G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra

2009 - Paramount Pictures
Directed By Stephen Sommers


SYNOPSIS

When a group of new warheads ordered by the U.S. Government is stolen by a new terrorist group, an elite military unit called G.I. Joe is tasked with retrieving them. But this terrorist group, COBRA, activates them and launches them toward several major world capitals. Now G.I. Joe must stop them.

MY THOUGHTS

As loud, obnoxious and idiotic as a frat party.

Seemingly with each and every year, Hollywood's 'paint-by-number' 'must-please-everyone' blockbusters  lose more and more touch with reality.

Though set in the 'near future,' the technology of both the good guys and the bad guys is light-years beyond anything you'd find on Star Trek. If the militaries of the world had secret technologies, they wouldn't be as advanced as this in hundreds of years, even at the current evolution rate of technology.


GI Joe breaks more laws of physics than Batman & Robin. The 80's animated TV series the film was based on is far more grounded in the real world.

The actors all treat the material as serious as if it were a Shakespeare tragedy, except Marlon Wayans, who plays "Mandatory Standard Comic Relief Character." A wink and a nod to the audience would go a long way here, but is absent. There are too many interconnected lives and histories between the good and evil sides to be remotely believable.



The action is so frenetically paced and the editing is so quick, it is occasionally hard to follow.... clearly the Michael Bay influence (as Bay's Transformers films preceded this in the "80's cartoon/toy line as live-action feature film" genre.)
In the climactic undersea battle, shots of both the GI Joe and Cobra crafts are so brief, you can't recognize which is which later in the battle.
The first action scene is very far fetched, and the absurdity builds exponentially with each action set piece. About halfway through the film, I was howling with laughter at the lunacy of it all. Far more hilarious than any intentional comedy I'd seen in awhile.

Now you know how dumb this film is, and knowing is half the battle.

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

1927 - Paramount Pictures
Directed By Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack


SYNOPSIS

Natives try to survive in the jungles of Thailand.

MY THOUGHTS


Chang tells the true story of one man trying to protect his family and survive the jungle... but any semblance of a story takes a back seat to the incredible wildlife footage.

This was shot in the days before all sorts of telephoto lenses could capture the action at great distances, so the camera had to be right there amongst all the dangerous wildlife (stampeding elephants, tigers, bears, leopards.) No doubt, the daring and fearless Merian C. Cooper was manning the camera for those shots. The images are so strong you forget the film is silent!
Chang is also balanced by some cute and comical animal moments featuring a monkey, dog and several baby animals.

Some of the shots didn't turn out like it should have and some of the footage was re-shot on a sound stage. This doesn't affect the film terribly and is barely noticeable.

Chang also shows several animals really being hunted and killed. They are not terribly graphic, but PETA members may want to skip this one.

This film and a few others Cooper and Schoedsack made helped to inspire the basic plot of their masterpiece King Kong a few years later.

Highly recommended!

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story

2009 - Walt Disney Pictures
Directed By Gregory Sherman, Jeffrey Sherman


SYNOPSIS

The sons of a famous songwriter, the Sherman Brothers try their hand at it and soon have hit songs on the radio. Then Walt Disney comes calling and the two are writing the music for Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book and The Parent Trap (among others.) Despite the family-friendly nature of their song output, the two have a strained relationship that results in them barely even speaking to each other today.

MY THOUGHTS

The documentary tackles the complex lives of one of the most underrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th Century.

The Boys features copious amounts of the Richard and Robert Sherman's music from their early days (You're 16, You're Beautiful And You're Mine) to their Disney heyday in the 1960s and later works  in the 70s. It's great to see more than just their Disney output (Disney made the film) and the studio ponied up the money to license clips from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Snoopy Come Home, Charlotte's Web (made by other studios.) Many famous faces who sung those classic songs appear to discuss the brothers as well.... giving the film a true 'definitive' telling of their professional history.


But in tackling their lives away from the spotlight, The Boys is far less successful.
The Boys is co-directed by the sons of the Sherman Brothers. This gives the film a greater intimacy than it would have been otherwise, but the sons don't ask any tough questions that really get to the heart of the brothers' main issues with each other. It's mentioned frequently that their personalities and interests are different but it's hard to believe that alone would trump their family bond, their love of music, and the money they were making for their families. The film leaves you thinking: "There had to be something else."

On a side note: as someone who was once stuck on the "It's A Small World After All" ride at Disney World for 5-10 minutes longer than anyone should ever have, I'm glad the film also addresses the obnoxiousness of that song!

The Boys is a great overview of the Sherman Brothers' career, but is far less successful in handling their personal lives.

Sorry, Thanks

2009
Directed By Dia Sokol

SYNOPSIS

Kira (Kenya Miles) has a one night stand with Max (Wiley Wiggins) who already has a girlfriend.

MY THOUGHTS

Sorry, Thanks is billed as an unconventional romantic-comedy, and it is. It ain't romantic or funny.


The lack of a well-crafted script really dooms the film.
The dialogue has a very amateurish feel almost as if it was all made up by the actors on the spot as cameras were rolling. The humor comes from a few half-assed one liners  The weak script, along with many shots of the actors standing against walls doing nothing, gives the film a very directionless (and pointless) feel.


The acting is very naturalistic and real... but the actors (both leads and supporting) don't really DO anything and we never learn anything about the characters to give a crap.

After about 90 minutes Sorry, Thanks then just sort of ends. Nothing resolved. It's as if they ran out of money and just ran the credits. No message is made or even attempted here.

The only amazing thing about the film is the cinematography somehow is able to completely drain the vibrancy and beauty from the city of San Francisco.

A second-rate student film.

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everyone Talkin' About Him?)

2010
Directed By John Scheinfeld


SYNOPSIS


A documentary tracing the rise and fall of singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson as told by people who knew him.

MY THOUGHTS

An engrossing and very entertaining warts-and-all tale of a complex and eccentric man.

If you are asking yourself "Who is Harry Nilsson?" Here are his three most famous songs:







or if you're a classic TV fan:


His family and lots of famous faces who were friends tell candid stories of the man including The Monkees' Mickey Dolenz, Monty Python's Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam, Yoko Ono, Beach Boy Brian Wilson, singer-songwriters Van Dyke Parks, Paul Williams and Randy Newman, and many others. Ample old interviews of the man himself detail his troubled early years as well as the highlights of his life.

 Ringo Starr, who was a close personal friend, oddly doesn't appear, and it's not explained why. (Though elsewhere it's revealed he was too close and Nilsson's death causes him too much pain to talk about him.)

One of the highlights of the film is of the infamous tale of a Smothers Brothers comeback show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. They were heckled mercilessly by very intoxicated fans Nilsson and John Lennon, who both got bounced from the club. It is told by archive video of Lennon and a modern day interview of Tom and Dick Smothers. It's the best version of the story that I've heard.

The film thankfully doesn't gloss over Nilsson's many faults (self destructive behavior, his first two failed marriages, etc.) and this helps to give a three dimensional portrait of the man.

'Who Is Harry Nilsson' definitely shows off the man's genius and if you're a fan of singer-songwriters or The Beatles, or 60s + 70s music, certainly seek this one out. It's also available streaming on Netflix.

I Bury The Living

1958
Directed By Albert Band


SYNOPSIS

The new caretaker of a cemetery (Richard Boone) sells two plots to newlyweds. He accidentally puts two black pushpins (meaning occupied plots) into the map in his office, instead of white ones (meaning unoccupied.) Within hours the two are tragically killed. He messes up again with the same results. He gets freaked out by his apparent godlike powers and questions his own sanity. Those he seeks for help don't believe him and urge him to use some more black pushpins. Then, he gets the idea to switch the black pushpins back to white ones... and the graves empty!

MY THOUGHTS


An ingenious and different 50's horror film.

I Bury The Living, like most of its genre at the time, is strictly a low budget 'B movie' affair. Unlike most of it's genre, it eschews the need for a silly looking monster or alien to bring the horror, keeping the film from becoming instant camp. Instead, 'I Bury' is able to provide authentic chills through psychology and paranoia.


Richard Boone's performance is roughly on par with most 50's sci fi/horror acting. It's a bit wooden, but Boone's a slight cut above the rest and helps to convey a darkness and paranoia in his character that benefits the film. Editing and music add to Boone's paranoiac performance.

Also look for Dennis The Menace's father Herbert Anderson in a supporting role, wearing what could be the same glasses from the TV classic.

My main fault with the film is its cop-out ending that lacks the punch of the rest of the film. Still, I Bury The Living is a worthy trip even though the destination is kind of lame.

Hickey & Boggs

1972
Directed By Robert Culp


SYNOPSIS

Two down on their luck LA private eyes (Bill Cosby + Robert Culp) are hired to track down a missing woman. When the two get mixed up with thugs and a missing $400,000, their careers and lives are in jeopardy

MY THOUGHTS

A stylish tough-as-nails neo-film noir.

It's amazing how many early 70's gems like this (or the recently reviewed Fat City) have fallen through the cracks and gone into undeserved obscurity.

The screenplay, by Walter Hill, plays like a Raymond Chandler novel, which definitely fits the noir mold. The end of the production code years earlier helps Hickey & Boggs to delve into the seedier and darker territories of Chandler's world than previous film incarnations of his actual work, like The Big Sleep.

The undeniable chemistry between Cosby and Culp is still in effect from their days starring on TV's I Spy. However, these roles are far different. Instead of playing hotshot spies, they are low-rent private eyes, both divorced, living from case to case at near-poverty levels. Also, apart from a sarcastic comment or two, the film is completely devoid of humor, an essential part of their I Spy roles. The dark and grimy story benefits from the lack of comedy.

Bill Cosby really stands out here. He fairs far better than the usual stand-up comic turned dramatic actor (a la Robin Williams.) Cosby plays the role with a detached (and badass) cool.

Culp is equally as good. It's a shame this was the only feature film he directed. Apart from some initially confusing cutaways early in the film, his direction is really strong for a first timer.

Also look for James Woods in an early role.

One of the main characters is the city of Los Angeles. We get to see many landmarks from city hall, to LA Colosseum, to Dodger Stadium as well as many city streets. It's great to see how much of the city has changed in nearly 40 years (and how much is still recognizable.)

This is a must-see not just for noir fans or fans of the stars, but for anyone who wants to see an intelligent, suspenseful lost classic.

Hickey & Boggs is unavailable on DVD (but is available on Netflix's streaming service and on Amazon's Video On Demand.)