Film Review: This Wrestling Life – Directed by Stephen Gillis
September 1st, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – This Wrestling Life
Directed by Stephen Gillis
Make Believe Media
2010 is turning out to be one of the best years for documentary films in a very long while. With the release if titles such as Exit Through the Gift Shop, Catfish, and Restrepo, there seems to be no shortage of subjects or filmmakers willing to bring them to the masses. Enter Stephen Gillis, ABORT Magazine alumni and director of the immensely entertaining new documentary called This Wrestling Life.
What motivates someone to pursue a career in professional wrestling? Is it money, fame or perhaps something even more gratifying like acceptance from one’s peers? This Wrestling Life takes all these notions and slams them to the canvas, showing us that dreams are only as good as the ones who dream them.
Surrey’s ‘Slam Academy’ owner and ECCW (Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) Champ Scotty Mac puts students Natalie, Travis and Bill through the rigors of leg locks, suplexes, body slams and choke holds in this fascinating and hilarious look at the school of wrestling right in our own suburban backyard.
Proving ego is as much a potent part of wrestling as strength and ability, director Gillis gives us an unabashed look at four diversly talented people and their leap off the top rope in pursuit of their dreams. Natalie may have trouble getting to practice on time, but reality gives her the motivation she needs. Travis is built for this sport and has the attitude to prove it while Bill is beset upon from every angle and is either too tough or too self diluted to quit.
Made with compassion and wit (yes we’re talking about a wrestling documentary here), Stephen Gillis’ feature length documentary debut This Wrestling Life will have you shaking your head in disbelief while shaking your sides with laughter. Funny, heartwarming, insightful and very entertaining, it’s films like This Wrestling Life that have made 2010 a banner year for documentaries.
By Grimm “Armlock Doctor” Culhane
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Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Directed by Stephen Gillis
Make Believe Media
2010 is turning out to be one of the best years for documentary films in a very long while. With the release if titles such as “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” “Catfish,” and “Restrepo,” there seems to be no shortage of subjects or filmmakers willing to bring them to the masses. Enter Stephen Gillis, ABORT Magazine alumni and the director of the immensely entertaining new documentary called “This Wrestling Life.”
What motivates someone to pursue a career in professional wrestling? Is it money, fame or perhaps something even more gratifying like acceptance from one’s peers? The Wrestling Life takes all these notions and slams them to the canvas, showing us that dreams are only as good as the ones who dream them.
Surrey’s ‘Slam Academy’ owner and ECCW (Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) Champ Scotty Mac puts students Natalie, Travis and Bill through the rigors of leg locks, suplexes, body slams and choke holds in this fascinating and hilarious look at the school of wrestling right in our own backyard.
Proving ego is as much a potent part of wrestling as strength and ability, director Gillis gives us an unabashed look at 4 diversly talented people and their leap of the top rope in pursuit of their dreams. Natalie may have trouble getting to practice on time, but life gives her the motivation she needs to succeed. Travis is built for this sport and has the attitude to prove it, while Bill is beset upon from every angle and is either too tough or too self diluted to quit.
Made with compassion and wit (yes I’m talking about a wrestling documentary here), This Wrestling Life will have you shaking your head in disbelief while shaking your sides with laughter. Funny, heartwarming, insightful and very entertaining, it’s films like This Wrestling Life that have made 2010 a banner year for documentaries.
Film Review: The Last Exorcism – Directed By Daniel Stamm
August 27th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – The Last Exorcism
Directed By Daniel Stamm
Arcade Pictures
It seems like nowadays horror films are in a period of transition. For the most part of the last decade horror flicks have been interested mainly in two things: making you jump and making you want to puke. You know how it is, guy’s walking through a darkly lit hall, guy turns because he hears something, guy decides it was nothing, then something jumps out of the shadows suddenly with a scream, making you jump in your seat, then the thing fucks the dude up; we see intestines, we see eyeballs exploding, we see shit leaking out of his now-dead sphincter, we feel like ralphing a little.
This is a scenario we’ve seen dozens and dozens of times over the past decade and it is the hallmark of a movie that is trying to scare you in the theatre. The Last Exorcism shirks that mantle with the lighting of a cigarette and the flipping of the bird in the general direction of movies that try to scare you in the theatre. Much like the film that The Last Exorcism’s title surely evokes, William Friedkin’s 1973 masterpiece The Exorcist, The Last Exorcism is all about making you scared as you walk through the dark parking lot to your car after the movie’s done, but it’s even more all about making you think. Set in modern-day Louisiana,
The Last Exorcism is the tale of Reverend Cotton Marcus, played by the very convincing Patrick Fabian, a former child prodigy southern preacher who’s been singing the praises of Jesus in front of the faithful and going out into the community to perform exorcisms practically his whole life, so long in fact that he never took the time to sit and think about whether he even believes in God. Finally realizing he’s lost his faith, he invites a documentary crew along on his last exorcism in order to show the practise to the world as the fraud it is. As you can imagine, it doesn’t quite work out that way. Director Daniel Stamm weaves a tale that is equal parts funny and scary but his real triumph is the unyielding humanity of both his characters and their story. This movie feels real, these characters feel like real people and we feel for them, worry for them like they were our friends.
The tagline for this film is “If you believe in God, you must believe in the Devil” but the question really put forth by this film is “if you meet the Devil, can you trust God to save you?”. The Last Exorcism is a movie that makes you think and makes you feel and when the credits roll you’ll wish it wasn’t over.
The Last Exorcism Opens Nationwide Today
By A.W. Reid
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Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review – The Expendables – Directed by Sylvester Stallone
August 13th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – The Expendables
Directed by Sylvester Stallone
Maple Pictures
The notion of Friday the 13th being unlucky gets a welcome gun stuck in its face with the release of The Expendables, Stallone’s nostalgic nod to true action films. This welcome kick in the balls of the recently lazy Hollywood action genre comes at the end of a rather lack luster summer movie season. Delivered with love and true panache, The Expendables reminds us why we love punching someone in the ribs almost as much as punching them in the face. Seems it takes old school film veterans such as Jet Li, David Statham, Mickey Rourke and director Sylvester Stallone himself to truly recapture a once glorious aspect of the summer air conditioned cinema satisfaction, “the kick-ass-fuck-taking-names” action move.
Plot wise, shit happens, people get killed, more shit happens, more people get killed. Stallone and his mercenary buddies, fresh off a Somalia pirate hostage situation, are offered a job in South America, the removal of a merciless dictator. The plot defining and classic negotiation scene between government backed Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) and the two vying mercenary group leaders Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is a gift to everyone who has ever bought a ticket to any one of these stars’ movies. The last of the true Hollywood action legends assembled for one scene, poking fun at themselves, each other and our corporation dominated world.
An ensemble cast that includes Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin and Terry Crews (none of them strangers to action movies), gives this film more of an early Sixties “Guns of the Navarone” feel. At any given moment you half expect Gregory Peck or Richard Burton to suddenly appear and off someone with a machine gun.
The Expendables is more of a fleshing out of all those “lone wolf” movies Sly is fond of making. He gives the characters actual friends and relationships; a sense of brotherhood and belonging. Characters have flaws, but forgiveness isn’t out of the question. Don’t bother bringing tissues with you to the theatre though, this is ultimately a rip-your-guts-out-and-stomp-around-in-your-bloody-remains kind of movie done very well.
By Grimm “Brick Shithouse” Culhane
Film Review – The Expendables
Directed by Sylvester Stallone
Maple Pictures
The notion of Friday the 13th being unlucky gets a welcome gun stuck in its face with the release of The Expendables, Stallone’s nostalgic nod to true action films. This welcome kick in the balls of the recently lazy Hollywood action genre comes at the end of a rather lack luster summer movie season. Delivered with love and true panache, The Expendables reminds us why we love punching someone in the ribs almost as much as punching them in the face. Seems it takes old school film veterans such as Jet Li, David Statham, Mickey Rourke and director Sylvester Stallone himself to truly recapture a once glorious aspect of the summer air conditioned cinema satisfaction, “the kick-ass-fuck-taking-names” action move.
Plot wise, shit happens, people get killed, more shit happens, more people get killed. Stallone and his mercenary buddies, fresh off a Somalia pirate hostage situation, are offered a job in South America, the removal of a merciless dictator. The plot defining and classic negotiation scene between government backed Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) and the two vying mercenary group leaders Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is a gift to everyone who has ever bought a ticket to any one of these stars’ movies. The last of the true Hollywood action legends assembled for one scene, poking fun at themselves, each other and our corporation dominated world.
An ensemble cast includes Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Steve Austin and Terry Crews (none of them and strangers to action movies) gives this film a more of an early Sixties “Guns of the Navarone” feel. At any given moment you half expect Gregory Peck or Richard Burton to suddenly appear and off someone with a machine gun.
This movie is more of a fleshing out of all those “lone wolf” movies Sly is fond of making. He gives the characters actual friends and relationships; a sense of brotherhood and belonging. Characters have flaws, but forgiveness isn’t out of the question. Don’t bother bringing tissues wit you to the theatre though, this is one rip-your-guts-out-and-stomp-around-in-you’re-bloody-remains kind of movie.
Film Review: Predators – Directed by Nimród Antal
July 9th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Movie Review – Predators
Directed By Nimród Antal
20th Century Fox
In lieu of originality; reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels and revamps are what Hollywood thrive on these days. Take an established Hollywood franchise (healthy or not), and some schmuck will attempt one of the aforementioned treatments. Chances are he or she will screw it up totally and walk away with the undying love and admiration of the lost masses spoon fed on limp, predictable modern American movies. Thank FUCK (in large bold letters strewn across your local cinema marquee) for Predators, director Nimród Antal’s rebooted, revamped and remarkable redirection of the Predator franchise
Eight strangers dropped into an unfamiliar jungle terrain and forced to work together for reasons of survival may not seem like the most original of plot ideas, but as the facts of their predicament are slowly revealed to both the characters and audience alike, it becomes clear this isn’t your usual Predator fare.
Mercenary soldier Royce (Adrian Brody) leads the rag tag group of strangers on the quest to find out where they are and why they are there. The ‘where’ is shown (but never fully explained), while the ‘why’ becomes evident as members of the party are systematically bumped off by forces initially unknown.
Joining Royce are silent Yakuza assassin Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien), Mexican drug cartel enforcer Chuchillo (Danny Trejo), IDF sniper Isabelle (Alice Braga), RUF officer Mombasa (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali), American Death Row inmate Stans (Walton Goggins) and American doctor Edwin (Topher Grace). They are all cold-blooded killers forced to work together while each maintains a devious sub-plot of their own. Laurence Fishburne’s lengthy “ham at the bar mitzvah” cameo as Noland, a U.S. Air Cavalry Soldier, almost upsets the entire thing, but thankfully his appearance is short lived… pun intended.
Exceptionally well directed, the camera work and slow overhead panning shots used here work brilliantly, while the simple yet effective plot gives Predators an eerie, suspenseful atmosphere. Original, inventive and highly entertaining, director Nimród Antal, writers Alex Litvak & Michael Finch and cinematographer Gyula Pados (as well as a lack of fake looking CGI) are truly the stars of this film. Well done all around!
By Grimm “I’d Probably Die First” Culhane
Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: MacGruber – Directed by Jorma Taccone
May 21st, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – MacGruber
Directed by Jorma Taccone
Alliance Films
It’s probably best to warn you now that your dick will be ripped off and shoved in your mouth once you finish reading this review. It’s nothing personal mind you, having your dick ripped off and shoved in your mouth isn’t anyone’s idea of a raucous good time, but reviews are like crap shoots, Cracker Jack boxes and movies based on other mediums, you never know what you’re going to get.
Touted as the funniest “Saturday Night Live” movie since Wayne’s World (not the hardest promise to fulfill), MacGruber, the latest “SNL” brainchild to crawl out of the ooze of late night television and onto movie screens, is chalk full of what you’d expect from a “SNL” spin-off, some gross out humour mixed with some over the top action sequences all held together with some funny bits mixed in with some not so funny bits.
Will Forte stars as the titular lead character MacGruber, the ex-special operative who’s dragged back into action to stop he arch-enemy Dieter Von Cunth (the ever expanding Val Kilmer) from destroying Washington D.C. with a stolen nuclear warhead. With Lt. Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe) and Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig) at his side, MacGruber is as dysfunctional as ever, still defusing bombs with dog shit and pubic hair while adding “ripping out throats” to his list of marketable skills.
Far more extreme than the one minute “SNL” skits it began as, MacGruber could have easily been crushed by the weight of its own grandiosity, but somehow it manages to be not half bad (nor completely all bad either). Oh sure, the moral high ground is as bumpy and twisted as the regular path, but when dealing with a film of this calibre its best to be honest and tell it like it is. The sheer stupidity of Forte’s dazzlingly puerile performance, enough scatological humour to satisfy any kindergarten class and action, action, action galore combine to make MacGruber funny, exciting and easier to stomach than throwing your ticket price money into the street.
Now then, since we’ve reached the end of this review there’s only one thing left to do, so please assume the position, drop your trousers and open wide, let’s get this over with.
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Film Review: Exit Through the Gift Shop – Directed by Banksy
May 8th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review- Exit Through the Gift Shop
Directed by Banksy
Paranoid Pictures
Enigmatic English street artist Banksy, best known for his iconic and ironic socio-political stencil images, enters the Petri dish of popular culture and promptly turns the subject into the chronicler with the release of this comedic and insightful documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. A multi-layered “ode to the subversive” narrated by Rhys Ifans (Twin Town, Greenberg), Exit Through the Gift Shop documents how to turn a paint bomb into a phenomenon, a big fat, bank account bloating phenomenon.
What begins as an expose of some of the most recognizable street artists secretly working today (Shepard Fairey, Invader and Banksy, amongst others) turns into a lengthy telling of how eccentric French videographer (with questionable film making skills) Thierry Guetta took 8 years worth of street art footage and turned it into an unwatchable mess. Not perturbed by his uselessness as a filmmaker, Thierry Guetta decides, with some prompting, to become a street artist in his own right, thus giving birth to the self styled pseudonym Mr. Brainwash.
Basically what we have here is the retelling of the Andy Warhol story given a fresh spray bomb of paint, ripped off, plagiarized and falsified, then served up with a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek fraudulence. The sheer ridiculousness of Guetta’s compulsive need to shoot his never ending documentary while neglecting his family (and everything sensible in the process) is pretty much what holds this film together. Unfortunately, Guetta himself comes across as a fat, pompous, John Belushi shaped Frenchman who loves waxing poetic about himself with run on sentences that lack a point.
Fortunately there is more to this documentary than that… much MUCH more! Banksy’s plan for a million pounds worth of fake “Princess Di” bank notes and Invader sharing his unique “perspective” with the cops are a couple examples of what makes Exit Through the Gift Shop a refreshing, insightful and fucking hilarious film (and it takes less time to watch than putting up a 12 foot stencil, guaranteed!)
By Grimm “Spray and Pray” Culhane
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Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: The Crazies – Directed by Breck Eisner
February 26th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – The Crazies
Directed by Breck Eisner
Alliance Films
Ok, so small town Sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant of Hitman and Deadwood fame) notices town folk going all loco like in director Breck Eisner’s latest effort “The Crazies.” Since its not a shark terrorizing the coastline (see Jaws) there must be something else in the water supply and sure enough, a downed military aircraft transporting crazy inducing warfare chemicals winds up on the bottom of the town’s water reservoir and town folk begin bumping each other off faster than you can say “Walkerton.”
High on the startle factor, this version of “The Crazies” is pretty loyal to the 1973 George A. Romero original, but somehow does not live up to the iconic cleverness and heart pounding tension Romero is capable of generating. Director Eisner does elicit some genuinely creepy moments here, but they are so few and far apart you could sail the Mary Celeste between the scary parts with plenty of room on both sides.
Although “The Crazies” isn’t truly atrocious, supporting cast members Radha Mitchell (Pitch Black, Silent Hill) as the Sheriff’s pregnant wife Judy Dutton and Joe Anderson (Across the Universe, The Ruins) as Deputy Russell Clank aren’t nearly enough to save this film from itself. Timothy Olyphant does manage to carry the majority of the film, but even his one note performance does grow a bit wearisome to watch after a while. Pay attention for the tap dancing coroner with the bone saw though. Not really scary, but fucking hilarious none-the-less.
Knowing you are about to die in some horrific way is far scarier than suddenly being killed, isn’t it? Startling an audience is no replacement for genuine scares, something Hollywood directors should try to keep in mind when producing films of this nature. Modern audiences are far less intelligent then they were in 1973 it seems, or so Hollywood would have us believe with releases like this. Scary indeed!
By Grimm “Gastroenteritis” Culhane
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Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Until The Light Takes Us
February 12th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – Until The Light Takes Us
Directed by Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites
Field Pictures
Out of the surplus of Black metal documentaries that have sprung up both in film and book form, Until the Light Takes us seems to be the most grounded in first hand accounts from key players in the early Norwegian black metal scene. The film focuses on Varg Vikernes (Burzum, ex-Mayhem) and Gylve Nagell (Darkthrone); positioning these two as the originators, for better or for worse, of the black metal style we recognize today.
What’s interesting about this film is the way that directors Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites position Nagell and Vikernes as belonging to a “legitimate” form of black metal -Nagell musically and Vikernes both through his actions as well as the music he created. They clearly emphasize a division between the latter and those who subsequently jumped on the bandwagon once the genre achieved popularity. The way that they do this is clever; mainly by juxtaposing the complaints of the film’s two “protagonists” regarding the way people have bought into the black metal scene without fully understanding what it was built on, with footage of artists/musicians who seem to be doing just that.
Frost’s role in the film is an interesting one. Despite his status as one of the best metal drummers in the world and the fact that he’s been a member of a handful of well-known Norwegian black metal bands, he’s portrayed as a performer; a guy who takes on an alter-ego in the black metal style to convey a feeling of “obscurity and darkness.” This perspective is further compounded when Frost performs a mock suicide in front of an art audience at the request of contemporary visual artist Bjarne Melgaard. While essentially it’s up to the viewer to decide whether they want to buy into the whole debate of a legitimate form of black metal in the first place, the film does work to stoke the fires of this debate. One of the ways Ewell and Aites do this is by including a very awkward moment between Nagell and Melgaard. In this scene, they are both standing in a Stockholm gallery where Melgaard’s black metal themed exhibition is taking place. Despite the artist’s inclusion of photographic depictions of Nagell’s friends, he does not approach Nagell, but rather stares at him from a far side of the room. This awkward moment juxtaposed with the apparent affinity between Frost and Melgaard points to a divide between the ones who built the genre and the ones who ran with it later.
Despite the fact that Until the Light Takes us is one of the most straight-forward documentaries of its kind, there is some filler material that could be omitted. For instance, the footage of Nagell walking around the streets of Oslo, sitting in a bar, going to a street market, etc doesn’t need to be there. Instead, footage of live performances would be more relevant. Also, a less constructed portrayal of Frost with an increased focus on the contributions he’s made musically would help minimize the obvious bias of the directors.
By Alxs Ness
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Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: From Paris with Love Dir. by Pierre Morel
February 5th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – From Paris with Love
Directed by Pierre Morel
Maple Pictures
John Travolta goes “hair free” as he visits Paris for another “Royale with Cheese” in director Pierre Morel’s bullet riddled caper comedy, From Paris with Love. With straight laced Jonathan Rhys Meyers in tow, what we have here is the ghost of Luc Besson (who actually produced this and isn’t dead yet) pulling the strings on a rather amusing, action packed, comedic romp.
James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France who works for the CIA in his spare time. When changing license plates and doing basic grunt work proves to not be enough for Reese his chance to be a bona-fide agent comes true when he’s made wheel man for his new partner, Charlie Wax (John Travolta). Unfortunately Charlie proves to be more than a handful with his wisecracking, trigger-happy ways. Sent to Paris to stop a terrorist attack, Charlie drags James through the Parisian underbelly, kicking ass, shooting bad guys and running his foul mouth. In other words, doing what it takes to bring the bad guys to justice and looking stylish as they do so.
Your basic, run of the mill smart ass cop drama with plenty of violence and a few good laughs is what From Paris with Love is all about. Travolta’s over the top self mocking portrayal of the wisecracking, gun toting, bald headed Charlie Wax will either sink this film or be it’s one redeeming quality, you can decide that for yourself. Any reason is a good reason for Travolta to cut off his hair and fly back to France to kick major ass and choke down another “Royale with Cheese.”
The true star of this film (besides Rhys Meyers and Travolta) is the stunning choreography of the action sequences that rival anything Jason Bourne could identify with or feel a false sense of supremacy about. In fact, its the stunt team involved with From Paris with Love that makes this movie exactly what it is, a comedic thriller geared to satisfy all your action oriented wants and needs. The ghost of Luc Besson should be proud.
By Grimm “The Scenic Route” Culhane
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Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day – Dir. by Troy Duffy
November 20th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
Directed by Troy Duffy
Maple Pictures/Sony Pictures
The MacManus brothers, Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy (Norman Reedus), are back in Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day, a long awaited sequel to 1999’s cult classic, Boondock Saints.
With a brilliant mind like Duffy’s sitting in wait with gems like this, it’s a wonder studios keep hiring Michael bay to ruin movies. A full decade in the making, writer/director Troy Duffy doesn’t disappoint, with a sequel more thrilling than the original, packed full of everything we have come to expect, as we once again follow the explosive lives of the MacManus brothers.
After eight years of as fugitives, living the quiet life, and hiding out on a farm in Ireland with their father (Billy Connolly), the good brothers are violently called back to Boston when an assassin, hired by Mob-Boss Concezio Yakavetta, son of the late ‘Papa’ Joe Yakavetta, murders a catholic priest in cold blood, framing the saints. With vengeance on their minds the brothers hop a freighter across the Atlantic, and the saints trademark style of holy justice, once again takes the city by storm. In search of retribution, and a mysterious old man known only as ‘The Roman’
Noah ‘Papa’ MacManus, aka Il Duce takes a back seat during most of the action, but gives us a welcome glimpse into his past, showing us the story about how ‘The Duke’ came to be. A young Noah MacManus, an apprentice leather-maker, witnessed the brutal murder of his father at the hands of brutal mobsters when they did not get their way. With the help of his childhood friend Louie, he tracks down those responsible, and takes his revenge.
The sequel sees nearly the whole cast return in one form or another, with deceased saint-sidekick Rocco making several appearances in flashbacks and dreams while Willem Dafoe’s unnecessarily flamboyant FBI agent Paul Smecker is the only main cast member who does not re-join the holy fight, instead making only a small cameo. Smeckers protégé, the alluring Special Agent Eunice Bloom of the FBI, (Julie Benz), takes up the slack as the inside (wo)man.
Some hardcore fans of Boondock Saints may have mixed reactions with Duffy’s decision to somewhat ‘recycle’ the personalities of the missing members of team saints into the two new characters introduced to the franchise. Duffy seemingly implants late sidekick Rocco’s gung-ho personality into the saints new right hand man, Latino tough-guy Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr.), although, arguably a much better shot, where as Special Agent bloom seems to have inherited many of her predecessors quirks, including a knack for making Detective Greenly look like an idiot.
In a world where ‘waiting for the DVD’ is becoming commonplace, BDS II explodes onto the silver screen with an amazing plot masterfully played out by a brilliant cast, and the perfect mix of humour and action that leaves us praying for more.
In nomine Patri. Et Fili. Spiritus Sancti.
sonypictures.com/movies/boondocksaints2
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Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: American Artifact- The Rise of American Rock Poster Art, Directed by Merle Becker
November 13th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – American Artifact – The Rise of American Rock Poster Art
Directed by Merle Becker
FreakFilms Inc.
Since the first “Wanted” poster was nailed to a post in the Wild West, the eye catching, multi-colour silkscreen print has been a hallmark of American popular art, and it is on this rich tradition that the relatively recent craft of the Rock poster is built. This eye-popping and historically fascinating film documents the evolution of the poster, from early Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis ads that now look better than Warhol, to the “lysergically” altered perceptions of the San Francisco 60′s, to the black and white Kinko’s specials that mark the dawn of Punk Rock, to the retro-futuristic work inspired by 90′s Alternative and Indie Rock bands.
Witness the marvels of Wolfgang’s Vault – legendary concert promoter Bill Graham’s treasure trove of rare and vintage 60′s posters, and the meticulous care lavished over these priceless works of mindfuckery. From Rick Griffin’s famous “flying eyeball” image, beloved of hippie love children and sherm-addled suicide punks alike, to the deliberate warping of convention by Victor Moscoso, who managed to unwittingly achieve the desired results by turning the rules of poster making on their heads – using bright contrasting colours, and making the image as dense and seemingly illegible as possible. Detroit’s Gary Grimshaw relates his city’s trend towards highly detailed and exacting design to its great history of craftsmanship in all trades, and explains how for many the flyers are the only documentation of the socially evolutionary events they advertise, encapsulating the spirit of the early MC5 shows in a visual language of revolution.
Just as burnout 60′s artists had drooled their way halfway through the 70′s, the Punk Rock explosion came with bands like The Avengers, who made posters out of simple photocopier collage. Inspired by the Dadaist movement of the 1920′s, their take on revolution was to do something that anyone else could do, and thus inspire millions of others to start their own bands. Just as in the 60′s, these posters and flyers speak a cryptic visual language meant only for the initiated, and record a movement now lost to posers.
Texas legend Frank Kozick kicks off the modern era with his often gut-wrenchingly funny distortions of Pop Culture icons like Yogi Bear and Bettie Page, in a 90′s drenched in cynical self -destruction typified by bands such as Nirvana and the Stone Temple Pilots. In a world where cute teddy bears carry handguns and hot devil babes chop off limbs, the mind expanding realms of the 60′s give way to the current American nightmare.
The narrator’s occasionally lackadaisical tone aside, this film is a rich visual and historical experience worthy of repeated viewing. The blueprints laid by the artists of the 60′s are still paradigmatic today, and many of the styles have clearly influenced the development of Graffiti lettering styles. Now that most posters are made in Photoshop by 20 year olds, only to be torn down in days by Community Block Watches, and many events exist only on Facebook, such artifacts have become rare indeed, which may also mean that those who choose to step up to the challenge of maintaining and pushing forward the art of the Rock poster will shine through the shit that much more brilliantly.
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Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Prom Night In Mississippi – Directed by Paul Saltzman
November 6th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – Prom Night In Mississippi
Directed by Paul Saltzman
Emerging Pictures/Kinosmith
Unbelievable as it may seem to today’s urbane, politically correct viewers, the entrenched racism and segregation of a previous era are alive and well in Charleston Mississippi, hometown of widely respected actor and activist Morgan Freeman. Incensed upon discovering that the local High School still maintained a tradition of segregated black and white Homecoming events for its graduates, he first inquired of the students whether or not they would prefer an integrated prom. With a resounding yes from at least ninety percent of the students, Freeman made the magnanimous offer to foot the bill for the entire event. What resulted was not only a new tradition of integrated proms (while some of the white students still attended a white-only event, paid for by parents…), but a profound dialogue on the deep issues of racial segregation and longstanding prejudice.
While white students rarely express overt bigotry, they echo the sentiments of their anachronistic parents who may threaten savage beatings on kids who are seen with black youth (and god forbid they be of the other sex…), or merely try to politely frame their hillbilly worldview in terms of “respecting differences”, claiming that “god made everyone different and if we mixed we’d all be the same!”. As convinced as they may sound to themselves, there is clearly a self imposed ban on logic and compassion that even a hardened redneck father can admit to. “Just don’t ask me to change, and we’ll do fine” – decent country manners indeed, but when the horrifying spectres of slavery and lynchings are cast into view, this is exactly the morbidly inhuman attitude of the past massas passed on into new vessels.
The youth of 2008 however have a different perspective. While there are few biracial couples in the school, most students express interest in dating someone of another race, and yet are mostly constrained by their families. Black kids are told to avoid white so as to stay away from potential trouble, while one white student (who concealed his face to protect his family) speaks candidly of his people’s overt hatred and his own compassion for them in their ignorance. Just as the white-only prom goes humourously awry, with awkward dancing and a drunken brawl over a girl, their own insular culture is just too surrounded by the “other” to ever feel at ease and away from conflict. As Morgan Freeman so eloquently puts it – “if I choose to hate blue eyed, blond haired people, I’m doomed. Doomed means you can have no future, can never truly be happy…because there’s just too many of you!!!”.
As for the event itself, it is a raging success, complete with Rock band, Crunk style Hip Hop crew, DJ, dance offs, and general exuberance. Parental fears of potential violence are quelled by the overall joyful vibe, making this a true feel-good film, one that could even be shown to younger children (if you’re not afraid to let your joy be framed in hard edged truth…), and should definitely be shown in High schools around the world.
Now if such a film were made in Canada, perhaps in a small northern town right next to a Native Reservation, would people believe segregation is also alive and well in the Great White (?!) North? Well they’d better, because the South Afrikan Apartheid system was based on the Canadian Native Reserve and Residential School System, and genocide, eugenics, and overall population control have always been the mandate of this colonial system, and that’s real talk.
Prom Night in Mississippi Opens in Vancouver November 20th
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Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Let The Right One In – Dir. by Tomas Alfredson
October 31st, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – Let The Right One In
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Magnolia Pictures
Let The Right One In is a horror film that doesn’t try to scare you, and it works completely. Set in 1982 Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, it follows the relationship between Oskar, an angst-ridden pre-teen, and Eli, the 12-year-old vampire girl who moves in next door. Shot in a style that conveys the harshness of Sweden’s cold, bleak winter landscape, the entire movie seems numbed by the winter snows that it depicts.
The film opens with Oskar alone in his room acting out some kind of strange fantasy with a knife, stabbing the air and talking to himself. At the same moment Eli and the old man who seems to be her father, Hakan, move in next door with few belongings. Eventually, reluctantly, Eli and Oskar start “going steady.” Director Tomas Alfredson lets his central theme rest around the loneliness of isolation and the redemption (to a degree) possible through love. Oskar is a very nice boy, very polite and well meaning, but his creepy tendencies make him an easy target for Conny, the bully, and his cronies. At first Conny seems like a quite likable character, bullying Oskar by always hilariously telling him to “squeal like a pig.”
We eventually see Conny for the sociopath he is during a disturbing scene where he forces two of his henchmen to whip Oskar with a switch, one of them succumbing to tears in the process. This helps form the relationship between Oskar and Eli, as she tries to help him awaken his innate savagery and stand up for himself and he tries to both convince her to stop killing and come to terms with the fact that she can’t. Their relationship is the strangest and most central part of the film. While never overtly sexual, Eli and Oskar definitely engage in activities on the fringe of propriety, such as Eli jumping naked into bed with Oskar, cavorting together whilst Eli is wearing only a man’s t-shirt, and of course their first, blood-soaked kiss. And all the while the bodycount climbs higher.
This all seems perfectly normal, of course, as the two kids’ brilliant, mature acting coupled with their very adult wardrobes make it seem as if they are miniature adults instead of children. Let The Right One In is not a scary movie in that it makes you jump with loud noises and sudden movements, it isn’t satisfied with that. Let The Right One In disturbs you with its realistic content and brutal imagery, giving you that split-second pause, as you unlock your door coming home from the theatre.
Let The Right One In is playing Today at the Vancity Theater as part of their ‘Vampyre Weekend’ Festival which runs until Sunday, November 1st.
By A.W. Reid
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Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Surrogates – Dir. by Jonathan Mostow
October 4th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – Surrogates
Directed by Jonathan Mostow
Touchstone Pictures
Imagine a world where you don’t have to rely on your body. A world where disability, appearance and age doesn’t matter. Finally, a world where sex is not a matter of importance anymore. Existence through a surrogate, a robot under you control, that can transfer exact feelings and perceptions directly to your brain, is an alluring option and everybody’s doing it.
Even though questions of morality naturally arise, the crime rate is down, everybody’s happy. You can’t die while you’re connected, or at least that’s what everybody thinks. So when Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) finds himself looking at a homicide with an unknown weapon that shouldn’t, can’t exist, he is pretty damned puzzled.
Not one, but two homicides, including the son of Canter (James Cromwell), creator of surrogates, naturally at first point to the robot-free patches of the world as it is, so called reservations where people live in their real bodies. Guided by a rather cliché character, Prophet, they are officially at war with the new way of life. But as it turns out the the story is so twisted that you don’t even get a chance to look at your popcorn while you’re eating it.
Tom Greer lost a child, his wife never leaves the house, always uses the surrogate and his personal state is heavy suffering. In the course of the investigation he loses his surrogate and is forced to use his own body to solve the case, being suspended to top it off. Not to give anything away, let’s turn to actors’ work. There’s nobody that stands out, Surrogates probably won’t receive mighty praise and in general is just an average sci-fi flick. Very much Mostow style, it’s simple and straightforward, but if you think about it, it’s not that simple and almost everything makes sense.
The ending doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but in the end you feel a great deal of satisfaction. If you recall Brainstorm, you wouldn’t say it was sophisticated too. Not until you thought about it the second time. And then the genius revealed itself.
Choose your surrogate.
By Arceon
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Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Pandorum – Dir. by Christian Alvart
September 25th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – Pandorum
Directed by Christian Alvart
Alliance
Marketed as just another “in space no one can hear you scream” movie, Pandorum will turn out to be a pleasant surprise to sci-fi fans, as it is much more than just a deep-space horror. Visual-art-wise the setting of the movie is somewhat close to the now classic Event Horizon, although Christian Alvart’s creation has surpassed it noticeably, considering just how reinforced it is by the mind-gripping storyline.
As with any complex and interesting plot, there are gaping holes in the concept, but at the same time they are skillfully mended by other parts of it. In the end of the movie you are left with numerous little questions and logical inconsistencies but it all falls into place as neatly as any other distant future sci-fi flick. Literally beginning in complete darkness, both physical and mental, the viewer is presented with little or no information about what’s going on, but the time for questions is yet to come as Bower (Ben Foster) finds something has gone completely wrong aboard the spaceship, destined to be the hope of humanity.
Wandering in the graphically perfect dead corridors to a killer dark ambient soundtrack (which will remind you of Deutsch Nepal, Coph Nia and Closing the Eternity), Bower discovers them (corridors) to be very much alive and hungry. The moment you begin thinking this is a yet another carnivorous human mutant movie, Pandorum presents you with new and new mysteries and characters. With a veteran of the scene on board, Dennis Quaid (Payton) and the aspiring Antje Traue (Nadja), who will probably carry a subconscious resemblance to the Resident Evil series hero, the actor line-up fits Pandorum like a glove fits a hand.
The details are pretty much too good to give away. Whatever you think about the concept in the end, whether or not you really like the big picture and the morality issues presented, Pandorum will still remain a high quality sci-fi/horror/post-apocalyptic hybrid blend, increasingly tough to find these days. Allow yourself to be taken away by the plot and dig deeper into it. Who knows what you will find. A hint: the mutants are probably the least of everybody’s concern.
Pandorum is above everything else a work of art. In theaters now.
By arceon
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Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Extract – Dir. By Mike Judge
September 4th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – Extract
Directed by Mike Judge
Maple Pictures
When Mike Judge revealed his white collar comedy Office Space back in 1999 he could have built a house with all the nails he hit on the head telling the story of disgruntled office workers and the sweet taste of vengeance. Now its ten years later and with his latest release Extract, Mike is attempting to do the same for the blue collar workers with decidedly mixed results.
Mild mannered (and sexually frustrated) extract factory owner Joel (Jason Bateman) faces a myriad of problems in both his business and personal life. A sexless marriage to Suzie (Kristen Wiig), an employee named Step (Clifton Collins, Jr.) threatening to sue his company after he gets one of his nuts shot off in a freak accident and Joel’s friend Dean (Ben Affleck) offering him some less than helpful suggestions as to how Joel can re-enliven his sex life lead Joel to make some questionable decisions. Add to the mix a sexy new kleptomaniac employee named Cindy (Mila Kunis) and you’re in for a hilarious ride… or are you?
There are some genuine laughs in Extract. The always reliable J.K. Simmons as factory manager Brian provides a few laughs, but they aren’t as frequent as one might hope. The other Simmons, of the Gene variety (yes, the loud mouth bass player from KISS) plays lawyer Joe Adler, an ambulance-chasing attorney who Step hires to represent him in his “lost nut” case. Gene almost single handedly overpowers the entire film with his portrayal of Adler, the loud mouthed, obnoxious, fast talking asshole (or Gene playing himself really). Mercifully, Gene’s atrocious facelift and Chia Pet hair screen time is short and just when you can’t stand him anymore, he’s done and gone.
Apart from a lengthy second act shortage of laughs, Extract manages to be a passable comedy with genuine Mike Judge flourishes. Just don’t expect it to reach the laugh-a-minute cult status of Office Space and you’ll enjoy the show.
Extract Opens Today Nationwide
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Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Thirst – Dir. by Park Chan-Wook
August 7th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – Thirst
Dir. by Park Chan-Wook
Alliance
Critically acclaimed Korean director Park Chan-Wook’s (Oldboy) vampire drama, Thirst, is one of a kind. It’s a compelling story of a humble priest succumbing to every sin.
Thirst is a deep and raw character analysis of a man facing temptation; at times you’re holding your breath while your jaw hits the floor. Song Kang-Ho gives a sincere and sympathetic performance as the priest whose blood is transfused with vampires’ and from then on he is gifted with eternal life but cursed with a craving to kill. Around every corner at the hospital where the priest works the sweet smell of blood torments mind. Cinematographer Chung Seo-Kyang, effusively gets in close to the beating heart of every scene, cheek to cheek beside the priest to see every internal struggle in his ashamed eyes.
The priest’s fight against his accursed hunger for murder is a fraction of the story in Thirst. There is so much material focused on peoples’ suppressed evils, Thirst could have filled three movies. You get your money’s worth for one ticket that’s for sure.
Park Chan-Wook’s vampires have powers and are mad for blood but there is another familiar element in most vampire movies that you’ll find in Thirst: the sexuality. With heightened senses, the priest can taste a woman’s skin when she walks by and hear her heart rate quicken from being aroused. Thirst twists into a sociopathic Romeo and Juliet tale once a girl, played by the disturbingly convincing Kim Ok-Vin, takes an interest in the blood sucking priest. They are both desperate for one another’s affection, Song and Kim’s characters can’t resist the relief they could give each other. Forget clichés like two hot vampire chicks biting each other during a rave in slow-motion, they don’t bite each other like Song and Kim do; you can’t look away.
Halfway through Thirst the story shifts and we follow the girl instead of the priest. Her impulsive actions show us how truly evil she can be but her melodramatic back story doesn’t justify her characters actions. All her issues with her family which have lead her to hate them and her life, could be solved by leaving town. I kept asking myself “Why is she doing this?” and “Why is she doing that?” Watching Kim’s cartoonish character was like watching an anime; it’s violent for the sake of being violent, no explanations. And during this portion of the film, the girl takes over the screen time becoming the star of the movie while the priest, who we’ve grown to sympathize with, isn’t making any new revelations. We are taken out of the story we began with until the girls drastic actions force the priest to intervene bringing us back to the priest’s story, the original movie that hooked us.
Though the darkness of Thirst lightens to shades of heart warming pink during the love story, and Kim’s character development is abrupt, confusing and drawn out, Thirst is riddled through beginning to end with traumatic, gory scenes and drama that whispers to the animal in us all.
Thirst is such a unique vampire film that blends sympathetic and despicable characters with the escapism of the vampire mythology. It is a must see.
THIRST Opens Today Nationwide
Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: Summer of Sound Series – Throw Down Your Heart
July 26th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review : Summer of Sound Series - Throw Down Your Heart
Directed by Sascha Paladino
Argot Pictures
“What he wanted was to bring the banjo back to Africa” says Haruna Walusimbi, a Ugandan musician and one in a cast of dozens to jam and record with Bela Fleck in “Throw Down Your Heart”. A film that captures the banjo virtuoso’s collaborative expedition through Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Mali, offering an illuminating glimpse at the awesomeness of African culture and music. Performances aren’t limited to the studio either; recordings were taken at massive outdoor jams, inside homes, and even around the dish bucket while the ladies washed and sang.
Everything in this film is beautiful and satisfying: the African musicians – whom Bela selected by audition – play impossible sounding tunes and Bela’s banjo accompaniment is never short of brilliant. Cameras on faces frequently show Bela grinning is near disbelief at he prowess of his new cohorts and similarly their bafflement at his lightspeed fingering. This is far from a wankfest, though. The jams are soulful to the point of inducing shudders and vary dramatically from country to country.
Highlights include the Ugandan giant marimba, a beast of an instrument that can be played both rhythmically and tonally by 10 people at a time with hands and sticks. Bela’s foreign twang rains over everything without taking the spotlight. In the film you see him form intense musical relationships with some of the players, like blind thumb piano wizard Anania Ngoliga. Perhaps even more impressive than his ability to play the banjo is Bela Fleck’s ability to use it to converse with other musicians and transcend barriers.
Director Sascha Paladino keeps it about the music but leaves room for culture and personality to shine through. Minimal telling and maximum showing make for an engaging narrative and the characters who appear along the way are an entertaining lot. “Throw Down Your Heart” follows a previously un-taken step in musical history that we can count ourselves as lucky to have it so finely documented.
By Nigel Mojica
Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
ABORT Mag Goes To…The 2nd Annual Brazilian Film Festival Vancouver – Vancity Theater
July 14th, 2009 Filed under: Made In Canada, News/Calendar/Industry, Reviews - Film by admin
2nd Annual Brazilian Film Festival Vancouver
Vancity Theater
July 08-12, 2009 – Vancouver, BC
Growing into a tradition over the years, Brazilian Film Festival (BFF) kicked off in Vancouver on July 8th, gathering a multitude of influential people from a number of industries, local and Brazilian alike. This year’s BFF team spent quite some time in tight cooperation with students from the Vancouver Film School, mainly on the best of “Making of”. Presenting 9 feature and 6 short films the festival went through without a glitch and the lack of major advertising and coverage only attributed to its warm atmosphere.
For a festival that small the amount of topics touched and objectives achieved is rather impressive. Brazil and Canada dialogue on cinema cooperation and the perception of films in general. Surrealism, existentialism, love, a bit of popular culture and an extensive effort to raise awareness to Brazilian problems, including poverty, substance abuse and prostitution that is a direct consequence of the internal problems of this nonetheless magnificent country. It was bit strange not to see anything in the vein of “City of God”, but otherwise BFF can be really considered a true patriotic act.
This festival is known for striving to promote Brazil and boost the tourist business among other things, so the great dilemma was on whether or not it is giving a bad face to the country by showing a great part of the “dark side”. During the awards on Sunday night those questions were partially answered by the organizers, but I felt a need to dwell more on this subject and I had a chance to speak with the Consul General of Brazil, Fernando Jacques. When asked, he replied ”it’s good to address these problems and no – this doesn’t look bad for the country”.
This years winners were (feature) “The Romance” by Guel Arraes and (short) “The Island” by Ale Camargo. Closing the festival was a feature film “Smoking I Wait” by Adriana L. Dutra, filled with insights on aspects and dangers cigarette smoking and tobacco industry in general. The film left somewhat an ambivalent impression. (nothing a cigarette can’t cure though).
Brazilian Film Festival is an amazing event led by remarkable people and even though it’s still business, it would be a lie to say that these people don’t live and breathe cinema. BFF is welcome next year and will always be an event to look forward too.
by arceon
Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
Film Review: The Hangover – Dir. by Todd Phillips
June 9th, 2009 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Film Review – The Hangover
Directed by Todd Phillips
Legendary/Warner Bros.
Ever been hungover? Who hasn’t. But did you ever wake up with no memory of what happened last night and a live tiger in the bathroom? Probably not. What about a member of your group missing? Within the first fifteen minutes The Hangover gets you utterly captivated and you sit there hungry for another insane turn of the story. Coming from the creator of Old School – Todd Phillips, this picture is a rare breed of comedy, that is both reasonably credible and funny.
Bachelor party, Las Vegas, four guys get drunk and do crazy stuff – a banal combination, but in The Hangover it shines bright, constituting for one of the best most entertaining comedies of the year. If you remember the hotel room from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, you’ll probably recognize the morning scenery in the movie. Phil (action-hungry teacher), Stu (a dentist who has been brain-fucked by girlfriend) and Allan (pathological moron complete with post-Joaquin Phoenix facial hair) wake up with the worst headache of their lives, blanked out memory and what turns out to be a long day in front of them.
A couple of thousand buck and two days of sleep could fix it all, but there’s one little problem. Doug is not there. Again, not that big of a deal, but he happens to have a wedding (with the same band with cursing singer from Old School)in a little over 24 hours. A great bonus to the situation is a crying baby. With all that on their hands, the poor headache-trio heads out to clean-up the mess they made last night. To say anything else would be giving away the script, and a good one at that.
Characters (cliché and unique) alike, are cast very well. The bitchy girlfriend is played as good as the gay Chinese gangster. Not to mention a certain sports celebrity that will be a big surprise to many. Prepare for your stomach and jaws to hurt, and the mind to say “wow” to the totally unexpected twists. The Hangover will be remembered for three things. One, it makes sense most of the time. Two, you can hardly guess what’s coming. Three, it’s a comedy. You usually only get two.
by arceon
Copyright © 2004-2009 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.
