KLBJ Movies

Before Midnight Review

Ryan Revolver — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:20:00 GMT

Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and his partner Celine (Julie Delphy) are on summer holiday in Greece. The couple reflects on their future, their past, and other complexities of life.

The characters are all real, the scenery is all real, and the dialogue is all real. It doesn’t mean that any of those three aspects make for an entertaining movie. The walking and talking/talking and driving/talking and sitting got really nauseating, really quick. The family is in Greece, so throw in a riot or two. Give me some excitement, some exhilaration. Anything to break up the monotony.

First the positive: Richard Linklater directed real and believable characters. He filmed in the actual country that was in the script. That’s nifty. The seaside scenery might make you long to take up writing, working on a new book everyday like Hawke’s character. As a stand-alone film it is easy to figure out the development of Jesse and Celine from Before Sunrise and Before Sunset; the first two movies of the trilogy.

The movie just dragged on. To the point where it was difficult to neither pay attention nor have the faintest interest in the characters-no matter how real they were made. Delphy, as an actress, has already been chastised by other lovers in other films about dishing out fellatio to past flames. Perhaps her working on the screenwriting portion of Before Midnight led to this? Is that a form of branding on Delphy’s part that I am not privy to? Even the sorta-sex scene was mind-numbingly boring, leaving Delphy, Hawke, and myself sexually frustrated. Hawke, like Delphy, prevented me from becoming emotionally invested in these make believe people. If he loves this women so much, why would he come between her and professional growth? I simply could not get into the movie. Ugh! The mindless chattering in the car…

Before Midnight - ★

Charge Review

Ryan Revolver — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:39:00 GMT

Different teams from around the world compete at the Isle of Man racetrack in the first ever zero emissions motorcycle grand prix.

The construction process leading up to the race, on both sides of the pond, is cool stuff. Even for a non-motorcycle enthusiast like me. With the borderline creepy Cedric Lynch (creator of the Agni motor) putting around, this carbon-footprint free doc shows that battery powered vehicles can still hit that 130mph mark.

Ya’ got the good ol’ American team Motoczysz, led by Michael Czysz, with a fancy high-tech operation. Just because he has state of the art machinery, designers, and 3D modeling software does not mean everything is smooth sailing. The theme for Motoczysz construction of a battery powered bike is “if anything can go wrong, it will.” Lynch on the other hand, with Team Agni, is low-tech. The eccentric works with a couple of blokes out of India (students no less, who skipped finals to be on hand for the race). The first race with non-petrol motorcycles does have a competitive edge to it. Hell, each team wants to be the victor. Lynch acting as an impromptu tech for Czysz shows that the historical moment is not ripe with cutthroat maneuvers between teams. Further proof is the second year the race was held, when rider James McBride gave Jennifer Tinmouth (newcomer to the electric bike) advice on reading the ammeters. I think every team wants every rider to cross the finish line without malfunction, to prove that it is possible to run a motorcycle on stored electrical energy. While the spectators are (at first) not keen on the thought of an all-electric race, the riders sure are. They can hear the applause from spectators that they normally wouldn’t hear if they were running on gas.

Charge is playing at Alamo Drafthouse Village.

Charge - ★★★

Movie Junk 5-21-2013

Ryan Revolver — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:09:00 GMT

The following entries are movie related articles that I find interesting (or semi-interesting). I hunt for these tidbits across the interwebs so you don't have to. To read the story, simply click on the picture (or hit play on the YouTube window). Let's get this over with shall we...

Photos of Megan Fox and some guy in a CGI suit on the set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

No Krang or Shredder sightings...

Metallica is at Cannes to promote a movie they are in. Lars says, and I quote, "Nobody has ever seen a film quite like this." Guess we just have to wait till September to ignore Metallica Through the Never.

Danny boy is still going on about Ghostbusters 3. I propose a re-imaging of Ghostbusters with an all female cast. Get Michael Bay to produce. I'm thinking about casting Tina Fey as a female Egon, Amy Poehler as female Ray, Aisha Tyler as female Winston. The female equivalent of Peter Venkman can be either Emma Stone or Kristen Wiig. Slap them in some semi-skimpy outfits, make the proton packs more compact, and boom! You got yourself a supernatural comedy they stays sorta true to the original. My brain fart has a 65.72% chance of coming to fruition. Aykroyd's...well...not so much.

It will work, trust me.

Movie Junk 5-20-2013

Ryan Revolver — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:13:00 GMT

Mel Brooks is getting a lifetime achievement award. Good for him!

Favorite Brooks movie? Probably High Anxiety

Ugh...the thought of being trapped with my co-workers in a mine for 69 days is so horrific I cannot even put it into words.

The legend continues they say:

Weekend Box Office

Ryan Revolver — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:15:00 GMT

The three highest-grossing films at the domestic box office for the weekend of May 17th-19th:

1. Star Trek Into Darkness -- $70,555,000

2. Iron Man 3 -- $35,182,000

3. The Great Gatsby -- $23,415,000

I liked Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness...Gatsby not so much. What is your favorite movie that is out right now? Leave a note in the comment section below (haha, there is no comment section). For the complete box office results from the weekend visit BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Star Trek Into Darkness Review

Ryan Revolver — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:02:00 GMT

Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) & company boldly go across the universe to track down John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a Starfleet scientist who has strangely begun attacking his own.

Fast paced action with rapid fire dialogue, the second J.J. Abrams led Trek is pure escapism. Every explosion is exhilarating. Conflicts and verbal disagreements between the crew doesn’t make it hard to laugh at the calamity. Star Trek Into Darkness was fun, damn fun. Every time the Enterprise went into warp was another opportunity to get lost into the fantasy of this sci-fi adventure.

Kirk and Spock (Zachary Quinto) are still not seeing eye to eye, despite Quinto’s best intentions. Pine & Quinto are able to grow the characters naturally; at the end they have a shift in demeanor and attitude. The supporting cast did some cultivating off their own. Uhura (Zoe Saldana) tries to get some emotional feeling out of Spock, Sulu (John Cho) gets to sit in the captain’s chair, and Scotty (Simon Pegg) flexes his engineering muscle by putting his engineering foot down. I noticed that when Sulu jumps over to Kirk’s chair a token Starfleet crew member takes his vacant seat. I don’t know why that fascinates me so much. It’s like there are a bunch of hopefuls standing around the bridge just waiting for the opportunity to get a temporary advance or something. Karl Urban was entertaining as the manic and habitually worried Bones. Newcomers to the franchise fit into the fold of the returning cast, moving the story and drama along (in the sequel there has to be new characters, no?). If you don’t want to have the surprise ruined for you avoid IMDB. I did, and the truth behind Benedict Cumberbatch was so much more rewarding. Robocop Weller was alright, as was his onscreen daughter Alice Eve. Of course you’re not venturing out to a showing on their behalf.

Abrams has turned Star Trek & Star Trek Into Darkness movies that even non-Trekkies can enjoy. They defy the laws of science, they stretch the imagination, and grant close-calls of guaranteed death. Would I go see Star Trek Into Darkness again in theaters? Yes. In 3D? Yes. Abrams & Joss Whedon are probably the only two directors on the planet that could make something out of the new Star Wars films. If the exceptional fortitude (across the board) of Star Trek Into Darkness says anything about the upcoming Star Wars reimaging, then we are in for another great venture into space…in 2015.

Star Trek Into Darkness - ★★★1/2

The Iceman Review

Ryan Revolver — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:07:00 GMT

Unbeknownst to his wife Deborah (Winona Ryder), Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) provides for her and their two daughters as a contract killer.

Based on a true story, The Iceman exhibits the natural ability of Michael Shannon to be the scariest calm person acting today. The guy is just scary walking off a bus for chrissake. Shannon shows a killer’s response that is the opposite of Joe Pesci. He is cold & calculating, and will getcha’ later.

I can’t think of a movie off the top of my head from recent years where a hitman’s personal life is displayed more than his professional (or the hitman just doesn’t have a personal life). Kuklinkski has friends as well as an on/off switch when he goes to his suburban home. The New Jersey devil doesn’t stay that way as the years go by-and he gains unwanted stress from unforeseen bumps in his career. The second half of the film is where Ryder properly added drama on the rise to the climax. Ray Liotta walked over from the set of Killing Them Softly as Roy Demeo, Shannon’s mob boss. At first I didn’t recognize Chris Evans or David Schwimmer thanks to the hair & makeup department. It wasn’t until I heard both of them talk that I made the connection. Don’t judge me, I am trying to avoid movie trailers at all cost. They force me to judge & overanalyze a film beforehand. The formation of a partnership with Evans gave Shannon more skills to put on his resume. I liked The Iceman because even with the opening shot of an incarcerated Shannon I didn’t know where it was going to go. Why anyone would want to stiff a cold as ice killer is beyond me, especially after finding out why the media gives Kuklinski his nickname.

The Iceman - ★★★

Movie Junk 5-15-2013

Ryan Revolver — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:36:00 GMT

Cool announcement. ABC's of Death is gonna have a sequel.

Chris Evans spotted in D.C. for Captain America 2 shoot.

The way Philip K. Dick wrote about humanity (and the human psyche) is something, well, deep & inspiring. Obviously his work is important if his tales have translated into numerous films. The Dick estate has settled Media Rights Capitol over The Adjustment Bureau. I wasn't even aware of a lawsuit. The settlement includes a clause where the Dick estate and MRC have the "opportunity to work together on future Philip K. Dick Estate properties." So that's that.

The Fruit Hunters Review

Ryan Revolver — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Men and women, of different nationalities & backgrounds, cross the globe in search of rare fruits. Not only to preserve, but to taste.

The opening narrated line of “fruit from the supermarket never inspires insanity” really sets the tone of this ain’t gonna’ be just some boring documentary about fruits. The Fruit Hunters is more cheery than other documentaries where the subject matter is centered on our food supply. These sportsmen are positive in their quest, despite the gloomy proposition of certain plants going the way of the dinosaurs.

Scenes reenacting those in history that have preserved fruit were very cool cuts set side by side with present day footage. Personally I am quite fond of pineapples; it is fun to…wait a tick. Is that Bill Pullman? It is! That is what I love about documentaries. They are informational, and the filmmaker might have stumbled upon Pullman’s obsession with fruit at a mango auction (anything and everything can be auctioned away apparently). Out of that encounter came the segment with Pullman and his pet project: Maxine’s Mountain. You discover the seed that sprouted Pullman’s obsession with fruit, as well as witness him playing the mad scientist of fruit smoothies. Traversing dense Borneo jungles with a Penan tribe leader just to shimmy up a tree for a rare fruit is in the job description for some of the people showcased in The Fruit Hunters. Wars have started over fruits, and certain variations of bananas are no longer with us. So those going to great lengths to protect what mother earth gave us are doing important work.

The Fruit Hunters is playing at Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane.

The Fruit Hunters - ★★★

The World Before Her Review

Ryan Revolver — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:43:00 GMT

In the male dominate society of India; two distinct groups vie for control of adolescent female population. The young ladies of India have two options presented to them. Beauty contests or Hindu run summer camps.

In The World Before Her you get a morality competition between Hindu fundamentalist (a.k.a. traditional India) and the so called “new” or “modern” India. Both factions attempt to indoctrinate the girls. In a country where 750,000 girls are aborted every year ya’ kinda have to. Eye opening and powerful -The World Before Her is an expose to take in.

Hindu extremist (also referred to as the Indian Taliban) have camps for young girls. There the young girls chant songs that will make you uneasy when you find out what words make up the lyrics. Also they preach a strict code that hopeful traditional Indian women should follow. In other words they need to go the opposite direction of actress Aishwarya Rai. The leaders go further to inform their disciples that Rai takes money from foreign companies to promote products to Indian girls. Rai doesn’t care about India, only herself. This is the first time a camera crew has been allowed into such a camp, and for obvious reasons. Prachi is a 20 year old “camp counselor” that has been to 42 of these camps. She adheres to the Hindu way of life, except for her desire to not get married and have kids. Kind of ironic since that is what is expected of her from her abusive and controlling dad. She goes against the preaching’s of Gandhi, and supports the violent nature the group has adopted. Women found defiling Hindu culture, being with a man in public or at a bar, are beaten.

The other side of the spectrum is the Miss India Contest. Every year 20 hand-picked contestants are groomed and trained for a month for the televised broadcast. The contest is seen as a way for the hopefuls to achieve financial stability. It is not all fittings and photo-shoots, the contestants go through Botox treatments & skin whitening. Ruhi, one of the contestants, gets full supports and love from her parents. A nice juxtaposition to Prachi’s dad. The winner of Miss India 2009, Pooja Chopra, speaks highly of the contest. Her backstory is quite moving, and you can feel her appreciation for life. One thing to remember is the Miss India Contest is not physically attacking back at the Hindu’s. They focus more on the bikini portion of the contest and outer appearance.

Neither side is pure, that is for sure. Is the Miss India Contest turning Indian girls into overseas Americans? Is the sermons by Hindu spiritualist against other religions proper?

The World Before Her is playing May 11^th at Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane.

The World Before Her - ★★★1/2