Just About Halfway Down, Keeping Up
I had another busy weekend, filled with fun and music, which was absolutely need as I prepared to finish up such an exhausting school year. Yup, I had to return to school on Monday and Tuesday (full day, half day, respectively). I've never been one to let my professional life interrupt my personal life, and I think with this job it's especially important to make sure I keep a personal life that is busy and filled with excitement and fun.
So, Saturday night I went to see an upcoming bluesy, rock star named ZZ Ward. She's a girl from LA who has roots seeded in blues and rock, with a hint of hip hop infused in her songs. I had heard one of her songs as a featured "Free" download on iTunes awhile back and I watched a few videos of her performing on YouTube. A ticket was only $15 and the venue was just a simple 5 minute walk down the street from my apartment, so I thought the opportunity was one that couldn't be missed. She had a great opening band, called Swear and Shake from Brooklyn, too. ZZ Ward put on an amazing performance and I was really impressed that the venue (Port City Music Hall) was packed for it, too. I think Ward owes a lot of her performance to her excellent backing band, though. Man, could they put on a show. Her guitarist had some amazing blues solos that brought to mind a bit of Jimi Hendrix. And Ward had great stage presence. She even said, "the lights are on me tonight, everyone's looking at me, so feel free to dance and act stupid, because nobody will be looking at you, tonight."
Then, on Sunday, I went to a Sea Dogs game with my family (my sister and nephew came up from Salem) and even though we didn't get to sit together (my ticket was in a different section, unfortunately), it was great to see everyone. I apparently sat in the "Sea Dogs' groupie" section, because three of the young blonde girls that sat next to me could only talk to each other about who they're dating on the team and what clubs they went out to with them and how difficult it is to be "Dating" them. Oh, god, it made me sick! But, it was very entertaining. My father works at a local high school as an Assistant Principal and one of his teachers is a "host" to one of the Sea Dogs' players, so he gets free tickets to all home games. That's how we got the tickets.
Then, Sunday night, I drove down to Boston and saw CHVRCHES at the Paradise, one of my favorite venues (because they don't allow crowd surfing or moshing). They are an up-and-coming band from Scotland with an adorably tiny female lead singer and their music is electro-pop at its finest. One instruments were played, except for the occasional guitar and bass, as well as the tambourine. These guys are going to be huge very soon, when their album is released in September. Yes, right now they only have an EP out, and still this show was sold out! It's great to see/hear a band that is generating such buzz. I remember seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs open for Sleater Kinney back in like 2001, under the same circumstances. They were a buzz band, through and through. It was their live act that was selling them to people. CHVRCHES is the same way. What an energy-fueled show. It was amazing.
And now, I've finished off my school year and I'm ready to take a break from school for a couple of weeks, before heading back in to teach summer school and then go back in September to teach Kindergarten with some amazing ladies (who hired me last year). I'm finally home! And my life couldn't seem to be any better at the moment. Here's to an amazing summer. I'll be sure to watch many films, too. So, keep reading!
.........................................................................
Film 166
"Roger Dodger"
starring: Campbell Scott, Jesse Eisenberg, Elizabeth Berkley, Jennifer Beals
I'm still not convinced that Campbell Scott is a good actor and I don't know why he continues to get work. I think one of the only films I liked him in was "Singles" and a lot of that has to do with the fact that Cameron Crowe wrote and directed it, so he was in good hands. "Roger Dodger" is probably Campbell Scott at his best: he plays an utter douchebag, asshole of a guy, who sets out to prove that all women are whores, in a sense. And who is he proving this to? His underage nephew who is visiting him in New York.
Much like in "Solitary Man" with Michael Douglas playing a used car salesman, this is the perfect character writing. Scott plays the aforementioned title character Roger. Roger is an advertising executive, which means he's almost assuredly going to be an asshole. His job is to sell almost-always useless shit to people after convincing them that they need it. Happiness comes in the form of consummation. In his private life, though, Roger is the product and his "game" is to make women feel miserable about themselves, as he tells them exactly who he thinks they are and demeans them, so that he can offer himself as the product set to cure them. I don't know how or why this has seemingly worked for him in the past, and for so long, but the thing about Roger is that he's a "real" guy.
These guys actually exist. And they get a shit ton of women! Way more than any "nice" guy like myself could never imagine getting/having. Case in point: I had a friend exactly like this dude! And it infuriated me that amount of women that fawned over him. Karma, though, he's now in jail for a pretty terrible offense.
.........................................................................
Film 167
"Bloodrayne"
starring: Kristanna Loken
This is probably one of the worst films I've seen during this entire project and now I'm about 170 films into it. It might not have helped that I woke up at about 3 a.m. and couldn't fall back asleep so I decided to watch it. It's awfulness couldn't even put me to sleep, again.
It has everything it needs to be terrible. Mismatched shots, shoddy camera work, with a weird selection of blurry, shaky shots, action as incoherent as the dialogue spoken by the actors, terrible, terrible acting, sets that seemed designed by thrift store bargains or even worse, leftovers from a high school theatre set (the film takes place in 18th century Romania), equally terrible writing. Most disappointing, I think, is that Ben Kingsley would have chosen to attach himself to such a drastically awful project, and makes me wonder if it was right around the Writer's Strike in Hollywood, so he was just looking to work and get paid. I don't know what he was thinking or what could have attracted him to this film, at all. Also, Kristanna Loken, best known for her turn as the newest terminator from "Terminator 4" so many years ago (about 10 I think).She doesn't speak for about the first 30 minutes of the film and I almost wondered if she was going to rem
ain mute- It might have made the film better.
Loken plays Rayne, a half-human half-vampire dhampir who is out for vengeance against the king. Most unbelievable part of the story is that Rayne is a captive/performer in a freak-show circus. I thought vampires were supposed to be all-powerful and unable to be tamed? Shouldn't her instincts be to fight? She somehow escapes and falls in with a crowd of vigilantes who have vowed to find the king as well and kill him.
The only other things I care to share about this drab, awful excuse for a movie, is that it is another one based on a videogame. Enough said. And this should have been enough evidence that these types of movies need to stop being made, if the fact that the "Resident Evil" film franchise just keeps getting worse with each new film (by the way, now we are up to 5). Enough is enough. Give me some films with substance and decent characters. Oh well. At least I only wasted an early morning watching this one.
Anyway, I digress. As the film opens up, Roger is dumped by his lover/boss (played by Isabella Rossellini) and she in turn makes him feel miserable about himself, which sets up the rest of the film: he makes it his mission to prove that he feels great and comfortable with himself and to make every other woman feel as miserable about themselves as his boss/lover has done. And that's when his nephew Nick (played by Jesse Eisenberg) comes into his life. Not thrown off one bit, Roger decides to take Nick under his own misguided wing. Roger sets out to teach Nick the ways of women. They go nightclub hopping, in the hopes of meeting women so that Roger can divulge more secrets in the trade of hooking up. Nick is naive, but it's his naivety that sets him apart from Roger. That and his innocence, youthful charm, honesty, and wit. They meet two 30-something women at one club (Elizabeth Berkley and Jennifer Beals- by the way, where have they been and thank god they found such a great film to be seen in and fly under the radar with). They are quickly enchanted and charmed with Nick, even though he is clearly underage and they make it pretty clear that they won't sleep with him, even though they don't say it (it's kind of understood that he's off limits, even though Roger would have everyone believing otherwise). I loved their interactions as a group and the younger Jesse Eisenberg almost steals each scene with these veteran actors. A lot of credit can be given to the script, written by Dylan Kidd (who also directed the film). He seems to be a definite student to the likes of David Mamet and Neil LaBute in this regard; and I definitely appreciate his style.
Why does this film work on several levels. Because, like "Solitary Man" it's sort of a character study. Roger is the subject. Roger is the victim, of himself. Roger is the subject as scene and told through other people's perspectives and interactions with him. Roger is trying to be a mentor and teacher to Nick, but what's interesting about this is that Roger's philosophies and ways of life are ultimately the reasons why he is alone and single. Roger is teaching Nick a lesson, but it's not the lesson he thinks it is. I'm fairly certain any viewer picks up on the lesson as well. This approach to life just doesn't work, even if you tell yourself it works (for you), ultimately you go home with yourself and feel lonely.
This is a "real" film that I loved the first time I saw it a few years ago, and I still appreciated it now. Campbell Scott is great as Roger. For once.
............................................................
Film 168
"Fear Island"
starring: Haylie Duff
This almost seemed like a joke film, like it wasn't going to take itself seriously as a horror film, but it does. And it has enough twists and an interesting take on the horror and suspense to actually be somewhat entertaining and not a complete waste of time. Although, Haylie Duff (older sister of Hilary Duff) leaves a lot to be desired as a "leading" actress for a film, she handles the role well, cast as the only survivor to a murder spree mystery on an island.
It does follow the cliche set up of pretty much any teenage-fueled horror film out these days. A group of friends head off to blow off stem, drink, and have sex on an island, because someone's rich parents give them the opportunity to "escape reality" (re: have summer jobs?). They are secluded enough to not have cell phone services and when they think to jump back on the boat, it's too late, because it's already gone- but where did it go? and who could've taken it?
They group of friends get to have exactly one night of freedom and partying, even after discovering a 15 year old girl hidden in the cabin of the boat. They're all pretty welcoming and decide one more won't ruin the party, in fact, she's game for anything, even wants to have sex with one of the guys (but he chooses not to go through with it because she's 15). After that night of partying, everything goes awry. And we are perfect set up to believe it's one of two people: this new 15 year old girl (because that's usually the formula) or the mysterious guy from their past who shows up occasionally throughout the film, too (who knows the guys and their little secret). No one can really expect and/or suspect the real killer, although, now that I think about it, I probably should have, since I consider myself a film aficionado. There are some great red herrings throughout the film, which comes with the decent script writing and I enjoyed how they presented the story. The killings are subtle and not so gruesome, which is a smart play for a low budget film that wants to be taken seriously. In fact, I think all of them are simply implied and not even seen on the screen. Well done there, especially in this genre where gross-out seems to be the norm. I respect there decision.
Haylie Duff plays the girl who survived the weekend massacre, but is picked up by the police and questioned as a suspect because that could be the only explanation for her survival. She convinces the psychiatrist that she's not the killer as she opens up about what happened on the island, so the story is told in flashbacks as she recounts the events to the detective and the doctor. I thought the use of the present time was well organized and worked well to move the story along and it helps reveal the twist in the end. That's all I want to tell you about the film, because it's decent enough to watch on your own and see if you know what's coming in the third act.
So, Saturday night I went to see an upcoming bluesy, rock star named ZZ Ward. She's a girl from LA who has roots seeded in blues and rock, with a hint of hip hop infused in her songs. I had heard one of her songs as a featured "Free" download on iTunes awhile back and I watched a few videos of her performing on YouTube. A ticket was only $15 and the venue was just a simple 5 minute walk down the street from my apartment, so I thought the opportunity was one that couldn't be missed. She had a great opening band, called Swear and Shake from Brooklyn, too. ZZ Ward put on an amazing performance and I was really impressed that the venue (Port City Music Hall) was packed for it, too. I think Ward owes a lot of her performance to her excellent backing band, though. Man, could they put on a show. Her guitarist had some amazing blues solos that brought to mind a bit of Jimi Hendrix. And Ward had great stage presence. She even said, "the lights are on me tonight, everyone's looking at me, so feel free to dance and act stupid, because nobody will be looking at you, tonight."
Then, on Sunday, I went to a Sea Dogs game with my family (my sister and nephew came up from Salem) and even though we didn't get to sit together (my ticket was in a different section, unfortunately), it was great to see everyone. I apparently sat in the "Sea Dogs' groupie" section, because three of the young blonde girls that sat next to me could only talk to each other about who they're dating on the team and what clubs they went out to with them and how difficult it is to be "Dating" them. Oh, god, it made me sick! But, it was very entertaining. My father works at a local high school as an Assistant Principal and one of his teachers is a "host" to one of the Sea Dogs' players, so he gets free tickets to all home games. That's how we got the tickets.
Then, Sunday night, I drove down to Boston and saw CHVRCHES at the Paradise, one of my favorite venues (because they don't allow crowd surfing or moshing). They are an up-and-coming band from Scotland with an adorably tiny female lead singer and their music is electro-pop at its finest. One instruments were played, except for the occasional guitar and bass, as well as the tambourine. These guys are going to be huge very soon, when their album is released in September. Yes, right now they only have an EP out, and still this show was sold out! It's great to see/hear a band that is generating such buzz. I remember seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs open for Sleater Kinney back in like 2001, under the same circumstances. They were a buzz band, through and through. It was their live act that was selling them to people. CHVRCHES is the same way. What an energy-fueled show. It was amazing.
And now, I've finished off my school year and I'm ready to take a break from school for a couple of weeks, before heading back in to teach summer school and then go back in September to teach Kindergarten with some amazing ladies (who hired me last year). I'm finally home! And my life couldn't seem to be any better at the moment. Here's to an amazing summer. I'll be sure to watch many films, too. So, keep reading!
.........................................................................
Film 166
"Roger Dodger"
starring: Campbell Scott, Jesse Eisenberg, Elizabeth Berkley, Jennifer Beals
I'm still not convinced that Campbell Scott is a good actor and I don't know why he continues to get work. I think one of the only films I liked him in was "Singles" and a lot of that has to do with the fact that Cameron Crowe wrote and directed it, so he was in good hands. "Roger Dodger" is probably Campbell Scott at his best: he plays an utter douchebag, asshole of a guy, who sets out to prove that all women are whores, in a sense. And who is he proving this to? His underage nephew who is visiting him in New York.
Much like in "Solitary Man" with Michael Douglas playing a used car salesman, this is the perfect character writing. Scott plays the aforementioned title character Roger. Roger is an advertising executive, which means he's almost assuredly going to be an asshole. His job is to sell almost-always useless shit to people after convincing them that they need it. Happiness comes in the form of consummation. In his private life, though, Roger is the product and his "game" is to make women feel miserable about themselves, as he tells them exactly who he thinks they are and demeans them, so that he can offer himself as the product set to cure them. I don't know how or why this has seemingly worked for him in the past, and for so long, but the thing about Roger is that he's a "real" guy.
These guys actually exist. And they get a shit ton of women! Way more than any "nice" guy like myself could never imagine getting/having. Case in point: I had a friend exactly like this dude! And it infuriated me that amount of women that fawned over him. Karma, though, he's now in jail for a pretty terrible offense.
.........................................................................
Film 167
"Bloodrayne"
starring: Kristanna Loken
This is probably one of the worst films I've seen during this entire project and now I'm about 170 films into it. It might not have helped that I woke up at about 3 a.m. and couldn't fall back asleep so I decided to watch it. It's awfulness couldn't even put me to sleep, again.
It has everything it needs to be terrible. Mismatched shots, shoddy camera work, with a weird selection of blurry, shaky shots, action as incoherent as the dialogue spoken by the actors, terrible, terrible acting, sets that seemed designed by thrift store bargains or even worse, leftovers from a high school theatre set (the film takes place in 18th century Romania), equally terrible writing. Most disappointing, I think, is that Ben Kingsley would have chosen to attach himself to such a drastically awful project, and makes me wonder if it was right around the Writer's Strike in Hollywood, so he was just looking to work and get paid. I don't know what he was thinking or what could have attracted him to this film, at all. Also, Kristanna Loken, best known for her turn as the newest terminator from "Terminator 4" so many years ago (about 10 I think).She doesn't speak for about the first 30 minutes of the film and I almost wondered if she was going to rem
ain mute- It might have made the film better.
Loken plays Rayne, a half-human half-vampire dhampir who is out for vengeance against the king. Most unbelievable part of the story is that Rayne is a captive/performer in a freak-show circus. I thought vampires were supposed to be all-powerful and unable to be tamed? Shouldn't her instincts be to fight? She somehow escapes and falls in with a crowd of vigilantes who have vowed to find the king as well and kill him.
The only other things I care to share about this drab, awful excuse for a movie, is that it is another one based on a videogame. Enough said. And this should have been enough evidence that these types of movies need to stop being made, if the fact that the "Resident Evil" film franchise just keeps getting worse with each new film (by the way, now we are up to 5). Enough is enough. Give me some films with substance and decent characters. Oh well. At least I only wasted an early morning watching this one.
Anyway, I digress. As the film opens up, Roger is dumped by his lover/boss (played by Isabella Rossellini) and she in turn makes him feel miserable about himself, which sets up the rest of the film: he makes it his mission to prove that he feels great and comfortable with himself and to make every other woman feel as miserable about themselves as his boss/lover has done. And that's when his nephew Nick (played by Jesse Eisenberg) comes into his life. Not thrown off one bit, Roger decides to take Nick under his own misguided wing. Roger sets out to teach Nick the ways of women. They go nightclub hopping, in the hopes of meeting women so that Roger can divulge more secrets in the trade of hooking up. Nick is naive, but it's his naivety that sets him apart from Roger. That and his innocence, youthful charm, honesty, and wit. They meet two 30-something women at one club (Elizabeth Berkley and Jennifer Beals- by the way, where have they been and thank god they found such a great film to be seen in and fly under the radar with). They are quickly enchanted and charmed with Nick, even though he is clearly underage and they make it pretty clear that they won't sleep with him, even though they don't say it (it's kind of understood that he's off limits, even though Roger would have everyone believing otherwise). I loved their interactions as a group and the younger Jesse Eisenberg almost steals each scene with these veteran actors. A lot of credit can be given to the script, written by Dylan Kidd (who also directed the film). He seems to be a definite student to the likes of David Mamet and Neil LaBute in this regard; and I definitely appreciate his style.
Why does this film work on several levels. Because, like "Solitary Man" it's sort of a character study. Roger is the subject. Roger is the victim, of himself. Roger is the subject as scene and told through other people's perspectives and interactions with him. Roger is trying to be a mentor and teacher to Nick, but what's interesting about this is that Roger's philosophies and ways of life are ultimately the reasons why he is alone and single. Roger is teaching Nick a lesson, but it's not the lesson he thinks it is. I'm fairly certain any viewer picks up on the lesson as well. This approach to life just doesn't work, even if you tell yourself it works (for you), ultimately you go home with yourself and feel lonely.
This is a "real" film that I loved the first time I saw it a few years ago, and I still appreciated it now. Campbell Scott is great as Roger. For once.
............................................................
Film 168
"Fear Island"
starring: Haylie Duff
This almost seemed like a joke film, like it wasn't going to take itself seriously as a horror film, but it does. And it has enough twists and an interesting take on the horror and suspense to actually be somewhat entertaining and not a complete waste of time. Although, Haylie Duff (older sister of Hilary Duff) leaves a lot to be desired as a "leading" actress for a film, she handles the role well, cast as the only survivor to a murder spree mystery on an island.
It does follow the cliche set up of pretty much any teenage-fueled horror film out these days. A group of friends head off to blow off stem, drink, and have sex on an island, because someone's rich parents give them the opportunity to "escape reality" (re: have summer jobs?). They are secluded enough to not have cell phone services and when they think to jump back on the boat, it's too late, because it's already gone- but where did it go? and who could've taken it?
They group of friends get to have exactly one night of freedom and partying, even after discovering a 15 year old girl hidden in the cabin of the boat. They're all pretty welcoming and decide one more won't ruin the party, in fact, she's game for anything, even wants to have sex with one of the guys (but he chooses not to go through with it because she's 15). After that night of partying, everything goes awry. And we are perfect set up to believe it's one of two people: this new 15 year old girl (because that's usually the formula) or the mysterious guy from their past who shows up occasionally throughout the film, too (who knows the guys and their little secret). No one can really expect and/or suspect the real killer, although, now that I think about it, I probably should have, since I consider myself a film aficionado. There are some great red herrings throughout the film, which comes with the decent script writing and I enjoyed how they presented the story. The killings are subtle and not so gruesome, which is a smart play for a low budget film that wants to be taken seriously. In fact, I think all of them are simply implied and not even seen on the screen. Well done there, especially in this genre where gross-out seems to be the norm. I respect there decision.
Haylie Duff plays the girl who survived the weekend massacre, but is picked up by the police and questioned as a suspect because that could be the only explanation for her survival. She convinces the psychiatrist that she's not the killer as she opens up about what happened on the island, so the story is told in flashbacks as she recounts the events to the detective and the doctor. I thought the use of the present time was well organized and worked well to move the story along and it helps reveal the twist in the end. That's all I want to tell you about the film, because it's decent enough to watch on your own and see if you know what's coming in the third act.
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