Movie Media: You Don't Mess with the Zohan - Poster, Trailer

Adam Sandler is following I Know Pronounce you Chuck and Larry (a role he was less than suited for) with something that is more up his alley. You Don't Mess with the Zohan stars Sandler as a highly skilled Israeli soldier. As good as he is, he gets tired of that life and wishes to move on. He wants to put down his weapons and pick up scissors and a hair dryer, he wants to cut and style hair. All goes well until he is recognized. The trailer makes the film look like dumb fun, I hope it delivers.

DVD Review: Stardust

Fantasy films are a hard sell. You are asking the audience to suspend disbelief to a greater degree than your standard romcom or action flick; even then, if the title doesn't include the words Harry, Lord, or Narnia, forget about it, you aren't going anywhere. A good example of this would be the recent big screen debut of The Golden Compass. Sure, it was the top box office hit of the weekend but it was well below expectations and is fading fast. Then again, The Golden Compass really wasn't all that good. Perhaps a better example of this, with a good film at its center, would be Stardust, that is, after all, what this review is about. Here is a movie that was largely ignored at the box office, but it is so good that I hope that it finds an audience now that it is on store shelves.

When Stardust arrived this past August, it was like a breath of fresh air. It arrived as counter programming in the waning summer season, Transformers was still hot, The Bourne Ultimatum was making a splash, The Simpson was showing its legs, and Rush Hour 3 was making its presence known. Do you see a trend there? Stardust was of a decidedly different lineage than those other films. While those other films, by and large played to a large segment of the populace, Stardust stood out as this weird little oddity that no one knew much about. Now this is not a comment on the quality of those other films, as most of them were good if not excellent. It is just they belong to the blockbuster type of film that were targeted at a wider segment of the population. Stardust was of a mindset that had lower expectations, although its quality screamed for more. It was saddled with an advertising campaign that did not hit hard enough and did not give a terribly good idea of what it was about. I remember walking into the theater knowing it was a fantasy film, but beyond that, forget it.

By now, I am sure you are wondering just what makes Stardust so great? Well, those of you who haven't seen it anyway. Let me give you the short answer, it just is. Not good enough?

Stardust presents a world full of magical whimsy, high adventure, and romance. It strips away the seriousness of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and does not get into the serialized nature of the Harry Potter franchise. Rather than bring to mind those recent films, it is better to look about twenty years into the past for its nearest kin. That's right, the film draws favorable comparisons to The Princess Bride. While the relationship is apt, do not think of Stardust as The Princess Bride Part 2, it is more of a tonal relationship.

Director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake), along with co-writer Jane Goldman, took the original story by Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Mirrormask, Beowulf) and created a magical film world that takes a number of plot threads and weaves them all together into an adventurous tapestry that is sure to put a smile on your face and a sense of wonder in your heart.

The plot consists of a group of smaller tales that slowly come together to reveal the bigger picture. The central tale concerns a shopboy named Tristan (Charlie Cox). He is in love with a young woman named Victoria (Sienna Miller). The problem is that she is rather self-absorbed and in a relationship with another suitor, a snobbish fellow named Humphrey (Henry Cavill). One night Tristan makes a last ditch effort to win her affections. While sitting under the stars, Tristan and Victoria see a star fall from the sky. He vows to find the celestial debris and bring it to her as a sign of his love, and his adventure begins.

His journey to find the star weaves together with a trio of witches, led by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer) seeking the heart of the fallen star, personified by Claire Danes. You see, the heart of a star can restore the witches' youth almost indefinitely, making it a hot commodity. There is a third story concerning the rivalry of the King's (Peter O'Toole) sons as they try to knock each other off for the crown. To that end, they are pursuing a ruby necklace that knocked the star from the heavens in the first place and is now carried around her neck.

It is a masterful trilogy of stories. Each is well developed and none overstay their welcome. Also, while each has a different reason for being, they all focus on the fallen star. They dovetail nicely as we arrive at the climax. No thread is left behind.

This doesn't even begin to touch on the separation of the real world and the magical one, nor of the sky pirate played by Robert Deniro. Nor does it touch on magic candles, enchanted chains, or the level of romance. There is a lot to watch and a lot to absorb, but not so much as to be confusing. Everything in its place.

Audio/Video. The anamorphic widescreen looks quite good. The colors are sharp, there is nice separation, and no artifact problems. Absolutely nothing to complain about, and I hear the high definition release looks spectacular. The audio is just as good. It is almost pointless to review the tech aspects as it is rare that a release comes out with subpar specs.

Extras. There are a a couple of extras here, I just wish there were more.

• Good Omens: The Making of Stardust. This featurette covers a lot of ground, from the original creation, to the adaptation, to casting, to shooting, to effects. It is quite good and more than a fluff piece, while retaining an entertainment factor. (30 minutes)
• Blooper Reel. This contains your usual flubbed lines and actors breaking out in laughter. (5.5 minutes)
• Deleted Scenes. Nothing terribly special, although there is a funny scene with the ghost brothers at Yvaine's crater, and some are just different versions of what appears in the film. (5.5 minutes)

Bottomline. Stardust has the feel of a timeless fantasy tale. It is smart, intriguing, and creates a new world filled with visual wonders. I was caught off guard, in a good way. It is a nice feeling to walk in without a clue of what to expect and leave with a grin plastered on your face and now be able to relive it on DVD, where its effect has not diminished in the least. If anything, it may even be more enjoyable.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Media: The Poughkeepsie Tapes - Poster, Trailer

Not sure if it will be any good, although I tend to think it is not going to be. The main reason I am interested is because Poughkeepsie is the next town over from me. I went to high school and college there. I am not sure if any of the footage was shot ther, but I wouldn't mind taking a peek to find out. It is the story of a serial killer who video taped all of his "work." This movie is his compiled work. Interesting also because in the mid 1990's there actually was a serial killer in Poughkeepsie who killed 8 women. I knew him....

Movie Media: Untraceable - Posters, Trailer

The new year brings with it a new movie that preys on our fears of the fast expanding web world, specifically cyber crime, as well as introduce a touch of torture to the mix. Put the lovely Diane Lane in the lead and you have Untraceable. It centers on a serial killer using a website to kill his victims, before he starts targeting Lane and her child. The trailer looks good, until Lane's car is hacked and the guy pops up from the back seat. That knocked a few points off it.

CD Review: Kottonmouth Kings - Cloud Nine

The Kottonmouth Kings have got to be one of the hardest working groups in the business. In between seemingly incessant touring they have released twelve full length albums in the past decade. I am pretty much a newbie when it comes to the stylings of the Kings. I finally decided to bite the bullet and give them a shot when I picked up Joint Venture. It may not have been the best choice to start with, it just happened to be the first one I saw when I decided to pick one up. I liked it, rather, I liked some of it. The album started off strong and seemed to steadily drop off for the remainder. I liked the beats; they had a good groove to them, not to mention the punk influences on their sound. Anyway, the year has changed and I find a copy of Cloud Nine in my hands. This album is much more consistent throughout. It is a good disk, although I am not sure you could count me among the KMK faithful.

Their sound stands apart from other hip hop I listen too; although my hip hop is exposure is relatively limited, comprised primarily of ICP and other Psychopathic Records alum. Their brand of hip hop brings in punk and rock influences in a mixture that they call "rip-hop," which is probably the best way to describe it. It is still firmly entrenched within the realm of hip hop, but the do it yourself ethic of punk is evident in their self-produced releases. The group even own and operate their own independent record label, Suburban Noize Records. These guys seem to be so busy it's a wonder they ever find time to smoke up!

If there is one consistency throughout Cloud Nine, in addition to the ever-present marijuana influenced and inspired lyrical flow, are the beats. At times it may verge on becoming repetitive, but there is something about the grooves that keeps one interested. You can listen in and pick out the lyrics, or you can sit back and just groove to the beat. The music is laid back, not to say there isn't energy, there are plenty of tracks that would be sure to get a party on (and off) their feet.

Cloud Nine is loaded to the final second with nearly 80 minutes worth of music. They do not skimp on the tunes with twenty tracks filling up the CD with beats, rhymes, and the aural equivalent of THC.

Among the twenty tracks, there are a few that stand head and shoulders above the rest. When you slide the disk in be sure to check out the downright catchy opener "Controlled Substance," "Think 4 Yourself" the hook laden cut with special guests Insane Clown Posse, the ode to lighters "Litas," "One Day" with it's smooth rock flow, "City 2 City" with Tech N9ne and Big Krizz Kalico has a dancefloor beat that will get your head bobbing, the acoustic inflected "It Ain't Easy," and the acoustic ballad "Proud to be a Stoner."

Seriously, though, this is not destined for any classic status. It is not groundbreaking or particularly special in its beat structure or lyrical content. What it is is a good time. If you have a high tolerance for marijuana inspired lyrics you will find an album to put on and groove to that has strong beats, and the occasional insightful lyric that will demonstrate that they can go beyond the pot lyrics.

Production values are high, that's right. The sound quality of this album is first rate. The mix is perfect giving rise to strong, deep bass, sharp cymbal hits, and clear, intelligible vocals. If only every album was mixed this well.

On top of the completely loaded CD, there is a DVD in the package. This is no mere fluff disk with a video or two and maybe an interview. The bonus DVD runs 70 minutes and is filled with information on Sub Noize Records and all of its artists. It is presented as an Underground News Report hosted by Daddy X. Included are videos from KMK (including "Think 4 Yourself" with ICP), Big B, DI, Mondo Generator, Hed PE, and others. It is a perfect capper for the set. These guys know how to pack in the value!

Bottomline. This is a good album. If you are a fan, you will want to get your hands on this if you haven't already. If you aren't a fan and are either curious or looking for something a little off the mainstream, this could prove to be what you are looking for.

Recommended.

Movie Media: Meet the Spartans - Poster, Trailer

First there was Date Movie and then Epic Movie. Now we get Meet the Spartans. What needs be said? Well, they took "movie" out of the title, although I do not think it would make much of a difference. It is a spoof centering on 300, and it looks horrid. Why do they keep throwing money at these "filmmakers"? Anyway, the cast includes Carmen Electra, Kevin Sorbo, Diedrich Bader, and Method Man.

Movie Media: Definitely, Maybe - Poster, Trailer

Also: see my review of the film.
Ryan Reynolds tries his hand at the romantic comedy with Definitely, Maybe. And you know what? It doesn't look half bad, no matter how lame the poster looks. Reynolds is a single father, raising Abigail Breslin. She does not know who her mother is. In order to find out, she gets daddy to tell stories of his serious relationships and she has to figure it out. It looks kind of sweet, definitely date movie material. Joining Reynolds and Breslin are Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, and Rachel Weisz.

DVD Pick of the Week: Eastern Promises

As I write this, it is already out of date. You see, with the Christmas holiday falling on a Tuesday, the normal release day, most releases were pushed to Wednesday the 26th. Then a last minute decision came down and the release was pushed up to Sunday the 23rd. Not that big of a deal as stores should have received their shipments the prior Friday at the latest. So, they pulled out their boxes and the titles I am writing about have been on store shelves for days now. However, I feel a strange need to soldier on and let you know what the preeminent choice(s) are for the week. You see, there is always going to be a title that stands above the rest and this week is no different, regardless of when the disks hit the shelves.

While the actual release date was jockeyed around the schedule a few times, it is not that meaningful in the long run when you consider the relatively small number of releases this week. Then when you count out the the extraneous specialty and small run titles, there are precious few titles of note. This translates to you being able to spend your Christmas cash on titles that you have been meaning to catch up with over the busy weeks leading up to the big day.

The one title that stands above the rest is David Cronenberg's latest creation, Eastern Promises. This new film is set within the world of Russian mobsters operating in London. It is a film that is less about plot and more about the people that inhabit this world. Is it a perfect experience? Now, at times it moves along at a sluggish pace which lulled me into complacency. Still, there is a depth here that will keep you interested throughout.

Eastern Promises is a fascinating story that has a plot that will keep you interested, but it is much more than that. This is a fully developed world where characters live and breathe. While everything is obviously scripted, it does not feel that way. We are presented with characters that have their own thoughts and beliefs that inform their actions. It is well developed and fully realized. Plus, there is some nice gore and one of the best knock-down, drag-out fights committed to film in some time.

The DVD is a little slim on extras, containing only a pair of featurettes:

• SECRETS AND STORIES – Go behind the scenes as director David Cronenberg brings screenwriter Steven Knight’s brilliant script to life in the rainy dark streets of contemporary London.
• MARKED FOR LIFE - Director David Cronenberg notes that in Russia, Georgia and other provinces, men are tattooed with their stories, there is no need for words. This feature will examine how the tattoos are used and what they mean for honor and code.

Also out this week:

• The Kingdom. The first of the recent spat of war-themed films to arrive on DVD. It will be interesting to see if its reception is any different. For what it's worth, the movie was quite good, plenty of action and excitement and some good performances. It is well worth checking out.
• WWE: The Best of RAW 15th Anniversary. This three disk set covers all of RAW's history. I may have stopped watching some time ago, but this may be worth picking up to relive some of those moments from when I was watching.
• The Heartbreak Kid. This is the middle ground in between stuff like Good Luck Chuck and Knocked Up. It also shows the Farrelly's attempting to get back in form. The biggest problem is that there really aren't any characters to actively like. Worth renting.
• Lost and Found: The Harry Langdon Collection. I have never seen a Langdon film, but back in the silent era he was as big as Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd.
• The Brothers Solomon. This was a "blink and you missed it" feature when it hit theaters in September. It does not help that it reviewed horribly. I am still interested in this because of Will Arnett's involvement.
• Galactica 1980: The Complete Epic Series. Anyone remember this crapfest? Funny thing is that I would like to revisit it, if for nothing other than nostalgia to when I was a kid.

Until next week!

New Movies and Box Office Predictions: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, The Great Debaters, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

First let me say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all who happen to read this! I hope you are spending plenty of time with your loved ones and only going to the theater if it is a family tradition. With that out of the way, just remember that because you are not at the cineplex, that does not mean there is nothing there waiting for you. This Christmas day finds three new films infiltrating theaters. Each of these new releases is targeting a different segment of the audience. One is going after science fiction and horror fans, another is Oscar bait filled with more serious drama, and finally there is one for the kids with a family friendly fantasy. I hope to catch two of them eventually. Read on to learn a bit more about your holiday options, and remember that there is nothing else coming this weekend, so make these last.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. (2007, 86 minutes, R, horror, trailer) Let me start by saying that the footage I have seen thus far from this movie look better than the entire first feature. That said, I am keeping my expectations low for this one, all I am hoping for is some blood, action, and maybe even a couple of scares. In this outing, the two extraterrestrial creatures wind up in a small Colorado town where the the townsfolk must band together in order to survive the invading menace. The movie is directed bybrothers Colin and Gregg Strause, a duo that has made a name for themselves in the world of special effects. The cast includes a single recognizable name to me, Reiko Aylesworth (24 and ER). Here's to hoping.

The Great Debaters. (2007, 123 minutes, PG-13, drama, trailer) This looks like it could be good, and is already getting some critical acclaim with its Golden Globe nominations and its appearance on Roger Ebert's top ten of 2007 list. It features Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker in lead roles, as well as Denzel in the director's chair and Oprah Winfrey serving as one of the producers. It is the story of Professor Melvin Tolson (Washington) a controversial debate coach at a black college in the South. He brings together an underdog debate team to national notoriety, culminated with an invitation to debate Harvard's championship team. This looks to be an inspirational piece that will hopefully sidestep the cliches that bog down inspirational sports tales, this seems to be in a similar vein. Whatever the case, I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. (2007, 111 minutes, PG, family fantasy, trailer) You know, I have no interest in seeing this film. I know, it's rare, but occasionally a film just does not strike me as entertaining. This happens to be one of those films. If someone who has seen the film can convince me otherwise, perhaps I will go. It tells the story of a boy and his dog, but in this case his dog is a legendary water horse, that will come to be known as the Loch Ness Monster. This is director Jay Russell's first film since 2004's Ladder 49.

Also opening this week, but not near me:

• The Bucket List
• Honeydripper
• The Orphanage
• Persepolis
• There Will be Blood

Box Office Predictions
As I look at the films in theaters and the new releases for Christmas, I have no idea where they will land. Anything I say will be a pure guess. So, here goes nothing. I have a feeling that National Treasure will hang onto the top spot. The new AVP will open well but fade quickly, same for The Water Horse. I hope to see Juno continue to climb and that Sweeney Todd will hang onto its audience and grow some legs. Other than that, here are my guesses:

Here is how I think the top ten field will play out:

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	National Treasure: Book of Secrets	$29 million
2	Aliens vs Predator: Requiem	$20 million
3	I Am Legend	$17 million
4	The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep	$16 million
5	Alvin and the Chipmunks	$15 million
6	The Great Debators	$9 million
7	Sweeney Todd	$6 million
8	Juno	$4.5 million
9	Charlie Wilson's War	$4 million
10	PS I Love You	$3.5 million

Box Office Update 12/21-12/23: National Treasure: Book of Secrets Leads a Large Freshman Class

This final weekend leading into Christmas featured a wholesale swap of the top ten, with six titles entering the upper echelon. Overall, it was a pretty good weekend for movie going with the top three films combining for a total tally well north of $100 million. It also saw good openings for a number of newly released films and a strong expansion of another. I know I did my part going out and seeing as many of these films as I could.

Leading the box office charge is the sequel to the 2004 hit National Treasure. National Treasure: Book of Secrets brought Nicolas Cage the best opening of his career, narrowly besting Ghost Rider from earlier this year (based on studio estimates). The movie is a fun adventure, nothing great by any stretch. What it provides is a fun adventure suitable for the whole family, and those are few and far between these days. Silly as the plot may be, it does exactly what it sets out to accomplish. Based on its reception, it would appear to be a shoe-in to cross the $100 million mark and head towards besting, or at least matching, the $173 million take of the original.

Following that are last week's top two bread winners. Will Smith's I Am Legend slipped a respectable 55% from last week, which was to be expected based on its monstrous opening. It further solidifies Will Smith as one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood as he matches Tom Hanks record of seven $100 million films in a row, a record that could be broken when Hancock opens in July. Right behind that is Alvin and the Chipmunks, the surprise hit from last weekend. It fell less than 40% from its opening mark. I saw the film and it was surprisingly good, not great but definitely watchable.

Next up are three new releases in a row. First, in fourth, is Charlie Wilson's War, the Tom Hanks political comedy. Next is Tim Burton's spectacular screen telling of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Rounding out the trilogy is PS I Love You, Gerard's Butler first film since 300 put him on the map.

There was one other new release to enter the top ten, although it is already being branded a flop. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story opened in 8th place with an estimated $4.1 million. It deserves to do better than that. It is a very funny take on the music biopic genre that has been Oscar bait over the past few years. John C. Reilly delivers one of the best performances of his career in the Jake Kasdan directed, Judd Apatow written film.

Finally, there was one other new entry to the top ten. Juno, in its third week of release, reached the tenth position as it continues its roll out to wide release. It is a smart, witty, insightful comedy from first time screenwriter Diablo Cody and only the second feature from director Jason Reitman. It really is excellent work and should do well as its reach increases. Think of it as the 2007 version of Little Miss Sunshine.

Among the returning films Enchanted continues to do very well. It is now on the cusp of crossing the $100 million mark. Disney has to be very happy with how well it has performed. They should also be happy with the high quality of the film.

This week's top films will not have to wait long for new competition as the next batch of films will be opening on Christmas Day. This new competition includes Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, The Great Debaters, and Waterhorse: Legend of the Deep.

Six movies dropped off the top ten this week: Atonement (11), No Country for Old Men (12), The Perfect Holiday (14), This Christmas (15), Fred Claus (16), and August Rush (17).

At the time of this writing final figures were not available, the figures used are the studio estimates.

This Week	Last Week	Title	Wknd Gross	Overall	Week in release
1	N	National Treasure: Book of Secrets	$45,500,000	$45,500,000	1
2	1	I Am Legend	$34,225,000	$137,490,000	2
3	2	Alvin and the Chipmunks	$29,000,000	$84,867,000	2
4	N	Charlie Wilson's War	$9,618,000	$9,618,000	1
5	N	Sweeney Todd	$9,350,000	$9,350,000	1
6	N	PS I Love You	$6,505,000	$6,505,000	1
7	4	Enchanted	$4,152,000	$98,351,000	5
8	N	Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story	$4,100,000	$4,100,000	1
9	3	The Golden Compass	$3,980,000	$48,418,000	3
10	11	Juno	$3,400,000	$6,385,000	3

Box Office Predictions Recap
I was doing Okay until I reached fourth, then everything began to fall apart. It began with my overestimation of Walk Hard, for some reason I thought that was going to be sure to open stronger, much stronger, than it did. That was my biggest misstep. If I had dropped that down a bit and moved up the films behind it I would have been in pretty good shape. I didn't, so I'm not. Most of my gross predictions were pretty off as well. The one I am proud of is getting Juno's gross pretty close, even if I overestimated where it would place.

Anyway, here is how I picked the field:

Actual	Prediction	Title	Wknd Gross	Prediction
1	1	National Treasure: Book of Secrets	$45,500,000	$46 million
2	2	I Am Legend	$34,225,000	$37 million
3	3	Alvin and the Chipmunks	$29,000,000	$22 million
8	4	Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story	$4,100,000	$18 million
4	5	Charlie Wilson's War	$9,618,000	$16 million
5	6	Sweeney Todd	$9,350,000	$15 million
6	7	PS I Love You	$6,505,000	$9 million
10	8	Juno	$3,400,000	$3.5 million
7	9	Enchanted	$4,152,000	$3 million
9	10	The Golden Compass	$3,980,000	$2.5 million

Movie Review: Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story

The past couple of years have seen an increase in the music biopic, in the form of Ray and Walk the Line. Both films were successful in garnering critical and popular acclaim as well as receiving multiple Oscar nominations each. I enjoyed both of these films, Ray for the strong performances and Walk the Line more for the music. The problem, that afflicted both of these films, is that when you condense their (Ray Charles and Johnny Cash in these examples, but it is applicable across the biopic genre) lives into the length of a feature film, their stories are remarkably similar. Seriously, the narrative of these two films was virtually identical from the troubled childhood, to the struggles, to make their own music, to infidelity on the road. That bugged me to no end, and no I do not know why it did. Anyhow, there is a cure to this annoyance; it comes in the form of Walk Hard a film that spoofs the music biopic sub-genre by playing it straight. Yes, it sounds strange but it works wonderfully.

Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) is from Springberry, Alabama. As a youth he lived in the shadow of his younger brother until that fateful day when a playful machete fight results in "A serious case of being cut in half" leaves their father telling Dewey that "The wrong son died," repeatedly throughout the film. This incident forever sets Dewey along a path where he must be twice as great for himself and his brother. His chosen path leads him to music where he picks up and masters the guitar in seconds.

What follows is a film that chronicles the life and times of Dewey Cox. Cox is a character made up almost entirely of genre cliches. He marries young, and leaves his family home alone while he meets his true love, Darlene (Jenna Fischer) on the road. He makes all manner of bad decisions, getting involved with all manner of drugs as his music hops styles to keep on top of the charts while we build to the inevitable downward spiral.

You know, I could go on describing what the plot is, but to what end? I am sure you are all already familiar with this type of plot line. The bigger question's are whether or not it is funny and how well the performances work. The short answers are: yes, it is most definitely funny, and the performances are all quite good with John C. Reilly's work being absolutely first rate.

What makes Walk Hard work as well as it does is that it is played straight. Rather than taking everything over the top (like the Scary Movie series) the comedy is played much subtler, the result is a comedy that still has an emotional center. It is an odd mix that may hold some of the comedy back, but in the long run it works that much stronger as a full-fledged movie as opposed to a series of gags. Credit to director Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow who collaborated on the screenplay.

It seems that Judd Apatow can do no wrong. He has had a pretty strong track record of late with comedies that are funny, insightful, and have a strong emotional core to them. It doesn't seem to matter what capacity his involvement is, from directing (Knocked Up), to producing (Superbad), to writing as he does here. Now perhaps I am sure some will accuse me of jumping on the Apatow bandwagon, but I do not think I am. It seems that whenever anyone has a little bit of success there will undoubtedly be some backlash. His work here, with Kasdan, is smart. It parodies the familiar without slipping into buffoonery. The screenplay successfully gets to the heart of the biopic and even makes you care about the characters along the way. Very interesting work.

Not every joke lands, but there is a high enough rate of comedy that more hit their mark than not. There is also a clever mix of slapstick, sight gags, quick verbal jabs, and some stuff that is just off-the-wall. The best thing is that the tone remains consistent throughout, centered by John C. Reilly's performance.

John C. Reilly has made a career playing interesting characters, but never really getting the chance to take the lead. His decision or not, he has done a fine job for himself. However, with Walk Hard he seems to have put all the pieces in the right places. First off, he can sing, and he does all of his own singing in this feature. Next, he is genuinely funny and can be genuinely serious, both sides of which he puts to great use here. Lastly, he is an actor more than he is a comedian, allowing him to play up the comedy organically without hamming the scenes up. Not to mention he is able to illicit genuine sympathy from the viewer as Cox goes further down the spiral. His may not be the best performance of the year, but there is no denying that it is of a higher caliber than one would expect from a parody.

Not to be outdone, the supporting cast is excellent. Jenna Fischer steps out of her meek secretary role on The Office and sexes it up as Cox's one true love. Tim Meadows is also quite funny as Cox's enabler and the band's drummer. There are also some fantastic cameos such as Jack White as Elvis, and the Beatles (Jack Black as Paul, Paul Rudd as John, Justin Long as George, and Jason Schwartzman as Ringo). It is a strong cast.

Bottomline. This is a very funny movie. It is successful at honing in on what afflicts this subgenre while also not oversimplifying itself. Just when you thought the quality parody film was dying, someone goes and makes something like this that is pitch perfect. Walk Hard also gives new meaning to the phrase "gratuitous nudity."

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

I have never had the pleasure of seeing a stage production of Sweeney Todd, something that will hopefully one day be corrected. My first exposure to the tale was in Jersey Girl, of all places, where one of the songs is performed at a school talent show. Now, I am familiar with what Sweeney did, as well as the special ingredient in the meat pies. What I was not familiar with was the reasons behind his mad chop shop of a barbershop. Having now witnessed Tim Burton's big screen take on the musical story of horror, in all it's gothic, gory, tragic glory, I have come to love it. I cannot think of a director more suited for this type of material than Burton. His dark, comic, and darkly comic sensibilities hit just the right tone.

Sweeney Todd is a macabre tale of revenge and tragedy in the guise of a musical. It essentially turns musical theater on its ear. This is likely a result of my lake of experience in the realm of musical theater, but I can quite safely say that I have never seen anything quite like this. It is the perfect antidote to theater musicals turned filmed musicals such as Chicago and Phantom of the Opera. Sweeney Todd is not filled with huge chorus numbers, or big song and dance sequences. It has the visual opulence that one would want from musical theater, yet has more intimate, personal feel than other big screen productions.

Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp) was once known as Benjamin Barker, a young and talented barber who had a lovely young wife, Lucy, and baby girl. One day the young family is spied by the selfish and cruel Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), he sees Benjamin's lovely wife and wishes to have her for his own. To that end, Turpin has Barker arrested and deported on trumped up charges, and steps in to be Lucy's hero. That sets the stage for Barker's return.

The film opens with Barker, now called Sweeney Todd, returning to London from his 15 year exile. Upon his return, he makes his way to Fleet Street where he had lived with his family. It is not long before he learns of his family's fate, from Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter). Hearing the word of their fate, his desire for revenge gains strength. He decides to use his barbering skills as his means of revenge. Of course, getting rid of his handiwork becomes a problem. This is where Mrs. Lovett's skills as a baker come in useful. I am sure even those unfamiliar with the musical can see where this is going.

As great as that set up is, there is no way that it can sustain a full length feature of any importance or, dare I say, greatness. To fill in the spaces and the inadequacies of pure plot is a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, with a touch of Alexandre Dumas. There is strong emotion at the core of the story that draws you in and holds you in its thrall as it plays out to its inevitable conclusion. The further in you get, the more clear the eventual outcome becomes. The characters hurtle deeper into the abyss from which no one will be able to escape.

I dare not go any further. I do not want to be the one to rob the uninitiated of the joys of uncovering the secrets held within the meat pies nor just how deeply the desire for revenge runs. Let me just say that even when you see it coming, it is still shocking and utterly heartbreaking.

The performances are all first rate. Johnny Depp nails the tone and demeanor of a man burning with thoughts of revenge and a thirst for blood, tempered by his longing love for his lost wife and child. He is a man dancing on the edge of the abyss ready to jump in at a moment's notice. It is a careful balancing act between restrained rage and outright flamboyant aggression. To counter his darkness are the quirky shadows that Helena Bonham Carter's Mrs. Lovett dances. She has her own eyes on the title character, and shields him from all that he should know and aids him in his quest for revenge.

The supporting cast is strong as well, led by Alan Rickman's slimy Judge Turpin. There is something terribly distasteful about him and Rickman hits all the right notes. At Turpin's side is Timothy Spall's Beadle Bamford, a vermin-like crony that oozes all that is bad. There are also the star crossed lovers Anthony and Johanna, played by the odd featured Jamie Campbell Bower and Jayne Wisener whose features resemble a porcelain doll. Finally, we have the youngest cast member, Ed Sanders, as Toby the earnest youngster with the strong voice. Oh yes, let's not forget Sacha Baron Cohen's comedic turn as the rival barber named Pirelli.

Tim Burton heads up the film with some nice camerawork, and an absolutely gorgeous visual style. This is a dark and dreary London, bathed in shadows and colored with a washed out color scheme. Aiding Mr. Burton with this gorgeous looking film is Director of Photography Dariusz Wolski, who paints the screen with shadows. This could be looked at as the culmination of his dark potential that began with films like The Crow and Dark City.

Beyond Burton's accomplishment, credit must be given where credit is due. Stephen Sondheim penned the work, along with Hugh Wheeler. Together they brought the world of horror its own great tragedy that shocks, but is also filled with an emotional core. The musical was then adapted to the big screen by John Logan, who has come a long way since Bats.

Bottomline. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is easily one of Tim Burton's finest accomplishments. He has put his stamp on a tragic love story for the ages. It is steeped in darkness, spiced with humor, and told through glorious song. It is a film that is equally personal and intimate and grandiose, a wonderful example of the grand guignol aesthetic.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: Juno

This year must hold the record for most films with pregnancy at its center. How often do you see a movie that centers on pregnancy as a primary driving force of the plot? 2007 has had three to hold that distinction. First there was Knocked Up, a brilliant comedy from Judd Apatow, which was as outrageous and over the top as it was realistic and touching. Next came Waitress, centering on the unwanted pregnancy of Kerri Russell, well, that and some delicious looking pies. Now, along comes Juno, which just may be the most realistic of the bunch. It is the second feature from Jason Reitman, who made a splash in 2005 with Thank You for Smoking. Juno is also the debut for screenwriter Diablo Cody and her uncanny ability to nail smart dialogue without it feeling unnatural, and could be the film to send Ellen Page to the next level when combined with last year's Hard Candy.

If there is one way to best sum up Juno, it would be with this line from the trailer: "Just out dealing with things way above my maturity level." With just those few words we are given great insight into the Juno character and the movie in general. Among the revelations: it is a quirky line that (along with the rest of the trailer) reveals the overall level of quirk in the film. Being part of an interaction with her father reveals a parent that is far more supportive than parents are usually allowed to be in this sort of film, and it shows a character that knows she is a kid and is not trying to act older than she is. All of this is a breath of fresh air, sidestepping the usual cliches, creating characters that feel more real and genuine than anyone is used to seeing.

The magic of Juno is not so much in the story, whose thread is relatively simple. The magic lies with the characters and their interactions with each other. Everyone feels like a genuine person rather than a construct. There are no parts whose mere existence is to move the plot along. Sure, some of them are needed to get from point A to point B but are never gratuitous. Even better than that, not everything is spelled out for the audience. All of the big points are there, but many of the relationships are either sketched or give the impression of depth between what is said and what is left out. There is enough room to read in so much to flesh out what is presented (although there is plenty of substance on its own). I'm getting ahead of myself.

Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) becomes pregnant. How does this happen you ask? Well, she was hanging out with her best pal Paulie Bleeker (Superbad's Michael Cera), and decide to experiment in a moment of boredom. Or course, this news is not exactly uplifting for the high school junior. Her first thoughts turn towards abortion, but a creepy vibe at the clinic squashes that idea and she turns towards Pennysaver looking for a couple "desperately seeking spawn." Enter Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner). They are a seemingly perfect couple and the ideal candidates for becoming the adoptive parents of Juno's growing sea monkey. Oh yes, she tells her father (JK Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) in a scene that reveals an understanding couple.

There is something about this movie that really hits home, and no I have never been in a situation similar to the one depicted. The dialogue has a wonderful flow; everything said is worth listening to. Every line works towards revealing something about the character delivering it. All of the main characters go through some sort of change and growth over the course of the tale. It all feels natural, all believable, and there is so much depth as the story deals with those issues above her maturity level.

Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody have crafted a film that subverts expectations of the teen comedy. There are no villains, there are no hereos, there are only people faced with difficult choices that they must wrestle with. The characters, all of them, are, in a way, coming of age as they try to make the right decision as they discover new facets of themselves.

Beyond Reitman and Cody, the performances are near flawless. Ellen Page has fantastic timing with her witticisms and her realizations of who she is becoming. JK Simmons and Allison Janney are pitch perfect in their portrayals of supportive parents and what they must be going through. Then there are Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, there is a lot of subtlety to what they have to offer, which is a lot more than you may think at first.

Bottomline. Quite simply, this is a great film. It hits all the right notes and takes its time to reveal these characters. Juno is not a laugh out loud funny, but it will have you smiling and chuckling, with the occasional guffaw. It is rare that a film lands nearly everything, this one comes as close as one can come. Enjoy it.

Highly Recommended.

Movie Review: Charlie Wilson's War

To those of you who follow my reviews (hello? anybody?) you will know that I am not a politically minded person. So, as often as heavy duty, or even not so heavy, political comments are made, I tend to either not get them or ignore them unless they are in direct service of the plot. Why do I mention this? Well, Charlie Wilson's War is a film that is steeped in politics, specifically the events that led to the fall of the Soviet Union following their defeat at the hands of Afghan freedom fighters in the 1980's. Decidedly political content. While, the plot was as easy to follow as an open book, I am afraid I likely missed what was going between the lines as far as modern allegory goes. I am sure there is more to the film than meets the eye. Fortunately, for those (like myself) who do not always see between the lines, there is plenty here to see that is not hidden behind a veil of secrecy, not to mention entertaining performances from most of the players involved.

Prior to Charlie Wilson's War I had never heard of Representative Charles Wilson from Texas' 2nd District. Why would I? I avoid politics as a matter of course and am not a resident of Texas (I don't even know who my representative is right now). That said, I felt that I learned a bit about my nation's history with this movie. Now before you go and get any crazy ideas, I am not taking everything presented at face value. When it comes to "based on true events" type flicks out of Hollywood (or anywhere for that matter) you have to take it with a grain of salt and realize that there was likely a good deal of exaggeration and outright change to make the story more cinematically appealing. I feel relatively safe in saying that the big picture of the film is true and that the changes apply mainly to details in between the big beats.

The past few months have brought with them a few films that draw their inspiration from the current war in the Middle East. By and large they have been ignored as filmmakers just don't want to see these stories on the big screen, no matter how much action they have (The Kingdom), how "important" they want to be (Rendition), or their star power (Lions for Lambs). Charlie Wilson's War could very well end up in the same camp, but there are a couple of significant differences, despite sharing perceived star power of its predecessor. The biggest difference is that it steps the war story back in time, focusing on events that could be seen as a direct precursor to what is going on today. The other would be the inclusion of a healthy dose of comedy.

It is the comedy that helps this film succeed. The liberal sprinkling of laughs help make the important ideas go down a little easier. While the comedy will make you laugh out loud, it is not gratuitous and only serves the film, meaning it is not there to distract from the plot. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (working from the novel of the same name by George Crile) does an excellent job of blending the comedy with the drama in such a way that you are held at attention all the way through.

By know you may be wondering just what Charlie Wilson's War is about. Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is a fun loving, hard drinking, Congressman who seems to be well liked by his constituency but hasn't really done anything of note, content to remain under the radar. However, he comes to a point where he wants to make his voice known, and that comes when the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. He is approached by a wealthy member of his district, Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), who wishes to make a mark herself. So, off Charlie goes to Pakistan, along with his ever present aide Bonnie (Enchanted's Amy Adams), to meet with the military dictator. It is during this visit that he becomes most determined to help.

Long story short, he meets with CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Together they set in motion a plan that will get much needed weaponry into the hands of the Mujahideen. To this point, the Afghan freedom fighters were essentially attacking the invading Red Army with slingshots and peashooters. Now what they did was more than get them the weapons. You see, it was not quite as simple as sending a box of guns. The Cold War was in full effect and the Afghans could not be caught with American guns, lest the Cold War escalate. However, Israel had a stockpile of Soviet made weapons, and Charlie and Gus manage to get Israel to work with Pakistan to get those weapons into the hands of the Afghans.

All of that happens and the results include the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. All of that is well and good, but out of the ashes of the Afghan victory emerged the Taliban, and we all know how well that turned out. If the ending of this conflict was handled differently, we could have a very different worldwide landscape today. But this is all history, hindsight is 20/20 and all that.

So, what makes this so good? Quite simply, it is a combination of a few factors. First off would have to be the quick-witted, fast paced, and intelligent script from Aaron Sorkin (his first film since 1995's The American President). The second factor would be the strong cast including Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and others to deliver said dialogue. Finally there is director Mike Nichols to pull everything together.

Charlie Wilson's War is funny and frightening at the same time. In some ways I found it similar to Across the Universe in that they both depict a story where people stepped up to do something meaningful. The characters saw something going on in the world that spurred them to action. Something that seems to happen too little currently, with more people content to sit and watch reality television than become educated on current events or take a stand for what they believe in (I am as guilty of this as the next guy). Charlie Wilson stood up and fought for what he believed was the right thing to do. He did this to the very end, and what an ending it is. That is where the frightening implications arise. Inplications I will not give away here.

Bottomline. This is a good movie, easily the most entertaining of the latest wave of war-themed films. Tom Hanks delivers a great performance, while Philip Seymour Hoffman steals many scenes with his dry wit and barely contained rage. Then there is Amy Adams who is a star on the rise. This is well worth the time to see on the big screen.

Recommended.

Movie Review: National Treasure: Book of Secrets

In 2004 producer Jerry Bruckheimer ushered a new action/adventure hero onto the screen with the help of director Jon Turteltaub and writers Cormac and Marianne Wibberly. It came in the guise of Nicolas Cage playing treasure hunter Benjamin Gates. It was greeted by an enthusiastic audience and was deemed a hit, making a sequel all but assured. The wait is over and the second adventure of Ben Gates is here, and it is equally, if not more, ridiculous to its predecessor. Both films play out as a something of a modern day, dumbed down Indiana Jones. That isn't to say they are bad, but they do require a good deal of suspension of disbelief. If you have it in you to let the highly implausible situations slip by, you will find a fun adventure that is safe for the whole family. How often does that happen these days?

As I think back to the first outing, I seem to recall not having a lot of love for that film. For some reason I walked away from that with a bad taste in my mouth. Now, I have not seen it since that theatrical viewing, three years ago, but thinking back I don't know why. It certainly wasn't a bad movie, and while it has faults (some of which carry over to Book of Secrets) it has certain charms. This is not about that first film, let's move along, shall we?

In the first film, Ben was on the hunt for a treasure hidden by the forefathers of America. He followed a complex series of clues and was aided by Riley Poole (Justin Bhartha) and museum curator, and love interest, Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger). In Book of Secrets, Gates is reunited with both Abigail and Riley as the story takes on a decidedly more personal bent. The stakes are higher, and the film is stronger as a result.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets opens with Ben and his father, Patrick (Jon Voight), giving a lecture regarding Ben's Great Grandfather Thomas Gates' involvement with the assassination of President Lincoln following the Civil War, and how his actions helped to preserve the young nation. Problems arise when a fellow named Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) shows up with one of the long thought lost pages from John Wilkes Booth's diary which seems to implicate Thomas as one of the, if not the mastermind, conspirators of the assassination. Obviously, Ben and Patrick are devastated by the defamation of their family name. Ben then sets out to prove that Thomas is innocent, that he was just attempting to hide the treasure that could have tipped the balance of power during the Civil War.

Now is about the time that you should give up on any illusion of believability. If you take everything at face value and go along with the flow, you will be rewarded with a movie that is pure popcorn cinema. It goes down easy, and gives the illusion of a history lesson as it mixes historical fact with historical fiction. If you try to apply actual logic, you will end up with a headache and too many questions with too few answers. This is not to say it is a great film, it still winds up in the mediocre range, but it is enjoyable enough for the whole family, and sometimes that is all that matters.

More and more often we see films targeted towards the PG-13 rating, which is believed to be the holy grail of box office success. We will often hear of films that are cut to avoid an R and sometimes have footage added to get to the PG-13. Then, when films are rated PG, they tend to be targeted at younger children or at tween girls. Noticing those trends makes films like the two National Treasures all the more rare, and in a way welcome, at the cineplex. This movie offers up high action and adventure that is exciting, yet does not resort to language or any truly extreme violence. Yes, you see fights and guns, but you will not see anyone killed (not that I recall anyway). It is true that National Treasure is good for the whole family and does not feel that it has been sanitized to get the rating.

A family friendly adventure is about all that this is good for. Yes, it is exciting, but it makes no sense. Once you start wondering just how this adventure clears his Great Grandfather, ot how the centuries old mechanisms still work, or how come Boothe and his cronies were involved in finding the lost city of gold is beside the point. Bigger than all of that is the ease with which Ben Gates is able to interpret the puzzles, a problem carried over from the first film. You cannot imagine how frustrating it is to listen as Cage talks out the riddles and puzzles and has a seemingly unrelated answer in a matter of seconds.

The cast is strong, and while the movie tends towards the weak it is pretty obvious that they all had fun. Helen Mirren, as Ben's mother, clearly had a good time cutting loose after playing the title character in The Queen. Cage, Bhartha, Kruger, Voight, Harris, and Harvey Keitel all rumble through this film as if its an amusement park. It is their enthusiasm that translates to positive energy in the audience, effectively winning them over as the wildly implausible plot plays out.

Bottomline. Yes, I had fun. It is worth seeing on the big screen if you thirst for some big goofy action, and especially if you want to take the family. Just brush off the wackiness and enjoy it for what it is. I just wonder how many people are going to head out and try to find these places for real?

Mildly Recommended.

DVD Review: Balls of Fury

Sometimes it seems that we don't get any good spoofs anymore. It is sad that the height of the spoof comes in the form of Epic Movie and The Comebacks. Of course, we are occasionally graced with something such as the great Hot Fuzz, although that may be more of comedic homage than a spoof. Well, just when I was about to give up on the pure spoof, along comes Balls of Fury to help start the healing process. No, it is not a great film, not by a long shot. What Balls of Fury succeeds at is delivering a movie that focuses on one primary film and provides actual laughs, low brow as they may be. Is it worth adding to your collection? Probably not, but it is definitely worth tossing into your Netflix queue, or renting.

The film plays out along the same lines as the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon. As co-writer/co-star Thomas Lennon confirms in the bonus material, they took a classic kung-fu story and replaced all of the kung-fu with ping pong. The end result is a comedy with strong Eastern flavors, seasoned with table tennis, and stewed in the minds behind Reno 911!

Picture this scene; a ping-pong prodigy goes to the Olympics with golden expectations, only to fail miserably. This sends his life on a downward spiral that results with him as an out-of-shape performer at a dinner theater off the Vegas strip. Not exactly the high-life that was expected of him based off that early success. Well, as it would turn out, there was a need for his particular skills, a need that could help avert terrorist activity around the world.

The CIA, in the guise of George Lopez, approaches our hero, Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) for a dangerous mission. He is charged with getting invited to a super-secret ping pong tournament held by the evil Feng (Christopher Walken). Once at the tournament, Feng would finally be able to be caught in the act of evil. On top of that, Feng also just happens to be behind the death of Daytona's father (Robert Patrick).

However, before Daytona can go off and face the bad guys, and in true kung-fu fashion, he has to go off and train under a master to gain the skills needed to succeed in his task. The master is Wong (James Hong), who runs a Chinese take-out joint with his niece, Maggie (Maggie Q). Long story short, he gains the skills he needs and heads off to the tournament where he faces off with his enemies new and old.

It really is a pretty funny movie. Balls of Fury works particularly well if you are a fan of kung-fu flicks. Overall, it is great just to have a spoof comedy that works , more or less, from start to finish. All too often we are saddled with movies that just grab scenes from other movies and just string them together in the hopes that a narrative will appear. This film takes the better approach, pick one film and spoof the hell out of it. Do all fo the jokes land? Of course not, but how often do you see a comedy where every single joke hits the mark? Probably not too often. Still, even when the jokes don't land, the cast still pulls it off.

Tha cast makes it work. In particular, Christopher Walken as Feng is fantastic. He is Walken playing Walken, complete with his inimitable speaking cadence. Also, Dan Fogler is a new comedic talent, more than just the next Jack Black. Also, I cannot forget James Hong. He has been in so many movies and nails it every time. He is one of those actors whose name you may not recognize, but you will recognize the face.

You can see my review of my theatrical viewing here.

Audio/Video. Nothing to complain about here. The 5.1 audio does the comedy justice, not to mention the Def Leppard tunes. The widescreen video is crisp and clear, no problems at all.

Extras. There are a couple of bonus features to take in:

• Deleted Scenes. There are a total of seven deleted scenes, none of which would have added much to the film. (6.5 minutes)
• Alternate Ending. This is just an added scene that could have been tacked onto the end in order to tease a sequel. (>2 minutes)
• Balls Out: The Making of Balls of Fury. This is a rather fluffy featurette, but writer/director Robert Ben Garant and writer/co-star Thomas Lennon (both from Reno 911!) are both pretty funny. There are also interviews with the all of the lead actors. Not terribly in depth, but still worth a watch. (14 minutes)
• Under the Balls: The Life of a Ball Wrangler. A spoof featurette focusing on Irina, the film's ball wrangler and the difficulties that go along with it. (5 minutes)

Bottomline. Great? No. Funny? Yes. Definitely worth a peek. The DVD is not terribly loaded, I cannot help but think that a commentary with the director and a few cast members would have been great. If you like your comedy dumb and laced with crotch shots and 80's rock, this is for you.

Recommended.