hrivnak Reviews

The Other Side of the Glass (2006)

Funny Stuff!

[9/10 · 12 July 2006]

This was a hilarious musical comedy that played at the 48 Hour Film Project in Atlanta in 2006. It should have won a lot more awards, in my opinion, and features one of the funniest songs I've heard in a long time. Even though you'll be singing the song long after the film is over, it's not just a one-joke wonder. There's plenty of subtle comedic moments that you might miss if you aren't paying attention. I especially the part about drug screening.

Kudos to Keith Hooker and company for continually making funny films at a break-neck pace! I love watching their entries in the 48 Hour Film Project every year.

Brothers of the Head (2005)

Film with an identity crisis

[5/10 · 13 June 2006]

Just got back from the screening of "Brothers of the Head" at the Atlanta Film Festival. What can I say about it? To tell the truth, I don't know what to make of the movie. It's really hard to tell if it's a comedy trying to be a drama, or a drama trying to be a comedy. It's mainly a drama, which has some funny moments. But to me, it felt like a film with an identity crisis.

Maybe it's because I was expecting it to be a comedy coming into it, but it just didn't work for me. I heard comparisons to Hedwig and the Angry Inch but those should be thrown out as the two movies are nothing alike, save the music.

The film was well done, I'll give it that, and it had excellent performances from the actors, especially the love interest (played by two different ladies for two different time periods) and the manager. But I found myself laughing at parts that a first played for comedy, then become deathly serious. I didn't know what was acceptable to laugh at. What starts out as a joke morphs into abuse at one point, in another one you start laughing, then you realize your laughing about a tumor.

It is a challenging film, and maybe if I went into it fresh, knowing it was a drama, I would've enjoyed it more. I did enjoy the music, even if it was rough around the edges. I wouldn't be opposed to picking up an album from "The Bang Bang" if it was well produced.

Well, conjoined twin rock stars... a drama... who'da thunk?

The Ring Two (2005)

Another empty sequel

[4/10 · 22 March 2005]

The problem with "The Ring Two" is not that it is poorly done, it's the fact that it doesn't make any sense. It doesn't follow any sort of logic at all, including the rules established in the first film. In fact, the video tape aspect so cleverly used in "The Ring" only gets a brief scene here and then is abandoned entirely. Yet, somehow, the evil forces make their way into the real world.

It's hard to write a review of this movie, because so little of it makes any sense at all... The performances and effects are well done, but there's nothing to tie it together, and as a result the movie because a string of cliché movie scares and never produces a satisfying result.

The Sexy Chef (2002)

Enjoyable indie comedy

[7/10 · 23 July 2004]

I saw this film at the Atlanta ComiCon Film Festival. It was a highly enjoyable indie comedy. It has the feel of "Clerks," in that it isn't highly plot driven, just more of a character-driven story. The chase for the sexy chef is just an excuse for us to spend time with these crazy characters.

Logan Creighton does a great job as F.M., the "main" character. He plays the role subtly and does a good job of giving the audience a sympathetic (sometimes pathetic) character to root for. It seems we've all been in his shoes at one point or another.

His friend, Tank, is the more outgoing character. He's the driving force of adventure. Todd Robinson does a good job of portraying this wacky character, but giving him a human angle as well. To relate the film back to "Clerks," Tank is Randal to F.M.'s Dante. The relationship is very similar and it works well in this film...

The stories of Winona and Paul don't really add much to the story, but they are enjoyable in their own right.

I have to give a nod to Greg A. James as Mike Buda. He's hilarious and annoying at the same time. He does a great job at balancing the one-note character, so that he remains funny even as he's getting on your nerves.

"The Sexy Chef" is hardly original in its tone, but its the kind of movie that just makes you feel good. The characters are richly crafted by the writer, Ian Smith, so that you care for them throughout the film. I've mentioned "Clerks" several times in this review... it's not to say this film is derivative, but emotes the same kind of feeling to viewer. And besides, to be compared to one of the greatest indie films of all time is never a bad thing.

Definitely worth watching. Check it out.

I, Robot (2004)

Surprisingly good

[20 July 2004]

Don't be confused by the trailers for this film. They are really just the lowest common denominator for the film. All the brain-dead action sequences make the trailer, but it is really more of a thinking film than the trailer would lead you to believe.

I read some of Asimov's work when I was younger and I never remembered any of the stories being a possible action film, but I think the writers have managed a good job of melding the spirit of Asimov's stories with a Will Smith action piece.

The film is exciting, well paced, with just enough humor. It brings up Asimov's issues subtly, without hitting you over the head too much. Smith's character is surprisingly complex underneath the surface and the writers do a good job building a nice backstory for the character.

There are some action/sci-fi cliches, to be sure, but they tend to work well in the flow of the story and they tend to avoid any laughable scenes... except one. Shia LeBouf's character is utter useless to the film and I would have like to have seen him cut out. He's there to play the comic-relief sidekick, though he only pops up in two scenes. He was entirely unnecessary, which is too bad as I like LeBouf as an actor. This role, however, was useless.

The effects shots were well done. Nothing spectacular or ground breaking, but the robots feel real. They are part of the scene and not just CGI recreations.

All in all, an enjoyable film that's better than the advertising would indicate. Well worth your money for a summer action popcorn muncher.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

One of the best films ever

[10/10 · 20 July 2004]

This is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite films. I defy you to find a better-written, better-acted film than this one.

If you want an example of great dialogue, this is it. David Mamet is a master wordsmith and this is probably his greatest work. If one wants to study the art of dialogue, they should start with "Glengarry Glen Ross."

On top of the great script, is great performances by some of the best actors. Jack Lemmon is outstanding as the salesman at the end of his rope. Al Pacino is masterful, as usual, in his role as the shrewd and cocky Ricky Roma. Alan Arkin... absolutely fantastic. Even Kevin Spacey, who wasn't a household name at the time, puts in a great performance, which is underrated do to the other stars. And Alec Baldwin really should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance. It's just one scene, but it's one of the most spectacular acting performances ever put to film.

Some people may complain that this is really just a play, caught on film, but director James Foley does an excellent job of giving us a sense of place and tone. There's a bit of noir influence in some of his scenes, and the film is directed economically, so it doesn't feel like "just a play."

It's hard to believe that this film wasn't nominated for an Oscar. Al Pacino won an Academy Award that year, but it was for the wrong film ("Scent of a Woman"). Any one of these actors deserved it...

Episcopaliens (2004)

All in 48 hours? Wow.

[7/10 · 16 July 2004]

I'm very impressed that these folks pulled off a musical in only 48 hours, especially one with such great music. As part of the 48 Hour Film Project in Atlanta, 2004, this group had one of the best produced films, in terms of production value. This film looked wonderful. It also had some great acting to go along with the superb songs (one of which even contained the required "line of dialogue" from the contest rules).

My only complaint would be that the film just kind of ended. The main character seems to figure out that the mysterious orb is from aliens just out of the blue. And then, poof, the story just kind of ends. I would have liked to have seen a bit more to the story. I realize it is difficult given the time limitations (both in run time and in shooting time), as well as trying to fit the songs in. It just didn't leave me satisfied at the end.

That being said, the film was well done, humorous, and very impressive for a 48-hour project.

Aliens Among Us (2004)

Funny funny stuff!

[7/10 · 16 July 2004]

This short that was part of the Atlanta 48 Hour Film Project in 2004 is one of the funniest I've seen in a long time. It never has a dull moment and the acting is top notch. You can tell the actors had fun with their characters, especially the professor and the two nerds (one who just "always wanted to kill somebody"). The ending is priceless and the twist after the credits is truly funny.

The only thing I can harp on is the production value. Occasionally boom polls, crew members or extension cords can be seen in shots, but since it was a 48 hour production, I can definitely look past those technical flaws.

These guys and gals are really funny.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Enjoyable, but ultimately unrewarding (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)

[7/10 · 16 July 2004]

While I enjoyed Napoleon Dynamite, I can't see what all the fuss is about this film. It has some very funny moments and great characters, but the story just sort of meanders. There's no real plot to speak of, and no real logic behind why Napoleon becomes the "hero" of the film.

SPOILER

He randomly picks up a how to dance video at a thrift store (we don't really even know why he's there), then he's randomly given a mix tape by LaFawnduh. His character has no motivation to learn to dance, and hence save the day for Pedro, it's just random events.

I guess he's just doing whatever he wants to! Duh!

END SPOILER

Like I said, I found it enjoyable, but the more I think about it, the more I feel cheated by lack of a true plot.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Hello, did somebody order a plot?

[5/10 · 16 July 2004]

Hello, did somebody order a plot? If so, it never arrived.

I wanted to love "Anchorman" and I think Will Ferrell is usually hilarious, but this film just didn't work for me. While there were some very funny parts that had me laughing out loud, there seemed to be nothing coherent holding this film together. It just seemed to me like a bunch of skits loosely placed around an idea for a plot, rather than a full fleshed-out film.

Also, it too often went into lunacy instead of a straight-ahead story. I would have liked the story more if it were just about Ron Burgundy, obnoxious news anchor. But instead, we had total lapses of rational thought, for example, with the "rumble" between the various news teams or Burgundy's flute performance. It was things like that which took me out of the moment -- of 1970's San Diego -- and the movie lost all semblence of reality.

When it stuck to the more basic plot (old-school men vs. women's lib movement), the film felt more coherent and way funnier -- but the asides overwhelmed the plot...

The Big Empty (2003)

Help, I'm confused

[16 July 2004]

I'm not entirely sure what this film was about. The ending is so ambiguous, that I can't tell whether I liked it or not.

I was digging the film for the first 3/4 of the movie, but somewhere in the third act, it became extremely confusing and all the good will that had built up in the wonderful character performances (Favreau, Cook, Grammer, etc) gets lost in the weird hokey-pokey that occurs. I stop caring for these interesting characters because their story is superceded by some new-age stuff that I couldn't even comprehend.

Also, there are elements of the storyline that either take too long to resolve (who's the cowboy? what's in the bag?) or just are never resolved at all (some of the characters are built up, but then just sort of disappear).

Overall, I enjoyed this film, but the ending was a mess. Maybe I'm just not understanding it, but I think they intentionally made it ambiguous. In which case, I'd say that's its biggest flaw.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

Oh my God, this movie is funny!

[10/10 · 25 June 2004]

I haven't laughed this hard at a movie in years. That's all I can really say about this movie. It's stupid, sure, but it's so hilarious, you don't care.

I could not stop laughing. There are so many jokes in this movie, you don't even have a chance to rest before the next one comes along.

Ben Stiller as the "evil" White Goodman -- it's a classic character that should go down in the annals of comedy greatness. The announcers for ESPN 8 "The Ocho" (Gary Cole and Jason Bateman) had me rolling in the aisles. Stephen Root is a comic genius as well, and Alan Tudyk as the random pirate (why? who cares!) was pure gold.

Oh, and make sure you stay till the end of the credits... Ben Stiller does a routine that's absolutely hysterical.

Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

Hit and miss, but ulimately rewarding

[16 June 2004]

Take this movie as what it is -- really just a series of short films about people's conversations over coffee and cigarettes.

In that regard, some of the shorts were more rewarding than others, with the highlights being Iggy Pop and Tom Waits, Bill Murray with RZA and GZA and Alfred Molina and Steve Coogans. The Tesla Coil episode with the White Stripes was pretty funny, but I don't think Meg White can act very well. Steve Buscemi was hilarious in his short, but I didn't like the point of the story. Cate Blanchette's dual role was interesting, but got boring after a while.

But really, these are just conversations and I think that's what makes this film original. There's no plot to speak of, just snapshots of life as it is. In fact, the one that hit home the most for me was the two friends who didn't talk about anything. It shows how the art of conversation has been lost... one friend just wants to see his old buddy, but the other friend thinks there has to be an ulterior motive. It's a great statement on the nature of society, and overall a great snap shot of what "Coffee and Cigarettes" is all about, the lost art of conversation.

Last Goodbye (2004)

Great visuals and an interesting story

[7/10 · 15 June 2004]

I saw this movie at the Atlanta Film Festival and first, let me say that this movie LOOKS great. I have to commend those responsible for the visual side of the film, the director, the D.P., the gaffer, etc. It all looks great. There's many creative shots in this piece and the Hi-Def video does them justice.

The acting is pretty top notch as well, especially David Carridine (who's always great) and Chris Rydell (who I don't believe I've seen before). Clementine Ford and Liam O'Neill were decent, but not spectacular, in their parts, but I'm not sure they had enough to carry them as leads. On the other hand, the supporting characters played by Chad McKnight, Sara Stanton and Tim Habeger were deftly portrayed and nearly steal the show.

My biggest complaint would probably be the plot, as I figured out where the story was headed about half-way through and it seemed to lumber along to get to that point. But overall, the story is very original and the visuals were so well done, you may not notice.

This is definitely one of the most impressive, truly indie films I've seen in a while. It shows what Atlanta filmmakers have been doing under the radar for a while now. Hopefully, it gets distribution...

Ghost of the Needle (2003)

Very creepy!

[8/10 · 20 November 2003]

I was fortunate enough to see this film at the Fright Fest horror film festival in Gainesville, GA.

It's an excellent, indie horror film. Very well shot. The cinematography and lighting are great and the abandoned warehouse location is just perfect, really adding to the mood of the piece. The acting is subtle and well done, not over the top.

The story is pretty unique, and the killer's fetish is a great visual. And just wait to you see the end... I don't want to reveal any spoilers, but there's a great visual moment on top of some great acting.

If there's any justice in the world, this film will get theatrical distribution. If not, I recommend you seek it out at any of the film festivals it is playing at.

Growing Hair (2002)

A very funny low-budget indie

[8/10 · 20 April 2003]

I saw this movie at the Atlanta ComiCon Film Festival and it is a very funny movie in the vein of Clerks. It has a lot of raunchy humor, but it is also a well told story. You really get involved in the lives of the three main characters and are invested in their stories.

Game Packmunh is the funniest character, in my opinion. He's hooked on video games, even going so far as to listen to their soundtracks in his car. His humor is punctated by the video game sounds that accompany his life. Truly inspired soundtrack work.

All three characters are played extremely well for a low-budget indie film. The actors really make what could be archetypes into well rounded, fun characters.

Spank's breakdown is especially priceless.

If I can say one thing negative about this piece, it's that the camera work leaves a little to be desired (it's shot on video, and you can tell). There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but it's not overly creative. There are some scenes where lighting is a problem, as well, but once the story takes place these minor details aren't that important. It's the script that's important, and it's truly hilarious.

If you get a chance to see this film, check it out.

Lethal Force (2001)

Too funny!

[9/10 · 12 April 2003]

Saw this film at the Atlanta ComiCon Film Festival tonight. It is hilarious. It's a perfect parody of bad martial arts movies. It embraces all the things that make BAD martial arts movies so fun to watch, and takes it too another level. It's also got an homage to the old blaxploitation films, as well. Truly hilarious!

China O'Brien (1990)

Quite possibly the worst movie ever

[1/10 · 23 March 2003]

I caught this movie on FX last night, and as I was sitting there watching it, it occurred to me that it could quite possibly be the worst movie ever. Bad acting, bad cinematography, bad sound, totally unbelievable fight sequences, stupid characters. All these made it up to be the most laughably bad movie I've ever seen. It was so bad, I was enthralled by it's sheer lack of anything semi-competent that I had to keep watching... and they made a sequel!

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Great character study

[10/10 · 28 October 2002]

First, I would like to note that I have never seen a PT Anderson film I actually liked, until I saw "Punch-Drunk Love." I hated "Hard Eight" and "Magnolia," thought both were pretentious loads of cr*p. I hated them so much, I refused to watch "Boogie Nights" even though everybody seems to praise it. I think I'll check it out now.

Unbelievably, this movie shows that Adam Sandler can act, and act well. I love his incredible stupid roles in "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore," but he actually shows great range in "Punch-Drunk Love." The way he moved back and forth between being pathetic to full of rage was awesome, and he really made you feel for a character that is pretty absurd. He made Barry Egan a believable and sympathetic character.

And to top it off, Philip Seymour Hoffman, plays a great foil to Sandler. The scene where the two confront each other over the phone is just incredible. PSH does so much with just one line of dialogue in that scene... he's just incredible.

As for PT Anderson, well... he may still be pretentious, but I love what he did with the camera in this film. Robert Elswit deserves special mention for his use of practical lighting and intentional lens flares that really added to the realism of an often fantastical story.

As hard as it is for me to believe, I actually think PT Anderson has made the best film so far this year.

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

An unsettling commentary on the first film.

[7/10 · 27 October 2000]

I'll have to disagree with all the nay-sayers. This is actually a decent horror flick and an interesting commentary on life imitating art imitating life. Sure, it's not that scary, but neither was BWP...

There are some real elements that make you think in this film and even at the end, there are questions left unanswered. And it's just creepy enough to get you tense.

But somebody please tell me what "Book of Shadows" has to do with the movie? It's like the producers thought the name was cool and just slapped it on the film, even though it had nothing to do with it.