Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Archive Authors on December 31st, 2013
One of the easiest ways to shoot a small independent film is to film in your own real life environment. That means you don't have to think about a lot of the details that go into making most films. You already have and know thoroughly the sets and locals of your shoot. It's even easier if you don't have to build sets, since you just use the real locations of your life. It's even easier if you just remove all pretense and you just make the movie about a guy who is making a movie about a guy who happens to be himself. It makes it even easier when the guy is a casting director, because then you have a ready supply of talent at your disposal. It certainly would be nice if this was about a Hollywood casting agency, but it takes place in South Africa. I had a hard time figuring out where it took place, since most of the movie takes place in nondescript lofts and apartments. The accent could be British, but I'm no Henry Higgins, so I'll take their word that it takes place in South Africa. South Africa is pretty much the other side of the world, and most of what I know about South Africa has to do with apartheid and its aftermath. There is no sign of that in this film since everyone is white.
Casting Me... is basically a Woody Allen-type film with a young insecure guy who is trying to make a film about a guy like himself in his spare time. He's still in love with his ex, and she might be interested in playing herself in the movie if he finishes the script. The girl is very cute and attractive in a zaftig way.
None of the actors have shown up on any radar of mine, but the production looks professional and everyone does a good job. The writer/director Quinton Lavery has included tons of commentaries and extras, including a day in the life of the director and the cinematographer. I only wish most classic films had this much commentary.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on December 30th, 2013
“Violence is never the answer.”
That statement is said unironically by a character in Sweetwater, but we know better; in the movies, violence is pretty much always the answer. This is especially true when it comes to the revenge genre which, the films of Quentin Tarantino notwithstanding, is largely a man’s game. (Risk-averse Hollywood studios are much less likely to greenlight WoMan on Fire.) This bloody, straightforward Western from twin filmmakers Logan and Noah Miller is not terribly original, but it does try to put its own spin on the hallowed tradition of cinematic payback.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Jeremy Butler on December 30th, 2013
It’s always difficult to watch a stand-up from a guy you know nothing about. No matter how hard you try, you will always have preconceived notions about the guy based solely on what he chooses to title his stand-up. I’ve said it once and I will say it again, titles play a big part in whether or not a person is going to take a chance on something they know nothing about. It is what makes the first impression of a perspective audience, and it is the deciding factor on whether a person picks up and buys or picks up and puts back on the DVD rack. With a title like My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, Mike Birbiglia gave himself a nice advantage; however this stand-up is a good example of how looks can be deceiving.
Not a very captivating stand-up, if I’m being honest; Birbiglia does project this image of being a regular joe, your basic everyman. In fact for the first part of his set, I spent my time racking my brain to trying to recall where else I have seen him. However despite my original belief that I recognized the comedian, after an extensive check of his IMDB filmography I can say with confidence that I had never encountered him before this disc. That said, this is not a stand-up that stayed with me even as I watched. The topics are relatable, with Birbiglia tackling a subject that anyone could easily relate to, love. The trouble is in the delivery; there is no attention-grabber. This is simply a biography about a man who appeared to have no luck when it came to dating.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 25th, 2013
Futurama was the brainchild of Simpson veterans Matt Groening and David X Cohen. With the growing popularity of their iconic cartoon, it was no surprise that Fox would tap the team to bring another show to the network. When Futurama premiered in 1999, it was a combination of The Jetsons and The Simpsons. That would be ironic for those of us who think the Simpsons theme is a direct knockoff of The Jetsons. It was 1000 years in the future, and the joke was that no matter how much things changed, they hadn’t really changed at all. The space-age series would use many of the writing and art team from The Simpsons. That meant the character designs, at least the humans, would look exactly like the people in the other show. The writing would include that same subtle wit that implanted tons of references for the adults who were watching. The show never seemed to click with the kids, but it was not really meant to. The subject matter was considerably more adult in nature, and there really weren’t any cuddly characters. All of this likely led to Fox’s decision to cancel the show after four years. It wasn’t a quick and painless demise, either. The show suffered through months of purgatory. It was on, then off again. The final episodes were moved around and often rescheduled. In the end it was an uphill battle, and Futurama lost.
But the cancellation was not to be permanent. The show found new legs on cable and finally with a handful of home video movies. Interest was once again high, and Futurama was back from the grave. Unfortunately, the show really has reached the end now. This collection contains the show's last episodes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on December 24th, 2013
“You gotta be grateful for the little things in life, otherwise you’ll never be grateful for nothing.”
I’m not so sure the same fans who made 2007’s The Ultimate Gift a hit on the home video market — and spurred the creation of this sequel — will be very grateful for this tepid follow-up. The Ultimate Life stiffly and earnestly re-iterates the first film’s emphasis on appreciating non-material delights, and sprinkles in a worthwhile message about the importance of leaving a strong legacy behind. Unfortunately, this film’s own legacy places it with the long list of sequels that don’t live up to the original.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by J C on December 23rd, 2013
Cliff Richard’s music stardom predates that of the Beatles. So the fact that I wasn’t at all familiar with the British pop singer’s music before sitting down to review this Blu-ray probably says more about me than it does about him. Lucky for me, this career-spanning concert — which includes music from his time with the Shadows, some solo hits, and even his duet from the movie that partly inspired the creation of the Razzies — also doubles as a lively, CliffsNotes glimpse into Richard’s incredibly prolific and successful career.
Richard is 73 now, but he’s still able to tirelessly work every inch of the mammoth stage at the iconic Sydney Opera House, where this concert was filmed earlier this year. The singer made his first record at age 17, and had reached #2 on the British charts shortly after turning 18. The man knows how to entertain, even if he’s fooling absolutely no one with his unnaturally dark brown hair. (Tom Jones and Paul McCartney know what I’m talking about.)
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 22nd, 2013
Unless it’s the Zucker brothers or Mel Brooks, I wouldn’t ever consider myself a fan of parodies. But every once in a while, one will come along that can squeeze a few chuckles out of me. The found footage and reality genre has saturated the market, and it was only a matter of time before a filmmaker decided to lampoon the genre. Ghost Team One takes on the genre, and instead of taking the easy route and simply spoofing what’s already been done, the film makers actually made the effort to mold a decent story and film it in the style the Paranormal Activity films have made popular, only Ghost Team One does so with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek.
Roommates, Sergio (Carlos Santos) and Brad (J.R. Villarreal) decide to start documenting everything that is going on in their apartment after Sergio believes he had an encounter with a ghost. Armed with Gopro and other digital cameras, the two embark on trying to acquire proof on camera. Sergio does what he can to try and take this seriously, while Brad continues to derail the experiment with his oversexed antics that consist mostly of him violating the camera or those around him on camera. But once the two meet Fernanda (Fernanda Romero), a true believer in the supernatural, the guys buckle down to try to impress her.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 19th, 2013
“Think of it as a hall pass, a permission slip to just let go of your fear and embrace the world…”
These are the words of advice a reiki master, played by Allison Janney (The West Wing) says to her patient, Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt) as she is handing her a bag filled with MDNA. Touchy Feely is definitely an offbeat comedy from writer/director Lynn Shelton who may be best known for her indie hit Humpday. At first glance the film may come across to some as some New Age, hippy, nonsense journey about self-discovery, and to a point you’d be right, but really, the themes of self-discovery are universal with everyone, and it’s in these types of films I feel everyone can at least attain a nugget of introspective wisdom after watching.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Gino Sassani on December 18th, 2013
Is it me or is Beacon Hills turning into more like a beacon for the totally bizarre and supernatural?"
Fox has begun releasing the series in half season sets. I can't say I'm a fan of the choice, but I almost understand the logic here. The series has expanded to more episodes, closer to a normal network run number. There is also now a several-month break between the season halves, much like USA network has treated such shows as Monk and Psych. One the one hand it's annoying to have incomplete season sets on my shelf. On the other it saves fans from having to wait that much longer to get their hands on these episodes. Whatever your own take on this development, it is the reality nonetheless.
Posted in: No Huddle Reviews by Brent Lorentson on December 18th, 2013
Just when I thought the home invasion genre was on its last legs, another addition to the oversaturated canon of films has been released on DVD. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the genre, but like everything else in Hollywood once something works and is a success the first time the only reasonable thing to do is exploit it till there is nothing unique or fresh with the idea, and then try to exploit it some more. Entries into the genre like Funny Games, The Collector, The Strangers and even Panic Room all have a soft spot in my genre-obsessed heart, but seriously, enough already.
The film’s opening follows a cheating couple as their night of passion is interrupted by what they believe are kids simply playing pranks on what the town calls Mischief Night the day before Halloween. There are the typical jump scares, and it all follows the horror movie formula where we know by the end of the sequence one or both of these characters will be killed, and this of course introduces the film’s featured killer, a masked figure in a bright yellow hoodie. I’m fine with the film sticking with the same formula that has worked for hundreds of horror films over the years, but what bothered me from the start was the decision to put the killer in a bright yellow top; even at night this would leave the killer sticking out like a sore thumb, and the element of terror and surprise is immediately taken away; at any minute I was expecting organ music to play announcing the killer followed by him creeping through the halls on his tippy toes and snickering as the tormented couple moved through the house not seeing him.
