Drag Me to Hell

I was expecting to like this but not quite as much as I did. I loved it. I had a big grin on my face the entire time. I haven't seen a movie this absolutely out of control crazy fun since ... since I guess Evil Dead 2. So silly. So gross. So great. I almost watched this again right after finishing it. From beginning to end, this movie is nonstop perfection. Really.

The hallmarks of the Sam Raimi of old are all here. The absurdity. The corniness. The dazzling Raimi filmwork. The over the top gore. I hope he never goes back to Spider-Man. I want more movies like this. I'm giggling with glee even as I type this review.

Is it me or is Allison Lohman a dead ringer for the young Jennifer Jason Leigh? In fact, the only not great element of this movie is Justin Long. Then again, he plays the part of the clueless boyfriend so he works in the role.

I want more people I know to see this so we can talk about all of the great moments. See it!

Directed by Sam Raimi
2009
Blu-ray

An Education

Nick Hornby is done. I haven't read one of his books in years but I've read some of his short pieces and none of them have done anything for me. Plus, he just sort of seems to be a celebrity these days who occasionally feels like writing as opposed to a real writer. He wrote the screenplay for this movie and I say blah.

The acting is good though. I guess. Or maybe it is just that in general, I can't get enough Alfred Molina. It looks good too. Or maybe I just love the setting of 1961 London. The first 2/3 of the film held my attention if nothing else but the last 1/3 is so stupid and so poorly written that it ruins the whole thing.

It was nice to see Olivia Williams again though - again in the role of a teacher.

I tired to convince Mitch not to see it but he saw it anyway. His take?

I hated it. Peter Sarsgaard creeped me out the whole time and the main actress reminded me of a British Katie Holmes. Emma Thompson was so over the top it seemed like she was in an "SNL" sketch. Overall, it was like a pedophilia-infused "Pretty Woman" with a British accent and a little bit of "Dead Poets Society" thrown in for good measure.

Directed by Lone Scherfig
2009
BAM

Forbidden Planet

When I set up to record this film, I had forgotten that I had already seen it a few years ago at Film Forum. No matter. I could watch this movie once a year and not get sick of it.

Let me count the ways of how much fun this movie is.

1. A young and awesome Leslie Nielson.
2. Easily one of the best soundtracks in movie history.
3. Reminded me of Star Trek in a good way. Years ahead of its time.
4. Dr. Morbius!
5. Anne Francis is such a sexpot. 12-year-old boys in 1956 must have gone apeshit.
6. And of course - Robby the Robot. I love that in the credits he is listed as "Introducing Robby the Robot."

The trailer


Directed by Fred Wilcox
1956
TCM

Outrage

This was much better than the other Kirby Dick film I've seen. This is a perfect example of why I keep HBO. Other than the original series and the occasional movie, I watch many of their documentaries. I would never have thought to have seen this in the theater or even to get it from Netflix. But I'm glad that I had a chance to see it.

The film is about closeted gay politicians who go out of their way to try to screw the gay community through legislation and policy decisions. Think of the likes of Larry Craig. But there are plenty of others most of whom still deny they are gay. The interviews with Jim McGreevy were quite illuminating. Also, I had no idea about the saga of Charlie Crist.

Directed by Kirby Dick
2009
HBO

Frownland

I really need to stop watching any movie that has anything to do with mumblecore or with loser white dudes. This movie had some interesting moments but was painful to watch and not fun at all for me.

I need big happy movies these days.

Directed by Ronald Bronstein
2008
DVD

Pusher II

Seven years after the first Pusher, the thugs and scum and punks and freaks return (well some of them anyway) for another installment in what is shaping up to be one of my favorite recent finds.

Last time, Frank was in big trouble. This time, his even more dim friend Tonny is the star. And what a star he is. One bad caper to another, this guy is an idiot. But a fun idiot to watch. As gritty as the first installment and just as much fun. I need to see part three soon.

Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn
2004
Sundance on Demand

A Serious Man

For some reason, this movie rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not quite sure why. It has many of the usual Coen Bros. ingredients that I like. However, there is a key difference. Usually, they make movies based on a genre. This one feels completely original. There were times when I felt like I had never quite seen a movie like this one so I guess I have to give it points for that but I was happy when it ended. A lot of this felt like a cosmic joke - right down to the ending when they end it right when the suspense gets revved up. Sometimes their movies feel like a big joke on the audience. Most of the time I enjoy that aspect of their movies. However, I wasn't in the mood when I saw this.

I know it was supposed to be funny throughout but I found it hard to watch. Not that it was depressing per se but I was really turned off by pretty much all of the characters.

It is supposed to grapple with the big questions in life I guess - Coen Bros. style. Maybe my life is so chaotic these days that I simply want to watch things like How I Met Your Mother. Perhaps I would like this more if I saw it again. In fact, I'm sure that I would. But for me, right now, in the fall of '09, this movie didn't do anything for me.

Or perhaps the reason I couldn't get into this was that I'm a self hating Jew who has a hard time watching a movie made by other self hating Jews.

In fact, now that it has been a couple of weeks since I've seen this, there are definitely parts to it that make me laugh when I think back on it. Damn, looks like I need to see it again at some point.

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
2009
Cobble Hill Cinemas

Treeless Mountain

Cute kids + Korea = SHR's favorite movie of the year. I really liked it as well. Inspired by the Japanese film Nobody Knows, the film is about two sisters -(six-year-old Jin and her little sister Bin) who are dropped off by their mom with her alcoholic sister. The mom doesn't know how long she'll be gone. Her goal is to attempt to reconcile with her husband. Days turn to weeks and weeks to months.

Most of the movie is about the two little girls as they try to deal with their confusion and loneliness. Before their mom left, she gave them a piggy bank and told them that she would be back when the piggy bank was completely full. Of course, this leads to some gutwrenching scenes as the girls inch their way closer to and then successfully fill the bank.

Every scene is perfect. Every image is lovely. Between this and In Between Days, SHR and I have found Team HR's favorite director.

Directed by So Yong Kim
2008, U.S. Release: 2009
DVD

Sugar

There's just something off about Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden's movies. I should have loved this movie. It's about baseball and immigration - two subjects I'm interested in. Their last movie, Half Nelson, also was about two subjects I'm quite interested in - teaching and crack. But both movies don't quite gel for me. In that regard, their films remind me of Ramin Bahrani's films that I've seen (Man Push Cart and Chop Shop) - movies that look great, have fascinating topics but just aren't as good as they should be.

This one felt like a made for Lifetime movie for a good portion. The soundtrack was terrible. It also felt like the filmmakers either didn't know that much about baseball or thought that their audience wouldn't. It just didn't feel realistic baseball wise. For example, at one point, Sugar hits a batter which leads to a bench clearing brawl. However, he simply walks off the mound and into the dugout. Yet no one comes after him. What? This scene exemplifies some of the major weaknesses of the film. As he walks to the dugout, the sound disappears and the slow motion kicks in. There were a few scenes like this and they all felt completely heavyhanded.

But there were a number of positives as well. I really liked the last 1/3 - after he stopped playing baseball. The actor who played Sugar had never acted before and had been discovered by the filmmakers during an audition in the Dominican Republic. He was very good. I liked the host family while he was in Iowa. I also loved seeing the great ballpark in Davenport play such a prominent role in the film. Plus, the documentaries about the making of the film as well as the premiere in the DR were very entertaining. Sammy Sosa is such a doofus.

Maybe one of these days, Fleck and Boden will live up to their potential and make some great movies. I hope so.

Has anyone else seen this film? The Blu-ray disc subtitled everything - even the dialogue that was in English. Was this the way the film was supposed to be? Very odd.

Directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden
2009
Blu-Ray

Pusher

I'd heard about this trilogy for awhile but hadn't gotten around to seeking it out. The Sundance Channel has been pushing (pun intended) it recently so I decided to give the first part a chance. Good call. It is quite good.

At first, I was afraid it was going to be a dumb post Pulp Fiction crime type flick. But my fears were quickly allayed after the opening credits. It is quite low budget and super 70's gritty.

Basically, it is about a low level drug dealer who gets in way over his head and becomes more and more of a badass as the movie goes on. But he's still not the brightest guy so things don't quite go according to plan.

It also feels very mid 90's to me in a good way. Anything that makes me feel like I'm in my mid 20's again can't be too bad, right?

All in all, I really liked this film and am looking forward to watching the second part which just appeared on demand.

Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn
1997
Sundance on Demand