AWN Blogs

This Canadian teen horror film played some festivals in the States, but never got any true theatrical release. The film went straight-to-video in 2001 and has slowly garnered a cult following thanks to the Internet. There is a good reason for this; it's the very smart horror film.

The story follows the Fitzgerald sisters – Brigitte (Emily Perkins, IT) and Ginger (Katharine Isabelle, FREDDY VS. JASON) – whose fascination with death has led them to become outcasts in their community. They stage gruesome death photos and disavow anything girly. They are even late in getting their periods and dread the day they come, thinking they will change into everything they hate. Recently, dogs of their town have been turning up mauled to death. One night, the girls find the culprit – a werewolf, which attacks Ginger. Slowly, the teen starts to go through a transformation, unleashing the animal inside. The original werewolf was smashed by a van, driven by a young drug dealer named Sam (Kris Lemche, EXISTENZ). As Ginger strikes up a relationship with a punk kid named Jason (TV’s NOAH), Brigitte talks with Sam about the werewolf and how to cure someone who has been bitten. Rounding out the cast is the girls’ clueless, caring, but ultimately kooky mother Pamela (Mimi Rogers, GUNG HO).

In general, the reviews of this film have been positive. It has made a few top ten lists for 2003. However, the negative reviews for the film always bring up that the movie depicts a white hero coming in to save a minority group. I can see how this opinion is being formed. However, these critics are missing the bigger point.

The story follows decorated Civil War and Indian War fighter Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise, MAGNOLIA) as he is hired to help train the new Japanese military in the ways of the West. Algren is a drunk and has been squeaking out a living by doing gun demonstrations on tour. The Japanese "soldiers" he is supposed to train are peasants and farmers, who must go up against the highly skilled samurai. Even with guns, the Japanese soldiers are no match for the samurai. In the battle, Algren is taken prisoner, because the samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe, U.S. debut) is interested in knowing his enemy and respects the fighting spirit in Algren. Katsumoto places Algren in the care of his sister Taka (Koyuki, U.S. debut), who was the wife of one of the samurai Algren killed. Through his time in the samurai village, Algren learns about the code of honor these people live by and is haunted by the Indian massacres he participated in.

The second Bond film is considered by many to be the best. It ups the ante from DR. NO and Sean Connery has truly grown into the character. This entry introduced Desmond Llewelyn as Q, the inventor of all of Bond's nifty gadgets. It also starts some of the contrived conventions of the series, but ultimately it balances between the straightforward style of the first film and the superhero elements of later installments.

This time around the plot is far more complex, which makes it more engaging than DR. NO. The evil enterprise SPECTRE plans to ignite a war between the U.S. and Russia, so they can take control of the world in the aftermath. Russian agent Tatiana Romanov (Daniela Bianchi, ALWAYS ON SUNDAY) thinks she is doing a mission for Russia, but she is really being set up by SPECTRE. Her orders are to allow Bond to steal a Russian decoder, and once Bond is killed, his theft will be revealed starting WWIII. However, SPECTRE didn't anticipate the true sexual appeal of James Bond, who easily makes Tatiana fall in love with him. Bond's sexual prowess is definitely pushed more over-the-top than in DR. NO, however Tatiana isn't totally helpless, often helping Bond in crucial moments.

To call this movie a black comedy is being kind. It’s a coal black satire of the holiday season. I hardly ever notice cursing in movies now, but this one even pricked up my ears. Maybe it's the context of something innocent like Santa, but this film even shocked me. These are not complaints; they are the biggest compliments I can give this film.

Willie (Billy Bob Thornton, SLING BLADE) is a foul-mouthed alcoholic safe-cracker, who works with a black dwarf named Marcus (Tony Cox, FRIDAY). Every year they pose as Santa Claus and his elf at malls. On Christmas Eve, they rob the mall and live off their ill-gotten gains for the next year. This time around Willie ends up meeting a kid named Thurman (Brett Kelly, OUT COLD), who is an absolute hopeless loser. He starts to cling to Willie hoping that Santa will give him a present for Christmas. At first Willie doesn’t want to have anything to do with the kid, but ends up staying at his house.

In the role that made her, Melanie Griffith (LOLITA) as Tess McGill has never been better. The role allows her to use the sexpot type she played prior to this film, while crafting a much fuller character.

The story follows go-getter Jersey girl McGill as she gets a job as a secretary for no-holds-barred businesswoman Katharine Parker (Sigourney Weaver, ALIEN). McGill knows a great deal about finance, but she doesn't look or sound the part. After Katharine gets stuck in the mountains after breaking her leg skiing, Tess learns that Katharine had stolen one of her own ideas that Katharine poo-pooed earlier. Tess then assumes Katharine's identity and takes her business idea to Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) at a competing firm.

David Gordon Green is quickly becoming a director to watch. His only other film GEORGE WASHINGTON was one of the best films from 2000 and I eagerly await his version of the Pulitzer Prize award-winning novel CONFEDERACY OF THE DUNCES. Again he deals with young characters, this time in their late teens and 20s. ALL THE REAL GIRLS is a simple love story constructed with complex characters.

Paul (Paul Schneider, GEORGE WASHINGTON) is a notorious ladies man in his small working class North Carolina town. He starts dating Noel (Zooey Deschanel, ALMOST FAMOUS), the younger sister of his best friend Tip (Shea Whigham, TIGERLAND), who of course doesn't like the idea when he finds out. Noel has just returned from boarding school and Paul notice how she has grown up. They've known each other their whole lives and they approach this next step in the relationship with thought and idealism. But unlike so many other screen romances, the two lovers have other people in their lives that make a difference. The supporting cast is not just there to serve the plot.

The first time I saw this twisted little film I didn't really like it. But after several viewings, I've been won over by LORD OF THE RINGS director Peter Jackson's tale of two young girls in the 1950s whose imagination and sexuality become too hard to handle for their parents.

Based on a true story, Pauline Parker (Melanie Lynskey, BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER) is a cubby loner who is nagged by her over-protective, yet caring mother, Honora (Sarah Peirse, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE). Then enters the flamboyant and highly imaginative rich girl Juliet (Kate Winslet, TITANIC). Before too long the two girls create an entire kingdom of knights and maids in their heads, casting themselves as central characters. Pauline starts going by the name Gina and Juliet goes by the name Debora.

This mix of THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD series and Stephan King’s THE STAND is the smart man’s zombie movie. This intense horror film has raw energy behind it. Director Danny Boyle has breathed life into a subgenre of scary movies that hasn't felt fresh in ages. There's grit and sweat and anger underneath this story, but there is also heart. The best way I can describe the mood of this film is to call it pure punk rock.

The set-up is typical; a virus quickly spreads through England turning humans into bloodthirsty killers. Jim (Cillian Murphy, GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING), a comatose bike messenger, wakes up in the hospital and finds the city deserted. He soon meets up with Selena (Naomie Harris, TV’s DINOTOPIA) and Mark (Noah Huntley, MEGIDDO: THE OMEGA CODE 2), who have been battling to stay alive against the infected for the last 28 days. Later on the trio meet, Frank (Brendan Gleeson, DARK BLUE), the devoted father of Hannah (Megan Burns, LIAM), and Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston, THE OTHERS), a no-nonsense leader of a small group of military officers.

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE (***1/2)
(First Reviewed: 11/26/01)
One of the most important things about making a great fantasy/sci-fi film is the creation of the world. That's why HARRY POTTER is so great… The characters are rich and not cliché, which is the most surprising thing about the film. J.K. Rowling knows kids and developed all of them with different strokes… I could spend pages writing about the wonder of various scenes... I can't wait to re-visit this world and these characters in subsequent adventures.

* Upon further review: (****)
My original review stands pretty much as it did originally. However, I really do feel the HARRY POTTER films are turning out as masterpieces of children's entertainment. Like THE WIZARD OF OZ, you can watch them as an adult and not even think once that you're watching a film targeted to kids. That's saying a lot. For all the films I've seen, it's one of the ten best films of 2001.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (***1/2)
(First Reviewed: 12/23/01)
I liked CHAMBER OF SECRETS quite a bit, even though it didn't blow me away like the first one did. This may be due to the fact that the plot structure is basically the same… The real delight of the film is the added details that have expanded the wonderfully immense world that was created in the first installment. I loved the plot element about mud-bloods… Another highlight is the new characters...

* Upon further review: (****)
I think the real reason I only gave this film 3 1/2 stars was because it didn't seem as original as THE SORCERER'S STONE. But I think I had that reaction because I had already been introduced to the film's universe. After watching this back-to-back with the first film, it really stands up against it. I really can't say that I like one any more than the other. But this is a film that really stands up well to repeated viewings. I'm really looking forward to next June for the third installment.

Part of what makes older action films seem weaker than modern ones is speed. The action seems too slow, thus seeming staged. What this Hollywood classic lacks in all out speed it makes it up with pure bravado.

Robin Hood (Errol Flynn, CAPTAIN BLOOD) is a noble who is loyal to King Richard (Ian Hunter, 1941's DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE) who is off on a crusade. In the king's absence, his brother Prince John (Claude Rains, CASABLANCA) rules over the peasants with tyrannical rule. Along with Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone, CAPTAIN BLOOD), Prince John plots to take the throne. Robin brazenly challenges Prince John's rule, which makes him an outlaw. His bold actions attract followers including Much (Herbert Mundin, CAVALCADE), Little John (Alan Hale, STELLA DALLAS) and the drunken Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette, MY MAN GODFREY).

As you can guess from the title, the film follows the rise to fame of 1950s rock ‘n' roll legend Buddy Holly. The story plays like most rock ‘n' roll biopics, but it’s set apart by a wonderful performance from Gary Busey (LOST HIGHWAY) as Holly and lots of great Holly music performed live by the main actors.

Along with Jesse Charles (Don Stroud, AMITYVILLE HORROR) and Ray Bob Simmons (Charles Martin Smith, AMERICAN GRAFFITI), the Crickets became a sensation. The film follows the controversy their music caused in their Texas hometown to being the first white band to play at the Apollo. It shows Holly as the confident musician who knew what he wanted and how it should sound. At the record studio, Holly meets Puerto Rican secretary Maria Elena (Maria Richwine, HAMBURGER… THE MOTION PICTURE), who he falls for quickly. We watch as the original members part ways as Holly star rises faster than a rocket and the reunion that never happened because of that fateful plane ride on "the day the music died."