Sunday, July 19, 2009

AMERICAN PIE 2 (2001)

Directed By: J.B. Rogers
Written By: Adam Herz; Story By: Adam Herz & David H. Steinberg
Cinematography By: Mark Irwin
Editor: Larry Madaras & Stuart Pappe


CAST: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Eugene Levy, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott, Chris Klein, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Tara Reid, Shannon Elizabeth, Chris Owen, Natasha Lyonne, Joanna Garcia, John Cho, Lisa Arturo, Mena Suvari, Denise Faye, Eli Marienthal, Bree Tuner, Larry Drake, Tsianina Joelson, Adam Brody, Kevin Kilner, Luke Edwards, Jennifer Coolidge


The plot this time is set around after the first year of college the guys decide to reunite to hang out for the summer and get reacquainted at Stifler’s dad’s lake house where they noticed how there life’s have changed and how some things remain the same and jim’s quest to get another chance with nadiya.

This movie is all about the money as it seems the film tries hard to live up to or surpass the first movie to no avail it doesn’t even seem to really have anything for the characters to do as far as storylines go. The women of the first film seem here for just cameos except for Alyson Hannigan. So it just seems like a bunch of supposedly gross out funny scenes stitched together that are not very inspired toe original movie took you by surprise. Here you can see the scenes coming. Shannon Elizabeth looks good in the film but there is nothing for her to do and of course everyone has there happy ending. But I can’t say the film was very enjoyable.


Chris Penn was originally in the movie playing Stifler’s dad until he was completely cut from the film. Seann William Scott really is the only saving grace of this film as well as the series as the filmmakers seem to realize that after the first one he is the most entertaining character and the mascot for the series where as in this movie he is still on the fringes of supporting his character is beefed up more then in the original.

Some characters make a return that really are not needed. Chris Klein just seems to just be in the background there really is no story for him and Mena Suvari. The same can be said of Tara Reid, But I am happy to see the return of Chris Owen’s character Sherman.

This should be called the real revenge of the nerds as they seem to get all that they have ever dreamed of and never knew they wanted.

For a film that is supposed to be a hard r it is rather tame there is nudity in like two scenes but the film seems more about sex talking then actual action.

At first I thought maybe I didn’t give it a fair shake maybe I was disappointed due to the fact that the build up for the film was high but upon watching it a second time I was right the first timethe film is very weak and obviously rushed out.

Skip it not worth the time

GRADE: D

Sunday, July 12, 2009

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE (1985)


Directed By: Jack Shoulder
Written By: David Chaskin; Based On Characters By: Wes Craven
Cinematography By: Jacques Haitkin & Christopher Tufty
Editor: Bob Brady & Arline Garson

Cast: Robert Englund, Robert Rusler, Kim Myers, Clu Gulager


S.F.W. (1995)

Directed By: Jefery Levy
Written By: Danny Rubin & Jefery Levy
Based On The Novel By: Andrew Wellman
Cinematography By: Peter Deming
Editor: Lauren Zuckerman

Cast: Resse Witherspoon, Stephen Dorff, Joey Lauren Adams, Jack Noseworthy, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Jake Busey, Steve Antin, Tobey Maguire, China Kantner, Gary Coleman, Eve Plumb


This has a good storyline that somehow got majorly messed up in the editing or follow through. This film is a satire on the futility of not only fame but making celebrities out of so-called real people on television or reality shows now this film pre-dated the reality show boom that seemed to happen after survivor became a hit. It also shows the ridiculous nature of praising nothing celebrities such as Paris Hilton. Who are famous for no reason. So this film without knowing it could have really been a monumental film but as it is a incoherent mess and not in a good way or a artistic way but in away of let’s throw everything at the screen and see what sticks. It has good ideas but somehow wastes them in the follow through.

The Story is of cliff a burger store employee who is a slacker. Who with his best friend is taken hostage inside a convenience store for 30 days as the burglars film all of them for 30 days and make the networks air the tapes before the police come in and cliff leads a mini revolt out of 18 there is only one other survivor a girl (Of Course). Now Because of these tapes he becomes a celebrity/Youth icon very reluctantly. He likes the free stuff but is upset about people trying to be like him, Dress like him. They find him a hero and no one seems to care about the victims or the memory of his friend. He finds he can’t relate to anyone either about his ordeal. So he must contact the female survivor. She has to know what’s happening, though she has kept a relatively low profile. Then after he talks to her and they bond he finally decides to embrace his celebrity status and that is when the backlash begins and finally they are both shot by a girl who can’t stand the Apathy/Empathy they have caused with the catchphrase “So Fucking What” She wants her generation to go back to morals and caring, being intelligent. By shooting them though she becomes a celebrity herself.

The reason I am spoiling this movie for you is because there is no reason to see the movie. The story is the best part and if this film was given to a talented director and a better writer. This could have been a excellent thought provoking satire. I mean just writing out the plot. I have made this film smarter then what the finished product is, This film doesn’t even have wit. It’s version of wit is casting Gary Coleman and Eve Plumb as themselves playing in the TV Movie Based on the survivor’s story.

The Film is just a mess nothing seems inspired. It looks like the filmmakers were on the same drugs everyone else in this movie seems to be on in almost every scene. The film is also just ugly looking. The only time the visuals look slick is in the flashbacks to the hostage crisis. It also doesn’t help that most of the characters seem to be borderline retarded, Which can work in comedy but not if your trying to pass your film off as art luckily at least for me and the audience director Jefrey Levy never seems to have made another film after this. Looking at S.F.W. and his first film INSIDE MONKEY ZETTERLAND. I can see why. Just like I can see why this film is still not on DVD.

Stay Far Away.

GRADE: F

RANSOM (1996)

Directed By: Ron Howard
Written By: Richard Price & Alexander Ignon;
Story: Cyril Hume & Richard Maibaum
Cinematography By: Piotr Sobocinski
Editor: Dan Haley & Mike Hill

Cast: Mel Gibson, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo, Rene Russo, Dan Hedaya, Donnie Wahlberg, Lili Taylor, Liev Schrieber, Brawley Nolte, Jose Zuniga, John Ortiz


This film is the type of event film they would have made in the 1950’s Starring a huge matinee idol where they give him a paint by numbers plot but really the film is for the audience to watch the actor play to his strengths in a series of scenes and make him look like a icon. That is this film.

It’s not a mystery who kidnapped Mel Gibson’s son. It’s how long it will take him to realize it’s someone who is in his midst. This film presents you with Mel Gibson surrounded by a well known cast as you wait for the inevitable fight he is going to have with the main kidnapper and hoping it’s as goon and violent as the one he had with Gary Busey In LETHAL WEAPON

The plot is a rich man’ son is kidnapped and pretty much breaks all the rules his kidnappers set to try and get him back going against what the cops and FBI tell him to do. Showing he is a rebel and loves his son. While endangering his son’s life with every stunt just to be stubborn.

The only two interesting things about this film are the scenes where Mel Gibson confronts a old incarcerated business partner who he feels may be behind the kidnapping as revenge. The other scene is when the villain dispatches his gang including his lover to cut all ties to himself to show just how evil he is. While we are discussing it, Why this person would pick this group as kidnappers is beyond me they are like the gang who couldn’t shoot straight. It’s a miracle they even pulled the kidnapping off. So that goes beyond all reason. Why he would associate and plan to share money with these people but other then that there is nothing noteworthy other then to watch how athletic and heroic Mel Gibson is in the movie, for a man who is only supposed to be a industrialist.

This film is fine to watch on TV, When nothing else is on but no need to seek it out.

This is another Ron Howard film where he tries to have more style due to the genre. He tries his luck here with a little more dark material then he is used to but somehow still manages to make it bland. At least here the direction is a little stronger then usual for him but it is still not quite a home run.

When it comes to Ron Howard films I loved most of them as a kid growing up he somehow makes you feel a nostalgic mood when watching his films. But after this one there was a feeling something wasn’t right so I began watching them with a more critical eye. He is a talented director but he really has no style. He was born too late because his films are more idealistic when it comes to content and character. The films fit right in for the 1950’s type melodrama. He seems a perfect director for the middle aged male demographic with material that is not too harsh and more family oriented more over sentimentalized.

GRADE: C-

Sunday, July 5, 2009

DAY OF THE DEAD (2008) Remake

Directed By: Steve Miner
Written By: Jeffrey Reddick;
Based On The Original Script “Day Of The Dead” By: George Romero
Cinematography By: Patrick Cady
Editor: Nathan Easterling

CAST: Mena Suvari, Ving Rhames, Nick Cannon, Annalynne McCord, Pat Kilbane, Ian McNiece


The film is so bad that after awhile I don’t even think the director could take it too seriously as the film gets more ridiculous and seems to make up the rules of zombieism as it goes along until soon it almost resembles a Sci-Fi channel original movie or a really bad comic book. Especially the scene where the group of survivors hear a zombie in the air duct and all the characters who have a gun shoot up in the air at it like it is a reflex they don’t even look when they shoot. Plus when did it become acceptable for zombies to all of a sudden have super human powers. I’m not talking about the strength, I’m talking defying the logics of gravity all of a sudden they can scale walls like Spiderman and leap in the air 50 feet.

Ving Rhames is in this movie more as a extended cameo. Though he is top billed it actually is more of a Nick Cannon and Mena Suvari movie. So that should alert you to the quality of the material. The only reason I can think that Mr. Rhames appears in this movie is either a big paycheck or he felt a loyalty to the series after starring in The DAWN OF THE DEAD Remake.

Nick Cannon seems only to be here to crack racial jokes about why do white people do this. Then he becomes selfless all of a sudden even though throughout the film he’s been pretty much only the strong survive street type.

Mena Suvari who I am glad to see working apparently a lot maybe she is hoping to find that role that immortalizes her again or at least resurrects her career but this and the films she has taken recently are not it. My advice fire your agent you deserve better then this you do have talent and beauty.

I can see why this movie never made it to theaters. Not only because of the low budget but it feels cheap. The effects are horrible. The script idiotic it just feels like a product that was rushed and made t make a quick buck not paying any attention to quality

What did they spend on this movie whatever it was wasn’t enough a true director can overcome difficulties to make something somewhat decent even if the script sucks, which it does. Or the actors are not great, Most are not to bad.

Even though the film is a brisk 87 minutes it felt longer like it was a actor oriented play since the cast seemed so small. To add to the problems of the movie the try to be shocking ending makes no sense.

There is a noticeable difference between this and the DAWN OF THE DEAD Remake other then talent in front of and behind the Camera. The Dawn remake was handled by a talented artist who was visionary and had original ideas for pacing and camera angles. It also has a true director Zach Snyder. Steve Miner is a good television director making a speedy schedule making film he can make the ordinary look extraordinary on a certain budget but when it comes to movies he’s a bit of a hack. He has had his triumphs but he has a somewhat limited talent with film. Which was perfectly fine for Friday the 13th Part 2 and 3 and lake placid but the first two were in the 80’s. for those films you didn’t have to necessarily be good or have style or flair, but since then Halloween: H20 he hasn’t been too visionary actually not too good maybe he’s comfortable and stands by his reputation and resume. Bringing films on budget and on time and they make enough money to be considered successful.

In the end watching this I feel cheated.

GRADE: F