MOVIE REVIEWS: CATFISH

ON DVD

CATFISH



Love and identity become twisted across the lines of the Internet in this documentary from filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. Nev Schulman is a photographer who one day received a surprising e-mail message -- Abby, an eight-year-old girl in Michigan, had seen his picture in a newspaper and wanted permission to paint a portrait from it. Nev gave his OK, and when he was given a copy of the painting, he was struck by how good it was, assuming that the girl was either a genius or a fraud. Nev tried to contact Abby's family, and somehow ended up in contact with Megan, Abby's sexy 19-year-old sister. As Nev fell into an increasingly complicated on-line relationship with Megan, he decided it was time to meet her in person, but when he traveled to Michigan and tracked her down, Nev learned that Abby and Megan's family were not at all what he expected them to be. Ariel Schulman, Nev's brother, began filming his brother's adventures from his first contact with Abby, and in Catfish he and Henry Joost tell this strange story from beginning to end. Catfish received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Director: Ariel Schulman , Henry Joost

Cast: Nev Schulman, Angela Wesselman-Pierce, Ariel Schulman

Release Date: Sep 17, 2010

Rated PG-13 for some sexual references

Runtime: 1 hr. 34 min.

Genres: Documentary

Review:

Anyone whose spent any amount of time on the internet knows were Catfish is going within 15 minutes of the film’s runtime. The marketing campaign try to sell it as a thriller with a massive “shocking” reveal but the truth is far more mundane yet true to life. The authenticity of this documentary is an interesting topic because there are plenty points were you can feel the filmmakers are pushing towards a resolution they already knows exist. So is it a documentary if its creator’s force or encourage the situation at hand? That is up to each viewer to decide for themselves, along with whether this is a mean spirited ruse to capture something real via artificial means. What Catfish (the other Facebook movie as it’s been commonly called) is, is an on the ground sample of the times we live in, the networks we use that try to make our world so much smaller but also includes a vast chasm of unknown which can’t be breached without person to person contact. Once breached, our artificial avatar based lives tend to vary greatly in the light of actual sunlight. Catfish is fascinating in concept and intriguing throughout but there does seem to be a bit of an exploitative undertone, especially in the last act, where our main character appears to lack any empathy for what’s he’s discovered. Perhaps that in of itself is another, if unintended, statement about the times this film encapsulates.

B-

[Trailer] John Carpenter’s THE WARD

Carpenter's first film since the awful Ghost of Mars (2001), trailer doesn't fill me with a lot of hope as it looks fairly pedestrian and the January release date (known to be a dumping ground for studio’s crap) makes me more than a tad apprehensive.

Time will tell if Carpenter is able to capture any of that magic from the 70’s or 80’s…

QUICK HIT MOVIE REVIEWS: SPLICE & SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD

ON DVD



*Synopsis from www.rottentomatoes.com
Superstar genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) specialize in splicing together DNA from different animals to create incredible new hybrids. Now they want to use human DNA in a hybrid that could revolutionize science and medicine. But when the pharmaceutical company that funds their research forbids it, Clive and Elsa secretly conduct their own experiments. The result is Dren, an amazing, strangely beautiful creature that exhibits uncommon intelligence and an array of unexpected physical developments. And though, at first, Dren exceeds their wildest dreams, she begins to grow and learn at an accelerated rate - and threatens to become their worst nightmare.

Rated: R

Running Time: 1 hr. 40 min.

Directed By: Vincenzo Natali

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror

Review:

Splice is a confounding movie in that it’s overly self serious tone would be fine if it’d just stuck to its smarts which permeate it’s first 2 acts. Instead it de-evolves in a hodgepodge of eye rolling moments and dialogue in it’s final act which makes you wonder whether you’d been taken for a ride by the director, who also helmed the wonderful cult favorite Cube. It’s a real shame because before the final act there is a plenty to like here, the acting, direction and plot are refreshing original even if the story is a modern Frankenstein tome.

C-




*Synopsis from www.rottentomatoes.com
Immediately following the events of "Diary of the Dead," "Survival of the Dead," is the 6th film from George A. Romero to look at a world where Humans... Immediately following the events of "Diary of the Dead," "Survival of the Dead," is the 6th film from George A. Romero to look at a world where Humans are in the minority and the zombies rule.Off the coast of Delaware sits the cozy Plum Island where two families are locked in a struggle for power, as it has been for generations. The O'Flynn's, headed by patriarch Patrick O'Flynn (Kenneth Welsh) approach the zombie plague with a shoot-to-kill attitude. The Muldoons, headed by Shamus Muldoon (Richard Fitzpatrick), feel that the zombies should be quarantined and kept 'alive,' in hopes that a solution will someday be found.The O'Flynn's, who are clearly outnumbered, are forced to exile Patrick by boat to the mainland, where he meets up with a band of soldiers, headed by Guardsman Sarge (Alan Van Sprang). They join forces and return to the island, to find that the zombie plague has fully gripped the divided community.As the battle between humans and zombies escalates, the master filmmaker continues to reinvent the modern horror genre with wicked humor and pointed social commentary.

Rated: R for strong zombie violence/gore, language and brief sexuality

Running Time: 1 hr. 30 min.

Distributor: Magnolia Pictures

Directed By: George A. Romero

Written By: George A. Romero

Genre: Horror


Review:

Survival of the Dead is a tonally odd film in Romero’s Dead series, especially after the impressive if didactic Diary of the Dead. It’s difficult to get a feel for it until you realize that Romero is making more of a horror comedy than a straight up horror film in his usual vein. You always have to respect Romero’s desire to do what he wants and while it’s an interesting if odd choice, personally I would have liked to have seen a sequel to Diary, in the end Survival of the Dead feel flat and unremarkable.

C

MOVIE REVIEWS: THE FIGHTER

IN THEATERS

THE FIGHTER



Mark Wahlberg stars in Paramount Pictures' inspirational docudrama exploring the remarkable rise of Massachusetts-born, junior welterweight title winner "Irish" Micky Ward. A determined pugilist whose career in the ring was shepherded by his loyal half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale) -- a hard-living boxer-turned-trainer whose own career in the ring was nearly sent down for the count due to drugs and crime -- perennial underdog Irish Micky rebounded from a disheartening series of defeats to win both the WBU Intercontinental Lightweight title and the WBU Light Welterweight title thanks to a fierce combination of determination and hard work. David O. Russell directs from a script by 8 Mile's Scott Silver and Paul Attanasio (The Bourne Ultimatum). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: David O. Russell

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee

Release Date: Dec 17, 2010

Rated R for some violence, sexuality, language throughout and drug content

Runtime: 1 hr. 54 min.

Genres: Documentary, Drama

Review:

Films based on sports stories always have inherent obstacles to clear to make an impression. Those obstacles are simple in that the plots are all identical, underdog rises get to the big game fight etc., and the faux sports never feels truly authentic. As a result this genre always has to work a bit harder than most. The Fighter works as a true life Rocky story because it’s a thoroughly compelling story about family and dysfunction with the sports aspect almost an afterthought. David Russell delivers a film that engaging from the moment it begins. It features some of the best all around acting from its stellar cast. Mark Wahlberg is soft spoken and heartfelt throughout, he tends to blend in to the background from time to time. It’s not really because of anything Wahlberg does but the other parts are meatier roles. Case in point, Christine Bale’s amazing performance as Mickey’s crack addict / trainer Dicky. Bale is a method actor through and through and here he’s manipulated his body to another extreme similar to what he did in The Machinist. His appearance and mannerism are just spot on throughout especially when you see footage of the real person. Bale has shown incredible versatility over the past couple of years and this role should give him the accolades and Oscar he’s deserved. Amy Adams is also impressive playing against type and does it extremely well. Melissa Leo reeks of authenticity as Mickey’s mother and manager. As a whole the cast share fantastic believable chemistry that boosts the story’s emotional center making everything ring true.
A-

Trailer Kevin Smith's Red State

Trailer for Kevin Smith's long talked about horror movie, huge departure for the him and it looks surprisingly stylish, who knows if it'll work or just come off as a variation on Children of the Corn....

MOVIE REVIEWS: THE TOWN

ON DVD

THE TOWN



Boston bank robber Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) falls for a woman his gang had previously taken hostage after feigning a chance meeting with her to ensure that she can't identify them in Affleck's adaptation of author Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves. The son of a tough Charlestown, MA thief, Doug passed on his chance to walk the straight and narrow in favor of becoming a career bank robber. Not only is Doug's crew one of the most ruthless in Boston, but they're also one of the best; they never leave a trace of evidence, and always make a clean break. Over the years, Doug's fearless partners in crime have become something of a surrogate family to him; Jem (Jeremy Renner), the most dangerous of the bunch, is the closest thing Doug has ever had to a brother. But a divide begins to open between the two career criminals when Jem takes bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage during a particularly tense heist, and the group subsequently discovers that she hails from their own tight-knit suburb. When Jem proposes that the gang make an effort to find out just how much Claire recalls about the crime, Doug fears that his volatile partner may do more harm than good and volunteers himself for the job. Later, Doug turns on the charm while pretending to bump into Claire by chance, and becomes convinced that she doesn't suspect him of being the same man who just robbed her bank. As the feds turn up the heat on the gang, Doug finds himself falling for Claire, and searching desperately for a means of cutting his ties to his criminal past. But with each passing day, Jem grows increasingly suspicious of Doug's true motivations. Now caught between two worlds with no chance of turning back, Doug realizes that his only hope for finding a happy future is to betray the only family he's ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Ben Affleck

Cast: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively.

Release Date: Sep 17, 2010

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use

Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Ben Affleck’s sophomore directorial effort is a dirty gritty heist drama that’s always interesting even if the story feels predictable. Affleck has an undeniable talent to capture the feel of the area and the people who live there. Even if the plot is a bit far fetched Affleck keeps the film grounded with characters that feel lived in and world weary. In the lead role, Affleck turns in his best work in years allowing the audience to feel the character conflicted nature. While Affleck is impressively strong, Jeremy Renner is absolutely stellar in a supporting role. Renner almost disappears into his character, creating a character that’s menacing and unpredictable. Jon Hamm also delivers strong work as the pressing FBI agent. Blake Lively is appropriately grimy but her performance occasionally feels forced. Faring worse is Rebecca Hall who just seems to blend in with the scenery never making much of an impression. Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite have small but important roles, they both perform well and make you wish they’d been given a bit more screen time since the characters are so intriguing. The film ends with a pulse pounding bang with a massive action set piece that’s a perfect bloody send off for a well crafted and acted film.

B+