Review: "History of the World: Part I" is as Funny as Ever (Happy B'day, Mel Brooks)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 205 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part I (1981)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – R
WRITER/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Mel Brooks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Woody Omens (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John C. Howard
COMPOSER: John Morris

COMEDY/HISTORICAL/MUSICAL

Starring: Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Ron Carey, Gregory Hines, Pamela Stephenson, Shecky Greene, Sid Caesar, Mary-Margaret Humes, Rudy De Luca, Andréas Voutsinas, Spike Milligan, and Orson Welles with Barry Levinson and John Hurt

The subject of this movie review is History of the World: Part I, a 1981 comedy film from writer-director Mel Brooks. The film is a parody the various kinds of historical films, including period costume dramas and sword and sandal epics. The catchphrase “It’s good to be the king” originated in this film. History of the World: Part I contains mock coming attractions for “History of the World: Part II,” but that was a joke, as no actual sequel was planned.

Mel Brooks writes, directs, produces, and plays five roles in his comedy semi-classic, History of the World: Part I. The film can be considered an anthology or a series of vignettes that take a farcical, skewered, and wacky view of history from the dawn of man through the cavemen, the Roman Empire, and the Spanish Inquisition, to the French Revolution. The film also features some appearances by Brooks’ films semi-regulars including Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman.

I can’t imagine why Brooks picked the particular pre-historical and historical periods he did; perhaps, they were the funniest to him or he found in them the most to send up. However, the film is only mildly funny until the Spanish Inquisition segment, which is a musical number with a dance routine that even features water ballet. Both the song and the dance numbers are both awesome and freaking hilarious. Perhaps, the film’s best bit is the closing segment, the French Revolution. Some of the most famous quotations from Mel Brooks’ films come from this side-splitting section. It alone is more than reason enough to see this film.

Most of the jokes here are sight gags and anachronisms, but when Brooks and his cast are “on” in this film, the picture really works, as in the aforementioned second half. It’s worth noting that History of the World: Part I is not a great work, but because of it does have some great moments, it’s not to be missed.

7 of 10
B+

Updated: Friday, June 28, 2013

Review: "Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle" Sputters

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 100 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence, sensuality and language/innuendo
DIRECTOR: McG
WRITERS: John August and Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley, from a story by John August (from the television program created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
PRODUCERS: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, and Nancy Juvonen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Wayne Wahrman
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur
Razzie Award winner

ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Lui, Demi Moore, Bernie Mac, Justin Theroux, Robert Patrick, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Crispin Glover, John Cleese, Shia LaBeouf, Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Pink, Jaclyn Smith, Bruce Willis (no screen credit), and John Forsythe (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, a 2003 action comedy from director McG. This movie is a direct sequel to the 2000 film, Charlie’s Angels. Both films are based on the television series, “Charlie’s Angels,” which was originally broadcast on ABC from 1976 to 1981. As in the first film, Full Throttle stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women employed by a private investigation agency and working for the voice known as “Charlie.”

Charlie’s Angels, the 2000 film remake of the 70-80’s TV show of the same name, was a hoot, a delightful and highly entertaining action/comedy with the guile of a cool Frank Miller comic book. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, the 2003 sequel, is an overblown, way over-the-top Hollywood production that’s way too full of crap, and miraculously, it still manages to be somewhat entertaining.

It’s pointless to even attempt to describe the plot, as it’s muddled nonsense. The real plot involves the indelicate manner in which the filmmakers place Charlie’s Angels in positions and situations that create mondo opportunities for shots of tits and ass. Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Lui) return as Charlie Townsend’s (voice of John Forsythe) high tech-trained, super-powered, manga-like cuties. This time the grrrrls have to retrieve two encrypted rings, which when combined give up the locations of people in the FBI witness relocation program, and wouldn’t the bad guys love to have that info.

McG, the director of the first film, returns to helm this gigantic, flatulent cartoon that is Full Throttle. The script is lame, but all McG has to do is make the pictures look good, and, as a music video director, he knows how to do that. Imagine The Matrix on drain cleaner, Japanese cartoons (anime) on fast forward, soft porn on the rag, and comic books conceived by horny, high school upper classmen and dull-witted sorority boys and you have the Charlie’s Angel's sequel. Don’t get me wrong; there are lots of laughs. It’s difficult to tell if the filmmakers were trying to be clever or if they were cynical enough to believe that audiences really would take it ‘tween the cheeks. The end result is this dumb as a low-rent retard movie.

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle parodies action movie clichés…badly, and also throws in a stiff riff from Martin Scorcese’s Cape Fear. It’s just too over the top and too much of a crack-addled cartoon. I did like the way the filmmakers tried to created the vibe of a family extended around the Angels; that actually gave me warm feelings. Still, I was half enthralled and half bored out of my mind. For all the fun I had, there were as many moments when I wondered why the experience of seeing this felt so wasteful. This is simply too much candy, and frankly, unless you really crave an empty movie experience, you can wait for the tape. Someone might tell you that this is a sly, wink-wink, nudge-nudge movie and you have to take it for what it is. If he tries to spin trash as something smart, he is a way-too-easy ho for the big, movie making machine in la-dee-da land.

4 of 10
C

NOTES:
2004 Razzie Awards: 2 wins: “Worst Remake or Sequel” and “Worst Supporting Actress” (Demi Moore); 5 nominations: “Worst Actress” (Drew Barrymore, also for Duplex-2003), “Worst Actress” (Cameron Diaz), “Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie” (All Concept/No Content!), “Worst Picture” (Columbia), and “Worst Screenplay” (John August-also story, Cormac Wibberley, and Marianne Wibberley)

Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013

Review: "Charlie’s Angels" Pure Pop Pleasure

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 99 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Charlie’s Angels (2000)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence, innuendo and some sensuality/nudity
DIRECTOR: McG
WRITERS: Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon, and John August (from the television series by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
PRODUCERS: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, and Nancy Juvonen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Peter Teschner and Wayne Wahrman
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur

ACTION/COMEDY

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Kelly Lynch, Tim Curry, Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Tom Green, LL Cool J, and John Forsythe (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Charlie’s Angels, a 2000 action comedy from director McG (the stage name of Joseph McGinty Nichol). The film is an adaptation of the television series, “Charlie’s Angels,” which was originally broadcast on ABC from 1976 to 1981. The film stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women employed by a private investigation agency and working for the voice known as “Charlie.”

When I first saw Charlie’s Angels, the big-screen adaptation of the late 70’s television series of the same name, I was sure that it was the best action/comedy that I’d seen in years, if ever. Having seen it again in anticipation of the 2003 sequel, I’m sure that it is one of the best action movies I’ve ever seen and one of the best action/comedies ever made. Although the film’s tongue is firmly planted in the Angel’s cheeks and the film is geared towards men, it’s so very entertaining that everyone should get the joke.

The mysterious Charles “Charlie” Townsend (voice of John Forsythe) has three very special little ladies in his employ: Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Liu). Under the supervision of John Bosley (Bill Murray), Charlie’s Angels use martial arts, high tech skills, and sex appeal in their investigation work for clients who can afford Charlie’s agency. This time the client is kidnap victim Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) who runs a giant software company. The girls not only have to rescue him, but also have to retrieve Knox’s revolutionary voice-ID software. However, the girls run into more than they were told to expect, including a sleazy billionaire (Tim Curry) and his mysterious, tall, thin, ass-kickin’ bodyguard (Crispin Glover).

Directed by music video maestro McG (videos for Korn and Sugar Ray, among others), Charlie's Angels is a high-octane, comic book-styled, action movie parody and farce. None of it should be taken seriously, least of all its conspiracy-within-a-conspiracy script. This is played for fun, recalling the best action movie scenes and clichés: car chases, exploding buildings, pumping soundtrack, quick-cut editing, and Matrix-style “wire-fu” martial arts. Maybe the funniest thing about this film is that this time women do the butt stomping. Usually in action movies, the girls are just the hang-ons of the male stars, following them around and screaming at the appropriate moments during gun fights, fist fights, car chases, aircraft falling out the sky, explosions, etc. This time the girls are in control. This time their sex appeal rules the story instead of just being sex used to decorate the violence. The ladies kick the butts and leave the men panting.

It’s all done so stylishly, and it’s all good and so cool. The vapid material gets inspired performances from the cast, but the actors really make this fun to watch. Bill Murray is tired though. His Bosley is just him doing his shtick, but it is so uninspired that he should have been embarrassed to see himself in the finished product. He was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again.

But don’t let that keep you from watching this funny, exciting, and very wild action cartoon. Come on. Pull the stick out. Sit back and be entertained by this delicious serving of popcorn movie.

7 or 10
B+

NOTES:
2001 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Song” (Jean Claude Olivier-Writer, Samuel Barnes-Writer, Cory Rooney-Writer, Beyoncé Knowles-Writer, and Destiny’s Child-Performers for the song “Independent Women Part 1”)

Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013

New "Transformers 4" Car - June 25, 2013

Another new car from Michael Bay's Transformers 4!

Considered a masterpiece of design and engineering, this fierce, 2013 blood red Pagani Huayra, is named after an ancient Andean God of Wind.

Review: "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" Surprisingly Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong fantasy horror violence and gore, brief sexuality/nudity and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Tommy Wirkola
PRODUCERS: Will Ferrell, Beau Flynn, Chris Henchy, and Adam McKay
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Bonvillain (director of photography)
EDITOR: Jim Page
COMPOSER: Atli Örvarsson

FANTASY/HORROR/ACTION with elements of comedy

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Pihla Viitala, Derek Mears, Robin Atkin Downes, Thomas Mann, Peter Stormare, Rainer Bock, Bjorn Sundquist, Thomas Scharff, Kathrin Kuhnel, Cedric Eich, and Alea Sophia Boudodimos

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a 2013 action, horror, and dark fantasy film from director Tommy Wirkola. The American-German co-production was presented in 3D during its theatrical release. The film follows a brother and sister team of bounty hunters that tracks and kills witches all over the world.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters introduces a young brother and young sister who enter a gingerbread house and end up fighting horrid old witch for their lives. Many years after surviving that incident, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) are famed bounty hunters who merciless eradicate witches for payment.

One day, they arrive in the town of Augsburgh just in time to stop Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare) from killing Mina (Pihla Viitala), a young woman accused of witchcraft. While the Sheriff disdains them, Mayor Engleman (Rainer Bock) welcomes Hansel and Gretel, because he hopes they will find and rescue several children that were abducted by witches and their troll ally, Edward (Derek Mears and Robin Atkin Downes). This will be the siblings’ biggest challenge yet. Muriel (Famke Janssen), a powerful witch, has plans for a special Sabbath known as the Blood Moon. Those plans have huge implications for Hansel and Gretel and will reveal the deepest secrets of the sibling’ past.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters has a strong current of black comedy running throughout the film. The filmmakers didn’t pretend that their movie should be for children, so the movie is violent and gleefully gory, in ways both shocking and funny. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters mixes the weird Western sub-genre with the hard-charging action-horror film. It’s like Django Unchained meets Army of Darkness.

Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are odd as Hansel and Gretel. They really don’t seem to have screen chemistry, which somehow makes them have a peculiar kind of screen bond. Renner is sullen and grim as Hansel, while Arterton often has her nose in the air, like an upper class bratty girl. Whenever they deviate from that, it ends up being a welcomed surprise and twist, giving the characters a little depth.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is by no means a great film. For one thing, Muriel is under-utilized or under-developed as a villain. Still, like a Sam Raimi horror film (The Evil Dead franchise), Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a good time. How can I tell? When the movie ended, I wanted more. I even want a sequel.

6 of 10
B

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

"Evangelion 3.0" Premieres at 2013 Japan Film Festival

The 2013 JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO TEAMS WITH FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT TO OFFER THE EXCLUSIVE U.S. PREMIERE OF EVANGELION 3.0 YOU CAN (NOT) REDO AT NEW PEOPLE CINEMA

The First-Ever Dedicated Japanese Film Festival For The S.F. Bay Area Premieres The Latest Anime Sci-Fi Feature In Director Hideki Anno’s Rebuild Of Evangelion Saga During The 2013 J-POP Summit

The 2013 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF), the first fully-dedicated annual Japanese film event for the S.F. Bay Area, has just announced an exciting new addition to its programming as it partners with leading anime distributor FUNimation Entertainment to present the exclusive U.S. premiere of Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo. This new, high octane anime sci-fi thriller will be seen for the first time by U.S. audiences exclusively at NEW PEOPLE Cinema on Saturday, July 27th at 11:00am, and also presented as part of programming for the 2013 J-POP Summit Festival. The film will be presented with original Japanese dialogue featuring English subtitles.

Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo will have two encore screenings, on Monday, July 29th at 7:00pm, and again on Sunday, August 4th at 11:00am. Tickets are $13.00 each. NEW PEOPLE Cinema is located at 1746 Post St. (cross street is Webster St.) in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown. A complete schedule and advance ticket information are available on www.jffsf.org.

Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo, aka “Evangelion: The New Movie: Q,” is the third of four films released in the Rebuild of Evangelion saga, directed by Hideaki Anno. Fourteen years after the third impact, Shinji awakens to a world he does not recognize and his body has not aged a single day. Earth lies in ruins and those he once fought valiantly to protect have cruelly turned against him. NERV is nothing but a distant memory. Trapped in a harrowing cycle of death and rebirth, Shinji continues to courageously battle the angels – even as the world spirals down towards what could be a tragic end.

“We’re extremely honored to make this U.S. premiere of Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo a special part of the first-ever Japan Film Festival of San Francisco,” says Manami Iiboshi, the Executive Director of Japan Film Festival of San Francisco. “The film was one of the biggest recent movie blockbusters in Japan and its screening at the 2013 J-POP Summit will be a must-see for many anime fans! We know this show may sell-out so we have also announced a pair of encore showings the following week. Don’t miss the opportunity to catch the exciting latest chapter in one of Japan’s most celebrated sci-fi properties on the big screen at San Francisco’s one-and-only NEW PEOPLE Cinema!”

The Japan Film Festival of San Francisco takes place Saturday, July 27th thru Sunday, August 4th and will deliver vivid cross-section of the best in recent Japanese anime as well as live-action cinema and is presented in conjunction with the 2013 J-POP Summit. Marking its 5th Anniversary, the annual J-POP Summit takes place Saturday July 27th and Sunday July 28th across the city’s historic Japantown district and celebrates the phenomenon of Japanese pop culture with a colorful array of live bands and artists, panel discussions, film premieres, edgy fashion shows and DJ dance events, celebrity appearances and more.

The J-POP Summit Festival is hosted and organized by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2012, the two-day event attracted nearly 65,000 attendees. More information is available at www.J-POP.com.

NEW PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat cinema located in the underground floor of NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco. Equipped with a cutting-edge HD digital projection and THX®-certified sound system, NEW PEOPLE Cinema is home for local film festivals and entertaining events. www.newpeoplecinema.com


About J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL
The J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL is an annual Japanese Pop Culture celebration that features live bands and artists from Japan, pop culture panel discussions, film premieres, fashion and DJ dance events, and celebrity appearances. The Festival is hosted by NEW PEOPLE in cooperation with the Japantown Merchants Association. In 2012, the two-day event attracted 65,000 attendees.

More information about the J-POP Summit Festival is available at J-POP.com.

Review: "Parental Guidance" Good for Families

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 44 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Parental Guidance (2012)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some rude humor
DIRECTOR: Andy Fickman
WRITERS: Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse
PRODUCERS: Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, and Billy Crystal
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dean Semler (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Kent Beyda
COMPOSER: Marc Shaiman

COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott, Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Rhoda Griffis, and Gedde Watanabe

Parental Guidance is a 2012 comedy and family film from director Andy Fickman. The film stars Billy Crystal and Bette Midler as grandparents who agree to look after their three grandchildren whose modern kid attitudes clash with their old-school ways.

Artie and Diane Decker (Bette Midler and Billy Crystal) live in California. Artie is the announcer for the Fresno Grizzlies, until he is fired because he is not familiar with new technology and social media. Diane thinks this is the perfect opportunity to take their daughter, Alice (Marisa Tomei), and her husband, Phil Simmons (Tom Everett Scott), up on an offer to watch their three children, while they attend a conference in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Artie and Diane fly to Atlanta where Alice and her family live, but they have a few misgivings about the week with the children. In recent years, they have not seen their grandchildren much, and are now practically “the other grandparents.” Plus, Artie and Diane are old school, while Alice and Phil are type-A helicopter parents who micromanage their children’s’ lives and overdo it on building self-esteem.

Artie and Diane are quickly reacquainted with the grandchildren: eldest child and daughter, 12-year-old Harper (Bailee Madison); the middle child, 8-year-old Turner (Joshua Rush), who has a stutter; and 5-year-old Barker (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf), who has an imaginary friend, a kangaroo he’s named Carl. The children think their grandparents are weird, and Barker calls Artie, “Farty.” Now, Artie and Diane have a week to get to really know their only three grandchildren, but that means they’ll have to earn these youngsters’ trust and love.

Parental Guidance starts off as one of those movies created by people who criticize the way other people rear their children. People see sports leagues that give every participating child a trophy simply for participating as a sign of the apocalypse. I have to admit that I find parents that won’t tell their children “No” or “Don’t” in order not to inhibit their creativity, ridiculous. But the republic will survive parents that don’t set boundaries for their children… I hope.

The movie, however, is really about the grandparents, Artie and Diane Decker, and their relationship-building with their grandchildren. The movie follows the struggle of the old school grandparents versus the modern, excessively tolerant parents to a lesser extent. And Parental Guidance is better for it. Who wants to see a movie about two people and their daughter and son-in-law exchanging harsh, snide comments about parenting? I don’t, although I don’t know about you, dear reader.

In some ways, Parental Guidance is mediocre, which is most obvious when Crystal and Midler have to over-act and over-react to make up for flimsy character development. Andy Fickman’s direction is professional and functional, but is also colorless and sometimes uneven.

But the magic in Parental Guidance is watching two grandparents bond with their lovely grandchildren. This film is more sweet than sentimental, and there are moments when the interaction between a grandparent and child seems genuine and honest. The kick-the-can and Turner calls the Giants game scenes make this movie a winner in spite of any blemishes. Talk about a feel good movie: Parental Guidance might be a frothy take on the grandparents and grandchildren dynamic, but it is an irresistible treat.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, June 18, 2013