Beck Live at MASS MoCA and A Few Films in the Can
It's actually been a week since the concert that follows:
Tuesday night, well, afternoon, my girlfriend and I traveled 4 hours from Portland, Maine to North Adams, MA for one reason: BECK! Yes, I've now seen Beck, an amazing, eclectic musician whose career has now spanned 20 years and more, twice! He came to Portland last year and played an incredible two-set show (one acoustic and one electric) that spanned many of his hits, but also touched upon some other, hidden gems of his. Seeing him just about one year later, I was a bit weary that it would be a similar setlist, but being Beck, it was not, which made it another incredible experience as a concert and the scene was amazing. He played in North Adams because that's the site of the MASS MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), which is worth the price of admission and you could easily spend an entire day inside of, admiring the art. My girlfriend and I walked through some of it and only got to spend about 30 minutes, because of all the driving. Do yourself a favor and make a day out of it and take the trip. We will, again.
Anyway, Beck's set was incredible, full of energy and new songs, old songs, etc. He played for 2 hours and it was amazing!
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"One For the Money"
starring: Katherine Heigl, Jason O-Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepard
I've never really thought Katherine Heigl was a good actress, definitely not lead-role material, but for some reason she's been able to convince Hollywood bigwigs that she can star in romantic comedies (another slightly unbelievable thing). I remember her first role, as a teenage in "My Father the Hero" (look it up, it's rather cheesy, but I bet you'd remember it from your own childhood, it's right up there with "3 Ninjas" as a guilty pleasure, I'm sure).
She became a household name back in the late '90s with the WB show about aliens on "Roswell" where again her acting talents were not on display, really, at all. Again, she was rather young, about 21 years old, at the time. She disappeared for a bit, but then came back with a vengeance on the small screen and the big screen with giant hits "Knocked Up" (the Judd Apatow film also starring Seth Rogen, which I'm really counting for the excellent writing) and of course, "Grey's Anatomy" which she subsequently left, as her name and star-power was getting hotter. Romantic comedies followed:
27 Dresses
The Ugly Truth
Killers
Life As We Know It
New Year's Eve
One for the Money
The Big Wedding
Sure, Katherine Heigl has a pretty face, and she certainly grew up into a very attractive lady with a great body, but her acting is rather terrible. "One for the Money" sort of showcases her lack of talent, as well. It doesn't help that the writing is awful, and comes straight from a cheesy novel. The character she plays here is Stephanie Plum, who was created by Janet Evanovich in 1994 and has now appeared in over 18 novels following her storyline as a hard-ass bounty hunter from Jersey. Heigl dyed her beautiful blonde hair to become a brunette and just really doesn't work for her.
There is nothing redeemable about this film at all, other than to say, it will work well for the audience it was made for, females who dream about having a secret fantasy life, because maybe they are stay-at-home mothers with a lot of time to daydream and/or read these 18 plus novels. The characters are not believable and elicit no sort of emotion. The dialogue is terrible, too. Argh! This is a film critic's worse nightmare- a film that you cannot say anything positive about.
Avoid it at all costs.
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"Stuart Saves His Family"
starring: Al Franken, Laura San Giacomo, Vincent D'Onofrio, Shirley Knight, Harris Yulin
written by: Al Franken
directed by: Harold Ramis
Stuart Smalley is a character brain-child of the once-comic genius mind of Al Franken (now a U.S. Senator, or at least to some degree a political figure). Stuart had a recurring skit on Saturday Night Live and apparently had enough of a backstory to be given a feature length film. And that's what we get for the most part, in "Stuart Saves His Family." Right off the bat, from the title, we know what's going to happen and what the problem is. And Al Franken lets us know more about one of his favorite characters. Stuart grew up in Minneapolis. His dad's an alcoholic and his mother's co-dependent and enabler. His sister's a compulsive eater and his brother (a brilliant early career performance by Vincent D'Onofrio). Stuart flees to Chicago as soon as he can and he enters and becomes a part of four different 12-step programs. Hey, that's his bread and butter. He also hosts his own cable television show where he helps his own viewers with pearls of wisdom.
Stuart has his own crisis- his cable show is on the verge of cancellation. Then, his family comes calling, because they can always count on him to solve their problems. So, with nothing to lose, he finds himself traveling back north to intervene. Lots of funny moments happen when he returns home and perhaps the best thing about this film is that Stuart's family could be anyone's.
It was directed by Harold Ramis (of course, most famously remembered for "Ghostbusters"). Written by Franken, because he knows the characters best, since he created them, the story stays true to him, while at the same time, clearly makes fun of him, too. Stuart is actually quite a likable character, and maybe that's because his family is so screwed up. But, likability seems to be a bit of a curse with SNL characters that get a full-length film (with only a few exceptions, like this one).
This is actually quite an enjoyable film.
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"Private Parts"
starring: Howard Stern, Mary McCormack, Robin Quivers, Fred Norris, Paul Giamatti, Gary Dell-Abate, Jackie Martling, Carol Alt, Richard Portnow (special appearance by Jenna Jameson)
directed by: Betty Thomas
written by: Howard Stern
But perhaps my all-time favorite interview from Howard Stern's show came a few years ago, when a wannabe Playboy Playmate was brought to the show by her mother. Howard Stern and I are usually rather spot-on with Playboy potential and I was actually blown away when I first saw Jillian Grace. I knew she would become a Playmate, and especially after Howard Stern gave his stamp of approval.
In his first movie, based on his first book, the best-selling 1993 autobiography Private Parts, the radio jock comes off as a master of self-deprecation. Stern knows that his millions of fans are matched by millions of others who'd like to gag his famously foul mouth. The movie, by con or charm, means to reshape our perceptions of the media mogul who caused more headaches and made just as many enemies as he did fans.
"Less Than Zero"
starring: Andrew McCarthy, James Spader, Robert Downey Jr.
Three college friends are about to learn the tragic effects of drugs and wealth when Julian (Downey, Jr.), a charming, good looking rich boy, starts a drug habit that soon spirals out of control. Unfortunately, this film cam out in 1987 and seemed to mirror Robert Downey Jr.'s real life. When Clay (McCarthy) returns home from college he finds things have drastically changed for his model girlfriend Blair (Gertz) and best buddy Julian. Aside of Julian wooing Blair into bed while Clay was gone, both parties have also managed to rack up a drug habit that has thrown Julian $50,000 in the hole. Julian's dealer Rip (played by James Spader) is allegedly Julian's friend—but Rip is at the end of his rope with Julian's ongoing debt. Julian in turn attempts to collect some money from his uncle for a new nightclub and, as a last ditch effort, pleads with his already fractured father for help. All the while Clay watches his friend become a slave to their narcotics. Clay seems helpless to do anything for Julian; those who know people with drug problems know that they only way they can get help is when the truly want it. Sadly, Clay is almost stuck on the outside as he watches his friend slowly destroy his life. Julian has been in and out of rehab multiple times, though each time he bottoms out Julian swears that he will now go clean and sober.
While Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, and James Spader all do a fine job with their roles, the fact is that this is Downey's show. With foaming desire, Downey exemplifies a typical drug addict down to his very core. He's a man who is so far gone that you feel simultaneous empathy and disgust. That is some great acting. Method acting or not. How do you save someone who has already jumped off the cliff? Every time the character exclaims that he is planning on going straight, you know that he's said this a million and one times, to no avail. And maybe we have all known someone like that in our own lives and so the reality of Julian is striking. His only help is in the form of McCarthy's character, but even he has his limitations—Clay's only line of defense is to pull Julian back from the abyss, even though in less than a day the odds are Julian will be peering into that hole again. Jami Gertz's superficial Blair is also no help—she has her own demons and addictions to deal with, including a freebase habit and a desire to always look good.
It's certainly not the best film about the decade of decadence, but perhaps that's because it came out while the 1980s were still happening, so it couldn't have been written or made without some retrospection, which is too bad because there are some excellent films that have come out since (re: another Bret Easton Ellis' novel "American Psycho"). But, for what it is and the story it tells, it comes off real and as a bit of a cautionary tale.
..................................................................................
"Once More with Feeling"
starring: Drea de Matteo, Chazz Palminteri, Linda Fiorentino, Lauren Bittner,
"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"
starring: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Lea Seydoux, Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway
directed by: Brad Bird
Say what you will about Tom Cruise as a person, but you have to respect that he sort of turned himself into quite an action-adventure film star, especially since he could have gone with his pretty-boy good-looks and done tons of romantic comedies. He is a great action star. He was of course at the very beginning with the "Mission Impossible" film series and I think his charm and wittiness, as well as his willingness to put his body on the line in regards to stunts. Then there's...
Minority Report
Collateral
War of the Worlds (one of my favorite Cruise films)
Valkyrie
Knight and Day (a bit of a bomb)
Oblivion
Edge of Tomorrow
and he has even convinced, somewhat, fans of his ability to play "Jack Reacher"
I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed the "Mission Impossible" franchise and I'm totally convinced in Cruise's performance as Ethan Hunt, agent for the IMF. That being said, though, the film really belongs to the expertise of director Brad Bird (who directs his first live-action film, having worked previously on Pixar films) and also producer J.J. Abrams, who quickly made a name for himself in the action film genre.
The story could be simple:
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"Party Monster"
starring: Macaulay Calkin, Seth Green, Wilson Cruz, Diana Scarwid, Chloe Sevigny, Marilyn Manson, Dylan McDermott, Mia Kirschner, Wilmer Valderrama, Natasha Lyonne
written and directed by: Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato
Party Monster is the story of club kid Michael Alig's rise to infamy as a nightlife fabulist and, eventually, a callous killer who murdered drug dealer Angel Melendez in 1996. Scenesters-turned-directors Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey already made a 1998 true-crime doc about Alig, so this feature should have been all about capturing the vortex vibe of hard-drugging Limelight bacchanal. But "Party Monster" never gets rolling.
Evidently, Barbato and Bailey scripted their demiurge with Macaulay Culkin in mind, impressed with his tween-sploit turn in The Good Son. I don't really know why because I've always found him to be more annoying than a decent actor. So sad then, that their quintessential bad seed makes such a rotten fruit. From his first direct-address declarative burst, the robotically "gay" Culkin telegraphs cluelessness and he is quite unconvincing. Alig, in real life was an obnoxiously charming Indiana-bred busboy who latched onto celebutantes like drag-darling James St. James, as well as a thirsty sponge, absorbing the minutiae of low-rent socialite protocol. Culkin's bitchy 'tude often seems a mix of self-congratulation and coasting. Seth Green takes a victory lap as the couture-ific St. James. Seth Green owns this life. He seems to have an inner life, and looks badass in bindi and blueface. But Culkin's unmodulated yelling makes banter between St. James and Alig less snarky bend-n-snap and more Terrance-and-Philip.
The film is very obnoxious and comes off very fake. Having not seen their preceding documentary about the same topic, I'd go out on a limb to state that it has to be better than this venture.
Tuesday night, well, afternoon, my girlfriend and I traveled 4 hours from Portland, Maine to North Adams, MA for one reason: BECK! Yes, I've now seen Beck, an amazing, eclectic musician whose career has now spanned 20 years and more, twice! He came to Portland last year and played an incredible two-set show (one acoustic and one electric) that spanned many of his hits, but also touched upon some other, hidden gems of his. Seeing him just about one year later, I was a bit weary that it would be a similar setlist, but being Beck, it was not, which made it another incredible experience as a concert and the scene was amazing. He played in North Adams because that's the site of the MASS MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), which is worth the price of admission and you could easily spend an entire day inside of, admiring the art. My girlfriend and I walked through some of it and only got to spend about 30 minutes, because of all the driving. Do yourself a favor and make a day out of it and take the trip. We will, again.
Anyway, Beck's set was incredible, full of energy and new songs, old songs, etc. He played for 2 hours and it was amazing!
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"One For the Money"
starring: Katherine Heigl, Jason O-Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo, Sherri Shepard
I've never really thought Katherine Heigl was a good actress, definitely not lead-role material, but for some reason she's been able to convince Hollywood bigwigs that she can star in romantic comedies (another slightly unbelievable thing). I remember her first role, as a teenage in "My Father the Hero" (look it up, it's rather cheesy, but I bet you'd remember it from your own childhood, it's right up there with "3 Ninjas" as a guilty pleasure, I'm sure).
She became a household name back in the late '90s with the WB show about aliens on "Roswell" where again her acting talents were not on display, really, at all. Again, she was rather young, about 21 years old, at the time. She disappeared for a bit, but then came back with a vengeance on the small screen and the big screen with giant hits "Knocked Up" (the Judd Apatow film also starring Seth Rogen, which I'm really counting for the excellent writing) and of course, "Grey's Anatomy" which she subsequently left, as her name and star-power was getting hotter. Romantic comedies followed:
27 Dresses
The Ugly Truth
Killers
Life As We Know It
New Year's Eve
One for the Money
The Big Wedding
Sure, Katherine Heigl has a pretty face, and she certainly grew up into a very attractive lady with a great body, but her acting is rather terrible. "One for the Money" sort of showcases her lack of talent, as well. It doesn't help that the writing is awful, and comes straight from a cheesy novel. The character she plays here is Stephanie Plum, who was created by Janet Evanovich in 1994 and has now appeared in over 18 novels following her storyline as a hard-ass bounty hunter from Jersey. Heigl dyed her beautiful blonde hair to become a brunette and just really doesn't work for her.
There is nothing redeemable about this film at all, other than to say, it will work well for the audience it was made for, females who dream about having a secret fantasy life, because maybe they are stay-at-home mothers with a lot of time to daydream and/or read these 18 plus novels. The characters are not believable and elicit no sort of emotion. The dialogue is terrible, too. Argh! This is a film critic's worse nightmare- a film that you cannot say anything positive about.
Avoid it at all costs.
....................................................................................
"Stuart Saves His Family"
starring: Al Franken, Laura San Giacomo, Vincent D'Onofrio, Shirley Knight, Harris Yulin
written by: Al Franken
directed by: Harold Ramis
Stuart Smalley is a character brain-child of the once-comic genius mind of Al Franken (now a U.S. Senator, or at least to some degree a political figure). Stuart had a recurring skit on Saturday Night Live and apparently had enough of a backstory to be given a feature length film. And that's what we get for the most part, in "Stuart Saves His Family." Right off the bat, from the title, we know what's going to happen and what the problem is. And Al Franken lets us know more about one of his favorite characters. Stuart grew up in Minneapolis. His dad's an alcoholic and his mother's co-dependent and enabler. His sister's a compulsive eater and his brother (a brilliant early career performance by Vincent D'Onofrio). Stuart flees to Chicago as soon as he can and he enters and becomes a part of four different 12-step programs. Hey, that's his bread and butter. He also hosts his own cable television show where he helps his own viewers with pearls of wisdom.
Stuart has his own crisis- his cable show is on the verge of cancellation. Then, his family comes calling, because they can always count on him to solve their problems. So, with nothing to lose, he finds himself traveling back north to intervene. Lots of funny moments happen when he returns home and perhaps the best thing about this film is that Stuart's family could be anyone's.
It was directed by Harold Ramis (of course, most famously remembered for "Ghostbusters"). Written by Franken, because he knows the characters best, since he created them, the story stays true to him, while at the same time, clearly makes fun of him, too. Stuart is actually quite a likable character, and maybe that's because his family is so screwed up. But, likability seems to be a bit of a curse with SNL characters that get a full-length film (with only a few exceptions, like this one).
This is actually quite an enjoyable film.
................................................
"Private Parts"
starring: Howard Stern, Mary McCormack, Robin Quivers, Fred Norris, Paul Giamatti, Gary Dell-Abate, Jackie Martling, Carol Alt, Richard Portnow (special appearance by Jenna Jameson)
directed by: Betty Thomas
written by: Howard Stern
But perhaps my all-time favorite interview from Howard Stern's show came a few years ago, when a wannabe Playboy Playmate was brought to the show by her mother. Howard Stern and I are usually rather spot-on with Playboy potential and I was actually blown away when I first saw Jillian Grace. I knew she would become a Playmate, and especially after Howard Stern gave his stamp of approval.
In his first movie, based on his first book, the best-selling 1993 autobiography Private Parts, the radio jock comes off as a master of self-deprecation. Stern knows that his millions of fans are matched by millions of others who'd like to gag his famously foul mouth. The movie, by con or charm, means to reshape our perceptions of the media mogul who caused more headaches and made just as many enemies as he did fans.
"Private Parts" is a comic firecracker with a surprising human touch. The premise of Len Blum's script is that the on-air Stern is a Frankenstein monster. Off the air, he is a reclusive, doting husband, devoted to his wife albeit tempted at every turn, and dad. Of course, faithful Stern still fantasizes about the babes on his show, but don't all men? Forget the acting, because it's almost like you cannot tell if he is actually acting or just playing a dramatized version of himself, on the air, which is a character anyway. Stern appears to be having a roaring good time on camera, and the spirit is contagious.
Alison, Stern's wife, is played by Mary McCormack, of TV's "In Plain Sight,"most notably. Her performance provides the film's emotional anchor. Convinced that Howard's public personality is an act, she stays with him and is devoted to him just as much as he is to her. Alison is still wounded by his on-air jokes about her miscarriage and their sex life. "Private Parts," for all its explosive laughs, is that rare comedy that allows for the sweet, messy sprawl of reality. Of course, ironically, anyone who has followed Stern's professional and personal life knows that he and his wife eventually did get divorced and he has since been married to a beautiful model Beth Ostrosky. Through everything, though, one can stand by the fact that Howard Stern has never apologized for his radio persona and he is actually quite a brilliant man.
................................................................................"Less Than Zero"
starring: Andrew McCarthy, James Spader, Robert Downey Jr.
Three college friends are about to learn the tragic effects of drugs and wealth when Julian (Downey, Jr.), a charming, good looking rich boy, starts a drug habit that soon spirals out of control. Unfortunately, this film cam out in 1987 and seemed to mirror Robert Downey Jr.'s real life. When Clay (McCarthy) returns home from college he finds things have drastically changed for his model girlfriend Blair (Gertz) and best buddy Julian. Aside of Julian wooing Blair into bed while Clay was gone, both parties have also managed to rack up a drug habit that has thrown Julian $50,000 in the hole. Julian's dealer Rip (played by James Spader) is allegedly Julian's friend—but Rip is at the end of his rope with Julian's ongoing debt. Julian in turn attempts to collect some money from his uncle for a new nightclub and, as a last ditch effort, pleads with his already fractured father for help. All the while Clay watches his friend become a slave to their narcotics. Clay seems helpless to do anything for Julian; those who know people with drug problems know that they only way they can get help is when the truly want it. Sadly, Clay is almost stuck on the outside as he watches his friend slowly destroy his life. Julian has been in and out of rehab multiple times, though each time he bottoms out Julian swears that he will now go clean and sober.
While Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, and James Spader all do a fine job with their roles, the fact is that this is Downey's show. With foaming desire, Downey exemplifies a typical drug addict down to his very core. He's a man who is so far gone that you feel simultaneous empathy and disgust. That is some great acting. Method acting or not. How do you save someone who has already jumped off the cliff? Every time the character exclaims that he is planning on going straight, you know that he's said this a million and one times, to no avail. And maybe we have all known someone like that in our own lives and so the reality of Julian is striking. His only help is in the form of McCarthy's character, but even he has his limitations—Clay's only line of defense is to pull Julian back from the abyss, even though in less than a day the odds are Julian will be peering into that hole again. Jami Gertz's superficial Blair is also no help—she has her own demons and addictions to deal with, including a freebase habit and a desire to always look good.
It's certainly not the best film about the decade of decadence, but perhaps that's because it came out while the 1980s were still happening, so it couldn't have been written or made without some retrospection, which is too bad because there are some excellent films that have come out since (re: another Bret Easton Ellis' novel "American Psycho"). But, for what it is and the story it tells, it comes off real and as a bit of a cautionary tale.
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"Once More with Feeling"
starring: Drea de Matteo, Chazz Palminteri, Linda Fiorentino, Lauren Bittner,
Frank Gregorio (Chazz Palminteri) the patriarch of this Italian-American family, is a successful psychiatrist. In preparation for singing at his youngest daughter's wedding, Frank discovers karaoke bars and this reignites the passion for song that he gave up so long ago, which we learn through terribly constructed flashbacks that really take away from the present day story and are very unnecessary). His wife Angelina (Maria Tucci) is supportive but doesn't share the same enthusiasm. So, Frank receives his inspiration from Lydia (Linda Fiorentino), a divorcee who loves watching karaoke but never sings herself.
Meanwhile, Frank's oldest daughter Lana (Drea de Matteo) is having a midlife crisis. Being a full-time mom to two kids has really taken a toll on her. Lana is afraid her husband may be interested in other women, worried about her deteriorating physical beauty, tempted by the idea of an extramarital encounter and completely reliant on her cell phone. She can't help jumping to the worst conclusion when she sees her father shopping with Lydia.
Frank and Lana don't do anything especially interesting so watching them make mountains out of their molehills is not an engaging cinematic experience. Their behavior is uninspired when the movie wants to be realistic; and they appear ridiculous when the movie tries to be adventuresome. Lana's story shares equal time with that of Frank but she is many times more annoying. She is introduced in a flurry of domestic chaos. Lana isn't easily likable so it's hard to have a rooting interest for her during her crisis. She looks like a ticking time bomb so there isn't much comedy to be had from her situation. Lana is a woman in need of help. The resolution of her crisis is a jaw-dropper. While it may be somewhat realistic, and perhaps effective as an interim solution, it is also a disempowering and irresponsible message.
This film is a bit of a waste of time, especially given its length and what the story does with the time and characters it is given.
.................................................................................."Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"
starring: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Lea Seydoux, Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway
directed by: Brad Bird
Say what you will about Tom Cruise as a person, but you have to respect that he sort of turned himself into quite an action-adventure film star, especially since he could have gone with his pretty-boy good-looks and done tons of romantic comedies. He is a great action star. He was of course at the very beginning with the "Mission Impossible" film series and I think his charm and wittiness, as well as his willingness to put his body on the line in regards to stunts. Then there's...
Minority Report
Collateral
War of the Worlds (one of my favorite Cruise films)
Valkyrie
Knight and Day (a bit of a bomb)
Oblivion
Edge of Tomorrow
and he has even convinced, somewhat, fans of his ability to play "Jack Reacher"
I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed the "Mission Impossible" franchise and I'm totally convinced in Cruise's performance as Ethan Hunt, agent for the IMF. That being said, though, the film really belongs to the expertise of director Brad Bird (who directs his first live-action film, having worked previously on Pixar films) and also producer J.J. Abrams, who quickly made a name for himself in the action film genre.
The story could be simple:
While it’s not immediately clear from the outset how Impossible Mission Force agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) wound up in a Moscow prison, there are enough mentions of Julia, whom Ethan married in “Mission: Impossible III,” to orient the viewer and provide the intriguing possibility that this adventure might not be entirely self-contained.
Mere hours after an IMF team busts him out of jail, Ethan infiltrates the Kremlin in hopes of capturing Russian nuclear extremist Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), yet only winds up unwittingly helping the fanatic escape. Clever sequence makes use of eye-popping gadgetry (one nifty device essentially functions as a massive invisibility cloak) and culminates in a stunning single take of the Kremlin blowing up, a shot made perhaps unintentionally pointed in light of Russia’s election woes, and one of several instances in which the widescreen aspect ratio opens up to accommodate the full Imax screen in all its giant glory. In warming up the ashes of the Cold War, the script delights not only in placing its characters in the most adverse possible circumstances, but in continually depriving them of their usual resources: With the U.S. and Russia on the brink of crisis and the American government disavowing all knowledge of IMF (initiating “Ghost Protocol”), the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of Ethan and his ill-equipped, down-but-not-out fellow agents: mouthy tech whiz Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), whose inexperience provides an excess of comic relief; Jane Carter (Paula Patton), a tough-and-tender type bent on avenging a fellow agent’s death; and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), an analyst reluctantly shoved into the field.
Pic reaches a literally dizzying peak at the midpoint, as the team commandeers a number of hotel rooms in Dubai so as to intercept the nuclear-launch codes being traded to Hendricks by a pouty French assassin (Lea Seydoux), whose faceoff with Jane marks the film’s most ferocious hand-to-hand bout. Before that point, viewers are treated to the sight of Ethan scaling the side of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, with nothing more than a pair of (unreliable) adhesive gloves. The timing of the cutting here is so sharp, the effect of Robert Elswit’s camera placement so vertiginous, that it genuinely takes the breath away; the marvelously light-fingered scene that follows, in which Ethan & Co. must deceive two sets of crooks, is nearly as tense. After a chase on foot, remarkably, in a simulated Dubai sandstorm, the usual agent-bonding downtime sets in, occasioning a precipitous dip in momentum from which the film never quite recovers. Despite a logistically staggering sequence in a multitiered parking structure, featuring the altogether heartbreaking destruction of several perfectly good Beemers, the Mumbai-set endgame disappoints with its lower-stakes action and a pileup of wan espionage-thriller tropes. Trenchant geopolitics aren’t called for here, but for a movie that invokes the not-so-crazy threats of renewed Iron Curtain conflict and nuclear apocalypse, “Ghost Protocol” winds up seeming as flip as it is undeniably cool.
For anyone who has enjoyed Tom Cruise's work in the action genre, this certainly will not disappoint you. It's a great ride!...............................................................................
"Party Monster"
starring: Macaulay Calkin, Seth Green, Wilson Cruz, Diana Scarwid, Chloe Sevigny, Marilyn Manson, Dylan McDermott, Mia Kirschner, Wilmer Valderrama, Natasha Lyonne
written and directed by: Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato
Party Monster is the story of club kid Michael Alig's rise to infamy as a nightlife fabulist and, eventually, a callous killer who murdered drug dealer Angel Melendez in 1996. Scenesters-turned-directors Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey already made a 1998 true-crime doc about Alig, so this feature should have been all about capturing the vortex vibe of hard-drugging Limelight bacchanal. But "Party Monster" never gets rolling.
Evidently, Barbato and Bailey scripted their demiurge with Macaulay Culkin in mind, impressed with his tween-sploit turn in The Good Son. I don't really know why because I've always found him to be more annoying than a decent actor. So sad then, that their quintessential bad seed makes such a rotten fruit. From his first direct-address declarative burst, the robotically "gay" Culkin telegraphs cluelessness and he is quite unconvincing. Alig, in real life was an obnoxiously charming Indiana-bred busboy who latched onto celebutantes like drag-darling James St. James, as well as a thirsty sponge, absorbing the minutiae of low-rent socialite protocol. Culkin's bitchy 'tude often seems a mix of self-congratulation and coasting. Seth Green takes a victory lap as the couture-ific St. James. Seth Green owns this life. He seems to have an inner life, and looks badass in bindi and blueface. But Culkin's unmodulated yelling makes banter between St. James and Alig less snarky bend-n-snap and more Terrance-and-Philip.
The film is very obnoxious and comes off very fake. Having not seen their preceding documentary about the same topic, I'd go out on a limb to state that it has to be better than this venture.
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