Music From The Movies,
Saturday, November 21st at 7pm

REGINA'S HOLIDAY MOVIE PREVIEW...lots of excitement as the year draws to a close!  Top of the list is The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Fantastic Mr. Fox (both with score by the busy Alexandre Desplat).  Plus music from Disney's A Christmas Carol (music by Alan Silvestri), The Princess and the Frog (score by Randy Newman), and more!  Plus we recognize the centenary of the great songwriter Johnny Mercer.  In new reviews, Regina gives the word on New Moon and Jared checks out Ong Bak 2: The Beginning and Red Cliff.  On DVD, director Peter Bogdanovich revisits his 1976 comedy Nickelodeon, plus Denis Leary's on fire in Season Five of Rescue Me. ****NEW IN THEATERS (by Regina with Jared Counts)**** THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON.  (Summit Entertainment.  2 hours, 10 minutes.  Rated PG-13 for some violence and action.  Directed by Chris Weitz.)  Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black), Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen), Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria), Billy Burke (Charlie Swan), Michael Sheen (Aro), Dakota Fanning (Jane), Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale).  Music by Alexandre Desplat.  Strictly for the fans.  Early box office says this followup to last year's tween megahit Twilight should be even more successful.  There's a new director, Chris Weitz (About a Boy, The Golden Compass).  I don't think it's a better movie, though.  Not having read the wildly-popular books, I didn't know much going in.  There's the buff Jacob to tempt the human Bella.  She's in love with Edward, who's a vampire; meanwhile, Jacob has his own issues.  I don't want to give anything away, but is there a shortage of human boys in the state of Washington?  Meanwhile there's a lot of heaving and sighing, meaningful looks and whispered pledges.  Not much action, on any level; I'm OK with unfulfilled romance, but to a point.  The fans told me this movie is good; members of "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" will be showing up at the theaters this weekend in any event.  Nice score by the busy Desplat.  —Regina ONG BAK 2.  (The Weinstein Company.  1 hour, 38 minutes.  Rated R for sequences of violence. Directed by Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai.) Tony Jaa (Tiang), Sorapong Chatree (Chernang), Sarunyu Wongkrachang (Rajasena Lord).  Tiang (Jaa) is taken in by a band of thieves after his parents are killed in a government coup.  The many masters of the band teach Tiang how to fight so he can avenge his parents and lead the village.  For those familiar with the first Ong Bak, know that this is a sequel in name only.  The story stands on its own, though a small coda at the end of the movie provides a potential (albeit very tenuous) link to the first.  The story is thin but serviceable, acting as a frame for the action sequences, which are the strongest point of the movie.  Seeing the taciturn Tiang being trained in a multitude of disciplines (from Judo and Kendo to Muay Thai and Drunken Fist) is pretty entertaining, and leads to some very involved and complex fights.  The fights are also refreshingly solid and easy to follow, eschewing the "close-up shaky-cam" footage that so many films employ in favor of long, fluid sequences. Martial arts fans will find a lot to love here, but others may not be as enamored.  Bottom line?  If your answer to the question "do I want to see Tony Jaa kick a bunch of people?" is "yes," then you can't go wrong with Ong Bak 2.  —Jared PIRATE RADIO.  (Focus Features.  2 hours, 14 minutes. Rated R for language, and some sexual content including brief nudity.  Directed by Richard Curtis.)  Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Count), Bill Nighy (Quentin), Rhys Ifans (Gavin), Nick Frost (Dave), Kenneth Branagh (Sir Alistair Dormandy), January Jones (Eleonore), Jack Davenport (Twatt), Chris O'Dowd (Simon), Thomas Sturridge (Carl), Emma Thompson (Charlotte), Talulah Riley (Marianne), Gemma Atherton (Desiree), Katherine Parkinson (Felicity), many more.  Less a movie than a filmed party which swings with 1960s pop.  Purports to be about the heyday of Radio Caroline (called "Radio Rock" here), one of a number of ships moored off the coast of England broadcasting rock 'n' roll in the days when the BBC wouldn't allow it.  The so-called plot (totally fictional) concerns an "innocent" young man, Carl, who's sent to stay with his godfather Quentin, the ship's captain; Carl is there to be "corrupted" by disc jockeys.  (You know, we are all evil!) The freewheeling DJs Carl meets on board include the ringleader, an American named The Count (Hoffman), a bunch of British guys, plus one woman, the lesbian cook Felicity.  (The other young female characters are even less important in this bloated cast; they're on hand for the men to ogle/ try to seduce.)  We're supposed to get caught up in the controversy when a government minister (Branagh) and his sidekick (Davenport) try to shut down the illegal broadcasts.  But you won't care about any of the half-baked subplots.  Just go with the mood and enjoy the great '60s top-40 hits from mostly-British-Invasion bands, heavy on The Who and The Kinks (Ray Davies' undercurrent of cynicism sounds the freshest 40+ years later), plus The Rolling Stones, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, etc.  You get a few Yank acts like The Turtles, Otis Redding, and The Beach Boys, plus a few favorite one-hit wonders like The Easybeats ("Friday On My Mind") and The McCoys ("Hang on Sloopy").  A feel-good musical romp.  —Regina PRECIOUS.  (Lionsgate.  1 hour, 50 minutes. Rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language. Directed by Lee Daniels.) Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe (Precious), Mo'Nique (Mary), Paula Patton (Ms. Rain), Mariah Carey (Mrs. Weiss), Lenny Kravitz (Nurse John). Music by Mario Grigorov.  Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Clareece Precious Jones (Sidibe) is an overweight, nearly illiterate girl growing up in Harlem in the late 1980s.  When she becomes pregnant with her second child, Precious is sent to an alternative school where she meets teacher Ms. Rain (Patton) and social worker Mrs. Weiss (Carey).  With their help, she begins a journey toward self-realization and healing.  A tragic, harrowing, affecting and uplifting film. I haven't exactly lived a sheltered life, but I found myself thankful that I haven't had to deal with anything near what Precious endures.  The psychological and physical abuse doled out by her mother, and the sexual abuse from her father are scarier than any scene from any horror movie I've seen in years.  This is largely due to the debut performance of Sidibe, who really brings Precious to life.  I felt an almost-instantaneous connection with her as we see her dreams played out in lavish cutaway sequences against a backdrop of violence and regret.  It can be hard to watch.  Director Daniels makes a few interesting casting choices that really work.  Comedian Mo'Nique is complex and terrifying as Precious's mother, a character who is every bit as understandable as she is unsympathetic.  Singer Mariah Carey is surprisingly solid as a buttoned-down social worker.  Precious's teacher and classmates are handled well, but aren't exceptional.  The grit and realism of the setting give the film a hard edge, but it always rings true, avoiding the typical pratfalls of excess sentiment or preachiness that trip up similar films.  Early buzz says Precious has some Oscar potential, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the ballot.  —Jared 2012.  (Columbia Pictures.  2 hours, 38 minutes.  Rated PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language. Directed by Roland Emmerich.) John Cusack (Jackson Curtis), Amanda Peet (Kate Curtis), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Adrian Helmsley), Thandie Newton (Laura Wilson), Oliver Platt (Carl Anheuser), Woody Harrelson (Charlie Frost), Danny Glover (President Thomas Wilson). Music by Harald Kloser and Thomas Wanker.  Geologist Adrian Helmsley (Ejiofor) discovers that solar activity will bring about the end of the world, leading the nations of the world to embark on a plan to save their best and brightest.  Meanwhile, struggling sci-fi author Jackson Curtis (Cusack) tries to reunite with his estranged wife and get his family to safety with the help of nutjob/radio host Charlie Frost (Harrelson).  A disaster movie to (hopefully) end all disaster movies. Director Roland Emmerich seems to be escalating the destruction in his movies, from famous landmarks in Independence Day to entire sections of the country in The Day After Tomorrow, and now the entire world.  Much like those other two movies, what 2012 lacks in narrative or memorable characters, it makes up with visual effects and outright calamity.  The effects are pretty impressive, but the movie runs long, trying to cram in elements of every disaster movie ever made.  The sheer volume of mayhem can be a bit numbing, though some sequences are surprisingly entertaining, if only for their over-the-top execution.  These deficits are noticeable, but no one expects this to be The Godfather.  2012 promises the destruction of the planet, and it delivers just that.  —Jared P.S. - All that said, if the world ever opens up beneath me, I want John Cusack as my wheelman.  Guy knows how to handle a limo. THE BOX. (Radar Pictures.  1 hour, 55 minutes.  Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images. Directed by Richard Kelly.) Cameron Diaz (Norma Lewis), James Marsden (Arthur Lewis), Frank Langella (Arlington Steward). Music by Win Butler, Régine Chassagne and Owen Pallett.  Norma and Arthur (Diaz and Marsden), a young couple that has hit a financial rough patch, are approached by a mysterious, deformed stranger (Langella) who offers them a button and a choice:  press the button and receive $1,000,000, but someone they don't know will die; or don't, and receive nothing.  Based on Richard Matheson's short story "Button, Button," The Box is a great premise that gets stretched past the breaking point.  Set in 1976 near NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia, Kelly (best known for his cult hit Donnie Darko) ably captures a slice of life from a seemingly normal suburban family. The film's strength lies in the "would you or wouldn't you?" discussions in the beginning, but things begin to unwind around the movie's midpoint.  Once the couple has dealt with the button, they decide to research it and its deliverer.  While this search does bring up some very interesting questions regarding the nature of morality, much of this gets lost in an increasingly muddy, supernatural conspiracy story.  Even so, I enjoyed the lingering feeling of dread throughout, supported by Kelly's visual acuity, a glacial pace and a wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack by members of indie rock band The Arcade Fire.  Langella is smooth and charming and Marsden is affable enough, but Diaz is a bit wooden and really needs to work on her accent.  Diehard Darko fans will have plenty of fun teasing out the film's mysteries, but it's definitely not for everyone. —Jared THE FOURTH KIND.  (Universal Pictures.  1 hour, 38 minutes.  Rated PG-13 for violent/disturbing images, some terror, thematic elements and brief sexuality. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi.) Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton, Corey Johnson, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Daphne Alexander, Enzo Cilenti, Alisha Seaton. Music by Atli Örvarsson.  A "fact-based" documentary that offers a few shocks but little else.  When psychologist Abigail Tyler takes over her late husband's sleep study, she begins to notice strange occurrences and patterns that suggest otherworldly interventions.  As she investigates further, she discovers that she herself may also be a victim.  The primary conceit of The Fourth Kind is that actual footage of the events in Nome, Alaska is interspersed with dramatizations of said events in order to give the proceedings more impact.  Unfortunately, some borderline-hammy acting and a snail-like pace bog down the film. Koteas is dull, Patton chews up the scenery, while Jovovich flails, lacking the chops to realize her character.  The "actual footage" scenes are by far more successful, supplying some creepy moments as the video is blurred and distorted by the aliens' presence.  The director's interview with Dr. Tyler, which frames the movie, is a bit off-putting, as I can't imagine anyone being that deliberately deadpan about alien abductions.  The movie begins and ends with a disclaimer about the content of the film, saying you should "believe what you want."  It's sad that the dramatizations weigh down the movie so badly, as I really wanted to believe.  —Jared MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT.  (Columbia Pictures. 1 hour, 51 minutes. Rated PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images.  Directed by Kenny Ortega.)  Well-crafted, entertaining, fascinating tribute to the King of Pop.  Consisting primarily of rehearsal footage while Jackson prepared for a series of 50 (!) concerts in London, This Is It should serve to remind those who see it that he was a tremendously talented musician.  A crawl at the beginning of the movie tells us the footage was shot both for Jackson's personal library and for possible use as a video element for the concerts.  The footage is high-quality, not the grainy, shaky-camera "rehearsal" stuff you might expect.  Jackson, Ortega and crew were clearly working on what would have been a spectacular show, with large set pieces, 3D film, and of course top-level musicians and singers backing the star.  It's remarkable to see Jackson, at age 50, still nimble as he takes command of the stage, even in rehearsal.  Understandably, most of the time he's not singing in full voice, which is a bit frustrating for the viewer.  We don't get the fabulous stage costumes either (although even Jackson's rehearsal clothes merit some interest). He still had the babyish speaking voice, and probably weighed less than anyone else on stage, but don't doubt that Jackson was in charge during the creative process.  Working on the opening number, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin,'" a single from 1982's Thriller, Jackson tells the band they have to make it more "funky."  "It's just not there," he says quietly, and correctly.  We also see him working on a film montage for "Smooth Criminal" which inserts him into scenes from noir classics Gilda and In A Lonely Place.  The songs, mostly written by Jackson and mostly great, keep coming:  we hear parts or all of "Speechless," "They Don't Care About Us," "Human Nature," "The Way You Make Me Feel" and more, culminating with "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Man in the Mirror."  Since I'm old enough to remember the Jackson 5 years, I was treated to a brief medley from that period ("I Want You Back," "The Love You Save," "I'll Be There") which Jackson struggled with a bit (it turned out to be a monitor problem; as he says a number of times when there's a snafu, "Well, that's why we rehearse").  It's my hope that the "Wacko Jacko" years don't overshadow what he was really about:  music and showmanship.  This Is It is a must for Jackson fans, and worthwhile for any pop music fan.  —Regina ***WHAT'S NEW ON DVD!*** RESCUE ME (Season Five, Volume One).  (Sony.  2009.  3 discs.  451 minutes.  11 Episodes.  Not rated.  Various directors.)  Denis Leary (Tommy Gavin), Mike Lombardi (Mike Silletti), Steven Pasquale (Sean Garrity), Andrea Roth (Janet Gavin), Callie Thorne (Sheila Keefe), Tatum O'Neal (Maggie), Adam Ferrara (Chief Nelson), Larenz Tate (Bart), Michael J. Fox (Dwight).  Popular FX series remains exciting in Season Five.  Leary (star, co-creator, producer, and co-writer of most of the episodes) remains a dynamic lead as his character Tommy presides over the men of 62 Truck.  He and his fellow New York City firefighters face personal issues as well as the continuing aftermath of 9/11.  Tommy is dealing with the death of his father, his estranged wife Janet and son, and maintaining his sobriety; he gets a big surprise when he meets Dwight (Fox), the new man in Janet's life.  Sean faces a major health issue and tries to keep it secret from the rest of the crew, who are entering a questionable new business venture:  opening a bar.  Meanwhile Tommy's former lover Sheila isn't quite ready to let go.  If you haven't seen this series, be careful:  you'll get caught up in this well-written, well-acted drama with touches of humor.  Heed the (lack of) rating:  the frank language and adult situations aren't meant for kids.  Set extras include deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a featurette on stunts.  —Regina NICKELODEON.  (Sony.  1976.  Theatrical Color version, 122 minutes, rated PG.  B&W Director's Cut version, 125 minutes, not rated.  Directed by Peter Bogdanovich.)  Ryan O'Neal (Leo Harrigan), Burt Reynolds (Buck Greenway), Tatum O'Neal (Alice Forsyte), Jane Hitchcock (Kathleen Cooke), Brian Keith (H.H. Cobb), Stella Stevens (Marty Reeves), John Ritter (Franklin Frank).  Music by Richard Hazard.  Bogdanovich's valentine to the early silent-movie era, now in two versions.  I went to see a promotional screening of Nickelodeon in Manhattan in 1976 for 5 cents, just like moviegoers used to do in the time period depicted in the film (1910-15).  The movie was in color; recently Bogdanovich "readjusted" it to the black-and-white he always wanted.  Alas, it doesn't make for a better film.  Movies are lighted, processed, etc. depending on whether they're in B&W or color.  That's why those 1980s "colorized" films always looked wrong.  Bogdanovich and crew, taking advantage of modern techniques in doing a reverse of the colorization process, came up with a pretty good B&W print. It's still slightly off, though.  So are O'Neal and Reynolds in their roles as a fledging film director and his rough-hewn leading man.  Bogdanovich spent so much time on accurately detailing the period, he forgot about writing a story; instead he stitches together a series of vignettes based on stories he was told by real-life silent movie directors Allan Dwan, Raoul Walsh, and others.  He spends a good deal of time in the commentary name-dropping ("I got that idea from John Ford") or bemoaning the fact that his then-love and muse Cybill Shepherd wasn't in the film.  Bogdanovich peaked early in his career with his three hits The Last Picture Show, What's Up, Doc? and Paper Moon.  Those were followed by three flops:  Daisy Miller, At Long Last Love, and this.  He was just a couple of years away from the Dorothy Stratten/"Star 80" tragedy.  Maybe his next project should be about himself and the other "maverick" 1970s directors; now that would be interesting.  The two versions of Nickelodeon are paired in a 2-disc set with the director's cut of the excellent, Oscar-winning Picture Show (1971), which also has Bogdanovich's commentary, plus featurettes and a trailer.  —Regina ADORATION (BLU-RAY EDITION).  (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  2008/2009.  1 hour, 40 minutes.  1 disc.  Rated R for language. Directed by Atom Egoyan.) Scott Speedman (Tom), Rachel Blanchard (Rachel), Devon Bostick (Simon), Noam Jenkins (Sami), Arsinée Khanjian (Sabine).  Music by Mychael Danna.  When asked to translate a story in his French class about a terrorist plot, Simon, an orphaned teen, decides to insert himself and his family into the story.  At the request of his teacher, Simon presents the story as truth, a move that sets his classmates and various internet chatrooms ablaze.  As the story takes on a life of its own, Simon begins to question the foundations of his family.  Director Egoyan (Academy Award-winner for 1997's The Sweet Hereafter) deftly weaves a fractured narrative that questions the ideas of love, trust, the subjectivity of truth, familial bonds and loss.  The plot shifts through time frequently, which can be a little confusing even if it does greatly benefit the patchwork nature of the story.  The characters are similarly never clear-cut, and they feel more real for it, acting and reacting in convincing ways.  There are no easy answers or glib reductions here.  Special features include deleted scenes, an interview with the director and various "making-of" featurettes.  An intriguing mediation on the ties that bind us.  —Jared UP (Blu-ray Combo Pack).  (Disney.  4 discs.  1 hour, 29 minutes.  Rated PG for some peril and action.  Directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson.)  Voices of Ed Asner (Carl Fredericksen), Jordan Nagai (Russell), Christopher Plummer (Charles Muntz), John Ratzerberger (Tom), Delroy Lindo (Beta), Bob Peterson (Dug/Alpha).  Music by Michael Giacchino.  Cuddly entry from Disney/Pixar earned close to $300 million at the domestic box office.  It must be my advancing age, but I'm identifying more with curmudgeons.  Carl (perfectly voiced by Asner) is a retired balloon salesman, lonely and grouchy after his wife has died.  To avoid being shipped off to a retirement home, he attaches about a thousand balloons to his house and flies to South America to realize a lifelong dream.  He doesn't realize that he has a stowaway:  a persistent, annoying 8-year-old named Russell.  You'll also meet Dug, the goofy golden retriever who just wants a master; Kevin, the 13-foot-tall bird with a penchant for chocolate; and Muntz, a (human) explorer who once inspired Carl in his youth.  Endearing characters help keep this sentimental story aloft.  UP doesn't surpass my top three Pixars (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles), but it's enjoyable.  Comes in a four-disc Combo Pack which includes Blu-ray + bonus features (including 8 featurettes), DVD, and digital copies.  The theatrical short, Partly Cloudy, is pretty good; the bonus short, Dug's Special Mission, plays like an UP outtake.  Also available in two-disc DVD.  —Regina THE MAIDEN HEIST.  (Sony.  1 hour, 29 minutes.  Rated PG-13 for strong language, nudity and brief fantasy violence.  Directed by Peter Hewitt.)  Morgan Freeman, Christopher Walken, William H. Macy, Marcia Gay Harden.  Music by Rupert Gregson-Williams.  Straight-to-video caper-comedy-for-the-elderly is a mildly amusing addition to the genre.  Freeman (72), Walken (66), and Macy (59) are longtime security guards at a Boston art museum.  They cook up a plot to steal their favorite works of art, rather than lose them to a foreign museum.  Harden is Walken's blowsy hairdresser wife, saving tips for a Florida vacation.  Caper films are (or should be) mostly about the setup, and despite a few funny moments, the movie's plot points here are too predictable to hold much interest.  Bill Macy takes his clothes off again (he started doing that a few movies back, like in Wild Hogs) and for 59 years old, he's got a nice butt.  Movie had a tentative theatrical release date back in May, but its distributor, Yari Film Group, is in Chapter 11.  DVD extras include a director, writer and producer commentary; a making-of featurette; deleted scenes; and a blooper reel.   Bill, keep that personal trainer on speed dial.  —Regina RedditDiggFacebookMySpaceDeliciousStumbleuponBuzz Up!MixxTechnoratiGoogle BookmarksYahoo BookmarksYahoo MyWebWindows LivePropellerFriendFeedNewsvineTwitterLinkedInBlinklistFurl Share This > view printer-friendly version > return to previous page