Orphan (Horror (2009) (DVD)
One of the most wretched films I'll ever love. This 2 hour creepfest is a true bad movie masterpiece grounded heavily by a terrific set of performances by the parents, a twisted performance by the lead little girl playing the orphan, an absolutly ludicrous plot that will astonish and inspire some weird sense of awe, and basic good filmaking. As much as I despise the horrifying things that happen to the kids in this, I loved every second of it.
Grade: B +
Friday The 13th (2009 Remake HBO)
Terrible, terrible remake/reboot of the 80s film which spawned more than 10 sequels. The truth is, aside from a 2 minute nonsensical opening which referred to the opening film, there is absolutely nothing original about this. Bad script, bad direction and very bad kills. Worst of all, I can't see what really seperates this from any of the bad sequels, with the one exception that this might be the very worst of them all. BORING!
Grade: F
The Last House On the Left (DVD - 2009 remake)
Another huge surprise. Get the unrated version for all the nastiness in a well-mounted and very well acted film about a gang of hooligans who do the unthinkable to a pair of young women in the woods, then accidentily look for shelter in the home of the parents of one of the missing girls. This is a porn-torture film and particularly grisly in its unedited form, but also glorious in its ideas of retribution. Very well staged and actually improves on the Wes Craven classic from which this is inspired by.
Grade: A
2010/06/15
The Dead Set, Breaking Bad, Confessions of a Superhero
The Simpsons (Fox)
I know this has not been a great season, but I recently caught the episode where Homer and Chief Wiggum get caught up in a bromance. Loved it. Wish the rest of the season was like that. More on The Simpsons and Sunday night on Fox coming.
The Dead Set (BBC)
A great 5 part half hour series from the BBC. It begins as a behind the scenes look at yet another variation of Big Brother. Only then Zombies come. And the cameras stay on. As weird as this sounds, it was terrific.
Grade: A -
Confessions Of A Superhero (IFC)
One of my recent favorite documentaries, Confessions tells the story about the superheroes of Hollywood Blvd. The wanna-be actors (I say that lovingly) who dress up as super heroes and go out on Hollywood Blvd. and shill for money by taking pics with tourists. While I kind of liked the guy that played Superman, fell in crazy love with the bombshell, albeit delusional gal who plays Wonder Woman, I was completely disturbed by the guy that dons the Batman outfit. Listening to him in his Batman suit describing a murder he might have committed - it doesn't get more surreal than that.
Grade: A
Breaking Bad (2nd season DVD)
Still going through, still LOVING this.
I know this has not been a great season, but I recently caught the episode where Homer and Chief Wiggum get caught up in a bromance. Loved it. Wish the rest of the season was like that. More on The Simpsons and Sunday night on Fox coming.
The Dead Set (BBC)
A great 5 part half hour series from the BBC. It begins as a behind the scenes look at yet another variation of Big Brother. Only then Zombies come. And the cameras stay on. As weird as this sounds, it was terrific.
Grade: A -
Confessions Of A Superhero (IFC)
One of my recent favorite documentaries, Confessions tells the story about the superheroes of Hollywood Blvd. The wanna-be actors (I say that lovingly) who dress up as super heroes and go out on Hollywood Blvd. and shill for money by taking pics with tourists. While I kind of liked the guy that played Superman, fell in crazy love with the bombshell, albeit delusional gal who plays Wonder Woman, I was completely disturbed by the guy that dons the Batman outfit. Listening to him in his Batman suit describing a murder he might have committed - it doesn't get more surreal than that.
Grade: A
Breaking Bad (2nd season DVD)
Still going through, still LOVING this.
2010/06/07
True Beauty, Irene In Time, The Bachelorette, Breaking Bad.
True Beauty (ABC)
A new show in which the gorgeous young contestants think that they're on some kind of beauty/reality show. But there are hidden cameras and they are really being tested on their "inner beauty." I love the idea of this show, and its fun to watch beautiful people be total assholes, but something about the setup keeps this from really testing these people. They end up faced with these weird setups where you don't even blame them for doing the wrong thing. Making this a bit more interesting is the presence of Beth O., also known as the wife of Howard Stern. She's beautiful and fun and seems unusually nice, and her presence here is quite a welcome relief from the usual TV stiff. I like this show, but I think by the end it gets kind of hokey. At least it did last season.
Grade: B -
Irene In Time (Drama 2009 DVD)
I LOVE Henry Jaglom movies. Last Summer In The Hamptons is one of my very favorite films. That said, this one is a total failure. It's about these women and their daddy issues, but every conversation is an emotional catharsis, none of the improv seems remotely believable, and the lead actress gives a twitchy, disturbing performance that is hard to watch.
Grade: D
The Bachelorette (ABC)
I find her completely annoying and I loved the initial weirdness with the Weatherman and that older, aggressive angry guy. But now that he's gone, it's already a bit ho-hum. And the Bachelorette herself is a real bore.
Grade: C
Starting Out In The Evening (HBO)
Frank Langella is a famous author and Lauren Ambrose is a pretty young student doing a paper on him. Langella is solid as a rock here, but its a badly overly written role, with every writer cliché in the book present. Lauren is even more annoying here than in 6 FEET UNDER. She plays this girl like she's Woodward in All The President's Men. It's a really badly observed acting job. There is also some hokum involving some ludicrous and boring plotline about Langella's daughter, and by the time this thing rolls around to the end...it's not good. Only worth it if you are a Frank Langella completist, and he is good here but un-served by the production.
Grade: D +
Breaking Bad (2nd season DVD)
I'm in the middle and will report back once I'm finished, but so far, so great.
A new show in which the gorgeous young contestants think that they're on some kind of beauty/reality show. But there are hidden cameras and they are really being tested on their "inner beauty." I love the idea of this show, and its fun to watch beautiful people be total assholes, but something about the setup keeps this from really testing these people. They end up faced with these weird setups where you don't even blame them for doing the wrong thing. Making this a bit more interesting is the presence of Beth O., also known as the wife of Howard Stern. She's beautiful and fun and seems unusually nice, and her presence here is quite a welcome relief from the usual TV stiff. I like this show, but I think by the end it gets kind of hokey. At least it did last season.
Grade: B -
Irene In Time (Drama 2009 DVD)
I LOVE Henry Jaglom movies. Last Summer In The Hamptons is one of my very favorite films. That said, this one is a total failure. It's about these women and their daddy issues, but every conversation is an emotional catharsis, none of the improv seems remotely believable, and the lead actress gives a twitchy, disturbing performance that is hard to watch.
Grade: D
The Bachelorette (ABC)
I find her completely annoying and I loved the initial weirdness with the Weatherman and that older, aggressive angry guy. But now that he's gone, it's already a bit ho-hum. And the Bachelorette herself is a real bore.
Grade: C
Starting Out In The Evening (HBO)
Frank Langella is a famous author and Lauren Ambrose is a pretty young student doing a paper on him. Langella is solid as a rock here, but its a badly overly written role, with every writer cliché in the book present. Lauren is even more annoying here than in 6 FEET UNDER. She plays this girl like she's Woodward in All The President's Men. It's a really badly observed acting job. There is also some hokum involving some ludicrous and boring plotline about Langella's daughter, and by the time this thing rolls around to the end...it's not good. Only worth it if you are a Frank Langella completist, and he is good here but un-served by the production.
Grade: D +
Breaking Bad (2nd season DVD)
I'm in the middle and will report back once I'm finished, but so far, so great.
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