Rewatching Spider-Man (2002)

It's been a while. I originally saw it in the theater, liked it a lot, then bought the DVD. I am raising my rating from a 7 to an 8 out of 10.

I believe they intended to make a trilogy, and they did, but this movie works best as a standalone film. I say this because the two sequels, while the first is good in several ways, fall short of what I expected. I would rather leave it be, with Peter feeling guilty about Uncle Ben's death Harry swearing revenge on Spider-Man and MJ & Pete's relationship in flux.

The movie itself feels very comic book-y, from scene to scene, as if it they meant for it to be a live action episode of the cartoons. The next two films don't follow this style, and I find myself missing it. The film is stylish (even compared to the more stylish remake) and has good pacing. 

One thing I would've done better is the costume changes. For example, when the Green Goblin attacks Jameson, poof! and suddenly Peter is in costume. It is about 10 seconds if I recall, and Peter's outfit wouldn't allow that fast of a change. By prolonging the dialogue, this would've been more believable, as well as the attack during the parade. There is a neat slow-mo shot of Peter revealing his costume, but then too quickly again, he's rocking the whole thing. I also don't understand why Peter has to be mask-less during the alley attack. Seems like the easiest part of the costume to put on, since he is already wearing the costume beneath his clothing. I realize that this is not something that is taken seriously in comic books/movies, but it could've been done better.

And the award for best nipple-otography goes to...

I understand the romantic ambiance of the rain during the upside down kiss scene, but Dunst's nipples are so difficult to ignore. She appears to be wearing a bra, but I think the solution would've been a different top entirely. She has such a low neckline throughout the picture. I'm not saying that I don't like seeing her all wet and smitten, but it is quite jarring from the rest of the film.

Another issue is how Spider-Man calls MJ by name several times, and it doesn't makes sense. One scene of MJ telling him her name would've made this less annoying. It makes MJ look really stupid for not wondering how Spider-Man knows her name, aside from the obvious vocal similarity that is usually ignored in superhero films. Speaking of which, Goblin's voice is mostly different enough to not tell it is Norman, and Spider-Man has a deeper voice in most scenes.

Guess who I invited to Thanksgiving dinner!

Willem Dafoe gives the best performance, with Tobey Maguire not far behind as well as James Franco. They did a good job of making Harry & Norman look and appear like father and son. The CGI actually held up remarkably well, despite my predictions that it would be glaringly bad. The worst instances are with the Goblin during the parade attack.

What do you think of this movie? For reference, I also gave the remake an 8 out of 10. This one is definitely more theatrical though and it works wonderfully with the Goblin in this scene. Watching the special features was neat, because Dafoe had a ball doing the fights and glider motions.

In Memoriam: Humphrey Bogart

 "I just don't like being called a hog, that's all."-Humphrey Bogart,
in 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'

Had it been my time era, I would've loved going to see him in the movies. I've just started enjoying them now and saw it would've been his birthday today.

I was glad to discover that he did win an Academy Award during his career. I will be watching this little documentary about him as a way to celebrate and reflect on his screen presence and voice.

We're the Millers (2013)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Review: After seeing the trailer, I figured it would be a good irreverent comedy. The humor was crude and raunchy at times, but overall felt Kevin Smith-y (which I like). It's a good feeling when one's expectations come through.

What interested me most was Emma Roberts, who I find gorgeous, aside from worrying that she is being type cast as the teenager due to her young appearance despite being 22 years-old. Part of me wished she was playing the stripper, not to take anything away from Jennifer Aniston who pulls a Marisa Tomei and looks fine for her age.

Jason Sudeikis plays a two-bit drug dealer and was impressively good. I don't recall seeing him in anything before, but he played both the drug dealer and tourist father well, fueling every scene with his "family." The awkward romance with the shy kid and the shy other family's kid was cute. Sometimes to get the girl of your dreams, you must go to Mexico in an RV to smuggle out drugs, get bitten by a tarantula (i.e. go viral on YouTube because Miss Roberts recorded it on her phone) and fend off notorious drug kingpins. All of that does wonders for confidence!

The characters were "edgy" and imperfect but still had values. I also loved the "R" rating. Anything less wouldn't have worked for this kind of story. To top it off, the dialogue was cynical, hip, and witty. The blooper reel was also a nice touch. Everything managed to be ridiculous without going full blown stupid. "Naw' what I'm sayin'?"

King of New York

King of New York is a stellar dark portrait. Stylishly shot, it makes NYC look so ugly and yet so addictive. It is far more than 'another mobster flick', with Christopher Walken giving the best performance I have seen from him yet, as he plays one of these exhausted shells persevere through and succumb to what feels like the actual underworld, reeling from shootout to shootout, breathing in the bullet-riddled air as they silently wish for respite in the shadows, a way out from this self-incarceration.

Alas, the only way out is death, and a single night feels like forever. Old school hip-hop bounces into their ears to drown out the shrill cries of subway cars, an ominous musical score, the prevalent crescendos of gunfire and the haunting laughter from Laurence Fishbourne that makes the Joker and black guy from "RoboCop" appear sane by comparison. The rappers ramble in sweet smooth rhythm, a contrast to the turbulent nightmare that plagues these degenerates, a constant loop fueled by bitter hatred, constant tension, reign-fall and chaos.

King of New York is a raw, ava-rich, violent, exhilarating tragedy that can dance with the best of 'em. I would dance with it all night long and enjoy the slew of topless black beauties that are bound by wickedness. I only wish that Janet Julian would have dwelt among them. What a thrill!

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

I watched this the other day, funnily enough after playing the Scarface video game minutes before in which Tony tells a drive-in manager to play some Bogart pictures, starting with this one.

I generally enjoy westerns, and this one impressed me. Black and white is nice, and the screenplay I felt was full of "I see what you did there!" moments, with Dobbs forgetting that his gun was empty due to his paranoia and greed dominating his thoughts, how fate gets the last laugh from the wind blowing the gold back to the mountain, and how two of the three weren't really seeking gold at all, but rather a nice way to retire and the life of a fruit grower. I think this intelligent writing shows Huston's appreciation for how important a good screenplay is for a film.

I also fell in love with the realistic dialogue, especially the fast-talking Old Timer played by John's father, Walter, who won an OSCAR for the role and joked about telling John once to cast him in a good role and that he did all right with that one.

Is it a good picture, or just a good western? (As Bogart and Huston disagreed about.)

Black Swan (Aronofsky, 2010)

This film has a solid first half but then goes all over the place. It shoots into the dark and keeps missing me. I didn't care for the teasing of paper-thin themes and lack of follow-up to them, as if each one were a prick of a needle or sonar pings. I got pulled in five different directions without truly going anywhere due to my silent guide that might be blind in one eye. Where are we going, Aronofsky?

This tumble wasn't helped by the excessive horror movie elements and jump scares that feel beneath this production, or the ending that left something to be desired after our irksome dance together. After the Black Swan took flight, I had no clue what flight she was on, but definitely felt pulled over the cliff with her.

In Aronofsky's words, this movie definitely clicked in his head, but not in mine. I find it disappointing that his subjective goal as a director stunted the film from connecting to me as the viewer. Near the end of production, Aronofsky lamented about "all the shots he missed." Alas, I am moping alongside him during our sad dance. If he hadn't missed all those shots, that late barrage of silly scenes could've been avoided. Nina's legs are breaking, and my eyes are rolling.

The overall execution of "Black Swan" is akin to Nina falling in the first act of "Swan Lake." It could have been a dark masterpiece, but lacked the brilliance of clarity. However, I would watch it again for Natalie Portman's performance, the artful presentation, the musical score and the sweet dance choreography.

Road to Perdition (2002, Sam Mendes)

I've heard about it for years, but it was never on TV, and I finally got it from the library. Amid the pile of rentals I'd gotten, the tommy gun that Hanks is carrying on the cover intrigued me more than the others because I generally enjoy mobster flicks. However, after reading the back of the DVD, the last thing I expected was a mob film. It sounded like a drama of some sort with a core relationship between a father and son. I thought Paul Newman was the father, and Tom Hanks was the son, who later had a son of his own. Boy, was I wrong.

The plot boils down to simplicity, but the artful presentation elevates it. Sam Mendes, I presume, was responsible for this elegance. Before long I realized that I was privy to the song and dance that cloaked the bloodstained secrecy of the mob world. One boy's mistake later, and the charade started crumbling apart.

What was left was a revenge story built on family and consequence. I liked how the movie was told by looking into Sullivan's eyes during a chilling car ride, using few words to move the story along in favor of action and tension. As the boy narrator sees it, it could be seen as bonding time between father and son in the face of danger, contrition and ire. There is an enviable moment when the son sticks his head out of the car window as his hair blows in the wind. He is enjoying time with his father that he had never gotten before, even whilst they are on traveling down a path of vengeance. His father isn't a hero, but they both love and need the same things. When those comforts are taken away, the father has his guilt and the boy has a lesson to learn.

Before watching this film, I'd never seen a silent shootout in a rainstorm. The musical score is delicate, and the usage of misdirection (although I have seen it before in Carlito's Way) was done with the same muted brilliance. By its wholesome themes and morals, Road to Perdition was a sweet surprise.

LOL (2012, Lisa Azuelos)

Seriously, that's what the film is called. Her name is Lola, but her friends call her LOL (pronouncing it as if it was a word). I know it may come as a shock or make you 'facepalm', but I like Miley Cyrus and this coming of age flick looked interesting. Overall, it was a very sweet and genuine film about teenagers and the need for family, a nice mixture of wholesome themes and wild adolescence. The people felt real and the humorous discussions among the grown-ups was a delight. Demi Moore was perfect as Miley's mother, and the best-friend-turned boyfriend's band had a catchy song.

BloodRayne (Uwe Boll, 2005) - SPOILERS!

Kristanna Loken may not be the most popular actress in the world, but she is sexy, strong and curvy as the titular ginger hybrid, Rayne. This half-human/half-bloodsucker version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a "dhampir", the accursed result of vampire/human sexual relations which aren't always mutually consensual. I found her name to be amusing because "dhampirs" are immune to what would normally kill a creature of the night (sunlight, i.e. "ray", and water, i.e. "rain").

As a fan of vampire movies, I found BloodRayne to be an enjoyable escape. The action is good, the music is good, and I thought the cast made for a nice game of "Hey, I know them!", including Billy Zane (Titanic), Michelle Rodriguez (several tough chick roles), Michael Madsen (Resovoir Dogs, Donnie Brasco), and big shot Ben Kingsley (who felt slightly above this picture).

That being said, it does have several problems, all of which do not cripple the experience. I felt the length was too short to establish a story of this scale; as a result things are "sped up" if you will and not as believable as they should be. Some things appear to be random or explained only through a few lines of dialogue. Other than Kagan (Kingsley) wanting to become a bigger bad of the vampire world than he already is and the "Brimstone" society being the main opposition to it, every other aspect of the plot feels rushed and ill-conceived.

Firstly, we don't know much about Rayne. How did she come to be part of a grimy carnival? Why didn't she leave it before she eventually does in the film? She is obviously a very effective killing machine, so what stopped her? She is also a knowledgeable vampire slayer, so again, why is she wasting her time with a carnival troupe? Shouldn't she be acquiring plot devices while rolling and flipping past razor sharp CGI?

Secondly, why does she randomly want to devour Sebastian (Matthew Davis) and have a humorous yet amorous sex scene? I'm familiar with vampire hormones being out of control, but there was zero buildup to it. And why would Sebastian allow it? His parents turned into vampires only to be slain shortly thereafter and he has since become a determined vampire slayer. Not only that, but he barely knows her. Is this Romeo & Juliet or something?

Thirdly, during the second act, Rayne is taken in by the Brimstone Society, who proceed to train her in sword fighting. However, before this point, Rayne was killing people left and right, doing backflips and generally looking like an experienced warrior. 1) Where did she learn how to fight? and 2) Why does she need to learn it again? Lastly, from a purely visual/sexual standpoint, when Rayne is given a new (in the slightest sense of the word) set of clothes by the resistance, it is a major downgrade from her previous sexy garb (visible in the picture above). Not only is Loken's body nowhere nearly as well accentuated in it, but her 'new' garb is gray and dull, on par with her getup in Terminator 3.

She even starts wearing her hair in a bun. Again, it's random and unnecessary. The only saving grace is when she strips out of the superior outfit during that sex scene. If the curves have to be covered by loose 'new' attire, then at least they curved their way out first.
Aside from Rayne's superficial depth as the protagonist, Uwe Boll gives a jarring focus to blood spattering which is beyond silly in this film. I'm a fan of gore, but the SAW franchise makes it gruesome. BloodRayne makes it laughable. We can assume someone's body is damaged after being struck by a sword during battle, and sometimes it's cool to see limbs get sliced off, but to see blood squirting every which way was a major distraction from the typical vampire movie traits (darkness, savagery, sex, wickedness) this film also tries to convey. Aside from the killing strokes and the final battle, the choreography isn't the most exciting either.

Other issues include: poor dialogue at times. The 3 major members of the Brimstone Society are never referred to by name until we learn who they are (i.e. if they're good or bad). Then they suddenly start calling each other by name. Moreover, characters don't necessarily have quality purposes. Katarin (Rodriguez) betrays the resistance, which leads to their obliteration, because she wants to steal the precious plot devices everyone else is trying to obtain. She is later killed by Rayne, so what was the point, other than to set up another stupid plot inconvenience? Moreover, there is some chatter about her doing it all for her father (Billy Zane), who also has selfish pursuits but an equally inconsequential role. In fact, he just disappears. I assume he was killed after offering Kagan's right-hand man (Will Sanderson) an alternate goal to pursue.

Anyway, perhaps the silliest prison break ever happens later. After all but two of the Brimstone Society is hacked to pieces, with jarring blood spattering of course, Sebastian & Vladimir (Madsen) intentionally get imprisoned by Kagan's mindless thralls (humans who seek eternal life in exchange for doing the dirty work). Meanwhile, Rayne mindlessly turns herself in as well with the classic "I know something [Kagan] doesn't know" plan instead of just waltzing into his grand castle like the killing machine that she is because Rayne secretly has two of the vital 3 plot devices that will imbue her with a fighting chance (even though the script never explained why Kagan is so powerful), as if she didn't have a fighting chance already. Nevertheless, Sebastian & Vladimir work their own wisdom by fooling a guard into believing Sebastian has vanished from their cell. Why they are in a single cell together when Rayne is in a personal one, I cannot say. But alas, they escape to join the final battle. I was left wondering why these things had to happen, as opposed to the obvious development of the whole resistance taking on Kagan's forces in one last hoorah. It's the classic snowball effect in terms of lazy writing. On the plus side, there is some fitting nudity with a bunch of lustful nude models in a good scene with the vampire version of Meatloaf (yes, Meatloaf).

Overall, BloodRayne (despite its negative reception) was a good vampire flick with the classical elements I've come to love. It would definitely be worth buying if the plot was more intelligently handled and if the annoying hang-ups mentioned above were either cut or improved.

Gosford Park (2001)

Robert Altman invites you on a lengthy, quaint and unhurried cruise (penned to Oscar-winning success by Julian Fellowes) back to 1932 with the upper class, whose petty and vapid lives are thunderstruck by an unexpected murder.

Fine performances from sincere servants and grumpy snobs establish a poignant dichotomy. Maggie Smith is pitiful and amusing as Constance; Clive Owen is aloof and curious as Parks; Kelly MacDonald is cute and timid as Mary.

Gosford Park is a charming albeit tepid tale that ends on a bittersweet note. Brisk dialogue, refreshing wit and posh set design enliven this decorous, gentle and fascinating presentation.

Ronin (1998)

This intelligent action thriller is full of intricate, amusing chase scenes that weren't gratuitous (unlike in other films), suspenseful gunplay, elegant figure skating and no-nonsense characters. Most of all, I liked the bond that formed between Sam (Robert De Niro) and Vincent (Jean Reno) who were great on screen together. Ronin is an effective and taut film with pleasant scenery, rousing music and solemn themes.

Basic (2003)

When a military training mission goes deathly wrong, someone is to blame. "Murder is basic", says Tom Hardy (John Travolta), a former Army ranger--not the other Tom Hardy. So, naturally the truth about this mission must be anything but basic. It's up to Hardy to figure out the conflicting accounts of the event. Is there a grand conspiracy beneath the surface? If so, who's in on it?

To reach that point of true understanding, Travolta juggles exuberance and solemnity. In one scene, he's laying on a table, posed like a centerfold; in another, he is enraged because people are lying to him. I was left to wonder why choosing one behavior and toning it down was out of the question.

Luckily Travolta's tendency to ham it up--along with a few other goofy scenes--doesn't sink the film due to effective misdirection that occupies the screen while the positive qualities of Travolta's acting style slowly emerge. However, the ultimate twist exceeds the capacity of the plot's plausibility.

Memento (2000)

A man with no short term memory must remember so many things in order to find his wife's killer, the same person responsible for causing his short term memory loss.

Guy Pearce fittingly becomes lost in the emotional role of Leonard, a role filled with confusion, certainty and vehemence. Leonard doesn't know who to trust and has to write notes and snap photos to remember who he thinks people are. But someone may be trying to deceive him, or Leonard may be living a lie. As I've never seen Pearce act before, I was impressed by his performance as the scenes play out of order to mirror Leonard's plight.

The opening shot of the film is played in reverse, as a photograph fades back to white. This is like having a blank canvas on an 'Etch a Sketch.' Some people are good at using them to create decent artwork, others not so much. This is where Memento fails. It crafts 3/4 of an effective and pleasant portrait, but then decides to erase it.

With the sense of humor and reliability of an insolent child, it offers a pretentious and underwhelming twist instead. This twist emerges as a shocking turn for the worst, especially after so much buildup and countless u-turns. Despite my efforts to solve the mystery, and my investment to wait for the nearly 2 hour film to reveal the truth, Memento flatly explained how there was nothing behind the curtain. If that's true, then why was it on the screen to start with? I like teases with hair; not from women or movies. Leave the lame trickery to Scooby-Doo villains.

The Machinist (2004)

In this strange, mysterious, mad hoot (tautly penned by Scott Kosar) that unravels like the crazy twin brother of a Stephen King story, complete with spooky music ripped from the womb of Psycho, Christian Bale (who shed 63 lbs for the role) immerses himself into a brilliantly remarkable performance playing a clueless, emaciated, paranoid and temperamental ghoul with insomnia that flails and wails away in a babbling frenzy.

Jennifer Jason Leigh (Single White Female) plays a hollowed-out prostitute, a withered delight to see that becomes a willing partner and cozy distraction during Trevor Reznik's whirling dance of ever-darkening trauma. After the trailer reeled me in, the end result was satisfying.

Overall, this frenetic portrait is a spellbinding joyride that had me laughing and scratching my head in curiosity the entire time. The Machinist (by Brad Anderson) is delivered with an admirable self-respect that truly keeps it above the watery tomb that has claimed so many pseudo-serious imitations. At the core, there is a simple yet intoxicating crisis being strewn.

What Doesn't Kill You (2008)

I thought this was going to be something different, but I was pleasantly surprised by what it turned out to be, and then satisfied by what it became. For once it's nice to see the protagonist not screw it up despite never experiencing a "normal" life in favor of easy money.

There comes a point in the film when Paulie (Ethan Hawke) gets out of prison, ready to re-corrupt his best friend. I was expecting a fight between Brian (Mark Ruffalo), who gives the strongest performance, and Brian's wife Stacy (Amanda Peet), leading him to follow through with an armored car heist, only to condemn his fate by going back to prison. This would've been similar to Carlito's Way. Unlike that film, What Doesn't Kill You avoids being a letdown and escapes the "can't fight nature" hangup so many crime movies fall back on.

There wasn't as much violence, sex and edginess as usual in crime films. I feel torn about this because it can be a refreshing decrease, but there are scenes that seem to be equally underwhelming repetitions of those already past, from scantily clad women who spend their time laying around either before or after or without sex while the boys are busy doing meager stickups. Meanwhile, Ruffalo spends a lot of time doing drugs that could've been better used.

Moreover, it would've been nice for the film to embrace a larger scope to more deeply establish the bonds of friendship and familiarity that would have someone running back to the only life they'd ever known. As a fan of Hawke & Ruffalo, I felt they had nice chemistry together. The smoldering romance between Ruffalo & Peet also felt genuine. Alas, after seeing one powerfully heated argument between them late in the film, I would've loved to see more passion at some point during their relationship. The only saving grace is a fervid lovemaking scene when Ruffalo is released after serving a 5 year sentence.

Overall, there is still enough warmth and believability even if these bonds were built in the background as the film jumps through long periods of time. I think of What Doesn't Kill You as valuable but carefully guarded package that could've been left out in the snow a bit longer.