Monthly Archives: October 2011

Movie Project #18 and #19: The Exorcist [1973] and Vertigo [1958]

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The 50 Movies Project is a personal “marathon” of mine. In June, I compiled a list of 50 movies that I felt I needed to see by the end of the year. Old, new, foreign, English — it doesn’t matter. These are all movies that I have heard a lot about and have been wanting to see for some time. This project gives me a way to stay focused on the goal.

Also, I am quite a bit ahead in this Movie Project at the moment, so I am going to be doing more 2-for-1 specials until I get caught up all the way. The project has been a blast so far, but it has become quite exhaustive to write full posts about each film. Hope you guys don’t mind!

The Exorcist [1973, Friedkin]
The Exorcist [1973, Friedkin]
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair
No idea what took me so long to finally watch this horror classic. I have had so many people tell me that this is the scariest movie ever made, and many friends refused to even watch it with me because of this. Something about demons and possessed children really gets under the skin, eh?

I liked the movie well enough, though I didn’t find it scary at all. I found The Exorcist to be more disturbing than anything — that little girl sure did some fucked up shit! Perhaps some of the effect has worn off due to all of the pop culture references over the years — there were a few scenes that I was quite familiar with beforehand, despite never having seen the film.

It took me a little bit to really get into the movie due to its slow pacing, but I feel that this helped with the character development. I cared about the characters, especially since the actors played them so convincingly. It was a real treat to see Ellen Burstyn this young, as I had previously only seen her in more recent titles such as Requiem for a Dream and The Fountain.

While not necessarily “scary”, The Exorcist still holds up today as a great film.

8/10

Vertigo [1958]
Vertigo [1958, Hitchcock]
Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes
Man, I love Hitchcock. As I continue to move through his filmography, I become more and more impressed. The man knew how to tell a story while keeping the suspense growing and growing.

With Vertigo, James Stewart delivers another brilliant performance, this time starring as Scottie Ferguson, a police detective with a terrible fear of heights. After recovering from a tragic accident that left his partner dead, Scottie is hired to investigate an old friend’s wife (Kim Novak), who has been walking around as if in some bizarre type of trance. As he follows her around, the detective becomes obsessed with the woman, taking an unhealthy liking to her. Then, of course, in typical Hitchcock fashion, there’s a huge plot twist about halfway through that changes the course of the film.

What ultimately takes place is a dark and haunting love story, one that shows one man’s obsession with something he cannot have. The depths that Scottie goes to accomplish his dream are frightening, and at times it seems the only sane character is his friend Midge (Barbara Bel Geddes).

In short, this is another fantastic psychological thriller from the master of suspense, and it’s easy to see why it is always recognized as one of Hitchcock’s finest. From Bernard Herrmann’s haunting score to the wonderful plot twists and turns, Vertigo is exceptional.

9/10

Horror Movie Mini-Reviews: Paranormal Activity 2, Rubber, Hatchet

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This month I have been watching more horror movies than usual, as have many other bloggers, apparently. While I haven’t had time to do full reviews for each of them, I was able to compile some thoughts for three horror flicks:

Paranormal Activity 2 [2010]
Paranormal Activity 2 [2010]
I was a big fan of the first Paranormal Activity, and thought it was one of the better horror films to come out in the last few years. That being said, I felt a sequel was unnecessary. PA2 does a surprisingly good job of tying in the original’s events, but it lacks the intrigue and suspense of its predecessor. Not much happens for the first 2/3 of the movie, and there isn’t really anything new to speak of. This isn’t a bad sequel, but it felt like more could have been done with the concept. 6/10

Rubber [2010]
Rubber [2010]
A movie about a serial killer that just so happens to be a tire. Yeah, it’s pretty f’n bizarre. I thought it was going to be some artsy piece with nothing but a tire rolling around while making animals explode, but I was pleased to see an entertaining bunch of characters as well (particularly those played by Wings Hauser and Stephen Spinella). This is a weird little movie that has some moments of dullness, but I still enjoyed the overall quirkiness. Definitely not for everyone, though. 6/10

Hatchet [2006]
Hatchet [2006]
A gory homage to the classic B-movie slashers, Hatchet offers everything in excess. Gratuitous nudity, buckets of blood, cheesy dialogue, bad acting, and one ugly motherfucker of a villain. It’s a pretty entertaining ride as far as B-movies go, though some of the actors have a tendency to get on the nerves. Curious to check out the sequel. 7/10

How about you guys? Watch any good horror movies this month?

Movie Review: Drive [2011]

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Drive [2011]

Drive [2011]
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
Language: English
Country: USA

Hijinks Ensue, a “geek” web comic by Joel Watson, sums up Drive better than anything else I have seen:

Drive isn’t anything like the trailer, as I am sure most of you know by now. The fact that the trailer markets the film as a “Fast and the Furious” type adventure has pissed off a lot of people, even causing one Michigan woman to file a lawsuit against the film’s distributor. All of this is pretty ridiculous, but if you go into Drive with an open mind, it’s easy to see why it has received so much critical acclaim.

As more of an arthouse film than an action saga, Drive follows the man only known as Driver (Ryan Gosling), a stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver. Long story short, the dude loves to drive. He builds a soft-spoken friendship with his neighbor next door, Irene (Carey Mulligan), but just as they are starting to hit it off, her husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), comes back home after getting out of jail. Things begin to spiral out of control after this, as Driver takes on a major job that changes the worlds of everyone around him.

Drive [2011]

As the above comic states, a significant portion of the movie revolves around dialogue. Sparse dialogue at that. There are moments of terrific action, including a couple of adrenaline-spiking driving scenes, but the film moves along at a much slower pace than the trailer may lead viewers to believe. I loved the pacing of the movie, especially as the dialogue was sharp and well-written despite being very minimalistic. It was refreshing to see an “action” movie that is not made up of endless explosions and cheesy one-liners.

The aforementioned bursts of violence are extreme and happen completely unexpectedly. The audience I was with gasped in horror as characters were taken down in some of the most brutal ways possible. Director Nicolas Winding Refn sure knows how to use violence to make a statement, especially given the fact that it was only used in short spurts.

Much can be said about Drive’s style as well. The opening credits use a retro pink font that harkens flashbacks to the 1980s, and the music is obviously inspired by past influences. College’s “Real Hero” is used effectively in what is a defining moment in the film.

Drive [2011]

Drive wouldn’t be as memorable without its stellar cast. Ryan Gosling, Hollywood’s darling of the moment, is simply excellent here. He is absolutely convincing as Driver, a man who seems to have a boyish charm at times but can also produce a nasty mean streak. Carey Mulligan, as his neighbor, is someone who I thought was miscast at first, but I quickly became a fan of her chemistry with Gosling. She is one of my favorite young actresses going today, and this role helped solidify this status. Other notable performers include the always fantastic Bryan Cranston as Driver’s employer, Albert Brooks as a vicious mobster (a nice diversion from some of his past roles), and Ron Perlman as a badass Jewish mobster. There’s even a blink-and-you-miss-it performance from Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks — always a treat to see her on the big screen.

As long as you don’t go into Drive expecting a generic action flick, there’s a lot to like about it. In fact, there wasn’t much I didn’t like. The patient pacing, the brilliant cast, the slick style, the great soundtrack. This may be the best movie I have seen this year, and it’s going to be hard to top it in the next couple months. If you haven’t already, go see this in the theater.

9/10

Movie Project #17: Annie Hall [1977]

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The 50 Movies Project is a personal “marathon” of mine. In June, I compiled a list of 50 movies that I felt I needed to see by the end of the year. Old, new, foreign, English — it doesn’t matter. These are all movies that I have heard a lot about and have been wanting to see for some time. This project gives me a way to stay focused on the goal.

Annie Hall [1977]

Annie Hall [1977]
Directors: Woody Allen
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Language: English
Country: USA

Why I Chose This:
Woody Allen has 40+ movies to his name, yet I have only seen a few of his most recent films. What better way to dig deeper into his filmography than to start with 1977′s Best Picture Oscar winner?

What It’s About:
Woody Allen stars as Alvy Singer, a neurotic comedian in New York City who struggles to maintain a relationship with his scatterbrained lover, Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). The movie follows the tumultuous relationship over the course of the 1970s.

What I Liked:
The New York setting. One thing I have noticed with Woody Allen movies is that the man knows how to make great use of cities. New York is the perfect backdrop for Alvy and Annie’s up-and-down relationship.

The breaking of the fourth wall. I loved how Alvy would randomly start talking to the camera to explain certain things happening on screen. I also enjoyed the random visual changes, such as the inexplicable transition to cartoon animation for a brief scene.

Annie Hall [1977]

Some truly classic lines.
“Hey, don’t knock masturbation. It’s sex with someone I love.”
“I don’t want to live in a city where the only cultural advantage is that you can make a right turn on a red light.”
“Honey, there’s a spider in your bathroom the size of a Buick.”

Brief cameos from Christopher Walken and Jeff Goldblum. Both guys are in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it roles, but both are amusing.

What I Didn’t Like:
Some of the rapid fire dialogue felt forced. This is a film that focuses heavily on talking, and rarely slows down enough to catch its breath. While I found myself laughing at some of Alvy’s wisecracks, there were just as many that fell flat.

Alvy Singer. Allen’s character’s full-of-himself shtick became grating as the movie progressed. He found a way to complain about EVERYTHING, with these quips only sometimes being amusing. He wasn’t as enjoyable as neurotic characters like, say, George Costanza on Seinfeld or Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

My Verdict:
It’s a bit startling to think that this beat out Star Wars for Best Picture (though I am not a huge fan of that either). I like Annie Hall, but I feel like the film lacks the same punch it had upon its initial release. The movie has obviously been influential — I had no idea this is where the aforementioned masturbation line came from — and I enjoyed it more than the recent Allen films I have seen, but it didn’t resonate with me in the way it seemingly has for others. Woody Allen sure has a distinct style, though, doesn’t he?

7/10

* I would love to hear your thoughts on this new “review” format. I will only be using it for Movie Project posts, but I feel it works better for some of these older titles. What do you think?

Beer Review: Cut Throat Pale Ale [Finch's Beer Company]

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Cut Throat Pale Ale [Finch's Beer Company]

Cut Throat Pale Ale
Brewery: Finch’s Beer Company (Chicago, Illinois)
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.6%

In my quest to accommodate myself with Chicago’s ever-growing craft beer scene, I decided to check out Finch’s Beer Company, another new upstart in the city. Finch’s is a collaboration between owners Benjamin and Paul Finch, and head brewer Richard Grant (formerly of suburb brewery Flossmoor Station). Despite being very new to the scene, the company already has two beers available in cans across the Chicagoland area: Golden Wing Blonde Ale and Cut Throat Pale Ale. I picked up a 4-pack of the latter.

When poured into a glass, Cut Throat has a hazy orange appearance. Its aroma brings out citrus notes, but these are not as apparent when tasting. I noticed a very malty taste, with a lingering bitterness on the tongue. This has a heavier body than other local pale ales (such as Half Acre’s amazing Daisy Cutter). Hints of caramel are also present.

Cut Throat is a worthy entry into Chicago’s pale ale market, but I feel that it still has room for improvement. Finch’s Beer Company is an up-and-coming brewery that is still very new, so I am eager to see what else they have in store. As it stands, Cut Throat is a good, drinkable beer, but could be even better if refined.

7/10

Video Game Review: Costume Quest [PS3, 2010]

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Costume Quest [PS3, 2010]

Costume Quest
System: Playstation 3 (also on Xbox 360 and Steam)
Genre: RPG, Adventure
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Double Fine Productions
Release Date: October 19, 2010

So, it’s fall, folks. The leaves have changed color and are falling off the trees, the smell of pumpkin pie is in the air (if you’re lucky), and everyone is trying to figure out what they want to be for Halloween. Considering the season, Sony couldn’t have picked a better time to offer Costume Quest for free to Playstation Plus users.

This Halloween-themed RPG adventure places you in the role of either Reynold or Wren, a young brother/sister tandem who are sent out by their parents to trick-or-treat and make new friends in their suburban neighborhood. Unfortunately for them, as soon as they leave their house, one of the siblings is kidnapped by a monster. It is your goal to go forth and retrieve your sibling from the evildoers, as your parents wouldn’t exactly be keen on just one child returning home.

It’s a simple plot, but perfectly appropriate for what is ultimately a nostalgia-tinged “lite” RPG. Double Fine have taken a basic adventure and stripped it down to its core elements. In place of character classes, you collect costumes that can be worn for different abilities. Some, such as the knight and robot, are simply for attacking, while others like the Statue of Liberty can be used for healing purposes. The turn-based combat is about as bare-bones as you can get: when you choose to attack (either standard or special, the latter of which must be built up over turns) you are then given a button to press at an exact moment, which will yield an added boost if timed correctly. After your characters finish their attacks, the enemies do the same, and it’s lather-rinse-repeat. Outside of choosing different costumes pre-battle, little strategy is required.

Costume Quest [PS3, 2010]

There isn’t a whole lot of depth to the game, which some may find disappointing. However, even though the game is a brief 5-6 hours in length, it is highly enjoyable throughout. Double Fine’s trademark sense of humor — rife with amusing pop culture references — is always present, and the dialogue (all text-based) is often clever. It helps that the game uses a charming, easy-to-love cartoonish visual style, as well.

Costume Quest succeeds in creating a lite RPG that can appeal to all ages, kid to adult. Kids will love the game’s Halloween setting and easy-to-understand combat mechanics, whereas adults will be more into the nostalgia side of things and the sly writing style. There are some issues with combat getting a tad too repetitive near the end, and of course the game’s short length is a bit disconcerting for the $15 price tag, but overall Costume Quest is still a fun adventure that is perfect for the month of October. If you’re looking for a bite-sized adventure to play in between some of this season’s big guns, you can’t do much better than this.

7.5/10

Beer Review: Pegasus IPA [Argus Brewery]

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Pegasus IPA

Pegasus IPA
Brewery: Argus Brewery (Chicago, Illinois)
Style: American IPA
ABV: 6.5%

New breweries are popping up like daisies here in Chicago. Argus Brewery, located deep in the South Side, is one of the latest in town to start selling bottles locally. As someone who is always willing to support area craft beer, I picked up a six pack of one of their flagship offerings: Pegasus IPA.

After pouring Pegasus into a pint glass, I was very surprised with its color. This is significantly darker in appearance compared to most American IPAs, as it has a copper-like red look to it. Its aroma is very subdued, with only slight hoppy notes. The taste, however, piles on the hops, and they leave a lingering bitterness reminiscent of grapefruit. Traces of caramel are also present.

Pegasus IPA is a reasonably drinkable beer with a good ABV kick, but it lacks a special “oomph” to make it stand out from the rest of the pack. I still enjoyed my sampling, but this is not something I will go out of my way to get again. I have to admit that I found it somewhat amusing that the brewery puts a mini-review directly on their labels, though, even going so far as to include an “overall impression”.

6.5/10

Movie Review: 50/50 [2011]

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50/50 [2011]

50/50 [2011]
Director: Jonathan Levine
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Language: English
Country: USA

Cancer sucks. There’s no denying this. It’s especially devastating when the disease strikes a young person, someone who hasn’t even come close to living a full, healthy life.

This is the story of 50/50; the title, naturally, meaning the odds of beating this form of cancer.

Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a 27-year-old healthy male, the type of guy who doesn’t drink or smoke, and one who regularly jogs throughout his hometown of Seattle. He works at the National Public Radio, has a long-time girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), and a devoted best friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen). By all accounts, he is a normal dude who is enjoying life.

Lately he has been having lower back pain. It’s a minor hindrance at first, but the pain never goes away and starts to get worse. He goes to the doctor and hears one of the scariest words in the English language: CANCER. As in, he has a rare form of spinal cancer that has a 50/50 survival rate. Commence shock.

50/50 [2011]

Adam’s only real option is to undergo chemotherapy in an attempt to reduce the tumor. He also sees a psychologist, the very inexperienced Katie McCay (Anna Kendrick), who goes through the protocol on how to help cancer patients. In a nutshell, his world has spun upside down.

As he tells his friends and family, they all react differently. Adam’s mother (Angelica Huston) naturally panics and wants to move in with her son, but she already has her hands full with her husband (Serge Houde), who has Alzheimer’s disease. Adam’s girlfriend, Rachael, has a hard time coping with the illness and does not act in the most appropriate manner. His buddy Kyle is sympathetic, but frequently pushes him to use cancer as a way of getting laid.

It’s obviously a difficult situation for all involved. 50/50 chronicles all of this, showing equally the plights, feelings and emotions from Adam, as well as everyone in his life. This is a battle for all of them.

With such a dark subject matter, 50/50 could easily be nothing more than depressing. While the film certainly has a bleak feel to it, there are plenty of well-timed moments of humor to break up the sadness. This is largely thanks to Seth Rogen, who is much-welcomed comic relief, even though his character often acts like a complete knucklehead.

50/50 [2011]

While Rogen helps with the laughs, Joseph Gordon-Levitt absolutely shines in the lead role. This guy sure has come a long way since his 3rd Rock from the Sun days, hasn’t he? His portrayal of Adam is amazing, as he flawlessly shows us the entire gamut of emotions that are natural to the cancer process. Shock, anger, sadness, acceptance. Hell, he even shaved his head on camera for the role. Yeah, he was great in Inception and (500) Days of Summer, but I think this is going to be his coming out party.

I would be remiss not to mention the performances from Philip Baker Hall (Bookman!) and Matt Frewer, two fellow cancer patients that Adam meets during chemotherapy. Hall, in particular, is a favorite of mine, and it was great to see him in this small, but important, role.

Movies like 50/50 are a rare breed. This is a film that will tug on your heartstrings just as often as make you laugh. I am not the kind of guy who cries during movies, but I was holding back major tears during this. Everything felt so REAL, and it’s absolutely tragic that people have to go through something like cancer. 50/50 is one of the best movies to come out so far this year. See it if you haven’t already.

9/10

Video Game Review: Scribblenauts [DS, 2009]

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Scribblenauts [DS, 2009]

Scribblenauts
System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Emergent, Puzzle, Action
Publisher: WB Games
Developer: 5th Cell
Release Date: September 15, 2009

Scribblenauts is a perfect example of a game with tremendous potential yet unsatisfying execution. This DS puzzler presents a world full of possibilities, with the only limit being your imagination.

The goal is simple: you are given an objective, and you must find a way to complete this by writing in words, which then appear on screen in their physical forms. Let’s say, theoretically, that the “starite” (the item you need to get to) is on the other side of a lake. You can get there in a number of ways, of course. You could write in “boat” and take that across to the other side. You could get a pair of wings and fly over, or you could get a snorkel and swim across. This is a very basic example, but you get the idea.

Scribblenauts [DS, 2009]

There are a whopping 200+ stages in the game, evenly split up into “puzzle” and “action” stages. Puzzle stages require something to be solved, whereas action levels are more versed in side-scrolling platforming gameplay. Stages are ranked on a four-star difficulty system, so you have a good idea of how challenging a certain level will be. If that’s not enough, there is even an option to create your own level, or just mess around in a sandbox area and try out different words to see what they do. It’s incredible that 5th Cell managed to fit all of this into a DS cartridge, especially considering there are more than 10,000 words in its dictionary.

On the technical side of things, there is no doubt that Scribblenauts is impressive. Unfortunately, there are major issues that severely hamper gameplay. The biggest problem rests squarely on the control system. The main character, Maxwell, is a bitch to move around. You control him by tapping the stylus on screen, but he is very lackadaisical in his movements. I couldn’t even tell you how many times I tried to get him to move to a certain platform, only for him to fall off over and over again. It’s also difficult to pick up items and/or interact with them sometimes. There are moments where the “item taps” will register as an empty space, often creating situations where Maxwell falls to his death. This is all beyond frustrating, and it could have been fixed with a simple solution: just let the character be moved with the D-Pad! As it stands, the game only uses the D-Pad to move the camera from side-to-side. Everything else uses the stylus, which just doesn’t work as it should. Very disappointing.

Scribblenauts [DS, 2009]

There are also problems with the game’s vocabulary. While the sheer amount of words available is staggering, most of the puzzles can be solved with the same basic items. I found myself using the same words over and over again: jetpack, wings, cord. While the game begs for gamers to be creative, why would I want to take the time to type out something infinitely more complex, especially when the game rewards you for finishing a stage quickly? Simple, tried-and-true techniques seem to work best here.

Also, every word available comes in a one-size-fits-all package. There is no way to get a longer rope or a larger blanket. You have to work around the size that the game gives you. This causes seemingly logical solutions to not work at all, even when they should theoretically.

It’s a shame that Scribblenauts was released with so many inherent flaws. The concept is, frankly, brilliant, and it evokes powerful feelings to have the ability to write anything you want and have it appear on screen. There’s still a decent and playable game underneath, but I can’t help but feel that this game could have truly been something special. There is a sequel now available that claims to have improved controls, but I’m not sure I will bother with that one. As it stands, Scribblenauts is a technical marvel but a mediocre game.

6/10

Movie Project #16: Psycho [1960]

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The 50 Movies Project is a personal “marathon” of mine. In June, I compiled a list of 50 movies that I felt I needed to see by the end of the year. Old, new, foreign, English — it doesn’t matter. These are all movies that I have heard a lot about and have been wanting to see for some time. This project gives me a way to stay focused on the goal.

Psycho [1960]

Psycho [1960]
Directors: Alfred Hitchcock
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
Language: English
Country: USA

When I was in high school, I tried to catch up on some movies that I had missed out on (a slightly less focused version of what I am doing now). On one trip to the video store (remember those?), I walked out with Psycho, excited to see one of my first Hitchcock films. Unfortunately, I grabbed Gus Van Sant’s 1998 critically-maligned remake by mistake. I watched it anyway, and sure enough it was terrible. I am glad now, many years later, that I have FINALLY seen the original classic. And yes, it is eons better than Van Sant’s ill-advised remake.

Psycho is home to many iconic cinematic moments. The brilliantly manipulated opening credit sequence, Bernard Herrmann’s frantic score, and Anthony Perkins’ legendary performance as Norman Bates. Oh, and of course, the much-referenced (and parodied) shower scene.

Psycho [1960] - shower scene

The movie is almost a tale of two stories. The first part focuses on Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a secretary who spontaneously decides to steal $40,000 from one of her employer’s clients while on the way to the bank. She quickly hits the road and becomes paranoid of everything and everyone, especially a police officer who stops her and makes note of her awkward behavior. After crossing into California, heavy rain becomes a major issue, and Marion pulls over to the nearest lodge: the Bates Motel.

This is where she meets the socially awkward Norman Bates (Perkins), who happily provides her with one of the twelve vacant rooms. Something doesn’t seem right with him, but he appears harmless to Marion. Unfortunately for her, this is where she meets her demise in the unforgettable shower scene.

The second part of the movie follows the investigation of Marion’s disappearance. A private detective (Martin Balsam) is hired by her employer to find out what she was up to, and he eventually heads out to the motel after consulting with Marion’s sister Lila (Vera Miles) and her lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin). It doesn’t take much for them to figure out that Marion was at the Bates Motel, and suspicions arise about Norman and his mother, who lives in the house nearby. It’s clear that something shady happened.

The iconic Bates Motel

Of course, Psycho’s plot is something most are familiar with. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still could often feel my heart racing throughout the film. This is a tense, suspenseful ride that is thrilling even today.

So yeah, Anthony Perkins is absolutely incredible as Norman. This is a career-defining performance if I’ve ever seen one. His stuttering, his twitching, his all-around awkwardness just feels natural. He seems like a decent guy at first, just socially inept with obvious mental issues. While the supporting cast generally deliver strong performances as well, this is very much Perkins’ show.

A thriller in every sense of the word, Psycho is more than worthy of its legendary status. This is easily one of the most influential movies of all time, and the character of Norman Bates is one of the most memorable of any type of film. I wish I had never seen the remake, especially before this, but it was still interesting to compare the two. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is my favorite Hitchcock (I have Rope and Rear Window pegged slightly ahead), it still ranks up there with the best.

9/10