AFTERNOON DELIGHT Captures the Challenges of Seeking Love, Happiness, and Peace

Poor Rachel (Kathryn Hahn). Although she’s married to the man of her dreams, Jeff (Josh Radnor), leads a really nice lifestyle, and has a healthy son, she’s bored as hell as a stay-at-home housewife. Her friends are starting to suck, because they all have day jobs and/or do normal mom things. And Jeff never wants to have sex. They high five in passing more often than they copulate, and Jeff even has an unspoken “no sex tonight” safe phrase when they’re going to bed.

In an attempt to spice up their sex life, she, along with Jeff and some of their friends, go to a strip club. Here’s where it gets, well, a bit odd. After getting a lap dance from a young stripper named McKenna (Juno Temple), Rachel’s curiosity and boredom get the best of her, and she takes it upon herself to help McKenna out of her current unhealthy lifestyle. Things will go one of two ways: 1) Genius. 2) Stupidly bad.

Afternoon Delight explores the off-kilter world of Silver Lake, a highly hip neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, full of highly hip (and crazy) people. This will probably go unnoticed by folks who don’t live in L.A., but it sure hits home for those of us who do. But don’t worry, there’s enough delightful entertainment packed into this movie, you don’t need to be a native to enjoy. There is, however, one thing you should know about Los Angeles — everyone here has a therapist. Even therapists have therapists.

Afternoon Delight is writer/director Jill Soloway’s feature film debut, and she’s brought together a lovely cast. Kathryn Hahn branded herself in small-but-memorable roles on TV and in films (Parks and Rec, Anchorman, Step Brothers), but she takes the lead as Rachel and knocks it out of the park. She’s fierce, vulnerable, crazy, and courageous, all at the same time. Josh Radnor, who is better known as playing the hopeless romantic in long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother, steps out of the norm in this film, but still manages to play a man with a gentle heart. Radnor is a very likable guy, and will always get a thumbs up from me for playing characters who wear their heart on their sleeve.

We also get a few scenes with the great Jane Lynch as Rachel’s therapist, who mostly talks about her problems rather than listen to Rachel. Lynch is proof that a cinematic God exists. Without Lynch, sharp deadpan comedy with a splash of ignorance would not be as fun. Her presence is never a letdown. She makes every moment memorable in every movie she’s in, and Afternoon Delight is no exception.

Juno Temple (Dirty Girl, Killer Joe, Kaboom) another raunchy performance. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen her in a movie with her clothes on. She’s nice to look at, but she’s also very talented, so it’s great to see her as the not-so-much naked aloof-dame-in-distress for once. Temple differentiates this character by stripping away the adult dancer cliché and playing McKenna with a lot of heart. Temple makes this dirty girl lovable in an eerily fitting way.

What’s especially delightful is that Soloway’s confident direction maintains a steady balance between witty comedy and heavy drama. There are moments where you will laugh out loud, and there are moments where you will think to yourself, “better Rachel than me.” And as cliché as it may be, that’s life — it’s full of funny little moments, full of heartbreak and sadness, and full of love. Love, happiness, and finding peace take a little time. Afternoon Delight captures these feelings in the most sincere way possible.

Afternoon Delight is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. 

Uncut Philip Seymour Hoffman Interview

Here’s the uncut video interview I did with Philip Seymour Hoffman. Please watch the beginning — it’s so great.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Sundance 2010 Interview from Anthony Meadows on Vimeo.

That's That, Mattress Man: Remembering Philip Seymour Hoffman

It’s with a heavy heart to report that the irreplaceable Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away today of an apparent drug overdose. Like you, I’m in shock, denial, and am, the worst, devastated. Hollywood has lost another titan — one of the greatest the industry will ever have. 

I had a special moment with him that I’d like to share with you, dear reader:

Back in 2010, Rusty Gordon (of Gordon and the Whale) and I talked a lot about people we’d love to interview and whether or not we could keep our composure around them if that opportunity came to fruition. I would always pick Philip Seymour Hoffman — he’s been my Hollywood Superhero ever since I first saw him shake up the screen in the so-fun-to-love movie, Twister. Magnolia, Hard Eight, Punch-Drunk Love, The Master, Boogie Nights, The Savages, Happiness, and Almost Famous are a handful of my favorite films, and partly because of Hoffman’s roles in them. My friends and colleagues know I’ve adored this man for quite some time. 

I got to interview Hoffman at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on January 25th, and below is that interview — this is one of the greatest and most treasured moments of my life. If you pay close attention, you can see in the beginning how nervous I am — I had to move my hands around a lot to keep my terrified-as-hell mind occupied. The best part of this — which you unfortunately can’t see — is that in the beginning, Hoffman heckled me for being nervous. He was very cool, calm, and relaxed. What a guy.  

See you on the other side, amigo. You will be dearly missed. R.I.P. (Return If Possible). 

UPDATE: Thanks to my pal Anthony Meadows who helped shoot the interview, here’s the uncut version where you can see the beginning I mentioned. This is treasure.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Sundance 2010 Interview from Anthony Meadows.

The 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards Voting Has Begun. Here Are My Picks

Hi. How are you? Here’s my favorite time of the year — voting for the Film Independent Spirit Awards. My heart and all  efforts pour into supporting independent filmmaking, and I’m proud to be a voting member of the Spirit Awards.

Some nominees were a little more studio than what I’ve experienced in the past, but I’m happy to vote for him/her/it if the performance/film moved me more than the others. 

Here’s who got my vote: 

BEST FEATURE
NEBRASKA

BEST DIRECTOR
ALEXANDER PAYNE (NEBRASKA)

BEST SCREENPLAY
SCOTT NEUSTADTER & MICHAEL H. WEBER (THE SPECTACULAR NOW)

BEST FIRST FEATURE
WADJDA

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
JILL SOLOWAY (AFTERNOON DELIGHT)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
FRANK G. DEMARCO, PETER ZUCCARINI (ALL IS LOST)

BEST EDITING
SHANE CARRUTH AND DAVID LOWERY (UPSTREAM COLOR) 

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
THIS IS MARTIN BONNER

BEST FEMALE LEAD
BRIE LARSON (SHORT TERM 12)

BEST MALE LEAD
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB)

NOTE: If I could vote for two, Bruce Dern (NEBRASKA) would immediately get my second pick.

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
JUNE SQUIBB (NEBRASKA)

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
JARED LETO (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
THE ACT OF KILLING 

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
THE GREAT BEAUTY

Sundance Review: 'Rudderless' Is A Remarkable Directorial Debut From William H. Macy

Note: This review was originally written and posted for Indiewire’s The Playlist. Please click on this link and support their site. 

So let it be known throughout the land: William H. Macy has balls of steel. In addition to juggling a busy, successful film and television career, he’s taken on a new role—filmmaker. His first feature film, “Rudderless,” is a poignant story that explores finding happiness in the midst of loss and pain. And you know what? It’s really damn good.

“Rudderless” follows the wonderful, horrible life of Sam (Billy Crudup), a successful advertising executive whose life is shaken up when his teenage son shoots six students at his college, and takes his own life. Sam isn’t coping with this well—his life now revolves around microwave pizza and hitting the bottle hard; fast forward a few years later and Sam is living on a boat and making money by painting houses for a contractor. He’s sobered up and just trying to live his life as best as he can. While going through the remainder of his son’s possessions, Sam stumbles across music his son made in the time leading up to the shootings. As a former musician himself, Sam works out his angst by learning his son’s songs and playing them. Soon after, he finds it therapeutic to play these songs at a local bar. But when a young musician (Anton Yelchin) finds this music intoxicating, the two team up and start a band (with Ben Kweller!), changing their lives forever.

You’re probably thinking the movie sounds odd or inconsiderate—school shootings are a very sensitive subject and shouldn’t be taken lightly. But at the heart of “Rudderless” is a story about moving on; at a certain point, dwelling on the past becomes poisonous. On the other end of the spectrum from films like “We Need To Talk About Kevin,” “Elephant”, and other films with school violence at the center—”Rudderless” is about really, truly moving forward with your life and doing your best not to focus on the past. Sam doesn’t want to become a famous musician, he doesn’t want to forget about his son and pretend nothing ever happened, he just wants to find a way to carry on. No parent ever wants to be the father or mother of a child who takes the lives of others, but that possibility lingers ever more prominently as violence increases in the world around us.

Sam is the type of person who makes friends one year only to lose them the next. A guy who manages to keep his ragged and uncouth confidence, no matter what emotional state he’s in, which makes Crudup the perfect fit, carrying arrogance and confidence together with sincerity. Crudup’s Sam is a coward for not dealing with his son’s brutal and tragic ending, but he’s filled with more hurt than he can process and his healing begins when his regret ends. And yes, you Selenators, Selena Gomez does have a pivotal role in the film and is great, showing plenty of potential for becoming a leading lady one day.

“Rudderless” is a very impressive directorial debut from the acclaimed Macy. Not a coming-of-age or let-the-tears-fly movie with a Sigur Ros-filled soundtrack—it’s a fairly easy-to-digest look at how to cope, before worse becomes intolerable. Any movie dealing with such heartbreaking violence is going to rattle your soul, but it’s about how the filmmaker tenderly dismantles the story, and shows us so much more. It’s an ambitious and strong first start for Macy’s filmmaking career as he’s clearly taken a note or two from some of the great filmmakers he’s worked for. Don’t let the title of this film fool you—“Rudderless” is solid. [B]

Sundance 2014 Review: Roger Ebert Doc 'Life Itself' A Profoundly Moving Story About One Of Cinema’s Greatest Superheroes

Note: This review was originally written and posted for Indiewire’s The Playlist. Please click on this link and support their site. 

Without question, Roger Ebert is the most recognizable figure in American film criticism, possibly even international criticism, and deservingly so. Ebert helped curious minds alive today better understand movies and what they were trying to say, moving past the obvious and always finding something deeper. “Life Itself” is based on Ebert’s memoir of the same name, but the film goes far beyond the book’s last page. This documentary actually started shooting months before Ebert knew he was going to die, and the bulk of the focus is on his many relentless and rigorous battles to stay alive, as well as highs and lows in his life — there’s no soft-pedalling here. One very admirable trait about Ebert — when he learned he was going to die, and very soon, he wanted the show to go on.

Like the showboat he deservingly was, Ebert had acclaimed director Steve James (“Hoop Dreams,” “The Interrupters”) take charge and tell the story of his life, but with a bit of guidance from Ebert. James tells this unapologetic story with little sympathy, as per Ebert’s wishes, and a lot of passion — he wants the audience to really know who Roger Ebert was, and understand the importance of his work. The film’s highlights include a look at the enormous troubles Ebert had to overcome, mostly his fondness for booze and women, as well as the battle he faced every day until his last breath — the cancer that reduced him to a shadow of his former self, and eventually killed him.

A big nod goes to his devoted wife, Chaz, who has been his biggest cheerleader since the day they fell in love. Without her, Ebert freely admits he never could have faced his demons. As taxing as it is spending days with a loved one who is dying, Chaz never gave up on Roger and the film makes it clear she’s an important part of Ebert’s work. A large portion of the film takes place in the hospital during Ebert’s last act in life. James gets up close and personal, showing the audience how much Ebert smiled through his tough, final days and managed to still enjoy his life. It’s devastating and beautiful, sad and poetic, all at the same time, exactly what Ebert wanted.

Fans of Gene Siskel will be very pleased to see a healthy tribute to him in the film. Nothing is held back as the audience watches Siskel and Ebert fight, insult and laugh at each other as they talk about movies — passive aggressiveness was never a part of their language and they just went straight for the jugular. But it’s clear that they loved each other, but didn’t always know how to say it — too proud, perhaps.

If you’ve read Ebert’s book of the same title, you’ll appreciate how remarkably well James constructed the film. It’s impossible to discuss every detail of Ebert’s memoir, so James deliberately bounces around the book, letting the audience know what chapter is being dissected and where Roger was at in his life — even though some of the years are a bit out of order, it’s still a smooth transition. To help better understand Roger’s feelings, James provides voiceover quotes from the book, and then shows archived and new footage, or talking heads of the ones closest to him finish out the chapter.

There was a thunder in Ebert’s heart, and that was his love for movies, and he wanted to tell the world about films, both big ones and small. James should be high-fived every day of his life for telling the real story of Roger Ebert — a writer, a former alcoholic, a showboat, a hero, a lover, a man who changed from an uncouth kind of a dick to one who was unfailingly witty and kind. Last but certainly not least, Roger Ebert was a movie lover, and this is the kind of movie he would have loved.

Sundance 2014 Review: Blue Ruin

Revenge is a dish best served with a knife, a crossbow and semi-automatic rifles in Jeremy Saulnier’s bloody and brilliant sophomore feature, Blue Ruin.

When Blue Ruin opens, a drifter named Dwight (Mason Blair) is coasting through life on a beach. He’s dirty, living on a steady diet of trashcan food, and his face looks as if it’s never felt a clean shave. He breaks into houses just to take a bath, however his presence shows he’s not a bad or harmful man — he’s just trying to survive. Things aren’t so bad, this bum has built a home and life for himself at a place where things are simple and uncomplicated.

While sleeping in his rusty, old and beaten-up blue Bonneville, Dwight gets a surprise visit from the local sheriff (who seems to know him really well). She tells him that a man from his past has just been released from prison, and from the deer in headlights look on his face, we know this isn’t a man Dwight wants to exchange presents with on Christmas. And as his eyes turn from scared to sad to pain to anger, he sticks a sharp knife five inches deep into his enemies’ skull (not a spoiler). It quickly becomes clear that these two won’t be playing Go Fish together anytime soon, either. During the scuffle, Dwight abandons his car, which is registered to his sister’s house, at the crime scene. Things, as they say, don’t go exactly as planned, and Dwight’s fiery rampage of revenge has only just begun.

What makes Dwight the perfect, unconventional anti-hero is the ambitious size of his bite — he’s short, skinny, has never held a gun in his life, and would probably apologize to a butterfly if he hurt its feelings. Blair completely embodies Dwight and brings him to life with subtle, but fierce, intensity. During a scene in which he’s stuck in a house, outnumbered and outgunned, you can feel Dwight’s anxiety and anger vibrate through him — boom, acting! As his violent tale of revenge takes a dramatic — and at times, comedic — turn, Blair’s portrayal of Dwight displays a level of commitment that’s admirable; in fact, this commitment demands that we root for him all the way to the bitter, brutal end.

Revenge breathes a new life in Jeremy Saulnier’s script. The film is very violent, but Saulnier manages to avoid glorifying revenge or bloodshed. Actually, he shows how terrifying, unnerving, sad and awful it is to kill a man. Dwight’s boyish innocence is gone, yet he still doesn’t know what he’s doing, still doesn’t want to do what he’s doing, and still knows he’s not doing a good thing — but feels compelled to protect the only family left in his life, at whatever cost. This relentless drive is what makes Blue Ruin one of the best shoot-‘em-up-until-they-are-all-dead-dead-dead revenge quests, ever.  

Sundance 2014 Capsule Review: Whiplash, or The Most Unconventional David Vs. Goliath Story in Years

If Miles Teller doesn’t become a superstar, I’m leaving Earth. At the young age of 26, with less than five roles completed, he’s already become the quintessential man: blowing away critics, fans, and movie lovers everywhere with his charismatic smooth delivery. Last year he carved his place in Hollywood with an incredible performance in The Spectacular Now. Sure, he’s had parts in a few teen comedies aimed for a teen audience, but when the role demands it, he has shown the world he can project maturity with fresh vibrant sincerity. Once again, Teller has commanded the screen with fierce determination in Damien Chazelle’s second feature, Whiplash.

Whiplash follows Andrew Neyman (Teller)  — he’s a freshman in college and wants to be the best jazz drummer at his East Coast music conservatory. Neyman doesn’t have any friends — which is by choice — and the closest he has to a social life is seeing movies with his father (played by Paul Reiser). This is Okay with him because playing the school’s drum set after hours is what stimulates him most; he wants to become a legend and nothing will get in his way. When he’s finally selected as an alternate backup drummer in the school’s prominent band taught by the well-regarded but ruthless music conductor, Terence Fletcher (in a staggering performance by J.K. Simmons), he feels like he’s already on top. But this isn’t a fairytale, and Neyman quickly learns he’s going to have to fight harder, play faster, and challenge the one person he admires most — Fletcher — no matter what the consequences are. 

From the moment Simmons shows up on screen, to the last frame he’s in, Simmons gives one of the most energetic (and quite terrifying) performances of his career. His Terence Fletcher teaches by inflicting fear and emotional pain. Instead of finding what his students are good at, Fletcher sniffs out their weakness and exploits it. To him, this form of teaching will filter out the worst of the best. I can’t remember the last time a film pushed its actors mentally as well as physically, but Whiplash brings the pain as our two leads battle out their differences.

What makes Whiplash so compelling is the war between our two leads — aside from Simmons’ machine gun spray of expletives at his students (and a thrown chair here and there) — there’s not much dialogue exchanged and not a single punch is thrown. These two spill blood (literally) with what they are good at: Neyman beating the drums as hard as he can, and Fletcher screaming in Neyman’s face that he’s not playing the drums good enough. Both want the same thing, but these two in the same room is like watching a tornado meet a volcano. Whiplash is a fierce story about determination, loss, pain, and following your heart no matter how poisonous it can sometimes be. 

Favorite Documentaries of 2013

Hi. How are you? If you’ve been following along, then you know I’m scrambling to catch up on 2013 movies. If there’s one thing I can take away from working in film distribution, it’s that watching films outside of your company’s is rare. Why? Because you watch the same clips and the same films over and over (a four-year-old’s dream) to strategize how to get as many butts in the theater seats as possible, and sometimes, after calling it a day, it’s nice to just go home and read, eat peanut butter, or do anything that doesn’t involve turning on your television. (That’s not easy for a guy like me: movies are my life. I love escaping from the real the world for 90+ minutes.)

In time, however, you learn to balance that, shut down the brain, and do what you love most: watch movies. Over the last few months, I managed to watch a handful of documentaries I’ve been wanting to see and below are my favorites. In no particular order, of course. 

BLACKFISH - Trailer

CALL ME KUCHU - Trailer

CUTIE AND THE BOXER - Trailer 

THE PERVERT’S GUIDE TO IDEOLOGY - Trailer

SHEPARD & DARK - Trailer

NARCO CULTURA - Trailer 

SOUND CITY - Trailer 

STORIES WE TELL - Trailer 

THE ACT OF KILLING - Trailer 

THE PUNK SINGER - Trailer

TV JUNKIE  - Trailer
(Note: TV JUNKIE played at Sundance in 2006 but never released on home video until this year.)

Docs I have not seen when this article was written (but wanted to): 

BLOOD BROTHER

THE SQUARE

20 FEET FROM STARDOM

AFTER TILLER

CRASH REEL

THE MACHINE WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING DISAPPEAR 

DIRTY WARS 

GOD LOVES UGANDA

LET THE FIRE BURN

My Favorite Films of 2013 I Saw After I Made My Favorite Films of 2013 List.

I made a Favorite Films of 2013 list, then saw more movies. Here are my Favorite Films of 2013 I Saw After I Made My Favorite Films of 2013 List. And don’t worry, if I can, I’ll make My Favorite Films of 2013 I Saw After I Made Two Previous Favorite Films of 2013 Lists list. 

In no particular order: 

CUTIE AND THE BOXER

STORIES WE TELL

BLACKFISH

THE PUNK SINGER

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

AMERICAN HUSTLE

SOUND CITY

SAVING MR. BANKS

THE PERVERT’S GUIDE TO IDEOLOGY

NEBRASKA

FRUITVALE STATION

My Favorite Film of the Year: NEBRASKA

Hi. How are you? I’m going to tell you about my favorite movie of the year: NEBRASKA. It’s my favorite movie of the year. (More Bruce Dern, please.)

Goodbye My Friend, See You in Another Life in Another Funny Story

        (My interview with Ned about the book before meeting him.)

Last night when I was lying in bed, catching up on the news, I saw an article that Ned had committed suicide. Hoping it was a hoax, I rushed to his Facebook and what I was currently fearing most was true: Ned had died. 

Let’s rewind a few years back. 

In 2010, I hit rock bottom. I was surrounded by many friends and family but I never felt so alone in the world. I was depressed, anxious, angry, and most of all, I just wanted to die. To keep my mind busy, my mom gave me a book called IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, a memoir written by Ned Vizzini. She said the synopsis reminded her of me, which is funny because it’s about a teenager who checks into a psychiatric ward because he wants to kill himself (my mom meant that statement in an endearing way — I think — because we are very candid and open with each other). 

I read the book. Then I read the book again. Then I read it once more. I read it three times in a row. The book spoke to me, it touched me, it inspired me, and showed me that even though the unknown future is terrifying, it’s also going to be beautiful. And I wanted to live.

      (You should see the book now, it’s beat to shit but still readable.)

I reached out to Ned via Facebook and spilled my guts about my situation and how his book healed a lot of my pain. He got my number and called me — we spoke on the phone and decided I should fly out to L.A. to meet and talk about how to cope with sadness. So I flew there and met him, his wonderful wife Sabra, and their newborn son. 

                (The sweet note Ned wrote in the book the day I met him.)

A few years later I moved to L.A. and took a trip with Ned, Sabra and son to the LACMA for the Stanley Kubrick exhibit. We spent the day walking around the exhibit in awe and Ned — who was quiet and awkward — spoke to me, asked how I was doing, and told me he’s really proud of how far I’ve come from the last time we had a conversation. It was a beautiful day and I can’t thank Sabra enough for beating it in my head to get my ass out of bed and meet them at the museum. 

When I made it public I was giving up film criticism for film distribution, Ned wrote a nice note on his Facebook about it. He was such a big supporter, but more importantly, he recognized the reason why I reached out to him, the reason why we became friends, was because of my mother, who took a chance on giving me his book about depression and suicide. 

I didn’t get to know Ned as well as I wanted to — we’re both awkward people and were awkward people around each other — but I did become closer with his wife, Sabra (she is a very outgoing person and could carry a conversation with my awkward self). So if you are reading this Sabra, know that you are a strong and an inspiring spirit and I love you with all my heart. Thank you for being my friend, copy editing my crappy writing when I needed it, and being so friendly to me when you barely knew me.

Ned, wherever you are, I want you to know that you were one of my heroes. Even though you’re gone, your love and support will never be forgotten.Thank you for helping a stranger from Facebook. You helped me and the best thing I can do is pay it forward.

Please pray for Sabra, their son and entire family. They have a hard road ahead.

-Chase

MOVIE REVIEW: WRONG COPS, THE FILTHIEST DIRTY COP MOVIE YOU WILL EVER SEE

Dumb is a word you use as a kid, but it’s the only way to describe Quentin Dupieux’s latest, WRONG COPS. (Especially compared to his insanely brilliant RUBBER, and the wacky and loveable WRONG.)

BAD LIEUTENANT. TRAINING DAY. THE DEPARTED. RAMPART. SERPICO. The list of dirty cop movies is quite lengthy.  There are even shows like RENO 911! with incredibly moronic cops doing incredibly moronic things, but it’s incredibly funny. WRONG COPS is trash cinema full of dirty cops doing weird, moronic, and dirty things all at the same time. Its goal is to make you laugh at things you’re not supposed to laugh at and perhaps make you question what the fuck you are watching, but falls flat on its ugly face. It’s “weird for the sake of being weird,” if you will. Dupieux worked backwards with this film from his previous work. Again, to really bring it home, it’s dumb.

Here’s the thing — by now when you go in to see a Dupieux film, you already expect an unrealistic world of chaos and all the Hollywood formulas have been flushed down the toilet to rot in the sewer pipes. Dupieux is, by definition, an auteur (fancy word for “Makes cool weird movies”) and a master at picking the right leads to play the perfect level of awkwardness he wants. Our main character and cop is Duke, so fearlessly played by Mark Burnham, who also played a cop in WRONG, too. Burnham’s Duke gets by from selling weed stuffed and duct taped dead rats. He’s obsessed with fast European techno (made by Dupieux himself, but as his real DJ name Mr. Oizo), being in his underwear, and not doing his job.

Shit hits the fan when Duke patronizes a sissy punk named David (played as awkwardly as possible by Marilyn Manson) who’s listening to what he thinks is shit music. So Duke takes (kidnaps) David to his house, strips down to his underwear, and blasts fast Euro bangers he loves to listen to. But David escapes and when Duke shoots at him, he misses and kills a guy who’s watering his lawn. Then Duke enlists help from his brainless partner Shirley (Arden Myrin, MADTV) and another (kind of cop, I guess? Detective?) Sunshine (Steve Little, EASTBOUND & DOWN) to help him dispose of this dead body. If you’ve seen WRONG or RUBBER, it won’t surprise you when said dead body is sometimes dead, and sometimes helping another cop (Eric Judor, another from WRONG) make a techno record. Oh, and there’s also a side story of another cop (played by TIM AND ERIC’S AWESOME SHOW GREAT JOB! ’s Eric Wareheim) who humps cars and holds women at gunpoint until they’ll show him their boobs. If none of this makes any sense, then Dupieux has done his job making WRONG COPS exactly how he wanted to, and I’ve done mine explaining it.

What sets WRONG COPS apart from RUBBER and WRONG is the story structure — to be very clear, WRONG COPS is plotless. There’s still a coherent story somewhere in RUBBER and WRONG. And both films have a sense of purpose — it’s there, you just have to look close. If an official synopsis wasn’t written for WRONG COPS, you’d probably think it was made by a too cool for school college “filmmaker” who gained access to a camera, accidentally mixed his cereal with speed, and made a movie. WRONG COPS is Dupieux’s proverbial toilet — he dumps all of his shit ideas in it. (And It gets worse before it’s intolerable.) Almost every filmmaker has their CITIZEN KANE, but they also have their BATTLEFIELD EARTH. Dupieux just made the worst movie of his career to date. And I never thought that would be possible. Sigh. 

. 

Movie Review: RAZE Raises Hell, Bashes in Skulls, and Shows Doug Jones Without Makeup (Worth Noting)

Zoë Bell is a face you may not recognize at first glance, but you’ve seen her in some your favorite movies. Her most notable performance was as Uma Thurman’s stunt double in the KILL BILL franchise - she was the one doing all the cool shit. She was also the girl on top of the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T — with no wires, just pure adrenaline — during the insane chase scene in Quentin Tarantino’s DEATH PROOF. Besides her stint in that, she’s never really had her day in the sun (we are going to pretend BITCH SLAP never, ever happened). 

RAZE is a solid action film with bell as a strong lead. She gets to shine as a badass and beat the hell out of everything that gets in her way. She she also shows she can actually act without having to throw a fist — give her some lines of melancholic dialogue and I guarantee she can deliver it better than Arnold Schwarzenegger and all those tough guys out there.

In RAZE, women with some kind of fighting skill wake up in a cell with no recollection of how they got there. They soon learn they have to fight and stay alive, or the organization behind this twisted business will kill whatever loved one most important to them.

The fights are set up nicely; we get character development in between — who’s who, and the loved one they are trying to stay alive for — and then the screen goes black with Character Name Vs. Character Name (this is very important for the last fight, which is just plain badass), and then the bloody mayhem begins. The fighting is not held back — these women are gladiators, so skulls are bashed in and eyes are gouged out — lots of blood is spilled. Pretty much anything goes in this bareknuckle arena. But in this movie, these ladies are not enjoying killing one another. They are thrown into a situation where, if they aren’t the last one standing, their loved one will also perish. 

This will no doubt get compared to FIGHT CLUB and HOSTEL for obvious reasons, but whatever, this movie stands on its own by giving post-brutal fight real human emotion. These trained fighters don’t want to be there and they don’t want to kill someone they don’t know but they have to. It’s kill or be killed with the knowledge your loved one will follow suit if you don’t win.   

Bell as the lead was a brilliant choice. She proves she can carry a film, dish out real human emotion just shortly after beat the shit out of someone who deserves to get the shit beat out of them. I hope Hollywood takes note and gives her more chances for top billing. 

You should watch this — maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about how much blood explodes when slamming someone’s head against a brick wall. 

RAZE is the ultimate midnight movie. 

And before I’m off, it should also be noted that this is the first time you see Doug Jones as Doug Jones, without pounds of makeup, except he’s still a character and really shines with what little screen time he has. 

Movies You've Never Seen But Should: TV JUNKIE

This year — based on the suggestion of my pal Nathan Rabin — I watched a documentary from 2006 that that I’ve never heard of called TV JUNKIE. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival (in 2006) and won the Special Jury Prize for documentary (and was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize). Then it disappeared after the festival ended. Until now.

I’m not sure why this never got a proper theatrical or DVD release - it’s one of the most compelling documentaries I’ve ever seen in my life. It was never sold to a film distributor and was shelved until the digital age made it slightly easier to get the film out into the world. 

In this poignant and heartbreaking story, Rick Kirkham, an INSIDE EDITION Reporter, is obsessed with filming every aspect of his life. This includes fighting  with his exhausted-but-supportive wife, filming his excessive drug abuse, and shooting over 3,000 hours into his descent into madness. You can feel his tremor of something - sadness, loss, anger - vibrate through him. And we are watching it all happen as cowards cringing while he self-destructs.

Rick loved shooting and filmed everything - he held nothing back and I admire is determination. You see, dear reader, Kirkham’s tragic story he hoped  would to lead him to fame and glory pushed him so far down the rabbit hole recovering seemed inconceivable.

TV JUNKIE was carefully edited with candor and compassion by the films’ directors Michael Cain (fellow Dallasite!) and Matt Radecki. Please do yourself a kindness and see this film. 

TV JUNKIE is still currently unavailable on DVD, but you can rent or buy it on iTunes by clicking HERE. I highly suggest you do this.

New on Blu: Criterion Collection's GREY GARDENS

                    Sleek new cover by artist Shayne Christiansen

GREY GARDENS is an American classic. So much, years later it spawned a fiction feature film adaption starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange, a a full-length musical on Broadway, multiple plays loosely based on the main subjects of GREY GARDENS, and many popular models you’ve fantasized about at some point in your life dressed as them on the runway. Edith ‘Little Edie’ Bouvier Beale and Edith Bouvier Beale (who I’m going to refer to as Mama Beale) became the world’s most famous counterculture icons, and all by accident. This is an incredible documentary about two women who who don’t pretend to be great - whether the cameras are rolling or not. 

If I were watching GREY GARDENS and a friend walked with no context of what I was happening on screen, he/she could easily pass it off as a horror film; Edith and Mama Beale live in a 28 room mansion in the East Hamptons. Sounds like heaven, right? The only (very large) difference is this mansion is plagued with fleas (a fucking shit ton of them),  an unhealthy amount of (stray?) cats, raccoons in the attic that the Beales feed with full loafs of bread mixed with cat food, and whatever you may find in a filthy broken down home that hasn’t kept up its maintenance or has been cleaned in probably, well, ever. This place because so unsanitary, in fact, the town tried to get them evicted —  and almost won — but they got help and cleaned up just enough to convince whatever health people that their living conditions could be managed (it never was). 

GREY GARDENS is the most unconventional documentary ever made and if there’s another documentary about a family more eccentric and real than The Beales, I haven’t seen it. 

What’s funny is GREY GARDENS is shot primarily in three rooms and the patio, where the ladies get a little sun. In the room where they mostly spend their time, there’s two twin beds and  Mama is belting her heart out to music from her record player while cooking corn on the cob (on the bed) from what looks to be a tiny grill. Yeah, it gets weird. 

Co-directed by Albert Maysles and his late brah, David Maysles, (who both made the widely acclaimed Rolling Stones documentary, GIMME SHELTER) GREY GARDENS has them following the mother and daughter during their daily routines at home. It’s not much, but these two charismatic character make everything they talk, bicker, and banter about more than enough to keep anyone interested during the films 100 minute running time. And as much fighting as these two do, their actions towards each other show how much they love and need one another.

Mama Beales keeps her hobbies steady by singing loud and proud from her record collection - and the most memorable being “Tea for Two” by Vincent Youmans (but sung by Mama, of course). Edith occupies her time wearing eclectic outfits, dancing, and talking to the camera about things she gave up to come to care of her mother. But the truth is, Edith needs Mama just as much as mama needs Edith. 

What’s so powerful about this film is there’s no narrative, no goal, and no resolution. The biggest problem the filmmakers probably faced was, “When the hell do we stop filming?” Good thing for us fans they didn’t for a while, and  released a sequel 31 years later with archived footage not seen in the GREY GARDENS.

                                     THE SUPPLEMENTS

This digital restoration for the Blu-ray comes as new 2K digital film restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack — all with the blessing by the co-director Albert Maysles. 

As briefly mentioned above, the most exciting supplement on this Criterion Collection is the 2006 follow up, THE BEALES OF GREY GARDENS. With a BRIEF introduction by filmmaker Albert Maysles, we learn how close him and his late brother (who did sound) became really close to the ladies - close enough where Edith had a long crush on one of them and finally revealed who it was decades later.

One of the things Edith wished GREY GARDENS had more of was singing and dancing - both her and her mama loved to sing (even though Mama wanted to jump out a window every time Edie belted out a tune - “Get my radio, I’ve got to have professional music,” she would often say). Edith was the dancer and wasn’t afraid to show it. If the cameras were rolling or not, Edith was dancing a jig. This followup just proves my theory that all Edie wanted to be was loved, she wanted to be told she’s pretty, and she wanted to be wanted. She’s the saddest girl to never hold a martini but did her thing and didn’t lose a beat.

Inside the Blu-ray case is a booklet featuring an essay by critic Hilton Als. In this essay, she talks about the interview she had with little Edie after her mother’s death. It’s a thoughtful essay on Edie and sheds light on her post-life without her mother. 

Another solid suppliment is an audio interview from 1976 with Little Edie by Kathryn G. Graham. Since it is audio, the screen fills with Edie at her happiest. It’s quite lovely. 

GREY GARDENS is such a haunting and poignant story of sticking together, love, regret, and just staying alive. Since there’s no direction and it’s easy to follow the story’s narrative just by listening to the women chatter, and this is what makes GREY GARDENS an American classic.

NOTE: A few of the supplements I hadn’t had time to fully engage in for review and are listed below: 

Audio commentary with Maysles and co-directors Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer, along with associate producer Susan Froemke 

Interviews with fashion designers Todd Oldham and John Bartlett on the continuing influence of GREY GARDENS

Behind-the-scenes photographs

Favorite Films of 2013

Another year, another batch of Top-Films-of-the-Year lists will be coming your way soon. Below is mine - films are listed in no particular order. Enjoy. 

THE KINGS OF SUMMER - Reviewed for Twitch

THE WAY, WAY BACK - Reviewed for Twitch

THE SPECTACULAR NOW -  Reviewed for Twitch

SHORT TERM 12

CALL ME KUCHU

WILD BILL

UPSTREAM COLOR - Reviewed for We Got This Covered

MAN OF STEEL - Reviewed for ChaseWhale.com

PRINCE AVALANCHE  - Reviewed for We Got This Covered

FAST & FURIOUS 6

THIS IS MARTIN BONNER

THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN

GRAVITY

SUN DON’T SHINE - Reviewed for Twitch

NEW WORLD

Honorable Mentions: 

AFTERNOON DELIGHT - Reviewed for Twitch

MR. NOBODY

C.O.G. - Reviewed for Twitch

Films I missed lots of folks are heehawing about:

DALLAS BUYER’S CLUB

12 YEARS A SLAVE

BLUE JASMINE

ENOUGH SAID (RIP MR. GANDOLFINI - Return if Possible)

NEBRASKA (Update: This is my favorite film of the year.)

Films I watched and liked just OK lots of folks are heehawing about:

BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

MUD

FRANCES HA

Anticipated films not released at the time of this post:

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (Update: didn’t care for this one)

AMERICAN HUSTLE (Update: I liked this one)

HER (UPDATE: Warner Bros. sent me a For Your Consideration screener of HER. It’s a solid film but not a favorite of the year.)

New on Blu: THE WOLVERINE

Looks like someone decided to take the Wolverine spin-off series seriously. The second installment in the Wolverine franchise - so eloquently called The Wolverine - is a huge improvement from its predecessor, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And when I say huge improvement, I mean that it’s watchable and doesn’t suck.

In this installment, Wolvy™ flies to Japan to say sayōnara to a friend he saved long ago (at the bombing of Nagasaki, to be exact), but finds trouble with ninjas who do hands-free cartwheels (awesome) and a giant steel samurai robot (double awesome). Sounds corny as I read that last sentence, but I promise 1) it’s not, and 2) I really just wanted to find a place to add hands-free cartwheeling ninjas and this is where it fit best - deal with it.

The Blu-ray

One thing that most cinephiles and most movie geeks in general love is good cover art for Blu-ray, DVD, VHS, or whatever format they’re collecting films on. The Wolverine has really great artwork; it’s slick, modern, and slices out all of that ugly and obvious Photoshop bullshit you almost always see for comic book movies that one could argue is a joke or a child made in Microsoft Paint (I can’t imagine how painful this is to the comic book artists who’ve worked on these characters for years). Thumbs up to Marvel and 20th Century Fox for getting a good artist for The Wolverine. 

There’s not a whole lot of extra features with The Wolverine - it comes with the standard DVD and digital copy - but there are enough to please Wolverine and X-Men fans out there. This version comes with an alternate ending (anybody out there still like alternate endings?), a set tour of the upcoming X-Men movie, X-Men: Days of Future Past (who else is excited for this?), and five behind-the-scenes videos of The Wolverine. 

Buy, rent, or avoid?

Comicbookies™ are going to buy this regardless. But if you’re a fan of solid action, and want to hear Wolverine talk serious trash and get dirty, buy this Blu-ray. It’s worth a rental if you don’t care for the franchise and just want to see a good action movie. 

"FOLLOW THIS! TOP INDIE FILM INSIDERS ON TWITTER"

Humbly honored to be picked by Film Independent as one of the top indie film insiders to follower on Twitter, especially with these people: Patton Oswalt, Lena Dunham, Errol Morris, Mark Duplass, David Wain, Rian Johnson (writer/director of LOOPER), and Miranda July.

Check it! http://bit.ly/17axj85

Movie Review: ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW, or A "HORROR" FILM SET IN DISNEY WORLD I WISH I COULD UNSEE

Aside from the eye-catching innovative poster you see above, the much talked about ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW has nothing else to offer. 

ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to much acclaim. Why? It was entirely shot guerilla style at Disney World and Disneyland without consent from the Big Mouse and his friends or legal team. Does this make it a good movie? Not one bit. 

The film opens with our protagonist, Jim (played by Roy Abramsohn) talking on the phone with his now future ex-boss. He’s at Disney World with his family and has just been fired from his job. Hiding it from his constantly frustrated wife Emily (Elena Schuber), Jim takes off with Emily and his two kids for a fun day of park rides, arguing, losing his kids, and ultimately, losing his fucking mind. 

Making a horror movie out of one of the planet’s most beloved theme parks takes guts. The filmmakers spent weeks, months even, planning their film shoot. Since they didn’t have permission to shoot on park grounds, they only had one chance to get it right. These filmmakers are determined to get shit done, so it’s a shame the film turned out so poorly. 

Where it goes wrong is the plot. We’re lead to believe the theme park is supposed to be the reason for Jim’s unexpected and rapidly growing insanity, but that’s not it. His downward spiral begins when he meets two underage girls and becomes obsessed with following them and daydreaming about doing things with them only a priest with a little boy locked in his basement would do. In short, he’s a pedaphile and in his constant state of loneliness just doesn’t realize it. 

He also hates his nagging wife, his unappreciative and bratty kids, and just wants out. Chasing these two girls around the park is his temporary escape from tomorrow. (Note: If I were married to a chronic nagging wife and unnappreciative, bratty kids too, that would be just enough to drive me mad.)

With so many slams on the narrative of the film, I really can’t stress how cool it is that director Randy Moore patiently took his time pre-planning the film. There are scenes that needed perfect lighting and they had to rely on the sun’s direction. Imagine shooting guerilla style without permission and you only get one shot (Eminem - “Lose Yourself”) to get a scene correct or the shoot is ruined for the day - that takes chutzpah. But it still doesn’t make it a good movie. 

ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW is the embodiment of every filmmakers worst fear: a cliché – and there are no surprises here. And while the film is crap,  Moore will no doubt get more work in the future. He’s just too damn talented not to.