Off The Grid

Hey guys. I know, I know: why am I posting something other than a quick movie review? What? I can’t be spontaneous every once in a while? Try and rekindle the dying flame that is my love of keeping you on your toes and your love of sometimes being kept on your toes?

Actually, just wanted to do a quick update to advise that I took myself off of that old facebook thing. Long time coming, see how it goes. If you’re one of the types that would take offense to something like that, I mean, try not to. I mean, for Pete’s sake, I used the word “advise” in a non-payroll related context; I’m clearly trying here.

According to my calculations, your SUI rate is just over 12 billion percents

Also, I wanted to share music (like I used to!):

Quick Review: “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil”

So, this week’s film has the benefit of being the following act to last week’s disappointing (or, you know, downright bad) Bellflower. It’s not really fair, honestly, because whatever movie you pick, it’s probably going to be better outright. So it goes. This week’s movie was the comedic spin on the summer slasher flick, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.

So, it’s a fun premise, and it stays true to objective throughout its entire presentation. Conceptually, it’s a “reverse slasher film”, where the annoying college kids are the killers and the backwoods hillbillies are the victims on the run, all orchestrated through a series of miscommunication. It ends up being pretty enjoyable, but if it sounds a little sitcom-y it’s because it is. Director Eli Craig’s spent some time in TV land before working on this feature, and the comedy-of-errors set up inter-spliced with underdog romance is pretty much the stuff sitcom dreams are made of, and most don’t turn out to be all that great. T&D does just fine though, often working in the upper realms of the genre, though admittedly it’s not a genre I usually find all that entertaining (see Frasier, Three’s Company, etc.)

“I swear, it will be completely platonic”

One thing this movie really has working for it is the undeniable chemistry between the two protagonists. It’s really easy to root for them, and their acting is pretty solid. And, they have some genuinely funny lines and a good sense of timing. The directing is also pretty sensible and doesn’t dip into the well of amateur student-director schlock (man, I am being really hard on Bellflower, huh?)

Overall a totally fine movie. A bit slow at points, and it’s the old comedy-of-errors formula, but at an hour and a half it doesn’t play itself out too much.

Final grade: B-

Quick Review: “Bellflower”

This week’s film was the much-hyped indie flick Bellflower, a tale of… I mean, not a lot really. Let’s get right to it.

First and foremost, for a budget of only $17k, fine, impressively handled. That being said, I mean, it’s not a good movie. A ton of retro filters and early Aronofsky-esque camera play does not a movie make. The style of filming effectively mirrors the narrative in its adolescence (to its credit?) and really is perfect for a movie by and for unrelatable post-college hipsters. I really mean that honestly: there’s not a single likeable or relatable character in the whole film, which maybe means I’m in the wrong demographic. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, necessarily: to not care about a couple rich suburban kids with too much time on their hands and apocalyptic fantasies.

OK, so, fine. It’s about a couple rich suburban kids with too much time and post apocalyptic fantasies who spend most of their times doing A) nothing, B) drinking, C) drugs, and D) nothing. Really most of the movie is (I think) supposed to be an atmosphere-piece, because it really seems like the director just started filming scenes after getting high with the actors and announcing he’s just gonna film them “talking and stuff”. So he does, and it’s largely uninteresting.

Actually *not* shot in Instagram, contrary to popular opinion.

It’s pretentious and unrelatable, but most of it’s done semi-competently, though be prepared for a copious amount of slow-motion scenes carried only by some indie folk soundtrack.

Letter grade: D+

Quick Review: “Bad Lieutenant”

I’m gonna say right off the bat that I find the 1992 dark crime drama Bad Lieutenant really hard to critique objectively.

As a film, it’s really pretty effective. It’s set up mostly in two acts, with the first act breaking you down as a viewing audience, overloading you with extremes in the seedier aspects of criminal life in the city (in the early 90’s). What makes these scenes particularly (purposely) unbearable is that the director waits until it’s just a bit too uncomfortable, then keeps filming for a few more minutes. It’s a style that’s hard to digest, but like I said, effective.

The second half unfurls the allegorical narrative and follows the character’s spiral until its eventual end, and it’s a poignant ending I happened to dig.

Overall, though, it’s pretty hard to recommend. The acting is phenomenal, obviously. In terms of direction, personally I thought the method was a bit too excessive, but that might just be taste. It’s something I wouldn’t readily recommend to anyone who didn’t know exactly what they were getting into, as the film stands more as an art piece, experimental even in nature, and it’d help to be in the right frame of mind before watching it.

Unfortunately, my system dictates that I have to letter-grade it, so: B

I wouldn’t recommend looking for video on it.

(Not sure if Keitel’s crying raised or lowered that letter grade… it’s just so damn weird)