The world we live in as become so anally PC that sometimes I think this country needs an enema. So comedy films really come into play in times like these. Films that really push the envelope and makes laugh hysterically for all the wrong reasons. So in comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's newest film THE DICTATOR, we are made to laugh at the most inappropriate topics, issues, and scenes. And I laughed at them all with glee!
In the film Cohen portrays Admiral General Aladeen, a dictator from the fictional North African country of the Republic of Wadiya. A ruthless, egotistical, and at times an idiotic dictator, his advisor Tamir (Ben Kingsley) informs him that he is summoned by the UN to address their concerns about his nuclear program. Once he arrives in New York, he is kidnapped by an FBI Agent (John C. Reilly) and has his beard shaved off. Unrecognizable, he befriends a woman named Zoey (Anna Faris) who runs a local organic grocery store. But Aladeen discovers that his kidnapping was a part of plot to turn Republic of Wadiya into a democracy and now must find a way to prevent this atrocity from happening.
The film was directed by Larry Charles, who directed Cohen's other two films; 2006's unbelievably hilarious BORAT and 2009's equally successful BRUNO. With this film, Charles keeps the pace of the film quick and funny. Cohen's performance is nothing short of brilliant. He says some of the most hysterical lines I have ever heard. If you don't believe me, here are some quotes from the movie that made me cry:
1) "I love American films, particularly fantasy films like 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Schindler's List.'"
2) "I'm sorry. It's a girl. Where's the trash can?" 3) "Ahh.. America, the birth place of AIDS." 4) "So are you having a boy or an abortion?" 5) "Those are breasts? I thought you were a boy."
No these quotes are tame compared to what else he says, as with everyone else in the film! Now I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to spoil the film for all of you, but you will laugh hard and be shocked by it all at the same time!
THE DICTATOR is a politically incorrect film and its funny as hell! Of course after watching this film you might want to take a shower because you will feel dirty laughing at this. If you're planning on taking a date to see this film, make sure that person has a sense of humor. If not, you're gonna have a lot of explaining to do. Four and half out of five stars! Highly recommended!!
THE DICTATOR is currently in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
I'm just gonna go ahead and say this right off the bat: Tim Burton has not made an original film since EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and that was way back in 1990! And while A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS was very groundbreaking and original and his followup CORPSE BRIDE still played on this dark theme concept, his live action films have been, putting it mildly, crap. So it came to no surprise when I saw his latest film DARK SHADOWS, I knew it wasn't gonna be good. And lo and behold, I was correct.
Based on the old ABC American Gothic soap opera created by Dan Curtis that ran from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971, this "re-imagination" stars Johnny Depp (how original) as Barnabas Collins, the only son of wealthy parents Joshua and Naomi Collins. In the year 1752, the Collins family travels to the New World from England settles in Collinsport, Maine, named after them and because of their fishing business. Two decades after his parent's death, Barnabas is a young man; is rich, powerful and the master of Collinwood Manor. However things go sour for him when he scorns the heart of a witch named Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green), who kills his fiance, turns him into a vampire and buries him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed and emerges into the year 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his estate has
fallen into ruin. Inside he meets his now dysfunctional Collins family: patriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), her daughter Carolyn (Chloe Moretz), her brother Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller) and his son David (Gulliver McGrath), David's doctor Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), David's governess Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote), and their groundskeeper/butler Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley). Barnabas plans to rebuild the family business to its former glory, but when he discovers that the competitor is owned and operated by none other than Angelique, their bitter feud reignites once more, with yet again the Collins family hanging in the balance.
So the only items I enjoyed about the film was the set design and the cinematography. The sets of the grand Collinwood Manor were indeed extraordinary and impressive; creating the look of a magnificent old English castle that came complete with secret rooms and passages. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel did a great job capturing the images, but other than these two items, the rest of the film fell flat on its face.
Half the time I didn't know if the film was supposed to be campy, scary, funny, or dark. All these elements were never fully balanced in my opinion and this caused me to question the film the entire time I was watching it. I did laugh when I was supposed to, some scenes were scary visually, but a lot of the performances were too over the top or under developed. Depp came off like a cross between Nosferatu and Grandpa from THE MUSTERS complete with a hideous bangs. Pfeiffer's acting was too stiff, and Haley's character didn't really need to be there. I could go on for days as to what was wrong with the film, but I don't have the time nor the patience, so I'll just say this: Tim Burton need to get a real job now.
DARK SHADOWS just plain sucks! There, is said it! It sucks, it's stupid, it's lame, it's proof that Burton needs to get back to his roots and create something original other taking existing properties and remaking them. So skip this film all together and see something else. One out of five stars.
DARK SHADOWS is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera
Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
Hello my fellow cult fanatics and welcome to Month Four of the Cult
Movie Series here at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! So for
tonight's cult film they screened Terry Gilliam 1998's FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS.
Yours truly was the host for tonight's screening. Another great addition for tonight's show was that this was a 35mm print that was being screened! This print came from the vaults of Universal Studios! Prizes were donated
by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby. If you have never seen the film, here's a brief synapse for you:
Theatrical Movie Poster (1998)
Based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by acclaimed and eccentric author Hunter S. Thompson, the film stars Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro as the crazed duo of Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo respectively. Traveling in their red convertible called The Red Shark, they set out on a road trip to Las Vegas in search of "The American Dream," while taking huge amount of drugs and alcohol!
Gilliam got his start making the bizarre and hilarious animation sequences for the British television show MONTY PYHON'S FLYING CIRCUS. He has gone on to direct several other cult films such as MONTY PYHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975), TIME BANDITS (1981), BRAZIL (1985), and 12 MONKEYS (1995). His last film THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS was the last that actor Heath Ledger appeared in. He died during the making of the film, so Gilliam had other actors fill in for him such as Colin Farrel,
Jude Law, and Johnny Depp.
Both Depp and Del Toro really got into their respective roles for this film. Del Toro gained 40 pounds on purpose for his portrayal of Dr. Gonzo and Depp even shaved his head. Also there were a number of cameos of big name actors in the film, including Tobey Maguire, Ellen Barkin, Gary Busey, Mark Harmon, Penn Jillette, Lyle Lovett, Christina Ricci, and Flea from the rock/funk band Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The film it self was a total bomb at the boxoffice. It grossed only 10.6 million, well below its $18.5 million budget. Since then it has become a true cult film due in large part to its release on VHS first, then on DVD and now Blu-Ray, including a Special Edition released by The Criterion Collection. On it, Thompson showed his approval of the Gilliam version by recording a full-length audio commentary for the film and participating in several DVD special features.
Another great crowd for the Cult Movie series show! Next month's cult film is director Ivan Reitman's 1984 comedy GHOSTBUSTER, which will be shown on Thursday, June 14th at 9:30pm and again on
Saturday, June 16th at midnight, so mark these days on your calender and
come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult
Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.
And so, it has finally arrived. After the release of IRON MAN in 2008, and the rest of the Marvel Studios films (IRON MAN 2, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER), we have finally come to this moment that's been four years in the making! Tonight I saw the new Marvel Studios film THE AVENGERS in 3D at the Camera 7 in the Pruneyard in Campbell. Was it worth the wait? Was it worth the hype? Was it worth seeing in 3D? I can answer all these questions with just one word: YES!!
In the film Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the organization called S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to form a team that must stop Thor's brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) from enslaving the human race.
Director Joss Whedon is on a roll this summer! First his horror film THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (he produced and co-wrote the film) was released last month to critical praise. Now with this film, he shows us he can not only handle a big budgeted, superhero ensemble picture but he can also kickoff the the summer blockbuster season like no other!
All of our familiar friends from the previous Marvel films are reunited and it feels so good. And like the comics, we get to see how heroes duke it out before shifting their eyes towards Loki and his interplanetary army of space creatures. Again Downy Jr. is great as the highly intelligent and highly arrogant Tony Stark while Evan's Captain America shows us that while he is a man out of time, he is till the leader to look up to. Ruffalo is now the third actor to portray Bruce Banner aka The Hulk (Eric Bana and Edward Norton being the first two) and to be honest, I think he is the best Banner out all of them. He brings to the character intelligence, awkwardness and hesitation, which I feel the others only brought two out of the three. Johansson is smart strong and sexy as the Black Widow, but the sexiness is downplayed. Like all of Whedon's female characters, they are tough, fierce, powerful, and fully in charge. Like Buffy, the Black Widow is a female to admire and worship because she is a strong female character and not because she has curves and breasts.
The film has already broken records all across America and around the world. As of this writing, the film is about to make over a billion dollars in ticker sales! A BILLION DOLLARS!! That my friends is a lot of tickets! As for the 3D effects, they are outstanding!! It takes the film to a whole new level, especially with the invasion scene at the end. Speaking of endings, make sure to stick around for not one, but two bonus scenes! The first one comes after the first part of the credits with all of the actors names, and the last one ant the very end. It's no surprise that I'm telling you this. Remember this is a Marvel film, they all have bonus scenes at the end!
So, in case you forgot, THE AVENGERS is THE summer blockbuster to see! To try to say anything else about the film would be redundant, so go see this movie now!! Five out of five stars! Highly recomended!!
THE AVENGERS is playing in both 2D and 3D in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera
Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
Every now and then, I like to indulge the inner child within me. The last family film I really enjoyed was THE MUPPETS, and that was back in November! So my inner child was throwing a major temper tantrum! Luckily for me the newest kid flick THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS in 3D was playing at the Camera 7 in the Pruneyard. So after a long and hard day at work, I was ready to "laugh my booty off!"
The film is based on the first two books from Gideon Defoe's The Pirates! series, The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists and The Pirates! in an Adventure with Whaling. Set in 1837, the Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant), the worst pirate sailing on the seven seas, leads a
close-knit, rag-tag group of amateur pirates who are trying to make a
name for themselves on the high seas. To prove himself and his crew, the
Pirate Captain enters into the Pirate of the Year competition, with the
winner being whomever can plunder the most. After several failed
attempts to plunder mundane ships, the Pirate Captain boards the Beagle and captures Charles Darwin (voiced by David Tennant). Darwin recognizes the crew's pet Polly as the last living dodo,
and implores the Pirate Captain to enter it into the Scientist of the
Year competition at the Royal Academy in London for a valuable prize.
The Pirate Captain directs his ship to London, despite warnings of Queen Victoria's (voiced by Imelda Staunton) detest for pirates. Cue up hilarious pirate hijinks, exploding ships, near death situations, and an intelligent monkey, you have a funny, silly, and entertaining film!
The film was directed by Jeff Newitt and Peter Lord, the man who created and gave us CHICKEN RUN, and of course, the WALLACE AND GROMIT series. The humor is very British, meaning that there are some jokes that fly right over kids' heads and hits us square in the face! And I love this, but that's been in children's films and cartoons for decades. Look at the old LOONEY TUNES cartoons now as an adult. See? What did I tell you! Bet you didn't realize all those innuendo jokes when you were a wee little lad, huh? But the British humor is dry and sharp, thanks to a cleverly written script by Gideon Defoe. The film has everything you could ask for: pirates, pirate ships, an evil queen, a smart monkey with cue cards, singing pirates, dancing pirates, a dodo bird, and action packed scenes that will keep your booty in your seat! And seeing it in 3D made me laugh even harder! OK not really, but it looked great!
THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS is a smart, hysterical, and thoroughly entertaining family film that really deserves your attention! So make sure you take your family to see this film. And if you don't have a family of your own, borrow someone else's! Or just do what I did: indulge your inner child. And then go home and play pirates with the neighborhood kids. Four out of five stars!!
THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS is playing in both 2D and 3D in theaters nationwide, including at the Camera
Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
Documentaries are my second favorite type of film genre (the first being horror).This past weekend I was fortunate to see a documentary that has been a long time coming. One of the best rock docs I've seen in a while, the film MARLEY chronicles the incredible life, the amazing music, and the tragic death of reggae icon Bob Marley.
The film charts his life from his
humble beginnings in a small country village without electricity and hope,
through his rise to fame in Jamaica, to his exile in London, subsequent
return to his Island of birth and eventual death at the age of just 36. Director Kevin Macdonald (STATE OF PLAY, TOUCHING THE VOID) crafted a film that has taken years for it to come to the big screen. Rumor has it that at one point Academy Award winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese was tied to direct the film which proves two things: One that Macdonald had some mighty big shoes to fill and second being that Bob Marley's life was begging to be told. Now this isn't you average, cookie-cutter, VH1's Behind The Music feature. Macdonald digs deep to uncover not only the legacy of Bob Marley, but what kind of person he was. The story is told using
achieve interviews with Marley himself but mostly through interviews
with his friends, family and ex colleagues who are still living. Some
of the interviewees are great characters and speak with wisdom. Others
are hilarious and most have a fantastic Jamaican Patois which is
delightful to listen to. The film also gives some background to
Rastafarianism, and the whole film is backed with over sixty Marley and Bob Marley and the
Wailers songs which start with the song he first recorded aged sixteen
and ends with One Love.
But what I found most exquisite and painful about the film was how Macdonald displayed the final year of Marley's Life. With his cancer diagnosis, travel to Germany for treatment, having going through Chemo sessions which resulted with him becoming bald and losing his trademark dreadlocks, to being hospitalized in Florida, surrounded by his family. This ending comes complete with long lost and never seen photographs and news footage that made this reviewer shed several tears. As mush as we talk about Bob Marley, listen to his music, seeing his face on everything from T-shirts to energy drinks, we often forget that he was a real human being; a man who came from very humble beginnings to become a voice of peace, love, and humanity. This is what I took home with me after the screening.
MARLEY is an extraordinary documentary about an extraordinary man who made a difference in the world. Through his activism, spirit, and of course, his music, Bob Marley will always be talked about, even after his death some 26 years later. His legacy is still remembered, and thank goodness we still have his music to listen to; to inspire us, to challenge us, to remind us that one person can make a difference in this world. Five out of five stars! Highly recommended!!
MARLEY is currently playing in select theaters nationwide, including at the Camera
Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com. The film is also availavbe on Video On Demand. Check your local provider to see if you can view this powerful film in your area.
Hello again everybody! My new Fango Flashback article on director Donald G. Jackson's 1988 cult film HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN for the Fangoria website is now up. So for those who don't know, Fango Flashback articles are about horror and cult films that have been released: synopsis, trivia, release dates, etc. They're fun history lessons for you film buffs. Just click on the link above and have fun reading it! I'll also be working on several more articles for them so keep your eyes peeled here for more!
_poster.jpg)
