Tuesday Cap - Vol. 35

Title: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

Notes: From this point on, the FRIDAY THE 13TH series became zanier and more cartoonish instead of sticking to its horror roots. And not too surprisingly, it's from this point on that I really began to dig the series. The first three films were barely tolerable, and films four and five were just long and super boring. JASON LIVES is the first time I really fell for a Jason film, and the next two after this are just icing on the cake with their absolute craziness and (possibly misplaced) humor. But this is where the FRIDAY movies are fun, enjoyable. Plus, JASON LIVES has one of the coolest endings - if not the coolest - of the entire series. No longer content to be tormented by Jason, Tommy hatches a plan to keep Jason submerged in the lake forever. Well, until the next sequel. The climax is epic, unlike anything that came before it, and for the first time (ironic considering this is one of the less serious of the FRIDAY flicks) Jason really felt like a pretty big threat.

How about you guys? Fancy any of the FRIDAY flicks? What other films should I cover for the month of October? General Jason thoughts?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 34

Title: Solomon Kane

Notes: Regrettably, Solomon Kane hasn't made its way to North America, but just about everywhere else in the world. However, when news broke that the flick was making its way online, well - lets just say that I really needed a sword & sorcery fix. For anyone who hasn't heard of this series, based off a relatively acclaimed graphic novel franchise, I'd recommend you do so. Solomon is a warrior looking for redemption, so already you have an interesting, complex character right there. In addition to Solomon's quest to redeem himself, he faces off against demons, Apocalyptic Big Bads, and other forces of darkness that seek to take over the world. Similar to this year's Conan in that respect: evil is basically rampant and a cool, sword-wielding, kickass type of dude comes around to beat the shit out of it. Solomon Kane isn't exactly a film looking to be loved and adorned by its straight forward, edginess - nay, it instead wants to be fun and entertaining and show off extravagant special effects. In that regard, Kane is solid gold. I can safely say I loved and enjoyed every second of this fantasy 'epic', and I wouldn't be opposed to another flick in that universe (which I wager is doubtful, despite mixed reviews). Anyone else care enough to hunt down Solomon Kane? If you haven't, and you like your sword & sorcery epics, this is definitely for you. C'mon: swords! Magic! Demons! End of the World stuff! Giant Evil Monster thingy! Love at first sight.

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 33

Title: Back to the Future II

Notes: Y'know, it's not my second favorite, but I sorta wished that screencap came true: I would absolutely love to see JAWS 19. Pretty sure I might be one of very few, but personally, more half-quality shark films for me! Although I will always love Marty and the Doc, I wasn't a huge fan of the future aspect, oddly enough. I didn't very much care about the characters or time being all wibbely wobbly and Biff becomes a multi-gazillionaire. Nah, not my cup of tea (which is weirdly why I love Back to the Future III: time travel and westerns...sorta feel like they go together). I still respect the hell out of Part II, and will attempt to defend it to my grave if anyone wants to go all 'grr' at it, but my least favorite of the trilogy...but still, that JAWS scene is brilliance.

General thoughts on BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 32

Title: The Village

Notes: If you feel the need to riff on Shyamalan, go right ahead. Lord knows I did it after THE LAST AIRBENDER ended. But THE VILLAGE is a weird movie. On one hand, I am genuinely pissed that we didn't get a proper creature feature. That's what the trailer made it out to be, that's what it damn well shoulda been. And Mr. Phoenix looked just stoned or utterly bored the entire time, sorta like how James Franco looks like these days. Bryce did an amazing job, also worth noting. And this scene, pictured above, freaks me the shit out. Honestly. M. Night shot this scene spectacularly. I turn cold, chills crawl up me spine, and I'm glued to the screen. I also think this is the first time I ever got freaked out by an creature in daylight, so M. Night deserves kudos for that alone. On the other hand, it is a pretty shitty movie. When the big reveal is...revealed, and the credits roll and the audience is allowed to think about the whole flick - well, it doesn't hold up. The kinda badish but weirdly believable Howard/Phoenix romance is nice and all, but still...very meh. Actually, the whole movie is meh. And this is also one of the first instances where M. Night's signature one shots actually work to the films detriment. Right now the scene where William Hurt is talking to the schoolchildren or whoever about these skinned animals on the floor springs to mind - it's excruciating to watch because the entire time I'm mentally yelling at M. Night to cut to a different shot to make Hurt sound better! So all in all, THE VILLAGE is a mixed bag for me. Surprisingly I still find myself throwing it in the DVD player, perhaps out of genuine likeness to it or morbid curiosity, I dunno. But I'll still never buy THE HAPPENING.

General thoughts on THE VILLAGE?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 31

Title: Alligator

Notes: I won't criticize anyone for not having seen this little gem, but if Creature Features are your thing, one really ought to check this out. Years ago, when the Sci-Fi Channel was actually good and something worth talking about, they played ALLIGATOR and its sequel, cleverly named ALLIGATOR 2. In the last two years ALLIGATOR hit the DVD world, and unfortunately, part 2 did not. These two flicks have a certain charm to them. The writers, director, and actor all know they're not making one of the greatest movies of all time, but they aim to make the bestest alligator-on-the-loose flick they can with their limited budget. The writing sucks, and the actors kinda just show up for the roles, but I like to think it's all part of the bigger plan of channeling this deliberate B-movie vibe. A bigger budgeted homage film, in a way. As for the alligator, the real star of the piece, well - he doesn't disappoint. When the alligator gets loose - and I don't really think that's a spoiler people - it causes some fantastic mayhem, including a poor birthday and wedding surprise. Not great, but very good, if anyone wants to throw on some hammy Creature flicks and rekindle the good ol' days of these classics you can't do so without ALLIGATOR. Seriously, Netflix it, then download the sequel. If you haven't heard of it 'till now, you're welcome for introducing you to it. Go watch and enjoy. Really, run!

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 30

Title: American Psycho

Notes: Heard loads of good things, and finally had the chance a few days ago. Overall, not bad, not great, either. Sure, Christian Bale was bloody awesome as Patrick Bateman, and large kudos need to be given for memorizing all that music facts that I wouldn't ever be able to possibly stick to memory. Bale has a knack for turning out wickedly bizarre characters, PSYCHO and THE MACHINIST prime examples. Frankly, I can't see the role performed by any other actor: Bale so completely owns the role. I loved the character of Bateman, so stuck with having the best, looking his best, and forming the situation. The cast of characters that support Bale, not so interesting, but they're really not meant to. This is Bateman's movie. Ultimately, I simply wish there was more to it. Not in the way that I loved it so much I didn't want it to end, just that AMERICAN PSYCHO could have pushed the boundaries (and story) a bit more. The final ten minutes confused me a tad, as I'm unsure as to whether all of the murders are a part of Bateman's frakked up brain or that they happened and he was somehow successful in getting out of it jail-free. Either way, he lives up to the term psycho. And I will never forget a mostly naked Christian Bale running down a hallway with a chainsaw. Ash would be proud.

Discuss: So am I the only one who was a bit taken aback by the ending, or did y'all love it? Thoughts on Bale's performance. Was Willem Dafoe even necessary? Anyone see the Mila Kunis-starring 'sequel'? Favorite death scene?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 29

Title: Jurassic Park III

Notes: Within the last few days news broke that the JURASSIC PARK trilogy will be making its way to Blu-Ray in October. Count me in the category of people who are giddy as hell about the news. I might even splurge the extra few dinero to buy the Gift Set with a T-Rex bursting out of the Jurassic Park entrance. It's pretty awesome. So that brings me to JURASSIC PARK III, a movie that is admittedly not as good as the first two - which, truthfully, it really doesn't seem concerned being - but is a helluva lot of fun. Take a shot at that screencap: a T-Rex vs. Spinosaurus fight, which was nothing short of spectacular. JURASSIC PARK III is a full on action/adventure movie, and director Joe Johnston delivers that. The crazy hijinks that descend upon poor Dr. Alan Grant and his companions are a blast. The dinosaurs - new and old (and revamped) are just as beautiful to look at, if not more. The digital effects have improved significantly since '93. And there are some genuinely tense moments [here I'm thinking of the Spinosaurus and the phone signal trick, as well as any scene with the Velociraptors]. Another great thing about JURASSIC PARK III: Sam Neil's back, baby! I can't stress enough how much I love this guy. Sure, this third (and most likely last) of the bunch isn't perfect, but it's fun, and it delivers fantastically designed and rendered dinosaurs, and that's what matters, right? Fun and dinosaurs? So what's with all the hateration?

Discuss: JP III aside, anyone interested in a fourth one? Who do you like better: Malcolm or Alan? If you like JP III, what attributes are you most a fan of? What are you not a fan of?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 28

Title: Mission: Impossible III

Notes: My personal favorite of the bunch, and the only one I can actually rewatch, this was the first time I experienced the awesome directorial style of J.J. Abrams. And the first (and possibly last) time I thought Tom Cruise was cool. Brad Bird has big shoes to fill with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, so I hope he's game.

Discuss: Thoughts on M:I III. Did you like Abrams' style? Pissed or indifferent to the '[Blah] Days/Weeks/Hours Earlier...' tease movies/television shows overuse? Should Paramount have stopped at III?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 27

Title: Lost in Space

Note: Surprisingly few people seem to like the LOST IN SPACE cinematic adaptation. A world of why? Although, I wager if I was a fan of the old tele series, I just might find this flick to be not so good. The family dynamic that I'm sure was so crucial in the series just doesn't seem to gel successfully here, but personally, I can forgive that. The writers basically have a two hour window to create and personalize multiple characters of the Robinson family, create loads of sci-fi drama, and construct elaborate and fun action sequences and space creatures. Quite a lot on a writers plate. So for what we have here, as the finished product - yeah, I dig LOST IN SPACE. The film has some absolutely stellar CG and model work, so well done and pristine one could easily mistaken it as a recent release (as in the last three or four years). So in regards to digital effects, LOST IN SPACE is solid. Performances - eh, not so much. Matt Leblanc doesn't have the ability to deliver his one liners like Harrison Ford, instead coming off a bit stilted and awkward. Good ol' John Hurt could try a little harder to create more depth to his fatherly character instead of relying on cliches, another ailment that burdens Gary Oldman's utterly unconvincing villain. Seriously, that dude spouts off ridiculous dialogue that I'm sure in his mind sounds like bloody Shakespeare. All that aside, it's a fast paced two hours, and by films end, I want me some more. However, a decade plus later, I sorta kinda don't think that's gonna happen, do you? Still, it's nice thinking about the possibilities.

Discuss: What are your thoughts on LOST IN SPACE? Would you mind a sequel? Thoughts and opinions on the digital effects, the performances? Did you think Gary Oldman was just right or a tad over-the-top? Do you have this flick in your collection?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 26

Title: Point Break

Notes: When compiling one of those 'year in film' Friday posts, I realized there's a lot of 1991 I haven't seen, so this was at the top of my list after seeing at featured number one on a fellow bloggers. While I may not love Point Break, there are definitely some good stuff here, while there is also some facepalm-worthy dialogue that at this point in time just sounds like cliche after cliche. And Keanu Reeves has given me his most obnoxious, deadpan performance I've seen him in yet. But whereas Reeves seems to be sleepwalking or at least drugged, I was immensely surprised by Patrick Swayze who owned the screen as Bodhi. Stellar performance. Now if only the rest of the actors made themselves likable or less annoying (there's only so much 'surfer dude' speech I can handle). Cinematography is especially gorgeous, with some marvelous aerial shots in a skydiving sequence, frightening and beautiful pans over a threatening sea, great hand-held work during a on-foot chase sequence, and the bank robberies are especially well shot and edited together. Overall, a compelling movie with a unfortunate reliance on cliches, but has one hell of a great last hour that makes up for the rather rubbish first.

Discuss: The dynamic between Reeves and Swayze. How little Keanu has apparently evolved as a actor the last decade and change. Bank robbery comparisons: Point Break vs. The Town.

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 25

Title: The One

Notes: I LOVE this movie! I know, I know, not one of Li's best, according to many, but c'mon! Jet Li vs. Jet Li, a Multiverse, and some awesome fight scenes! And one of my earliest experiences with Jason Statham, before he became a household name synonymous with 'ass-kicking British guy'. So here we have YuLaw, a psychotic kung fu man (Jet Li) who has killed 100+ other versions of himself in different universes, and he only has one left: the good-hearted Gabe in our reality, who also happens to know kung fu (or has inherited/absorbed them from the 100+ previous hims). If YuLaw kills Gabe, who knows what will happen: will YuLaw become God? Will the universes bleed and destroy one another? There's some tight story ideas in THE ONE, and although they do get thrown to the back-burner in favor of Jet Li fighting himself, it does make the film feel like some stellar science fiction flick. Multiple universes and martial arts - a match made in heaven. There's some great dialogue bits, fun relationships, and some stellar action scenes (such as the climatic YuLaw vs. Gabe fight which is one of my top 10 fight scenes evah). If you haven't already, see THE ONE. It kicks the ass of every other American Li film.

Discuss: How does THE ONE rank in the line of American Jet Li movies? Favorite scenes? Logical fallacies? Dig the damn fine entertainment or roll-your-eyes-in-disgust when thinking about the film?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 24

Title: Thirst

Notes: For a while there, it was as if everywhere you turned there was a new vampire film either in the works or just hitting theaters or DVD. Cue Park Chan-wook, who directed three dearly beloved revenge driven movies (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), and decided to tackle the vamp genre. Turns out, not bad at all. It's been a while since I saw Thirst, but there are certain snippets that stick in my head - most significantly, the gorgeous and beautiful final minutes where our two protagonists/antagonists sit and watch as the sun rises. Brilliant material. I recall the girl going absolutely bonkers, and the priest not exactly having his wits about him. It was a intense movie with strong performances and a equally strong screenplay.

Discuss: How does Thirst hold up against his Vengeance Trilogy? Was the story here worth telling in a over-vamp-saturated market? And did the two vamps not have the weirdest 'love' story, eh?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 23

Title: Pleasantville

Notes: I watched Pleasantville for the first time early last year, and was immediately glued to the screen. Two days later I bought the DVD. Written and directed by Gary Ross, the movie follows Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon as they're transported to Tobey's ideal family environment: 1950s television, where everything is nice, perfect, and full of "gee golly!"'s. While Maguire gets into his element, Witherspoon isn't a fan, and brings her worldly experiences into this black & white town. As the film progresses, color is introduced into Pleasantville - and this being something strange and foreign, those who begin to colorize are ostracized by the community - brought on by individual desires, accomplishments, emotions, etc. There are few times where I feel like hitting the air in a 'Boo ya!' type of way, but when Maguire stands up for his 'mother' and experiences growth of character, it's a damn awesome moment. Pleasantville means quite a few things, and will undoubtedly leave an impression on the viewer - whether it be, 'gee, really Burt, we gotta sit through 'tis thang? So been deir done dat' or 'Oh, blimey, that was rather clever'. Either way, watch the flick if you haven't, it's quite good.

Discuss: General thoughts on Gary Ross' Pleasantville. Themes, performances, cinematography, editing - have at it.

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 22

Title: Scream 3

Notes: 20 installments ago, I shared my love of Scream 2, and now, with the fourth film of the franchise hitting theaters in a few days, I thought this to be the perfect time to discuss the concluding chapter of the original trilogy. Personally, I'm torn. There are positives, and there are negatives. I actually didn't mind the twist in the end, feeling that it connected rather nicely to the original, albeit a bit of a twist stretch, I grant you that. My biggest disappointment with this film is the lack of Sidney, really. I know she's in a decent percentage of the movie, but it doesn't feel like that. After all, she's the focal point of the entire trilogy, and she felt regulated to a secondary character, the film becoming The Gale and Dewey Show. Would have been awesomer to have Dewey die in Scream 2. Anyway, I enjoyed S3, but I ain't in love with it like S2. However, there was a draft I skimmed through of S3 some time ago, and I daresay we're very, very lucky with what we have right now. Scary, man, scary.

Discuss: Your thoughts and feelings concerning Scream 3. Decent flick? Super shitty? Did you like the reveal of the killer? Speaking of kills, were the deaths up to expectations? And, perhaps, thoughts on the impending fourth film.

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 21

Title: The Exorcist

Notes: The scariest movie ever made didn't do much for me, but that above shot, that single friggin' shot and the dust spraying across the screen - it freaks me out moreso than the entirety of the film. Maybe it's the way it's composed, maybe it's the music (or lack of music), but it is creepy. Overall, The Exorcist didn't do much for me other than keep me intrigued by very good direction and performances. Sad to say, but I did find Dominion to be more thrilling, at least with the story (execution of both Dominion and The Beginning leave much to be desired, though). In the end, I still respect the film and understand its cultural significance, but can't be behind the wagon train of movie loving.

Discuss: Were you freaked out by the film? What are some of your fondest or freakiest memories watching it? Favorite scene? Comments on the score? Reflections? Free reign!

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 20

Title: King Kong (2005)

Notes: Peter Jackson's epic, and I don't use that loosely. At over three hours, it could be argued that King Kong is bloated, far too long for its own good, and too reliant on CGI. All perfectly fine criticisms and completely understandable, but I disagree with them all. Yes, Jackson may be stretching the limits of audience running time tolerance [but at least it was twenty minutes under his other epic, if one is to look at the bright side], but I daresay he makes the endurance worth it, crafting one hell of an emotional and engaging production. Using all the lessons he learned from making The Trilogy, he forms a fully realistic digital creation that has emotion, that has thought, that has personality, and moves fluently and without falsehood. King Kong is long, but I argue that the running time is necessary in order to tell this story, in order to sell the emotion and create round characters that live and breathe. The story works, the references and homages to the original work, the music by the brilliant James Newton Howard is nothing short of beautiful, the CGI is stunning and quite the accomplishment, and the movie overall simply rocks. And yes, I even own the Extended Edition (great commentary, BT to the W).

Discuss: General thoughts on Kong: running time, Naomi Watts, Adrian Brody's nose (not like I noticed), the digital effects, original vs. remake...

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 19

Title: Metropolis

Notes: Full disclosure: I 'watched' Metropolis in Film History class and ended up nodding off through most of the film. However, I did wake up in time to experience the destruction of the superbly detailed city, and especially this super wicked dance that enthralls the masses. Personally, I find it more utterly creepy and frightening than seductive, but it was the 20's after all...those were some interesting times. The remainder of the movie was just crazy interesting, and I do plan on checking this flick out in a full conscious state sometime in the near-like future; I blame my sleepiness on the 8PM curtain call [I'm usually a noon-riser]. Although bits of the movie - from what I remember - did drag and seemed to go nowhere, I won't discount some of the very beautiful cinematography the movie boasts, or some of the chilling composites (the eyes; the tomb thingy). I understand why Metropolis is high on the list of important movies of the past, cos it most definitely includes some stunning visual accomplishments. But more than anything, that freaky dance scene will be stuck in my head for years to come.

Discuss: Anything. The floor is yours. Just talk about your thoughts concerning Lang's Metropolis, or whether or not you've seen the 'restored' version from 2010, etc.?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 18

Title: X-Men: The Last Stand

Notes: Say what you want about how seriously messed up THE LAST STAND is as far as character continuity is concerned and the liberties it takes on the forty years of comic books before it, but this is one hell of a scene, and I say that with the utmost respect. John Powell’s magnificent score, “Phoenix Rising”, coupled with this rather emotional moment where poor Logan needs to sacrifice the love of his life (here’s to pretending ORIGINS doesn’t exist) to basically save the world – cos she’s just so out of balance and she’ll end up destroying it, see. A magnificent scene as Logan undergoes emotional and physical pain, the special effects department gets paid big time for some splendid shots, and in the end there’s a breathtaking sequence that nearly makes up for the rest of the “meh” movie. And then, of course, there’s the legion of fans screaming “WTF?” at the sheer absurdity of what the screenwriter has just done.

I’m not a lover of X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, but I accept it and, to a degree, dig it. There are faults along the way, indeed, and the tone is so obviously different in comparison to the first two and feels a tad, shall I say separated from what came before it. But as a concluding chapter to that particular series, at least for the time being, it was serviceable, and provides the X-MEN movie universe a clean slate if or when Fox decides to jump back into that wagon, assuming they don’t feel inclined to reboot it like another franchise that came out two years after X-MEN.

Discuss: Considering Ratner got a lot of dissing for his work on THE LAST STAND, what exactly about his directing did you not love? What do you feel are some of the successes and faults of the movie? Are you bothered by the major character deaths? Is it a satisfying ending to the trilogy? What do you feel Bryan Singer could have contributed to the movie to improve it?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 17

Title: The Mask

Notes: The most perfect vehicle imaginable for Jim Carrey's personality, THE MASK is ironically restrained with his trademark insane shenanigans. I was sort of expecting balls-out crazy. What we got instead was 'mostly crazy' with enormous doses of LOONEY TUNES inspiration thrown in (not like I'm complaining about LOONEY TUNES - I love 'em). Still, THE MASK is a pretty damn good and immensely enjoyable flick, even all these years later [just watched it last night]. Perhaps it's greatest accomplishment with me is it triggered a intense desire to own a dog, specifically Milo. How awesome is that dog? Awesome! Forget Shiloh and Lassie, Milo is 'da bomb diggity! Other great thing about THE MASK: Cameron Diaz. Absolutely, she has a thankless, dimensionless role, but holy crap, that woman is hot! What? I'm supposed to write something more intelligent than that? Surely not! I saw this movie as a child, loved it, and haven't seen it in a long, long while. Revisiting it again, the same amount of fun and, dare I say, insanity is still there, asking me to put the mask on myself. Now that'd be fun. And no, I haven't seen SON OF MASK, and I'm not sure there's much in this universe that would compel be to do so. That's just crazy talk.

Discuss: Do the visual effects still pass 17 years later? Is this Jim Carrey's best performance? Did the Big Bad at the end remind you of The Hulk at all? Wouldn't it be fantastic to have Milo as a dog? Is the reason this takes place at Edge City because the filmmakers wouldn't want to piss off authority figures for how completely stupid and lazy they're portrayed in the movie?

Tuesday Cap - Vol. 16

Title: The Princess Bride

Notes: It's THE PRINCESS BRIDE, ladies and gentlemen. Not much to say about the film other than, well, I'm a dude and I love this movie. It's pretty much the perfect form of spectacular fun.

Discuss: Note your love (or non-love [how dare you!]) of the movie here.