DVD Review: Invasion! aka Top Of The Food Chain (A-)

Invasion! (aka Top of the Food Chain) (1999)
Directed by John Paizs
Starring Campbell Scott, Fiona Loewi, Tom Everett Scott, James Allodi and Bernard Behrens
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: A-

Review by Bobby Nashville

My wife found this gem of a bad movie (bless her heart) and it serves as further proof that I picked the right woman. I've commented several times before about how hard it is to intentially make a good "bad" movie but Invasion! makes it look easy. Never heard of this one? This was released under the title Top of the Food Chain back in 1999 but for the video release it's being renamed Invasion!

The plot of Invasion! is a simple rehash of every stupid sci-fi flick you loved from the 50's: While visiting a small town in Canada called Exceptional Vista, eccentric atomic scientist Dr. Karel Lamonte stumbles upon a mystery involving aliens that like to devour human flesh. The prettiest gal in town is smitten with Dr. Karel, but also has an unhealthy relationship with her brother. The town is like a deserted Twin Peaks with a shut down nut factory (literally), a police chief that likes to cuff and spank his detainees, and constant references to "the hilly, lumpy bumpy part of town outside of town". The dialogue is silly, witty and right on target. Invasion! is damn funny.

The amazing thing about Invasion! (or Top of the Food Chain) is how well it works as a tongue in cheek parody of sci-fi classics with such a low budget. Big budget attempts like Eight Legged Freaks and Mars Attacks have tried and failed miserably, when all along, all they had to do was tighten the dialogue and keep the dark comedy dark. Don't worry Hollywood, we can handle it!

Invasion! is one of the funniest "so bad it's good" movies I have seen in along time.

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DVD Review: Wife, The (B)

The Wife (1995)
Directed by Tom Noonan
Starring Karen Young, Wallace Shawn, Julie Hagerty and Tom Noonan
MPAA: R
Grade: B

Review by Scott Standish

Okay I know this is simplistic, but here's a quick breakdown of this movie: It's What About Bob meets Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf. Like both of those classic? Then you will love the darkly funny comedy The Wife.

Julie Haggerty (Rita) and Tom Noonan (Jack) are a married couple that runs a psycho-therapy/support group. They are relaxing at home one night when a neurotic patient and his high strung wife show up uninvited. The patient, Cosmo (Shawn), really doesn't want to be there but his "wifey" Arlie (Young) has heard so much about the group that she forced him to drive them there to meet them.

The tile character is pushy, definitely a bit unstable and she keeps flirting with Jack. Jack keeps flirting back. Tensions run high, the booze starts to flow and everyone starts taking shots at each other.

The writing is very good and the acting is solid, especially the performance by "the wife" Karen Young. Written and directed for the stage (and screen) by Tom Noonan, The Wife is a unique dark comedy. Give it a chance, especially if you like tense dramatic comedies.

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DVD Review: Adjuster, The (A)

The Adjuster (1991)
Directed by Atom Egoyan
Starring Elias Koteas, Arsinee Khanjian and Maury Chaykin
MPAA: R
Grade: A

Review by Scott Standish

Director Atom Egoyan has created many beautiful films over the years (Exotica, Sweet Hereafter, Calendar, etc.) but The Adjuster remains my favorite. Viewing it once again I was amazed at how well this film holds up over time. Its just as powerful today as when it was released 12 years ago. The characters and plot seem totally detached from the headlines and technology of the outside world, so there is really nothing to date this movie. If you haven't seen this amazing character study yet, you are missing out on one of independent cinema's best movies.

Dark and mysterious, the plot centers around a familiar Egoyan theme: loss. Egoyan is fascinated with examining how people react to tragedy or a major loss in their lives. In Exotica, the main character is trying to come grips with the loss of a family member. In Sweet Hereafter an entire town attempts to find answers to the tragic deaths of scores of school children. In The Adjuster, people have lost their houses to fire and in the process, have also lost all of their lifelong possessions.

Elias Koteas (a DVD Confidential favorite) plays Noah, an insurance adjuster that offers comfort to those that have lost all their material possessions. Noah arranges lodging for these victims in a local hotel, telling them that they might not really realize it but they are in shock, and "its important to stay somewhere where you will feel comfortable".

Noah is not a one sided character by any means. Egoyan's characters never are. Noah takes advantage of the helplessness that his clients feel by sleeping with them and by taking a strange pleasure in the power that he holds over their lives. Noah's wife, the angelic Hera, is a censor for the film board, but she also secretly videotapes the graphic sexual and violent images being shown at the screening. Supporting characters Bubba and Mimi are rich society types that seem to have done everything the world can offer, and now feel the need to set up elaborate sexual fantasies to find something new or exciting. Bubba and Mimi keep pushing the boundaries of acceptable behavior and when these characters meete up with Noah and Hera, problems emerge.

The Adjuster is an intense character study that slowly unravels, revealing the secrets of each of its characters over time. Hauntingly beautiful, the photography and minimalistic set design are close to perfect. The acting is stellar across the board. A fantastically quirky script by Egoyan keeps the audience on it's toes for the full ride. The Adjuster is highly recommended.

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DVD Review: Playgirls and the Vampire (B+)

Playgirls and The Vampire (1960)
Directed by Piero Rignoli
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

An excellent camp classic, this film was one of the first to mix horror with eroticism.

The plot is straight "Italian vampire movie" formula (a car full of beautiful burlesque dancers breaks down in front of a castle, where the count allows them to stay the night). The version I saw was dubbed in English, but the DVD looked great and was a real treat.

Its not very scary, but the dialogue is hilarious, even when its not trying to land some comedic relief. The dancers need to practice their moves (thats where the sex appeal fits in), and one of the dancers looks just like the 200 year old count's late vampire wife.

This is an adorable "bad" movie, filled with weirdness, strange attempts at sexiness, and even a little humor tossed in. A great matinee film for a rainy weekend afternoon. Don't take it too seriously and you'll really enjoy this one.

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DVD Review: Invaders From Mars (B)

Invaders From Mars (1953)
Directed by William Cameron Menzies
Starring Jimmy Hunt, Leif Erickson and Hillary Brooke
MPAA: UR
Grade: B

Review by Bobby Nashville

One of the classics of the 50's sci-fi genre, Invaders From Mars is a solid B movie. It has got just about everything you could ask for in a 50's sci-fi flick: cold war paranoia, a cheesy premise, decent acting and a little bit of freaky Martian voodoo tossed in at the end.

Here's the set up: little David Maclean is an amateur astrologist and one night while he is looking at the stars, he sees a spaceship land out in the sand hills behind his house. Of course no one believes him until his parents turn into evil, tripped out versions of themselves. They look the same, except for a small lesion on the back of their necks (put there by the Martians). The Martians continue to recruit humans into their cause and result is a "half the town has become different" storyline similar to the classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.

The plot moves along nicely and the acting is not that bad. The effects are not the greatest but they are also not laughable. Speaking of the effects I have to point this out though: at the end of Invaders From Mars, there is a bizarre montage scene where everything in the movie flies over David backwards, with strange colors morphing in and out. Its the weirdest thing I've seen since the "Rowers Keep On Rowing" scene halfway through Willy Wonka. I still don't know what the hell that was about but it was pretty cool.

For fans of 50's sci-fi films, Invaders From Mars is a great choice dont be afraid to give this one a try. Or your evil twin just might do it for you.

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DVD Review: Chungking Express (B+)

Chungking Express (1994)
Directed by Wong Kar-Wai
Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Faye Wong and Brigitte Lin
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: B+

Review by Scott Standish

This was the film that really broke talented director Wong Kar Wai into the U.S. market and it holds up pretty well nine years after its inital release. Chungking Express tells two stories of love and longing in the streets of Hong Kong. A third story (originally intended for this film) was saved and expanded into what would become Fallen Angels, Wong Kar-Wai's masterpiece from 1995.

The first part of Chungking Express focuses on Cop 223, a young man who has just broken up with his girlfriend of five years. He decides that he will eat a can of pineapples with the same expiration date for one month, and if she doesn't come back to him, then it wasn't meant to be. Takeshi Kaneshiro as Cop 223 is quite amusing, he does a great job of showing the oddball characteristics, and Waird rationalizations that jilted lovers come up with. Sad, but funny at times, this love story has lots of energy. Brigitte Linn also plays "Woman In Wig" who deals with a drug transaction gone wrong. Needless to say, this scenario is a complex mix of comedy, action and sadness.

The second part of Chungking Express concerns another cop in the streets of Hong Kong, Cop 663. He visits the same snack bar every night on his route, and a subtle romance starts to brew between the cop and the snack counter girl. She becomes obsessive about the police officer and starts to cross the line between crush and stalking. Again, the director takes a strange situation (obsessing over someone, and violating their space) but makes it slightly humorous and almost natural.

One of Asia's biggest singing stars Faye Wong plays the love interest of Cop 663, and she is fantastic. She blasts California Dreamin' on her boombox, breaks into people's apartments, and boldy does pretty much whatever she wants. Faye is charming in this movie and is definitely someone that American audiences should keep an eye on.

Wong Kar-Wai is without a doubt one of the best filmmakers in the world today and this movie is one of his best. All of his films use beautiful color combinations to convey emotion, handheld camera work to create immediacy with the characters, and slow motion camerawork to help distort reality when necessary. If you enjoy this movie, definitely check out Fallen Angels, one of my favorites.

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DVD Review: Last American Virgin, The (B+)

Last American Virgin (1982)
Directed by Boaz Davidson
Starring Lawrence Monoson, Diane Franklin, Steve Antin, Joe Rubbo and Kimmy Robertson
MPAA: R
Grade: B+

Review by Bobby Nashville

Being a teenager in love is bad enough, but being a virgin teenager in love totally sucks.

Lawrence Monoson plays Gary, the last of his gang of friends to lose his virginity. He feels like he is indeed the Last American Virgin. He's in love with Karen (Diane Franklin, the beautiful French foreign exchange student from Better Off Dead), but she is dating his best pal Rick (Steve Antin). Karen tries to set him up with her best friend Rose (Kimmy Robertson, AKA Lucy from the fabulous TV show Twin Peaks). The teenagers try to sort out their lives, their loves and have a little fun as they transition through what is one of the most difficult times of life.

For a teen sex comedy, Last American Virgin has a lot going for it. First, it treats the kids with respect and although their lines can be cheesy at times, its all about fun. Secondly, it has an equally cheesy soundtrack (Blondie, The Cars, Journey) and it runs throughout. Lastly and most importantly, this film has the very best ending I have ever seen for a teen comedy. I won't give it away, but trust me, this film wraps things up in a unique but poignant manner.

Last American Virgin is actually a modernized remake of the "Lemon Popsicle" series of films made in Israel by director Boaz Davidson. Last American Virgin was released the same year as the way more popular (and equally on target) high school flick Fast Times At Ridgemont High. This film has a much sillier take on things than Fast Times as the guys are certainly not as cool as the Fast Times gang. However this immaturity masks an underlying angst that can't be found in Cameron Crowe's writing. The kids of Fast Times seem to be adults trapped in kids bodies, but the kids of Last American Virgin are just kids that are struggling to deal with adult emotions.

Looking for a silly teen comedy that has a great soundtrack and a nice payoff at the end? Check out Last American Virgin, it's highly recommended.

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