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.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Awesome Bollywood Video of the Week - 9/14
This week's video is a more unconventional bollywood dance number. As you'll notice, there is little choreographed dancing, except for the two Elvis impersonators flailing about. Aside from them, this is a good representation of a typical Indian wedding - the decorations, the music, the clothes.
The song is called "Emotional Attyachar" from the movie "Dev D." Its really good. I'll lend you the DVD. The song title translates to "Emotional Torture" because, of course some girl broke our hero's heart and now he is drowning his sorrows over the course of the video. Just like in last edition's "Desi Girl", you'll notice a lot of Hinglish.
Example: Bol Bol why did you ditch me? (Tell me, tell me...english)
Zindagi bhi lele yaar kill me (Here, take my life, kill me)
Bol Bol why did you ditch me whore? (yes, they say whore in a Hindi song)
Whiteout Review
Sometimes, at the Daily I have to review really crappy films. This was one of them.
"Whiteout"
A murder mystery in Antarctica is an intriguing concept, especially considering the sheer originality of its sequestered setting. The lack of a permanent human population and gravely cold temperatures have made the chilly continent mostly extrinsic in cinema circles, save for “March of the Penguins,” but its isolation and hazardous environment are ideal for inciting thrills and placing characters in peril. Yet, “Whiteout” fails to capitalize on its unusual locale, instead becoming a film that relies upon enough genre conventions to leave one scouring for synonyms of the word “cliché.” 
Based on the comic book of the same name, “Whiteout” follows U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale, “Underworld”), stationed on an Antarctic base, as she investigates the grisly death of a geologist. She is under a severe time constraint— the base is going to be evacuated in three days, before the devastating Antarctic winter sets in. Stetko must confront an important moral dilemma: should she get the hell out of Antarctica and leave the crime to other authorities, or follow her case to the end and be stranded on the base for the next six months. Naturally, our virtuous lead (read: generic) chooses the latter option.
Other characters in “Whiteout” fill a checklist of unabashed stereotypes: the nurturing doctor nearing retirement (Tom Skerritt, TV’s “Brothers & Sisters”), the straight arrow UN officer (Gabriel Macht, “The Spirit”) and the cocky pilot with an unquenchable libido (Alex O’Loughlin, TV’s “Moonlight”). As expected, any sort of development for each lethargically performed character is nonexistent.
This lack of character depth doesn’t hurt the film, as Stetko’s own “dark past” is yet another hackneyed, superfluous element of the story. This backstory, supposedly showing the audience her vulnerability and toughness, unfolds through a series of sepia-toned flashbacks — so you know it was a long time ago. Her character “revelation” is not only predictable, it severely disrupts the flow of the film, often causing it to feel more like a Lifetime Original Movie than a high-tension thriller.
This is unfortunate, as “Whiteout” sets a perfect pace with a marvelous plane crash in its opening sequence. But the filmmakers included too much dialogue, too many extraneous subplots and too little action to maintain the level of excitement. 
Among the film’s few bright spots is its clever mixing of genres – Stetko’s encounters with the pickaxe-wielding villain resemble a scene from a slasher movie, with a frenetic camera following the silent, menacing killer as he chases his prey through gale-force blizzards. If the entire film had followed the approach of these well-crafted but sparse confrontations, the result may have been a competent horror movie.
“Whiteout” features several breathtaking shots of the Antarctic landscape (Hopefully they weren’t constructed through CGI, but they probably were). Of course, since there’s little else the filmmakers have to be proud of in the film, these shots are frustratingly overused, contributing to the brutally slow pace of this a poor excuse for an action thriller.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Awesome Bollywood Video of the Week
This was a feature that I started back in June but I forgot to continue. I thought it was interesting enough to continue, so let's hope I can remember every Monday from now on.
This is a song-and-dance sequence from a movie called "Dostana", where two straight Indian men in Miami pretend to be gay in order to live in a swank apartment. Things get complicated, of course, when they fall in love with their female roommate. This also stars my favorite Bollywood actor, Abhishek Bachchan, who's the bearded chap in the video.
The song is called "Desi Girl", where 'Desi' means 'Indian'. I'll spare you the word-for-word meaning of the lyrics, but the chorus is worth noting:
"Dekh lakh lakh pardesi girls" - I've seen thousands of foreign girls
"Aint nobody like my desi girl" - That's in English.
Translation - Indian woman are whiz-bang
Enjoy.
(500) Days of Summer Interview
This is the write-up of an interview I conducted via web cam with the stars of (500) Days of Summer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick) and Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man).
One of the smash hits of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, “(500) Days of Summer,” has finally made its long-awaited release into cinemas nationwide. The film follows greeting-card company employee Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “Brick”) and his relationship with the girl of his dreams, Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel, “Yes Man”), to understand why it failed. As a decidedly unconventional romantic comedy, it may seem unusual for the film to be released among the season’s typical popcorn movies. But in an interview with The Daily, the stars of the film affirmed that this was the perfect time to release the film.
“This is at heart a very entertaining film … if you’re looking for something a little bit more lighthearted,” Deschanel said.
Gordon-Levitt added, “It’s a really good summer movie … a few less timpani drums and blood, and more Joy Division and kissing. What summer blockbuster has Joy Division and kissing?”
Here's the link to the full interview.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Edward M. Kennedy 1932-2009
It is rare to find a politician who cares so much for the people. After being diagnosed with brain cancer last year, he knew his days were numbered, but he didn't go out without a fight. Well, the fight isn't over yet. His great cause was health care reform. As his family, friends, constituents, and country mourns his passing, let us try to imitate and continue his devotion to the people, by the people, for the people. The Senate has lost its lion.
Here Ted is pictured with brothers John and Robert.
Inglourious Basterds Review
In the near two decades we’ve had Quentin Tarantino as a director, he has become one of the few modern filmmakers with a distinct technique that is carried from film to film, regardless of star-power, budget, or genre. With “Inglourious Basterds” Tarantino brings his approach to the tired, lifeless genre of the World War II epic. Perhaps unsurprisingly, “Basterds,” is a dark, violent saga that’s every bit coarse and distasteful as its incorrectly spelled title.
In trademark Tarantino style, “Basterds” is divided into multiple, eventually converging narratives featuring a bounty of vivid characters. The more-publicized story follows Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his crew of scrappy Jewish-American soldiers known as the ‘Basterds’ as they scalp and bludgeon Nazis behind enemy lines. Yet, their tale is paralleled by a story of comparable importance, featuring a French woman named Shosanna (French actress Melanie Laurent) who has a burning desire to take revenge against the Nazis. Coincidentally, Shoshana and the Basterds each devise plans to wipe out the German high command at a movie premiere, which ends with bad Italian accents, explosives galore and a hailstorm of bullets.
Brad Pitt’s presence will certainly help to fill the seats, but the real star of the film is Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, who plays Colonel Hans Landa, the milk-chugging, strudel-munching “Jew Hunter.” Unlike the near-caricature of Amon Goeth in “Schindler’s List,” where the Nazi officer was portrayed as a pure psychopath, Landa is a metaphysical polyglot who is paradoxically both barbaric and sagacious. Expect awards-season hardware for Waltz, who coolly alternates between heartless killer and affable Nazi officer.
Alongside the superb characterization of Landa, Tarantino fortunately evolves “Basterds” beyond the copious, clunky World War II action clones. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to call this an action movie at all. The violence, save for the climactic scene, is dispersed in short, brutal bursts throughout the film. In “Basterds,” the customary, elaborate combat set pieces are replaced by slick conversations at dining tables and rollicking, drunken card games in Parisian basements. 
Unfortunately, Tarantino doesn’t know when to end these dialogues, which continue endlessly and bring the pace to a dead halt by the middle third of the film. There ‘s a reasonable limit to the amount of discussion about German cinema under the Third Reich one can sit through and this movie undeniably reaches it.
“Basterds” is also hampered by a few questionable casting decisions. There’s the irritating portrayal of Adolf Hitler as a frothing lunatic that would fit better in a Tex Avery cartoon. Most notably, the inclusion of Mike Myers (“Austin Powers”) as a British officer is befuddling. Myers only appears in a short scene, plastered with hideous makeup, but his presence is so jarring that all of his dialogue is drowned out by your mind wondering, “Why the hell is Mike Myers in this role?” Although Hitler and Myers have brief parts, their collective buffoonery is agitating enough to leave long-lasting negative impression.
Quentin Tarantino has yet to make a below-average film, and his record remains intact with “Inglourious Basterds.” Even with his annoying Tennessee accent, Brad Pitt and the rest of the ensemble provide enough laughs and thrills to make this a very memorable movie. In classic Tarantino fashion, expect to be simultaneously laughing and squirming by the shockingly over-the-top bloodshed. Just try to stay awake for the rest of the movie.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Funny Winston Churchill Quotes
Here are some decently funny Winston Churchill quotes for a little light reading. I promise I will write a huge post on health care, however.
When I am abroad I always make it a rule never to criticise or attack the Government of my country. I make up for lost time when I am at home.Have a splendid day! Continue Reading...
"A sheep in sheep's clothing"
On Clement Attlee
A modest man, who has much to be modest about
On Clement Attlee
"An empty taxi arrived at 10 Downing Street, and when the door was opened, Atlee got out"
On Clement Attlee
"I wish Stanley Baldwin no ill, but it would have been much better if he had never lived"
On Stanley Baldwin
"He occasionally stumbled over the truth, but hastily picked himself up and hurried on as if nothing had happened"
On Stanley Baldwin
"He looked at foreign affairs through the wrong end of a municipal drainpipe"
On Neville Chamberlain
Lady Astor to Churchill: "Winston, if you were my husband I would flavour your coffee with poison"
Churchill: "Madam, if I were your husband, I should drink it"
Bessie Braddock to Churchill: "Winston, your drunk!"
Churchill: "Bessie, you're ugly, and tomorrow morning I shall be sober"
"What could you hope to achieve except to be sunk in a bigger and more expensive ship this time"
On Admiral Mountbatten
Mexico Decriminalizes Small-Scale Drug Possession and So Should We
I think this is smart for a number of reasons. First of all, the amount you are allowed to have is quite small.Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin on Friday — a move that prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government's grueling battle against drug traffickers.
Prosecutors said the new law sets clear limits that keep Mexico's corruption-prone police from shaking down casual users and offers addicts free treatment to keep growing domestic drug use in check.
"This is not legalization, this is regulating the issue and giving citizens greater legal certainty," said Bernardo Espino del Castillo of the attorney general's office.
The maximum amount of marijuana for "personal use" under the new law is 5 grams — the equivalent of about four joints. The limit is a half gram for cocaine, the equivalent of about 4 "lines." For other drugs, the limits are 50 milligrams of heroin, 40 milligrams for methamphetamine and 0.015 milligrams for LSD.It seems counterintuitive at first that to help fix a drug problem one should decriminalize the drugs, but decriminalizing lets it be regulated and controlled. If government-approved drug distributors are established, the drugs can be monitored for safety. Also, as this bill does, you can set a limit for how much drugs one is allowed to possess at one time. In addition, better drug treatment programs can be established based off the revenue from placing a "sin tax" on the drugs.
Anyone caught with drug amounts under the new personal-use limit will be encouraged to seek treatment, and for those caught a third time treatment is mandatory.
The best reason, however, is that it separates the casual users from the distributors and violent traffickers.
Mexico has emphasized the need to differentiate drug addicts and casual users from the violent traffickers whose turf battles have contributed to the deaths of more than 11,000 people since President Felipe Calderon took office in late 2006.Mexico is in the midst of a (relatively futile) war on drugs. This bill separates the real bad guys from the casual users/addicts. Also, it should take business away from the drug traffickers.
I think the real value of this bill is what we Americans can possibly learn from its results. I think passing a similar bill in the U.S. makes sense. Drug use will happen whether it is decriminalized or not, so it makes sense to decriminalize drugs in small amounts and regulate it.
Probably the biggest reason to enact it here, however, is that our prisons are currently full of people charged with drug offenses. Many of these are for minor offenses.
According to the American Corrections Association, the average daily cost per state prison inmate per day in the US is $67.55. State prisons held 253,300 inmates for drug offenses in 2005. That means states spent approximately $17,110,415 per day to imprison drug offenders, or $6,245,301,475 per year.
Don't expect this to be enacted in the U.S. anytime soon, however. While the percentage of people supportive of decriminalizing marijuana is on the rise, it is still too controversial of an issue. However, it will come one day, and when it does, look forward to posters like this one:
Have a nice day! Continue Reading...
A Haiku for Mark Halperin
Sometimes it appears
Only you can present news
This ridiculous.
That snapshot was taken moments ago by myself straight from Mark Halperin's website. There is an actual story behind it, but you would never know from the way he presents it. He also never seems to make any noteworthy critical analysis, yet I still go to his site as soon as I wake up. The reason being I can get the news without any spin. While he occasionally puts spin on things, I never listen to what he has to say. I really just look at the headlines. I recommend it as a way to quickly figure out what has happened during the day politically, but don't expect groundbreaking commentary.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Crash for Clunkers
Many of you have probably heard of Cash for Clunkers, the federal program where the government will give you a $4500 rebate towards a new fuel efficient vehicle when you get rid of your clunker. The program has been a wild success and has been a valuable part of the stimulus package. However, have you heard of Crash for Clunkers?
Pretty freaking sweet.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Geography Quiz
Don't worry, only one question:
Who can tell me what is wrong with this picture?
Have a nice day!