Dawn of the Dead

DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004) - Oct. 30, 2004
A mediocre zombie film. Though it gets off to a pretty good start, as soon as they get to the mall it's pretty much all downhill from there. The main problem was that none of the characters were very well developed at all, which was somewhat perplexing considering the lengthy and pointless downtime between the zombie scenes. And the zombie scenes themselves weren't very good, despite being quite violent. They were just sort of bland, like the director spent such a long time making sure it was sufficiently gory, he forgot that gore is not necessarily exciting in and of itself. It probably didn't help that I just kept thinking to myself "man, Shaun of the Dead was SO much better than this." But it was, it really was. This movie just took itself too seriously, and seemed to be under the impression that these zombies were scary, which they were not. Which could have been forgiven had there been a single decent character. But there were none to be found here, unfortunately. **

Steamboy

STEAMBOY (2004) - Oct. 28, 2004
What a let-down! Not that this was a bad movie per se, but considering this is Katsuhiro Otomo's first film since his masterpiece, Akira, I was expecting so much better. The plot is too convoluted to sum up in one sentence, but it was something about a crazy alternate nineteenth century where steam technology is much, much more advanced. The main problem is that at just over two hours, it was way too long, and it certainly felt that way, especially towards the end. It was also quite heavy-handed in its message that technology should be used for good, not destruction (though I guess that's not too surprising considering the film came from Japan). That's not to say that there was nothing good about the movie. The whole look of the film was quite amazing, and the animation was really good (the blend of traditional animation and CGI was pretty seamless). It's just too bad that the movie itself was so mediocre. **1/2

Grand Canyon

GRAND CANYON (1991) - Oct. 27, 2004
A really good movie about a bunch of characters in LA. Obviously not as good as the ultimate "lots of characters" movie - Magnolia - but then not much is. All the performances were excellent, but Danny Glover was the real stand-out as a kind-hearted tow-truck driver. It's too bad he's essentially typecast as Roger Murtaugh because he's a really good actor. The movie was well over two hours but it didn't feel long at all, probably because there were so many characters and they were all really good. In fact if anything the movie could have been longer; I wanted to spend more time with these characters. ***1/2

Mean Creek

MEAN CREEK (2004) - Oct. 26, 2004 (S)
Good performances all around in this film about a group of kids who decide to play a prank on a bully, and how it goes horribly wrong. I particularly liked the scene right after the kids realize that the bully is dead. They all just sort of sit in silence for a while, which seems like the way people would react in that sort of situation, rather than the panicked chatter you'd usually find in a movie like this. Also, the guy from Eurotrip was surprisingly good in what was essentially the opposite of the role he played in that movie. ***

I ♥ Huckabees

I ♥ HUCKABEES (2004) - Oct. 24, 2004
David O. Russell's first film since Three Kings, and while it's certainly not as good as that film, it was still quite enjoyable. About a couple of existential detectives, and the impact they have on the lives of a few people. There is a lot of philosophy in the film, but unlike something like Waking Life it never feels forced or shoehorned into the movie. All of the performances were really good -- six years after Rushmore, Jason Schwartzman finally gives another really good performance. The movie was, of course, really well written and directed, and was very entertaining throughout. It was a unique film, and it worked, partially because all the characters were so good. ***1/2

The Grudge

THE GRUDGE (2004) - Oct. 22, 2004
A creepy film about a haunted house that curses anyone who goes inside it. While it doesn't really have much of a plot - it's more just one scary sequence after another - it works because the scary sequences are so effective. While not quite as horiffyingly creepy as the Ring, it was still quite scary and easily the scariest movie I've seen since that one. In fact, it was probably the second scariest movie I've ever seen (right behind the Ring), but then again I haven't seen all that many scary movies. ***

A Man Apart

A MAN APART (2003) - Oct. 19, 2004
A stupid but moderately entertaining movie. About a cop whose wife is killed, and his attempt to avenge her by infiltrating the local drug scene. Timothy Olyphant is probably the highlight as a sleazy drug dealer. The action scenes were decent, but the movie was just, I don't know... Routine (right down to the scene where Vin Diesel has to give up his gun and badge -- though I suppose the captain wasn't really angry, so that's good I guess). But it was never boring, and it was competently directed, so it certainly could have been worse. **1/2

It Came From Outer Space

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) - Oct. 19, 2004
A cheesy but entertaining science fiction film. It was originally shown in 3D, which is apparent from all the stuff flying towards the camera. About a man who investigates a local fallen meteor, only to find that it is not a meteor, but a spaceship. When he tries to warn the town about the ship and the aliens within, they simply shrug him off as the "crazy astronomer" (the ship was buried under rocks as soon as he saw it). Though the performances, special effects and design of the aliens are all quite hokey, the film is still not without its merits. ***

Through a Glass Darkly

THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY (1961) - Oct. 18, 2004
A well-made film by Ingmar Bergman about a father, his son, his daughter and her husband, and their interactions over the course of a couple of days. It was really well acted, directed and written, and it was never boring, but it just didn't make much of an impact for whatever reason. **1/2

Elephant

ELEPHANT (2003) - Oct. 15, 2004
A hauntingly brilliant film. It is after watching a movie like this that I feel stupid for giving a silly movie like Cellular, or even Shaun of the Dead, four stars. This is a four star movie. Brilliantly directed by Gus Van Sant, the movie is about a day in the life of a high school. It does not have much of a plot, nor does it need one. With his flowing camera, which is almost always in motion, Van Sant establishes an almost dream-like tone. The camera lingers on seemingly inconsequential moments: a boy taking pictures, a football game being played, a roll of film being developed. These moments are perfect in establishing a certain mood and tone. The film does not give us the sort of characters we would expect -- Van Sant's choice to use non-actors seems iffy at first, but as the movie progresses it becomes more and more clear how perfect these kids are in the roles. Sure, the performances are not without their flaws, but it almost doesn't matter; they all seem like real people, not characters in a movie. At the end, when the violence erupts, it is devastating. These last moments of the film are so powerful because of the mood so effectively established earlier on. The dream-like tone has been pierced by sudden, shocking violence. The film almost reminds me of 2001 in its pace and tone. This is the type of movie that stays with you long after it is done. A truly, truly excellent film, the type of which I so rarely see. ****

Citizen Ruth

CITIZEN RUTH (1996) - Oct. 13, 2004
Laura Dern is excellent in this dramedy by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. While probably not quite up there with Election and About Schmidt, it was still really good. The film is about abortion, which is a subject which could easily create a bad movie (ie. too preachy). Payne and Taylor wisely avoid this problem, and in fact you would be hard-pressed to figure out what they personally think of this issue, as they satirize both sides equally. The film is, unsurprisingly, really well written and directed, and in the centre of it all there's Laura Dern's excellent performance. I don't know why she doesn't act more. ***1/2

Buck Privates

BUCK PRIVATES (1941) - Oct. 12, 2004
Abbott and Costello star as a couple of guys who, while running from the police, accidentally join the army. All the stuff with Abbott and Costello was really good, but the movie was bogged down with useless subplots and many, many songs. All I really wanted to see was Abbott and Costello getting into wacky hijinks (which they did, and that's where the movie shines). **1/2

Forbidden Planet

FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) - Oct. 12, 2004
Though extremely dated (there's no mistaking it for anything but a movie from the '50s), this is still a really good science fiction movie. About a group of men (led by a very young Leslie Nielsen) who travel to a distant, Earth-like planet and find the sole survivor of a twenty year old expedition (along with his daughter and robot). Aside from being dated, the movie contains some interesting ideas, and some of the special effects hold up surprisingly well. ***

The Three Musketeers

THE THREE MUSKETEERS (2004) - Oct. 8, 2004
Mickey, Donald and Goofy star in this entertaining film which finds the three as aspiring Musketeers in France. Hijinks ensue as they set off on an adventure to save the princess. At just about one hour long the film breezes by, and it has the same timeless charm found in the best of the original Disney shorts. The animation, though not quite up to the level of the theatrical cartoons, is still quite good. And the characterization of Mickey, Donald and Goofy is spot-on. A fun movie. ***

Maria Full of Grace

MARIA FULL OF GRACE (2004) - Oct. 6, 2004
A gritty movie about a Columbian girl who becomes a drug mule. Remains entertaining throughout, thanks in part to a strong performance by Catalina Sandino Moreno, who plays the girl. Joshua Marston shoots the movie in a straightforward, documentary-like style, which suits the material. ***

Shaun of the Dead

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) - Oct. 3, 2004
Wow! This was a really good zombie movie and a really good comedy, and the dramatic moments were really good too. I haven't seen all that many zombie movies, but this was easily the best one I've ever seen. The characters were all surprisingly well-developed, and the film was actually really funny. What was nice was that all the laughs came from the characters; it never seemed like it was trying to poke fun at the genre (in a "oh how clever we are" sort of way, like Ginger Snaps). Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are clearly big fans of the zombie genre, which makes the film work equally well as a comedy and as a zombie movie (one never overwhelms the other). And the fact that the characters and the performances are so good means that you are rooting for these characters so much more than the typical zombie-fodder in this type of film. ****

Ladder 49

LADDER 49 (2004) - Oct. 1, 2004
A cheesy, stupid movie. About a group of firefighters and the many fires they fight. Joaquin Phoenix was excellent as the main firefighter, and in fact his performance was probably the sole highlight of the film. He convincingly portrayed the transition from wide-eyed rookie to grizzled veteran, and without his performance the movie probably would have been a total wash. The main problem is that there weren't any decent characters -- I never forgot that they were all just characters in a movie, not one seemed like a real person. And then there were the firefighting scenes, which, I don't know -- either firefighting just isn't exciting, or the director sucked. Towards the end I was starting to dread the next fire. And there were a lot of them. Basically, there weren't any good characters, and the firefighting scenes were dull, so... Aside from actual firefighters, I'm not really sure who this movie is supposed to appeal to. Plus, the ending seemed incredibly harsh, especially for a cheesy movie like this. **