2009)

Mixed media mess

[5/10 · 28 November 2009]

I'm going to be brief with this one. 'State of Play' (the Hollywood adaptation of the British TV serial) is an O.K. thriller in the vein of 'All The President's Men'. It is entertaining, but has a sort of "we've seen this all before" sort of feel to it.

On the plus side we have pretty uniformly good performances by all members of the cast.

On the minus side, however, the movie annoying cuts back and forth between film footage and video footage WAY too much. Yes, there are other problems - some plot holes, some questionable motivations, but nothing that wouldn't be unforgivable were it not for this distracting mixed media approach that really pulls you out of the action.

Operation 'Y' & Other Shurik's Adventures (1965)

You can find better, but perhaps not in Russian

[6/10 · 11 November 2009]

O.K., before I review this DVD (it's actually more than one "movie"), let me disclose a couple facts. First, apart from the unparalleled works of Eisenstein, I am not a huge fan of Russian Cinema. I find much of it ponderous, and overly bogged down in State approved propaganda.

Operation "Y" or Operatsiya Y i drugiye priklyucheniya Shurika (Operation Y and other Shurik's Adventures) as it's known in Russian, is the most popular Soviet Era comedy, possibly the most popular Russian comedy of all time. So, despite the double negative of Russian Slapstick, I had to give it a look.

It's hard to hate Shurik's adventures, but if you're not a slapstick fan, they're not really going to fully win you over either. Shurik is a young go-getter in the vein of Harold Lloyd's 'Glasses Guy' (Shurik is also bespectacled) and his Adventures fall somewhere between Charlie Chaplin and Benny Hill both chronologically (since it was released in 1965) and stylistically. While the vignettes aren't as charming as Chaplin, they are, mercifully, less annoying than Hill, and thankfully, the Soviet propaganda while undeniably present is set to a very low pitch. Not being a fan of the genre, I'll refrain from actually endorsing or cautioning about this film collection, but I will say, exhaust the Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd cannons (and perhaps the cartoons of Chuck Jones too) before moving on to these.

The Lion King (1994)

Disney's last hurrah in the jungle

[8/10 · 27 October 2009]

Disney, for all practical purposes, invented the animated feature, and for decades pioneered the genre's significant advances like special effects animation, and the multi-plane camera. The studio was riding high in the late 80s and early 90s with top-notch films like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Toward the end of this new Golden Age of cell animation, Disney released one of their best – The Lion King. The film is a little less humorous than past efforts, but it's law-of-the-jungle theme (and some of the characters) hearkened back to The Jungle Book.

Like the Jungle Book, we have a child (this time a lion cub), and a tyrant ruler cat wants him dead. (Jeremy Irons' portrayal of Scar in The Lion King even sounds like George Sanders' portrayal of Shere Khan in The Jungle Book.) He's hidden away in the jungle where he befriends some fun-loving, off-the-wall jungle animals that provide not only comic relief, but some of the best songs of the film, before a climactic battle ends the tyrant's rule by fire. In fact, the parallels to The Jungle Book are so prevalent that one could call it a remake. But no matter, just like that film it's highly enjoyable, and a highpoint for Disney. Unfortunately, just like that film, which marked the end of Disney's first Golden Age, The Lion King was the last gasp of Disney's second Golden Age. After this came a long steady, slow decline into mediocrity beginning with well-worn tales like Pocahontas, Hercules and Tarzan, ultimately leading to such forgettable fare such as Treasure Planet and Home on the Range. A hole from which they might never have re-emerged were it not for the saving grace of Pixar.

Field of Dreams (1989)

Grand Slam!

[7/10 · 26 October 2009]

Let's talk about endings here for a moment (don't worry there's no spoilers here) - every minute of a film is building toward an ending, but so often films mess up all the great story they've built up in the last few minutes.

That's why I want to draw your attention to 'Field of Dreams'. I'm sure by now we're all familiar with the premise - an Iowa farmer hears a disembodied voice that says, "If you build it he will come", which in turn leads him to plow under his cornfield to build a full baseball diamond.

Many people have talked about the themes explored by this movie (and there are many - family, redemption, pursuit of dreams, etc.), or the very believable characters. All of that is great.

But what I especially appreciated about this film was the ending. Everything builds up to it, and like so many things in the film, it ends on a perfect, serene note. It would have been so easy to tack on an extra scene or two; so tempting to tie everything up with a nice bow; belabor the point; but one single shot sums everything up and fades to credits.

A crash lesson in endings done right.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)

Bollywood at it's best

[8/10 · 24 October 2009]

Lagaan has to be my favorite Bollywood film to date.

When a local British governor doubles the lagaan (tax) on a small village in the midst of a drought, the villagers make a deal that they'll be free of Lagaan for 3 years if they can beat the British in a game of cricket, or suffer triple the tax if they lose. Trouble is, they don't know the first thing about the game.

It's a typical sports story with a rag tag team of underdogs squaring off against an experienced, arrogant veteran team vividly dramatizing the Indian fight against British oppression.

The well executed story is buttressed with lavish Victorian era costumes, beautiful cinematography, and several musical numbers that are a cut above the average Bollywood song-and-dance numbers.

Chungking Express (1994)

This film IS Hong Kong

[6/10 · 24 October 2009]

The 1990s will go down in history as being the decade of independent film. Filmmakers across the U.S. and around the world created a record number of celluloid stories, and two cable channels were launched to showcase this massive volume of work.

And while most were, in retrospect, less than stellar, even the very average ones seemed great precisely because of their averageness. Ordinary stories about ordinary people, such a far cry from the decades old glamorous Hollywood formulas we'd all grown so tired of.

Which brings us to 'Chungking Express'. Don't be fooled by the fact that this Hong Kong film about two cops was distributed in the U.S. by Quentin Tarantino; It's actually a very human story of love and loneliness in the big city. Though we've seen the same story before ('Breathless' for Paris) and since ('Lost in Translation' for Tokyo), this is Hong Kong's turn. And Hong Kong, is the real star of the film. Similar to the New York of a Paul Auster novel, this Hong Kong, from it's back alleys and tenements to it's street side markets and titular carryout business, sticks with you long after the details of the plot fade.

A movie to be experienced.

Cars (2006)

Not Pixar's best; still among animation's best.

[8/10 · 18 October 2009]

Cars Like most digital artists, I was a fan of Pixar before they made their first feature film. In fact, by the time I saw their first short film Luxo, jr. many of us already knew their name from the .pxr (pixar) file format.

After a string of top notch shorts, most of us were excited to see their first feature film; the first feature film created entirely on a computer. True to form, Toy Story did not disappoint. Even if you took away the ground breaking animation, the fact that it launched a whole new type of animated film – you'd still have a damn good story. Entertaining even if it had been done with stop-motion, cell, or any other type of animation.

But Pixar didn't stop there – for the next decade and a half, they continued to produce top-notch films, both long and short. While few (except maybe Toy Story 2) were as good as Toy Story they were all still outstanding.

Which brings us to Cars. Released as Pixar's 20th anniversary film, Cars follows the story of a race car, Lightning McQueen, on his quest to win the prestigious 'Piston Cup'. As usual, there is great animation, fun jokes, and neat cameos. But this time, Pixar failed to win the Academy Award for best animated feature – a category that was practically created for the studio following the repeated snubbing of films like A Bug's Life, and the Toy Story films. This was only the second time since the award was created in the early 2000s that Pixar failed to win. And the loss to Warner Brothers (and previously to Dreamworks) was deserved, as this (and the previous Monsters, Inc.) were neither among Pixar's best, nor the best in the field.

BUT, the fact that Cars is still an enjoyable, and even superior film judged in the context of all animated features ever made, or all films ever made for that matter, just goes to show how high Pixar has raised the bar for itself and everyone else.

REC (2007)

Straightforward, push button, unwhitebalanced horror

[9/10 · 15 October 2009]

{REC} With Zombieland and Paranormal Activity tearing up the box office, I thought it would be a good time to review a film that combines some of the best aspects of both; zombies and the faux documentary style.

{REC} (the symbol for 'recording mode' on a camcorder) a Spanish film released in 2007 has a two person documentary TV crew following a Barcelona Fire Department team on a "typical" night. The crew respond to a call in an apartment building, and get trapped inside amidst a zombie infestation.

The simple plot is one of the film's greatest strengths. There really isn't a lot of time wasted on subplots or melodrama. And while most of the techniques used in {REC} we've seen before; Blair Witch Project style hand held camera work, the ubiquitous green night vision we've seen in everything from The Silence of the Lambs to The Descent, not to mention heaven knows how many "ghost hunting" TV shows; but none of them together nearly as well as {REC}.

Of course, just like The Ring/The Grudge, etc. there was the requisite watered down, big budget Hollywood version made, Quarantine, for the masses who refuse to see any foreign film, under any circumstances, ever. And, while the trend continues there will probably be more big budget Cloverfields and District 9s, but sometimes all it takes is a small crew who cut their teeth on documentary TV to make an focused faux documentary with the intensity of {REC}.

Flight 93 (2006 TV Movie)

Lower budget video version actually better than big budget film version.

[8/10 · 8 October 2009]

Flight 93

Last month, in recognition of the 8th anniversary of 9/11, I reviewed the film United 93. As good as that film is, it's not the only movie about that fateful flight, nor in my opinion, is it the best.

These days it seems that the best crews are actually working in television, and the made for TV movie Flight 93, a joint production of A&E and FOX is a good example. It tells the exact same story as United 93 taken from the same sources, and also told in a dramatic narrative style, but with a bit more impact. It's a shame that far fewer people have actually seen this TV version of the story.

As I've said, both are good "films", but Flight 93, which is technically not a film because it was shot on HD Video instead of 35mm Film like United 93, has more dynamic camera work. Perhaps it's the size difference between the film camera and the HD camera, but even though both were shot primarily hand held, the angles, tight shots and pans are more daring and interesting in Flight.

Additionally creative choices and edits were a bit sharper with Flight. For example, within the first few minutes of the film we know the names of the hijackers, and most of the key passengers, thanks to the great idea to include a series of tight shots on the boarding passes as passengers boarded the plane.

Flight 93 also includes lots of details throughout that weren't shown in United 93, including some that were perhaps whitewashed from United (whether this was intentional to avoid controversy, lawsuit, for creative reasons, or to lionize all the innocents, or just an accident of choice in the editing room, it still has an impact) for example, the fact that the pilots of the commercial aircraft had received a warning against possible cockpit intrusion, but chose to open the door anyway.

While none of these little things – a shot here, a detail there – makes much of a difference on it's own, taken together, they add up to a more dramatic story.

If you're the type that views only movies shot on film as "quality", and eschew anything video – yeah, you'll probably like United 93 better. But if you can enjoy HD video just as much (and with a story this engaging, how couldn't you?) I'd recommend Flight 93 between the two.

The Green Mile (1999)

A case study in changing perceptions

[10/10 · 5 October 2009]

The Green Mile

I often tell people when evaluating a film one ought to it in terms of its time. But, in the case of The Green Mile, it's helpful to be able to view this with the benefit of hindsight. Rarely has a film been the object of such changing perceptions as The Green Mile.

A decade after the film's release, it's one of the most loved films of the 1990s, and is currently ranked in the Internet Movie Database's top 20 fantasy films of all time, beating out such notables as The Wizard of Oz, Toy Story and King Kong.

But it wasn't always so for The Green Mile. At the time of it's release it got mixed reviews by critics – according to Rotten Tomatoes dot com, only about 70% of the top critics gave it a good review.

To understand why this is, we have to transport ourselves back to the 90s. The last film to make it to the big screen by both the writer, Stephen King, and the director, Frank Darabont, was a film called The Shawshank Redemption, widely considered to be one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history (just as a point of reference, the Internet Movie Database lists Shawshank as #1 on the list of 250 top movies of all time). Whether or not you agree with that, just understand that Shawshank connected with audiences and critics both in a very powerful way.

In addition, The Green Mile was also set during the first half of the 20th Century, and also in a prison – comparisons to Shawshank were inevitable, and given King's hiatus (imposed by a horrible accident), and the fact that The Green Mile was Darabont's follow up to Shawhank, his directing debut, anticipation was at an all time high.

The Shawshank Redemption cast such a long shadow over The Green Mile, that it's nearly impossible to find any Green Mile review from the time that does not mention it. When compared to such a monumental achievement, is it any wonder that The Green Mile was found lacking?

But, take Shawshank out of the equation, and suddenly the picture becomes very, very different. Judged on it's own merits, The Green Mile is an outstanding motion picture. I'm not going to waste time summarizing the plot, or praising the acting, I'm just going to say that everything about this film is well done, and even though it's 188 minutes long, it's worth every minute. And just like the previous dramas, Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption it ends with one of those brilliant Stephen King lines that both summarizes the journey and hammers home the theme brilliantly.

Outstanding.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The Dark Side of the Rainbow (alternate soundtrack review)

[9/10 · 4 October 2009]

9 Stars for the movie itself, but only about 4 stars with the alternate soundtrack (read on...) The Wizard of Oz / The Dark Side of the Moon soundtrack In honor of the Wizard of Oz's 70th Anniversary, I decided to rewatch it.

However, instead of reviewing a film we've all seen 25 or more times, I decided to investigate the myth surrounding the synchronicity of this film to the 1973 Pink Floyd album, The Dark Side of the Moon. The phenomenon sometimes referred to as "The Dark Side of the Rainbow".

To begin with, I checked all the 'net sources I could find – most were in agreement, that proper synchronicity is achieved by starting the Pink Floyd disc as soon as the MGM lion roars for the 3rd time. So, with a big bowl of popcorn in one hand, and a Dunkelweizen in the other, I prepared for a psychedelic experience to outdo the finale of 2001: A Space Odyssey or the first I ever heard "Interstellar Overdrive" (hey, now there's an idea for a pairing).

Sadly, I have to say that it did not blow my mind. Twenty years of rumors, and this is what I get? To be fair, I was not under the influence of any unusual substances – O.K., a couple beers, but I do everything under the influence of a couple beers. I suppose that those who do enough of the right drugs can probably find connections in any DVD/CD pairing (Dude, Britney is totally singing the soundtrack to Shindler's List on her debut album!!!) .

I will concede that there are quite a few points of synchronicity between the two. They do in fact complement each other – to an extent. But the band members have repeatedly denied any intentional connections between the two, and I for one believe them. What then accounts for this seeming synchronicity? I believe I have an answer for that.

To begin with, both deal heavily with Freudian aspects of the psyche. That has been a hallmark of Pink Floyd's music from the beginning. Even after demented genius Syd Barrett was institutionalized, the remaining members of Pink Floyd were keenly aware that Barrett's introspective lyrics were a key element of the band's appeal.

L. Frank Baum, for his part wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to be a modern update of age-old fairy tales deeply rooted in the human psyche, and the characters themselves are concerned with primary desires of the id – home (shelter) for Dorothy, courage for the lion, etc. This Freudian connection was deepened by the filmmakers who took an Oz as dream approach, both in dreamlike experiences in Oz (the poppy field for example) as well as the entrance and exit of Dorothy passing out on a bed ("It was all a dream).

Second of all, The Wizard of Oz is, let's not forget, a musical. One doesn't need to have more brains than the Scarecrow to figure out that a film based around music is likely to sync up pretty well with another piece of music. And so it does; many of the alleged match up points are song and dance routines. While Dark Side is a great match, I wouldn't be surprised if a pairing with, say, Sgt. Peppers wouldn't provide an equally interesting result.

While we're on the subject of myths, I also looked for the other big Wizard of Oz urban legend – the hanged man. Allegedly a member of the cast or crew who committed suicide can be seen in one of the scenes along the Yellow Brick Road. Maybe it would be different if I saw it on the big screen, but all I saw at the appointed scene was an amorphous shape in the deep background that could have been… well… literally anything! In conclusion I'd say that what this exercise did yield for me was a great bit of nostalgia. It reaffirmed in my mind that both of these two artworks are masterpieces, and deserve undivided attention. I couldn't help but wish I were fully focused on enjoying one or the other.

Dead Again (1991)

Interesting diversion for Branagh and co.

[8/10 · 2 October 2009]

The thrillers of the 1980s were films about dangerous relationships (a stage set by 'Fatal Attraction') - the dominant type of thrillers of the 1990s (probably thanks in no small part to the success of TV show 'The X-Files') was a more supernatural type story. This film released in the very early 1990s has aspects of both. It prefigured the '90s supernatural thriller trend by a few years, but it stands up pretty well against most of the others that followed. And, while the "modern" scenes are now a little dated (the film has a parallel storyline set in the 1940s), it's still quite enjoyable.

Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, best known for their Shakespeare adaptations, co-star in this 80s style thriller crossed with 40s style film noir. It's highly recommended to fans of both those genres - though like most supernatural thrillers, one must suspend disbelief in the supernatural premise to fully enjoy it.

Great supporting cast made up of talented character actors helps move things along, and while there are some lame attempts at humor, they're more quirky than cringe-inducing.

The music score is essential to this one, so be sure to have a good stereo set up!