Review: "Desperado" Both Beautiful and Brutal

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 65 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Desperado (1995)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, a strong sex sequence, and language
DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR: Robert Rodriguez
PRODUCERS: Bill Borden and Robert Rodriguez
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guillermo Navarro

ACTION/WESTERN with elements of crime

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi, Carlos Gomez, Quentin Tarantino, Tito Larriva, Carlos Gallardo, Albert Michel, Jr., and Danny Trejo

Robert Rodriguez followed up his ultra-low budget independent thriller, El Mariachi, with the larger-budgeted ($7 million, which is low by Hollywood standards) Desperado. The film is a slightly re-imagined sequel. El Mariachi is now played by Antonio Banderas, replacing Carlos Gallardo, who played the character in the original film and who does make a cameo appearance here. This time the no-named musician (we do learn his name by the end of the film) is stalking Bucho (Joaquim de Almeida), the last Mexican drug lord with connections to the death of his girlfriend (as seen in the first film). He meets Carolina (Salma Hayek), a beautiful bookstore owner and falls in love with her while also taking on a small army of Bucho’s henchmen in a small, dusty border town. El Mariachi learns, however, that Bucho has a strong link to his past.

Some described Robert Rodriguez’s poetic way of presenting violence in this movie to the cinematic styles of John Woo and Sam Peckinpah, and the shoot-‘em-ups in Desperado are indeed eye candy, especially the violence in the first hour of this film. This first half of the film sparkles with black comedy, acerbic wit, and violent slapstick, but as the film goes on, it begins to list. The romantic scenes are dry and are only road bumps in the narrative. Whereas El Mariachi was short and tightly efficient, Desperado is a bit long and a little padded. Still, the combination of Guillermo Navarro’s warmly hued photography and Rodriguez’s visual acumen make for a beautiful, brutal, ballet of film violence, proving that violence does indeed look good on film, if the director knows what he’s doing. And with each movie, Rodriguez proves to be a natural born moviemaker.

7 of 10
B+

Monday, May 16, 2005

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VIZ Cinema Offers Summer Climax in "The People I've Slept With"

VIZ CINEMA ANNOUNCES A CLIMACTIC SUMMER ROSTER WITH SEPTMEBER FILM SCREENINGS

The People I’ve Slept With, Death Note Blu-Ray Celebration, Detroit Metal City, 9/11 Documentary Festival, And Special Events For J-POP Summit Week Are Announced!

VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, has announced an intriguing new line-up of films and premiere events set to take place at the venue throughout the month of September.

Also just announced are a range of very special events to kick off the J-Pop Summit Festival 2010, which spotlights Japanese pop culture in a unique all-day celebration that takes over San Francisco’s Japantown on Saturday, September 18th.

New films for September include the third installment of the Bay Area Filmmakers Series, which presents the romantic comedy, The People I’ve Slept With, directed by Quentin Lee. A highly anticipated screening of Death Note and Death Note II: the Last name, based on the popular manga/anime series, is next, and will also mark the release of the films in a new Blu-ray collection from VIZ Pictures. A special screening of Satoshi Kon’s anime masterpiece Paprika is also set.

Marking the anniversary of 9/11, VIZ Cinema presents the 9/11 Truth Film Festival which presents several documentaries that explore the tragic events from several new points of view and trace the global impact of the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.

And finally, NEW PEOPLE gets ready to celebrate the 2010 J-Pop Summit Festival with a series of pop culture cinematic events leading up to the premiere of the raucous death metal comedy Detroit Metal City on September 18th. More details on the J-Pop Summit Festival are available at www.J-Pop.com.

Advance tickets, screening times and more details are available at: www.vizcinema.com.

The People I’ve Slept With, September 3rd – September 9th
(Directed by Quentin Lee, 2009, 89 min, Digital, English Language)

The People I’ve Slept With is a sexy comedy about a promiscuous woman who finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy and needs to figure out who the baby daddy is…NOW. Film stars Karin Anna Cheung (Better Luck Tomorrow), Wilson Cruz (My So Called Life) and Archie Kao (CSI). Co-sponsored by Frameline. A special Opening Night Event is scheduled for Friday, September 3rd at 7:00pm and will include a reception and Q&A with Director Quentin Lee. Tickets are now available for $15.00. No discounts apply.

Death Note Day: Death Note Collection Blu-ray Release Special Event, September 4th
(Directed by Shusuke Kaneko, 2006, 120min (Death Note), 140 min (Death Note II), Digital, Japanese with English subtitles)

VIZ Pictures celebrates its first Blu-ray release Death Note Collection with Death Note Day showing both Death Note & Death Note II on the brand new Blu-ray version with the vivid high-def visuals and THX sound at VIZ Cinema. Death Note is a psycho thriller film based on the bestselling manga and anime series. Tickets are $10.00 for each film or $15.00 for both screenings. $35.00 Special Blu-ray Package includes tickets to both screenings, the new Blu-ray and poster!

Paprika, September 11th
(Directed by Satoshi Kon, 2006,Digital, Japanese with English subtitles)

In memory of one of the greatest anime directors Satoshi Kon, who passed away at the age of 49 on August 24th, VIZ Cinema celebrates his work with a screening his masterpiece Paprika. This sci-fi epic centers on a new invention called the DC-Mini. With this revolutionary device, psychiatrists are now able to enter a patient's dreams in a therapeutic setting. But when an unknown assailant steals the devices, using them to manipulate people’s minds and the thin line between the conscious and the unconscious begins to blur. Yes Paprika challenges the same theme as Inception over 4 years ahead, but in incredible and breathtaking world of anime. Tickets are $10.00.

9/11 Truth Film Festival; Friday, 9/10 – Sunday 9/12

Join VIZ Cinema for the 9/11 Truth Film Festival and delve into the investigations and efforts to uncover what really happened on September 11, 2001. Tickets are $10.00 for each film.

Opening Night: Double Feature with Q&A, Friday, September 10th

9/11: Press For Truth (Q&A with filmmakers to follow)
(Directed by Ray Nowosielski, 2006, 75min, Digital, English Language)

The political becomes personal in 9/11: Press for Truth, which examines the World Trade Center attacks from the perspective of the families that lost loved ones.

Hypothesis
(Directed by Brett Smith, 2010, 48 min, Digital, English Language)

Hypothesis is a short documentary on Dr. Steven Jones and his 9/11 research on the destruction of the Twin Towers and WTC 7. The film tells Dr. Jones’ story in his own words and reflects the explosive controversy that ensued which resulted in everything from threats and bribes to academic suspension.

Double Feature of 9/11: Press For Truth and Hypothesis will also be screened on Sunday, September 12th.

Zero: An investigation to 9/11, Saturday, September 11th
(Directed by Francesco Tre, Franco Fracassi, 2007, 104min, Digital, Italian w/ English subtitles)

This feature documentary from Italian production company Telemaco explores the new scientific evidence and reveals dramatic new eyewitness testimony which directly conflicts with the U.S. Government’s account. Featuring presentations from intellectual heavy weights, Gore Vidal, and Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo, the film challenges many assumptions surrounding the attacks.

Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup, Saturday, September 11th
(Directed by Dylan Avery, 2009, 99min, Digital, English Language)

With the departure of the Bush Administration and the arrival of an era of transparency, new information has been disclosed that sheds more light on the events that took place before and after 9/11. Dramatically narrated by Daniel Sunjata of FX’s Rescue Me, and an outspoken advocate for the First Responders, Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup presents a wide array of evidence both known and unknown…until now.

War Promises, Saturday, September 11th and Sunday, September 12th
(Edited by Frank Hofer, 2009, 75min, Digital, German with English Subtitles)

In German documentary War Promises, insiders and whistleblowers try to bring what they know about to the public, including Annie Machon, who was a spy with the British MI5, and Andreas von Bülow and Jürgen Elsässer, who possess enormous insider knowledge from their membership in the parliamentary committee supervising the secret services.

False Flag, Saturday, September 11th and Sunday, September 12th
(Edited by Frank Hofer, 2007, 75min, Digital, German w/ English subtitles)

False Flag focuses on the inconsistencies in the official version of the events and the evidence that has been suppressed regarding 9/11. It also seeks to answer why we still know nothing about it and why we are being deceived – as well as in Europe.

J-POP SUMMIT WEEK: Pre-Festival Events + Festival Day

Monday, September 13th – Saturday, September 18th
From September 13th to 17th (Mon-Fri), NEW PEOPLE and VIZ Cinema will host films, anime, fashion, music and other forms of J-pop culture in a series of nightly events! Special gift bags will be given to all ticket holders each night.

TOKYOSCOPE TALK, Vol. 6: Bad Girls & Wild Women featuring Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion

Monday, September 13th at 7:00pm (Happy Hour starts at 6:00pm)
★ followed by screening of Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion
(Directed by Shunya Ito, 1973, 87min. Japanese with English subtitles)

Join host Patrick Macias (Editor, Otaku USA) for a unique look at sexy Stray Cats, Female Prisoners, Delinquent Bosses and other captivating and sexy bad girl roles from Japanese cinema. The evening will be complemented by a theatrical screening of the lurid prison film Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion. Adults only due to mature subject matter; 18+ General admission tickets for the discussion and film screening are $20.00.

ANIME NIGHT with Anime On Display & Crunchyroll
Tuesday, September 14th at 7:00pm and 8:45pm (Happy Hour and VIP Party starts at 7:30pm)

★ 2 Screenings of 5 Centimeters Per Second at 7pm & 8:45pm

Animation On Display, S.F.’s very own anime convention, joins forces with online content provider Crunchyroll for a theatrical presentation of Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second. Come meet other anime fans and join the fun with a special evening celebrating anime! General admission tickets are $10.00.

NOISE POP MEETS J-POP: Film Screening of 77 Boadrum

Preceded by Cornelius’ Music Video – Synchronized & Sensurround
Thursday, September 16th at 7:30pm (Happy Hour starts at 6:00pm)

Join Noise Pop, organizers of the leading independent music festival in the Bay Area, for a special theatrical presentation of 77 Boadrum, the official live documentary of the Japanese free-rock group the Boredoms’s live performance featuring 77 drummers at the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, NY. General admission tickets for the film screening are $10.00.

J-POP SUMMIT DAY – Saturday, September 18th

Detroit Metal City; San Francisco Premiere
(Directed by Toshio Lee, 2008, Japan, 104min, 35mm, Japanese with English Subtitles)

Based on the #1 death metal comedy manga series by Kiminori Wakasugi. Negishi (Kenichi Matsuyama) is a sweet and shy young man who dreams of becoming a trendy singer songwriter. But for some reason, he is forced into joining the devil worshiping death metal band “Detroit Metal City” (DMC). In full stage make-up and costume, he transforms into Johannes Krauser II (Sir Krauser) the vulgar-mouthed lead vocalist of the band. Against Negishi’s will, DMC rises to stardom. Now the legendary king of death metal Jack Il Dark (Gene Simmons) himself is challenging DMC to a duel. What is the fate of the innocent Negishi as he climbs to the top of the death metal world? Explicit language, viewer and parental discretion advised.

Also screens September 19th – September 30th

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.


About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.

Review: Superb "El Mariachi" Introduced Robert Rodriguez

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 64 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

El Mariachi (1992)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Mexico/USA; Language: Spanish
Running time: 81 minutes (1 hour, 21 minutes)
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Robert Rodriguez
PRODUCERS: Carlos Gallardo and Robert Rodriguez
CINEMATOGRAPHER/EDITOR: Robert Rodriguez

ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER/WESTERN

Starring: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gomez, Jamie de Hoyos, Reinol Martinez, and Peter Marquardt

The virtual one-man film studio, Robert Rodriguez, introduced himself to audiences around 1993 with his film, El Mariachi. The film, which garnered Rodriguez and his producing partner, Carlos Garner, an Independent Spirit Award for “Best First Feature,” chronicles the travails of an unnamed traveling musician known only as El Mariachi (Carlos Gallardo) who is mistaken for Azul (Reinol Martinez), a murderous criminal who carries his arsenal in a guitar case.

Both El Mariachi and Azul dress in black and carry a guitar case. Azul goes on a murdering rampage to get money owed to him by a former criminal associate, Mauricio (Peter Marquardt), also know as Moco. Azul kills several of Moco’s men, so Moco sends some of his hired killers out for Azul. They mistake El Mariachi for Azul; however, the musician is capable of defending himself, and he kills several of Moco’s men. El Mariachi takes up with a local bar owner, while he tries to straighten the mess he’s in, but it’s still all heading for a violent confrontation.

El Mariachi also won the “Audience Award” at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, and Columbia Pictures bought the film and distributed it later in the year. Like everyone who has seen it, I’m amazed that this tense, action thriller was filmed for $7,000. The truth of the matter is that Rodriguez is just super skilled at making the most of what he’s got, even if it’s very little.

The actors are mostly amateurs and people off the streets in a small town in Mexico, but Rodriguez makes them look like professionals. The action sequences are more riveting than those from most big-budget action movies. El Mariachi is a gun-slinging modern western that gives life to the genre, although its setting is almost a century after the setting for traditional westerns. Rodriguez takes “The Man with No Name” attitude of such Clint Eastwood films as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars and turns it into a raw, unpolished street fight. This is brilliant, bravado filmmaking that is perfect for action movie fans and movie lovers.

8 of 10
A

Monday, May 16, 2005

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Here Comes Negromancer for September 2010

Welcome to Negromancer, the rebirth of my former movie review website as a movie review and movie news blog. I’m Leroy Douresseaux, and I also blog at http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/ and write for the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phones apps).

All images appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

"The Back-up Plan" Needed Better Planning

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 72 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Back-up Plan (2010)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual content including references, some crude material and language
DIRECTOR: Alan Poul
WRITER: Kate Angelo
PRODUCERS: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Xavier Pérez Grobet
EDITOR: Priscilla Nedd-Friendly

COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O’Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Eric Christian Olsen, Anthony Anderson, Linda Lavin, Tom Bosley, and Robert Klein

When the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy, The Back-up Plan, opened in theatres back in April, I remember a few critics and commentators expressing the opinion that Lopez was too old to star in a romantic comedy. Of course, that is ridiculous… kind of. At 41-years-old (as of this writing), Lopez shouldn’t be playing ditzy 20-somethings who just can’t find Mr. Right.

The Back-up Plan, however, isn’t She’s All That or The Prince and Me, films in which the actresses playing the love interests were in their early 20s. Age of the actress shouldn’t be the issue. The issue should be the quality of the film, which is where The Back-up Plan has problems.

The movie is about Zoe (Jennifer Lopez), who after years of fruitless dating, has decided waiting for the right man is taking too long. Determined to become a mother, Zoe commits to a plan: to conceive a child through artificial insemination and goes through with it. That same day, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin), and though he annoys her at first, Stan starts to seem like a man with real possibilities. Zoe hopes that she does not become pregnant by the anonymous donor’s sperm just when she is finally meeting a guy with promise. However, when she learns that she is pregnant, Zoe has to come up with a back-up plan and hope Stan sticks around.

Part of The Back-up Plan is actually quite edgy. The script is pretty blunt about the dating game, pregnancy, and how having children can change a person’s life in ways that are beautiful and in ways that just drive a person freaking nuts. This movie is also frank about the not-so-pretty, bodily fluids part of conceiving, carrying, and birthing children. There is a birth scene in the second act that is gross and outrageous enough to be mesmerizing; it is a scene as good as anything in the Wedding Crashers and The Hangover.

Unfortunately, much of the movie, including the first hour, tries mightily to be a standard romance comedy and mostly falters or outright fails. It is as if everyone involved never realized that the edgy, gross stuff is what really resonates in this unconventional tale about two people whose relationships with the opposite sex are greatly affected by past traumas.

There is no point in talking about the acting, which is fairly good, because that is not what is frustrating about The Back-up Plan. The better part of this movie is that it is different, but the worse part is that it tries to be something it is not – a fluffy, childish romantic comedy full of giggles and silliness. The good stuff is worth seeing, and some viewers may even enjoy seeing potential keep shooting itself in the foot.

5 of 10
C+

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Negromancer Bits and Bites: "Takers" Producer Will Packer Talks to AOL

I hadn't noticed this rising star among African-American film producers (producers of color, anyone?).  AOL's Black Voices "BV on Movies" blog has an interview with Will Packer, the producer of Stomp the Yard, Obsessed (with Beyonce), and the current #1 movie in North America, Takers, starring Paul Walker, Idris Elba and Chris Brown (among others).

Review: "Why Did I Get Married?" Finds Laughs in the Drama of Married Life

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2008) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? (2007)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual references, and language
DIRECTOR: Tyler Perry
WRITER: Tyler Perry (based upon his play)
PRODUCERS: Tyler Perry and Reuben Cannon
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Toyomichi Kurita
EDITOR: Maysie Hoy
2008 Image Awards winner

DRAMA with elements of comedy and romance

Starring: Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Sharon Leal, Malik Yoba, Richard T. Jones, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Denise Boutte, Lamman Tucker, Keesha Sharp, and Kaira Whitehead

Why Did I Get Married? is the fourth Tyler Perry film in a little over two-and half years and Perry’s third directorial effort. Perry’s tried and true formula of inspiration, friendship, prayer, and God is evident in every moment of Why Did I Get Married?, and Perry’s continues to improve as a filmmaker.

Eight married college friends reunite for their annual retreat to an exotic locale. This year the retreat is a beautiful Lake Leland home in the snowy mountains of Colorado. Best-selling author and popular psychologist, Patricia (Janet Jackson), and her successful architect husband, Gavin (Malik Yoba), share a tragedy that may tear their marriage apart if the two ever decide to be open about it. Rising attorney Dianne (Sharon Leal) is career driven, but her supportive husband, Terry (Tyler Perry), is fed-up that his marriage is sexless and that the couple has only one child. Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael Jai White) argue all the time. The final couple is Shelia (Jill Scott), a sweet woman troubled by body-image issues because of she is way overweight. Her weight issues are exacerbated by her emotionally abusive husband, Mike (Richard T. Jones), who has actually brought his barely-secret mistress, Trina (Denise Boutte), on the retreat.

The friends expect fun and relaxation on their retreat, but when the secrets and lies come pouring out, friendships and marriages seem broken beyond repair. Then, Sheriff Troy (Lamman Tucker) comes to the rescue.

Tyler Perry’s “Black gospel theatre” stage plays are loud, raucous, and preachy, and the ones that Perry has adapted to film retain much of their spell-the-message-in-capital-letters charm. Not all of the acting is good Janet Jackson as Patricia and Sharon Leal as Dianne love to act it out loudly and, thus, are a bit too over the top. Still, Why Did I Get Married? works. You’ll find yourself pulling oh-so hard for the downtrodden and mistreated (especially Shelia), and loving it when the villains get their comeuppance (especially Mike). There’s plenty of reason to call up giant belly laughs or even howl with laughter (thanks to the delightful scene-stealing Tasha Smith as Angela).

The message here, as it always is in Perry’s work, is believe in yourself and never believe that God has abandoned you. Well, then, thank God for Tyler Perry – for making fine, entertaining films like Why Did I Get Married? with this simply, but too true message.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, February 28, 2008

NOTES:
2008 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Janet Jackson); 3 nominations: “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Jill Scott), “Outstanding Motion Picture,” and “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Tyler Perry)

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