Sarah Polley Tribute Film #1 "Guinevere"

 

 

 

5/18/2013

My next bunch of reviews will focus on Canadian actor/director Sarah Polley, who has starred in several independent films such as "Guinevere", "Go", and "My Life Without Me", along with directing the critically acclaimed films "Away from Her" and "Take This Waltz".  Born in January of '79 in Toronto, Sarah found success in the TV show "Road to Avonlea" and several other Canadian productions.  She may be short in stature (5'2") but is quite the heavy hitter in the indie film scene.

 

The 1999 film "Guinevere" was written and directed by Audrey Wells and co-stars veteran Irish actor Stephen Rea as Connie Fitzpatrick a Bohemian San Francisco photographer.  Polley play Harper Slone the youngest daughter in a wealthy, stuck up family of lawyers.  Harper is often ignored and played off as the black sheep, when she is really the most normal and grounded of the bunch.  While bored to death at her sisters wedding, she runs off with a bottle of champagne and manages to bump into the wedding photographer, Connie.   Connie is not one to win over the young ladies with his looks, but is a very mysterious and intriguing character.  The appealing lure of the life of an artist does it every time. He quickly strikes up a sort of friendship with Harper when he agrees not photograph her as part of the wedding party.  Unknown to Harper he does take a picture of her and she falls in love with it.  On the back it says "To Guinevere"

Connie is the stereotypical self destructive, alcoholic, has been artist that have been portrayed since Shakespearian times.  He has this thing were he mentors and helps troubled young female artists find their way.  I won't lie it is kind of creepy and looks likes the oldest trick in the book for an older man to get with young girls.  Although there must be something to him because Harper ditches Harvard law school to live with Connie rent free with the condition that she must work on being some sort of artist.  She chooses photography as her medium.  All of the girls past and present are referred to as his Guinevere's and serve as his muse's for his own photography projects.  It not long before the ole Connie charm kicks in and Harper is sleeping with him.  Harper is introduced to his close circle of friends and even meets a former Guinevere, played by Gina Gershon.  For the first time in her life Harper feels accepted for who she is and not the constant disappointment her family sees.  Connie gives her all of the attention she could ever want and Harper soaks it up like a sponge.

 

Early on when Harper finds out their have been other Guinevere's, she has a major freak out.  Thinking she is being taken advantage of she moves out only to be back with him shortly after.  When Harper's mother finds out what she's been up to she confronts Connie.  She is one frosty bitch (played by Jean Smart), which a big side a jealousy. "Guinevere" is not a great movie by any stretch, but it is watchable for Polley and Rea, because with out them this movie would need to left in the darkroom.  It is currently showing on Netflix Instant Streaming.

"Disturbing Behavior" Starring Katie Holmes and James Marsden

4/23/2013

Released in 1998 and following the lead of "The Faculty" comes another high school horror film called "Disturbing Behavior".  Mostly known as Katie Holmes first major film role.  She had a bit part a year earlier in Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm".  "Disturbing Behavior" is directed by David Nutter who mainly directs in television and most notably from episodes of "The X files".  So you would think this would be the perfect fit right? Wrong.

The story centers on Steve one of the newest students to Cradle Bay High School.  He is played by James Marsden who looks likes he's about 28 or so.  His younger sister Lindsey is played by Katherine Isabelle, who later stars in the 2000 cult favorite movie "Ginger Snaps".  They have moved to Cradle Bay from Chicago for a "new start" after their brother had died.  Steve gets acquainted with a few of the Cradle Bay outcasts/stoners in Gavin and UV an albino kid.  At lunchtime Gavin points out all of the typical high school cliques.  The geeks, the motor heads, the skaters and then there are the blue ribbons.  The blue ribbons are like the cool kids in a 1950s movie.  They are the ultra preppy, letter sweater wearing creeps that really lay on the phony charm just a little too heavy.  We are then finally introduced to Rachel or "Rae" the dark haired, truck driving wanna be bad girl played by Katie Holmes.  She is wasted in this role and is pretty much limited to eye candy which is not a bad thing ( just watch "The Gift") but she is barely in half the movie, what the hell?

After a number of violent outbursts from members of the blue ribbons, who are mostly football Cradle Bay meatheads" as Rachel puts it.  This is true and Gavin and Steve are out to stop it, although we are not really sure what it is.  While in the boiler room for some reason Steve runs into the apparently crazy and unhinged janitor who is waging war on the schools rat problem.  A gigantic WTF.  He has cobbled together a sort of high frequency radio box to drive the rats out but wouldn't you know it come up big just as the third act rolls around.  This movie is also about the absent parents and their inability to controlled their kids.  When an easy but ominous solution comes along the parents all blindly follow it, thinking its for the best. 
players and cheerleaders, Gavin has this theory that "some sinister force has taken over the

"Disturbing Behavior" tries to be a lot of things and utterly fails on all fronts.  It tries to be an extended episode of  "The Twilight Zone" as well as a 50s style conspiracy movie, but with a hip 90s attitude.  Its poorly cast and only exists to profit off the teen movie craze of the moment.  Even though I rip on it now I did see this in theatres and thought is was alright at the time.  It has steadily gotten worse.  However if you are so inclined to check it out, even if it only to see Holmes, it's available on DVD and on demand from Amazon.

 



"The Faculty" by Robert Rodriguez is 90s Teen Horror Fun

4/18/2013

While in high school did you ever think your teachers were aliens from a different planet?  That's the premise behind Robert Rodriguez's 1998 film "The Faculty".  Piggy backing off the massive success of the "Scream" movies, teen horror in the late 90s was the hottest thing going.  "The Faculty" has a great ensemble cast featuring Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Selma Hayek, Usher and many others.  Also in a bit of strange casting John Stewart in his pre Daily Show days plays a science teacher named Edward Furlong who played John Connor in "Terminator 2".

We are introduced to the students of Harrington High School in proper stereo typical form.  There is the smart, drug dealing Zeke (Hartnett) who is repeating his senior year.  The bullied and tormented Casey (Wood), the tough goth like rebel girl Stokley (Clea Duval), then of course the cutesy blonde haired new girl with sexy southern accent, Mary Beth.  Rather then being a terrifying and gory horror film, it is more a fun and entertaining blast of nostalgia.  Taking hints from movies like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and 50s style monster movies.  These movie are also brought up by the characters and follows the formula of "Scream" in being self referential. 

Starting with the insanely intense football coach the entire faculty becomes infected by a shrimp like creature that goes in through your ear and wraps it tentacles around your brain to control you like a robot.  The aliens need a great deal of water to survive and the water cooler becomes a popular hangout in the teachers lounge. 

Casey finds a small pod like thing on the football field and brings it to Mr. Furlong who finds that it   Casey and the editor of the school paper Delilah (Jordana Brewster) start to investigate things and then witness the turning of the school nurse Rosa (Hayek).  Just thing about that for moment the school nurse is Salma Hayek, needless to say that office must be constantly overflowing.  Anyway, Zeke the cool kid deals this white powder stuff that's made up mostly of caffeine pills that he puts in clear pen tubes.  They find out that this powder kills the aliens when they stab Mr. Furlong in the eye when he turns on them.  Then the shit starts to get real.   The group of students hideout in Zeke's garage where they need to prove they are not aliens by taking a hit off the powder.  A scene similar to the one in John Carpenter's The Thing.  They figure out that to end this they need to find and kill the lead alien.  Eventually one by one they get infected until Casey in one his own and has to save the day.

jumps to life when introduced to water.

"The Faculty" is a very familiar story, but it knows what it is.  I saw this way back when it was in theatres and really liked it then and still do.  As with all teen movies it does tend to date itself and lose a little something in the process.  So if your feeling nostalgic for the 90s take a look at Robert Rodriguez's "The Faculty".  Also look for its bastard step child "Disturbing Behavior" in my next review.

 

"Henry: Portrait of Serial Killer" is a Character Study in Violence

4/15/2013

To quote Homer Simpson "Oooh portrait, sounds classy".  This movie is the chilling and brutal story of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who along with his accomplice Otis killed an unknown number of people.  Also known as the confession killer for taking credit for hundreds and hundreds of killings.  Henry's actual number of victims it unknown, but he was convicted of 11 murders and sentenced to life in prison.  He died in 2001.

Directed by John McNahugton on a shoestring budget of $100,000,  "Henry" was filmed in Chicago with unknown actors in late 1985 and early 1986.  It marked the screen debut of Michael Rooker, who plays Henry, has gone on to have a prolific career.  Most currently playing Merle Dixon on "The Walking Dead".

Henry is loner living Chicago and is a part time exterminator of bugs, then at night an exterminator of humans.  He lives with Otis another sleazebag loner who isn't to bright.  They met while serving time and now share a small prison like apartment.  Otis also has a sister, Becky, who left her husband and has come to live with the serial killer odd couple.  Henry and Becky spark up a relationship and he protects her against the verbally and physically abusive Otis. 

McNaughton opens the movie on a close up of one of Henry's victims (the orange socks girl) that was  We then see a few more gruesome crime scenes of Henry's work.  His tableaus of carnage.   This movie is not a your typical horror movie, it's more of a pitch black character drama about violence.  Rooker is amazing in his performance as the remorseless and soulless killer.  Although Henry mostly killed by himself, he let Otis tag along and they became a team, until Henry ultimately killed him too.  The movie is not a truly accurate account of actual events and some things were changed to make a it a better movie.

ditched in the weeds.

"Henry" was completed in 1986 but wasn't released until 1989 as it had an epic battle with the MPAA over the films rating.  Originally given and X rating, which was mostly reserved for pornography. "Henry" was one of the movies that led to the creation of the NC-17 rating (which is still a ratings death sentence).  Meaning that the movie contains intense adult themes, but is not pornography.  Once released it really polarized critics,  it  received several rave reviews from critics like Roger Ebert (R.I.P).  Its an intense and unflinching look into the darkest corners of humanity.  Dark Sky films released a 2 disc special edition in 2006 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the film.  It has a commentary track from the director, an hour long making of documentary, and much more. Check it out!

 

Let "Slither" Slide Across your Screen and Thank Me Later!

4/7/2013

In the spirit of the cheesy monster movies of years past "Slither" is quite the enjoyable film.  It's as funny as it is disgusting and bizarre.  Directed by James Gunn, who previously worked at famed B-movie studio Troma, brings the same attitude and felling to "Slither" although with a much bigger budget.

Taking place in Wheelsey, South Carolina this movie has a deep southern feel to it.  Starring Elizabeth Banks as Starla a young southern belle married to the much older Grant, whose last name is also Grant, played by the intense Michael Rooker.  The town sheriff Bill Pardy is played by genre icon Nathan Fillion.  Many other movies come to mind while watching this like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "Night of the Creeps" and many more.

We open with a meteorite crashing down in a wooded area of Wheelsey behind Bill and his partners squad car as they whittle away an extremely slow and boring night.  We see  Starla and Grant have an argument and he heads off to the bar and picks up a local chick name Brenda.  There is also has another woman in the bar singing karaoke to "The Crying Game" which is pretty funny.  Grant and Brenda wander into the woods where he stumbles upon a giant slug like creature that upon investigation shoots him with a sort of worm dart that takes control of his brain.  This also begins about his slow and gruesome transformation.  He now has an insatiable hunger for raw meat.  The next night while Starla waits for Grant at the big Deer Cheer dance she reconnects with Bill whose had a crush on her for years.  Grant is a no show at the dance and Bill gives her a ride home as they talk and bond

Probably the funniest character, although not initially, is the douche bag mayor Jack MacReady (MacReady was also the name of Kurt Russell's character in "The Thing").  He is an arrogant jerk who gets all of the best one liners and his reactions to all of the mayhem are priceless.  Grant "impregnates" Brenda with his alien appendages who is then stuck into a barn and turns into a giant and I mean giant blob, who eventually explodes releasing tons of slithering slugs that go in through you mouth a turn you into a brain dead zombie.  Many of the locals get zombified and its up to our heroes Bill, Starla and a teenage girl named Kylie, whose family was also turned, to save the day.  Grant is now a giant Jaba the Hut like creature with tentacles.  The final showdown is nothing too special but the movie as a whole is pretty crazy fun to watch.  "Slither is currently available on Netflix watch instantly.  The DVD version also has a commentary if your into that sort of thing.