Just in time for Halloween, here is my review for the 1992 horror masterpiece "Candyman"
For children sauntering through the aisles of the video store peeking at R-rated movies they would have to wait an eternity to see, one film in particular likely sends chills down their prepubescent spines: “Candyman.”
The title’s promise of delectable, pleasant mirth is immediately shattered by the film cover's terrifying visual of a blood-red eye with a menacing, man-shaped shadow for a pupil and a solitary bee sitting on the eyelid. The tagline is equally horrific — “We dare you to say his name five times!” — as it creates an insatiable desire to test the declaration while dreading the potential consequences.
In the film, repeating the phrase causes the Candyman (Tony Todd, TV’s “Chuck”) to appear immediately behind the summoner, and he proceeds to hook the person and anybody in the vicinity from “groin to gullet.” But this isn’t just another slasher film with the villain cutting up an endless supply of silly teens who dare test the myth. Instead, “Candyman” serves as an intelligent psychological thriller, examining the impact of an urban legend on the public and individual psyche, while providing enough shocks and chills to be sincerely scary.
Check out the full review here.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Candyman Review
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Lady, play your mandolin!
Hey I'm Izzy, and I'm joining this blog. I'm mostly going to be reviewing films, but this clip was just too good to resist. Adult swim has nothing on it--watch, laugh...cry?
Cold Souls Review
"Cold Souls" is this art-house existential comedy that you'll probably never watch. But here's my review of it:
“Is your soul weighing you down?” asks an advertisement in the pages of a Yellow Book in “Cold Souls.” For actor Paul Giamatti (TV’s “John Adams”), who plays a fictional version of himself, the answer is yes.
Starring in a production of Chekov’s play “Uncle Vanya,” Giamatti feels that he can no longer separate himself from the intensely melancholic character he is playing, which he thinks is causing him physical and emotional strife. His solution, of course, is to undergo the newly popular procedure to “desoul” the body — literally extracting one’s soul out and placing it into a glass jar. Soon enough, Giamatti wants his soul back, only to realize that it has been stolen by a member of an elaborate Russian “soul-trafficking” operation.
Check out the full review here.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
You Might All Be Potheads
A little over a month ago I asked you guys what should be done in regards to marijuana. The results:
Full Legalization of Marijuana - 4 (80%)
Small-scale Decriminalization - 1 (20%)
Only Allow for Medical Purposes - 0 (0%)
No Change in Current Policy - 0 (0%)
We Should Be Stricter - 0 (0%)
FULL SCALE DRUG WAR - 0 (0%)
I'm Not Sure - 0 (0%)
Dude....Where's My Car? - 0 (0%)
You voted for the full legalization of marijuana.
Also, sorry for not posting anything in a long time, but I was doing too much pot to notice.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Whip It Review
Drew Barrymore, the Hollywood starlet once infamous for churning out forgettable romantic comedies and flashing David Letterman, has finally crafted a new identity, exhibiting an unexpected knack for quality filmmaking in her directorial debut, “Whip It.” Using a platoon of accomplished stars, colorful characters and a solid indie-rock soundtrack, Barrymore overcomes a fairly banal script and forges a fantastic film.
Ellen Page (“Juno”), suffering from an unfortunate bout of typecasting, stars as Bliss Cavendar, a denizen of Generic Small Town, TX. Her quirky, rebellious nature is suppressed by the cultural limitations of her hometown and her overbearing mother (Marcia Gay Harden, “The Mist”), who is obsessed with entering Bliss into beauty pageants. Bliss eventually finds her calling, however, in the extreme underground sport of women’s roller derby, regularly sneaking off to Austin where she tries out for, and eventually joins, a derby team.
Predictability ensues, as the film follows the conventions of every “follow your dreams, defy authority” narrative. Still, the plot’s obvious points are far from being a detriment to the film — in avoiding a complex, sprawling story, "Whip It" is able to focus on substantially fleshing out its characters and giving insight into nearly all of the film's numerous supporting roles.
Check out the full review here.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Informant! Review
Tales of corporate greed and espionage are rarely as fresh and boisterous as Steven Soderbergh’s — director of “Ocean’s Eleven” — new film “The Informant!” Although the exclamation mark seems a bit silly, it is a necessary addendum to the film’s title, obligatorily expressing the film's inherent zaniness. But don’t let the seemingly lighthearted aura fool you — “The Informant!” contains many layers of depth, delving into the psyche of a compulsive liar.
Matt Damon (“The Bourne Ultimatum”) packs on a few pounds to play the aforementioned fibber, Mark Whitacre, who is a high-ranking executive at agricultural powerhouse Archer Daniels Midland. Despite enjoying the spoils of a cushy career, he begins to tattle to the FBI about his company’s association in a massive price-fixing conspiracy. Whitacre even begins to wear a wire for the feds in hopes of implicating his superiors and taking over the company, but his squealing only snowballs into a never-ending landslide of lies as he perpetually deceives his company, the FBI and even himself.
Check out the full review here.