Music From The Movies,
Saturday, November 28th at 7pm
 LIVE LONG AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING...with the release last week on home video of last spring's Star Trek movie, let's listen again to a show featuring the music by Michael Giacchino. Also on the program, Regina recalls her Trekker years, plus there's music from the original Star Trek TV show, and the four followups (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise). In new reviews, Regina likes Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Jared checks out Red Cliff and Ninja Assassin.****NEW IN THEATERS (by Regina with Jared Counts)****  FANTASTIC MR. FOX. (20th-Century Fox Animation. Rated PG for action, smoking and slang humor. 1 hour, 28 minutes. Directed by Wes Anderson.) Voices of George Clooney (Mr. Fox), Meryl Streep (Mrs. Fox), Jason Schwartzman (Ash), Eric Chase Anderson (Kristofferson), Bill Murray (Badger), Wallace Wolodarsky (Kylie), Michael Gambon (Franklin Bean), Willem Dafoe (Rat), Owen Wilson (Coach Skip), Jarvis Cocker (Petey). Music by Alexandre Desplat. Wes Anderson's first animated movie has a consistent wacky tone. Old-fashioned stop-motion technique is brought up to the 21st century; characters are enriched by the voice talents involved. Based on the 1970 book by Roald Dahl, the plot concerns a husband-and-wife fox, their son Ash, and his visiting cousin Kristofferson who seems superior to Ash in every way. Mr. Fox, after years of quiet domesticity, gives in to his wild-animal urges (much to the consternation of Mrs. Fox) and starts stealing from the neighboring farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Er, consequences ensue. I particularly enjoyed Streep, Bill Murray's puffed-up Badger and Willem Dafoe's slimy Rat. Bouncy music by Desplat adds to the carnival atmosphere. Fun for grownups and kids. —Regina RED CLIFF. (Magnet Releasing. 2 hours, 28 minutes. Rated R for sequences of epic warfare. Directed by John Woo.) Tony Leung (Zhou Yu), Takeshi Kaneshiro (Kongming), Fengyi Zhang (Cao Cao), Chen Chang (Sun Quan), Wei Zhao (Sun Shangxiang), Jun Hu (Zhao Yun), Chiling Lin (Xiao Qiao). Music by Taro Iwashiro. Just before the fall of the Han Dynasty, Prime Minister Cao Cao declares war on the southern warlords Sun Quan and Liu Bei. Facing a massive numerical disadvantage, the two warlords join forces and confront Cao Cao's army at Red Cliff. A sweeping, beautifully made epic about a key moment in China's history.Let me start by saying this movie is big. From the lavish sets to the sheer amount of people involved in the battles, the scale of this film is staggering. Woo manages these elements admirably, balancing large melees with much smaller, more human beats. The battles, being the meat of the film, are well-executed, featuring all of Woo's hallmarks (liberal use of slow motion, oblique camera angles, etc). The strategies behind those battles, provided by Liu Bei's chief strategist Kongming (Kaneshiro, a Japanese actor surprisingly cast in a Chinese film) and Sun Quan's viceroy Zhou Yu, are extremely clever and easily the most fascinating parts. The film is not without its problems, though. The pacing is choppy in places, some of the performances are iffy and the cast of characters gets painfully large, leaving some of them sketchy at best. Save for the performances, these problems can be attributed to the almost 1 and 1/2 hours of footage missing from the US release (the Asian release was 2 2-hour long films), meaning that much of the politics and characterizations for the second- and third-stringers has gone missing. Still, for half of a film, Red Cliff holds together surprisingly well, delivering a grand retelling of a pivotal conflict. —Jared  NINJA ASSASSIN. (Warner Brothers. 1 hour, 39 minutes. Rated R for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language. Directed by James McTeigue.) Rain (Raizo), Naomie Harris (Mika), Shô Kosugi (Ozunu), Ben Miles (Maslow). Music by Ilan Eshkeri. Mika (Harris), a forensic researcher for Europol investigating a string of high-profile assassinations, teams up with rogue ninja Raizo (Rain) to take down his former clan. What follows is a messy, underwhelming tangle of a movie. With a title like that, you can expect a bevy of gratuitous action, and with Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers producing, you can expect that action to be stylishly presented. Unfortunately, some of the more interesting set pieces are marred by choppy editing, jittery camerawork and a lack of lighting. I realize ninjas stick to the shadows, but how much visual interest can you generate with black-clad assassins fighting in the dark? The poor editing isn't limited to the fight scenes, as much of the story is told in oddly-paced flashbacks. Also, as simple as the story is, it contains a surprising number of plot holes (e.g., how can a bunch of ninjas be completely unstoppable in one scene and cannon fodder in the next?). Korean pop star Rain isn't given much to do save glower and kill people, but he does handle the action sequences admirably. Harris is easy on the eyes and talented enough, though she gets saddled with a groan-worthy romance with Raizo. Miles is also good as an incredulous special agent who provides the lone comic relief in the film. Fans of ninjas in specific or martial arts in general can find something to like here, but others need not apply. —Jared  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. ***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 > view printer-friendly version > return to previous page |