Eastern Promises (DV4864, 4865)
This is David Cronenberg’s new film, and, as usual, Cronenberg puts together 
an amazing and stellar, thinking person’s movie. In Cronenberg’s three decade plus career, he has really evolved as a director (from surreal slasher-horror to well-paced drama) and Eastern Promises could easily be described as his best effort to date. Cronenberg works with visual symbols like no other director and Eastern Promises is full of imagery that solidifes the libertine script. For those out there who may be expecting a usual gangster film, you must be warned, Eastern Promises is cerebral and beautiful, the ultra-violent fight sequences book-ended by a heavily plotted script and a microscopic focus on the characters. There are no crazy shoot 'em up sequences, only hand-to-hand, close-up, brutal and believable mob violence. Cronenberg chooses to look as closely on his main character as we want to look at Viggo Mortensen’s tattoos – tattoos that tell the story of the man wearing them, if you know how to read them. Mortensen and Cronenberg are a match made in film nerd heaven and I hope they make more movies together; they both have a focus and commitment to their work that raises it past pop-corn movies and into the realm of narrative art.
Mortensen knows as much about the life of the character he plays as would the real man -- if he existed. Before the film, Mortensen traveled 
uld have been nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Picture and Best Director. Although Mortensen did gain a nod for his lead role, there is no guarantee that his amazing performance will garner anything in the face of perennial political favorite Daniel Day-Lewis. Eastern Promises is a keeper, and one that will be on my shelf soon, better than A History of Violence (DV2741) with different and ground-breaking scenes, like the fully nude fight sequence that will leave you shaking in shock (only Mortensen is nude ladies, and nothing is left to the imagination). Where most movies of the past year were made for unthinking couch potatoes, Eastern Promises is a well-crafted movie for people who love to be inspired and challenged during a filme. Amazing writing, acting and directing all around, Eastern Promises is heavily recommended.
Sunshine is the type of movie where you should not listen to what anyone else says about it
-- you will have to watch it and make up your own mind. For me, Sunshine is a really smart, really engaging science-fiction film. It’s only downfall comes with its frame story -- the sun isn’t going to dim and die for (at least) another few billion years, but that huge issue does not detract from this well-crafted film. The ensemble cast plays together believably, due to very tight casting, and the director insistence on comradely. The claustrophobic atmosphere works great for the plot and the bad guy (as such) is truly freaky. Directed by someone I consider to be one of the more ignored but talented filmmakers in the world, Danny Boyle – he also directed Shallow Grave, Trainspotting (DV4130-4131) and 28 Days Later (DV457) (Boyle also produced the sequel, 28 Weeks Later [DV 4431]) – in Sunshine, Boyle’s imagery is as memorable and creepy as 28 Days Later, but where 28 was dark and scary from what it only represented, Sunshine shows us the break down and horror of the 
ship’s mission in full, blinding light, making us, as an audience, wish for the darkness gifted to the psychotic bad guy that terrorizes the crew towards the end of the film. Boyle uses outer space in a believable way staging some very suspenseful sequences. If you are expecting blood and guts (like 28 Weeks Later), this isn’t the film – although there is quite a bit of both – this film is psychological in its presentation and intelligent in its writing. I can understand why Sunshine fared so poorly in the US, most American audiences have lost all interest in thinking during a film and would rather stare open mouthed and drooling at whatever may be on the screen. Boyle doesn’t allow that in Sunshine, and if you do, you will miss a lot and probably think the movie stinks, but it is not Sunshine that stinks – just your lazy brain -- and it’s stinking up the whole internet. Whew! Another highly recommended flick, this is a good one to watch in a darkened room with your cutie pie sitting next to you.
This film is a roller coaster -- a fast, wind-blowing carriage that will send you flying through the movie at the fastest speed. As a result, and just like a coaster, most of the movie is forgotten right after you finish it, days afterward you will remember a scene and go, “Oh yeah, that WAS in the movie.” Shoot ‘Em Up is exactly what the title implies and it makes no apologies about it. It is all style and no substance, the film rolls right over you like a fast train which you never truly get a good look at it, instead you just let it pass as you try to take in as much as you can. Not to say this film isn’t fun, but that is all it is, a mindless movie for a night when you may need mindless entertainment. Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti do a good job in the film, when they actually deliver lines and are not running around shooting and screaming. Monica Bellucci ends up just being the titties of the film – so much attention are brought to her milk-filled 
mammaries that you get really thirsty every time Monica is on the screen. So, don’t expect anything smart with this one, just a very amusing sex scene/fight/shoot ‘em up sequence between Owen, Bellucci and the guys trying to kill them (one of the high points of this film), lots of shooting, lots of death and lots of running around with no clear idea of what to do. Yes, this movie is a chicken with its head removed. There are times that the writer and director Michael Davis comes up with some pretty original ideas, but since they are all hidden in a very common plot, the original parts fly by faster than the bullets shot out of the main character's guns. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of fun in this film, I throughly enjoyed Clive Owen's carrot eating, Bugs Bunny-esque shooter and some of the gun scenes are extremely well-structured, but if you are looking for Shakespeare, do not look here if, instead if you are looking to sit on your couch blank-faced, mouth open, with drool oozing over your exposed tongue -- than Shoot 'em Up is the thorazine for you!
Do not be confused about what may be one of the most sexually propagandic films I have ever se
en. Upon first watching, one may think it is just a silly B-movie giant monster film that harkens back to the nuclear scare films of the 50’s. Well, I wish it was that easy, instead Dragon Wars proves itself to be a film denigrating black men and their sexual role in society. In Dragon Wars, a black and a white serpent are both vying for the same white woman -- whichever gets to the hot chick first will be rewarded by being turned into an immortal and all powerful dragon. Possibly, a metaphor for how a guy feels after having succeeded, at love, where his friends have only failed. During the entire running time of this film two men, one young and one old (the young one also wants to serpent the girl, but the old man no longer worries about sex, I hear Vigara usually fixes that), cakeblock the black serpent at every turn, each worrying excessively about what would
come of society if the black serpent got the white chick. “It would be the end of all civilization!” says the old racist man. And to nail that point home, the makers of the film stage a huge CG riot in downtown
This cartoon was originally broadcast on the Cartoon Network in 5 min sections just a few months before the release of the third Lucas film. It is directed by the ultra-talented Genndy Tartakovsky, who also brought us Dexter’s Laboratory, episodes of Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack. Clone Wars is awesome, and watching it makes you wonder why George Lucas didn’t make the new movies as cool as this cartoon. It must have gotten Lucas wondering too, because he is currently working on a film version of this cartoon series, however; Tartakovsky is not directing – he is busy bringing the Dark Crystal (VH7725) back to the screen as The Power of the Dark Crystal (and here and here). May the force be with him on that project because Genndy could single-handedly resurrect the Henson Company like he helped Lucas in
ject some much needed hipness into Lucas’ own propped up Star Wars uber-franchise. Clone Wars exhibit some absolute great work by Yartakovsky and any true fan of the original Star Wars trilogy will love this cartoon since it has the cool fight sequences that the new Star Wars trilogy should have had.
George Lucas, on the set of his newest film "2010: An American Space Graffitti"
by Phoenix Mangus and the Search for the Last Decent Film of the Lucas Kingdom
(Ewok-Lucas photo shopped by Phoenix, too.)
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