“Pirate Radio/The Boat That Rocked”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Hands down, the feel good movie of the year! Before Howard Stern, and even before Wolfman Jack, a band of rogue deejays rocked the airwaves. In 1966, at the height of the British Invasion, rock and roll was only allowed to be played on British radio stations for barely two hours a week. The only way people in the U.K. could listen to rock or pop music was by tuning into pirate radio stations broadcasting from boats just off the coast of Britain in the North Sea. In Pirate Radio, previously released as The Boat That Rocked, earlier this year in the U.K., writer/director Richard Curtis tells a fictional story based on the true events of Britain’s rock and roll revolution. Broadcasting live 24/7 from an old tanker turned makeshift radio station, anchored just outside British jurisdiction, is a band of misfit deejays known as Radio Rock.

The story begins when Young Carl is sent by his mother to the ship known as Radio Rock, to spend time with his godfather Quentin, the owner of the radio station, who is played by the always brilliant Bill Nighy. It’s very much a coming of age story, and I think the British equivalent to Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. Once on board, Young Carl meets the motley crew of deejays. There’s The Count, the flagship American deejay that is constantly pushing the envelope and crossing the line, masterfully portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. There’s the always charismatic, and at times narcissistic Doctor Dave, played by the extremely funny Nick Frost. Another familiar face is that of Flight of the Concords’ manager Brian, actor Rhys Darby, who plays the self proclaimed funny man Angus “the nut” Nutsford. Even though all the faces may not be familiar, this is truly an all-star cast. Each performance is so masterfully executed that you can’t help but feel the authenticity of this film. However, I think one of the most unsung heroes of this film is Ike Hamilton, who plays Harold, the ship’s booth technician. If you watch Ike’s performance throughout the film, I guarantee that you will be totally blown away. Every little nuance that he brings to the character of Harold just radiates brilliantly off the screen. If you’re reading this after you have already seen the film, I highly recommend seeing it again for Ike’s performance alone. But, if you’re anything like me you’ll already want to see this movie again regardless.

The other side of this story is that of the British government and their efforts to stop the pirate radio ships from broadcasting. This task is helmed by Sir Alistair Dormandy, played by Kenneth Branagh, and his new assistant Mr. Twatt. I’m not kidding, his last name is Twatt. And, yes Richard Curtis takes full advantage of it. Twatt is played by Coupling’s Jack Davenport. Now, don’t worry. The political stuff doesn’t weigh down the story at all. Mostly because it’s not an overpowering plotline and it also lends itself to some of the film’s funnier scenes. I dare you not to laugh or at least snicker every time Dormandy says, “Twatt.”

Richard Curtis has, as always, done a masterful job telling this story. His unique vision, and heart warming style of storytelling, makes Pirate Radio/The Boat That Rocked a must see film. Every part of this film oozes 1966. The wardrobe is fantastic, the soundtrack is to die for, and even the look of the film itself sets the tone. It’s almost as if the film was shot and processed in 1966. Adding to the film’s authenticity, the bulk of the movie was shot onboard an actual ship, just off the south coast of England. Richard Curtis’ first cut of the film had a running time that was just over three hours. The final cut of The Boat That Rocked had a two hours and fifteen minute running time, where as the final cut for Pirate Radio has a one hour and fifty-six minute running time. I’ve seen the U.K. version of the film and enjoy both cuts, but I have to say this film is so enjoyable that I wouldn’t mind sitting though the three hour cut at some point. Most of the missing scenes from the first cut of the film appear on the U.K. DVD release of The Boat That Rocked. (U.K. DVD review will be posted soon) The two major scenes that were cut from The Boat That Rocked for the U.S. release of Pirate Radio consists of a visit to the Radio Rock ship from a large group of contest winners, and the other is the unseen stag party in London. The scenes aren’t necessarily needed, but this movie is so, as I said before, enjoyable that I don’t think you could ever get enough of these characters.

I realize this review is quickly becoming a mini-novel, but I think I would be crucified if I didn’t at least talk about the music in the film. As you would imagine, this movie is chock-full of classic rock from the likes of The Who, The Kinks, The Turtles, and so many more. Both the U.K. release, and the U.S. release of the soundtrack feature a two disc edition with 36 tracks to take you back. Also, the opening credit graphics are fantastic! The use of the radio tuner dial transitioning from scene to scene, as The Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night” blares, instantly sucks you into the world of the movie. But, I think one of my favorite things was the use of the album covers in the end credits. It not only instills you with a fantastic sense of the history of rock and roll, but it also makes you want to listen to some great albums you might not have listened to in awhile. The bottom line here should be obvious at this point, but needless to say I highly recommend this movie no matter which version you see.

Rating:

5 Little People



The Boat That Rocked U.K. DVD Special Features: COMING SOON



Before kindergarten we all started our education on the street… Sesame Street. Can you count to forty? Well, thanks to Count Van Count, I can. Sesame Street is turning forty years old today, and they don’t seem a day over five. Sesame Street taught me everything, from near to far, from A to Z, and even that one of these things is not like the other. They even taught me loss. I, to this day, remember the day Mr. Hooper died. My favorite character from the show wasn’t even regular on the show. No, I’m not talking about Kermit the roaming reporter. My favorite was always Barkley. What!? You don’t know who Barkley is! Barkley is the giant dog. I loved seeing him run down that hill with those kids in the end credits of every show, but would always be devastated when he wasn’t in the show. Which was like 90% of the time. I remember asking my mom, “Why would they show him at the end of every show, but never have him in the show?” I think the best part about Sesame Street for our generation, is that we got to graduate to The Muppet Show when we out grew Sesame Street. I can’t even begin to thank all the men and women who worked on this show over the last forty year, and helped raise billions of kids. However, there are two men, that we should all take a moment to be thankful for today. They are Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Would we even have a childhood without them? Not one I would care to remember.


“Trick ‘r Treat”
a review by Darby O’Gill

It’s Halloween night, a night full of tricks and treats. Well, mostly tricks. But, the real treat is finally getting Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat released. I know it’s not the theatrical release we were all hoping for, but it is finally out on DVD. In the spirit of Creepshow, Trick ‘r Treat takes four tales from one Halloween night and intertwines them into one fantastic story. It’s like Robert Altman and Wes Craven had a baby, and named it Trick ‘r Treat. Take a high school principal moonlighting as serial killer, a young woman searching for the perfect date, a childish prank that ends with disastrous consequences, and an old man that learns the true meaning of trick-or –treat, and what you have is one hell of a ride. Trick ‘r Treat was made in 2007, and spent two years just trying to get into theatres. It was receiving rave reviews at all the horror festivals, but for some reason Warner Brothers just didn’t believe in it enough to put it in theatres. It’s sad really. Great movies like this have to fight to see the light of day, but pieces of shit like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, have no problem finding their way into theatres. You know, there was another little horror film that was made in 2007 that couldn’t seem to find distribution. It was a little movie called Paranormal Activity. Ever hear of it? Maybe this will finally make Hollywood wake up. Most likely not, but it would be nice if other little movies like these would finally be given the chance they deserve, and not have to fight for two years just to see the light of day. I know. I know. It’s never going to happen. But, let’s get back to subject at hand. Trick ‘r Treat is a must see. With an amazing story, some brilliant cinematography, and fantastic performances, Trick ‘r Treat is a guaranteed Halloween classic. Oh, I haven’t even mentioned little Sam, the trick-or-treater demon that oversees the night’s events. He is a greatly welcomed addition to the Freddy and Jason’s of the horror community. I really hope they make more of these. I can’t wait to see Trick ‘r Treat 2! I just hope next time it’ll be in theatres on Halloween night, and not just a straight to DVD blow-off. Warner Brothers is sitting on a goldmine. They could make a new Trick ‘r Treat movie every year like the Saw franchise, but I guess we’ll just have to wait for them to realize that on their own. Until then, we’ll just have to keep fighting the good fight.

Rating:
5 Little People


DVD Special Features:

Sadly, that’s it. One bonus feature, if you can call it that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool to see the animation short that became this movie, but come on! This movie had an incredible journey for two years, and you’re not going to do a commentary track for the feature film?! How about some behind the scenes footage, or maybe some deleted scenes? Hell, I’d be happy with even a trailer at this point! My only guess is that Warner Brothers was really on the fence about putting it in theatres, but at the last minute pushed it to DVD, and wanted to get it out before Halloween. If that is the case, we’ll hopefully get a Special Edition DVD at some point, but until then it’ just sad.

DVD Special Features Rating:
1 Little People


“Saw VI”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Well, it’s that time of year again. No, not Halloween, it’s time for another installment of the Saw series. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Darby, do we really need six of these movies? And the answer… These are not really movies. Okay, I know I can’t see you reading this, but I’m willing to bet most of you have a puzzled look on your face right now. Let me explain. The Saw movies are more like a TV show. Instead of getting twenty – four one hour episodes over the course of a year, you get one two hour movie every year around Halloween. Believe me, I wish that were the case for a few TV series out there. Now, the first Saw movie was fantastic! And, Saw II… Well, that one was a train wreck. But luckily Saw III was able to save the series, and it also started the ongoing storyline that is now the Saw franchise. The only problem with that is, if you haven’t seen the previous installments, you may be a little lost on who’s who. In the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that I personally know the writers that took over the series from Saw IV to Saw VI. So, with that being said, I will not be pulling any punches; but this was my favorite of their three installments. I think the most impressive thing about their writing, is their ability to write movies for a main character that died three movies ago. Sorry if I ruined it for you, but come on it’s the sixth movie! It’s been six years, why haven’t you watched these movies yet? Getting back to comparing Saw to a TV series, I think the best comparison would be LOST. Much like LOST, the storyline is always being moved forward by telling you about things from the past you didn’t know before. That style of story telling definitely sets the Saw series apart from the other slasher flicks out there. Also, they  have stepped up the gore over the years. A friend of mine was saying last weekend, that the thing he liked most about the first Saw movie, was that they didn’t really show the gore. You thought they were going to, but it was the thought of it that seemed to bother you the most. In the later installments they just seem to show you more and more, leaving less to the imagination. With all of this said, I think the Saw series still works. I’m not sure how much longer they’re going to be able stretch this series out. If I didn’t know that Saw VII was already written, I might have thought this could have been the last one, but I guess we’re just going to have to wait and see what’s next.

Rating:
3.5 Little People


“Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Just when you thought everything from our childhood was dead. Last night I got to see something I’d never thought I’d see again, a Holiday Special! You remember those don’t you? I’m not talking about Rudolph or Frosty. No, I’m talking about when stars of the Saturday Morning lineup hit primetime with a special holiday tale. Only this time it’s not Saturday Morning answering the call, but rather Hollywood, more specifically DreamWorks Animation. Last night the cast of Monsters vs. Aliens, re-teamed for a half-hour Halloween special, the first of many hopefully. The best part of this is that the original cast of voice talent got back together; so this is not one of those let’s just throw something together projects. DreamWorks Animation is doing it right.
In the special, we find the Monsters getting ready for Halloween, when an alien spaceship makes a quick pit-stop in Modesto, to dump their waste in a pumpkin patch. When the Monsters arrive to investigate, they quickly discover that the pumpkins are starting to come to life. It’s short and sweet, but one thing is for sure. Thanks to DreamWorks Animation, the Holiday Special is now back for a whole new generation. Also look for their Christmas special featuring the cast of Madagascar, in Merry Madagascar this winter.

Rating:
3.5 Little People

“Paranormal Activity”
a review by Darby O’Gill

NOTE: There are NO SPOILERS in this review. I won’t even talk about the movie’s storyline, so please read freely if you have yet to see Paranormal Activity.

“The scariest movie ever made!” Well, maybe not. Look, I know I don’t get very scared at scary movies, but I really don’t understand how Paranormal Activity is getting people to hype it after they’ve seen it. My wife and I went to a test screening for Paranormal Activity, like a year and a half ago. We raced to the theatre after work; she had a slight headache, but still wanted to go. We had no idea what the movie was going to be about before hand, but we both like scary movies so we were hoping it would be good. Thirty – five minutes or so into the movie, the shaky handheld camera work had my wife ready to blow chunks, and even though I was kind of digging the movie, it wasn’t the end of the world to leave. On the walk back to the car, I told her I thought the movie gave a lot of promise, but it also felt like they were never going to pay it off. I kind of liked the simplicity of it, but she said, “It’ll never see the light of day.” After a few months, I figured she was right. Now, fast forward a year later, and we start to hear people talking about this indie movie that is going to come out, and be the scariest movie ever made. Just imagine how shocked we were when we heard the title of the film. I figured, at first, it was just your basic studio hype trying to get the movie a big opening weekend. But, then I found out it was only playing in thirteen college cities, and it wasn’t even playing in Los Angeles yet! I started to think they must have changed the whole movie, because the one we saw was okay, but would never have people talking like this after they’d seen it. After two weeks of nothing but hearing people talk about this movie, I knew I would have to go see it again. My wife said, “Have fun, a half hour of a screening of that snooze-fest was more than enough for me.” So, I went… And amazingly… It was the exact same movie we saw a year and a half ago. However, I did get to see the end this time. Now, I’m not saying the movie is bad. I’m just saying it’s not by any means “the scariest movie ever made.” Much like The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity is a unique kind of horror movie. It doesn’t use a ton of blood and gore to scare its audience; instead it plays on your nerves in hopes of tapping in to one of your natural fears. Here’s the part I don’t get. How does this movie get so much word of mouth hype, when nothing really ever happens? Don’t worry I’m not going to give anything away, but the “activity” in this movie is only 15% at best. I enjoyed this movie. I thought the acting was really good for the first half; but it started to get a little shoddy by the end. I also loved the uniqueness of this film. It’s always nice to see a movie that no one believed in making it big. I take that back, Steven Spielberg believed in it. Paranormal Activity may not be the scariest movie ever made, but it is a fun night out.

Rating:
3 Little People


“Where the Wild Things Are”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Hands down one of my favorite books as a kid, right up there with The Digging-Est Dog, Where the Wild Things Are, was most likely an iconic children’s book for most of our childhoods. I remember just staring at Maurice Sendak’s illustrations of Max and his monster friends for hours on end. So, imagine my excitement when I heard that visionary director Spike Jonze and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop were going to bring that beloved book to life on the big screen.
In Where the Wild Things Are, we follow the journey of Max, an 8 year old boy, trying to find his place in the world. His teenage sister is starting to hangout with friends of her own, and his single Mom is starting to date again, leaving little time for them to play with Max. Until one night, when Max puts on his beloved wolf costume to cause a little mischief and ends up running away from home. When he stumbles upon a small boat, he sets sail, and soon finds himself on an island of monsters. On the island the monsters make him king, and they play and howl at the moon together; but Max quickly learns that one can never truly run away from one’s problems.
Spike Jonze does an amazing job of fleshing out Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book. In this film, he also captures the raw feeling and imagination of being a child. The other thing I realized he managed to do was give the film the feel of a children’s movie from our generation. You know, it didn’t feel like a modern movie for kids. It had me thinking of the kid movies I grew up with, like The Red Balloon and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. With that being said, I don’t think that this movie with its lack of narrative will hold the attention of kids today. I think this movie is only going to truly appeal to our generation. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has once again out done themselves. The use of mixing real life puppets with CGI effects, has clearly laid a new path for the future of special effects. I would like to think that his company, being the driving force behind bringing these classic illustrations to life, would have made Jim Henson very proud. The bottom line is, if you’re thirty years old or older, you are going to love this movie. But, if this is the first time you have ever heard of Where the Wild Things Are, you might find yourselves a little bit lost on what makes it so great.

Rating:
4.5 Little People


“Couples Retreat”
a review by Darby O’Gill

When is a vacation not a vacation? Two words… couples counseling. When the very together Jason and Cynthia, played by Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell, feel their marriage may possibly be coming to an end, they decide to enlist in a very special couples program on a remote tropical island. The only problem, is they need to convince three other couples to join them in order to get the cheaper group rate. There’s the couple that seems to have it all together, Dave and Ronnie, played by Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman, a nice happy family. Then there’s Joey and Lucy, played by Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis, who are counting down the days to their divorce, once there daughter heads off to college. Finally there’s Shane, played by Faizon Love, who is recently divorced and finds himself dating Trudy, played by Kali Hawk, a girl young enough to be his daughter. At Eden Resort West, the couples can find all sorts of activities, like couples skill building, open sea swimming with sharks, full contact yoga, and even a little “Guitar Hero.” Which brings us to Sctanley, played by the brilliant Peter Serafinowicz, who watches the couples like a hawk. He makes sure the couples don’t venture over to the resort on the other side of the island, Eden Resort East, which is a singles resort that promises all the fun that seems to be missing from their side of the island.
I know a lot of people are knocking Couples Retreat for not taking the story somewhere new, but I kind of like that this movie feels like an old school comedy. Sure you know where they’re taking it, but it’s funny, and fun to watch. Isn’t that the point of an entertaining movie? These days, it seems like movies have to be totally amazing, or so bad you want to leave the theater. Can’t we have an Uncle Buck these days? You know, a movie that isn’t the best, but makes you say, “That was fun!” I would like to think it’s that kind of movie Favreau and Vaughn had in mind when they wrote this. I also think director Peter Billingsley, did a great job of capturing that feeling visually. Speaking of the visuals, I think it’s safe to say that Bora Bora makes every shot look amazing! Why couldn’t I have been invited to that press junket!? A free trip to Bora Bora! No thanks, it’s nice and cool here in Los Angeles. Hey Jon, I’m available for the Iron Man 2 junket by the way. I also love the fact that the characters Jon Favreau is playing these days, has gone from the guy in the PG-13 movie everyone’s really hoping makes it happen, to the guy in the rated R movie that cheats on his wife; although Couples Retreat is rated PG-13. But you know what I mean. He’s played some really great assholes lately, and some of those movies were rated R. Look, the bottom line is, if you want to see something deep, go see A Serious Man. But, for a fun date movie that makes you laugh and feel good, Couples Retreat is a nice getaway.

Rating:
3.5 Little People


“The Invention of Lying”
a review by Darby O’Gill

What would you do if any lie you told was instantly taken as truth? In The Invention of Lying, Mark Bellison, played by Ricky Gervais, finds himself being the first person in a parallel reality that learns the art of lying. I think the trailers are a little misleading because they make it seem like everyone tells the truth. But, it’s more like they speak their mind no matter what, because they don’t know how to lie, and they simply just don’t know what else to say. Also, in this reality there is no fiction, and because of that the film industry only makes films about historic events. There also aren’t any actors in this world because acting like someone you’re not would be lying. So, how do they make the movies you ask? Why readers of course. That’s right, movies are just a person, in this case the brilliant Christopher Guest, sitting in a comfy chair reading a history book to the audience. If you think the movies would be bad, just take a minute to think about how great your dating life would be without lying. Would anyone honestly be dating? No pun intended.
When we first meet Mark Bellison, he’s loosing his job as the screenwriter of the Black Plague, and his blind date with Anna McDoogles, played by Jennifer Garner, is anything but smooth. But, when he asks a bank teller for more money than he has in his account, she chalks it up to a computer mistake, and gives him the amount he asked for. Voila, the world’s first lie! A lie can be a powerful thing when no one questions it, the world quickly becomes Mark’s oyster. However, Mark doesn’t realize just how powerful until he tells his dying mother something to comfort her. It’s overheard and repeated, and things quickly get just a little bit out of control.
I really enjoyed this movie, but sadly it might upset some. See, there is this religious undertone in this movie that could upset some Christians; but I honestly don’t think that was the intent of Ricky Gervais. I don’t think they’re saying that there is no God. In Christianity the word of God is told through parables in the Bible, which never would have been written in this world. As our friend Joe Rogan would point out, I’m pretty sure that no one thinks that Noah’s Ark is a 100% true story. Please don’t tell me you really believe a giant boat was built to carry two of every animal in the entire world, for forty days and forty nights! Look, those stories, much like The Invention of Lying, are told in hopes of making people want to be better to each other. You know… Peace on Earth, goodwill towards men… Ah, and women. Hey, I didn’t write it. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what religion you believe, whether it’s Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or hell even Scientology. At the core of it all, those religions are meant to do one thing… make people want to be a better person and hopefully make the world a better place. Funny, it’s the same thing that people kill each other over and start wars because of. The point is, Mark Bellison wanted people to be nicer to each other, and if telling a few lies would make the world a better place, maybe it’s not so bad. Now, I understand that religion is a touchy topic. And the last thing I want to do is upset any of you, but let’s just believe what makes us feel good, and not force those beliefs on other people. When did this turn into a rally? Go see The Invention of Lying, it’s honestly a good movie… No, really. Seriously, it’s really good. Would I lie to you?! Okay, I would. But, it really is worth seeing.

Rating:
4 Little People


“A Serious Man”
a review by Darby O’Gill

Have you ever had a bad day? How about a bad week? Larry Gopnik is about to find out the answer to those questions and more, in the new Coen brothers movie A Serious ManJoel and Ethan Coen are at it again, and this time they’re taking us to a small Midwestern Jewish community in 1967. Okay, right out of the gate I have to say that this is one of those subjective Coen brother movies. And with that said I’m trying to figure out the best way to review this film, without putting my take of the movie on you. So, here we go.

Larry Gopnik, played by Michael Stuhlbarg, is a physics professor that is trying to find clarity in his life as it slowly slips into chaos. He wants desperately to be a mensch, a person with a good strength of character, or a serious man if you will; but life seems to have other plans for poor Larry. What do physics, blackmail, a portable radio, twenty bucks, divorce, defamation of character, F-Troop, a nose job, anonymous letters, a bar mitzvah, Jefferson Airplane, the wisdom of three rabbis, tenure, Columbia House Record Club, dental phenomena, gambling, Sy Ableman, weed, antenna reception, bribes, a sebaceous cyst, nude sunbathing, and a simultaneous car crash all have in common? Well, Larry of course. Now, I can’t tell you what it all means, mostly because the answer is going to be different for everyone that sees it, but what I can tell you is that this is one of those movies that you like the more you think about it. Like a fine wine, it just takes a little time. I’m a big fan of the Coen brothers, and even I had to take a few days to totally let this whole movie sink in. At first the movie might seem to be about nothing, but I think it’s more about what the movie means to you in the end. I don’t want to get too philosophical here, but it’s true! The movie doesn’t make you think while you’re watching it, you just find yourself following the unfortunate turns of Larry Gopnik’s life. But, when the movie does end, and you find yourself saying, “What?!” And you will. Just try and not rush to judgment right away on your feelings of the movie on a whole. Let the message and the meaning set in on its own terms. I’m afraid this is going to be one of those Coen brothers movies that isn’t truly appreciated until a few years down the road, which is sad, because it really is a nice little movie.

Be sure to check back here in two weeks for my interview with the serious man himself, Michael Stuhlbarg.

Rating:

3.5 Little People