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Archive for July, 2009 Page 2 of 3

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DVD Report – July 21st

Published by
mpowell
at July 21, 2009 in DVD. 1 Comment

Not too many DVD releases earn the distinction of being a Criticker Pick, and that holds especially true for science-fiction films about robotic chickens. But Seth Green’s Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II has bucked the odds and won the love and approval of the Criticker community. Pick it up, or if you’re in the mood for something darker and entirely more serious, you might want to choose Watchmen. You know, “serious”… as in Nite Owl, the Silk Spectre, and a powerful naked blue man trying to save the world.

Watchmen – Average Tier 6.59
When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorshach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion. Watchmen @ Amazon

Echelon Conspiracy – Average Tier 4.10
Mysterious cell phone messages promise a young American engineer untold wealth then make him the target of a deadly international plot. Dangerous security operatives chase the engineer across the globe, while a powerful government official pursues a mysterious agenda that threatens the stability of the entire world. Echelon Conspiracy @ Amazon

The Great Buck Howard – Average Tier 5.41
A magician/illusionist in decline and his assistant seek to re-invigorate his career. The Great Buck Howard @ Amazon

Criticker Pick!
Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II – Average Tier 7.65
Robot Chicken Star Wars returns and it’s better than ever! Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II @ Amazon

Kong saan mei yan – Average Tier 2.38
The story is set in ancient China before its unification, during which countless kingdoms battle for supremacy. Yen Feier is thrust onto the throne when her father is killed. Feier and her loyal Muyong Xuehu unite to defend the kingdom. But her ambitious cousin Wu Ba sends assassins to kill her. A mysterious man Duan Lan-Quan saves her. Feier falls in love with Duan who offers her another life. With the fate of her kingdom in the balance, Feier must choose between her duty and her dreams. (AsianMediaWiki) Kong saan mei yan @ Amazon

- Who is awesome?

Clive Barker’s Book of Blood

Published by
mpowell
at July 17, 2009 in Coming Up. 3 Comments

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably had a childhood experience with terror that has accompanied you throughout life. When I was growing up, the girl across the street from me spent hours crying and puking after deciding to watch Children of the Corn by herself one night. It was a brave decision which won her both my admiration, and a lifetime of nightmares haunted by Isaac.

My most vivid memory of terror — a true terror which made me physically sick with dread — was reading Clive Barker’s Books of Blood when I was way too young. The Books of Blood are a collection of short stories and by the time I was done with the second one (Midnight Meat Train), I had been changed forever, precious childhood innocence stripped. Never before had I even entertained the idea of such evil.

And now The Book of Blood is a film, coming to BluRay and DVD on September 22nd. It joins two stories out of the book, and the trailer looks genuinely scary:

Still it’s straight-to-video, and that’s almost always a guarantee of shittiness.

Clive Barker hasn’t really been done right by Hollywood, excepting (perhaps) for Hellraiser. Here’s hoping this project turns out to be a surprise.

Update: I didn’t realize that the story which robbed my childhood innocence had also been made into a movie. I don’t know if I can bring myself to watch it.

Dude, Man Version of the Big Lebowski

Published by
vincente
at July 16, 2009 in Fun and Video. 1 Comment

Awesome, you can watch the Big Lebowski in just 2:41 minutes.

[via: Fünf Filmfreunde]

- 10 Bizarre Things You Can Buy From Amazon

Neglected Gems: The State of Things

Published by
mpowell
at July 15, 2009 in Neglected Gems. 1 Comment

It might be that those who seek out Wim Wenders’ lesser-known films are already predisposed to enjoy them. But whatever the reason, his 1982 drama The State of Things (Der Stand der Dinge) meets the requirements for our list of Neglected Gems: few rankings, but nearly unanimous approval.

The movie focuses on that blessed, indispensable group of people who so often capture the attention of filmmakers: filmmakers. Here, it’s a German crew on location in Portugal, working on a remake of Roger Corman’s The Day The World Ended. The producer of the remake mysteriously goes missing and as the search for him goes on, we are enthralled witnesses to the boredom and philosophical musings of the crew. Action alternates between Lisbon and LA.

Sound exciting? I have to confess that I am not any sort of Wim Wenders fan, but this film has impressed a lot of people, even winning the 1982 Golden Lion at Venice. It’s a beautifully shot movie, and a must for anyone interested in the intricacies of film-making.

If you’d like to read a more nuanced critique of the film (written by someone who, ahem, has actually seen it), check out this article at DVD Times.

New Feature – Random Film Link

Published by
mpowell
at July 14, 2009 in Criticker and Enhancements. 8 Comments

Who hasn’t wasted hours of their life hitting that “Random Article” link on Wikipedia over and over? Whether you end up reading about Deathmarch (“the fourth EP by Swedish black metal band Marduk”), an insect called Smicrideinae or British jazz singer Juliet Kelly, it turns out the world is full of information you didn’t know that you didn’t need to know!

Well, Criticker is full of films that you might not truly need to know, either. And now you can use our new random link to help introduce you to them. Happy hunting!

Apple iTunes

DVD Report – July 14th

Published by
mpowell
at July 14, 2009 in DVD. 0 Comments

Besides the laughably un-frightening The Haunting in Connecticut, there aren’t any big Hollywood films new to DVD this week. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing worth your attention. Criticker users have given their seal of approval to 12, a Russian courtroom drama which serves as a handy crash-course to modern Russian society. Explicit Ills, starring Rosario Dawson and Paul Dano also got high marks.

The Haunting in Connecticut – Average Tier 3.30
After a family is forced to relocate for their son’s health, they begin experiencing supernatural behavior in their new home, which turns out to be a former mortuary. The Haunting in Connecticut @ Amazon

The Edge of Love – Average Tier 5.07
Two feisty, free-spirited women are connected by the brilliant, charismatic poet who loves them both. The Edge of Love @ Amazon

12 – Average Tier 6.91
Twelve Russian jurors deciding the fate of a young Chechen accused of murdering his adoptive Russian father go over the details of the case in the school gymnasium that is serving as their jury room. As they argue with each other while struggling to reach a verdict, illustrating their views with stories from their own lives, the case itself becomes a metaphor for the problems plaguing modern Russian society. (oscar.com) 12 @ Amazon

Horsemen – Average Tier 3.82
A recently widowed detective still grieving over his wife’s death discovers a shocking connection between himself and the suspects in a serial killing spree linked to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Horsemen @ Amazon

Explicit Ills – Average Tier 6.50
This gentle, lovely and consistently surprising survey of life in a Philadelphia inner-city neighborhood that’s gradually succumbing to gentrification marks the writing and directing debut of 27-year-old actor Mark Webber (salon.com) Explicit Ills @ Amazon

Heroes of Contention #23 – Team America: World Police

Published by
mpowell
at July 13, 2009 in Heroes of Contentiousness. 0 Comments

It sounded like a project which was guaranteed success. The guys behind South Park, arguably the greatest television program ever, doing a puppet movie mocking America’s view of its standing in the world. Early reviews were extremely positive and I remember that I was already laughing before I arrived at the theater. It’s name was Team America: World Police, for the love of God! This was going to be the greatest movie ever.

It wasn’t. In fact, a lot of people hated it, resulting in a very high FCQ of 49.01 (Film Contentiousness Quotient — details on the math here).

So what happened? Well, a film that calls itself Team America: World Police and sets its climax in North Korea ought to deliver some scathing political satire, and this just didn’t do it. There were some funny scenes — the Montage song and “MATT DAMON!” are brilliant — but those were apolitical. And how many jokes can you make about Kim Jong-Il’s bumbled attempts at English? It’s ignorant to ridicule non-Americans for not speaking in a perfect American accent.

But what do you think? Team America undeniably had its share of laughs, and was a unique concept. But did it succeed in what it was trying to do?

Team America: World Police

  • Great! (72%, 23 Votes)
  • Terrible! (28%, 9 Votes)

Total Voters: 32

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And now, let’s hear from some Criticker users:

booksyouburn – “Once again, Trey Parker and Matt Stone combine intellectual satire with vulgarity on a level that defines film as art in its own weird way. And also once again, the songs in the film are more memorable than the action movie montage music that it parodies.”

Ytdadel – “One of the most overrated movies of 2004. The real cats and the AIDS song are the lone highlights. Anyone who actually takes this as a trenchant political satire is broken.”

Empire Records was put to your vote in the last installment, and we’re happy to say that by a nearly 2-1 margin, you’ve deemed it TERRIBLE. We agree.

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