Indie Film Journal

La RONDE director: Max Ophuls; starring: Simone Signoret, Simone Simon, Danielle Darrieux, Anton Wallbrook

I approached “La Ronde” with some trepidation because although I consider myself a film know-it-all, I do not in any fashion think of myself a connoisseur. The truth is I’m this shy of being a bumpkin, and worse, I’m a bumpkin set in my ways. So the words subtitles, cinema, auteur, neo-realism  leaves  me shaking in my fish-waders. Continue Reading »

BLACK HOLLYWOOD: BLAXPLOITATION AND ADVANCING AN INDEPENDENT BLACK CINEMA – director: Howard Johnson

It is with a great degree of embarrassment that I admit that up until very recently, I didn’t even know that the documentary Black Hollywood: Blaxploitation and Advancing an Independent Black Cinema existed. Having produced my own documentary on the subject, published a magazine dedicated to the subject, co-authored a book on the subject, and having worked on other projects for other people, all revolving around black films of the 1970s, it seems ridiculous that I knew nothing of Black Hollywood. It also seems equally ridiculous that in years of research, and with countless conversations and interviews conducted, not a single person ever mentioned this movie. It was as if it never existed. But here it is, newly released on DVD, after what I can only imagine has been a long time of existing in a limbo of barely remembered films. Continue Reading »

STAR TREK – director: J. J. Abrams; starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Leonard Nimoy, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin

My original review of the new Star Trek, director J. J. Abrams’ seemingly ill-advised attempt to relaunch a franchise that has become an integral part of world culture, consisted of only two words. Those words were “fuck” and “yeah.” Some people might question the validity of a review that simply said, “fuck yeah,” but that was the first coherent thought running through my head after the initial punch-you-in-the-face-to get-your-adrenaline-pumping opening sequence of Star Trek. Fuck yeah. Continue Reading »

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE – director: Gavin Hood; starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston

There was a time in my life when I thought the Chuck Norris movie Missing in Action 2: The Beginning was a great film. Of course, that was back in 1985, when it first came out, and my cinematic tastes were far from fully developed. The reason I’m sharing this bit of information about myself is because I think it’s important to note that there was a time when I liked certain movies, simply because I didn’t know enough to realize that they kinda sucked. Which is why I feel confident in saying that there was a time when, in all likelihood, when I would have really liked X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But that time, for better or worse, has long since passed; meaning that years from now I will never have to look back and say, “Man, I can’t believe I actually thought Wolverine was good,” the same way I now look back at Missing in Action 2 and say, “What the fuck was I thinking?” That is, unless of course, I don’t look back years from now and suddenly see some sort of cinematic genius in X-Men Origins: Wolverine that now eludes me. It could happen; but honestly dear friends, I highly doubt it will. Continue Reading »

TALES OF ORDINARY MADNESS - director: Marco Ferreri; starring: Ben Gazzara, Ornella Muti, Susan Tyrell

The work of writer Charles Bukowski can, most assuredly, be an acquired taste. Bukowski was best know for his raw, often brutal, largely autobiographical narratives involving alcoholism and womanizing, written with such uncompromising honesty that some people often mistake is for misogynistic nihilism. The truth, however, is that Bukowski was an incredible writer haunted by personal demons and addictions, who seemed more comfortable fraternizing with society’s underbelly and never straying too far from the working class. This is what he largely wrote about, and he wrote about it exceptionally well, beautifully crafting words to describe the grime and decay that can eat away at a person’s soul. And while Bukowski’s work makes for some of my favorite reading, his work has yet to be adequately captured on film. Continue Reading »

SPLINTER – director: Toby Wilkins; starring: Shea Whigham, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Wagner, Rachel Kerbs

The concept is about as basic as it gets: a small number of people, taking refuge from an outside force that threatens them. Agatha Christie used a variation of the formula in her classic mystery And Then There Were None (a.k.a Ten Little Indians), Alfred Hitchcock used differing versions of the formula in both The Birds and Rear Window, and most famously in the world of horror, it has been used in everything from Night of the Living Dead to Alien to The Thing. Sure, by now it isn’t exactly the most original premise, but if it is done right, especially under the guise of the horror genre, it can make for a damn entertaining movie. At the same time, when this time-proved concept is done poorly, the result is a laughable hodge podge of tired clichés and predictable conventions. And because this concept is so simple, it is easy for some less talented filmmakers to delude themselves into thinking that following the Night of the Living Dead model will be easy, when in fact, it can be the kiss of death. Continue Reading »

SPECIAL – directors: Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore: starring: Michael Rapaport

George Romero’s 1977 film Martin remains one of the greatest vampire movies of all time. A brooding deconstruction of the genre and mythology of vampires, Martin raised the burning question of whether or not the title character was really a blood-thirsty monster, or just a very crazy young man. If in fact Martin (John Amplas) was a vampire, then the film stripped away all the magic and superstition surrounding the supernatural creatures, making them sad and mundane creatures that lead lives of lonely desperation. But if the antagonist in Romero’s film was not an 84 year old blood-sucker, then he was merely a disturbed kid who happened to be a serial killer. And while Romero himself has clearly stated his intention, the film is vague enough that it can be interpreted either way, which is what makes it genius. That same level of thought-provoking genre deconstruction can be found in co-writers and co-directors Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore’s Special. Continue Reading »

NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN – director: Irvin Kershner; starring: Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Kim Basinger, Barbara Carrera, Bernie Casey

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Never Say Never Again, the 1983 James Bond film that marked the return of Sean Connery, but was not part of the actual Bond franchise that had started back in 1962 with Dr. No. That same year saw the release of Octopussy starring Roger Moore, which represented, at least at the time, the worst of the Albert Broccoli produced Bond films. Octopussy was so bad that when Never Say Never Again was released a few months later, it seemed brilliant. The best Bond movie ever. But twenty-six years later, released as a “special edition” DVD to coincide with the release of Quantum of Solace, and without the stench of Ocotpussy making it smell like a bed of roses, it seemed like a good time to revisit Never Say Never Again. Continue Reading »

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. Continue Reading »

ROLE MODELS – director: David Wain; starring: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb’e J. Thompson, Elizabeth Banks

There are people who will no doubt not like Role Models, deeming it, as one of my school teachers used to call me, “rude, crude and socially unacceptable.” Well, the truth of the matter is that I am rude, crude and socially unacceptable. I scoff at political correctness and the delicate sensibilities of others as my brow hangs defiantly low. And while all of that may lend itself to why I enjoyed Role Models so much, the real reason is, quite simply, that Role Models is a very funny movie. Continue Reading »