A-Z Daily Throwback Review: Zombie Strippers (2008)












A-Z Daily Throwback Review: Year of the Dog (2007)

Mike White has a specific style of writing that somehow manages to poke fun without losing touch with reality. The result is often a melancholy sense of humor, sometimes dark but honest above all else. Year of the Dog marks White’s turn at directing his own script, though the scripts he has written for others have been fantastic. White uses the same sensibilities that have often been applied to his other scripts by other directors, with many similarities to Chuck and Buck in terms of aesthetics. What is even more impressive is the entourage of fantastic actors willing to be in the film. Molly Shannon alone gives such a dedicated and honest portrayal of a sincerely lonely woman, setting aside all slapstick and humor that she is normally known for. This is a comparable film with Punch-Drunk Love in terms of the opportunity it offered Adam Sandler. Granted Year of the Dog is not to be held to the same standards, especially considering the large ensemble films Paul Thomas Anderson had already made, but Shannon is certainly as dedicated to playing the role completely straight. 


Peggy (Molly Shannon) appears to be a fairly content person in her life, happy to go about her business at work and with her friends as long as she has her dog Pencil to return home to. Even as her brother and sister-in-law, who is played by a wonderfully anal Laura Dern, flaunt their children in her face Peggy doesn’t even seem to mind being single. Pencil is a companion to her day and night, even sleeping beside her. We see their routine enough to know that when Pencil leaves the bed to explore outside one evening it can only end badly for him. Peggy is crushed by the loss of her only companion and her mood is not elevated by friends, family or work. At the same time she finds that the death of her dog brings her all sorts of new opportunities.


When searching for her dog Peggy bothers the man living next door (John C. Reilly), who asks her on a date afterwards. Not having Pencil to hold her back anymore Peggy finds herself in new situations, dating with all of the quirks that come attached. Another man brought into Peggy’s life by the incident when she receives a call to adopt a dog from a worker (Peter Sarsgaard) who was there when Pencil was brought in. Peggy develops a crush and takes the hobby of getting homes for dogs as well as changing her lifestyle to vegan. Every choice she makes is meant to lead to satisfaction and happiness but ultimately people disappoint her.

Desert Island Films: Classic Musicals






Joe Piscopo and Paul Sorvino in How Sweet It Is




5. Easter Parade (1948)






4. Guys and Dolls (1955)






3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)






2. West Side Story (1961)






1. Singin’ In the Rain (1952)







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A-Z Daily Throwback Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)


         Wolverine is an extremely popular comic book character. As a child I never read X-Men, but Wolverine was still a favorite of mine. The reason was because of how simply awesome a single image of the character could look. This has nothing to do with the story, and in watching the X-Men Origins: Wolverine film, it occurs to me that the single image is always better when this character is concerned. Many might have hopes that Wolverine would redeem the mess that was X-Men: The Last Stand, but this film is created by the same Hugh Jackman production company, Seed Production. For this reason alone, Wolverine and X3 have more in common than the first two films. 


         Perhaps Wolverine is more complex or interesting in the comics, but in this film he quickly becomes dull. Wolverine’s very indestructibility makes each battle pointless, especially when characters are involved that are certain to survive. The whole point of the movie becomes lost as we know the inevitable outcome of the prequel. All we discover is a weak explanation for how Wolverine lost his memory at the beginning of X-Men. The origins of his metal blades could be explained in the trailer, and his actual indestructible nature is never clarified beyond what was known in the three X-Men films.


         The film follows the indestructible half-brothers, each with unique retractable claws. Logan and Victor Creed are apparently immortal, though they grow to a manly Hugh Jackman and beefed up Liev Schreiber before they stop aging. These aspects aren’t explained, but their nature leads them to war. Unable to die, they fight in each American war until Vietnam, when they become disillusioned and corrupted. They are recruited by William Stryker (Danny Huston) to join a private army of mutants, but eventually the brothers part ways with a difference in beliefs.


         Rather than develop the conflict between these two brothers, this film spends more time indulging fans with special mutant appearances. Gambit makes an appearance after being cut from two of the other X-Men films, and a number of other characters from another generation of X-Men appear. There are numerous action sequences and a mad-villain plan to take over the world (or something like that), but the action is the only plot point that matters.

Rapture-Palooza Press Junket







James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, and Danny McBride in This Is the End (2013)



Rob Corddry as a zombie in Warm Bodies





Book of Eli

















A-Z Daily Throwback Review: Vacancy (2007)


Despite the fact that this just appeared to be another generic thriller cashing in on the latest trends, I found myself quickly won over by the energetic and creative title sequence. It was so untraditional and fun that I was extremely aware that I was about to watch a movie, but now I also had a tone to watch the film with, and I was eased into an extremely enjoyable experience. Vacancy plays out like a puzzle unraveling, starting as a seemingly simple tale of two ordinary people, much like Hitchcock used in his films. Hitchcock films also put these ordinary people into extraordinary situations, and this is also the case in Vacancy, a much smarter thriller than I would have ever imagined.


Vacancy begins with a couple driving on a deserted road at night. Who they are, where they are coming from, and where they are going is not told or explained at the beginning of the film, as it might in a lazier script. Instead the film unfolds slowly, at first just giving little bits of information by the way they act together. David (Luke Wilson) looks exhausted and is bitter that Amy (Kate Beckinsale) has been sleeping while he drives. During this time he took a side road which nearly always leads to trouble. After they have car trouble they are forced to spend the evening in a motel somewhere in the middle of the wilderness. This is the last thing that a couple with a failing relationship wants to do, but they have no choice until the mechanic comes back in the morning.


The motel is as awful as you can imagine a bad motel could be, each room equipped with plenty of bugs and tasteless furniture. David and Amy’s room also comes with the additional perks of sudden knocks on the door leading to the room next to them. There is also phone calls which leads to even more mysteries with the programming on their television. Vacancy begins with the basics of horror; loud noises, using them effectively. Vacancy is a smart film that uses the modern elements and trends of horror set in the basic plot structure of a classic Hitchcockian thriller. After the noises from their neighbor they have nothing to do and the television doesn’t work, so they try the VHS tapes left on top of the VCR. All of these tapes seem to be slasher films, all taking place in a hotel room which looks a great deal like the room they are in.


There isn’t much to the story, other than a couple trying to survive, so if it is twists and turns that you are hoping for you will most definitely be disappointed. It isn’t the way the film turns out so much as how it gets there which is what makes Vacancy fun. It is the suspense in-between the predictable moments which allow the film to thrive. Too many movies like this dwell far too much on the gruesome aspects of the situation rather than the suspense and anticipation, which Vacancy has hit dead-on.