REVIEW: Step Brothers (2008)

Just saw "Step Brothers". Another comedy from Judd Apatow and Adam McKay, this time with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly starring as two immature forty-year olds. It was funny in a "Napolean Dynamite" way but for a budget of sixty-five million dollars it should have been better and funnier. If you liked "Anchorman" you'll probably enjoy it.

Are comedies ever NOT going to involve anyone that comes from Second City improv or the Frat Pack?

REVIEW: Hurlyburly (1998)

"Hurlyburly" is a nice little independent film based on the 1984 play by David Rabe. Starring Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, and Chazz Palimenteri as egotistical, drug-addled studio executives. Existential cocaine-fueled conversations between scumbags in the City of Lost Angels. Expect lots of talking by Sean Penn, who has an entertaining face. Amazing to think that this film is 10 years old, 'cause it still holds up. The cast is excellent; they capture the overwhelmed and immature adult characters, getting fucked up on cocaine and making constant realizations about their lives and the nature of existence. The audience follows only to realize how despicable these people are and how shallow and irrelevant their conversations sound.

REVIEW: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

After seeing the new Hellboy movie, I can't help but be disappointed. Even though it has somehow gotten 88% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie did not feel like an accurate adaptation of the Hellboy and B.P.R.D. series of comics from Dark Horse.

Critics love a director as simple to describe as Guillermo Del Toro: he always uses "mystical", "fantastical" creatures and special effects, like in "Pan's Labyrinth". The problem here is that the look tries too hard. The movie bears close resemblance to "Underworld" and Stephen Sommers movies, and the plot seems very familiar too: an elf prince killing his father and taking his crown or some shit.

Despite the fact that Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy) co-wrote the script with Guillermo Del Toro, it felt mild compared to the satanic shit that Hellboy gets involved with in the comics. Things are so jam-packed in the movie its hard to gather any real meaning from the film other than the fact that Guillermo Del Toro really loves elves, fairies, and monsters.

REVIEW: Fat Guy Stuck In Internet [adult swim]

If you haven't been watching "Fat Guy Stuck In Internet", you have been missing something special and hilarious. It airs on Adult Swim (Cartoon Network) at 12:15 a.m. every Sunday. Like "Star Wars" meets "Tron" but even more psychedelic and funny. The special effects are retarded awesome.

Watch full episodes at adultswim.com

REVIEW: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

If you are a fan of video games, and more specific, if you are a fan of Playstation games, no doubt you've heard of "Metal Gear Solid". The first "Metal Gear Solid" game came out in 1998 and pretty much changed the landscape for stealth games. Created by genius Hideo Kojima, "Metal Gear Solid" combined tactics and serious game play with an EPIC storyline that still rivals the best action movies I've seen. Thanks is also in order for Yoji Shinkawa, the character designer and artist responsible for the amazing look and feel of "Metal Gear Solid". There are not many video games that you look at in awe of the artwork, the storyline, and the voice acting, in addition to the game play. "Metal Gear Solid", and its three subsequent sequels are perhaps the closest to a masterpiece that video games have ever reached.


Having said that, the new "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots" marks Hideo Kojima's first foray onto the Playstation 3, which provides him with the ability to better already superb graphics. He really amps up the plot line, placing Snake in the middle of a ridiculous Middle Eastern war involving genetics, nuclear weapons, and world domination. One of the ideas in "Guns of the Patriots" is that wars will be fought by opposing private military companies (PMCs). Every soldier on the battlefield is controlled by nanomachines controlled by a single network, Sons of the Patriots (SOP). Snake's arch-rival decides to take over the network, thus taking over all the soldiers in the world and takin' over Earth.

The "Metal Gear Solid 4" storyline might confuse and anger Americans that aren't used to lots of dialog and don't recognize all the cameos by characters from the other "Metal Gear" games. It's alright. There has got to be at least four hours of cut scene in the game, so if you aren't a huge fan of the storyline you will probably bitch about it. As usual, the plot is totally melodramatic and ludicrous, and plenty of people probably wouldn't enjoy it, BUT the impossible storyline is more interesting than most other games. It won't change your life, but it is a good end to a long-lasting series of games.

REVIEW: Broken Flowers (2005)

Jim Jarmusch is artsy. Not in a bad way, but certainly to an extent that might turn away potential viewers of his films who can't stand the slow pace, somewhat rambling dialog, and the lack of explosions and fast food. His most recent film, "Broken Flowers", which came out in 2005, stars the great Bill Murray, who's very existence seems to warrant film documentation.

My first impression of "Broken Flowers" was that it bore incredible similarities to several other independent films starring Bill Murray. Of course, Bill has been featured in several Wes Anderson films, including "Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums", and "Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou", as well as Sofia Coppola's "Lost In Translation". In all of these, Bill Murray seems to play a similar character, an older, quiet guy with a very dry sense of humor. He is a far cry from whatever he was in "Caddyshack", and it is a welcome presence. I have read several descriptions by film critics who see him as depressed, droll, and "The Depleted Man". These are accurate descriptions, but ultimately nothing describes Bill Murray's acting in these movies better than simply Bill Murray.

In "Broken Flowers", Bill Murray plays Don Johnston, an older gentleman with a long list of former girlfriends. Women are genuinely attracted to him, but judging by his bachelor status after a break-up at the beginning of the film, he has trouble holding on to relationships. His only friend appears to be a next door neighbor named Winston (Jeffrey Wright). When Bill Murray- wait, I mean, Don Johnston, receives a mysterious letter in a pink envelope, it reveals that he might have a 19-year old son looking for him. It seems that his prolific past as a "Don Juan" has caught up to him. He brings the letter to Winston, who arranges an entire travel itinerary for him to visit several of his past girlfriends in the hopes of finding out who had sent the letter.

The story of "Broken Flowers" develops slowly, with its most poignant moments found as Bill travels to each woman's home. His feelings of loneliness, of a past and no future, and regrets over his relationships, creates a picture of a man without a true identity. He simply follows Winston's itinerary and appears before these women. While he chats with his former girlfriends, he is quietly looking for "clues" to determine which woman might have sent the letter. The film ends with the blank stare of Bill Murray.

Jim Jarmusch creates a truly poetic piece of work in "Broken Flowers". It contains the usual elements of independent cinema (quirky characters, great music) but ultimately places the focus on the characters in the story (compared to Wes Anderson and his sets, props and wardrobes). Perhaps the best indicator of a good movie is what the actors in "Broken Flowers" are able to do: while the women live their lives completely independent of one another, there is a subtle thread that connects them all together, through Don Johnston, and through the atmosphere of the film. It received the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, and quite deservingly. So many films are constantly churning and frothing from the abyss but "Broken Flowers", with its slow pace and deliberate dialog, creates a contained world while displaying what makes a great film, or more importantly, what is great about film.

REVIEW: Imaginationland (2007)

., Some people feel Imagination isn't real But I tell them that they're wrong Cause whenever I Want to play and pretend, I just sing the imagination song

Comedy Central just aired the hilarious "Imaginationland" South Park Special, and it reminded me of how spot-on and hilarious Trey Parker and Matt Stone still are. The story was about Stan and Kyle's trip to Imaginationland, which is literally the world's imagination. They arrive and are met by all the cheerful characters invented by humans, including Ronald McDonald, the Care Bears, and plenty of other iconic cameos. Its an extremely funny foray into the idea that the images and characters that we have created are just as real as "reality", and an icon like Bugs Bunny will live longer than any single person. It has been released on DVD and I'm sure it will air again on Comedy Central.

REVIEW: The Dark Knight (2008)

If you haven't seen "The Dark Knight" yet, you should. Even if you are too cool for comic-books and superhero movies, at this point it is more of a cultural phenomenon. Breaking almost every box office record in history (biggest midnight premiere, highest grossing weekend, etc.), "The Dark Knight" is perhaps the most hyped up movie ever. It seems as though, after five previous Batman screen incarnations, the character is still considered the greatest superhero of them all. Either that, or hype for a movie exceeds subject matter. If you are a fan of Batman, this movie is the most current, relevant, and perhaps realistic incarnation of the "caped Crusader". In terms of a summer movie, it shows that darkness, maturity, and a message increase the marketability of a movie. It is the smartest summer action movie in a long while.

The film is actually closely based on a plot from the Batman comic book series called "The Long Halloween", which deals with the relationship between the three most zealous crime-fighters in Gotham City; Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent. "The Dark Knight" film takes these three characters and creates a Scorsese-like crime drama where the importance and influence of each is considered from a real-world perspective; Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is known as the "White Knight" of Gotham, and is a regular man pursuing justice within the legal boundaries of a courtroom. Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) is more willing to bend the rules, and assists the vigilante Batman (Christian Bale) in finding and ending criminals. Batman respects Harvey Dent's genuine devotion to justice and believes him to be the savior of Gotham that Batman could never be, perhaps because people are less willing to trust and believe a man wearing a high-tech suit.

Honestly, it seems redundant to even mention who comes on to the scene of Gotham's crime world in response to Batman...but, I will repeat it: the Joker (Heath Ledger). He is a fucking psycho that wears make-up and dresses in a purple suit, and basically toys with people and sets up elaborate terrorist threats and media spectacles. I am so glad that everyone involved with the film decided to allow the Joker free will in this movie: it feels like a horror movie in the sense that you don't know how far he will go, but the fact that he is as genuinely violent and destructive (and successful at both these things) is perhaps the biggest payoff for this movie. Shit is real in "The Dark Knight". The Joker kills many people. He puts Batman's weaknesses on full display: Batman is seen as a psychopath by Gotham's citizens, he is rejected by his love interest Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhall), and he fails to save lives. Life sucks for both Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight. The plot centers around the Joker's terrorism, and features brilliant scenes that illustrate the Joker's distinct mental disorders and split personalities; he is a liar, a killer, a child and a man, and a gangster. People have described how they love it whenever the Joker's on-screen. My guess, whether you want to admit it or not, is not just because you are looking at a ghost... it is because he serves us such delicious portions of violence and destruction.

"The Dark Knight" is easily the best comic book movie ever, because of its perfect hybrid of both film and comic book action, generating popcorn cinema that works well for fans of any form of media, and viewers of any age bracket and level of interest. It relies on simple character archetypes who turn in excellent performances. The film is just so unique, and that is a MAJOR accomplishment unto itself. I mean, when you compare "The Dark Knight" to "Spiderman 3" or "Pirates of the Carribbean...3", it makes those movies look immature. In an interview with Christian Bale, he describes how there are no"winks at the camera". That perfectly describes the difference between "The Dark Knight" and "Pirates of the Carribbean", which features so many bad jokes and Johnny Depp one-liners it barely even qualifies as a movie. Thankfully, "The Dark Knight" seems to indicate that people want more from Hollywood movies, and constantly hearing about the hundreds of millions of dollars that movies deal in suggests that there is no excuse for films to deliver anything less than what "The Dark Knight" provides: a good, serious, memorable movie.