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We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

June 3, 2012

 

written by: Lynne Ramsay

produced by: Jennifer Fox, Luc Roeg and Bob Salerno

directed by: Lynne Ramsay

rating: R (for disturbing violence and behavior, some sexuality and language)

runtime: 112 min.

U. S. release date: December 9, 2011 (limited) and January 20, 2012 (wide) 

DVD/Blu-ray release date: May 29, 2012

 

I’m no child psychologist, but I’ve never really believed that there’s such thing as a “bad kid”. It seems more like a term used to label and file away a challenging or difficult child, than a way to better understand him or her. While I may not subscribe to such a view, there’s no denying how these bad seeds have had a noticeable presence in the movies. From the demon boy of “The Omen” to the petulant boy maniac of “Problem Child”, creepy or bratty boys (moreso than girls, for some reason – hmm) have always been around in cinema. Such an observance demands more indepth examination than you’ll find in this review. “We Need To Talk About Kevin” has yet another malevolent boy for the big-screen – in this case, as an unsympathetic antagonist to an equally unsympathetic protagonist – his mother.

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This Week on DVD & Blu-ray (05-29-12)

May 29, 2012
Since I see more movies than I can possibly review, there will always be some that I haven’t gotten around to reviewing. Two of them show up on today’s release list and both are recommended literary adaptations. One of those films is “Coriolanus” which is the directorial debut of actor Ralph Fiennes, who also stars in this modern-day adaptation of a Shakespeare tragedy. The other  is director Lynne Ramsey’s fascinating, troubling, and divisive film “We Need to Talk About Kevin” based on Lionel Shriver’s novel, which is a challenging look at a mother (tremendously played by Tilda Swinton) who has to deal with a tragic event involving her son. Look for my reviews on those two in the near future. Also out this week are two thrillers that came and went earlier this year, “Gone” starring Amanda Seyfried and “Man on a Ledge” starring Sam Worthington. It’s highly doubtful I’ll be rushing to see those two any time soon.
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Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

May 28, 2012

 

written by: Oren Peli, Shane Van Dyke and Carey Van Dyke 

produced by: Oren Peli, Brian Witten and Bradley Parker

directed by: Bradley Parker 

rating: R (for violence, some bloody images, and pervasive language) 

runtime: 88 min. 

U.S. release date: May 25, 2012

 

It’s not a good sign when a) a movie doesn’t screen for critics and b) there are no advance screenings until the night before its official release date. Nothing states “this movie sucks” and “don’t waste your time” more clearly than that one-two punch. I want to say that in learning this, I’ve been able to steer clear of such an omen, since rarely has any film with such a pattern ever turned out to be good, watchable, or at the very least – pain-free. That’s obviously not the case with “Chernobyl Diaries”. I should’ve known from similar viewings of past duds, such as “Skyline” and “My Soul To Take“, that the latest horror flick from filmmaker Oren Peli (responsible for the successful “Paranormal Activity” series), would effortlessly fall into the same company. It was either morbid curiosity or questionable optimism that found me in a less-than-packed theater (theater #13 to be precise), subjecting myself to horrible acting, awful dialogue, and worst of all, a stupid and insulting story.

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The Criterion Completist – Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

May 27, 2012

 

written by: Wendell Mayes (screenplay) and John D. Voelker (story)

produced by: Otto Preminger

directed by: Otto Preminger

rating: none

runtime: 161 min. 

U.S. release date: July 1, 1959

DVD/Blu-ray release date: February 21, 2012

 

The famous opening title sequence for Anatomy of a Murder was designed by graphic designer Saul Bass, and uses cut-out animation of a crudely drawn dismembered body interwoven with a brisk jazz score over the credits.   It has a very modern feel to it (as does the film’s poster, also designed by Bass), and signals this as a very modern film for 1959.  Director Otto Preminger has always been known for pushing the envelope in his movies (Bass had also designed a similar credit sequence for Preminger’s earlier controversial film “The Man with the Golden Arm”), and here he again courted infamy with frank discussions of divorce, violence and sexuality.  Preminger intuited that this was the beginning of the end for the blissful post-war era of America, and the start of a darker, more open time for the country, and with this film, he cemented his legacy as one of the finest film directors ever.

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The Dictator (2012)

May 27, 2012

 

written by: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel & Jeff Schaffer

produced by: Sacha Baron Cohen, Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Scott Rudin & Dan Mazer

directed by: Larry Charles

rating: R (for strong crude and sexual content, brief male nudity, language and some violent images)

runtime: 83 min.

U.S. release date: May 18, 2012

 

“The Dictator” taught me one thing about my moviegoing – just because I occasionally laugh out loud, doesn’t mean I walked away from a good movie. Not that this comedy, which reunites actor Sacha Baron Cohen (who also co-writes and co-produces) with director Larry Charles (“Borat” and “Bruno”), is out to educate viewers, but that’s really about all I could take away from my viewing experience. Cohen has already established his brazenly offensive humor, subjected audiences to his racist, sexist, and lewd comedy that often includes wink-wink social and political commentary. His two previous films with Charles benefited from a loose improvisational feel which incorporated uncomfortable shocks, but “The Dictator” plays it safe with a lazy screenplay that primarily pokes fun at Middle Eastern stereotypes and perceptions. While there are some hilarious moments, the movie winds up feeling like a series of comedic skits patched together with overplayed jokes. The endlessly played trailers and TV spots may have shown some promise, but it seems like efforts to stretch this material out to feature-length have fallen flat.

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This Week on DVD & Blu-ray (05-22-12)

May 22, 2012

With the first Summer Movie Month coming to a close,  the rest of the January/February releases are finally hitting the streets. It’s no surprise that the long-gestated George Lucas production “Red Tails” bombed, while Hammer Films “The Woman in Black” didn’t scare up any real rave reviews, even though it had a post Harry Potter/Daniel Radcliffe draw. Then there’s “This Means War”, which showed us that even Kirk and Bane couldn’t save a Reese Witherspoon action/romance, directed by McG. Which leaves Studio Ghibli to save this batch of uneven new releases, while “The Secret World of Arriety” may not be their best film, it certainly is just as beautiful and immersive as their other animated features.  Also out this week, is the documentary “Carol Channing: Larger Than Life” which I’ve heard good things about and has me curious – even though the woman scares me.
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The Criterion Completist – Tiny Furniture (2010)

May 20, 2012


written by: Lena Durham

produced by: Kylie Martin, Alicia Van Covering and Alice Wang

Directed by: Lena Dunham

rating: unrated

runtime: 98 min. 

U.S. release date: November 12, 2012

DVD/Blu-ray release date: February 14, 2012

 

In a 2006 short film by video artist and filmmaker Lena Dunham called “Pressure”, Dunham and two of her friends sit on the floor of a library and listen as one of the girls describes the onset of a female orgasm, comparing it to a sneeze.  After they leave, Lena sticks a finger in her nose, wiggles it around, and then sneezes.  The end.  Extend scenes like this into a feature-length film, and you have Dunham’s breakthrough feature, “Tiny Furniture”.

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