It’s hard to believe that a film I had considerable trouble sitting through without covering my eyes was directed by Corbin Bernsen of all people. This is the man who takes pride in starring in some of the worst horror movies ever made, and here he’s directed a film that has outweighed its double “Pontypool” in every aspect. While many were out celebrating the existence of the indie horror film about a radio DJ experiencing the end of the world through the radio, I sat waiting for something better from this concept and wouldn’t you know it? Here comes “Dead Air,” a movie that possesses basically the same concept and story and pulls off much more suspense and tension than “Pontypool” actually does.
Alive (1993)
I didn’t lead a fairly sheltered life growing up. When you are raised the way I was, you tend to see many disturbing things, And yet first watching “Alive” was a very interesting experience because it shook me down to the core. Watching people eat their loved ones and best friends is harrowing enough but having to ask myself how far I’d go to survive in the middle of nowhere is something else entirely. We’ve all heard of the Donner party, and we relive that same experience with the Uruguayan Rugby team who found themselves at death’s door after a horrible plane crash left them stranded in the snow covered Andes where help was literally hundreds of miles away. Losing their lives, and their sanity the group had to rely on their faith and their strength to make it through day by day being forced to live on rations and inevitably each other.
Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging (2008)
It’s quite baffling that the latest from director Gurinder Chadha would get a direct to DVD treatment here in the states considering a few of her last movies experienced considerable theatrical releases, most notably “Bride & Prejudice” and the sleeper hit “Bend it Like Beckham.” What with the hit books and the appealing young cast, this movie could have cleaned up in a wide release, but sadly it’s just reduced to becoming another shelf hugger in a video store. Which is a shame because like much of Chadha’s films, “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging” is a perfectly serviceable and quite entertaining bit of escapism centered around teen romance and sexual awakening.
Chadha has definitely appealed to the female audience for years, but “Angus, Thongs…” is probably the movie that may only appeal to the female persuasion. It’s almost exclusively about women whom are experiencing a new form of love in the wake of separation or heartbreak and I was almost not interested in the premise because the movie is pretty much alienating to anyone who doesn’t possess a bust. Much of Chadha’s film is sold by the charm and unusual beauty of Georgia Bloome who plays Georgia Nicholson, a girl in search for something more than crushes. While on the hunt for her first kiss, two young boys move in to her neighborhood and she soon sets her sights on the younger of the two Robbie.
Most of the film is centered around Georgia’s attempts to not only secure a place with Robbie in the face of his relationship with the school bully, but to find a way to improve herself in the process. These attempts are often disastrous with the proper amount of teenage awkwardness and realism that make us feel quite sympathetic for her even when she’s being completely selfish. There’s something about Chadha’s film that manages to overcome the cheese and hokey elements. Obviously it’s a teenage girl’s fantasy what with the desire for perfect friends, perfect parents, and a perfect boyfriend, but it never cuts our female protagonist any slack even when she’s being cute. While Georgia is pleasing on the eyes, she also has a lot of individuality to her to ensure she’s an imperfect heroine who may never achieve her goals of perfection because she’s too self-centered to realize she’s pretty much already perfect in the eyes of others.
The second half of the film is devoted to her eventually coming around to realizing that, and she suffers the brunt of punishment from her peers when she sinks to some cruel lows to get her man. It’s true this movie will mainly appeal to girls, but Chadha’s talents are too apparent to just write off. She directs the movie with a subtlety that makes it feel more heartfelt rather than fluffy; pair that with a rather engaging story and there’s an instant formula for a pretty successful romance comedy that is a certified winner for the female director. I’m pretty bias of course since my obsessions with the British culture knows no limitations, but “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging” is a wonderful bit of escapism that will assuredly win over any crowd because of its realistic and relatable cast of characters, which Chadha seems to excel at spotlighting.
Whether it’s the source material or just the adaptation from Chadha and Berges, the climax to “Angus, Thongs…” is much too safe to warrant taking it seriously. While most of the film is a certified fantasy, the climax would have truly brought the story down to reality with some heartbreak and realism. Sadly, the writers instead opt for a pat happy ending that doesn’t just end on a happy note, but a giddy note where everything is almost perfect thus contradicting the original moral of the story. It’s tough to take anything here at face value when Chadha and co. are utterly unwilling to take a chance with an ending that would have been more grounded instead of just seeking to keep the audience happy.
I was mainly pleased throughout the film until the final fifteen minutes which I just couldn’t quite swallow. In spite of the clunky finale, “Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging” is a perfectly entertaining chick flick with strong performances and Gurinder Chadha’s trademark appeal to female sensibilities. While the men in the audience may not find much to look for, their mates will pretty much love it.
The House of the Devil (2009)
This movie is a big step up for director Ti West whose debut film was like an immature fan boy’s homage to everything schlocky, while his sophomore film was nothing more than a terrible sequel to a rather terrible film. West matures considerably with what is basically a slow boil homage to the seventies that is obviously inspired by the classic “Rosemary’s Baby.” Everything from the marketing campaign to the posters works under the pretense that this is a time capsule of the seventies, an unexplored gem from that decade that many haven’t quite explored yet.
Planet Hulk (2010)
I, for one, have never been much of a fan of the Hulk. Even when I was highly invested in Marvel Comics collecting them and rushing to newsstands every week with sheer excitement I always opted for something other than the green behemoth. Hell, I chose to buy Darkhawk and Super Pro over an Incredible Hulk comic. Apparently I’m in the minority again because Marvel seems to love the big guy. Ever since his introduction the Hulk has been included in practically every animated series, animated movie, live action movie, and comic series in some form. He’s even guest starred on series’ centered on the X-Men and Fantastic Four and somehow always manages to steal the spotlight. So it’s no surprise the Hulk is given yet another chance at the center stage with “Planet Hulk.” I never read the graphic novel, but as always Marvel squeezes in the entirety of the tale in to a movie that barely makes it past eighty minutes.
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1985) (DVD)
Being a rather big fan of Charles Schulz’s “Charlie Brown” franchise, it was of most interest to me to watch the often talked about “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” a production that I’d often heard about in the past and yet could never quite watch. Finally it’s on Deluxe DVD and it’s a pretty darn good representation.
Triangle (2009)
My experience with Christopher Smith has been mixed over the years. I thought “Creep” was a good concept but pretty painful to sit through while “Severance” was an underrated horror comedy that suffered from comparisons to “Shaun of the Dead.” Surely though, Smith is a man whose genre outputs have been quite varied and he seems to be coming in to his own by directing films that benefit the horror genre rather than exploit it. Take “Triangle” a movie that by all accounts should have been given a theatrical release in the states. Sadly it’s basically just a direct-to-DVD release that will get lost in the shuffle. Which is a shame because while “Triangle” is a pretty atmospheric horror film, it’s so much more than that.