Retro Review: "We're the Millers"

I wasn't sure if I was going to post about Groundhog Day or write this review... And I did my best to come up with a way to tie the two together, but couldn't find any rational correlation between the two other than that both Groundhog Day and We're the Millers are comedies.

Michael joined me for dinner and an OnDemand movie Friday night and since we were both in the mood for some nonsense, we watched this past summer's weirdly sentimental caper comedy which turned out to be actually much funnier than the numbers said it should have been. A preposterous plot? Most certainly. Gross-outs; sex jokes; stereotypes; outrageous coincidences and Carny trash? Of course! There is nothing particularly original or unexpected about the script from Bob Fisher and Steve Faber (The Wedding Crashers) or Rawson Marshall Thurber's (Dodgeball) direction. Luckily, Thurber managed to to pull together a cast capable of pulling off this particular brand of nonsense with ease and style. 

SNl alum Jason Sudekis is Dave Clark, a slacker pot dealer who is content with his life and has his business down to a science. Jennifer Aniston (in another surprisingly good performance) is his neighbor Rose, a stripper at the end of her financial rope. When dorky neighbor Kenny (Will Poulter) involves Dave in a dispute with a bunch of thugs and street urchin Casey (Emma Roberts) he ends up with both is stash and cash stolen and owing over $40 Grand to his supplier, the innocuously named but ruthless Brad (Ed Helms). In order or make up for it Brad sends Dave to Mexico to pick up "a smidgen and half" of pot. In order to keep under the radar, Dave enlists Rose, Kenny and Casey to pretend to be an average family on an RV trip. Throughout the outrageous road trip (which includes an exceptionally funny encounter with a sexually adventurous DEA agent and his wife - hilariously played Nick Offerman and and Katherine Hahn) and a male genitals visual involving a tarantula bite that is almost as disturbing as the zipper scene in There's Something About Mary, the four forge a very unlikely bond. It's no spoiler here to say the Millers end up together as a very real (though oddly dysfunctional) family. Stupid, ridiculous and not at all for the prudish. We're the Millers is well worth the watching, especially with the right person, under the right conditions. And I must admit, this gay man isn't afraid to say that bad actress or not, Aniston is smoking hot in this movie! It was exactly the kind of nonsense I needed after the week I've had!

We're the Millers is rated 'R' for drug references, sexual situations, adult language and violence. **1/2 (Two and a Half Out Of Four Stars).

And since it is Groundhog Day, that rotten Marmota monax had better not see it's shadow this morning. I have no problem driving out to Punxatawney to wring that rodent's neck! Not one, but two snowstorms are predicted for this region in the coming week. While I have no intention of moving any time soon, retirement in Taos is looking more and more attractive.

More, anon.

Prospero

"Finding Mr. Banks" Is a Lie

P.L. Travers

Disney's latest live-action film is Saving Mr. Banks, supposedly based on the story of how Walt Disney convinced author P.L.Travers to let him turn "Mary Poppins" into a movie.

Travers, an Australian born failed actress, went on to later gain fame as a poet and novelist. Her own banker father died young of alcoholism and she was later raised by the stern and loving nanny who inspired "Mary Poppins." Rumored to be a lesbian and adopting a son (based on an Astrologer's advice) as a single woman in the 1940's, Travers was an early 20th Century pioneer with a rather mercurial personality, prone to moodiness and not particularly fond of children, who later wrote erotica.  But it was the six Poppins novels that brought her the most acclaim.

Travers apparently hated Disney's version of her first novel, even after he convinced her to allow it to be made into a film. 

Sometime in the early 70's, Mom surprised my sister and I by taking us to a matinee of  revival screening of Mary Poppins. After it was over, my poor little sister (who was maybe 5 or 6 at the time) cried hysterically because Mary left the Banks' house. We tried to explain to her that other children needed her help, but she would have none of it.

Recently the BBC made an extraordinary short documentary about Travers and Disney, which exposes much of what the recent film washes over. If you have an hour, I highly recommend the documentary below:

Mary Poppins made an international star out of Julie Andrews (who won her first Oscar for the role) and eventually became one of Disney's most popular films. In fact, I was particularly thrilled by the fountain in the newest part of the Grand Floridian Hotel in Walt Disney World.

The Grand Floridian Hotel Lobby

While my sister may very well be a self-described "Disney Dork," and I truly enjoyed seeing how the various hotels at the Disney World resort were decorated for the holidays, I somehow completely understand how Travers objected to Disney's 'Disneyfication" of her stories.

I understand her objections, especially given my own proclivity for the darker side of life... But I have to admit that the Disney film had a major influence on my own movie experience. I was just 2 when the movie was first released and probably 6 before I saw it for the first time. 

Despite what Travers intended and objected to, millions of children look to Mary Poppins as a peek into early 20th Century British life. Regardless of what Travers thought, both she and Disney made millions off the movie. As much as she may have objected to the movie itself, Travers' children's novels took off because of the film. Travers established a charity using the money she made, but never established a real relationship with her adopted son or his children. 

More, anon.
Prospero

Review: "Life of Pi"

Suraj Sharma in Life of Pi

I've never seen an Ang Lee film that was boring. From the delightful The Wedding Banquet to the gorgeous fairy tale Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; from the lamentable Hulk to the exquisitely heartbreaking Brokeback Mountain, Lee's films are always interesting and often politically controversial.

Such is the case with his latest film Life of Pi, an adaptation of Yann Martel's novel about a young Indian boy left adrift at sea for 227 days after a shipwreck. Pi (short for Piscene - the French word for "Swimming Pool"*) was born and raised in the zoo run by his parents in the French region of India. Raised by a Hindu mother and an atheist father, Pi develops a fascination with religion and embraces Hinduism, Christianity and Islam equally, much to the consternation of his father who explains that "...believing in everything is the same as believing in nothing." When a new tiger - named 'Richard Parker' due to a paperwork mix up - arrives at the zoo, a young Pi attempts to connect with the beast, though he is stopped before a tragedy ensues. When political discord affects the region, Pi's father decides to sell the zoo animals and move to Canada, much to the consternation of a now-teenaged Pi (Suraj Sharma), who has just met a girl he may well love. While crossing the Pacific, the ship carrying Pi's family and the animals is sunk by a horrific storm and Pi finds himself alone on a life boat with a broken-legged zebra; an orangutan named "Orange Juice;" a viscous hyena and the tiger, Richard Parker. What follows is a tale of survival and self-discovery as told through flashbacks by an adult Pi (Irrfan Khan) to a Canadian writer (Prometheus' biologist, Rafe Spall). While Pi's version of his survival may be suspect, it's certainly more inspirational than what may have really happened.

Gorgeous doesn't even begin to describe the imagery in Life of Pi. Surreal; hypnotic; colorful; fanciful; exotic and ethereal are just a few of the adjectives one could apply. From the title credits shots in the Indian zoo to the scenes adrift at sea, Lee fills the screen with exceptionally beautiful images that dazzle and enthrall. I deliberately chose to see the film in 2D to make sure the darkening effect of 3D glasses wouldn't interfere with the imagery. David Magee's (Finding Neverland) screenplay is just fine (though in full disclosure, I have not read Martell's novel) and the CGI effects are nothing short of remarkable. Though the centerpiece of the film is the exceptional performance from Sharma, who manages to create a character with whom we can both identify and care about. Pi's journey is expressed and experienced through his performance and I have to admit that the young man carries the film beyond its rather limited framework. I have no doubt that Sharma will be nominated for Best Actor at several award ceremonies.

While certainly a solid movie (albeit with a rather specific spiritual point of view), Life of Pi is not the movie the its commercials and trailers would have you believe. Never boring, often beautiful and occasionally inspirational, Life of Pi is a good way to start the Holiday Movie Season, though there are still several "must see" films on my list. And I can't imagine that the eye-fatiguing 3D version offers any better an experience.

While Life of Pi is not the best movie I have seen this year, it's certainly one them. *** (Three out of Four Stars)

*One of my very first French lessons in Middle School - when dinosaurs ruled the Earth - was: "Où est Sylvie? Ala piscene." or: "Where is Sylvia? At the pool."

More, anon.
Prospero

Uncle P's Last Post of 2011

Have fun and be safe tonight. If you drink, don't drive. Don't let your friends drink and drive. Don't get in a car with a drunk driver. You'd been missed too much.

I wish you all a very happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful New Year! And I also want to thank you again, for reading my nonsense every day. I just started following my stats (I know - it's been almost four years), and I am amazed to see hits from all over the world. I hope I can keep you interested enough to keep you reading in 2012.

More, next year.

Prospero

Wrap-A-Thon Tonight

I am very behind in my holiday preparations this year and will spend much of the night wrapping presents that will be opened tomorrow night, hence the earlier-than-usual post today.

I take great pride in my holiday packages. I always make sure the ribbons, bows, paper and tags are all coordinated, my edges are sharp, the ends folded over and the corners are nice and tight. And I try to make sure they create a pretty display under the tree.

This year, I have decided to not do that at all. I have so many rolls of left-over paper from who knows how many years, that I am going to wrap every present in a different paper and just have a riot of color and patterns. And while I do have a couple dozen gifts to wrap, this will hardly put a dent in all that paper. Maybe I'll do the same thing next year, too. It will probably save me a bundle on wrapping paper for a while. And it'll be just a little bit 'green.' 

I also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who, both here and on Facebook, gave such wonderful advice on yesterday's post. It's good to know that so many folks care. Thankfully, I won't have to really deal with the issue until after the holidays. I'll be sure to let you know what happens.

If I don't get the chance to do so before, please allow me to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa and/or whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year. Thanks for reading me. And thanks for your comments. You should all know by now how much I love hearing from you.

Anyway, here's my early Christmas present to all of you; a funny bit-o-nonsense starring Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes. Enjoy:

More, anon.
Prospero

The Holiday Movies on My List

I've been a bad movie fan, this year. I didn't get to see even half of the movies I wanted to. Of course, now that the Holidays are upon us, there are another slew of movies I really want to see. 

I love this time of year for movies because you get such a good variety of family films; Holiday tentpole movies and prestigious awards contenders. Best Picture nominees Black Swan; True Grit and winner The King's Speech,
were all Holiday releases.

I have Christmas week off from the day job, so I may just get to see a couple matinees, if I play my cards right (and get some AMC gift cards for Christmas). 

So, here the movies I most want to see this season:

Now Playing:

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas. The Harold and Kumar movies are hardly works of artistic genius. But they're so ridiculous and outrageous, they can't help but be funny. Add the adorable and hilarious NPH playing a coked-up womanizing straight version of himself and you have comedy gold.

Melancholia. Director Lars van Trier got himself into trouble at Cannes this year, but his film about the End of the World is getting amazing reviews, including Oscar buzz for star Kirsten Dunst.

Immortals. Reviews have been mixed for Tarsem's take on Greek mythology starring Henry Cavill. I'm not ashamed to admit that I just want to see it for the eye candy (of all sorts).

The Descendants. Tons of Oscar buzz for Alexander Payne's (Election; Sideways) latest, starring dreamy George Clooney in a 'dramedy' about a man who discovers his comatose wife has been having an affair.

Opening This Week:

Hugo. Martin Scorcese's 3D adaptation of Brian Selznick's Steampunk YA novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" is being hailed as the first movie to actually make 3D work. It's also highest on my "Must See" list for the season.

The Muppets. Who doesn't love the Muppets? It's been many years since they've graced the silver screen, but thanks to star and co-writer Jason Segel, they're back in a movie currently rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

A Dangerous Method. Dark genius David Cronenberg's latest film is about Freud (Viggo Mortensen), Jung (Michael Fassbender) and the very unusual patient (Keira Knightley) they share.

Coming Soon:

Shame. Director Steve McQueen's award-winning sophomore effort about a New Yorker (Fassbender) struggling with sexual addiction. Filmmakers worldwide are hoping the movie's NC17 rating won't overshadow it's message or apparent brilliance.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr) and Watson (Jude Law), face off against Holmes' arch-enemy, Dr. Moriarty (Jared Harris), joined by Holmes' brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) and the Gypsy, Sim (...Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace). D and I saw the first Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movie and thoroughly enjoyed it. We're looking forward to it's sequel.

Carnage. Roman Polanski's adaptation of Yasmina Reza's (Art) tragically comic play God of Carnage, stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and Christophe Waltz in a tale about two couples who meet to discuss the schoolyard fight between their sons. Said meeting devolves into a battle between the classes.

Whew! There are a few more, but I'm exhausted... I know that I'll be lucky to see four of these 10 films this season, but that doesn't lessen my desire to see all of them. And I didn't even get to Stephen Spielberg's Warhorse; Julia Leigh's Sleeping Beauty or Michel Hazanavicious' The Artist.

Send lots of AMC gift cards...

More, anon.
Prospero

Is Anyone Really Excited About This?

The trailer for Steven Spielberg's motion-capture version of the Belgian comic Tintin is out, and while I must admit that Peter Jackson's WETA studios seems to have overcome the creepy dead-eyes issue that has plagued Robert Zemeckis' motion-capture movies, I just can't seem to work up any enthusiasm for this movie.

As a kid, I knew Tintin existed because we had to read it in French class, but I couldn't really get into the series. I think I was put off my his weird pointy hair. Tintin was a young reporter, going off on adventures only Belgian kids (and Spielberg) could truly appreciate.

Tintin was joined by his fox terrier, Milou (Snowy) and a series of weird companions like Captain Haddock (sounds fishy to me)*; the hearing-impaired Professor Tournesol ("Sunflower" in French, but "Calculus" in the American versions) and opera singer Bianca Castafiore. 

The first teaser trailer has hit the web, and it looks as though Spielberg may very well have the tone that creator Herge' intended, while infusing a bit of Indiana Jones style adventure, something missing from the rather talky comics I remember reading as a young teen.  Take a look (via) and tell me what you think:

Interesting? Only time will tell.

More, anon.
Prospero

*I make no apologies for that terrible joke, BTW...

Roulez les tetes coupees!

Well, there are about 40 minutes left of Mardi Gras here in the east... Not that I'm such a huge fan of Mardi Gras... I adore New Orleans, though admit to not having been in many years. But I much prefer Carnival in Venice, Brazil and Argentina. The image on your right is now my desktop wallpaper, by the way - how gay is that? Longtime readers know Uncle P's original profile photo* featured me in green and gold 16th Century Venetian garb, complete with my personal Venetian mask, itself a gift, brought home from Italy by my sweet K.

Anyway, given the gloom and doom and indignant ranting of late, I wanted to talk about silly stuff tonight. And it doesn't get much sillier than Mardis Gras, does it? Beads, booze, boobs and public nudity - sounds like the stuff of dreams, doesn't it? Well, apparently not! I went looking and sure enough found plenty of Mardi Gras themed horror movies you may have missed (at least I hope you have)...

Mardis Gras Massacre (1978):

From what I can tell from IMDb, Mardis Gras Massacre is a no-budget knock-off of schlockmeister General H.G. Lewis' Blood Feast, using Aztec mummies in place of Egyptian ones, set amidst the infamous insanity of the Big Easy during Mardi Gras... I've never seen this movie, nor do I want to...

Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995):

The action moves from Chicago to N'awlins in this sequel to Clive Barker's Candyman, itself an adaptation of his Urban Legend novella "The Forbidden." Why the change of venue? All the better to exploit the voodoo themes suggested in the original, I suppose. Or, maybe just to take advantage of all those fabulous Mardi Gras costumes... 

Dracula 2000 (2000):

Wes Craven produced this update of the Dracula meme, which incorporated then current technology with traditional Dracula lore as it has been bastardized over the years. Most interestingly, Dracula 2000 featured a cast of soon-to-bes including Nathan Fillion ("Firefly;" "Castle"), Omar Epps ("House"), Jeri Ryan ("Star Trek: Voyager") and a very sexy, pre-Spartan Gerard Butler in the title role. The screenplay creates an insane (if not uninteresting) connection between Stoker's Carpathian and a particularly reviled Biblical villain, which I suppose should earn points for originality, but in the end, Dracula 2000 is pretty far down on my list ranking movies with "Dracula" in their titles, but pretty high up in the Butler hotness scale.

Hoodoo for Voodoo (2006):

Once again, I have never seen Hoodoo for Voodoo, nor do I ever intend to do so. From what sense I could make of any number of plot summaries I found for this film, it's about a group of college kids trying to avoid a killer at a "Voodoo Tourist Attraction" in New Orleans. What the...?

Autopsy (2009):

I think I was thinking of a different movie when Autopsy showed up in a "Mardi-Gras + Horror Movies" search. But judging from that trailer, it seems to have nothing at all to do with Mardi Gras other than it is set in New Orleans. It also appears to be a total piece of crap.

I hope you had too much to eat and drink today. I hope that all my friends and readers who observe Lent are successful in their sacrifices... I hope some bit of nonsense or other made you smile today. I hope you are looking forward to spring as much as I am. And I hope no bad movies cross your path, unless you want them to.

More, anon.

Prospero

*I really need a new one of those, too...

Holiday Tentpoles

That's Ewan MacGregor and Jimmy Carrey about to lock lips in the much-delayed I Love You, Phillip Morris, finally seeing it's (limited) US release this weekend. Also in limited release is Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller set in the very competitive world of professional ballet, Black Swan, starring the always intriguing Natalie Portman and about whom much-Oscar talk has been bandied.  These are just two of the movies on my list to see this holiday film season.

Of course, I imagine Black Swan is not he movie for a gracefully aging group of friends to kick off the holiday season. Next week gives us The Chronicles of Narnia (they're still making those?): The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 3D (yawn...); Johhny Depp and Angelina Jolie in The Tourist (meh...) and in limited release, Julie Taymor's latest Shakespearean adaptation, The Tempest. The Tempest is a play I happen to know a little about. I've done it three times, first as Gonzalo, then as Prospero and last as the sound-effects designer. the play has been adapted for film by John Cassavates ( 1982's Tempest), Peter Greenaway (the lavishly produced Prospero's Books) and most notoriously by Fred Wilcox in 1956 as the iconic Sci-Fi classic, Forbidden Planet (itself scheduled for the inevitable remake in 2013). Tamor's last Shakespearean epic Titus, managed to turn in a bloody, sordid potboiler into an ironic black comedy. I can't wait to see what she does with this story of magic, monsters, spirits and forgiveness. This of course, despite my schadenfreude over the eminent demise of Tamor's latest Broadway project, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. What may the single worst idea in history for a musical is experiencing technical difficulties which prompted members of last Sunday's first preview audience to stand up and openly heckle during the second act.

Any movie opening the weekend of the weekend of the 17th has no chance against the juggernaut that is Disney's Tron: Legacy. Nerds all over the world have been drooling for this movie for almost 30 years. I saw the original in a theater (a Twin - remember those?) and it gave me a headache. Of course, I saw the trailer for Yogi Bear and that gave me a headache, too.

Christmas weekend sees Gulliver's Travels (why?); Little Fockers (really?) and True Grit (hmmm...). Of the three, True Grit is the one that appeals to me most, and mostly because its a Coen Brothers movie. The John Wayne original may have one its star an Oscar, but Wayne was actually a terrible actor and the 1969 original isn't always faithful to the novel on which it was based. Of course, with  cast like Jeff Bridges; Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, how you can you go wrong?

Enjoy the trailers of the movies I most want to see this season. I'll let you know which ones I actually get to:

Black Swan:



I Love You, Phillip Morris:



The Tempest:



Tron: Legacy:



True Grit:

So which ones (or one) do you think I'll actually get to see? I'm currently jonesing for cinematic satisfaction, so I certainly hope to get to as many of these as possible, though we all know that real-life interferes...

More, anon.

Prospero

No Sh*t, Sherlock...

This is a shot of the always amazing Robert Downey, Jr. in his new movie Sherlock Holmes. Directed by the man formerly known as Mr. Madonna, the very yummy Guy Ritchie. Guy Ritchie's previous films include Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and RocknRolla (and the less said about Swept Away, the better). I've seen these films because they often star some of the hottest guys, including you-know-who. They are outrageous and amusing and very entertaining; Brad Pitt is particularly hot and hilarious in Snatch.

Sherlock Holmes is a heroin- addicted Victorian-Era detective with a razor sharp mind and exceptional powers of observation. Why, of course it's the perfect vehicle for a shoot-'em-up guy like Guy (every inferred ounce of sarcasm intended to its fullest).

It does have three things going for it: Downey, Jude Law and the lovely Rachel McAdams. And much has been made about the "bromantic" relationship between Holmes and Watson (Law). Still, the trailers I've seen are absolutely ludicrous. Here's a short teaser:

And here's the latest, longer version:

How does a gangly, pale heroin addict transform into a short, muscular, trouble-loving brawler while still remaining the most brilliant mind in all of England? You hear that noise? That's Conan-Doyle spinning in his grave fast enough to be heard all over the world.

My favorite Middle School teacher, Jack Fogarty, introduced me to the works of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, Agatha Christie and Ray Bradbury. He taught me how to analyze books (and later, films and plays) for narrative structure, dramatic conflict, foreshadowing and so on. He also cast me as Holmes in the 8th grade play, the first real starring role yours truly ever had. So, as you can imagine, I hold the source material in a certain reverence.

I hope I'm wrong. Maybe it's a terrific and fun and funny movie. At least they've kept Inspector Lestrade and Holmes' long-suffering housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson. But I fear I'm not. I'm actually less-excited to see it than I am Avatar... sigh. I don't think we're in for an amazing holiday movie season, folks.

At least we have this to look forward to (even if the release date at the end is wrong):



More, anon.
Prospero