A Scanner Darkly (2006)

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Aside from the utterly fascinating concept, Linklater re-visits the same wonderful animation he enlisted in the fantastic “Waking Life,” with this visceral piece of druggie science fiction that instead focuses on the mechanics of the mind rather than in machines and science. As usual, Linklater prefers to delve into the human psyche and he gives it his best effort with some brutally beautiful animation. I dare you to look away from the Scramble suit. I dare you. Beyond that, the stand out performance is by Robert Downey Jr. as a druggie scientist who is both brilliant and mad, which is not hard to believe for a man who has no screws.

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Masters of Horror: Screwfly Solution

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What the hell is going on here? Did all the directors from season one meet up in a room and decide that they would turn up the heat this time around? Because season two of “Masters of Horror” has been one big punch in the gut, and I’m surprised. Dante, who came at us with my favorite episode “Homecoming,” repeats his one-two punch with “Screwfly Solution” an utterly violent and original picture of the apocalypse. I have a soft spot for films or television that paints the apocalypse or post-apocalypse, and “Screwfly Solution” is a fascinating story about the line between sexual aggression and aggression thinning into a gory result. How does this happen?

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Inside Man (2006)

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inside-man-2006At this point in his career, I think I’d pay to see Clive Owen introduce host an episode of “The Price is Right,” only because god damn the man is just so freaking talented. I’m a huge fan of Owen, and starring in a Spike Lee joint was no exception to seeking him out. The guy could say Superman was gay, and I’d sit there in awe at his delivery. My disdain for about ninety-percent of Spike Lee’s films not withstanding, “Inside Man” was a film I intended to watch. And happily, I wasn’t disappointed. Almost like Vietnam flashbacks coming back to me, “Inside Man” reminded me of one of my favorite thrillers “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.”

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Material Girls (2006)

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500fullIf I could have a wish for Christmas, it’d be to take Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, anyone from “American Idol,” and the Duff Sisters, strap them into a bus, drive it off a cliff, and then shit on the charred remains. “Material Girls” is proof that you don’t need brains, talent, or appeal to have a considerable hit film. You just need connections, the right marketing, and a great idea of your niche audience. Fans of the Duffs finally have a film to look forward to while they’re doing their nails and staring off into space. The Duffs aren’t the Barrymores, that’s obvious.

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The City of Violence (Jjakpae) (2006)

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Imagine “Stand By Me,” combined with “Four Brothers,” and a hint of “The Warriors,” and what you’ll get is “City of Violence,” a stunning send-up of seventies actioners that makes no bones about its attitude. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and its never too sentimental, but the relationships are felt, and that invokes enough incentive to care about the characters involved in the plot. Ryoo’s action thriller is a fantastic piece of Korean cinema that combines themes of friendship, betrayal, and family into a beautiful piece of gangster action. Tae-Su, an officer, emerges back into his home town after his best friend Wang Jae is killed in a back alley.

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Masters of Horror: Pelts

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I am not one who is all about the gore. Granted, I loves me some blood splatter, and I’m not opposed to torture, but I also like it when it’s accompanied by a story, or at least engaging characters. “Pelts” essentially doesn’t have compelling characters, but the story is entertaining. I was not a fan of Dario Argento’s prior effort, “Jenifer.” I thought it was bland, Stephen Weber’s performance was cartoonish, and the climax was brutally predictable. “Pelts” is a step up in the gore department, and in the plot. It takes the concepts of furs turning against the people holding them, and never exhausts itself. “Pelts” pulls out all the stops, not only in the gore, but in the grueling scenes of self-mutilation, and it’s typical Argento. Meatloaf plays a vicious and rather slimy fur buyer who works his factory workers to the bone, and aspires for quality.

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