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Reviews
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
DYNAMITE is a bomb.
Amateurish, unfunny indie film about a high school kid named NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE. The film doesn't have much to say or do. It seems content merely to create a weird, childlike universe, and allow its characters (most of which are extremely annoying) to exist there without much purpose or development. Many indie filmmakers have distinguished themselves with similar films- NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE is vaguely reminiscent of Todd Solondz' WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE or Wes Anderson's RUSHMORE- only those films had memorable characters on interesting journeys. NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE is some kind of hipster attempt to mimic the worlds of those better films, but with every new scene the film becomes more and more annoying.
Down with Love (2003)
wonderful homage to screwball 60's sex romps
Ewan and Renee are absolutely dazzling in this fast-paced, highly-entertaining romp based on the classic sex romps of a forgotten era. The Doris Day-Rock Hudson comedies are probably the best remembered among the genre that gets an uncanny update in DOWN WITH LOVE. Every detail is painstakingly re-created from a genre that was sexy, stylish, chauvinistic, and ultimately playful. The clever wordplay and dirty little double-ententes never end, and the actors have marvelous fun with every last scene. DOWN WITH LOVE is more fun than any "modern" romantic-comedy has a right to be. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan wish they had half as much fun as this!
The Haunting (1963)
Thoroughly creepy.
((SPOILERS AHEAD)) Four people spend a few nights in a haunted mansion in this excellent black-and-white thriller based on a classic tale by Shirley Jackson. The cast of this classic horror film never comes face to face with an actual ghost, but it's infinitely more terrifying than the 1999 re-make. The big scares (and there are many) are never mounted on big effects or cheap surprises (precisely where the 1999 version went wrong), instead, director Robert Wise demonstrates a remarkable sense of atmosphere. He creates a formidable tension in the estate using an eerie soundtrack and ghostly camera angles, and little else. The haunted-house premise is obviously very familiar, but the atmosphere is truly chilling.
Grace and the Storm (2004)
I was hooked on Grace!
Christopher Amitrano plays Evan Piper, a big-city drug dealer who is approached by an old friend pushing a legendary drug called "GRACE." With the discovery of the GRACE comes a chance to retire from his dangerous line of work forever. The history of this amazing drug is very interesting, and it sets up a great backstory before the real plot even begins to twist and turn. Pipe is a great character, he's smart and charismatic but also believable as a criminal. KC Armstrong, who most people know as one of Howard Stern's regulars, actually rises above his image and delivers an extremely credible performance. The real star of the film might be Ashley Yeater- she's beautiful and heartbreaking as Pipe's ex-girlfriend. Every scene she has with Pipe is memorable. As soon as the end credits rolled I wanted to see this film again! There are some huge twists that are fore-shadowed well, but I had no idea what to expect. 10/10