Friday, December 30, 2011

The Devil's Double- Yes, comparisons to 'Scarface' are almost certain, but overall, it's a fairly unique film. Dominic Cooper does a good job portraying the psychopath of Saddam Hussein's son Uday, which makes most of the film. It's an intriguing concept. A look-alike type 'Prince and the Pauper' story cept' it never truly goes where you want it to go (I'm guessing that's because it's "based on a true story", though it obviously takes quite a few liberties). Throughout the film, Uday is sadistic human being, killing, raping, and pillaging in any which ay he wants to, while Cooper's better-half character, Latif Yahia, basically just sits there with his arms crossed and goes, "I don't like it". I mean, it's nice that we have such a protagonist in a film that mainly focuses on its antagonist, but honestly, it might sound wrong, but I would have been more interested in Latif slowly becoming Uday, the man he hates but must act like, over just hating him the whole movie. I mean, if you are going to take liberties with history, might as well, right? Not to say it's bad, I actually liked this one quite a bit. I just wish there was more conflict in the hero's mind than "this is right, this is wrong".



- Jeff Bassin

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Drive- I won't lie to you, I had high expectations. When this film came out, it was most certainly that movie where everyone said "Hey, have you seen 'Drive' yet? This is my second time, it's so goooood" (Feel free to reread that statement over and over again in the condescending tone it applies) and all the reviews from critics screamed Nicolas Winding Refn's film was the most original thing they have seen in the action action genre in years. Luckily, my expectations were mostly met. Drive, while not being the most character driven film ever, fulfills both the viewer's need for an ominous dark neo-noir tone, and crazed ultra violence that one would ask for in a crime film. It's one of those odd circumstances where if I analyzed most things individually, it would only end up with okay as an average, but together, it's quite magical. Gosling delivers a mostly quiet performance, as does the film itself, keeping moments of silence and long european styled takes before pumping up the action and soundtrack to 80s style music and the ominous score by Cliff Martinez. This film certainly original, especially when it makes use of slow quiet moments more often to create tone rather than using extensive dialogue. I wish we saw a bit more of his life as a stuntman driver moonlighting as a getaway driver before we got into the big story, but overall, it's well worth the view.



- Jeff Bassin

Monday, December 26, 2011 - Tuesday, December 27, 2011

American Horror Story Season 1- The first season, completed in a 24 hour period. Saw the first 4 one night, and spent the next day finishing the 12 episode season. Yes. This is an accomplishment. A perfectly fine day wasted on some mindless television. Worth it. Sure, the show essentially is horror cliches molded in a 'Dark Shadows' formula with not so unique ideas, then pop in all the sexual and violent nature that Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk brought to 'Nip/Tuck' (Not 'Glee', silly!) and there was season one of 'AHS'. While the show didn't hook me from the pilot episode, I was hooked by the series' best episode 4 and 5 'Halloween, Part 1 and 2'. If you don't enjoy the show at that point, I would give you free range to quit watching.


The performances where all quite good, with the most notable ones being from Jessica Lange (the crafty and nefarious neighbor),


Kate Mara (the crazed ex-lover),

-She's usually so much hotter.

Evan Peters (the psychopath boyfriend)… I'm noticing that the most memorable performances came from the show's villains.

- I saw never back down, and lets just say, this is different.

Not to say that it isn't nice seeing Dylan McDermott again (since I haven't seen him in anything since Bobby Donnell in 'The Practice'),


or Denis O'Hare (who is slowly winning me over in the unknown character actor category with his performances on this and 'True Blood' as Russell Edgington),


or how about the edgy and emotional performance by Taissa Farmiga (this is the first most, including myself have seen of her, and I can tell she has talent),


and Connie Britton (I haven't watched 'Friday Night Lights', I know that's her claim to fame, but I have been meaning to and will certainly get to it faster now).


Jeez, all the performances were great so I want to just go over them all. How about the altered perception thing they did with Frances Conroy/ Alexandra Breckenridge (hot or not?). Either way it was effective and shocking.



But I'll stop now.

On the note that the series will be continuing season 2 with a different story completely, I'm actually glad. Not that this story was bad… just completed. It ended. I don't need to watch some of supposed "To Be Continued…" type stories they set up. Those sound boring to me. I think the season ended fantastically, going from it's typical overbearing soap opera drama, to a lighter tone with a slight homage to the movie 'Beetlejuice'. If you watch the season, which you should in my opinion, you will know what I mean. No, it's not the greatest thing on television. No, it's not unique. But yes, it is consistently interesting.



- Jeff Bassin

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work- One of the better expose documentaries I've seen, which is the reason I've watched it for the second time. Rivers is more than just marvelous comedienne (I didn't realize that is what you call female comedians until I saw this film). She's a tragic figure, a workaholic, a constant genius, and a real interesting person. You could learn a thing or two from this woman and her life.



Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010 Remake)- Interesting fairy tale horror film that spooked me quite a bit, but would have instilled great fear in me if I were younger. This is a creepy film. First time feature director Troy Nixey is an expert at mood, especially with his experience on his short film 'Latchkey's Lament' (which I also enjoyed when I saw it a bit ago) and with the help of the academy award nominated writer/director Guillermo del Toro as Producer. Nixey also has an eye for good visual art, clearly from his experience as a comic book artist. While the performances were nothing to special, Bailee Madison (the child in the film) is fairly believable and it's nice to see Katie Holmes doing work again (I still sigh when I watch her missing from 'The Dark Knight'). Certainly good for a nice scare, even if it's not perfect.



- Jeff Bassin

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Lucky- As much of a chance I wanted to give to Gil Cates Jr.'s off handed SXSW comedy, 'Lucky' really just isn't all that funny. Colin Hanks' performance seems remarkably offhanded, but I don't know if I want to blame him or the writers. I can't tell if I should pity him or fear him, since he is a goes from awkward quiet type to confident 'Dexter' type in only a few minutes time. With Ari Graynor, his romantic interest, she put on a nice performance, both a little zany and vulnerable. But honestly, none of the characters were really likable, which kind of puts a halt on a romantic comedy. How could you want Hanks and Graynor to end up together if they are both terrible people? It was not a waste of time, but I don't think I enjoyed it.



Rise of the Planet of the Apes- Like the first time I saw this film, I enjoyed it.



- Jeff Bassin

Friday, December 23, 2011

Abduction- Would be really silly, popcorn fun, though it's not very fun. I knew what I was getting into. Sure, Taylor Lautner has some stuntman skills, but in the end, the story wears everything else down. Maybe not even the story, The script is to blame. The dialogue is phony. When the lead characters point out that "wasn't this an interesting first date?" "definitely", I sigh. It points out the fact that this film is just as much of a plot as I thought it was. Taylor Lautner shirtless. Check. Taylor Lautner mackin' on the ladies (just Lily Collins, but you know what I mean). Check. And Taylor Lautner basically being better than anyone else in the film (except for the Dad character but he's never seen so he's not so much a bad@$$. Oh Well. I guess it was enjoyable, sort of. But not really. I wish it went to darker places, or created more three dimensional characters, or did anything interesting besides just exist. Director John Singleton has done interesting work, and Lautner clearly has the potential to be an action star (he clearly does a lot of his own stunts and is a talented martial artist i.e. 'The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D', and they look quite good too) but the script leaves wasted space for the both of them.



- Jeff Bassin

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Shark Night- Shlocky fun like 'Piranha 3D', but without the gore to back it up. None of the acting was great, the sharks looked fake, and the PG-13 rating really limited it. It's a bad movie and you know it, but somehow I didn't stop watching. Katharine McPhee is beautiful though. If it helps.



- Jeff Bassin

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Bag of Bones- Not amazing, but definitely entertaining. The performances were nothing too special, but the story was intriguing, and thoroughly chilling. Mick Garris (director of 'Hocus Pocus' and creator of 'Masters of Horror' and 'Fear Itself') gives the film a nice look, and provides interesting enough story for its 3 hour duration. The script isn't perfectly paced, especially in terms of taking a steady half of the first part to even get Pierce Brosnan's Mike Noonan to the lake house. Give it a chance if you have the time. From the outside perspective of a person who has not read the King novel, I was fairly surprised by its outcome.



Early Californication: Season 5 Premiere- What was once a show I looked forward to, I now want to push back and save it for later. Sadly, with the main story arc of Hank's unfortunate misunderstood crime now completed, the show no longer has any room to grow. The show ended last season. It's a shame the show will most likely end in 'The Office' category of zombie television shows (they just won't die!!!!).



- Jeff Bassin

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

TV Finales and Premieres

Allen Gregory Finale- I don't think there will be a season 2, so lets just call it a mini series to make it sound like that was all part of their plan. I agree this show is bitter hearted and clearly isn't the kind of show to last generations and become a cultural phenomenon like 'The Simpsons', but honestly, I'm sad to see it go. Why? Not because it's hilarious (though it really does have its moments), but because I really am not looking forward to the new 'Napoleon Dynamite' animated series as a replacement.



Dexter: Season 6 Finale- By now, I find it are to believe the show can last more than 2 more seasons in the annoying holes it has dug itself into. As much as I enjoyed Mos Def's performance in this season of 'Dexter', this has by far ranked itself just above third season's pointlessness in story arc. Dexter didn't even really serve to much justice with his dark passenger this season. With the exception of some weird incesty stuff and the final scene, this season was completely predictable and forgettable, which is a real shame.



Misfits: Season 3 Finale- Like I said, it has got to be one of the best shows on television right now from my preference. It has enough comedy to create beautiful characters, but it still finds enough ground to create some thoroughly touching moments. Despite in some ways going exactly where a viewer thought it would eventually go with some of the characters, the moments were effective and has not diminished my enjoyment of the program one bit. Even though two important characters have departed the show, with the recent success Howard Overman has had in my opinion with the character of Rudy, I still believe the show has the ability to get back to it's roots.



Early Shameless: Season 2 Premiere- I enjoyed the new season opener in the American adaptation of the UK series, and even though it isn't the most exciting or even controversial thing on television, it definitely has it. It's not laugh out loud funny, but keeps that comedic realism tone that the UK is so known for. Certainly worth checking out if you have an open mind.



- Jeff Bassin

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Our Idiot Brother- I really enjoyed this movie. The performances were nice and natural all around, the story was interesting all the way through, and the film had a nice thesis message. Despite being a bit generic, this film goes above and beyond in making up for Jesse Peretz's earlier directorial effort, 'The Ex'. Paul Rudd puts on one of my favorite performances by him and the film just has a nice heartfelt tone. Even though a few of the concluding scenes felt a bit forced and overly happy, it didn't really hurt my overall impression of the film. I would recommend this for a nice warm feeling on a rainy day.



- Jeff Bassin

Friday, December 16, 2011

High Anxiety- Surprised I had never seen this one, I finally saw this Mel Brooks classic. Being a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock, this film actually seemed quite perfect in terms of what I wanted. A spoof of his films, with most notoriety going to 'Vertigo', I went into it with high hopes. And while those hopes were slightly diminished, I definitely enjoyed myself. Funny, absurd, and a bit too much slapstick, those are staples of the average Mel Brooks film, so you can forgive a few misses when it ones to his humor. It seems like most people forgot about this one, so I would have to say it is one of his underrated films, even though I probably wouldn't rank it too high in terms of his filmography.

From what I have seen by him, here's my top 5:
5) Dracula: Dead and Loving It
4) History of the World: Part I
3) Blazing Saddles
2) The Producers
1) Young Frankenstein

So I guess 'High Anxiety' doesn't really rank, even though I somewhat enjoyed it. It was at least better than 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' in my opinion.



- Jeff Bassin

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies...- Merchant puts on an entertaining show, but in the end, he's just not as good as when he's partnered with Gervais. The two are a genius team, but in the end, Merchant plays more to his search for marriage than to jokes, and that grows tiresome. Sure, he has an entertaining voice to listen to, especially when you are packing clothing away and can't look at every hand gesture he makes, but his jokes were fairly visual (one with texting language) and that was a hassle in terms of missing jokes on an auditory standpoint and having to go back. He's definitely a funny man, and deserves far more credit for his work than he often receives by the general audience, but I wasn't that impressed with this comedy performance. I would watch another if he had one obviously, but I probably won't be spreading this one around like it's the new Kanye album.



- Jeff Bassin

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Melancholia- Not as good as I thought it would be. As a somewhat fan of Lars Von Trier's previous works, 'Antichrist' and 'Dogville', I expected something a little bit more… I don't know, entertaining. 'Melancholia' is slow, clearly indulgent, and a bit obvious. From the opening sequence (which is the best part of the film) you know what will happen, so you are just waiting to get to know the characters, in the hopes of getting to know them and their minds before they are turned to dust in the destruction of the planet Earth from the collision of the Planet Melancholia. But no, Trier isn't interested in that. I never felt close to any characters. Just when you think that you understand a character, he pulls the rug from you and makes them do something that seems out of character. Sure it's interesting to watch, but no, it's not really enjoyable or well written. Part 1 is an irrelevant wedding that is meant to show Kirsten Dunst's character Justine is just oh so depressed (though she does give a good performance). But why show her wedding if, A) she won't be married in the second part and B) the repercussions of her choices in part 1 hardly show up in part 2. Part 2 was actually entertaining. With the threat of Melancholia being prevalent (there is hardly any mention of it in Part 1) and taking the perspective of Charlotte Gainsbourg's Claire (much more interesting character), trying to keep the family together while realizing all of their time has come. Kiefer Sutherland and her worked well together, and they actually made a pretty realistic (but obviously troubled) couple with a child. Actually, I enjoyed part 2 even though it was kind of like watching a candle burn. When it comes down to it all, I chalk this film up to a naked Kirsten Dunst. Certainly not as life changing or even as depressing as I was told it would be. I though it was relatively tame in terms of making me sad. Don't say I didn't get it. I understood the back and forth metaphor for the depression and the planet colliding. It just wasn't all that surprising or interesting to me. The opening visuals are awe-inspiring but after that, it gets handheld and I just didn't care as much. It was okay, but not too special. I had high expectations so don't blame me for not loving it as much as you did.



- Jeff Bassin

Sunday, December 11, 2011

The Inbetweeners Movie (2011)- I'm not sure if this is how the series wraps up, but while a funny adventure, it fit far too many cliches to actually be good. Sure, the film remains in the tone of the series and the characters seem to be very in check in terms of writing… but the cliches! Oh the horror! Every guy ends up with a female counterpart, happy endings abound. The villain character gets what is coming to him. The lead gets a girl way over his league. It's just too much. Overall, it's like 'The Hangover' Jr. It has some of the risqué tones and dialogues that most R rated films have received these days, and ends with that hollywood ending that just makes you smile and frown at the same time. Entertaining and funny, but ultimately dry of anything wholly original.



- Jeff Bassin

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Auge in Auge: Eine deutsche Filmgeschichte - This is a documentary about famous directors' favorite German Films. It's slightly boring because I was unaware of most of the filmmakers outside of Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run) and Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire), so it was hard for me to catch that care that one would have if I had watched the American version of this film with people like Scorcese, Coppola, Spielberg, Cameron, etc. It was interesting, though not that informative. It's kind of like sitting down with people you don't know that well and comparing films you like. Sure, you have more on your netflix que, but in the end, you are just wasting the time you could be watching one of those films with. There were quite a few that sounded interesting.



- Jeff Bassin

Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Zookeeper- Very unmemorable, and not even a good family film. All the voice work is terrible, the idea made no sense, and there was really no comedic moments. I liked 'Paul Blart' when I looked at it as a fat man's spoof on 'Die Hard', my favorite action film of all time. But this is dreadful. Poor Happy Madison Productions, which is slowly pit-falling into making me assume all their films are terrible. 'Jack and Jill', come on?!?!?!! Not as bad as 'Grown Ups' but still a waste of my time.



- Jeff Bassin