Archive for movies & tv

Saturday Night Comic Book Movie Double Feature: Girl Power! Edition

January 5, 2013 / / No comments

Yeah, I know it’s been a while, but I’ve come to realize I’m running low on obscure comic-related movies available through streaming services to watch for this thing. Or at least ones that make neat pairs. (And sure, I could watch Thor or whatever, but what is the challenge in that?)

Neither of the comics that these two movies are based on are exactly “comic books” but close enough for me. Neither of them are what I’d call “good” either, but they’re both pretty much fun. This is not a Near Miss post, but it’s also because I was in that kind of mood.

My Name is ModestyMy Name is Modesty (2003)

Yes, there have been two other adaptations of Peter O’Donnell and Jim Holdaway’s Modesty Blaise — a movie in 1966 and a TV pilot in 1982. People just keep trying with this property and failing. Which is kind of baffling since it’s such rich source material.

This one doesn’t work much better. It went straight to video. Even with “Quentin Tarantino Presents” before the title, it’s probably not something that anyone would bother with, unless they were interested in Modesty Blaise. It feels a lot like a TV pilot (and, more or less, has the production values of one).

Alexandra Staden as Modesty does bring smarts and glamor to the role. She’s believable as someone who’d hold her own against thugs both physically and mentally (Staden is tall and thin, so the physical part isn’t necessarily the most realistic, but she does a good job of selling it). She and lead baddie Miklos (played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who apparently is on Game of Thrones for those of who you care) do have a surprising chemistry.

Still, the movie is pretty static — most of the plot takes place inside of a casino, with flashbacks as Modesty narrates her history. It’s an origin story of the worst kind. There was no attempt to seamlessly integrate these scenes. Even at less than 80 minutes, it feels padded.

It does have a good amount of stylishness and playfulness, though. The lack of budget is obvious, but the filmmakers used limited sets and costume changes to good effect. The action is entertaining enough, and both the leads are fun to watch. There are worse ways to spend a little bit more than an hour, as long as you don’t go into it expecting too much.

(And I would’ve loved to have seen a Modesty Blaise TV series starring Staden. That’s also not the DVD art that is everywhere, but that promises much more than the movie delivers.)

St. Trinian'sSt. Trinian’s (2007)

Things this movie has: Rupert Everett in drag (because of course!); Gemma Atherton as a sexpot student; Russell Brand, as you know, Russell Brand; Colin Firth (because of course!); a pair of blonde twins that like blowing stuff up; makeover montages (because of course!); and ridiculous heist scenes! Oh, and Stephen Fry shows up.

This is a zany, kinetic, incredibly silly piece of film. Is it good? Well, a movie like this is beyond good and bad. It’s entertainment and sometimes that’s all you need.

St. Trinian’s follows the rather long tradition of films based on the work of Ronald Searle. It’s a pretty loose adaptation, but I think it’s fair to the spirit of his work.

Our lead, Annabelle Fritton (played by Talulah Riley) starts out as the typical nerdy girl out of her depth before the St. Trinian’s students decide to make her one of their own. Despite her makeover, this doesn’t follow the typical “misfit is made over into a popular beauty queen” mode of a lot of teen movies. Rather, if anything, they take relatively normal Annabelle and turn her into more of a misfit.

The plot is the usual “we have to save our school!” nonsense, but involves selling liquor they manufacture on school grounds and stealing a painting to sell on the black market. But the plot is almost secondary to the setpieces — it’s fairly episodic as they go from pranks to deranged field hockey games to cheating on quiz shows.

The result is actually surprise — it’s all ridiculous, sure, but it’s delightful to watch these girls behave badly and get away with it. They’re not like the heroines of most teen movies and that’s part of what makes this movie great. They may not be initially likeable, but you’re rooting for them by the end.

(There is also a sequel. But do we have it in the U.S.? Of course not.)

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Movie Review: The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec

January 23, 2012 / / 2 comments

In Luc Besson’s The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (2010), our heroine, played by Louise Bourgoin, spends a good portion of her time sighing in exasperation. You see, Adèle absolutely does not have time for everyone’s stupidity (and, clearly, there are many stupid people around her). She has very important things to take care of and doesn’t need anything standing in her way.

Based on Jacques Tardi’s comic series of the same name, this movie is absolutely ridiculous and charming. I did not expect to have this much fun.

Adèle is a 25-year-old journalist/novelist from early 20th century France who travels the world in pursuit of stories. Allegedly. She’s more in pursuit of her own ends — currently, a mummy of an ancient Egyptian doctor who should provide the key to saving her catatonic sister. Back in Paris, there’s some trouble with a professor who can revive the dead and a pterodactyl. I really hope, at this point, you are thinking “This sounds like the best movie ever.” It’s not quite that, no, but it’s delightful all the same.

When you get down to it, the plot doesn’t make that much sense. It pulls from both “Adèle and the Beast” (or “Pterror Over Paris” as it’s called in the Fantagraphics edition) and “Mummies on Parade” although with liberties. While Adèle’s motivation to save her sister is definitely heartfelt, it’s more of just a plot device to put her in crazy situations.

Most of the fun is watching Bourgoin. This movie is firmly on her shoulders and she’s clearly enjoying herself. While she’s absolutely gorgeous, she also doesn’t seem to mind looking silly on occasion (Adèle dons various costumes in several failed attempts to break someone out of jail). She easily transitions from high comedy to quieter moments. She’s charismatic and playful in the role.

The special effects look fairly cheesy — despite being computer generated, they have a stop-motion look, but it works for the sort of movie this is. Other than some brief, non-titillating nudity when Adèle takes a bath and an off-screen decapitation, this could almost be a kid’s movie (and honestly, no worse — and in some ways, more tame — than Raiders of the Lost Arc, for example). I doubt the costumes or sets are overly authentic, but they’re beautiful and do go far in creating the world this story takes place.

I also really appreciated there was no tacked-on romance. While Andrej (Nicolas Giraud) has a sweet, harmless obsession with her and does prove to be helpful, Adèle isn’t interested, mostly because she has better things to do at the time. That was refreshing.

This is supposed to the be the first of a trilogy, but we’ll see. The ending is either cruel or open-ended on that account, but I’m not worried about Adèle’s ability to get out of whatever situation she finds herself in. She’s a smart, resourceful and clever woman. I have the comics but I wouldn’t mind seeing more of her on screen.

(This seems to be out everywhere except for the U.S. … but if you’re resourceful, you can find it pretty easily and cheaply. And legally.)

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Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

August 15, 2010 / / No comments

I, of course, went to see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World this weekend.

I liked the movie. It had a great, manic energy and it just kept moving forward without any hesitation. There really wasn’t a wasted moment nor was there any time to stop and get bored. Or honestly, really think. Director Edgar Wright did a beautiful job of capturing the giddy spirit of the comic. It’s a pretty seamless, joyful adaptation and the video game and manga-inspired touches are playful. The whole production design is perfect and spot-on.

But I guess my problems with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World are the same problems I have with the comic. Mostly, Scott Pilgrim himself.

I did enjoy Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comic. I think it captures a certain period of life very well. But I think that’s also its flaw. The older I get, the less I’m interested in the drama of young twentysomethings. I did love the final volume of Scott Pligrim and I think O’Malley brought it all together in a very satisfying manner, but I think it took too long to get there.

In some ways, the abbreviated pace of the movie works a bit better for me — it edits down the comic to its essential parts. And as annoying as he can be, I think Michael Cera was perfect for the role of Scott. Mostly because Scott is annoying. When his friends in the movie make fun of his naiveté and idiocy, it’s believable to me whereas it was less so in the comic (I know Scott’s friends in the comic treated him much the same way, but I often felt there was too much implicit approval with regard to Scott’s behavior and we were supposed to be cheering him on. I realize it’s personal, but I’ve known guys who were like Scott at this age, and well, they weren’t people I wanted to celebrate).

In the movie, Scott’s relationship, however chaste it is, with Knives is given a slightly more distasteful overtone. Scott’s too weak to be predatory, but he does come across as more unintentionally opportunistic. Likewise, all the supporting characters, especially Anna Kendrick as Scott’s sister Stacey and Kieran Culkin as Scott’s gay roommate Wallace, provide the voices of reason and are two of the more interesting parts of the movie.

I don’t think the movie quite did Ramona justice, though. Even in the comic, it did take a while for readers to learn much about her, but here, she mostly remains a mystery. Mary Elizabeth Winstead does play her with some pathos, but there’s not much to work with. I can understand what Scott sees in her — she’s cool and cute — but as for what she sees in Scott, I really don’t know (but unlike the comic, the movie only takes place over a handful of days, rather than a year, so it’s still a very young relationship).

If nothing else, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is incredibly entertaining. All in all, I think this movie is fated to play in dorm rooms for the next decade or so, and definitely shows what it feels like to be young in the early part of the 21st century. And it does have something to say about relationships and their baggage (although I think the movie does sacrifice a lot of the deeper issues of the comic for the sake of fun, which is understandable, but doesn’t make it as meaningful as it could’ve been).

It’s also wonderful in that it reveals what else comics have to offer other than “superheroes” or “serious autobiographical.” Whether or not that will have a lasting impact, I don’t know. Ultimately, I like this movie for what it is, and what it represents. I had fun, even if, in the end, I still feel a little ambivalent about the plot overall.

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Saturday Night Movie Triple Feature: Documentary Edition

July 10, 2010 / / No comments

That’s right — a triple feature. Because as I’ve been telling virtually everyone who will listen, with varying levels of annoyance, I am very much lacking money right now. While all my bills are paid, I have enough food to eat and enough gas in my car to get me to and from work until I get paid again, I have no money for extras. Like entertainment or other things that may involve leaving the house. But since Netflix is paid for another month (hey, it’s only $15) and offers unlimited streaming, it seems like an excellent time to lie around on my bed and watch movies.

I’m currently on a documentary kick and Netflix does have a few streaming that focus on comics or comic book culture. I figured this would be good for a laugh. Or at least a way to waste a few hours.

Comic Book Confidential
Even though this documentary was made in 1988, it still feels very relevant now. The primary focus is on alternative comics — works and creators outside the superhero genre, although those are definitely acknowledged — and I think that’s a side of comics that rarely gets enough attention historically. Yes, we all know about the rise of DC and Marvel, the stories of superheroes, all of that, but these underground creators contributed more than I think most people realize to the look and feel of comics today.

I was delighted to see how many of them are still working today — creators like Lynda Barry and Charles Burns are featured here, along with Jaime Hernandez and Art Spielgman. I also think the sight of an awesomely long-haired Frank Miller at the end being all self-important is quite incredible.

But really, if you want to know the history of comics and side of that history that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, this is a good place to start. I have no idea why more people haven’t told me to watch this documentary before. Nor do I have any idea why I haven’t watched it until now.

Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound
This is from 2008, and already seems a bit dated (in contrast to Comic Book Confidential, which doesn’t), especially since it was made before the economy tanked and Spider-Man got rebooted and the manga market took a downturn. And it definitely shies away from any criticism of the movies covered here, even when it’s probably deserved.

But it’s actually a pretty decent overview of the history of comic book movies. While there’s plenty of typical studio talking heads, it does feature interesting creators like Paul Pope and Mike Mignola as well as director Richard Donner. The overall tone here is completely flattering, even when they touch on some of the goofy live-action projects Marvel did in the ’80s and ’90s (but no mention of the TV movies for Nick Fury or Generation X, even though the Spider-Man and The Hulk series got passing mentions. I think some things are better off forgotten). But case in point: There was no acknowledgment that Marvel is still making bad movies (Daredevil? Elektra? I somewhat like Elektra, but I’m not going to tell you it’s good).

Still, I like that they do pay some attention to non-superhero comic book movies like The Road to Perdition and A History of Violence as well as American Splendor. And although the “looking into the future” predictions aren’t quite accurate now, I still think it’s clear that comic book movies are big business. I was surprised by this. I wasn’t expecting too much from it, but underneath the breathless tone of “these movies are awesome!” there is something of substance here.

Confessions of a Superhero
This 2007 documentary isn’t so much about comic books, except in the most abstract of ways. Rather, it’s about four people who dress up as superheros (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Hulk) and let tourists take photos of them for tips.

Christopher Dennis loves Superman a little too much — he has an overcrowded apartment full of merchandise and memorabilia and rarely takes the costume off. Maxwell Allen has inflated claims of his past as a supposed mob enforcer (as well as his resemblance to George Clooney) and seems to take being Batman a little too personally.

On the other hand, Jennifer Wenger, who dresses as Wonder Woman, and Joe McQueen, who dresses as The Hulk, both seem to understand this is just a way to make money in between acting jobs.

Wenger comes across the best of all four — she’s the most down-to-earth and genuinely sweet. McQueen also seems to understand his limitations and has overcome hardship (he was homeless for a while).

The other two? They both have obvious problems. Dennis claims to be the son of Sandy Dennis, but her family says he’s not. His obsession with Superman comes across as a compulsion (and his apartment is nearly something out of Hoarders). Allen is charming enough, until his outlandish stories begin to pile up (he claims to be great at various martial arts, but one scene in a martial arts studio would say otherwise. Perhaps not surprisingly, both seem to think dressing up as superheroes will provide them with their big breaks.

It’s a little painful in parts and it’s more about these four lives than any deeper message. But there’s still something sad and fascinating about how people are delighted and happy to pay money to get their photos taken with someone — anyone — dressed as their favorite heroes. There’s some power there.

Maybe this time next year, I’ll have the Comic-Con documentary that Joss Whedon, Harry Knowles and Morgan Spurlock are making this year. I suppose we’ll see how that turns out.

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Saturday Night Comic Book Movie Double Feature: Teen girl edition

May 2, 2010 / / No comments

“What’s the point of being famous if the people that hated you in high school don’t want to kiss your ass?”
–Wyatt Frame, Josie and the Pussycats

“God, just think — we’ll never see Dennis again. No, really, think about that. It’s actually totally depressing.”
–Enid, Ghost World

That’s right. It’s back after a very long absence (and yes, I know this is going up early Sunday, but I got started watching the movies late). Tonight, we have a pair from 2001 that both deal with what it was like to be a young woman right at the turn of the century. Or something. It does make sense.

I graduated from high school in the very late ’90s, which put me in college just as the new pop revolution was occurring. Even when we made fun of them, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC were omnipresent. We watched TRL even if it was just to mock it. We may have acted like we were so much cooler than this music, but we all knew it.

Josie and the Pussycats (2001) really wants to be subversive. It really wants to criticize the pop culture of the time — the blatant consumerism, the Millennials’ tendency to buy first, think later (see also, The Merchants of Cool, an episode of Frontline from the same year). I wanted to like it and I definitely liked things about it, but I don’t think it quite worked.

I am operating under the assumption that other than the key characters, this bears very little resemblance to the comic that shares its name. Our three leads are likable — Josie is played by Rachael Leigh Cook, who I don’t think we get to see enough of; Rosario Dawson is her awesome self as Valerie; and Tara Reid plays the ditzy Melody (cue sarcastic comments about how Reid is basically playing herself).

The Pussycats make it big, after a chance meeting with a sleezy record producer Wyatt (is there any other type in movies?) played by the always game Alan Cumming. His employer is the hilarious Parker Posey. In case you haven’t noticed so far, it’s really the quality of the casting that carries this movie. With others in these roles, it would be far less interesting.

And as it is, it’s not particularly interesting, honestly. Once you get the joke — Pop music has subliminal messages! That tells teenagers to buy stuff they don’t need! — it’s pretty easy to get bored. And considering you’ll get the joke about 20 minutes into it (if not sooner), that’s kind of a long time to be bored.

Then there’s the product placement. Look, I’m pretty much a fan of blatant product placement (I personally think Lady Gaga’s use of it in the “Telephone” video is hilarious) but this beats you over the head with it. There’s a fine line between “Ha ha, we know how goofy it is to have products in movies!” and “This is a commercial.” And this movie kind of crossed that line for me.Yes, a plane with a Target-branded interior is initially funny, but once there are hotel rooms covered in Revlon logos and a McDonald’s-themed bathroom, the joke becomes less and less funny. No matter how knowingly it’s done, it begins to feel like it’s just trying to sell you things, which is the very concept this movie claims it’s against.

It’s kind of cute and kind of funny (and I think the beer I drank while watching it helped on those accounts) but in the end, it’s not much better than disposable culture it’s mocking (and I couldn’t help but notice that Revlon’s Street Wear brand, which was featured prominently in a couple of scenes, is no more, as is MTV’s TRL. And what happened to Carson Daly anyway?

On the opposite end of the spectrum, but also from the same year, is Ghost World. Based on Daniel Clowes’ comic, the movie’s teenage girls are untouched by current pop culture and basically go as far to outright reject it.

We first meet Enid (Thora Birch) as she’s graduating from high school (well, almost — she’s told she still needs to take an art class). She’s the sort that’s too smart for her own good. To me, it’s not so much that she believes no one is worth her time as much as it is she just sees through all the pretense everyone else has. She doesn’t much care what anyone else thinks, or at least that’s what she wants everyone to believe. But Enid, undoubtedly, loves being herself.

As the summer progresses, she finds conflict with her best friend Becky (played Scarlett Johansson, before she was getting all sexed-up to be Black Widow), who wants to move on with her life and grow into adulthood, and friendship with an older, music-obsessed loner named Seymour.

I like this movie. But then that should come as a shock to absolutely no one (in fact, several coworkers have said to me “You’ve seen Ghost World” as if it’s a statement of fact rather than a question when they had no way of knowing otherwise). It’s the sort of story about teenage girls that doesn’t get told. Enid never got any sort of makeover or “taming.” Nor did she end up with a boy. She just got to be herself. She captured the sort of listlessness that comes with not quite being sure who you need to be, and director Terry Zwigoff lets her shine, and lets this be her story.

I do feel like the movie didn’t quite know what to do with Seymour in the end. His fate maybe isn’t cruel, but it does feel a little undeserved.

Still, that’s a pretty small complaint about the movie overall. I like the comic too (although it’s been a good while since I’ve read it) but in some ways, I think I prefer the movie more.

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