Winter's Bone (2010) ****1/2

 

Even though it's set in the Ozark Mountains, Winter's Bone isn't an intimate look at Branson and the Japanese violinist or Bald Knobbers. The film cuts deep into the soul of people scraping by in the wilderness on the Missouri-Arkansas border. The film follows Ree Dolley (Jennifer Lawrence), a 17 year old girl saddled with the responsibility of caring for a household populated by her two young siblings and a borderline catatonic mother. When her father vanishes after making bail Ree has to find him or his carcass to keep the bail bondsman from taking away the little sliver of mountains they call home. The problem Ree encounters, and is a constant in movies with an isolated population is the "code" that everyone is expected to follow. From stills to meth, the crime culture of the area stands in the way of Ree saving her family. 

The thing about the way Jennifer Lawrence portrays Ree is in a way that contradicts itself. At times she is a confident young women that is focused on her mission at hand; at others she seems to be wandering aimlessly, wondering where her 17 year old head and heart should go. It's a sad tale in that the only way the father can help his family is by showing up somewhere as a corpse. It soon becomes apparent that Ree doesn't care if he shows up dead or alive. Hell, he was only half alive in their lives to begin with.

A finely made film by director Debra Granik, the key to Winter's Bone beyond Ree's story is the Ozark Mountain culture that you don't see in brochures for Silver Dollar City. For lack of a better term it's almost like a hillbilly mafia with cops in the pockets and beatings for the nosey. Granik reveals this world, a world beyond what we saw in Deliverance. This film redefines mountain people as more than the inbred hillbillies we city folk see. The woodsman has gotten smart.

 
This film is a great little gem that delivers a meaningful story filled with angst, but not the typical 17 year old angst we're usually treated to. You can't call it a coming of age story because Ree came of age a long time ago and is far beyond her odometer reading. Winter's Bone represents one obstacle in a life that's had plenty before it and will probably have many more after it. And we all know it.

Tron: Legacy (2010) ****

There's an episode of Family Guy where Peter asks a group of people if any of them have ever seen Tron. Most say no. It's a cult movie, released during the summer of E.T. and before Return of the Jedi the original film made more of an impression in video arcades than movie theaters. I distinctly remember playing the video game at the arcade behind Pizzans (how many of you remember that joint?). The movie, however, remains a vague memory. 

Before seeing Tron: Legacy i wanted a little refresher. Everyone I talked to had seen the original, but like me Ronald Reagan was still President at the time. I tried to rent it. I tried to buy it (out of print copies are going for $100+ on Amazon and ebay). I was amazed that Disney didn't re-release the original before the sequel came out since everyone had been out of the Tron Zone for close to three decades. I assume I'll have to wait for the eventual two pack on Blu-Ray.

The first good thing about Tron: Legacy is that you don't have to know the original film inside and out to enjoy it. The film picks up in 1989 with Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges, whose face is digitally time warped back to 1989) disappearing, leaving his son Sam (Garrett Hendlund) the majority stockholder of Kevin's software company, which has become the kind of evil empire that most companies become or are seen as epitomizing. After getting a vague message from his father's arcade, Sam takes a look around the old Donkey Kong and Galaga machines to discover his fathers workshop. Through an accident Sam is sent to the Grid, a computerized world full of programs and their leader Clu (also played by Bridges sans twenty years), whose program goal of creating a perfect world has turned him into the computerized equivalent of Adolph Hitler. Sam's goal becomes finding his father and bringing him back home after all these years.

Visually Tron: Legacy is a feast for the eyes, light years ahead of the original film and, dare I say, on par with Avatar's 3-D effects. This is a beautifully designed film that really pulls you into the world of the Grid. Usually with movies like this that are full of eye candy, the story sucks. I'm not saying this movie has the greatest story known to man and there are cringe worthy moments, but for the most part the story keeps you in the film and combined with the visuals creates an exciting film that also has very good 3-D effects. That's right, I liked the 3-D in this movie. I generally hate 3-D, but when my head movies with the action on the screen I have to say someone did a good job. I could discuss the actors, but let's be honest: the effects are the real stars.


As a follow up to a film that's almost thirty years old and no one remembers, Tron: Legacy delivers as an awesome popcorn flick. There's no deep meaning (unless you're really gullible), but it's an entertaining two hours that won't disappoint a soul. It may not be a classic, but it's effects will allow it to be a stepping stone to the future just like the original film.

Machete (2010) ***1/2

Based on the awesome trailer during the Grindhouse double feature (rumor has it that Thanksgiving and Werewolf Women of the S.S. could be showing up on screens soon) Machete follows our title character (Danny Trejo) as a left for dead Federale that ends up a day laborer in Texas. When a man in a Mercedes (Jeff Fahey) shows up and offers Machete $150,000 to kill a Texas state senator (Robert DeNiro) out hero decides to take the deal, to a point, but a screw job leads to an over the top comic book orgy of violence that explodes on the screen.

Machete isn't much on story. It's your basic stock story of revenge, and implausible espionage, and hot ladies that Machete scores with over and over again. Remember, the roots are in Grindhouse films and this gives us a better representation than Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, the film that hosted the germ that became Machete. Most of the cast hams up their roles, which is OK because this is a roast pig dinner of a film. It's a movie that's larger than life, but you can enjoy it without it going into corniness. It's a good group film because you will be yelling "Holy shit! That's a (fill in blank with instrument of destruction or body part)." Machete is as basic a movie as they come and is great because of it.

Giallo (2009) *

Giallo has to be one of the dumbest thrillers I've witnessed in a long time. It's a meandering piece of drivel filled with the typical cliches and twists that have filled the genre for the last fifty years, culminating in a climax that is not fulfilling and brings the film screeching to a halt you'll glad to achieve after the 90 minutes of claptrap. The film is about an ugly yellow killer, killing models while being pursued by a cop from New York (Adrian Brody). Add in some gore and a crappy script and you get the idea. I can't say much more about it other than it sucks. Cheers.

The Fog (1980) ***1/2

Antonio Bay is your typical water front town with all of its rich, vibrant history and colorful characters. The town is getting ready to celebrate it's 100th anniversary. Little does anyone know is that the towns founding was built on broken promises and murder. Tonight is the night for that revenge as a fog bank rushes into town, not causing a couple of fender benders and a terrible night for catch. This is a fog that carries those poor souls that were screwed over by the founders of Antonio Bay and boy are they upset.


The Fog is John carpenter's follow-up to Halloween and in many ways it follows the basic premise of that film in that this is a film that takes a generalized legend and builds a story around it. Halloween was basically about The Bogeyman and The Fog is about those sea legends that abound coast towns east and west. It's a simply film about a simple town populated by simple people such as the town priest (Hal Holbrook), the local DJ (Adrienne Barbeau), the town cheerleader (Janet Leigh), the town playboy (Tom Atkins), and who can forget the town drifter (Jamie Leigh Curtis). 


It's a basic ghost story film that is really interesting, yet fails at times , especially as we get closer to the ending. It doesn't stand up to Halloween, but it is a film that will keep your attention as the fog rolls into Antonio Bay. It's not perfect, but The Fog is an entertaining thriller.

Happy Birthday To Me (1981) *

Another entry into the early 1980's horror genre, Happy Birthday To me follows Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson) and her group of friends who start getting killed off one by one in this lovely body count film from the people that brought you My Bloody Valentine. Poor Virginia has that age old problem of repressed memories and these images start coming to her just as her friends start dying in ways only available with latex and corn syrup. 


Not as bloody as its brethren of the era, this film is more psychological than gory horror as Virginia continues to crack up time and again. And guess who her doctor is? It's Glen Ford! What the hell is he doing in this garbage? Everyone needs a check. That's what this film is- garbage. A cheap exercise in cashing in on Halloween and Friday the 13th that fails to captivate like those movies did. This movie isn't even Prom Night. It's a little long for what it's worth and there is no real pay off throughout the film. Trans Am enthusiasts will be in awe over the 1976 T/A that says Turbo in the rear spoiler, yet has a standard shaker. Yeah, I know.

Jonah Hex (2010) **

Jonah Hex is almost like the little engine that could.It tries so hard to be a good movie, yet it fails to deliver. The film stars Josh Brolin as the title character, a scarred bounty hunter hired to stop his arch nemesis Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich) and his plans to bring down a reign of terror on the United States. With his trusted prostitute Lilah (Megan Fox) Jonah uses his powers of talking to the dead to stop whatever evil has in store.

Deep down I feel that this movie could have been so much better than the finished product. Obviously, the script is what fails in this film. It clocks in 81 minutes, telling us that this was a rush job. there was no care in making this movie, just throw Brolin and Malkovich at each other and let her rip. The dialogue that we get is beyond terrible. The story is so full of holes and jumpy that it just feels empty, like something is missing. Megan Fox isn't horrible in this, but she isn't great either. Be it her acting or the script, we'll leave that one up in the air.

Jonah hex does have its moments here and there, although don't be surprised if you hate it. It's far from a good movie but it is an interesting take on the western genre. Enter this at your own risk.