Greetings and Salutations from San Francisco! This past Saturday was the Peaches Christ 15th Anniversary screening of the cult classic SHOWGIRLS. And as a special bonus, the historic Castro Theatre was having a special afternoon screening of SHOWGIRLS 2: PENNY'S FROM HEAVEN! So my good friend and fellow movie buff Jennifer and I made our way to the City by the Bay to see this sexy sequel!
The film stars Rena Riffel, who reprises her role of the sweet, sexy, and somewhat dim Penny Slot. According to the film's website, Penny leaves Las Vegas to "become the star dancer on a dance television show. With stars in her eyes, she
tries to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but instead
finds danger in a town more wicked than Sin City. Romance then leads her
down a path towards her dream of stardom, fame, and fortune. But danger
lurks at every twist and turn while Penny Slot becomes lured by a
dangerous love triangle full of temptation and seduction. Penny's
longtime fiancé/boyfriend, James "Jimmy" Smith (Glenn Plummer)
warns her that she needs formal technique training if she wants to be
taken seriously as a real dancer, so Penny heeds his advice and sets out
to take ballet classes and practices her pique turns. But, she must pay
the price. And there is a price to pay for success, sacrifices to be
made at every imaginable level, and it all comes down to... How bad do
you want it?"
Rena not only starred in this sequel, but she also wrote, directed, and edited the film! Combining elements and references from the first film, Ed Wood dialogue, Russ Myer-esque sets, and her auteur skillmenship, the film comes off like an existential dream laced with images of betrayal, greed, lust, hope, and G-strings. The film's campiness is off the charts, and Rena knows this full well. She let's it rip with a furry of hilarious one liners used repeatedly, overacting among its performers, and the barely there sets. However there is a charm to the film; a charm that compelled me to stare at the screen during the film's 2 1/2 hour running time.
Rena has said in an interview that the film's budget was about $30,000 and it was filmed in 30 days over a four-month period in In LA in the middle of 2010. With this low budget and inconsistent film schedule, it's a wonder that the film was ever finished. This is a prime example of underground, gorilla filmmaking: doing whatever it takes, never giving up, and going the extra mile to achieve your dream. Dreams are the main theme of the film. Penny's dream is to become the featured dancer, Rena's dream is to make this film. Despite the limited resources, the film's a testament to the director's determination to overcome all obstacles to achieve her vision.
What I loved were the numerous references to the first SHOWGIRLS. From the eating brown rice and vegetables, rubbing Vaseline on Penny's teeth to make her smile (in the first film it's ice cubes on Nomi Malone's nipples), to the hot sex scene in the pool. Only this time it's Penny and the ultra stacked Katya, portrayed by luscious Shelly Michelle. But it's Rena who shows us all that she still has it: from the dance steps to her form fitting outfits, and to be honest, the women looks drop dead gorgeous in her G-strings! I'm sorry for going off on this tangent, but the woman is so damn sexy in the film! And just in case if she is reading this review, I would like to take this moment to pledge my love to you Miss Rene Riffel! You can pour champagne all over me anytime you wish!
In the end SHOWGIRLS 2: PENNY'S FROM HEAVEN is destined to be a cult classic that will be screened at midnight shows for years to come! While Hollywood is cranking out the endless supply of crap, here's a film that doesn't pretend to be something it's not. Instead it entertains you like no other film can. Campy, hilarious, and serious in it's theme of chasing after your dreams, Rena's film is layered with so much more offerings than you typical Hollywood schlockfest. So go check out this flick and don't forget your G-string! Highly recommended!
SHOWGIRLS 2: PENNY'S FROM HEAVEN is available on DVD. To purchase a copy for yourself, along with posters, T-shirts and other memorabilia, visit the film's official website at www.showgirls2movie.com.
So I've been trying to get caught up with what's out in the theaters. Now earlier in the day I saw the powerful indie film BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, then the political comedy THE CAMPAIGN. And so I ended my movie day with the new action/adventure film THE EXPENDABLES 2. Let this be a lesson to myself: I need to quit while I'm ahead.
So here's the film's synopsis that was written by its distributor Lionsgate, "The Expendables team of Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale
Caesar (Terry Crews) along with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Nan Yu) are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists them to take on a
seemingly simple job. When things go wrong, the Expendables are
compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory, where the odds are
stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of
destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an
unexpected threat in the nick of time - five tons of weapons-grade
plutonium, more than enough to change the balance of power in the world.
But that's nothing compared to the justice they serve against the
villainous adversary (Jean-Claude Van Damme) they seek revenge from." Somewhere in this synopsis, Lionsgate forgot to mention that the movie sucked ass. I hate it when Hollywood studios leave that part out.
There is absolutely nothing new in this sequel. It's lame, it's boring, it's the same crap that we saw in the first film! Stuff blows up, guns are shot, big fight scenes, and two dimensional characters portrayed by juiced up actors who are way passed their prime. Sure it was a hoot to see Chuck Norris return to the big screen as the lone wolf Booker, but it was kinda painful to see the very old and haggard Arnold Schwarzenegger
as Trench. In some scenes, it looked like Schwarzenegger was having a heart attack. However, Norris looked great in the film, and didn't show his age at all! Also making a small appearance in the film is BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER alum Charisma Carpenter as Lee Christmas' girlfriend Lacy. Oh how the mighty and popular have fallen.
The film was directed by Simon West, the man responsible for such films as LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER, WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, and THE MECHANIC starring Statham. West has another film coming out in September called STOLEN, starring actor for hire Nicolas Cage. And I bet you that one is going to suck as well.
THE EXPENDABLE 2 is your typical brain dead, shoot 'em up, big explosions, testosterone driven, action flick that will lower your I.Q. The only two good things about the film is the poster and the ending. So let's say we skip seeing this one folks, unless you want to come out of the theater totally brain dead. 1 out of 5 stars!
THE EXPENDABLE 2 is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
With the elections right around the corner, you knew that Hollywood wasn't too far behind with a comedy that pokes fun at politicians, the political system, and big business buying our votes. So to ease your minds, yes Hollywood did release such a film. Starring funnymen Will Farrell and Zach Galifianakis, THE CAMPAIGN pokes fun at all the above and then some.
Farrell plays long-term North Carolina Democratic congressman Cam Brady, who unfortunately commits a major sex scandal before an upcoming election. This leads the corrupt multi-billionaire Motch brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) to search for a new lackey to run against the unchallenged Brady. They find their Republican puppet in the form of naive Marty Huggins (Galifianakis), director of the local Tourism Center. But while Huggins and Brady duke it out for the North Carolina's 14th District seat, they are unaware of the Motch brothers' true objective: to sell Hammond to their Chinese business partner and turn the town into a large series of factories.
The film was directed by Jay Roach, the man responsible for films like MEET THE PARENTS, MEET THE FOCKERS, DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS and the AUSTIN POWERS TRILOGY. But did you know he also direct two very powerful HBO films RECOUNT and GAME CHANGE, detailing the outright real life shenanigans of the 2000 and 2008 Presidential elections? I bet your surprised right now, aren't you? Well, this film is familiar territory for Roach, who shows us that politics and comedy go hand in hand. But he also shows us (or maybe reminds us) that the driving force in the film is the very same force that drives all political campaigns, including the 2012 presidential campaign: Money!
While I can sit here on my high horse and explain to you all the dire significance of the film as it parallels the 2012 presidential race and can be seen and used as a metaphor for the political climate of the 21st century, I think I will skip the college grad speech and tell you, in plain old English, what I thought of the film.
The film is freaking hilarious! Oh, you want me to explain this more thoroughly? Ok, if you say so.
For Cam Brady's persona, Farrell channels George W. Bush's speech, Tom Brady's haircut, and Richard Nixon's corrupt political strategies. Brady will stop at nothing to win the election, even if means airing commercials that accuse Huggins of being part of Al Queda or video tapping him having sex with Huggins' wife Mitzi (the adorable Sarah Baker). Galifianakis's Huggins is part Mister Rogers, part John Holmes' mustache, and part Queer Eye. Both Farrell and Galifianakis have great on screen chemistry and play off of one another with such ease.
The film is filled with political satire, crude and vulgar jokes, dog punching, sex scandals, driving while under the influence of alcohol, political back stabbings, adult language, adult situations, sex, and baby punching! Politics was never this funny! Well, actually it is, but I'll skip the irony part too,
All in all, THE CAMPAIGN is political satire at its finest! It's one of my favorite comedies so far this year! So if this year's political race has got you down and you need a break from all the bantering, then go see this film and enjoy the 90 minutes of hilarity it has to offer you! 4 1/2 out of 5 stars!!
THE CAMPAIGN is currently playing in theaters nationwide, including the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
It has been far too long since I have seen an original film. Usually, you would have to look high and low to find a film that really and truly grabs you right from the start and doesn't let go til the end of the credits. However, this past weekend at the Camera 7 in the Pruneyard Campbell, I saw one of the most intriguing, fascinating, and highly original films I have ever seen! The film I am talking about is BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD.
Directed by Benh Zeitlin and written by Zeitlin and Lucy Alibar from Alibar's one-act play Juicy and Delicious, the film's about a six-year-old girl named Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis), who along with her sick and dying father Wink (Dwight Henry) live in "The Bathtub," a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. But when her father becomes terribly ill, the forces of nature begin to unravel simultaneously. Rising temperatures has caused the polar icecaps to melt, causing the water to rise and threaten to drown her community. It also unleashes an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. Wink tries to teach Hushpuppy everything he knows she can be brave and strong. During this turbulent time, she leaves home to go search for her long, lost mother. But will she make it back home in time to see her father or will the aurochs find her first?
The film is a powerful example of experimental filmmaking while at the same time confronting social, political, and enviormental topics (extreme poverty, alcoholism, global warming, and child
neglect are just the first few overt issues) while anchoring the story with deep emotional connections to our protagonist Hushpuppy. Young Quvenzhane Wallis is just superb in the film, and her performance is so convincing, I wondered, after viewing the movie, how did director Zeitlin explain to her what to do in certain scenes. Because there were some scenes that were just downright emotionally heartbreaking and some dealt with adult situations, such as drinking, swearing, and death. The film is told through Hushpuppy's eyes, which makes the film that more magical and horrifying to watch.
Benh Zeitlin sets the tone of the movie right away, which puzzled me for a bit. Was this a narrative film was this a documentary, chronicling a community that was left to its on demise; a community that was forgotten as well as abandoned. The film is shot in the handheld manner, giving the film that realism feel. It gives this community authenticity even though it's not real at all, but it could very well be. "The Bathtub" is a fictitious island located among the other islands of southern Louisiana, however it is not protected by the New Orleans levee system. The film shows us how they survive, which resembles a lot like a third world country: poverty stricken, living in makeshift homes built out of debris, rubble, and junk, wearing the same clothes day in and day out. While we sympathize with them, we are also drawn to them by their determination to live like there's no tomorrow. While they're physically poor, they are rich in spirit and life.
As stated previously, the film touches on real life topics, but it is also filled with metaphors. The prehistoric aurochs can be seen as metaphors about outside forces: global warming, the impending doom on "The Bathtub" inhabitants, or just life itself spiraling out of control. However you interpret it, Hushpuppy seems to know what it means, which shows us all the power of a child's mind.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is one of the most mesmerizing, striking, and poignant films I have ever seen before! It is a tour de force in both storytelling and filmmaking! You must see this movie with your own eyes! I predict that come Oscar season, look for this film to take home many golden statutes! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is playing in select theaters nationwide, including the Camera Cinemas here in the Bay Area. To view showtimes, visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com.
Hello again everybody! So this past Thursday night, my sister Stephanie, my brother Thomas and his fiancee Sharon and I attended the live RiffTrax broadcast of MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE, one of the WORST movies ever made! So we all couldn't wait to see this show!
So if you don't know what a Rifftrax is, let me give you all a quick definition. Rifftrax "are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett heckling (or riffing) films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000,
a TV show in which Nelson was the head writer, and later the host. The
RiffTrax are sold online and delivered by digital download," according to the website Wikipedia. But all this is just a fancy way of saying, "it's funny as hell!" Now Nelson, Murphy, and Corbett do the occasional live shows from one venue that is broadcast to hundreds of theaters all across the country, courtesy of teaming up with NCM Fathom Events. The closest theater that was participating in the live broadcast was the Century 20 Theaters in Oakridge Mall. So all of us headed over there to catch this awesome cinematic event!
Before the show, the RiffTrax broadcast had some hilarious jokes put up on the screen to get the audience primed and ready. Then at 8pm, the show began! Coming to us live from a theater in Nashville, the night started off with a couple of side-splitting shorts. The first short entitled WELCOME BACK, NORMAN was about a traveling salesman named Norman who flies back to his hometown airport and all the hilarious shenanigans that happens to him and his car. Now what I would like to know is this: exactly what kind of film was this supposed to be anyway? Was it a comedy? A documentary? An educational short about the plight of the American salesman? Whatever the point of making this film was, thanks to the RiffTrax crew, I was laughing hysterically, especially when they popularized Norman's catch phrase of "Ugh!" The whole audience was quoting this throughout the rest of the show!
The second short was an educational short that was just really creepy! AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: CYLINDERS showed the young children of America in the 1970's how much fun it is to make things out of cylinders. Arts and crafts were never this funny, as the guys tore this short a new one!
Newspaper ad for premiere in El Paso. 11/15/66
After the shorts, Mike had to make way for our "sponsor" for this evening's show. He then proceeded to show us an old Sixties commercial of a man
drinking prune juice. Now if that wasn't scary enough, the man had a
SECOND glass of prune juice! Yup, every man, woman, and child squirmed
in their seats during this one!
Then it was time for the main event of the evening! Now the film was featured in the final episode of season four of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) on January 30, 1993 (#424 to be exact) and it immediately became the show's most popular episode! The film was written, directed, produced, and starred Harold P. Warren, who at the time was a Texas fertilizer salesman (which explains way the film sticks like poo)! The films about a vacationing family who get lost and stumble upon a Satanic Inn run by a lackey named Torgo who, "takes care of the place while The Master is away." While watching this, I did have flashback jokes from the old MST3K episode, but it was only fleeting. That night, Nelson, Murphy, and Corbett unveiled an all new riff and jokes that made the audience laugh so hard that I thought I saw people passing out! The jokes were right on, creative, and just flat out hilarious! I think their riff was better than the original! As Mike said, "It's the worst film ever made that's not a TRANSFORMERS movie." Also, during the show's credits, Torgo sings his version of the classic Eagles
song "Take It Easy," with the lyrics telling the film from his point of
view! The video showed clips of the upcoming MANOS sequel!! The film was written, produced, and directed by Rupert Tailbot Munch (who plays Torgo in the sequel) and looks to have some of the cast of the original film to make appearances!
From the workprint discovered in 2011.
Now a quick sidebar for you cinephiles! According to Wikipedia, "In 2011, the original 16mm Ektachrome camera workprint of MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE
was discovered in a collection of 16mm films by Ben Solovey, a Florida
State film school grad. Solovey announced his intention to preserve and
restore MANOS for a High Definition Blu-ray release. The DVD release is a digital copy created from a 35mm print magnified from a 16mm workprint. Solovey financed the restoration via crowd funding website Kickstarter,
raising $48,000 (nearly five times the initial goal). The
restored print will be released on Blu-ray in the fall of 2012." How unbelievable is this bit of news? Yes folks, pretty soon you can watch the worst film ever made in glorious High Definition in the very near future! What a wonderful age we live in!!
Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy, & Michael J. Nelson
This was a great RiffTrax event! I really hope these guys will release this show on Blu-Ray and DVD soon because I want a copy of this so I can watch it over and over
again just like my MST3K DVD!! Now for all you folks out there who missed out on all this laughter, don't worry because you'll be getting a second chance to see these guys again real soon! On October 25, 2012, there will be another RiffTrax live event, and this time they will be riffing on the modern cult classic BIRDEMIC, which was filmed in Sunnyvale, the next city over from San Jose! And just in case you have never seen this film....well.....let's just say that you have never experienced pain like this before! If you thought MANOS was bad, what until you see this cinematic piece of crap! So mark this date on your calender and be sure to check out RiffTrax Live!!
To purchase RiffTrax downloads of audio commentaries, DVDs, and Blu-Rays, visit their website at www.rifftrax.com. To learn more about Mystery Science Theater 3000, visit their website at www.mst3k.com. To learn about upcoming Fathom Events coming to your town, visit their website at www.fathomevents.com.
Now I am a big time supporter of anything that's local, especially if it has to do with movies! There is so much film activity in my community that one has to wonder just how much is going on here? Well let me give you some examples: there's the great silent film shows at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, the indie film co-op group Scary Cow Productions, horror hostess Miss Misery and her Movie Massacre show. And then there's the new kids on the block: Box O' Markers (B.O.M.) Productions, who with their new zombie webseries AMERICAN ZOMBIES are putting their stamp on a classic horror sub-genre while simultaneously helping to put the Bay Area on the map for horror filmmaking.
According to their Facebook page, B.O.M. are a, "group of bay area filmmakers collaborating on a genre web series. We
plan to explore a new genre every season. We collaborated and sought out to
create a genre web series where they can tap into a new genre every
season." For this season, they have a chosen a horror series!
So far this season, their series AMERICAN ZOMBIES has been nothing short of excellent. Written and directed by Roun Tamaki, the series has thus far contained some great acting, tight directing and editing, fantastic cinematography, and gratuitous amounts of blood, gore, and zombies to satisfy any horrorhound's bloodlust! B.O.M. plans on releasing a new episode every two weeks. Three episodes have been released so far on their Youtube channel, and they have just wrapped the fifth and final episode this past week.
AMERICAN ZOMBIES is a perfect example of grassroots, local independent filmmaking at its finest! For this group of filmmakers who, "met in a film class at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA.," the sky's the limit for them. Whatever genre they tackle next, it will be exciting to see and I for one cannot wait to see what they do next season! Highly recommended!!
AMERICAN ZOMBIES can be viewed on the B.O.M. Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/user/BoxOMarkers. You can also check their official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/B.O.M.Productions and make sure you "like" them while you're there! Now go out there and SUPPORT LOCAL FILMMAKING!!
Hello again and welcome to the return of Phil Goes Bollywood! Now it has been a very long time since I've traveled to India via the amazing and astonishing Bollywood films that it exports! So for tonight I watched India's latest release: the action drama film AGNEEPATH.
The film's about a young man named Vijay Chauhan (Hrithik Roshan), who's father was lynched before his eyes by the evil and sadistic Kaancha (Sanjay Dutt) fifteen years ago. He returns home to his small Indian village of Mandwa with a single goal of avenging his father's death.
The film is a retelling of the 1990 film of the same name and was directed by producer Hiroo Yash Johar's former assistant Karan Malhotra. Here, Malhotra does a superb job of showcasing his skills as a director; capturing in your face action sequences juxtaposed to raw, emotionally charges scenes of love, sorrow, and death. The script was written by Malhotra and his partner Ila Dutta Bedi, both whom weave a complex tale of revenge with such strong layering, tight storytelling, and interesting characters. Speaking of which...
Roshan (DHOMM 2) gives a great performance of the vengeance driven Vijay, who's character is very complex. One side is determined to do whatever it takes to avenge his father's death, even if it means he has to kill anyone who stands in his path. The other is very giving and caring, loves his mother and sister, and who's heart is captured by the love of his life Kaali, portrayed by the stunning Priyanka Chopra (RA.ONE). She is the Ying to Vijay's Yang; she is the light that brightens his darkened world. However, no one is as dark (and as evil) as the sadistic Kaancha. Dutt's performance is just out of this world. His Kaancha will make the hairs on your neck stand up! To be quite honest, he could give Bane from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES a run for his money in the twisted evil villain category. Just an outstanding performance by Dutt!
Since I've never seen the original version of AGNEEPATH, I cannot comment as to how this remakes compares or hold up to its predecessor. However, I think it would be unjust and unfair to compare the two. Both films represent a different point in history, and captures and reflects the Indian culture at that particular moment in time. 2012 is a lot different than 1990, but it's interesting to see how Indian films have evolved since then.
AGNEEPATH is a powerful, bloody, violent, brutal, and brilliant piece of Indian cinema! When you watch this film, ask yourself this one question: how far would you go to avenge the death of someone you love? This is one movie that you defiantly should see! Stop reading this and go see it now! Five out of five stars! Highly recommended!!
AGNEEPATH is still playing at select theaters, but the film was just recently released onto DVD. To purchase a copy, visit the Amazon website or the Dharama Productions website at www.dharma-production.com.
