Captain Phillips

Captain Phillips
(2013) [Trailer]
Director: Paul Greengrass [IMDB]

Big fan of Paul Greengrass... big fan! When I heard my man was teaming up with Forrest Gump to make a movie about pirates and the high seas, I was sold. I finally got around to watching Cappy Phil last night and here's what I thought.

Synopsis: Tom Hanks is a shipping boat captain who must keep his shit together when his vessel is overrun by Somali pirates.

Captain Phillips is a quality title, and like all Greengrass films I've seen, It builds up pressure and stress in a harmonious way. I thought Tom Hanks was ok throughout and then at the last 10 minutes he cranks out one hell of an oscar worthy moment. The pirates were all pretty believable and from what I understand, were not actors, which is kinda cool. The hand held aesthetic, that Paul Greengrass is so well known for, seemed fitting here and help sell the realness of the situation... it felt like the perfect story for him to direct.

There weren't too many flaws here, that I can think of, maybe the family man dynamic they tried to work in, it felt a little weak and not built up enough. Overall... I really loved this film and will definitely rewatch at some point.

I Still Like M. NIght Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and Lady in the Water)

I wrote this review up months ago and forgot about it. I don't know if that means anything, but I guess you could read into it a little. Everyone thinks M. Night sucks now and have wrote him off (kinda like me forgetting this review.) The man has cranked out some hits and I'm about to revisit them.

The Sixth Sense
(1999) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A doctor starts seeing a child with a secret... he likes jam bands.

1999 was an insane year for movies. There were a tone of rad titles that dropped that year and among all of them, The Sixth Sense was one of my favorites. I think everyone has seen this film, but what I don't know is if everyone has rewatched it. It has a really different vibe once you've seen it and know what to expect. The performances, especially from Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette are great. The story has a Hitchcockian vibe but is still feels original and unfolds at a perfect pace... and there's even a few horror notes in there which work fantastically. Bravo M. Night... bravo!

Unbreakable
(2000) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A lone survivor of a cataclysmic train wreck learns there might be more to his escape than he thought after he meets a local comic book nerd.

I recall checking this film out in the theaters and loving every minute of it. I honestly couldn't remember a lot of it before this rewatch and was unsure if it would hold up. It's still pretty good, not great, but a lot of fun. I like the concept behind this film and it still feels extremely original and fresh 13 years later. Unbreakable is a unique twist on a super hero flick and one I think would have been cool to see a sequel for. I wasn't a huge fan of how quickly the ending unfolds, I think Shyamalan could have took it in a better direction, but ultimately this film is a winner in my book.

Signs
(2002) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: Are mysterious signs being formed out of corn crops a hoax or a message from aliens? Signs takes a deeper look into this phenomenon.

Signs was pretty thrilling when I first saw it, I remember my arm hairs standing up when they first showed that Alien crossing the street in Central America. After this sitting, it still holds up for the most part I suppose. The cast were great and pulled off the material given to them with ease, but the story seemed a little weak to me. The crop circles are a small part of a grand idea, but I think that idea could have been more localized and contained, instead of trying to make Signs into a full scale invasion movie. I also felt like the ending was extremely abrupt and crisis resolves itself in an really unsatisfying way. I still like the film, I just think M. Night could have produced something better.

Lady in the Water
(2006) [Trailer]
Director: M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB]

Synopsis: A modern day fairytale unfolds as the residences of a Philly apartment deal with a mysterious visitor from their swimming pool.

I think this was the film that really started the ball rolling on the M. Night hate express. I know a lot of people loathed it but I still think it's a good film and after my recent viewing I still stand firm on that. It definitely has its flaws but I really appreciate the idea Shyamalan had with it and the execution of that concept is unique. I think the framing device in the intro and the old Korean lady were quasi lazy attempts to move the story along and it seems like there could have been a better way to handle it. Regardless, the story is fun, the characters were interesting, and the setting was incredible.

Only God Forgives

Only God Forgives
2013 [Trailer]
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn [IMDB]

Nicolas Winding Refn is one of my favorite directors working today and to say I was excited to see his newest film, Only God Forgives, would be putting it lightly. Based off the trailer and the director's prior work, this film was one of my most anticipated for 2013... let's see if it was a winner.

Synopsis: Ryan Gosling (so hot right now) is working as a drug smuggler in Bangkok's seedy underground. His brother turns up dead and with some coaxing from his mother, he sets out for vengeance.

As with all of NWR's movies, this is not for everyone. It's slow paced, lacks a lot of dialogue, violent, and leaves things open for interpretation. It's exactly what I hoped it would be. The Gos was awesome, the score was on point, and out of everything Nicolas has produced... this is by far the best looking of the bunch. The colored lights against darkened sets (think Dario Argento) used throughout Only God Forgives lends itself to the horror genre and offers a very creepy vibe which I absolutely loved. The story is pretty straight forward and simple, but I think Nicolas Winding Refn has other hidden themes that the viewer is left to put together. I have an interesting theory about the police chief Chang, but I'll save it, as it would be considered a really big spoiler... once you see Only God Forgives we'll talk about it okay... cool.

This is a slam dunk for me... also a film I'll definitely buy and rewatch. It's in theaters now, so check it out. Or don't, do whatever you feel like.

The Loved Ones

The Loved Ones
(2009) [Trailer]
Director: Sean Byrnes [IMDB]

I had heard lots of good things about The Loved Ones before going into it, so I bumped it to the top of my Netfix queue on behalf of a few friends who had recommended it. It has been sitting at my house for over 2 months, along with two other discs from them that I need to watch and return. Ever since Netflix instant my physical discs have been getting the short end of the stick, so I'm gonna try and navigate through these damn things.

Synopsis: After asking a stoner named Brent to prom and getting rejected, Lola decides to take what she wants by force. With the help of her father she throws her own prom and guess who's invited?

The Loved Ones is an interesting movie, I suppose I should tell you why... that's why I get paid the big bucks. It's a horror film, but I didn't find it scary... just really fucked up. It's like a torture film if anything, but the first half of it plays out like a drama as well. It's strange and unconventional... if some of the cast from Dazed and Confused met the family from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre you'd kind of be somewhere near the feel of this film. I definitely liked the movie but there were things that didn't work for me, the build up and some of the characters involved seemed unnecessary. There's also the casting of Lola.... while she did a fantastic job in the role, she just didn't seem like the kind of girl who would be this weird outcast hell bent on torturing her dates.

The Loved Ones is an interesting movie and worth a view, I may even pick it up for a future rewatch to see if it gets any better with time.

WIlliam Friedkin Marathon: Sorcerer, Rampage, Blue Chips, Rules of Engagement, The Hunted, Bug.

William Friedkin has received a lot of love from me on the site. He is the man and I continually enjoy everything I see by him. I noticed recently that a crop of his movies have appeared on Netflix instant, so I watched them... and gave a brief run down with my ratings... because that's what I do here at WFR!

Sorcerer
(1977) [Trailer]
Director: William Friedkin [IMDB]

Synopsis: 4 men with checkered pasts are hired to transport highly volatile dynamite through a Nicaraguan forest.

This film is a definite pleaser in my book. Whoever the guy is that's in charge of the explosions in Sorcerer should be given an Oscar. Also the score-- it's incredible. There was a little lag towards the beginning and it took some time for the story to gain momentum, but when it gets going it rules. The truck building scene was awesome, I feel like I could build one now.

There's tons of suspense as the crew travels through the jungle. Two stand out moments for me were... the truck driving across the Temple of Doom bridge and the jerry-rigging of the C4 to blow up the tree.

Rampage
(1987) [Trailer]
Director: William Friedkin [IMDB]

Synopsis: A delusional young man goes on a killing spree. He's taken to court and tries to get off on insanity.

This film's main problem is... it's boring as shit. Seriously... it was so slow and really hard to finish. It stars Michael Biehn from The Terminator, he was probably the best actor of the lot. I don't know what else to say here.... this is definitely a pass.

Snooze city.

Blue Chips
(1994) [Trailer]
Director: William Friedkin [IMDB]

Synopsis: Nick Nolte is a college basket ball coach looking to build a winning team.

Nick Nolte plays a pretty typical coach, or at least what I think one should act like, so I guess that's good. There's a lot of poor acting from all the players and a few believability issues. When Nolte goes to visit Shaq for the first time, he takes a boat, travels through a swamp, then hikes through a field. When he arrives to the town Shaq lives in, it has a street running right through it... why didn't Nolte just drive there? Blue Chips is a pretty average sports drama, not horrible, but not great either.

Rules of Engagement
(2000) [Trailer]
Director: William Friedkin [IMDB]

Synopsis: Tommy Lee Jones defends Samuel L Jackson after he gives orders to attack a group of Yemen protesters.

I was prepared to be disappointed after seeing the ratings score for this film, but it wasn't that bad. There were a few predictable moments but all the performance and pacing were good enough to give it a pass.

The scene where Samuel L Jackson kills the Viet Cong guy was pretty rad and the surge on the US embassy was pretty gripping.

This was a nice blend of a court room drama and war flick, absolutely a decent time waster.

The Hunted
(2003) [Trailer]
Director: William Friedkin [IMDB]

Synopsis: Benicio Del Toro is a crazed ex military assassin and his mentor (Tommy Lee Jones) is brought in to track him down.

This movie could have been so much cooler. It started off and had a sort of Rambo meets Deerhunter vibe going for it, but somewhere along the way it derailed a little. It wasn't awful or anything, just kinda bland.

Two things. The opening scene with the wild wolf caught in a snare and TLJ just walks up and frees it... it's absurd. Also... at the end when Del Toro is being chased by a shit ton of FBI, he finds the time to stop and forge a blade out of iron and fire???? It might have been one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in a serious movie.

Bug
(2006) [Trailer]
Director: William Friedkin [IMDB]

Synopsis: Two people with a lot of baggage hook up and then start to believe the government has bugged them?

Bug is a weird film. It feels dirty, kind of like Killer Joe did. There's some really cool camera work and sound design throughout this. As always, Michael Shannon plays a great crazy person. The film takes awhile to roll out, but when it does, it unfold very quickly. The last 20 minutes are bananas.

A Mario Bava Bender (Kill Baby Kill, Bay of Blood, Lisa and the Devil, The House of Exorcism)

I've reviewed a few Mario Bava films on this site and have made no secret of my love for him. Recently I noticed a bunch of his titles have popped up on Netflix Instant so I decided to check out a few.

Kill Baby, Kill
(1966) [Trailer]
Director: Mario Bava [IMDB]

Synopsis: The ghost of a little girl haunts and murders folks in a small town in 18th century Italy.

Kill Baby, Kill has all the stylistic elements that make viewing a Bava film a real treat. Great sets, check! Cool lighting, check! Ace cinematography, check! Visually speaking.... everything is extremely pleasing. However, the story is pretty simple and could have been a bit more memorable. Everyone loves an evil little kid and this movie features one, although I think they could have made her a little creepier. Kill Baby, Kill is an average title, nothing groundbreaking , but worth view.

Bay of Blood (aka Twitch of the Death Nerve)
(1971) [Full Movie]
Director: Mario Bava [IMDB]

Synopsis: People visit a bay... then get hacked up at said bay.

Bay of Blood is cited as one of the first Slasher films ever and is highly influential within the genre. In fact, Friday the 13th Part 2 directly steals two kill scenes from this film. It's a lot more violent and gory than most Bava films, but it also has all the traits that make his art so special. The story line is a bit complicated and involves a lot of characters, most of them have little to no real development. The biggest WTF moment is the ending, it really comes out of left field and I'm not sure if I liked it, or hated it. I would recommend this, just for the sake of the experience of it, it's a weird one, but pretty entertaining.

Lisa and the Devil
(1974) [Trailer]
Director: Mario Bava [IMDB]

Synopsis: A lost tourist runs into who she thinks is the devil incarnate and ends up staying at a mansion where things get weird.

There are two versions of this film... the original, which is being reviewed by me, right here and now.... then there is "The House of Exorcism" which I will review next. That's right, I watched both (no life). Lisa and the Devil stars Kojak as the devil and after watching this, I think that casting was perfect... he's an evil looking dude. The pacing of this film is slow and creepy, verses fast and in your face. I enjoyed this but it's a little odd and probably not for everyone. It's a far better cut than The House of the Exorcism, which is a perfect example of how someone can ruin a good film.

The House of Exorcism
(1974) [Trailer]
Director: Mario Bava [IMDB], Alfredo Leone [IMDB]

Synopsis: Same as Lisa and the Devil except now there's an exorcism.

I actually watched this version first and was completely turned off by it. So much so that I decided to pull up the interwebs and see what the hell happened. Because William Friedkin's Exorcist was such a huge hit, Alfredo Leone came on board to "help" Bava turn what was considered a flop, into a hit. It did not work. This film is a mess. The pacing and story line are all over the map and ultimately the added scenes ruin it for me. The new scenes are such a direct rip off of The Exorcist that it's almost comical and how they disbursed them into the original story makes no sense. Definitely pass on this cut.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection

I received the most bad ass blu-ray box set for Christmas this year.... the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection. I will now give a brief breakdown and review of the set.

Saboteur
(1942)
I loved how Saboteur opened up with the smoke against the wall, it looked like something out of a David Lynch film. This was entertaining and a nice little mystery piece. It was a little heavy handed at times and the ending could have been stronger, but ultimately it was a good intro piece to this set.

Shadow of a Doubt
(1943)
This is just a great story in itself and even without Hitchcock's direction, would still probably be pretty entertaining. I loved the way Shadow of a Doubt opens in this dark depressing room... it sparks an interesting character study on the secretive Uncle Charlie. There are a few parts where it slowed a little for me, but it didn't bring the overall experience down. One quick note... I loved the dialogue between the neighbor and the father.

Rope
(1948)
Rope is a fantastic little gem in this collection and the first of the films in color. Again, this is another great story and to see it play out on screen was a delight. I love the use of all the long takes that Hitchcock incorporates, it's pretty cool for a film from the 40's. Jimmy Stewart is awesome in this and I also loved John Dall who stole the show in my opinion. The closing shot to this film is one of the greatest endings to a film I've seen in a long time.

Rear Window
(1954)
I'm only four films in but one thing I've noticed already is that there is such ease to watching a Hitchcock film... they really feel timeless and extremely entertaining. Rear Window is no exception. This film is a masterpiece and set the bar high for the other films I have left in this collection. Jimmy Stewart rules in this, watching him watch other people and just seeing his reaction to everything is great. The other impressive thing is the set, I couldn't tell if it was a real building or not. Rear Window unfolds perfectly and leaves you wondering the whole way through if the neighbor is a killer or not. Absolutely my favorite so far.

The Trouble with Harry
(1955)
Another pleasing selection from Mr Hitchcock. The Trouble with Harry is probably the best looking of the all the films so far, it had incredible cinematography. This is a brilliant comedy and one that has an interesting view on murder. All of the players involved seem completely unfazed by the dead body they've stumbled upon and watching them handle the corpse is part of the fun... it's all very macabre.

The Man Who Know Too Much
(1956)
The Man Who Knew Too Much could be released tomorrow, with all current actors and modern techniques... and it would be a huge hit. By now I've realized how many people rip off Hitchcock.... it's comical. This film is solid and extremely well executed. James Stewart is the man. The ending is a heavy hitter.

Vertigo
(1958)
I've been wanting to check Vertigo out for awhile now, but have held off until this set was released in order to partake in a proper viewing of the film. It is awe inspiring and a testament to the power of blu-ray. The visuals and cinematography are stellar and you can see why this is such a highly influential film. Jimmy Stewart cranks out another great performance... I love Jimmy Stewart. Vertigo is a highly suspenseful story and it takes a few crazy turns that I didn't expect, especially the ending, which is brilliant. I dug this film big time.

North by Northwest
(1959)
One of the best chase films I've seen. North by Northwest is quality entertainment and peaked my interest throughout it's entire run time. Both Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint are great together. It's apparent to me how influential this film was on later films that followed. Actually, I've noticed that a lot so far... so many people rip off Hitchcock.

Psycho
(1960)
It's been a long time since I've seen Psycho and I forgotten how awesome it is. The score is one of the greatest out there, it makes this film so much stronger. I actually watched half of (I fell asleep) the 1998 remake right after this (I will not be reviewing it) and it's so crazy how much better the original is. You also realize after watching the remake how much more effective Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles were. I'm a big fan of this film, it's a must if you're into thrillers and horror.

The Birds
(1963)
The Birds is half love story, half horror film. It takes it's time to get to the horror, instead Hitchcock toys with the audience and injects little slivers of the impending doom that's ahead. Some of the effects used didn't hold up that well, but I still enjoyed them, especially the scene of the group of kids being chased by blood hungry crows... or were they blackbirds?

Marnie
(1964)
The girl from The Birds returns for Marnie, she's also accompanied by Sean Connery, both do a good job. There's a few moments where the acting seemed a little over the top, especially coming from the mother. Marnie has a cool story behind it but the ending seemed a little over done... still it's a good film.

Torn Curtain
(1966)
A decent enough flick. Paul Newman and Julie Andrews were engaging but the story is so-so. I felt like it dragged a little towards the end. There's a cool scene at a farm house where Newman fights a German, that was the highlight for me. Torn Curtain is fine I guess, I would rank it low on the list compared to the others.

Topaz
(1969)
My least favorite at this point. Topaz is pretty boring. There's a bunch of characters and no real development of them. The story is pretty lack luster and the acting is average to below average. I'd pass on this one.

Frenzy
(1972)
A pleasing crime thriller which keeps you hooked in throughout the whole ride. The protagonist, Jon Finch, did a great job and the supporting cast were all fantastic. It's not perfect, but a rad little film that's worth the time.

Family Plot
(1976)
Family Plot rounds out the collection and is the last film Hitchcock ever made. Bruce Dern (from The Burbs!) is awesome in this. It's a pretty interesting film but starts to where out its welcome towards the end. There's a great score and fantastic cinematography as always. It's a nice way to go out... not perfect, but nowhere near bad.

After watching 14 Hitchcock films back to back I can say one thing for certain... there is an inherent watchability to everything he does. Even his films that aren't great, are still good and far superior than the best titles from an average director. Hitchcock is master auteur and is able to visualize such a complete work of art from beginning to end... it is incredible how harmonious all of his films are. I'd now say he sits in the upper echelon of my favorite directors and I just ordered a bunch of his other titles I haven't seen yet... so excpect more Hitch in the future of Curtis... reviewer extraordinaire.