This Review for Sale... "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold"

This review typed on an Apple iMac, posted to Blogspot, hyperlinked to Facebook, and available to rent from Netflix or purchase from Amazon...


The Story:

Morgan Spurlock returns with a documentary about product placement in the movies.  His endeavor is to see if he can raise $1.5 million dollars to cover the production budget of his entire documentary.

Ingenious, and entertaining.

Spurlock's toughest sell was convincing companies to sponsor his movie.

How do you offer products, services or money to a documentary that will only be seen by a niche viewing market instead of a Hollywood blockbuster?

But with perseverance and his usual charm, he pitches to everyone and lands the money.

Pom. Mini. JetBlue. Sheetz. Not a huge conglomeration of sponsors, but enough to get his movie made, and to make his point.

The documentary documents the whole process, and becomes the lions share of the film.


I actually tried Pom just because of their participation in the film, otherwise I would never have bought it.  So well done, product placement works!

Amusingly, towards the end of the film, Spurlock gets a call about making another documentary that would become Mansome.  The opportunity is too great to pass up, and the true selling out begins.

It's a very interesting look at advertising in Hollywood, and recommended.

Final Grade: B

Would I Own It: Probably not, but I could watch it again if it ever streams on Netflix.

Let's Make a Deal... "The Negotiator"

 

One of the movies that missed being on my Top 100 of All Time...

What was I thinking?

15 years ago...

The Story:

Skilled Chicago hostage negotiator, Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) is sucked into a web of deceit and lies within the Chicago police department when his partner is found murdered.  Roman is the prime suspect, all the while maintaining his innocence.  Driven to the edge, Roman barricades himself in the Internal Affairs department taking several hostages and the lead Internal Affairs inspector (J.T. Walsh) whom Roman believes is involved in the scheme to defraud the pension fund.  As Roman's entire police force gathers around the building to take him down, they question his innocence and guilt, and some have more motive to see him dead than others.  With nobody to trust on the outside, Roman requests the negotiator come from another precinct, and he calls in Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) to work the scene.  Sabian's only goal is getting the hostages out of there safely, and he too begins to question who he can, and cannot trust in this thriller.

Directed with precision and skill by F. Gary Gray who apparently picks and chooses what movies, and when, he wants to direct, took on this one a few years after his previous big hit... Friday.

Talk about a change in direction!

: )

Jackson carries the considerable weight of the film on his shoulders, but he is surrounded by an all-star cast... sort of.

What they did was provide a veritable who's who of character actors to play all of the bit parts, names you may or may not recognize, but if you see the faces you go, oh yeah, I know that guy!

Some of those: Paul Giamatti as Rudy and informant in the wrong place at the wrong time.  David Morse as Captain Beck, the tactical side of SWAT who wants to take Roman down.

And therein lies half the fun of this movie.  You really don't know which cops you can trust because they are dirty... or just because they are unlikeable characters just trying to do their job.

The twists, turns and revelations continue throughout, and you remain riveted to your seat until the credits roll.

They don't make movies like this anymore, or if they do, they're flying way under my radar.

Final Grade: A

Would I Own It: Yes I would, and I highly recommend a viewing/repeat viewing if you haven't seen this one since it came out in 1998.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

There's Something Dangerous on the Dark Side of the Moon... "Iron Sky"

 

 

There is nothing new coming out of Hollywood...

But over in Finland....

The Story: 

At the end of World War II, the Nazis fled to the Dark Side of the Moon.  There they have been patiently waiting and building the ultimate weapon for their eventual return to the Earth as conquerors.  In the year 2018, the President is trying to figure out a way to win re-election.  Her idea?  Head back to the moon, this time with a black astronaut.  He's captured, turned white, and...

But wait, why spoil it?

: )

So what's harder to accept?  Space Nazis or Palin as President? 

Both are equally far-fetched, but one made for much more interesting premise than the other. 

The satire against Palin and the Tea Party Republicans is handed its head by showing how easily the Nazi ideals are adopted by the party to ensure a winning re-election campaign.

That said, the Nazi moon invasion is actually the strength of the film.

It's an amazingly amusing premise, but one that is sold so believably, you just kick back and enjoy the film. 

The actors, aside from one, I had never seen or recognized from anything else I've ever seen.  Yet all were competent in their abilities and did not drag this "B" movie into grade "Z" schlock-ville.

No, even the Special Effects are given their just due in the film, and it plays like a big budget versus a SyFy channel low budget affair.

It was amusing throughout with an occasional zinger to punctuate the whole affair.  Switching effortlessly between English and German with appropriate subtitles, the film never misses a beat.

Good stuff, and much more enjoyable than I was expecting.

 

Available to stream instantly as of this writing on Netflix.

Final Grade: Solid B... could be higher.

Would I Own It: You know, if I find it at the right price, I could see shelling out for this one.  Hopefully Hollywood will start coming up with their own crazy ideas soon enough?

 

 

From the Archives: "The Man"

Oh fuh-cryin' out loud...

The Story:

Federal Agent Derrick Vann (Samuel L. Jackson) is trying to track down the bad guy (Luke Goss) who killed his partner.  However, a dentist (Eugene Levy) gets in the way, and the two end up teaming together to try and bring the bad guy down.

 

Sure, it doesn't sound like much, but somehow....someway...

This is one of those films that critics hated, but I loved.

It's one of the funniest buddy movies in recent years.

The writing is good, but when delivered by Levy and Jackson, it takes it to an entirely new level.

Samuel L. Jackson is an underrated actor when it comes to comedy.  He plays the straight man to perfection, while both lampooning and championing his tough as nails persona that he brings to every role.

Levy scores as the neurotic dentist who is in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Plunged into a case, he is hilarious as the fish out of water who insists on doing things his way, no matter how dangerous it becomes.

The third of three straight films directed by Les Mayfield (Blue Streak and American Outlaws) that I really enjoyed, he hasn't directed a film since Codename: The Cleaner. 

I suppose some would say that's for the better, but I liked his work.

Final Grade: B+

Already Own it, and it gets rewatched at least once a year.  : )

Can a Movie Based on a Game Be Any Good? Here's a "Clue"

Here's what REALLY happened...

The Story:

A group of people arrive at a mansion for a dinner.  Wadsworth (Tim Curry) the Butler greets each of them: Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Miss Scarlett (Lesley Ann Warren) and Mr. Green (Michael McKean).  They are then greeted by Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), their esteemed host who apparently is blackmailing them all.  Mr. Boddy offers them a chance to get out from under his thumb by killing the butler and forgetting the night had ever happened.  He gives each of them a weapon, turns out the lights...

And then Mr. Boddy turns up dead... and the game is on!

Yes, movies based on board games can be quite good after all.

I had never seen this movie before, heard about it, and the multiple endings that they filmed.

But boy, it was eviscerated by critics back in the day for being unfunny.

Truth be told, the only reason I even watched it for the first time last year (and it almost made the list of best films I saw...) was the fact that Psych is doing an homage episode this season, and I wanted to see if I could spot which jokes they might use.

That they are bringing back half the cast (Martin Mull, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren), and much of the cast that was able to be brought back has already appeared in previous episodes of Psych (Tim Curry, Howard Hesseman), yeah, you could say that this was an inspiration to the cast and crew of that show.

That said, the movie is a riot.

All of the actors do a fabulous job, but Tim Curry excels at the final exposition of who the killer is.

I also prefer that ending versus the "Here's what really happened" ending.

Now available for instant streaming on Netflix as of this writing.


Final Grade: A-

Would I Own It: Yes, yes I would.  We've watched it twice thus far, and it's just as funny with each viewing.

The Reinvention of the Spy Wheel... "Skyfall"

 

The franchise gets shaken... and stirred.

The Story:

Bond (Daniel Craig) is back as 007.  This time around he must save M (Judi Dench) and all of MI6 from the threat of one of their own gone rogue (Javier Bardem).  Meanwhile, as things go from bad to worse for MI6, the British Government is holding hearings on possibly dismantling the section altogether.  It seems that the spy business is a bit outdated, so if the bad guy doesn't do it, the Brits might dismantle it themselves. 

Best. Bond. Ever?

No.

It's good.

Which for this franchise, is good enough.

The title of the film refers to the Scottish home of the Bond family, where Bond makes his final stand against the enemy.

Not everyone makes it out of the film intact and ready to film the next installment.

However the new director, Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) takes over as M, bringing with him a young secretary named Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) whom Bond will be able to flirt with.

In a cute turnabout, the franchise has gone full circle so that the M that Connery had is the same M that Craig put in the seat.

Of course this can only mean that SMERSH, SPECTRE or whatever acronym they devise for the bad guys in the next film can not be far away.

Don't think about it too much, it will make your head explode.

So yes, it's nice to have the franchise hit the reset button, it's just odd to think of the Brosnan and Craig years as the prequels.

As for the opening song, absolutely dreadful.  I cannot stand Adele, and this theme song, as with every theme song that came after A View to a Kill, is utter rubbish.

Academy Award winning rubbish, but rubbish nonetheless.

Otherwise, not a bad effort from all involved.  This is Craig's best outing in the tuxedo since Casino Royale.

Which if you want to make an argument for best Bond film ever, you will have an easier time convincing me of that film, over Skyfall.

But as we all know, Goldfinger is the best of them all.

Final Grade: B-  A B+ film marred by a screechingly bad theme song! : )

Would I Own It:  Yes, because I own every other Bond film, why stop now.  ; )

WWE Studios Makes Movies By "Bending the Rules"

 

 

You Think You Know Me...

The Story:

Detective Blades (Edge...Adam Copeland) is on administrative leave from the force while on trial for corruption by the assistant District Attorney (Jamie Kennedy).  Of course when circumstances force the two adversaries to work together, can the two survive each other long enough to find the person that wants them dead?

Coming from WWE Studios, this wasn't half bad.

A budget film to be sure, but Edge has the charisma and charm to carry over into Hollywood films.  He does just fine throughout and keeps the movie watchable.

Jamie Kennedy as the assistant DA is an interesting choice.  He isn't over-the-top funnyman, so he acquits himself well.

The movie itself isn't quite balanced with humor and action to be a perfect buddy cop comedy, but they try really hard.  They spend too much time waffling... "do we want to be funny..."  or "do we want to go full-tilt action..." and are otherwise unwilling to fall completely into one mode or the other.

With a bigger budget, this could have been a contender.

As it is, a worthy entry into the buddy comedy/action genres.  Not as good as the classics, but not the bottom of the barrel.

Final Grade: C+

Would I Own It: If I found it on sale, I could pick it up.  Edge was always one of my favorites. : )

When Worms Fly... "Tremors 3: Back to Perfection"

Just when you thought it was safe to watch sequels to sequels...

The Story:

Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) comes back home to Perfection NV.  Apparently, the graboids have returned as well.  Also returning is everyone from the original movie that survived that isn't Fred Ward or Kevin Bacon.  This time, they call in the Feds for help, and in typical government fashion, they decide that these creatures should be protected.  Naturally, this doesn't sit well with the residents, and when the Shriekers evolve into something much, much worse.

Well, that was fun!

No really for what it was, a sequel to a sequel, which apparently also served as a pilot for a short-lived television series, it's pretty good.  Again, the tongue is firmly in cheek for everything they do, and yet they have a good time doing it.

That they brought everyone back was a nice touch.  Even pogo-sticking Mindy (Ariana Richards) returns.

They introduce the new "fun hero", Desert Jack Sawyer (Shawn Christian) who fakes Graboid tours to make money, but is thrust deep into helping Burt when the real deals come back to town.

Good fun all around, and a franchise that never sunk too low to sully the franchise name.

If that was possible.

: )

This is Tremors after all.


Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.



There is of course a prequel which is not available for streaming.  Hmmm....

Final Grade: C+

Would I Own It: Hmmm... if all the Tremors movies were on a disc... I could be persuaded. :)

You Say You Want an Evolution... "Tremors 2: Aftershocks"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the desert...

The Story:

A few years have passed since the original Graboids invasion.  Earl (Fred Ward) is trying to run an ostrich ranch when the Mexican government comes calling.  It seems they've got some Graboids on their hands, and they need them removed.  Earl agrees, at $50K a pop, and gets the assistance from an eager fan named Grady (Christopher Gartin) who head south.  Complications arise as the Graboids seem to outsmart the boys, so they call in Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) to bring in some more firepower.  Everything is going fine...

Until evolution kicks in!

I'm going to assume this was direct to video back in the day.

Gone is Kevin Bacon, too dignified to sully his reputation with this film. 

Thankfully, Fred Ward and Michael Gross don't feel it was beneath them, and they return.

It's fun and harmless, and rather amusing throughout.

The evolution of the worms into land roaming critters is a nice turn to change the pace of the film.

Again, this is what you want from a Grade B movie, it has fun never taking itself too seriously, and never mocking the movie that it's trying to create.

If you liked the first one, give this one a whirl, it's not too bad!

Final Grade: B-

Would I Own It: Again, probably not... although if they put all the films on one disc.... never say never!

The Worm Turns...Evil! "Tremors"

The early bird gets the...oh my goodness!


The Story:

In the desert town of Perfection, something evil lives underground.  Worms!  Worms with attitude.  And apparently they are going to eat anything that moves.  It's up to the local townsfolk to save the day...

Or die trying.

: )

I had seen bits and pieces of this film over the years, and finally saw the whole thing from start to finish.

Enjoyed it.

A lot.

It's the perfect B movie.  Has an ensemble cast of competent actors who never take the movie too seriously, but seriously enough to lend an air of credibility to the production.

It may very well be Kevin Bacon's finest hour.

Alongside the always stellar Fred Ward, this movie saw the big screen debut of Reba McEntire as the spunky wife of a survivalist, Michael Gross, coming off Family Ties and onto the silver screen.

I have seen none of the sequels, but as most appear to be streaming, it may be time to see if this franchise kept up the level of fun and scare tactics of the first, or like Lake Placid and tons of other franchises, ran themselves quickly into the ground.


Now available for streaming as of this writing on Netflix.


Final Grade: A Solid B for a solid B movie!

Would I Own It: Not sure I would need to purchase this one, but I could definitely watch it again.

Pipe Bomb! "C.M. Punk: The Best in the World"

It's Clobberin' Time!!!


The Story:

This documentary from the WWE follows the rise of C.M. Punk from the ranks of backyard wrestling to star of the Indy Circuit.  From there, it was only a matter of time until the WWE called, and eventually they did.  But after he arrived, he was never given the accolades and position that he, and many others, felt that Punk deserved. 

Next stop: Best. In. The. World.

I would have to say that this may be the most intriguing of the documentaries on WWE's top stars that they've ever produced.  Unprecedented access/use of Punk's material before coming to the WWE showed why he was the hot commodity of the Indie circuit.

And yet, talk about allowing the dog to bite the hand that feeds him...

They do not shy away from Punk's animosity towards the WWE corporate machine.

Punk has been allowed to be at the top of the game, but never to be the face of the company.  It can never happen as long as Cena is still around.

Yet somehow, Punk finds a way.

All the while, he brings out the best in all of his opponents, and himself as well.

I would have to say that he is this generation's Shawn Michaels.

The little guy that shouldn't... but does.

He doesn't need the belt to show you how great he is.

Highly worth watching.

And yes, if you've made it this far, I still enjoy watching wrestling... I know it's "fake", but these athletes are nothing short of entertaining.  Put it another way, I drop something on my toe, it hurts.  Getting hit with a chair, forget it....

: )


The documentary portion is available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A

Would I Own It: Yep, if not for myself, I'll definitely get it for my son, a die-hard Punk fan.  Infinitely rewatchable, and can't wait to see the matches that they picked to go with the documentary.

There's Something Sleazy "About Adam"

 

 You naughty, naughty boy...

The Story:

Adam (Stuart Townsend) falls in love with a girl (Kate Hudson).  He's perfect for her, unlike anyone she's ever dated.  So she proposes to him, and he accepts.  This disappoints her sister (Frances O'Conner) as she has fallen for Adam as well.  But it's okay, they have their affair, and keep it from their sister.  Except their oldest sister knows of both of their love for Adam, and falls for him as well...

It's a romantic comedy!

An hour in, I'd had enough.

Basically the story keeps flashing back to show you when each of the affairs began, and as great as the actors are, I just realized I didn't care for this anymore.

That one sister, let alone two sisters! would still have an affair with a man that their baby sister was engaged to...

Nope, can't do it.

That it appears that the wedding would continue, as would the affairs...

Nope, not going to even bother wasting that last 30 minutes of my life.

 

Yes, even in the fictional world of movies, I have certain standards or lines that I won't cross.

 

Sure, it varies from movie to movie... ; )

 

But you get my point.

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing if you're up to the challenge.

Final Grade: D.  Great actors drug down by an implausibly deplorable situation.

Would I Own It:  You tell me. : )

Die Less-Hard...or Something... "The Cold Light of Day"

Everything you thought you knew is a lie...

The Story:

Will (Henry Cavill) comes to Spain to visit his family who works for the American Embassy.  Or so he thinks.  Soon, his entire family is abducted and it's up to Will and his Dad (Bruce Willis) to save them.

 

You see, it turns out that dad is a spy working for the Agency, but his boss (Sigourney Weaver) may not be as helpful in returning a briefcase that they need to get their family back.  Matters take a turn for the worse when the father is killed, and it's up to Will to save the day.

On paper this must've sounded great!

However when you kill your greatest acting asset (Willis) in the first act of the film, you really have nowhere to go but down.

Cavill has the right look I guess, but his acting comes across rather wooden and emotionless.

Oh goody, I see that's who they've tagged to play Superman in the reboot.  This could get interesting.

Sigourney Weaver, "great actress", has given way to Sigourney Weaver, "may I have a check? Thank you."

But hey, this is like the 3rd Bruce Willis movie that I could say the same for him, so what can you do?  Even actors have to eat.

The movie is put together well enough to keep your interest for the duration, but it's nothing you haven't seen before.

Better.

And would be well advised to just watch that better movie again, and let this one go.

Final Grade: C-

Would I Own It: No chance, and re-watchability factor is pretty nonexistent.

Trust No One...Especially Family. "The Imposter"

 

Truth is stranger than fiction...   

The Story:

In 1993, a 13 year old boy from San Antonio disappeared.  4 years later, a phone call from the police in Spain claimed to have the boy in custody.  What they really had was a French conman who pretended to be juveniles, and he was about to pull the biggest con of his life and get a ticket to America in the process.  If only he could convince the grieving family that he was their long lost relative.

Of course in their grief and anxiousness to see their family reunited, sometimes you can overlook details like accent, hair color... eye color...

For me, this film pushes the boundaries of a true documentary.

Call me old-fashioned, but I feel like the best ones actually use the real people to tell the story.

You use actors for re-enactments.

So when you bring in actors to recreate the parts of individuals, it's cheapened somewhat from having the actual people interviewed for the story themselves.

Minor quibble, but there you have it.

That said, it is a crazy story about identity theft, and the stretch that a family was willing to put themselves through to fill the hole in their heart.

The implication of foul play by the family at the end is a wonderful twist that the story didn't need to already be captivating, but is a great cherry on top of a bizarre sundae!

 

The movie itself starts out slow, but it builds, as it tracks back on itself and pulls back more layers from the onion as the story is revealed.  It's crazy that he was able to pull this off.  Crazier still that it wasn't the first, or last time that it happened.

Final Grade: B

Would I Own It: Nope, this is a one and done affair.  Worth watching, but after seeing it, all the shock and surprise is gone.

You Suck..No...You Suck! "Heckler"

 

If you don't like them, tell them how you feel!

The Story:

Jamie Kennedy hosts a documentary that's as much about him, as it is about stand-up comedians in particular, and performance artists in general.  With interviews and anecdotes from dozens of other comics, filmmakers, singers as well as counter points and opinions from a variety of hecklers and critics as to why they do what they do.

It's not always alcohol that fuels it.

Mostly, but not always.

: )

This is an interesting documentary that does focus a bit much on Jamie Kennedy and the disastrous reviews his movies (Malibu's Most Wanted and Son of the Mask) received.  But hey, it's his documentary, so fair enough.  He comes off a bit desperate in a few of the bits, but as the documentary plays out, you have to start feeling for him, and the rest of performance artists who are subject to critiques and reviews from critics both professional and amateur.

The bad thing is, and they talk to a real doozy in here, about reviewers who make the reviews personal.

It's one thing to give an opinion, "hey, I saw this movie, liked/didn't like it, you might feel the same way and spend/save your money".

That's what I attempt to do here, and one of the reasons I did my Greatest 100 movies, so you could peer back into my warped mind and see what I liked and what I didn't, and see if our opinions mesh more times than they diverge.

What I don't do, at least I don't think I've done here, is belittle a performer or their performance.

Even some of these direct to DVD features with big stars (Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta Jones, etc) I try and give the benefit of the doubt.  Have the stars done better? Yep! Do I wish them to be crucified because of a poor choice?  No way!

Some of the criticism that Kennedy and others endure in this film (and their careers) is downright brutal.

Wishing death on a performer?  Come on folks, dial it back a notch or twelve.

Anyway, it's interesting to watch, though realize that with a bunch of stand-ups, it's f-bombs galore in this otherwise interesting documentary that all reviewers (and performers to boot!) should watch to see how this relationship works.

 

Now available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C+...B- range.

Would I Own It: No, the point was made, and again, replay value is low in this house due to language.

 

 

Tennis Anyone? "16-Love"

 Game. Set. Match-Made-in-Heaven.

So Corny...


: )

The Story:

Teenage tennis sensation Ally "Smash" Mash (Linsey Shaw) gets injured in a match with her Russian counterpart (Susie Abromeit).  While rehabbing her ankle in preparation for a rematch, she begins to train a slacker dude (Chandler Massey) to make him a better player, and the two begin to get close, much to the despair of her father (Keith Coulouris).

This one probably had a limited run in theaters, unless it went direct to DVD or cable...

But it was cute enough.

Teen romance without vampires and werewolves, who knew?

: )

If you want to watch a family-friendly love story with your kids/teens, here you go.

By the numbers, predictable, but still charming enough in what it does to keep the audience entertained.

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C+

Would I Own It: Probably Not, but it is one I could watch again with the family.

Learning the Blues Along "Redemption Road"

You think you've got the blues?

The Story:

A drunk wannabe white bluesman (Morgan Simpson) gets the opportunity to fix his life when his grandfather passes away.  Augy (Michael Clarke Duncan) comes to have him get his inheritance, whatever it might be.  Down on his luck, he jumps to escape his debts and the man (Luke Perry) whose wife he's been sleeping with.  Along the way he will learn some lessons about life, love, forgiveness, and the blues.

This is an okay story, with enough depth to the characters to keep you interested.  There are a few twists and turns along the way that bubble just under the surface and blow up at just the right time.

It's a story centered on the blues, so don't expect too many happy smiles and high fives when it's over.

However, the story moves along well enough, keeps your interest, so no harm, no foul.

If anything, this movie serves as a reminder of how great Michael Clarke Duncan was as an actor and how much he's missed.

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C+

Would I Own It: Not very likely, not a bluesman myself.