Big kudos to the fine folks at MGM Limited Edition DVD-R! They’ve dug deep in the vaults for a true oddity in the world of cinema and television ( sitcoms, to be more precise ) ! I will tell anyone who asks that my absolute favorite TV situation comedy of all time is that early sixties gem ” The Dick Van Dyke Show” ( desert island, only one TV comedy, no hesitation! ). Well one of the few people with even more admiration and affection for this bit of comic perfection is comedy writer and pop culture master Mark Evanier. One of the sites I’ve bookmarked ( and if you love entertainment  you should too ) is his website/ blog newsfromme.com . In 2007 he alerted his readers to DON”T WORRY WE’LL THINK OF A TITLE was airing on the Turner Classic Movie cable channel. He had seen it with his family while they were vacationing in Pismo Beach in 1966. It was playing on a double bill with WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR, DADDY? He says that unlike that film, TITLE  did not have a professional studio printed poster, but was promoted with a hand lettered sign! That should’ve been a clue to the film’s quality.

This is quite an oddity. I was shocked that Morey Amsterdam and Rose Marie had made a feature film toward the end of their time as Buddy Sorrel and Sally Rogers, and I had not heard of it. Well, it’s probably because it’s a tough slog to sit through. What little plot the film has concerns a group of Eastern European spies ( one of those made up, cold war spots ) who believe that Morey’s character is a defecting astronut. The film was shot in 1965 near the end of the Van Dyke series, and dates itself not only with the spy antics, but with a scene set at a college beatnik ( ! ) party. It begins with a caricature of Amsterdam ( maybe drawn by the multi-talented Dick Van Dyke? ) as part of the logo for Courageous Cal Productions ( ? ).The film has the flat look of a one camera sitcom of the era ( the end title says it was shot on the legendary Desilu Studios ) and even employs that wacky sped-up effect that many shows used to balance out some the old, groaner jokes in the script from co-producer/star Amsterdam. The film’s main interest is as a time capsule of TV comics of that era. Morey must have called on many of his pals to stop by for quick cameos, and it’s amazing who he got to show up. We get to see Van Dyke co-stars Richard Deacon ( in a double role as a diner owner and policeman ) and Carl Reiner along with Forrest Tucker, Moe Howard ( solo, sans stooges! ), Cliff Arquette ( as Charley Weaver ), Nick Adams, Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and Irene Ryan ( in her Granny outfit and driving the Clampett truck ). Comic actor Henry Corden ( who soon took over as voice of Fred Flintstone ) shows up as a clumsy spy and an actress named January ( ! ) Jones ( not the “Mad Men ” actress, but perhaps a relative? ) plays Morey and Rose’s diner waitress pal who inherits a bookstore.

The DVD-R is bare bones. Not even a trailer ( was one made?). I was hoping for either a commentary track with the still active Rose Marie, but Evanier reports that she has no fondness for this big screen misfire. Picure and sound quality is sharp and crisp. It’s not a cinema treasure, but if you’re an affeciando of sixties TV ( and of the Van Dyke show ) then you’ll want to add this to your DVD library.

So far this holiday season we moviegoers have seen Martin Scorsese’s magical tribute to cinema’s infancy, HUGO. In that film he uses all the 3D CGI modern movie marvels to recreate the ” flickers” of the early twentieth century. And now from French director Michel Hazanavcius comes his loving homage to old Hollywood, THE ARTIST. But this film differs from HUGO in that it attempts to completely emulate those golden classics. No 3D or CGI used here. Or color. Or sound (there’s a great musical score, but no spoken dialogue-just title cards). You may think that this is just a gimmick, while some movie fans may roll their eyes at having to read the film. Ah, but it’s no gimmick and the title cards do not make viewing the film a chore. On the contrary, I believe this enhances the whole movie experience. It helps to immerse you into this quiet, stylized, alternate universe. If this is your introduction to the wonders of silent cinema, then you are a lucky film fan with many more wonders to explore.

Well, let’s first get back to THE ARTIST. It begins in 1925 at the big premiere of matinee idol George Valentin’s (Jean Dujardin) new big screen action epic. Outside the theatre as George talks to the press, a young flapper film fan, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) accidentally gets past the barriers and is photographed with the screen star. Back at this home, George’s unhappy wife (Penelope Ann Miller) is not amused by the newspaper photos of him with his fan. The next morning, with the paper in hand, Peppy, joins the hopeful actors at the extras casting station inside Kinograph Studios. Peppy and George are re-united as she lands a bit part in his new movie. The two’s paths will cross many times over the next few years. Her star is on the rise as she becomes Kinograph’s new screen sweetheart. George’s star is on a different course. The head of the studio (John Goodman) tells him that sound is the future of motion pictures. George laughs this off as a fad and refuses to join in on the “all-talking” craze. He decides to swim against the tide and produce (and write, star, and direct) his next screen all-silent saga. Can George somehow get his career back on track and perhaps team up with Peppy once again?

Most film fans will recognize that set-up as a riff on A STAR IS BORN (at least three big screen versions) with the “talkies” panic subplot of SINGING IN THE RAIN tossed in. Like a great dish, it’s what the master chief does with these familiar ingredients. And write/director Hazanavcius is quite the cook. I’ve enjoyed his two OSS 117 sixties spy spoofs (OSS 117 : CAIRO, NEST OF SPIES and OSS 117- LOST IN RIO) with star Dujardin, but here he really goes beyond these parodies. He’s really given us characters that we’re emotionally invested in while not ignoring the comedy. Dujardin is not the buffoon-ish secret agent, but a very complex actor who’s at once child-like, gentle, egotistical, romantic, and in the depths of despair. He also really looks like a classic screen star (Valentin resembles Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. with more than a touch of the sound-adverse Charles Chaplin) and has an infectious grin. He may be the happiest movie Frenchman on screen since Maurice Chevalier. Bejo has great energy as the big, bright-eyed beauty who truly enjoys every aspect of her back lot adventures. She and Dujardin have terrific chemistry just by the way they look at one another. Miller goes from being an awe-struck fan of Valentin to his screen equal and eventually his protector. These two get great assistance from the several American-born stars. Goodman’s wonderful as the big, blustery poppa bear of a studio boss (a combination perhaps of Louis Mayer, Jack Warner, and Harry Cohn) who tries to project a hard-nosed business exterior, but really loves his staple of stars almost like his children. James Cromwell is also a nurturing fatherly figure as Valentin’s devoted, loyal chauffeur. Besides his work with the human actors , Dujardin also has a special screen bond with a gifted canine performer, a scruffy terrier that is his constant companion. Havzanavcius makes excellent use of the old Hollywood locations and glorious vintage automobiles. The gorgeous black and white cinematography gives the actors a glowing, silver sheen like the movie icons of the golden age. Now, the movie’s not completely silent . There’s a musical score that ranges from a bouncy, comedy theme to a big, brassy jazz number to a great Bernard Herriman piece from a another movie classic. I hate to sound like a film Grinch and say that the film could’ve trimmed eight or ten minutes of Valentin’s downward spiral, because the movie’s strengths far outweigh this minor quibble. For want of a better word, THE ARTIST is charming. Completely, disarmingly charming. This may be the best present we’ve gotten from France since Lady Liberty.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Why is it that some people never grow up? Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to this question, but it does serve to explain the premise of YOUNG ADULT. This most recent screenplay written by Diablo Cody (JUNO, JENNIFER’S BODY) is directed by Jason Reitman, the man who brought us films including JUNO, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and UP IN THE AIR.

Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a struggling author of a once popular series of young adult fiction. Think something along the lines of the “Wimpy Kid” series, but for high school girls, rather than Harry Potter or the Twilight series. Mavis is currently writing the last book in her discontinued series, but is experiencing writers block. As an adventure, or more accurately as she sees it, as a calling of fate, Mavis returns home to her small hometown to win back Buddy Slade, played by Patrick Wilson (INSIDIOUS). Buddy was Mavis’ high school sweetheart, but he’s now married with a new born child.

One thing we learn about Mavis early on is that she’s not exactly a role model of being a responsible, well adjusted adult. YOUNG ADULT as a title refers both to the genre of fiction she writes, as well as the state of mind within which Mavis is perpetually stuck. However, when it comes to winning Buddy back, Mavis proves as unstoppable as a Juggernaut. The first person Mavis runs into upon returning home is Matt Freehauf, played by comedian and actor Patton Oswalt (BIG FAN). Matt is what you might easily define as a grown up nerd. He lives with his sister, reassembles and paints action figures as a hobby along side running his own home whiskey distillery. Matt also has an unfortunate handicap, the story of which plays a crucial role in defining his relationship to Mavis.

YOUNG ADULT has Mavis and Matt become the unlikeliest of friends. Matt serves as Mavis’ unwanted and questionably successful conscience, while Mavis serves as the closest Matt will ever get to having something special with the popular, attractive cheerleader type that never occurred in high school. The chemistry between this odd couple is wonderfully awkward, but natural. Both are damaged goods, but Matt realizes and accepts the truth. Mavis fantasizes about what her life is supposed to be versus what it has become, leading her to pursue a self-destructive path of volcanic proportions.

The dialogue is clearly Diablo Cody’s, sharp and quick, but more refined than in JUNO. This is a dark comedy based in ordinary life. The eccentric edge, or the wackiness factor of YOUNG ADULT is also a bit more restrained than we saw in JUNO or THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. Reitman’s direction is continually finding a more “grown up” edge – if you’ll permit the cliché – a shift which began with UP IN THE AIR. While the humor and tone in Reitman’s first two films are more playfully over-the-top, his last two films are more reserved and more focused on specific character development.

YOUNG ADULT also scales back quite a bit on the star factor. Sure, Charlize Theron is a major star and talented to boot – possibly even worthy of an acting nomination come Oscar season – but Patton Oswalt – as much as I love that little funny man – is still a relative unknown for most people outside of the geek culture. Aside from this, Patrick Wilson and a brief role from veteran Mary Beth Hurt, this does not feature the ensemble cast that Reitman’s previous films are known for. YOUNG ADULT is a comedy that may taste slightly bitter on your tongue at first, but given time to savor after seeing the film allows for the sweetness to emerge, as well as the fiery kick of the film’s ending.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Seems that not that long ago holidays were almost the exclusive domain of horror flicks ( thanks in no small part to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic HALLOWEEN ). This extended to other calendar dates like certain Fridays and even birthdays. With the release last year of VALENTINE’S DAY the “rom-com” has decided to horn in on the cineplex action thanks to TV sitcom master ( his trifecta being ” Happy Days “, ” Laverne and Shirley ” and ” Mork and Mindy ” ) turned movie comic kingpin ( PRETTY WOMAN ) Gary Marshall. Now Mr. M has decided to take on another big ( usually romantic ) holiday with NEW YEAR’S EVE and once again he’s assembled another gang of big stars ( with two returnees from last year ). We’ve haven’t opened our presents under the tree yet ( some of us haven’t even begun shopping ), so is this early cinema offering a gift that we’ll revisit again and again?

 Like the previous holiday flick, this is several stories intercut over the running time ( some share characters and settings ). Speaking of settings, this time NYC replaces LA ( a very mild winter Big Apple ). Let’s check them off! Hilary Swank is a city worker in charge of the big Times Square celebration ( including the dropping of the big ball ) who’s aided by good pal, policeman Chris ” Ludacris ” Bridges. One of the entertainers there is Jenson, played by real life rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who’s also singing at a big record company party catered by Katherine Heigl and her assistant Sofia Vergara. A put-upon worker at said record company, Michelle Pfieffer, quits and offers tickets to the big party to messenger Zac Efron if he can help her check items off her ” things to do list “. Zac’s brother is a cynical, New Year’s-hating cartoonist ( Ashton Kutcher )  trapped in his building’s elevator along with perky singer Lea Michelle, who’s on her way to sing back up with Jenson. At a hospital young parents-to-be Seth Meyers and Jessica Biel compete with another couple to collect the cash prize for the first birth of 2012. On another floor, nurse Halle Berry tends to a dying Robert DeNiro, who just wants to live long enough to see the 2011 become history. Sarah Jessica Parker is a harried single mother trying to track down teenage daughter Abigal Breslin who hopes to share her first kiss with that special boy at midnight in Times Square. Also racing into town in order to share a midnight kiss is Josh Duhamel, who encounters many obstacles ( and wacky characters ) on his way back from a Connecticut wedding. Whew, what a night!

 Marshall does his best to juggle the many stories. Unfortunately he has to cut away from many plots just as the momentum starts building. And many of them would’ve been better left on the editing room floor, particularly those agonizing attempts at pathos. The DeNiro/Berry scenes really seem to slow things up while a turgid,televised speech by Swank grinds things to a complete halt ( really, the Times Square crowds are completely silent? Really? ). The script is very TV “sitcomy” with many obvious set-ups and punch lines. The big star list may be more a testament to the good will that Marshall engenders rather than the quality of the material. Still several of the more seasoned comedy pr0s wring some laughs especially SNL’s Meyers and Vergara ( her character here is an even more ethnic and hot-to-trot variation of her Gloria from TV’s ” Modern Family ” ). Many pairings just don’t have much of a spark ( the Kutcher/Michelle pairing is a bit creepy ). I was really disheartened that Pfieffer was saddled with a frumpy brown wig and doing another take on the pre-Catwoman Selina Kyle. Fortunately the film moves to another location and pairing very quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief that Heigl and Parker shared no scenes. I feared that the two queens of awful romcoms on-screen together might create some sort of cinema black hole. There is great use of NYC locations, but it’s not enough to recommend this cliche-ridden, cloying mess. Stick around for the end credits bloopers-they’re a lot funnier than what’s in the main film ( maybe you’ll get to be that funny in a comedy soon, Mr. DeNiro! ). Let’s hope this is the last holiday to get this big screen desecration from the Marshall gang ( I’m sure Hector Elizondo will still get plenty of work! ).

Overall Rating: One and a Half Out of Five Stars

Anyone who had the misfortune of growing up without The Muppets has my unyielding sympathy. There’s never been anything like it, and there will never be anything like it again… that is, of course, for the revival film simply called THE MUPPETS, directed by James Bobin.

THE MUPPETS (2011) was written by, and co-stars Jason Segel as Gary, a happy go lucky guy who lives with his pal Walter, who happens to be a Muppet who thinks he’s a man. It is abundantly clear that Segel has a passionate love for The Muppets and fellow fans will catch this immediately. He gets it, and he nails what needed to be done for a successful revival of the beloved characters in a time when such projects often go terribly awry.

I say Jason Segel is the co-star because, really… we all know Kermit the Frog is the real star. But in all fairness, Amy Adams is a great addition to the film as Gary’s girlfriend Mary. Gary and Mary are madly in love, but she wishes for more, a married life. Unfortunately, Gary and Walter are inseparable. So, when Gary invites Walter along with him and Mary to Los Angeles to see the sights, Mary feels a bit like a third wheel.

But, enough of this romance stuff. Off we go, to Los Angeles where Walter dreams of touring the now closed Muppets Studio. Unfortunately, what they find upon their arrival is heartbreaking. An evil oil tycoon named Tex Richman, played by Chris Cooper, has bought up the Muppets Studio property and plans to tear it all down in favor of oil exploration. The nerve!

Walter and Gary must now try and save the Muppets Studio, and the only way to do that is to get the band back together and put on one last show… a show to save the Muppet Theatre. This will prove easier said than done. We first reunite with Kermit the Frog. This is the first of several Muppet encounters that feels as familiar as so many of us being laid off and out of work. Muppets should never be down on their luck, but as Tex Richman points out… it’s a new era, and The Muppets are now irrelevant. To hell with that!

“You simply can’t keep a good Muppet down,” is what I always say. The Muppets feel and fresh and alive as I remember them some 25 years ago. Wow. I’d feel old now, if not for my abundantly active inner child. Not only do The Muppets have to overcome impossible odds, renovating the dilapidated Muppet Theatre and putting on a telethon to save it with little time to prepare, they must also contend with Tex Richman’s more modern and off-putting Moopets, his replacement for the Muppet.

THE MUPPETS (2011) is quite possibly the best live-action family musical I’ve seen since the original Muppet movie, but I am a bit biased. There is an intelligent cuteness to the song and dance scenes. The jokes are hilarious, for kids of all ages. That includes you, mom and dad. Segel is charmingly oblivious. For a guy that stands 6 foot 5 inches, you wouldn’t think he’d be able to pull off this level of being adorably silly, but he does.

Amy Adams is a blast, as well, especially during her musical numbers. Adams clearly jumped in with both feet and embraced the quirky, over-the-top nature of The Muppets, milking her scenes for all their worth without overdoing it a bit. Chris Cooper takes the essence of a Muppets villain and runs with it, giving a cheeky self-aware evildoer performance that rivals the best… Maniacal laugh! Maniacal laugh!

THE MUPPETS (2011) is everything fans hope it will be. I dare you to walk out of the theater and not be wearing a smile from ear to ear. I dare you not to get goose bumps when Kermit and Miss Piggy perform their classic duet of  “Rainbow Connection” for the first time in years. It’s unavoidable. Prepare yourself to rekindle that long, lost connection with all of your favorite Muppet characters, along with a gleefully rich cast of supporting and cameo roles including Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, and… many more. I don’t want to spoil all the surprises.

Overall Rating: 4 “Wocka, Wockas” out of 5

What if you met a real life fairy? How would you know? What would you do? American audiences had a similar proposition presented through cinema in 1984’s SPLASH, replacing a fairy with a mermaid, with whom Tom Hanks fell deeply in love with. The 2011 French film LA FEE (The Fairy) is also a romantic fantasy, co-written and co-directed by Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy.

THE FAIRY is about a man named Dom, played by Dominique Abel. He works as the front desk clerk in a small hotel. He’s friendly, quiet, and perhaps more than a little naïve. In the beginning of the film, Dom is hoping to settle down for the evening with some television and a sandwich. Unfortunately, business chooses otherwise.

After first handling an odd customer and his scurrying bag, Dom meets Fiona, played by Fiona Gordon. Fiona is a spritely woman. This is fitting, as the first words from her mouth include “I am a fairy.” What should one say to such a claim? Dom takes this in stride, as he does with everything in life. Fiona rents a room, and thus begins their adventure.

THE FAIRY is a cute — almost excessively so — little number that’s part romantic comedy, part musical, part slapstick and part Charlie Chaplin. Dom and Fiona are very animated characters in a very animated live-action film. After saving Dom’s life from a near-fatal sandwich, Fiona offers Dom three wishes. He first wishes for a scooter, then follows up with a wish for free gas for life. Fiona gladly complies. For the remainder of the film, we await Dom’s third and final wish.

Dom and Fiona connect quickly. Fiona shows Dom a world he never knew existed, right there in his own community. Her free spirit opens his eyes, but the truth about Fiona is a mystery that remains uncertain throughout THE FAIRY. Is Fiona really a fairy, or simply an unstable citizen? I found myself less and less concerned with this question as I was drawn deeper into the quirky world of these two characters.

THE FAIRY is a lot of fun, but if it doesn’t appeal to you at first, give it time. It took me 15-20 of the film before I finally settled into the experience. I am not typically a fan of musicals, but the charming silliness of THE FAIRY is rather hard to resist. The musical numbers, which are really more dance pieces, as the characters don’t sing, are strange and eccentric, but in their own way alluring.

In keeping with the film’s central characters, THE FAIRY is a richly colorful film that feels like something from another era. I was repeatedly reminded of the 1964 classic THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. THE FAIRY is clearly a low-budget film, or at least is meant to look that way, perhaps drawing inspiration for its production design from theatrical stage production. From green screen chases to swimming jellyfish made of plastic grocery bags, the whimsically simple design is a major factor in the film’s charm.

Whether you’re a pushover for French film, an admirer of the silent era of slapstick comedy, or just looking for a unique option for a date night movie, THE FAIRY is a romantic option like no other I’ve seen in quite a long time.

Showtime
Friday, November 18th at 4:30pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema
Saturday, November 19th at 6:00pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema

One of the more rare genres of filmmaking is the cinema of absurdity, which can actually be defined in various ways. SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE (De repente, la pelicula) is an absurd comedy, written and directed by veteran Venezuelan filmmaker Luis Armando Roche. New to the genre, this is an experimental film for Roche, derived from a script written 25 years ago. This is a passion project by a filmmaker already well-established in his home country, a filmmaker who has already had films play international festivals such as his 1977 film THE MOVING PICTURE MAN, which played Cannes Film Festival.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is by many definitions not a traditional film. It’s clear that Roche intended to break all the rules, a tactic perfectly acceptable by filmmaker’s with as much experience under their belt. As they say, “you must learn the rules before you can break them.”

I am not going to beat around the bush and get all fluffy by saying the film is perfect. By definition, it cannot be a perfect film because nearly the entire film is improvised. Yes, the entire film, not just the acting. Roche began with a script as his foundation, then took the improvisational concept we’ve seen so many times from Christopher Guest and crew (such as WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, or BEST IN SHOW) and applies it in full effect to a film about the horrors of filmmaking.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE follows a young filmmaker named John Loveland, played by Carlos Antonio Leon, who begins production on a film in the Amazon jungle, but when things don’t work out, returns to shoot on location in Caracas, Venezuela. What quickly becomes abundantly clear, is that the film’s shady producer, played by Roche himself, has no interest in spending any more money than is minimally necessary.

Production quickly breaks down into chaos, and crew members begin dropping like flies. As everything begins to fall apart, Loveland chooses to embrace the chaos and frustration of disaster and instead makes what can be an anti-movie, a film where every flaw, every mistake and setback is utilized as a way of making some artistic statement. What ensues is a series of slapstick mishaps and absurdist antics, from piñata props and beer drinking parrots to an unexpected homage to Bollywood. In fact, most of SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is unexpected.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is definitely a meta-movie, a film within a film, dually conscious of itself. While some of the humor may get lost in the cultural translation, much of it remains in tact for the American audience, producing laughter and even a welcome sense of awe inspired by the amazement of what is seen on screen.

If given the opportunity to experience this film, the best advice I can offer is to remember, everything from the acting to the structure, the story and even the technology behind the production are all improvised. For that reason alone, SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE should attract many a film buff as this off-the-cuff style of filmmaking is a rare cinematic experience.

In the tradition of films such as NOWHERE BOY  and SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE  comes another film depicting the per-recognition, early days of a now world famous artist- YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE. The title truly gets the main thrust of the story. We meet poet Johann Goethe in the later part of the eighteenth century as the twenty-something law student botches his Ph.D. and fails to graduate. But he’s got a back-up plan! He puts pen to paper, dashes off a play, and ships it away. The rejection of this work prompts his stern father to send him off to a small hamlet where he will toil as a law clerk in the local court. After arriving, his desk mate Wilheim suggests they go dancing. It is at the dance hall where Johann meets the boisterous, beautiful Lotte Buff. The attraction is instant and after several false starts the  two finally begin a romance. Ah, but this road to love is full of many obstacles-stern bosses, desperate fathers, aborted duels, and many broken hearts. Fortunately these bumps in the road provide the inspiration for the poem that will enthrall the country.

The movie is a sumptuous visual feast. Whether riding in the countryside or trudging through the muddy village streets, the use of sets and scenery is superb. Alexander Fehling carries the film well on his shoulders and conveys the joy of experiencing his very first real love. And with the vibrant Miriam Stein as the ginger-haired Lotte, who can blame him? Her beauty almost explodes off the screen. The two gifted young actors wring every bit of emotion out of this story of star-crossed lovers. Director Philipp Stolzl gets great performances from everyone in the cast while he keeps several different sub-plots spinning. We even get an interesting view of celebrity adoration circa 1772! YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE is an enlightening, entertaining look at the begins of a literary superstar.

Showtimes
Monday,November 14, 7:15 PM – Plaza Frontenac
Thursday, November 17, 7:15 PM – Plaza Frontenac

We first meet Simon curled up inside a garbage can… pardon me, a “space ship.” Simon, played by Bill Skarsgard, has Asperger’s. This means he thinks differently from those around him. Simon has an affection for circles, a fascination with space, and a terrible time dealing with change in his life. Simon lives with his brother Sam, played by Martin Wollstrom, the only person who knows how to talk with Simon so he understand. Unfortunately, when Sam’s girlfriend can no longer take the eccentricities of living with Simon, she leaves, causing Sam to slip into a depression. This is when the fun starts.

Written by Jonathan Sjoberg and directed by Andreas Ohman, SIMPLE SIMON is not a traditional romantic comedy. The film has a similar cute absurdity as Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s AMELIE. The story takes us into the mind of Simon as he struggles to find a solution to his brother’s depression, and in turn his own newly acquired and unwelcome chaos in his daily schedule.

There is a charm to the routine of SIMPLE SIMON, each day has its schedule and each schedule has its structure. Simon relies on the predictability of this organization to maintain peace, but when things do go awry, he retreats to his “space ship.” During his daily walk to his job, at precisely the same time, he repeatedly runs into Frida, played by Sofia Hamilton. Literally, having physically collided with Frida, it sparks an unlikely friendship between the two polar opposite personalities, a friendship Simon is not even aware of as he quests to fins Sam a new girlfriend.

Hamilton is an adorable mess, a free spirit who enjoys the uncertainty of life. The odds of her and Simon getting along so well are astronomical, but she has a way about her that allows Simon to understand her like he understands Sam. Equations begin to formulate in Simon’s head as he develops his master plan. SIMPLE SIMON is visually playful and colorful. Ohman composes a sort of energetic geometry, combining order and chaos to illustrate Simon’s world and the real world, integrated into one reality.

SIMPLE SIMON was Sweden’s 2010 Oscar entry for best foreign language film.

Showtimes
Sunday, November 13th at 3:30pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema
Tuesday, November 15th at 4:15pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema

As the title suggests CODEPENDENT LESBIAN SPACE ALIEN SEEKS SAME ( CLSASS ) is a whimsical examination of the lesbian singles scene told with a science fiction angle. With that angle the film carries on in the tradition of ALIEN NATION and DISTRICT 9 in using otherworldly settings and characters to comment on aspects of modern society. Like the classic alien visitor epic THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL this film is in stark black and white and mainly takes place in an American metropolis. The film begins when Jane, a schulby twenty-something retail clerk, tells her therapist about an unusual encounter. Next we zip through the stars to a far distant planet and pick up a report from their version of CNN. Seems that the release of big emotions are causing some sort of hole in the planet’s ozone layer. To offset this, some of the inhabitants are being sent to Earth so they may get their hearts broken and release those layer-destroyers before they return home. Two aliens have already landed in New York City ( one is shy, while the other is uninhibited ). A third joins them and meets Jane in her Manhattan stationary shop. The two begin a tentative romance. Meanwhile two ” men in black’ government agent types observe them from an unmarked van. The aliens embark on several dating adventures before they must return home. Bur what will Jane do when she learns the truth?

CLSASS uses its low budget very creatively to give the feel of the old-fashioned Sci-Fi B movies. In a nod to Ed Wood’s PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE the spacecraft are simple cardboard models with the silver pie plates attached. The aliens have large bald craniums offset by short neck cowls emerging from jumpsuits. They speak in a high-pitched robotic monotone similar to THE CONEHEADS or TV’s Mork. Like Mork they don’t quite get Earth customs correct ( check out how they dance ) and have their own strange customs ( they show affection not by holding hands, but by holding noses ). The black and white photography gives the film an intimate and otherworldly feel. The effects are appropriately crude, but effective and the cast of unknowns bring a lot of energy to the satirical script. The film is an engaging mixture of low-budget science fiction satire and the emerging lesbian indie-film scene.

Showtimes

Saturday, November 12th at 9:00pm – Tivoli Theatre

Once again the magic of the holidays revives the third installment of a comedy movie franchise. In 1989 the Griswald family bounced back from their dismal European vacation with NATIONIAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION, and now after their lackluster Guantanamo Bay escape those best buds are back in top form with A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS. I’ll warn you that this film isn’t the family friendly romp with Chevy Chase’s clan-it earns that R rating, but it’s a return of the same kind of smart ‘ dumb’ comedy craftsmanship that imbued that original quest for “sliders”. And since it’s ” the most wonderful time of the year’, there’s a little extra to tug at your heart-strings ( to offset those sore-from-laughter ribs ).

 After their last misadventure things have radically changed for one half of this doper-duo. Harold ( John Cho ) is now a successful Wall Street investor complete with fawning assistant ( Bobby Lee ) and a group of protesters outside his building ( like our current occupiers in the news ). He’s got a spacious house in the suburbs he shares with his Latin bombshell wife Maria ( Paula Garces ), who’s VERY ready to start a family. Speaking of family, her kin, headed by her intimidating dad ( Danny Trejo ) are spending the holidays there. Meanwhile things are not going so well with Kumar ( Kal Penn ). After failing his medical school drug test and getting dumped by his gal Vanessa, he spends most of his days getting high and watching TV. That is until a package for Harold mistakenly gets delivered to his apartment. His attempt to get the package to Harold begins a chain of events that encompasses a quest for the last perfect Christmas tree, an internet virgin, her Ukrainian mobster poppa, the must have holiday toy- the Wafflebot, and good ole’ Saint Nick himself. And could there be a Harold and Kumar epic without some quality time spent with the great NPH-Neil Patrick Harris?

After the glut of 3D flicks this year it was great to see a movie having fun with and poking fun at the format. The producers knew to really slow down the objects coming toward the viewer. This may be the most entertaining use of the technology since last year’s PIRANHA 3D or JACKASS 3D. The film makers are also having fun with the trappings of the Christmas movies with the gaudy decorations, tacky musical numbers, goofy Santa, and that crazy waffle-making droid. Hey, there’s even a great homage to Bob Clark’s A CHRISTMAS STORY. Cho and  Penn are in fine form ( there are in-jokes about the actors’ jobs since the last H & K outing ), and they’ve got some terrific comedic backup players. Trejo is funny and frightening ( can you imagine having Machete for a father-in-law? ). Elias Koteas also brings the brutality in his mob kingpin role. Before they re-unite our heroes have both made new best buds. Thomas Lennon scores big laughs as Harold’s wimpy, eager to please, single dad neighbor who tries to protect his toddler daughter from the chaos. And Kumar’s next door neighbor pal is the nerdy sex-crazed Adrian played by the manic Amir Blumenfeld. But of all these great performers, the movie’s MVP is once again NPH. This time we’re treated to his exceptional musical skills before we get another visit with the maniacal horndog of the previous films. He doesn’t appear till after the midway point, but it is so worth the wait. Sure the film’s crude, lewd, and politically incorrect, but unlike several recent R-rated comedies ( looking at you again CHANGE -UP!) this doesn’t have a cruel, mean bent to it. Well, maybe in the clay-animated sequence, but ,hey it’s just a big dream. If you’re in the mood for some raunch with your reindeer then this is your perfect stocking stuffer ( if the boys didn’t already stash their herbs there )!

Overall Rating: Four and a Half Out of Five Stars

The idea of a funny, bumbling secret agent is nearly as old as the spy thriller film. Of course they’ve had their forefathers in the comedy cops and detectives that emerged in the silents ( Buster Keaton in SHERLOCK, JR. ) and the talkies ( Bob Hope in MY FAVORITE BRUNETTE, and gumshoes played by Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, the Bowery Boys, and the Three Stooges ). In the swingin’ sixties there was the ultimate incompetent Inspector Closeau in the Pink Panther film series and on TV it was ” Car 54, Where Are You?’ and that legend of Mayberry, Deputy Barney Fife ( played to perfection by the multiple Emmy-winning Don Knotts ). There were a few secret agents during the Golden Age ( and Bob Hope, again, in MY FAVORITE SPY ), but it wasn’t till we were introduced to 007 during the cold war that the big and small screen was filled gadget-heavy trench coats. Of course there were some satirical elements in the Bond flicks, which we ramped up in his American counterparts, Derek Flint and Matt Helm. And there was an ongoing TV spy farce in the classic ” Get Smart ” ( which would inspire a feature film in 1980 with Don Addams, THE NUDE BOMB AKA THE RETURN OF MAXWELL SMART and in 2008, a movie remake, GET SMART, with Steve Carell stepping into the shoe phone ). And of course there’s Mike Meyers’s incredibly popular Austin Powers film series that started in 1997. Across the pond in England, Rowan Atkinson ( who had great success with films based on his Mr. Bean TV persona ) decided to don the black tux and became JOHNNY ENGLISH in 2003. Since that film, we’ve gotten a new movie Bond in Daniel Craig, who’s injected a lot of excitement ( and big box office) in the long-running series. And So Atkinson has decided to revisit his character in JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN to see if there’s still some spy stuff worth parodying.

In the present day two VIPs discuss a new threat on world security. There’s only one man for the job. But where is Johnny English? He’s at a Shaolin Temple, training and meditating after a disastrous assignment in Mozambique ( English’s eye twitches at the ” M word” ). Soon he’s chopped off his long hair and goatee and is back at MI-7 headquarters ( in a truly great bit of satire a global conglomerate has taken over the agency ). English meets his new boss Pegasus ( Gillian Anderson ), his eager young agent-in-training, Tucker( Daniel Kayluuya ), a lovely body-language expert ( Rosamund Pike ), and his old spy buddy, Agent Ambrose ( Dominic West ). First stop for English and Tucker is Hong Kong where they meet up with a former CIA agent ( Richard Schiff ). Seems he’s part of an ultra-secret assassination agency named Vortex. He’s on the run because the other two Vortex heads ( and ex KGB man and a MI-7 agent ) are out to kill him for his segment of a key that will help enable them to stage a murder that will start a war. Sounds like English is up to his neck in hired killers, double crosses, and global conspiracies once again. Will he overcome his bumbling and save the day?

Well, I think we’ve got a good hunch about that. The real question is whether this is a funnier outing than the rather tepid original. There’s no big surprises in the plot, so we’re looking at a loosely connected series of sight gag sequences ( much like his Mr. Bean flicks ). Like the Bean films this hopes to be a family friendly comedy ( it’s rated PG ), so I was taken aback by the many crotch striking gags ( in the Shaolin temple we cut from one to another ) and a flashback hot tub scene with a busty double agent in a teeny bikini. In a nod to the last Craig Bond epic we get a pursuit through buildings under construction ( Atkinson doe not attempt the acrobatic leaps ). Most of the sequences tend to go on for too long without a big pay-off. There’s the mistaken assassin bit that’s repeated several times. English tours the weapons division and, shockingly, causes all manner of destruction. In a nod to GOLDFINGER, English tees off against a baddy at a golf course ( Johnny can’t golf! ) which leads into a tiresome helicopter chase ( a chase scene with English in a super souped-up wheelchair is monotonous too ).The supporting players are not given much to do besides stare incredulously at Atkinson’s antics. Kaluuya brings a bit of youthful enthusiasm to his scenes, but never really gets the chance to shine. Pike, as in BARNEY’S VERSION, plays another gorgeous, smart woman inexplicably drawn to a schlub. West can only flash his handsome, big grin and try an encourage his old pal. The casting of Anderson is curious. Perhaps this is a nod to Judy Dench’s M in the last few Bond films. It’s difficult to accept the still gorgeous ex-X-filer in a role that’s usually played by an older, more paternal actress ( or actor ). The film would’ve een greatly benefitted with an edit that would get it closer to 90 minutes ( the kids are gonna’ squirm ). Atkinson is a terrific physical comedians who harkens back to the great silent icons ( with a bit of Tati ), but he can’t give life to this attempt at spy satire. I hope he’ll retire English and dust off his TV classic ” Blackadder ” for the big screen. He can show off his wonderful verbal skill along with his pratfalls. I hope he’ll not tone him down ( please no PG fluff ). Now, that would truly be worth a trip to the multiplex!

Overall Rating: One and a Half Out of Five Stars

Warning! Seeing SLEEP TIGHT could keep you from sleeping for nights. If not, you may still find yourself checking under your bed. No, this isn’t a tale about the boogieman, but it is the story of an entirely different kind of monster, one that may be hiding in plain sight in anyone’s life.

SLEEP TIGHT is written by Alberto Marini and directed by Jaume Balaguero, one half of the creative team that brought you REC and REC2. This is the story of an average looking door man named Cesar (Luis Tosar), a deeply depressed and apathetic human being who masterfully hides his disdain for the world and the inhabitants of the apartment building he serves beneath the disguise of a well mannered and hard working gentleman. What becomes increasingly apparent, is that Cesar ranks somewhere between a stalker and a serial killer on the sociopath scale. Above all else, Cesar is a creepy dude.

What keeps Cesar going each day is his desire to make those around him unhappy. Frequently confiding his disturbing secret only to his hospitalized mother, speechless and bed ridden, Cesar’s focus is finely tuned on an attractive and endlessly cheery resident named Clara (Marta Etura). Using his friendly and charming alter ego to win her trust, Cesar embarks on a long standing series of personal and physical violations against Clara without her having the slightest knowledge of what’s happening. Cesar is determined to ruin Clara’s life.

SLEEP TIGHT may sound like a brutally vicious and potentially violent horror film, but the truth is that comedy is the bedfellow of the film’s more obvious roots in horror. Steeped in subtle, yet strongly scripted dark humor, the audience will likely feel as bad for their laughter as they feel entertained by this surprisingly fresh twist on the psycho thriller genre. Immensely creepy and every bit as iconic as Norman from PSYCHO, Cesar does what few characters on screen can celebrate… simultaneously developing both a hatred and a love for the antagonist.

Cesar is a very smart, cunning and clever man, but is not without his vices or his share of complications. Throughout the film, Cesar must also deal with the least likely of blackmailers, a witness in part to his dubious acts of trespassing, adding an additional layer to the humor, while also serving as a building block to quite an intense climactic moment near the end of the film. SLEEP TIGHT is methodical in its approach, carefully laid out like the best of Alfred Hitchcock’s films.

SLEEP TIGHT is not only a showcase for some inventive plot twists, but the film looks amazing. The cinematography from Pablo Rosso is richly aged, but vivid. Warm tones prevail with an old country feel, not unlike the work of Gordon Willis for THE GODFATHER: PART II. This not only adds to the flavor of the apartment building serving as a character, but also encourages a false sense of safety in the viewer’s mind, an element of storytelling that contributes to out mixed emotions toward Cesar. Should we be rooting for him, or be entirely appalled by his actions?

There is certainly a fine line delineating the black comedy from the dark nature of the story, but its a line we willingly cross in favor of an enjoyably bizarre tale of human interaction. SLEEP TIGHT peels back the superficiality of society, depicting one extreme scenario where Cesar is a man who makes it his life’s purpose to expose the rampant insincerity that surrounds him.

UPDATE: Aside from the film being picked up by Lionsgate just before it’s first (and only) screening at Fantastic Fest, YOU’RE NEXT garnered the following awards… Audience Award (Runner Up), Horror Feature – Best Picture; Best Director for Adam Wingard; Best Screenplay for Simon Barrett; and Best Actress for Sharni Vinson.

YOU’RE NEXT comes from writer Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard. This partnership created 2010′s A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, which introduced genre fans to a new force in genre filmmaking. Proving to be one of the most anticipated films of Fantastic Fest 2011, YOU’RE NEXT has already been acquired by Lionsgate, which is good news in that it will get a wide theatrical release, but bad news in that anyone reading this review who has not already seen the film will likely have to wait until 2012.

A young, foreign exchange student named Erin (Sharni Vinson) accompanies her college professor boyfriend Crispin (AJ Bowen) for his family reunion at their large house in the woods. Right away its apparent that this family doesn’t get along. When the family sits down for their first dinner together in years, the ensuing dialogue is as darkly comical as it is thick with tension, brimming with anger and rage brewing in a very shallow cup. The dinner scene sets up the family dynamic perfectly, where “dysfunctional” is an understatement.

Wingard and Barrett waste no time moving into the beef of the film, developing just enough back story to put the audience into place, allowing the viewer to fill in the blanks and piece together the mystery that unfolds during the ensuing carnage. YOU’RE NEXT features three unknown killers who crash the family dinner, all of whom wear animal Halloween masks: a fox, a sheep, and a tiger. The mask designs are simplistic but more real than cartoon, allowing the actors body language an increased level of creepiness, such as when a head is cocked, or even a long stare become far more frightening.

YOU’RE NEXT is primarily a home invasion horror flick, but also a black comedy. As the body count rises, the mystery slowly begins to unfold. Forced to take action where the family hesitates, Erin assumed the lead in the family’s struggle to survive, revealing at one point a simple unexpected explanation that perfectly sets her up as the strong female heroin we rarely see in cinema these days. Sharni Vinson proves herself as a starlet in the making for action and genre films, a goal she herself admits aspiring to in the Q&A that followed the screening. Vinson has all of the feminine bravado of ALIENS-era Sigourney Weaver combined with the capable damsel in distress quality of the HALLOWEEN-era Jamie Lee Curtis.

AJ Bowen’s and Joe Swanson‘s portrayal as rival brothers Crispin and Drake is sharp and biting, constantly at each others throats. Every line of dialogue Swanson utters is a gem, typically sarcastic, always judgmental and confrontational. Their mother Aubrey also stands out with a tremendous, emotionally charged supporting performance from Barbara Crampton. Rounding out the recognizable cast is a short, but noteworthy cameo role from filmmaker Ti West as Tariq, a role that serves as a genre wink, leading the dinner scene into the abrupt change of pace that holds for the remainder of the film.

YOU’RE NEXT is a great homage to slasher flicks and slapstick comedy (in the writer’s words, but I found the slapstick less apparent) but I also found connection to ’70s and ’80s era action cinema, from the strong heroin to the music for the film. In a similar sort of nostalgia, the creativity of the kills and style of violent choreography stood out as a major character in its own right, defining the fun-filled return of R-rated, in your face action/horror/comedy.

I normally do not subscribe to the hipness of using “OMG” but found the obnoxious acronym making numerous appearances in my mind while watching KLOVN, or CLOWN: THE MOVIE in English. Based on a popular Danish television series by the same creative force, the film fine tunes its awkwardly direct and unbelievable content to fit perfectly within a feature film.

CLOWN follows the antics of Frank (Frank Hvam) and Casper (Casper Christensen) as they embark on the “Tour de Pussy,” an annual pilgrimage to the estate of a wealthy man who hosts the best prostitutes from around the world for just on day of unforgettable debauchery. But, this is the story of their journey, not of the event itself. After Frank makes an utter mess of his relationship with Mia (Mia Lyhne) following some major, unexpected news. He joins Casper for a canoe trip down the river to the big event, but not without making a complete disaster of that as well.

Co-written by real-life comics Casper Christensen and Frank Hvam, and directed by Mikkel Norgaard, CLOWN pulls few punches and shies from even fewer taboos, but approaches the material with a distinctly European style. The film is a hilarious riot, but garners its laughs with subtle, brilliant tastelessness. Structurally, the film resembles THE HANGOVER, but with an ironically higher level of maturity. In many ways, CLOWN combines the vulgarity of this style of comedy with the awkwardness of THE OFFICE and the intelligence of Louis CK’s TV series LOUIE.

The key ingredient to the underlying story of CLOWN, is the young boy named Bo (Marcuz Jess Petersen) whom Frank uses catastrophically as a tool to prove to Mia he is a responsible man. Despite the crude nature of the comedy, CLOWN is actually a movie with a message, nearly invisible but present, as Frank gradually learns how to be a better man. Frank and Casper are polar opposite personalities, but work well together, like Abbott and Costello or Lucy and Desi. Both characters are accidents waiting to happen, walking magnets for things to go horribly wrong.

CLOWN real appeal comes from Frank’s misguided actions aren’t without good intentions, albeit microscopic, but are masked by his selfish nature, a trait he is entirely oblivious too. Casper’s relentless pathology for sex only exasperates the many gut-wrenching scenes, dragging Frank and Bo along with him through the muck and filth. There is a very clear and well choreographed chain reaction at play here, allowing the absurdity to play out naturally on screen.

It’s difficult to say whether CLOWN will get a theatrical release in the US, but my gut reaction is that you’re best chance of seeing this comedic gem will be on DVD and/or blu-ray. This actually makes me sad, as the film rivals, even exceeds, THE HANGOVER and other American films of this type. Fair warning goes out to those easily offended, as CLOWN raises the shock bar higher than we’ve seen in American cinema, yet does so with a much more candid, more easily digestible formula to swallow.

Well, it ‘s past Labor Day and it’s time for the older adults to head back to the multiplex. Usually this signals the time for those big Oscar-bait dramas, but here’s a genteel comedy for the married with kids set-those hungover frat boys will just have to wait for next Summer’s party flicks. Arriving in cinemas now is Douglas McGrath’s (EMMA) adaptation (along with 27 DRESSES screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna) of Allison Pearson’s book I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT. Well I’m not giving anything away (thanks to the TV spots and trailers) when I tell you that movie shows how she does do somethings and can’t fully do others. Guess it would be a pretty short flick if everything turned out perfect!

The film’s focus is wife, mother, and career woman Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker). She’s doing her best to juggle her responsibilities st the office and home. She devotes many hours to the job while traveling across the country for some sort of financial consulting firm (one of the film’s main gags is that no one outside her office knows exactly what she does). Kate’s got a demanding, sometimes befuddled boss (Kelsey Grammar), a goal-oriented single young assistant (Olivia Munn), and a snarky competing co-worker (Seth Meyers) who tries to sabotage her at every chance. On the home front she tries to make time for her working hubby Richard (Greg Kinnear), pre-schooler Ben, and grade-schooler Emily. Thankfully Kate is helped considerably by their nanny Paula (Jessica Szohr) and best pal, single mom Allison (Christina Hendricks) while deflecting the disdainful stares of ‘mom-ster’ Wendy (Busy Phillips). Kate’s busy Boston life is further complicated when one of her proposals attracts the attention of Wall Street guru Jack Abelhammer (Pierce Brosnsan). The many hours spent brainstorming with Jack puts a strain on her relationship with Richard and disrupts their winter holiday plans. And it looks like Jack’s interest in Kate may be going past the professional and into the personal. The question may not be how she does it but whether she can survive it.

This film covers a lot of the subject matter that TV (cable and network) have been dealing with for many years. Beside a top flight movie star cast this movie really doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The wintry East Coast settings are lovely, but McGrath has trouble with the pacing. I was surprised at the short running time as the lights went up. McGrath  also employs a couple of film techniques that don’t totally mesh with the film. He uses documentary type interviews with the characters who talk about their dealings with Kate. At other times Kate breaks the fourth wall, suspending time in order to step forward and confide her feelings. We even get to see a flash forward fantasy CNN-style news report in which Kate’s school bake sale fiasco was the reason future adult Emily went on a killing spree. As for the actors, we may as well start with Kate played by SJP (as the tabloids call her). She seems to be entering a more mature phase of her career, going from the girlfriend, rom-com heroine and into the mother roles. Still there are still glimpses of her former characters. Kate is almost Carrie Bradshaw with the sex replaced by Lucy Ricardo-slapstick. Head lice joes… really? She alternates between being  flustered and floundering with more than a little exhaustion. Kinnear’s doing his cute, decent guy thing once more. I kind of miss that old smarmy charm in movies like MYSTERY MEN. Brosnan starts as the cold businessmen who warms after spending time with Kate, He’s another cliche of the perfect romantic older man-he has been married (if he were still single he might be gay!) but he’s not been tainted by divorce, for he’s a noble widower. It takes Kate to open up that heart once more. Uh-huh. Two of the supporting players truly do get to shine. Munn lights up the screen as the upwardly mobile assistant whose life plans gets thrown a curve. And Meyers builds on the screen smarm that Kinnear used to have and brings lots of energy to his role as the “Designated Office A*%#@^e”. The other actors don’t fare nearly as well. Hendricks (so great on TV’s Mad Men) only gets to smile supportively at Kate and sing her praises to an unseen interviewer. Phillips and Jane Curtin as a stereotypical mother-in-law act witchy and Grammar’s ster, but clueless. McGrath has assembled a terrific cast. It’s a shame that they are regulated to some of the sitcom shenanigans in this safe, unoffensive bit of fluff.

Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

We all know what happens when aliens show up in the rural backwoods of the Midwest, but why have aliens only been interested in probing Americans? Writer and director Joe Cornish decided that needs to change. ATTACK THE BLOCK presents one idea of what it would be like if aliens arrived in an urban, inner city setting in London, but it’s not the typical fare you might expect.

Cornish, who has recently made his mark as a screenwriter of upcoming films THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN and ANT-MAN, now makes a substantial mark on the science-fiction genre with this little alien film that could… could possibly make you laugh and cheer, that is. ATTACK THE BLOCK has the makings of a cult sensation, a nostalgic good time film to be revisited year after year, like that of THE MONSTER SQUAD or GOONIES.

The story follows a small gang of teenagers in South London as they discover an alien. Quick to react with youthful curiosity and recklessness, the teens beat the floppy-limbed, big-headed alien creature – oddly resembling a disproportionately skewed Muppet – to its inevitable death, dragging it back to their building to show it off. This ultimately proves to be a big mistake.

ATTACK THE BLOCK is a film with multiple layers. The obvious layer, we’ll call this the frosting, is the alien invasion layer, whereas extraterrestrial creatures on Earth terrorize the inhabitants of one apartment building in South London. From this, we get the beginnings of a science-fiction story and the underpinnings of a fun-filled scary movie with plenty of jumps and startles, chases and man versus creature violence. But, just beneath the frosting is the cake, a richly flavored social commentary that is light and palatable.

While the premise of a film tackling the plight of inner city teens, gang culture and race relations may sound too dense to swallow, Cornish manages to construct this in a way that keeps ATTACK THE BLOCK fluffy and refreshing, while still satisfyingly spicy with a combination of terror and humor. The moral message remains hidden in the shadows, lurking around the corners, overshadowed by the intensely black, shadowy alien beasts that are hunting down anyone who came in contact with the less intimidating alien the teens pummeled to death.

The biggest name in the cast of ATTACK THE BLOCK is Nick Frost (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, PAUL) who has a relatively small but enjoyable supporting role as Ron, a somewhat out of place co-inhabitant of the local drug dealer Hi-Hatz’ crib, whom the main character of the film are friendly with. Hi-Hatz, on the other hand, serves primarily as another obstacle in the road for Moses (John Boyega) and his teen gang as they struggle to survive and find a way to defeat the alien creatures. Having two antagonists in the film gives the story more depth.

ATTACK THE BLOCK is unique, but draws on familiarity. For me, the film takes all that made THE MONSTER SQUAD and GOONIES fun and exciting, then combined it with the dark, frightening charm of Jim Henson, a la LABYRINTH. The alien beasts hunting the teens are pitch black, covered in long spiky quill-like hairs and intimidate the viewer with luminescent eyes and massive sharp teeth that glow in the dark. Sounds creepy, right? Add to this the fascination I had with the fact that these creatures were not computer generated, but rather old school guys in monster suits, and you have one very happy genre fan!

Cornish enlists the well-respected movement coach Terry Notary (PLANET OF THE APES, AVATAR) as the creature, making the effects come to life on screen. Its refreshing to see a well-made creature feature, notably influenced by John Carpenter’s THE THING and the ALIEN films, that intentionally avoids CGI. The effect is an entirely more intimate and spine-chilling atmosphere, a better sense of actually being there, in the moment, and a textural void that is filled that the excessive detail of most CGI creature design rarely manages to properly fill.

The language of ATTACK THE BLOCK may seem intimidating on the surface, not from an overuse of profanity, but from the incorporation of actual dialect and slang used in South London, giving the film a bit of authenticity and added cultural relevance. If you find yourself experiencing this difficulty early in the film, stick with it and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the story. Surprisingly, this will pass. Much like watching A CLOCKWORK ORANGE for the first time, while in English, the foreign dialect and slang can be confusing if you try and read too much into it, but ultimately all makes sense. Remember that movies are primarily a visual medium, so when a film is well-made, the dialogue is supported by what we see on screen. Cornish proves that he is clearly aware of this.

ATTACK THE BLOCK has thrills, great old school creature effects and humor, but the character development is possibly the most accomplished aspect of the film. Cornish allows his cast of teen characters to evolve from immature, typical teenagers into responsible, heroic figures. This is not just a genre film for fans of science-fiction and horror, but also a reasonably accessible family film, in the sense that the entire span of the teenage spectrum can relate to and appreciate the story while having a good time in the process.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In a Summer that’s been filled to the brim by all manner of rampant comedies going overboard with barrages of profanity and scatological excesses in their bid to capture the audience that made THE HANGOVER ( including it’s own sequel ) a box office bonanza, it’s refreshing to sit down to a funny film that relies more on well written situations and characters played by some of the most talented and charming actors working in motion picture and television comedy today. The film in question is Jesse Peretz’s OUR IDIOT BROTHER, Don’t be put off by the title-it’s one movie that doesn’t insult the audience’s intelligence.

That title refers to Ned played by Paul Rudd. Ned could almost be the more honest, naive, sweet-natured kid brother of the Dude ( Jeff Bridges’s icon of THE BIG LEBOWSKI ). We first encounter Ned as he’s arrested at his local farmers’ market for selling pot to a uniformed ( yes, uniformed ) cop. After an extended stay at the old grey bar hotel, courtesy of the state of New York , Ned returns to the organic farm he shared with his “old lady” Janet ( Kathryn Hahn, Rudd’s co-star from ANCHORMAN and HOW DO YOU KNOW ). She’s moved on, running the farm with new ” old man” Billy ( T.J. Miller from YOGI BEAR ). What’s worse is that she denies Ned access to his true, great love-a big, shaggy retriever named ” Willie Nelson”. The dejected Ned returns to his boyhood home where Mom ( Shirley Knight ) has gathered his three sisters for a big welcome home celebration. When the ladies leave they tell Ned that he’s welcome to drop in on them in NYC. He decides to do just that in his quest to earn enough money to buy a chicken farm. He picks up odd jobs while disrupting the lives of his three sisters. There’s Miranda ( Elizabeth Banks, Rudd’s co-star from THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN and ROLE MODELS ) a single woman climbing the ladder as a feature writer at a Vanity Fair-type magazine while flirting with her cute neighbor ( Adam Scott from TV’s “Party Down” and “Parks and Recreations”). Sister Natalie ( ELF’s Zooey Deschanel ) is an aspiring stand-up comic and model who shares a big loft with her partner, lawyer Cindy ( Rashida Jones, Rudd’s co-star from I LOVE YOU MAN ) and several roomies. Finally there’s Liz ( CARS 2′s Emily Mortimer ) married to documentary film maker Dylan ( THE TRIP’s Steve Coogan ) and raising an infant while trying to get their young son Max accepted into an exclusive private school. After bringing Ned into their homes, the lives of these ladies will never be the same.

Well, how do I begin spreading the praise? Best to start with the director. Peretz keeps things moving briskly with a light touch. He also worked on the inventive script with his own sister,Evgenia and David Schisgall. I must also send kudos to the director ( and the casting department ) for assembling this fantastic group of actors. Banks is terrific as the no-nonsense, ambitious career women who finds that her job may depend on her goofball sibling. Deschanel exudes her usual pixie charm even when she is tempted by a hunky painter ( Hugh Darcy ). Mortimer’s very endearing as a mom who’s just gotten another project to juggle in her life. She’d have plenty on her plate if she just had her hubby. Is there another actor out there that plays boorish, pompous, arrogant, cretins to perfection like Mr. Coogan? Tip a’ the hat to Sterling Brown from TV’s “Army Wives” as Ned’s exasperated prole officer Omar. Hahn is able to make Janet a tough-as-nails hippie earth-mother who pushes Ned aside while intimidating the even more laid back Miller. As good as they are all, the movie belongs to the charming, endearing, loveably goofy Rudd. He’s been wonderful for years as a great supporting player in comedies going back to 1995′s CLUELESS as Alecia Silverston’s stepbrother to TV’s “Friends” as Phoebe’s great love to recently becoming part of the “Frat-pack” with ANCHORMAN and Judd Apatow’s rep company with KNOCKED UP. Ned is such a gentle soul, that we keep rooting for him to get his act together. I mentioned Ned owing a bit to “the Dude”, but there’s another inspiration. During a scene set in Ned’s childhood bedroom I noticed a familiar face in a poster mounted on the wall-the late, great Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. Later Ned introduces his nephew Max to the joys of the great star of Blake Edwards’s Pink Panther movie series. Actually Ned and Clouseau have quite a bit in common. While the inspector destroys fancy mansions ( ” That’s a priceless Steinway!” ” Not anymore.” ) and police investigations. Ned enters the scenes and makes a shambles of careers and relationships. But as we hope for Clouseau to solve the crime, we want to see Ned return to his roots and be reunited with his beloved ” Willie Nelson “. I look forward to many more Paul Rudd starring motion pictures.

The movie’s rated R for the talk of drug use ( Ned loves his herbs ), brief nudity ( a few seconds of a bare backside), and very mild profanity. It’s almost an old Disney comedy compared to the nonstop F-bomb dropping in many recent flicks ( I’m looking at you, THE CHANGE-UP! ). I’d say that OUR IDIOT BROTHER along with the coarser, but still clever BRIDESMAIDS are the funniest films of the the year. You know for a movie about an idiot, it’s pretty darned smart!

Overall Rating: Five Out of Five stars

4 years ago, I attended a screening of SUPERBAD the day it came out. Immediately after that screening, I was inspired. The film was a series of long conversations. The story had been done a million times. But it worked because the dialogue was brilliant and everyone could relate to the characters. I have been a fan of CLERKS. & Kevin Smith for years prior to this but something just clicked. It had gone mainstream. So I started thinking about what the simplest idea for a story could be that would showcase the characters and the dialogue. I immediately came up with the age old idea of people stuck in a room. I began to realize that this was actually something I could do so I started working on the idea. A week later I started writing the script. 6 months later we started shooting. A year and a half after that, we premiered at our first film festival and went home with Audience Choice Comedy. And now, exactly 4 years after the idea was born, the film is now available for free online. Watch it. Enjoy it. And get inspired!

If you like the film and would like to help out, you can make a donation of $1 or more right HERE. As a token of appreciation, everyone who contributes will received access to nearly 10 hours of bonus features including deleted scenes, a feature length making of, behind the scenes videos, a commentary track and more. You can also help out by purchasing a t-shirt from DIRECTOR’S CAMEO. Several of the shirts featured in the film are available on that site, as well many more shirts designed specifically for filmmakers, movie geeks & pop culture junkies.

Now that it is finally available, what did you think of the film?

Jerry Cavallaro – JerryCavallaro.com

Shorts Program 6: Comedy Shorts includes 11 individual short films of various comical style, for a total running time of 80 minutes. Played consecutively, these films offer a broad and entertaining showcase for independent comedy filmmakers in the St. Louis area.

FLUFF (4 minutes)

Directed by Anthony Meadows and shot by Tim Bowe, FLUFF is an awesome action-mystery-thriller ode to all the kick ass genres of cinema. The comedy is inherent, as the film is cast entirely with colorful, handmade puppets. The central character, a stuffed bear, meets up with a stuffed horse named Lewis (voiced by Tim Gowan) about a strange black disc (a button). As they flee from danger together through the woods, they run into a freaky shot-out stuffed bear-thing named Martin (voiced by Tyler Meadows), who joins them in a violent fight to the death with two sock monkeys seeking the black disc. Carnage ensues, culminating in an open-ended “what happens next” moment. The marionette-style animation of these puppets lends to the cheesy goodness of unmoving mouths and occasionally visible fishing lines controlling the puppets movements. Those who like TEAM AMERICA, MEET THE FEEBLES, or Triumph the Insult Comic Dog will probably eat FLUFF up with a spoon.

BLOODFEST CLUB: DOWN ON THE FARM (7 minutes)

BLOODFEST CLUB: DOWN ON THE FARM is a short, comedic documentary on the making of the trailer for THE BLOODFEST CLUB, a brilliantly obvious horror-comedy hybrid with a certain John Hughes influence that is planned for production in 2012. Directed by Ken Calcaterra, this behind-the-scenes glimpse sets the mood by opening into a Benny Hill frenzy of high-speed filmmaking antics, set to quick tempo banjo music, which transitions abruptly to a heavy metal title. The film interviews the various cast and crew members, more than willing to share the ever-present abundance of indie-horror production war stories and battle scars. On the flip side, the support given the filmmakers from their community is addressed as well. This is a great opportunity to be entertained, while also learning about the exciting, and sometimes dangerous, lives of local indie filmmakers… and about the dangers of working with gerbils.

BOOM BOOM (8 minutes)

Larry and Terry Ziegelman co-wrote and co-directed BOOM BOOM, a dark comedy short about two friends who bump into each other over coffee. Ahmed (Karthik Srinivasan) sits nervously by himself when the loud and obnoxious Jamal (Behzad Dabu) recognizes him and imposes on his solitary coffee. Once Ahmed finally acknowledges Jamal as a friend, the film slips into absurdity hyper-drive, placing the two characters’ serious business of being Jihad suicide bombers on public display, making no effort to conceal their sinister purpose. The film is a, unapologetic satirical mocking of the rules and culture of Muslim extremists, with Ahmed and Jamal delaying each other as they debate and fantasize about what will be waiting for them on the other side, oblivious to the world around them. BOOM BOOM is either hilarious, or highly offensive, depending on your outlook, but the goal is to make us laugh, a goal at which the film succeeds.

GREENTHUMB (3 minutes)

GREENTHUMB was written and directed by Curtis C. Craig, and shot and edited by Daniel Parris, who also had his feature-length documentary GIVE A DAMN? premiere during this year’s St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase. The short film plays mostly as a montage, with a man going through his daily motions of hydrating himself, then hydrating the lawn, inadvertently discovering a novel solution for sustainable gardening. As the viewer, once you get past the baffling question of why this man chooses to do what he does, the film becomes a sort of parable for setting an example for others. I know, it sounds like a stretch, but what I took away from viewing this short film was a light, humorous approach to conveying a rather simple, environmental message.

HELP WANTED (3 minutes)

Another short film written, directed, produced and edited by Ken Calcaterra, HELP WANTED is a silly silent comedy about a stoner dude trying to get a job at an ice cream shop. His hopes of free ice cream are repeatedly dashed when the young female clerk refuses to consider his proposal, but the man persists. One ridiculous attempt after another, from a hand-written resume to the most lavishly lame disguises, the film finally comes to a conclusion. There will be some who undoubtedly enjoy HELP WANTED, but the juvenile humor just isn’t my taste. If this is something you’re into, then by all means enjoy the show!

IT’S A SYMBOL (16 minutes)

A man named Maximus (Steve Gibbons) walks into a grocery store. Queue the lavish orchestral music as Maximus selects a single red rose. IT’S A SYMBOL, directed by Jamie Koogler, follows two actors’ tedious and nerve-racking wait for this rose to finally die. Maximus is an annoying, overly energetic ham. On the other hand, Stacy (Dawn Davis) is the dead serious, pretentious type who demands the rose be dead, as a symbol for her character’s mental state. These two acting partners quibble and bicker back and forth like an episode of The Honeymooners or I Love Lucy, struggling to work together on their scenes. IT’S A SYMBOL plays like a soap opera, if the soap opera was cast by Saturday Night Live hopefuls. As silly as the premise is, silly as in Curb Your Enthusiasm, the film works as a throwback to ’80s era sitcoms. Maybe it’s just my interpretation, but it makes the craziness of the film enjoyable.

LIVE BY THE SWORD (14 minutes)

Written and directed by Stephen Jones, LIVE BY THE SWORD begins with Dale (Matt Wills) sitting at home with a plate of nachos, watching TV when an infomercial for discount swords catches his fancy. Dale is a geek, nothing wrong with that. His t-shirt that reads “Shakespeare Hates Your EMO Poems” tells us he’s not bashful about his geekness. The samurai sword arrives in the mail and thus begins Dale’s creatively destructive adventure. He gets carried away, using the sword in ways it was never intended, and taking it with him to inappropriate places. Like so many stereotypical trigger-happy, gun-loving ’70s era Dirty Harry characters, his sword fills the absense of a female companion in Dale’s life, until he meets Natalie (Kelly Nienaltowski), a woman with similar interests. On a purely technical front, LIVE BY THE SWORD suffers from a number of poorly lit night scenes, making parts of the film difficult to watch properly, otherwise the film is a fun, quirky boy-meets-girl story with a delightful touch of MALLRATS at the end.

MUGGED (5 minutes)

Director Andrew Saunders’ short film MUGGED begins with a creepy through-the-knot-hole shot of someone watching, as a man walks by, busy talking on his cell phone. The man becomes the victim of a mugger, but what becomes excrutiatingly apparent, however, is that the mugger may be the true victom… of a Cable Guy type of unlikely stalker, who follows the mugger everywhere, believing he and the mugger are now friends. The man is an annoying, rude and clueless combination of Jerry Lewis and Kevin James, ultimately leading to a likely and anticlimatic ending. The film is enjoyable, but doesn’t do quite enough to make itself as original as it could have been. MUGGED stars Josh Wibbenmeyer and Jordan Bowlin.

ROBBERS (8 minutes)

Written, directed and edited by Nick Young, ROBBERS screams slapstick right from the start. The two robbers (David Appelbaum and Hubby Clark) exhibit the same level of skill as Harry and Marv from the HOME ALONE films. As it turns out, ROBBERS is very much like the HOME ALONE movies in this sense, except for the hero. Instead of a smart-mouther little kid, the robbers must deal with a drunk man (Devin Penn) whose wife left him for his best friend and has nothing to lose. It’s a nice twist, but not a terribly massive leap from the obvious inspiration. One thing ROBBERS has going for it is a witty, adolescent yet adult sense of humor that comes through in the dialogue. I enjoyed the film for what it is, which is purely meant to be popcorn humor, an adult take on a familiar family comedy.

TIEUR EMBUSQUE (6 minutes)

Alternately titled “Sniper,” this black and white short film starts out peaceful, shot to evoke a serene feeling, complete with relaxing music and cutaway shots of pretty flowers gently swaying in the wind. A man (Jeffrey Glickman) removes a bag from the trunk of his car and takes a stroll through a park full of people enjoying themselves. No one seems to notice that his bag looks suspiciously like a gun case and that he appears to be headed straight for a tower in the center of the park. The music gradually takes a decidedly darker turn as the man ascends the tower stairs, a segment of the film I particularly enjoyed for it’s Hitchcockian visual flair. Even the composition of frames takes on a slight influence of German silent horror as the story reaches its climax. The tension slowly builds until the agonizing, unbearably brutal conclusion assaults the viewer as well as the innocents in the park. Co-directors Jordan Oakes and Hal Scharf take a simple premise and run with it, creating a cinematically strong film that bends the rules of traditional comedy, with an added twist at the end.

THE WORLD CHAMPIONS (7 minutes)

Two slackers with no muscial talent jamming out until one of the slackers’ parents return home. This is how THE WORLD CHAMPIONS begins, with these two daydreaming losers fantasizing about “when they make it big.” All of that changes while surfing the Internet for possible band names when they stumble upon the world champion apple pie eater. Suddenly, their delusions shift from becoming rock stars to setting a world record, believing this will reward them with respect, money and babes. They set out on a series of attempts to break a world record, any record they can, with fame in their eyes. From fastest time running a 100-yard dash, to most spin kicks to a tree in 20 seconds. After going through countless failed attempts, they have a mutual epiphany. THE WORLD CHAMPIONS was directed by and stars Matt Basler and Train Mayer, evoking Justin Long and John Belushi in their appearance and personalities.

Shorts Program 6, Comedy Shorts will screen during the 2011 Stella Artois St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase at 9:30PM on Tuesday, August 16th at the Tivoli Theatre.