Six-String Samurai (1998)

I finally saw Six-String Samurai and cannot rhapsodize enough about it. It is a low-budget independent movie but every scene is chock-a-block with inventive campiness, esp. the apocalyptic couture of Mad Max-style savages, 1950s rock-and-roll and bowling-league throwbacks, spacesuit-wearing scavengers, the Cleaver family of cannibals, a ragtag Red Army, and a heavy-metal death squad (led by Death himself). Jeffrey Falcon is stellar as Buddy (as in Holly), who blazes a trail across the Nevada desert with his katana sword and kickboxing martial arts to ultimately combat Death (who resembles Slash) with guitar solos and swords. The movie is an allegory on popular music styles, a parody of post-apocalyptic films, and an homage to many martial-arts films. As such, it is highly reminiscent of Mad Max and Motorama, but also some of my other 5-star favorites such as Kill Bill, The Big Lebowski, Repo Man, and Star Wars: The New Hope. The soundtrack, dominated by the Red Elvises, is worth the price of admission alone. Here is a movie I need to own. Enjoy! 5 stars.

The Apostle (1997)

Decades ago, I first reveled in The Great Santini. In the last decade, I was pleased to see Network, Seven Days in Utopia, and Open Range. Very recently, I savored Tender Mercies; and today, I rejoiced in The Apostle. Robert Duvall is indeed a living national monument. I consider The Apostle to be his best acting (and directing). Tender Mercies is authentic while soft-spoken and understated; The Apostle is eminently authentic and also understated, but you can still hear its whispers amidst the cacophany of a Holiness revival. The Apostle is a love letter to the nondenominational, fundamentalist faith in the American South. Every scene, every second rings true to this life as I have seen it. Furthermore, Duvall as "Sonny" (called to preach since age 12) devotedly listens for and talks to God in every moment, open to being "led by the Holy Spirit" so that he saves lives and guides the lost to redemption. This does not mean he is a perfect man, or unaffected by tragedy; the film's most poignant half comes after Sonny must make a completely new start. Every person in this film contributes to its greatness, and the music is a wild rumpus of gospel delight too. Enjoy! 5 stars. (7-24-2016)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

No Country for Old Men is a riveting, far-reaching story about the pervasive and corrosive effects of (drug-related) hard crime along the Texas-New Mexico border as traditional sheriffs and even a fiercely independent good-ol'-boy ply their talents to fight back (or just stay alive). Cruising the frontier in his 4x4, resourceful redneck Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) comes across the aftermath of two rival drug-smuggling gangs and confiscates a valise packed with $100 bills. The clinical, vicious, unrelenting hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) pursues Llewellyn and anyone close to him, a master tactician intent on murder. He seems to live by two rules: He must always prevail (through overwhelming firepower or his bare hands), and anyone who happens to be in his path or sees him must die. He's also crazy like a fox -- sometimes deciding to spare his victims by the toss of a coin (whether they know they are pleading for their lives or not). He shows an existential side, sometimes reflecting aloud about "the path" that brought him or his victim or the coin to a pinnacle between life and death. Anton is in turn pursued by a third-generation sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones), struggling on the verge of retirement to understand how times have changed so that such war-zone slaughter haunts our streets. No one finds any answers (or justice) in this movie, even though Tommy Lee, in his folksy reflectiveness, seems aware (if not entirely consoled) about his place in his ancestral heritage, even as he considers his own mortality. Here is a taut, lean, unsettling, and nearly perfect film that grips me every time I see it. Enjoy! Technical merit 5 stars, emotional impact 4.5 stars. (3-8-2010, posted 7-23-2016)

Erik the Viking (1989)

Erik the Viking is a hoot and a half. Tim Robbins plays a Viking who reconsiders the morality and consequences of raping and pillaging in a gently comical opening scene. Eartha Kitt suggests an expedition with a cosmically significant alternative, which John Cleese as Halfdan the Black opposes. My second favorite scene is when Halfdan is blithely issuing judgments as to which peasants are to be skinned, beheaded, and so on. My favorite scene is when Tsutomu Sekine as the rowing taskmaster on Erik's longboat is casting imprecations on the northern European crew. The rest of the movie continues to be silly and Pythonesque, a mix of mostly authentic stagecraft and improbable pratfalls. More serious than Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and a bit sillier than A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Enjoy! 3.5 stars. (7-23-2016)

The Commune (2009)

I added The Commune to my queue after its director (a friend in the Netflix reviewer community) announced its release; it finally reached me (because I shove Very Long Wait titles to the top of my queue to encourage delivery), and I just finished watching it. The Commune is clearly an independent film, but in the best meanings of the term. First, it has a low budget, but does wonders within its bounds; in fact, the artistic and intellectual capital of the film's creators far outweigh the impact of the physical set and materials. Second, it has no-name actors, but the five main characters do quite well (esp. the star and the two creepy ones). Third, it is no simple task to conjure a believable "syncretistic neo-pagan cult"; you can't just make stuff up. As one who has seen the gaslighting and groupthink of us-versus-them "insider groups" in the real world, I'd say The Commune's director does an admirable job of creating this little patch of hell on earth. Fourth, combined with the unforeseen twist at the end, I thought events would reach a set of consequences that only turned out worse than I suspected. Yikes! Fifth, I really liked the soundtrack, esp. the closing credits tune. Sixth, and coming full circle back to the first point, the director's art and set design was eclectic and colorful, which in turn really set the scene throughout the film. My chief complaints are just two: First, enjoyable as the soundtrack was, I think blending it with creaky, otherworldly sounds only distracted from the atmospheric chill we tend to expect throughout a thriller feature film. Second, hearing the dialog was not always easy (even after turning up the volume), nor was understanding certain characters' actions. (What was up with Puck?) Anyway, the ending will get you -- and stick with you. Enjoy! 4 stars. (7-19-2016)

Drake & Josh: Seasons 1-4 (2004)

Drake & Josh is a well-done kids' TV show from Nickelodeon that has a particular appeal to preteen boys as well as girls. Under the show's premise, teen hearthrob Drake Bell has a band and a series of bubblegum hit songs, while alternately in cahoots or on the outs with his nerdy stepbrother Josh, who is pretty much his total opposite. (Drake is the smooth, cool ladies' man who kisses and dates every pretty girl he sees and coasts through life without a care, while Josh is the put-upon schlub who always gets a raw deal in life and looks forward to playing bingo with his grandmother on Friday nights.) Every episode begins with humorous alternating monologs where each brother tells the same story from his contrasting perspective. (Josh: "One of the things I like to do..." Drake: "My brother Josh is such a nerd...") With his happy-go-lucky sense of entitlement, Drake constantly takes advantage of worrywart Josh, who eventually snaps and puts his foot down. Josh even briefly gets a girlfriend of his own -- in an academic rivalry that suddenly twists in his favor. The boys' blended-family father comes off as sincere but vapid because he's an also-ran TV weatherman with also-ran hair. The best part of the show after the boys themselves is Miranda Cosgrove as their 10-ish kid sister. "She's evil!" as Josh frequently exclaims. She is always able to ingeniously scheme and successfully prank the boys -- then act blithely innocent and cry so her parents chastise the boys and never believe them. (In one episode, the boys even discover a video wall full of video monitors and electronic controls hidden behind a panel in her bedroom, which naturally they can't find when they try to expose their sister for the evil genius she is.) Physical humor, hyperbole, and overacting are very big here, but then it is a preteen show. All in all, the chemistry on the set is very good. My preteen son loves this show as well as the made-for-TV movies and I have to admit I've become a fan too. Enjoy! 4 stars. (4-17-2009, posted 7-16-2016)

There's Something About Mary (1998)

There's Something About Mary is a hilarious classic from the Farrelly Brothers, known for their "gross-out comedies" like Dumb and Dumber. Our story begins as awkward Ted (Ben Stiller) harkens back to his school days, when he first was smitten with Mary (Cameron Diaz), an outgoing feathered-blonde cutie that every boy would love to date. No one is more surprised when Mary agrees to go to the prom with Ted. In a highly convoluted comedy of errors, however, their ill-fated evening is aborted before it begins -- I love the scene where he screams and a mother walks her child speedily past the house -- and that's the end of it. Fast-forward to five years later, when the emotionally stagnant Ted still can't stop wondering what might have been -- so he agrees to let blustery Healy (Matt Dillon) look Mary up -- and thereby stirs up a rat's nest of six men who are vying for Mary's attentions. Individually, the movie's male characters are insipid or vapid, but in concert they play off each other to great effect: In addition to Ted and Healy are the handicapped British architect Tucker aka Norm, Mary's old boyfriends Woogie and Brett, and a final reveal in the closing scene. Excellent supporting roles are Ted's useless therapist, Mary's father, Mary's mentally challenged brother Warren, Mary's elderly roommate Magda, Healy's accomplice, and of course the dog. So many outrageous lines and scenes in this movie can never be forgotten: the fish hook, the zipper, "franks and beans," "clear the pipes," the dog fight, the bust shot, the hair gel. A special touch throughout is the retro '60s soundtrack of Jonathan Richman, played during interludes as commentary on the narrative: "He's had enough of Tiffany and Indigo, but there's something about Mary that they don't know. Mary, there's just something about Mary." (Warning: If you are conservative, you are certain to grouse and kvetch about a minimum of six short scenes.) Be sure to stick around for the closing ensemble cast number "Buttercup" -- it's an integral part of the movie. Enjoy! 5 stars. (4-29-2009, posted 7-16-2016)

An Invisible Sign (2010)

An Invisible Sign is a sensitive treatment of the OC behaviors experienced by a former math professor (John Shea) who goes off the rails by not taking his meds, and his grade-school math (actually, arithmetic) teacher daughter (Jessica Alba), who could double for Jane the Virgin (until a closing scene, anyway). Their next-door neighbor (J.K. Simmons) owns the hardware store and has an innocent numbers fetish that only the daughter understands, and it further inspires her love of numbers and math. She perceives numbers everywhere, connects with them them, and finds solace in them. Most of the social dynamics occur in her grade-school classroom, as she works to gain her footing as an inspiration for her students and as a responsible adult, but we witness some interesting dynamics between the teacher, her mother, her students, a few of their mothers, and ultimately the neighbor. Everyone learns, grows, or moves on (in one of several senses). The only sour note to me is the school "science" teacher (Chris Messina), who is loopier than my pot-smoking high-school physics teacher, and starts chatting up the math teacher on day one. (I know he is not grooming or stalking her, but the script makes it feel like he is.) At the end, she miraculously overcomes her OC tendencies in 30 seconds, immediately before he appears uninvited outside her second-story bathroom, and they kiss for the second time. Their solution is, of course, to promptly go to bed for implied sex, since we next see her smiling demurely at his side. This scene does not ring true with the rest of her OC behavior. (Not lifestyle choices. Compulsions.) Or what I perceive to be her morality. People in this movie really connect though. Those that tell lies are generally called on it. There is empathy -- or honesty about the lack of it. There is frankness about cancer, and about death that encroaches on our right-of-way, or takes someone down. I esp. enjoyed the framing device of an animated folk tale. I liked this at least as much as Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Enjoy! 4 stars. (7-12-2016)

Mark Gatiss: A Study in Sherlock (2016)

If you love the contemporary BBC production of Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, you will greatly enjoy this 28-minute time capsule on the production values of the program and esp. the latest special episode that placed Holmes and Watson at 221B Baker Street back in Victorian times. The retrospective addresses every major character's motivations -- from Sherlock to Watson and Mrs. Watson to Sherlock's landlady Mrs. Hudson to his nemesis Irene Adler and archnemesis Prof. Moriarty to his smarter brother Mycroft (played by writer and executive producer Gatiss). Enjoy! 5 stars. (7-8-2016)

Hitler's Children (2011)

Hitler's Children provides a canvas for about a dozen children and grandchildren of Nazi death camp architects and commanders (Goering, Goeth, Himmler, and Hoesse) to speak about how they discovered the truth of what their parents and grandparents really knew and did outside the garden courtyards of their idyllic homes -- and how what became their lifelong vocation (to ask the hard questions or even write a book) impacted their relationships with those family members who would not acknowledge the truth. Minor anecdotes such as "Grandmother always told us to wash the strawberries first, because of the ashes" generally evolve into full-fledged Holocaust denial, for those who oppose the evidence brought against their long-ago convicted and executed forefathers. This is a morally textured documentary that is portrayed simply and plainly; we see the face of each relative, viewed up close and intimately, as they speak and reflect on the effects and responsibilities of being related to fathers who have done evil and mothers who condoned it. Some descendants hide from such a legacy, while those who became authors wrestled with it (and, most would say, conquered it). Holocaust survivors and descendants also reach out with understanding and forgiveness. If this film affects you as it does me, it should lead you to reflect about courage, compassion, and some of the deepest questions about our humanity (esp. the anti-immigrant sentiment that one author says is at risk of leading us to a recurrence of such persecutions). The documentary is 95% in German, 4% in Hebrew, and 1% in English (with excellent captioning), and closes with a party to celebrate German food and folk song. Enjoy! 4.5 stars. (7-7-2016)

The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network is tightly and aptly directed by David Fincher. Jesse Eisenberg simply nails Mark Zuckerberg as the technical savant slash social idiot who seizes a historical place in the high-tech pantheon that includes the founders of Microsoft, Apple, Netscape, Napster, and Google. As usual, Aaron Sorkin writes a script that is glib (fast-paced and intelligent) and biting (funny and relevant). Fincher, Sorkin, and Eisenberg together give us a fascinating psychological picture of the narcissistic technoweenie turned obscenely successful entrepreneur. It is a movie for our times, when 20-year-old boys in jeans and t-shirts objectify and darwinistically dissect women on the Internet even as some become millionaires and billionaires almost overnight. It is often a profile of snark incarnate: Eisenberg so fixates on each technical challenge that his personal ties with everyone around him quickly fall under friendly fire and passive-aggressive attacks ("No, I don't think you deserve my full attention. ... Does that sufficiently answer your condescending question?"). He is so into his own head that it is all the way up his -- well, that's what people say he is too. He is so convinced he's right -- correcting others' every minor inconsistency -- that he can't conceive of the validity of anyone else's opinion or conclusions. He is not even aware of how deeply he offends others until they raise a ruckus -- after which he mouths an apology that is rote and insincere. Justin Timberlake is very good as the inventor of Napster turned loose-cannon celebrity around whose orbit Zuckerberg elects to revolve. Enjoy! 5 stars. (1-12-2011, posted 7-3-2016)

Talhotblond (2009)

Talhotblond is a Dateline-style documentary doubling as a cautionary tale for modern times (like the one about the jilted if psycho Houston woman who ran over her cheating husband five times in front of the NASA-area Hilton). It is a tawdry tale of malfeasance, misrepresentation, pretense, deceit, manipulation, dysfunction, and Internet dating abuse. What a twist! (11-24-2010, posted 7-3-2016)

Edges of the Lord (2001)

Edges of the Lord takes its title from a brief conversation between Joel Haley Osment's orphan boy and Daniel Dafoe's Catholic priest about God's purposes amidst the impending Holocaust. The priest uses an imprint to cut out hosts from a flat sheet of unleavened bread, trying not to waste the "edges" that must be discarded (eaten as scraps). The boys asks, "Father, are we the bread or the edges (of the Lord)?" It's a gently told inspirational tale of hope amidst the horrors of persecution. 4 stars. (11-29-2010, posted 7-3-2016)

Jar City (2006)

Jar City is something like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo meets CSI in Iceland. Three police detectives are chasing down a cold case that has suddenly come to light after the murder of a retired police officer (who, it turns out, was involved in an internal affairs investigation that was covered up 20 years ago). Somehow the new murder is connected to the death of a little girl and the disappearance and possible murder of a second police officer. We witness the exhumation of the little girl's skeleton from her grave as well as a decayed adult corpse (crawling with rats) from a marsh, which is a very messy scene. The morgue pathologist chomps on his lunch in between prodding and splaying human remains and the lead detective rips apart his Icelandic fast food meal: a baked sheep's head. The lead detective's personal life is messy too, as he rescues his grown daughter from serious trouble more than once. The name Jar City comes from a secure location where the brains of dozens of past murder victims are kept preserved as evidence. The cinematography is a bit washed out or harshly lit but is at times hypnotic as it reveals another panoramic vista of Iceland (esp. when combined with the aural wall created by its choral soundtrack). Available a la carte on Amazon but no longer listed on Netflix. Enjoy (with a snack?)! 4.5 stars. (6-13-2011, posted 7-2-2016)

The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

The Men Who Stare at Goats has a hippy-dippy Jeff Bridges as the leader of a top-secret Army band of "Jedi warriors" who seek to develop unconventional methods and mental "super powers" that disable the enemy. George Clooney is the most gifted trainee of the program, currently trekking across the deserts of Iraq "on a special mission" since the team was disbanded. Ewan McGregor is a small-town wannabe journalist, eager to prove himself by entering the war zone with Clooney, who perceives more than coincidence in their meeting, and Kevin Spacey is the passive-aggressive narcissist whose role in disbanding the team continues to have ripple effects. Clooney talks a lot about his powers to McGregor and one wonders whether he is really a blowhard (like his character in O Brother Where Art Thou?), but the clearest use of his powers (though for "the dark side," as seen in the trailer) is when he furrows his brow and quivers until he stops the heart of a goat. None of this makes much narrative sense if you are a stickler for that sort of thing, and frankly the storyline rambles a bit. However, the whimsy and not-too-serious nature of this movie is the entire point -- never as over-the-top and salty as Inglorious Basterds, this movie's unconventional fighting force prays to Mother Earth and does yoga. It is a loopy, mild-mannered and goofy bit of fun. I love it but I relax my rating somewhat because the pace is more relaxed than focused. Enjoy! 4.5 stars. (6-13-2011, posted 7-2-2016)

The Special Relationship (2010)

Michael Sheen has made a career out of playing UK Prime Minister Tony Blair -- first in The Queen (about his role in facilitating the national mourning for Princess Diana), then in its prequel The Deal (about his early career and election before Gordon Brown), and now in its sequel The Special Relationship (about the US/UK alliance as seen through his friendship with President Bill Clinton). Randy Quaid plays a very effective Bill Clinton -- although to be honest, his eyes evince quite a bit of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan -- a natural politician who loves his position sometimes a little too well. Hope Davis is quite good as Hillary Clinton -- often the ballbusting legal strategist next to her good-old-boy husband. Of most interest from the UK perspective is how the liberal Tony Blair calls upon divine moral authority and gradually morphs his leadership style into one closer to that of George W. Bush in the run-up to the 2000 presidential election. I like Primary Colors much better than The Special Relationship, but this movie should not be missed by anyone interested in American politics or recent history. Enjoy! 4.5 stars. (6-13-2011, posted 7-2-2016)

Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009)

Dead Like Me: Life After Death is a slightly darker reprise on the beloved, quirky two-season hit series Dead Like Me. It's uncertain whether it was a farewell bouquet or a final death knell to the series. I liked it well enough, though not as much as the nuanced, well-written, and well-acted original series (5 stars). The obvious flaws are two: Rube (Mandy Patinkin) has disappeared at the same time as Der Waffle Haus is burned down, and Daisy has been replaced by a less-talented minion. The four reapers have a new boss in a mysterious and unctuous rogue who is apparently leveraging loopholes left and right. (He pitches Rube's Post It notes, passing out Palm Treos to modernize operations and double productivity.) He lives the high life and is presciently manipulative. Eventually, the reapers decide to explore a few loopholes on their own. George's boss, Delores Herbig, is dealing with her cat's mortality and George's sister, Reggie, finally faces down her loss of George (Ellen DeMuth) and resentment of her mother. It's a good wrap-up for the original series that wrestles with a number of similar issues, though not as expertly. 4 stars. (4-16-2010, posted 7-2-2016)

Departures (2008)

Departures (2008) http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Departures/70114013 Departures deserves every ray of praise and affection it has received, in addition to its Oscar recognition. The film delves into several themes related (closely or distantly) to death: loss of a chosen career, loss of future fame and status, loss of a dream, loss of self-confidence, loss of a spouse (temporarily), and esp. loss of a father. However, the film also balances the melancholy and even bitterness over these losses with the reassurance of several unlooked-for blessings and revelations. As our story begins, young newlywed Daigo loves playing the cello and has finally attained the threshold of his goals for a successful symphony career when his life's path is suddenly forced to take a different direction. He accepts his fate and finds new employment with a quirky, taciturn Japanese man whose business eventually becomes clear: Like it or not, Daigo's new job involves preparing the bodies of the dead for burial. Despite the social opprobrium of those who lack a sense of what is involved in his outwardly distasteful career, Daigo perceives and adopts his employer's utter commitment and spiritual respect for his "clients" and those assembled family and friends who attend the traditional ceremonies. Departures is a beautiful film to see with a beautiful soundtrack to behold. Daigo's life eventually comes full circle in a rush of emotional discovery and closure. Departures reminds me a bit of The Ultimate Gift, though it is more complex and resonant. See it, by all means, please; I don't see how one could regret reconnecting with life through Departures. 5 stars. (5-4-2010, posted 7-2-2016)

Invictus (2009)

Invictus (2009)
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Invictus/70118779
Invictus is a robust, substantive movie that's about much more than the rigors of rugby or marshaling victory on the playing field. Invictus dramatizes the historical day when Nelson Mandala emerged, after 27 years of imprisonment under the white laws of apartheid, as the duly elected president of South Africa. (That nation's Obama moment was not that long ago -- though it preceded ours by some years.) Morgan Freeman is natural as Mandala just as Ben Kingsley was a natural for Ghandi. He humbly chooses statesmanship and reconciliation over political retribution. He concludes that South Africa needs to feel pride for its accomplishments at racial integration rather than shame for its practice of apartheid. He drops carefully worded hints to Matt Damon, who plays the beefy team captain of the Springboks, who have had a series of hopeless seasons. The true story of how South Africa's team rose to greatness, began the healing of their country, and vindicated their nation's new place on the global stage is most inspiring and told with nary a cliche. If you love sports, see Invictus! See it even if you merely like or tolerate sports. Here is a big-picture movie that tells a global story. 4.5 stars. (6-7-2010, posted 7-2-2016)

Jim Jefferies: Freedumb (2016)

Freedumb was my introduction to Jim Jefferies, the Aussie who is apparently known for using the F word and the female C word more than any other comedian ever. I chose to watch this show because the cover art showed him in a Trumpesque wig/nest with an American eagle -- but he had just 2-3 sentences on Trump, basically saying "Let's see just how crazy this can get." Granted, it is his thing to be offensive. However, it should also be his thing to be funny. I never laughed once. I can appreciate his outre edginess. I'm fine with all the topics he covered and all the buttons he tried to push. He just failed to bring me beyond, to the point of laughing at his offensiveness. He began with a half-hour on rape (including a now obligatory statement stating that this is comedy, "not a TED talk," and he is against rape: "Do not rape!"). He followed with a half-hour on pooping. (He weaves his 3-year-old and the mother of his 3-year-old into all his offensive lines, by the way.) He finished with a half-hour promoting gun control and atheism (so you know he sees himself as David facing down Goliath). He discusses and pantomimes sexual acts, and let us not forget the torrent of F and C bombs (just so you know what you are getting into). I did like how he characterized the gun lobby's opposition. He opposes all religion but wasn't as hard on believers as the gun nuts. At least he's amiable about it. 3 stars. (7-2-2016)