About Elwood Jones

A life long obsessive of Cult, Foreign and Obscure cinema having grown up on a diet of Godzilla and Kung Fu movies, Elwood continues to build on this obsession with all things film related, aswell as collecting Hack / Slash comics and trying to teach his son the names of all the Toho monsters amongst other nerdy pursuits.

Cinema Obscura: The Dragon Lives Again / Deadly Hands Of Kung Fu

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Elwood Jones

Cinema Obscura – a weekly trek through the darker and frequently more random and forgotten regions of Cult, Foreign and Obsure cinema and pretty much everything in between. Each week highlighting a film worth hunting down, for those who like to wander away from the more traveled roads of Mainstream cinema

This week I have decided to make the first of what will be several visits (depending on how this review is recived) to possibly one of the more stanger sub-genres of exploitation cinema known simply as “Bruceploitation”! The genre which proves, that just because your leading man has suddenly died, that it shouldn’t stop you making money off their legacy, by hiring either actors who look like them or using actors with similar sounding names. This however is possibly the most insane Bruceploitation movie I have seen to date, seeing how not only is Bruce in Hell, but also facing off against Zatoichi (The Blind Japanese Swordsman played here by Mei Wong) which might not sound too random, until you find out that he also set to fight James Bond (Alexander Grand), The Godfather (Sin Il Lung), Dracula (His Chang) and Emmanuelle (Jenny), while gaining support from The One Armed Swordsman, Kain (from “Kung-Fu”) and Popeye and yes I mean the same spinach eating sailor that we all know and love as it seemingly sets out to answer the question “Who would win in a fight between Bruce Lee and ……”.

Set after his untimely death, Bruce Lee (Bruce Leong) wakes up to find himself now in the “Underworld”. Having decided to set up a gym to allow him to continue to share his martial arts skills, he soon finds himself under attack from some familiar faces, who are plotting to take over the Underworld, while drawing equally unwanted attention from the King of the Underworld (Tong Ching).

Having thrown plausibility out of the window, director Kei Law takes full advantage of the surreal situation by essentially pushing it as far as he can, as Bruce also fights a bunch of Mummies as well as skeletons, yet still keeping a familiar Kung Fu framework from within which the action unfolds, hence we have Bruce opening a gym, only for it to come under attack with the more traditional rival school here being replaced by a gang of famous pop culture icons. Everything else though is just good old Kung fu right down to it’s quarry based fight scenes.

Leong might not look anything like Bruce Lee, but that doesn’t really matter seeing how in this version of Hell, no one looks like their former selves an idea which basically writes off the fact that no one else looks anything like any one of the pop culture icons they are supposed to be playing and hence why we also get the Asian versions of Clint Eastwood (Kah Wah), Dracula and more interestingly Kain, a role which was originally meant to be played by Bruce Lee. Bruce originally came up for the concept for Kain while he was working on “The Green Hornet” with the plan for the series to be called “The Warrior”. Sadly the idea was stolen by Warner Bros who turned it into “Kung Fu”, so it was especially interesting to see this role, finally being played by an Asian actor. Still Leong does randomly don the “Kato” costume from “The Green Hornet”, but like so much in this film no real explanation is given for it’s appearance here.

The tone of the film is clearly being played for laughs, rather than any kind of seriousness, atleast that’s what I hope Law was aiming for, especially as unlike other Bruceploitation movies which atleast had some element of paying tribute (largely though it was more to do with making as much cash as possible) to Bruce Lee’s legacy and the mystery behind his much discussed untimely death. This film like “The Clones of Bruce Lee” however is a much more surreal kind of film. Still it hard to say that’s not amusing to see Bruce Lee fighting James Bond or a group of skeletons, which essentially resemble a bunch of guys in cheap Halloween costumes.

The alternative argument however is in terms of the tastefulness of releasing a film like this, a few years after Bruce Lee’s death, let alone the fact it opens with Bruce sporting what would appear to be a monster erection, only to then be revealed to be his nunchuck’s (easy mistake to make), much less to have Bruce apologizing reflectively to Linda for his cheating ways. Meanwhile Bruce’s penis does seem to be a source of great interest to the King’s Concubines, which also gives us the great line “When a man’s endowed like Bruce, the girls are bound to want him.”, something which is never revealed even though we do get to see a move called “The Third Leg of Bruce Lee”.

Like so many Kung Fu movies of the 70’s, the moves on display here all come with their own colourful names, none better seen than during the quarry showdown between Bruce and Zatoichi were the names of the moves explode onto the screen in huge white letters, with Bruce’s moves all being named after his films hence we get “Way of the Dragon” & “Enter the Dragon” were as Zatoichi shows us the colorfully named “Blind Dog Pissing”. Still with this quarry setting you’re best getting used to it seeing how nearly every fight takes place here. Still the fight scenes are all enjoyable enough, with Leong fighting with nowhere near the ability of the real Bruce Lee, but certainly with enough skill on show here to make for exciting brawls, even when taking on multiple opponents, while even the usually non martial arts trained of his foes all seem remarkably skilled usually after failing to shoot him at seemingly point blank range!

The soundtrack mainly consists of snippets of the “Enter the Dragon” theme, while we also get a Kung Fu reworking of the James Bond theme, while even more bizarrely the opening strains of Carl Douglas’s “Kung Fu Fighting” also makes an appearance, with seemingly no purpose outside of cramming in another pop culture reference and raising a cheap laugh.

This film is without a doubt one of the craziest films I have seen in a long while and despite having a plot which is beyond implausible, but it atleast sticks with it’s ideas down to it’s insane final showdown which see’s Bruce squaring off against the king of the underworld and his army of mummies, while being backed up by Popeye and the One Armed Swordsman, which is the sort of fight I never fought I would be writing about, yet at the same time reminds just how much fun, can be found in writing about such obscure and random classics such as this, which would be unlikely to be found if I was writing about purely mainstream cinema, as I’ve a feeling that one is going to take some beating to knock it off the top of the weirdness totem pole.

Movie Review: How I Spent My Summer Vacation / Get The Gringo

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Elwood Jones

It would seem these days that we judge celebrities more on the scandal they are causing rather than the talent (if any) which got earned them their celebrity status to begin with. This currently seems to be very much the case for Mel Gibson, the former Hollywood golden boy whose volatile temperament and less than advisable comments regarding anyone who goes against his questionable world views. Still Gibson is still and for the most part of his career has always been a highly watchable actor and it’s something he has clearly set out to remind us of once more here.

Opening with Driver (or atleast that’s what we assume his name to be especially as it’s only revealed in the credits) driving full speed towards the Mexican border, a dufflebag of cash and a clown dying of a gunshot wound in the backseat, as the gruff voice over of Driver suddenly kicking in to bring us up to speed, while confirming that we are not just watching the latest Gibson scandal.

After failing to Evel Knievel his car into Mexico, he now finds himself captured by the corrupt Mexican authorities, more than happy to relieve him of his loot, while also throwing him in a prison. Meanwhile mob boss Frank (Peter Stormare) is hot on his tail and willing to do anything to reclaim the loot for himself. Playing almost like a spiritual sequel to “Payback” Driver like Porter is a man who starts out with nothing, but soon manages to find a way to get exactly he needs, which is certainly made a lot easier by the prison he is sent to. Looking more like a replica of Tijuana’s El Pueblito and as such looks more like a slum than anything resembling the traditional idea of a prison, especially with the convicts being allowed to set up their own society within the walls of the prison complete with shops, restaurants and even a smack hut, as they provide a trade for everything the local population might need. Needless to say it’s only a matter of time before Driver has the prison sized up and is soon making plans to escape, by getting in with the prisons top dog Javi (Daniel Gimenez Cacho), while picking up an unlikely sidekick with an unnamed 10 year old (Kevin Hernandez) who while continually adding to his nicotine addiction is also plotting his own revenge against Javi.

A prison break slash revenge thriller, this film is hard to place in any one category, especially with the script playing loose and fast with the genre conventions, as Driver double crosses and blasts all who stand in his way, though compared to some of the criminal element in this prison he still seems almost saintly in comparison. Needless to say the plot plays out like a pulp crime novel, with the occasional burst of violence to shake things up.

Still if anything it has to be said that it is nice to see Gibson back to the sort of badass role which gave him his acting break to begin with and unquestionably the roles for which he is best remembered and it’s perhaps because of the current scandals which surround his name and in turn any mainstream project he is attached to, that Gibson has chosen to make a film which will appeal more to his core fanbase, who remember him more fondly for the likes of “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon”, than some of his more forgettable projects. To ensure maximum control Gibson also wrote and produced the film, while also promoting his assistant director of choice Adrain Grunberg whom he previous worked with on both “Apocalypto” and “Edge of Darkness” to the directors chair. As a result this has all the feel of being a pet project for Gibson, especially with the lead role only being designed to emphasise all of the qualities which made him so popular as an actor to begin with such as his mad blue eyes and effortless charisma.

For his first feature Grunberg shows great confidence in the director’s chair as he is clearly aiming for breathless dynamism, while painting the film in hot reds and oranges and ensuring that the sense of danger is never far away. However were the film really comes into its own is with it’s action sequences from it’s opening high speed car chase shot using old school effects to the slow motion prison shootout, which see’s Grunberg drawing inspiration from finale of Sam Peckinpah’s “The Wild Bunch”, as he ensures that each bullet wound and explosion is enjoyed to its fullest.

The supporting cast are all fun in their various roles with Hernandez getting the smart ass balance just right, so that he doesn’t become yet another annoying smartass teen and provides a suitable if slightly random sidekick. Meanwhile the Stormare is in his usual drug snorting criminal role and sadly doesn’t get a huge amount of screentime, but is still fun pulling out his usual performance for this kind of role, which he has spent most of his career playing. Cacho however it could be argued is far from the most threatening of bad guys, especially when he uses his henchmen to enforce his will on the other inmates as he lounges around in his bathrobe, but when it comes to playing the system he proves a worthy opponent to someone like Driver, especially with so many games being played, while convincingly also pulling off his much darker side.

Sadly with Gibson’s popularity being on a downward spiral it is set to be released via Video On Demand under the title “Get The Driver”, while his international fans will get to enjoy it in the cinema under its international title “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”. Still with a role in the forthcoming “Machete Kills” it would seem that this might not quite be the swansong to Gibson’s career which many critics have already begun to hail it as.

Movie Review: American Reunion

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Elwood Jones

It’s been thirteen years since the American Pie boys first set out on their quest to lose their virginity, let alone giving us the most memorable use of a baked good ever. Homaging the likes of “Porkys” and “Animal House” it opened the doorway to new era of comedic filth, as a host of imitators attempted to top (and largely failing) what “American Pie” started with mixed results. Meanwhile the cast would go on to varying degree’s of career success as well as for some of the cast a more memorable career meltdown, while the series rolled on with one shot DTV films as the studio attempted to wring every last dime out of the franchise.

Still someone must feel like there was still money to be made from the franchise, as the original cast are reunited for what is now the eighth film in the series, as the boys return to their hometown for their high school reunion, with the boys all having ventured off on their own paths. Jim (Jason Biggs) and Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are still married, Oz (Chris Klein) has become a low rent sportscaster with a supermodel girlfriend, Kevin (Thomas Nicolas) has become a house husband (aswell as growing a stupid looking beard), while Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas)has spent the last few years traveling the globe. It would seem however that the only person who hasn’t changed since High School is Stiffler (Seann William Scott) who is still rooted in his usual vulgar ways, while working a temp office job for a boss who might be even more obnoxious than he is.

As you can see it’s hardly the most original of plots and more an excuse to bring back the original cast, who we last saw together in “American Pie: The Wedding”. Still seeing how most of the cast haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire as of late with perhaps the exception of Hannigan and Thomas, who have both had regular TV work. Scott meanwhile has continued to make a name for himself playing lovable doofs, aswell as the occasional jaunt into more serious as seen in the seriously underrated “Southland Tales”. Still despite perhaps not setting the acting world on fire, the cast still all bring enthusiastic performances to the roles which made them stars to begin with.

Now while the years might have passed since they were together last and though they may be trying to make their way in the real world as responsible adults, it’s clear however that some things never change and it’s only a matter of time before mishap find them once again, from being harassed by the new generation of high school jocks, to trying to smuggle a half naked girl back into her house, proving once more that some things never change. What certainly hasn’t changed is the fact that Jim is still essentially the writers bitch, though while the first film featured misfortune to the group as a whole, over the course of the first two sequels the balance has slowly shifted so that Jim was on the receiving end of the majority of it. The balance now however is non existent for if misfortune is afoot it seems to be always be Jim that is the receiving end, be it a spontaneous S&M session with Michelle being interrupted by Kara’s jealous boyfriend or waking up naked from the waist down in his kitchen, though the last one does allow the world to see Jim’s penis, so fun times for anyone who actually wanted to see it.

The main problem the film suffers from though is the lack of central plot, especially as nostalgia will only stretch so far and with no real goal for the boys outside of making it to the reunion. As a result the boys seemingly go from situation to situation without seeming to actually achieve anything or progress any further from were they started, especially when the film seems more content on tying up loose ends, such as Kev and Vicky’s (Tara Reid) relationship aswell as finding out what happened to Oz & Heather (Mena Suvari) who were both noticeably absent from “American Pie: The Wedding” as of which further smacks of further nostalgia. Meanwhile the sole dilemma’s we do get involving Michelle and Jim’s lack of sex life and Jim’s dad trying to get back in the dating game, while stretched across the film still feel minor and far from anything resembling a strong central plotline.

With original writer Adam Herz having stepped away from scripting the franchise after part 3, it was kind of surprising to not see him return to the franchise; especially as this latest additional to the franchise has been given a cinema release. Still “Harold & Kumar” scribes Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg are a great replacement, especially with “Harold & Kumar” being by far the strongest franchise to follow in the wake of the original “American Pie” release and certainly has come the closest to topping the original film. Sadly not even they can pull out anything special here, though no doubt thanks to them John Cho who got possibly his most memorable role playing Harold in “Harold and Kumar”, get his previous cameos as part of the MILF chanting duo upgraded to a supporting role. The main problem they do have is that in taking established characters on their forth outing, they have been left with little that they can put them through, while the nostalgia requirement does nothing toward helping them add their own stamp on the series.

Bizarrely as self confessed fans of the series they have also chosen Stifler, as one of the main focuses of the film, in particular his seeming refusal to grow out of his high school self, as he clings onto the glory days while believing that he can still be the same obnoxious jerk he was back then. Now while this might provide most of the films funny moments, it does seem tinged with an almost element of sadness that he is still living in his own world, while those around him have grown up and moved on. It’s an interesting choice to portray him in this way, especially when he works best as the loud mouth hanger on, though some fans might find it slightly hard to attribute any emotion other than “Permanently Horny” with this character.

While the film might have it’s share of laughs, it’s clear that the franchise has severely run out of steam and more importantly ideas, especially highlighted when the funniest moment is watching Stifler taking a dump in a cooler, while the other humour relies on referencing the first three films, such as a post coital Jim and Michelle discovering a flute lying nearby, as references are frequently less subtle nods and more sledgehammer blows to the face, especially when Hurwitz and Schlossberg are so keen to bring back every minor supporting character, even if it’s for nothing more than a glorified cameo appearance, as seen by the return of Jenny, Foreign exchange student Nadia and more memorably the sherminator!

Even though is stated to be the final “slice”, I already have no doubts that this film making money will lead to it being followed by another sequel, but at this point the pie is so thinly sliced and audience so heavily bombarded with this style of crass and gross out shock humour that it’s certainly a lot harder to show them something which hasn’t been done before. Still as a nostalgia trip its fun enough, but like my own high school reunion it’s far from the fun experience promised.

Cinema Obscura: Xtro 2: The Second Encounter

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Elwood Jones

This week saw the release of the latest trailer for “Prometheus” possibly the one movie I’m looking forward to seeing the most this year, with perhaps “Django Unchained” being it’s only rival for my unbridled enthusiasm. Now this will come as little surprise to regular readers of my blog, for they will already what a fanboy I am for the “Alien” saga. So for Ridley Scott to return to the franchise with this latest expansion to the series universe is exciting enough, without each trailer he releases only making the wait all the more painful. So with this in mind, this weeks selection is something of a guilty pleasure, as not only does film shamelessly rip off both “Alien” & “Aliens”, yet for some unexplained reason it’s also strangely good at the same time and almost like one of the better mockbusters by “The Asylum” (the company that brought you “Snakes on a Train” & the forthcoming “The American Battleship”).

Now nostalgia can be a strange thing, with so many things turning out to not be as essential as we might like to remember them, especially when looked back at through the nostalgia goggles. This is especially true when it comes to revisiting the numerous films which populated my childhood, which bizarrely this film actually wasn’t one of, yet still somehow managed to ingrain itself into my subconscious.

I first encountered this film at my local video shop, a mystical cave of a shop called “The video bug” which is sadly no longer there, having closed down probably about five years ago now. Originally I hung out there as a way of playing the latest PS1 / N64 games which I had no way of affording on what little money I earned from my paper round. However what was special about this particular video store, was the fact that they never threw out any of their VHS tapes, unlike the other video stores who threw out old titles to make room for newer titles. At the video bug they simply put in more bookcases, to store their ever increasing collection of films, which really had a lot to do with the owner being such a cheap skate, that he really wanted to make sure he got the most use out of the tapes, hanging onto them even when they started to stock DVD’s.

The advantage of this meant that you could go there and rent any number of the obscure and often long forgotten films, a lot still in their original big boxes. You have to remember that this was the 90’s and long before online rentals killed off these stores and seeing how I lived in a small costal town, this was the best way for me to see all the classic 70’s & 80’s horror films, which I’d heard about normally from the kids with more liberal parents. However being a bit of a wuss when it came to gore I missed out on a lot of titles, normally satisfying my curiosity by looking at the backs of the various films and soaking in the various gory and violent images, but knowing that the majority of them I’d never really rent. It was here that I first encountered this film, whose cover stuck with me and was one of the titles; I’d wished I’d picked up when the store was selling off all their stock.

Set around The Nexus project which has been created with the goal of creating a way to travel through dimensions. During the first jump, communication is lost with the team, during which time sole survivor Marshall (Tracy Westerholm) returns through the gate, unknown to the Nexus team infected with an alien species, which promptly escapes forcing the facility into lockdown leaving a small team of scientists and four heavily armed mercenaries to combat this new threat to humanity.

It’s clear quite early on that the plot is heavily borrowed from “Aliens” (prepare to here this film being mentioned a lot in this review) which is not only quite an achievement for a film with four writers, but also something that is frequently picked up upon by pretty much anyone who has seen this film. Now this isn’t just giving the occasional nod here and there, but rather tearing huge scenes and reworking them into the film, with the most glaring scenes being the chase through the ventilation, the smart gun used by the merc’s and even the shoulder cameras using the same film stock as that used in “Aliens”. Though of course the most standout scene would have to be Davenports take on the chestburster sequence, which is almost shot for shot the same, bar the fact that its Marshall writhing around on a table by herself, rather than being surrounded by her fellow scientists.

Thankfully once the alien changes into it’s fully grown form, it at least looks original, even though we never get to see the creature in it’s full glory, thanks to some horrible lighting, which drowns the majority of the scenes it appears in dank darkness, which might build tension but its pretty much wasted if you can’t see what the hell is going on. Sadly the majority of the effects are equally poorly handled, with kills nearly all happening off screen followed quickly by shots of fake blood being thrown at the walls, as the creature leaves blood splattered husks of it’s victims, which is quite random for a creature which is supposed to be draining the moisture from it’s victims I’d have expected them to be looking more like grey dried out husks. Still as long as the monster doesn’t move it looks impressive enough, with it’s sluggish movements making zombies look speedy in comparison, which made me wonder how it actually managed to catch anything, as it shuffled around the deserted hallways bumping off the more disposable members of the cast.

The main question I did find myself asking, while watching this film, was what the mercenaries have against inanimate objects, especially seeing how they are seen frequently firing off countless rounds at ventilation shafts, the walls and pretty much any other location the monster is supposed to be, but never once actually hitting the darn thing they are supposed to be aiming for especially when it’s not exactly the smallest of targets.

The characters are interesting enough, though it is clear that this cast were assembled on a budget, especially looking at the majority of the scientists working at the facility are decidedly average looking at best. Our hero on a budget Sheppard (Jan-Michael Vincent) is quite watchable, despite director Davenport having to reportedly shout the lines to Vincent who didn’t bother to read the script. Meanwhile his character references the incident in Texas constantly, while not actually bothering to let the rest of us actually know what happened, while Tara Buckman steps up as the tough female scientist Dr. Casserly, even though by the time she steps up to this mantle she is yet another “Aliens” character rip off, as she comes off like a slightly less tough version of Ripley.

The most noteworthy appearance amongst the cast though is Nicolas Lea, who would go on to play Krycek in “The X Files” (one of the best characters in the series despite, what my wife might want to wrongly claim) and here can be seen here playing the bargain basement version of Hicks from “Aliens”, while Paul Koslo is fun as Dr. Summerfield the token arsehole, though at the same time it’s a role I would have loved to have seen Michael Rooker taking on, especially for the later scenes which see an infected Summerfield mutating rapidly into an alien human hybrid, while seriously cranking up the crazy factor. Meanwhile the rest of the cast, whose characters don’t resemble copies of characters from “Aliens” are quickly lumped into roles which require the minimum amount of character development (the wiseass, the jerk) and pretty much marking themselves as characters not worth getting too attached to.

The original “Xtro” spawned quite a cult following, mainly due to its brief status on the BBFC video nasty list, thanks to a memorable graphic scene involving a woman giving birth to a fully grown man. I’ve yet to watch the original, but honestly you don’t have to have seen it to watch this film, as it is merely a sequel in name only, which appears to be a running theme with the series, as apparently “Xtro 3: Watch the Skies” (1995) has nothing to do with either of these films either, which is supposedly down to Director Harry Bromley Davenport only securing the rights to the name and not the story rights, making this in more of a cash in on the popularity of the original, than any attempt in continuing the storyline.

It might not have been a film worth obsessing over for as long as I did, but it is still an entertaining enough film to enjoy even if it does linger in places around the ass end of okay, while ripping of “Aliens” whenever given the chance, but then isn’t this what “The Asylum” have spent the last few years doing, making this film almost a blueprint for their output ethic. Still if your looking for something to tie you over until the release of ”Prometheus” this might just do it for you, while also making for a fun game of spot the rip off scene and maybe do a shot everytime one of these scenes appear and see how trashed you are by the end. Who knows you might even like it even more this way, as like so many films on this column the more you drink the better they seem!

Movie Review: The Raid: Redemption

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Elwood Jones

Every few years there seems to be either one actor or a country which shakes up the martial arts genre and making up for the years in-between were genre fans have had to get by on whatever Direct-to-DVD nonsense that Steven Segal has churned out that month. This is not to say that there haven’t been glimmers of hope over the recent years, with Donnie Yen finally getting some long over due recognition, as well as the likes of Michael Jai White and to an extent Ray Park certainly doing their part to help revive the flagging genre which many would consider way beyond it’s golden days of the 70’s and 80’s, with the last noticeable examples in recent memory coming from Thiland, with Panna Rittikrai bringing us the likes of Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak) and JeeJa Yanin (Chocolate). These new breed of Martial Arts superstars coming with a promise of “No Stuntman, No Equal” as they delivered an exciting blend of thrilling stunt work and bone crunching fight scenes.

Now it seems that Indonesia is going to be the next surprising place to find your Martial Arts fix, for “The Raid: Redemption” is not so much the next big thing, but a certified game changer for the genre, for entering into this film even as a veteran of a misspent childhood watching Kung fu movies, I was still blown away by how exhilarating and original a movie that Welsh born and self confessed genre fan director Gareth Evans has crafted here in what is easily another of this years big surprises, even though it would currently be set to be another film which will find its audience on DVD rather than on what is currently a limited cinema release schedule.

The plot is simplistic at best with crime lord Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy) turning the apartment block were he lives into his own personal fortress, by turning it into a safehouse for the city’s most dangerous murderers, killers, gangsters and other assorted scumbags and in the process making him untouchable by both his rivals and the police. Still despite this an elite team including rookie cop Rama (Iko Uwais) and led by the driven Sergeant Jaka (Joe Taslim) have now been despatched to take down Tama once and for all.

With the plot essentially established within the first fifteen minutes, with our hero Rama being given slightly more depth than the other members of the 20 man squad, as we open to him running through his morning prayers as a devout Muslim before engaging in his grueling training regime to further hone his already impressive martial arts skills, before his kisses his still sleeping and heavily pregnant wife goodbye. It is clear that he is a man trying to do what he can as a cop, to make the world a slightly safer place for his unborn child, with the removal of Tama being another key part of this personal quest.

Entering the building on the ground floor the team have no option to work their way up the building floor by floor, to get to Rama who is for some reason located on the 15^th. As to be expected their plans for a covert option are soon thrown out of the window when Rama is alerted to their presence by one of his spotter and offering the tenants free rent to those who kill the SWAT team and in effect mobilising his army of seemingly hundreds. Meanwhile Rama and the others only find their situation worse when they discover that their whole operation has not been sanctioned and meaning that they have no reinforcements or rescue to fall back on.

This film could in many ways be almost be described as a living video game, with it’s simple plot and the fact that dialogue kept to minimum, with this film taking the old saying of “Actions speak louder than words” to a whole new level, while each floor the team clears almost feels like a level completed, with the bad guys attacking in disorganized groups, with many of the SWAT team’s opponents seemingly taking a number for their beat down as few bother to attack at the same time that another thug is fighting.

Needless to say the fight scenes will be the reason you pay for a ticket to see this film and it pays out in spades as it provides a real showcase for “Silat” the Indonesian martial art style, which focuses on strikes, joint manipulation, throws aswell as the use of bladed weaponry, with the style being used to powerful effect here, especially to western audiences more familiar with the traditional Kung Fu and Kickboxing styles which have been favoured in martial arts movies, while more recent films such as Donnie Yen’s “Flashpoint” have seen the introduction of mixed martial arts. It goes without question though that Silat is yet another highly filmable style, as clearly shown here with it use of quick attacks and devastatingly powerful ground based attacks.

The promotion of this indigenous fighting style was a key reason for director Evans to make this movie, as he was looking for a project which he could build upon his fascination of the fighting style and promote it to international audiences with the films original conception as a large scale prison gang movie, only for time restraints to see it scaled down to it’s current form, which ultimately has proven to be a great decision with the hallways and shoe box sized apartments bringing a claustrophobic atmosphere to the film, aswell as a real sense of danger to what the SWAT team are facing, especially during the early scenes were they are forced to hole up in a room fighting off a rabid horde of Tama’s followers.

The cast are all fantastic with Sahetapy proving himself a powerful mixture of sleazy slumlord and skillful and intelligent tactitian, though sadly not a fighter which would be more disappointing if it was not for Uwais who not only provides a sufficient amount of fight scenes to cover for this anticlimactic encounter and proves himself a star in the making and bringing back memories of Tony Jaa in “Ong-Bak”, as he showcases his impressive catalogue of moves, with incredible smoothness aswell as speed, yet still containing a street fighting edge, as fights frequently contain moments of seeming pure improvisation, meanwhile Yayan Ruhian who appears here as head thug “Mad Dog” a man who’d rather beat his opponents with his fists than shoot them, really provides a suitable challenge especially when the big evil of the film isn’t a fighter, leaving Mad Dog to handle his fights, which he more than happily does even taking on two opponents at the same time in the climatic fight scene which clocks in at an impressive 15 mins of non-stop fighting which when it had ended was greeted by a rousing round of applause by the audience attending the screening I was at, something I had only experienced twice previously when the mother ship blew up in “Independence day” and the second being when Bruce the shark got blown up in “Jaws”, but it is really a credit to the quality of the fight scenes on offer here, that it sparked such feelings in an audience.

Needless to say this film won’t appeal to everyone, especially for those of you whom find the prospect of 90+ minutes of pure bone crunching fight scenes, more than a little tiresome, meanwhile genre fans especially those of you who like your martial arts fast and brutal and action relentless will no doubt have a blast and hungry for more.

Cinema Obscura: Gentlemen Broncos

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Elwood Jones

There are directors whom I think I will never understand their appeal and I guess Jared Hess is a prime example of this, for after exploding onto the indie scene with the cult favourite “Napoleon Dynamite”, he made a brief assault on mainstream film making with the underrated “Nacho Libre”, before returning to his indie roots once more with this week’s film in question “Gentleman Broncos” were he continues to peddle his unique brand of awkward humour, in what could easily be considered the spiritual sequel to “Napoleon Dynamite”

Following Benjamin (Michael Angarano) is an aspiring sci-fi writer and eternal loner, whose entry at a writing competition being held at a local fantasy convention, gets ripped off by his hero the legendary (if slightly eccentric) sci-fi writer Chevalier (Jemaine Clement). Meanwhile Benjamin also has to contend with his equally eccentric fashion designer mother and the town’s most prolific indie film maker Lonnie (Héctor Jiménez).

Fans of Hess’s previous films might as well start hunting this one down now, seeing how it’s essentially more of the same, which will no doubt raise further groans if your like me and didn’t exactly get what was supposedly so funny about “Napoleon Dynamite”. A movie whose only purpose seemed to be, so that minor celebrities could try and seem slightly hip for listing it in their favourite movies. For myself it was a film with a spattering humorous moments, scattered amongst a cast of truly unlikable and frequently nauseating characters, whom Hess seemed to have little interest in making any more appealing and here’s it’s essentially a case of same song second verse, as he introduces a new set of equally awkward characters living out their lives in small town America, while perhaps he does deserve some credit for at least giving us here a fairly likeable lead character.

Benjamin is a man of few words, as he spends most of the film shifting almost wordlessly from situation to situation and generally struggling to muster any form of emotion beyond comfortably numb or infuriated rage. Still while he might lack any of the admittedly misguided confidence that Napoleon had, he certainly makes up for it with writing talent, as he obsessively writes to escape his humdrum existence, crafting his own hero in the form of Bronco the lead character in his book “Yeast Lords”, an infinitely masculine character who battles evil Cyclops over yeast production and whose adventures are played out as short movie clips at various points of the film with Bronco being played by Sam Rockwell, who honestly embodies this random role, even when he’s playing the transvestite version Brutus who replaces Bronco in Chevalier’s rip off version of the novel “Brutus and Balzaak”, with both versions of the story being essentially what you’d expect one of Hess’s fantasies to be like with flying stag’s, a gonad stealing villain let alone the aforementioned Cyclops which for some reason all look like Bernard Bresslaw’s Cyclops from “Krull”??

Still back in the so called real world of this film, it’s clear that Hess might have been aiming for Chevlier to have been the villain of the film, he is woefully underused here, especially as his workshop scenes at the bizarrely titled “Cletus Fest” were he hands out questionable pearls of writing wisdom to aspiring writers being amongst the strongest scenes we get outside of the Bronco shorts. Still the main problem we have here though is that it is really only in the last thirty minutes that he becomes any kind of threat to Benjamin and even then it’s only as far as a heated exchange. No doubt “Flight of the Concords” fans will no doubt lap up this appearance by Clement, who has along with his role in the equally awkward “Eagle Vs. Shark” has really started to make a career from playing droll characters of questionable moral standards and this is yet another fun character to add to his repertoire, let alone baring a striking resemblance to director Hess.

However what is still not clear to me though is why Hess, seems to have such a fascination with making such unlikable characters, as three films in and his motives for this are none the less clear with the prime offender here being Lonnie, a character who made me want to strange the life out of him every time he appeared on the screen, as every aspect of this character seems designed to either make my skin crawl or just annoy the crap out me, especially with Jiménez who was so much fun in “Nacho Libre” yet just plain horrible here constantly pulling what would by all observations seem to be his best impression of a trout, as every scene with this character is painfully over played, while we also get at the same time our redneck quota is filled by Mike White’s Dusty, who appears as a part guardian angel and part Whitesnake tribute act, while for myself being another skin crawling character, especially when his sole funny moment in the film is when his pet snake decides to take a dump on him, though it is unclear why Hess is so obsessed with characters as greasy as this, especially when they have all the personality of a house brick.

On the more redeeming side of things, Hess has once more compiled a decent soundtrack which see’s Zager & Evan’s “In The Year 2525” making a welcome appearance over the opening and end credits, much like Cher’s “Just Like Jessie James” towards the end of the film, no doubt replacing what would usually be a classic moment to dig out something from the Journey / Jefferson Starship back catalogue, while the majority of the soundtrack is divided between Ray Lynch and John Two-Hawks to impressive results.

While Hess might seem like the kind of director I would normally rave about, especially being a fan of Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World) and Todd Solondz (Welcome To The Dollhouse”, his characterisation lacks any of the quirk charm or smart dialogue and perhaps it’s the overwhelming sense of ordinariness in comparison that these character process, which makes it so grating, especially when it seems like Hess is basing his characters on the weirdo’s you usually find at the bus station. Still if you liked “Napoleon Dynamite” you’re probably going to lap this up, while if you’re like me it’s one probably best avoided, as there as this film proves a point were quirky just becomes plain weird!

Cinema Obscura: The Game

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Elwood Jones

Why is it that there are films which are seemingly destined to be ignored for the rest of eternity and no I’m not talking about the movies which make up the usual fodder of this column, but rather films which are released in the mainstream and seemingly vanish without a trace soon after. A fate that seems to have become of this week’s film in question, which followed hot of the heels of director David Fincher’s phenomenal thriller “Seven”, the film which revived Fincher’s career after the problem riddled yet seriously underrated “Alien 3” making it’s only more of a shame that this film still remains largely unseen by most.

Following Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas), a wealthy banker, who has chosen to remove himself from any form of human contact were possible outside of his work and his housekeeper. However on his 48^th birthday he finds the occasion overshadowed by his father committing suicide at the same age, while he is greeted by a surprise visit from his brother Conrad (Sean Penn) who he hasn’t seen in years, giving him a card for “Consumer Recreation Services (CRS)” who offer to provide that what is missing. Little does Nicholas know that after his initial meeting with them that the game has begun until strange things start to happen around him.

I will warn you now before I go any further that this review is likely to contain potential spoilers and as such I would advise those of you who like your surprises left in tact to stop reading now and go and see this film, while for the rest you have been warned.

Okay I should admit I am slightly biased when it comes to Michael Douglas movies, as while he has made his fair share of box office fodder, he has throughout his career pulled out some really surprising performances, such as his postal former defence engineer in “Falling Down” to his pot smoking professor in “Wonder Boys”, let alone his most memorable embodiment of 80’s greed and excess, Gorden Gecko in “Wall Street”, with Douglas having a real knack for playing men of power much like what we are given here with Nicolas, and even now Douglas is continuing to give incredibly engaging performances with this film being yet another master class for his particular acting style, as there is not one scene in this movie were he is not completely convincing as the man of all power suddenly finding himself powerless and being forced to play someone else’s game, after years of growing accustomed to being the one in control, something further emphasised by his self imposed isolation from the rest of humanity, let alone his idea of a perfect birthday dinner is a cheeseburger served on a silver platter, to be eaten while watching CNN in his vast mansion which he inherited from his father and were he now lives alone.

A strange film to say the least, especially as it works by slowly laying layer upon layer of weirdness as the film progresses, so that just when you think you have got it figured out, it throws something new into the mix, while also being a film which certainly works best if entered with an open mind and not questioning the smaller details, as there are numerous points were the film takes real leaps in plausibility especially in terms of the reach of the individuals behind the game, who seemingly are an all seeing and controlling force, able to access bank accounts and frequently put participants lives in danger with no form of comeuppance or perhaps there is something in the small print of their contract which allows them to do what the hell they want.

Still what starts as small events such as his briefcase not opening and having a drink being spilled on him by a supposedly clumsy waitress it soon escalated when he finds a creepy clown doll, even more disturbingly dressed to look how Nicolas’s father did when he committed suicide. Soon things are getting even weirder as he finds himself being chased by shadowy men, while frequently finding himself not knowing who can trust, with his bank accounts being emptied and seemingly all records relating to his existence being deleted, as Nicolas continues to try and find out who is behind the game with his sole ally coming in the form of Christine (Deborah Kara Unger) a former waitress recruited to play a part in the game, but even though she claims to be helping him, Nicolas is never sure if she is still playing a role or genuinely trying to help him.

While towards the end of the film plausibility is stretched to it’s absolute limit, with Nicolas being dumped in an empty tomb in Mexico and being forced to barter and trade his way back into the city, with a humbling scene of Nicolas entering a diner, looking beyond dishevelled with his clothes stained with dust and looking like he hasn’t slept in days, begging for someone to give him a ride, with his fall from glory only made all the gut wrenching by the believable performance Douglas brings to this character throughout and no doubt the reason we are willing to make such leaps in plausibility with his character and what happens to him.

For myself though the most interesting scene was towards the end of the film, were Nicolas has located the headquarters of CRS and upon entering the cathateria see’s the various characters he has encountered on his journey, as he finally see’s what is behind the curtain and it’s the sort of the place I’m sure airports also have to store all their own wacky characters that you only seem to find at airports.

The direction is incredibly focused with Fincher once more showing a keen eye for the smallest of details, while shooting in a number of sumptuous locations all while keeping the sense of ominous intentions always lurking somewhere under the surface, while also taking full advantage of working with a larger budget than he had been given previously, thanks to the success of “Seven” which has originally been scheduled to be shot after this film and was only pushed ahead of “The Game” thanks to Brad Pitt becoming available for filming. Still Fincher always seems to be in control, as he plays the puppet master constantly tormenting Nicolas that bit more, while refusing to include shots of those pulling the strings behind the curtain and no hints to what is actually happening and in doing so forces us to live through this nightmare with him.

A paranoid trip right up until its final macabre twist of the knife, this film will keep you guessing right up until the end, while certainly being one for fans of films such as the equally underrated “The Machinist” or “Oldboy” and is as much about the journey as the final payoff, this is one film which deserved to be more recognised than it was upon it’s original release and is well worth hunting down.

Movie Review: Act of Valor

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Elwood Jones

While movies based on computer games are usually viewed as being trash even before they have been released, this film comes across almost like a video game movie in disguise, for anyone who wanted to see a film version of “Call of Duty” might have found their prayers answered with this movie, as it is essentially just that!

Originally intended as a training / recruitment film it has since evolved into the feature length action thriller we have here, as directors Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh use real active duty Navy SEALs, rather than actors to portray SEAL Team Seven whom the film follows as they work or should I say blast their way through two scenarios, with the first seeing them rescuing a kidnapped CIA operative Morales (Roselyn Sanchez) taken on the orders of the drug smuggler Christo (Alex Veadov) and the second regarding Chechen terrorists lead by the fanatical Abu Shabal (Jason Cottle) trying to smuggle undetectable suicide vests into the United States and who may also share a link with Christo.

Due to the fact that the main roles are all played by Active SEAL’s, meaning that none of their names are revealed, it certainly makes it far from the easiest film to review, but it’s fair to say that when it comes to dramatic acting it’s also a mixed bag which we receive from the SEAL’s but then I don’t think dramatic acting is part of their training. Needless to say though when it comes to making things go boom or anything regarding normal procedural drills, it’s clear what they have been trained to do well.

Plotting wise it’s hardly the heaviest thinking film, especially when it’s moment of plotting are either relating to their families back home or more procedural talk as they plot out their missions, tossing around enough military slang and jargon to put Tom Clancy (who unsurprisingly has shown his full support for this film) to shame, while conveniently always heading into situations which allow them to showcase as much military hardware as possible.

Meanwhile the film doesn’t worry itself with heavy questions, concerning the complexities and morality of war, as the line between good and evil is not so much clear cut but a thick boundary line between the two as the bad guys are hideously evil and without remorse, whether using an ice cream truck to blow up a packed school yard or Christo’s head torturer introducing Morales to his unconventional use for a power drill, there is no confusion on who we should root for, especially with the SEAL team being shown as a close knit family, who all have stable family lives back home and live to fight the war against terror, as a slightly pretentious voice over from Chief Petty Officer Dave reading off a letter his has wrote to the son of a fellow SEAL, appear sporadically throughout to drive home this point as he frequently refers to the values of heroism, bravery and the SEAL code of honour. Still thanks to this voice over, it doesn’t exactly take a genius to realise that at least one of these boys isn’t going to be making it to the end credits.

The dialogue while aiming for rousing remains largely clunky, frequently getting bogged down in jargon, while the lack of acting ability on offer frequently only makes it seem more cliché or knuckle dragging, rather than helping the audience bond with these characters, which ultimately proves detrimental to the film as with no bond to these characters they ultimately become faceless once the action starts and inturn provides no emotional response when the team loses one of their members, even during one scene involving one of them throwing himself on a grenade to save his fellow SEAL’s.

Needless to say the action scenes are what save this movie, as the SEAL’s demonstrate what they do best, from breathtaking HALO jumps to bullet riddled shootouts and exciting car chases, the film makers certainly making sure they get enough bang for their buck, with the camera quickly switching angles and frequently moving to a first person perspective thanks to helmet mounted camera’s and adding that familiar feel of “Call of Duty” to these scenes. It goes without question that the decision to use real SEAL’s really pays off during these scenes, as watching the footage it soon becomes clear that actors could not have been trained to pull off these sequences with the realism the film required, which clearly aims to show as much SEAL procedure as possible, especially with Navy training sites being also used to add to the realistic settings.

Ultimately the film would have best been marketed as “Call of Duty: The Movie” but in it’s current form, it comes with far to many expectations of being the serious film it isn’t and ultimately more of a popcorn action flick which tries to take itself too seriously and while the movie might be a lot of fun while things are either going boom, or while impressive hardware being showcased it is the parts in between and the feeling of being smothered with bravado and military ideology which detracts from the positive parts of the film and despite the changes this film has undergone in it’s production, it still remains a recruitment film at it’s heart, but one which atleast still gives you more than a few bangs for your buck.

Cinema Obscura: The Giant Claw

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Elwood Jones

This week I though I’d revisit another 50′s B-movie classic, by looking at a film which really does question what the film makers were thinking when they unleashed it on the unsuspecting movie going public. True B-movies were usually shown before the main feature, but this one really pushes the creature randomness right out there.

Plot wise it’s a the usual B-movie affair as While testing new radar systems, test pilot Mitch (Jeff Morrow) spots an UFO, which turns out to be a gigantic bird, intent on bringing doom to the inhabitants of Earth….well I did warn you it was pretty out there.

It’s funny the things which inspire me to often hunt down a title, often having nothing to do with the plot and more often than not it’s more a desire to watch the film based on a single shot, or perhaps the prospect of seeing a certain scene, which is especially true for this film, a clip of which I remembered being featured in the title sequence, for now sadly defunct “Monsterpiece Theatre” which shows the clip of a man parachuting, with a look of terror on his face as we watch him falling in front of the monstrous face of the titular creature, which is without a doubt one of the most comedic looking monster creations I have seen, since I discovered that “The Thing” in “Godzilla Vs. The Thing” (better known as “Godzilla Vs. Mothra” outside of the states) was in fact a giant moth! This might also go a long way to explaining why, you don’t actually see the whole creature on any of the posters, though leaving unanswered why the film is called “The Giant Claw” when the creature in question clearly has two claws!

It is worth noting that throughout the production none of the cast actually had any idea what the creature was going to look like, with Animatronics maestro Ray Harryhausen originally being considered to create the creature, an idea which would be scrapped due to budgetary restraints, leaving the creature effects to be handled by a small Mexican special effects company, which does prove slightly detrimental to the film, seeing how the effects are not just laughable now, but were also considered laughable back when the film was first released, with audiences supposedly bursting in laughter whenever the creature appeared on screen.

Outside of the creature the majority of the effects are a combination of well edited scenes of stock footage, combined with some seriously ropey miniature work, which is amusing to watch as planes bounce around on strings and model trains get thrown through the air. Still Sears being keen to get the most out of his budget, even recycles footage from his earlier film “Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers” (1956), providing some of the better effects here.

Plot wise as I stated at the start of this review it’s a standard B-movie affair and as does rattle along at a quick pace, which goes a long way to explaining why it’s such a fun film to watch, despite suffering from numerous flaws, while at the same time it actually bothers to break several genre conventions seeing how Mara Corday plays Sally a strong female character, rather than the usual damsel in distress which is almost unheard of in this genre, but here she is seen not only as a romance interest but also as a major part of the team, proving herself not only feisty but also quite handy with a rifle, putting her a whole head and shoulders ahead of the majority of her female b-movie predecessors, still the majority of the cast seem to believe that they are in a film which is more than B-movie fodder, judging by how the actors handle the dialogue combined with their general performances throughout, but then I guess no one really bothered to tell them that they are staring in a movie were the world is under attack from a giant rubber chicken. Still we do get the classic lines

“I’ll never call my mother in law and old crow again”

aswell as my personal favourite

“Holy Toledo! I’ve seen some mighty big chicken hawks back on the farm, but man, this baby takes the cake!”

Both lines spoken completely straight faced only further adding to the humour value and questioning if this was ever intended on being a serious movie?

Plot wise the one point which stuck with me which watching this film, is why does everyone keep referring to the creature as being “A giant battleship”? Seriously this one description is shared by nearly every character that comes into contact with the creature, but why call it a battleship? Why not at least describe it as something that flies at the least. I also have to wonder for a creature which is supposedly from space, how it actually travels through space, let alone generates its own force field which is pretty much accepted as fact, almost as if the idea of a giant chicken flying through space makes perfect sense.

I can’t help but feel had the creature effects been better, that this film might be remembered in more positive light, rather than for its unintentional humour value, caused by a seriously random looking creature, caused by the budget restraints the film was put under and certainly which resonates even now, when you consider the amount of half decent films, which are ruined by the inclusion of cheap bargain basement CGI. Still the film remains as it does a fun way to burn away a Sunday afternoon, especially when you can’t be bothered with the complexities of something heavier which after all is what this genre does best.

Cinema Obscura: Welcome To The Dollhouse

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Elwood Jones

The world of Todd Solondz is not an overly cheerful place, a feeling all the more assured by this film, which despite only being his second feature, still won the grand jury prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festive, this being back when it was still a festival celebrating raw indie talent, rather than the corporate playground it is these days, especially as it frequently becomes less about the films and more about whose in attendance. Still this film is Solondz, fierce argument against the sunny childhood nostalgia films, which traditionally tend to paint it as the happy go lucky time of your lives, before you’re chained to the baggage of adult life, as Solondz instead opts to paint a picture of grim realism, highlighted with only the darkest of humour, as he sets out to remind many of us of the hell of high school and just how cruel kids can be.

Determined to show just how tough Seventh-grade is, something especially true if you’re Dawn Weiner (Matarzzo), who faces constant hassle from the other kids whom frequently refer to her as “Weiner-Dog”, a situation not especially helped by her Nerdy older brother Mark (Faber), a sickeningly sweet Ballet obsessed younger sister (Kalinina) or the fact that her parents want to tear down her “Special People’s Club” clubhouse. Not only does she has to contend with all of this, but she is also at the same time harbouring a crush on Steve (Mabius) the older guy in her brothers band.

It’s so hard, having seen the films which Solondz has inspired in the wake of this movie, not to feel the urge to draw comparisions to films such as “Napoleon Dynamite” (2004) and in particular Terry Zwigoff’s “Ghost World” (2001) for which this feels more like Enid the early years, even more so when you look at the amount of similarities between the characters of Enid and Dawn, seeing how both frequently find themselves the target of their so called normal peers, for the way they look and dress, while at the same time carving out their own personal identity, as the world around them frequently strives to work against them. Still despite the fact by the end credits Solondz resists giving the shiny happy ending with everything tied up, your still sure that Dawn will go onto better things, later returning to pour scorn on those same tormentors, who will no doubt have been dragged down into menial jobs and failed dreams, though Solondz for his own twisted reasons, would ensure that things didn’t work out so well for Dawn, when he revisited her character in “Palindromes” (2004) whose opening revealed that she went to college, gained a lot of weight and committed suicide…..as I said Solondz doesn’t really do happy go lucky movies.

Solondz does a fantastic job of introducing what is essentially the day to day life of Dawn, opening in the school cafeteria as she struggles to find a seat, wandering through the minefield of social cliques, finally finding a seat only to then be told that the only reason it is free is because of someone threw up there earlier that day, followed soon after with an accusation of being a lesbian by a group of cheerleaders, clearly not only relishing the chance to turn her once again into the butt of the joke, but also clearly establishing who is truly at the top of the social pile. Still it is these moments, along with moments of her fellow students referring to each other as retards or faggots, something which movie critic legend Roger Ebert rightfully pointed out while proclaiming his personal love for the film, that these kids don’t see these labels as offensive, but rather just another way to humiliate each other and it’s these details, which feel in many ways like Solondz, revisiting his own possibly bullied childhood, while at the same time feeling the urge to challenge his audience only further, by frequently pushing the boundaries of taste, with one particular tormentor Brandon (Sexton), openly threatening to rape Dawn, after reporting his attempt to copy exam questions from her to the teacher, though the way he states this is pretty much stated as an everyday kind of comment, while certainly providing one of numerous dark humoured moments scattered throughout, feel more natural than anything written to be intentionally funny.

Despite a large focus being towards Dawn being targeted for being different, Solondz also looks at how she handles the typical problems of growing up, in particular her crush on Steve, who bizarrely somehow manages to turn her brothers band from a bunch of tone deaf wannabe’s into a fully functioning band after a single practice. Not knowing how to get Steve to like her, she instead follows a mixture of misguided advice from her brother, who assures in one scene that he will go out with any girl who is willing to put out, while also attempting her own seduction technique as she plies him with junk food. Still as clumsy and shocking as these scenes seem, they are a lot more grounded in reality, than the majority of high school dramas, featuring characters that spew out skillfully crafted dialogue and witty one liners, instead these are kids talking like kids actually talk, making this in so many ways almost like a study of human nature in general.

The main gripe I have with this film is with its final reel, in which it seems like Solondz has doubts about the story he has told already and for some reason decided to jam in a kidnapping storyline, which not only makes no sense, but also failed to capture my interest seeing how it’s only purpose seemed to cram in an extra shock factor, by having the kidnapping descriptions containing paedophile undertones, which are so subtle that only the most keen eared or repeat viewers will catch them, only making these scenes all the less needed.

I know a lot of people don’t like this movie, finding it too dark or not getting its warped humour, but then I guess it depends on what sort of time you had at school, for those who found themselves to be the underdogs, usually tend to like this movie, while the more popular kids never seem to get it. Still I didn’t get “Napoleon Dynamite” which I found to be found excessively grating throughout, unlike this film which in many is the film it wishes it was.
Whether it pushes things to far out of a desire for sensationalism, or it’s a painfully true portrait of high school life can be debated, but the only true way of knowing is to watch it yourself, which I urge you all to do.