Director John Favreau commits a fantastic feat with “Iron Man”: He makes the character interesting. Iron Man has always been a second tier character of the Marvel Comic Universe who was never taken too seriously by avid comic fans. He was boring, and more often than not, lame. Stark was always a very unsympathetic figure of the Marvel mythos, and his ability to be taken down by almost anyone who ripped through his armor to get to the man, rendered him rather forgettable and often satirized. So what does Favreau do? He takes the character and turns him into a hero we want to see. Every adaptation of the character has been bland. Until now that is, where with pitch perfect casting and sharp writing, the character of Iron Man becomes an amazing presence on screen, and even better, Tony Stark becomes an alter ego we can care about, laugh with, and root for.
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I Am Legend (2007) (DVD)
Francis Lawrence has an incredible eye for details and visuals in all the movies I’ve seen from him. Even his worst movies have some of the best surreal stark visuals I’ve ever seen, and the man knows how to implement CGI to enhance his films instead of rely on them to provide entertainment. I just wish the man made better movies. What’s it going to take for this man to bring us something spectacular? As for “I Am Legend” it’s wholly unspectacular, but without a doubt one of my favorite guilty pleasures of 2007.
I Fucking Hate You (2008)
Forsman and writers Kerr and Woods manage to not only add an implication of relationship discord, but also allude to many potential themes in the nine minute relationship dramedy that spotlights a recently split couple who are learning to cope without each other. Though they never really explain, it’s clear from the get go that these two have been through so much with one another and the cause of their inevitable split was both bitter and wrenching. Woods is rather superb as the inept Ron who just can’t seem to explain how much he still loves his ex Carol, who has moved on with her life and is in the middle of a much more fulfilling relationship.
I Am Legend (2007)
Let me just put this on you right now. I have never read “I Am Legend,” I love the previous incarnations, I’m not a fan of Richard Matheson because I’ve never read his work, I had no bias’ going into this movie, and I looked forward to this loose adaptation of Matheson’s beloved novel. Is that all a plus or a negative? I’m not sure, really. The first hour of “I Am Legend” is fantastic, and I say this as someone who was comfortably middle ground when it came to the film and expectations.
Idiocracy (2006)
“And the number one movie in the country was called “Ass.” And that’s all it was for ninety minutes. And it won Oscars…”
Our current society needs to be spoofed. In our current state it should analyzed, satirized, and cast into the darkness, because you’re all idiots, and you need to know that. You’re reality show watching, God fearing, literacy phobic, sadistic, consuming, ignorant drones, and someone needs to fill you in on that. “Idiocracy” is a step in the right direction as it’s a merciless satire on our society which is, by the way, currently run by pure idiots. It’s not surprising that “Idiocracy” wasn’t a hit because, risking repetition, movie goers are idiots as stated above, but it’s thankfully been praised among the movie geeks as a bonafide cult classic, a term that Mike Judge has become synonymous with.
The Insane (2006)
There’s nothing more exciting for a horror fanatic to watch a film from an undiscovered talent who has a new and original vision for the horror genre. What Ellison and Cripps do is prefer to explore the recesses of the mind and how violence can psychologically alter what we view in our world, and how we view it. Thus, “The Insane” covers some interesting ground in only twelve minutes, and presents a gruesome view of the underworld of crime, while John Vincent goes on the hunt for the maniacs who took his life away.
Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks (1976)
Ilsa is back. How and why? Who the hell knows, but she is, and she is now working for sheiks in the desert, and taking great pleasure in doing so. And she also hasn’t aged a bit since World War II. The delicious Dyanne Thorne also returns to the role she perfect in the former “She-Wolf of the SS,” and the dubious reclaiming of the character is entertaining. Ilsa now works for Arab sheiks overseeing their affairs in weapons and also, there’s the torture. What would an Ilsa movie be without the torture? One of the most ridiculous aspects of this sequel is that Ilsa is here, hasn’t aged a bit, and is untouched. This isn’t a different actress in a questionable sequel, and Ilsa is here in all her glory. Why is this so irritating?