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Vet hard (2005)
Didn't Love It ... Didn't Hate It, Either.
As an American, I'm not quite sure what to make of this film. It's a bit too brutal for a "zany, madcap comedy", and a bit too slapstick for a "black comedy". Also, it seems more than a bit misogynistic. I'm guessing this is a Dutch flick for "yobs". Still, for entertainment value, I can't say that I disliked it, but I'm huge Nederphile. The ending was certainly different than I expected. A few things might be lost on a foreign audience - the institution of the Dutch "snack bar", for instance, and why Bennie gets so angry when he comes back to find that it's been turned into a "Quicherie".
Mindless fun, but perhaps not one you'll want to watch with a lady friend.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
A Challenge To Republicans: See It And Decide For Yourself
I can't put this succinctly enough: "Fahrenheit 9/11" is a pro-American film. This film upholds the values I was raised to believe were American values. This film treats our troops in Iraq with respect. This film treats Iraqis as human beings. This film treats the victims of the September 11th attacks with dignity. This film upholds the traditional American doctrine of war as a last resort. The only contempt that this film shows is contempt for those who derailed the real war on terror, and led us into a war for profit based on lies.
I went to see "Passion of the Christ" even though I didn't want to. Why? Because I wanted to be able to discuss the film intelligently with others. I didn't like the film, and I knew I wouldn't like it when I entered the theatre, but I went anyway because I felt it was my duty to be educated about it.
I make the same challenge to supporters of the current administration. Bite the bullet, pay the eight bucks, and decide for yourself. Don't let others decide for you.
Roger & Me (1989)
The Mark Of A Good Film
The mark of any good film is it's ability to incite equally passionate praises and pans. Fourteen years later, "Roger And Me" still incites those same passions. And why not? It's a brilliant piece of filmmaking. Is it slanted? Of course it is - but to hear this claim from people whose idea of "unbiased news" is Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity is laughable. Is it emotionally manipulative? Yes, it is - but show me any film - short of a PBS documentary on ants - that isn't. This film clearly has an agenda - to show capitalism at the apex of it's greed and the pinnacle of it's indifference to the loyal workers who are, in the end, little more than warm bodies who are expendable when it comes down to the bottom line.
The Discovery of Heaven (2001)
Well Worth The Effort Made To See It
This is a superb film that deserves a respectable worldwide release. I'm not particularly fond of films with religious themes or sub-texts, but I found myself transfixed by a deeply interwoven plot and engaging performances all around. This is a film that requires all of your attention, but refuses to demand it by resorting to Hollywood 'whizbang'.
This movie has yet to be released in the United States, apart from screenings at a couple of smaller film festivals. To see this film I had to 'hack' my player and order the DVD from the Netherlands, but I am so glad I did - especially because I'm going to have to watch it two or three more times to catch all of the inter-connections. I hope that I will be able to see this on the big screen. Soon.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Thank You, KEVIN!
I just got home from seeing Kevin Smith's latest film, "Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back". I was looking forward to seeing this, as I'm a huge fan of Kevin's films, but I was a little worried I was going to be disappointed. I love Jay and Silent Bob, but I wasn't exactly sure how they were going to carry the weight as the stars for two solid hours.
I needn't have worried. This is, without a doubt, one of the funniest films I've seen in ages, and a fitting end to what is now a "five-film trilogy". Of course, having the foresight that comes from repeated viewings of the other four films, while not required, is highly recommended. Smith's characters have had a way of "cross-pollinating" in his movies, and JSBSB is hardly the exception.
To fill you in on what little plot you have to worry about: Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Director Kevin Smith) discover that the rights to "Bluntman and Chronic", a comic-book super-duo based on themselves, have been sold to Miramax and filming is underway on a feature movie. After learning that they were becoming the brunt of criticism on an Internet film site by arm-chair critics, they hitch-hike their way to Hollywood to stop the movie and save their reputations from ruin. On the way, they get picked up by a van of animal-rights activists who are en route to a animal-testing facility with plans to break in and rescue a lab monkey. Through a series of events (and I'm leaving tons out here specifically to avoid spoiling it for anyone), Jay and Bob become fugitives on the lam - and monkey-sitters - as they continue their westward journey to put a stop to the movie.
Don't worry, it works.
This film entertains on so many different levels. Of course, my favorite boneheads are at their profane best - but it's so much more than that. This film is savagely funny as it attacks Miramax (the distributor of three of Smith's films, who backed out on his fourth, "Dogma", after protests from the Catholic community), Internet couch-potato critic wannabes, and the corporate film industry itself. It lampoons a good number of Hollywood films, often using the very actors (and directors!) from these films to achieve this. It pulls in plot threads and jokes from all of his other films (a good reason to watch the first four - if you haven't already - before seeing it). This film is scathing, but also self-deprecating. And it's undeniably obvious that everyone had a blast making this picture.
Of course, it's foul and tasteless from start to finish. If you think you might be the least bit offended, trust me - you will be. There's something in this film to offend just about everyone. But if you have the intelligence and sense of humor to see it for what it is - and if you've enjoyed any Kevin Smith movie, you probably qualify - you'll have a blast, like I did.
I laughed out loud - repeatedly - through this movie.
I hate to see the New Jersey Trilogy draw to a close, but if it has to end, I doubt it could have ended on a more satisfying note than it did (for me, at least) with JSBSB.
Saving Silverman (2001)
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll kiss eight bucks goodbye.
We went to see "Saving Silverman" last night. Had no idea what it was about, saw none of the previews - it just happened to be at a theater nearby that's only $2.00 (and has only one screen). Read reviews online and they were evenly divided. Half thought it was the laugh-a-minute feel-good comedy of the year. The other half thought it to be cruel and inhuman punishment. There was no middle ground. An hour after the film started, I looked down at my watch and realized that we had only been there for 15 minutes. Yes, it's that bad. It was so bad, it wasn't even bad enough to be good. And I tried so hard to like it. I even laughed a couple of times. But there were so many more times when I figured I was supposed to be laughing and wasn't. There was no chemistry whatsoever between the actors, and a lot of good talent was thoroughly wasted. Even Neil Diamond (who appears in the film as himself) puts in a lackluster performance. Not that he has much of a career left to destroy, but if anything could put the final nail in the coffin, this would be it. I'm not even about to try to explain the plot, just the thought makes my brain hurt. Let's just say that it starts with three buddies who are members of a Neil Diamond tribute band. It gets worse. If you must see this film - as in someone holding a gun to your head and threatening to kill you if you don't - be sure and take a lot of pharmaceuticals beforehand. Don't know if it will help, but it certainly couldn't hurt.
Existo (1999)
A Playful Poke in the Eye of Conservative Censorship
It's a future in which the government and the media are controlled by right-wing religious fundamentalists. The writings of William Bennett have been canonized into the Bible, and art has been outlawed. Welcome to Existo's world. Existo (played by Bruce Arntson) is a manic, charismatic performance artist, living legend, and guru/leader of the guerilla art resistance movement bent on turning a repressive theocracy on it's ear and making the streets safe for art.
This is a delightful little indie from Nashville, written by Artnson and Coke Sams (both of whom who are responsible for the "Ernest" movies). Make no mistake, however; this is by no means a family movie. A particular musical sequence involving an anatomically impressive pogo stick and and backup vocalists with gynecological headgear would likely earn this film a R (or perhaps even an NC-17).
Among the memorable characters: Maxine (played by "Ernest" alumnus Jackie Welch) is Existo's lover/sidekick and is a real joy to watch; Jim Varney (of...well, you know) gives a brief appearance as beatnik Marcel Horowitz; Gailard Sartain ("The Patriot," "Fried Green Tomatoes") stars as the living-extra-large drag queen and nightclub owner Colette Watchuwill; Mark Cabus ("The Client") is convincing as smarmy provocateur Roupen Dupree who is commissioned by the President to lure Existo over to the government's side to undermine the art resistance; and Ray Thornton in his first theatrical film is wonderful as Vigo, a hyperactive Irish leather-clad bomb expert.
The music in the movie is great fun and highlights Existo's sometimes "Carrey-esque" mannerisms and speaking style (not to mention the high caliber of the local musicians used for the film).
Yes, it's three shades of hammy in places (such as a roomful of hardened street artists bursting into melodramatic tears during Existo's "I Will Cry" song). Sure, the low budget keeps all of the art terrorism off camera (with the exception of the aftermath at a shopping mall). Of course the whole religion aspect is played over-the-top, don't forget it was filmed in Nashville. But it's also a gem of an indie, and a hell of a lot of fun to watch. The tunes are infectious as well. In a world filled with low-budget Gen-X angst, it's a welcome change.