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2006 Summer Video Roundups, Vol. II

7/23/06

"Sling Blade" (Director's Cut)

Another in a long list of great movies that I had skipped the first time through, I finally watched "Sling Blade" and I'll admit that I was a bit underwhelmed by the film, even if writer/producer/director/star Billy Bob Thornton's performance was out-of-the-park.  As recently-released killer Karl Childers, the role is awesome, the speech pattern is awesome, the haircut is awesome, the high waters are awesome.  His interaction with, and perception of, the world is fun to watch, no question about it.  But, the by-the-numbers abusive boyfriend character (hammed up by Dwight Yoakam) leads a cast of characters that didn't register for me--the friendly mental institution friend (standing in for friendly prison warden), the gay Dollar Store manager (John Ritter), the kid who doesn't know any better (Lucas Black, who looks half his current age because he WAS a kid when this film was shot)...at times the performers don't feel right, and the director's cut version runs too long for a film that doesn't have much going on and a lead character that isn't prone to much dialogue.  But, when "Sling Blade" is good, it truly is great...and, obviously, it was a boost to Thornton's film career, eh?

Rating:  Matinee

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"

In the first of back-to-back Sidney Poitier Netflix rentals, the classic story of mixed marriage is still very relevant today, surprisingly so, because of the setup of the white parents that Dr. Prentice (Poitier) and his new bride-to-be, Joanna (Katharine Houghton), attempt to gain approval through:  even in maybe our nation's most liberal city--San Francisco!--and even though these white parents believe themselves to be super-liberal, the idea that their daughter might marry a black guy is a whopper!  Screen legends Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn play the parents, making the casting here nothing short of perfection; as a drama that has many funny moments, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" is a very accessible film and one that doesn't pull any punches.  It's too bad that the Bernic Mac/Ashton Kutcher flick "Guess Who?" was ever made...but, I guess eventually, Hollywood has to always try to update the classics.

Rating:  Opening Weekend

"In the Heat of the Night"

Round Two of Poitier was also solid; this crime drama features our man Sidney as a Philadelphia cop that happens to be waiting for a train in Sparta, Mississippi when the locals hogs--led by redneck potbelly police chief Bill Gillespie (Oscar winner Rod Steiger)--enlist his help in solving the murder of a local businessman.  Racist as all get-out, "In the Heat of the Night" is great stuff; it highlights just a taste of what life might have been like for a black man of any profession to be chillin' in Mississippi in 1967, let alone a cop just in town to do his business.  Sure, the hillbilly cop clichés are rampant, but the actual murder investigation is interesting and the performances are so good that you just soak it all up.  Also, in light research on the 'Net, I'm seeing that somebody was foolish enough to make a sequel for this film, using maybe the most famous line from the movie:  in 1970, Poitier played this character again in "They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!!"

Rating:  Opening Weekend

"Osama"

Whoa, kind of like the recent film "Water", "Osama" tells a sad-but-true tale of life as a woman in a foreign country that doesn't seem to respect its women nearly as much as they do here in the States.  In Afghanistan, a 12-year-old girl (Marina Golbahari), seeking to help her family put food on the table but realizing that the Taliban doesn't allow Afghan women to work, cuts her hair to make herself look like a boy and finds work in a local convenience store.  When she is rounded up one day by a bin Laden training regimen to become a soldier in the Taliban forces, her real identity is uncovered.  Although this one is rough from start to finish in terms of watching a lose-lose situation play out over the course of a few weeks, the film is well done, leaving out lots of scenes playing out character development to just give us a month-in-the-life of a desperate girl that is not rewarded for her efforts.  Certainly not a pick-me-up, but it does make you consider just how unlucky so many women are in Afghanistan during this time period.

Rating:  $9.50 Show

"Stark Raving Mad"

This 2002 entry has Seann William Scott actually playing the tough guy, while incredibly-and-increasingly worse performers play his comic co-stars in this rave caper that is almost complete and total dogshit.  Seriously, there is almost nothing good about this film; Scott, who is worse in this film than anything else he has done (which is actually surprising), is far removed from his Stifler success in the "American Pie" films or "Road Trip" or "Dude, Where's My Car?"  One can sense imminent flame-out in this straight-to-video shitbomb.  At least Lou Diamond Phillips has a funny haircut and the soundtrack is not bad.

Rating:  Rental

 

Comments?  Drop me a line at justin@bellviewmovies.com.

 

Bellview Rating System:

"Opening Weekend":  This is the highest rating a movie can receive.  Reserved for movies that exhibit the highest level of acting, plot, character development, setting...or Salma Hayek.  Not necessarily in that order. 

"$X.XX Show":  This price changes each year due to the inflation of movie prices; currently, it is the $9.50 Show.  While not technically perfect, this is a movie that will still entertain you at a very high level.  "Undercover Brother" falls into this category; it's no "Casablanca", but you'll have a great time watching.  The $9.50 Show won't win any Oscars, but you'll be quoting lines from the thing for ages (see "Office Space"). 

"Matinee":  An average movie that merits no more than a $6.50 viewing at your local theater.  Seeing it for less than $9.50 will make you feel a lot better about yourself.  A movie like "Blue Crush" fits this category; you leave the theater saying "That wasn't too bad...man, did you see that Lakers game last night?" 

"Rental":  This rating indicates a movie that you see in the previews and say to your friend, "I'll be sure to miss that one."  Mostly forgettable, you couldn't lose too much by going to Hollywood Video and paying $3 to watch it with your sig other, but you would only do that if the video store was out of copies of "Ronin."  If you can, see this movie for free.  This is what your TV Guide would give "one and a half stars." 

"Hard Vice":  This rating is the bottom of the barrel.  A movie that only six other human beings have witnessed, this is the worst movie I have ever seen.  A Shannon Tweed "thriller," it is so bad as to be funny during almost every one of its 84 minutes, and includes the worst ending ever put into a movie.  Marginally worse than "Cabin Boy", "The Avengers" or "Leonard, Part 6", this rating means that you should avoid this movie at all costs, or no costs, EVEN IF YOU CAN SEE IT FOR FREE!  (Warning:  strong profanity will be used in all reviews of "Hard Vice"-rated movies.)