2012 #130 - The Rock-afire Explosion

I knew a fraction about what this documentary was about, considering I had seen a Youtube video or two of the automated band in action and thought it was equal parts fun and creepy. Which is, in some ways, exactly how I felt watching this documentary. A very well made documentary (also up on Netflix Instant Watch), it shows us where the mechanical band came from, the pizza parlor it became famous at and the ultimate demise and yet a resurgence due to true fans who collect the old machines and put on shows today, which is where most of those Youtube videos come from. Very enjoyable and quite different from the usual documentary fare. 

2012 #129 - Limitless

I went into this film, which is on Netflix Instant Watch, not knowing how I would end up feeling about it. I like Bradley Cooper but he tends to play the same character in every film. Kind of a cocky pretty boy, who sometimes means well but wears open shirts and fitted jeans to show off his physique. This film starts off differently, where he has a shitty haircut and is a bit of a loser, a writer who just can’t get his words down on paper and has been dumped by his girlfriend. Enter shady brother of his previous wife and a pill that can open up your mind. Others want it, you know the basic drill. But somehow even though this film is quite cliche, it held my attention and gave Robert DeNiro a better than usual role. I enjoyed it and its light action throughout. And Cooper makes for a good leading man. I wish he’d get the Flash role, if that film ever gets made. 

2012 #128 - Doctor Who: The Talons of Weng-Chiang

One of my favorite stories, albeit pretty racially insensitive (white guys as Asian characters), this is Tom Baker just relishing the role of the Doctor, with one of my favorite companions, the savage and beautiful Leela. Watched the new 3 disc edition I got for Christmas. I’ve really been contemplating doing a huge retrospective of the Doctor Who series in the eyes of a boy from the other side of the pond. But I would have to get another 100 discs to be able to catch up, especially the first and second Doctors stories. We shall see, but this story is still an epic Victorian tale, one in which gave us the great characters of Jago and Litefoot who are now in audio stories which are fantastic. 

2012 #127 - Fast Five

Color me surprised, because this film kicked major ass. I’ve been told by many to check it out, that it’s a fun ride and you’ll have a lot of fun. I had planned to do this, but one thing led to another and fast forward many months later and I saw it available at my local library. So I grabbed it and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. My favorite, by far, in the series because they somehow reinvented themselves in the process. A car chase movie that is also a heist film and adding The Rock as the guy trying to take them down was inspired casting. Seeing The Rock in this makes me wish Faster had done better as opposed to his child fare. To each their own, though. And tying everything and everyone from previous films together was a fun idea as well. Justin Lin, you wowed me with this one. Can’t wait to see where they go next. 

2012 #126 - Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (Rifftrax)

There’s no other way I’d watch these films. Mike and the boys rip the series newest installment. It’s hysterical as usual, but even with the running commentary, I still see a rather poor film underneath it all that I wouldn’t choose to watch on its own. Not a knock toward its fans, have fun watching them. They aren’t for me, which I know plenty of films I like aren’t for them. I just view Bella Swan as the ultimate villain in all of filmdom. I’m happy that Rifftrax gives me the excuse to watch these films in a way that I can have a lot of fun with. 

2012 #125 - Shark Night

Got this forgettable film from the library. Just a wasted opportunity, which I should have known from the beginning because it is a horror movie with sharks but rated PG-13. Not that violence makes a good film (Jaws is a prime example, of course), but when violence does occur, it’s in the dark or we see some horrid special effects that don’t do it for me, especially when the blood looks like cherry cordials). It’s sad because one of my faves, Joel David Moore, is in the cast but he’s regulated to being the nerdy guy who likes one of the hot girls. Which means shark fodder. I do have a thing for Sara Paxton. And Donal Logue is in it as well. It’s a film I won’t visit again unless friends insist on putting it on and I have a drink in hand. 

2012 #124 - Candyman: The David Klein Story

Checked this one out a bit ago on Netflix Instant Watch. A slight documentary, but interesting as hell, it tells the story of David Klein, who created Jelly Belly jelly beans. But he’s not as rich and famous as you might think and this film gives us the who, the why, the when, the where and the what. Not sure why I described it like that, but it’s a light doc that has a not so likable main focus, which puts it above average. Bad business deals aside, it’s a sad story all told from Klein’s son, who shares a bit of the same awkwardness his dad has. 

2012 #123 - Turn Me On, Dammit!

I think most of you know how I feel about this amazingly sweet and dirty film, a coming of age story about a girl’s sexuality, something we don’t see too often via a comedy in these parts. You can read more of my thoughts on CriterionCast, but this is already in my top 10 of the year. 

2012 #122 - Corman’s World

There’s not much I can say about this film besides the fact that, even though I knew plenty of these yarns, I still loved the hell out of it. Roger Corman, no matter your opinion on the quality of his films, is a part of film making history. Be it his own directorial efforts, the independent film company route he went on because of big Hollywood taking the majority of profit, the way he found some of the best filmmakers around and gave them their first break (Scorsese, Coppola, Dante, Cameron, Howard, Demme, etc), how hard he works and is always on a set no matter how big or small the film is. Even though today his name is pasted on some horrible SYFY films, I still respect the man and what he’s done for the business. A great documentary that all film lovers alike should watch. Especially for an emotional Jack Nicholson. I can’t wait to see what Alex Stapleton does next. 

2012 #121 - The Mechanic (2010)

Was better than I thought it would be considering I really like the Charles Bronson/Jan Michael Vincent original. I’m an unapologetic Jason Statham fan (one of the action guys my better half and I have bonded over) and Ben Foster is alright (albeit playing the usual dirtbag he does in most movies) as the protégé. Donald Sutherland collects a paycheck as Foster’s dad who gets killed by Statham all because he thought it was a legit hit and Sutherland was selling secrets to someone bad. All hell breaks loose and it becomes cliche, but a fun ride nonetheless, with one stunt on the side of the beginning that was quite good (which has both actors doing the fall). Wish the ending was a bit more ballsy. Also made me just want to watch Leon: The Professional, which I haven’t done in quite awhile.