Out of the my top ten of 2008, without a doubt one of my favorites of that year was M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening.” Why? Well, it’s been a point of contention for quite some time now that’s granted me unabashed scrutiny and question toward the state of sanity, but as I sit here thinking it over, “The Happening” is one of my favorite Shyamalan films. More so than “The Village,” even. Because unlike other people, I’m still firm in my belief that “The Happening” is one of the most underrated and misunderstood films of the past decade.
Tag Archives: Drama
Archetype (2012)
These days in an effort to get movies off the ground, indie filmmakers are prone to creating short films that exposit the concept of their feature film for the audience allowing them a chance to expand upon it should they be offered a chance by studios. That’s the basic reasoning for “Archetype.” Made for a little money, “Archetype” is actually quite excellent for such a short film that works as a prologue for the premise of Aaron Sims’ film. What happens when artificial intelligence becomes so intelligent it’s convinced it led a past life? And what happens when the corporation that created the AI finds little ability to convince them otherwise?
Ghoul (2012)
I think at the end of the day the reason people will dislike “Ghoul” are for the reasons I really liked it. “Ghoul” isn’t so much a horror movie about an actual ghoul, but about the horrors of growing up in and around dysfunction. For many this film will be especially off putting since the whole notion of an actual ghoul is put in to the basic back burner in exchange for character focus and exposition galore. I for one am a sucker for coming of age tales, and “Ghoul” is an especially powerful one that focuses on three young boys in the middle of the eighties and their attempts to uncover a horrific secret their local forest is hiding.
21 Jump Street: The Complete Series, Seasons 1-5 (DVD)
Before Hollywood came along and turned it in to a buddy comedy, “21 Jump Street” was actually once an edgy crime drama. For its time and the decade, “21 Jump Street” was a controversial series that tackled many issues plaguing the headlines including murder, the drug epidemic, abortion, illegal immigration and the like. Even almost two decades after its end, “21 Jump Street” is still a high octane and truly engrossing crime series that is admittedly a bit hokey, but still manages to soak in the audience with its sharp performances and engrossing plot lines.
“21 Jump Street” is most famous of course for being the launch pad for star Johnny Depp, who transformed from obscure actor, to teen heartthrob overnight and managed to be one of the few successful eighties icons who transformed from teen heartthrob to acting legend and superstar in a matter of years. But “21 Jump Street” has a lot more going for it than Depp. Even if the show’s best years involve Depp. Let’s face it, Depp is basically the lifeline for the series for a majority of the show as his character is one of the best ever written on the series, while he manages to possess an incredible rapport and chemistry with star David DeLuise.
For a good part of the early seasons, the best episodes involve interplay between the two actors, who approach every case with wisecracks and bad assery that is hard to topple once Depp leaves the show for greener pastures. Everything about “21 Jump Street” is still fresh from the get go, from the great theme song to its cases that involve issues like pre-teen alcohol abuse and students bringing guns to school, all of which are still prevalent in our society and still very relevant social issues. The premise of the show is very much in the vein of “The Mod Squad” in which young looking police officers masquerade as teachers and students in local schools allowing them to infiltrate gangs and social groups leaving them to solve certain crime and cases that the local authorities can’t. The cast is made up of diverse and very entertaining actors, all of whom are given their own episodes and chances to shine and will allow audiences to root for them. Holly Robinson is still very attractive and bold as Judy Hoffs, while Dustin Nguyen is a stand out as officer Harry Ioki.
“21 Jump Street” is a healthy mixture of procedural crime drama with some teenage angst that delves not only in to the cases but the personal lives of the individual officers all of whom manage to leave their assignments affected and traumatized in one way or another. Further in to the show, the casting of Richard Grieco in place of Johnny Depp is not much of a departure as he fulfills the bad boy role quite well offering a smoldering performance as Officer Dennis Booker. Overall, like most shows of this ilk, it dives in to the deep end and jumps the shark by season four, but it’s still a very entertaining and action packed crime drama with stylish ensemble performances, and some truly action packed moments for fans of cop shows. Hardcore fans of Johnny Depp need apply if they’re interested in seeing how he went from Tiger Beat to Oscar Fodder.
Affliction (2011)
Director Amir Masud’s short supernatural thriller entitled “Affliction” gave me a lot of flashbacks to films like “Donnie Darko” and “Carrie” for the fact that we can never be sure what our main character Sara’s destiny is. Is she meant to be a messiah or a prophet? Is she the beginning of a new wave of holy warriors, or merely a fluke or pure evil masquerading as good? Nevertheless, “Affliction” manages to be a powerful and disturbing journey in to a mind of a mentally unbalanced girl whose own religious beliefs has managed to unlock something in her that she never knew she had.
House Party 3 (1994)
You can tell that “House Party 3” is pretty much where Kid and Play are on the way out, pop culture wise. It seems while New Line Cinema funded their first two films, they drastically cut the budget for this third entry in to the series. And it shows big time. It looks dated. Even more dated than the first one. The photography is hazy, the camera work is amateur, there is an obscene amount of close ups on character faces, and the comedy is nowhere to be found. There isn’t a single laugh to be had here. And the slapstick escapist tone is all but missing.
House Party 2 (1991)
Kid has had a tough road ahead of him. In the original “House Party” we learn his mom died, and when we meet him in the sequel his father has died too. This is obviously to coincide with the death of comedian Robin Harris who played Kid’s father in the original, and it’s sad he couldn’t present us with a funny performance for this sequel. He was hilarious in the original, and a great foil for Kid. This time around Kid is living with Play, now an orphan, and is on his way to college. This is a great addition to Kid’s back story and adds some real emotional anchor to the film, because Kid is now pressured to live up to his dad’s legacy and achieve an education that his dad was so desperate for him to accomplish.