A Shot in the Dark

1964. Directed by Blake Edwards. Screenplay by Blake Edwards and William Peter Blatty. Starring Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer, George Sanders, and Charles Dreyfus.

"Give me ten men like Clouseau and I could destroy the world."

Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau is a fun character. He is almost a complete bumbling fool and yet he does get many things right. A Shot in the Dark was an enjoyable, though not tremendous, experience for me. There are some laugh-out-loud funny moments but some other moments that drag a little and the ending is disappointing. I don't regret watching it but I am not likely to rush out to watch the rest of the Pink Panther films either.

My grade: B

Planet Terror

2007. Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. Starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Bruce Willis, and Naveen Andrews.

"If anyone comes to the door that isn't me, I want you to shoot them. Okay? I'm not kidding, Tony. You shoot them... just like your video games. You shoot them in the head."
"What if it's Dad?"
"Especially if it's your dad."

Now I regret missing Grindhouse in the theatre even more. I thought Death Proof would have been great with the right audience. The same is at least equally true of Planet Terror. Robert Rodriguez's entry is a blast, in its sick and horrific own way. It involves a bio-chemical that creates zombies, an unethical scientist with an odd collection, a go-go dancer who gets a machine gun for an artificial leg, and a top secret barbecue recipe. The cast is terrific, the dialogue is great, and the film is very engrossing. The parts with Josh Brolin and Marley Shelton as married doctors whose marriage has gone very wrong is disturbing and thrilling. Freddy Rodriguez and Rose McGowan are terrific as the heroes. I was constantly surprised and excited with each turn of events, the logical and the preposterous. It is a zombie movie, make no mistake. It is bloody and demented, but damn is it fun.

My grade: A-
Grindhouse as a whole: A-

Bee Movie

2007. Animated. Directed by Steve Hickner and Simon J. Smith. Written by Jerry Seinfield, Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, and Andy Robin. Featuring the voices of Jerry Seinfield, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Patrick Warburton, John Goodman, Chris Rock, and Kathy Bates.

I took my son Brady, the five year old, to see the Bee Movie. To be fair, I was going for his enjoyment, but I still wanted to enjoy it myself. I wasn't expecting greatness, but I was hoping for entertaining at the least. He really liked it. I did not. It is not awful, but it really isn't that much fun either, at least for us adults. The Bee Movie never made me care about the bees. I'm not a huge Seinfield fan and Jerry is really just Jerry except that he's a bee. Matthew Broderick is fairly fun as his best friend, but other than that, the bees aren't really very interesting characters. And then never become characters you care about and pull for, they are just there to attempt to be funny. The humans come off a little better. Renee Zellweger is sweet and charming as the human Jerry's bee befriends. Patrick Warburton is a louse, a mean macho male, but at least you have feelings about him. And John Goodman is fun as a showy defense attorney. There are no moments that are spectacular, no big laughs, no true heart. And the popcorn was horrible, but I guess I can't blame that on Jerry.

My grade: C

The Lady from Shanghai

1947. Directed by Orson Welles. Screenplay by Orson Welles, based on the novel "If I Die Before I Wake" by Sherwood King. Starring Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Everett Sloane, and Glenn Anders.

"What's a tough guy? A guy with an edge. What makes him sing better than me? Something in here. What makes it loud? A microphone. That's his edge. A gun or a knife, a nightstick or a razor. Something the other guy ain't got. Yeah, a little extra reach on a punch instead of brass knuckles. A stripe on the sleeve, a badge that says 'cop' on it, a rock in your hand, or a bankroll in your pocket. That's an edge, brother. Without an edge, there ain't no tough guy."

I grabbed The Lady from Shanghai from the library as I walked past. I had been meaning to watch it a second time for years. I wasn't thrilled with it my first time, though that was years ago. I think, in part, I was uncomfortable with Welles' Irish brogue; it still doesn't sound quite right coming from his mouth, but it didn't detract from my experience this time. This time around, The Lady from Shanghai was a revelation. I was enthralled from the beginning. The action is intriguing, the characters are unique and surprising, and the dialogue is terrific. Welles was, as always, sharp as a director leaving us with images and transitions to savor. It is not often you stumble onto something this good, especially after having already seen it before, and this is a movie to cherish. It ranks right beside the classic film noirs, with Rita Hayworth a fine femme fatale and Welles terrific as the unfortunate fool who can't stop himself from going against his best judgement. Everett Sloane and Glenn Anders, with an unusual but fascinating vocal style, make terrific supporting characters. The film climaxes in the fun house with a shoot out in the hall of mirrors. The scene is deservedly famous but it is far from all this film has to offer. To rank it against Citizen Kane is obviously unfair, but rank it high among the work of one of our greatest filmmakers.

My grade: A

Shaun of the Dead

2004. Directed by Edgar Wright. Written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. Starring Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, and Nick Frost.

"A Smash Hit Romantic Comedy. With Zombies." - dvd cover

Shaun of the Dead is quite an enjoyable ride that moves effortlessly between horror, humor, and even romance. Shaun is a slacker with a girlfriend who is fed up and decides to leave him. As if that weren't hard enough on him, the recently deceased are now coming back to life and longing to take a bite of everyone around. Shaun becomes the leader of a small group in an effort to outlast the zombies, not because he has a good plan but simply because he has a plan at all. The movie is quite fun and often surprising. The acting is enjoyable, especially co-writer Simon Pegg's title character and Nick Frost's disgusting but loyal best friend. I didn't necessarily love it but I was never bored and I am glad I watched it.

My grade: B

World Trade Center

2006. Directed by Oliver Stone. Written by Andrea Berloff. Starring Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Even if he never makes another superb film, Oliver Stone has had quite a career. But what exactly has happened to him? I used to anxiously await his newest theatrical release, and now I almost force myself to watch the dvd out of obligation. In a ten year span from 1986 to 1995, he was astonishing in his approach and message. Platoon is one of the best films ever made. Natural Born Killers, arguably, may also be. That wasn't all though: JFK, Nixon, Born on the Fourth of July, and Heaven & Earth all received A's from me. In addition, that time span brought Wall Street, Talk Radio, and The Doors, and while I wouldn't consider the three spectacular they are at the least quite good. That's a hell of a ten year run. Even 1997's U-Turn was terrifically twisted and fun (though I may be in the minority on that one). 1999 brought Any Given Sunday, a solid but not spectacular film. Then, with the exception of a 2003 documentary interviewing Fidel Castro, we come to a lapse that takes us to the unenjoyable Alexander in 2004 and now the noble but uninspiring World Trade Center. His output has diminished drastically in both quantity and quality. I await his revival. Many artists have done it, bouncing back from creative droughts to reclaim their place as relevant, powerful voices. The end of that wait is not yet in sight.

World Trade Center is not a bad film, but it is not all that good either. It is slow moving and unsurprising. It follows two police officers, played by Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena (the father who so memorably offered his bullet proof cape to his daughter in Crash) who go inside the towers to help. They don't get far before the towers collapse, trapping them twenty feet below the surface, unable to move. Much of the movie focuses on these two officers talking to each other, trying to stay awake and overlook the pain as they hope for an unlikely rescue. There are also scenes of the families and their reserved hope amid their fears of the worst. The film is a honorable attempt to pay tribute to the brave way our first responders tried to do what was right in the face of horrifying odds. It is a decent film with great intentions but I'd be happier with a great film from Stone with decent intentions.

My grade: B-

Death Proof

2007. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney T. Poitier, Tracie Thoms, and Rose McGowan.

"Remember when I said this car was death proof? Well, that wasn't a lie. This car is 100% death proof. Only to get the benefit of it, honey, you REALLY need to be sitting in my seat."

I never imagined, even as infrequently as I venture out into the theatres these days, that I would miss Grindhouse in the theatre. Part one, Death Proof, arrived in the mail last night. I put the kids to bed and then put it on. I went to bed at midnight, a little exhilarated, a little scared, a little surprised, and maybe even just a little disappointed. Quentin Tarantino is a master filmmaker (though his acting skills can bring a movie to a halt, please stop) and he recreates the exploitation genre he grew up loving. It is only natural to wish for the next Pulp Fiction or even the next Jackie Brown when you watch the new Tarantino, so Death Proof can be a disappointment by not matching the high standards Quentin has created for himself. It is easy to stay glued to the screen watching this ultra-violent story. It is engrossing and genuinely freaky at some points. The high mark, in my mind, comes when Pam (Rose McGowan) takes Stunt Man Mike (Kurt Russell) up on a ride home and he asks her which way she is going. The response Stunt Man Mike gives sent chills down my bones. The movie never achieves greatness, but Tarantino achieved what he was after: a recreation that honors what came before while remaining intoxicating. With the right crowd, in a sick and twisted way, this could have been a blast in the theatre.

My grade: B+.