Crank 2: High Voltage

Jason Statham, a former Olympic diver, made his name as an action hero (with a British accent) in the Transporter series. Amy Smart is best known for her role in the Butterfly Effect and for playing romantic parts. Together, the actors are dynamite.

You have to have a special appetite for Crank: High Voltage. You have to possess LOTS of suspension of disbelief. You have to appreciate humor in an action film that does not purport to be too closely associated with reality. You have to laugh at blood, and sometimes smile at stupidity.

No spoiler, but our hero has a special medical issue: he is the bearer of an artificial heart...and he needs lots of electrical charges to keep that ticker going. How and where he gets those electrical boosts forms the essence of the comedy. He makes use of batteries, transformers, and high wires. One way he generates heat is by being passionate, in public, of course, with his girlfriend Amy Smart.

Get the idea? Enter the realm of the ridiculous and enjoy!

If you like action, and you're up for some bizarre tongue-in-cheek humor, try watching this very unique, and very engaging, thriller.

B grade for Blissfully mindless entertainment.

2:22

Every so often an "indie" film is released that keeps viewers glued to the screen. 2:22, a little known film noir, is one of them.

Starring mostly unknowns, there are only two recognizable figures: Gabriel Byrne and Val Kilmer. Apparently, the famous actors took virtually no salary as a favor to the writer/producer of the flick who was a friend of theirs.

No spoiler, but the story is basically about a heist gone bad. It's a familiar theme in action films, but this time it's done with special pizzazz. The thieves are mostly older guys who have done time in prison and who have been lifelong friends. Val Kilmer plays an oddball diamond cutter with excellence.

Problem is that the unlucky foursome who do the heist have to take hostages, unexpectedly, and one of these hostages just happens to be a very, very bad dude. The bad dude is quite trigger happy. Soon a new motif appears: gang warfare and revenge!

Does it all hang together? Sort of. But the movie is nevertheless worth seeing. It has some remarkable "dark" qualities, cynical and satirical, that remind us of the Coen brothers. We get to like the weird characters, and we get to like the story.

Bizarre ending...but what else is new? That's an "indie" at its best!

The Walking Dead

OK, zombie fans, fasten your seat belts for a wild ride! The new AMC series is a winner. Zombies? Yes indeed. For an appreciation of the genre, please refer to this reviewer's comments on Woody Harrelson's fine film, Zombieland.

Not interested? Are you not interested in what makes people paranoid...what makes people join groups...what makes people hostile toward others...what makes people act like the weird social beings that they are?

You might see what this reviewer is implying. The new AMC series portrays zombies and those who flee from them, yes. But more importantly, it presents wonderful imagery, symbolism if you will, about the human condition. Think of zombies as metaphors for those we reject for reasons of color, race, creed, whatever. Think of those who escape the zombies as groupies who seek the comfort of others as they struggle to survive...sound like normal life?

Our daughter is a professor of philosophy, and, as usual, she steers us toward the "thinking" films. Anyone who enjoys some of TV's offbeat series, such as Mad Men, Big Love, and more, will see in new zombie shows much more than diseased freaks and escapers with guns.

So think LARGE, dear viewers, and give the AMC show a try. This reviewer has been riveted.

Right at Your Door

Every film has to have a good premise to succeed. This one lacks severely in the premise domain and therefore falls flat on its face.

Here's the no-spoiler scenario: Dirty bombs have been detonated in L.A. and the wife (Mary McCormack) has left for work. The husband, a self-centered sort, stays home. Wife gets zapped by toxic smoke (as in above picture) and comes home. Husband says, "Stay outside. You're contaminated!" Thus the lousy premise.

Fact is, very few of us seriously married guys would leave our dear wives out in the cold for fear of catching her dirty bomb bug. Would you not tend to your kid if he had malaria? Would you not approach your mom if she had TB? This reviewer would tell his soulmate, "Come in, dear!

Let the contamination chips fall where they may!"

So, instead of watching man reject woman for fear of catching her disease for two full hours, take your loved one to a good dinner...and of course a flick! Just don't stay home and watch this dog!

D- for Dour, Depressing, and Darned Stupid!

Murder at 1600

My dear spouse and I went back to a 1997 flick and enjoyed it immensely. Sometimes we have to return to earlier times to discover, or re-discover, film gems.

Wesley Snipes used to be the go-to guy for great action movies. I recall his fantastic work in Blade, Demolition Man, Rising Sun, Passenger 57, and White Men Can't jump. Diane lane has wowed us in Nights in Rodanthe, Unfaithful, The Glass House, and Under the Tuscan Sun.

Put the two together, and you've got acting magic.

No spoiler, so read on, film buffs. The plot is simple: A beautiful woman's body is found in a rest room. The story would unfold as a normal whodunnit, except for the fact that the crime took place in the White House! Gee, now we have to figure out if the president is involved! Or could it be his son? Or was it a utility man? Or a random stranger?

Let's hope the muscled, macho Wesley Snipes, homicide detective extraordinaire, and the lovely, brave Diane Lane, Secret Service agent extraordinaire, can join forces to find the killer. Problem is, the White House is blocking the way! Go figure. Now it's up to the heroes to defy the odds to solve the crime.

This viewer was glued to the set. As the plot unfolds, we come to root for the pair of investigators, whose unwavering moral compasses are a rarity in the principle-compromising halls of government!

A for Action. A for A-one. Go rent this oldie. You'll love it.

Unstoppable

Thrilling! And I don't use that word often.

Right before movie began, I whispered to hubby, "Let's go for a ride," and that we did! Mr. Denzel Washington plays a supporting role in this one. I say that because the real star of this film is the train, or, I should say, trains. From the very first 10 minutes I sensed the filmmakers' utmost respect and admiration for these immense, powerful vehicles that continue to keep this country moving. Director, Tony Scott, makes creative use of sound, close-up camera angles, sped-up filming to convey a mode of machinery most of us never come close to. His treatment of mixing in "news" coverage offers added perspectives and drama.

Unstoppable's (not to be confused with earlier film of same name with Wesley Snipes) other co-star, Chris Pine, holds his own with Mr. Washington. And, he is gorgeous. There was just enough personal background stuff to keep the humanity there without becoming sentimental or cliche.

I liked that there was no "bad guy" in this movie (just a profoundly stupid one). I liked that there was no contrived romance. The thrill and tension of this movie was so unceasing that I couldn't even hold hubby's hand; I held my own! And at one point I realized I had forgotten to exhale for some time! My shoulders were all clinched up. Get the point? Whew.

This movie's 95 minutes or so is just enough. One can't maintain that pace for much longer. Trust me, you will get your money's worth in that time.

Postscript: We live about 1 1/2 miles from a railroad track - just far enough away to enjoy the train whistles without windows breaking and heads hurting. Any time between 3:30-5:30 a.m. we'll hear one now and then. We learned some time back, that different train whistle patterns denote different messages. Sure enough, every train that passes through our residential area (I guess that's the code) follows: MEDIUM, MEDIUM, SHORT, LONGGGG. They are all done manually, because each conductor's is a little different. A lot like jazz. Cool, huh?

The Spanish Prisoner

Steve Martin is incredibly versatile. He does comedy. He plays bluegrass banjo. And on occasion, to our delight, he does serious drama. He's excellent in The Spanish Prisoner.

Made a decade ago, the story is about a sting. No spoiler, as usual, but let me say that this "noir" thriller really grabs the viewer.

Just imagine yourself as a creative mind working in an industry where your most recent breakthrough, which could bring the company (and you) millions, is very hush-hush. You've got the plans and details for your brilliant idea in your office safe. But soon, circumstances push you to open the safe...

Rebecca Pidgeon, one of the best character actors of the 90's, is delightfully creepy as the wannabe girlfriend of the mark. She flits around, full of energy and mystery, and we constantly wonder what her angle is.

Steve Martin is not on stage a lot, but when he is, he shines. He has a wonderfully cynical, enigmatic smirk when he grins. He becomes friends with the victim of the scam. Question is, what is his role in the whole sting?

So, turn back the clock, rent the 1997 DVD, and enjoy a weird, complex, intriguing plot unfold. You won't be disappointed. Just one caution: the ending could be slightly more interesting to be consistent with the rest of the movie.

Due Date

This will be brief. In two words: Skip it. Why, oh, why, does an actor of the caliber of Robert Downey, Jr., allow himself to sell out to a trite, formulaic trip with the of-recent over-exposed Zack Galifanakis? I appreciate his flexing his comedic wings - he's good at it, but this movie was so stupid and boring that I twice fought the temptation to check my phone's email!! I can't even be articulate here.

Oh, it had about 6 good laughs, but the very funniest line came without anyone else in the theatre "getting" it. Very early in the film, Robert Downey Jr.'s character says to TSA, "I've never done drugs in my whole life!" I laughed so hard. Coming from our Mr. Downey, this was an adorable tongue-in-cheek moment that must have required several takes to say it with a straight face! Oh, my stars.

Anyway, save your money. An upcoming one looks hilarious (Hall Pass) but then I've been wrong before, and it doesn't come out until February. Argh.

I Am Alive: Documentary of Andes Survival Story

Back in 1972, a team of rugby players, mostly 20 year olds, flew across the Andes on the way to a soccer match. They wore T-shirts, drank and caroused in the plane, and laughed as they told stories of sports games. Right over the middle of the snow-covered mountain range, their plane shook. Seconds later, the plane hit a mountain peak, sheared off the rear, and sent about 25 passengers to a snowy death. The other 49 players miraculously survived as the front fuselage slid down a mountain slope and came to an abrupt stop.

In 1993, the story was popularized with a movie that starred Ethan Hawke. It was a moving, harrowing tale of how the survivors stayed alive (by eating human flesh) for more than two months, before two brave souls, half starved and bearded, somehow hiked 37 miles across the snowy peaks to get help and save the others. This movie is a must-see.

However, this review is not about the film. It's about the documentary made just last year on the incredible story. Done by the History Channel, this is no doubt the most riveting, rounded, unbiased documentary ever produced. In it, we meet Nando, one of the two fearless warriors who defied the odds and made it to safety....but only after being stranded for some 63 days with fellow survivors in the fuselage.

I am entranced by what drives people to survive. If you are too, consider watching this story. You'll reflect on the strength of the human spirit. You'll weigh moral decisions the survivors had to make. You'll marvel at how young people grew up in the course of two months.

Most of all, you'll ask: What would I have done?

A+ grade. Fantastic, gripping work.

Inside Job

My dear spouse and I finally got out to the movies...did we choose something frothy and entertaining? No, not this time! We chose a flick that taught us an incredible history lesson...and made us wonder about folks in the business world.

The Inside Job is a two hour documentary that covers the financial dealings of AIG, stock brokerages, and other large companies that dealt in derivatives, subprime loans, and other questionable dealings that brought about the disasters of 2008. We learn first-hand about money-driven CEO's who would stop at nothing to earn a buck and whose underhanded business practices led to the housing market crash, unemployment, and global recession.

The most interesting parts of the story are the people involved. We learn about the Harvard professors who earned million dollar consulting fees as they played advisors to The White House and sold their expertise to the highest bidders. We learn about trusted names like Greenspan, Geitner, Paulson, and Bernanke, and see how our trust in power-mongering egomaniacs might have been badly placed.

One of the biggest shockers of the documentary lies in the fact that Obama has employed nearly every participant in the Great Meltdown. We discover that, as we remain shocked by the past exploits of our financial anti-heroes, these personalities are still in control.

Most of all, to this viewer, the documentary unfolds like a morality play, where the amoral MBA's control the pursestrings and the rest of the world looks on in dismay. Did the major players commit illegal acts? Hard to say. Where there was ponzi-scheming, indeed they did. Yet it seems only Madoff took the fall for that one. Was it beyond the law to receive massive corporate compensation from companies that had relied on government bailouts to avoid bankruptcy? Probably not. But it pushed the limits of decency.

This history lesson is worth seeing. Our daughter, whose interests lie not in finance but in philosophy, told us to run out and see this flick. She was right, because indeed the lessons lay more in the world of philosophy than than the world of currency.

The unemployed are suffering, those who lost their houses are suffering, and others who did not get so badly hit have the luxury of seeing this film and asking, "What is our world coming to?"

I remember Val Kilmer as a knockout gangster in Heat. He was great as Simon Templar in The Saint opposite Elizabeth Shue. He played a very believable Doc Holiday in Wyatt. BUT: He was awful in Double Identity.

Maybe we should not fault the actor. The storyline was so poor that it was almost laughable. I will for once be a spoiler, because I would recommend highly against any readers seeing this film.

A doctor is doing goodwill work behind the Iron Curtain, somewhere in Bulgaria. There, he is mistaken for a spy, so the various mafias are after him. He can often escape to freedom but does not. He is of course smitten by a pretty face, so why would he want to get back to the West? Uh, to survive, maybe?

Why are the baddies after him? Who knows? Who cares? Why doesn't he get of there when he can? Who knows? Who cares? Why does the plot go from okay to utterly stupid? Who knows? Who cares?

This reviewer is normally quite positive on films. My esteemed colleague sometimes implies that I tend to overstate the credits and understate the debits. Not true this time.

Stay away from this dog! F for Failure to be intelligent or entertaining.

Vice

This little known police procedural came out in 2008, and it's a keeper! Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah have perfect chemistry that keeps the dark plot moving along and makes us invest in the characters.

A note on both actors: Madsen has been doing great stuff for years. I recall his incredible dance in Reservoir Dogs, where he holds a pistol, wondering whom to shoot, as he rocks to the song "Stuck in the Middle with You." What a guy! Daryl Hannah, beautiful to this day, made a great splash in the movie by that name, with Tom Hanks, did the original Wall Street with Michael Douglas, and played the ruthless Elle in Kill Bill. What a gal!

Vice offers a solid, believable story. No spoiler, as usual: A bunch of crooked cops make a bust and can't resist stealing 40 million dollars worth of drugs. Problem is, the bad guys not only want it back...but wreak revenge by knocking off the cops one by one.

It's up to our illustrious pair of heroes to solve the mystery. Will they? They have internal demons of their own, so will their hubris bring them down? Oh my, how tense the films gets.

The pace is slow, so for those seeking continuous action, this is not the right flick. For viewers who appreciate a very "noirish" police story, with shady characters who veer to the other side of the law, this film offers a solid night's entertainment.

Hereafter

Clint Eastwood has hit his 80s. Wow. I suppose that's why he has tackled the last great frontier of death to explore in his latest with Matt Damon. I revere Mr. Eastwood. I adore Mr. Damon. I will go see any project they are involved with. I was a little reticent, however, to see this film, worrying that I was still too steeped in mourning my mother's death to handle this subject. Yet, what more timely topic to allow my brain to ponder?

Well...I found this film to be quite forgettable. Weaving three sub-plots that tie up nicely in the end, it had Eastwood's eye for setting and camera work. It was well filmed. It just wasn't well-conceived. The most gripping (terrifying for this viewer who has a fear of catastrophic water events!) scene was the first - a recapturing of the Indonesia tsunami, absolutely BRILLIANTLY filmed. Took my breath away.

From there the film rode a wave of dullsville.

There was nothing original in the exploration of life after death. Not a new idea, image, or tone. I felt much more, emotionally and spiritually, from Sixth Sense. One character's near-death experience was treated as if it was virgin territory, filled with controversy and denial. This is 30-40 years too late. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's research, as well as Robert Moody's in the field have over-documented people's experiences. It just isn't earth-shattering as it was treated here.

I am mystified by this film and hope Mr. Eastwood hasn't lost his directing edge. I did not cry at any time here. I did not leave the film having my thoughts or emotions stretched. After the film, spouse and I just didn't have anything to talk about. Not a good sign.

By the way, we watched Invictus last night - another Eastwood/Damon collaboration. It was slow at first, but ended up better than I expected, and better than Hereafter.

No Remorse

I have never been a big Tom Selleck fan. But in recent years, with more maturity, the actor seems to be better than ever.

He does a fine job of playing the hard-boiled, ex police chief in a small town. No spoiler here, but the police have some unsolved murders on their hands, and clearly there is only one guy in town with enough savvy to figure them out.

Now for the interesting part: The film is based on a Robert B Parker story. I have long been a fan of Parker's mysteries. Unlike other writers who strive to sound real but rarely succeed, Parker always creates outcast cops and detectives who are quiet loners, often down on their luck, with terse lines, macho layers, superficial friendships, and a bottle of whiskey at hand.

So the fun in this film is in the dialog. With Kathy Baker playing the only real friend Selleck has, the exchanges of words are minimalist at best. An example: When the seductive wife of an old acquaintance offers herself to Selleck, he simply says, "Wow"....and leaves the room! What a guy.

Not a great film, and certainly not worthy of hyperbolic critical note. But if you want to sit back and enjoy a solid mystery with weird, offbeat characters, give this flick a try.

Unthinkable

Can any film with Samuel L Jackson be a loser? Not in this viewer's book! Once again, the skilled actor, the ace of "intensity," delivers top-notch acting that appears worthy of Oscar notice.

The plot is simple, and I can share it without being a spoiler: SLJ is an expert in witness interrogation, and he is called in to help get information from a terrorist who claims he has planted three atomic bombs on U.S. soil. The viewer can only imagine the kind of expertise SLJ brings to his task....and it isn't very pretty!

The brilliance of this film is in its tightness: The plot evolves in a confined space, seeming more like a theatrical setting than a flick. But sometimes a restricted locale can create greater tension--like the prisoner being interrogated, we feel trapped.

My first reaction: Ugh! Who wants to see a suspect questioned...and, uh, more than slightly mistreated? Not so fast, cynics! This is a fantastic morality play. The plotlline tugs at our heartstrings, making us wonder, what really is our position on such creative activities as water-boarding? Do the ends ever justify the means? What would we do if we had to extract information from someone to save millions of lives?

Not for the faint-hearted. For the movie-goer who admires outstanding performances and appreciates a story that make us question our own values.

Watch Carrie Ann Moss shine as well.

Alien - 1979

[This image SO deserves to be larger; couldn't get it to enlarge.]

Well, I just saw Clint Eastwood's newest, The Hereafter, and will post a review, but frankly, it's fast fading in my mind and I want to talk about this old classic I recently revisited.

There I was, minding my own business, when I turned the channel and Alien was just starting. I thereby lost 2 hours of my life sitting, riveted, completely caught up in a film I knew I liked, but had forgotten how AWESOME it was. In fact, I had to stop with 20 mins. to go to fix dinner, so I taped the remainder and couldn't wait to return to it the next day! That's the sign of a good movie.

1979 - ah, yes, I remember it well. I believe Alien was the modern start to a wave of sophisticated sci-fi flicks. While sci-fi is not my favorite genre, if a movie is good, it's good. Here we see early signs of director, Ridley Scott's, genius. Now, I don't need to summarize the movie for you; so I'll just itemize what makes this such a classic.

1. Sigourney Weaver. Remember, this was 1979, and to see a female protagonist who is strong, resourceful, and darned intelligent was an important statement in those times. Weaver has a square set prominent jaw - perfect for her character's steadfast nature. She looks like she's wearing zero make-up and her natural flawless, porcelain complexion is striking. (Naturally, they had to include the obligatory "wearing barely more than bikini panties" shot near the very end. oh well.) Her character is all heroine.

2. The plot satisfied both the themes of "teamwork," and "solo-hero."

3. The alien prototype is downright terrifying (right up there with my second place choice of the one in Terminator (see previous post). From it's "birth" out of John Hurd's chest, rapid molting, and surprise appearances, it truly scares the hell out of me.

4. I am struck by the contrast between the ultra sophisticated, high end technology in science and engineering in machinery and weaponry, pitted against the most primitive of organic substance that was the alien. Every inch of the ship is antiseptically clean and bright and minimal - the monster is dark and wet and slimy and gross. And if you look closely, many of the structural designs and patterns on the alien are actually replicated in the technological interior sets of the spaceship, such as the spine on one and the coiled pipes of the other. Amazing.

5. Put all that in the hands of Scott as he adds elements of darkness, wetness, blinking (almost disco) lights, tinkling chains, and great scoring and you have one mesmerizing monster movie. When Ripley (Weaver's character) finally blasts the alien out of the ship I literally burst into clapping and cheering.

If it's been a long time since you, too, have watched this classic, revisit it. It's a goody!