DVD Watch: Idiocracy

Idiocracy is one of those sleeper hits which has found a nice niche as a cult favorite. From Mike Judge (Beavis And Butthead, Office Space), the movie details what happens when smart people decline to have kids and morons have ten ... 500 years into the future.

The result is pretty funny and while the movie suffers a little bit from being a one joke note - it manages to try and refresh the joke enough times to make it work. Throw in some cameos (including Judge alum Stephen Root), enough crude humor to fill a Brawndo barrel and you have a pretty winning formula.

Apparently Fox wasn't so amused. As the film's distributor, they provided no real advertising and didn't screen for critics. This is often attributed to the anti-corporate message and Rudolph Murdoch's failed sense of humor. Or as The Girl pointed out, in light of Fox's handling of Family Guy, Futurama and even Firefly ... "they like to kill the fun".

Definitely recommended.

DVD Watch: OK, That Was Gay

This is just kind of a non-sequitur. I don't mean gay as in I'm some kind of closeted forumfeeder who thinks that "gay" should be a slur or that we just watched a lot of follies - I mean we happened to rent a couple of things with very strong lesbian undertones.

First up was Hex, which is a BBC TV show about the supernatural going-ons at a private university built on some hallowed witching ground or something. The occasional comparison to Buffy has been made here, but I really got to say that's something of a stretch. Buffy was brilliant, don't get me wrong, but it was still pretty formulaic in general and fell often to the "monster of the week" pattern. Hex builds up more like a drama as it digs up aspects of the main character's life and how it pertains to her creepy gothic surroundings.

All of this would actually get kinda boring as it takes a few episodes just to start rolling into anything resembling conflict - so the writers tossed in a smartass lesbian roomie subplot to spice things up. This was a good idea, because honestly one disc into the show and it's still the most interesting part of the whole thing. Hex shows promise in a slow and mildly suspenseful kind of way - and the twist in the first few episodes (won't spoil it here) really helps keep the attention.

Next was Tipping The Velvet - which honestly must stand as about the only lesbian epic I can think of off the top of my head. It's a three part BBC mini-series (so clocks in at around 180 minutes I think) based on the novel of the same name and follows the life and times of one Nancy Astley and her coming out in Victorian England. And by coming out - I don't mean as a debutante or anything, I mean even the title is a reference to a lesbian act and the BBC don't hold much back in their portayal of the book. The movie feels a little lopsided - there's some really strong performances but that's occasionally offset by overt symbolism which feels a little too film school for me.

All of this brings me to a point though - this is all BBC material. I can't imagine an American network handling either of these shows (except on cable). I'm not familiar with how they aired, but I think Hex aired pretty much like Buffy did and the show goes way beyond the simplistic handling of Willow's relationships in the first few episodes.

It's just another example of American puritanism. Because everything this month has to be brought back to GTA - it occurs to me as I write this that the most often noted act in the franchise deals with hookers. Mind you this is a game in which you can burn old ladies alive in glee - but think of the prostitutes seems to be the watchphrase.

Course the outrage seems a bit less this time. Maybe as games push these little moral envelopes, we'll get some better television eventually...

DVD Watch: Shoot Em Up

Shoot Em Up isn't the most ridiculous movie you'll ever see .. in fact it doesn't even come close. But that's part of the genius of this over-the-top action comedy. It doesn't go to the absurd route - instead it rides this amazingly fine line of being just slightly more ridiculous than every other action movie out there. Because of this you get pulled in and at times feel like you can't be sure what to take seriously and what not ...

... and then someone gets killed by a carrot. Again.

Clive Owen was a brilliant choice to lead this farce. Highly recommend.

DVD Watch: Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles

I wanted this to be good, I really did. I've never had an overly romantic notion of just how good the original Robotech series was, being three completely separate narratives put through the blender in what can kindly be called the early days of American publish anime.

But still, Robotech was decent and gave a flood of anime to a base which had little hope of it before. And if Shadow Chronicles does one thing right - is that it makes a story which rides on top of all these conflicting narrations not feel quite so conflicted.

Sadly, it misfires most everywhere else. The voice acting is nearly as bad as some of the lines ("You don't think these Children of the Shadow had anything to do with ... The Shadow Technology?") and honestly even the artwork is a mishmash of good or bad, in both the 2D and 3D realm of art.

So while the overarching plot might not have you beating your head for watching it - getting from plot point to plot point might. Recommend only for the fanboy at heart.

DVD Watch: Battle Royale

Battle Royale is one of those things that is easier to just watch than have explained to you. Short version - it's a Japanese horror action flick with high school kids killing each other off in a three day struggle to be the last man standing and, hence, be allowed to leave the island.

OK, I guess it actually isn't that hard to explain. It's not like we're talking about Memento here or anything, it's pretty straightforward. What's hard to explain is why that's something you might actually want to watch. While it's certainly not Shakespeare, it's gritty and original with that dash of camp which makes so many of these movies more fun than you think they should rightfully have the right to hold.

I can recommend it, with the caveats that you walk in realizing that it's a bit odd and quite bloody.

DVD Watch: No Country For Old Men

Another thing about having a fever for a few days - it makes one want to just sit back and watch movies. So I've got like a few of these to catch up on.

No Country For Old Men is a Coen Brothers movie which is Swedish for "I was going to see it sooner or later". Country is an excellent outing for them and a pretty fresh one as well. It doesn't have the odd sense of humor or the usual cast of characters ... no this is a slow and thoughtful movie adapted from a Cormac McCarthy (The Road) novel.

The plot and cadence are about as far from mainstream as you can get. When you think you have your bearings on where the film is going, it likes to duck and dive in another direction. These aren't twists, per se, they aren't setups which are later revealed to be tricks or anything - it's just that Country is set in a brutal fictional world where nearly any character could show up and find a way to kill another at some given point. Javier Bardem is simply chilling as the "psychopath with his own code" and the Brothers milk ever ounce of his creepiness through the movie.

The flipside, of course, is that Country doesn't have anything remotely resembling a Hollywood ending and if anyone was expecting a huge climatic flourish - well, feel forewarned. However, missing this film because there's no explosion to clear everything up in the end would simply be a crime against movies themselves.

DVD Watch: Siam Sunset

Siam Sunset is a very odd little movie. It's actually pretty hard to determine if it is a solid recommendation or not because it isn't really one solid genre another. It doesn't have enough humor to be a comedy, the romance angle is actually paper thin and there really isn't much action to speak about.

It does have a lot of quirks that add up pretty convincingly to a pretty reasonable and creative plot. The main character designs paint colors and has a pretty idealistic life until bizarre accidents seem to follow him and eventually chase him to the more hellish sides of the Australian countryside.

We rather enjoyed it - but I acknowledge that the oddities are most of the charm. It would be a "give it a try but curb your expectations" type of film.

DVD Watch: Wonderfalls, The Complete Series

Let's see if this sounds familiar at all: Fox takes a critically acclaimed or otherwise well received show and, in reaction to low ratings, screws with the schedule and/or outright cancels the show prematurely.

We've seen it somewhat with Futurama and Family Guy, the latter having made a return due to the fan demand and DVD sales and the former now returning to television as well. More specifically we saw Firefly kicked in the kneecaps and the lesser know member of this club is Wonderfalls.

Wonderfalls is the story of Jaye - a socially nihilistic, career challenged, twenty something retail clerk with a philosophy degree, buckets of sarcasm and the unlikely role of being, in her words, "destiny's bitch". A range of inanimate animals, from a deformed wax lion to pink flamingos, start talking to Jaye and giving her obscure, often confusing, instructions. The result is a funny and touching story which unfolds over the thirteen episodes ... only four of which made it to Fox's airwaves (and even those were ... also a la Firefly ... tragically out of order). Jaye is portrayed by Caroline Dhavernas, who by the end of the series convinced me can do more with her eyes alone than most actors can with dialog.

Sadly, unlike their cartoon counterparts, live action shows are pretty difficult to get back on air. Once they close down for production, everyone heads off for more work and it can be hard to get the band back together. Creator Bryan Fuller has already started up again with the also excellent Pushing Daisies, taking actor Lee Pace with him. The only regret I could have after watching this show is that we probably will never see a second season. The story does, however, have some closure by the last episode - so you don't have that nasty cliffhanger aftertaste.

DVD Watch: Kaosu / Chaos

Chaos (or Kaosu ... there's a wealth of movies named Chaos out there it seems) is a Korean crime thriller packed with twists, non-linear storytelling and suspense. Definately falls into the "leaves you guessing" column of movies. In some ways it reminds me of the director's earlier Dark Water (which we saw over here remade with Jennifer Connelly) despite not having the same supernatural elements to it. Not really a must see, but I would recommend it if it happens your way.

DVD Watch: Pulse

Pulse is an odd bit of film. It's visually compelling in parts and surprisingly creepy at points, but the entire plot seems to wait until the last act to even start putting itself together. Up until that point, you get a mishmash of scenes thrown at you in an attempt to make some kind of spooky collage. Almost as if the filmmakers couldn't decide on any one creepy theme for more than twenty minutes at a time. By the end, the scope of the plot feels somewhat bold for the general Asian-to-American horror films (which are swiftly starting to outstay their welcome, sadly) - but also feels oddly out of place by the time you get there.

And sure, Kristen Bell is always a joy - but there are times when you think you're watching the zombie season of Veronica Mars.

DVD Watch: Sunshine

Sunshine is probably one of the best sci fi movies since Aliens, but sadly that's as much a reflection on movies like Mission to Mars and Red Planet than it is a statement that Boyle has repeated his success with 28 Days Later.

First the good - Sunshine is a simply gorgeous movie. I really want to see it again in high def ... and that is the first movie I've really made that statement about. From the set design to the carefully exploited special effects, Sunshine drapes itself in precisely the scenery it needs for the scene it has on hand. Boyle also pulls the strengths from some top notch actors, including one of my all time faves - Michelle Yeoh.

Now I'm not going to call the story bad - it's leagues above most of what washes ashore in the sci fi genre these days and a good lightyear ahead of anything Lucas has put to print in some decades. It takes the science and the fiction quite seriously, builds an interesting set of characters and puts them into some fairly interesting conflict.

The real problem is that Sunshine begins to outpace itself by the third act. The plot begins to skip a few beats and none of this is helped by the addition of more and more artistic edits and cinematography as the movie reaches its conclusion. There aren't necessarily plot gaps, but there are a few moments when you wonder just how the Earth assembled this particular crew to save the planet.

So while Sunshine is a beautiful trip, it lacks a little bit at the destination. Still, it marks a high water point for science fiction in general and certainly worth the rental.

DVD Watch: Futurama: Bender's Big Score

A friend from work loaned this to us since Netflix has it on "very long wait". Honestly there's not much to say about it other than it is good - I mean really, really good. A solid treat for Futurama fans everywhere.

DVD Watch: Planet Terror

Planet Terror is one half of Grindhouse, the zombie half to be specific. There's honestly not much to say about it above that - it's a well produced, over-the-top, moderately creepy zombie flick. It's a lot of fun - but I'm also glad this was our late, late nighter because it didn't require a lot of attention. It's rather annoying they split the double feature into two, though, because you really do get only a portion of the feel they were going for with the experience.

Still, it's a lot of fun and a better zombie film than most - maybe not 28 Days Later but certainly 28 Weeks Later.

DVD Watch: Audition

Audition is an old school Japanese horror flick - and if Wikipedia has it right it has the distinction of being probably the only movie Rob Zombie thought he might walk out on. This isn't because the movie is bad - actually the movie is excellent on many points. For one thing, it's one of those older films that actually spends a good deal of time winding the story up before things get really gory.

When things get gory - they get really gory ... and not just in the usual fake exploding head kind of way. Audition is notable if anything because in this age of torture porn thrillers like Saw and Hostel - Audition manages to keep the psychological keyed in. It's not just creepy because of what's happening, like the detached scenarios of Saw, but who is doing what to whom.

I still recommend the movie, but with caution. The ending is definately not for the weak of heart.

DVD Watch: Severance

Severance is billed as one of those "black comedy horrors", but this is black as in dark, not black as in comically bleak like Shaun Of The Dead. Severance tells the tale of a corporate outing meeting up with a grisly results in the middle of the woods. It manages to be fairly scary more than a few times, but extra points go to sly metajokes about the horror genre itself - starting off with the immigrant bus driver who refuses to take the side road into the woods, but nobody understands him because he doesn't speak English.

The movie itself is English - which I only bring up because I swear there's a theme out there about urban brits being terrified of the woods. Torchwood only recently brought us an episode about a small rural town gone to hell.

It's a great movie and if you're looking to mix up Halloween with any corporate angst, there's no other choice.

DVD Watch: 28 Weeks Later

28 Weeks Later is the sequel to Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later and falls into one of those "the movie made money but the director doesn't want to really do a sequel so takes a producer credit instead" sort of deals.

These deals are usually bad. Weeks Later succeeds at least as much as it fails, sometimes being capable of delivering truly frightening situations and some very solid acting from everyone involved. The directing and cinematography proves that sometimes imitation is flattery as occasionally the look of the film drifts back into Boyle's territory. As simply a horror film, the movie works quite well.

Unless you pay too much attention to the plot. The movie adds a new layer to the concept - that being a view of the global reaction to the viral outbreak. Somehow this reaction manages to be far, far more chaotic and, well to be honest, stupid than what we didn't really see in the first movie. The only reason there is any action in this movie is through the complete blundering of those responsible to stop it from happening.

Plus there are a few liberties taken with the viral concept - like having a singular "zombie" as a nemesis throughout the movie which never, ever, entirely clicks.

If you liked the first movie, I think this one is a safe recommendation - it's fun and scary even if not terribly smart.

DVD Watch: As You Like It

It's been a while since we talked Shakespeare. Like, forever I think.

As You Like It is one of The Bard's pastoral plays. Basically old Will wrote two types of plays - ones where (most) everyone dies in the end and ones where they all get married. Or sometimes (as The Girl pointed out) - they do both, although generally not in that order.

The basic plot is that a family gets banished from their kingdom and they go risk starvation in the woods while wondering lots of things about falling in love. Branagh moves this stage over to Japan for a bit of flair - and the flair works wonderfully. The movie is beautiful - every scene drips of color and nature. He's got a wonderful cast, including Ron Howard's daughter doing a splendid job, and the setting and acting blend incredibly well.

A main theme of the play is that Rosalind disguises herself as a boy while being courted by Orlando. People experienced with similar plays already know that in Shakespeare's fictional world, disguising yourself as a member of the opposite sex is insanely easy. Just dress in their clothes and it doesn't matter how much a person knew you intimately - they'll think you're someone else of a different gender. If you thought Clark Kent's disguise was silly - well at least he usually wore a hat and glasses.

This only leads me to assume one thing - women dressed as boys must have been incredibly common in Will's time. So common that their number must have challenged the actual boys, so that distinguishing the two became impossible.

Thankfully in our time, it just comes off as bizarre and funny. If you like this sort of thing - go rent Twelfth Night ... you'll find it hilarious.

DVD Watch: The Host

For the unfamiliar, although I imagine that would be few of you considering the buzz the movie got, The Host is a South Korean horror flick - a creature caper as it were.

What's most interesting about the movie is its ability to revitalize a genre which quite honestly hasn't gotten much farther than having some guy run around in a latex suit. Yet with The Host you can see a touch of what made movies like the original Godzilla so great. There's aspects of tragedy and disaster thrown in and by the time you get through the impressively early debut of the film's namesake (most monster films wait until at least midway through to build tension) - you'll see what the buzz was all about. The Host is scary fun.

Its also more than a little uneven. It can't always pick up from the same tone it had just a scene earlier. There's melodrama for comedic effect, surrealism for ... well confusion I think, and even the occasional slapstick. The movie feels a little soft in the middle.

Fortunately, it is sharp on the edges. The early scenes and the last quarter of the movie are gripping and entertaining. The movie stumble sometimes, but strides more often than not. Highly recommend.

DVD Watch: Venus

Venus is a movie for people who love Peter O' Toole. Course, I don't understand the rationale behind anyone not loving Peter O' Toole - so except for those few people who probably don't need to see a movie about a lecherous old man and his complicated relationship with a young girl ... it's a movie for everyone.

OK, so maybe that's just skirting the real issue. The problem with Venus is that the subject material sounds so taboo - a man lusting after a girl who could well be his granddaughter in age - that it feels hard to justify. But when you're in the middle of the movie, it feels so easy to justify. Not just because O'Toole is brilliant but also because the movie manages to deal so earnestly with life and death that at times you forget it resembles a love story. Venus is hardly a tale of erotic fiction - this is not some kind of softcore fantasy. O' Toole's character has more screen time by about a hundredfold which in some way contemplates his advanced age and the ravages it has left on his life than misty images of a nubile girl.

For the most part, the movie is morbid and thoughtful. While O'Toole's emotions for the girl are childish, niave and slightly creepy - the emotions the movie as a whole sells to the viewer are realistic and mature. Venus is a vignette into the world of what it means to have lived and then to simply not be able to live much any more.

DVD Watch: Woodenhead

Woodenhead is a New Zealand arthouse flick. The movie's website features a quote explaining:

Gert is ordered by a dump owner to deliver his beautiful mute daughter, Princess Plum, to her wedding. The two embark on a mystical journey through strange, stunning monochrome landscapes peopled with a menagerie of monsters and freaks. 28 year old Kiwi Florian Habicht could be the bastard son of Béla Tarr and Guy Maddin if his talent weren't so uniquely original. His innovative film combines a wicked sense of humour and larger-than-life characters with lush, dream-like imagery.

-- www.woodenhead.co.nz

Which is all well and good except that Plum is not mute, the journey is hardly mystical and the menagerie of monsters is largely rounded out by a man who can apparently run faster than a pig. And if all that weren't bad enough, the next line of the quote is "The memorable soundtrack was recorded before any visuals were shot, with the actors invited to improvise their parts around it, to disturbingly dreamlike results."

The actuall results is having actors nod their heads around for minutes at a time while a poorly dubbed dialogue floats over the top. And the dialogue is pretty much crap as well, so the only dreamlike result is wondering how such an idea made its way to the screen.

Some movies exist purely because they defy so much convention that people are afraid to critique it because they look like they aren't artsy enugh. Woodenhead is such a movie. If you want to see a bizarre rendition of a fairy tale world, go rent Alice by Czech director Jan Svankmajer. Or Pan's Labryinth even. But dear god, leave this one well alone.