The Battery is the story of two men and their quest to survive a world ravaged by zombies. The $6,000 film is slowly gaining recognition in the horror world and will undoubtedly motivate many slacker filmmakers to write their own horror film.

What I appreciate most about The Battery is the way Jeremy Gardner made the budget work. He could have pushed a massive script upon Hollywood with uncertain results. Would anybody see it? Would anybody read it? Would it get butchered in the filming process? Would Will Smith and Jaden Smith star in it? Instead, he made an intimate film about two baseball players navigating unknown territory. The term “Battery” refers to the relationship between a pitcher and catcher. Their opposing jobs and personalities are what keep them alive.

Jeremy and Adam are opposites who somehow work as a team. Jeremy is the realist who kills the zombies, looks after Adam and is ultra careful in his efforts to survive. Adam is the dreamer who listens to music at great peril, still dreams of love and has a very odd encounter with a female zombie. They are odd little fellas who love baseball, music and somehow can deal with each other in long-term isolation.

The story takes place months after the initial zombie infestation. The two locked themselves in a house for several months and weathered the first wave of undead. Eventually, they escape into the woods where they roam, hunt and play catch. The movie starts with Adam listening to his headphones while the braver Jeremy is pilfering a house of all its canned goods. What follows is 100 minutes of long shots, drunken dancing and strategic blankets.

The film is full of static two shots involving the two talking, walking and sitting. The abbreviated shooting schedule eliminated over the shoulder shots and the limited budget forced them to never shoot wide shots featuring the zombies. Thus, anything involving seemingly massive numbers of zombies had to be kept tight with a shallow depth of field. Their scenes in the car at the end provide an earned claustrophobia due to the fact that they were just roaming massive fields, orchards and woods. Essentially, they recognized all of their constraints and were able to capitalize on them.

I’ve also found an interesting trend in zombie/infected angry person films. The Battery, Warm Bodies, Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later have all used music incredibly well. The music creates memorable moments, moods and atmosphere that I can still see vividly. Do zombies lovers appreciate good music? Do they need to lighten up the violence? Check out the soundtracks and you will find some gems.

Watch The Battery. Appreciate what they did with a minuscule budget. Dig the music. Look forward to the many copycats that will certainly be created.

People love Melissa McCarthy. Her groundbreaking work in Bridesmaids made her a bona fide box office star and was a revelation for several reasons. It gave us a larger than life woman who was in charge of her surroundings, embraced her sexuality and loved puppies. She laid the groundwork for Rebel Wilson’s Fat Amy in the sleeper hit Pitch Perfect and she is the only reason Identity Thief made money.

Identity Thief is bad. The critics didn’t like it (20% Rt) and audiences thought it was rotten (58%). However, it collected $135 million at the box office. Nobody seemed to like it yet it swindled the audiences cash over a period of several weeks. Here is how it fared from February 8th-March 10th (35, 27, 14, 10, 6 million). The first week drop off was unprecedented.  I recently wrote a piece about correctly predicting word of mouth hits. Identity Thief does not fall into the criteria of any of the films I mentioned. It is mean, scattershot and features Jason Bateman unnecessarily hitting Melissa McCarthy in the face with a guitar. Instead of being nice the characters are archetypes ranging from emasculated, insane, brutish and depressingly sad.

McCarthy works her butt off in the film. She falls, dives, swears, throat punches, runs slowly, cries, has an amazing perm and ends up redeeming herself. However, she is one of the most depressing film characters in recent memory. She is cartoonish to the point where her bones must be filled titanium yet has a fragile psyche due to some childhood trauma and abandonment. She wrecks lives, is desperate for attention and is ultimately redeemed in a cringe worthy manner.

To top off the cartoony realism the plot is absolutely incoherent. You will say What? Huh? When? Who? What? Really? No? Yuck. I will let Roger Ebert explain it.

Thanks to an idiotic premise involving Jon Favreau as the world’s worst boss, Morris Chestnut as Denver’s dumbest cop and John Cho as the world’s worst friend, it’s up to Sandy to make his way to Florida, capture Diana and bring her to Colorado. Then it’s up to the screenwriter to find ways to keep Sandy and Diana on the road together for a series of wacky escapades, when all Sandy has to do is pick up a phone, dial the authorities and say, “Hey, you know that woman who stole my identity and has committed hundreds of felonies? Got her!”

Ebert normally gave movies the benefit of the doubt. In my sleeper hit post Ebert gave Paul Blart: Mall Cop a positive review because he liked the nice characters. Ebert wasn’t an angry reviewer yet he saw through the zaniness of Identity Thief. Intelligence and practicality are sacrificed for throat punches, car chases and “Sandy” jokes.

Why did audiences flock to this film? Why did it hold up so well the second weekend? Box Office mojo explained it’s success like this:

From its clearly articulated, relatable premise to its broadly-appealing leads, the movie feels like it came off some kind of “comedy hit” assembly line, and Universal is reaping major rewards so far.

Essentially, the movie boiled down to people thinking it would be fun. On paper the teaming of Bateman and McCarthy is inspired and worthy of further exploration. Thief reminded me of the soul crushing Due Date. The film had a hot cast (Downey Jr. Galifianakis), was bashed by critics (39%) yet still cleared the 100 million dollar mark. Both of these films instilled faith in the cinema going public that they couldn’t be all that bad.

Alonso Duralde of The Wrap agreed by saying:

“Identity Thief the kind of cast that makes audiences ask, “How bad could it be?” before proceeding to answer that very question.”

Thief’s director Seth Gordon (who best film is still King of Kong) had a similar critically and audience reviled hit with Four Christmases in 2008. The cast was hot at the time (Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon) and those famous people carried the film to $120 million. Four was absolutely soul crushing yet had such an amazing cast people went to watch it. A year later Couples’s Retreat with Bateman, Favreau and Vaughn went on to make $109 million with a abysmal 11% RT score. These movies made money because of the great casts but imagine how much money they would have made if they were good. Also, they hurt the long term marketability of the stars. Nowadays, Vaughn’s comedies are not doing so well with Dilemma, The Watch and The Internship all under performing.

People went to watch Melissa McCarthy do her thing in Identity Thief and instead had their time and money stolen. McCarthy’s latest film The Heat is doing well so all is forgiven. However, in order for McCarthy to retain her box office clout she needs to pay close attention to what made her famous in the first place. Bridesmaids will not be duplicated anytime soon but it did lay out a nice blueprint for success. It put characters first and built the gags from there. A silly character is not funny because they are silly. Characters are funny because you like them.

Don’t watch Identity Thief. Search out The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters. Cherish Bridesmaids.

SPOILER ALERT!!! READ NO FURTHER IF YOU WANT THE PLOT OF MAMA REVEALED. Read John’s non-spoiler wonderful review of Mama here.

Throughout the course of my cinema watching career there have been certain moments, villains and spin kicks that are so bad they’ve become intriguing. They’ve left me thinking about the movie long after it has finished. This particular post will be about the ending of the film Mama. Mama is not a bad film. It is confidently made, well acted and original. There are several fantastic shots and it seems well thought out. I say “it seems” because the ending leaves the heroes in a terrible spot that will likely result in a long court battle and years of jail time. It is the ghost equivalent of “a dingo ate my baby!” The people are innocent but it will be hard to explain to the courts.

The ending of Mama goes like this. Mama gets jealous and kidnaps the kids. So, yada yada yada Mama takes one kid and leaves the other. Mama and the child fall off a cliff where they turn into leaves and blend back in with nature. This is where the real problem starts.

Have you ever wondered how the people involved in horror films are able to explain all the death and destruction once the bad demon has been destroyed? I pondered this conundrum when Mama ended. How will they explain a missing child, mummified aunt and crunched psychiatrist? All the evidence has disappeared and the evil demon has become one with nature again.  I do not envy their predicament.

This post destruction phase could make for ripe narrative territory. They have to explain a missing child who was with them the entire time. I don’t think Matthew McConaughey’s Lincoln Lawyer could prove “innocence via angry ghost.” The jury could not literally handle the truth of the situation. There are no dead zombies, rednecks or masked maniacs lying around so there is no one to put the blame on. Also, the surviving man’s twin brother became murderous and that is why the kids ended up in the care of an angry ghost mama. So, no alibi, unbelievable excuse and history of mental illness in the family will spell doom for the survivors. Will Jessica Chastain ever play in her band again? Will Nikolaj Coster-Waldau hear that he looks like Jaime Lannister in prison?

These are not the thoughts one should be having after watching a film. I should have been basking in the wonder of all things Mama but instead was scratching my head at the vague ending. I’d compare this to running a disciplined marathon and running off course ten feet before the finish line.

What do you think will happen?

The new Evil Dead is a nasty little thing with none of the charm that made Evil Dead 1 & 2 and Army of Darkness cult classics (Horror Czar John loved it though. review). The movie introduces us to stock characters who will eventually die in incredibly bloody ways. Limbs will be lost, tongues will be cut in half, nail guns will be used, machetes swung, pliers plunged, crow bars bludgeoned and power knives used. It guides us through increasingly violent set pieces until an ending that literally rains blood.

While watching the Dead remake it got me thinking about They Live. John Carpenter made a trio of classics with Kurt Russel (The Thing, Escape from New York, Big Trouble Little China) in the 80s and looked to continue the epic run. However, Kurt wasn’t available for They Live so Carpenter cast professional wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper to play the lead. Between the one-liners, relevant themes and bad acting the film has become a cult classic treasured by horror buffs and pop culture. The reason this film is still popular is because it has bumps and bruises (watch the fight below) that make it endearing.

Greatest fight ever!

The same thing goes for the original Evil Dead. The low budget, bad acting and creativity made it a classic. The movie exuded glee and showcased the skills of Sam Raimi. Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness are completely unique. They are equal parts bonkers, insane and wonderful. They shouldn’t exist on this planet because they are live action looney tunes of beautiful gore and pompous behavior.

Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell executive produced the 2013 remake and director Fede Alvarez wisely chose to make some changes. He cast the lovely Jane Levy as the lead and took out the zany humor and dancing skeletons. Alvarez makes thing bleed extraordinarily well and stays true to the original without stealing it’s style. However, in the process he has made a homogenized horror film that features familiar beats and bloody excess. I began to worry as Alvarez put more emphasis on the practical effects (lots of blood, makeup)  than story. Whenever I hear how practical everything is I get worried because some movies care more about the look than the characters. So, you are stuck with great looking homicide and little reason to care.

The remake is too clean. Sure, it is dirty, violent and bloody. However, it is manicured violence much like many of it’s remake cousins. The acting isn’t bad, the characters are decent and the plot is nicely layered. This film lovingly steals from the predecessor and finds new ways to get to the same moments. The movie is done so well it left zero room for personality. The technical superiority made it a sleek pilot-less drone of bloody carnage.

Horror fans don’t ask for high art. They just ask to be entertained. Maybe that is why I love films like Devil, Insidious, Conjuring and Session 9. I got caught up in their stories and genuinely liked some the characters which allowed me to forgive the familiar tropes.

The technical superiority of the remade Evil Dead and adherence to the original series has created a film with little character. I hope in the future horror films allow themselves to have a little bit of fun.

Much like Walter Salle’s The Motorcycle Diaries, The Open Road is a wonder to behold. It pleases the eyes as it travels across the United States in search of whatever the narrator craves at the moment. However, like all road trips that begin with jubilation they end with tedium and an urgency to get to the end. On the Road stays true to Kerouac’s writing but can’t capture the manic energy and becomes a slog through two hours of post war human discovery. The cinematography is beguiling because it masks the aimlessness of the story.  The beautiful vistas, clubs and open roads are captured magically while keeping the viewer from realizing that not much is going on. So, as Sal, Dean and Marylou head towards the real world the beautiful open road disappears and the film encloses upon the domestication/fall of the adventurous heroes.

On the Road is based on Jack Kerouac’s travels across the United States and was published in 1957. Along the way he experiences life, liberty and copious amounts of sex and drugs. Kerouac and Co. traveled the world looking to find their way outside of the mainstream and put it into prose. When the book was released The New York Times said it was  ”the most beautifully executed, the clearest and the most important utterance yet made by the generation Kerouac himself named years ago as ‘beat,’ and whose principal avatar he is.”

So, you have a classic book that is loved by many and you have to turn it into a film. Walter Salles and writer Jose Rivera made the wonderful 2004 movie The Motorcycles Diaries and worked for several years to bring On the Road to screen. They had their adapting work cut out for them as Truman Capote once famously reviewed the book as “That’s not writing, it’s typing.” The director/writer duo traveled the states looking to capture the spirit, look and vibe of a rambling mess. They captured the naturalism and style but failed to imbue the audience with the danger, self discovery and unhappiness that comes with the open road.

Adapting classical literature involving atypical characters (Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, Confederacy of Dunces) will always be a challenge. The source material has to be revered but updated to today’s audiences. Salles once again proves that he can make literature beautiful to behold. However, despite the director/actor’s hard work you are never immersed in the world and all of Kerouac’s energy is lost amidst the open road. The love, sweat and direction is all there but lightning can’t be captured twice.

Grabbers is fun, charming and rewatchable. It is a little Irish film that focuses on villagers who have to stay drunk to stay alive. The best thing about Grabbers is that it is immensely likable and doesn’t become a one-note shlock fest. It follows in the foot steps of Gremlins, Attack the Block and Tremors with its infusion of horror, comedy and oddness. You will cheer for the eventual drunk heroes as they battle ill-tempered aliens.

The story centers around an alien species (locals call them grabbers) running wild in a small Irish town. People are grabbed, laughs are had and the local police find out that alcohol is a reliable deterrent. The story has familiar elements such as the redeemed hero, cute love interest and cheeky town residents. However, these familiar elements are handled well and Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley and Russel Tovey all add charm to their  characters.

Much Like James Wan (Insidious, Conjuring) the director Jon Wright plays with horror conventions and realizes he isn’t reinventing the wheel. He uses familiar tropes with aplomb and this creates a joyously good time involving one-liners, thrills and a guy getting flicked by an alien. Grabbers was created to entertain and it does not disappoint.  It is a drunken roller coaster with beautiful Irish scenery.

What I appreciate most is that the film doesn’t simply settle upon it’s interesting/cheeky plot. Writer Kevin Lehane did a fantastic job of building upon the funny idea. There are layers to the characters and there are enough surprises and jokes to keep it chugging along. It is absolutely absurd but it is told with confidence. It you look back at Tremors and Gremlins you will notice outrageous moments are embraced. Characters use poles to leap from rock to rock and furry Gremlins enjoy a night out watching Snow White. There is zero self consciousness to the films and that is why they work.

Check out Grabbers on Netflix. It is an incredibly fun film that wants to entertain. Comment and let me know what you think!

Europa Report is an engrossing science fiction film that focuses on sacrifice for the sake of knowledge. It doesn’t rely on jump scares, evil moon rocks or green men because the tension comes from the unknown. It is about six people making their way to Jupiter’s Europa moon in hopes of finding something beneath the ice.

It is refreshingly earnest in its effort to tell a quality science fiction tale. It adroitly blends fact with fiction and builds towards a memorable finale that is earned and not forced. Europa Report joins Troll Hunter, Chronicle, Paranormal Activity and Blair Witch as quality films that used found footage to their advantage. It also goes out of its way to show how the footage was recovered which is something Apollo 18 failed spectacularly at.

Shot in 19 days in a ridiculously detailed sound stage the creators worked hard for authenticity. Production designer Eugenio Caballero consulted with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and SpaceX to build the most realistic spaceship possible.  Europa didn’t have the budget of Gravity but still managed to look believable in a CGI heavy environment.

My favorite aspect is that the script wasn’t lost in the science and detail. Without the script and likable characters the ending would have been wasted and the beautiful sets wouldn’t be fully appreciated. For instance, the instant classic Moon looks fantastic AND is buoyed by a fantastic Sam Rockwell performance. The Science fiction and human element combine to bring the viewer in. Europa succeeds because of its script and performances.

I couldn’t quite single out what made me appreciate this film so much. The world wasn’t ending, a rich old man didn’t want immortality and there were zero hell portals in sight. The director Sebastian Cordero summed it up for me when he talked about his involvement:

One of the reasons I was involved in this film was that this is not a film about a threat. We’re not talking about something coming to get us. … It’s much more about the thrill of discovery — and the natural instinct for human beings to explore.

The crew of the Europa realize the expectations of the 3.6 billion dollar venture. They are adventurers who knowingly risk it all for knowledge. It is moving to see the practical yet insane choices they make in the face of discovery. I should have predicted the writing on the wall when the ship’s pilot Rosa said this:

Compared to the breadth of knowledge yet to be known, what does your life really matter?

It is interesting to watch people make rational decisions that are not about themselves. Sure, in the end their legacy will be secured but it means they are dead.  As they land on Europa about 100 meters away from the original target zone they are committed to completing the mission. Yes, bad things will happen but they occur unselfishly and with curious bravado.

Europa Report does something very important. It adds a unique film to the science fiction cannon. If you haven’t watched Moon, Sunshine or Europa Report yet I recommend you check them out now. Turn off the lights. Turn off your phones. Enjoy science fiction done right.

Drinking Buddies tells the tale of friendship, beer and lack of ambition. It is a well thought out and executed slice of life that has a lot going on under the surface. I’d compare it to the wonderful beer Innis & Gunn because it is unique, layered and thoroughly enjoyable

It is hard to characterize Drinking Buddies and I like that. It isn’t a romantic comedy or a stereotypical mumblecore film. It is an evolution of both and will certainly not sit well with people looking looking for Friends With Benefits 2. The word “mumblecore” has been thrown around a lot in the reviews for Drinking Buddies. Mumblecore is characterized by low budgets, naturalistic improvisational performances and novice actors. The films are usually shot on digital and the sets are scarce. Drinking Buddies may have the low-budget and naturalistic vibe but it would be a shame to simply categorize it as mumblecore. It is well thought out and that is evident in the way scenes play out.

The film may have an improvisational feel but director Joe Swanberg had 45 pages outlined and had a clear idea of the things that make his characters tick. He describes his directing choices in an interview with Sag Harbor Express:

 Silence is big for me. The most directing I do on set is reminding actors that they don’t have to talk all the time. When a camera and lights are pointed at them, I think that there’s a natural instinct for actors to be on, and fill that space. But in regular conversation, there’s quite a bit of listening that happens, and there’s quite a bit of thinking that happens in between something being said to you and your response to it–at least in my conversations.

The movie focuses on Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson who work at a Chicago brewery. They are close friends who seem like kindred spirits. They eat lunch together at work, go on double dates, drink lots of beer and both are incredibly selfish. They have a naturalism together that is evident in the quiet moments where they probably get a little too close to each other.

Jake Johnson’s character prefers drinking beer to talking about marrying his girlfriend. Olivia Wilde is a whirlwind who does her own thing to her own detriment. Jake lives with his girlfriend (Anna Kendrick) who keeps a nice apartment and respects his love of beer. Wilde’s apartment looks like a trash bomb went off and she spends the majority of her nights at her boyfriends tidy apartment. Both of them will figure things out but they’ll need catalysts to grow up.

There are several moments that show Drinking Buddies is more than an indie experiment of improvisation.  For instance, Ron Livingston gives Olivia Wilde a copy of John Updike’s Rabbit, Run. The central character of the book flees when things get too serious. Also, the way Wilde reacts to compliments of her brewery party differ as she talks to friends, acquaintances and her boyfriend. The characters are all self aware but too wrapped up in their own lives to focus on what matters. They live a life where they don’t have to grow up and it shows.

Drinking Buddies is a unique take on male/female friendship that captures the late twenties/early thirties mind set that adults have today. Swanberg’s drinking gamble paid off as Tarantino placed it on his top ten (so far) of the year and the Rotten Tomatoes score is at 82%.

Watch Drinking Buddies. Enjoy Drinking Buddies. Do not try to drink as much as they do.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane tells the story of six teenagers, a secluded ranch and eventual murder. It blends the art house vibe with raucous teenagers and adds another solid entry to the horror cannon. The Austin, Texas locale is used to full effect as the scenery becomes part of the story. Mandy Lane feels like Friday Night Lights meets a 70s Slasher pic.

The movie screened at the Toronto Film Festival in 2006 then disappeared till its reappearance in 2013. Director Jonathan Levine had this to say about the cult following and expectations that has built around the film:

They’re either going to think it’s a bad movie, or it’s going to take on this urban legend status of this amazing cult thing that has never seen the light of day.  The burden of expectations, good and bad, are placed upon it,and that’s slightly strange.

Forget the hype, mystery and expectations. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is a neat entry into the horror canon. It plays with expectations, gives us something different and most importantly stays mysterious. Much like the title character the film forgoes lengthy explanations and leaves things to the imagination. There are clues in the subtext and throwaway comments that tell us everything we need to know.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane excels with its teenage characters. On the surface I can see how they would be consider stock horror fodder. However, they are the right amount of vapid, dumb, drunk, horny, confused, unsupervised, drunk, entitled and believably teenaged. It is easy to understand why these “popular” kids are attracted to Mandy. Also, the older ranch hand defies expectations as he acts his age and is the only one who treats Mandy like an actual person.

Director Jonathan Levine has excelled at making drug dealing (The Wackness), cancer (50/50) and zombie love (Warm Bodies) relatable. His characters are three dimensional wonders of likability. For instance, Anna Kendrick is naive yet smart in 50/50. Also, Rob Corddry is the world’s greatest zombie friend in Warm Bodies. Levine finds ways to get the best out his cast and that is evident in Mandy Lane.

Levine uses Amber Heard in ways most directors have failed. She is eye candy that fits the plot and not just eye candy. In the film she is beautiful and pure enough to enchant an entire high school. However, nobody knows anything about her because they only care about her body and aura. The teenage male gaze is in full effect as this attractive loner spends the weekend with them. She has been built up in the minds of these kids and they are used to getting what they want.

Mandy Lane was never meant for the mainstream or blood thirsty gore hounds. It is a genre piece that defies expectations yet is sorta predictable. It is a throwback to the grungy seventies when movies felt dirty and had a message (sometimes). Don’t worry about the expectations. Appreciate a horror film that tries something different and was a springboard for a talented director.

Sightseers is violent, frequently bleak and beautiful to look at. It features fully fleshed out characters and a macabre sense of humor. It is the story of two people traveling around the UK causing mayhem. Sightseers is impossible to recommend to causal viewers and adds another fantastic film to Ben Wheatley’s filmography.

Sightseers is like Natural Born Killers but with two milquetoast murderers. Steve Oram and Alice Lowe do fantastic work as the two road tripping killers who come out of their shells. They inhabit the characters with ease and you can tell there is a familiarity. The two stars came up with the characters when they created a short film intended to become a television show. After it was deemed too bleak they were put in contact with Edgar Wright who got director Ben Wheatley on board.

Sightseers became a hit on the festival circuit, was praised by Empire and played at Cannes. The trio did an neat interview with BFI and Lowe had this to say about the film:

We wanted to take the stereotype of British tourism, which has this extremely polite veneer, and do something that confounded that. But we didn’t want to make a light, murder comedy – we wanted it to have some psychological veracity, and to challenge people. We knew the characters had to have realistic psychologies for you to be willing to go with them on their journey. The whole movie is essentially about two damaged people coming together, triggering something in one another and becoming more than the sum of their parts.

The two people are damaged indeed. The are selfish, insane and have never heard of impulse control. They are playing god because they’ve never had control in their lives. Their styles differ greatly but there is an odd attraction amongst the dysfunction. Nothing good can come from the relationship and there is no way there will be a happy ending.

Sightseers goes so far over the top with its murder it becomes darkly funny. Lowe’s character Tina is a powder keg of mom jeans and chaos. If the performance wasn’t so self-assured you’d be stuck with bleak piled on an insane unpalatable sandwich. However, you kinda understand her which makes the mayhem laughable . Wheatley admitted that:

 As a viewer you should be going from laughter to feeling guilty and back to laughter again.

A sense of dread imbues Sightseers which combines with the dark humor and beautiful vistas to form a weird hybrid of turmoil, darkness and comedy. Sightseers like Kill List and Down Terrace are impossible to explain. They are draining yet rewarding. There is brilliance to the violence that makes them so likable.

Watch Sightseers. Appreciate the characters. Look forward to Ben Wheatley’s next film. Buy a Carapod.

There is a moment during In a World where Dimitri Martin jumps up and down and makes exaggerated noises in order to get Lake Bell’s attention. At first it seems unnecessarily quirky but it actually becomes endearing. The back story behind the jumping is grounded in truth because he used that technique to help his mother who had ADHD. It is an off-kilter move that works and impresses because it gives insight into a character via actions and not telling dialogue. That scene is In a World in a nutshell. It is nice, off-kilter and can be described with the word “rollicking.”

Lake Bell’s cinematic directorial debut is a well thought out film that juggles many subplots and never drops the ball. The key to the film is the niceness. Everybody is likable and there are reasons for their insecurities and annoyances. For instance, the characters aren’t simply dumb, brave, sexy, gawky, smart, sensitive, oblivious or talented. They can be all of those things and the character dimensions allow the film to grow on you.

The eccentricities can be overlooked because this was Bell’s freshmen outing. For instance, there is a subplot involving adultery between Rob Corddry and Michaela Watkins. The married couple has a comfortable life that is rocked by infidelity. The whole thing happens quick and resolved quicker. The performances are strong as Watkins nails her scenes and Corddry has never been more affable. The two have a laid back sincerity that carries them through the ordeal. It is hard to think of an infidelity subplot that has been more likable.

Lake Bell has had an interesting career path. Her roles have ranged from television star (Surface, Boston Legal), supporting player (It’s Complicated, What Happens in Vegas), lead romantic interest (Over Her Dead Body) and now intelligent goofball (Children’s Hospital). Bell captured my attention in No Strings Attached. It is an odd movie that worked because it is so bonkers. It features Natalie Portman yelling about pumpkins, Kevin Kline drinking sizzurp, Jake Johnson talking about porn and Lake Bell being really really weird. I can’t explain her character. Somehow, she worked her way up to being an assistant director on a popular television show without being cynical, jaded and more cynical (most of the ADs I know). She was odd/funny and I realized there was more to the actress than what we had seen in prior roles.

Bell’s confident work as writer, director and actor on In a World has produced a film that has a message without being pushy (She made a run at voice work early in her career). It is quirky without going full quirk (noses are kissed). There are three-dimensions to the characters (sandwich bar) and you can tell much thought was given into providing everyone with their moments (sandwich bar again). It is obvious she was ready to shoot the film and was fortunate enough to have friends and former costars with her (Rob Corddry, Cameron Diaz, Eva Longoria, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman).

In a World is an engaging film that will be a perfect springboard for Bell. It covers new territory and proves she has a keen eye for character. I’m stoked to see the follow-up and waiting for the day Cameron Diaz leads a pack of Amazonians into battle.

Cockneys vs. Zombies tells the age old story of east Londoners vs. zombies. It is a relaxed breath of fresh air that allows the cast to crack wise while figuring out how to kill a zombie with a metal plate in its head. CvZ is a neat entry to the zombie canon that proves soccer hooligans will still fight when they are dead.

Cockneys vs. Zombies centers around two ne’er-do-well who are trying to save a retirement home from a bunch of Condo loving “yuppie twats.” However, as they are robbing a bank the outbreak occurs and zombie babies started getting punted (into anti-violence signs). The story splits between the old folks home where the pensioners gamely battle the undead and the group of bank robbers trying rescue the geriatrics.

It is a blast watching Pussy Galore shoot zombies while Brick Top from Snatch snarls, barks and shows his age. The old folks are down for the violence and they make many zombie heads explode.

The final showdown features head getting smooshed via fake legs and quite possibly the longest/slowest foot chase in history. It is a hilarious watching Hector from Monarch of the Glen sneak away from the zombie hoard.

Cockneys vs. Zombies simply wants to be entertaining. It wears its cheekiness on its sleeve and asks for a little bit of attention. If you are a zombie completest and are looking for a pleasant (albeit bloody) distraction CvZ is for you.

Man of Tai Chi is a straight forward butt-kicker that brings the pain and allows Keanu Reeves to relax on screen. It is an absolute joy as it navigates wonky plotting, face kicks and 40 minutes of fighting. Man of Tai Chi is a throwback fight film that questions corruption and features a maniacal villain who has his own lair and all black attire.

Keanu Reeves made this film for his friend Tiger Chen whom he worked with on The Matrix sequels. He studied the Chinese culture and worked meticulously to give his leading man the best choreography possible. Reeves enlisted Yeun Woo-Ping (The Matrix) to choreograph the fights and it shows during the brawls. Tiger fights his way through many styles and each battle has a different personality.  I love how Tai Chi has been re-imagined as force of pain and it’s glorious to watch as Tiger uses it against his many foes.

The characterization is never deep but I dug how Reeves opened the film following Tiger through his average day. You get a feel for Hong Kong daily life and it establishes the personality of the lead character.  He teaches himself English, works a nine-to-five job and enjoys dinners with his family. Tiger is also a Tai Chi practitioner who has trouble embracing the soft/defensive side of the discipline. His teacher senses he wants to go hard and this leads to some pretty amazing Tai Chi skirmishes between contrasting sides of the discipline (think Jake LaMotta’s bully style vs. Floyd Mayweather and his counter punching)

Keanu Reeves plays Donaka Mark (great villain name). Donka is a rich business man who notices Tiger and brings him into his world of underground fighting.  Of course, it leads down a rabbit hole of money, crime, face punches and anger.

The movie builds to a bravura battle between Chen and Reeves. Reeves and his 6’1 frame stand tall over Chen and the two engage in a spirited hard nosed brawl. It feels like you are back in The Matrix as the camera lingers on the fight. The two contrasting styles mix well and the two give everything they’ve got.  I wondered why Keanu’s style was so stiff but this quote from Tiger answered that question.

Well, for real, he is stronger than me. He’s bigger than me and has arms longer than me, especially legs much longer than me. Yes, he’s more powerful than me. Master Woo-ping tried to make him like hard style, very strong, stiff but lots of power.

I loved watching Keanu in this film. He was able to cut loose and enjoy being the bad guy. His Bond-like villain is the all seeing baddie who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. His character is a complete 180 degree flip from his stoic bore in 47 Ronin. He yells with rage, punches with aplomb and has a sweet pad.

Man of Tai Chi is a throwback film that simply wants to entertain. It is Keanu bringing us the goods, and he has succeeded. The fight scenes are well choreographed and my only complaint is that Iko Uwais didn’t get enough screen time . The camera moves with the action and I enjoyed watching fights that don’t cut to something different every 1/20th of a second.

Man of Tai Chi is pure cinema. It is an incorruptible piece of work much like its lead character. The movie has flaws but was never meant to be perfect. I can’t wait to see what Reeves does next.

Berberian Sound Studio tells the story of an introverted British sound engineer who travels to Italy to work on a shlocky Giallo horror film. He stabs cabbage, smooshes melons and begins to blend fact with fiction while in the post-production phase of the bloody horror film.

Berberian is a film for movie lovers that plays like an anti-horror study in sound. Casual horror fiends will lose their patience while cinephiles will be spellbound. Berberian shares the secret of the foley trade and examines the recording process of Italian B-movies. Easy it ain’t. However, it is richly rewarding for fans of horror (co-writer John loves his horror and he has several reviews about Lucio Fulci and Co. Check them out).

Toby Jones is the unlucky man sent to the Italian sound studio where the men are macho, pay is hard to come by and women are either rude or objectified. He spends his days and nights recording various sounds and adding some class to a classless picture. He can’t bring himself to kill a spider so the death toll of the film “The Equestrian Vortex” weighs heavily on his body and mind. He spends most of his time alone and doesn’t speak Italian so his loneliness starts wreaking havoc on his already fragile psyche.

Berberian is all about the look, ambiance and Giallo creation. The dark colors and quiet moments are interrupted by dubbed screams and the bright explosion of watermelons. It is an analog lover’s dream as knobs are turned, sound is adjusted and miles of tape flow through the recorders. I’d imagine that endless research was done in order to capture the old school trade. The production design is beautiful and adds a layer of dread atop the believable mechanics (there is zero arbitrary turning of knobs in this film).

There is a moment that I absolutely loved. While waiting for the power to come back on the bored crew asks Jones to create the sound of a UFO via a lightbulb and wire brush. The audience loves the demonstration and ask him to recreate the sound of bats. He pulls out a piece of lettuce (or cabbage) and is about to break into it when the lights come back on. The aura is lost and the audience walks away while he holds the lettuce. The moment shows how powerful the fakery of cinema is. When the lights turn off the audience becomes willingly captive and entranced at the proceedings. However, when the lights turn back on, the real world returns and everyone goes about their jobs.

Berberian Sound Studio is an odd film. However, it features wonderful set design, fantastic performances and teaches us a thing or two about movie creation. Turn off the lights, hide your cell phone and immerse yourself in the sights and sounds.

Short Term 12 is the story of a twenty-something named Grace who works at a home for at risk teens. She invests herself fully in the work while pushing her own problems aside. Her journey immerses you into the world and the film is a marvel of authenticity and beautiful moments.

The movie has a heart and soul and you can tell the director has a familiarity with the material. Daniel Cretton infuses the film with a naturalness that evades melodrama and captures a realism rarely seen on film. His experiences working in a similar teen home and 2009 short film of the same name have molded the 96 minutes into a miniature truth bomb.  There is no cure-all for these people. The damage is irreparable and the only way to move forward is to understand the problems while moving onward cautiously.

I thought about the song Falling Slowly from the film Once when watching Short Term 12. I know the lyrics are out of context but they fit the film well. Here they are:

Well, you have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It’s time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We’ve still got time
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice
You’ve made it now

The characters have suffered, warred and been stuck in a sinking ship. However, they can allow the ship to sink or they can attempt to make it back to shore. Some of them will never have a chance and for others the journey won’t be easy. There will always be physical/psychological leaks. However, when there is hope and friendship they can make their way towards something to live and strive for.

The small moments in Short Term 12 easily eclipse the big sweeping emotions of most films. For instance, the only thing one of the residents wants for his 18th birthday is to have his head shaved. He has always wanted to shave his head but was self-conscious about the bumps and bruises that his mom inflicted upon him. The scene breaks your heart as he feels his newly shaved head for the remnants left by his mom. There are no bumps and that feeling provides catharsis for the character.

Brie Larson had a wonderful 2013. Her characters in Spectacular Now, Don Jon and Short Term 12 are all different and could have been stock characters. She transformed the ex-girlfriend, younger sister, troubled twenty-something into three-dimensional characters with depth. She can do a lot with little and that is evident in Short Term 12. She is tough yet fragile. She is weary yet wants to be loved by her kind boyfriend. She wants the teenagers to open up yet can’t talk about her problems. Her character is explained beautifully in an exchange with her boyfriend.

Grace: Why are you so nice to me?

Mason: You being serious now? Well, it’s easy. It’s because you are the weirdest, most beautiful person that I’ve ever met in my whole entire life.

Short Term 12 is a fantastic film that will linger in your memory. It will be a springboard for everyone involved and hopefully will find a bigger audience. Watch it and let me know what you think.

Now that The Family has settled into domestication on Blu-ray I think the film will find an audience. Shakespeare it ain’t but I think the tonally odd film will find a cult audience. Viewers will be drawn to the live action cartoon that is punctuated by ultra-violence, irresponsible murder and cheeky humor.

Critics and audiences had a hard time figuring out what this little hybrid was all about. The premise is simple. Mafia family in witness protection has to deal with French culture and constant hunting from vengeful mob hitmen. However, they still murder people, have little patience and occasionally blow up French convenience stores. It doesn’t fit any genre and cannot be summarized because of all the combating elements. You have the familiar fish out of water element but you also have a subplot about DeNiro fixing the town’s brown water problem by brutally hurting government officials and plumbers.

The Family treats suicide, cold blooded murder, romance, torture, student/teacher sex, blood, explosions and more cold blooded murder with humor and it gets weird. It is like Dianna Agron’s character. Seemingly normal, super violent and sorta insane.

Stephen Holden of NYT summed up the film with this quote:

It doesn’t even try for basic credibility. But buoyed by hot performances, it sustains a zapping electrical energy. It might be described as screwball noir. If there aren’t a lot of belly laughs, The Family stirs up an appalled amusement at its gleeful amorality. Some of the heartiest laughs come from the grisly scenes of Giovanni triumphantly venting his rage when he doesn’t get instant gratification or feels disrespected.

When I used the phrase “tonally odd” I mean that it is never structured. The progression of the movie flips between appalling casual violence, coincidences (the newspaper scene is insane), family dinners, flashbacks, daydreams, Goodfellas screenings and a grumpy Tommy Lee Jones. You could throw boulders through the plot holes but that would be too easy. The film is likable because you realize it is a cartoon from the guy who made Leon and The Fifth Element. His movies have always had an odd edge and The Family is no different.

The Family seemed like a mainstream film but surprised many with its quirks and violence. The stunt casting of mafia film vets DeNiro and Pfeiffer felt lazy to some but I didn’t mind seeing them in such an offbeat affair. The Family will not be for everyone but I was able to go along for the ride. Change your expectations and revel in the eccentricity.

Kurt Russell recently did an interview with Collider where he had this to say about Paul Walker:

I sensed that this was a guy who enjoyed many things in his life and was very appreciative, but was also getting to a point where he wanted to begin to seriously, in an artistic sense, explore what would excite him and find out where he might go.  He was literally just turning that page and just saying that he wanted to peak onto the other side, and then he was out.

Hours is Paul Walker wanting to see where he could go. There are no fast cars, sharks, or scantily clad women to distract from his acting. In Hours he can’t fade into the background because the camera is always in front of him. Because of this he gives his best performance since Running Scared and is able to hold the camera for 90 minutes. Most importantly, the film builds to a powerful climax that may be Walker’s finest moment on screen.

Hours is the story of a man trying to keep his baby alive during Hurricane Katrina. His wife died delivering  the premature baby and due to underdeveloped lungs the infant is forced to stay on a ventilator for 48 hours. The problem is the hurricane wipes out the power and leaves Walker alone in the hospital with a hand-cranked generator that only keeps a three minute charge.

The three minute charge doesn’t allow Walker to sleep and forces him to stay close to the baby while waiting out the storm.  The set up is inventive and I like how Katrina isn’t used gratuitously. Many of the people who worked on the film suffered through Katrina and because of this Walker felt he had to bring his best. I like knowing that he wanted more and put himself in situations where he had to act and get out of his comfort zone.

There are several problems with the film. The quiet moments are interrupted by underwritten bad guys who are cartoonishly villainous. I understand a hospital would be a prime target to pilfer during a natural disaster. However, introducing new people into the story hurt the flow and felt like manicured interruptions. You wish the director would have simply allowed Walker to do his thing. There is an earnestness to his performance that showcases his ability to relax and make his dialogue fresh. He is believable as he tells his baby daughter about her mom and how they first met (they stopped a bank robber).

I wanted it to be more like the fantastic 2013 film All is Lost. All is a harrowing story of survival that let Robert Redford own the screen while staying almost silent. He didn’t need to explain everything whilst talking to himself. You figured out his character by actions. I understand that out of sheer grief and delirium Walker would be talking to his baby.  However, he didn’t have to say “I need batteries” as the charge is going down. I wish they would have let Walker perform silently as opposed to giving us a running narrative.

Hours is a neat little film that proves Walker was capable of more. His relaxed presence and the moving finale make this a film worth watching. If you are a Walker fan I totally recommend checking out Hours.

Now that the dust has settled and the critical vitriol has dissipated I think it is a good time to look back at The Counselor. The movie received an unfair “guilty” verdict by the critics and general public upon its release. It was dubbed a failure (34% RT, $16 million total at box-office) and conversation mainly focused on Cameron Diaz’s car antics and dubbed accent. The problem I have is the populace wasn’t looking at the facts and their expectations were incorrect. The Counselor was a hard R-rated film written for the screen by the guy who wrote Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men. It was never meant to be easy and the violent lyricism was bound to isolate cinephiles from the casual movie goer.

The movie was far from a failure. I appreciated the monologues and all-in cast who dove head first into the dialogue. The simplicity of the narrative and the reflection on crime made sense to me. I wasn’t expecting a crime thriller because I knew of McCarthy’s other works. However, I can understand how a studio would watch this and be absolutely stymied as how to market it. There are no easy outs or gun battles. The main characters don’t find solace or ease of mind. In the end, you are left with quotes like this:

When it comes to grief, the normal rules of wealth do not apply. Because grief transcends value. A man would give entire nations to lift grief off his heart and yet, you cannot buy anything with grief, because grief is worthless.

I love that a bleak, exposition free screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winning Cormac McCarthy made it into the mainstream Hollywood system. The movie is full of wonderful monologues and references to “catfish” that are pleasing to the literary ears. Alex Pappademas of Grantland sums it up perfectly:

The dialogue is often eccentrically beautiful and appears to have been typed with zero consideration of the fact that people would someday have to say all these words out loud

McCarthy’s other books All the Pretty Horses, No Country For Old Men and The Road had the luxury of screenwriters working them into a narrative structure. The Counselor skips the middle man (no saving of the cat) and allows McCarthy’s words to remain unhindered. The problem (to some people) with the unhindered script is it features really good-looking people waxing poetic via archaic words about diamonds, death, grief and women. Nothing goes boom and bodies found in barrels are treated as practical jokes and not horror.

The proceedings can be maddening but the result is a surprisingly effective film that is simple in nature and doesn’t pander to explanatory wormholes. The Counselor has some very funny moments as well. .

For instance, there is a scene where the Counselor is asked to bail a man out of prison. Rosie Perez’s character offers to pay off the $400 cost by giving him a blow job. The Counselor replies: “You’d still owe me $380.” The humor is dark but you appreciate that an 80-year-old writer and 76-year-old director can still bring the dirty laughs.

The lead characters are either in over their heads, willing to stay in the deep end or overly confident that their escape raft won’t sink. They all have Trojan horses and are the epitome of pride coming before the fall. They are playing in a world (Mexican drug cartels) that doesn’t respond well to failure and their success makes them feel bullet proof.

The Counselor should get a second chance. It gave the world something different and provides many memorable moments. It is a gritty glimpse into McCarthy’s world of seedy characters and deadly environments that was unfairly judged.

Cheap Thrills is the story of a down on his luck man who is drawn into a night of insanity. Pleasant it ain’t but it has an organic nastiness that doesn’t feel forced. It is a confidently directed trip down a rabbit hole of twisted human nature.

I was drawn to Cheap Thrills because of its distributor.  Drafthouse films is a Texas theater company who’ve been releasing risky films and documentaries like The Act of Killing, Bullhead, Miami Connection, The FP, Four Lions, A Field in England, Klown and The ABCs of Death. Their films have an indie pedigree that I enjoy so I knew Cheap Thrills had something to offer.

Cheap Thrills carries the Alamo flag (89% RT) successfully and it is the epitome of the Drafthouse motto:

Destroying the barriers between grindhouse and art-house

The barriers are coming down as this violent little film is beginning to collect widespread media attention (Grantland loved Cheap Thrills). Recently, it won the midnighter madness award at SXSW and has been making the rounds around the big media outlets such as EW and Forbes.

Director E.L. Katz who formerly wrote for Fangoria does a great job of capturing the claustrophobia, humor and horror of the situation. He draws strong performances from the cast and elevates the material to where even the most conservative of critic appreciates the work. The film can be frustrating and vague but I think that will only further discussion and leave more to the imagination of the viewer. It leaves you with questions in which there are no easy answers.

The film centers around a man having a very bad day. Pat Healy (Innkeepers) is drinking away his problems one night after losing his job. He is close to eviction and has to figure out how to provide for his family. He is about to leave when he bumps into an old friend played by Ethan Embry (Empire Records, Can’t Hardly Wait). The two catch up and their dialogue does a good job of defining the two soon to be hurting characters.

Eventually, they are invited to join up with David Koechner (Anchorman) and his trophy wife Sara Paxton (Innkeepers, Shark Night) and it all gets weird. The husband and wife are celebrating her birthday and they start throwing money away like nothing. They bring the two men into their betting games and the wheels of doom are set in motion.

It starts with a tequila drinking contest for $50. Then, whoever gets slapped first by a woman gets $200. The dares escalate (holding breath, revenge on neighbors, peeing on shoes) and it all culminates to a doozy of a final shot.

The movie has a nasty streak that will alienate many but capture a solid cult following. It wears you out but it doesn’t drain you with depravity. It walks a tight rope of gore and despair but manages to not fall into a nothingness abyss. David Koechner and Sara Paxton remain mysterious throughout as we never get any revelations about them. Are they really a couple? Have they done this before? The questions are welcome because it leaves you to come up with the answers.

Cheap Thrills is not for everyone. However, it is a fantastic genre piece that will garner a huge cult audience and push Alamo films to the next level of art-house grindhouse.

Odd Thomas is an enjoyable indie ride from the director of The Mummy. The movie does a lot with little and is buoyed by wonderful performances from Anton Yelchin and Addison Timlin.

Odd Thomas lives up to its name as it bounces around in tone (humor, romance, death, ghost story) yet zips by with a sense of urgency. The story of a man named Odd saving the world from the dead is 30% paranormal detective comedy, 20% ghost story, 20% romantic comedy and 30% a combination of all those things.

Anton Yelchin and Addison Timlin build a neat relationship and they manage to be charming while saying lines like “you are not allowed to go playing around other Hell gates.” You like the two and care as demons called Bodachs harass them insistently. Also, the constant narration and death humor are handled well by Yelchin who is able to pull off quirky dialogue like “if I’m caught I will be arrested for murder or rolling the biggest joint ever.”

The plot involves a moldy guy, corrupt cops and lots of death. It has the look of a PG-13 film yet features dark source material. You get the feeling that this is just another day in the life of Odd. His exuberance masks the death, ghosts and secrets he has dealt with on an everyday basis. Life for Odd is not normal and it is nice that the film doesn’t portray him as a dour death detective. You can tell Stephen Sommers loved the source material and went great lengths to give the audience likable characters who risk their necks to save the world from jerky ghosts.

The lack of budget is a good thing because Sommers couldn’t rely on visual spectacles. Characters are put front and center and it brings back memories of Sommers Mummy film which featured likable characters. The chemistry between Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz was fantastic and it allowed you to care for the people as they battled sand storms, evil dead and pesky thieves. It was breezy fun that spawned copious sequels, prequels and sequels to a prequel of a spin-off off a sequel (true story).

The biggest problems with the film were the legal issues that prevented it from getting a wide release. The films release was delayed due to broken promises and lack of marketing and was dumped to the DVD wasteland where hopefully it will find a cult audience oasis.

Despite the tonal irregularities and delays author Koontz was happy with the film:

Faithful to the book? Yes, in every way that matters. Odd is Odd. Stormy is Stormy. The themes are rigorously adhered to. Is much missing? Yes. Ozzie has one scene, and he has become a sculptor instead of a mystery writer. Odd’s backstory–mom and dad–has been condensed to one scene because test audiences found the backstory too dark. Odd has been given a new power: He sometimes touches someone/something and has startling visions of how some real event went down earlier, as a means of conveying facts without talking-head scenes, but it really, really works.

Odd Thomas works because of the performances and Summer’s ability to summon his Mummy skills to make a breezy, likable CGI-fest that plays fast and loose. Embrace the Odd.