Moonrise Kingdom

I have always been a big Wes Anderson fan, but Moonrise Kingdom is his best work by far. The visually stunning magical tale about young love left me on the edge of my seat with an ear to ear grin the entire film. I felt as if I had gone back in time to the small island off the coast of New England. As young Sam and Suzy run away together, chased by a troop of heavily armed Khaki scouts; they fall in love, and become inseparable. With such big names as Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzmen, and Tilda Swinson; as well as the two newcomers to the silver screen Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman. This Is a film for audiences of all ages, and has become my personal favorite film of all time.

The Rum Diary

The Rum Diary is one of the best films that I have seen in a long time. It is a movie based on the novel by the god of gonzo himself, Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas). It stars Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands), as a freelance journalist Paul Kemp in a revolution torn Puerto Rico. He gets a job at a local newspaper The San Juan Star, teetering on the edge of closing down. He stumbles into more than he bargained for when a business man named Sanderson played by Aaron Eckhart (Thank You for Smoking/ The Dark Knight), asks him to write some fake articles to scare up hype for an island resort. Kemp has trouble saying no to Sanderson due to the fact that he keeps saving Kemp’s ass, and not to mention his stunning wife Chenault played by Amber Heard (Hidden Palms). Kemp falls for Chenault and Puerto rico, as he tries to decide if he wants to work for the scheming Sanderson or stay with The San Juan Star.

This movie is full of adventure and mischief, and a lot of laughs. It has an all-star cast of some of Hollywood’s finest, and will not disappoint.

10/10

Greenberg

Greenberg was in my opinion one of Ben Stiller’s best films. He takes a break from his slapstick-like comedy, and enters into a comedic drama. Stiller plays a character named Roger Greenberg who was recently released from a mental hospital, and is house sitting for his brother while they are in Vietnam. Greenberg is an unlikeable awkward man who is extremely neurotic. When I say unlikeable I mean he has the tendency to say exactly on his mind, which annoys the other characters. He meets Florence played by Greta Gerwig (Arthur), his brother’s personal assistant.  He ends up falling for Florence who is very similar to him, and suffers from her own form of neurosis. Every time he gets close to her, he ends up freaking out and pushing her away. Greenberg goes through many ups and downs, and at one point he decides to go to Australia at the very last second but ends up jumping out of the car.

One thing you need to know going into this movie, is that there really isn’t a plot. Just because there isn’t a plot doesn’t make it a bad film. It’s just a neurotic man housesitting for his brother, and meets a neurotic girl. It’s very Indie in the way it was shot and written, with a lot of awkwardness mixed in.

7/10

Fright Night

Fright night (2011) is a remake of the 1985 film which i have yet to see. However I was thoroughly impressed with this film. It starred Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett) as Charley a boy who ditched his old best friend Ed Christopher mintz-plasse (superbad)  when he entered high school and started dating Amy a popular girl Imogen Poots (Solitary man). People in their school and the surrounding town start going missing, and Ed is quick to blame a vampire whom he suspects lives next to charley. They say assumptions make assholes make out of you and me, but in this case they make a blood thirsty vampire out of Ed. When Charley realizes Ed has gone missing, he searches his room and finds a plethora of vampire lore and speculations that collates with the missing people in town. Charley’s new neighbor Jerry played by Collin Farrell (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), starts acting strange, so Charley goes snooping. He follows a lead he found in Ed’s room, and goes to visit Peter Vincent Played by the one and only David Tennant (Doctor Who). Peter is similar to a Chris Angel mind freak with a vampire theme. He freaks out on Charley when he tells him he suspects his neighbor of being a vampire, and kicks him out of his penthouse.  Before being kicked out Charley leaves a picture of a tapestry he took from Jerry’s house, which eventually persuades Peter that Charley isn’t crazy. Awhile after Charley gets  home and does some more snooping, his mother and Amy start to think he’s gone crazy and confront him about it. While they’re confronting him Jerry gets pissed off and unleashes a vampire rage that ends with a chase and Charley’s mom in the hospital. From there Charley and Amy rush to Peter’s penthouse, where they are attacked by some vampires (including Ed). Amy is captured by jerry and taken back to his house. She is pursued by peter and charley, who intend to free her or go out with a bang.

I enjoyed this film a lot. There was a decent amount of vampire lore weaved into the plot, it wasn’t just a crazy blood sucking monster on the loose. Burning crosses and holy water along with Van Helsing like weapons are used to fight the creatures of the night. But the most powerful weapon they possess is a wooden stake blessed by Saint Peter himself, which if stabbed through the heart will change anyone turned by that vampire into a human again.

7/10

Midnight in Paris

Written and Directed by: Woody Allen

Release date: May 20, 2011 (limited)

Running time: 94 minutes

MPA rating: PG-13

Midnight in Paris was the first Woody Allen film that I’ve seen, and it was a good place to start. Midnight in paris is a comedic time traveling romance film, that delivers on all levels. The story of a writer who travels to Paris on vacation with his fiance ( Rachel McAdams) and her parents, but unforeseen circumstances leaves him re-evaluating his current lifestyle. At the stroke of midnight, Paris turns back in time to the 1920’s. A time full of art and literature, leaves Gil (Owen Wilson) In awe as he comes face to face with his idols of the past. He befriends such popular people as Ernest Hemingway (Corey Stoll), Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo), and Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Alison Pill & Tom Hiddleston). The go to numerous parties, and he even gets a few of them to critic his novel.

I wished to see more out of Rachel McAdams character, I’ve seen some of her work (i.e. Sherlock Holmes, Morning Glory, & Mean Girls). She’s come a long way since Mean Girls, and has become an actress I quite enjoy seeing in a lead female role. She’s still pretty young, and I had a hard time believing she was engaged to a man as old as Owen Wilson who has a good ten years on her. I also had trouble with Wilson in his role. Don’t get me wrong, Owen Wilson is a great actor. I loved him in all of his Wes Anderson films, he seems to act better when playing off a stronger comedic lead (like Bill Murray). He left a magnificent Woody allen film seeming almost like Night at the museum at some points.

This film has earned academy nod with a nomination in the Best Original Screenplay category. It has also been nominated for several Golden Globes, Spirit, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. It is a must-see movie for all you Parisian lovers, and if you’re not it may make you see Pars in a whole new light.

8/10

Cannibal Holocaust: Alleged Snuff Film

Directed by: Ruggero Deodato

Produced by Franco Palaggi

Release date(s): February 7, 1980 (Italy)
June 19, 1984 (US)

Genre: Horror

MPAA Rating: NR

Running time: 96 minutes

Ruggero Deodato is the Brilliant italian director who is behind the making of this film. Cannibal Holocaust is shrouded in so much controversy, it makes this a must see horror flick. The film was confiscated days after its premiere due to allegations of it being a snuff film. Deadato was arrested on and eventually charged with obscenity and murder, due to the fact that he made the cast sign a contract stating they won’t appear in any films or media of any sort for a year. The contract was to enforce the idea that this was real footage uncovered in the amazon. Eventually Deadato was able to gather the four main actors to prove his innocence, but that didn’t stop them from not releasing the film in the US and several other Countries. Although there was no actual murder in the film, it is not for the weak stomached due to its graphic Animal Cruelty. Yes folks; they slaughter real animals in this film, and it gets brutal.

The storyline is predictable, but none the less fascinating. A documentary crew goes off into the Amazon to shoot two of the native tribes at war. The tribes turn out to be  (You guessed it) cannibals. The documentary film makers proceed to be killed or die of exposure while the camera still rolls.

The acting in this film is under par, and the cast never really got into any projects bigger than low budget horror films and small roles in some bigger films (Kerman as the tugboat captain in Spiderman) . but the actions in this movie speak louder than the script. It is a riveting film full of graphic nudity, violence, and scenes that will make your stomach turn. Your mind will constantly be wondering if this really is a snuff film, due to the large number of natives (especially in the burning hut scene) that were not credited. It is a horror film like none other that I’ve seen. There is a real aspect of horror in this movie. Unlike the high budge, special effect driven horror movies of today that are driven by scenes that make you jump. This film hits horror on a whole other level.

6.5/10

Red State

DVD Release Date: October 18, 2011

Director: Kevin Smith

Screenwriter: Kevin Smith

Producer: Jonathan Gordon

Genre: Horror

MPAA Rating: R

Time: 88 minutes

Year: 2011

Let me just start out by saying, I fucking love Kevin Smith. I have enjoyed everything the man has directed, and Red State is certainly no exception. Although he moves away from his comfort zone comprised of fart and dick jokes, Smith has reached (in my opinion) a new found writer/director high. This controversial story starts off like many smith movies, with about fifteen minutes of dialog comprised of conversations of the sexual nature. Than the story picks up when they introduce the five points church.

The five points church is loosely based on the Phelps family, and they are even mentioned by the congregation several times. They’re hardcore gun-toting old testament style Christians, who really hate the gays . They spend their time protesting homosexuals and apparently unknowingly to the law lure them to trailers and drug them. They than bring them back to the church and execute them on a cross wrapped in plastic wrap, while preaching fire and brimstone sermons.

What makes this movie so amazing, is the performances given by the cast. Without this cast this movie would not have been half as good. Michael Parks (Kill Bill, From Dusk till Dawn) plays the brilliantly portrayed patriarch leader of the church Abin Cooper. Parks gives the most brilliantly delivered hate filled sermon, that sends shivers down my spine every time i hear it. Not only can the man rock a monologue, He also becomes quite the opposing force when the ATF brings out the big guns.

And of course by big guns I mean John Goodman as ATF agent Joseph Keenan, who also has an extraordinary monologue near the end. Where Parks’ sermon was hate filled and energetic, Goodman’s was more like a southern gentleman telling a story on the porch while drinking iced tea. In my opinion this was one of Goodman’s best performances since O Brother, Where Art Thou?

The only thing that I found disagreeable with this movie was the lack of main character(s).  There was definitely a sense of  antagonist and protagonist, but there was a lack of feeling for a specific  character. Throughout the movie there are certain moments where you connect with different characters. These moments were normally brief and short lived, mostly due to the short life span of the characters.

All in all this movie was brilliantly written, with an outstanding cast. I give it a

9/10