DVD Review: Echo and the Bunnymen Live From Liverpool (B-)

Echo and the Bunnymen Live At Liverpool (2001)
Starring Echo and The Bunnymen
MPAA: UR
Grade: B-

Review by Bobby Nashville

I remember seeing Echo & The Bunnymen back in the 1980's. They were opening up for New Order. New Order was my favorite band at the time but by the time the evening was over, I had switched allegiances. Moody, mysterious, yet not bogged down with the gloom and doom that hampered the other Goth/new wave/punk bands of the time, Echo & The Bunnymen were impressive.

Fronted by legendary singer Ian McCullough and original band member Will Sergeant, the group playing the Live at Liverpool concerts (they cut two shows into one long concert presentation here) does an impressive job. Twenty three tracks are performed from the Paul McCartney Hall in Liverpool. Starting with Rescue and following up with Lips Like Sugar, its clear from the start that Ian's voice has matured a bit (the nonstop chain smoking probably hasn't helped) but there is no doubt that the man can still work that rock star thing damn well.

The entire song list for Echo & The Bunnymen Live at Liverpool is excellent. King of Kings and Never Stop sound absolutely fantastic. There are some nice lulls with Ian doing his best Jim Morrison, and some nice full out rockers, such as The Back of Love and The Cutter. Tracks from Ocean Rain and Songs to Learn and Sing seemed to resonate best with me, but maybe that's just because those are my favorite Echo & The Bunnymen albums.

The visuals here are good, but not great. Ian stands in one spot most of the show doing his best to act aloof and cool, but let's face it, that's always been his style. The rest of the band also pretty much remains in one spot all night though not lending much to the excitement levels. To spice things up, film footage is video transposed in the background throughout the shows. From what I can tell, the footage consists of home movies of the band's early days and various shots of scenery from the road. This helps a little bit, but not enough to make this an incredible looking looking disc. The quality of the band's performances however more than make up for these faults.

Echo & The Bunnymen Live At Liverpool is a pretty good DVD of some great performances by one of the most underrated rock bands of our time. For devout followers of the band, this DVD is a must have.

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DVD Review: Ghost World (A-)

Ghost World (2001)
Directed by Terry Zwigoff
Starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johannsen and Steve Buscemi
Rating: A-

Review by Scott Standish

Terry Zwigoff, the director of the fascinating documentary Crumb returns with a fantastic comedy about the pain of growing into an adult. Based on the underground comic of the same name, Ghost World stars Thora Birch (best known for portraying Kevin Spacey's daughter in American Beauty) as a funky chick that (like most teenage girls) seems to define her individuality by the degree to which she rebels against conformity. Funky clothes, glasses, music and more make up the package that is Enid.

Enid and Rebecca have just graduated high school and despite their plans to get a place together, they slowly drift apart as Rebecca gets a job, and Enid doesn't. Instead, Enid discovers the older Seymour (Steve Buscemi, in a remarkable performance), an obsessive collector of old jazz/blues/roots music and art. Enid takes the nerdish Seymour under her wing and attempts to set him up with a girlfriend- only to find herself falling for him. Rebecca and Enid are best of friends, but tensions grow as they begin to see the future differently.

What makes Ghost World so incredible is the assured manner in which director Terry Zwigoff deftly handles the insecurity laced sarcasm that saturates this film. Enid and Rebecca have coped with their insecurities about the future by knocking just about everyone, and their biting style of humor is right on target. Thora Birch really feels in control of the lead role here, and it's clear that this is a breakthrough performance for her. Ghost World has a splendid ending (no, I won't spoil it for you), but I can say that its not your typical "everything gets wrapped up nicely" Hollywood endings.

There are great supporting players as well. Bob Balaban plays Enid's spineless dad, and the always wonderful Teri Garr makes a small appearance as well. There is also some weird shirtless guy with nun-chucks that shows up throughout the film, for no reason other than to just crack everyone up. A risky character to be sure, but for some reason, it works.
Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowe's witty and assured script was nominated for a best screenplay Oscar. Funny, tragic, insightful and hip, Ghost World is definitely one of the best teen comedies to come out in years.

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DVD Review: Frailty (B-)

Frailty
Directed by Bill Paxton
Starring Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe
MPAA: R
Grade: B-

Review by Scott Standish

A surprisingly effective horror movie, Frailty is one of those sleeper films that is worth tracking down. Bill Paxton, who also directed, brings to life a creepy "nice guy" character that suddenly starts to go off the rails. Shot in only 37 days, this was obviously a low budget affair. Despite the quickie nature of the production, Frailty actually succeeds as a decent thriller.

Matthew McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks, a country boy that has finally come forward to help the FBI solve a string of murders attributed to the "God's Hand Killer". The FBI agent (played quite well by the legendary Powers Boothe) is skeptical, but allows the man to tell his story as they sit in his office. Similar to The Usual Suspects, the lawman simply listens while a young man relates his knowledge about crimes in the past. As he relates his story, the movie cuts to flashbacks of the actions he describes.

Meeks tells the agent about his crazed father (played by Paxton). Fenton's dad believes that God is telling him to kill certain people. He rationalizes this to himself and his boys (the mother has passed away) by arguing that he "isn't killing people, he's simply destroying demons." Fenton's brother Adam sides with his dad and Fenton has his hands full trying to argue for some sense of rationality. There is a twist in the story (of course!) and I won't give away what it is, but I will say that Frailty's script works well.

A little slow in it's pacing but very well acted, Frailty is recommended for horror film fans and those that like thrillers with a little bit of twist to them.

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DVD Review: Innocence (B+)

Innocence (2000)
Directed by Paul Cox
Starring Julia Blake, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Robert Menzies, Terry Norris and Kristien Van Pellicom
MPAA: R
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

One of the beautiful things about the online DVD rental service NetFlix is the ability to set up queues of DVDs, and then allow them to arrive some time in the future, almost as if by surprise. The film Innocence showed up at my house a while back and honestly, I still can't remember even choosing it. Befuddled, I sat the disc on my DVD player and there it rested for a month before i finally popped it in. Honestly, my thoughts were "oh well, might as well find out what the heck this is".

What a marvelous surprise to watch the delightful romantic drama Innocence unfold. Innocence is a superbly acted, finely directed love triangle that just happens to have a twist to it: the people involved are in their twilight years. A couple finds each other years after 40 years apart. Andreas and Claire were young lovers that broke up, found other loves, married and were seemingly never to see each other again. However, neither has forgotten the other and as the shadow of death creeps into the picture, they seem to be drawn to each other once again.

The acting of Julia Blake in Innocence is astonishing. With so many emotions overtaking her she often is driven to tears, anger, or both. Blake's portrayal of the Claire garnered her the 2001 Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Actress.

If you are looking for a well acted, tightly directed love triangle drama (with a slightly unusual twist) Innocence is about as good as it gets. Buy it or rent it, but for heaven's sake, don't wait too long. Highly recommended.

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DVD Review: Nick Cave Live - God Is In The House (A-)

God Is In The House: Nick Cave Live
Starring Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Blixa Bargeld and Warren Ellis
MPAA: UR
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

If you're like me, you have heard bits of Nick Cave over the years and you've probably liked what you heard. Haunting, intelligent and a bit strange, Nick and his group The Bad Seeds have been around awhile. But for some reason or another, I never really went out and grabbed a copy of his work.

Everything has changed now that I've viewed his live concert DVD God Is In The House. What a remarkable performer. Nick Cave delivers 14 brilliant songs that move from haunting and moody to manic and powerful. Coming off as a cross between Bryan Ferry and a demented southern preacher, Cave eloquently spins tale of murder, religion and love like no one I've seen in a long, long time.

Shot during a live performance at Le Transbordeur in Lyon, France, the concert movie is pretty straightforward. No frills or documentary cutaways slow down the show (although a nice documentary is included as an extra on the DVD). If you have always wanted a proper introduction to the world of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, by all means go out and get a copy of God Is In The House.

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DVD Review: Legally Blonde 2 (B-)

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde
Directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field, Regina King, Jennifer Coolidge, Bob Newhart and Luke Wilson
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: B-

Review by Bobby Nashville

B-? For Legally Blonde 2? I know I'm going to take a lot of heat for this, but I have to admit that A) I have a weak spot for Reese and B) this film is not trying to be Citizen Kane and C) it has it's heart in the right place.

Silly? Yes. Thought provoking? No. Worth renting? Maybe. How you will feel about Legally Blonde 2 really comes down to this: did you enjoy the first one? I mean did you really like it, not just "well that wasn't as bad as a I thought." If you liked, then Legally Blonde 2 is probably worth a rental for you. If not, then head for the hills because this baby is alot like the first one, but in Washington instead of on campus. For what it's worth, I actually liked the first one, so Legally Blonde 2 worked out as a good rental.

This time out, Elle Woods fights for legislation in Washington that protects the rights of dogs from cruel animal testing. Bob Newhart and Sally Field round out a cast that does a decent job all around. A funny subplot involves her dog Bruiser and his preference for dogs of the same sex! Cliche, I know, but it's done with tact and I found this film, like it's predecessor, a lightweight film with lots of charm.

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DVD Review: King of Comedy, The (A)

King of Comedy, The (1983)
Directed by Martin Scorcese
Starring Robert Deniro, Sandra Bernhard and Jerry Lewis
MPAA: PG
Grade: A

Review by Scott Standish

When released back in 1983, The King Of Comedy received rather negative critical response, in fact People Magazine named it their Flop Of The Year. But time has served this dark comedy well and like all classics the subtle nuances of each actor's performance seem to come out with repeated viewings. This is a film that people need to take another look at, it's perhaps one of the most underrated comedies of our time.

Robert Deniro stars as Rupert Pupkin, a nerdish wanna-be comedian that still lives at home with his mom in New Jersey. He is a total geek, a complete loser, but at the same time, he has total confidence in himself. He is obsessed with late night talk show host Jerry Langford (played by Jerry Lewis) and wants to follow in his footsteps. Rupert and his equally Langford obsessed friend Masha (Sandra Bernhard) have structured their lives in a way that enables them both to flat out stalk the comedian. Their favorite past time is standing outside of building entrances just to get a glimpse of Jerry.

Masha's intentions are purely sexual, she wants to be Langford's lover, while Rupert's intentions are a bit more complex. He wants Jerry to be his mentor and ultimately, Rupert's goal is to take over Jerry's role as the King of Comedy. Like most stalkers, Rupert and Masha have fantasies starring themselves with their adored, but in this case, the lines begin to blur. Rupert starts to believe the imaginary conversations he has in his head with Jerry. When he attempts to get onto the Jerry Langford show and is rejected by a staff member, he doesn't seem to lose a step, he simply plots to kidnap Jerry. Hey, whatever works, right?

This all sounds very dark and yes this is a very dark film especially for a comedy. But Robert Deniro's characterization of Rupert Pupkin is so silly and so naive, that at times it is quite hilarious. Scorcese let Bernhard go completely crazy with her role of Masha and her acting work here is brilliant. At one point, she runs down the New York City street wearing nothing but her bra, panties and high heels, screaming "Jerry! Jerry!".

The King of Comedy came out before wackos were regularly stalking tv hosts, and certainly before people started breaking into David Letterman's house on a weekly basis. It also came out before the insane hype of celebrity (both for legitimate stars and for stalker criminals) became so fast moving across all media markets. In that respect it is quite ahead of its time.

The performances by Deniro, Bernhard, and Jerry Lewis (okay, okay, I admit I am "one of those critics" that thinks Jerry Lewis is under appreciated) are first rate. Reportedly a good chunk of some key scenes were totally improvised by the stars, making this all the more over the top. As time passes on certain comedies begin to age like fine wine and become timeless for both their humor and their political relevance: Network is one. King Of Comedy is certainly another.

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DVD Review: Moulin Rouge (B)

Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent & Ozzy Osbourne (voice only)
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: B

Review by Scott Standish

This film is a fast paced musical that you will either love or hate, its pretty hard to sit on the fence with an over the top production such as this.

I have to admit I came into Moulin Rouge a bit leery (Ewan McGregor singing in a musical?) but it quickly won me over. Moulin Rouge was an ambitious project by any measure. Nicole Kidman continues her run of fabulous acting performances (The Others, To Die For) and its clear that she has turned into one of the best actresses in Hollywood today.

Moulin Rouge aims to go way over the top, and it succeeds wonderfully. However, the star of the show here was the costume and art direction. Brigitte Broch (set decorator) and Catherine Martin (art director) won Academy Awards for the work here and deservedly so. Everything looks incredible from the sets to the hot as hell dresses, corsets and lace that the dancers wore. What can I say, this film was like a feast for the eyes.

The story? Well it was a throwaway mess but, this whole thing is a remake of a remake, and by the time you get midway through the movie, you won't really care about the plot anyway. For the record (I guess I have to talk about the plot sometime) the story involved the beautful Satine (Kidman), who is the star of the famous Moulin Rouge dance hall. A young writer (played by McGregor) tries to break into the biz, and is taken in by the bohemians (led by Leguizamo as Toulouse-Lautrec). The Moulin Rouge is seeking money to continue its shows and therefore Satine is accustomed to wooing investors. She mistakes McGregor for an investor, and he falls in love with her. Its all a bit convoluted, especially as the story advances mostly through elaborate dance numbers.

Moulin Rouge was a wildly colored, elaborately choreagraphed feast for the eyes, perhaps the best I have seen since Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Sure it was corny, but it looked great, was completely silly and I have to admit that this film was one of the most creative I have seen in a long time. I would have loved to give it a higher grade, but the music really gave me the creeps at times (especially the dorky rendition of Elton John's "My Song"). With a more cutting edge musical score, this could have been on par with Cabaret.

The story was laughable, the music a bit campy, but again, if you are willing to look past these minor flaws, Moulin Rouge is one heck of a good time.

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DVD Review: Hearts and Minds (B+)

Hearts and Minds (1974)
Directed by Peter Davis
MPAA: R
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

It seems like America has been trying to forget the Vietnam war ever since it happened. But of course it did happen and it was a nightmare for this country. Much can be learned by looking back at the circumstances surrounding America's long battle in Vietnam. For those of us that are too young to really remember Vietnam, a film like Hearts and Minds is all the more potent.

Hearts and Minds is an amazing documentary originally released in 1974. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary and its easy to see why. Combining footage of actual soldiers in the field, Vietnamese citizens and politicians all explaining their viewpoints, it paints a pretty bleak picture of a brutal time in America's history. Many of the soldiers featured in the film either were clueless as to who and what they were fighting for. The politicians interviewed in Hearts and Minds seemed to have vague or contradictory reasons for fighting this war. Ultimately Hearts and Minds shows the result of this poorly planned military operation: a tragic toll on American and Vietnamese families.

Hearts and Minds was an extremely controversial film on its release, due to its penchant for sympathizing with the Vietnamese people. The viewpoints of the Vietnamese villagers in Hearts and Minds were that they're a proud people and have done nothing to deserve being invaded by the U.S. This viewpoint, being espoused in a US made film (especially back in 1974) certainly struck some nerves especially with veterans who just went through such a terrible ordeal.

I didn't have any problems with the movie's liberal leanings or its inclusion of the Vietnamese viewpoint. However I do think that some properly placed differences of opinion (articulately spoken) would have brought the film more balance. The pro-war viewpoints that do make it into this film are pretty ludicrous and they often degenerate into obvious racism. But, on the other hand, 30 minutes into the movie it becomes clear that Hearts and Minds is a documentary with a very precise point of view. There is an opinion behind this documentary and nothing will stand in its way.

Moving, disturbing, and always fascinating, Hearts and Minds is a strong anti-war documentary. Despite its lack of balance it remains a shocking look back at a period of time that this country should never forget.

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