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Actresses Are Asked To Get Naked Way More Often In These Countries
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Liar Liar
“Big Fat Liar” (2002) is about Jason Shepard, a precocious fourteen year old big fat liar.
Former sitcom and “Malcolm in the Middle” star Frankie Muniz plays the fast talking and conniving prevaricator who manages to get into lots of trouble at school because of his many lies.
The film revolves around a thousand word creative writing paper written by Jason called appropriately enough “Big Fat Liar”. Jason is required to turn the paper in or go to summer school.
Enroute to turning the paper in, he literally runs into narcissist and sleaze ball Marty Wolf played by well respected actor Paul Giamatti. Wolf is a big time Hollywood producer in town doing location shooting when Jason runs into his limousine.
Wolf reluctantly gives Jason a ride to deliver his paper and while getting out of the limousine, Jason mistakenly leaves his paper in the limousine.
Fast forward months later as we see Wolf announcing his next blockbuster film, “Big Fat Liar”. And we see a shocked Jason in a theater watching an upcoming trailer for “Big Fat Liar”. Turns out sleazy Wolf had stolen the storyline from Jason’s lost creative writing paper.
The remainder of the film is devoted to Jason and his friend Kaylee played by Amanda Bynes travelling to Los Angeles to confront Wolf and have him admit that he stole his idea.
Needless to say Wolf refuses and Jason and Kaylee devise a plan to get Wolf to confess that involves among other things turning him blue by putting dye in his pool. Wolf looks like a lost member of the Blue Man Group.
The film is fun filled and shows a different side of Giamatti. There are some interesting cameo roles by Jaleel White better known as Irkel as well as the Bionic man actor Lee Majors.
It’s a film that is light hearted and fun. Kinda like cotton candy-tastes sweet but not a lot of substance.
I give it two and a half flip flops out of five on my rating scale
Running time: 87 minutes
Cast:
Jason Shepherd – Frankie Muniz
Marty Wolf – Paul Giamatti
Kaylee – Amanda Bynes
Monty Kirkham – Amanda Detmer
Frank Jackson – Donald Faison
Vince – Lee Majors
Mrs. Caldwell – Sandra Oh
Marcus Duncan – Russell Hornsby
Harry Shepherd – Michael Bryan French
Carol Shepherd – Christine Tucci
Leo – Sean O’Bryan
Jocelyn Davis – Amy Hill
Directed by Shawn Levy
Written by Dan Schneider
Wet Dream
“Noah” (2014) begins with the biblically incorrect “In the beginning there was nothing… ” And not once do we hear the word God Director and screenwriter Darren Aronofsky instead has substituted Creator.
This spectacularly filmed movie with lots of CGI effects is designed to engender a lot of discussion among believers and non-believers alike.
The film although not entirely biblically accurate according to biblical scholars does cover the story of Noah in broad terms.
Noah builds an ark according to the King James version of the Bible because “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
Noah is played by Russell Crowe whose wife Naameh is played brilliantly by Jennifer Connelly. Crowe’s Noah is ruthlessly obedient to the Creator. He also has hallucinatory and psychotic moments in the film.
The conflict in the film is set up by the two factions portrayed in “Noah”: Lemech and Noah, the good men, and Tubal-Cain played wonderfully by Ray Winstone and his people, the “evil” men. The evil men are descendants of Cain.
Then we have” The Watchers”. The introduction of them into the film was quite simply my “wtf” moment. I at first thought that my copy of the film had somehow been spliced with scenes from a Transformer movie.
The Watchers are fallen angels or seraphim who were encrusted by hardened magma created when they fell from Heaven to earth like shooting stars and smashed craters in the ground.
The best description for them is they are huge rock like Transformers who lumber across the land in a Quasimodo like gait.
They were originally aligned with the descendants of Cain but eventually follow Noah who has a direct link to The Creator.
There is one spectacular scene as the rock creatures fight off Tubal Cain and his followers from taking the ark.
The film absent its biblical meaning and roots is like a morality play. Noah is determined to follow the Creator’s instruction and is willing to kill all humans.
He believes that the Creator wants him to save the innocent animals but he and his family will eventually die and there will be no more humans.
Enter a thorn in his plans. Ila who was adopted by Noah as an infant is now pregnant by one of Noah’s sons. Ila played by Emma Watson is told that at the birth of the child he will kill it.
There is a brilliantly acted scene between Jennifer Connelly and Noah as she confronts him regarding his decision.
Through dreams and a tea induced vision, Noah sees the earth being destroyed by water and a wooden Ark transporting animals and his family. The tea is supplied by wizard-like and cave dwelling Methuselah played by Anthony Hopkins.
Aronofsky’s “Noah” is an odd blend of a Bible story with science fiction and Lord of the Rings sorcery thrown into the mix. You have to wonder what goes on inside the brain of Aronofsky who also made the wonderful film “The Black Swan”.
The movie has it’s moments but not enough for me to enthusiastically endorse it. I give “Noah” two flip flops out of five on my rating scale.
Running time: 138 minutes.
Cast:
Russell Crowe as Noah
Jennifer Connelly as Naameh
Emma Watson as Ila
Logan Lerman as Ham
Douglas Booth as Shem
Anthony Hopkins as Methuselah
Ray Winstone as Tubal Cain
Kevin Durand as Og
Director-Darren Aronofsky
Screenplay-Darren Aronofsky, John Logan
Director of Photography-Matthew Libatique
Day Dream Believer
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (2013) is based loosely on the James Thurber 1939 short story of the same name. The film was directed by and stars Ben Stiller.
Stiller plays Walter Mitty who is the negative assets manager at Life Magazine. Mitty is a socially challenged guy looking to find romance on eHarmony while lapsing into his day dreams or zoning out moments. In those moments, he takes on heroic action and there are some great CGI effects as he does.
The film revolves around fact that Life magazine is shutting down and its last publication will feature a photograph taken by its renowned photographer played by Sean Penn.
Only problem is that Mitty cannot find the negative sent by Penn that is supposed to illustrate Life’s quintessential moment.
Mitty cannot get in touch with the reclusive and off the grid photographer and is forced to attempt to find him through clues from other negatives.
Mitty travels to Greenland, Iceland, and Afghanistan in search of Penn and the missing negative. The film is shot wonderfully and has beautiful cinematography which is the film’s saving grace.
The film never seems to click and Stiller seems capable of having only one expression – quizzical. I never was invested in any of the characters. It is a film that may be worth watching when nothing else is available.
It gets two flip flops out of five possible on my rating scale.
Running time: 114 min.
Production:
A 20th Century Fox release and presentation of a Samuel Goldwyn Films/Red Hour production in association with New Line Cinema. Produced by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., John Goldwyn, Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller.
Crew:
Directed by Ben Stiller. Screenplay, story, Steven Conrad, based on the short story by James Thurber. Camera (Deluxe color, widescreen), Stuart Dryburgh.
With:
Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Adrian Martinez, Olfur Darri Olafsson.
Water Prison
“True benevolence or compassion, extends itself through the whole of existence and sympathizes with the distress of every creature capable of sensation.” Joseph Addison
The documentary “Blackfish” (2013) is to the treatment of orca whales as the documentary “The Cove” (2009) was to the treatment of dolphins.
Both documentaries are deeply disturbing and both involve the aquatic entertainment conglomerate SeaWorld. “Blackfish” specifically focuses on SeaWorld and in particular an orca bull whale named Tilikum who is at SeaWorld Orlando.
Tilikum who is over thirty-two and weighs twelve thousand pounds formerly lived at Sealand of the Pacific in South Oak Bay, British Columbia. Tilikum was moved to SeaWorld Orlando, Florida on January 9, 1992.
He has been involved in the deaths of three people during his time in captivity: a trainer at the now-defunct Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia, a trainer at Orlando’s SeaWorld, and a man trespassing on SeaWorld Orlando’s property.
The documentary has many interviews with former SeaWorld trainers who discuss SeaWorld’s practices and in particular Tilikum. There is disturbing footage of Tilikum when he killed a trainer and another of a trainer who narrowly escaped death.
A great deal of the documentary focuses on experienced Sea World Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau who was pulled into the tank and killed in 2010 . SeaWorld in testimony attempted to blame her for her own death.
After her death, OSHA began requiring SeaWorld to keep trainers behind barriers. The park has appealed the decision, saying OSHA has a fundamental misunderstanding of how to work around orcas.
So what is the basic thesis of “Blackfish”? There is adequate information from scientists that Orca whales are extremely intelligent and sensitive mammals. It follows that these whales who are in captivity in such closed spaces are subject to depression and psychotic episodes.
Tilikum is a salient example. He has exhibited periods of depression where for hours on end he remains motionless in the water.
As a male, he has also been injured by primarily female whales who rake his body with their teeth. It is obvious from the trainer interviews and others that captivity has been detrimental to Tilikum and other orca whales.
So after three killings, why does Tilikum continue to be held in captivity while still performing at SeaWorld Orlando? The one word answer is sperm. Tilikum has sired 21 calves, with 11 still alive.
There are clips showing SeaWorld trainers extracting sperm from Tilikum who apparently is the father of fifty-four percent of the Orca whales at SeaWorld locations.
This is a must see documentary for anyone who cares about animals and in particular those held in captivity.
Jane Velez-Mitchell, a CNN anchor, succinctly summarized the dilemma of orca whales held In captivity by her comment, “If you were in a bathtub for 25 years, don’t you think you’d get a little psychotic?”
I give “Blackfish” a rating of five flip flops out of five on my rating scale.
Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite; written by Ms. Cowperthwaite and Eli Despres; directors of photography, Jonathan Ingalls and Christopher Towey; edited by Mr. Despres; music by Jeff Beal; produced by Manuel V. Oteyza and Ms. Cowperthwaite; released by Magnolia Pictures.
Running time: 1 hour 23 minutes.
Back Story:
After more than a year of public criticism of its treatment of killer whales, SeaWorld said on August 15 that it will build new, larger environments at its theme parks and will fund additional research on the animals along with programs to protect ocean health and whales in the wild.
The Orlando, Florida, company said the renovations have been in the works for some time and that they are not a response to the documentary “Blackfish” or the criticism of the company that followed the release of the film.
Blackfish” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite said the changes won’t please the public or improve the lives of its whales. She said that in captivity the whales are forcibly bred, separated from their families and fight constantly for dominance.
She added that the larger tanks may not mean the whales will have more room, as SeaWorld plans to expand to other countries and could use the additional space to breed the whales more often.
“None of this would change in a bigger pool,” she said. “What people are upset about is that whales are not suitable to captivity.”
Choke Job
“Choke” (2008) starts out at a sex addict group session where we see Victor headed to the bathroom with another sex addict for sex. So much for therapy.
Victor played by Sam Rockwell is a sex addict and con artist who also works as a “historical interpreter” at a New England historical theme park.
Interwoven with scenes of Victor having sex with numerous women, Victor also visits his mother at a health care facility.
Angelica Huston plays Victor’s mother Ida who we learn through flashbacks was a con artist throughout her life. She now suffers from dementia and rarely recognizes her son on his visits.
Victor has a love/hate relationship with Ida similar to another Huston film, “The Grifters”.
Victor to help pay for his mother’s stay in the health center fakes choking at local restaurants. He does it to elicit sympathy from those who help him in order to have them send money to him.
The movie can best be described as a series of vignettes held together loosely by Victor’s antics. And for added levity, we have Victor’s pal Denny played by Brian William Hanke. Denny is also a sex addict whose pleasure is masturbating constantly.
The film attempts to delve into the relationship between Victor and his mother but it falls short.
There are a few funny scenes in the film. The funniest involves a computer date with a woman whose detailed instructions to Victor for a rape fantasy is hilarious. If the entire film had the humor of this scene, it would have been a home run.
“Choke” tries to be both funny and serious and unfortunately fails at both for the most part.
Even a scene on a plane as Victor gets his Mile High wings fails to keep the film from crash landing.
I give “Choke” two flip flops out of five on my rating scale.
Running time: 92 min.
Production:
A Fox Searchlight release of an ATO Pictures presentation in association with Wild Bunch of a Contrafilm/ATO production. Produced by Beau Flynn, Tripp Vinson, Johnathan Dorfman, Temple Fennell. Executive producers, Mike S. Ryan, Derrick Tseng, Gary Ventimiglia, Mary Vernieu. Directed by Clark Gregg. Screenplay, Gregg, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk.
Crew:
Camera (color, HD cam), Tim Orr; editor, Joe Klotz; music, Nathan Larson.
With:
Sam Rockwell as Victor
Angelica Huston as Ida
Brian William Henke as Denny
Kelly MacDonald as Paige
Clark Gregg as Lord High Charlie
Joel Grey as Phil
No Jews Allowed
Unfortunately anti-Semitism is currently on the rise again throughout Europe and other parts of the world. This is especially true in such countries as France and Britain as it has reared it’s ugly head during Israeli efforts to destroy Hamas tunnels in Gaza.
Anti-Semitism was at its height during World War II as the Nazis sought to exterminate a race. In addition, such public figures in the United States as Bilbo Rankin and Gerald L. K. Smith were fanning racist and anti-Semitic fires.
Against that backdrop, director Elia Kazan made “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947) that attacked anti-Semitism in the United States.
At the time, it was a controversial film and one that was viewed as a gamble for actor Gregory Peck. Peck was warned that his stature as a movie hero could be endangered by playing the role of an investigative reporter who poses as a Jew.
In later years, Peck indicated that one of the films that he was proudest of was “Gentleman’s Agreement”.
The film stars Peck as a journalist hired by a prominent New York weekly to write a series on anti-Semitism.
He is stuck on how to write the series until he decides to pretend that he is Jewish and see how people react to him.
In the midst of this, he falls in love and he and his wife to be have conflicts due to him pretending to be a Jew.
One of the most impactful scenes occurs in the film when Peck confronts hotel management who have a restrictive policy meaning no Jews allowed.
Near the end of the film, Peck’s mother says maybe this century will turn out to be the century when people learn to get along with each other. How wrong that turned out to be.
The overall meaning of the film is probably summarized best when Peck’s character Phil Green says that anti-semitism is not just relegated to back woods morons but to the nice people who go along and not say anything.
Everything is contextual and it should be viewed in terms of that era. We even see doctors smoking and making house calls. How times have changed.
There are also technical glitches in the film where the viewer can see mibooms in ceiling shots.
The film has its moments and has an impressive ensemble cast. Interesting to note that celebrated actor John Garfield who was Jewish accepted a relatively minor role in the film because he strongly believed in the message of the film.
It does however seem uneven in its dialogue and dramatic effect. I give the film a rating of three flip flops out of five on my rating scale.
Back Story:
According to Wikipedia:
” Zanuck decided to make a film version of Hobson’s novel after being refused membership in the Los Angeles Country Club, because it was assumed incorrectly that he was Jewish.
Before filming commenced, Samuel Goldwyn and other Jewish film executives approached Darryl Zanuck and asked him not to make the film, fearing it would “stir up trouble”.
They also warned that Hays Code enforcer, Joseph Breen, might not allow the film to pass the censors, as he had been known to make disparaging remarks about Jews. There was also concern that Dorothy McGuire’s character’s being divorced would offend the National Legion of Decency.
The role of Phillip Green was first offered to Cary Grant, but he turned it down. Peck decided to accept the role, although his agent advised him to refuse, believing Peck would be endangering his career. Jewish actor John Garfield agreed to play a lesser role in the film. “
Running time: 118 min.
Production
20th Century-Fox. Director Elia Kazan; Producer Darryl F. Zanuck; Screenplay Moss Hart; Camera Arthur Miller; Editor Harmon Jones; Music Alfred Newman; Art Director Lyle R. Wheeler, Mark-Lee Kirk.
With:
Phil Green – Gregory Peck
Kathy – Dorothy McGuire
Dave – John Garfield
Anne – Celeste Holm
Mrs. Green – Anne Revere
Miss Wales – June Havoc
John Minify – Albert Dekker
Jane – Jane Wyatt
Tommy – Dean Stockwell
Dr. Craigle – Nicholas Joy
Prof. Lieberman – Sam Jaffe
Jordan – Harold Vermilyea
Bill Payson – Ransom M. Sherman
Mr. Calkins – Roy Roberts
Mrs. Minify – Kathleen Lockhart
Burt McAnny – Curt Conway
Bill – John Newland
Weisman – Robert Warwick
Miss Miller – Louise Lorimer
Tingler – Howard Negley
Olsen – Victor Kilian
Harry – Frank Wilcox
Receptionist – Marlyn Monk
Maitre D – Wilton Graff
Room Clerk – Morgan Farley
Kill The Bunny
I would rather have my fingernails and toenails pulled out with pliers and my eyes gouged out than to ever be made to watch “The Brown Bunny”(2003) again.
This has to be the worst film I have ever seen. It should be shown to terrorist suspects. They would gladly divulge their secrets in order to stop the film.
The film ostensibly is about a motorcycle racer on a cross-country drive who is haunted by memories of his former lover. The film has scarce dialogue and endless scenes of the highway and the inside of a truck.
This is a narcissistic,self indulgent, and totally imbecilic movie written, edited, and produced by the “star” Vincent Gallo. He also is credited with the cinematography. What a guy.
The late film critic Roger Ebert called it “… the worst film in the history of the (Cannes) festival.”
Gallo being the moron that he is called Ebert a fat pig and in addition defamed gays and Jews also. He also put a curse on Ebert’s colon hoping that he would get cancer.
I give the film one-half a flip flop out of five on my rating scale because I like bunnies.
Back story:
The film besides being awful is probably best known for the graphic oral sex scene done by actress Chloë Sevigny at the end of the film. It was real and not simulated. She received much criticism for the scene and after the film was released was dropped by her agency due to the scene.
Note: After awful reviews, Gallo went back and edited the film. In so doing, he got positive reviews from some unlikely sources. This one from the late Roger Ebert:
“But then a funny thing happened. Gallo went back into the editing room and cut 26 minutes of his 118-minute film, or almost a fourth of the running time. And in the process he transformed it. The film’s form and purpose now emerge from the miasma of the original cut, and are quietly, sadly, effective. It is said that editing is the soul of the cinema; in the case of “The Brown Bunny,” it is its salvation.”
Running time: 119 min.
Production:
A Kinetique presentation of a Vincent Gallo production. (International sales: Wild Bunch, Paris.) Produced by Gallo. Directed, written, edited by Vincent Gallo.
Crew:
Camera (color), Gallo; music, Ted Curson, Jeff Alexander, Gordon Lightfoot, Jackson C. Franck; sound, Rick Ash.
With:
Bud Clay – Vincent Gallo
Daisy – Chloe Sevigny
Woman at Rest Stop – Cheryl Tiegs
RIP Robin
(Note:This is the last Robin Williams film that I watched. He will be greatly missed.RIP Robin.)
If the truth be known, the character played by Robin Williams in the film “World’s Greatest Dad”(2009) is like many fathers.
He plays a single father with unfulfilled dreams and a son who he dislikes but at the same time loves.
Williams is a high school poetry teacher who has written five books and numerous articles and has been rejected by publishers everytime.
His teenage son is a loner and sexual freak who hates his father and masturbates constantly. Williams does his best to be close to his son but is rejected by him constantly.
An event happens in their life that profoundly changes him and those around him.
The film is an interesting look into love, fame, and rejection. It once again shows Robin Williams as not only a great comedian but a serious actor.
I give the film three flips flops out of five on my rating scale.
Back story:
The film was written and directed by “Bobcat” Goldthwait who is primarily known as a comedian. He is commonly known for his energetic stage personality, his dark, acerbic black comedy, and his gruff but high-pitched voice.
The film was shot in Seattle, Washington, largely at the former F.A. McDonald School in Wallingford.Seattle resident and former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has a wordless cameo while consoling Williams’ character at a newspaper stand (Goldthwait had previously opened for Nirvana and the cameo may be a reference to Cobain’s suicide). Bruce Hornsby appears as himself at the library dedication.
Running time: 99 min.
With:
Robin Williams, Alexie Gilmore, Daryl Sabara, Geoff Pierson, Henry Simmons, Mitzi McCall, Evan Martin, Jermaine Williams, Tony V CQ, Lorraine Nicholson, Zach Sanchez.
Lame Game
It is in the future after the earth was attacked by aliens called the Formics which killed millions. The alien invasion was ended by hero Mazer Rockhampton who rammed his plane into an alien vessel stopping the rest of their fleet.
“Ender’s Game”(2013) is a futuristic film that in some ways resembles “Lord of the Flies”. Young boys and girls have been recruited over the course of fifty years to once again take on the aliens.
The young are selected because they are more creative and intuitive than older people.
And most of the film revolves around the conflicts and power struggles between these young people.
The central character is Ender Wiggin played by Asa Butterfield. He is a gifted adolescent who is thrown in with others in training to battle the aliens.
Harrison Ford plays Colonel Graff who is in charge of these youngsters being trained for battle. Ben Kingsley also has a cameo role as a Maori tattooed pilot.
The film attempts to make some moralistic judgments and there are vague references to the Holocaust and previous wars.
“Ender’s Game” has a ho hum surprise ending and then reverts to a conclusion that seeks to make its moralistic point.
The film however never held my interest despite the high tech CGI effects.
It reminded me of a giant video game wrapped around a psychological study of young people attempting to get along.
My recommendation is to ditch the movie and play a video game if that’s your pleasure.
I give “Ender’s Game” a disappointing two flip flops out of five on my rating scale.
Running time: 114 min.
Production:
A Summit Entertainment release and presentation in association with OddLot Entertainment of a Chartoff Prods., Taleswapper, OddLot Entertainment, K/O Paper Products, Digital Domain production.
With:
Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, VIola Davis, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Moises Arias, Aramis Knight, Suraj Parthasarathy, Khylin Rhambo, Jimmy Jax Pinchak, Conor Carroll, Nonso Anozie, Tony Mirrcandani.
Crew:
Directed, written by Gavin Hood, based on the novel by Orson Scott Card. Camera (color, widescreen), Donald M. McAlpine; editors, Zach Staenberg, Lee Smith; music, Steve Jablonski.
Smuggled Candy 