Change Your Image
StarEterLotus
Reviews
Remarkable Power (2008)
A Dark Comedy Worth Watching
A film that seems to be passed up and ignore, Remarkable Power is a low key genius piece of comedy. This film caught my eye at the local pawn shop and I couldn't seem to ignore it, even though I kept telling myself it looked like junk. However, with a stunning cast that features one of the best stand-up comedians, Christopher Tidus, and up and coming, rising American Horror Story star, Evan Peters, this is not a piece of junk. The film has a variety of scenarios and plots, each character has an obstacle to overcome and each has a not so responsible solution. Even though the other actors seem to have more credit as the film's main stars, Peters certainly is the most focused on and prominent character as the stoner nobody with a dream of remarkable power. He gets caught in a situation where he is going to be killed by an infomercial star he admires when he becomes the killer in a freak accident. It all unwinds from there with two wannabe sleuths (one of which an actress I recall from a favorite of mine, Brick), some Jewish mafia (?), and Christopher Tidus as the angel/devil over the shoulder role through Peter's imagination. The supposed "main" plot that acts as a side plot is that of a television anchor man, Tom Arnold, of whom has been given evidence of his wife's affair with a famous sportsman. He spends most of the film coming up with a way to get his revenge. The stories do intertwine and the ending is quite clever. Dark, witty, and with quirky characters, this film really is worth seeing.
All Superheroes Must Die (2011)
A Treasure For the Open Minded (May Contain Spoilers)
Super heroes aren't for everyone. This, however, does not stop film makers from trying. They come in every form now: action, comedy, drama, noir, independent, and so much more. This film is yet another take on the super hero genre; fallen heroes from the start. Each of the four main characters have had their powers suppressed from them with the exception being our leader, Charge, whom according to Cutthroat, the classic wannabe leader sidekick, and Rickshaw, our villain, seems to still have his super strength in tact. This movie is one where full attention is required, even after watching it twice, I have NO idea what one of the hero's power was. The fault is in the concept that you do not see any of the heroes use their powers, not even in flashbacks. You only hear slight references or have to figure it out by their code names: Charge, Cutthroat, Shadow, and The Wall. The movie moves along in rounds, this is sort of like each room entered in the second Saw installment. Each round has bound up victims and the heroes must follow Rickshaw's instructions or the victims will die. It's a setup that's doomed to hurt the heroes' pride and disappoint the audience if they are hoping that the heroes will overcome or regain their powers. There is little action, just violence and lots of dialog. That does not mean that this movie lacks or can not hold attention. Gripping my seat intensely, I often found myself hoping for some miracle for the heroes. Without giving too much away, there is a pretty important twist that ultimately darkens the tone of the movie. This film is not for those with a low attention span or for fans of heroes who crave non stop action. Both titles, "Vs" and "All Superheroes Must Die" are deceiving in the idea that there really is not so much action as there is violence and sadness. The ending is an open end and it may anger viewers who do not like that kind of thing. However, if you're open-minded, there's enough in this film to get a kick out of and to grow attached to. I would love to see this film re-visioned as a comic book series and really, I would love to see more from this universe.