Indie Film Journal

PLANET B-BOY - director: Benson Lee

You would think that between The Freshest Kids and Inside the Circle that there would be no need for another documentary about b-boying, or breakdancing as it’s more commonly known. The Freshest Kids is a great documentary that traces the history of b-boying, while the equally impressive Inside the Circle examines the impact b-boy culture has had on young men in Austin, Texas. But the story that these two films just begins to explore is the global impact of b-boy culture, and how it has played out all over the world. And that’s where director Benson Lee’s Planet B-Boy comes in, joining the mix of inspiring documentaries about the effect breakdancing has had on the world. Read More…

Posted under documentary

IN HELL - director: Ringo Lam; starring Jean-Claude Van Damme

When it comes to prison exploitation movies where the hero is forced to fight to stay alive, slugging it out against other inmates in brutal gladiatorial matches, there are no better films that Jamaa Fanaka’s classic Penitentiary trilogy. Between those three films, you pretty much get everything you could ever hope to have in a prison movie—and even things you didn’t know you wanted in a prison movie—making the Penitentiary films the stick by which all others must be measured. In fact, Fanaka’s films are so brilliant, and cover so much territory, everything that has followed in their wake seems like a rip-off. Undisputed and Undisputed 2? Total rip offs of Penitentiary. And while it may not be a total rip-off, director Ringo Lam’s In Hell, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, really should have a special thanks to Fanaka in the credits, because nearly every great moment in this movie comes from his films. Read More…

Posted under action, exploitation

WORKING CLASS ROCK STAR - director: Justin McConnell

There are plenty of documentaries out there about life in the music industry that paint it as a not too pleasant place to be. Tales of sex and drugs, with a bit of rock-n-roll, and an equal dose of death and rehab have become so commonplace that they can almost be seen as cliché. And certainly they should be seen as cautionary tales, or grim reminders of the dangers that lie in wait for anyone foolish enough to pursue the life of a rocker. But for some reason, despite the fact that much if VH-1’s programming is dedicated to spelling out all the dangers of a life in rock-n-roll, there are still people who want to live the life of a rock star—or at least the life of a rock star as defined by VH-1 and MTV. Read More…

Posted under documentary

PUNISHER: WAR ZONE - director: Lexi Alexander; starring: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Colin Salmon

Really, when you stop and think about it, there really isn’t a character better suited for an easy transition from the comic book page to the movie screen than Marvel’s Punisher. Loaded down with enough fire power to stop an army, decked out in a black outfit emblazoned with a skull, and no super powers other than the ability to kill criminals, the Punisher is about as no-frills as comic book characters get. There’s no convincing a movie audience he can fly, or that he transforms into a giant green monster, or that he has enhanced strength from being bitten by a spider. But despite the simplicity of the character, the last two attempts at bringing the Punisher to life—an idiotic 1988 adaptation starring Dolph Lundgren and an even more abysmal 2004 version starring Thomas Jane—have ranked among the more craptacular comic book movies. And those two miserable failures are either enough to make you wonder why anyone would make another Punisher movie, or give you cynical hope that at least there’s nowhere to go but up. Read More…

Posted under action, comic book, crime

WANTED - director: Timur Bekmambetov; starring: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman

For the record, just so there is no misunderstanding whatsoever, I don’t have a problem with over-the-top action films that deliver excessive violence while shortchanging the audience on anything that even resembles intelligence. In fact, I really like those movies, as evidenced by my fondness for the first Transporter, Shoot ‘Em Up and a whole host of other flicks that go heavy with the action, but exceptionally light on the brains. But even I have my limits, and have found myself throwing my hands up in frustration when something is simply too stupid. Yes, I know, these movies are supposed to be fun. But sometimes these movies aren’t fun. Sometimes they are painful experiences that fail to entertain, while managing to infuriate and rob you of the precious moments you spent watching this insipid bullshit. And that’s what Wanted is. Read More…

Posted under action, comic book, science fiction, unwatchable crap

WHITE DOG - director: Sam Fuller; starring: Paul Winfield, Kristy McNichol, Burl Ives

If there was ever a film I thought would never see the light of day on DVD, it would have to be director Sam Fuller’s White Dog. Regarded by many as one of the most controversial films of all time—unwarranted hyperbolic exaggeration if there ever was any—White Dog has languished, practically unreleased since its production in 1982. Since that time it has had a relatively insignificant theatrical release overseas, while never enjoying a legitimate home video release in the United States. It has also become something of an urban myth, creating around it a sense of cinematic taboo usually reserved for films like Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust or Michael and Roberta Findlay’s Snuff. Read More…

Posted under drama

THE PERFECT HOLIDAY - director: Lance Rivera; starring: Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Faizon Love, Charlie Murphy, Katt Williams, Queen Latifah, Terrence Howard

There is an undeniable disparity between mainstream films (those films produced for a largely white audience), and those movies produced primarily for an African-American audience. That’s not to say that mainstream movies aren’t insipidly insulting the intelligence of the audience, because Hollywood certainly cranks out more than its fair share of stupid shit. But for every moronic movie catered to a mainstream audience, there are intelligent films to counterbalance the dumb garbage. In terms of holiday fare, for every The Santa Clause 3 there are films like It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street and Die Hard. But when it comes to lighthearted holiday fare targeted towards a black audience, for every steaming turd like The Perfect Holiday you have absolutely nothing. Read More…

Posted under comedy, family, romance, unwatchable crap, urban

CONFESSIONS OF A PIT FIGHTER - director: Art Camacho; starring: Armand Assante, James Russo, Flavor Flav, Hector Echavarria

There are some movies, when you watch them, you can’t help but feel you’ve seen them before. That’s because these particular movies are hackneyed jumbles of tired clichés and predictable stories that have already been told time and time again. Once in a while these films manage to at the very least be mildly entertaining, even if it’s in a so-bad-it-is-good kind of way. But when a film doesn’t even manage to be that—when it is entirely predictable and equally engaging—then you’re saddled with something that may not exactly be crap, but by the same measure isn’t close to be good. And that’s what you have with Confessions of a Pit Fighter. Read More…

Posted under action, martial arts, unwatchable crap

STONE - director: Sandy Harbutt; starring: Ken Shorter, Sandy Harbutt

The low-budget American biker flick came into its own in the 1960s, and with a few exceptions, was pretty much played out by the end of the decade. Easy Rider is considered to be the crowning achievement in the genre—a transformative bit of filmmaking that managed to turned an otherwise exploitative flick into art. After Easy Rider, biker flicks in America quickly gave way to other types of B-movies, but in Australia, in the early 1970s, one of the best biker films of all time was just getting ready to come out. Produced, directed, co-written by and starring Sandy Harbutt, Stone, while not nearly as well known in America, remains a seminal entry in the biker genre. Read More…

Posted under action, crime, drama

VICE - director: Raul Sanchez Inglis; Starring: Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Mykelti Williamson, Mark Boone Junior

It takes the culmination of many factors to make a truly great movie, but it only takes one thing to make a truly bad movie. That one thing, of course, is the script. If a script is bad, there is no chance at all—as in none—that a movie will ever be any good. It doesn’t matter if the cast is good, the direction competent, the cinematography and the editing all up to par, if the script sucks, so too shall the film itself. And that’s the problem with Vice. Read More…

Posted under action, crime, unwatchable crap