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SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1941) (***)

Considered by many as a comedy classic, I found it a bit dated. Film buffs might just want to check it out because of its place in history and others might just want to watch it for Veronica Lake. This slapstick film follows a movie director who is tired of making comedies and wants to make a social message film (which were very popular in the 1930s when this film was made). Due to his privileged life, he decides to head out into the world with 10 cents in his pocket to find trouble. However, the studio determines he's too valuable and sends a busload of people out after him to make sure that he doesn't get himself killed. His adventures often lead back to Hollywood and at the moment when he decides to give up is when he really learns about hardship. It is considered the film that justifies the existence of slapstick in general; making the point that laughter is all that some people have. If you like films with witty banter and people falling down a lot then this is a film for you.

My opinion has changed on this one, check out my new thoughts in the Upon Further Review item.

In Blogs: Rick's Flicks Picks on AWN

Blogs

MEMENTO (2000) (***1/2)

This is a film for fans of unpredictable films like THE USUAL SUSPECTS and SIXTH SENSE. The most interesting thing about the film is that it runs backwards. You see the end of the film first and then it jumps back fifteen minutes runs forward then jumps back in time before the moment you just watched. This isn't just an exercise in style, but also fits the plot brilliantly.

The film follows Leonard (Guy Pearce, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL), who has lost the ability to make new memories. He can't remember what happened 15 minutes prior. However, every memory before his wife was killed and he was hit in the head is still there. He races around trying to find the man who killed his wife. If he doesn't write things down (or tattoo them to his body), he will forget them soon after, even friends Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss, THE MATRIX) and Teddy (Joe Pantoliano, BOUND). But when you can't remember who these people are, can you really trust them?

In Blogs: Rick's Flicks Picks on AWN

Blogs

JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK (2001) (***)

This is a film for fans of director Kevin Smith. Taking the lowbrow MALLRATS approach, Smith crafts one big in-joke for film geeks. He spoofs his own movies as well as Hollywood in general. It's part road movie, part stoner flick, part action movie, and all comedy. How much you laugh really depends on you.

The film follows the adventures of Smith's dimwitted team of Jay and Silent Bob, played by Jason Mewes and Smith, respectively. Jason Lee's Banky Edwards from Smith's CHASING AMY shows up to tell the hetero life partners that the comic book he created based on them is being turned into a movie. So the twosome race across the country in an attempt to stop Miramax from making the film based on their comic book alter egos, Bluntman and Chronic. Their trip is a meandering one where they partner with four hot female animal rights activists into a monkey-kidnapping attempt. Justice (Shannon Elizabeth, AMERICAN PIE) has a soft spot for the duo, but her partners Sissy (Eliza Dushku, BRING IT ON), Chrissy (Ali Larter, LEGALLY BLONDE), and Missy (Jennifer Schwalbach aka Mrs. Kevin Smith) just want to play Jay and Bob for bigger idiots than they are.

In Blogs: Rick's Flicks Picks on AWN

Blogs

The Animation Pimp: Rex, Epicurus and Me: The Search for Pleasure

Finally, something the Pimp likes! Rex The Runt. But, this month, we see that the Animation Pimp reads a lot into this show of four dogs.

In Columns: The Animation Pimp | Blogs: The Animation Pimp

Music Blogs

The Animation Pimp: On the Condition Known as Aural Allochezia*

Boy, the Pimp is never happy! This month, the Animation Pimp discusses his great distaste at being hit over the head with music. Of course, he uses more colorful terms...

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Blogs

The Animation Pimp: Speaking of Sex

The Animation Pimp has noticed something recently in animated features -- "coupling, specifically heterosexual coupling" -- and here's what he has to say about it.

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Animation Blogs

The Animation Pimp: Annecy, Audiences, Art and Sandwiches

This month, The Animation Pimp both critiques and applauds the heckling audiences of Annecy.

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Blogs

The Animation Pimp: Speaking of Bloated Asses

This month the Animation Pimp, Chris Robinson, takes on the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Three films? Three films represent all the international animation arena has to offer?!

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Canada Blogs

The Animation Pimp: Blame the U.S.A.

This month the Animation Pimp Chris Robinson takes on the U.S. job drain to Canada and reveals it is actually a two way street and has been for many a year...

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Animation Blogs

The Animation Pimp: Animation Festival Travel Tips #1: Waiting

This month the Animation Pimp, Chris Robinson, discusses how traveling is really just waitin'.

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Toon Blogs

The Animation Pimp: The Old Man and The Sea: A Plagiarism (not the film)

Claire Armstrong, Tim Harrington, Victoria Livingstone.

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Animation Blogs

The Animation Pimp

The first in a provocative series (or is it just wild ranting?), Chris Robinson proposes that whether one is a festival director, working animator or studio executive, we are all simply prostitutes.

In Blogs: The Animation Pimp