The 14th Annual SF IndieFest runs February 9th-23rd at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. Check out the official site for further film details.

A man named Gerhard writes and narrates his instructions to a prostitute as to how he wants their time together to go. “Your caresses should be tender and shy,” he says. “I want you to put it in your mouth. It won’t take long.” His preferences continue including how she can yell at him or fall asleep beside him as long as she showers afterwards, sits in his lap soaking wet and lets him call her Lydia.

Gerhard returning home to his wife where the two await the arrival of their adult son and daughter. Their son, Bernhard, discovers the note beforehand and doesn’t show.

But their daughter Lydia does.

“I should have known.”

Bernhard (Christoph Luser) had followed his father (Fritz Hörtenhuber) to the prostitute and afterwards retrieved the letter from her. He’s taken aback, understandably, but doesn’t quite know what to do. When he finally arrives home to attend a family session for Gerhard’s alcoholism he presents the note to his dad for an explanation. Gerhard leaves, saying nothing with his voice but everything with his eyes, and the letter gets shared with Lydia (Daniela Golpashin) and their mother.

What follows are the multiple threads of the four family members over the next twenty four hours as they each struggle to understand the revelation. While Gerhard ponders turning himself in or picking up a shotgun his wife gives in to a shocked resignation and acceptance. Bernhard meanwhile tries to make amends with Lydia over the guilt he feels for not recognizing their reality sooner. They find a tin of photos in their dad’s shed, and it’s filled with pictures of her as a child in random states of undress.

Bernhard found it the first time when he was just a boy, but in a misguided and heartbreaking act of jealousy did nothing about it. He was jealous because he had been cut out of the photos. (Shades of Todd Solondz’ soul crushing but hilarious Happiness there.) Now he wonders if he could have prevented possible tragedies if he had spoken earlier.

The revelation at the core of Still Life (aka Stillleben) is almost unimaginable, and it would be easy to take the story down some melodramatic paths. Co-writer/director Sebastian Meise wisely and beautifully avoids that trap though and relies on his actors to deliver the story with honest humanity. How would you possibly deal with the discovery that your father harbored sexual thoughts and desires for one of your siblings? Or for you? It’s almost impossible to comprehend, but the cast makes it a wrenching reality.

Much of the communication between them (and with viewers) is accomplished with little to no dialogue. Anger, fear, sadness and more emanate from their eyes as if mere words could never do justice to the emotions they’re feeling. Hörtenhuber in particular moves between guilt, shame and loss without saying a word, and the effect is an all encompassing sadness.

The topic is one that could have easily descended into a salacious movie of the week, but it deserves and receives a far more sober and affecting approach here.

Still Life screens Thursday 2/16 at 930pm.

The 14th Annual SF IndieFest runs February 9th-23rd at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. Check out the official site for further film details.

The 14th Annual SF IndieFest runs February 9th-23rd at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. Check out the official site for further film details.

Two Russian ghosts, brothers tired of a life that is really no life at all, decide a change of corporeality is in order. After consulting with an oracle they begin to follow the Way of Saint James, a path that should lead them to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. Once there their bland, boring and restless existence will be exchanged for new physical bodies. The journey will be made mostly by foot, but occasionally they’ll take advantage of a horse and a wheelchair as they travel through inhospitable lands filled with odd characters and creatures.

That summation is accurate in its details, but it’s a lie in one very specific regard. Ghosts seeking to leave the afterlife, a surreal quest for humanity, and an absurd collection of oddities along the way seem to promise an interesting and engaging entertainment. Sadly, Finnisterrae is neither of those things.

“Wait.”

Writer/director Sergio Caballero certainly fills his film with alternately beautiful, fun and enticing visuals starting with the ghosts themselves. The phantom duo are represented by men wearing white sheets with large, black ovals where their eyes would be. It’s immediately comical and enhanced by the thick Russian voices emanating from beneath the fabric, but it’s far from the film’s only absurdity.

The live horse is intermittently replaced with an intentionally fake one. They pass through a “Forest of Words” where the trees all sport a pair of human ears, the better to hear the constant chatter echoing amidst the foliage presumably. An opera-singing, hippie chick replete with a cape and extraneous dunlap offers directions and ill-advised barter to the two spirits. Another tree’s knothole offers a disgusting video-feed within.

And let’s not forget the stripper ghost in knee-high socks who entertains one of the brothers in split screen while the other sits unattended and under the weather on the other side. Seriously, don’t forget the stripper because she’s the film’s biggest highlight.

Some of the ideas and images would kill in a sketch show where they’d be focused and pointed, but here they seem to exist as throwaways or parts of a whole that never coalesces. Life, death and the meaning behind our time on earth are clearly the topics of the day, but any observations made about them feel so slight as to be accidental.

The film also drops the ball at a couple moments that promise to offer some kind of engagement. We’re led to an exchange or interaction only to see the screen go black with an interstitial that tells viewers what happened… but we don’t get to see it. It’s unclear if it’s a narrative or budgetary decision, but it lessens the effect regardless.

The film doesn’t really work as anything more than a collection of individual moments and frames, but with a running time under eighty minutes that could have still counted as a minor success. A film can miss the mark on the whole but succeed on a piecemeal basis, but unfortunately these handful of interesting ideas appear so intermittently that they’re swallowed up by the film’s  ponderous pace never to be recalled. Except for the stripper in the bed sheet of course. You’ll remember that one.

Finisterrae screens Sunday 2/12 at 930pm.

The 14th Annual SF IndieFest runs February 9th-23rd at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. Check out the official site for further film details.

The average movie run time is somewhere around the ninety minute mark. (I have no stats to back that statement up, but it feels about right.) There are several reasons for this, but the two most common probably have as much to do with the short attention span of audiences as it does the desire of studios and theaters to fit more screenings in per day. To those I would add that most movies don’t need more than two hours to tell their story.

But some do. Think Schindler’s List, The Godfather Part II, and JFK. These are big movies telling big stories, and they show that sometimes a film needs a longer canvas.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia is not one of those films. Which is unfortunate, because in every regard other than time management this is a fairly fascinating and engaging character drama.

“There’s good people and bad. You can never tell. If it comes to it, you have to be ruthless. And shoot them right between the eyes.”

Three cars make their way slowly across a vast and hilly plain at dusk. They come to a rest and several men exit and gather nearby. Two of them are in handcuffs, suspects in a murder, while the rest are on-hand to ensure the victim’s corpse is recovered and justice is served.

Or are they?

Several of policemen, soldiers and laymen seem utterly disinterested in the matter at hand. Geography, gossip and the number of times their fellow officers take a pee break seem to be more important than the murder suspect crammed into the seat between them. The prosecutor and doctor repeatedly return to a conversation about a woman who may or may not have killed herself while others get into a heated argument about buffalo yogurt.

That’s not to say there aren’t bigger questions to be found. The confessed murderer, Kenan (Firat Tanis), is mostly silent as he tries and fails to lead them to the body. Presumably it’s because the hills, trees, and small fountains look too similar in the dark, but could there be another reason he can’t quite find the right spot? Why is no one concerned when a second man confesses? What’s up with the dead man enjoying the cup of tea?

But as the evening sets in and makes its long trek toward morning it becomes clear the characters’ interest in the mundane is matched by the entirety of writer/director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s film. Larger issues both practical and philosophical are teased sporadically throughout, but the overriding concern remains the smaller stories between characters. Those larger concerns are left to linger, and instead we see the inherent good and bad in how these people treat, judge and interact with their friends and neighbors. The developing discussion between Nusret (Taner Birsel) the prosecutor and Dr. Cemal (Muhammet Uzuner) about the woman actually becomes the most telling and engaging thread across the more than two and a half hour running time.

That damn two and a half hour running time.

The film’s length seems to exist in directly inverse proportion to the size of the stories being told. We see the relationships between characters, including the distinctions  that exist due to their individual cultures and daily lives, and learn what makes many of them tick. But these small discoveries are spread across a seemingly endless chronological landscape. Ceylan never moves his camera at a speed faster than snail, and we’re treated to long, static shots with little in the way of relevant action.

Granted, the film looks beautiful even as it threatens to eat up the next three days of your life. The opening hour takes place almost exclusively at night and sees many of its scenes lit solely with automobile headlights, but they look stunning. Some scenes take on a dreamlike quality as well including one where the group is welcomed into a home to rest and are served tea by an ethereally attractive and silent woman.

Ceylan’s film is telling of the society and people that make up the mostly rural Turkish region, and his characters are an intriguing blend of personalities. The ways in which they interact with each other and with the more mundane aspects of a bureaucracy are revealing, and even at over 150 minutes they never bore. Just imagine if they didn’t have to share the screen with an extra hour of filler…

The Upside: Beautiful nighttime cinematography; enough intriguing scenes and exchanges to fill a 90 minute movie

The Downside: Overly long for the tale(s) being told

On the Side: One of the plot keywords IMDB uses for this film is “Dead body in a car trunk.” There are 26 other films that also use it.

If Hollywood has taught us anything about the CIA it’s that those bastards really can’t be trusted. The exception to the rule is that the lower the character is on the agency’s totem pole the more honorable and good they’ll most likely be. They’re naive idealists who have yet to be molded by the big, bad world into heartless, morally bankrupt pricks motivated by warped patriotism and self interest.

Which brings us to Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), a low level agent stationed at the same, boring post for the last twelve months. He’s a “housekeeper” at a safe house in Cape Town, South Africa, and every day he waits for a coded call alerting him to the imminent arrival of an incoming “guest.” The call finally comes when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) mysteriously turns himself into the local US embassy after a decade on the run as an ex-agent turned traitor and killer. He’s moved to the safe house and immediately interrogated via water-boarding and harsh language.

But when the inaccurately named safe house is attacked by a gaggle of heavily armed men Weston finds himself tasked with his guest’s safety and on the run from killers both foreign and domestic. The result is a film that offers no surprises in its story or character arcs but still manages to thrill with some stellar action sequences and two talented and charismatic leads. (That’s right. Two.)

“I like this, you and me figuring shit out. Like the Hardy Boys.”

Safe House introduces its two main characters nicely and offers a glimpse into their respective worlds before they collide, but it’s from that point forward that David Guggenheim‘s script loses much of its luster. Weston’s driven to prove himself to superiors who doubt he can handle the situation, but what are the odds he’ll succeed? Frost is trying to escape his captor and pursuers, but is he really as bad as we’ve been led to believe? And who is the real traitor(s) at the CIA? If you still don’t know more than ten minutes after Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga, and Sam Shepard appear onscreen then you really need to watch more movies.

It would be worse if the story and twists were dumb and insulting, but that’s not the case here as instead they’re simply uninspired and unsurprising. There’s no effort story-wise to stand out in the genre or offer anything beyond the predictable.

Thankfully, the film has two other elements at play to make up for that lack of creativity. One is a pair of very likeable lead actors. The other is an absolutely thrilling action aesthetic.

Reynolds has found himself in a bit of a slump in recent years and unable to lock onto a role that takes advantage of both his physicality (those abs!) and comedic abilities. Most of his more memorable performances have come in smaller films like Adventureland and The Nines while attempts at action-oriented spectacle (like Green Lantern and Wolverine) have fallen flat. He proves here though that he can handle a sympathetic performance that delivers in brief dramatic scenes and humorous exchanges with Washington while at the same time being a very believable action hero.

Washington (aka “the black Dorian Gray”) meanwhile plays a role that he can almost sleepwalk through at this point. The wise, weathered, and occasionally wicked old pro who’s misunderstood and/or under-estimated by those around him…this is Washington’s most frequently visited wheelhouse. But even if the character doesn’t feel fresh the actor still shines. He can play tired and beaten down, but when he comes to life the screen can’t help but respond in kind.

While the story and character beats are lifeless and dull the action ones are frequent and pretty damn memorable. From a gunfight and car chase near the beginning to some fairly brutal hand to hand combat later on the action scenes are impressive things of beauty. Fair warning though, much of the film is shot in the Bourne or Tony Scott styles meaning lots of cuts and a good amount of shaky cam. With the exception of one early fight I found all of it to be exciting and easy to follow. The film is definitely high energy, and the down-times rarely last long before the next bullet or body is sent flying.

This is director Daniel Espinosa‘s Hollywood debut after catching international attention with his Swedish hit Snabba Cash (aka Easy Money) two years ago. Too often a hotshot director from foreign lands is wooed to America only to completely lose themselves within the Hollywood factory. Think Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (who went from The Lives of Others to The Tourist), Jean-Pierre Jeunet (from The City of Lost Children to Alien Resurrection), or Oliver Hirschbiegel (from Downfall to The Invasion). Happily for both Espinosa and audiences, he’s avoided a similar fate and has instead delivered a fun and energetic thriller.

Safe House never even tries to surprise or outwit the audience and instead offers up the exact revelations and outcomes they expect. That would be enough to sink most films, but Espinosa’s eye for action and the personalities and presence of his two leads overcome the script’s deficiencies handily. We know exactly how things are going to end, but the joy (and some seriously cool action) is in the journey.

The Upside: Washington and Reynolds are charismatic and have great chemistry together; some spectacular action scenes including a car chase, gun fights and brawls; French girlfriend is quite pleasing to the eye.

The Downside: Just about every story and character beat is predictable and obvious; one very smart and capable character makes one ridiculously stupid move.

On the Side: Say what you will about Ryan Reynolds, but the list of actors reportedly considered for the role proves it could have been far worse…think Sam Worthington, Shia LaBeouf, James McAvoy, Taylor Kitsch, Garrett Hedlund, Zac Efron, Channing Tatum, or Jake Gyllenhaal.

Welcome back to This Week in DVD! Some great, good and sadly deficient releases await you including The Sunset Limited, Knuckle, season two of Rocko’s Modern Life, the second to last Twilight film and more!

As always, if you see something you like, click on the image to buy it.

Project NIM

In the early 1970s a douchey professor at Columbia University set out on an experiment involving cross species communication by taking a young chimpanzee from its mother shortly after birth and placing it with a human family to be raised as one of their children. This documentary from director James Marsh is ostensibly about that chimp named Nim, but the people who pass in and out of his life are just as much the subjects here. Their motivations, actions and attitudes offer a smorgasbord of typical human behaviors that none of us should be proud of regardless of where you land on the issue of animal ethics, and the result is an oddly fascinating glimpse at the human psyche as interpreted by our closest living relative.

Rocko’s Modern Life: Season Two

Pitch: “I’m nauseous. I’m nauseous…”

Why Buy? Rocko is a wallaby with a handful of friends, a loyal dog and a proclivity for wacky adventures. This mid-nineties series from Nickelodeon’s heyday is a mix of crude and stylish animation that brings to life some truly hilarious and witty dialogue and happenings. This is one of those rare kids shows that offers just as much laughter and joy for adults, and it should come as no surprise that two of the main writers went on to create the equally awesome Phineas and Ferb for Disney. And am I the only one who thinks of Shout! Factory as the Criterion Collection for people who like fun? They continue to impress with their ability to pluck otherwise unavailable classics from the past and return them to life on DVD.

The Sunset Limited

Pitch: “Who would want this nightmare but for fear of the next…”

Why Buy? Samuel L Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones give brilliantly nuanced and heartfelt performances in what is essentially one ninety-minute conversation (and battle of wills) about whether or not life is something worth living. It’s been a while since I’ve truly enjoyed either actor in a movie, but this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s play has renewed both of them in my eyes. No matter your opinion on faith, god, humanity and mankind the final result will leave you thinking, wondering and admiring these two actors at the top of their game. And thanks to dialogue snippets like “the lingering scent of divinity” it may also be my favorite of McCarthy’s works too.

3

Pitch: “Who ordered the German threesome?” – overheard during Cole Abaius’ trip to Berlinale…

Why Rent? A couple find themselves in the doldrums of their relationship and both begin affairs, but unbeknownst to anyone involved both of them are sleeping with the same man. Tom Tykwer’s latest film is an interesting, humorous, and often sad drama about love lost and found, life and death, and what it means to be whole both inside and out. The topic and presentation are both of a very adult nature as the sex is frequent and fairly explicit, but the core lessons here are universal in regard to how we relate to each other. The second act has a bit of a slowdown, but the film overall is a refreshing and engaging look at modern love.

5 Star Day

Pitch: “Convincing chemistry between its attractive leads and fine thesping” – Variety…

Why Rent? A college student (Cam Gigandet) loses his job, girlfriend and apartment on his birthday and decides to test the theory of astrology by finding and interviewing the three people born at the exact same time and place as he was. Life lessons galore ensue! This really should have been a terrible movie. That plot, the lead actor and that terrible DVD cover art made me predict that all signs pointed to crap. And yet, the story surprises by never quite going where you expect. And Gigandet doesn’t necessarily display “fine thesping” but he’s surprisingly charming and subdued.

Knuckle

Pitch: Makes up for TLC’s obnoxious My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding show…

Why Rent? Ian Palmer didn’t plan on spending more than a decade documenting the ongoing feud between two rival families of Irish “travelers” but that’s exactly what ended up happening. This documentary follows various family members through the years as the meet, brawl and move on to nurse their wounds and pride. Or in some cases ice their bloody and raw knuckles. These aren’t the kind of people you really find yourself drawn to, but they’re an engaging and charismatic lot all the same. What drives real people to basically become living, breathing Hatfield & McCoys? Not even they know apparently.

The Phantom of the Opera At the Royal Albert Hall

Pitch: Anyone else remember Phantom of the Mall? No? Just me? Okay, moving on…

Why Rent? Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most famous (arguably) stage production received a special 25th anniversary presentation at London’s Royal Albert Hall, but in honor of the occasion producer Cameron Mackintosh made a few tweaks. I’m not a big musical fan, but this is easily one of my three favorites (along with Wicked and Les Miserables), and while watching a disc cannot really compare to the live experience this is still a sumptuously beautiful production. Crank the volume up andyou can’t help but get swept into the emotion of the story and songs. Yes, I’m serious.

The Rebound

Pitch: It’s Michael Douglas’ wife and the fourth guy from The Hangover movies! You should give it a chance anyway…

Why Rent? A middle aged woman (Catherine Zeta-Jones) leaves her cheating husband and moves to the big city where she discovers self worth and a nice guy almost half her age (Justin Bartha). As middling romantic comedies go this one is not too shabby. Glowing endorsement! Zeta-Jones and Bartha do good, relaxed work here and manage solid charisma and chemistry. They both manage to earn some laughs too with their delivery of writer/director Bart FreundLich’s script. Recommended for fans of either actor or the thrill of decent direct to DVD releases.

Yakuza Weapon

Pitch: The most powerful and visually appealing weapon in the movie is a very sexy, naked and comatose Japanese woman…

Why Rent? The son of a Yakuza boss returns home to claim his seat at the head of the crime family, but not everyone welcomes him back. From my full review: “It’s not quite interested enough to seriously dissect the manly action hero dynamic, but it pokes more than a few jabs at it including the ex-girlfriend character, Nayoko, who throws a boat at him out of feminine rage. Yes, a boat. She’s the only one able to beat his ass, which makes it a romantic gesture when Shozo has to save her from the bad guy who kidnaps her, dresses her up like schoolgirl, and then threatens her with a motorized dildo. So if nothing else I’ve described has quite sold you on the movie…”

Stormhouse

Pitch: More of a light sprinkle really…

Why Avoid? A female ghost mumblerer heads to a military base to study the supernatural entity they have incarcerated there. Surprise! It gets out. The idea here is pretty sound, but the execution is frustratingly bad. I realize there’s a global recession going on, but if you’re going to maintain a base containing a dangerous creature you might want to turn on some goddamn lights. Not only is the incessant darkness dangerous to your soldiers, but it’s also a bland and annoying watch for viewers. Of course, the creature effects consisting of lights and sound effects don’t help either. Not scary, not interesting, and not worth your time. Skip it and watch Storm Warning instead.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

Pitch: Cruel of me to tease you with this I know. It doesn’t actually release until Friday night at midnight…

Why Avoid? The penultimate film in the Twilight Saga sees the pale Edward (Robert Pattinson) and the weak-willed Bella (Kristen Stewart) wed, screw and welcome their toothy spawn into the world. There’s also a puppy dog following them around. It may be difficult to tell, but I’m no fan of the Twilight series. Even if it wasn’t insulting to girls, which it is at every opportunity, the story alternates between two modes… boring and stupid. The teen angst is overly melodramatic, the lessons and morality are ignorant, and the action is dull. And good god how does a billion dollar franchise end up with such amateur-looking CGI effects? Skip it and watch Breaking Away instead.

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas

Pitch: It’s a sad state of affairs when not even a shower scene with hot, naked nuns can make a movie worth recommending…

Why Avoid? The third (and probably final) film in the Harold & Kumar franchise sees the two best friends as virtual strangers. Harold has grown up and become an adult while Kumar is still an immature and unfunny asshole. Then stuff happens and they reunite. I’m a fan of the first two movies, but aside from the nude nun-filled shower scene and Neil Patrick Harris this one is mostly a laugh and thrill free dud. Sadly, even Harris’ “character” jumps the shark in a scene where attempts to sexually assault a woman in a fairly rough manner. It crosses a line from funny to simply crude, and that pretty much sums up the film as a whole. Skip it and watch one of the first two instead.

Also out this week, but I haven’t seen the movie/TV show and review material was unavailable:

Anonymous
Fireflies In the Garden
Machete Joe
Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury
The Reunion
Supershark

Read More: This Week in DVD

What are you buying on DVD this week?

The new trailer for Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man reboot has just hit the web… and it doesn’t look bad at all! The film stars Andrew Garfield as the titular and angst-filled hero and Emma Stone as the love interest alongside Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary, Rhys Ifans, C. Thomas Howell and Campbell Scott (and yes, probably Stan Lee). It claims to tell the “untold story” but appears to be an origin tale, so who knows what Webb and friends have up their sleeve. (Beside the web shooter I mean.)

Check out the new trailer below.

This time out Sony is revealing quite a bit more of the action, and it’s looking pretty good. The CGI still has a cartoony or glossy look about it, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. The color palette maybe? It doesn’t look bad by any means. We also get a glimpse of Spidey’s villains including Ifans as The Lizard and Leary as Girlfriend’s Dad. Both appear to be formidable foes.

It’s hard to gauge how the 3D will play solely by this trailer… so I won’t attempt a guess. I’m usually pretty indifferent to the technology anyway.

The Amazing Spider-Man opens July 3rd.

Director Peter Berg is making his bid for A-level status (box office-wise) this summer with an adaptation of the Hasbro game Battleship. That, by the way, is a complete misuse of the term ‘adaptation’ seeing as the game has zero story elements to adapt. Maybe if the movie featured naval combatants going head to head and controlled by unseen forces? Or if the aliens were manipulating ships to fight each other? I don’t know, I’m just spit-balling here, but you can see how difficult it would be to make a good movie from the game.

So why do it?

Obviously Universal is hoping to find the same success with Hasbro that Paramount has with their Transformers movies, but it’s still so nonsensical. The Battleship name offers no recognizable pull for audiences. These aren’t fighting robots that viewers have seen in action previously on TV or via toys in their hands…this is a board game with no moving pieces. The film could exist exactly as is under a different name and would end up with the exact same box office results.

Check out the new ad below.

Berg has made some good films (The Rundown, Friday Night Lights) and one great one (The Kingdom), but my expectations are still pretty low for his latest. Part of it stems from the sheer stupidity of linking this (or any movie) to a game like Battleship.

But my biggest issue here is the film’s obvious attempt to emulate Bay’s Transformers movies. The giant, bladed balls of metallic mayhem? The modulated robotic sounds? The vapid-looking cast of people erroneously referred to as “actors”?

And if the “battle for Earth begins at sea” why does more than half of the ad’s action take place on land? Did they just spoil the fact that the aliens defeat the Navy and move their forces inland? Or is the marketing department just phoning it in…

Battleship opens May 18th.

I tease, of course. The Avengers is almost guaranteed to be a gigantic hit this summer and probably one of the year’s highest grossers. The film has a built-in audience by virtue of its characters, history and the intentionally structured universe that Marvel has created with the earlier films.

It’s going to be huge thanks to the presence of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo/CGI) and others. And it’s going to be fun thanks to Joss Whedon in the director’s chair.

But will it be any good? All signs point to yes, and that’s including the new TV spot below.

We have a Hulk indeed.

Most of this ad consists of footage we’ve already seen, but there are a couple new and notable highlights. The Hulk bitch-slapping a flying vehicle out of the sky is cool, but for me the money shot is the verbal face-off that preceded it. Tony Stark versus Loki? Love it.

We expect the action and effects to entertain, but I’m hoping that Whedon and friends take this opportunity to also feature lots of character interactions. These are some fun personalities, and it’s good to let them breathe a bit before tossing them into battle.

The Avengers opens May 4th.

Found footage films are often called (by me at least) the new 3D for a few reasons. They’re clearly enjoying a surge similar to the one enjoyed by 3D films for the past couple years. They’re cropping up in a handful of different genres. They’re almost never an integral or relevant element of the film’s narrative.

And most filmmakers who employ the technique have no goddamn clue how to make it work.

Which brings us to the fun albeit cliched and otherwise entertaining Chronicle.

“The camera needs to stay on for our investigation.”

Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is somewhat of an outcast at school, but the bullying and harassment is still a welcome relief from the abusive father and mother on her cancerous deathbed at home. His cousin, Matt (Alex Russell), is one of the few bright spots as he makes an effort to hang out with Andrew and help him assimilate into high school. Both of them rank far down on the pecking order though when compared with Steve (Michael B. Jordan) who just may be the most popular kid in school. The three of them bond one drunken and curious night when they discover a cave in the woods with a mysterious object inside. Lights, sparks and general confusion give way to the three teens discovering some startling new abilities.

They can manipulate physical objects with their mind. In short, their telekinesis eventually leads to being able to lift, throw and crush items as big as a car. And once they discover that their own bodies are simply objects they begin to master the art of flight as well. But with great power comes, well, you know, and a reflexive act of aggression by Andrew leads to the boys setting ground rules. Don’t use the powers in public, don’t use them on living creatures and don’t use them when you’re angry.

It doesn’t take someone who’s actually seen the movie to see what’s coming next, and soon Andrew’s sadness and rage mix to volatile and deadly effect.

Chronicle is essentially a Carrie-inspired, teenage riff on M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable complete with high school dramas and a catering toward shorter attention spans. We’re witness to an origin story of both hero and potential villain and an ideological clash of comic book proportions.

The first two thirds feature a surprising amount of character work, and even if the results are predictable and lacking in any degree of originality the effort is still a pleasant surprise. The three leads all do well in their roles and show real personality in scenes both comedic and dramatic even if their characters don’t always act the way you’d expect. I can buy that none of them rush out and start saving lives, but one leaf blower gag aside there aren’t even any Zapped-style moments of bikini tops popping off or cameras floating into the girls’ locker room. That may just be the most unbelievable aspect of the entire film.

There’s a brief scene at a party where the possibility is teased that the story is going to buck cliches with a fresh and bold turn of events, but it’s quickly dropped in favor the obvious. But as unoriginal as the script events are they lead nicely into a third act that entertains and excites with larger scale action, well crafted special effects and a darker edge that’s both welcome and appreciated. At ninety minutes the movie never drags or bores, and once the big battle begins time flies alongside the characters and miscellaneous objects onscreen.

Were this a standard, gimmick-free film the review could essentially end here, but for some reason director Josh Trank and writer Max Landis decided their debut feature should be in the found footage format. Some films manage to make that into a naturally explained positive, with Rec being the finest example. That film featured a news crew filming and lighting the way with a camera, so it made sense as well as heightened several of the film’s scares.

Chronicle‘s use of the format accomplishes nothing aside from annoyance and a very clear disregard for logic. Andrew decides early on to film the events, and the script’s one cool trick is how it gets around the use of his camera through several scenes. But there’s also a girl who exists for no reason aside from having another camera in the mix as she shows up periodically filming everything for no good reason. She even pulls a Cloverfield by occasionally focusing the camera on Matt while helicopters are crashing around them or they’re being thrown through the air. And don’t get me started on the number of times edits are made to the video but the audio stays continuously in sync.

Nitpicking at its execution aside, there’s no real purpose for the found footage angle. Who assembled the footage from all of these disparate sources (including security cameras, cell phones and police car cams) and why? It doesn’t fit the “police evidence” explanation used by the Paranormal Activity films, and it’s not presented as a record compiled by a specific individual. The only purpose it serves is to the title.

It’s a minor shame the film went that route as the characters, narrative and overall execution are all part of an otherwise enjoyable piece of popcorn entertainment. It’s fantastic to see new filmmakers working with a small budget turn out a product that’s as exciting and fun as Chronicle, but I just wish they had resisted the urge to pander to trends. See the movie, shrug off the ill conceived found footage aspect and you’ll have a good time at the movies.

The Upside: Fun and creative effects; third act is exciting and filled with aggressive action.

The Downside: Found footage angle is pointless and at times nonsensical; script is predictable and offers no surprises with its characters; no footage of trio discovering their ability seems odd.

On the Side: Max Landis is currently writing a script based on a book by Max Brooks for a film that will be directed by Jason Reitman and most likely star Colin Hanks. (This is not true, but someone should make it happen.)

Editor’s note: This review was originally published as part of our SXSW 2011 coverage on March 15, 2011. But, just like another stand-out horror flick from that festival (look down!), we’re bumping this baby back up to remind all of you dear readers that the film is finally hitting limited theaters this Friday, February 3.

Some films send their characters to hell and back, but few do so with the genre-bending, mind-fucking intensity of Kill List. Equal parts drama, thriller, and horror, the movie takes both characters and viewers on a hellish descent down the bloody rabbit hole with stops along the way for mystery, murder, and flesh-busting madness.

Jay (Neil Maskell) has been out of work for eight months, and his wife Shel (MyAnna Buring) is not about to let him forget it. They fight constantly about finances pausing periodically to assure their young son that mommy and daddy still love each other before returning to the fray. Jay’s friend Gal (Michael Smiley) comes over for dinner along with his new girlfriend, Fiona (Emma Fryer), and the four spend a raucous night of laughs and alcohol punctuated with an ugly and awkward outburst between the feuding couple.

It should be noted that Jay’s past career was that of a hit-man, and when Gal offers him the opportunity to get back into the game he jumps at the chance. The two of them partner up on an assignment for a mysterious client who slowly doles out their targets one at a time. As the hits progress so does Jay’s increasing blood-lust and desire to inflict pain, and soon the act of killing becomes less of a job and more an act of sadistic righteousness.

Trust me when I say that you have never seen a hammer used as effectively, cruelly, and beautifully as you will here. Seriously, prepare to wince.

Writer/director Ben Wheatley‘s follow-up to his blackly comic and violent debut, Down Terrace, is three films in one. And all three work in perfect unison. What starts as a domestic drama grows into a violent hit-man thriller before finally morphing into…something else. There’s no twist here, but the third act explodes into such pure, unrestrained madness that going into it blind is the preferred method of entry.

There are some laughs to be found between the two friends and a sweetness apparent between Jay and his son, but this is far from lightweight entertainment. Domestic clashes and increasingly messy murders are soon eclipsed by an insane third act that among other delights features a scene in a tunnel that rivals the best horror films for sheer tension and terror.

Wheatley’s script playfully places odd but brief bits throughout the film’s first two acts when everything else is relatively normal. Fiona visits the bathroom during the dinner party, removes a mirror from the wall, and carves a strange symbol onto the back before replacing it. One of targets on Jay’s hit list seems to recognize him with a smile before he’s shot dead while another tells him “thank you” after each bloody blow. Viewers are as in the dark as Jay himself, but the answers are right around the corner. By way of that terrifying tunnel and some freaky woods…

In addition to the darkly intentional script and atmospheric direction the movie’s success is due in large part to the two lead performances. Maskell moves flawlessly from a man forced to endure verbal emasculation by his wife to someone who rediscovers the lost joy of mutilation and torture. (The journey between them isn’t as long of one as you’d think.) He also finds humanity in his character through several scenes with his son. Smiley is also quite good and provides most of the film’s limited humor through his warmth and wit.

Kill List is sure to lose some folks in the ambitious and surprising home stretch, but if you stay with it and place your trust in Wheatley’s blood-stained hands the reward is a twisted ride towards some intense and unsettling entertainment.

The Upside: Fantastic structure; strong performances; script weaves small mysteries throughout first two-thirds before everything goes to hell (in a good way (for the viewers, not the characters)); musical score ratchets up the tension.

The Downside: May be too ambiguous at times for some viewers.

SXSW 2012 is just over five weeks away, and I haven’t bought my plane ticket yet. But I will, especially now that I’ve seen today’s official announcement of the features (narrative and documentary) playing at this year’s fest. FSR will be on the ground in Austin in the form of Kate Erbland, Jack Giroux, Neil Miller, and myself, and we look forward to seeing as many of the films below as our eyeballs can stomach. I know what you’re thinking, but gastronomical biology really does work differently within the confines of Austin.

We’ll offer up some films we’re looking forward to closer to the fest, but it should come as no surprise that some of my most anticipated include The Raid, The Cabin In the Woods, The Hunter, Thale, and the documentary Seeking Asian Female. (Don’t judge.)

Check out the complete (as of now) listing below of the feature films playing at SXSW 2012!

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)

Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim
A young Korean-American girl, abducted and forced into prostitution by domestic human traffickers, joins forces with her captors in a desperate plea to survive. Cast: Jamie Chung, Matt O’Leary, Beau Bridges, Jeanine Monterroza, Scott Mechlowicz (World Premiere)

Gayby
Director/Screenwriter: Jonathan Lisecki
Jenn and Matt, best friends since college who are now in their thirties, decide to have a child together, the old-fashioned way – even though Matt is gay and Jenn is straight. Cast: Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas, Mike Doyle, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Jack Ferver (World Premiere)

Gimme the Loot
Director/Screenwriter: Adam Leon
When Malcolm and Sofia’s latest graffiti masterpiece is buffed by a rival gang, these two determined Bronx teens must hustle, steal, and scheme to get spectacular revenge and become the biggest writers in the City. Cast: Tashiana Washington, Ty Hickson, Meeko, Zoe Lescaze, Sam Soghor (World Premiere)

Los Chidos (Germany / Mexico / USA)
Director/Screenwriter: Omar Rodriguez Lopez
The Gonzales family tries hard to hold on to their beautiful Latino traditions of misogyny and homophobia when a tall, white, industrialist stranger appears, challenging their place in the exploitative food chain. Cast: Kim Stodel, María De Jesús Canales Ramírez, Manuel Ramos, Cecillia Gutiérrez, (World Premiere)

Pilgrim Song
Director: Martha Stephens, Screenwriters: Martha Stephens, Karrie Crouse
A pink-slipped music teacher ponders his stalled relationship and place in the world during an arduous trek across Kentucky’s Sheltowee Trace Trail. Cast: Timothy Morton, Bryan Marshall, Karrie Crouse, Harrison Cole, Michael Abbott Jr. (World Premiere)

Starlet
Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch
The film explores the unlikely friendship between 21-year-old Jane (Dree Hemingway), and 85 year-old Sadie (Besedka Johnson), two women whose worlds collide in California’s San Fernando Valley. Cast: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Stella Maeve, James Ransone, Karren Karagulian (World Premiere)

The Taiwan Oyster
Director: Mark Jarrett, Screenwriters: Mark Jarrett, Jordan Heimer, Mitchell Jarrett
Two Ex-Pat Kindergarten teachers in Taiwan embark on a quixotic odyssey to bury a fellow countryman. Cast: Billy Harvey, Jeff Palmiotti, Leonora Lim (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

Bay of All Saints
Director: Annie Eastman
As the last of the notorious water slums is demolished in Bahia, Brazil, will three single mothers face homelessness or rally for a better life? (World Premiere)

Beware of Mr. Baker
Director: Jay Bulger
Ginger Baker is the original rock ‘n roll madman junkie drummer superstar who everyone thought was dead but somehow survived 50+ years of heroin abuse, disastrous experiments and 5 marriages on 4 continents. (World Premiere)

The Central Park Effect
Director: Jeffrey Kimball
The film reveals the extraordinary array of wild birds who grace Manhattan’s celebrated patch of green, and the equally colorful, full-of-attitude New Yorkers who schedule their lives around the rhythms of migration. (World Premiere)

Jeff
Director: Chris James Thompson
A documentary about the people around Jeffrey Dahmer during the 1991 summer of his arrest for the murder of 17 people in Milwaukee. (World Premiere)

Seeking Asian Female
Director: Debbie Lum
When an American man with “yellow fever” meets a Chinese woman half his age online, documenting their attempt to build a marriage from scratch reveals hilarious and troubling complications for the couple and the filmmaker. (World Premiere)

The Sheik and I
Director: Caveh Zahedi
Commissioned by a Middle Eastern Biennial to make a film on the theme of “art as a subversive act,” independent filmmaker Caveh Zahedi (I am a Sex Addict) is threatened with a fatwa. (World Premiere)

The Source
Directors: Jodi Wille, Maria Demopoulos
The Source Family was a radical experiment in ’70s utopian living. Their popular restaurant, rock band, and beautiful women made them the darlings of Hollywood; but their outsider ideals led to their dramatic undoing. (World Premiere)

Welcome To The Machine
Director: Avi Zev Weider
Upon fathering triplets, filmmaker Avi Zev Weider explores the nature of technology, seeking answers about what it means to be human. (World Premiere)

HEADLINERS

21 Jump Street
Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, Screenplay by: Michael Bacall, Story by: Michael Bacall & Jonah Hill
Police officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) get sent back to high school as undercover cops in the action-comedy 21 Jump Street. Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, with Ice Cube (World Premiere)

BIG EASY EXPRESS
Director: Emmett Malloy
Emmett Malloy’s latest film invites us aboard a train ride unlike any other with Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show. (World Premiere)

The Cabin in the Woods
Director: Drew Goddard, Screenwriters: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard
Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again.  From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes The Cabin in the Woods, a mind-blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out. Cast: Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, Anna Hutchison, Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford (World Premiere)

Decoding Deepak
Director: Gotham Chopra
Filmmaker Gotham Chopra spends a year on the road decoding his father and spiritual icon Deepak Chopra. (World Premiere)

Girls
Director/Screenwriter: Lena Dunham
Created by and starring Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture), the HBO show is a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20s. Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver (World Premiere)

The Hunter (Australia)
Director: Daniel Nettheim, Screenplay by: Alice Addison, Novel by: Julia Leigh, Original Adaptation by: Wain Fimeri
A mercenary is dispatched from Europe to the Tasmanian wilderness by a mysterious biotech company to search for the last surviving Tasmanian tiger. Cast: Willem Dafoe, Frances O’Connor, Sam Neill (U.S. Premiere)

Killer Joe
Director: William Friedkin, Screenwriter: Tracy Letts
A garish, Southwestern tale – a violent black comedy about a desperate Texas debtor (Hirsch) who plots to kill his mother with help of his family (Haden Church, Gershon).  They hire a crazy Dallas cop who moonlights as a contract killer (McConaughey) to do the job, but Killer Joe asks for their teenage daughter (Temple) as a retainer. The film is based on Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts’ (August: Osage County) award winning play. Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Gina Gershon, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church (U.S. Premiere)

MARLEY (UK / USA)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
The definitive life story of Bob Marley – musician, revolutionary, legend – from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, the film features rare footage, incredible performances and revelatory interviews with the people that knew him best. Directed by Academy-Award-Winner Kevin Macdonald. (North American Premiere)

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

The Babymakers
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar, Screenwriters: Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow
Unable to impregnate his wife, Tommy and friends rob a sperm bank – to get Tommy’s long-ago donated sperm back. The crazy plan goes hilariously awry and shows how far a couple will go to create a new life. Cast: Paul Schneider, Olivia Munn, Kevin Heffernan, Wood Harris, Nat Faxon (World Premiere)

Crazy Eyes
Director: Adam Sherman, Screenwriters: Adam Sherman, Dave Reeves & Rachel Hardisty
Just another story about love. Cast: Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima, Jake Busey, Tania Raymonde, Regine Nehy (World Premiere)

Do-Deca-Pentathalon
Director/Screenwriter: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
Two brothers compete in their own private 25-event Olympics. Cast: Mark Kelly, Steve Zissis, Elton LeBlanc (World Premiere)

Fat Kid Rules The World
Director: Matthew Lillard, Screenwriters: Michael M.B. Galvin, Peter Speakman
Troy, a depressed overweight teenager, gets sucked into the punk rock world by Marcus, a charming street musician. But when Troy discovers Marcus’ drug addiction, he suddenly must figure out the true boundaries of friendship. Cast: Jacob Wysocki, Matt O’Leary, Billy Campbell, Lilli Simmons, Dylan Arnold (World Premiere)

frankie go boom
Director/Screenwriter: Jordan Roberts
a flick by bruce about his little brother frank who’s a crybaby fuck who shouldn’t do lame-ass embarrassing shit if he dozn’t want people 2 see it Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Chris O’Dowd, Lizzy Caplan, Ron Perlman, Chris Noth (World Premiere)

Hunky Dory (UK)
Director: Marc Evans, Screenwriter: Laurence Coriat
From the producer of Billy Elliot comes this funny, coming of age film featuring songs from artists such as David Bowie, Lou Reed, The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, Dusty Springfield and Electric Light Orchestra. Cast: Minnie Driver, Aneurin Barnard, Danielle Branch, Robert Pugh, Haydn Gwynne (North American Premiere)

In Our Nature
Director/Screenwriter: Brian Savelson
Taking place over a single weekend, an estranged father and son accidentally end up in the same country house with their two girlfriends. Cast: Zach Gilford, Jena Malone, John Slattery, Gabrielle Union (World Premiere)

Keyhole (Canada)
Director: Guy Maddin, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, George Toles
I’m only a ghost… but a ghost isn’t nothing. Cast: Isabella Rossellini, Jason Patric, Udo Kier, Kevin McDonald, Tattiawna Jones (U.S. Premiere)

See Girl Run
Director/Screenwriter: Nate Meyer
What happens when a 30-something woman allows life’s “what ifs” to overwhelm her appreciation for what life actually is. Disregarding her current obligations, she digs into her romantic past in hopes of invigorating her present. Cast: Robin Tunney, Adam Scott, Jeremy Strong, William Sadler, Josh Hamilton (World Premiere)

Small Apartments
Director: Jonas Åkerlund, Screenwriter: Chris Millis
When Franklin Franklin accidentally kills his landlord, he must hide the body; but, the wisdom of his beloved brother and the quirks of his neighbors, force him on a journey where a fortune awaits him. Cast: Matt Lucas, Billy Crystal, James Caan, Johnny Knoxville, Juno Temple (World Premiere)

Somebody Up There Likes Me
Director/Screenwriter: Bob Byington
Time flies for everyone:  Thirty-five years in the life of Max, his best friend Sal, and a woman they both adore.  A deadpan fable about time sneaking up on and swerving right around us.
Cast: Keith Poulson, Nick Offerman, Jess Weixler, Stephanie Hunt, Kevin Corrigan (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT

$ELLEBRITY
Director: Kevin Mazur
Renowned celebrity photographer, Kevin Mazur, gives us an all access pass to the life behind the velvet rope and in front of the camera.  Candid, revealing and bold interviews with Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lopez, Elton John and more, take us inside the blurred lines of privacy, pliable journalism, celebrity, fame and what it feels like to be consumed. (World Premiere)

America’s Parking Lot
Director: Jonny Mars
Pull up a front row seat as two die-hard fans of ‘America’s Team’ spend their last season with the Dallas Cowboys at historic Texas Stadium, and scramble to preserve their place in America’s Parking Lot. (World Premiere)

The Announcement
Director: Nelson George
On Thursday, November 7, 1991, Earvin “Magic” Johnson made the stunning announcement that he was HIV-positive and would be retiring from basketball immediately. The Announcement gets to the core of Magic’s incredible personal journey. (World Premiere)

Beauty Is Embarrassing
Director: Neil Berkeley
A funny, irreverent and inspirational look into the life and times of one of America’s most important artists, Wayne White. (World Premiere)

Brooklyn Castle
Director: Katie Dellamaggiore
Amidst financial crises and unprecedented public school budget cuts, Brooklyn Castle takes an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs facing members of a junior high school’s champion chess team. (World Premiere)

Code of the West
Director: Rebecca Richman Cohen
Frames a high stakes showdown in the halls of the Montana State Legislature.  The future of medical marijuana is at stake. (World Premiere)

Degenerate Art: The Art and Culture of Glass Pipes.
Director: M. Slinger
A true document of the art and culture of glass pipe-making. It is the first film to ever bring to light this invisible sub-culture in a comprehensive and well-informed format. (World Premiere)

Girl Model
Directors: A. Sabin, David Redmon
Young Russian girls join a modeling agency to seek work in Japan, but get caught up in an unregulated system that reveals an unseemly side of the fashion industry. (U.S. Premiere)

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters
Director: Ben Shapiro
Acclaimed photographer Gregory Crewdson’s 10-year quest to create a series of haunting, surreal, and stunningly elaborate portraits of small-town American life — filmed with unprecedented access as he makes perfect renderings of a disturbing, imperfect world. (World Premiere)

Just Like Being There
Director: Scout Shannon
Through the eyes of Daniel Danger, Jay Ryan, and the gig poster community, Just Like Being There focuses on poster artists, the music they commemorate, MONDO film posters, fans, bloggers, galleries, collectors and everything in between. (World Premiere)

Scarlet Road (Australia)
Director: Catherine Scott
The film follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, Rachel Wotton. Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression and the rights of sex workers, she specializes in a long over-looked clientele – people with disability. (North American Premiere)

Trash Dance
Director: Andrew Garrison
A choreographer finds beauty and grace in garbage trucks, and against the odds, rallies reluctant city trash collectors to perform an extraordinary dance spectacle. On an abandoned airport runway, two dozen sanitation workers — and their trucks — inspire an audience of thousands. (World Premiere)

Waiting For Lightning
Director: Jacob Rosenberg
From the producers of Step into Liquid, comes the story of visionary skateboarder Danny Way, who jumped China’s Great Wall and created a new movement in sport. (World Premiere)

Wikileaks: Secrets & Lies (UK)
Director: Patrick Forbes
The in-depth story of Wikileaks told by all the key players. Sulphurous, personal and moving, it documents history in the making at the lawless frontier of new technology and mainstream media. (North American Premiere)

WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines
Director: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan
This documentary examines the fascinating evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman and introduces audiences to a dynamic group of real life superheroes who continue to fight the good fight both on and off the screen. (World Premiere)

EMERGING VISIONS

Black Pond (UK)
Directors: Tom Kingsley, Will Sharpe, Screenwriter: Will Sharpe
An ordinary family is accused of murder when a stranger dies at their dinner table. Stars BAFTA-winner Chris Langham and British Comedy Award Winner Simon Amstell. Cast: Chris Langham, Simon Amstell, Amanda Hadingue, Colin Hurley, Will Sharpe (North American Premiere)

Dollhouse (Ireland)
Director/Screenwriter: Kirsten Sheridan
Five street teens break into a house in a rich Dublin suburb for a night of partying. But games are twisted into something more emotional and ultimately out of control through a series of surprising revelations. Cast: Seana Kerslake, Johnny Ward, Kate Stanley Brennan, Shane Curry, Ciaran McCabe (North American Premiere)

Eating Alabama
Director: Andrew Beck Grace
A quest to eat locally becomes a meditation on community, the South and sustainability. Eating Alabama is a story about why food matters. (World Premiere)

Electrick Children
Director/Screenwriter: Rebecca Thomas
Rachel, a 15-year-old fundamentalist Mormon, believes she’s had an immaculate conception by listening to rock and roll. She flees to Las Vegas to escape an arranged marriage, seeking answers to her mysterious pregnancy. Cast: Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, Liam Aiken, Billy Zane (North American Premiere)

Extracted
Director/Screenwriter: Nir Paniry
A scientist is trapped in the memories of a criminal and must solve a crime in order to get back home to his family. Cast: Sasha Roiz, Dominic Bogart, Jenny Mollen, Nick Jameson, Brad Culver (World Premiere)

Francine (Canada / USA)
Director/Screenwriter: Brian M. Cassidy, Melanie Shatzky
Academy-Award-winner, Melissa Leo, plays Francine, a woman struggling to find her place in a downtrodden lakeside town after leaving behind a life in prison. Cast: Melissa Leo, Keith Leonard, Victoria Charkut (North American Premiere)

Funeral Kings
Director/Screenwriter: Kevin Mcmanus, Matthew Mcmanus
For three 14-year-old boys at St. Mark’s Middle School, it’s always a good day for a funeral. Cast: Dylan Hartigan, Alex Maizus, Jordan Puzzo, Charles Odei, Kevin Corrigan (World Premiere)

Hard Labor (Brazil)
Director/Screenwriter: Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra
Helena prepares to open her own business: a neighborhood grocery store. She hires a maid. But when her husband Octavio is suddenly fired from his job, Helena is left to support the family alone. Cast: Helena Albergaria, Marat Descartes, Naloana Lima, Marina Flores (U.S. Premiere)

La Camioneta – The Journey of One American School Bus
Director: Mark Kendall
On a 3,000-mile adventure across the borders between the Americas, La Camioneta follows the journey of one out-of-service American school bus as it is repaired, repainted and resurrected into a Guatemalan camioneta. (World Premiere)

The Last Fall
Director/Screenwriter: Matthew A. Cherry
An NFL journeyman struggles to deal with life’s complexities after his professional career is over at age 25. Cast: Lance Gross, Nicole Beharie, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Harry Lennix, Keith David (World Premiere)

Leave Me Like You Found Me
Director/Screenwriter: Adele Romanski
Big trees, broken hearts. The story of a lovesick couple’s breakup & makeup while camping in the wilds of California. Cast: Megan Boone, David Nordstrom (World Premiere)

PAVILION
Director/Screenwriter: Tim Sutton
Max, a quietly troubled 15-year-old, leaves his lakeside town to live with his father on the sun-blasted fringe of suburban Arizona.  What begins in a calm and lush environment ends in a drastic, frayed confusion. Cast: Max Schaffner, Zach Cali, Cody Hamric, Addie Barlett, Aaron Buyea (World Premiere)

Sun Don’t Shine
Director/Screenwriter: Amy Seimetz
Two lovers, on the back roads of Florida, do very bad things. Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Kentucker Audley, AJ Bowen, Kit Gwinn, Mark Reeb (World Premiere)

Sunset Stories
Directors: Silas Howard, Ernesto Foronda, Screenwriter: Valerie Stadler
When May returns to LA and runs smack into JP, the man she left behind, past and present collide sending them on a twenty-four hour journey in search of what they lost. Cast: Monique Curnen, Sung Kang, Joshua Leonard, Mousa Kraish, Michelle Krusiec (World Premiere)

Tchoupitoulas
Director: Bill Ross, Turner Ross
Three young brothers’ immersive journey into the sensory wonders of the New Orleans night. (World Premiere)

Thale (Norway)
Director/Screenwriter: Aleksander L. Nordaas
The film revolves around huldra, a mythical, tailed creature, found by two crime scene cleaners in a concealed cellar.  Someone’s been keeping her down here for decades, for reasons soon to surface. Cast: Silje Reinåmo, Jon Sigve Skard, Erlend Nervold, Morten Andresen (North American Premiere)

Wildness
Director/Screenwriter: Wu Tsang
A magical-realist portrait of the Silver Platter, a historic bar in Los Angeles that provides a safe space for Latin/LGBT immigrant and queer art communities to come together in love and conflict.

WOLF
Director/Screenwriter: Ya’ke Smith
A family is shaken to the core when they discover their son has been molested. As they struggle to deal with the betrayal, their son heads towards a total mental collapse. Cast: Irma P. Hall, Mikala Gibson, Jordan Cooper, Shelton Jolivette, Eugene Lee (World Premiere)

24 BEATS PER SECOND

Amor Cronico (Cuba / USA)
Director: Jorge Perugorria
Weaving footage of singer Cucu Diamantes’ Cuban tour into a fictional love story.  The result is an energetic display of her glamorous and infectious performance style and a fascinating portrait of Cuba today. Cast: Cucu Diamantes, Adela Legra, Liosky Clavero, Andres Levin, Jorge Perugorria (World Premiere)

Bad Brains: Band in DC
Directors: Mandy Stein, Benjamen Logan
How four young men from DC changed music forever. (World Premiere)

Charles Bradley: Soul of America
Director: Poull Brien
The incredible late-in-life rise of 62-year-old aspiring soul singer Charles Bradley, whose debut album rocketed him from a hard life in the projects to Rolling Stone magazine’s top 50 albums of 2011. (World Premiere)

Daylight Savings
Director: Dave Boyle, Screenwriters: Dave Boyle, Michael Lerman, Joel Clark, Goh Nakamura
After a devastating breakup, musician Goh Nakamura hits the road with his irresponsible cousin to pursue a promising rebound with fellow musician Yea-Ming Chen.
Cast: Goh Nakamura, Michael Aki, Yea-Ming Chen, Lynn Chen, Ayako Fujitani (World Premiere)

Grandma Lo-fi: The Basement Tapes of Sigrídur Níelsdóttir (Iceland / Denmark)
Director: Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir
At the tender age of 70 she started making music – and then she couldn’t stop! A tribute to the Danish/Icelandic artist and late bloomer Sigrídur Níelsdóttir.

Paul Williams Still Alive
Director: Stephen Kessler
A documentary filmmaker tracks down actor/singer/songwriter Paul Williams in an attempt to find out what happened to his idol. (U.S. Premiere)

Rock ‘N’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen (UK)
Director: Don Letts
Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Yoko Ono, Alice Cooper, Billie Joe Armstrong and others discuss the incredible life and work of the world’s foremost rock ‘n’ roll photographer, Bob Gruen.
(North American Premiere)

Sunset Strip
Director/Screenwriter: Hans Fjellestad
The 100-year history of the loudest street on the planet, The Sunset Strip. (World Premiere)

Under African Skies
Director: Joe Berlinger
Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he received for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa designed to end the Apartheid regime.

Uprising: Hip Hop & The LA Riots
Director: Mark Ford
20 years after riots ripped through Los Angeles, Uprising documents how hip hop forecasted – and some say ignited – the worst civil unrest of the 20th century. (World Premiere)

SX GLOBAL

BIJUKA (India)
Director: Ashtar Sayed, Screenwriter: Dr. Mahendra Purohit
Inspired by a true event. Scarecrow tells the true story of a young woman who is attempting to escape from an abusive arranged marriage. Cast: Arti Rautela, Amit Purohit (North American Premiere)

Crulic – The Path to Beyond (Romania / Poland)
Director: Anca Damian
The animated documentary feature-length “Crulic – The Path to Beyond” tells the story of the life of Crulic, the 33-year-old Romanian who died in a Polish prison while on hunger strike.

Cubaton – El Medico Story (Estonia / Sweden)
Director: Daniel Fridell
El Medico – a Cuban house doctor who wants to become a cubaton star – is facing a serious choice between serving the state and becoming a popstar. (North American Premiere)

Her Master’s Voice (UK)
Director: Nina Conti
Watching someone talk to themselves has never been so interesting. (World Premiere)

ITALY LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT (Italy / Germany)
Directors: Gustav Hofer, Luca Ragazzi
Gustav and Luca, two Italians, have to decide: Should they stay in Italy, or leave it? (North American Premiere)

Mustafa’s Sweet Dreams (Greece / UK)
Director: Angelos Abazoglou
Mustafa, a 16-year-old pastry shop apprentice dreams of becoming a famous baklava chef in Istanbul. (North American Premiere)

Pompeya (Argentina)
Director: Tamae Garateguy, Screenwriters: Tamae Garateguy, Diego A. Fleischer
When a film director hires two screenwriters to make a gangster movie, a fiction feast starts: femmes fatales, mobs fighting for the same neighborhood and a limitless hero who defies every movie concept. Cast: José Luciano González, Joel Drut, Chang Sung Kim, Vladimir Yuravel, Miguel Forza de Paul (U.S. Premiere)

¡Vivan las Antipodas! (Germany / The Netherlands / Argentina / Chile)
Director: Victor Kossakovsky
Haven’t we all wondered at some point what was happening just at this moment beneath our very feet at the other side of the planet?

FESTIVAL FAVORITES

Beast (Denmark)
Director/Screenwriter: Christoffer Boe
How long will you go, to hold on to the person you love? Cast: Nicolas Bro, Marijana Jankovic, Nikolaj Lie Kaas

The Comedy
Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Robert Donne, Colm O’Leary
Indifferent even to the prospects of inheriting his father’s estate, Swanson (Tim Heidecker), a desensitized, aging Brooklyn hipster, strays into a series of reckless situations that may offer the promise of redemption or the threat of retribution. Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, James Murphy, Kate Lyn-Sheil, Alexia Rassmusen

Dreams of a Life (UK / Ireland)
Director: Carol Morley
An imaginative quest to go beyond the newspaper reports and solve the mystery of who thirty-eight year old Joyce Vincent was and why she lay undiscovered for three years after her death in one of the busiest parts of London. (North American Premiere)

God Bless America
Director/Screenwriter: Bobcat Goldthwait
Loveless, jobless, possibly terminally ill, Frank has had enough of the downward spiral of America.  With nothing left to lose, Frank takes his gun and offs the stupidest, cruelest, and most repellent members of society. Cast: Joel Murray, Tara Lynne Barr (U.S. Premiere)

The Imposter (UK)
Director: Bart Layton
In 1994 a 13-year-old disappears without trace in Texas. Three years later he resurfaces in Spain with accounts of a horrifying kidnap. His family is overjoyed – but all is not as it seems.

Indie Game: The Movie (Canada)
Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky
With the twenty-first century comes a new breed of artist: the indie game designer. These innovators design and program their distinctly personal games in the hope that they may find connection and success.

KID-THING
Director/Screenwriter: David Zellner
A fever-dream fable about Annie, a rebellious girl devoid of parental guidance or a moral compass.  She roams the countryside looking for adventure, and finds it one day in the form of an abandoned well. Cast: Sydney Aguirre, Susan Tyrrell, Nathan Zellner, David Zellner, David Wingo

Last Call at the Oasis
Director: Jessica Yu
A powerful argument for why the global water crisis will be the central issue facing our world this century.

Lovely Molly
Director: Eduardo Sanchez, Screenwriters: Eduardo Sanchez, Jamie Nash
Exploring the parallels between psychosis, addiction and demonic possession, Lovely Molly tells the story of what really happens before the exorcist arrives. Cast: Gretchen Lodge, Johnny Lewis, Alexandra Holden (U.S. Premiere)

The Raid (Indonesia)
Director/Screenwriter: Gareth Huw Evans
Rama and his special forces team fight their way through a rundown apartment block with a mission to remove its owner, a notorious drug lord. Cast: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Doni Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Pierre Gruno

WE ARE LEGION: The Story of the Hacktivists
Director: Brian Knappenberger
We Are Legion takes us inside the world of Anonymous, the radical “hacktivist” collective that has redefined civil disobedience for the digital age.

SXSW 2012 runs March 9th to the 17th in Austin, TX.

Remember Mel Gibson? Well he remembers and misses you. Not all of you of course, and by ‘you’ I mean exactly who you think I mean. But he misses most of you. The past few years haven’t been all that kind to the guy, both personally and professionally, but to be fair it’s mostly his own fault. Still, I couldn’t care less about his offscreen antics and behavior. I only care about the movies.

And the guy has made some great ones.

He’s found massive success as a director, but his last box office hit as an actor was Signs from a decade ago. His recent one-two punch of Edge of Darkness and The Beaver failed to generate much interest, but neither of them were really in his preferred wheelhouse of blackly comic action. The best example of his from that mini genre remains Brian Helgeland’s fantastic Payback. (His director’s cut is also quite good although it drops much of the comedy.)

Gibson’s latest is Get the Gringo (aka How I Spent My Summer Vacation), an action comedy about a criminal who heads to Mexico with a car full of cash and a dying accomplice only to get arrested by local authorities and tossed into a tough prison. Don’t worry though, he gets out.

Check out the new trailer for Get the Gringo below.

Is it me or does this thing have a really strong Payback vibe? I’m not complaining, and I’m happy to think of it as a sequel in spirit to that 1999 film. It looks to have the same mix of action, torture and dryly comic dialogue too, and while it’s unclear if the narration in the trailer is actually in the finished film that also matches the earlier film’s tone and style. The only unfortunate thing about it is the film is set to bypass theaters in favor of a video on demand premier. It’s an interesting move for a major star (at one time at least) that finds the middle ground between theatrical and straight to DVD releases.

Get the Gringo hits VOD on May 1st, followed by a DVD/blu-ray rollout before the end of the year.

Welcome back to This Week In DVD! Another week another ton of DVDs hitting shelves both real and virtual, and while there are several worth renting and avoiding there are only two worth buying. One is visible immediately below, and the other? One of last year’s best films.

As always, if you see something you like, click on the image to buy it.

Perfect Sense (UK)

A chef (Ewan McGregor) and an epidemiologist (Eva Green) meet and fall in love just as a strange new disease begins to spread worldwide. People are struck with a strong emotional response immediately followed by the loss of one of their senses. It’s like Contagion but with heart and personality. This is a beautiful film about life, love and what it means to be human. It’s a must-see about mankind’s resilience in the face of loss and devastation. Just be sure to watch it before your vision goes. **NOTE – This is a region2 DVD which requires either a region-free player or the willingness to watch on your PC.**

Drive

Pitch: Don’t ever tell Albert Brooks to sit on his jacket…

Why Buy? A Hollywood stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) moonlights as a getaway driver, partly for the cash and partly for the thrill, but when he gets too close to another man’s woman (Carey Mulligan) the road ahead gets far bumpier than he could have imagined. The plot is pretty straight forward, and most of the broader beats are easy to see coming in advance, but director Nicolas Winding Refn tells his tale with such style and skill that it becomes a mesmerizing exercise in awesome. The cinematography, score and attitude combine to evoke a cooler eighties than the one that really existed.

Chalet Girl

Pitch: “It’s not what you got, it’s where you put it in…”

Why Rent? Kim (Felicity Jones) used to be a hotshot skateboarder headed for stardom, but a car accident took away her motivation and her mother. She gets a job as a chalet girl watching over a wealthy family’s mountain retreat and soon discovers a new strength within in the shape of a snowboard. She also hot tubs in the buff. This British import is a sweet and affable comedy that relies on quite a few cliches but still manages to charm thanks in large part to Jones’ performance. Plus, snowboarding!

Frontline: A Perfect Terrorist

Pitch: I’d listen to Will Lyman narrate paint drying…

Why Rent? The 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai was an organized and well planned assault, and while the world watched it unfold on live television no one could have suspected that one of the key men behind the plot was a US citizen. This Frontline/ProPublica special looks at the life and times of David Headley who at various points in his life worked as a drug dealer, a US informant and an invaluable aid to Muslim terrorists. It’s a shocking but fascinating exploration of one man’s evil deeds and a government’s unknowing complicity.

The Mill & the Cross

Pitch: I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. Hobos with shotguns. Paintings that come to life…

Why Rent? Pieter Bruegel’s (Rutger Hauer) famous painting, “The Way to Calvary”, comes to life in this at times whimsical and at times dry exploration of how art is created. The subject is the crucifixion of Christ relocated to the 16th century, and it shows a field and hillside populated with all sorts of people going about their business. Hauer wanders throughout the image capturing it with his eyes, soul and mind before re-imagining it onto canvas. Rarely has a film moved as slow as this, but if you appreciate art and creative visual styles in film then give it a shot.

The Other F Word

Pitch: “The cool thing about what I do for a living is that the expectation of me as a father is so fucking low…”

Why Rent? Punk is more than a music or a dress code, it’s an attitude. But what happens when those who’ve spent their lives raging against the establishment join it for the sake of their children? This documentary follows a handful of punk music’s front-men including Jim Lindberg (Pennywise), Mark Hoppus (Blink-182) and more as they navigate between the attitudes that fuels their music and their role as fathers. It should come as no surprise that a good dad is a good dad, regardless of their occupation, and seeing these guys with their kids is a sweet, endearing and often hilarious experience.

Texas Killing Fields

Pitch: It’s like an American remake of Memories of Murder. So yeah, it’s no where as good as Memories of Murder…

Why Rent? Two detectives (Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Sam Worthington) with differing attitudes towards life and the job work together to catch a serial killer who leaves his violated victims to rot in a nearby marsh shrouded in fog and mystery. Jessica Chastain and Chloe Moretz are also on hand as another detective and a young local girl (respectively) who catches the killer’s eye. Michael Mann’s daughter, Ami Canaan has crafted a moody and evocative thriller filled with atmosphere and dread. Some slow spots and questionable events weigh it down, but it’s still a film worth seeing for fans of the dark and gritty.

The Thing (2011)

Pitch: No, not that thing. The other thing…

Why Rent? A research camp in Antarctica discovers a space ship and its pilot frozen in the ice, but when they foolishly attempt to defrost it all hell breaks loose. Yes, this is a remake of John Carpenter’s classic and far, far better film from 1982, but if you can push that knowledge aside long enough to watch the movie you’ll see that it isn’t nearly as bad as people would have you believe. Director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr’s film is a competent monster movie, and aside from relying way too much on CGI it manages to entertain just fine on its own. But seriously, don’t try comparing it to the original.

The Big Year

Pitch: Ever notice that Steve Martin more often than not plays wealthy men? It’s true…

Why Avoid? Three disparate individuals (Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, Jack Black) vie for one of the stupidest honors known to man as they each try to see the most species of birds in a twelve month period. Through the year long process they learn truths about themselves, find new friendships and watch as the fat guy inexplicably gets the hot, smart girl (Rashida Jones). This is based on a true story. People do this. Skip it and watch The Birds instead.

Dead Hooker In a Trunk

Pitch: This is why getting a Carfax report is so important…

Why Avoid? Two identical but completely different twin sisters, a short rocker chick and a cliched Christian guy take a ride in a car, but when they discover a deceased prostitute in the boot of the car their simple joyride turns very complicated. Real life twins Jen and Sylvia Soska wrote, directed and star in this low budget grindhouse effort, and the result is unfortunate. The script has issues but offers up some funny lines, and had the sisters passed it to a more accomplished cast and crew the movie would probably have been entertaining. As it stands though the entire thing screams amateurish, and that’s even before you factor in the bad CGI work. Skip it and watch Hobo With a Shotgun instead.

The Double

Pitch: If I knew anything about sports I’d engage in some basketball wordplay right about now…

Why Avoid? A senator is murdered, and when a young FBI agent (Topher Grace) suspects it to be the work of a Soviet assassin long thought dead he calls in the help of the ex-CIA agent (Richard Gere) who spent years trying to catch him. The setup is fairly rote, but the movie earns a couple points for a script that twists conventions well beyond the expected. Unfortunately it keeps on twisting all the way to stupidly unbelievable. Fans of the actors may want to check it out, but if you like your thrillers to at least pretend to be smart I wouldn’t recommend it. Skip it and watch Double Indemnity instead.

In Time

Pitch: The box is Amanda Seyfried…

Why Avoid? An unknown future event cause old adages to come true and mankind now trades time as money. Everyone has a clock embedded in their arm that counts down to the moment of death, and the wealthy hoard minutes, days and years just as they do cash and happiness today. One beautiful young man (Justin Timberlake) stands up to the system with Amanda Seyfried by his side. Writer/director Andrew Niccol starts with an intriguing concept (liberally cribbed from Harlan Ellison) but turns it into a stupidly generic waste of time. Skip it and watch Timer instead.

Spiderhole

Pitch: Definitely an exit only kind of hole…

Why Avoid? A group of friends decide to go squatting in an empty apartment, but they learn too late that trespassing is punishable by death! From my full review: “Spiderhole had promise, theoretically, but it fails to generate much in the way of suspense or scares. Shots of dusty pipes, slime dripping from faucets, and spiders crawling about are no substitute for real atmosphere, character development, and emotional investment.” Skip it and watch Arachnophobia instead.

Also out this week, but I haven’t seen the movie/TV show, review material was unavailable, and I have no blind opinion:

Blubberella
Dream House
Outrage: Way Of the Yakuza,

Read More: This Week in DVD

What are you buying on DVD this week?

Film is a powerful medium, and the best ones can make you feel strongly one way or the other about fictional characters and their make-believe lives. These people exist only on the screen, and yet we can feel joy, fear, love, hatred and so much more for them as if they were living and breathing beside us. Most movies never accomplish this feat.

And Sleeping Beauty is no different.

Instead Julia Leigh‘s debut film manages something decidedly unique. The lead character is passive, bland and as emotionally inspiring as a wash cloth, but the actress who plays her? You just may find yourself feeling bad, embarrassed and fearful for her.

Lucy (Emily Browning) is a college student like many others. She attends class during the day and at night works in a restaurant or office and occasionally volunteers for paid medical experiments. Sure, some nights she heads to swanky bars to do lines of coke with Asian women in the bathroom, but mostly she works hard. It never seems to be enough though as she’s always behind in her rent and at risk of being booted out by her roommates.

Until she responds to an ad for a silver service waitress to work private parties. The interview is brief but invasive, and it comes with two warnings. Don’t make a career of this. And indiscretion will not be tolerated.

“Your vagina will never be penetrated. Your vagina is a temple.”

After an interview that includes being felt up in her underwear Lucy reports for her first assignment. She strips down to her lacy underthings and joins a group of women in pointless lingerie. (When the breasts, vagina and ass are visible what’s the point in wearing any strips of fabric at all?) They serve dinner and drinks to a group of grey-haired men (and one probable old lesbian), and Lucy is sent home cash in hand. If it sounds sexy I apologize… think the party scenes from Eyes Wide Shut but with far less attractive women and you’ll have an idea how dull it actually is.

Easy money for playing a scantily clad waitress, but the woman in charge calls her and ups the ante for her next job. Clara (Rachael Blake) invites Lucy to her house and offers her a drugged cup of tea to knock her out for the next few hours. If she agrees, her unconscious and nude form will be placed in a luxurious bed to sleep it off… while a high-paying client gets to do anything he wants to her.

Except penetration of course.

That’s the film’s first act, and what follows are a series of creepy and odd interludes featuring old men stripping down to their wrinkly and sagging birthday suits before climbing into bed with the equally nude Lucy. Some caress her, others berate her, and so it goes. None of the men offer up enough to be considered as real characters in their own right aside from their obvious sadness, desire or anger. Lucy, and by extension Browning, is nothing more than a prop in these scenes, and while that makes some sense in the context of these men’s needs it’s difficult to justify and come to terms with poor Browning’s situation.

In between we’re introduced to Lucy’s friend (?) Birdman, who may be agoraphobic and/or deathly ill. It’s difficult to tell. It’s clear he loves her, but her reciprocity is in doubt. Lucy’s a blank slate through so much of the movie whether she’s unconscious or not, and her muted emotions combined with illogical actions keep her distant from the viewer. She runs around earning money for rent, but then burns the cash. She signs on for abuses she never comprehends and swallows drugs before their effects have been explained. Her aimlessness translates into pointlessness for the viewer.

The film’s best scene also happens to be the only one where Lucy shows real humanity. It’s a tender moment on a train where she sees a woman sleeping in her seat against the window. Lucy moves beside her to watch and perhaps see what she herself looks like while in that bedroom of perversions, and when she notices a small bit of drool on the woman’s lips she wipes it gently away. It’s a curiosity, kindness and awareness sadly missing from the rest of the film.

Browning does a fine job with what she’s given, but it’s hard to tell exactly since the film has little interest in emotion or personality. She’s an attractive young woman so there’s no negative risk to showing off her body which she does frequently and explicitly. Clearly she saw something in the script and director that didn’t quite translate to the screen, but between this and Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch I hope her agent has since advised her to stop signing on to misguided films about gender politics.

There’s nothing wrong with a damaged character trying to mute the world through narcotics and a blissfully unaware participation in sexual perversity, but some degree of back story and motivation are needed to create something and someone truly compelling. The closest Lucy offers to a history is a brief mention of an alcoholic mother and the revelation that some guy at some time wanted to marry her. She’s detached from reality in an uninteresting and flat way which means everything that happens to her may as well be happening to a beautiful yet inanimate marble statue.

The Upside: Emily Browning is a porcelain beauty.

The Downside: Emily Browning apparently lost a bet; passive lead character; script asks uninteresting questions with no answers and teases relevance; slow pacing may turn off some viewers.

On the Side: Mia Wasikowska was originally cast in the role of ‘Lucy’ but dropped out to do Jane Eyre instead.

With the entire original run of The Twilight Zone available to watch instantly, we’re partnering with Twitch Film to cover all of the show’s 156 episodes. Are you brave enough to watch them all with us?

The Twilight Zone (Episode #150): “Stopover In a Quiet Town” (airdate 4/24/64)

The Plot: A couple wake up after a night of heavy drinking and quickly realize they’re not in their own bed. Or home. Or town. Or…

The Goods: Bob and Milly Frazier (Barry Nelson and Nancy Malone) awaken fully clothed and with a hazy memory of the night before. There was a party and a drive home, but then nothing. A shadow over the car perhaps, but nothing more. They find the strange house they’re in to be empty and head outside to an equally deserted stretch of suburbia. Trees, grass and telephones are little more than props, the illusion of life is attempted with a stuffed squirrel and a mannequin, and a child’s laughter can occasionally be heard nearby.

It appears the Wolf Pack has found the premise of The Hangover Part Three.

“The moral of what you’ve just seen is clear. If you drink, don’t drive. And if your wife has had a couple she shouldn’t drive either.”

Bob recalls having quite a bit to drink which necessitated Milly driving them home, and he immediately suspects she got them into an accident. Of course, they think, we were in a crash and the other driver has brought them home to sleep it off. Makes perfect sense. At least until they wander downstairs to find prop drawers, cabinets and food. They head outside to the sound of a little girl laughing, but she’s nowhere to be found. The streets are empty, as are nearby houses and a church, and there’s a not a single bird to be heard.

At this point viewers will be wondering just as ferociously as Bob and Milly as to what the devil is happening, and the options run the gamut from mundane to insane. Are they dead and stuck in purgatory or hell? Bob does have a clear disdain for the suburbs. Are they dolls in a dollhouse? The Twilight Zone touched upon a similar idea in “Five Characters In Search Of an Exit.” Are they mannequins come to life in a nuclear testing ground? Nah, that’s a bit too similar to “The After Hours.” Perhaps they’ve mistakenly wandered onto the set of HGTV’s House Hunters International during the secretive staging process? Dammit man no, HGTV is still decades away from existence. What the hell is happening here?

Bob and Milly hop aboard a train they expect will bring them to civilization, but instead it simply loops around and returns them back to the same station. Scared, angry and still suffering the effects of a hangover, the couple set out on foot with the intention of walking their way home. Until a giant shadow swoops over their head and the answers to all of their questions are made apparent. Well, maybe not all of their questions.

This is one of the better season five episodes for a few reasons, but my favorite is Rod Serling’s wrap up featuring the quote on the story’s moral above. It’s just so direct and hilariously absurd after what’s transpired. The ending itself is also a fun surprise, as the episode allows for plenty of possible solutions along the way. Many of the show’s “twist/surprise ending” stories are actually fairly predictable, but this one is far more difficult to pin down even if the child’s laughter leads you in the general direction.

Third act touches aside, the best part of the episode is actually the couple themselves. Both the performances from Nelson and Malone and Earl Hamner Jr.’s script work to make them two of the most believable and well fleshed out characters in the series’ history. They bicker and flirt, touch each other nonchalantly like real couples do, and work together well in unison. We believe they’re a couple, and we believe they have more in their heads than simply the next line of dialogue or piece of stage direction. Characters on most of the other episodes, both great ones and the dregs, are far flatter and more limited in their personality. That’s fine, but it leaves all the heavy lifting to the story itself.

But here, it’s the quality of the couple that gives the “ah ha!” ending an additional, albeit small, amount of emotional weight.

What do you think?

The Trivia: Writer Earl Hamner Jr. was also the narrator on The Waltons.

On the Next Episode: “A World War II veteran and a young Japanese man have a fateful encounter with a sword that is determined to avenge its master.”

Catch-Up: Episodes covered by Twitch / Episodes covered by FSR

We’re running through all 156 of the original Twilight Zone episodes over the next several weeks, and we won’t be doing it alone! Our friends at Twitch will be entering the Zone as well on alternating weeks. So definitely tune in over at Twitch and feel free to also follow along on our Twitter accounts @twitchfilm and @rejectnation.

With the entire original run of The Twilight Zone available to watch instantly, we’re partnering with Twitch Film to cover all of the show’s 156 episodes. Are you brave enough to watch them all with us?

The Twilight Zone (Episode #149): “The Jeopardy Room” (airdate 4/17/64)

The Plot: Russian agents check in, but they don’t check out.

The Goods: Major Ivan Kuchenko (Martin Landau) sits in a hotel room mere hours from a planned defection to the West, but while he believes he’s alone in his thoughts he’s actually being monitored by two KGB agents sent to stop him. He discovers the truth when the two men make contact and tell him there’s a bomb in his room. He’ll be dead by dawn unless he can find and disarm the explosive.

“I am the last of the imaginative executioners.”

The two agents assigned to Kuchenko’s elimination, Commissar Vassiloff (John Van Dreelen) and Boris (Bob Kelljan), have set up shop in the building opposite and have an unobstructed view into their target’s room. After a brief phone call they convince him to meet face to face in the room, and one drugged bottle of alcohol later Kuchenko awakens alone. A tape recorder left on a table informs him that a bomb has been placed in the room, and that the Commissar’s love of games has led him to give the man a chance. If Kuchenko can find and disarm the bomb the KGB will let him leave alive. If not, he blows up at dawn. And if he tries to leave he’ll be shot in the head.

A tense and suspenseful act two begins with Kuchenko forced to search the room, inch by inch, for the device that may end his life. The two KGB agents watch from through the window as he works his way about the room, but while Boris keeps his itchy trigger finger ready in case the man succeeds or tries to leave Vassiloff seems secure in the knowledge that his planned explosion will not be deterred.

But Kuchenko’s desire to not only survive but to continue his life in freedom is strong. And if he’s smart enough to want to leave the Soviet Union he just may be smart enough to escape this deadly situation. He may even turn the tables on his captors.

Spoiler.

He does.

This is a rare episode for the series in that there are no science fiction or fantasy elements to be found. No aliens or genie in a bottle granting wishes here. Instead we have a story birthed from the Cold War that suggests the West is better than the East and that the smarter Soviets will make a run for the border.

Even without elements of the fantastic this episode is one of the most suspenseful of the series. The panic and intensity are evident in Landau’s performance, and the ticking of the clock is palpable throughout. The ending is a bit to swallow, especially knowing how good Vassiloff is supposed to be, but it works in the confines of a twenty-five minute show. It’s nice to see Rod Serling and friends deviate from the norm of the series once in a while, and to see them manage that with such a strong episode so late in the game is especially impressive.

What do you think?

The Trivia: Life has imitated art as Landau has outlived both Van Dreelen and Kelljan.

On the Next Episode: “A married couple wake up alone in a deserted strange town after leaving a party the night before.”

Catch-Up: Episodes covered by Twitch / Episodes covered by FSR

We’re running through all 156 of the original Twilight Zone episodes over the next several weeks, and we won’t be doing it alone! Our friends at Twitch will be entering the Zone as well on alternating weeks. So definitely tune in over at Twitch and feel free to also follow along on our Twitter accounts @twitchfilm and @rejectnation.

With the entire original run of The Twilight Zone available to watch instantly, we’re partnering with Twitch Film to cover all of the show’s 156 episodes. Are you brave enough to watch them all with us?

The Twilight Zone (Episode #148): “Caesar and Me” (airdate 4/10/64)

The Plot: An Irish dummy takes life advice from one probably made in China.

The Goods: Jonathan West is an Irish immigrant to America whose only skill appears to be ventriloquism. “Appears to be” but really isn’t, because West actually has no skills and the dummy is somehow alive. With no job and bills to pay West lets the dummy talk him into committing a string of burglaries. But can a man with no perceivable talents find success in a game where one wrong move can send him to jail?

“Susan, I’m warning you for the last time now, you stop playing with those poison darts.”

We’re first introduced to West (Jackie Cooper) selling his personal items at a pawn shop, and while he claims he’ll be back to retrieve them we get the sense that recent history proves otherwise. He lives in a boarding house, can’t find a gig, and is behind on rent, and even when he can sweet talk the landlady her bitchy little niece Susan (Suzanne Cupito) constantly reminds him that he’s a loser. Her nagging is only equaled by the constant cajoling that West gets from Caesar.

Caesar of course is his dummy. The little guy walks and talks without assistance, and while no one else is aware of it West appears quite used to the behavior. How is this possible? Who knows. The episode isn’t telling.

West gives in to the pressure and follows Caesar’s advice on how to earn a few extra bucks. The problem is that while West is compliant he’s far from competent, and after just a two robberies he’s fingered by Suzanne and arrested for the crime.

Up until this point the episode has been bland and uninteresting. Viewers are given no explanation for Caesar’s ability, West (and Cooper’s weak and generic performance) is far from captivating, and the story never quite takes hold. But once West is arrested and led off to jail we’re left with a rather empty experience.

At the very least it’d be nice to see Susan get hers for being such a little snot.

Thankfully, the final minute of the episode grants that wish. Sure, some of us would have preferred her to die whining and writhing on the floor, but the denouement we get is a bit more complicated and nuanced.

The episode overall is an underwhelming experience. The old talking-dummy/doll gag has gotten pretty old by the fifth and final season, and it’s been done far better in almost every previous incarnation. Cooper as a lead is far from engaging, and his character is equally bland.

What do you think?

The Trivia: The little girl, Suzanne Cupito, grew up to continue her acting career under the name Morgan Brittany.

On the Next Episode: “A KGB agent who is trying to defect is trapped in his hotel room.”

Catch-Up: Episodes covered by Twitch / Episodes covered by FSR

We’re running through all 156 of the original Twilight Zone episodes over the next several weeks, and we won’t be doing it alone! Our friends at Twitch will be entering the Zone as well on alternating weeks. So definitely tune in over at Twitch and feel free to also follow along on our Twitter accounts @twitchfilm and @rejectnation.

With the entire original run of The Twilight Zone available to watch instantly, we’re partnering with Twitch Film to cover all of the show’s 156 episodes. Are you brave enough to watch them all with us?

The Twilight Zone (Episode #147): “Sounds and Silences” (airdate 4/3/64)

The Plot: A large, loud man in love with volume finds himself in an audio nightmare.

The Goods: Roswell G. Flemington is the captain of a model ship building office where he treats his employees to rants and insults as well as classical music blasting from the speakers. He likes it loud, and he expects everyone else does too. They don’t of course, and neither does his wife who has grown sick of playing second fiddle to a grand orchestral cacophony of other noises. Roswell couldn’t care less about any of them though, but the tables turn one day when every single noise becomes a thundering boom between his ears.

“This is Roswell G. Flemington. 220lbs of gristle, lung tissue and sound decibels.”

Doors closing, shoes squeaking, and even air bubbles in a water bottle begin to echo loudly in Roswell’s head, and the constant clamor begins to drive him nuts. His visit to his doctor results in a referral for a psychiatrist, but this same doctor sees nothing wrong with clipping his finger nails right there in the office so who knows if he should really be trusted. Roswell visits a shrink anyway because he has no other options, and it actually helps.

Talking with the head doctor reveals some sad truths about Roswell’s childhood including the fact that he was raised by parents who expected silence. Cookies were forbidden because they were too crunchy. His messed up home life contributed to his becoming a complete tool, and once he acknowledges it the excessively loud noises cease.

Until he goes home and realizes that the bombastic yet melodic sounds he loves on the phonograph now can’t be heard at all. As Rod Serling says, it’s “a case of poetic justice.” Bland, predictable, poetic justice.

Just about everyone in this episode is a dick of some sort. Everyone but Roswell’s long suffering wife anyway, but she acknowledges that he’s been a loud blowhard since the early days so she’s an idiot for getting with the guy in the first place. His four employees have a crappy boss, no doubt, but if they’re so unhappy as to actually cheer his possible death they should probably be looking for another job.

Disagreeable personalities aside the episode is played mostly for laughs. The ending of course is the punishment and comeuppance that viewers expect from the show, but until that point the main goal seems to be a focus on laughs. It never earns them of course, but that doesn’t stop it from trying.

The best moment is neither a gag nor part of the well deserved (but ultimately unrewarding) finale. Instead it comes when Roswell’s wife decides to leave him and storms off into her room. Roswell pounds on and kicks her door repeatedly, the noise booming to his delight, until she opens it and reveals it was never locked. It’s as telling about his personality as the rest of the scenes combined.

What do you think?

The Trivia: Richard Donner directed six episodes of The Twilight Zone, but people only seem to remember his first… “Nightmare At 20,000 Feet.”

On the Next Episode: “An unsuccessful ventriloquist starts to commit robberies on the advice of his dummy.”

Catch-Up: Episodes covered by Twitch / Episodes covered by FSR

We’re running through all 156 of the original Twilight Zone episodes over the next several weeks, and we won’t be doing it alone! Our friends at Twitch will be entering the Zone as well on alternating weeks. So definitely tune in over at Twitch and feel free to also follow along on our Twitter accounts @twitchfilm and @rejectnation.

The man vs nature genre of action/adventure films is usually a pretty reliable one when it comes to attractive scenery and entertaining scraps between man and beast. From the popcorn perfection of Jaws to the bloody thrills of Savage Harvest there’s a visceral thrill to be found in battles fought fist against claw (or teeth, beak, trunk, etc). With the exception of the very best however the films are usually pure entertainment that stop well short of anything resembling engaging human drama.

The Grey is one of those exceptions.

Mostly.

“Live or die on this day.”

A group of oil-field workers in Alaska settles in for dinner at camp after a hard day’s work, but one of the men looks distant and not all together thrilled with the cafeteria food. Ottway (Liam Neeson) leaves the company of his coworkers and heads out into the cold night air. He falls to his knees with a hopeless and lost look in his eyes, and presses the barrel of his rifle to his face. He’s a man on the verge of giving up completely, but something halts his trigger finger, and he instead boards a plane the next morning bound for Anchorage with some of the other guys.

But when the plane crashes killing most of the passengers on board Ottway and a handful of survivors find themselves stuck in the inhospitable Alaskan wilderness. He assumes a leadership role out of instinct, but before the group can come to a consensus as to their next course of action they discover that freezing weather and starvation aren’t the only threats they face. It seems they’ve crashed into a stretch of frozen wasteland called home by a pack of wolves, and it’s a home the animals are desperate to protect.

Ottway and the eight other men are forced to fight for their lives against the harsh elements of nature as they make their way towards safety. But can they trust their lives to a man who just hours prior was ready to give up on his own?

The Grey is an adventure film that dips its frostbitten toes into both the drama and horror genres, and the result is a surprisingly powerful tale of survival peppered with jump scares and heartfelt emotion. It isn’t simply about physical survival either as it champions the desire and will to live and questions the source of that strength in the men. Whether it be your family waiting for you back home, your faith in a higher power, or the simple drive to go down swinging the film highlights that will as an essential element to life. Ottway in particular is someone whose inner strength is in question, but flashbacks to a life before Alaska reveal both a reason to give up and a reason to go on on living. It’s far heavier stuff than a genre picture usually attempts, but Neeson and director Joe Carnahan nail it.

The last few years of Neeson’s career have seen him capitalizing on the success of Taken by placing him in the tough guy role as someone who never flinches and always succeeds. That trend continues somewhat here, but the character of Ottway also offers up a rare fragility visible on Neeson’s face and captured in multiple close-ups by Carnahan. The actor is more powerful in his troubled silence than he is spouting threats and one-liners.

The remaining men, played by Dermot Mulroney, Joe Anderson, Frank Grillo and others, offer varied levels of back-story and baggage, but they all add to the rough and gritty texture of the film. They’re described as “men unfit for mankind” for a reason as they prove through their actions and choices that the top of the world (or close to it) may be the best place for them. Some early deaths are done for horrific effect and to dwindle down the numbers, but later ones begin to hurt as characters who’ve crossed over from disposable to personable fall victim to the wolves and the environment.

Carnahan and co-writer Ian Mackenzie Jeffers keep things well paced as the film moves between the quiet moments where character is discussed and the action and attack scenes where character is defined. The film’s more dramatic scenes are equally helped by Mar Streitenfeld’s score, especially a short reprise that gets replayed at key moments.

It’s unfortunate that a film so focused on humanity and nature is let down by the intrusion of technology, but the weakest element on display here is the visual effects. A few of the shots stand out for their obvious green screen/CGI-enhanced look with the most egregious being a scene involving a cliff and a tree. It should have been a suspenseful and edge of your seat set-piece, but the lacking visual aesthetic distracts too much and it’s instead diffused of much of its power.

The wolves on the other hand, which are composed mostly of CGI and practical effects, are pretty effective. They’re realistic enough for the most part even if the alpha wolf does tease a hefty resemblance to Gmork from The NeverEnding Story. The attacks are done in a furious, fast cut style that flashes fangs, hair and blood across the screen, and wide shots are filled with a calm menace. The only real problem regarding the creatures is the statement Ottway makes that “wolves are the only animal that will seek revenge.” Has he not seen Orca? Or Taken for that matter…

The Grey is a fantastic adventure and easily Carnahan’s most mature and entertaining picture. It’s both frightening and exhilarating throughout, and some sloppy effects aside, does a great job of putting viewers on the cold, dangerous Alaskan tundra with characters worth caring about. Parts of it are played like a horror film, but the film never casts the wolves as real monsters or the “bad guys.” Instead it’s about survival on all sides in a world where bad things simply happen, challenges must be endured, and the only thing you can really count on to get you through is yourself.

The Upside: Exciting and suspenseful action scenes; characters are fully realized instead of simple cardboard action-hero cutouts; far more emotional than you’d expect; powerful and haunting ending

The Downside: Some terribly obvious CGI and green-screen in a couple scenes

On the Side: There’s a post credits scene, but I think the film works better without it.

If you took a random poll asking people to name the most mysterious place on Earth the answers you’d receive would be fairly widespread. Some would say The North Pole, others Madagascar, and Robert Fure would reply with a woman’s g-spot. But surely someone, somewhere would answer correctly.

And that correct answer lay beneath the surface of the Earth’s oceans.

Hollywood is well aware of this fact and has explored and exploited our fear of the unknown in films both great and small, from The Abyss to Sphere, with stops at all levels of quality in between. Two such movies released in 1989, Deepstar Six and Leviathan, bypassed subtlety and any real sense of mystery in favor of creature feature thrills, chills and at least a modicum of fun. Both are worth watching on late night cable, but Leviathan is the better of the two thanks in large part to the presence of Peter Weller.

And now twenty two years later South Korea has jumped into the bloody pool with Sector 7, but unlike the films above its efforts to (intentionally) entertain come up dry.

A deep sea diver off the coast of Korea in 1985 stands on the ocean floor checking a drill pipe for damage, but he finds himself distracted by a gaggle of small, luminous creatures swimming around his head. Before he can say “holy tiny Abyss ripoffs!” the ground beneath his feet begins to rumble and collapse beneath him. Almost three decades later we fly over and into an oil mining platform in an area called sector 7, and all hell is breaking loose. One of the drills has spring a leak, and in a scene played and paced like the most dramatic and serious thing that could ever happen on an oil rig the men run around and grimace in an effort to stem the tide. Cha Hae-joon (Ha Ji-won), the hot but aggressively bull headed woman on the crew jumps into action and saves the day.

Then gives a forceful thumbs up to show that it’s all going to be okay.

Except it isn’t, because soon people start turning up dead, and while a human culprit is suspected at first it quickly becomes clear that they’re facing something far worse. An angry sea creature resembling a Lovecraftian walrus has boarded the platform intent on destroying everyone. What is this monster, and where did it come from? And why is no one paying attention to the creepy little guy who was just bitten on the face by one of those little glowing animals?

I’m genetically predisposed to give a pass to movies starring attractive women, and Ha definitely fits the bill. She’s cute as hell, spunky and does a fine job in the over the top heroine role, but the movie is so bad in just about every other area that not even a beautiful and capable Asian actress is enough to save it. Yeah, it’s that bad.

The special effects are one of the film’s earliest and biggest downfalls which is never a good thing in an action/sci-fi/horror film. The oil platform itself is represented via CGI or some obvious stage background, and a motorcycle race (?) early on (that you know will play a big part later on) looks less realistic than any scene in Speed Racer. Korea’s finest monster moment remains The Host, but the one here manages to be the film’s most effective visual effect even if the creature design seems a bit odd. It’s hard to feel threatened by something flopping around on its front flippers.

The movie also suffers from a screenplay that pays homage to other genre films at the expense of doing anything original. Cha is the stereotypical female lead following the Alien mold, the creature’s origin is revealed to be due to man’s hubris and greed and there’s even a scene where a handful of characters compare scars a la the one from Jaws. The characters themselves are cheap caricatures that fit the hero, bad guy, and expendable roles, and just about all of the actors seem to be competing as to who can overact the most. And the third act? The entire third act? One overly long and drawn out battle that alternates between fights and running for what seems like a full hour… only to end with unearned and desperate melodrama.

Sector 7 has some unintentionally entertaining moments, but the handful of laughs you’ll get from the overly expressive performances and ridiculously fake motorcycle race can’t make up for the lack of thrills, scares and scenes of interest. Several of the key players here, both in front of and behind the camera, also worked on the Korean disaster pic Tidal Wave. That film mixed special effects and melodrama to a far more entertaining result. Skip this one and rent that instead.

Foreign Objects travels the world of international cinema each week looking for films worth visiting. So renew your passport, get your shots, and brush up on the local age of legal consent!