Review: "Insidious" Scarier Than Darth Sidious

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 59 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Insidious (2011)
Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic material, violence, terror and frightening images, and brief strong language
DIRECTOR: James Wan
WRITER: Leigh Whannell
PRODUCERS: Jason Blum, Oren Peli, and Steven Schneider
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: David M. Brewer (D.o.P.) and John R. Leonetti (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Kirk M. Morri and James Wan
COMPOSER: Joseph Bishara

HORROR/FANTASY/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, and Andrew Astor

Insidious is a 2011 supernatural horror film from the people behind films like Saw and Paranormal Activity. This film was a surprise hit during this past spring, and some reviews compared it favorably to The Exorcist. Actually, Insidious only shares a few ideas and elements with the classic, 1973 Oscar-winning horror movie. I would say that it is more similar to the 1982 hit, Poltergeist. On its own, Insidious is a superb scary movie that can occasionally freeze your blood.

The story focuses on young parents, Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne), and, as the film begins, they are moving into a new house with their three children. Their eldest child, a son named Dalton (Ty Simpkins), falls into a coma, and then, weird things begin to happen. The house is filled with noises, voices, and occasionally, the appearance of strange figures.

In a desperate move to escape the madness, Josh and Renai move the family to a new home, but the supernatural events follow them and increase in intensity and in violence. Then, Josh’s mother, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey), and her friend, Elise Reiner (Lin Shaye), arrive with something shocking to tell the couple about the horror.

To put it simply, Insidious works because the creators know that scary movies do not have to scare audiences with blood, gore, loud noises, or monsters jumping out of the closet. Although Insidious does have some ghostly beings in the closet, the film relies on a chilly atmosphere to scare. The atmospherics make viewers anticipate ethereal frights and also those sneaky happenings that will make their skin crawl.  Joseph Bishara's edgy score will also have some skin crawling.

The film also depends on its characters, and while they aren’t great, they do their part to make this movie work. Elise, Specs (Leigh Whannell), and Tucker (Angus Sampson) are funny and seem like they stepped out of The X-Files.

Insidious falls apart a little in the second half, and the ending is a little predictable. However, the ending is done in such a way that it, like the rest of the film, will stay on your mind for a few days. I heartily recommend Insidious for those who enjoy horror movies about supernatural possession and evil spirits.

7 of 10
A-

Thursday, July 14, 2011

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Harry Potter Brings "Deathly Hallows - Part 2" to Ultimate Fan Celebration

Celebrate “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2” at the Ultimate Fan Celebration

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Be a part of history and celebrate the final adventure of the most successful film franchise of all time at the Ultimate Fan Celebration for Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2.” The event is being held on Thursday, July 14th at Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, from 9:00 p.m. to the midnight hour, when the film officially opens.

L.A.’s hit music station Power 106 will be hosting the event. Fans gathered for the midnight showing will have the opportunity to be entered to win prizes, including soundtracks, t-shirts, hats and much more!

In “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.

The film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, reprising their roles as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The ensemble cast also includes Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Ciarán Hinds, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Matthew Lewis, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Julie Walters and Bonnie Wright.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” was directed by David Yates, and produced by David Heyman, David Barron and J.K. Rowling. Screenwriter Steve Kloves adapted the screenplay, based on the book by J.K. Rowling. Lionel Wigram served as the executive producer.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films Production, a David Yates Film, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” which is the first Harry Potter film to be released in both 3D and 2D. The film opens nationwide on Friday, July 15, 2011, and is rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images.

http://www.harrypotter.com/

Review: "Clear and Present Danger" is Presently Really Good (Happy B'day, Harrison Ford)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 66 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Clear and Present Danger (1994)
Running time: 141 minutes (2 hours, 21 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some intense action/violence and language
DIRECTOR: Philip Noyce
WRITERS: Donald Stewart, Steven Zaillian, and John Milius
PRODUCERS: Mace Neufeld and Robert Rehme
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Donald McAlpine
EDITOR: Neil Travis
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/ESPIONAGE/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe, Anne Archer, Joaquim de Alemeida, Henry Czerny, Harris Yulin, Donald Moffat, Miguel Sandoval, Benjamin Bratt, Raymond Cruz, Thora Birch, Ann Magnuson, Greg Germann, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Belita Moreno, Ted Raimi, and James Earl Jones

Tom Clancy’s intrepid CIA agent, Jack Ryan, makes his third big screen appearance, with Harrison Ford reprising the role of Ryan, which he first played in 1992’s Patriot Games, after replacing Alec Baldwin, who played Ryan in The Hunt for Red October.

When his mentor, Admiral James Greer (James Earl Jones) becomes gravely ill, Jack Ryan (Ford) is assigned the position of acting CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence, but he meets some resistance in the form of two fellow CIA officers, Robert Ritter (Henry Czerny) and James Cutter (Harris Yulin). Ryan’s first assignment is to investigate the murder of a prominent U.S. businessman and his family. A friend of President Bennett (Donald Moffat), the murdered businessman apparently had secret ties to a Columbian drug lord, Ernesto Escobedo (Miguel Sandoval).

Unbeknownst to Ryan, Ritter and Cutter, with an unofficial, official go-ahead from President Bennett, have already dispatched a Columbian-based U.S. field operative named John Clark (Willem Dafoe) to lead a paramilitary force against the Columbian drug lords, Escobedo in particular. Ryan also finds that he must match wits with a Latin American version of himself, (Joaquim De Alemeida), who works for Escobedo. Caught in the middle of a brewing scandal and the crossfire of an illegal war, Ryan risks his career and life and jumps into the fray to uncover the thing that means the most to him – the truth.

Clear and Present Danger is the kind of espionage thriller that stands up to repeated viewings because it is also a very good drama, but the main reason the film remains popular is Harrison Ford. As he did so well from the early to the mid-90’s, Ford plays the self-righteous, heroic, sensitive macho man who fights for truth and justice (and sometimes the American way). He is a do-right man, but not just for the ladies. Here, he plays it to the hilt, grim-faced when confronted by lies and wrongful death, grim and solemn over a friend or colleague’s demise, and grimly but gamely going after the baddies.

Clear and Present Danger presents a cerebral Jack Ryan against a cast of Machiavellian bad guys, in particularly a trio of Americans willfully and recklessly waging a misguided and illegal war in the name of revenge and political expediency. Sound familiar? Although Clear and Present Danger seems at times to be a television mini-series (length and narrative structure), this timeless and timely tale, propped up by an amazing leading man (in the true sense of the term), maintains its edge and thrills.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1995 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing” (Bruce Stambler and John Leveque) and “Best Sound” (Donald O. Mitchell, Michael Herbick, Frank A. Montaño, and Art Rochester)

Monday, April 03, 2006

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Review: "Star Trek: Generations" Does Not Stray Far from the TV Series

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 211 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Star Trek: Generations (1994)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: David Carson
WRITERS: Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga; from a story by Ronald D. Moore, Brannon Braga, and Rick Berman (based on the TV series “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry)
PRODUCER: Rick Berman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John A. Alonzo
EDITOR: Peter E. Berger, A.C.E.

SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE/DRAMA

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Malcolm McDowell, James Doohan, Walter Koening, William Shatner, Alan Ruck, Tim Russ, and Whoppi Goldberg

In 1994, the seventh film in the Star Trek movie franchise debuted in theatres, but unlike the previous six films, this one featured a new incarnation of the U.S.S. Enterprise (Enterprise-D) and a new crew, led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Star Trek: Generations starred the cast of the second Trek series, “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” which ran for seven seasons from 1987-1994 in syndication.

While investigating a disaster at an outlying observation station, the crew of the Enterprise finds that the catastrophe’s sole survivor is Dr. Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell), an intense man insistent that he be allowed to complete his work on the station. Soran turns out to be of the same race as the Enterprise’s bartender, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg, who did not receive a screen credit in the film), the El Aurian. Soran has malevolent plans for a roaming energy field called The Nexus, which involves the destruction of the Veridian solar system. When Picard tries to intervene, he becomes caught in the Nexus and meets a man presumed-dead the last time a U.S.S. Enterprise (Enterprise-B) tangled with The Nexus, the retired Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner).

Star Trek: Generations is a good, but not great film, which is the same way one can categorize it as part of the Trek pantheon – good, but not great. Perhaps, it needs to grow on the audience; in fact, I certainly liked it much more the second time I saw it than I did the first. Generations is simply an extended version of the TV show, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” put in the context of a feature film, meaning a longer story, better special effects, and improved production values (even a few scenes of exceptional cinematography).

The acting is more or less the same as in the TV show with a moment here and there of more thoughtful performances. Malcolm McDowell brings a welcome jolt of viciousness as the single-minded Soran. The actors playing the Klingons also bring the same kind of intensity to their performances, as did the actors who played the aliens in the earlier installments of the franchise. Even director David Caruso seems to spring to life when the Klingons are involved.

The best parts of the film are those that take place in the past and involve the only three cast members from the original “Star Trek” television series and films to appear in Star Trek: Generations. Seeing Shatner, Koening, and Doohan made me sad because for all intents and purposes, their Trek can only exist as artifacts from a long time ago.

6 of 10
B

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

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"Gantz II" Lands at 2011 Comic-Con International

THEATRICAL SCREENINGS OF LIVE ACTION SCI-FI THRILLER GANTZ AND GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER ANNOUNCED BY NEW PEOPLE ENTERTAINMENT

Japanese Sci-Fi Live-Action Film And New Sequel Based On Hit Anime/Manga Series Set To Screen In

San Diego During 2011 Comic-Con

San Francisco, CA, July 12, 2011 – NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. that focuses on the licensing and distribution of Japanese films and media, has announced a series of special theatrical screenings of the live action sci-fi thriller GANTZ and its sequel, GANTZ II: Perfect Answer, at the Pacific Gaslamp 15 Theatres in San Diego, CA.

GANTZ screens on Friday, July 22nd at 6:00pm and 9:00pm, while GANTZ II: Perfect Answer screens on Saturday, July 23rd at 6:00pm and also at 9:00pm. Both films will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. The film screenings will take place during the 2011 Comic-Con International, the country’s largest comic book, science fiction and pop culture event, which takes place at the nearby San Diego Convention Center.

Tickets to the GANTZ screenings are now available for online purchase at www.fandango.com/gaslampstadium_aaeet/theaterpage?date=7/22/2011. Seating is extremely limited to advance ticket purchase is highly recommended. Tickets are $15.00 each.

GANTZ is based on a popular manga series created by Hiroya Oku. The ongoing 31-volume sci-fi action epic is a bestseller in Japan with sales exceeding 16 million copies and is also published in North America by Dark Horse Comics. Both films star leading Japanese actors Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City).

NEW PEOPLE Entertainment plans to release the first GANTZ film on DVD and Blu-ray on August 30th. The release will include both English and Japanese dialogue options and a bonus disc with an exclusive director’s interview.

“Audiences will be in for a thrill with the kinetic big screen action of these films with elements that remain true to the original manga comic and anime series as well as an exciting original storyline for the second film,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of NEW PEOPLE Inc. “Ever since the U.S. premiere of the first GANTZ film in January, legions of fans asked us when the sequel would be released. Comic-Con provides the ideal backdrop for these screenings and we’ll be teaming up with Dark Horse Comics to do some special promotions during the convention. Stay tuned for more details coming later this month on this exciting film event!”

In the first GANTZ film, Kei Kurono and his childhood friend, Masaru Kato, attempt to save a man who has fallen onto the train tracks but are run down by an oncoming train. However, rather than finding themselves dead, they are transported to a strange apartment in which they find a mysterious black orb known as ‘GANTZ’. Along with others there, they are provided weaponry and sent on missions to battle alien beings and gain “points”. Is this world, which tests your will to survive, a game or reality?

How will we face the end? The GANTZ saga meets its ultimate conclusion in GANTZ II: Perfect Answer, which offers an intensely gripping story-line yet to be known to even readers of the original manga series. Determined to resurrect his friends who have died on previous missions, Kei and other members trapped in the world of GANTZ aim to score the 100 points needed to break through and regain their freedom. But with the emergence of a mysterious man investigating the Gantz members, Gantz begins to act up and the next target shocks the members. Some fight for love, some for justice but what will each member sacrifice?


About NEW PEOPLE, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE, Inc. (www.newpeopleworld.com) offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan through its unique entertainment destination as well as through licensing and distribution of selective Japanese films. NEW PEOPLE Entertainment (www.newpeopleent.com), a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. strives to offer the most entertaining motion pictures straight from the "Kingdom of Pop" for audiences of all ages, especially the manga and anime generation, in North America. Some titles include DEATH NOTE, GANTZ, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, and THE TASTE OF TEA.

Movie Review: "G" is a Black Soap Opera

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 168 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

G (2002)
Opening date: September 16, 2005 (limited)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA - R for language, some sexuality and brief violence
DIRECTOR: Christopher Scott Cherot
WRITERS: Charles E. Drew, Jr. and Christopher Scott Cherot, from a story by Andrew Lauren and Charles E. Drew, Jr.
PRODUCERS: Judd Landon and Andrew Lauren
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Horacio Marquínez
EDITOR: Brad Lauren and Robert Reitano

DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring: Richard T. Jones, Blair Underwood, Chenoa Maxwell, Andre Royo, Andrew Lauren, Laz Alonso, Lalanya Masters, Nicoye Banks, Jillian Lindsey, and Sonja Sohn

Shot in 2001 and traveling the film festival circuit since 2002, the film, G, took as its inspiration, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel, The Great Gatsby. In the film, a rap music mogul builds a hip hop record empire solely to win back the love of his life, whom he met in college.

Tre (Andre Royo), a writer for a New York hip hop magazine called True Flow, is visiting the Hamptons in hopes of landing an interview with the Sean “P. Diddy” Combs-like, Summer G (Richard T. Jones). While in the Hamptons, he stays with his cousin, Sky Hightower (Chenoa Maxwell), and her husband, Chip Hightower (Blair Underwood), a wealthy businessman, who are Summer G’s neighbors.

Sky and Chip’s marriage is in the dumpster because of Chip’s many infidelities. In fact, Chip, whose father owns True Flow magazine, coerces Tre into assisting him in one of his affairs with another woman. Tre and Sky later attend one of Summer’s hip hop house parties, where Tre is shocked to discover that Summer and Sky have a past. Angered by Chip’s earlier intimidation, Tre assists Summer in restarting his old relationship with Sky, something that has dire consequences for everyone around Summer G.

Although The Great Gatsby inspires G, it’s only on a surface level. The film is by no means an adaptation of the novel; G more or less uses Gatsby’s setting and some of its plot points and characters as a springboard. G isn’t really about anything, although it attempts in a small way to discuss how much, if any, heart hip hop has. If anything, G is an African-American soap opera. Part TV movie (think Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) arabesque romance/soap opera telefilms), G is about spouses and lovers cheating on one another and the subsequent about backstabbing.

The acting ranges from quite good to amateurish. Blair Underwood turns in a tight professional performance; his Chip Hightower is a sly, lying, firecracker of violence always on the verge of exploding, so that adds a nice sheen of suspense to the story. Andre Royo is weak as Tre, but the character still works as the one who introduces us to this “colored” part of the Hamptons. Chenoa Maxwell is about of equal skill to Royo, and does more preening and posing than acting. However, two superb supporting actors and their characters bless this film: Nicoye Banks as B. Mo Smoov and Jillian Lindsey as Daizy Duke. Banks’ B. Mo Smoov adds a touch of hip hop credibility, humor, and philosophy to the film, so it’s a shame his character didn’t have a larger part. Ms. Lindsey sparkles as the messy and conniving Daizy, always slinking around like a sneaky cat, trying to get into other people’s business. Once again, she is another character that needed a bigger and more substantial part, in terms of story and character, in G. As Summer G, the title character, Richard T. Jones has an imposing presence, but a combination of a slight script and some shaky decisions in his performance, make Summer G a supporting character rather than a title character.

If there is one thing that does make G stand out, it’s the script. The directing and acting are all a little raw around the edges. The script may not have a plot that rises above the soap opera theatrics or much characterization, but it does have is flashy and witty dialogue. Just listening to the characters speak, even the weak ones, is just the kind of treat we expect when buying a movie ticket – in G, people say the darndest things. G certainly aspires to be cultural and social commentary, and fails at that because the screenplay focuses more on gossipy, romantic entanglements. But the dialogue makes G a highly entertaining soap opera.

6 of 10
B

Friday, November 04, 2005

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Review: Giamatti, Hoffman Golden in "Barney's Version"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 58 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Barney’s Version (2010)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada
Running time: 134 minutes; MPAA – R for language and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Richard J. Lewis
WRITER: Michael Konyves (based upon the novel by Mordecai Richler)
PRODUCER: Robert Lantos
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Guy Dufaux
EDITOR: Susan Shipton
COMPOSER: Pasquale Catalano
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, Rosamund Pike, Scott Speedman, Anna Hopkins, Jake Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Bruce Greenwood, Rachelle Lefevre, Thomas Trabacchi, Clé Bennett, Saul Rubinek, Mark Addy, and David Cronenberg, Denys Arcand, and Atom Egoyan

Barney’s Version is a 2010 Canadian film based upon the 1997 novel of the same title by Mordecai Richler. A comedy and drama, Barney’s Version looks at three decades in the life of a picaresque character and his three wives.

Impulsive, irascible, and fearlessly blunt with a foul mouth, Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) is a Jewish Canadian television producer who drinks hard, smokes too many cigars, and is a rabid hockey fan. He owns Totally Unnecessary Productions, which produces a long-running soap opera, “Constable O’Malley of the North.”

At the age of 65, Barney looks back on his life. There is success and wealth, but there are also many mistakes and failures. Underlying his story are three wives: Clara “Chambers” Charnofsky (Rachelle Lefevre), a free-spirit who loves free love (and Barney’s friends); the second wife, Mrs. Panofsky (Minnie Driver), a talkative, self-centered Jewish princess; and Miriam Grant (Rosamund Pike), the love of his life who gives birth to his children. Also part of Barney’s life story is Bernard “Boogie” Moscovitch (Scott Speedman), a drug addict and failed writer who gets Barney in trouble with the law.

Barney’s Version is marked by some good performances, and, in particular, a topnotch lead performance by Paul Giamatti, who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Barney Panofsky. Dustin Hoffman, as Barney’s father, Izzy Panofsky, gives one of those robust, fragrant supporting performances that stand out from the other supporting performances. Like many films that make extensive use of flashbacks, however, Barney’s Version ends up looking like an interesting highlight reel rather than a fully developed story that is, in turn, about something or that is built around a solid thematic structure.

I’m not saying that Barney’s Version is not a good movie, but simply that it seems like no more than bits and pieces of a larger story about one of those great fictional characters that grab a hold of our imagination. By the end of Barney’s Version, I thought, “This is good, but there is more. Something is missing.” Still, movie lovers who love character dramas will want to try Barney’s Version.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2011 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Makeup” (Adrien Morot)

2011 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Paul Giamatti)

Friday, July 08, 2011

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