Now Very Bad…

Category: Movies

  • Geography Club (2013)

    Geography Club (2013)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Important with capital “I” movie feels almost like an after-school special. Not bad for all that, but there is a definite small screen feel.

    Geography Club

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Geography Club:

    Streamed this on a lark. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but the blurb on Netflix gave no impression that it was a movie about gay teens. I thought I was watching a movie about geeks or being bullied. That it was so narrowly focused on one group of teens needing support didn’t lessen its impact, but it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity to speak in more general terms about high school hell. Still, it was only 83 minutes, so they really couldn’t afford to bite off too much, I suppose.

    Geography Club

    Once I finally realized what the movie was about, it was a good story. The movie is based off of a novel by the same name, the first in a series of books by Brent Hartinger. Protagonist Russell Middlebrook (Cameron Deane Stewart) is struggling with his sexuality. He’s unsure, but definitely attracted to hunky jock Kevin Land (Justin Deeley), who has no intention of being de-closeted. When they are seen kissing by fellow student Min (Ally Maki), she invites Russell to the after-school Geography Club. In truth, there is no such club, just a small group of gay students meeting for support. While Russell tries to figure out what he wants, he finds himself increasingly pulled in different directions. While he is becoming engaged with this new group of unlikely friends, he has been recruited onto the stereotypically narrow-minded football team, all while being pressured by his best friend into pursuing a physical heterosexual relationship with an inseparable pair of girls.

    Geography Club

    That’s a lot of relationships for such a short movie, so the filmmakers lean heavily on the stereotypes. Russell’s best friend Gunnar (Andrew Caldwell) is the chubby funny guy that only gets the girl on sufferance. The girl that Gunnar lusts for is the town bicycle, and so is her friend, thus propelling Russell into an instant dilemma. The jocks are exactly as close-minded as they always are in these movies, even if one of them, Kevin, is the love interest for Russell. Kevin could have been the most interesting character in the film, as he has supportive parents and seemingly the most self-confidence, but his complete refusal to rock the boat makes him a one-note character. The bullied teen is the bullied teen, and the gay members of the Geography Club look like they were focus group-picked out of a television crayon box that reads “DIVERSITY”.

    Geography Club

    I would highly recommend this movie to all teenagers. But it does definitely smack of “message movie”. There’s no two ways about it – this is a movie you show to the class, and it feels like it. I can see that it made the festival rounds, but it screams “made for tv”. Everything’s a little too clean, too polished. It’s only slightly edgier than a Disney Channel movie. Generic clothes & music, deliberately avoiding any type of branding that could drive up the cost. Broadcasts like it was filmed in Canada to look like California, even though it wasn’t. It’s High School Musical – without the music.

    Geography Club

    I realize this review is coming off as rather negative and I don’t mean to give the movie such a hard time. It was a good movie and if I am dissecting it overmuch it’s simply that it could have been a lot more. This is a very important topic and the filmmakers are to be applauded for making it. It’s definitely worth a watch, but it likely won’t shift any attitudes or change any minds. It’s plays as a sort of an introduction to open-mindedness; “Gay Teen 101”. Like a coat of primer you put down as a base layer to treat the surface audience so that the better quality film will better adhere. Recommended, just not enthusiastically.

    Geography Club

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: A (12 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test
    [schema type=”movie” name=”Geography Club” description=”At Goodkind High School, a group of students of varying sexual orientation form an after-school club as a discreet way to share their feelings and experiences.” director=”Gary Entin” actor_1=”Cameron Deane Stewart” ]

    Main Cast Cameron Deane Stewart Russell, Meaghan Martin Trish, Justin Deeley Kevin, Ana Gasteyer Mrs. Toles
    Rating PG-13
    Release Date Wed 05 Feb 2014 UTC
    Director Gary Entin
    Genres Comedy
    Plot At Goodkind High School, a group of students of varying sexual orientation form an after-school club as a discreet way to share their feelings and experiences.
    Poster Geography Club
    Runtime 80
    Tagline They formed a club they thought nobody would join…
    Writers Edmund Entin (screenplay), Brent Hartinger (novel)
    Year 2013
  • Brassed Off (1996)

    Brassed Off (1996)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Wonderfully made comedy that has ability to gut you with the hopelessness of the mining towns – and does. Great acting, music and heart…

    Brassed Off

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Brassed Off:

    Two years before Little Voice, writer/director Mark Herman put out this tale of a South Yorkshire colliery brass band facing the possibility (near certainty) that their coal mining pit will be closed. Set in the 1990’s in the fictional Grimley (standing in for Grimethorpe, one of the poorest villages in England), the struggling town is hanging by a thread that is all but certain to be snipped. What difference does a brass band make?

    Brassed Off

    The film is not marketed, at least in the US, as a political or social commentary, and to its credit, it largely isn’t. The miners situation is integral to the story – but it isn’t the story. This is a tale of hope and of people and how they respond to crisis. Even without a firm knowledge of the background to the story and England’s coal industry woes (which I certainly do not possess in any amount), the situation is clearly explained and understood.

    Brassed Off

    It’s not a clean movie, but then neither is it depicting a clean story. This is not a romantic comedy, for all of the sparks between Ewan McGregor & Tara Fitzgerald and despite the marketing of the film. There are bumps all along the road and the narrative requires that you pay attention. That’s not to say that the film is muddled – it simply isn’t the straightforward tale you instinctively expect.

    Brassed Off

    The film juggles quite a few main characters – possibly too many. Early on I was a bit confused. But they all have their own path and story and it’s all good stuff.

    Brassed Off

    The standout star here is Pete Postlethwaite as band leader Danny Ormondroyd. His complete rigidity and indifference to the fate of the pit as it relates to his band is startling; he truly can’t understand why the members seem to be letting the imminent loss of their jobs affect their commitment to the band. His single-mindedness drives his son Phil (played brilliantly by Stephen Tompkinson) to continue to fall deeper in debt in order to remain with the band, even though it may cost him his marriage, home and health. The father/son dynamic is riveting.

    Brassed Off

    Tara Fitzgerald handles the challenging role of Gloria Mullins well; Mullins has been dispatched to her hometown by the management of British Coal to determine the feasibility of the pit, a role she’d prefer not to disclose. She is torn by her responsibilities to the company versus her place in the band and burgeoning relationship with miner and horn player Andy Barrow (McGregor). The rest of the cast is made up of wonderful English character actors and members of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band.

    Brassed Off

    Brassed Off is a funny film, but one that doesn’t shy away from a very hard time and raw emotions. It barely avoids being too heavy-handed, but it does come close to being emotionally manipulative. It’s a very interesting story, maybe more so for those of us who are unfamiliar with the historical context. The acting performances are excellent, bested only by the musical performances, which are stellar. Highly recommended.

    Brassed Off

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: C (4 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” name=”Brassed Off” description=”The coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners’ brass band.” director=”Mark Herman” actor_1=”Pete Postlethwaite” actor_2=”Tara Fitzgerald” actor_3=”Ewan McGregor”]

    Main Cast Pete Postlethwaite Danny, Tara Fitzgerald Gloria, Ewan McGregor Andy, Stephen Tompkinson Phil
    Rating R
    Release Date Fri 23 May 1997 UTC
    Director Mark Herman
    Genres Comedy, Drama, Romance
    Plot The coal mine in a northern English village may be closing, which would also mean the end of the miners’ brass band.
    Poster Brassed Off
    Runtime 107
    Tagline Fed up with the system. Ticked off at the establishment. And mad about… each other.
    Writers Mark Herman (written by)
    Year 1996
  • Don Jon (2013)

    Don Jon (2013)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    JGL completes path to being the ultimate renaissance man by writing & directing this quirky, funny & semi-interesting film (he also stars).

    Don Jon

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Don Jon:

    Joseph Gordon-Levitt has slowly been conquering the world, but since he’s charming and been doing it quietly, we haven’t noticed or objected. He has safely navigated the transition from child star to actor as well as anyone and better than most. In addition, he’s started his production company (hitRecord), danced at the Oscars, produced a Broadway show and now adds writer/director to his resume.

    This last one isn’t always an impressive credit, as any star is generally given the opportunity to helm a vanity project if they hang around long enough and are so motivated. But he has chosen wisely for his first feature length picture, writing a small, not overly ambitious film in which he can really show off his acting chops while showcasing a quick-moving directorial style. The result is a pretty good movie.

    Don Jon

    It’s an interesting premise; despite being a total player who can bring home “10”s for one night stands seemingly at will, Jon Martello finds nothing in these relationships to compare with his obsession: pornography. Even when he attempts a lengthy courtship with one of his conquests, Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson), he remains dissatisfied – real life isn’t as fulfilling as porn. Barbara is a controlling woman, trying to mold him into her idea of perfection, and when he takes a night course at her suggestion, he comes across a fellow student, Esther (Julianne Moore) who will cause him to change his outlook on life and love, and maybe even break his porn obsession.

    Don Jon

    The subject matter itself isn’t the most captivating, unless you find it fascinating as a sociology topic. It’s the execution that is rewarding. Jon is a shallow character, but his routine and obvious pride in his life is quite interesting. The matter-of-fact narration and self-assessment is refreshing, and if he isn’t the most sympathetic character, he’s certainly engaging and understandable. The acting is unsurprisingly good from the main actors, and the character of Esther really gives Moore something worth her time and talents.

    Don Jon

    While not a total success, Don Jon is a very well-made film that has plenty to chew on. Even at only 90 minutes, it runs a little long, especially the scenes with Jon’s family, led by Tony Danza and a virtually silent Brie Larson. But it’s very funny, led by the endlessly charming JGL with some really good send-ups of romantic comedies. It’s a unique story and deserves to be seen.

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail

    The Representation Test Score: D (1 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” name=”Don Jon” description=”A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.” director=”Joseph Gordon-Levitt” actor_1=”Joseph Gordon-Levitt”  actor_2=”Scarlett Johansson”  actor_3=”Julianne Moore”]

    Main Cast Joseph Gordon-Levitt Jon, Scarlett Johansson Barbara, Julianne Moore Esther, Tony Danza Jon Sr.
    Rating R
    Release Date Fri 27 Sep 2013 UTC
    Director Joseph Gordon-Levitt
    Genres Comedy, Drama, Romance
    Plot A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.
    Poster Don Jon
    Runtime 90
    Tagline Everyone loves a happy ending
    Writers Joseph Gordon-Levitt (written by)
    Year 2013
  • Batman (1989)

    Batman (1989)

    Batman turned 75 years old earlier this year (2014). In recognition, we are rebranding our site for one week to Now Very Bat… and focusing on the blockbusters, the smaller films, the comics and the video games that feature the Dark Knight.

    Now Very Bat...

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Released 25 years ago today, Batman kicked off a golden age for comic books & comic book movies that has yet to end. It’s still pretty good.

    Batman

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Batman:

    In 1988-89 I was a sophomore in high school and a huge comic book fan. My friend Bill got me into the hobby by lending me then relatively new copies of the graphic novels Watchmen & The Dark Knight Returns and I was hooked. We would go to local convenience stores and buy whatever titles they stocked, but things didn’t really pick up until he told me about New England Comics (NEC), a local chain based out of Norwood, Massachusetts. We’d pile into our friend Seth’s brown Hornet after school and drive up to their Quincy Center shop, stopping only to buy some very mediocre American Chinese food and then would hit NEC. New England Comics in its first location in Quincy was everything you could want in a comic shop. It was small, narrow and absolutely jammed with longboxes & bins filled with back issues. Things hung on the shelves, on the walls, from the ceiling and seemingly underfoot as well. They would later move to their current location a bit further up on Hancock Street, into a larger and much better space, with more room, organization and good lighting. I retain a fondness for the original spot, though. It was the right amount of overwhelming, with brightly colored displays and covers all vying for your attention (and cash).

    Batman I started collecting at the perfect time, as Neil Gaiman’s Sandman comic had just come out – I picked it up simply because it looked promising, along with fistfuls of copies of Aliens, Animal Man, The Demon, and The Tick (an NEC title written by a friend of a friend). (Another friend of ours, Benn, would later run a few different locations – and write a Tick comic.)

    But Batman was unquestionably the king. I collected every title he appeared in and as many back issues as I could afford. Simply everyone was excited about the upcoming movie and every other inch of the shop had some promo or reminder about the first big comic book movie we could remember.

    Batman Comic books were not well thought of at this point, but had begun to find a respectability with books like Watchmen & Dark Knight. But comic book movies were a non-starter. No one could remember the success of Superman: The Movie after the sequels sputtered to a not early enough grave. The only properties that had made it to film were also-rans that flopped like Sheena, Red Sonja and Wes Craven’s Swamp Thing. The genre wasn’t a genre – it was a death sentence.

    And when a Batman film was announced, most everyone’s minds turned immediately to the most indelible portrayal of the character from the camp 1960’s tv show and companion movie Batman (1966). This was not the image the producers wanted potential audiences to fixate on. Instead producers Peter Guber, Jon Peters, Benjamin Melniker & Michael Uslan turned to the recently successful graphic novels The Dark Knight Returns (Frank Miller & Klaus Janson) & The Killing Joke (Alan Moore & Brian Bolland) for the look and tone they were going for: DARK.

    Batman When released on June 23, 1989, Batman was a blockbuster success, breaking attendance records everywhere and setting off a worldwide Batman merchandising phenomenon. Bat-saturation would be complete by summer’s end and the comic shop was flooded with new customers. Some of us probably grumbled, but it was great for the industry and launched comic books and their film adaptations into not only viable properties but massive success stories. It was a cultural shift and far from being in danger of shifting back, comics and their film counterparts are more successful now than could have been previously imagined.

    Batman So, how is the actual film? How was it then and how is it 25 years later?

    Batman Well, at the time, it was an unqualified success. No one had seen anything like it. It was dark and moody and nothing like they had been led to expect from this former Saturday morning cartoon character. Director Tim Burton had created a new vision of the character by enlisting extremely talented creators like production designer Anton Furst, composer Danny Elfman and writer Sam Hamm.

    With the confidence that comes from having one of the world’s most famous actors, Jack Nicholson, already in hand as the Joker, Burton made the controversial decision to cast his Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight. Everyone thought he had lost his mind, and everyone was proven wrong when Keaton crushed it.

    Batman In 1989 it was a hit and an instant classic. In 2014, it shows some wear. Even at the time there was some criticism that the Joker dominated the movie. That probably would have happened with any actor in the role, but with notorious ball-hog Nicholson, it was very nearly a one-man show. He is certainly captivating, and it helps that being over-the-top is actually appropriate for this character. My problem then and now is a simple and perhaps petty one: he’s too old and fat. The Joker of my comics is tall and stick-thin with an angular face. Sorry, that’s what I’m looking for. A younger Nicholson would have been much more pleasing. But he really did deliver here and if the script is gratuitous in its use of him (it is), it’s easy to understand why.

    Batman Keaton’s performance is timeless, and Kim Basinger’s didn’t get any worse (if only because it was pretty thin on the ground to begin with). The worst thing about looking at this cast is the slight twinge when you reflect on the missed opportunity with Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent. It would have been so fascinating to see his take on Two-Face, but the producers lost their nerve come sequel-time.

    Batman The story was never really that much to write about; it definitely is a style over substance film. While I found it riveting at the time, I have to say I find the movie kind of boring now. There’s a stilted quality to the dialogue and the scene changes are abrupt and jagged.

    Also, the film simply looks lousy. It was always a very cold look by DP Roger Pratt, and it hasn’t aged well. It’s very rough and flat, with darkness sitting in for clarity.

    The production design is simply marvelous, with the 1940’s era suits and the confused architecture. The look of the production still plays, even if the mattes and effects now look poor by comparison.

    Batman Batman was a hugely successful and important film. The best thing about it may be that it set up the sequel Batman Returns, which I consider better in every way. (Although many violently disagree.) In the end it’s more notable for the impact it had than for it’s own merit. But don’t misunderstand – Batman is a very good movie.

    Batman

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail

    The Representation Test Score: C (4 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Batman Representation Test [schema type=”movie” name=”Batman” description=”The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal Joker.” director=”Tim Burton” actor_1=”Jack Nicholson” actor_2=”Michael Keaton”]

    Main Cast Michael Keaton Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jack Nicholson Joker/Jack Napier, Kim Basinger Vicki Vale, Robert Wuhl Alexander Knox
    Rating PG-13
    Release Date Fri 23 Jun 1989 UTC
    Director Tim Burton
    Genres Action, Fantasy
    Plot The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being the clownishly homicidal Joker.
    Poster Batman
    Runtime 126
    Tagline
    Writers Bob Kane (Batman characters), Sam Hamm (story)
    Year 1989
  • Alien (1979)

    Alien (1979)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    About as scary as any movie really needs to be. Yes, most of us prefer Aliens – action, humor & Marines – but the original is terrifying…

    Alien

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Alien:

    I deliberately did not use an image of the Alien as the featured image for the review in the hopes that my daughter wouldn’t accidentally come across it, because I believe the creature conceived of by screenwriter Dan O’Bannon and designed and realized by the late Swiss artist H.R. Giger is the single scariest and most perfect monster ever put on screen.

    Alien

    After 35 years, the movie still works so well for a host (heh, heh) of reasons:

    • The setting is brilliant. At least as effective as 2001 in establishing the remoteness of the location and the complete isolation from everything else; the limited area makes the setting integral to the story.

    Alien

    • Despite being a fantastic bit of science fiction and having this great alien, the film first establishes great human relationships and realism. The horror is genuine because the characters have character. With a relatively low body count, each death must be meaningful, and they are.

    Alien

    •  The look of the film is incredible. In addition to Giger’s work, which is groundbreaking, inspired, and a wonderful mix of beauty and hideousness, the production design is timeless. The filmmakers took all the right lessons away from the “used universe” of Star Wars and made something new out of it. This is the unglamorous side of space travel; a big, ugly, hulking freighter that moves slowly and breaks down frequently. No one here is gazing at the suns – they’re having a smoke and arguing about their pay.

    Alien

    • The film favors suspense over action. This is classic Hitchcockian edge of your seat stuff, but it’s more than that. Because the Alien concept is so fresh and unique, you lean into it, desperately trying for better looks at the ship, the creature, the dark corners. All the better to scare the life out of you. Which leads to:

    Alien

    • The Alien itself. There are practical reasons why they chose not to give you a really good look at the creature; Scott wisely realized that extended close-ups or too much clarity would only expose the “guy in a rubber suit” effect. Much better to utilize the shadows. But this technical solution had a much more important result of maintaining the mystery and terror of the creature.

    Alien

    Alien is absolutely terrifying, one of the scariest movies ever made. Watching it this weekend with my dad (another Alien nut) for possibly the 5oth time, it still scared the crap out of me. Not a lot of movies can retain that kind of impact. The Alien is one of the greatest sci-fi inventions of all time. If only one part of the life cycle were introduced, it would still be amazing, but the fully-fleshed out creature from egg to face-hugger to xenomorph makes for the most startlingly original creation. They could make 20 movies based on this creature and it would still be satisfying.

    Alien

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: 7 (B pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Alien Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” name=”Alien” description=”The commercial vessel Nostromo receives a distress call from an unexplored planet. After searching for survivors, the crew heads home only to realize that a deadly bioform has joined them.” director=”Ridley Scott” actor_1=”Sigourney Weaver” ]

    Main Cast Sigourney Weaver Ripley, Tom Skerritt Dallas, John Hurt Kane, Veronica Cartwright Lambert
    Rating TV-14
    Release Date Fri 22 Jun 1979 UTC
    Director Ridley Scott
    Genres Horror, Sci-Fi
    Plot The commercial vessel Nostromo receives a distress call from an unexplored planet. After searching for survivors, the crew heads home only to realize that a deadly bioform has joined them.
    Poster Alien
    Runtime 117
    Tagline In space no one can hear you scream.
    Writers Dan O’Bannon (story) and, Ronald Shusett (story) …
    Year 1979