How far is too far? Reality television isn't going away, and with everyone looking for the next way to shock an audience, how far away are we from a show that introduces a real battle to the death? The things are going, it does not seem to be that far removed from a possible reality. From the ratings that shows like American Idol and Survivor generate, combined with the wall to wall, twenty four hour coverage of such tragedies as the recent Virginia Tech shooting, Columbine, and the ongoing war in the Middle East, I would not be hard pressed to believe that there is some unscrupulous producer concocting a scheme to inject a little more shock and awe over what is presently acceptable for prime time television. It is this very subject that The Condemned seeks to contend with, sadly, they don't hit the broadside of a barn.
The Condemned is the third go around for WWE Films, distributed through an agreement with Lionsgate. Their first film was the successful slasher film See No Evil which featured Kane as the resident psychopath, that was followed by the 80's styled actioner The Marine with John Cena in the title role. The WWE Superstar to get tapped this time? None other than 90's badass icon Stone Cold Steve Austin, playing a Snake Plissken-esque renegade.The story follows a heartless television producer Ian Breckel (Robert Mammone) as he travels the world looking for a wide array of death row inmates to buy. He buys them in order to pit them against each other in a battle to the death, with freedom as the prize. Once he has all of his players in place, he equips them with an explosive ankle collar, to help keep them in line. The ten condemned contestants are dropped around the island, and essentially left to their own devices as the game gets underway.
The concept is sound, although it is a mash up of other films such as Battle Royale, No Escape, Running Man, Series 7, My Little Eye, and even Halloween: Resurrection. I have no problem with recycled plots, see my enjoyment of Vacancy. What I have a problem with is the fact that it is just a mash up, there seemed to be little to no thought put into the execution. I can picture it now, the writers are pitching the story: "It's going to be great! You see, we take all these hardcore killers from around the world and put them on an island so they can fight each other to the death" "Well, OK, what's the catch?" "This is where you're really gonna get excited! It is actually a contest being broadcast over the internet! It'll be a bigger event that the Super Bowl!" "Sold, cast Stone Cold in the lead and you got yourself a deal!" "Awesome! We can have a script for your approval in an hour."I like the idea, and I think that it is one that can be done a few times over and still retain a level of interest. Watching this one play out, I couldn't help but shake my head in dismay at what was unfolding in front of me. Granted, I was not expecting much, I just hoped to have a little fun, but even with low expectations, I could not find much to hang onto. It wanted so much to be a message film about our infatuation with violence and what kind of effect it has on people, who draws the line, and who decides when the line is crossed.
There are a few threads that play out through the film. One is the game itself with the ten convicts roaming the island, a second is a change of heart among the production staff, an FBI investigation into the game, and a faltering relationship between Austin's Jake Conrad and a divorced mother of two in Texas. None of them have any depth, and none of them are all that believable.
Above the attempted stories and messages, this is meant to be an action film. The problem is that they forgot to include the action. Sure, there are a few fist fights and a couple of explosions, but the action is not exciting and it is not compelling, in fact, the fights may be the most incompetently shot excuses for action I have seen in a long, long time. Whenever a fight starts the cameraman goes into convulsions with the camera waggling every which way. It is so bad as to induce motion sickness and confuse the viewer. I had no idea what I was looking at. They should have gotten ahold of the WWE production crew to learn how to pull back and let us see the fights, it's OK to use some wild inserts, but give us some perspective on what we are watching.Beyond the poor action, the characters were flat, uninspired, and rather boring. We do not get to learn all that much about them, aside from their criminal status, and thus are not given a reason to care about any of them. Sure, they try to give Auston a bit of likability, but it was not nearly enough. Then the evil producer, well I don't think we are supposed to like him anyway, but the staff members who have a change of heart that is another story altogether. It is handled rather heavy handed, and not at all within the realm of reality. They want you to believe that they are suddenly shocked by what they are seeing, when they all entered into this with their eyes open, I didn't buy their faux shock.
Believe it or not, there were a couple of things I liked, but they were not enough to make this watchable, or even recommend for the cheese factor. I liked Austin, he isn't given much to do, and his attempts at being sensitive are awful, and watching him run is painful, but put him in a fight or give him a snappy one liner, and he is your man. Then there is Vinnie Jones, who made Juggernaut so memorable last year in X-Men: The Last Stand, makes a memorable mark as a wisecracking murderer and rapist. Finally, Rick Hoffman, who was the American Businessman in Hostel, gives a goofy, highly caffeinated turn as the director of the game. Well, that is about it for the likability of the movie.Director Scott Wiper does not impress with this outing. What could (and should) have been a fun, over the top action fest turned out to be a drawn out affair that goes nowhere as the stories either taper out or are ended with an unsatisfying conclusion. The writing is right down there with the directing, you can add in all the one liners you want, but you have to have a compelling tale, or at least a fun story.
Bottomline. This is a movie that would have been better left on the shelf, or at most go direct to video. The story is flat, acting is atrocious, direction unbearable, all adding up to an action movie without the action, a message film that fails to make a point. Oh well, at least it gave me something to write about.
Not Recommended.
Deceptively good melodic riff rock sounds like a good way to describe this debut release from Crushed. It wasn't quite what I expected from a band with the name "Crushed." I was expecting something a little heavier, a little dirtier, a little more raw, what I got was something in a different direction. The Phoenix, AZ based quintet hooked up with producer Mike Clink and together put out a solid crisp album that is sure to garner at least a little attention, attention that it deserves.
As I listened to them, two other bands came to mind. They may seem like an unlikely pair, and you are quite likely not to hear it, sometimes I pull strange things out of what I listen to. OK, the two bands are Filter and Korn. That's right, Crushed reminds me of those two bands. The biggest comparison is that vocalist/guitarist Mark Lauer's voice sounds like a cross between Korn's Jonathan Davis and Filter's Richard Patrick. Beyond that, the band offers up some nice melodic hard rock that has shades of Filter, while they are not adverse to offering up something a little bit harder, in the Korn vein, but not quite.
Welcome to the only weekly column that focuses on the films opening in my personal driving radius, fortunately, that radius covers enough theaters to include most of your wide releases, and eventually, the occasional indie flick.
In 1963, Valenti was in charge of the press during JFK's visit to Dallas. Following JFK's assassination, Valenti become a close advisor to LBJ, even living in the White House for the first few months of his term. In 1966 he left his position at the White House and became president of the MPAA.
Why? That's all I want to know. Not every show is a hit right out of the box, not everything can be a ratings juggernaut like American Idol, which I personally cannot stand. Sometimes it takes a little time, a little nurturing. However, it seems like more and more often, if a show is not an instant hit, it disappears in a matter of weeks, sometimes less. Drive is the latest casualty, towed to the garage after a mere three episodes (four if you count the premiere as two). I, for one, was really enjoying the show and the ways each character's story fit into the larger puzzle that was slowly being pieced together.
Mark down Drive as the latest casualty. Nathan Fillion was great as the centerpiece of the ensemble, he could get down with the action, be a complete badass, and be sensitive and vulnerable, all in the same scene, the perfect anchor. The other characters were also on their way to filling their positions. All of that cut short by Fox's decision not to continue with it.
When I saw Night at the Museum projected on the big screen, I found myself having a good time in spite of myself. I remember walking into the theater and wanting to enjoy it, but also wanting to not enjoy it too much. Why I had that approach I have no idea. Despite those intentions, my defenses were quickly worn down and I found myself sucked into this delightful family fantasy. Revisiting now on DVD, I find I have no defense to the charms contained within. Is it a great movie? No, not really, but what it does do is hit all the right notes and deliver a wide eyed spectacle that has a lot of heart. You will turn it off at the end with a smile on your face, and perhaps the desire to visit a museum to see where "History comes to life!"
Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, a divorced father who is trying to connect with his son. Between the two are many barriers that must be crossed. You see, Larry is a man of many schemes, none of which work, and which have left Larry down on his luck, regularly evicted from his various living quarters, fired from his jobs, and wondering if the moment to connect with his son has passed. This leads him to the position of night guard at the Museum of Natural History. So, the story, at its heart, leads to the connectin between father and son, and it is rather sweet to watch the progression of their relationship from the brink of disaster to the precipice of forever.
on. The museum contains a T Rex skeleton that likes to play fetch, Genghis Khan who wants to rip things, fire fascinated cavemen, the lovely Sacajawea, Teddy Roosevelt, a mummy, the fighting men of the diorama room, among all manner of other craziness. Amazingly, all of these elements come together in a story where a man realizes what he is meant to do, he takes charge and does it, and it is fantastically entertaining.
Audio/Video. First let me say that the version I viewed was a burned pre-release set that has a studio bug appear a couple of times onscreen, so I have no idea how closely this matches up to the final production disk. I will say that the audio sounds very good, no complaints there, but the video is a bit of a different story, and I hope the final disk looks better. Everything seemed a little washed out and there were some compression issues. I have seen worse, but I expect more from this high profile release.
Wow, Smokin' Aces. This was the first jolt of life that came to the 2007 calendar year. It was the first film to ignite the excitement of the cinema. It opened at the end of January, and was not really met all that enthusiastically by the critical world. Hell, even I wasn't quite sure if I liked it when I left the theater that night. However, I do know that my adrenaline had jumped up a few notches. The film is, essentially, Tarantino to the nth degree, but without all the skill in execution. What it lacks for in polish and finesse, it makes up for in its frenetic energy.
But, and there is almost always a but, I still found myself enjoying the ride. It was not nearly as much as I had hoped, but there was a certain giddy joy that could be gleaned from the cartoonish characters, the outlandish situations, and the infectious energy that pervades the camera moves and editing. It is a comic book/video game come to life.
Watching it again, on DVD, allows me to write off more of the problems that the film is infused with. I found that it played very well in the home theater. The craziness was scarecly contained within the television frame, and I think that the smaller screen works to its advantage, allowing a smaller canvas for it to play itself out on. The pulpy material seems a bit more suited to it, although it is big and in your face and a blast on the big screen.
Extras. In addition to the wild movie, there is a prety good selection of extras included.
Independent, no budget cinema is always a gamble. You can never really know what you are going to get. Sometimes you get a great story from creative staff that has vision, and what they lack in money they more than make up for in energy and effort. More often than not, however, what you get can scarcely be called a film, it is something that may have vision, but the execution is so bad as to make it nearly unwatchable. Now, where does Planetfall, uhh, fall? Definitely somewhere in between, but with strong leanings towards the unwatchable.
Did the two live action movies fail to feed your itch for Scoobert? Well, fortunately for you, Warner Brothers has already released the original series that started it all, Scooby-Doo Where Are You! seasons one and two, plus the best of the Scooby Doo movies, the complete Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt series, and a variety of other episode collections and entries from the more recent series. Now, if all that isn't enough for you, and honestly, who can get enough of the Scoob? Here comes Warner Brothers again with Scoody-Doo Where Are You! The Complete Third Season to attempt and satiate that insatiable itch.
This week's pick is the latest wild visual extravaganza from director Tony Scott, who teams with writers Bill Marsilii and Terry Rossio to deliver the inventive and surprisngly intelligent time travel thriller, Deja Vu. This is a film that is high on flash, yet doesn't skimp on the story. It is true that if you stop and think about it, you will likely end up with a migraine, but that can be said about any time travel themed movie. These films open themselves up to loopholes and plotholes, and all manner of reality based issues.
So, Gaspard Ulliel failed to give you that old time Hannibal itch that needed scratching. Well, you may now be able to satisfy that itch. No, this is not a a new entry in the Hannibal series, but it does feature Anthony Hopkins in a deliciously twisted role that has him facing off with the forces of good. No, it is not a horror movie, but it does deliver murder and an ingenius way of covering it up. Fracture is an effective crime thriller featuring strong performances in its two leads. It is a filled with tense drama, surprising humor, and is one of the best thrillers so far this year.
Anthony Hopkins is the defendant,Ted Crawford, an engineer of some sort with an intelignece level that is off the charts. He is in a union that is merely the semblance of a marriage, so he decides to end it. The trailers show Crawford pulling a weapon and shooting his wife in the head. What follows this event is Hopkins facing off with Beachum in a battle of wits, the old guard taking on the new guard.
Now, in other movies, those flaws could be more than enough to sink it. However, Fracture survives on the wonderful performances from the two leads, Hopkins in particular. Hopkins brings dark menace and sly humor to the role, he brings a confidence only someone like he can. Few actors can portray the menace that he can, his mere presence on the screen is electric and commands attention. Gosling has an interesting arc himself, dealing with the ego and his drive for success, perfection, and, eventually, redemption. He does a fine job of bringing this character to life and his face offs with Hopkins are fantastic. The movie features old, smarts against an up and coming sharp mind. In a way it mirrors the actors in these roles, with Hopkins as the reliable old guard and Gosling as the up and coming star of the future.
I have seen this little movie described as Psycho meets Saw, and that description is rather fitting. It is not entirely appropriate, but effectively describes the movie in a form of cinematic shorthand. I went into the movie with lowered expectations, although I cannot deny that I was excited over the possibility of a down and dirty little horror movie. When I walked out, I wondered why I had those lowered expectations. Vacancy turned out to be a gritty little film that succeeded at creating a foreboding atmosphere and delivering some old school thrills.
Before our couple can make it to the motel, they have to deal with each other and a broken down car. It becomes very clear early on that our dynamic duo are suffering troubles to their dynamics. Their marriage is in dire straits, they are snapping at each other, they are well into snarky mode, but the further along they go, the more they realize just what they mean to each other. Vacancy actually turns into a rather heartwarming tale of self discovery and love. Well, not really, but it does have an underlying heart which definitely helps you root for their survival giving you a people that you can genuinely care about.
The commercials do not hold anything back, what you see is what you get. It is a gritty horror thriller that, once it gets going, doesn't let up. The Foxes are faced with thrill killers who get their jollies by videotaping the deed for future playback. It is a rather frightening prospect that is played to nice effect. It never leaves the realm of reality, no superhumans or supernatural influence, just the work of a sick mind.