Alex Cross

   

     In the early nineties James Patterson introduced a character that would become very popular for readers. The novel was called “Along Came a Spider”, where we first meet Detective Alex Cross. Eighteen novels and two films later, we have gotten to know Detective Cross very well. After an eleven year absence from the big screen, Detective Cross is back and there is something different about him. 

     For starters Detective Cross is now played by Tyler Perry, yes the same Tyler Perry who has created a film empire playing everyone’s favorite grandmother. Perry plays Cross as he is at a crossroads, where he is deciding his career future. He is a Detroit detective who has a team who always seems to solve the cases that need to be solved. His partner and friend since kindergarten, Tommy (Ed Burns) plays the perfect counterpart to Cross. Everything in Detroit is not well though. Cross is called in on a case that is more disturbing than most; who he thinks was committed by one man. That man is Picasso (Matthew Fox), who has a thing for torture and drawing. After Cross stops his next planned crime, Picasso takes it personal and hits Cross in a way to make him suffer. With that Cross plans to stop Picasso at all cost and with him his plans.

   It almost seems like this character has faded from most people’s mind. There are still plenty of novels written about the character, but after two films within a few years of each other, why such a gap? Tyler Perry does a great job of stepping into Morgan Freeman’s shoes as Patterson’s star detective. The film adds more action than the first two films, but you would expect that from a film directed by Rob Cohen (xXx, The Fast and the Furious). The story doesn’t follow the book well and is definitely made for the big screen. The movie is entertaining for the most part, but has a few plot points that get left unresolved. I think it is good to reintroduce a good character like Alex Cross back into the world of movies. There is so much source material and so many stories you can do with him. Unfortunately they did not bring him back with a bang, but not exactly at a whimper either. I would like to see Perry come back as Cross, but with a better story, because this is one character that deserves another chance.

Brian Taylor

  

                                                           

Flashback 'Dark' Corner--In the Mouth of Madness

Even after years of watching “Poltergeist”, “The Howling” and “The Exorcist” through my fingers, there are still movies that do the job of scaring me when I watch them.  Now, it just borders on creeping me out, but the old fear and wanting to bring my hands up still lingers.  John Carpenter has already been sited here as a master of horror, though his later films haven’t shown this as much, he did have a film that hit most of the right horror notes.  This was 1994’s “In the Mouth of Madness”.

Sam Neil (Jurassic Park) is John Trent, an insurance investigator brought in to discover the whereabouts of famed horror fiction writer Sutter Cane played by Jurgen Prochnow who I always think of him as the bad guy from “Beverly Hills Cop II”.  Trent hired by Cane’s publisher, a surprisingly subdued performance by Charlton Heston and is sent to find the supposedly fictional town of Hobb’s End where he thinks the writer is holding the manuscript for his final book hostage.  A book series that has created rabid fans and an even more insane agent of Cane that has been driven to axe wielding.  When Trent and Cane’s editor the mostly drab and boring Julie Carmen find Hobb’s End after a eerie road trip, they stay at the local inn where paintings and old sweet ladies are not what they seem.  From here the movies goes all over the place, from weird, creepy, funny, disturbing, scary, and even delving into the meta, all leading up to a haunting and somewhat sad ending.

When I first saw this movie, which was intended to be the last of Carpenter’s “Apocalypse Trilogy”, the first two being “The Thing” and “The Prince of Darkness” you can see the similarities and the bleak tone of them all.  This one, though feels more like an unnerving piece of fiction mainly because of the meta aspect of it.  I had never seen a movie, where it flash forwards and backwards, that discusses elements of true horror and has moments that make you question reality.  I had read my share of Stephen King before seeing this movie, and I looked into the H.P. Lovecraft stories after seeing it.  You will notice many nods to the Cthulhu mythos, and even some of the creatures that look like it.  As well as the power of fiction, and how ideas can give birth to many horrible things if enough people read and believe.  The standout great exchange between Trent and Dr. Wrenn played by the great David Warner really sells what Carpenter is putting out there with the discussion of a book that can drive you crazy: “What about people who don’t read?”  “There’s a movie.”

Being a classic horror film you get the typical gags and jump-scares that Carpenter is famous for, but they still kinda work on some levels, even when you see them coming.  And Sam Neil really carries the film throughout.  His reactions and his transformations seem genuine. The other great part that gives it that classic feel, is that most of the effects are practical, this was when CGI was really taking off, and while Carpenter uses some of it, mostly it’s real moving and creepy, like the backwards hand-standing creature that still gives me chills.  And did I mention the mutant children and Hayden Christensen as the paperboy?  Chilling.  That and more is what makes this one of the great horror movies of 90’s.

 

--Robert L. Castillo       

World's Finest...Animation

Their stories have been entertaining us for over 70 years, and we still are not tired of them.  Superman and Batman, the two most recognizable characters ever created have been successful both on the big and small screens.  Whether it’s Christopher Reeve in the ’78 “Superman: The Movie” or Kevin Conroy as the voice of the animated Batman since 1992, these heroes only ever leave us wanting more.  So far what DC has done in the animated world has far superseded what Marvel has done on its animation front.  The last two films released by DC, its 14th and 15^th films are a reminder that great stories that started in the comic book form can be animated to life as well.

“Superman vs. The Elite” is a great story written in both comic form as well as the animated movie form by Joe Kelly.  In the story originally published in Superman: Action Comics issue #775 we see Superman go up against a Super powered group of self-appointed heroes that attempt to do what Superman would never do: kill to get the job done.  Manchester Black and his crew in the film version start off befriending the Man of Steel, showing their skills, and wanting to join the good fight.  But when they turn their attention and aggression to world politics and problems with the system that allows villains who kill to live, this is where they come into conflict with Superman.  What’s great about the movie is we actually see Superman’s dilemma play out, we see him wonder if he’s become outdated for this world.  The morality of someone as powerful as Superman comes into question and has a very satisfying conclusion.  Even if it does feel a little rushed at the end, it’s still a really solid entry into the DC animated universe.

“Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1” is based on the 1986 epic game changer of a book written by Frank Miller (Sin City).  In it we see a 55 year old Bruce Wayne come out of a ten year retirement to take back the city of Gotham no matter the cost.  In the wake of his revival we get a new female Robin named Carrie Kelley who together takes on the criminal underworld as well as some of the most ruthless of Batman’s rouge gallery.  Namely Two-Face and the Joker, and possibly the afore mentioned man with the giant “S”…but that’s jumping too far ahead.  The animated film is not as good as some fans have hoped.  For me what feels like a huge miss is Batman’s voice-over.  In the comic it works so well listening to Batman’s thoughts and feelings.  It lends itself to the page and was quite effective in the recent DC film “Batman: Year One”.  Other than that we still get to see some great stuff, and get to hear some immortal lines by Peter Weller (Robocop) as the elder Batman.  Some work and some don’t, but if this is the only version we get to see animated from this great story, I’m okay with that.  Especially since this is only the first part of the story, the confrontation with the Joker and Superman are still to come.  If you’ve never read this story and you are a fan of the recent Chris Nolan Batman trilogy, it is worth your time.  My suggestion, watch the animated version first then, check out the book.  Part 2 will be coming out early next year.

Now while I will not let my kids watch these DC Universe films at least until they get a little older, I’m glad they are making them.  There was so little out there for comic book fans until superheroes blew up in a big way, now that they have, I hope Marvel will take a page from DC and give the adult fan something to pass on to the future fans of these classic heroes.

 

--Robert L. Castillo   

Flashback Corner--Catch Me if You Can

 

“No, no, no, you, you do not feel sorry for me.  The truth is… I knew it was you, now maybe I didn’t get the cuffs on you, but I knew.”

 

          After “Saving Private Ryan” Steven Spielberg directed a string of movies that had some people believing that he was losing his touch.  Oh yeah, he’s still a phenomenal visual storyteller, and he can get those emotional beats as if he directed “E.T.” last year, but when people look at “A.I. Artificial Intelligence”, “Minority Report”, “The Terminal”, “War of the Worlds”, “Munich”, and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” it’s a little easy to see what people are talking about.  Something seems like it is missing.  But there is a film mixed in that bunch that I feel was short changed.  And that’s 2002's “Catch Me if You Can” starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a young con man on the run from the law, led by Tom Hanks.

Based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. who before he turned 19 posed as a doctor, a lawyer, and a pilot for Pan Am.  He was able to forge checks so well, that he acquired millions of dollars over the course of a few years, and conned almost everyone he met.  Hot on his seemingly cold trail was Carl Hanratty a FBI bank fraud agent.  When Frank’s family begins to fall apart because of financial hardship, he runs away and uses his natural skill and older looks to survive and begins to live well beyond his means.  Meanwhile his mother moves on with her life and his father becomes a casualty of his financial situation.  Christopher Walken plays the elder Abagnale Sr. and kills it in every scene he’s in, a part of me wishes he was a central point of the film, however this is Frank Jr.’s story and Dicaprio at least in my mind shed any ounce of “Titanic” off of him for me in this film.  It also ushered him into the world of Scorsese where he has done some of his best work.  Here in “Catch Me if You Can” you see him transform from young and reckless to aged and experienced.  It is a tremendous film and belongs up there with Spielberg’s greats.

If you re-watch the film you will see the classic Spielberg tropes, not just the great close-ups and almost perfectly framed shots, but his views on youth and the innocence of the time, not so much the naiveté, though some of the characters come off that way.  You see the broken homes, like in “E.T.”, “Close Encounters”, and “Hook” (another underrated gem).  You can hear an outstanding score by John Williams that is jazzy and very Mancini-inspired.  And this is truly the best thing screenwriter Jeff Nathanson has ever written.  Mostly though what you will see is that Steven Spielberg has never lost the ability to give us fantastic moving pictures.  There is always something to love in everything he does.  Some are scenes, and moments, but here, he spins magic, and just because it’s not the wonder of unknown alien life or a rollercoaster of ride with the man in the fedora, it shouldn’t be ignored.

 

--Robert L. Castillo   

Criterion Corner--High and Low

          Akira Kurosawa has created some great Japanese films that have that Western cinema culture appeal to them, like “Rashomon”, “Yojimbo”, and “Seven Samurai”, which was later turned into a western called “The Magnificent Seven”.  His black and white camera shots have purpose and poetry, and the stories are filled with intense moments that deeply focus on character.

His 1963 film “High and Low” is no exception.  With opening music reminiscent of a horror movie or more prevalent to the time, like a “Twilight Zone” episode, the film starts off in a somber mood but the intensity ramps up quick as we meet Gondo a partner with National Shoes, who is meeting with other partners and proceeds to throw them out as he plans to take over the company to make it better.  This all turns when he receives a call from a man who has kidnapped his son.  The ransom will crush Gondo financially but he does not hesitate to pay up.  Then his son walks into the room.  “Da-da-dummmm.”  It turns out the kidnapper took his son’s little friend who happens to be the son of Gondo’s driver.  Now the dilemma begins.  Does Gondo throw his family’s future away to save a child that is not his?

The first hour of the film centers on this choice, and leads to what would appear to be an inevitable conclusion.  The second hour is more akin to a crime show or film procedural.  It follows the cops as they follow the clues, some that may make you think of later American films, like a clue straight out of the 1993’s “The Fugitive”.  As well as my favorite moment which would be bad in any other movie, is when the cops literally sit in a hot room and talk about their investigation and what they’ve uncovered.  It reminded me of the long phone-call’s scene in David Fincher’s “Zodiac”.  This is how investigations were done in the old days, or at least similar to this, no internet, no C.S.I. just guys walking and talking.  It all leads to the kidnapper, who is creepy and meticulous in his own right, with sunglasses that reflect the “Low” life beneath the “High” life of Gondo and his family with their house on the hill.  The kidnapper doesn’t even speak until the closing minutes of the film which is a little haunting and heartbreaking all the same.

The one thing that kept bothering me was how everyone from the press to the police felt so sorry for the rich Mr. Gondo, it’s brought up so many times in the film, that I was wondering if Kurosawa wanted the sympathy from the audience about a self-made rich man losing his fortune, or if it was meant to be more of a Shakespearean tragedy.  Either way,  you get it by the end, and I was with the film the entire time.  If you, like me only know of the great Kurosawa and some of his samurai classic films.  Give “High and Low” a view, it belongs up there with the greats.

 

--Robert L. Castillo             

Seven Psychopaths

     

          In 2008 a film called “In Bruges” came out the flow under the radar for most movie goers. It was a well written movie that was funny and original. That same film also showed there was more to Colin Farrell then just looks. Well now five years later they both are reteaming for another perfect collaboration.

    “Seven Psychopaths” sounds like a great name for a horror film. It makes you think of an insane asylum and a group of teenagers being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Well that version is not nearly as good as this version. Billy (Sam Rockwell) and Hans (Christopher Walken) are not very good people. To make money they go to the dog park and kidnap dogs, and then return them when there is a reward posted. If that was not bad enough, Billy actually kidnaps the wrong dog, a dog that belongs to Charlie (Woody Harrelson), who also happens to be the head of a crime syndicate. Charlie really wants his dog back and will do whatever it takes to find him. Billy is also helping his friend Marty (Colin Farrell) come up with ideas for his next screenplay. It is Billy’s idea to call his movie “The Seven Psychopaths” and the story is quite simply about seven psychopaths, all with a different story. As the story unfolds concerning Charlie’s dog, Marty finds real inspiration, his next screenplay, and a new appreciation of life.

        Martin McDonagh is becoming one of my favorite filmmakers. He has joined the list with Paul Thomas Anderson and Rian Johnson as just can’t miss storytellers. “Seven Psychopaths” is as entertaining, as funny a film you will want to see again. Every actor in the film is great, but every time Sam Rockwell is on the screen he commands your attention, and that says a lot since he shares the screen with the great Christopher Walken. It is easy to go see that sequel or that reboot of that classic film you love. I say make time for films like this, because after seeing this you won’t say that Hollywood has run out of original ideas. If you see “Seven Psychopaths” you will recommend it to your friends, so why not be the first of your friends to see this truly good film.

 Brian Taylor

   

                                                               

Sinister

 

    A good horror movie will have you thinking about it while you lay in bed that night after you saw it. Unfortunately most horror movies today go for the cheap scare; you know the one that may scare in the now.  A good scary movie will have you be scared of the dark.”Sinister” may not be that kind of scary movie, but it will have you thinking about it after the credits roll.

    Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) is a writer of true crime novels. It has been a while since he’s had a big hit and he is looking for just the right story to get him back on top. He picks a house where an entire family was hung and where one of the children also turned up missing. Wanting to be close to the crime scene, Ellison buys the house the murders actually took place in. Ellison keeps the truth from his family about the house they have moved into and right away starts to dive into the facts. Ellison likes to do most of his work at night, and while doing so he finds a mysterious box in the attic labeled “home movies”. Ellison watches the first film and realizes it is the murder he is investigating caught on film. That film is not alone; there are four more, all different murders. Strange things start happening around the house as he gets deeper into the mysteries that surround each of these killings. What he discovers is that he and his family might have just become a true crime story themselves.

    “Sinister” may not have a lot of “jump out of your seat” scares, but what it does have is moments that will make you think and horrify you. Written and directed by Scott Dickerson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose), with the help of C. Robert Cargill, weave a creepy story. The thing that really drove it all home for me though was the music for the movie. Every scene was made better and creepier because of the score by Christopher Young. “Sinister” is not a “scary” movie as much as just something that may make you feel a little uneasy during some parts. It is said Scott Dickerson and C. Robert Cargill wanted to do something original. Well they did that, and made a horror movie that does not follow the normal path.  If you do choose to see this movie, you might want to take someone along with you.

Brian Taylor