Starz Inside: Unforgettably Evil (2009)

Unforgettably Evil is a markedly broad, reflective, and insightful examination of evil and the villain in the movies. Several dozen big-name movie professionals hold forth in a tightly edited discussion about who makes an unforgettable villain and why (for example, Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh and Heath Ledger as The Joker) as well as how the humanity of villains makes them more chilling. Heath gets at least 8 out of 58 minutes just for his inspired characterization as a crazed force of nature. Women and mechanical villains also get their own chapters. This is probably the most intelligent collection of movie-related commentary I have seen -- it's light-years ahead of Keanu Reaves cheering "Chah!" Don't listen to the right-wingers who ding it as a cavil against global warming -- or George Bush -- as a villain; they are demonizing two sentences in the full hour. (Bardem did use W. as his character model -- if unreasoning self-assurance and power like his were allowed to run unchecked across the land.) This is the best Starz documentary yet. Enjoy! 4.5 stars.

In the Loop (2009)

In the Loop is a hilarious British-American farce -- an expanding whopper of a tale about how one diplomatic slip of the tongue grows, through innuendo and ambition, to inexorably develop its own center of gravity and draw political players into its illusory orbit until the US and UK jointly declare war on some hapless nation. The British press secretary (Peter Capaldi) is a hoot as a seething Scots loose cannon with his abusive language -- he's almost Shakespearean in the imagination and literacy of his invectives and bodily threats, even as he's racing from rumored meeting to alleged cabal while barking into his cell phone, trying to effect damage control. An American diplomatic official (Mimi Kennedy) pulls every string she can unravel, in cahoots with her intern (Anna Chlumsky), building the rumor she unwittingly invented but is determined to track down. Junior civil servants make things happen too through their liaisons both formal and informal. A Rumsfeldian hawk (David Rasche) spreads a wonderfully smooth icing on the cake and an opportunistic Army general (James Gandolfini) equivocates until he comes down on the side of war. In the Loop has a fast-paced, intelligent, and ribald script that will hold your attention like few other movies -- provided you can follow Britspeak without subtitles. I saw it in the theater and I highly recommend In the Loop to anyone who loves politics, satire, or farce done bitingly and brilliantly. 4.5 stars.

Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy (2007)

Gabriel Iglesias is *hilarious* in Hot and Fluffy! (Fluffy is in the middle of his five levels of obesity: Fat, Hefty, Fluffy, Damn!, and Oh--my--God--!) This fella is way too big to pass for a cherub but he often plays the delirious imp onstage because he is simply having a great time and so does his audience as a result. He can and frequently does squeal (loud!) just like a little girl -- or once like a flamboyantly gay man in a plummeting airliner. His sound effects (esp. police-car sirens) are *perfect* and he does expert impressions of a series of other standup comics. I found myself grinning and laughing hard and feeling great throughout Gabriel's performance. I think you'll find him a hoot too. The funniest line is his final punchline: "But it sure was funny, wasn't it?" Enjoy! 4.5 stars.

Iron Man (2008)

Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark, wunderkind engineer, industrialist, and playboy (though not necessarily in that order) who has revolutionized the weapons-making conglomerate founded by his Howard Hughes-like father. The witty, womanizing warmonger is captured by an Afghani warlord but after he narrowly (if ingeniously) escapes, he vows to turn the tables on those who foment death and destruction rather than to continue to profit by it. (Sensitive families should be aware of several scenes that promote drinking alcohol and a quick scene where he propositions a female journalist, who is next seen jumping him in bed. In addition, one scene on his private jet -- quite vapidly extended in the deleted scenes -- shows three female flight attendants cavorting around a stripper's pole before each woman takes a man away for concupiscent purposes.) Each iteration of the Iron Man suit (from first to third) is a tour-de-force of Stark's facile imagination and technological genius. The military-industrial complex begs to differ with him, however, as Stark gradually discovers to what lengths his opposition is prepared to go. Iron Man is a truly awesome science-fiction and action movie -- with a message and a repentant antihero turned hero to boot. Iron Man is as elegant as clockwork (without a speck of unnecessary gearwork) and impressed me from start to end. Stick through the credits for one final scene at the end. Enjoy! 5 stars.

Starz Inside: Anime: Drawing A Revolution (2007)

This Starz documentary is impressive in its range of introductory coverage of the anime phenomenon. You would have to be a huge anime nerd to not learn something new here. First, definitions are provided for anime (highly stylized Japanese animation, often feature-length with adult themes) and manga (Japanese graphic novels) before the contributions of Osamu Tezuka (the Disney-influenced father of manga) are discussed. The program then packs the remaining 50 minutes with insightful interview excerpts from 50 or so animation artists and movie producers as they describe the seminal influence of about 50 animated productions (for example, Astro Boy, Speed Racer, 300, The Matrix, Sin City, Transformers, Afro Samurai, Witchblade, Cowboy Bebop, and many more). The Matrix is described as basically the Wachowski brothers doing a live-action version of Ghost in the Shell. See this program to learn about Japanese anime's inseparable influence on present-day American animation but also about America's key influence on Japan through Bambi and The Matrix. 3.5 stars.

Starz Inside: Hollywood Goes Gaming (2007)

This Starz documentary is a solid, fast-paced, incisive exploration of how and why Hollywood has pioneered a pivotal path between movies and video games, increasingly intertwining the two forms of media and entertainment. A vast slate of dozens of movie directors, video game producers, and actors are quoted and seen in action. I have professionally followed computer and video game developments for 35 years and this is a very good introduction to the major challenges and achievements of the video game industry, from Atari's Pong to the latest slate of photorealistic first-person action games from EA and others. 3.5 stars.

21 (2008)

21 is a well-done cardsharp caper that kept me interested and has kept me thinking about it afterwards. Jim Sturgess plays Ben, a gangly nerd-in-residence at MIT who is applying for medical school (and a single scholarship that would cover the required $300K if he can "dazzle" the dean). The scenes with his two science-nerd buddies are droll since engineering is their native tongue and speaking about or to women is foreign to them. Kevin Spacey is a math professor who hand-picks Ben to join a card-counting team that rakes in the bucks in Las Vegas. Ben has reservations but decides to give it a go. You get a good idea of the ins and outs of card counting as well as its thrills and dangers. (Laurence Fishburne and his team of thugs enjoy their jobs catching and punishing those who dare to upset the house's stacked odds.) Thing is, being a high-stakes player can change a guy. Will Ben make enough money for med school? Will he get caught? Will he win or lose everything? Will he get the girl? (The alluring Kate Bosworth plays a team member and love interest.) Families should know about the couple's brief waist-up, from-behind grappling scene against a hotel window but otherwise 21 is a straightforward casino caper movie. The team's hand signals seemed overly obvious but their disguises and alter egos made the movie (based on a true story) fun. A couple of twists at the end made 21 even more thrilling than I expected. Enjoy! 4 stars.

The Open Road (2009)

I wanted to see The Open Road since the day I learned it had been filmed in Corpus Christi (esp. the Hooks' home field at Whattaburger Stadium) and Houston, and now I can vouch that the scenery provides plenty of pleasant surprises from that perspective. Justin Timberlake lends a solid turn as Carlton, the college-age minor-league son of a retired-but-famous ballplayer (Jeff Bridges in as sawed-off, cornpone, and distracted a performance as you'll ever see from a master short of Robert Duvall) who reluctantly agrees to track down his longlost father and bring him to his ailing mother's bedside before she undergoes a much-needed heart operation. Accompanying Justin is his former girlfriend Lucy (Kate Mara), now his girl friend -- and a very insightful one at that. She ends up serving as a focal lens for the ways Justin is unaware he is like his father -- a man so allergic to commitment or followthrough that he sabotages every step of the trip. The Open Road is a story about love that endures beyond long separation and the frustrations that the unburnished side of that coin may bear --- because you can't have one without the other. Love is not a storybook. It is a journey. Enjoy! 4 stars.

Jim Gaffigan: King Baby (2009)

After catching this performance on cable TV as my second exposure to his signature wit, Jim Gaffigan is slowly growing on me. I understood what he was doing with the whispery peanuts-gallery voice during the first performance I caught (Beyond the Pale) but just didn't find it funny. I suppose it gets funnier if you "get" him right away or after he grows on you. (I still don't think his Hot Pockets bits are that funny but I do agree they strike a nerve and have staying power.) On the bright side, this performance has a good ten minutes of nonstop bacon jokes. Awesome! I also liked his digs on IHOP and Waffle House. His most (and only truly) hilarious line of all was his last: "Oh, there it is!" Enjoy! 3.5 stars.

Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Not Fat ... I'm Fluffy (2009)

Gabriel Iglesias is very funny and, it turns out, very clean. His sound effects and reproductions of Onstar and other phone operators are dead-on perfect and an absolute stitch! During this performance in his El Paso stomping grounds, he comfortably kids around about his family life at home as well as his love of chocolate cake and Chico's Tacos (which apparently provide their own sound effects). He amiably explains the five levels of obesity (formerly four, topped by "Damn!" but still not so massive that you would refuse to ride an elevator with said fat person). I caught Gabriel this first time for an hour-long broadcast of this performance on cable TV so I suspect the DVD has another 15-20 minutes of material. Enjoy! 4 stars.