MANIAC  1.5*** overall  ( for a purely gore/ horror genre a 3.0***)

CAUTION: This review is rather graphic as it pertains to a gore/horror movie and may be somewhat disturbing as is the film itself.

        This slasher horror remake takes the concept of  the 1980 original that focuses on Frank, a loner sociopath who brutally murders beautiful women, and increases the repellent-factor by virtue of a much higher gore budget and a decision to shoot almost every frame from the killer’s point of view. Simply put, the viewers will  see several young and beautiful  women being strangled, stabbed and drowned followed by  this killer’s particular favourite, scalping the women, all in intense, gory detail as seen through the eyes of the killer.

This remake has Elijah Wood stepping into the role of Frank, a lonely man who was repeatedly traumatized by his mother who was a prostitute who often brought her “Johns” home to their small apartment where she had all kinds of hardcore sex with the men as the young  Frank looked on.  Frank  stalks the streets of New York looking for women that he can kill and scalp. He owns a mannequin restoration shop where in the back apartment  he puts the scalps of the women on mannequins. Once he sets his eyes on the next target, nothing gets in his way. Very cunningly he establishes where the victims live and like a skilled craftsman carries out his hideous crimes, without remorse, second thoughts or hesitation. Through all the madness Frank manages to strike up a friendship with photographer Anna (Nora Arnezeder) who obviously doesn't know who he really is. What is going to happen to this strange friendship and Anna becomes a suspense element of the story.  

Standing out in this nightmare of is Elijah Wood, who really does convince you that he is indeed a maniac. Whether it's the constant disillusioned images he forces on himself, scrubbing his hands with iron wool after a fresh kill, or sharing a bed with a mannequin surrounded by flies due to a victim’s scalp being stapled to its head. Glimpsed only occasionally, mostly in reflective surfaces, Wood has to convey the deranged maniac through  vocal means. He pants, he whispers, he stutters, he carries on Gollum-like conversations with the mannequins in his shop.  When he is on camera he is effective in portraying a twitchy, schizoid, killer.

 

The degree of gore and violence is on a disturbingly high level, so most people would not want to experience this film. The viewers are repeatedly exposed to brutal and bloody scalp removal of each of the beautiful young women who are killed.. Although the violence is spaced out somewhat when it's present it's brutal, haunting, disturbing, and bloody.

 

Obviously this film has a hard “R” rating due to the over the top gore and violence.

 

NOTE: This movie opened in 3 area theatres on Friday June 21 and was quickly out of all the theatres by the following Wednesday June 26.

 

Clark

 

THE BLING RING   3.0***

            "Cop lights, flash lights, spot lights, strobe lights, street lights, fast life, drug life, thug life, rock life, every night"     These Kanye West lyrics, sung along to on a joyride by two of the main characters, pretty much sum up the themes of this film which is, in fact, based upon a true story. The story is about a group of  teenagers who in the course of the movie become “grand theft’ criminals. They  live in Los Angeles and  are blinded by the glitz,  the BLING and glamor of the  Hollywood celebrities who live nearby, and these teens become completely taken in by its superficiality. They carry out their crimes not only with a staggering lack of guilt or remorse but also with  a greedy boastfulness. The group commits many robberies, all the while posting photos of their exploits and spoils on Facebook and boasting to their friends,  even casual acquaintances.. When they are finally caught, they have stolen millions of dollars’ worth of property from such stars as Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan and others. The amazing thing is that they do not have to break into any of the stars’ homes… they always find an unlocked door or window and  and no security alarms.

Israel Broussard's Marc and Katie Chang's Rebecca serve as the two main characters but it's Emma Watson's fantastic portrayal of the hilariously vain and spoiled brat Nicki that steals the show. The most memorable as well as laugh-out-loud moments come in exchanges between Nicki and her "The Secret" obsessed mother (Leslie Mann).

With the exception of the male lead, we hardly know why the rest of the gang (the 4 teen girls) commits the crimes. Perhaps they are in search of immediate satisfaction, of acceptance, of fitting in with the absurd commercialism and the association between celebrities and certain name brands. The Director, Sofia Coppola is very good at letting us into this rare universe, and we are  overwhelmed by the way this group of people (the teens and the celebrities) lives.   Coppola's untraditional narrative style can throw some people off but she uses it perfectly here to thrust you into the world of these out-of-control teens, letting you be the judge rather than forcing her views upon you.

What makes the film somewhat  frightening is the possibility  that many younger viewers will see the actions and lifestyle of these teen characters as desirable and cool, and  that some will try to emulate them. Overall, the film left me feeling amazed at what they did and the ease by which they did it,  but depressed and empty about what happened, which I think was Coppola's goal in the first place.

Clark

THE BLING RING   3.0***

            "Cop lights, flash lights, spot lights, strobe lights, street lights, fast life, drug life, thug life, rock life, every night"     These Kanye West lyrics, sung along to on a joyride by two of the main characters, pretty much sum up the themes of this film which is, in fact, based upon a true story. The story is about a group of  teenagers who in the course of the movie become “grand theft’ criminals. They  live in Los Angeles and  are blinded by the glitz,  the BLING and glamor of the  Hollywood celebrities who live nearby, and these teens become completely taken in by its superficiality. They carry out their crimes not only with a staggering lack of guilt or remorse but also with  a greedy boastfulness. The group commits many robberies, all the while posting photos of their exploits and spoils on Facebook and boasting to their friends,  even casual acquaintances.. When they are finally caught, they have stolen millions of dollars’ worth of property from such stars as Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan and others. The amazing thing is that they do not have to break into any of the stars’ homes… they always find an unlocked door or window and  and no security alarms.

Israel Broussard's Marc and Katie Chang's Rebecca serve as the two main characters but it's Emma Watson's fantastic portrayal of the hilariously vain and spoiled brat Nicki that steals the show. The most memorable as well as laugh-out-loud moments come in exchanges between Nicki and her "The Secret" obsessed mother (Leslie Mann).

With the exception of the male lead, we hardly know why the rest of the gang (the 4 teen girls) commits the crimes. Perhaps they are in search of immediate satisfaction, of acceptance, of fitting in with the absurd commercialism and the association between celebrities and certain name brands. The Director, Sofia Coppola is very good at letting us into this rare universe, and we are  overwhelmed by the way this group of people (the teens and the celebrities) lives.   Coppola's untraditional narrative style can throw some people off but she uses it perfectly here to thrust you into the world of these out-of-control teens, letting you be the judge rather than forcing her views upon you.

What makes the film somewhat  frightening is the possibility  that many younger viewers will see the actions and lifestyle of these teen characters as desirable and cool, and  that some will try to emulate them. Overall, the film left me feeling amazed at what they did and the ease by which they did it,  but depressed and empty about what happened, which I think was Coppola's goal in the first place.

Clark

 

MAN OF STEEL  3.0****

 

 

 

         “Man of Steel” is not about Lois and Clark, it is not about Superman's dual identity, is not even so much about him being a hero. At its heart, “Man of Steel” is about Fathers and their legacy, it's about family, it's about a man deciding to follow his own path and, yes, it's ultimately about hope.  The mood and story development in the 1^st hour of the film  reminded me a lot of the redo of Batman in  “Batman Begins” with the same serious concerns and conflict.   

For Superman fans the story will be familiar and starts with a newborn baby named Kal-El, who is sent  by his parents Jor-El (Russell Crowe) & his wife Lara Lo from the dying planet of Krypton to Earth on a small spaceship .After the small spaceship lands in Kansas in a small town called Smallville,  Kal-El is found by a farmer couple Jon (Kevin Costner) & Martha Kent (Diane Lane) .They of course name him Clark Kent. About 10 or 11 years later, Clark discovers  that he has unusual unique powers and he feels that he is not from Earth. Then about 20 or 22 years later, he finally discovers that he from the planet Krypton. Then, Earth is threatened by a group  led by General Zod (Michael Shannon).They are also from Krypton and have the same powers as Kal-El. So, Clark Kent must uses his powers to try to save Earth.  The first hour of the film is well paced and retells and modernize the boy-to- manhood years of Superman . After that, and with the arrival of the  villainous General Zod  and his fellow baddies, the movie becomes a  super action story  . The visuals of the action scenes and fighting that follow  are outstanding and use to the fullest extent the magic of CGI  . The only problem I had with this was that these action sequences last way  too long and became repetitive. It could and should have been condensed by at least 5 to 10 minutes. It was so over the top that  the fights between Superman and  Zod end up  destroying almost  half of  the skyscrapers and streets in Metropolis …. and did a number on my ears.  

Man of Steel is a huge production, and the money ( estimated at over $200 millioin) is splashed across the screen in endless special effects and lots of action. What are missing are the moments of surprise and humour… the joys of seeing the superhero making every day magic.  I also missed the charm and humor of the Reeve version (e.g. the magic of the first flight with Lois) are not found here. Just a couple of chuckles.  Some lighter moments might have made Superman a more rounded hero than some gloomy Dark Knight kind of action figure.  

The British actor, Henry Cavill,  is fantastic as Superman/Clark Kent. Amy Adams gives Lois Lane a sense of depth and honesty to her that makes her more than just Superman's love interest.  Michael Shannon is awesome as the villainous Zod. The rest of the  cast which includes Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Lawrence Fishbourne, Richard Schiff  and Christopher Maloni  is outstanding .

Clark

 

 

THE PURGE      1.2***

 

 

         After seeing or maybe I should say suffering through "The Purge" I hastened to the Men's Room as I thought I would need to "purge"... "up- chuck" but luckily I only needed fresh air !!! Yes this movie was that bad !!!!

 

The premise is that it's the year 2026 & the new government has instituted a radical new policy.  Once a year on one night  from 7pm to 7am anybody can do whatever they want to anybody with no consequences . During that 12 hours there is absolutely no law other than to limit the type of weapons that can be used . No police, no firemen & no emergency ambulance services .The theory is that the 12 hour yearly "purge" eliminates the weak of the species & allows the strong to vent their evil thoughts .

 

On this purge night the story centers on 1 household & family .. Husband & wife & their 12 year old son & 17 year old daughter . It’s similar to a home invasion movie with the ‘purge’ theme thrown in.  What happens during the purge time is dumb & ridiculous. You see it & say "No, no that can't be happening   .  The only known actor is Ethan Hawke & he was having a bad day when he agreed to do this movie !!!

 

Save your money ... Do not waste $8 to $10 on what is like I would imagine 2 hours in "purgatory" to be like .

 

Clark

 

 

NOW YOU

              SEE ME    4.0***

 

         My wife and II absolutely loved this film. "Now You See Me" is like nothing I've ever seen before and that’s saying a lot.. The movie tells the story of a group of magicians called The Four Horsemen who use their skills to pull off some sensational international robberies. The magicians are Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco. Imagine this movie as” Ocean's Eleven” meets “The Prestige” and you’ll get a good feel for the movie.  

 

Since they make their stunts public, allowing the world to "witness" the robberies, authorities are in hot pursuit. Detective Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is accompanied in his search by French detective Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent). Will the Four Horsemen be able to pull of their final heist without being caught, or will it be curtains for the Quartet ?

The plot is so original and full of fresh ideas and witty comedy. I love how fast paced this film is. I swear there isn't a dull moment from beginning to end. The plot itself has so many twists and turns it should be a pretzel, but it keeps the audience guessing the whole time and hits you with major shock factor. Other fine actors are Michael Caine (more of a cameo role) and Morgan Freeman( with a significant role as a magician debunker) The cinematography, with one exception, and special effects are phenomenal. It is bursting with rich colors and textures, drawing you into the magic and making the illusions appear so real .

My only complaint, which is minor, is  with the film’s  cinematography.  The occasional use of the hand-held camera is distracting because  it is moving around, either rotating around actors as they talk or around the scenery. It's hard to focus and, in my opinion, a badly used technique in this film..  

 

But this is a “must see” film and best if seen on the big screen. It’s the most enjoyable film I’ve seen this year !!!!!

 

Clark

 

HANGOVER PART III   1.5 ***

 

      Man, if you thought things couldn't get any worse than THE HANGOVER PART II then sadly you were mistaken. I did not laugh at any time during the movie and hardly broke  even  a smile !! The Wolf Pack is back and this time a gangster (John Goodman) is after them because Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) stole forty-two million in gold. I'm really not going to waste anytime writing out everything going on here in regards to a plot because it doesn’t help ! It's clear that director and writer Todd Phillips along with stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis just made this thing for the money or they had some sort of contract that required them to do so. While watching this thing it became rather sad because there simply weren't any laughs but what was worse is that it didn't seem that the group was trying to make anything funny. This is without question one of the laziest comedies I've seen lately.

 

It's really amazing to see how this series has fallen after a clever first film but the old saying that sequels often end up poorly is certainly true. Cooper, Helms and Galifianakis fit their roles just fine but there's just no energy to be found here. Perhaps even they knew the screenplay was lackluster. Jeong as Chow is good in small doses but putting him into so much of this just made his character annoying. Goodman was good in his part but sadly he wasn't given much to do, which is the same for Mike Epps and Heather Graham. Also, I felt cheated because the previews suggested the story would be centered in Las Vegas……. a return to the scene of the first real Hangover. Not so. The Vegas part of the story was maybe 15 to 20 minutes at most .

 

THE HANGOVER PART III claims to be the final in an epic series of films and lets pray that it is true. Bad movies happen sometimes even when everyone has their hearts in the project. There's just no evidence here that anyone cared about anything other than money. Part II proved that people would show up no matter how bad it was and the filmmakers got even lazier by delivering something worse.

 

Rated R for pervasive language (lots of “F” word use) including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity.

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Clark