Amph Film Releases & Trends of a Decade Retrospective: The Nineties A-Z. Now Disc: 1993 D-G

March & April 2007

Notable releases: (listed in release order)

March:
-Black Snake Moan
-Wild Hogs
-Zodiac
-300
-The Ultimate Gift
-Dead Silence
-I Think I Love My Wife
-Premonition
-The Hills Have Eyes 2
-The Last Mimzy
-Pride
-Reign Over Me
-Shooter
-TMNT
-Blades of Glory
-The Lookout
-Meet the Robinsons

April:
-Are We Done Yet?
-Firehouse Dog
-The Reaping
-Grindhouse
-The Hoax
-Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters
-Disturbia
-Pathfinder
-Perfect Stranger
-Redline
-Slow Burn
-Fracture
-Hot Fuzz
-In the Land of Women
-Vacancy
-The Condemned
-The Invisible
-Kickin' It Old Skool
-Next


T2Q Comments:
-300: "THIS. IS. SPARTA!!!". Stylistic awesomeness, bearer of the greatest Lexicon of Badassery this side of Ash and Nada.

-Reign Over Me: Never saw this one, but it did bring us Pearl Jam's perfect cover of "Love Reign O'er Me" for the soundtrack.

-TMNT: Never saw the 2003 reboot series (to which this is a partial sequel to, as well as apartial sequel to the original 3 films), but this flick was pretty good. Much better than the 3rd movie, for certain. The "what they've been up to" opening montage is perfect, and the Raph vs Leo showdown is just brutally awesome, emotional and something we've waited a long time for.

-Grindhouse: A great experience, though I favor Tarintino's installment over Rodriguez's. The whole package, with the fake (at the time) trailers, classic ad spots, etc really sold the experience.

-Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters: This is for fans only. But gloriously ridiculous. Also the first movie to be aired on cable before it's theatrical release... in a silent, quarter-sozed screen in the corner of the regular Adult Swim programming.

-Redline: Apparently a bad flick (but I may just check it out anyways), but also one funded entirely by subprime loans. which didn't help the film at all fter the market meltdown.


Movies I Want See
-Blades of Glory
-The Condemned
-Disturbia
-Fracture
-The Hills Have Eyes 2
-The Last Mimzy
-The Lookout
-Meet the Robinsons
-Next
-Pathfinder
-Redline
-Shooter
-Vacancy
-Zodiac

Overall Trends:

Between The Marine and The Condemned, you're seeing a lot of WWE stars in flicks as of late.

 

Hot Fuzz is hands down my favorite Edgar Wright film. It's so simple yet so complex at the same time. Reign Over Me is alright, and yes Pearl Jam's cover is great, but it doesn't beat the original IMO.

Also Blades of Glory is worth it for the last few lines.

 

The funny thing about the Pearl Jam cover is I was listening to the original song on the radio one day 1 or 2 years ago (having only really gotten into the more popular Who songs relatively recently) and I thought "You know who would be great to cover this? Pearl Jam/Vedder."

Then, later that day, they played the cover on the radio.

I like it when I make things happen with my mind.

 

May & June 2007

Notable releases: (listed in release order)

May:
-Waitress
-Lucky You
-Spider-Man 3
-28 Weeks Later
-Delta Farce
-Georgia Rule
-The Ex
-Shrek the Third
-Bug
-Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

June:
-Gracie
-Knocked Up
-Mr. Brooks
-Hostel: Part II
-Ocean's Thirteen
-Surf's Up
-Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
-Nancy Drew
-1408
-Evan Almighty
-A Mighty Heart
-Live Free or Die Hard
-Ratatouille
-Sicko



T2Q Comments:
-Spider-Man 3: At first, Venom issues aside, I thought this was the best film of the series as I was walking out the theater, but then things like the Magic Butler and the annoying ****ing reporter commentary started to creep in there.

The birth of Sandman was an amazing scene and I liked the Anti-Parker take on Brock as Venom- I never felt they were villains of rushed development or exposition like what made Doc Ock feel cheap to me in SM2.

I didn't even mind the song and dance number- I didn't find it anywhere near as distracting or horrible as the raindrops bit from SM2.

But, they quite obviously squished two movies into one (either because of Raimi's distaste for non-original villains or actor contracts or whatever) which left Sandman's story dangling and Venom's story rushed.

What's more, Raimi spit in the eye of fans and threw salt on the wound by not only finding a plausible way to defeat Venom for this film (thereby allowing them to develop him in a future movie where'd they'd have time/interest to do so) but then arbitrarily killing off the character for no reason, despite the fact that the whole black suit/Venom thing was what people were seeing the damn movie for!.


-Shrek the Third: They just weren't trying here. the thing with the Princesses was amusing, but, yeah...nothing happened here. Just watch the first 2 and maybe the 4th and you'll be good.

-Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: Amazing in some areas and disappointing in others- but, despite the waste of Norrington's character (who was built-up so excellently in the second film), the too-long-and-dry Locker sequence and the do-nothing-at-all Pirate armada, I find myself liking this one the most out of the series.

Davey Jones is just an incredible villain, Barbossa is bat**** insane when needed, yet he and Jack have some great quiet moments (like the ruminations on their fading place in the world), Bootstrap Bill's sad "You know my name!" scenes still work, the bittersweet ending I love and the score is just damn amazing.


-Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: A significant improvement over the first film, with a great combo performance by Doug Jones & Lawrence Fishbourne as the Surfer (probably the worst thing about this film's underperformance is it prevented the JMS-penned SS spin-off film from happening- which, given JMS's SS: Requiem work, would have been a great combination with their performance).

Yet, the stupid alteration to Galactus and even undoing the one promising thing about the first film (that Doom would at least have his damn mask on permanently), among other flaws, just dragged down the film overall.


-Evan Almighty: Yeah, despite Carrell's best effort, this one was pretty bad, and it has nothing to do with the lack of Jim Carrey- the material just wasn't there.

-Live Free or Die Hard: Even though this one has a different vibe than the first 3 DH flicks, i still really enjoyed this one. The tech-angle was different, and McClane's daughter was a welcome surprise as a character (she's neither the daughter-in-distress that 90% of other action movies would use, nor a super action ninja like the other 10% would use; just the right amount of McClane attitude and intelligence). Olyphant as the villain was also very good- naturally the best scenes are with McClane's daughter continuing to frustrate Olyphant's character.

-Ratatouille: Quirky but very good. Not their best film, but neither is it standard fare either. If they have to make semi-junk like Cars to fund more indie-like flicks like this, then so be it.


Movies I (probably)

 

July & August 2007

Notable releases: (listed in release order)

July:
-License to Wed
-Transformers
-Clubland
-Rescue Dawn
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
-Captivity
-Talk to Me
-Hairspray
-I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
-Sunshine
-Arctic Tale
-I Know Who Killed Me
-No Reservations
-The Simpsons Movie
-Who's Your Caddy?

August:
-Becoming Jane
-The Bourne Ultimatum
-Bratz: The Movie
-Hot Rod
-Underdog
-Daddy Day Camp
-Rush Hour 3
-Skinwalkers
-Stardust
-The Invasion
-The Last Legion
-Superbad
-Mr. Bean's Holiday
-The Nanny Diaries
-Resurrecting the Champ
-September Dawn
-War
-Balls of Fury
-Death Sentence
-Halloween


T2Q Comments:

-Transformers: There's too much to say about the movie to fit into this thread appropriately. Suffice it to say, while some stuff works out pretty well, it's not a movie that treats it's titular characters as characters.

It was definitely afraid of the robots in this robot movie (and budget limits were not an issue- you don't need them in bot mode for them to talk/interact/develeop, etc- and even with the later sequel when they can throw tons of bots on the screen, they avoid developing them at all so it's a very deliberate decision by the writers/director) so we got saddled with a lot of human characters (most of whose subplots don't add anything to the story and, more often than not, just stop) while the bots stay off screen (including several of the most promising character elements in the franchise, such as Starscream's interaction with Megatron- something that, with their various histories and clashing views and ambitions, could fill 3 dramatic films without the need for action sequences; yet, here, it gets an afterthought of a single line of dialogue).

Add to that the horrible, horrible character designs and too-complex-to-be-interesting details (tell which swirling mass of grey & black scrap metal is fighting which as they, not necessarily "transform" as magically splinter into a million pieces; in essence, they designed cars that turn into robots, not robots that turn into cars) that, while entertaining, is a complete waste of the properties' potential. Just some real missed opportunities all around (especially given the timing of real world events- had they utilized the philosophies surrounding the war for resources angle from the original series, Transformers could have ended up being one of the most relevant socially films of the decade while still delivering the spectacle of Baysplosions).


-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: These tend to blur together for me, but everything from the 4th film onwards has had more or less the same quality- not as good as the third but way better than the first two.

-I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry: Not one of Sandler's better comedies, very one-note joke that might have played better 30 years ago.

-Sunshine: A frustrating film- the first 2/3rds of the film is really amazing, sort of a modern 2001 (if 2001 wasn't so deathly boring) wrapped in an Armageddon premise (minus Michael Bay and Bruckheimer) and one of the very few sci-fi films/shows to really try to capture moments of wonder about the universe/space travel.

(Sunshine and Stargate Universe are the only things that come to mind over the last decade or so that have accomplished this)

But then we get to the last third, where the film makes a sudden right turn into a kinda-bad slasher film by way of Hellraiser, and it just tanks the film.

Still worth seeing for whats so great about it, but frustratingly disappointing.


-The Simpsons Movie: Very funny, with some very heartfelt moments (Marge's video message to Homer is a great performance), and it gave us Spider-Pig . Even better, the momentum from this movie seemingly reflected on the TV show itself, which has notably improved a considerable amount since the movie came out.

-The Bourne Ultimatum: Solid conclusion to the series.

-Hot Rod: Some of Samberg's stuff here is funny, though the supporting cast (particularly the greta Bill Hader) stand out more. It does

 

You don't count Green Zone? It's not all-out action like Bourne, but certainly cut from the same mold (for obvious reasons).

 

September & October 2007

Notable releases: (listed in release order)

September:
-3:10 to Yuma
-The Brothers Solomon
-Shoot 'Em Up
-The Hunting Party
-Across the Universe
-The Brave One
-D-War
-Eastern Promises
-In the Valley of Elah
-Mr. Woodcock
-Into the Wild
-Good Luck Chuck
-Resident Evil: Extinction
-Magicians
-The Jane Austen Book Club
-Feast of Love
-The Game Plan
-The Kingdom
-The Darjeeling Limited

October:
-Feel the Noise
-The Heartbreak Kid
-The Seeker
-Michael Clayton
-Elizabeth: The Golden Age
-The Final Season
-Why Did I Get Married?
-We Own the Night
-30 Days of Night
-The Comebacks
-Gone Baby Gone
-Rendition
-Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour
-The Ten Commandments
-Things We Lost in the Fire
-Dan in Real Life
-Saw IV


T2Q Comments:

-3:10 to Yuma: Even though I'm not a fan of westerns, this one still managed to overcome that, including elements from the genre that usually work, and pairing them with some great actors.

-Shoot 'Em Up: One of my favorite movies of all time. I absolutely love it. It's basically a live action Bugs Bunny cartoon with guns, hitmen and prostitutes (something the film embraces- not only is Clive Owen Bugs and Paul Giamatti Elmer, but there is a higher-than-usual ratio of death-by-carrots ). Just pure fun and violence.

-Resident Evil: Extinction: I sadly missed this one in theaters but I found it to be the strongest of the series, even if it moves the farthest away from the source material (well, until the 4th film turned it into a Matrix ripoff).

-The Kingdom: Solid military/political/action/investigation hybrid with a good cast an a very intense climactic chase/shoot-out.

-Elizabeth: The Golden Age: I haven't seen either film yet, but it was somewhat remarkable that the sequel really made me want to see it despite having no interest in the original.

-Saw IV: Stronger than part 3 (as the "character going through the tests" is less of a random inclusion) as the series really starts expanding on the supporting cast characters from previous films and begins weaving the backstory into greater complexity. It's with this film that, combined with Tobin Bell's excellent presence and performance, that Jigsaw completes the transition from serial killer to anti-hero, in the eyes of the audience- a somewhat unique aspect that has helped contributed to the character's enduring popularity.


Movies I (probably) Want See
-30 Days of Night
-Across the Universe
-The Darjeeling Limited
-D-War
-Eastern Promises
-Elizabeth: The Golden Age
-Gone Baby Gone
-Good Luck Chuck (yes, I know it's probably bad)
-In the Valley of Elah
-Michael Clayton
-Mr. Woodcock
-Rendition
-The Seeker

Overall Trends:

Ben Affleck sort of starts a comeback here directing Gone Baby Gone while we're starting to see a slew of middle-east/anti-war films begin to test the water in relation to the public's growing disapproval in Iraq- yet, going by reactions and boxoffice, it was still seemingly something of a tough sell.

I can't help but think that if these films had come out even a month earlier, the explosion of popularity in fictionalized mideast combat linked to the huge success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare may have helped a couple of them (though, obviously, not all).

 

I saw the film had good reviews, but I just remember the trailer not catching my interest at all.

That's terrible!

 

November & December 2007

Notable releases: (listed in release order)

November:
-American Gangster
-Bee Movie
-Martian Child
-Fred Claus
-Lions for Lambs
-No Country For Old Men
-P2
-Beowulf
-Love in the Time of Cholera
-Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
-August Rush
-Enchanted
-Hitman
-The Mist
-This Christmas
-Awake

December:
-Juno
-Atonement
-The Golden Compass
-Noelle
-The Perfect Holiday
-Alvin and the Chipmunks
-I Am Legend
-Charlie Wilson's War
-National Treasure: Book of Secrets
-P.S. I Love You
-Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
-Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
-Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
-St Trinian's
-The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
-The Bucket List
-There Will Be Blood
-The Orphanage


T2Q Comments:

-American Gangster: Very solid drama with Denzel.

-Beowulf: Though not a classic, I liked this one- good cast (who are, mostly) rendered photo real with the mocap style. Kinda bummed I missed it in 3D when it was in theaters (missed the 3D showing by 10-15 minutes, had to settle for the 2D showing) as there were scenes obviously made with 3D in mind.

-Hitman: I understand that fans of the game hate the movie for how loose it plays with the game mythology, but, having no knowledge of that, I liked this one quite a bit. I liked Olyphant in the role too (but, then, he was coming in high off of his good turn as the villain in Die Hard 4 that year).

-I Am Legend: Really good drama/action flick with some very memorable sequences (the one with the dog in particular was rough). However, the CGI vampires with that awful Mummy-mouth jaw effect distract more than they add to things. Definitely check out the original alternate ending version of the movie, though- otherwise various subtext elements presented throughout the film end up having no payoff and leave you a little bewildered.

-Charlie Wilson's War: I think I saw this one, but I can't really remember much.

-National Treasure: Book of Secrets: More of an Indiana Jones film than the first one.

-Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem: This one is frustrating. On one hand, it gets a lot so terribly right compared to the last film (Hard R rating, Predalien, no substandard Predator effects, etc). On the other, the human plotline is beyond terrible and is almost literally the same concepts Rodriguez spoofed in Grindhouse's Planet Terror, with a Ripley ripoff thrown in for flavor.

It's like they took two steps in the right direction, but tripped and fell off a wall while doing so.

On the plus side, if you ignore the human plotline (or can edit it out yourself), you realize the film's main character is really the Predator, who is "the cleaner" of this scenario- and then the movie becomes pretty badass.

-There Will Be Blood: Daniel Day Lewis is a monster of an actor in this film- even if the rest was terrible, it'd be worth seeing for him alone. The film overall meanders at times, but is still worth seeing once, I think, if only for the famous milkshake scene at the end (which you should then track down the SNL parody skit afterwards).


Movies I (probably) Want See
-The Bucket List
-Fred Claus
-The Golden Compass
-Juno
-Lions for Lambs
-The Mist
-Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
-No Country For Old Men
-The Orphanage
-Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
-Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story


Overall Trends:

More Iraq/9-11-themed political dramas, failed attempts at franchises (Golden Compass) and surprisingly successful ones (Chipmunks). Juno got that one chick on the spotlight radar for awhile. Fox would break up the fight between Aliens and Predators to head both series into solo relaunches with both Predators and the forthcoming Prometheus Alien prequel.

 

The year 2007 in review- what's worth seeing (once or several times?), what's worth keeping?

Skimming back through the lists I posted, here's my personal selections (and, as always, I encourage folks to skim back through the lists and make their own):


Worth Keeping: (aka: get the DVD!)
-3:10 to Yuma
-300
-Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (keeping in mind my very specific method of viewing the movie )
-The Bourne Ultimatum
-Grindhouse
-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
-Live Free or Die Hard
-Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
-Shoot 'Em Up
-The Simpsons Movie
-Smokin' Aces
-Superbad

Worth Seeing a Few Times: (aka: maybe get the DVD)
-Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (fans only)
-American Gangster
-Death Sentence
-Hitman
-I Am Legend
-National Treasure: Book of Secrets
-Resident Evil: Extinction
-Saw IV
-Sunshine
-TMNT
-Transformers (my relationship status with this film series is...complicated )

Worth Seeing Once: (aka: rent it or get it in the $5 bin at Best Buy or Walmart)
-Balls of Fury
-Beowulf
-Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
-Halloween
-The Kingdom
-Ratatouille (I want to "rank" this higher, but it's not a film that strikes me as a "repeat viewings" type movie)
-Reno 911!
-Spider-Man 3
-There Will Be Blood

If It's on Cable: (aka: not completely awful, but no need to intentionally seek it out)
-Hot Rod
-Stardust
-War

List of Films I Still (Probably) Want To See:
-1408
-28 Weeks Later
-30 Days of Night
-A Mighty Heart
-Across the Universe
-The Astronaut Farmer
-Blades of Glory
-Breach
-Bridge to Terabithia
-The Bucket List
-Bug
-The Condemned
-The Darjeeling Limited
-Disturbia
-D-War
-Eastern Promises
-Elizabeth: The Golden Age
-Epic Movie
-Fracture
-Fred Claus
-Freedom Writers
-The Golden Compass
-Gone Baby Gone
-Good Luck Chuck
-Gracie
-The Hills Have Eyes 2
-Hostel: Part II
-In the Valley of Elah
-Juno
-Knocked Up
-The Last Legion
-The Last Mimzy
-Lions for Lambs
-The Lookout
-Meet the Robinsons
-The Messengers
-Michael Clayton
-The Mist
-Mr. Bean's Holiday
-Mr. Brooks
-Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
-Mr. Woodcock
-Next
-No Country For Old Men
-Ocean's Thirteen
-The Orphanage
-Pathfinder
-Redline
-Rendition
-Rescue Dawn
-The Seeker
-Shooter
-Surf's Up
-Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
-Vacancy
-Waitress
-Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
-Zodiac