Unhinged (1982): United States – directed by Don Gronquist

Not rated by the MPAA – contains some violence, “scary” moments, nudity

Unhinged is another one of the odd films to find itself on the list of Video Nasties banned in Britain in the early 1980′s.  Perhaps the fact that it was passed uncut by the BBFC in 2005 indicates that the film is not at all as depraved as inclusion on the list might have you believe.  Indeed, the film is again a low-budget, poorly made horror film, unremarkable except for a mildly surprising and entertaining twist at the conclusion.

The film starts with a few moments of black screen, followed immediately by Terry (Laurel Munson) starting her day.  She’s quite pretty, but a permanent frown is an unfortunate distraction.  Because this is a low-budget horror film from 1982, she almost immediately appears in the shower, nude and frowning.  Then she is in her office, and her friends call to let her know they’re ready to pick her up. Nancy (Sara Ansley) and Gloria (Barbara Lusch) arrive and the three girls start their trip to a jazz festival.  Terry’s parents are fairly encouraging, but worried for their daughter’s safety.  Terry, on the other hand, is 19 and confident that she can take care of herself.

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Real Steel (2011): United States – directed by Shawn Levy

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains some language, robot violence, some human-on-human violence

Real Steel is slick and over-produced, and it’s hard to see how there was ever a creative spark at any point of the production timeline.  That’s not to say that it doesn’t have any heart, or at least tries to have some heart, but in the end it feels almost robotic as its titular characters.  Stars Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly try their best but aren’t given much range to work with, leaving the primary human character of interest in the hands of a young boy, Dakota Goyo.

Charlie Kenton (Jackman) is a jerk, a robot boxing promoter/trainer/fighter.  He is introduced at a rodeo in Texas, where it is learned his robot is to fight a steer.  This fight happens, and is fascinating because it broaches some taboos one might not expect a modern, over-produced film to break.  It is absolutely hilarious, in its absurdity, to see an eight-foot-tall robot pick up a charging bull and body slam it into the ground.  This is followed by a straight-on punch to the head, before the bull rips off a leg and eventually mauls the robot to “death.”

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We Were Soldiers (2002): United States – directed by Randall Wallace

Rated R by the MPAA – contains strong violence, some language

In many ways We Were Soldiers is a standard war film.  And while the director, Randall Wallace (who wrote the script for Braveheart and also directed the recent Secretariat), wanted to provide something more for audiences, the film itself caters to the enjoyment of violence in a somewhat disturbing manner.  This dichotomy, depicting what it means to be a man, a husband, and a father on one hand, and the sensationalized violence on the other, creates cracks in a film that otherwise might work effectively as a war movie.

The story centers around Lt. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson), a good Catholic man with a huge family and a pretty wife (Madeleine Stowe).  He has been tasked with leading a modern cavalry, with helicopters.  His first assignment is the new battlefield of Vietnam, before the conflict became a full-blown war.

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Drive (2011): United States – directed by Nicholas Winding Refn

Rated R by the MPAA – contains some strong brutal violence, strong language, some nudity

I’m afraid I haven’t seen any of Nicholas Winding Refn’s films, Danish or English, but I am glad I have seen Drive.  The film is arty, violent and desperately wants to be considered as thoughtful.  Whether or not it actually is thinking about anything is up for debate, but that doesn’t make the film a failure.  Indeed, it is quite fun, especially for patient viewers.  Drive has been mentioned alongside 1970′s action films like The Getaway or Driver, or even Thief (from 1981) but in many ways it reminded me of Korean films from the past decade, or the Takeshi Kitano flicks he made in the 1990′s such as Fireworks.  There is a slow, quiet build that climaxes in cathartic violence, and stylized in such a way that the aforementioned Korean and Japanese films seem more direct ancestors of Drive than 1970′s Hollywood.

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My Name Is Khan (2010): India – directed by Karan Johar

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains mature themes, some sexual content, some violent content, some language

My Name Is Khan is a sprawling Bollywood epic, a co-production between Bollywood and Hollywood that attempts to touch on just about every subject in recent Indian and American history, centered around a young man with Asperger’s syndrome, and fails to connect on many of its points. The film is two hours and forty five minutes long, but has enough plot to fill a ten hour miniseries. As a result, it feels simultaneously rushed and bloated, and although some of its themes are timely and thought provoking, it ultimately carries little impact.

Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) is a Muslim from Mumbai, whose early life is marred by a different set of talents. Instead of a normal propensity for relationships with his mother and other children, he has immense skill at fixing mechanical problems. His mother believes in him, and eventually secures a good education for him. After some time Khan comes to San Fransisco, where his peculiar personality is diagnosed as Aspberger’s syndrome. And, like Adam [review here], his unique personality will play a vital role in his love life. Not only that, but it will also determine his role in the face of American politics amidst a backdrop of terrorism.

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Many apologies, but I seem to be in an odd transitory period, and offering new reviews is currently rather difficult. With the purchase of a new home came a transfer of internet services, which is yet to happen.  The lack of home internet, combined with the essential work required to establish and maintain a new home, is leaving an unfortunate dark spot in my film reviews.  I have approximately twenty reviews written and ready to be posted as time allows, and many more films that still need to be reviewed.  Stay tuned.

The Help (2011): United States – directed by Tate Taylor

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains mature themes, some language

I have not read Kathryn Stockett’s original novel, though I’m informed it has been, and still is, extremely popular.  Primarily, I would imagine, with the women at whom the film is aimed; and what perfect timing for a release – midweek right as children are back to school.  I am also told that fans of the book tend to enjoy the film, as it almost slavishly labors to include every character and plot point.  Even with the detrimental effects of such an approach to the source material, The Help is well-staged, finely acted, and generally competent in delivering what is expected.

Skeeter (Emma Stone, who has been busy since Easy A [review here], also appearing in last month’s Crazy, Stupid, Love. [review here] and getting the marketing wheels turning for next year’s Spiderman reboot) is a progressive woman in a regressive state.  She comes home from college at ‘Ole Miss hoping to get a job as a writer, but all her friends and family want her to do is find a nice rich white man, get married and settle down.  She eventually finds a job writing for the local paper, but isn’t satisfied, knowing that only a bigger story can get her published.  Soon, though, she notices the awful prevailing attitudes in Jackson, Mississippi, and determines to do something about it.

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Thor (2011): United States – directed by Kenneth Branagh

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains some violence, topless muscular men

Thor is a fun film, a fine example of a nice superhero movie pleasantly made with enough technical expertise to be enjoyable, and enough classic literary themes to not be entirely vapid.  While it never attains anything greater than nice, pleasant, fun, enjoyable, this is not intended as a knock on the film.  It achieves almost everything it sets out to do; an admirable feat for nearly any film.

The story begins in ancient history, as Odin (Anthony Hopkins) narrates the story of the struggle between Earth and the Frost Giants.  The warriors of Asgard, Odin’s kingdom, intervened, saving humanity and stealing the power of the Frost Giants.  You see, there are a number of planets that exist within the same realm, and beings from each are able to travel between the planets, like the Eurozone.  The Asgardians are noble beings, and enjoy the occasional jaunt to visit the Vikings and be treated as gods.

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Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011): United States – directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains sexual content, some language, mature themes

Romantic comedies are a lot like horror films.  There is such a rare chance that any given rom-com or horror film will stand out that most films of the genre are best enjoyed only by genre fanatics.  I tend to enjoy horror films.  I do not tend to enjoy romantic comedies.  Fortunately, Crazy, Stupid, Love. is substantially better than an average romantic comedy, and straddles the line between independent quirky hit and mainstream studio product very nicely.

The plot can be summarized but not discussed in detail, because there are some key moments late in the film that are worth experiencing with fresh eyes.  Having seen the film twice now, I can confidently say that the film does not rely on these plot turns, and it remains substantive with multiple viewings.

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Super 8 (2011): United States – directed by J.J. Abrams

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains some language, mature themes, scary and violent content

There’s something fun in watching an old auteur hand off the reins to his young mentee, even though their output does not substantially differ. In the case of Super 8, Steven Spielberg takes his love of monster movies, aliens, broken homes, and an incredible sense of wonder, and passes the torch to J.J. Abrams, so he can take the same qualities and make them relevant to a new generation. The result is fun, good fun, and, for fans of monsters and movie-making, perhaps something more: hope for aspiring filmmakers who have nothing more than their dad’s video camera, some monster make-up, and a few plastic models.

The film is set in 1970′s Lillian, Ohio, and opens with the death of a person at the local steel mill. It turns out to be the mother of Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), who is now left with his father, Deputy Jackson Lamb (Kyle Chandler). This is a twist on the typical Spielbergian single mother home, but the effect is the same, as Jackson proves to be a singularly unspectacular father. Joe is therefore left on his own much of the time. That summer, when school ends, he joins his friend Charles (Riley Griffiths) as he directs a good old-fashioned zombie film, but with a detective (stick around through the end-credits to see the finished product, a mix-up of Night of the Living Dead [review here] and The Maltese Falcon).

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