Stop...Hammer Time! "Misery"

Misery (1990)

Rated R

Starring James Caan, Kathy Bates, James Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen, Lauren Bacall

Directed by Rob Reiner

The Story:

Novelist Paul Sheldon (Caan) crashes his car in a blizzard and is near death. Luckily, his # 1 fan, Annie (Bates) rescued him. As she nurses him back to health, she begins reading his latest novel in the Misery franchise.  However, when she discovers that this is the end of the line for her favorite character, things take a dark, harrowing turn.

Another of the great Stephen King adaptations, it seems his non-horror films translate better on the screen.

The psychological terror of a fan-gone-crazy ratchets the tension up to 11 in this film.

Looking at her career, I would say this was the point when Kathy Bates became a star.  She literally goes from sweet, but kind of creepy, to sadistic mad-woman in the flip of a switch.

Don't get me started on the scene with the sledgehammer.

That scene alone has kept this film off my radar and out of my library for almost 25 years.

This also helped cement Rob Reiner as a director of serious films, not just comedies.

It holds up well after all these years,

Not sure when I'll ever venture down this dark path again though!

:D

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I waited nearly 25 years...man, that scene is still rough to watch.  ::shudder::

Some Weird Things Happen In "Small Apartments"

Small Apartments (2012)

Rated R for language

Starring Matt Lucas, James Caan, Juno Temple, Johnny Knoxville, Dolph Lundgren, James Marsden, Peter Stormare, Billy Crystal

Directed by Jonas Akerlund

The Story:

Franklin (Lucas) is in a bit of a spot.  His brother (Marsden) is in an institution. The landlord (Stormare) is dead on the floor.  And the neighbors (Caan and Knoxville) are wondering what is going on next door.  Lives are about to converge and change forever in the course of a few days in some run-down apartment complex.

Well, that was something.

A dark comedy, to be sure, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this film.

After watching it, I'm still not sure!

:)

All of the names/faces are secondary/tertiary characters in the film.  It's Matt Lucas' film and you get sucked into his life.

A very weird life with a grown man running around in underwear and the occasional coat.

Seriously.

It's a movie I pondered whether I wanted to continue on past the 20 minute mark, but again, it was so strange, at that point I had to see what the heck was going to happen.

Naturally, all of the story lines converge in a finale that was both tragic and satisfying, depending on which character(s) you were watching.

I will give props for the staged suicide scene, it was pretty funny.

If you want to try something strangely different, here you go...


Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nah.  It was a weird one. I've seen it, and time to move on.

The Twelve Reviews of Christmas...Day Eleven: "Elf"

You sit on a throne of lies!

The Story:

Buddy (Will Ferrell) crawled into Santa's (Edward Asner) bag during a visit to an orphanage.  Raised in the North Pole by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), Buddy has never realized that he's not an Elf...he's human!  In fact, he's the son of Walter (James Caan), who works at a publishing company in New York, and unfortunately has landed on Santa's naughty list.  Buddy sets off to New York to meet his dad, and along the way finds a girl, Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) and becomes smitten.  Then, on Christmas Eve... all of these storylines come to a head as Christmas is about  to be cancelled forever due to the lack of Christmas Spirit.  Can one lone Elf save the day?

Count on it!

It's been 10 years since Elf arrived in theaters.

In that decade, the movie has become a classic.

Or if not a classic, a staple of the holiday season.

There is "The Holy Trinity" of funny Christmas movies.  Scrooged. Christmas Vacation. Elf.

We can discuss and debate which is the best of those movies all season long.

At this house, the holidays don't officially begin until at least one of those movies has played.

Normally, that happens sometime between the first of November and Thanksgiving.

: )

This movie wears its heart on its sleeve, happily.  You cannot watch this movie and not smile.

Yes, even those out there that hate Will Ferrell, watch this movie and not be impressed with the childlike wonder he brings to the role of Buddy.

Surrounded by a great cast, this is Ferrell's best performance, hands down.

Directed by Jon Favreau, he proves equally adept at comedy as he does with action (Iron Man).

It doesn't get much sweeter, or funnier, than this.

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Infinitely.  Love this film.