Bruce Springsteen LIVE!!! And a few films to pass on
This week, I finally got to cross an artist I have loved for years off my bucket list of concerts I must go to before I or they die. That artist? The one and only Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. When I found out they were playing in Boston at the Garden, I waited patiently for tickets to go on sale and bought two, after telling my dad that I was definitely going to take him, since he was the one responsible for my introduction to the Boss. I can still remember listening to his copy of "Live 75-85" triple CD in our living room on the stereo. I was immediately struck by "Thunder Road" the opening song on the live album. This tour, though, Bruce Springsteen was playing his seminal, double album "The River" in its entirety, to celebrate its (insert number of years here) anniversary. That has always been my favorite album of his and so that was just more incentive to go to this show. And man, does he put on a show. He played, non-stop, for 3.5 hours and pulled everything out!
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"Lucky"
starring: Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, Ann-Margaret, Jeffrey Tambor, Adam Harrington, Mimi Rogers, Allison Mackie
directed by: Gil Cates Jr.
written by: Kent Sublette
This film is a disaster, like a bad trainwreck you can't take your eyes off. I think a lot of it has to do with the miscasting of Colin Hanks as a potential serial killer/lottery winner. He's just not very appealing as either a likable, charming character or despicable as a killer getting away with murder.
"Lucky" is supposed to be a black comedy, in the likes of films like Hanks' father's "Ladykillers" and even "Burning After Reading," but it's filling a mediocre film with way too many plot-points that just get muddle: unrequited love interest (Ari Graynor) who takes an interest only to come off as a gold-digger since her interest in him is strictly monetary; yuppy neighbors that are sticking their noses where they don't belong; an overbearing mother; and a boss much like that found in the movie "Office Space."
The film is ultimately about emasculation found in the competitive nine-to-five corporate world as Hanks' character, Ben, is attempting to climb the ladder by any means necessary in order to reach his goals of having that expensive house, the trophy wife (he wants to believe he found in Lucy (Graynor) regardless of her obvious intentions, and all the superficial things that come along with it all, which can simply be seen as a facade for the unhappiness he is really filled with.
And Ari Graynor is underused.
When it's trying too hard to be funny and asking the audience to laugh along with the creepy main character as he murders innocent girls out of his lame attempt to reach self-actualization in a corporate world and ultimately please his overbearing mother, the film fails on all accounts. It takes a special hand to write stories and characters like that and I think we'd be better off leaving the task up to the Coen Brothers, who seem to be great with black comedies.
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"Curve"
starring: Julianne Hough, Teddy Sears, Penelope Mitchell, Madalyn Horcher, Drew Rausch
directed by: Iain Softley
written by: Kimberly Lofstrom Johnson
It seems like writers and directors like putting characters in confined spaces for almost the majority of films, like it's become a subgenre of sorts (re: Phone Booth, Buried, Locke) and now we have "Curve" which stars Julianne Hough, who to me really has not proven that she can carry a film as the lead and so it's a big risk to put her literally in the driver's seat of this film.
The premise seems rather simple, but as a writer you have to add deeper elements to make the film about something more than just being trapped.
Julianne Hough plays Mallory, a young woman about to embark on the journey of marriage, a journey she’s not too sure she wants to take. After her car breaks down, the absolutely lovely Christian (Sears) gets Mallory back on the road and accepts a lift. Once Christian reveals himself to not be so lovely, in a surprise shocker, Mallory takes the initiative and crashes the car on purpose. Christian leaves her trapped but pops back every so often to torment her.
For the movie to move forward, of course, Mallory has to undergo a transformation. Left for days by Christian, she becomes quite resourceful with what she's got literally only at her fingertips. She becomes a strong woman, unafraid, and of great ingenuity. She uses objects within reach to ensure her survival, things like rainwater, rats (to cook and eat), etc.
I would have much rather seen Mallory fit against the forces of nature (like the severe rain) in order to survive rather than have the subplot of this psycho killer who keeps coming back to remind her that he could end her life if and when he wants.
When Mallory finally gets free, the last act of the film is more about her revenge on Christian for the mental torture than anything else and it all plays out rather forced.
This is a film that could have been halfway decent if it had stuck to one thing.
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"Everly"
starring: Salma Hayek, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Laura Cepeda, Togo Igawa, Akie Kotabe, Gabriella Wright, Caroline Chikezie, Jennifer Blanc
directed by: Joe Lynch
written by: Yale Hannon
Well, let's get it out of the way right now- "Everly" is clearly a "Kill Bill" sort of knock-off film, but instead of the director focusing on how badass Uma Thurman can be by literally having several characters (attempt to) beat the shit out of her, with this film the director is clearly more focused on allowing the audience to ogle Salma Hayek and her body, in all its glory, as she remains rather scantily clad from the very first shot of her all the way through. Our first glimpse of her is a tempting shot of her butt and the Japanese tattoo that will supposedly play a part in understanding the rest of the film. She then finds some lingerie which becomes her outfit for the remainder of the film.
Well, lingerie, and a necklace that dangles from her neck, fashioning a through line toward her cleavage. Occasionally, she flirts with high heels, but discards them as impractical for wearing while battling the endless mob of American prostitutes and Japanese goons who storm her apartment to kill her. Eventually, Everly deems the lingerie equally infeasible, switching to yoga pants and a fitted, comely tank top.
Let's talk about the misogyny that is running rampant throughout this film:
There's nothing wrong with a film that's made to appreciate someone's beautiful body and heightened movie-star charisma; it's one of the oldest and most primal pleasures of the movies. But Everly's gleeful misogynist braggadocio is a buzz-kill, and that cruelty perverts the appreciation, which becomes leering. After a while, you may find yourself growing protective toward Hayek in a fashion that's unintended, because director Joe Lynch's casually juvenile debasements are below her. There are several punchlines centered on characters remarking that there are a lot of “dead whores” piled up in the film's one-set apartment, and this is meant to be cute in its blunt dehumanization, which relies on the disgusting reasoning that prostitutes aren't real people. Almost every woman in this film is dressed up in some sort of fetish get-up. Granted, the apartment is a portion of a high-end brothel, so that might scan, but Lynch shows no respect for the prostitutes, who exist as moving targets to be quickly masturbated to before they're unceremoniously mowed down.
This film falls somewhere in the heap underneath Zack Synder's "Sucker Punch" where the directors/writers seem more interested in cashing in with the teenage fanboy fan-base than with telling and showing a compelling story.
With that being said, Salma Hayek does a decent job convincing the audience to root for her as she kicks ass.
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- The River
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(Tour premiere)
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(Patti Smith Group cover)
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- Encore:
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(The Isley Brothers cover) (with Peter Wolf)
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"Lucky"
starring: Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, Ann-Margaret, Jeffrey Tambor, Adam Harrington, Mimi Rogers, Allison Mackie
directed by: Gil Cates Jr.
written by: Kent Sublette
This film is a disaster, like a bad trainwreck you can't take your eyes off. I think a lot of it has to do with the miscasting of Colin Hanks as a potential serial killer/lottery winner. He's just not very appealing as either a likable, charming character or despicable as a killer getting away with murder.
"Lucky" is supposed to be a black comedy, in the likes of films like Hanks' father's "Ladykillers" and even "Burning After Reading," but it's filling a mediocre film with way too many plot-points that just get muddle: unrequited love interest (Ari Graynor) who takes an interest only to come off as a gold-digger since her interest in him is strictly monetary; yuppy neighbors that are sticking their noses where they don't belong; an overbearing mother; and a boss much like that found in the movie "Office Space."
The film is ultimately about emasculation found in the competitive nine-to-five corporate world as Hanks' character, Ben, is attempting to climb the ladder by any means necessary in order to reach his goals of having that expensive house, the trophy wife (he wants to believe he found in Lucy (Graynor) regardless of her obvious intentions, and all the superficial things that come along with it all, which can simply be seen as a facade for the unhappiness he is really filled with.
And Ari Graynor is underused.
When it's trying too hard to be funny and asking the audience to laugh along with the creepy main character as he murders innocent girls out of his lame attempt to reach self-actualization in a corporate world and ultimately please his overbearing mother, the film fails on all accounts. It takes a special hand to write stories and characters like that and I think we'd be better off leaving the task up to the Coen Brothers, who seem to be great with black comedies.
............................................................................
"Curve"
starring: Julianne Hough, Teddy Sears, Penelope Mitchell, Madalyn Horcher, Drew Rausch
directed by: Iain Softley
written by: Kimberly Lofstrom Johnson
It seems like writers and directors like putting characters in confined spaces for almost the majority of films, like it's become a subgenre of sorts (re: Phone Booth, Buried, Locke) and now we have "Curve" which stars Julianne Hough, who to me really has not proven that she can carry a film as the lead and so it's a big risk to put her literally in the driver's seat of this film.
The premise seems rather simple, but as a writer you have to add deeper elements to make the film about something more than just being trapped.
Julianne Hough plays Mallory, a young woman about to embark on the journey of marriage, a journey she’s not too sure she wants to take. After her car breaks down, the absolutely lovely Christian (Sears) gets Mallory back on the road and accepts a lift. Once Christian reveals himself to not be so lovely, in a surprise shocker, Mallory takes the initiative and crashes the car on purpose. Christian leaves her trapped but pops back every so often to torment her.
For the movie to move forward, of course, Mallory has to undergo a transformation. Left for days by Christian, she becomes quite resourceful with what she's got literally only at her fingertips. She becomes a strong woman, unafraid, and of great ingenuity. She uses objects within reach to ensure her survival, things like rainwater, rats (to cook and eat), etc.
I would have much rather seen Mallory fit against the forces of nature (like the severe rain) in order to survive rather than have the subplot of this psycho killer who keeps coming back to remind her that he could end her life if and when he wants.
When Mallory finally gets free, the last act of the film is more about her revenge on Christian for the mental torture than anything else and it all plays out rather forced.
This is a film that could have been halfway decent if it had stuck to one thing.
.............................................................................
"Everly"
starring: Salma Hayek, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Laura Cepeda, Togo Igawa, Akie Kotabe, Gabriella Wright, Caroline Chikezie, Jennifer Blanc
directed by: Joe Lynch
written by: Yale Hannon
Well, let's get it out of the way right now- "Everly" is clearly a "Kill Bill" sort of knock-off film, but instead of the director focusing on how badass Uma Thurman can be by literally having several characters (attempt to) beat the shit out of her, with this film the director is clearly more focused on allowing the audience to ogle Salma Hayek and her body, in all its glory, as she remains rather scantily clad from the very first shot of her all the way through. Our first glimpse of her is a tempting shot of her butt and the Japanese tattoo that will supposedly play a part in understanding the rest of the film. She then finds some lingerie which becomes her outfit for the remainder of the film.
Well, lingerie, and a necklace that dangles from her neck, fashioning a through line toward her cleavage. Occasionally, she flirts with high heels, but discards them as impractical for wearing while battling the endless mob of American prostitutes and Japanese goons who storm her apartment to kill her. Eventually, Everly deems the lingerie equally infeasible, switching to yoga pants and a fitted, comely tank top.
Let's talk about the misogyny that is running rampant throughout this film:
There's nothing wrong with a film that's made to appreciate someone's beautiful body and heightened movie-star charisma; it's one of the oldest and most primal pleasures of the movies. But Everly's gleeful misogynist braggadocio is a buzz-kill, and that cruelty perverts the appreciation, which becomes leering. After a while, you may find yourself growing protective toward Hayek in a fashion that's unintended, because director Joe Lynch's casually juvenile debasements are below her. There are several punchlines centered on characters remarking that there are a lot of “dead whores” piled up in the film's one-set apartment, and this is meant to be cute in its blunt dehumanization, which relies on the disgusting reasoning that prostitutes aren't real people. Almost every woman in this film is dressed up in some sort of fetish get-up. Granted, the apartment is a portion of a high-end brothel, so that might scan, but Lynch shows no respect for the prostitutes, who exist as moving targets to be quickly masturbated to before they're unceremoniously mowed down.
This film falls somewhere in the heap underneath Zack Synder's "Sucker Punch" where the directors/writers seem more interested in cashing in with the teenage fanboy fan-base than with telling and showing a compelling story.
With that being said, Salma Hayek does a decent job convincing the audience to root for her as she kicks ass.
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