In 2004 Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost took on the zombie genre and came out on top. Now, in 2007, they take on another beloved genre known the world over: The action/super cop film. This is my review of Hot Fuzz.
Hot Fuzz is an inspired gun-toting, blood squirting, F-word spewing love letter to the genre that has constantly inspired men to be even more manly. Paying homage to films like Die Hard and Point Break, Hot Fuzz takes some time out to acknowledge it's sources of inspiration while at the same time managing to have some serious ass-kicking fun of its own.
The plot here is that of super-cop Nicholas Angel (played by Simon Pegg) who, when his arrest rate reaches 400, is quickly reassigned to a seemingly idyllic country town named Sandford to prevent him from making all the other officers look bad. Once in his new home he is assigned a new partner in the guise of Danny Butterman (played by Nick Frost), a bumbling super-cop wannabe who dreams of firing off guns like they were high-powered fireworks and is a huge action movie fan. Soon Sandford becomes host to a string of grisly "actidents" that may or may not share a connection. It's up to Nick and Danny to solve the case before time runs out for Sandford to win a prestigious award.
Hot Fuzz starts off faily slow (but funny) and takes its time building up its leads and the setting of Sandford before the film takes off, right around when Danny and Nick host an action movie marathon. Hot Fuzz takes some unneeded time to pay homage to its predecessor that forever changed the face of the zombie genre as we know it today, Shaun of the Dead. The 2 main leads partake in the ice cream that Frost's character preferred in the previous flick and there are some lines and scenes that resemble some from Shaun as well. The effort only serves to distract the viewer from the story at hand, but not to fear, once Hot Fuzz finally comes into its own its a thing of beauty.
Hot Fuzz makes no attempt to mask the fact that it is a full-fledged erotic love letter to the action/super-cop genre (a thing most of Wrights films does beautifully), but this does not take away much from the film seeing that it has a superbly well constructed plot to it that has some nice twists and turns thrown in for good measure, the grand reveal sure to leave most's head spinning in the grandeur of it all. The last 30 or so minutes of the film is where Hot Fuzz cranks it up to 11 and becomes a hair-raising action packed thrill ride that is sure to leave any fanboys pants wet (with what, I'll leave it to you to decide).
It's refreshing to see a film that so deftly mixes comedy with real action and reverence for the films that came before it, and Hot Fuzz does this in abundance and in such a well-crafted way that my head is still trying to comprehend how they could have succeeded so wonderfully in this effort. Hot Fuzz is one of the few "perfect" films out there. Great plot, memorable characters, awesome lines, thrilling action, and a biting wit...Hot Fuzz has got just about everything a moviegoer could want making it hard to pick out anything you may truly dislike about the film. Hot Fuzz is one thrill ride that you'll want to revisit again and again and again.
5/5 BETTER THAN SEX
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
PIRANHA 3D IS BOOBY GOOD FUN....I MEAN BLOODY
Piranhas 3D is my kind of film. It knows what it is, what its audience wants to see (and not see) and doesn't waste anytime on much else. Alexandre Aja seems to have been born with this basic understanding and puts it to use in most of his films, although Piranha 3D is by far the best one he's done. It's a fun filled homage to 80 B horror films, Jaws, and the bygone days of 3D. It was pretty nostalgic for me, as I'm sure it will be for most older teens. the 3D was done post production, thus making some scenes unfocused and blurry, but overall it works well with this film.
Piranha 3D is about the wonders of Lake Victoria during spring break. This year Derrick Jones; hit director of popular porn site Wild Wild Girls; lays anchor at Lake Victoria hoping to catch some good old fashioned teen sexploits on his camera, little does he know that he'll soon be catching alot more than bare breasts on this wild and crazy spring break. The usually crowded lake gets close to overflowing, Derrick's prescence attracting even more hot teens that are willing to bare all for the sake of the camera. Of course, all the hubub is bound to attract someone or something, in this case a hoard of prehistoric hungry piranha that have recently been unearthed from the bottom of the lake and have now decided to crash the spring break festivities as only they can. Can you say fish food?
Piranha 3D sports a pretty good leading and supporting cast. Elisabeth Shue is great as the ass-kicking sheriff of the small town, Julie Forester. She plays the role with a brody-esque (The main star from Jaws) touch making it all the more fun to watch her jump into action. Jerry O'Connell is great fun as breast obsessed porn director Derrick Jones. His closing line will go down as one of the best lines film history. Adam Scott isn't given much to do in the role of Novak, a seismologist sent to the lake to investigate the abnormal redings he's received. His best scene takes place at the spring break massacre (more on that later) where he hops onto a jet ski and pumps his shotgun. Ving Rhames as Deputy Fallon also shares a cool scene during the same sequence in which; once again; he proves how much of a bad-ass he is as he wields a boat propeller as a weapon of mass fish destruction. Steven Mcqueen is fine as Jake Forester, the son of Shue's character who is recruited to charter Derrick around the lake. Jessica Szohr is hot as Kelly, an old fling of Jake's who tags along for the ride. Most of the cast understands that they are in a full-fledged B movie epic and thus are smart enough to know that acting is not important and to just have fun with their roles.
By far though, 2 of the best parts of the film for me were Richard Dreyfuss as Matt, he basically is the same character he played in Jaws. He opens up the film drinking Amity beer and singing a familiar song. I won't give too much away except to say he isn't in the film for long. Christopher Lloyd also makes a brief cameo as Mr. Goodman, who I suspect is actually Doc Brown in disguise. His facial expressions, heavy over-reacting, and way he frantically darts around the room is sure to remind most of the old Doc and thus was a truly memorable bit role in the film.
Now onto the real true star of the film....the bare breasts. Everywhere you look you're sure to see exposed breasts and hot ass dancing across the screen like a 14 yr olds wet dream. When the Piranhas are absent and the film stalls, they use TnA to keep us, the audience, occupied while we wait for the main attraction to begin (If only they used this same methods in doctor's waiting rooms). The biggest pairs of breasts belong to Kelly Brook and Riley Steele as two stars of Wild Wild Girls that Derrick brought with him. They are both goddesses among mortals, their bodies stealing every scene their in (including a smoking hot underwater ballet which could have done with different scoring).
The Piranha's of the title are sleek, fast, hungry mofo's that seem to never be content with whatever meal they have at the moment. They are CGI, of course, but the damage they do to their victims is not. The deep gashes left on victims is achieved by practical effects, and boy did it feel good to have them in here. Both the piranhas and the damage they wreck look fantastic.
The crowning setpiece of the film is the springbreak massacre. Everywhere we look there are millions of thrashing victims being quickly ripped clean by the massive hoards of the hungry fish. Be sure to watch for some truly great death reaction shots by the extras, all of which deserve top billing for their work done here. You gotta love the cheese.
In case it isn't already obvious, I just want to state that I love P3D. I love how cheesy it is, I love the 80s feel it has to it, I love the fun atmosphere created here, and I LOOOVE the massive amount of hot ass and breasts that can be viewed in this film. I love Elisabeth Shue and the work she does here and I just gotta say god bless all those extras and Kelly and Riley for the amount of skin they fearlessly show off. Congrats P3D, You are turly the Drag Me to Hell of this year.
Overall, while Piranha 3D is not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, it is exactly what it billed itself to be. No dissapointments to be found here and in a summer (and year) filled with disapointments that alone makes this film worthy of 5 breasts....I mean stars.
BETTER THAN SEX
My personal favorite scene: When a topless springbreaker gives the audience a virtual motorboat. good times, good times.
Piranha 3D is about the wonders of Lake Victoria during spring break. This year Derrick Jones; hit director of popular porn site Wild Wild Girls; lays anchor at Lake Victoria hoping to catch some good old fashioned teen sexploits on his camera, little does he know that he'll soon be catching alot more than bare breasts on this wild and crazy spring break. The usually crowded lake gets close to overflowing, Derrick's prescence attracting even more hot teens that are willing to bare all for the sake of the camera. Of course, all the hubub is bound to attract someone or something, in this case a hoard of prehistoric hungry piranha that have recently been unearthed from the bottom of the lake and have now decided to crash the spring break festivities as only they can. Can you say fish food?
Piranha 3D sports a pretty good leading and supporting cast. Elisabeth Shue is great as the ass-kicking sheriff of the small town, Julie Forester. She plays the role with a brody-esque (The main star from Jaws) touch making it all the more fun to watch her jump into action. Jerry O'Connell is great fun as breast obsessed porn director Derrick Jones. His closing line will go down as one of the best lines film history. Adam Scott isn't given much to do in the role of Novak, a seismologist sent to the lake to investigate the abnormal redings he's received. His best scene takes place at the spring break massacre (more on that later) where he hops onto a jet ski and pumps his shotgun. Ving Rhames as Deputy Fallon also shares a cool scene during the same sequence in which; once again; he proves how much of a bad-ass he is as he wields a boat propeller as a weapon of mass fish destruction. Steven Mcqueen is fine as Jake Forester, the son of Shue's character who is recruited to charter Derrick around the lake. Jessica Szohr is hot as Kelly, an old fling of Jake's who tags along for the ride. Most of the cast understands that they are in a full-fledged B movie epic and thus are smart enough to know that acting is not important and to just have fun with their roles.
By far though, 2 of the best parts of the film for me were Richard Dreyfuss as Matt, he basically is the same character he played in Jaws. He opens up the film drinking Amity beer and singing a familiar song. I won't give too much away except to say he isn't in the film for long. Christopher Lloyd also makes a brief cameo as Mr. Goodman, who I suspect is actually Doc Brown in disguise. His facial expressions, heavy over-reacting, and way he frantically darts around the room is sure to remind most of the old Doc and thus was a truly memorable bit role in the film.
Now onto the real true star of the film....the bare breasts. Everywhere you look you're sure to see exposed breasts and hot ass dancing across the screen like a 14 yr olds wet dream. When the Piranhas are absent and the film stalls, they use TnA to keep us, the audience, occupied while we wait for the main attraction to begin (If only they used this same methods in doctor's waiting rooms). The biggest pairs of breasts belong to Kelly Brook and Riley Steele as two stars of Wild Wild Girls that Derrick brought with him. They are both goddesses among mortals, their bodies stealing every scene their in (including a smoking hot underwater ballet which could have done with different scoring).
The Piranha's of the title are sleek, fast, hungry mofo's that seem to never be content with whatever meal they have at the moment. They are CGI, of course, but the damage they do to their victims is not. The deep gashes left on victims is achieved by practical effects, and boy did it feel good to have them in here. Both the piranhas and the damage they wreck look fantastic.
The crowning setpiece of the film is the springbreak massacre. Everywhere we look there are millions of thrashing victims being quickly ripped clean by the massive hoards of the hungry fish. Be sure to watch for some truly great death reaction shots by the extras, all of which deserve top billing for their work done here. You gotta love the cheese.
In case it isn't already obvious, I just want to state that I love P3D. I love how cheesy it is, I love the 80s feel it has to it, I love the fun atmosphere created here, and I LOOOVE the massive amount of hot ass and breasts that can be viewed in this film. I love Elisabeth Shue and the work she does here and I just gotta say god bless all those extras and Kelly and Riley for the amount of skin they fearlessly show off. Congrats P3D, You are turly the Drag Me to Hell of this year.
Overall, while Piranha 3D is not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, it is exactly what it billed itself to be. No dissapointments to be found here and in a summer (and year) filled with disapointments that alone makes this film worthy of 5 breasts....I mean stars.
BETTER THAN SEX
My personal favorite scene: When a topless springbreaker gives the audience a virtual motorboat. good times, good times.
Friday, August 13, 2010
RETRO REVIEW: THE FLY
"I'm an insect who dreamt he was a man and loved it. But now the dream is over... and the insect is awake."
The Fly is the story of oddball amateur scientist Seth Brundle and the horrors he must struggle through when something goes terribly wrong with his latest invention: The Telepods. Soon enough Seth realizes that due to an unforseeable mistake while he was attempting to teleport himself, he is now turning into a half man/half fly hybrid that he dubs "Brundlefly". The slow transformation brings about an internal struggle as he tries to hold onto the last remaining bits of his humanity long enough to find a cure.
The Fly stars Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, Geena Davis as Veronica Quaife, and John Getz as Stathis Borans. Jeff Goldblum is suitable wacky (When isn't he wacky is the real question) as Seth Brundle and for once gets to strut his real acting chops as he perfectly embodies the madness of Brundlefly while also succeeding in making the audience still feel for him despite some rather disturbing choices the character makes throughout the film. Geena Davis is great as Seth's new girlfriend, Veronica, who is witness to Seth's brutal transformation into Brundlefly and struggles with her emotions of disgust, fear, and love as she attempts to find him help before its too late. John Getz is superb as well as the crazed ex-boyfriend and now boss of Veronica, Stathis Borans. This character also goes through a more subtle character based emotional transformation by the end of the film.
The Fly seems to enjoy switching things up on the viewer and playing with their expectations. The film starts out as a wacky love triangle based around a scientific breakthrough and slowly morphs into a terrifying tragedy about jealousy, greed, and human quirks that can get in the way of achieving our full potential. Our main antagonist and protagonist as they are introduced in the beginning of the film have switched roles by the grand finale. The film is also surprisingly reminiscent of the classic Universal Monster films, though it was produced by 20th Century Fox.
More about that scientific breakthough that causes our lead so much emotional and physical pain. They're called the Telepods and represent the potential for teleportation. Two dark black and steampunk looking pods that spark, whizz, and flash. They are the focal point for the final scene in the film (and are the centerpiece for most of the film as well) and are a character unto themselves.
A word of warning before you run out to rent/buy this little masterpiece: The Fly is extremely disturbing in just about every imaginable way. Pieces of Seth fall off, his face begins to boil and his body contorts as it prepares for the final transformation (I will say the body suit Jeff Golblum wears for most of the third act looks pretty darned cool, though it is still clearly a body suit. Luckily Brundlefly's final form is astounding, impressive, and realistic). Despite the urge to turn this one off, you will be rewarded if you make it thru till the end, seeing as the last 15 minutes of the film are one of the best endings ever seen in horror film history and just about outshines everything that preceeded it.
The Fly, as directed and partly scripted by David Cronenberg, with fantastic creature and effects creation by Wasal Inc., is one of the few pure horror classics that will continue to stand the test of time for all who are brave enough to step into the pod.
"Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid."
5/5 Better than Sex
The Fly is the story of oddball amateur scientist Seth Brundle and the horrors he must struggle through when something goes terribly wrong with his latest invention: The Telepods. Soon enough Seth realizes that due to an unforseeable mistake while he was attempting to teleport himself, he is now turning into a half man/half fly hybrid that he dubs "Brundlefly". The slow transformation brings about an internal struggle as he tries to hold onto the last remaining bits of his humanity long enough to find a cure.
The Fly stars Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, Geena Davis as Veronica Quaife, and John Getz as Stathis Borans. Jeff Goldblum is suitable wacky (When isn't he wacky is the real question) as Seth Brundle and for once gets to strut his real acting chops as he perfectly embodies the madness of Brundlefly while also succeeding in making the audience still feel for him despite some rather disturbing choices the character makes throughout the film. Geena Davis is great as Seth's new girlfriend, Veronica, who is witness to Seth's brutal transformation into Brundlefly and struggles with her emotions of disgust, fear, and love as she attempts to find him help before its too late. John Getz is superb as well as the crazed ex-boyfriend and now boss of Veronica, Stathis Borans. This character also goes through a more subtle character based emotional transformation by the end of the film.
The Fly seems to enjoy switching things up on the viewer and playing with their expectations. The film starts out as a wacky love triangle based around a scientific breakthrough and slowly morphs into a terrifying tragedy about jealousy, greed, and human quirks that can get in the way of achieving our full potential. Our main antagonist and protagonist as they are introduced in the beginning of the film have switched roles by the grand finale. The film is also surprisingly reminiscent of the classic Universal Monster films, though it was produced by 20th Century Fox.
More about that scientific breakthough that causes our lead so much emotional and physical pain. They're called the Telepods and represent the potential for teleportation. Two dark black and steampunk looking pods that spark, whizz, and flash. They are the focal point for the final scene in the film (and are the centerpiece for most of the film as well) and are a character unto themselves.
A word of warning before you run out to rent/buy this little masterpiece: The Fly is extremely disturbing in just about every imaginable way. Pieces of Seth fall off, his face begins to boil and his body contorts as it prepares for the final transformation (I will say the body suit Jeff Golblum wears for most of the third act looks pretty darned cool, though it is still clearly a body suit. Luckily Brundlefly's final form is astounding, impressive, and realistic). Despite the urge to turn this one off, you will be rewarded if you make it thru till the end, seeing as the last 15 minutes of the film are one of the best endings ever seen in horror film history and just about outshines everything that preceeded it.
The Fly, as directed and partly scripted by David Cronenberg, with fantastic creature and effects creation by Wasal Inc., is one of the few pure horror classics that will continue to stand the test of time for all who are brave enough to step into the pod.
"Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid."
5/5 Better than Sex
Monday, August 9, 2010
SAW 7 has a new title, a new director, and an old familiar face
Hey there Beetle-heads. It's been a while since I've found any news noteworthy enough to report on...but today that trend changes.
For those who have been faithfully following the films and teachings of Jigsaw, I have some new upbeat news for you. First off, it has been confirmed that Saw 7's new title will be Saw 3D, thus confirming that those all too familiar shades will be used to further heighten the enjoyment of what is sure to be yet another bloody entry into the series (Saw 3D is rumored to be the FINAL Saw installment, a breath of relief can be heard around the world). I'm not too excited about the 3-D part. Not expecting much to come of this except that buckets of blood, trap pieces, and limbs will be flying at our faces fairly soon.
The 2nd piece of good news is that David Hackl (The director of Saw 5) has been given the ax and the reigns of the final film have been handed over to Kevin Greutert, the man who successfully breathed a breath of fresh air into one of the most exciting installments of the Saw franchise so far, Saw 6. As Director of 7, my hopes have been reignited for a good satisfying ending to The Saw franchise.
The 3rd and best piece of news, Care Elwes will be stepping back into the role of Dr. Gordon. Last we saw him he was crawling out of the bathroom, promising to get help for friend in need Adam. Gordon's fate has been left up in the air and with his return fans can only hope that the questions surrounding this particular character will finally be answered.
So, what will Saw 7 hold for fans??? Not much is known, but with a new twist, a proven director, and a returnig character Saw 7 is just about guaranteed to finally put to rest this weary franchise and the questions it has raised along the way.
Until next time friends, I'm Beetlejuice and you've just been bugged!
For those who have been faithfully following the films and teachings of Jigsaw, I have some new upbeat news for you. First off, it has been confirmed that Saw 7's new title will be Saw 3D, thus confirming that those all too familiar shades will be used to further heighten the enjoyment of what is sure to be yet another bloody entry into the series (Saw 3D is rumored to be the FINAL Saw installment, a breath of relief can be heard around the world). I'm not too excited about the 3-D part. Not expecting much to come of this except that buckets of blood, trap pieces, and limbs will be flying at our faces fairly soon.
The 2nd piece of good news is that David Hackl (The director of Saw 5) has been given the ax and the reigns of the final film have been handed over to Kevin Greutert, the man who successfully breathed a breath of fresh air into one of the most exciting installments of the Saw franchise so far, Saw 6. As Director of 7, my hopes have been reignited for a good satisfying ending to The Saw franchise.
The 3rd and best piece of news, Care Elwes will be stepping back into the role of Dr. Gordon. Last we saw him he was crawling out of the bathroom, promising to get help for friend in need Adam. Gordon's fate has been left up in the air and with his return fans can only hope that the questions surrounding this particular character will finally be answered.
So, what will Saw 7 hold for fans??? Not much is known, but with a new twist, a proven director, and a returnig character Saw 7 is just about guaranteed to finally put to rest this weary franchise and the questions it has raised along the way.
Until next time friends, I'm Beetlejuice and you've just been bugged!
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