castmastr Reviews

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Amusing, if not groundbreaking

[27 February 2004]

This is the best horror film since Hellraiser. It is bloody, suspenseful, scary, and most importantly, humorous. Rob Zombie's homage to Texas Chainsaw Massacre borrows almost every plot convention from the 70's splatterhouse flick, except for it's rather stagey, tongue in cheek attitude, but the characters themselves are mostly original- and while they might not deliver for horror fans the kind of truth they desire- they are very entertaining. The thing that sets this film apart from much of it's competition is the very thing that alienates it from many fans, and while Zombie's humor will not please a lot of viewers, it has that Nightmare on Elm Street wit that could make it a horror classic. My particular favorite in the movie is Tiny, who breathes life into an otherwise copycat cast of characters from Chainsaw, as well as the spooky soundtrack that Zombie was intelligent enough to keep his hands off for the most part. HOOC doesn't add much to the genre in terms of originality, but instead stands on the shoulders of giants to create what is, if nothing else, the most entertaining horror movie in recent memory.

Magnolia (1999)

Garbage

[3/10 · 27 February 2004]

As a huge P.T. Anderson fan, I was grossly dissapointed with Magnolia. The characters are shallow, the plot is weak if at all present, but most of all it is clichee at its worse. The dialogue is sappy, vacuous, and frequently leaves me embarrassed for the writer and actors who are connected to it. But what makes this movie truly painful to watch is the rediculous events that take place in the movie. Most of all, the awful Amy Mann song that the cast sings in unison. Up there with "Our Town" and "Oklahoma" as some of the most boring pieces of writing of all time. If you are an average middle American brainless automaton who likes movies like Playing by Heart, you will love this tired reworked narrative and unoriginal theme.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

An instant classic

[10/10 · 27 February 2004]

The final installation of Jackson's three part epic manages to steam forward with as much conviction and drama as the previous two. The acting is still superb, although there are admittedly, a few scenes that might have been removed for time and content. This film focuses on the region of Gondor, the last bastion of hope for the survival of mankind, and the final stage of the journey for Sam and Frodo as they are guided towards Mt. Doom by Gollum. Within the first five minutes of the film, there are clues that this will not be like the other two pictures. A sense of darkness and a feeling that hope is lost seem to overtake many of the characters. Aragorn's speech is starting to change from the rugged gruffness of the first two films, into the more refined diction that it associated with royalty in plays like Henry V. In fact, Aragorn's decision to cast off his kingly role as insinuated in all three films harkens to Shakespeare's young Harry, whether by coincidence or not. The relationship between Sam and Frodo becomes more strained in Return of the King as Gollum uses trickery in an attempt to gain control of the ring, and the character of Gollum becomes much more complex in Return of the King. Perhaps the greatest achievement of Return of the King, however, is its ability to show the massiveness of the scale of warfare while simultaneously emphasizing the value of human life, something many films about war fail to capture. Particularly, the relationship between Denethor and Faromir echoes this, and Jackson again uses splendid tactics to breathe life into a storyline that was all but absent from the previous two movies. The emotion investment in these characters is deeper than in any other film I have ever watched, as each player, good or evil, is a familiar face that the viewer is sad to see go. It is my observation that while the film is very long and the action and suspense sometimes unbearably hard to get through, this film could go on for much longer without losing my attention. This will likely go down as one of the greatest movies ever made, and it isn't even the best of the trilogy.

Cradle Will Rock (1999)

Powerful, moving, a great ensemble...

[27 February 2004]

A brilliant triumph by actor turned director Tim Robbins, Cradle Will Rock is based on the real story of the Federal Theatre in the late 30's. Featuring characters like Orson Welles, the Rockefellers, Diego Garcia and a slew of U.S. political figures, the movie is grounded in the "mostly" true stories of the pre-war red scare, as the Federal funded arts came under attack from the House Un-American Activities committee. Specifically, the story revolves around a pro-labor union musical of the same name, directed by Orson Welles, that is forced to shut down. The story is mirrored in the business relations of the Rockefellers, who make underhanded deals with Italian fascists while destroying Diego Rivera's beautiful mural in their skyscraper because of it's controversial nature.

The movie is not avant-garde in its own right, but certainly celebrates the artists who championed the avant-garde theatre of the 30's. The acting is superb, featuring yet another energetic and truthful performance by Turturro, a revisited melancholy malaise by Bill Murray, a dead-on Welles played by underrated MacFayden, and really just splendid performances by everyone in this cast.

Cradle Will Rock will not appeal to everyone's taste, as it takes a rather hard line towards leftist viewpoints, but the message of the movie goes beyond the politics of left or right. The movie is a celebration of the artist as a cog in the works of American life, and how bravery and strength in the face of fear kept the spirit of freedom alive in not only the theatre, but in humanity itself as pride and dignity persevered.

Underground (1995)

Amazing

[27 February 2004]

While attending college in Boston a Croatian friend of mine told me about this movie. I rented it a few days later, and let me say this is one of the greatest foreign films I have seen. While the historical and political substance of the film is largely missed by me, the story is strong enough that I connected emotionally with it. The humor of the film is very refreshing, being used to war films that are too heavy or dull to make me laugh. I recommend this film to anyone who appreciates a well told story. You will be rewarded with a beautiful picture.

Brazil (1985)

My favorite film of all-time

[27 February 2004]

Terry Gilliam's masterpiece, Brazil is one of the greatest films of the second half of the twentieth century. Yet another example of Gilliam's desire to manifest the hopes and fears of the human condition in physical forms, Brazil captures the paranoid nature of the post-atomic age with a rare gift for imagination and humor not seen since Dr. Strangelove. The story centers around Sam Lowry, an insecure pushover who fulfills his dull life as a government employee in a futuristic dystopia through fantastic dreams. One day, he encounters quite literally the woman of his dreams, and his world begins to fall apart (again quite literally). The imagery of Brazil is important as it is to any Gilliam film, but in Brazil it cues us in to the metaphoric significance of the protagonist's environment. The Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Defense are not just satires of bureaucracy, but metaphors for the workings of the human mind. And so as Sam begins to destroy the artifice of these structures, he is in effect destroying his ability to think rationally. As the movie progresses, we delve deeper and deeper into the id of the character, and the lines between reality and fantasy become more and more obscured. A lot of humor in the movie comes from the frustration of the shortcomings of technology, the bleakness of modern architecture, and the overt brainwashing of the inhabitants. But don't be wary if you aren't a fan of socio-political humor, there is plenty of slapstick and one-liners to balance out the ironic content. The acting is excellent, featuring Robert DeNiro in one of his first comedic roles and Michael Palin in one of his darker roles. Do not expect just another futuristic science-fiction movie from Brazil. This movie has teeth and is not afraid to bite you with them.

Help! (1965)

Fab

[27 February 2004]

Extremely over-the-top, overacted, underplotted, and yes even a bit unfocused, the Beatles Help! is still one of the greatest musician movies of the 20th century. When one looks at the library of movies created as vehicles for musicians, Help! has to rank in the top 5 ever. It gets very little recognition in terms of this, even though the humor is original and the pacing of the film are superior to Hard Days Night or even The Monkees Head. This film is fun, and well worth a watch if you like these sorts of things. I do have to admit that this may be unbearable if you are not a fan of the Beatles, however, as the style of humor and hijinks are very particular to the Fab 4 and their fans.