FilmBender: sh*tfaced on movies

"Jackie Brown" is one Super Flyght attendant

Cleverly reviving blacksploitation superstar, Pam Grier, and familiar gritty copster, Robert Forster, along with contemporary actors Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, Chris Tucker, Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson is a stroke of Quentin Tarantino genius.  And the execution is equally as kick *ss too.

Case in point: Tarantino brings the most out of Samuel.  It was obvious in Pulp Fiction but here in the far lesser-known Jackie Brown he still shines on with bravado.  Watch the movie and also pick up the sound track (also something Quentin seems to kill at) to hear one of the best scenes and deliveries in movie history... Samuel's "Beaumont-classic-case-of-him-or-me speech."  Unbelievable.

Sure... there are drugs, double-crosses, handguns, bongs and a stand-up dog-style 30-second quickie kitchen sex scene in broad daylight -- just a few of the Tarantino touches audiences come to know and expect.  Bridget is my kinda lady... half-baked and fully-baked at the same time.  This is my kinda movie... sucka.

"Memento" is Otnemem spelled backwards

As I recall, not much to say here.  I'm dumbfounded.  Or maybe just completely obliterated.  What was I saying?  Oh, yeah... I suppose I have quoted Adaptation as being one of the only original film stories I've ever seen.  I'll stick by that but should likely add that the only other "new" story I can think of is Memento.  Maybe I'll think of more later though if I sober up and stop popping DVDs.

Unknown actors -- beyond Joe Pantoliano in his infamous character role -- create the most unforgettable film you've ever seen.  Riddled by chronic recurring amnesia, Guy Pierce's character constantly writes on himself and anywhere he can and takes Polaroids as well to document his unnerving existence that would be complex in the world of Leave it to Beaver, but in a tale of wife murder, it's as dark and chaotic as a movie binge on its way to a black out.

Christopher Nolan, now of The Dark Knight fame, at the helm steering twists and turns and reveals that this one brings is rooted in the structure of the story... told in reverse.  You have to see it to believe it, understand it and remember it... don't forget it.  Pass out.

"True Romance" is a freaky one-night stand with a true cast of characters

Patricia Arquette is the hottest and sweetest snaggletooth trailer-trash wh*re you've ever seen in True Romance.  She loves a common Christian Slater who's among other incredible characters like Gary Oldman's frightening shotgun-totin' Rasta coke king that they rip off.  Christopher Walken is a Sicilian mob boss who is chilling to say the least, but stealing the dialog from him in this film is Dennis Hopper -- quite possibly delivering the Hungry Man frozen dinner of all final words in his double-wide.

Lots of other great stuff in here like James Gandolfini, Michael Rapaport, Val Kilmer's Elvis silhouettes and Brad Pitt with his Honey Bear bong.  And there's one of those climactic endings like they recently had in the end of the second season of Weeds where all the bad guys end up in one room all pointing guns at each other all at the same time.  That would s*ck.

From Quentin Tarrantino's fingers and Tony Scott's eyes, this movie is a crime thriller you'll surely fall in love with.  I'm gonna smash my face into a mirrored closet door for sayin' that... so flippin' stupid.  Totally hung over.  And this blogging sh*t ain't easy... couldn't get to it for a week... will try to stick to it.  Or at least stick my finger down my throat.

"The Wackness," is like, pullin' tubes with Gandhi

And that's not all.  If you have daughters, you'll know who Drake and Josh are.  If not, Josh, basically known as near-member of the High School Musical crowd, in this movie, plays a pot dealer in early-90's NYC.  Here, he's washing off that squeeky Disney sheen and coming of age.  It can't be made any more innocent, but Josh does have problems from all angles.  And you'd think FilmBender is justifying something, but let me tell ya, it wasn't because of the weed.  So he finds refuge hangin' with none other than Ben Kingsley, his shrink, and getting high.  Ben has to be one of the most versatile, bald actors who's ever lived... evil English gangster in Sexy Beast to what's hopefully a part with some meat in Shutter Island -- a thriller adaptation from Dennis Lehane's awesome novel of the same name.

OK... back to The Wackness... not really a comedy... an indie drama with a smattering of love story, and all the magic starts inside an ice cream cart.  Music is solid.  Everyone can chill to this film.  Seriously.  Widely appealing (er... in blue states, at least) despite the synopsis.  Light it up.

"Magnolia" grows

Films like Magnolia are very difficult to pull off.  They become very expansive for the moviegoer who is losing his/her keys by day and his/her mind by night.  That seems to be acceptable behavior.  Losing someone in a movie, though, is death.  But when this three-hour film sucks you, the exhale is a ride.

Paul Thomas Anderson pulls it off directing Boogie Nights and here as well, with each, beholding the extended camera shot creating the sensation of attendance.  A trip.  Speaking of, Tom Cruise is whack and bad in a good way -- couch jumping would actually be an act of restraint for this character, a rock-star-enabled Tony Robbins.  Philip Seymour Hoffman is always interesting for unknown reason; and Julianne Moore is old, angular, freckled, yet hot -- good for her.  Great movie.

"A Scanner Darkly" is NOT a sci-fi... it's a disaster movie

Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson, and Robert Downey Jr. directed by hipster Richard Linklater (the genius behind Dazed and Confused and Waking Life) in a sci-fi, drug-induced film based upon Philip K. Dick's novel and leveraging state-of-the-art animation/live-action visual mash-up technology called rotoscoping that laboriously took years to pull off... sounds like the beginnings of a slam dunk combination, right?... especially one bound to be adored by FilmBender, eh?  NOT!  It's just the beginnings of a long sentence.

Respectfully speaking... what an f-ing disaster.  Literally.  Completely unwatchable and incomprehensible.  Again, you likely won't find me bashing any other films since my mission is to only review great movies, but I do need to post at least one crappy movie that gets my lowest rating, .08, in order for that rating to appear over in the right-hand column of my website under Categories.  At least A Scanner Darkly has some purpose.

"Adaptation" changes everything

Beyond having the coolest name in showbiz, Spike Jonze makes my favorite type of movie, so I'll give it it's own genre -- Bent (i.e. Twist or Twisted).  This mind-bender, Adaptation, happens to be the motherload for him, and possibly, for all filmakers.  But maybe the credit here should primarily go to the screenwriter, of whom is also the lead character of the film, Charlie Kaufman.  Kaufman also paired with Jonze on Being John Malcovich but subsequently went on without him for the bizzare Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.

The opening scene of Adaptation alone sets the stage for how ambitious this movie attemps to be and what it continues to build upon in a cresendo of mindf*ck like you've never seen.  Basically, starting from the absolute beginning of time (er, the big bang) and accellerating through all the familiar events from critters crawling out of water onto land, the dinosaurs, that extinction thing, re-growth, and ultimately, to today's magical/messy chapter.  And that's just the first three minutes.

This film is fantastic in every sense of the word.  Surreal, but not quite as obscure as Eternal Sunshine.  Nicolas Cage's dialogue with himself on his pathetic self image is brilliant and hillarious.  I could talk for hours about this movie... it's recursive and complex and is literally one of the first stories I've seen that's, well, new.  There's even TWO car crashes that are original.  Watch, adapt and be amazed.

"Bound" to make a mess on the couch

Bound is a mob movie starring Joe Pantoliano, Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gerson.  And though they are typically all secondary characters in movies -- especially pre-1996 when this one came out -- the three lead this one together with grit and confidence.  Basically, Joe and Jennifer are busy trying not to get fingered by the mob or the cops when in comes Gina, the seductress, who's trying to get her hands on their stash and whatever else comes with it.

This mafia movie seemed to fly below the RADAR back in the day, but it is truly one of the most intense, steamy, and stinky crime dramas I've seen.  And it practically all takes place in two rooms of an apartment building.  Joe plays himself from what I can tell (which is the same great character that recent generations may know him as from The Sopranos) -- a shocking, low-level cog in the family.  Jennifer's got that irritating Betty Boop voice that you're willing to forgive or gag in the right situation.  And Gina, though in a kinda silly role playing the apartment building's handy man, can drill my teeth for all I care... she's universally irresistible.

"Control" is extremely remote

Bought a Sonos home audio system.  Unreal.  With a Rhapsody account that basically comes with it, you can access practically every song ever produced and point it to any set of speakers in your house.  It's an incredible party novelty... just hand someone a remote, and they have a blast picking tracks.  Internet radio stations galore as well.  I think I made it to the future.

In honor of the world of great music now at my finger tips, today's film is one that's both an incredible docu-drama and an effortless musical.  Effortless to the extent that while the lead character, Ian Curtis of the band Joy Division, is writhing with trapped discomfort, his music just flows from his existence without question in a jerky march on the stage.  Literally, the art of songwriting and the making of music don't even play a part in the film.  Rather, a black and white look into the gray world of the tortured frontman of a band being squeezed between pre-alternative and post-punk.  Sam Riley plays the emotional poet with eloquent distance while his music hums in your ears from near beginning to end... of his life.  Early 80's emo as sh*t and as it gets.  Though not referenced in the film, ultimately, guitarist Bernard Sumner took over vocals to dominate the late 80's as New Order.

A poster for this album, JD's Unknown Pleasures, is on the wall of my office.  A younger associate, of whom, I totally look to for current music recommendations, as I rust, asked me what it was.  He knows now.  I told him to see the movie, Control.

"Bottle Rocket" is a movie AND a great way to poke out an eye

My goal with this blog to make one post per day was in serious jeopardy today folks.  Was working on something else and just checked the time.  My watch said 5 after Midnight, but I know my watch time is set a little fast.  Ok.  Deep breath.  Launched a browser, logged in, went to compose and just pushed "publish" on a blank post to get the chronologically favorable September 10th time stamp.  The browser was taking a while processing/loading when I glanced at the computer time -- just struck 12:01 a.m.  Ack!  It finally loaded/published and the blank post said 11:59 p.m., TypePad time.  :)  Now I'll take my own sweet time to write a proper post and click save (which will still read 11:59)... almost like time travel.  Phew!  Scatterbrained, half-baked, frantic and hilarious.  Victorious.

Reminds me of the Wilson brother's debut with Wes Anderson, Bottle Rocket.  Beyond non sequitur, everything is whack and hella from this group of no names (Owen did appear before in a bit part of a film likely to never get uttered again on FilmBender, The Cable Guy).  The only thing remotely familiar in this groundbreaking "quirky"-genre-definer is James Caan, of whom, had a minor, yet significant, role.  You will absolutely hear me utter words about other films by the quirky three.  Utter.

[Update 10/22/08: yes, I'm no longer a noob and now realize that I could have set to publish this post in the past.  Hee haw, heee haw, heeee haw!]

"Short Bus" nearly ran me over

Please reference the back-story on my short and deadly experience with the Bus on my "About" page.  Anyway, when it showed up on my Netflix recommendations -- btw a company I love and that's helped shape my young adulthood -- I saw this fairly nondescript movie overview:

<snip>  Director John Cameron Mitchel delivers an unbridled look at the New York City underground, focusing on a group of hipsters who frequent a downtown club renowned for its lascivious ways. Through graphic polymorphous sexual couplings -- and using an ensemble cast composed largely of first-time actors -- the film chronicles each character's erotic journey of self-discovery in a raw and riveting fashion.  <snip>

I added it, and it eventually showed up.  So much for shaping my young adulthood.  Holy f*ing sh*t.  Needless to say, what followed is absolutely the most shocking thing I've ever seen.  I'm no prude, but the yoga drink, followed by the butt trumpet, and ultimately the tri-gobble... ugh... I had to turn it off... I just got "ran over by Short Bus."  Maybe that can become a meme/trick like "getting Rick Rolled."  Heck, Rick might have been riding the Bus come to think of it.  Before I close off on this post, I'd like to say that FilmBender sets out to be lovin', not hatin'.  I'm rating this movie so poorly based solely upon the shock and disorientation I've received and not at all due to quality or orientation.  Life's not fair.  Just ask the kids on the short bus.

"American Movie" is almost as cool as Kokomo

OK.  Now there are a couple documentaries that really capture the texture of what I experienced growing up.  One is Heavy Metal Parking Lot and the other is American Movie.  Both are incredible, and I will likely get to posting about the former some day, but I have to make comment about how much I love the latter one for sure.  It's of the pathetic ilk of a Napoleon Dynamite character (a movie I actually disliked) desparetely directing a horror movie; but unlike Napoleon, it's the real deal.  It's endearing.  And it rocks.

If not just illuminating on the many other qualities of the human condition, American Movie certainly demonstrates that the dream of creating a film is one thing, but the grand effort it takes -- both physical and emotional -- to actually get one in the can, is entirely another.  It takes near infinate determination (regardless of whether he/she's got any other talent or vision to lend to the project).  This guy is most definitely and undeniably sh*tfaced on a movie bender.

"Beowulf" is hard to spell

Ya start to bum out in the first few minutes of this movie -- all distracted with the fake faces.  I mean, every single thing looks real in this movie from the giggle to the dragon slayings.  Faces aren't great though... like the faces of characters in Shrek or something.  Total buzz kill.  You start wondering what idiot would ever decide to make Beowulf this way [digital animation].  Well, it's Robert Zemeckis, so maybe I should defer to his filmaking expertise.

Because when Angelina Jolie's character is introduced halfway into the thing, either I became desensitized to the animation or they put way more time into her mug.  Looks real and hot.  Thank God.

But she's not the reason this movie is awesome.  The story and "hero" aspect of it is amazing.  You start out feeling like what's-his-name is screwed and there's no chance in hell he could carve his way out of a wet paper bag, but towards the end, you know he can flippin' make sashimi out of anything with an, err, heartbeat.  Disbelief suspended.

"The Assassination of Richard Nixon" kills me

Never made a movie.  Always wished I had.  Maybe some day will.  Closest I ever came was The Assassination of Richard Nixon.  I can't take credit for any making of the movie, but I did read the screenplay before it was made and could possibly have optioned it.  Come to think of it, this is Hollywood, so maybe I could leverage an associate producer credit or something.

Well, it's a good thing for the writer, Niels Meuller, that I didn't end up with having anything to do with getting it made because it wound up way better than I ever imagined.  Kudos.  When you're totally wasted on movies, you think anyone can do it.

But it's also a d*mn good thing for me that I had nothing to do with it because this great film didn't seem to catch any attention of any sort, and adding insult to injury, I don't believe it made a k-nickle.  Sean Penn was incredible as always as the Glengarry Glen Ross-like salesman gone way over the edge of hopelessness, paranoia and desperation in a potboiler ending in near disaster -- told perfectly.  True story.  At least that's what I heard.  And there's some haunting 9/11 things going on with it.  Check it out.  F-ed up.

"The Matrix" is NOT a great place for a hangover

'Tis cliche to reference The Matrix as my first post on FilmBender, but in some ways, it was also one of my first posts ever on the web.  Check out the SoulPatch serial cartoon called Honeycomb from the ever-incredible Wayback Machine.   The story was created by a friend of mine (let's call him "Box" to protect his anonymity).  Now I'm not widely versed in sci-fi, so I cannot attest to the originality of the concept, but certainly, Honeycomb pre-dates The Matrix screenplay (as I posted it before January 12, 1997).

Regardless, the first time I saw the film in the movie theater, I'd have to say, I was blown away and nearly had a panic attack in the process.  I'm sorry, but the thought of waking up in a sea of gooey pods with tubes melded into my skin got my heart pumping.  And then with the isolation setting in as the camera panned out, I nearly fainted and barfed myself.

Great movie though... anticipation for it was HUGE, and it still paid off.  First post.  Barf again.