Cop Car - Movie Review

Cop Car (R) 86 minutes B
Kid's Play

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Camryn Manheim, James Freedson-Jackson, Shea Whigham and Hays Wellford

Cop Car is a small indie film with big suspense. A nefarious and slight Kevin Bacon plays a strung out cop who leaves his patrol car unattended while he takes care of some shady business. A pair of 10-year-old runaways stumble upon the abandon car and decide to take it for a joyride (yes, the keys were left in the car). As you can imagine, all hell breaks loose and the naive young boys have no idea of the danger they are in.

I'm not a fan of films that rely so heavily on the narrative of kids (unless of course you're Wes Anderson). But, director Jon Watts does a good job of keeping the hellions interesting and not just playing off their cuteness/innocence. I felt like it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that these kids might die. I wasn't hoping for that, yet it made for a more suspenseful film (when is the last time you saw two 10-year-olds die in a big budget Hollywood film that didn't involve terminal illness?). I'm not saying the film isn't far-fetched, but it has the feel of something desperate and unpredictable.  This film might surprise you.

Cop Car was filmed in Fountain, Colorado

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation - Movie Review

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (PG-13) 131 mins B-
Abort the next mission

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, and Alec Baldwin

I know that Rogue Nation is doing well at the box office. Many consider it one of the best of the franchise. But, I wish they would just stop. Stop while the films are still decent and don't run it into the ground. I am almost certain that Mission: Impossible and the ageless Tom Cruise won't sustain this momentum. I enjoyed Rogue Nation. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon- IMAX screening, small popcorn and a diet coke. Everyone knows the basic (predictable) plot. Cruise is typical Cruise, Ving Rhames is cool, and Simon Pegg is good comic relief. However, it is the performances of Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris that pushes the film over the hump. Those two villainous characters add a little freshness to what feels like a stale repeat of the same old car chases, high tech gadgets and explosions. I've seen all of the MI films. I know what I should expect. But, for the first time after seeing one of these films I questioned whether or not I cared to see another one.

Shelia Levine is Dead and Living In New York - Book Review

Sheila Levine is Dead and Living In New York - Gail Parent B+
Dying to get married


Published in 1972

Facebook, Tinder, Match, JDate, eHarmony, Okcupid, - if only our heroine, Sheila Levine, had those resources in the early 70s... She wouldn't have to kill herself because she's overweight, unmarried, and generally unsatisfied with her unglamorous life. This novel is a little dated (originally published in 1972), but I still found it entertaining, witty, relevant, and a tad edgier than today's mainstream "chick lit." Now, I am curious to see the film adaptation circa 1975.

Here's a (underwhelming) clip from the film adaptation via Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sOk0I7fg-Q

Irrational Man - Movie Review

Irrational Man (R) 95 mins B-
When Homicide Makes You Hard and Other Godless Thoughts

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey, Jamie Blackley, Betsy Aidem and Ethan Phillips

The latest Woody Allen film will inevitably be compared to two of his best, Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point. That doesn't bode well for Irrational Man. The film covers familiar existential territory and features a great performance by Parker Posey. Allen fans will be pleased, everyone else should proceed with caution.

A Sport and a Pastime - Book Review

Published in 1967

A Sport and a Pastime - James Salter B
The French Connection

A Sport and a Pastime is a great title and one of my all-time favorite book covers. However, immediately after I finished the novel I wasn't sure if I liked it, or if I just liked the sex (which is very poetic if not a little misogynistic). I didn't necessarily feel any connection with the characters, although they were definitely intriguing. The story's narrator, a nameless American living in France, is the omniscient guide to what becomes an erotic journey between Dean, a "coolguy" Yale drop-out and Ann-Marie, a nineteen year-old French sexpot with bad breathe. This novel was a slow burn, yet once it seeped into my head I found it hard to think of anything else. The tone of A Sport and a Pastime is slightly reminiscent of The Great Gatsby (one of my favorites). Furthermore, The way Salter wrote about sex was inspiring and compelling. The way he wrote about race, not so much. Nonetheless, this well-written sexcapade is interesting and highly worthwhile.

For more on this novel check out this great piece by Alexander Chee http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/06/24/sex-and-salter-2/#.VbhKtkZssf0.facebook

Amy - Movie Review

Amy (NR) 128 mins B+
Love and Other Drugs

I've seen the Kurt Cobain (Montage of Heck) and Elliot Smith (Heaven Adores You) documentaries within the last year. Neither left me feeling as sad as Amy, the new Amy Winehouse doc directed by Asif Kapadia.

I was aware of all the hype surrounding Winehouse when she was alive, but I figured it wasn't my thing and I never listened to her music. Turns out, she was more charismatic and more talented then I ever imagined. Gone to soon.

The Overnight - Movie Review

The Overnight (R) 80 mins A-
It don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing 

Starring: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godreche

Alex (Adam Scott), Emily (Taylor Schilling), and their five-year-old son, RJ, recently moved from Seattle to Los Angeles. The young parents are excited about their move, excited about their new beginning, but have yet to make new friends. Enter Kurt (Jason Schwartzman), the ultimate LA hipster and all-around nice guy. Kurt befriends Alex and Emily when he spots his kid playing with their kid at a local park. Kurt invites Alex, Emily and RJ over for dinner/play date. But, the real play date begins after the adults put the kids to bed.

I'll admit, The Overnight feels more like a tremendously delicious guilty pleasure rather than a great film. But, I loved it nonetheless. I purposely didn't seek out too much about the plot prior to seeing it, and as a result I was surprised at every turn. The film is a little raunchy, a little ridiculous and slightly awkward. Directed and written by Patrick Brice, The Overnight is the best sex comedy of 2015 so far.

Ex Machina - Movie Review

Ex Machina (R) 108 mins B-
Pretty Little Robot

 

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Issac, Alicia Vikander and Sonoya Mizuno

Calab (Domhnall Gleeson), is a talented young programmer and dedicated employee. He works at an internet-search company, sort of like Google, and has been selected to spend one week with the company's reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Issac). Nathan lives and works in a remote mountainous area where he develops new technology- everything is top secret and highly secure. Calab's job for the week is to test/interact with Nathan's latest creation, an artificially intelligent robot named Ava (Alicia Vikander). I don't think I am giving anything thing away by saying Ava is cute and Calab is horny... I mean vulnerable.

Directed by novelist and screenwriter Alex Garland, I found the film more interesting than exciting. The techie stuff is cool and all, but the mind games are the best part. The less you know about this film, the better. Fans of this genre will probably appreciate Ex Machina more than I did; I thought it was a little slow at times. Stephen Hawkings once said, "artificial intelligence could end humanity." Whether you agree or disagree with Hawkings, this film will definitely provide food for thought.

The Newsweek's Article mentioned above
http://www.newsweek.com/stephen-hawking-warns-artificial-intelligence-could-end-humanity-332082

You're Not Much Use to Anyone - Book Review

Published July 2014

You're Not Much Use to Anyone - David Shapiro A-
A Blogger's Life in New York

David Shapiro's semi-autobiographical novel, You're Not Much Use to Anyone, is like a big screen version of Seinfeld directed by Woody Allen with music by Belle and Sebastian. David Shapiro first gained national attention for starting a blog called "Pitchfork Reviews Reviews." In his novel, the fictional character (also named David) gained national attention for starting a blog called "Pitchfork Reviews Reviews." I like this novel because it's about subjects I'm interested in (blogging and music) and it reminds me of things I love (Seinfeld and Woody Allen). But, the fact that it's based on the author's real life/real events is intriguing. It motivated me to dig deeper after finishing the book. The more I learned about the real David Shapiro, the more I admired the novel. In a Vice interview last year Shapiro admits, "I feel guilty about a lot of stuff because I don't act in a way that's considerate of other people all the time. A friend who a character is based on said I didn't sign up for this, meaning she didn't ask to be the basis for a fictional character who does things she didn't do. And I wonder how I would feel if someone were to write about me in the way that I did about other people."

In the "fictional" story, David is fresh out of college and wondering what to do next. He gets a crappy office job to appease his parents. He meets a girl, he loses a girl, he meets another girl. He starts "Pitchfork Reviews Reviews" via his Blackberry. Not much else happens, but it's the way those things unfolded that made Shapiro's You're Not Much Use to Anyone engrossing. This novel won't blow anyone away. It's a quick and uncomplicated read about a small window of time in a young man's life- a niche novel, or dare I say a guilty pleasure. And I suspect that the David character might drive many readers crazy. He's whiny, self-involved, and annoyingly smart- the kind of guy who could have it all, but he's too blinded by insecurity and lacks enough life experience to embrace the possibilities. 

Recommended to music geeks who read Pitchfork and those who think life/love is a mixtape.

Check out the entire Vice interview by Zach Sokol below
https://www.vice.com/read/david-shapiro-isnt-much-use-to-anyone-256

The Death of Bunny Munro - Book Review

The Death of Bunny Munro - Nick Cave B
A Menace to Society

Published Sept 2009

Nick Cave is a fascinating man, music icon and literary rock star. His second novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, is deviant, dark and hypersexual. I loved the sinister tone of the writing, carefully mixed with black comedy. The protagonist, Bunny Munro, is a traveling salesman and world class cocksman. He tries to f**k nearly every woman he meets and his indiscretion has driven his wife to suicide. The story takes off when our bewildered anti-hero takes his nine-year-old son on a hellish road trip, while he attempts to sell beauty products. It's all very Twilight Zone/David Lynch-esque. Then there is the Kylie Minogue and Avril Lavigne fetish thing. I had to laugh when I read (via RollingStone.com) Cave explaining the correlation between his novel and Minogue's attention grabbing "Spinning Around" music video, "Kylie's hot pants were all the tabloids could talk about. I think she has to take a certain responsibility for this novel, by wearing those hot pants." Lavigne is also mentioned throughout the novel. In the same Rolling Stone article referenced above, Cave admits, "I'm not sure how Avril Lavigne came about, except that I personally like her very much, and something about her physicality seemed to be the right kind of thing for this character."

What the novel lacks in dramatic structure, it makes up for in pure perverse intrigue. Reportedly, two of Cave's influences for The Death of Bunny Munro were the SCUM Manifesto by the radical feminist Valerie Solanas (she tried to kill Any Warhol in 1968) and the Gospel According to St Mark.  With one screenplay under his belt, 2005's The Proposition, this novel was originally meant to be a screenplay for John Hillcoat (Director of the 2009 film, The Road). However, The Death of Bunny Munro obviously ended up being a novel. It was written on the road while touring with his band, the Bad Seeds.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that the audio version is read by the author and comes with an original soundtrack and 3D spatial audio designed for listening on headphones- It's a wicked experience. This novel is definitely not for general audiences. But, if you want to take a walk on the wild side I highly recommend it.

The link below is an outstanding (short) interview with Nick Cave courtesy of WIRED via Youtube. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNhBkBdROxk