In Defense of "Alien: Resurrection"

“There's a monster in your chest. These guys hijacked your ship, and they sold your cryo tube to this... human. And he put an alien inside of you. It's a really nasty one. And in a few hours it's gonna burst through your ribcage, and you're gonna die. Any questions?”

 

When I was younger, a sequel to a film meant one thing: More.

More adventures with Marty and Doc, more terminators and aliens, more stars and space (final frontiers and wars), more weapons that are lethal, to infinity and beyond ‘Thunderdome’.  You get the idea.

In the 90’s with Hollywood when they think sequel, they also think: More.

More money!  Because of this you get a much different teen wolf, a worse karate kid, one too many Godfathers, and the worst Batman ever.

And as of late the third and fourth films of a series seem to be the death nail of said series like the ‘please no more’ adventures of Jack Sparrow, Neo and his tired bullet-time pals, the taming of John McClane, and more Jason and Shrek movies you can shake a stick at.

But as movies are subjective, a case can be and usually is made for why a film series hasn’t died, but got better.  I will admit the film I’m about to discuss does not fall in that category, it does however warrant a defense.  This is where I begin to talk about “Alien: Resurrection”.

Released in 1997 when the few aliens in sci-fi we had was action and comedy-centric as in “M.I.B.” and “The Fifth Element” or super serious like in the brilliant “Contact”.  Being a sequel “Alien: Resurrection” was held to a standard that almost had to be followed and with the success of James Cameron’s “Ailens” and flop of David Fincher’s “Alien 3” “Resurrection” had a lot to live up to at the same time a lot to make up for.

The story takes place 200 years after the events in “Alien 3” scientist on a space station have cloned Ellen Ripley and in turn resurrect the acid-blood alien species.  A rag-tag crew, who has brought human hosts aboard to be infected unbeknownst to them, get stuck as aliens break free and all hell breaks loose and they have to trust the unstable Ripley clone to help get them off the ship before they all die.

First the bad, this film was really miscast, from the loud and awkward performance by Dan Hedaya, the non-captain like Michael Wincott and Winona Ryder who plays it like a whiny teen with a twist that feels only slightly more like a whiny teen.  And more importantly than all of the casting missteps, another director should have been hired that understood the uniqueness and humor of a Joss Whedon script.  Maybe the original choice of Danny Boyle would have made it work.  Don’t get me wrong Jean-Peirre Jeunet made some good stuff, see “Amelie” and “City of Lost Children”.  He just didn’t fit this franchise.

Since I mentioned Whedon, time to talk about the good.  The story is bold, jumping 200 years and not explaining why cloning takes so long in this future, and why so many aliens need to be hatched and studied.  But we get to see aliens chase people with guns, which we missed since “Aliens” and it almost worked all the way with the crew of the Betty who slightly foreshadow of the crew of Serenity.  We get shades of Zoe and Jane with Kim Flowers and Ron Perlman as Johner, who has one of the best scenes as he faces off against a spider.  This film has aliens swimming underwater, basketball, a chest-bursting scene that plays like a crazy horror movie, Brad Dourif torturing aliens, which lead to a clever escape, and the clone Ripley played very animal-like by Sigourney Weaver still really works as a character and the centerpiece of the film.

Now I wouldn’t put this in the class of the first two “Alien” films but it’s far better than “3” and while not as beautiful as the semi-quasi follow-up/ prequel thingy that is “Prometheus” it’s still a fun watch, mainly because after seeing just about everything Joss Whedon has done, I can imagine how the lines in the film should have been read and see the winks and plays on stereotypes that are attempted in “Alien: Resurrection”.  That’s how I watch it now with, Whedon-goggles, trust me its way better than enduring those God-awful A.V.P. films.   Though I’m still not too sure which hybrid alien is worse.

--Robert L. Castillo         

Now You See Me

                                                         

             I always wanted to be a magician. I would picture me in front of an audience wowing them with the tricks I performed, or maybe just to pick up an attractive girl at the bar. Either way it was the performance that would matter. There is something about magic that grabs our attention whenever we see it. I think it is because either we want to believe magic is real or we want to be that one guy who figured out how the trick was done. The question on everyone’s mind after seeing a trick is always the same, “How did they do it”?

           In “Now You See Me” the new film from director Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk) magic and the art of distraction play a big role. Four street magicians, all with a particular talent, are summoned to an apartment in New York and shown something that will change their lives. They come together and form “The Four Horseman”, who are magicians who want to give a little something back to their audience.  J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) are the ‘Horsemen.’ They perform one elaborate trick after another, all while the F.B.I, Interpol, and a former magician named Thaddeus (Morgan Freeman) chase after them. The Horsemen want everyone to keep an eye on them; because in their mind the more they think you see the easier it will be to fool you.

      I think every time you see a magic trick you want to leave with amazement in your eyes, because you just saw something you can’t believe. You play it over in your mind, trying to find the flaw in the trick, or the point you think they fooled you. Well like a good magic trick this story will trick you to think that you know what is going on. The story is fair enough, and the characters you can take or leave, but the twist and turns more than make up its faults. I like to have that moment in movies where I thought I had it all figured out, and then the old curve ball is thrown and I just think to myself, well played Mr. storyteller. “Now You See Me” is one of those movies that do just that. With a great cast and an intriguing story, you will enjoy trying to figure out where the movie is taking you. In a marketplace where sequels and remakes are everywhere you look, it is nice to see there are still some originality out there. I believe there is an old saying that says that everyone loves a magician. Well in this movie you get four of them, so that must mean you should really love this movie. That might not be true, but I know that you will enjoy the ride and you might ask as the end “How did they do that”?

Brian Taylor

     

Flashback Corner--L.A. Confidential

Hold up your badge, so they’ll know you’re a policeman.”

 

There are so many great gangster pictures.  Some center on the the crew like “Reservoir Dogs”, “Goodfellas”, “Miller’s Crossing”, and “Pulp Fiction”.  Others follow a central figure in the gang, “The Godfather”, “Carlito’s Way”, and “Scarface”…man, Pacino did a lot of those didn’t he?  And in the past decade or so it’s been ‘gangsta’ to love the gagster.  However, some of my favorite crime films involve the lives of the cops who chase the crooks, like “The Untouchables”, “Donnie Brasco” “Dirty Harry”, “Colors”, “Serpico” (Pacino again) “Seven”, “Lethal Weapon”.  And as much as I love those films, the one I go back to again and again is 1997’s “L.A. Confidential”.

Based on the 1990 novel by James Ellroy, the film follows three cops who have chosen very different paths that intersect in 1953 during a time of corruption, scandal, and Hollywood.  The trio is Bud White (Russell Crowe) a gruff, tough, only slightly dirty cop.  Edmond Exley (Guy Pearce) as the straight-laced do-gooder cop working his way up the ranks like his father did.  And Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) as the smooth talking, flashy Narco cop who’s gone Hollywood as a TV consultant.

When a gruesome murder takes place, all three men get involved for their own personal reasons and find that they have to work together to solve the case that will take them off of their path and lead them to be the cops and men that they truly are.

This is a fantastic film with so many levels and characters that all flow together seamlessly as it tells a great story that deserved its Oscar for “Best Adapted Screenplay” for Director/Co-writer Curtis Hanson, and Brian Helgeland.  With not so many twists, but definitely turns that develop the characters and give a glimpse, albeit fictional version into the time of 50’s cops and robbers.  It’s a hard-hitting crime yarn with outstanding performances by all the key players, though mostly Crowe and Kim Basinger as the beautiful Veronica Lake look-alike/hooker.  And it also has one of the best interrogation scenes that is so intense that I get goose-bumps right now as I simply write about it.

I can still remember going to Suncoast the day this movie was released on video, and I had to have it in widescreen which at the time the movie was almost fifty bucks.  Even the guy ringing me up thought it was too high.  I like to think I watched it enough to make up the price I paid.  Fifty bucks?  Maybe not, but to this day, this is one of my favorite films of all time and has yet to be topped even with modern classics like “Heat” and “The Departed”.  And while everyone remembers 1997 as the record breaking run of the gajillion dollars earning “Titanic”, the best film of that year was “L.A. Confidential”.

--Robert L. Castillo       

Hangover Part III

                                                             

            Comedies have to be the hardest movies to write. I mean what is funny to one person may be offensive to another. That is ok though, because there is a comedy out there for everyone. In 2009 “The Hangover” came to theaters and found a big audience.  I think it is pretty simple why it was a success, it pushed the envelope just enough and most people can relate to it, I mean who hasn’t had a night they would like to forget. Well after a forgettable sequel what will director Todd Phillips do with what he said was always a planned trilogy.

      The good news is that unlike the last film, it actually does not just retell the same story with a different character. The bad news is just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse; the filmmakers prove to you that it can. Allen (Zach Galifianakis) is out of control. When he is not killing giraffes he is giving his father a heart attack. Allen’s family calls for an intervention and assembles Allen’s only friends, the wolf pack. Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) all decide to drive Allen to a place that will help him get better. I mean really what could go wrong on a simple road trip? Well with these guys, everything. They are run off the road and a guy named Marshall (John Goodman) tells them he has a problem and only the wolf pack can solve it. All they have to do is track down Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) and return him and the thing he has stolen back to Marshall.

      My hopes were not high for this film, especially after the last one. It really just felt like everyone involved was doing as little work as possible just for a big payday. Well it did not get better with the third, in fact it got worse. Gone are the drugs and alcohol and the bad decisions that were made in result, instead they are replaced with trying to save Doug again. I mean I don’t want be mean, but this Doug guy just seems to cause so many problems for these guys. What really confused me while watching this movie was what it was trying to be. Gone was the laugh out moments that made this series what it was. Those laughs were replaced with what looked like a suspenseful comedy; if that is even something anyone would want to see. This should have never been a trilogy; this should have always been a standalone film. Now all you have is two bad films that have made you forget a pretty original and funny movie. This movie has very little laughs and quite frankly not worth wasting a second of your time watching it. In fact I will give you a funnier thing to do, then to watch this movie. You should go outside, put a rock on the ground and stare at it for two hours, because after watching this movie, I think that would have been a more enjoyable time than any part of this movie.

Brian Taylor

Fast & Furious 6

                                                                 

One of my favorite things about this movie is that just as the credits are about to roll, there is actually a disclaimer telling people not to attempt these stunts as seen on screen. I mean what is worse?  That there are actually people out there who will try and do what they see. Or that it happens so often they studio feels the need to protect themselves against their stupidity.  But enough about the disclaimer, I mean after all it comes at the end of the movie, what’s important is what comes before.

       Now this is usually the place where I tell you the plot of the movie. I like to tell you the characters, a little about the story and so forth. Well I can do that is one sentence. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, and even Michelle Rodriguez are all back. However if you want a plot it’s simple, the car racing crew must stop a bunch of guys who drive cars as good as they do, but they are ex military instead of street guys. Things will blow up, guns will be shot, and oh yeah lots of speeding cars. The thing about that simple plot, there is nothing wrong with it. I mean if you believe in things like reality, science, or anything like that, you might not enjoy this movie. The thing is though if you turn off your mind, and just sit back and enjoy, it will be hard for you not to have fun with this movie. Some people may see this and enjoy it, but afterwards they might need a bath, while others with bask in the glory that is “Fast & Furious”.

          You have to hand it to the makers of this film, they know their audience. I thought this series was dead and buried after the forth one, but I was wrong. Not only did it not die, it actually got better. It is almost like the filmmakers embraced what was and is good about this series, and just decided to go all out, regardless of story or reality. Justin Lin has pretty much become resident director, and who can blame him, you find something you do well, you should keep doing it. Also back is writer Chris Morgan, who wrote the last film, as well as “Fast & Furious 7”. Yes there will be another one.  I enjoyed this film, for the simple fact I didn’t have to try and follow anything. With all the things we have going on in our lives it is nice sometime to sit down, unplug, and just watch the eye candy before us.  That is exactly what this movie is, it’s eye candy, and that is the best compliment I can give it. So go this weekend and sit back and unwind, and just watch this movie. Then when it is over, just remember one thing; please do not try any of the stunts you see in the film, because you’ll want to be around for the next one.

Brian Taylor

   

Star Trek Into Darkness

                                                       

         In 2009 J.J. Abrams performed what is called in the medical community, CPR on the Star Trek series.  On the brink of death from neglect, he breathed new life into a series that dates back almost fifty years. His idea to go back to the original cast, before they were the characters we all knew was a brilliant idea and one that introduced Star Trek to a new audience. So how do you take something that was so good and try and make a sequel that is on the same level or better? Well, you let J.J do it.

      Kirk (Chris Pine) is Captain of the Enterprise, and he and his crew are to monitor new life forms without interfering in their lives. When a volcano erupts, threading to wipe out a whole planet, Kirk, and the crew of the Enterprise decide to interfere and save the planet from destruction. After returning to Earth, Kirk is punished by Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) and reduced in rank to first officer. Meanwhile Spock (Zachary Quinto) is transferred to another ship for his part in breaking the prime directive. Trouble arises when Starfleet is attacked by one of their own named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), who wants revenge for something Starfleet has done. After a firefight at Starfleet headquarters, Kirk convinces Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) to allow him to chase after Harrison, and bring him back to answer for his crimes. Kirk captures Harrison and from there things really take a turn.

     One of the hardest things to do is to make a sequel as good as or better than the original, well mission accomplished. “Star Trek Into Darkness” is every bit as entertaining and enjoyable as its predecessor and in a lot of ways better. One of the things that make this film better is that the actors have taken ownership of the roles they are performing. When you hear the name Capitan Kirk there will be just as many people who think of Chris Pine, as there would be William Shatner. That is the highest compliment I can give this current cast, you don’t think of the actors that played them before, you only think of the current cast. When the original series went to the big screen, it was a success. The first film was very well received, but “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn” is considered by fans as being the best “Star Trek” film even to this day. What J.J Abrams, along with writers Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof have done is amazing. The things they did will make Trekkies smile and at the same time keep the new fans very happy.  I had very high expectations for this film, because let’s face it, I am a fan. Well from a movie lover and a fan of “Star Trek”, I could not have asked for anything better. This isn’t just a great “Star Trek “movie, this is a great movie period. So take the voyage on the star ship Enterprise and boldly go on a ride you will want to take again and again.

Brian Taylor

           

What's on Redbox?--John Dies at the End

          One of my favorite types of films is the ones that don’t try too hard to pay homage to certain films, but also don’t try too hard to seem like they are not completely ripping them off.  In the case of “John Dies at the End” it shows you something original enough and gives you a sense of the familiar at the same time.  All while being an entertaining watch.

If I had to describe it to someone, I would say that it’s like the “Supernatural” boys take a “Donnie Darko” type trip after they are exposed to a drug called Soy Sauce that leads them to be like “Ghostbusters” now that they see the world “They Live” style.  And there’s a dog that appears to be self-aware.

Paul Giamatti is a reporter meeting with Dave (Chase Williamson) who tells him a tale of weird followed by weirder about him and his fellow slacker buddy John (Rob Mayes) who after taking Soy Sauce see the world as it really is, in multiple levels with different dimensions with a healthy dose of monsters.  If you don’t pay attention you may get a little lost and miss some fast-moving funny.  But you’ll catch meat-people, hot dog cell phones, and Clancy Brown as an infomercial evangelist that is really an ass-kicking avenger of earth.

The dialogue is very clever and while the actors are not the best, it’s still worth your time and there is enough here to bring it to cult status which something director Don Coscarelli knows about since he brought us “Phantasm”, “The Beastmaster”, and “Bubba Ho-Tep”.  So if you’re up for a quirky, fun, and kinda smart flick that’s not part of the ‘crappy Hollywood re-make/sequel’ machine, check out “John Dies at the End” I promise the title doesn’t ruin the movie.

--Robert L. Castillo

The Great Gatsby

 
                                                           

            Great stories are universal. When you read one you always believe it will translate over any medium. Even with so much material out there, it shouldn't be a surprise that the legendary writers get so many variations if their stories told. The era may change, or maybe even the sex of the main character, but the original story is still intact. One of the great American writers is F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote what many consider one of the great American novels. “The Great Gatsby” has been told on film before, but never like this.

         The time is 1922, New York and the stock market is booming. With the boom comes new wealth and the roaring twenties is born. Nick Carraway (Toby Maguire) had come to New York to be a part of that world, and takes residency in the village of West Egg in a small cottage, next to the manors of the newly wealthy. Nick is not alone; it seems his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) lives in nearby Long Island, with her rich husband Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). Tom comes from “old money” and looks down at all these newcomers to the club. Nick soon finds out he lives next to a mythical man named Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) who no one seems to know who he really is. What they do know is that Gatsby loves to throw parties, although his guests never see him. Nick soon though meets Gatsby and the two get along well. Gatsby takes Nick on the town and introduces him to all the important people of New York, but soon Nick finds out Gatsby requires a favor from him. It seems Gatsby once knew Daisy and would like Nick to invite her over for tea, where Gatsby can run into her. What Nick does not know is that Gatsby loves Daisy and considers her the love that got away, while he was fighting the Great War. What follows is a story of love, money and life in the fast lane.

      This is one of those stories that seems to be able to fit in any subject, is timeless. Take a classic story and add a director in Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge), who can mix eras seamlessly. Everything looks good on paper, but somewhere it just doesn't live up to what it might or could have been. The film looks great; Luhrmann is a magician with the camera by making everything look amazing. The performances are very good by most of the cast, the problem lies in the story; it just doesn't seem to fit the visuals. It is slow a lot of times and with a run time of over two hours; you might be looking at your watch often. Another thing Luhrmann has done so well with his past movies is incorporating modern music in period pieces. Well in the case of “The Great Gatsby” the music is hit or miss, sometimes it is great, while other times it feels out of place. I really wanted to enjoy this movie, but it is hard to most of the time. This movie just doesn't live up to its title, and probably should be renamed, “The Not so Great Gatsby” though that probably wouldn't sell many tickets.

Brian Taylor 

Flashback Corner--In the Line of Fire

“Watching the President, I - I couldn't help wondering why a man like you would risk his life to save a man like that. You have such a strange job - I can't decide if it's heroic or absurd.”         

 

Film fans of all ages can have an entirely different view on Clint Eastwood.  The older generation remember the cowboy, the man with no name, Josey Wales.  The younger know the grumpy old man from who trains Oscar winners to box, who doesn’t want kids in his yard and has trouble with the curve.  My generation knows him as Dirty Harry Callahan, the bare-knuckle brawler who owned a monkey, the aging bad-ass cowboy, and of course my favorite role Frank Horrigan in “In the Line of Fire”.

This 1993 film is ‘Eastwood vs. Malkovich’ it follows a secret service agent (Eastwood) who was there the day in Dallas in ’63 when Kennedy was assassinated, who now with a second chance must stop a killer from taking out the current president.  Malkovich plays the perfect foil for Eastwood as he taunts and terrorizes the aging agent as he gets closer and closer to his goal.  Directed by Wolfgang Petersen a man who doesn’t always make great films like “Das Boot” and “The Neverending Story”, he does always make entertaining ones.  This is no exception; it’s a fantastic thriller with a tight script with some great humor supplied by Eastwood and spring of intensity and eerie calm by Malkovich.  The build-up is exciting and the outcome while a little on the formulaic side is still worth the watch.  This film has a Star Trek: Wrath of Khan feel as the two leads go head to head without actually being in the same room, just two guys playing a telephone version of ‘cat and mouse’ in fact they are some of the best scenes in the film.

My favorite memory though, was before I actually saw the movie, it was when I caught the trailer in the theater.  Back before the internet, when new trailers could only be viewed on the big screen I was fascinated watching the teaser of “In the Line of Fire”.  It showed a ‘1963’ date in which the ‘6’ spun around with the sound of a ticking clock until it read ‘1993’ all the while dialogue of the film along with the iconic “In a world” movie voice telling us, almost assuring us that Clint Eastwood was gonna save the day.  And he didn’t even need a horse or an orangutan this time.

 

--Robert L. Castillo

To the Wonder

                                                             

               Terrence Malick is one of those directors who are choosey in what they do. Ever since he released “Badlands” in 1973 he has only made five other films. With that being said a Terrence Malick film is something that a lot of people look forward to. There are also a lot of actors who are lining up to work with him. Last year he wrote and directed one of the most talked about films if the year in “Tree of Life”. Like that film “To the Wonder” is amazing to watch, even if you don’t quite know what the story is.

             The plot for this film is pretty simple, so like the film I am going to keep my description of it the same. Neil (Ben Affleck) meets a girl in Paris named Marina (Olga Kurylenko). Marina has a daughter who she has from a previous marriage. Neil and Marina move to Oklahoma, where Neil checks for environmental damage for a company. Neil and Marina have a falling out and Marina movies back to Paris. While she is gone Neil reunites with Jane (Rachel McAdams) and starts a relationship with her. Marina comes back to Oklahoma and she and Neil get married. Also in Oklahoma is a priest named Father Quintana (Javier Bardem) who is trying to find God. Marina and Neil’s relationship becomes troublesome and Marina moves back again to Paris, and that is it, that’s the movie.

          Pretty simple plot there and I will warn you, if you enjoy hearing Ben Affleck’s voice, then this is not the film for you. The movie is told mostly though a narrative by Kuylenko’s character, and in French, but don’t worry there are subtitles. Words though are not important in this film, what is important is the story you see with your eyes.  Malick is a genius with the camera and can find beauty in almost anything. I think you could put Malick in an empty room and he would show you how beautiful the shadows reflect off the light. I know that sounds funny, but after watching this film you will understand exactly what I mean. The film seems like it is told in a series of thirty second cuts, but in beautiful cuts. The lack of dialogue may have your ears starving, but the stunning images you will see on screen will more than satisfy your eyes. “To the Wonder” will not spawn the discussions like “Tree of Life” or the accolades, but it still is a beautiful film to watch. This is a film not many people will see, but if you want to see the beauty that is around us every day, then this film will show you the wonder all around us.

Brian Taylor

Iron Man 3

                                                     

          Superhero movies have taken over the movie theaters. Every year it seems the movies that are on the most peoples ‘must see’ list involve something that originated from a comic book. 2013 is no different, this year we get a new Iron Man as well as the sequel to Thor. These movies though fall in what I like to call A.A or after Avengers. How do you follow up what seemed like the perfect superhero movie? The good thing is one of the things that made “The Avengers” so special was Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, and now he gets his own movie again.

       “Iron Man 3” takes place after the events in “The Avengers” and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is not dealing with the aftermath too well. Instead of sleeping, he spends his time with Jarvis and his Iron man suits. While Stark is having his problems, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is running Stark Industries. She takes a meeting with a man from her past named Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), who wants Stark Industries to invest in something that he has been working on. Potts declines to invests and everyone parts ways friends. Things though are not right in America as a man calling himself The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is reigning terror on the country. The only thing that can stop him is Tony Stark who is Iron Man.

       The Marvel movies have been pretty fun to watch in the last four years. Although they have not all be great, they have all been entertaining. After all the build up to “The Avengers” you had to wonder where they would go next. Well the good news is that they didn’t go down the peak of the mountain far. “Iron Man 3” is fun and the main reason once again is Robert Downey Jr. I don’t know if anyone could ever play Tony Stark, because Downey is every reason why Iron Man has worked so well. Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) has stepped in as director after Jon Favreau decided he would rather just produce. The good thing is Black is not a stranger to action movies and shows he knows what he is doing since his action pic’s of the 80’s. Black also co-wrote the screenplay with Drew Pearce, and makes the film a little darker and funnier. It always seems when a studio decides to make a sequel for a movie, the quality seems to decline with each new film added to a series. This was the feeling after “Iron Man 2” which was not on the same level as the original. Well “Iron Man 3” is not exactly there either, but it is not far off. This movie is a great way to start what feels like a great summer for movies and there may not be a better action movie this year. You all just should enjoy this ride and I assure you, that you may all want to be Iron Man.

Brian Taylor