Review: God Awful = "Mallrats"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 182 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mallrats (1995)
Running time: 94 minutes (1 hour, 34 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong language, including sexual dialogue, and for some scenes of sexuality and drug content
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Kevin Smith
PRODUCERS: Sean Daniel, James Jacks, and Scott Mosier
CINEMTOGRAPHER: David Klein
EDITOR: Paul Dixon

COMEDY

Starring: Shannen Doherty, Jeremy London, Jason Lee, Claire Forlani, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Renee Humphrey, Jason Mewes, Ethan Suplee, Stan Lee, Michael Rooker, and Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith hit the almost inevitable sophomore slump with his awful film Mallrats. It the tale of two buddies, both dumped by their girlfriends on the same day. Brodie Bruce (Jason Lee) is a slacker comic book collector who lives in his mom’s basement, and his girl, Rene Mosier (Shannen Doherty), just can’t put up with being mostly ignored by Brodie for comics and videogames. T.S. Quint (Jeremy London) is an aimless college student who always fights with his girl, Brandi (Claire Forlani).

So Brodie and T.S. seek solace at the local mall, but they can’t get away from their girlfriends. Rene is there and has found a new boy toy in the form of Shannon Hamilton (Ben Affleck), a salesman at an upscale men’s clothing store, who is a bully to both friend and foe. Brandi is a replacement contestant on her father’s game show, an episode of which is filming at the mall, so Brodie and T.S. plot to ruin shoot. Meanwhile, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) are lurking about the mall, looking to cause mischief.

The dialogue that was so riotously funny in Clerks. turns to crap in Mallrats. It’s just line after line of meaningless filler that when spoken sounds awkward and unnatural. The actors are game and give it their best shot to make Smith’s words seem cool and witty, but it just comes out as noise. The script is so bad that it actually keeps the cast, for the most part, from being able to act at a professional level.

Smith is at his best when he takes a group of characters and gives them funny, insightful, and outrageous things to say. The moment he tries to construct a plot around the dialogue the scenario begins to crumble. And the more he tries to fit it into a plot or the more he tries to create a situation around the talking heads, the worse the movie gets, especially when the repartee is really more important than the plot. Smith began to solve this problem in his later films, but Mallrats is still trash.

2 of 10
D

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Zach Snyder's "Legend of the Guardians" Gets a Soundtrack CD

WaterTower Music to Release Soundtrack to “Legend of the Guardians” on September 21

Features Brand New Music from Multi-Platinum International Phenom Owl City

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On September 21, WaterTower Music will release the original motion picture soundtrack to the fantasy family adventure “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,” based on the beloved Guardians of Ga’Hoole books by Kathryn Lasky. The film opens nationwide in theatres and IMAX on September 24 in both 3D and 2D.

The exciting soundtrack features an epic musical mix that is anchored by “To the Sky,” a brand new song from internationally acclaimed multi-platinum sensation Owl City. The song is featured prominently within the film and then plays again as it soars over the end title sequence. “It is such an incredible honor to be a part of this film,” says Owl City’s Adam Young. “As a fan of both the children’s book series growing up, and Zack Snyder’s work as a director, having my music included is pretty surreal. I've been waiting for someone to make a movie like this for some time now. I’m endlessly grateful to be involved.”

The past year has been a whirlwind for Owl City, whose debut album, Ocean Eyes, was released in July 2009 and went platinum on April 1, 2010. The first single, “Fireflies,” is now triple platinum and hit the #1 spot on the Hot 100 twice, as well as going #1 in 23 countries around the world.

Additionally, the soundtrack features the heroic musical landscapes of David Hirschfelder’s score. Hirschfelder, an Academy Award® nominee (“Elizabeth,” “Shine”), earned a BAFTA Film Award for Best Original Film Score for “Strictly Ballroom,” and has also won Australia’s Aria Award for Best Original Soundtrack Album for his work on “Elizabeth,” and an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for Best Original Music Score for “Shine.”

A must-have for every “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” and Owl City fan alike, the original motion picture soundtrack will be available on CD Tuesday, September 21.


About “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”
Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder makes his animation debut with “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.” The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father’s epic stories of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones.

Snyder is directing “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” from a screenplay by John Orloff and Emil Stern, based on the Guardians of Ga’Hoole novels by Kathryn Lasky. The film is being produced by Zareh Nalbandian, with Donald De Line, Deborah Snyder, Lionel Wigram, Chris deFaria, Kathryn Lasky and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.” Opening nationwide in theaters and IMAX on September 24, 2010, the film will be presented in 3D and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. www.legendoftheguardians.com

About WaterTower Music
WATERTOWER MUSIC, the in-house music label for Warner Bros. Pictures Inc., has been releasing recorded music since 2002. Distributed by Fontana Distribution, the independent arm of Universal Music Group Distribution, WTM has released over 70 titles, including the film soundtracks to the multi-platinum “Hairspray,” “Sex and the City,” “Valentine’s Day” “The Hangover,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Sherlock Holmes.” Its 2010 release schedule includes "Going the Distance," "Due Date,” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Review: "Cop Out" Loves the 80s

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 69 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Cop Out (2010)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive language including sexual references, violence, and brief sexuality
EDITOR/DIRECTOR: Kevin Smith
WRITERS: Robb Cullen and Mark Cullen
PRODUCERS: Polly Cohen Johnsen, Marc Platt, and Michael Tadross
CINEMATOGRAHER: David Klein (D.o.P.)
COMPOSER: Harold Faltermeyer

COMEDY/ACTION/CRIME

Starring: Bruce Will, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Rashida Jones, Guillermo Diaz, Cory Fernandez, Jason Lee, Kevin Pollack, Adam Brody, Michelle Trachtenberg, Ana de la Reguera, and Sean Cullen

The combination of international box office star, Bruce Willis, outrageous jigaboo comedian, Tracy Morgan, and indie director, Kevin Smith (Clerks.), seems too odd to work. There recent buddy cop movie, Cop Out, however, is funny – surprisingly, shockingly funny.

Cop Out focuses on James “Jimmy” Monroe (Bruce Willis) and Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan), two longtime NYPD cops who have been partners for nine years. Their investigation of a drug ring goes bad when a bad-ass supplier named Juan Diaz (Cory Fernandez) shoots up a neighborhood and escapes. After getting suspended, Jimmy and Paul end up playing cops again after an eccentric thief named Dave (Seann William Scott) steals a rare, mint-condition baseball card that belongs to Jimmy. The hunt for the card leads them back to Juan Diaz and his older brother, Poh Boy (Guillermo Diaz), a merciless, baseball memorabilia-obsessed gangster. Poh Boy will return the card if Jimmy and Paul retrieve a stolen car, but it is what’s inside the car the changes everything.

In a way, Cop Out is an homage or send-up of 1980s buddy cop movies like 48 Hrs. and Lethal Weapon and also cop action comedies like the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. Even the musical score for Cop Out is composed by Harold Faltermeyer, who composed music for the first Beverly Hills Cop film and Top Gun. And Cop Out works… in a sort of off-kilter way. Kevin Smith, whose films are often steeped in pop culture, creates the right mood and squeezes all the right essences and flavors from his cast and from this story until he has a 1980s throwback cop action/comedy that is thoroughly entertaining.

I find Bruce Willis to be so cool, and his resourceful, tough guy screen persona is pitch-perfect to play a cop – even a cop in a peculiar comedy like Cop Out. Tracy Morgan isn’t just another black comedian. His act stays fresh because of his ability to freestyle peculiar and absurd behavior, mannerisms, and dialogue. That’s why he’s more shocking than annoying.

Cop Out’s screenplay does waste a few good characters: the oddly lovable Poh Boy, his delightfully evil brother, Juan Diaz, and the kooky thief Dave. There are some other characters in this story that should have been dropped from the screenplay in order to give this trio more screen time.

Anyway, Cop Out is not just another standard, idiotic, buddy cop movie. The unusual and peculiar pairing of Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, plus a few good supporting characters make this profanity-laden comedy a joy to watch over and over again. I wish for a sequel.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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Anthony Mackie Smacks Rapper-Actors

"I don't go into the hospital and let the janitor perform surgery on me, you know what I mean?"

Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) on rappers-turned-actors.  The blog entry from "BV on Movies" also brings up some old quotes from Samuel L. Jackson and Nia Long about rapper-actors.

Personally, I'm ambivalent about rapper-actors.  Will Smith and Queen Latifah have turned out some exceptional performances, and Smith has earned two Oscar nominations, while Latifah has one (for Chicago).  On the other hand, guys like Ice Cube, Ludacris, and 50 Cent are average actors, and that's being generous considering some of their performances.  I like Ice Cube and Ludacris, but for the most part, they, like a lot of rapper-actors, are just taking roles that should go to trained African-American actors.

LL Cool J and Ice T have been good in parts tailored towards their personalities, but they're also deficient.  I think that a guy like Mos Def doesn't get enough credit for how good he is as an actor.

Review: "Clerks II" Finds the Passion of the Clerks

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 158 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Clerks II (2006)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive crude and sexual content including aberrant sexuality , strong language, and some drug material
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Kevin Smith
EDITORS/PRODUCERS: Scott Mosier and Kevin Smith
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Klein (director of photography)

COMEDY

Starring: Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Trevor Fehrman, Jennifer Schwalbach, Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Earthquake, Wanda Sykes, Kevin Weisman, and Scott Mosier

Best friends Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) worked side by side – Dante at the Quik-Stop convenience store and Randal at a video store next door. They’ve been doing that for ten years, but Dante goes to work one day and finds the Quik-Stop on fire. A year later, both Dante and Randal are working at Mooby’s, a McDonald’s like, bovine-themed, fast food restaurant. They still have that in-your-face attitude (especially Randal), and they still spew vulgarities (especially Randal), and they still try their customers’ nerves (especially Randal). Vagrant drug dealers, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), who used to hangout in front of the Quik-Stop, now hang around Mooby’s selling dope. But not everything is the same…

They have a new co-worker to torture, the virginal 19-year old, Elias (Trevor Fehrman, a smart, funny, and charmingly naïve addition in the series), and their manager, the sexy Becky (Rosario Dawson). Dante and Randal are in their early 30’s, and this is Dante’s last day at Mooby’s. He’s (hopefully) leaving New Jersey forever and moving to Florida with his aggressive fiancé, Emma Bunting (Jennifer Schwalbach), where her well-to-do parents live. Randal is hurt and disappointed, but he’s planning a last blowout to send Dante off. That, however, isn’t Dante’s only surprise because Becky has a secret to tell Dante and it may change all his plans.

Kevin Smith put the loyalty of his fans in his own hands when he announced that he was making a sequel to his 1994 cult and surprise hit film, Clerks. He couldn’t blame anyone else if the sequel (originally titled, The Passion of the Clerks) sucked ass, but neither he nor his loyal fans need worry. Clerks II is absolutely fabulous. Smith’s trademarks all make appearances: the non-stop chatter and babble full of wit and vinegar about such topics as pop culture (Star Wars versus The Lord of the Rings), society (racial slurs and religion), and sex and relationships (perversions, positions, marriage, etc.). There even cameos from his friends (Jason Lee and Ben Affleck) and other comic actors (Wanda Sykes).

Clerks II is an improvement on the original film in terms of screenwriting and narrative. There’s an actual plot underneath all the rapid-fire dialogue, and that dialogue is much crisper than the original – less clunky, for sure. There’s more dramatic impact, and the characters relationships have more depth. Clerks II is simply older in terms of maturity than the original film. Smith is asking his characters to be more and to put more consideration into their own lives – to put away childish things. In a sense, Smith is the Woody Allen of his generation – filling his films with lots of talk, both profound and silly, but certainly more bawdy than what went on even in Allen’s pre-Annie Hall movies.

Well, Clerks II is not entirely grown up. The characters can still have fun, and they certainly do. Clerks II is vulgar and buck wild. There’s something to offend everyone, but it’s all for fun. Smith is the ultimate come-on-and-lighten-up guy, and the cast loves to drink his Kool-Aid, so Clerks II is a resounding success. It’s as close to everything both they and we wanted in a Clerks sequel, and it might be even better than all expected.

9 of 10
A+

Saturday, July 22, 2006

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Review: "Clerks" Was and Still Is the Real Deal

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 181 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Clerks. (1994) – Black & White
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – R for extensive use of extremely explicit sex-related dialogue
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Kevin Smith
EDITORS/PRODUCERS: Scott Mosier and Kevin Smith
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Klein

COMEDY

Starring: Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonhauser, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Walter Flanagan, and David Klein

Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) wasn’t even supposed to be at work today, but his boss called him to open the convenience store because the guy that was supposed to work called in sick. Going to work wouldn’t be so bad, if Dante hadn’t just finished a night shift, and he wasn’t dead tired. And, God, he hates the customers.

Kevin Smith’s Clerks. is the story of Dante and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson), two loser, nowhere-bound clerks, Dante in a convenience story and Randal in a video store next door. The film focuses on a day in their lives when Dante feuds with his girlfriend Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti) and obsesses over his old squeeze, Caitlin (Lisa Spoonhauser), and Dante and Randal deal with fines, customer hassles, a visit to a wake that goes badly, and dead customers. If that wasn’t crazy enough, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), two eccentric drug dealers, hang around outside all day.

Clerks. made Kevin Smith a cult favorite director and is probably his most beloved film. For anyone who has ever held a low-paying job as a clerk at a small business, Clerks. is the visual Bible of wage earner suffering. The film’s extremely low-budget look (it was allegedly shot for under $30,000) isn’t off-putting, but adds a sense of verisimilitude to the film. The acting (mostly made up of local theatre talent and friends of the filmmakers) ranges from sub-par to good, but what makes this film is the dialogue.

While Smith often gives his cast more than a mouthful to say, his dialogue is witty, subversive, real, sassy, philosophical, and hilariously outrageous. Add that to some brilliant key moments in the film, and Clerks. is a comedy that may not speak to everyone, but this radiant delight speaks loudly to some of us.

8 of 10
A

New Season of "Bleach" Debuts on Adult Swim

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE PREMIERE OF THE LATEST SEASON OF BLEACH ON ADULT SWIM

Episode 168 of The Smash Hit Supernatural Action Series Launches This Month

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has announced the nationwide premiere of the latest season of BLEACH on Adult Swim. The latest English-dubbed installment – Episode 168 – of the hit animated action series will air on August 28th. Check local times for availability (http://www.adultswim.com/shows/bleach/).

In the newest season of BLEACH, after Sosuke Aizen’s rebellion, Gin Ichimaru’s departure from the Soul Society left the captain’s post of Squad Three empty. Shusuke Amagai is appointed as the new captain much to the squad’s dismay. But over time, Shusuke proves himself to be a good leader and wins over the team with his ability and personality. Meanwhile, a mysterious girl named Rurichiyo Kasumiohji appears in Karakura Town. Rurichiyo is the princess of a noble family in the Soul Society and a target for assassination. Worried for her safety, Rurichiyo’s guardians ask Ichigo to become her bodyguard. With new faces in the mix, another spectacular battle is about to begin in the Soul Society!

“BLEACH is a powerhouse property that delights millions of fans across North America each week, and we’re very pleased to have Adult Swim’s continued support for the series,” says Ken Sasaki, Senior Vice President & General Manager of VIZ Media. “Check out the newest adventures of the Soul Society in the launch of the riveting new story arc, and then stay tuned to Adult Swim for a new episode of the other hit VIZ Media anime series KEKKAISHI that immediately follows!”

BLEACH is a popular manga and animated series (both rated ‘T’ for Teens), distributed domestically by VIZ Media, that follows the adventures of Ichigo, a 15-year old student with the ability to see ghosts. When his family is attacked by a Hollow — a malevolent lost soul – Ichigo encounters Rukia, a Soul Reaper, and inadvertently absorbs her powers. Now, he’s dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.

BLEACH is also a tremendously successful property internationally. The manga series, created by Tite Kubo, has been licensed to more than a dozen countries and has sold over 50 million copies in Japan alone. In North America, the manga has sold more than 2 million copies, and the dubbed version of the animated series is viewed weekly by millions in the United States and Canada on cable broadcast. This success has further spawned an array of related video games, apparel, action figures and other merchandise. The subtitled version of the anime can be viewed for free online anytime on VIZAnime.com.

More information on BLEACH is available at Bleach.viz.com.


About Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AdultSwim.com), launched in 2001, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults. Airing nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Adult Swim shares channel space with Cartoon Network, home to the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for youth and families, and is seen in 97 million U.S. homes. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan’s largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including the popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; and website at www.VIZ.com.