Category Archives: FilmReview

The Thing (1982)

From NetFlix:

Scientists working in Antarctica are forced to abandon their research after a helicopter crashes near their camp, bringing a lone dog into their midst. But the plot thickens when the otherworldly canine changes form in the middle of the night. As it turns out, the dog is a shape-shifting alien that can attack animals — and unsuspecting humans. Kurt Russell stars in this creepy John Carpenter-directed remake of the 1950s classic.

Who knew they had such special (digital ?) effects way back in 1982! After watching the 2011 version of “The Thing”, several of you urged me to see this 1982 version. In fact you had to explain to me why the 2011 version was a prequel to the 1982 version. Answer: the 2011 version gives the origin of the dog that starts the 1982 version.

If I had to prefer one version over the other, I would have to say that 1982 was the better version: the acting was better, the testing for alien versus human was better, the sense of “no way out” was better, and I thought the role of the single female in the 2011 version was a bit weak. We just did not need the professional status competition between the woman and man scientists.

At any rate, the appearance of the Thing in all its gory glory was duplicated in the later version in order to maintain consistency. Lots of juicy gore in both versions might make for a great date movie. Again not for the squeamish.

Take Shelter (2011)

From NetFlix:

Michael Shannon stars in this thriller as a small-town family man who, determined to protect his wife and deaf daughter from impending disaster, builds an impenetrable storm shelter in the safety of his own backyard.

Because the film is so true to life in the U.S., I found watching this film a very wrenching experience. What you experience is a devoted family man’s gradual descent into the clutches of paranoid schizophrenia. Perhaps I should not have told you this but soon enough you would guess the truth. This film is not science fiction nor a horror film. But in fact it is a horror film in the sense that you sit there powerless to prevent this good, well-meaning man from following the dictates of a mental illness even while he knows he has the disease (his mother developed the same illness when she was 30 and abandoned the family in a journey to the streets). In fact this is the first time I have seen portrayed the difficulty of realizing that a mental illness is directing your life and figuring out how to fight back (with the help of a professional over probably what will be a long period of time).

Three aspects of Americana that makes this film so hard to watch are things like: the difficulty in getting and affording a competent psychiatrist, the perilous way in which so many middle-class American families live just on the edge of bankruptcy and the damage that losing a job and its health benefits does to a family.

Only toward the end of the film do his wife and associates begin to understand that he has a mental illness. Meanwhile his actions cause all kinds of trouble for himself, his wife, his company, and his friends. Watching a climactic breakdown at a supper for parents of deaf children (his daughter is deaf and needs a cochlear implant) is a horror show in itself.

Michael Shannon is agent Nelson Van Alden in the TV series “Boardwalk Empire”. His acting here is phenomenal: understated, sadly driven, and possibly violent.

Be prepared for a tough but worthwhile trip.

The Son of No One (2011)

From NetFlix:

Channing Tatum stars as a young cop assigned to patrol his old Queens, N.Y., neighborhood, where he uncovers a dangerous secret about a long-unsolved murder. Tracy Morgan also takes a dramatic turn in this gripping indie thriller.

In my review for Retreat (2011) I mentioned a NY Times article deploring our lack of young male actors with staying power. In that review I hoped Jamie Bell would last. Quite possibly with Channing Tatum we may have another “keeper”.

Tatum gets the part right. But after all, he plays a very silent, taciturn, tormented cop. Cynics might say the acting was minimal on his part. But go to IMDB to review his long film resumé. Let’s hope he has staying power.

It didn’t hurt to have Al Pacino and Ray Liotta in the lineup. In all, the acting was pitch perfect.

Expect a grim and problematic resolution. But also expect a good film.

The Thing (2011)

From NetFlix:

This terrifying prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 classic of the same name tells the story of a team of Norwegian scientists who find an alien ship frozen in Antarctica. When the organism inside awakens, blood flows across the frozen landscape. Leading the group is pilot Carter (Joel Edgerton), who allies with paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in a desperate attempt to rally the paranoid workers to combat the deadly threat.

When I was a mere lad of 12 (in 1951) I went with friends into downtown Baltimore to see
the first edition of “The Thing”. You never saw the alien throughout the film until the very last scene in which they burned it up leaving something resembling a baked potato. During that scene I hid under my coat so that in fact I never saw “The Thing” in all its glory.

In 1982 there was another version which I never saw.

Finally welcome to 2011. With digital enhancement there is no end of the gore you can create. In the last part of this version you get to see two mangled human bodies that have been transformed into a creature that crawls like a spider with tentacles. This is just a warning in case you are a bit squeamish. Don’t you wonder who lies awake at night just dreaming up these visual horrors?

All the cast are male with the exception of one young female scientist who dares to make a counter suggestion to the learned and arrogant lead scientist. Guess what happens!

Not for children and probably not for adults of a certain ripe old age.

Why is this called a prequel ?

Retreat (2011)

From NetFlix:

While visiting a remote island, a couple (Cillian Murphy & Thandie Newton) encounters a man (Jamie Bell)– who apparently washed up there — claiming a lethal virus has spread through Europe. The couple must decide whether to trust the stranger and figure out how to survive.

If you can stand the harsh and raw suspense, this film is dynamite. Not only is the acting superb but the plot keeps twisting. Cillian Murphy was the Timekeeper in In Time (2011). Thandie Newton was Makemba ‘Kem’ Likasu in the TV series “ER”.

Today I read an article in the New York Times bemoaning the fact that none of our new lineup of male film stars seem to last. Jamie Bell (who was “Billy Elliot”) did an excellent job in this film. Let’s hope that his career lasts.

Expect a really rough journey and if you can stand it, DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!

Dream House (2011)

From NetFlix:

Daniel Craig plays Will Atenton, a successful businessman who forsakes New York City for the rural pleasures of New England, only to discover that the tranquil abode he’s moved into was the scene of an as-yet-unsolved multiple homicide. Drawn reluctantly into the mystery surrounding the tragic events, Will and his wife (Rachel Weisz) soon begin finding plenty of reasons to worry about their own safety in this psychological thriller.

Another haunted house film ? Not really. In fact the plot twist here is clever and unexpected. Unfortunately the details at the end are easy to miss. For help in this respect see the Wikipedia plot summary. Also our hero gets some ghostly help that just seems like cheating.

Give it a “B”. There are better films out there.

The Guilty (1992)

From NetFlix:

Wildly disparate lives converge in this two-part television thriller about a respected London barrister facing a career-ending rape charge and a punk ex-con caught up in a dangerous conspiracy while searching for his biological father.

Michael Kitchen is probably best know to you as Foyle of the British TV series “Foyle’s War” which is a must-see in its own right. Foyle is the good guy. However, in “The Guilty” Michael Kitchen plays the London barrister-rapist Steven Vey who is definitely the bad guy. He portrays perfectly a cynical cad caught up in his own evil past.

His victims come together by twists of fate in this clever plot. Stay tuned to see what happens to the lawyer-as-monster.

Two DVD disks from NetFlix offer English subtitles.

DO NOT MISS !

In Time (2011)

From NetFlix:

In a near future where aging stops at 25, time is the new currency and the wealthy can live forever. When Will Salas inherits decades of life from a wealthy murdered man, he’s pegged as the suspect by the corrupt Time Keepers, who enforce the law.

Each person’s forearm shows how much time that person has to live. You can earn, steal, give, and buy things with time. For me this was a novel theme although the idea has probably been used elsewhere.

Rich people live forever, poor people die young. Probably the plot intends an analogy with the corruption of our current financial world.

Justin Timberlake is convincing as an angry, honest, poor, and of course invincible crusader. Amanda Seyfried is OK as his sparring partner and love interest.

Net Flix got it wrong. The Time Keeper (Cillian Murphy) was un-corruptible to the point of death. But he was misguidedly enforcing a corrupt system. You can watch Cillian Murphy in Retreat (2011) with a wonderful Irish brogue.

Possibly a “B” film but fun anyway!

London Boulevard (2010)

From NetFlix:

Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell (In Bruges) stars in this gritty crime drama as Mitchell, a recently paroled ex-con whose attempt at straight life includes taking a job as a handyman for a reclusive young starlet (Keira Knightley). Based on author Ken Bruen’s critically acclaimed novel, this adaptation marks the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning screenwriter William Monahan (The Departed).

For me this film represents Colin Farrell’s best acting yet. As a strong character who will not be bullied, even by the sociopath Gant (played by Ray Winstone). In fact the best scenes are when Gant in several attempts tries to force Colin Farrell (recently released from prison for GBH) into a life of crime and you get to watch Farrell’s facial reactions that change from something like an indifferent stare into an angry, unflinching defiance.

Keira Knightley plays a fragile actress beseiged by paparrazi. Eventually Farrell falls for her in some very tender scenes.

More than anything, Farrell protects and avenges his friends. It is this fidelity that is somewhat his undoing. Expect a surprise ending.

Violent but compelling.

I Melt With You (2011)

From NetFlix:

Old college buddies Richard (Thomas Jane), Ron (Jeremy Piven), Tim (Christian McKay) and Jonathan (Rob Lowe) get together one weekend to reminisce about their glory days. As they leave their adult responsibilities behind, they lose control, lured into a getaway of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Picking up the pieces, the men begin to question the wisdom of the choices they’ve made. Carla Gugino co-stars.

What follows is a list of the reasons why you should NOT see this really depressing film:

  • Watching 4 adult men act like drug-crazed teenagers is not a positive experience.
  • Listening to their sometimes crude talk is similarly unattractive.
  • Self-destruction is never fun to watch.
  • Finally, the secret premise underlying the story is too unrealistic to believe.

So why watch the film at all ?

  • All 4 actors do a good job. Each portrays his own personal failures quite well (and what a desperate scene it is).
  • Once the first character reaches his sad end you begin to suspect a pattern and can easily become hooked on seeing each story play out.

Do you really want to watch a depressing film ?