Monday Matinee: Preparing for Halloween Horror Nights 23...

It's that time of year again!  The time when the Nawrots get SO excited to experience the thrills of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios.  This is the 23rd year of the festivities, and based on our experiences since we started going a few years ago, it just keeps getting better.  This year we are planning on going October 4th, so we have been preparing ourselves.

Each year they pick themes and reveal each name of the eight or so haunted houses.  Often they are based on legends (one year it was all about Bloody Mary), movies, and video games, and we have found that the more you know about them, the more effective the thrills.

This year it seems they have gone with a zombie/mutant theme.  They have a Resident Evil house (per my son the video games are awesome and the movies are trash), a Walking Dead house (based on the AMC series), one based on An American Werewolf in London (movie), one based on the 2013 movie remake of Evil Dead, one based on the movie Cabin in the Woods, and three others with themes of after life, a murderous mother, and genetically-engineered super-soldiers.  The kids and I decided we need to see a couple of movies to bone up on our demons.

 

 I remember when Evil Dead came out in the theaters this past spring.  It got a decent Rotten Tomato score of 62%, and was nostalgic of the original Raimi film that came out in 1981 that we all saw back in the day.  The premise is that a group of friends convene in a cabin in the woods (which looks insanely similar to the set of The Cabin in the Woods) to help one of the girls detox and get clean from heroin.  They discover an old book in the basement that, when certain words are read, unleashes a homicidal demon that invades human souls.  The problem is that when said demon gets inside the detoxing girl, nobody realizes it because, you know, ridding oneself of drugs can bring out the worst in people.

Let me just say that the visuals are terrifying and extremely GROSS.  There is a horrifying basement full of dead hanging cats, things come out of the ground, and while under the influence of the demon, people do really bad things to themselves and others.  After we watched this one, my daughter had to sleep with me that night.  This would be my veteran B horror movie daughter.  Just be warned.  But as a high octane horror film, this is what it is all about.  4.5 out of 5

  

 So we are back in a cabin.  In the woods.  Also with a messed up basement.  A group of attractive young friends are hanging there for the weekend for fishing, smoking dope and hanky panky.  As you would expect.  (I'm willing to overlook all the stereotypes for a peek at Chris Hemsworth...just sayin'.)  Little does this group know that they are in the middle of a type of orchestrated reality show, run by ruthless game players that make bets on what evil the group will unknowingly unleash and whose blood will be spilled first.

I can't say I loved this one, much to my surprise since Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 92%!!  It certainly was different than any other horror movie I've ever seen, but I thought the premise was pretty goofy.  I mean, I get that this is satire, but I didn't think was GOOD satire.  I thought the most interesting part of the whole hour and a half was witnessing the smorgasbord of evil that is held captive by the game players and could potentially be unleashed if they are "chosen".  All that said, I'm pretty excited to see what the folks at Universal will do with this one.  3 out of 5 

Monday Matinee: You're Next (2013)

 I'm writing these thoughts for the two of you that actually watch horror films!  I know my movie opinions on movies in this genre generally fall on deaf ears, but I always feel compelled to talk about them.  Damn I love horror movies!  They are brain candy, sort of like my murder mystery reads.

Generally horror movies don't fare well on Rotten Tomatoes, so I was surprised to see that this one had a decent rating (I think somewhere around 70%).  On Labor Day, my son, my dad and I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Here is the premise.  A wealthy family consisting of dad and mom, three brothers, a sister, and associated spouses and significant others, convene at their remote estate to celebrate the parents' wedding anniversary.  Immediately it becomes clear that there is a quirky and dysfunctional dynamic within the family...mom is a nervous wreck and is on meds, the brothers all can't stand each other, the sister is worthy of eye rolls because of her silly chirpy cheerfulness.  Most of the characters here are fairly unlikable.

Upon the start of their first dinner together, however, someone outside the house stars picking off family members with a crossbow through the dining room window.  Chaos ensues, and that family dynamic I mentioned kicks into full gear as they decide who should make a run for the car, who should guard the house, who is brave and who is a coward.

Ultimately, three cold-blooded, masked murderers hold the house under siege  slowly picking off family members one-by-one with garrotes, machetes, axes, knives and other paraphernalia.  What they didn't plan on is that one member of the family is actually as badass as they are.  

This was a really fun movie to watch.  I know, you think I'm crazy, but it had a bizarre, over-the-top, dark humor feel to it. Parts of it WERE pretty scary...like those animal masks!  And the premise, while fairly predictable, is incredibly believable, which also gives you the chills. No bad guys come back to life, there are no zombies or witchcraft or homicidal clowns about.

But as soon as the arrows start flying, this unlikable family just gets uglier, and soon you're not really sure who you are rooting for.  You almost want to just lock the door and see who comes out victorious.  It is like the classic horror gore fest like Friday the 13th, but with more realism and a lot more snark.  At the end of the day, it is pretty exciting to see an unlikely hero emerge. 

The actors are all ones we've never heard of (although upon feeling like I should know the mom, I discovered she has made her way through all the soaps at one point or another).  The character development is thin at best, but you don't line up for these movies to see such a thing.  If these types of movies are your thing, you will have a good time with this one.

4 out of 5 stars
 

Monday Matinee: Elysium (2013)

 My son and I had some serious anticipation for this movie.  We happen to be big appreciators of "District 9", which was written and directed by a South African whipper-snapper named Neill Blomkamp, and this was to be his next big hit.  The trailer was inspired.  The enigmatic new actor that carried "District 9" (Sharlto Copley) was back as the antagonist and then there was the buffed up Matt Damon, you see.  So our expectations were high.


So let me set it up for you.  It is the year 2154, and Earth has become diseased and overpopulated.  The wealthy jump ship to a sanitized, man-made world called Elysium, which is a 20 minute shuttle ride away from our ruined planet.  This manufactured paradise is run by computers and robot-like humans with microchips in their brains, and all injury and disease is cured by lying in a tanning booth kinda thing.  The poor and downtrodden stare up at Elysium with longing.  

Max (Damon) grew up as one of the poor, an orphan, vowing to one day go to this utopia.  He promises his childhood soul mate Frey (Alice Braga) that they will someday go to Elysium together.   As an adult he is as far away from his goal as he could possibly be though.  He is an ex-con, he lives in a shit hole, and works in a factory.  One day, there is an accident, and he receives a lethal dose of radiation and is informed he has 5 days to live.  He decides that it is now or never.  He agrees to accept a dangerous mission that may allow him to fulfill his childhood dream and promise.  And possibly, at the same time, save the Earth.

Jodi Foster gets top billing for this movie, but she plays a fairly two-dimensional ice queen that runs Elysium's "homeland security".  She presses red buttons and has little value for human life and has a weird accent.  She did not add any depth in the scheme of things.

My favorite character, as expected, was Sharlto Copley as Kruger, the ex-rapist under-the-radar hitman "fixer" for the administration of Elysium.  He is interesting, this actor.  I wouldn't mind watching him in whatever he does.

My son would completely disagree with my opinion...he thought the movie was awesome (he loved the fight scenes and the head explosions) but I was underwhelmed by it all.  The plot was fairly predictable but satisfying, the acting ranged from good to boring, the world-building was OK.  My son would tell you that you have to take the movie for what it is and roll with it.  This is a sci-fi dystopian action flick, and to him, it delivers...great effects, great fight scenes.  There are also heavy messages of class and health care disparity, as well as other social commentary. But after the first half of the movie, the plot turns barbaric and simplistic, leaving me scratching my head about system reboots and saving the world.  I felt rushed.  Sad that an hour and forty minute movie seems that way, but this is the way I've been programmed.

Bottom line is that I was entertained but my brain only buzzed a little.  This was a missed opportunity.

3.5 out of 5 stars          

The Conjuring (2013)

 I was particularly interested in seeing this movie (as were my kids) ever since I saw an article in EW about it's "based on a true story" origins.  Usually these types of movies are total hoaxes, made to freak out 14 year-olds.  This one, however, was given some credence based on the experiences of a real life husband and wife team of paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren.  In an interview with Lorraine (Ed passed away in 2006), this was a particularly disturbing case that they encountered in the '70's that stayed with them through the decades.

In this case, the Perron family with five daughters moves into a secluded farm house, and almost immediately strange things begin happening.  Pictures fall off the wall, there is a smell of rotten meat in various rooms at night, and all the clocks stop at 3:07 in the morning, every morning.  The occurrences escalate to the children having visions of a leering woman in a nightdress, being pulled off the bed by their feet, and sounds of whispering.  Then there is that creepy, boarded up basement...

The Warrens have a reputation on the East Coast of successfully detecting paranormal infestations, so the mother of the Perron family, Carolyn, begs them to help.  They know immediately there is a serious problem in this house, and go about trying to document it so that they can get permission from the Vatican for an official exorcism.  But things take a turn for the worse before they can get a priest's help.

I thought the acting was solid...that is, for a horror flick.  Vera Farmiga, who plays Lorraine Warren, has been in many great movies and received critical acclaim in "Up in the Air".  Patrick Wilson, who plays Ed Warren, is a fairly busy guy who I remember for "Little Children", "Hard Candy" and "Insidious".  There was very little character development, which is typical for this type of movie, but the actors made the best of it.
 

The first 3/4 of the movie was very compelling and kept things moving.  Lots of jumps and screams.  But towards the grand finale, things get manic but then are wrapped up quite a bit easier than you would expect if someone were trying to defeat a powerful demon.  Just sayin'.  I would have expected some body count, ala "The Exorcist".  Also, because this IS based on real people and a (relatively) true story, I think a couple follow-up paragraphs at the end would have been a nice touch.  Where did the Perrons go and how did they fare?  Were they in counseling forever like I would have been?
  

I can't leave without mentioning this damned doll "Annabelle", which I thought was terrifying.  The Warrens solved a case before meeting the Perrons where a Raggedy Ann doll was possessed.  It was promptly stashed away in a room in Warren's house where they keep all of their dangerous occult items (see the picture on the left of the real thing).  In the movie, the doll was much more sinister and was written into the movie to scare the hell out of us (the picture on the right).

By the way, it is also interesting to note that another movie called "A Haunting in Connecticut" was also based on a Warren case.

This is far from a horror classic, but it is better than most of the trash that is cranked out these days for teenage entertainment.

The Conjuring 2 is already in production.

3 out of 5 stars

Monday Matinee: The Heat (2013)

Honestly when I saw the trailer for this movie, I knew I had to see it.  Yes, I could probably have given you a full blown synopsis even without knowing anything...two unlikely partners who hate each other at first but have a bonding moment and end up doing good work together, killing bad guys.  I generally like my movies a little less predictable.  But really?  What is not to like about this pair-up?  Bullock is good at ANYTHING she does.  I still, at a moment's notice, will sit and watch "While You Were Sleeping".  I love that movie.  And I fell in love with McCarthy in "Bridesmaids".  She stole that show.  Paired up, these two had some crazy good chemistry.

Not that you really need a synopsis, but here is the gist.  FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Bullock) is not well-liked by her fellow agents.  She is uptight, antagonistic and competitive, but she does get the job done.  In order to receive a big promotion, she is told she must travel to Boston to solve a series of gruesome murders that are most likely drug-related.  Ashburn immediately butts heads with Boston police officer Shannon Mullins (McCarthy), who is crass and loud and unorthodox but effective at her job.  As luck would have it, the two must work together to solve Ashburn's case.      

Hilarity ensues.  We meet the family Mullins, who are very Boston, very loud and very dysfunctional.  All of them hate Shannon because she put one of her brothers in jail to save him from himself.  There is a bug-planting mission in a nightclub where Ashburn has to hoochy her straight-laced skinny butt up to get the job done.  There is a night of heavy drinking that bonds the two women.  There are loads of foul language (and some new words added to my vocabulary).  There are a couple of scenes involving knives that made me squirm.

I saw this movie with my high school girlfriends and it set the mood for our weekend.  We laughed ourselves sick, it was so funny!  In essence this is could be deemed as a raunchy chick-flick (this was directed by the same person that directed "Bridesmaids" so if you have seen that, you know what I mean).    But one of our male high school friends joined us and he loved it too.  I guess guys can tolerate chick-flicks if there are enough f-bombs!!!  If you need a fun night out, this is the movie to see.
      

Monday Matinee: My month in Twin Peaks

 One Sunday evening in the spring of 1990, my boyfriend (now husband) and I welcomed cousin Kevin over for dinner...under one condition.  I'd have to halt all eating and chatting at 9:00pm because I had to watch Twin Peaks.  Kevin's face lit up.  He too, was in the grip of this bizarre and strangely non-commercial TV series and wouldn't think of missing it.  Back then everyone I knew was obsessed.  WHO KILLED LAURA PALMER?  It was a question on everyone's lips, just like WHO KILLED J.R.?  We stuck with the series until we were able to answer that question (about halfway through the second season), then we drifted away.  Apparently so did everyone else, because the series was cancelled after 30 episodes.  (It had to compete with the Gulf War, which didn't help.)  But sources told me I jumped ship too early.

In late May, my son told me that he'd started watching the series on Netflix, because it had been the basis upon which one of his video games was made.  My hubby and I perked up!  We'd watch it with him!  OMG, what a trip down memory lane this would be!

The show starts out with the discovery of a dead girl, wrapped in plastic, on the shores of a lake in the town of Twin Peaks.  The girl is identified as Laura Palmer...mentor of mentally disabled children, homecoming queen, meals on wheels worker, and cherished only daughter of a middle class family.   The sleepy Pacific Northwest town, known for its lumber industry, is rocked to its core.  Laura was the town's darling.

Laura Palmer's senior photo

Enter Dale Cooper, FBI.  He is quirky, highly intelligent and takes great joy in the little things in life...the smell of the Douglas Fir trees, a piece of cherry pie and a good cup of coffee.  He also is a student of Tibetan mythology, and holds dreams and questionable deductive techniques in high esteem.  He discovers that while on the surface, Laura was an upstanding high school senior, she had a very dark side.  In fact, the whole TOWN has a dark side.  Every time Dale turns over a rock, he finds affairs, lies, drugs, prostitution, and even evil spirits.  That being said, he falls in love with the town and bonds with their tight-knit community.
 

Agent Cooper with is trusty tape recorder

Up until we discover who DID kill Laura Palmer, the show is a character study of a strange little town's inhabitants and a twisty murder investigation.  The story reaches a crescendo, then for the last half of the episodes, wades out into stranger waters.  If you are familiar with David Lynch's work (Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, Wild at Heart, Mulholland Drive) you know that he always injects his signature dreamy, surreal drug-trip sequences.  At the same time, he is campy and humorous.  The industry has even coined the term "Lynchian" for this cinematic style.  I for one love this style...just a few steps off the path of normal.  

"Bob", a threatening but elusive presence

Because the series was cancelled after 30 episodes, the plot is basically unfinished, and leaves you with a MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER.  Boy was I bent out of shape.  I was ready to go all Annie Wilkes on Lynch's ass, kidnap him and force him at gunpoint to finish his business.  But as my husband, son and I have had a chance to digest this injustice, we've come to appreciate that some things are better left unresolved.  Like Gone With the Wind.  Having a tied-up ending might ruin the fantasy.  And none of us can imagine how on earth this cliffhanger could have been resolved to our satisfaction anyway.

Probably one of the most enduring parts of the series is the music.  Even after listening to the opening theme 30 times in a month, I never tired of it.  It is haunting and sets the mood.  In fact, I think that is how I will finish this post.  Listen and enjoy!




Twin Peaks is available on Netflix streaming.

5 out of 5 stars

Monday Matinee: World War Z (2013)

 My little rule of reading the book before I see the movie seems to have flown out the window.  Seeing that I read almost slower than I did when I had two kids under the age of 2.  So to heck with it.  My entire family really wanted to see this movie, so we grabbed the opportunity when a rainstorm moved in this past weekend at the beach.

And you know, I've been appreciating the merits of Brad Pitt and his acting and screen presence.  We don't need to discuss his taste in women.

Here is what is going on.  The world as it stands now is sliding off into the abyss.  Disease, famine, lawlessness.  The final straw is an aggressive international outbreak of "rabies".  Ex-UN investigator Gerry Lane (Pitt) is sitting in Philly traffic with his family when he witnesses a sudden, terrifying eruption of a zombie attack, where the infected move at an alarming rate and bite anyone they can.  The transformation from human to twitching, bug-eyed killing machine takes all of 10 seconds.  Gerry and his family run for their lives, and are soon whisked away by a UN helicopter because they need him back to fix shit.

This all happens in the first 15 minutes or so of the film.  BOOM.  You are in it.  Zero to sixty in the action category, and there is very little build up and no time to get bored.

So Gerry is enlisted to get to the source of this virus, and figure out how the human race is going survive this apocalyptic situation.  Millions are being infected by the hour, and mankind is going down.  He first travels to South Korea so investigate patient zero, then heads off to Israel where they anticipated such a development (which is curious...) and have built a huge wall to protect themselves.  

 Uh, no big spoiler here because it is in the trailer...the wall doesn't work.  The infected crawl over each other like adrenaline-crazed ants.  Like a zombie tsunami.  They are unstoppable.  Gerry encounters more zombies mid-air, which is claustrophobic and surreal and scary, crashes and ends up at a research facility where all apocalyptic movies must eventually arrive.  Tension, risk-taking and zombie avoidance ensues.  But Gerry is awesome, super smart, brave and strong.  If anybody can save us, he can.

Here is what I loved about this movie.  They don't screw around.  Just like the spread of the infection, you almost don't have time to react to the plot and the sudden destruction of EVERYTHING.  And these awful beasts don't stumble around with their mouths hanging open, looking for brains to eat.  They are superhuman FAST, feral, bite and move on.  The swarming river of zombies is horrifying.  It reminded me of a tornado, a mudslide, or a tsunami - you just aren't going to stop the force of it.

The character of Gerry, played by Pitt, was a perfect hero.  He was sporting his long hair and some stubble, he was badass but preferred to stay with his family, he was willing to make sacrifices for the greater good, and he was coming from the science and military perspective instead of the Everyman.  I could find no fault at all in his performance.  
  

My only irritation was that while the ending was left fairly open (which is cool in my book), there were aspects of that last half hour that were a little too convenient.  Small quibble, really, for a couple hours of great entertainment.


They certainly made great efforts to keep this a PG-13 rating.  Absolutely no sex, very little language (With masses of zombies chasing and trying to bite you?  Really?), and little blood despite lots of shooting.  The real issue here for smaller kids is just the psychological tension and visual horror throughout.  My son, the master connoisseur of zombie-slaying and zombie films in general, would have preferred a bit more outrageous blood splatter when taking out these creatures, aka 28 Days Later, George Romero flicks or Walking Dead.  His opinion is if you are doing zombies, you should go for it.  It didn't bother me quite as much as it did him.  Just to put it into perspective for those of you that scare easy, we had our friends' 9 year old grandson with us and he wasn't the least bit disturbed.  He loved it.

4 out of 5 stars  

Monday Matinee: This is the End (2013)

As I sit here thinking back on this movie, I am clueless about how to describe it.  But there is one thing for sure...I HAVE to tell you about it.  As a strong recommendation?  A dire warning?  Maybe both.  All I know is that a couple days have passed and we are still quoting the movie and breaking out into stupid maniacal laughing over it.

First of all, this core group of actors who are at the center of the story are real-life friends and have worked together on multiple projects...think Pineapple Express, Hot Tub Time Machine, Superbad, Tropic Thunder.  In fact the entire movie is like a giant game of Six Degrees of Separation.  Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg, who wrote and directed this film, have pulled in anyone and everyone they know for a gigantic party.

The basic premise is that childhood friends Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel, playing themselves, have gotten together at Seth's place in LA for a weekend of debauchery and bonding.  After smoking weed, eating junk food and playing video games all day, they decide to go to James Franco's housewarming party at his new mansion.  The party is a coke-snorting, ass-grabbing mosh pit of Hollywood actors.  In the middle of all the fun, the apocalypse occurs.  Casualties abound (Michael Cera gets speared by a street light and Rihanna falls into a hellpit).  A core group of guys barricade themselves in Franco's house and try to survive the end of days.  But the gang has baggage.  There is a history of bad blood, jealousy and hurt feelings that go way back.  Just the thing you need when a demon is trying to eat you.
   

I read in an interview that at least once during the filming of this movie, every actor protested against something they were asked to do.  Except James Franco (which makes me love him even more).  Whether it is playing soccer with a disembodied head, being raped by the devil, peeing in one's own mouth because of a water shortage, being a cannibal, or things even more unspeakable...this film is so full of outlandish, over-the-top tastelessness, it is guaranteed to offend you at some point.  (My husband and I are pretty teflon-coated, but I snuck a peak at him at one stage, and his face was a total twisted mask of revulsion but was laughing at the same time.)

All of the actors play themselves, but as part of the fun, their characters are a combination of their true selves and something completely OPPOSITE of their true selves.  Michael Cera, who is apparently the quietest, more diminutive guy, plays a complete obnoxious drugged-out chauvinist.  Emma Watson becomes an ax-wielding booze-thief.  Channing Tatum is an S&M sex slave!

And that is just the thing.  IF (big if) you are not easily offended, this movie could possibly be something that you will be quoting for the next 20 years.  Like The Big Lebowski or Caddyshack.  It is that damn funny.  My stomach hurt when I walked out of the theater.  It isn't like most comedies where the funniest parts are spoiled in the trailer.  There are so many moments of pure hilarity here, there are too many to count.

Or you could totally hate it.  I don't think it is possible to fall somewhere in between.

You have been warned.  Just...leave your proprieties at the door, and don't judge me for loving it!

5 out of 5 stars

Monday Matinee: An Ode to David Fincher - Part III

So I am back for the third week, talking about the merits of Fincher, my director of choice.  All of his movies are worthy of watching, and all have similar characteristics and themes running through them...maybe with the exception of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", which I'll talk about in a minute.

One thing that some directors tend to do is gravitate towards their favorite actors (like Martin Scorcese with Leo DiCaprio for instance).  Fincher's pet is Brad Pitt.  Go ahead and roll your eyes, but I think the guy is way underrated.  He definitely brings an energy to the screen that is hard to match, and I think it is only a matter of time before he wins his Oscar.  And I think that is evidenced by the fact that my top three Fincher movies all star the man.  (That was totally not planned either...I just realized it when I was putting together these posts.)  I'm not saying I love him in every movie, but Fincher seems to bring out the best in him.

So here are my top 3.  Ask me on a different day, and I might have these switched around.  Just suffice it to say that all three of these are amazing.

#3.  Se7en (1995)

Starring:  Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey

This is one seriously dark and disturbing movie about two police officers pursuing a serial killer who conducts each murder according to one of the seven deadly sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride).  Each of the officers have their own personal burdens that they bring to the table, and their mettle is ultimately tested by the shrewd killer John Doe.  This movie is not your average crime thriller.  There is a psychological element that messes with your head the first time you see it, or the 10th, which is why the movie was not only a box office success, but one that has become a cult behemoth.  The ending is positively horrific, completely unpredictable, and classic Fincher.

#2.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Starring:  Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond

Received thirteen Oscar nominations, and winning three (Art Direction, Makeup, and Visual Effects).

This is a grand, epic tale of a man who was born with a disease in which he ages backwards, all told by a dying woman in a New Orleans hospital.  Abandoned on the steps of a retirement home, Benjamin Button appears to be an infant with the countenance of an 80-year-old, but is raised with support and love from his African-American adoptive parents.  His entire life is interwoven with that of Daisy, the love of his life, but only for a brief moment in time do their ages (and appearances) align.  Benjamin meanwhile experiences and embraces all that life throws at him...work on a tugboat, a brief affair with the British Trade Minister's wife, fighting in WWII.  This film is BIG in every sense of the word.  It's scope is epic, covering all of Benjamin's life and more, and runs almost 3 hours, which is initially intimidating but ultimately worth your time.  It is also a gentle, gorgeous, Southern film with impeccable acting and special effects that will rip your heart out.  While it is completely unlike anything Fincher has ever done...no dark obsessions, no body count, no mind games...I would consider it to be his masterpiece.

#1.  Fight Club (1999)

Starring:  Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter

Named the #10 movie by Empire magazine in it's 2008 feature of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.

An edgy, self-conscious white collar drone and his flashy soap-making friend start an underground "fight club" as a way for the young repressed modern man to blow off steam.  The club spreads across the country and turns into an anarchist movement with long-reaching repercussions.  Considered a type of coming-of-age flick for 30-somethings, the violence that is often criticized in this movie is meant to be symbolic of the conflict between the "now" generation and Corporate America (aka "the man").  Initially, this movie flopped at the theaters and was highly polarizing and controversial (it was compared to Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange").  It has since become a huge cult hit, with quotable lines in almost every scene.  It is dark and uncomfortable and twisty and smart, and begs for multiple watchings because you catch something new each time you see it. If you decide to watch it, you have to sit back and enjoy the ride, and check your hang-ups at the door.

So there it is, my ode to David Fincher.  Have you watched any of his movies?  Do you love him?  Hate him?  Interested?

Monday Matinee: An Ode to David Fincher - Part II

I'm back this week with more Fincher love, a continuation from last week, where I provided a little bio and my #9 through #7 rankings of his movies.

Before I get into my #6 through #4 movies, I'll offer a little gossip, if you will, about Fincher's future projects.  There has been talk that he is extremely interested in remaking "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" for Disney, possibly starring his favorite little actor Brad Pitt.  (More on Pitt next week...heh heh.)  However, the movie seems to be in a state of almost-happening.  It seems that Disney is questioning the marketability of such a film after the box office failure of "John Carter".  Fincher has also been rumored to have been sniffing around the idea of directing "Gone Girl".  Now THAT is something to get excited about!  So, moving on...

#6:  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Starring:  Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer

Nominated for five Oscars, and winning one (Best Editing).  At the Golden Globes, it was nominated for two awards.

I was the first to question this remake, especially since the Swedish version was so stunning.  It ended up being a solid movie, although it felt jerky and manic to me, and hard to follow.  I also wasn't thrilled about Fincher messing with some of the more important facts of the book.  On the flip side, it was visually stunning and well-acted.  And that opening sequence...wow.

#5:  The Game (1997)

Starring:  Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger

This is one of the movies I had to re-watch, as it had been probably 12 years since I'd seen it.  I did remember how it COMPLETELY messed with my head though, and I need to verify if it still had that power.  The story is about a man jaded by wealth, alienated from his wife and brother, and haunted by the suicide of his father when he was just a boy.  For his birthday, his aforementioned brother gives him the gift of an "experience", or a game of sorts.  All he needs to do is contact a company called CRS to schedule his evaluation.  Soon, bizarre things start to happen, and the man assumes this is all part of the game.  But then an attempt is made on his life, his billions of dollars disappear, and he is left wondering...is this part of the game?  Has he been scammed?  Or is he crazy?  The watcher will wonder right along with him, and will keep you guessing right to the end.  A real mind-screw of the best kind.

#4:  The Social Network (2010)

Starring:  Jesse Eisenberg, Rooney Mara, Andrew Garfield

Nominated for three Oscars, and won three (Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Score).    At the Golden Globes, it won Best Motion Pictured - Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score.

Well the awards don't lie.  This was a compelling story about the birth of Facebook, based on a book by Ben Mezrich called "The Accidental Millionaires".  We all know that Zuckerberg is an enigma, but having it all laid out in front of us with smart, snappy dialogue, fast pace and edgy soundtrack helped to drive home the nature of his success.  There was a lot of squawking about the validity of the film's facts, but whatever.  It was highly entertaining, and supremely acted.  Although this film was not as dark as Fincher is capable of providing, he certainly does obsession with a flair and delivered it up on a silver platter here.

Next week, I'll bring you my three favorite David Fincher movies.  Hint:  They all star Brad Pitt.    

Monday Matinee: An Ode to David Fincher - Part I

I've been planning this post for quite a long time.  Because you see, I have a bit of a thing for David Fincher.

My son and I adore his movies.  Over meals we have intense discussions about his themes, style and casting.  We both have admitted that if we were to see this man in public, we might not have full composure.  We might squeal or giggle and act a fool.  

Before I wrote us this ode, though, I had to watch a couple of movies I hadn't seen, and re-watch some that I hadn't seen in awhile.  I had to do some homework.  

My goal was twofold.  First I just wanted to gush in a very unprofessional, fangirl kind of way.  Hey, I've made it clear I'm not a movie critic.  But I know what I like.  And I like him, unequivocally.  My second goal was to make you aware of him.  I'm sure you know his movies (he has made 9 in all) but he has a pattern of excellence, at least with my taste of movies, in all of them.  I wanted to connect the dots for you, if you hadn't already.

David Fincher was born on August 28, 1962 in Denver Colorado, but was primarily raised in Marin County California.  He got a Super 8 camera for his 8th birthday (I see his parents had a sense of humor) and never looked back.  Right out of high school, he worked for John Korty (a filmmaker primarily known for his documentaries) as a cameraman.  He then went to work for George Lucas (who was a neighbor) in special effects, then got into the business of making commercials and music videos for some of the greatest performers in the industry, like Madonna, Sting, Aerosmith, George Michael and Michael Jackson.

If I had to throw out some themes and labels for his work, it would be...noir, original, edgy, dark, grunge, and visual.  You can certainly see his music video influence in some of his opening sequences for sure (the opening sequence for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo BLEW MY MIND, but all of his movies have a stylized musical element).  He tends to make films about alienation and obsession.  He doesn't always go for the blockbuster, crowd-pleasing ending.  In fact, he is known for locking horns with the studio execs in such matters, earning him a reputation for being stubborn.  He has been known to dismiss an actor for being annoying.  He has been known to shoot a scene 90 times.  In an interview, he was quoted as "wanting his audience to feel uncomfortable".  Oh yeah, and his movies tend to be long.  He has a lot to say.

So what I am going to do is this.  Fincher has made 9 movies, and I'm going to rank them from #9 to #1 over the next few weeks.  I know this ranking wasn't really necessary, but there is sport in it.  But with the exception of maybe the first two movies on my list, it pains me to minimize any of them.  To put "Zodiac" as #7, for example, makes me sick because it is a phenomenal movie.  Suffice it to say, you won't go wrong with any of these.


    

#9.  Alien 3 (1992)

Starring:  Sigourney Weaver, Charles Dutton, Charles Dance

Alien 3 was Fincher's directorial debut, and pretty much a dismal box office failure.  But to Fincher's defense, he inherited a bad script that was in a constant state of revision, had a rushed production schedule, and Fox edited the soul out of the original cut.  It isn't a horrible movie, and has shades of what would be Fincher's subtle stamp of style, and far from the worst in the series (Alien: Resurrection for example).  

#8:  Panic Room (2002)

Starring:  Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, Jared Leto

This is a decent thriller about a divorced mother and her diabetic child held captive in their NYC home by three burglars.  Mother and daughter take refuge inside a high-tech safe room within the house, but what the burglars want is in that room.  Thus ensues a battle of the wills and the mind to survive.  The camerawork is particular effective in navigating throughout this huge home, it is fast-paced with a team of great acting (this was Stewart before her head swelled and her mouth was perpetually open).  There was a memorable scene near the end with Whitaker that was very poetic...I would have been happy had the movie ended there, and would have been Fincher-esque.  Instead an added segment made it all a little too crowd-pleasing.  I have a feeling this was part of a compromise that ultimately adding nothing for me.

#7:  Zodiac (2007)

Starring:  Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr.

This movie is based on the non-fiction book by Robert Graysmith of the same name, and explores the infamous unsolved investigation of the Zodiac serial killer in San Francisco in the 1960's and 1970's, and the toll it took on those involved.  The primary focus is on a political cartoonist working at The Chronicle who becomes obsessed with the case when police and the newspaper receive mysterious encrypted letters and phone calls from the killer.  The acting in this movie is superb, and there is also a great use of music to pull you back into the time period.  It felt like I was investigating the case along with the reporters and police on-screen, and when we come face-to-face...more than once...with parties most likely involved with these grisly killings (once in a basement!!!), it is HEART STOPPING.  Fincher, his screenwriter, and the producer all spent 18 months conducting their own investigation and research before filming, and it shows.  This is not a slasher movie, like Saw, it is a smart movie that makes your brain buzz.


Next week, I'll progress up my list of favorites, #6 through #4.