Cosmopolis

Cosmopolis
(2012) [Trailer]
Director: David Cronenberg [IMDB]

Synopsis: The guy from Twilight is a deranged billionaire business man who works out of a limo.

It's nice to see Cronenberg returning back to form (after A Dangerous Method) with his newest installment Cosmopolis. He hired on Robert Pattinson, who you know from Twilight, to take the lead and he does an alright job I guess. This film is really out there and definitely not for everyone. It's strange, hard to follow at times, and doesn't really have a strong plot. That said... it's pretty cool for what it is, but it could have been better.

A lot of the dialogue is extremely scripted and didn't seem natural at all. There were a couple of moments where it stood out badly, maybe it was the performance of the material at those moments, but it seemed off.

The front end and middle of Comopolis were so-so, but it really hit a high note for me at the back end of the film... especially the scenes with Paul Giamatti.

If I were to compare it to something... it'd be like if eXistenZ hooked up with American Psycho.

Dredd 3D

Dredd 3D
(2012) [Trailer]
Director: Pete Travis [IMDB]

Dredd 3D is a remake of an 90's film called Judge Dredd, which actually came from a popular comic book. I know a lot of folks hate remakes, I actually use to be one of them awhile back. Within the last few years I've loosened my grip on the whole backlash against remakes and have come to embrace them. More times than not, remakes never live up to the promise of their predecessors but that still doesn't mean a new director can't certainly try and re-imagine a better incarnation of the original. Is Dredd 3D a winner or a loser in the battle of the remakes? Read on... Find out.

Synopsis: In the future judges are also badass cops who take the courthouse to the streets. Judge Dredd and a rookie find themselves trapped inside the building complex of a notorious crime boss who makes this really potent form of blue meth... wait that's Breaking Bad... she makes a new drug called Slo-Mo.

Dredd 3D is pretty awesome and definitely destroys the original. Honestly, I don't even think the original is that amazing of a film to begin with. Karl Urban is perfectly cast and the decision to keep his helmet on the whole time was ballsy, but extremely effective in my opinion. It gives him a definite comic book superhero feel, but also an absurd Robocop vibe at times. The film has also been drawling a lot of comparisons to The Raid... while I enjoyed The Raid and can obviously see the comparions (trapped in a building with drug lords at the top of it) I think Dredd is absolutely the better film.

Here's a list of things that really worked for me:

• Like I said before, the helmet always being on, but also the look of Dredd and his gun.
• The violence is over the top, and it's extremely gory at times. The action is also great.
• The Slo-Mo and all the scenes when people were on it... especially in 3D, it's really a must.
• Seeing Avon Barksdale from The Wire.
• The evil Queen from Game of Thrones makes a pretty impressive drug lord.

I'm not going to say this is anywhere near perfect, there's a few flaws but mostly it's a really solid action flick that's handled well for it's genre. It's in theaters now, but I don't think it has done too well so who knows for how long.

Starship Troopers

Starship Troopers
(1997) [Trailer]
Director: Paul Verhoeven [IMDB]

Synopsis: The earth is united against a common enemy... killer bugs from outer space.

This was a big favorite of mine in my late teens and early 20's. At that point I was (and still am) really into Paul Verhoeven's films and I was really blown away by this. I haven't seen Starship Troopers in awhile and picked it up on blu-ray, so I was curious as to how it held up, especially the special effects. It still looks amazing, dare I say... even better then the first time. It's totally over the top and almost goes for this campy b-movie vibe... I can't tell if the acting is bad at time or if it's intentional. It's violent, gory and satirical... which is what you would expect from a Verhoeven film.

If you liked this before, pick up the blu and give yourself a treat.

I Think We're Alone Now

I Think We're Alone Now
(2008) [Trailer]
Director: Sean Donnelly [IMDB]

Synopsis: People are creepy as shit.

This film follows two guys... well one guy and a guy who is kind of a women but still a guy. They are both certifiably insane and completely obsessed with Tiffany... just in case you think that's some girl that's a sandwich artist at the local Subway, it's not, it's the famous pop singer from the 80's. These two guys are extremely fucked up, to the point where it almost feels exploitative, but it's like a car wreck that you can help watching.

I think the subject matter is obviously worth viewing but the documentary itself is ugly and not very impressive in terms of film making. I'd still give it a poke, it's on Netflix instant.

 

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro Dreams of Sushi
(2012) [Trailer]
Director: David Gelb [IMDB]

Synopsis: 85 year old sushi extraordinaire (Jiro) is the best in the biz, this documentary shows you why.

You might say... who the hell wants to watch a documentary about a guy making sushi? I do, you little jerk. I love documentaries and often times when done right, they can shine an insightful light on almost any topic. That being said, the praise this film received earlier this year was high and I knew going into it that it wasn't just about making sushi. It's more about the man and his family. It's about their determination to perfect their craft and even how after 70 years of making sushi, you can still feel like there is something to learn. He is an interesting character and while I can appreciate his drive, it's also kind of sad in a way. When all you are is your work, I think you miss out of a lot that life has to offer. I mean, this guy never takes a day off or a vacation. It's work all the time and definitely no play.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is pretty impressive from a technical stand point and delivers on the promise of something different and interesting to watch. It's on Netflix instant if you're curious.

Playtime

Playtime
(1967) [Trailer]
Director: Jacques Tati [IMDB]

Synopsis: A man aimlessly wanders through a modern district in Paris... I guess.

This film is a weird one. It was a little hard to write that synopsis back there a few minutes ago. There's no real narrative or discernible plot... It's more of a visual motif I suppose. I think the director's intent with this piece is to convey the modern world as overly complicated and confusing. The locations and the cinematography used to capture them are wonderful... actually it's the film's greatest asset. Even though it's a French film, there's very little dialog... so those of you who hate subtitles will be relieved when you never watch this. It's also pretty humorous at times, the main character Monsieur Hulot has a obvious Charlie Chaplin vibe about him.

I enjoyed this film, but wasn't in love with it, maybe on a repeat viewing it'll bump up.