Director Aviral Kapoor’s “Rocket” is a pretty serene and cute short film about a father and a son that realize they’re much more alike than they’ve ever given each other credit for. In “Rocket,” director Kapoor sets down on a young boy named Kevin whose life is filled with loneliness occasionally interrupted by bullies who make a habit of beating him up every day after school. When Kevin returns home, he finds his father James doting over inventions while Kevin is forced to take to his own amusement, and figure out his own problems.
In the Army Now (1994)
Pauly Shore?! In the Army?! But–what wackiness will ensue from this mash up? The nineties were a time where Hollywood attempted to thrust Pauly Shore on American audiences. And it seemed for a while that Shore was well on his way to becoming a comedy icon. That is, until America caught on quicker than he could establish himself. It was a case of “He’s kind of funny… wait, no he’s not!” Hell even I kind of liked him for a while. It’s a pretty sad commentary on the decade, when the comedy rebel we’re given is Pauly Shore of all people.
Murgi Keno Mutant (Attack of the Killer Mutant Chickens!) (2011)
It’s always nice when animators aren’t always interested in appealing to the whimsical and fantastical elements of animation. Sometimes, animators want to be bizarre, and “Murgi Keno Mutant” is about as bizarre as it gets. Even the animation recalls the work of Ralph Bakshi at certain points. In the near future, food is in short supply and the only meat available come from giant mutant chickens, which they survive on.
Cabbie (2013)
Short and much more succinct, director Donlee Brussel’s “Cabbie” has really managed to change its overall tone, lending to its a bittersweet taste that I thought worked much better. “Cabbie” still has its flaws, but when it was done, the purpose of “Cabbie” seemed much more focused. “Cabbie” is centered on aspiring cabbie Marty, who is a combination of naive and quirky. He sees the more interesting purpose of cabbies as being a noble profession, and wants desperately to be the nomadic cab driver that travels the city looking for new people to take to their destination.
Rolling Thunder (1977) [Blu-Ray]
It’s pretty funny that Tommy Lee Jones and William Devane who star in “Rolling Thunder” do their best to prevent talking about the elephant in the room for the extras in the “Rolling Thunder” Blu-Ray from Shout! Factory. “Rolling Thunder” is one in a line of post-Vietnam films about the defeat of the war and its effects on its veterans. “Rolling Thunder” is a bleak revenge film about a soldier that went to war for nothing, only to come home to nothing. DeVane gives a compelling performance as Major Charles Rane, a man who was imprisoned in a POW camp for seven years with a few other soldiers. Finally freed, he and the group return home to Texas to receive a grand welcome, but they’re unsure how to respond. They’ve lived like savages for almost a decade, and, as Rane admits, he gained something of a Stockholm effect. Not just for his captors, but for the torture inflicted on him and his men every single day.
Airheads (1994)
It’s hard to believe that at one point in time, Brendan Fraser was a bigger star than Adam Sandler. Where in Adam Sandler was a general up and comer in “Airheads,” Fraser takes top billing, even over character actor Steve Buscemi. While a childhood favorite, “Airheads” is one of those nineties comedies that hasn’t aged well at all. Surely, back then it was a fun film and has survived mainly by fans of Sandler, and nostalgiaddicts from the nineties, but objectively “Airheads” is a lame comedy that is sparse on laughs. I have fond memories of watching this movie repeatedly when it was on VHS, but these days it’s merely just a sub-par vehicle for its cast of character actors.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
This is what the “Star Wars” prequels should have been. An amazing young warrior torn by lust for power by an evil master, and honor and duty by a noble master, both of whom are fighting for the young soul’s innocence. If only, folks, if only. In the end though, Director Ang Lee’s masterpiece made me wish Director George Lucas would have just paid attention and taken some notes! That said, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is beautiful, it’s wonderfully acted, and yes, it’s a masterpiece. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is a beautifully layered and complex storyline with numerous sub-plots, all of which never go unresolved and under explored.