Review: "Iron Man 2" Doesn't Disappoint

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Iron Man 2 (2010)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau
WRITER: Justin Theroux (based on the characters and stories created by Stan Lee, Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Libatique (director of photography)
EDITORS: Dan Lebental and Richard Pearson

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg, John Slatterly, Jon Favreau, Garry Shandling, and Paul Bettany (voice)

Back in 2008, the most anticipated superhero event movie was Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which certainly delivered on its promise and more. Many people were looking past the early May release of Iron Man; some had even been laughing at this film, which starred a superhero character that was probably C-list (at best) in the minds of the general movie-going audience. Iron Man was a surprise smash, grossing over 300 million dollars domestically. Now, the sequel, Iron Man 2, arrives with a bigger bang, and actually improves on the original – giving us more Iron Man-in-action.

As the new film opens, billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) reveals to the world that he is the armored superhero, Iron Man, whom people previously believed was Stark’s bodyguard. However, that only puts Stark under more pressure from the federal government, especially the grandstanding Senator Stern (Garry Shandling), to share his technology with the military. Stark is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the technology will slip into the wrong hands.

When an unexpected adversary attacks Tony Stark using technology similar to the Iron Man armor, the public, the press, and Senator Stern are no longer willing to take no for an answer. In fact, this new villain, a Russian named Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), has a connection to Tony’s late father, Howard Stark (John Slatterly), and Vanko even joins forces with Stark’s industrial rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell). With his secretary Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) by his side, Tony forges new alliances – the mysterious Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and a shadowy new assistant, Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson) – and confronts the two men determined to destroy him.

Watching Iron Man 2, one gets the feeling that the cast is having a good time, especially Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Downey spent a decade sabotaging his career via drug addiction, which was sad, but made even worse by the fact that Downey was such a damn fine actor. Surviving the scourge of Lady Cocaine, Downey has resurrected his career, in large part by revealing his deft skills as a comic actor who can throw down droll wit and sledgehammer snark with equal power. Iron Man 2 simply reminds me that I could watch Downey all day as Iron Man or Tony Stark

Gwyneth Paltrow is equally good as Pepper Potts, but her good work only serves as a reminder that this is a sadly underutilized character. Don Cheadle is a better Rhodey than Terrence Howard. Cheadle is so serious and strong in his performance that he makes it believable that Rhodey is one of the few people Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark respects, takes seriously, and genuinely likes. I was also quite surprised at how good Mickey Rourke is as Ivan Vanko; in fact, Rourke’s Vanko is good enough to become Stark’s signature film rival.

Sam Rockwell is not good as Justin Hammer, an annoying character that seems out of place here and is actually a detriment to the film. Scarlett Johansson is actually good in this film, but her character, though fun, is a little extraneous. Pepper Potts could have done much of what Natalie Rushman did in the story. That said I wouldn’t mind seeing the Natalie Rushman in her own movie.

Iron Man 2, however, is so highly-polished and entertaining that I’m inclined to ignore the faults: the occasionally clunky pacing, too many superfluous or unconnected characters, and that isolated awkward Nick Fury/Shield sub-plot. The superhero fight and action scenes make Iron Man 2 seem like a superhero comic book come to life as a high-octane thrill ride. Robots, Iron Man armor, battle suits, rockets, and assorted big guns pound away at the senses. The big (and extended) final battle between Iron Man and Ivan Vanko is dazzling. Though not perfect, moments like that made me wish Iron Man 2 wouldn’t end.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, May 10, 2010

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites: Queen Latifah Talks Being in Command

With her new movie, Just Wright, due in theatres this Friday, Queen Latifah gives this smallish interview to BET.com.

"Vampire Knight" Anime Online at VIZAnime.com

VAMPIRE KNIGHT ANIMATED SERIES PREMIERES ONLINE AT VIZAnime.com

Fates Are Sealed In A Tale Of Gothic Romance And Bloodlust In New Animated Series Based On Smash Hit Manga by Matsuri Hino

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, beckons fans to sink their teeth into the gothic romance of the animated series VAMPIRE KNIGHT, launching online today on VIZAnime.com.

VIZ Anime is the official online home to some of VIZ Media’s best-loved animated series and a burgeoning social network for fans to connect and form an interactive community. Over 400 episodes are currently available and new content is added on a weekly basis. VIZ Anime is accessible at: www.VIZAnime.com.

Cross Academy is attended by two groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class. At twilight, when the students of the Day Class return to their dorms, they cross paths with the mysterious Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and Zero Kiryu are the Guardians of the school, protecting the Day Class from the Academy's dark secret: the Night Class is full of vampires! Yuki Cross has no memory of her past prior to the moment she was saved from a vampire attack ten years ago. She was adopted by the headmaster of Cross Academy, and now works alongside Zero to guard the Academy's secret. Yuki believes that vampires and humans can coexist peacefully, but her partner has different ideas...

“With its cast of edgy and engaging characters combined with a dark sexy storyline, VAMPIRE KNIGHT is destined to be one of the most exciting anime releases of 2010,” says Brian Ige, Director of Sales, Home Entertainment. “Fans can also look forward to the release of VAMPIRE KNIGHT on DVD, under the Shojo Beat imprint, on July 20th. Stay tuned for more details coming soon on some hot VIZ Media anime summer releases!”

VAMPIRE KNIGHT (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens) is based on the best-selling manga series created by Matsuri Hino, who burst onto the scene in Japan with her debut title, Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream Is Over) in LaLa DX magazine. With the success of subsequent series such as CAPTIVE HEARTS and MERU PURI (both published domestically by VIZ Media), Hino has firmly established herself as a major force in the world of shojo manga. VAMPIRE KNIGHT is currently serialized in LaLa magazine in Japan.

For more information on the VAMPIRE KNIGHT manga and to read free previews online please visit www.shojobeat.com. For more information on other animated titles from VIZ Media please visit http://www.vizanime.com/.

Review: "Religulous" is Brilliant and Funny

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


Religulous (2008)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for some language and sexual material
DIRECTOR: Larry Charles
WRITER: Bill Maher
PRODUCERS: Bill Maher, Jonah Smith, and Palmer West
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anthony Hardwick (director of photography)
EDITOR: Jeff Groth, Christian Kinnard, and Jeffrey M. Werner

DOCUMENTARY – Religion/COMMENTARY/COMEDY

Starring: Bill Maher, Julie Maher, Kathy Maher, Senator Mark Pryor, Pastor John Westcott, Ken Ham, Reginald Foster, Tal Bachman, Bill Gardiner, Aki Nawaz, Ray Suarez, and Jeremiah Cummings

Comedian and politically provocative talk show host Bill Maher took on religion and faith in the hot-button documentary, Religulous, a title derived by blending the words “religion” and “ridiculous.” Maher examines the presence of religion in many of the big news stories of recent years, from Muslim rioting over cartoon depictions of Mohammed in European newspapers to a born-again Christian being President of the United Sates (George W. Bush).

Maher, currently the host of HBO’s "Real Time with Bill Maher," also skewers the current state of organized religion, while visiting Jerusalem, Salt Lake City, the Vatican, and other holy destinations. Of the many questions Maher asks on his journey, the main questions are why are believers of many faiths so sure that their religion is right, and why they’re so certain others are wrong?

One thing I wish that Bill Maher had done in Religulous was to offer more commentary from cultural, historical, political experts on religion and faith. Often this movie seems like Maher vs. the crazy religious people, which makes Maher come across as a prankster (a la Borat) snarking on the loons. Still, what Maher and director Larry Charles do present is fantastic and also funny on so many levels.

Some of Religulous is laugh-out-loud funny, but some of it made me cringe as much as I laughed behind my hands. I don’t think Maher is able to get an answer to the question of why believers from a variety of faiths are so sure their religion is right, and why they’re so certain others are wrong? Many of the people Maher meets are quite sensitive to someone not only questioning their faith, but also questioning why they are religious.

In fact, the attitude from many people is that they don’t want outsiders questioning their faiths, although many of these same people seem to have large, answered questions of their own about their religions. Maher often interrupts his subjects, and many times, he should have let them rant, even if their ranting made them look bad, scary, or crazy. The best line in Religulous came from self-avowed Evangelical Christian and U.S. Senator Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas, when he said, “You don't need to pass an IQ test to become a senator.” Pryor seemed eager to be interviewed, and while he certainly comes across as a nice guy (maybe even a smart fellow), his willingness to declare his allegiance to superstition is both sad and frightening.

By the end of the Religulous, I got the idea that this film was less about the faithful’s embrace of irrationality, superstition, and blind faith, and more about Maher giving rational people a wake-up call. He thinks that the rational, non-religious are actually in the majority, and one can hope he is right.

That said, Religulous is a great documentary because it takes a blunt, unflinching look at organized religion and faith, not through the eyes of religious scholars and clerics, but by taking on the foot soldiers and rank and file believers who give voice to their faith, warts and all. Only Maher, brilliant as both a social observer/critic and provocateur, could deliver a documentary about blind faith that is almost as powerful as blind faith.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Review: "Borat" is a National Treasure from Another Nation

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 48 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Running time: 84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive strong crude and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: Larry Charles
WRITERS: Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham, and Dan Mazer; from a story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines, and Todd Phillips (based upon a character created by Sacha Baron Cohen)
PRODUCERS: Sacha Baron Cohen and Jay Roach
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Luke Geissbuhler (director of photography) and Anthony Hardwick (director of photography)
EDITORS: Craig Alpert, Peter Teschner, and James Thomas
2007 Academy Awards nominee

COMEDY

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, and Luenell

In the film: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, writer/actor/comedian Sacha Baron Cohen takes one his most popular characters from his HBO comedy series, “Da Ali G Show,” the Kazakhstani reporter Borat, and sends him on a road trip across America. Cohen-as-Borat then engages real Americans in this faux documentary prompting them with seemingly innocent questions and his outrageous (and sometimes boorish) behavior into revealing their worst prejudices and attitudes. Along the way, Borat even runs naked through a hotel.

Borat Sagdiyev (played by Cohen in a role that won him a 2007 Golden Globe) is Kazakhstan’s sixth most famous man and a leading journalist for the State run TV network. Borat wants to travel to the U.S., what he calls “greatest country in the world,” and learn things that might benefit Kazakhstan. Camera and film crew in tow and joined by his cameraman/sidekick, Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian), Borat lands in New York City and heads south encountering the fruit of American citizenry. However, another quest subsumes Borat’s original purpose for coming to America. He is determined to travel to California where he will find and marry Pamela Anderson.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan lives partially in that esteemed sub-genre of film comedies, the mock documentary or “mockumentary,” the most famous example being This is…Spinal Tap. This is, however, firmly a fake documentary in which the documentary filmmakers mean to fool the subjects of the documentary. As Borat, Cohen is relentless and doesn’t give a sucker an even break when dealing with his clueless American subjects. These people apparently have no shame in displaying their petty bigotries and silly prejudices on camera. Were these people not ashamed to show their ugly sides because they assumed Borat was a just a dumb foreigner and his film would only be seen in another country?

Cohen shrewdly picks his targets, discerning the ones who would make great theatre – an example being the rich, Southern white suburbanites who lived in a neighborhood where one street was named “Succession Lane.” The fraternity boys who appear towards the end of the film are a hoot, and they’re carbon copies of the ones I knew when I attended a major, formerly segregated, Southern state flagship university.

Borat is certainly a lout, and his loutish behavior occasionally grates on the nerves, but the vast majority of the time, his encounters with people lead to double-side-splitting comedy. With Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Sacha Baron Cohen proves once again that he is a genius when it comes to revealing the just plain awful, ugly, vain, and intolerant side of people – a side they’re all too willing to display for the camera. Lovers of movie comedy shouldn’t miss this comic social commentary that is worth watching at least twice.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 nomination for “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, and Dan Mazer; from a story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines, and Todd Phillips)


2007 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy (Sacha Baron Cohen) and 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Shake Your Money Maker for "Alice in Wonderland"

I received the following press release about an Alice in Wonderland-related contest from Walt Disney.  It ties into the recently released 3D Alice in Wonderland movie, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp.  One of the prizes is an iPad:

ATTENTION ALL ALICE FANS: IT’S TIME TO GATHER YOUR MUCHNESS FOR DISNEY’S ALL NEW “ALICE IN WONDERLAND” INSPIRED DANCE-OFF

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS IS ASKING YOU TO “SHOW US YOUR BEST FUTTERWACKEN!”

Prizes Include iPads, Blu-ray™ Players, Autographed Alice Memorabilia and More

FUTTER WHAT??
In celebration of Frabjous Day and the upcoming Blu-ray™ & DVD release of ALICE IN WONDERLAND on June 1st, Walt Disney Studios is asking America to “Show Us Your Best Futterwacken!”

For those who haven’t seen the film, this is the crazy, awesome dance performed by The Mad Hatter. In the world of Alice’s Wonderland, the Futterwacken is a dance of unbridled joy.

The contest challenges ALICE fans to submit their best interpretation of the Futterwacken dance to www.Disney.com/Alicedance and add their own original twists, turns and dance moves. So start gathering your muchness and go completely Gallymoggers as you Futterwacken vigorously! The more creative your dance moves, the better your chance to win!

Oh and one of the coolest parts is being able to put your dance moves to Kerli’s song “Tea Party” featured on the Alice in Wonderland companion album, Almost Alice. Disney's Almost Alice soundtrack features two songs by Kerli that provide the perfect beat to "show us your best Futterwacken!"

KLOTCHYN! (Head’s up!) Judging will be based on Dance Performance, Entertainment Value, Technical Quality, Creativity and Originality.

HOW TO ENTER:
Consumers must visit www.Disney.com/Alicedance to enter. Entries should be no longer than 40 seconds in length and include your first name and the state where you reside. Directions on how to enter are clearly detailed on the website. It only takes three easy steps to enter – record your video, add music and upload to Disney’s website.

The submission period for the contest begins at 3:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, April 30, 2010 and ends at 3:00 p.m. PDT on Thursday, June 3, 2010.

JUDGING & PRIZING:
There will be two (2) Grand Prize winning submissions and ten (10) First Prize winning submissions. Disney will announce winners on Wednesday, June 16th based on the following equally weighted criteria: Dance Performance, Entertainment Value, Technical Quality, Creativity and Originality.

Prizes include Apple iPads, Panasonic Blu-ray Players, Alice In Wonderland Blu-ray Combo Packs of the film, Mad Hatter Hats, Autographed Alice in Wonderland Nesting Books and iTunes Gift Cards.

My Alice in Wonderland review is here.

Review: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Running time: 123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violent images, some sensuality, language and smoking
DIRECTOR: Terry Gilliam
WRITERS: Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown
PRODUCERS: Amy Gilliam, Terry Gilliam, Samuel Hadida, and William Vince
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Nicola Pecorini
EDITOR: Mick Audsley
Academy Awards nominee

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/ART

Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell

In late January 2008, Terry Gilliam’s film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, although still in production, was thrust into the spotlight when one of its headliners died. When he died on January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger had only completed half his work on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, performing the role of Tony. After filming resumed, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell assumed the role of Tony. Each actor portrays a different incarnation of Tony, who physically transforms whenever he travels into a dream world.

Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) is the leader of a traveling theatre troupe, which includes his sarcastic and cynical sidekick and confidant, Percy (Verne Troyer), a versatile young player and sleight of hand expert, Anton (Andrew Garfield), and Parnassus’ daughter, Valentina (Lily Cole). Parnassus has the gift of inspiring the imaginations of others, and his stage show is called, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. During the show, Parnassus offers audience members (what few there are) the chance to transcend their mundane reality. They do so by passing through a magical stage mirror that transports them into their imaginations (a kind of dream world), where they are offered two choices, and choosing one or the other determines their fate.

In reality, Parnassus is an immortal, and both his long life and magic came at a steep price. Over the years, he has made various deals with the devil, known as Mr. Nick (Tom Waits). Now, Mr. Nick has come to claim his ultimate prize, Valentina on her upcoming 16th birthday. Meanwhile, oblivious of her fate, Valentina adopts Tony (Heath Ledger), a charming outsider she rescues from dire circumstances, into the troupe. Tony joins the troupe as a barker and sets about to improve the troupe’s fortune. In order to save his daughter, Parnassus makes one final bet with Mr. Nick, and while the rest of the troupe tries to beat the devil, Tony’s motivations for helping come to light.

There is something inimitably romantic about a ragtag troupe of performers traveling about the land, performing on and living in their stage. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus captures the ramshackle romanticism of such a “wagon show,” and the performers, with their whimsical ways and odd charms, are winning, for some reason unknown to me. The narrative, however, is messy. Sometimes, the story comes across as a listless but thoughtful collection of scenes from a college art project. Other times, the film sparkles and brims with inventive imagery that is mesmerizing, especially when the characters jump through the stage mirror. This kind of visual ingenuity is what one can usually expect of a Terry Gilliam film/mind trip, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus recalls Gilliam’s work as an animator and artist. Some of it reminded me of Gilliam’s short animations for Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

The performances are quite good. Christopher Plummer is brilliant as the tormented Parnassus, and Tom Waits practically matches him in one of my favorite renditions of the devil, Mr. Nick. I would be remiss in not commenting on Heath Ledger’s performance. Although this isn’t close to being his best work, especially since he never got to finish the role, Ledger is quite good as Tony, and the film is certainly livelier when he is onscreen. As for Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, it is obvious why they are movie stars. They’re all good actors, and they give good performances here. The camera loves their stunningly handsome facial features, especially the magical Depp.

Thematically, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is about stories and the importance of imagination. In the film, characters must choose between their imaginations and their desires, presented as a dream, but they must be able to distinguish between a dream of imagination and a dream of desire. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is not perfect, but I was sad to see this colorful, visually overloaded movie end. That is a feeling I suspect many others also will have.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2010 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (David Warren-art director, Anastasia Masaro-art director, and Caroline Smith-set decorator) and “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Monique Prudhomme)


2010 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Make Up & Hair” (Sarah Monzani) and “Best Production Design” (David Warren, Anastasia Masaro, and Caroline Smith)

Thursday, May 06, 2010