Movie Review - Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

By CLINT J. FARR

FOR THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

(You can hear the review by clicking here.)

The South has a self confidence problem. I suspect the South suspects the North suspects the people of the South are… just not right. They’re right of course — the South I mean. The rest of the country doesn’t take the South seriously. Perhaps it’s the accent, the clothes or a perceived ignorance, the South is up for ridicule — ridicule that’s been ongoing since the War of Northern Aggression.

It’s only to the North’s detriment, surprise, and continued frustration to have low expectations of the South. The South has risen: Southerners have won three of the last five presidential elections, they have CNN, FedEx, Coca Cola, and let us never forget, Jeff Foxworthy. Let’s boil this down to a hypothetical competition. I love Anthony Bourdain and “No Reservations” (the best show on television), but if you put Paula Deen and Bourdain into a cage match, Deen would snap that scrawny Yank in half.

Which at last brings us to this week’s Gold Town Nickelodeon movie. “Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil” explores the gruesomely fatal results of assuming all Southerners are vicious hillbilly rednecks. Near the shore of a wooded West Virginian lake, a group of college kids encounter Tucker and Dale. Are Tucker and Dale just a couple of good ol’ boys who are decent, caring, and more or less just want to get along? Or are Tucker and Dale violent redneck bigots like the murderous hillbillies of B-movies? This meeting and friction between cultural archetypes is explored with great sophistication and nuance. Sure it is.

Tucker and Dale are indeed good ol’ boys. Dale in particular, due perhaps to the societal issues above, is haunted by low self confidence. He’s a mess under stress, including just talking to a pretty woman. How Dale faces his friends, his foes, his love, and his own misgivings under the duress of combating “Evil” provides the film’s central conflict. The film creatively depicts society’s negative Southern stereotypes through the eyes of the college kids and drives home the point this bigotry is probably based on our own petty fears and small hearts. A fear that we may be just like them. That we may be them.

The movie tries to be the backwood slasher equivalent of “Shaun of the Dead.” Take thematic elements from a tired genre, like attractive college students making bad choices in the forest … while nude, then both poke fun at the clichés and also deliver authentic thrills promised by the genre. If successful, it’s a masterpiece meta-film like “Shaun of the Dead”. “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil” just about succeeds. This film is good. More importantly, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil is fun. I laughed out loud. Tucker in particular has the best lines, ruefully commenting on the increasingly absurd and bloody situation.

But be warned friends, bloody is an understatement.

If you’re wondering why this film is playing at the august cinema showcase that is the Nickelodeon, it is because all the stuff above about the South and low societal expectations and assumptions holds. That’s fine. On whatever level you choose to watch Tucker Dale vs. Evil, for the social commentary, or for the impalements, most of you will enjoy it. This is B-grade looniness that displays much more intelligence than necessary and ultimately works because it has a heart. It’s not heavy, it’s not stupid. It’s a film primarily for film lovers, especially those who like their art house films a little more Craven.

Movie Review-Toy Story 3

To listen to the radio version, please click here.

If you are like me, movies can be so mighty they change you. Movies so memorable, so cool, so unexpected, so moral, you walk out of the theater a different person than who walked in; hopefully a better person. Movies are powerful in that way. Perhaps more than radio, books, or television, movies are the common medium of our culture, our country. This can be for better, but often is for worse. Impressionable minds can learn all sorts of ways to blow things up and beat up the bad guys, but very little about how to form lasting love and friendships. So it is a great delight to tell you to go see Toy Story 3.

I have no criticisms. How could I? Disney-Pixar once again hit it out of the park. Best movie of the year? Sure. Another example of animation for kids being a better film for adults? Absolutely. Pixar focuses on timeless, classic story telling, on universal themes like the joy and pain of childhood’s journey into adulthood, and preserving the innocence of children. But above all, Toy Story 3 is about the importance of loyalty to friends. And it’s smart enough to be funny, exciting, and entertaining with blessedly little irony. This film is kind. And really, how many movies are “kind” these days?

Tom Hanks is back as Woody, and Tim Allen is back as Buzz Lightyear. Ned Beatty joins the cast; good to see he is still alive. John Ratzenberg, Michael Keaton, Bonnie Hunt, and even Whoopi Goldberg get in on the fun. And why not? Why wouldn’t you want to be part of the best movie so far this year? If Toy Story 3 is overlooked by the Academy like they’ve done with so many previous Pixar films, I will threaten to throw something really hard, but then won’t, and will seethe for a long while.

This movie belongs with Old Yeller, Watership Down, Where the Red Fern Grow, and E.T., as classic gut wrenching, tear jerking, moral movies that imprint their timeless lessons like cattle brands on the brains of children. This is for the better. Toy Story 3 ought to be required viewing for our jaded, seen-it-all, youth.

But don’t skip this one because you’re not a kid. That’s no excuse. The elderly couple in front of me joined the end chorus of sniffles; a lot of sniffles. The last 15 minutes delivered an emotional wallop something like Andre the Giant smacking you with a two by four to the gut while simultaneously winning the California state lottery and having your childhood dog fly into your lap with angel wings.

Okay, so I’m going to man-up here. True story: It's the end of Toy Story 3, and yeah, I too was on the verge of tears. To deflect an embarrassing display of manly waterworks I whispered to my 4 year old Carmen in fatherly concern, "does this make you sad?" Carmen looks at me with her wide sky blue eyes, "No, dad, it's just a movie."

Toy Story 3 is playing at Gross Alaska Theater Glacier Cinemas this weekend. This is Clint Farr, schooled by his four year old, at the movies.

Movie Review-Looking for Eric

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“Looking for Eric”. What a nice small adult movie. It’s tough to say that about Hollywood films these days. “What a nice small adult movie.” But it seems just what the English and French specialize. So thank you, Goldtown Nickelodeon, for bringing these foreign films, these nice small adult movies, to Juneau. It’s a nice break from the bombardment of two hours of violence and vapid one-liners from Hollywood’s normally nonsensical summer fair.

Imagine a nice small adult movie about a man you know. Decent and hard working but stuck in a rut. His teen sons are becoming strangers. His first love haunts him. His cowardice saddles him with a sense of helplessness in trying to put life’s pieces back together. Then imagine, one night as he indulges a little escapism with “Mary Jane”, Michael Jordan shows up in his bedroom to give him a philosophical pep talk. But because this isn’t a USA film, (we don’t make films like this), the sport isn’t basketball, it’s soccer. And the star isn’t Jordan but Eric Cantona, a Frenchman who played brilliantly for Manchester United.

The film’s story is straight of the “you need to be a little crazy to keep from going insane” plot line. Eric our protagonist strikes up regular conversations with Eric the footballer, workouts with him, even cheers him on when his imaginary friend plays an imaginary trumpet. And it’s okay. The tension of the film is not born from this imagined interaction. Indeed, his imaginary relationship with the star footballer ends up being very healthy – outside of inhaling of course.

If you regularly patronize our beloved Goldtown Nickelodeon, you may remember director Ken Loach’s “The Wind that Shakes the Barley”, or, as I like to call it, “The Breeze that Quakes the Quinoa”. Director Loach has a sensitive hand with the small but important conflicts real people face. He elicits good performances from his actors which is important in this film because, as I imagine would be the case with Michael Jordan, Eric Cantona is not a good actor. But he’s intelligently used as a sage and his French accent is so thick you can barely understand him anyway which sort of adds to his whole spectral shtick.

And speaking of accents, as happens in English movies about the working class, when the actors get excited, they’re indecipherable. But my wife tells me I’m not good at understanding accented English anyways so perhaps I’m not the best judge here. Not that it really matters, the story is well told and straightforward so if you miss a word here or there, no big deal.

The films primary conflict is effective and there is a palpable sense of danger. But the movie isn’t perfect. Though the ending honors friendships, your mates, it strains credulity in what is otherwise a very “real” film. It sort of ties up things a little too neatly. But hey, this film is better than most of the summer schlock out there, so if you’re up for a nice small adult movie that doesn’t give you a headache or queasy stomach, I can’t recommend “Looking for Eric” enough.

“Looking for Eric” plays at our beloved Goldtown Nickelodeon this weekend July 1 through 3^rd, Nickelodeon’s closed on the fourth, and apparently there is a special showing on July 5^th - according to their website. This is Clint Farr, Alone at the Movies.

Movie Review: Secret of the Kells

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The taint – if you can call it that – that animation is a medium only for kids persists. Sure, the last 20 years has seen an explosion of adult cartoons, particularly on television. From ‘Ren and Stimpy’ to the ‘Family Guy’, the humor in these shows is subversive in large part because they use a “kids” genre to tell dirty jokes and explore adult themes.

What I want is more adults to enjoy animated films for their art; for the fact animation often represent a purer filmmaker vision less adulterated by moody actors or bad lighting. So what I want is an animated film that appeals to everyone; films that are not a “kids” film or an “adult” cartoon. What I’m looking for is classic transcendent.

The Secret of the Kells is one of this year’s best. It is gorgeous. Warm, hand drawn animation that is unexpectedly, breathtakingly beautiful with a dream like quality where one’s breath curls into fractals and Celtic weaves lace the trees. The hand drawn animation, its character, its simplicity, its imperfections, depicts the story’s world perfectly. The a story of innocence and beauty enduring against war and intolerance.

The Secret of the Kells involves a young monk-in-training pursuing his curiosity of nature and talent for calligraphy during the turmoil of Ireland’s Middle Ages where Vikings raided and pagan gods hid in the forests. The boy’s adopted uncle, an abbot, obsessively builds a wall to protect a small village from these threats. The boy, curious and talented, is torn between a strong love for his uncle, the attractive promise of adventure in the forest, and the tutelage of a wise and mischievous newcomer who, for all the world, looks like Willie Nelson.

As my wife pointed out, consider the film an allegory. In building the walls that protect us from legitimate fears, we may also wall ourselves from the good and beautiful. Perhaps a not so subtle take on our time.

If a masterpiece, a simple poem unlocks heavy vaults of imagery. The simple animation of Secret of the Kells unveils a filmmaker’s complex vision: order from chaos, humor from fear, hope from the hot ashes of evil, and beauty everywhere. The Secret of Kells is a masterpiece.

The Secret of Kells plays this weekend at out beloved Gold Town Nickelodeon. And though a movie to be enjoyed by children and adults, some visions of Viking violence and hungry wolves are probably too much for the tykes. This is Clint Farr, Alone at the Movies.

Movie Review: Iron Man 2

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"Iron Man 2" is an example of a trend I’ve enjoyed over the last decade of real actors cast as super heroes. Actors like Tobey Maquire as Spiderman, Eric Bana or Ed Norton as the Hulk, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, or even Christian Bale as Batman. (Despite his annoying, “I’m not wearing hockey pads,” Batman-voice). Even the directors of these films have roots in independent cinema like Batman’s Christopher Nolan or Spider Man’s Sam Raimi. As such, these movies tend to be pretty good. But because these actors and directors focus on character, (not a bad thing mind you), it seems they leave the action and associated special effects to the technical folks.

So perhaps we’ve come to a point where these artists capsize the normal action movie formula. A movie where the “talky” part is captivating and interesting, while the “actiony,” special effects part is, frankly, boring. Because, really, we’re at a point technologically that whatever you can imagine visually can be depicted realistically on film. Back in the day, we used to marvel at special effects, like stop motion skeletons battling Sinbad, because we were really marveling at the advancement of film making technology. In the last five years or so, special effects seem to have reached a plateau; we’ve become blasé. Thanks a lot “Lord of the Rings”. It’s hard to be impressed when you think a scene was developed with a few mouse clicks and 15 million dollars.

So, it’s back to basics. A movie “wows” us with good acting, writing, and a story that makes us care. For "Iron Man 2", that only happens in between CGI stuff blowing up.

"Iron Man 2" boasts a heavy weight cast of real actors: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Samuel Jackson, Jon Favreau (who happen to be the director), Gary Shandling, and the brutally charismatic Mickey Rourke. They play the kind of character that can throw together a new element promising endless energy with some conduit, duct tape, a prism, plumber’s wrench, holographic blue prints, and bulging biceps – all to an aural backdrop of AC/DC.

One final thought on this film, "Iron Man 2" might be more aptly called Two Men of Plastic. Mickey Rourke, with his puffy lips and small tight eyes, is a well known example of plastic surgery gone wrong. He looks like hell. But it works for Mickey because so far his comeback roles are all men who’ve had their faces rearranged in hell. The other actor is none other than Gary Shandling. This once sly and irreverent comedian looks like he had a face transplant with the plant from Little Shop of Horrors. It’s weird. Hollywood’s plastic surgery fetish is pulling me out of the story. That’s not good if you’re a filmmaker.

"Iron Man 2" plays this weekend at Gross Alaska’s 20^th Century Twin theater downtown. This is Clint Farr, so far surgery free, and Alone at the Movies.

Movie Review: Kick Ass

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How many grandparents dragged their grandkids out of “KickAss” within the first 20 minutes when they realized this kid’s movie about kids playing superhero is really not kid’s movie at all. Oh sure, it’s got an ‘R’ rating, but I’ve seen way to many toddlers at R movies, with their grandparents, to think that keeps the little ones out. So I want to be clear – do NOT bring your children to see “Kick Ass”. They will forever be warped, their brain chemistry will change. They’ll want to dress up in a green SCUBA suit and try to beat up drug dealers and get themselves put into an ER unit – JUST LIKE THE MOVIE. (I know I did). For this is an insane film. Not clinically insane, not pejoratively insane, but the good kind of insane: wacky, out there, left field, original. Yeah, if at last I’ve seen an original comic book film, this is the one.

So, if you can leave your children and sensibilities behind, this is a thoroughly fantastic film. I don’t believe I’ve been this entertained since “District 9” and “Inglorious Basterds”. Really. “Kick Ass” is unexpectedly, inexplicably good. I should be so offended by this film: the endangerment of children, the vigilantism, the ultra, ultra violence, blood freakin’ everywhere, giant microwaves, Nicolas Cage, and awful stereotypes. Then they’re all taken en masse, spun on their heads, and up pops a sincere moment of tenderness, a clever bit of kind humor, romantic love, and of all things, a story of dad and daughter taking on a hostile world. In short, by the third act you care about the characters. And if I care, then I love a film – even if the daddy and daughter I care about take on the hostile world with creative knife work and shooting the bad guys in the head.

If you’re looking for morals, they ran screaming toward the exits with the grandparents.

And oh what a third act. If along the way, you thought, this movie may be the craziest thing you have ever seen, two kids proceed to … well, you’ll just have to see it. It reminded me of a John Woo film like “Face/Off” where there’a slow motion gun ballet, bodies flying, birds flying off to nowhere for no reason, a dissonant song underplaying the action like “twinkle twinkle little star”, bad guys in suits, good guys in capes, and a whole lot of paper and junk floating around. A visual feast of violent chaos and somehow it is both bloody and beautiful.

And completely messes with your head.

Clearly, “Kick Ass” is not, and isn’t meant to be, for everyone. It is, I kid you not, a coming sign of the Apocalypse. But if I were you, go see it, and just don’t tell anybody, except maybe your priest. “Kick Ass” will be playing this weekend at Gross Alaska Glacier Cinema in the Valley. This is Clint Farr, concerned for his soul, and Alone at the Movies.

Movie Review: Date Night

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I don’t know if I like “Date Night” because it was good, or because my wife and I could have been the couple depicted in the film. This film aims squarely at the professional married couple, in their late thirties or forties, both working, who have young kids (because they waited to have kids until they owned a house), who love each other very much, who – perhaps - long for some of the fire and freedom of their early courtship, and who are tired. Very tired. As Phil and Claire Foster, played by Steve Carell and Tina Fey, are pummeled by their children at 5:30 in the morning, Phil mutters “And it begins”. Heck. That could’ve been this morning.

Now, given the movie’s title, it’s no surprise the plot takes off during a “Date Night” where they leave the kids with a sitter and go have salmon and potato skins at the same restauran. In an effort to mix things up, to bring a little spark the latent coals of their desire, Phil takes Claire to a fancy Manhattan restaurant where they tell a lie to get a seat. A case of mistaken identity follows leading to a series of chases, fights, gunfights, encounters with a shirtless Marc Wahlberg, and mild hilarity.

Tina Fey and Steve Carell in a shoot ‘em up?! Well, yes. Does it work? Well, sort of

It works, sort of, because Tina Fey and Steve Carrell are not only funny actors but good. Sure they have ticks like Steve’s funny voices and Tina’s sideways glances, but they’re both watchable and believable. What more do you want from actors in a rambunctious action slash comedy? That said, the actors are clearly more comfortable in their comic back and forth than in the running, diving, driving, and ducking bullets. Plus the subplot that drives the action is never well developed, and, frankly, stupid. So the thriller aspects of this film never really thrill you. Ronin, this movie is not.

But I love Tina Fey. She’s smart and funny. Steve Carell is great too. The two look like they could actually be married, rare for a movie couple, and both look their age. There’s an underlying intelligence to their interactions that should have been showcased even more. For instance, in a bit when the two pose as a stripper and pimp, Tina Fey has a hard time finding an outfit to cover her cesarean scar. It’s one of the funny parts in a rather low point in the film, in part because it felt real. How do you cover your cesarean scar when putting on a hoochie mama dress? I felt a tinge of sympathy as these characters faced their age. It was a poignant moment and hinted at the better movie this could’ve been.

So, the film is watchable solely based on the talents of Ms. Fey and Mr. Carrel. I’m disappointed. These two deserve a better movie and I hope they team up again.

Anyway, if you’re married, and it is date night, and the kids are healthy, and you’re not too exhausted, and you can find a sitter, and there’s no dance recital or soccer game, and there’s no ski or Spanish lessons in the morning, and you want to see a movie, this one will resonate with you. If you are young, single, without kids, get to sleep in, stay out late, party, and work out regularly, well, I hate you.

Um, “Date Night” is playing this weekend at Gross Alaska Cinema in the Valley. This is Clint Farr, Alone at the Movies.