Love note to Lion's Gate Films

Dear LGF,

I love you.  I really do, not just for the jois you brought me when you distributed House of 1,000 Corpses, or took it upon yourself to produce American Psycho, but for bringing me Diary of a Mad Black Woman & other Tyler Perry projects.  You brought me Gods & Monsters as well as The Cat's Meow.  There seems to be no end to the delights and jois you bring me.  You satisfy my needs for gore porn & heartwrenching family dramedy.  I love you for it.  I truly do.  Thank you.

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Less forbidden...

Forbidden Kingdom - was not the greatest movie, but it was pretty to see the fighting & costumes. I realized that I love Jet Li's laugh, unrestrained, simple, HaHa laughter. It warmed my heart. The story itself is sweet mythos, fun for kids, ages 9ish up maybe... Read more!

Motorcycle hero....

Ghostrider - I can hear Henry Rollins in the back of my head, singing the song w/ feeling.  2 things I like about this movie: 1 Sam Elliot - he saves the movie.  His performance was brilliant.  He is the perfect man in the perfect moment.  2 Wes Bentley - I straight up have a crush on this cat.  Performance-wise, pretty decent.  Storywise the movie covers the bases: hero makes a deal with the devil & has to live w/ the repercussions. The special effects are most pleasant. I dig on the flames & overall they are well done.  Sam Elliot is totally the old Ghostrider & kicks ass. Of course the movie overall is just namby enough that he "did it all for love" as Nic Coppola finally comes to grip at the end. I crave darker things. Read more!

Such a Ball

Monster's Ball - I intensely disliked this movie in a very Deerhunter (Hi, I hate the DeerHunter in a way that only a girl whose first viewing of it occurred when she was like 11ish & she was curled up on the stairs watching it without permission while her parents viewed it and were completely unaware that she was there) sort of way. I can acknowledge & appreciate each performance, each movement, but I have no desire to see it again. Covering everything from the racial tensions to the death penalty it is a study of human emotions. Heath Ledger's performance right up until his suicide (which is fairly early in the film) is my favorite part. & the only part I am willing to watch repeatedly. Read more!

Oh so dark...

Dark Knight - Beautiful stunning, complex in it's simplicity - I love the path that they took & the punches that they did not pull - there has been so very much written about this already that finding new words to say the same thing is ridiculous to me. I can only offer up that I will own it as soon as it is released. & they finally did it right. The Joker really is crazy , one of my saddest moments in understanding Ledger's death is that he will never reprise the role. I truly found this to be his best performance since Monster's Ball. But you should probably know that his performance was the only thing I like about that particular movie, Dent really will be 2 face & the best moment ever - the "normal" guard guy hands the detonator over to the convict & he throws it the fuck overboard. It was perfect. Read more!

So much sensemaking...

Revolver - the latest offering from Guy Ritchie. So many old familiar faces... such a different film than anything he's done before. I loved it. Dark and rich and complex. Andre Benjamin was amazing - I'm coming to love his versatility more and more. Every piece that I catch him in I like him better. This movie was a tale of money and greed, cons and the art of conning, ego versus id. Just watch it & don't expect it to be Snatch. Luc Besson had a hand in the adaptation & it shows. I have no real spoilers here - perhaps that Jason was Mr Gold or that the 2 most likely suspects are his old jailmates. Read more!

From Kirill w/ love

Confessions:1 I am not the world's biggest fan of Vincent Cassel, you'd think that I would be: he is an excellent actor. I'm just not. Something about him just rattles me, not in a good way. 2 I am not the biggest fan of Viggo Mortenson's acting either - not that he isn't amazing, just that I'd rather hear his poetry.
All of this being said.
Eastern Promises was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant - twisty & turny & chock full of suspense and goreful gritty wrongs. There is the Russian mob - even touching on the story the tattoos across the body telling the story of the man. Underage prostitution, rape, bastard births, & murder - that's just the first 1/2 hour. Naomi Watts plays a perfectly naive creature who finds herself caught in the middle. Vincent's character can't get it up, channeling his desires and shame into violence and prideful boasting. Viggo's character is a double agent giving up his freedom to take over the local family & ultimately protects Naomi & her family & the orphan child. Justice for all, but to watch it unfold - perfectly brilliant. Read more!

The legendary tale of the legend of legend...

Ahhh KungFu Panda was a treat.  I don't like much of the ads or the excuse used throughout the movie that Po is the "laziest" or "fattest" creature in the valley.  If you like nothing more than sitting down to catch the performances of Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat, and/or Donnie Yen then this is the perfect way to start kids watching the genre.  THERE IS NO CRAP ROMANCE THROWN IN TO THE STORY!!!  There is enough reality mixed into the film, whether it be the various fighting styles of the animals: Tigress fights tiger style, Po fights bear style, etc... to the use of acupuncture to treat the days injuries.  Even the points used to hold Tai Lung captive & paralyzed are excellent. The voice work is fantastic: Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Randall Duk Kim, & of course Jack Black, whose influence is seen throughout the piece. I tossed this in the spoilers because I like guessing while watching the animated features. One of the best parts of this film is that they never explain how Po's dad is a crane & that there is no secret ingredient. A perfect lesson for all viewers. Read more!

So much fun...

I was soooo not expecting to like Botched. It was an amazing slice of fun cheesy pie. Stephen Dorff is part of a botched robbery & must make it up to his bossman (Sean Pertwee) - he stumbles into a mad mad place of death & cannibalistic dismemberment. & the hilarity ensues... I truly enjoyed this, sooo much - as in I want to watch it with a large group of friends & giggle a lot.Disco death god & finding out that Pertwee is the brother of the family of crazies are only a few of the unexpected twists. Read more!