"The Strain" Pilot: What the hell, Guillermo?

I was pretty excited for Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain novel when it first came out. Blade 2 is one of my all-time favorite vampire/superhero films, and the premise of an ancient vampiric virus being unleashed onto Manhattan following a mysterious plane arrival at JFK sounded promising. Ultimately though, what could have been a Del Toro homerun, combining his imaginative storytelling with icky organic science, turned out to be an uneven careening mess. I made it through the second book, but never felt the need to finish the trilogy. Still, when the show was announced, I was reminded of all the cool visual moments the books contain and told myself that a good show could actually be extracted from the source material, especially since GDT is a visual storyteller first and foremost. Unfortunately, this doesn't appear to be the case and, if anything, the show's pilot is even weaker the novel itself.

Though it boasts a quality cast on paper ( Corey Stoll and David Bradley should make for compelling leads going forward), the secondary actors are cringe-worthy across the board. There are several points during the pilot, and it starts right from the get-go with the laughably bad worried flight attendants, that only manage to distract rather than immerse us into the story. It's also concerning that some of the bad acting -- from the unconvincing gang bangers or Corey Stoll's partner for example -- will ostensibly be recurring problems going forward. Yes, this is television and they don't have an exhaustive budget, but they quite simply should have done a better job casting some of these roles.

But not all the blame can be laid at the actors' or casting's feet. The dialogue is stilted and clichéd, and the direction itself is generally lackluster and unimaginative. Sure, the effects are quite good and there's always GDT's signature gold/blue contrasted look with reds that really pop, but the jump scares and story beats feel completely phoned in. The pilot isn't particularly spry or suspenseful, and what sounded visceral and cool on page now only looks good. Tighter direction and editing are desperately needed here.

Considering how much time the creators have had to handle the source material, it's sad to see they could only expose its flaws rather than enhance it. Yes, this is a potentially cool vampire story on an epic scale, but just like with Pacific Rim we should expect and demand much better from Guillermo Del Toro.



 


  

"Extant" Pilot: A good enough start that doesn't leave you wanting much more.

The pilot begins with Halle Berry's astronaut character, Molly, returning to earth and her family after spending 13 months in space on a solo mission -- a time during which she's somehow managed to get herself pregnant. Because the space agency's physician is a friend, Molly manages to keep that little bit of news under wraps while she figures out what exactly she should do about that thing growing in her tummy. It's a bit of a stretch considering the implications -- pop culture alone should convince the doctor that it's a giant no no to let Molly walk around freely -- but fine, we'll run with it for the purposes of the story.

Fortunately for the viewer, this is isn't Lost. The show doesn't appear to be all that interested in indefinitely prolonging the suspense of Halle Berry's immaculate conception, and the writers clearly know where they're going with the central mystery. Already within this pilot episode, we're shown just by whom and when Molly probably came to be impregnated, and several big clues are dropped as to establish the various supporting characters motivations and intentions going forward.  

Yes, there appears to be a conspiracy surrounding Molly's mission, and, if there is a conspiracy, then there naturally has to be a nefarious corporation involved -- at least as far as Molly's health and family are concerned. The privatized space agency and its CEO, played by Helix's Hiroyuki Sanada, clearly already know about alien life-forms out there, and they very much intend to exploit the happenings of Molly's mission to their advantage.

But Molly's battles won't only be on the work front. At home, she has to contend with her estranged family that she up and left for more than a year. There's her husband, Goran Visjnic, that she keeps in the dark about the pregnancy, and his creation: their son, an android child played by that great creepy kid from Looper. The child, the first fully-realized version of its kind, is very much Spielberg going back to Kubrick's well that keeps on giving, and his side of the story plays like an A.I. prequel of sorts.  

While the evil corporation and android child aspects don't feel particularly fresh, there's a lot to like in Extant. The production values are top notch and miles above that other Spielberg produced show Falling Skies. The casting is solid across the board and worthy of a bigger screen, and there are plenty of sci-fi ideas and concepts being thrown around within a grounded, believable future. Unfortunately, there just doesn't seem to be all that much excitement to look forward to. 

The central mystery is intriguing enough, but, with the way it's being handled, it's difficult to see how it will have enough steam to push the show through an entire season. The end of the pilot doesn't really leave you with a strong urge for answers, and unless there are major twists and turns up ahead, so much already seems to have been revealed and laid out that the shows success will hinge more on flawless execution than anything else. Still, it's a commendable start for a hugely ambitious CBS show, and the talent involved alone will warrant sticking with the story for a little while at least.

Anders Thomas Jensen: The best writer/director you may have never heard of.

If Anders Thomas Jensen, a Danish writer/director, keeps things up the way he's been going, he may just have to be one day recognized as one of the most prolific auteurs ever. Seriously, his output, and its sheer brilliance, puts Woody Allen to shame. Don't believe me? This guy had no less than four movies out in 2005, and the number usually oscillates between two and three a year.

Adam's Apples

Now, I must admit I haven't seen them all, and it's true that he's slowed down a bit since making the jump from Denmark. But those movies of his that I have gotten my hands on never fail to make an impression. Perhaps you've watched "In A Better World" ( Haevnen), "Brothers" (remade later with Jake Gylenhaal, Tobey Maguire, and Natalie Portman), or even "The Duchess"... but seriously, is this a guy on anyone's watchlist? How is it that I only hear about Lars Von trier, Nicolas Winding Refn, or even Thomas Vinterberg as far as Danish cinema is concerned?

If you're like me and struggle to come up with new things to watch now that you've "seen everything good there is to see", and if you aren't one of those hopeless subtitle-phobic people, then go ahead and dig up some of his older stuff. Though he's not afraid to switch around between genres, his twisted dark comedies are the best. Try "Adam's Apples" and "The Green Butchers" as your next double feature. Like a lot of his other movies, they both star Mads Mikkelsen and are pitch-perfect in execution.

Sorry ladies, Mikkelsen is not in sexy mode in "The Green Butchers"

Personally, I can't wait for the upcoming "The Salvation" -- which oddly includes soccer legend Eric Cantona among its stellar cast:

    

"Dream Home" (10) - The best Hong Kong horror film out there?

Ok, so it's not a great trailer, but this movie is awesome. It's dark, twisted, perversely humorous...and so damn wrong in all the right ways. If you're looking for some creative on-screen kills and gore with a bit of social commentary thrown-in, be sure to check this out. I'm shocked this hasn't been remade yet actually.

"The Divide" (11): a fully satisfying low-budget pretend prequel to the "Fallout" game series.

A cataclysmic bomb of unknown origins drops on New York. Luckily for a handful of panicked tenants who hopelessly try to flee their building, they run into their super, Michael Biehn, who turns out to be a paranoid doomsday-prepper who has turned the building's basement into a fully-stocked fallout shelter. He just wasn't expecting any company.

So eight neighbors all of a sudden find themselves trapped in their building's basement. They've survived the attack, but they know they'll eventually run out of supplies. But maybe that's not the biggest issue.

A group of armed Asian soldiers in sci-fi hazmat suits barge into the shelter one day, kidnap the only child, and attempt to kill off the rest of the survivors. Though the group manages to make it out alive, this event not only turns some of them into killers, but it also exposes them to the deadly radiation.

Left for dead after the soldiers retreat and seal them off from the outside world for good, and with no information or ways to contact anyone, the remaining survivors slowly begin turning on each other as they fall sick and descend into madness and despair. Alphas emerge, tensions rise, the women become targets, and...

I'm assuming most of you haven't seen this so I won't go ahead and spoil too much of it. Though Xavier Gens' The Divide is not a great movie in the traditional sense, its oppressive atmosphere and portrayal of a rapidly declining society is gleefully hard to watch for horror fans who might be into that sort of thing. Biehn is great, as always, but it's Milo Ventimiglia and Michael Eklund who steal the show as they grow into feral psychopaths. This movie may actually just have you believing that they are great actors by the end of its runtime.

So if you love horror movies and Fallout, I strongly recommend you check this one out. Maybe you won't get where I'm coming from at first, but you definitely will by the time that bleak yet exciting -- in a what if way -- ending rolls around. It's too bad there'll probably never be a sequel, because I'm definitely down for more.

"The Leftovers": Pilot Review

I know!

I wasn’t particularly excited for The Leftovers' arrival and I had several nagging questions going into the show: Would it prove to be a worthy placeholder for Game of Thrones and the other great shows currently on hiatus? Was Lindelof once again going to wing it, like he did on Lost and Prometheus, or did he actually have a plan this time around? And, most importantly, was anyone going to eat those?

The answer to all these questions appears to be a yes. I think.

The pilot’s tone is glum, the pacing deliberate, and there is little in terms of rousing action. Still, the minimalist way in which the out of thin air disappearance of two percent of the world’s population is visualized, effectively sets the stage for the mysterious new status quo. Three years later, when our main plot takes place, everything’s the same and yet everything’s completely different. People still go about their day-to-day business, civilization still functions, but there is this inescapable sense that most everyone’s on autopilot, zombie-like, still in denial, while those that aren't are finding it harder and harder to cope.

This malaise permeates this first episode and creates a sense of unease. There were several points during which I was fully braced for something bad to happen, like when the daughter chokes the guy at the party. Am I being paranoid, or is it worrying that she came out of that room alone? 

Within this tense atmosphere, factions are forming and our charaters' little town is slowly but surely fragmenting. Whether they are organized or not at this point, there are the religious and the non-religious, the cultists and the civilians who fear them, the truth-seekers and… in the middle of all this we have our Police Chief played by Justin Theroux, who single-handedly seems to carry the self-imposed burden of keeping his small-town’s society from collapsing on itself. Like his daughter’s friend tells him, he is doing his best.

But will that be enough?

If his own estranged imploding family is any indication, it certainly won’t be. Sure enough, during the town’s first Heroes Day commemoration of those who were taken, the GR cult members -- I already forgot what those initials stand for -- descend en mass and set off an all-out brawl with the townies. And, to make matters worse, there appears to be something very wrong with the dogs when they ravenously attack a deer…

Just like Lost, there are far too many questions left unanswered in this pilot, and we are left wanting much much more. Though I ultimately gave up on that island show sometime during season 5, never to watch another episode, the good news here is that The Leftovers is based on a book with an actual ending – or so I hope. If Lindelof gets to just focus on the mystery and slow burn aspects while knowing full well where it's all headed then this could be a home run.  For that reason alone, I think I'm going to let myself be taken on this ride.

      

Sidenotes:

• The music selection was particularly strong I thought, but I felt there was something off about that one song that accompanies the GR leaving their house for Heroes Day. Maybe it was intentional, but there seemed to be a disconnect between the music and the proceedings. 
• They are not our dogs. They’re not.” It’s interesting to note that our hero goes from trying to save a dog –  a classic hero trait – to killing a whole pack at the end. He has his reasons, but still. 
• Crazy Wayne sure loves Asians girls.
• Who takes off their clothes to choke someone?

Watch the original: "Taxi" (FR) > "Taxi" (US)

Like "Point Of No Return", "Taxi" is also a remake of a far superior Luc Besson production . The dvd covers alone should tell you that much. While it might be a little more difficult to get your hands on than the other original titles I've mentioned so far , it's certainly worth the effort. "Taxi" is a fun, high-octane action comedy. Oh, and, small detail, it launched the career of  a certain actress named Marion Cotillard.

     

Short Film: "The Nest" (14) by David Cronenberg

I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's not that it's completely uninteresting or anything -- it's a 9 minute all-in-one POV short after all -- but this would probably never create any kind of buzz if it wasn't directed by such a well established director, right? Hell it's not even that weird or disturbing. Or maybe I've just been watching too many messed up Asian films lately. Still, props to Evelyne Brochu (who you may know from Orphan Black) for allowing herself to appear in such an unflattering manner. This really just makes me wish for more on-screen David Cronenberg, like in Clive Barker's "Nightbreed".

Best movies about guys moving on: HIGH FIDELITY, SWINGERS, CHUNGKING EXPRESS

Because sometimes it's ok for guys to want to watch a romantic comedy, here are three great movies about guys moving on from heavy relationships:

"High Fidelity" is worth viewing if only to see how someone like Jack Black could ever become a star. He steals just about every scene he's in, and the record shop banter between the workers is something to behold. Aside from that, this is John Cusack and Stephen Frears firing on all cylinders. The fourth wall breaking narration is clever, the humor is fresh, and the emotions are heartfelt without ever getting sappy. Fuck Ian.

"Swingers", the little indie film that made Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau (who wrote the script), is a pretty divisive film. You either hate it or you love it. Personally, I think it's an hilarious snapshot of L.A wannabes, and Jon Favreau is so awkward at times it hurts. I know on which side I firmly stand on this one. Fun fact: Doug Liman directed this. Yes, that Doug Liman from "The Bourne Identity" and "Edge of Tomorrow".  

Now, as good as the two previous titles are, "Chungking Express" blows them away. To me, it's still Wong Kar Wai's best film, so much so that it's hard to imagine it was a mostly improvised side-project while he was stuck in the middle of making "Ashes of Time". It's an infectious uplifting masterpiece, and I can't stop watching that video right now:

Best Car Chases: RONIN, TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA, THE DRIVER

Ronin is a great action thriller with an amazing cast -- De Niro, Jean Reno, Stellen Skarsgard, and Sean Bean among others. Set in France, it features great car chases including this one towards the end of the film. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you skip this clip and just get your hands on the movie somehow.

When thinking of William Friedkin and car chases, most people usually think about Gene Hackman and the famous scene from The French Connection. While that one is certainly a classic, I personally prefer this one from To Live And Die In La. It's absolutely epic and culminates in a against-traffic freeway mayhem.

Cool soundtrack or not, I'd take The Driver over Winging Refn's Drive anyday. The latter is heavily influenced by Walter Hill's underrated gem, and it doesn't feature a young Isabelle Adjani. People often talk about Bullitt as having the best car chases in history, but I think there's a certain McQueen bias going on. This, is my favorite car movie.

WATCH THE ORIGINAL: LA FEMME NIKITA > POINT OF NO RETURN

Though not as painful a remake as The Tourist, Point Of No Return ('93) deserves to be called out as one of the worst Hollywood remakes of all time. Not only does it lack the flair of the original, Bridget Fonda is completely miscast in this near shot-for-shot remake of Luc Besson's über-awesome La Femme Nikita ('90). 

BEST MARTIAL ARTS SCENES FROM ASIAN CINEMA Part 2: SPL, The Grandmaster, Ip Man

An incredibly brutal Donnie Yen scene. This one from SPL:

With The Grandmaster, Wong Kar Wai and cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd gave us the most beautifully shot martial arts movie ever:

And here is a fight from the other Ip Man movie with Donnie Yen:

WATCH THE ORIGINAL: DEATH AT A FUNERAL (UK ) > DEATH AT A FUNERAL (US)

I must admit I never watched the remake of Death At A Funeral. Partly due to the horrible reviews, but mostly because suffering through the trailer at the theater was torturous enough. I just can't respect a lazy copy. Not only is the original already in English, they even use the very same dwarf -- actor Peter Dinklage, Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. Jump on the original if you appreciate British humor. It's really funny.

BEST MARTIAL ARTS SCENES FROM ASIAN CINEMA Part 1: The Protector, The Raid, Flash Point, and First of Legend

The Protector is rather silly as a whole, but this scene is without a doubt the highlight of Tony Jaa's career. It's basically an impressive Cuaron-like long take with Muay Thai ass-kickery. I wonder how many takes they had to do...redressing that set after each shot's destruction must have been a pain: 

WATCH THE ORIGINAL: ANTHONY ZIMMER > THE TOURIST

It's no secret Hollywood loves a good retread. Unfortunately for us moviegoers, the originals, which are generally far superior, rarely ever receive proper theatrical distribution in the US. As a result, these movies go largely unnoticed. Here is my first attempt to rectify the situation.

I don't think it's too controversial to say that Johnnie Depp and Angelina Jolie's The Tourist was a flaming pile of shit. Anthony Zimmer ('05), the French movie it's based on is infinitely better. Check it out, if only for gorgeous Sophie Marceau, and see just how much the remake got wrong.   

FURY - Official International Trailer

End Of Watch (2012)

Phenomenal movie.

Enter The Void (2009)

Gaspar Noe's follow-up to the insanely hard to watch Irreversible is a fantastic, unique, trippy cinematic experience.  

25th hour (2002)

In Bruges (2008)

Sidesplitting dark comedy by the writer/director of Seven Psychopaths