dragavan Reviews

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

A great 80's comedy made about 20 years later than expected, but worth it.

[7/10 · 10 August 2007]

It was the summer of '81. I was stuck in small town Alaska, Mtv just came on the air (actually playing music), and this group was having a great Wet Hot American Summer. Sure the movie was actually made 20 years later, but I remember those summers and going to camp every year (after my stint up north), and this movie captured the feel of life back then and the style of the teen sex comedies of the age (only with the off center comedy of The State thrown in the mix).

The characters are all genre stereotypes (often exaggerated) but they feel real enough to hold the crisscrossing story lines together, allowing them to all come to actual conclusions without feeling forced or sudden. It's hard to believe that a movie with this much slapstick, potty humor, sight gags, and even some very well thought out jokes actually has this well constructed of a story format. Set aside the continuity issues (mostly caused by the horrible rains they had while trying to film this sunny summer movie) and this low budget comedy actually very well put together. Put all that technical crap side now and just let me talk about how much fun the movie is.

I laughed a lot, and not just at the low-brow stuff. They really put a lot of layers into the humor and pulled out all the stops (when most movies would chicken out). It may help that I grew up in the age this was set in and with all the movies it is based around (Meatballs, Breakfast Club, and the rest), but I still think it works for anyone who likes the style of humor found in groups like "The State" (who were heavily involved in this) and the "Upright Citizens Brigade". Not a perfect movie, but more than enough fun to make up for the low budget and technical flaws found in it.

Plus, the DVD includes lot of great extras that are often more amusing than the movie itself. These include interviews, deleted scenes (with commentary), music montages, full Commentary Track, and even a low-brow track that adds extra fart noises for fun.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

Amazing performances and an intriguing story make for a great movie

[8/10 · 10 August 2007]

I grew up watching The Gong Show, The Dating Game, and The Newlywed Game, but I never expected a story like this to come from the same mind that created those. Was Chuck Barris really an assassin for the CIA? Even having the real Chuck Barris as a part of the crew and even interviewed at the end of the movie doesn't clear it up. Even though this movie doesn't really answer this question it tells it in such an intriguing way that it doesn't even matter. This is a great character study of a person who really exists about events that may never have happened.

The production of the film is amazing, with in camera transition effects that are so well done you would almost swear it was all done with perfect CG. Different types of film stock, lighting, cameras, and color processing was used to make every era and scene have a feel all it's own, dividing the "normal" from the surreal aspects of his mind on screen, as this whole story is told as if it was recounted by him years later (during a very bad time in his life). Put together with a great soundtrack and amazing editing makes this a piece of great cinematic achievement, even if it didn't have great performances to go along with it.

Speaking of the acting, it is simply amazing. If I didn't know better I would swear Sam Rockwell WAS Chuck Barris, even though that would be impossible. The rest of the cast (even the director, George Clooney) play their parts expertly and very believably. Together they make an amazing and yet quirky ensemble of characters that surround this highly interesting yet quirky real life person. I don't care what the answer actually is, this movie is worth seeing no matter what.

The DVD is loaded with great extras, including a fun commentary and some very thought provoking deleted scenes. I know why they removed, but seeing them makes me wish they had been left in. Finally are the excerpts from interviews with Chuck and the real people that knew him. I think he was... or just crazy.

GamerZ (2005)

A fun but not great little film about gamers in Scotland.

[6/10 · 10 August 2007]

Do not confuse this title with the movies "Gamers" and "The Gamers" (one of which is a good geek movie). This movie was made in Glasgow Scotland and most of the stars have thick accents, which can make it a little hard to understand them at times for us non-UK viewers. The movie is a low budget but relatively well written story about a dysfunctional group of gamers (which might be redundant) going through an interpersonal crisis and love triangle. It's a story of obsession, losing the line between reality and fantasy, and a coming of age story for kids who happen to be gamers.

Visually they have created a very cool looking movie for the budget they had to deal with, and the use of shadow plays with a mix of CG and painted background was a great way to show what was going on in the main character's imagination. It allowed a very strong separation between the game world and the real world, while not making them feel completely separate. The sound and music mix could have been a lot stronger, but again it works fine for the low budget they had to deal with.

The acting is where you have the biggest problem with the movie. Although not exactly bad, you can tell these are mostly amateurs or student actors. The characters become larger stereotypes because of this, which can actually work for certain styles of movies but this isn't one. The sets are mostly "found sets" but used very well and the set dressing they did do worked fine (again, for the budget). The story gets a little convoluted and meanders towards the middle and end, but can still be followed.

The DVD is fairly simple, with a couple of interesting behind the scenes featurettes, but has a number of technical problems. Several of the tracks on the DVD (including the movie itself) like to hang up at the end, not going back to the menu on most players. One of the "next" buttons on the select a scene section doesn't actually go to the next screen but jumps into the middle of the movie.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

Very Good but not Great movie about cooky characters dealing with a mid-life crisis

[7/10 · 10 August 2007]

I was never a fan of Jacques Cousteau, but I have seen many of his TV specials over the years growing up when they were new, so I was familiar with what this movie was basing the characters and humor on. I am also a fan of Bill Murray, both the old goofy Bill and the elder statesmen Bill as of late, so I knew I would like his performance, but I wasn't sure the movie as a whole would hold up to my tastes.

Technically this movie is fantastic. The sets they built (especially the crosscut version of the ship) were quirky and very fitting. The use of stop-motion animation was a great choice, as it added a sense of life and a little surrealism to the underwater scenes. The editing and the technical stuff was fine, but what really made this movie work for me was the sound and music design, especially the widespread use of on-set music performed by one of the actors. It was great hearing classic David Bowie tunes performed acoustic and in Portuguese. This pushed my review to a higher rating.

The acting was good, for the most part, but very little of it is what I would call great. Bill was amusing, as usual, but several others were not that great (I'm looking at you Owen). Overall the performances worked, but that's not a glowing a review. The story is a little convoluted, with several threads tracked through it, but none of them are really that important since the movie is really just about the characters. The final walking scene is very worth watching, as it says a lot about them without any words.

As for what the DVD contains, this is a Criterion Collection so I have higher standards for them. Unfortunately this doesn't live up to the usual standards I expect from them. Still it has deleted scenes, a little behind the scenes, and a commentary track, which was recorded in a crowded restaurant and has to often bleep out names (making it hard to listen to, even for me). On a normal DVD I would give these a pass, but not for a Criterion Collection.

Big Fish (2003)

Amazing movie of love, acceptance, and the line between fantasy and reality

[10/10 · 9 August 2007]

I am a self-professed fan of Tim Burton (even after what he did with Batman, which I enjoyed because he did it), so I can not believe I had not see this movie before. It was one of the first things I added to my NetFlix Queue when I opened my account to correct that. I am now going to have to run out and purchase this one for my own collection. It's just that good. It has not only instantly become my favorite Burton movie ever, but has move onto my list of favorite movies of all time.

The way this movie was filmed, the sets, the costumes, the cinematography, and all of it, combined to create a magical feeling to all the stories it tells. It gives each one a different look and feel, while allowing them to also stay part of the same life story they tell. Throw in the very down to earth style used for the scenes of the "real world" as the son tries to find the truth about his dying father and you have a truly magical mix of styles that work perfectly together. Sprinkle in the fantastic music of Danny Elfman and you have what I can only call a perfect movie.

The acting was top notch and the story was a great mix of reality and fantasy that keeps you wondering where the line between the two actually lies. The story is about fables and folklore, which are usually based in some truth, and those who are not willing to accept them for what they are. It is about the troubled and difficult relationships between fathers and sons trying to understand and accept each other. In then end it is about love and acceptance, in a world where fantasy and reality truly mix. It is one of the few movies that actually had me laughing and crying, sometimes at the same time.

The DVD itself not only contains the movie, but includes a number of good behind the scenes featurettes, a commentary track, and a Burton trivia game that leads to one of the hidden bonuses. The commentary track, although good, is more of an interview than a real commentary on the movie.

Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)

My favorite bad movie of all time.

[8/10 · 1 November 2001]

Not much more to say about this film other than it's the best bad cheesy movie ever made. It has it all and it's a blast to watch and laugh at while enjoying the hell out of it. David, Bruce, and an entire cast of great hams liven up this goofy but well meaning plot. Plus, you can't beat a VanHelsing being turned into a vampire.