The Flying Car (2002, Kevin Smith)

Maybe halfway through The Flying Car, I noticed one of the retakes of Jeff Anderson. The short takes place while Anderson and Brian O’Halloran are stuck in a traffic jam. Smith is setting up the viewer for a joke while Anderson sets up O’Halloran for the same one. Great dialogue, excellent performance from Anderson. It’s a fine little thing.

Except then there’s the retake. There are a few of them, two on Anderson, maybe two on O’Halloran. The entire short is unimaginatively shot–Smith either shoots one or the other. No rapid fire exchanges in the same framing (which only happens twice).

Anyway, that retake. Smith shoots it from outside the car, showing the windshield and–presumably–reflections of the world outside. It immediately gives Car a different, better feel. It seems less gimmicky, more natural.

The dialogue and joke are great, but Smith’s lack of imagination hurts Car bad.

D-Tox (2002, Jim Gillespie)

D-Tox is a messy film with way too high a concept. Sylvester Stallone–who’s good when he’s actually in the film, which isn’t much–is a FBI agent who becomes a drunk following a bad result in a big case. He ends up in a rehab for cops. It’s in an old missile silo (or something along those lines) in the middle of nowhere. And guess what… there’s a serial killer on the loose.

The supporting cast is full of people who have seen better roles yet still manage to turn in good performances. Charles S. Dutton, Polly Walker, Courtney B. Vance, Robert Patrick, Robert Prosky, Dina Meyer, Tom Berenger. All of them are fine. Some of them are great–Patrick in particular. Yet D-Tox doesn’t have anything for them to do because it’s Ten Little Indians, but it only runs ninety-some minutes and there’s a bulky opening to turn Stallone into a drunk.

Like I said, messy.

There are some bad performances too. Christopher Fulford, Stephen Lang, Jeffrey Wright. Kris Kristofferson might be better if his character weren’t a complete idiot (he hires incompetent repairmen for his isolated missile silo for starters).

There’s some actual suspense involving the bad guy’s identity, but director Gillespie can’t figure out how to pace it. When he gets to the finish, the big action scene, he flops. He can’t even direct a couple guys punching. Stallone should’ve stepped in.

Decent photography from Dean Semler helps.

It’s bad, but still watchable.

ⓏⒺⓇⓄ

CREDITS

Directed by Jim Gillespie; screenplay by Ron L. Brinkerhoff, based on a novel by Howard Swindle; director of photography, Dean Semler; edited by Timothy Alverson and Steve Mirkovich; music by John Powell; production designer, Gary Wissner; produced by Karen Kehela Sherwood and Ric Kidney; released by DEJ Productions.

Starring Sylvester Stallone (Jake Malloy), Charles S. Dutton (Hendricks), Polly Walker (Jenny), Kris Kristofferson (Doc), Mif (Brandon), Christopher Fulford (Slater), Jeffrey Wright (Jaworski), Tom Berenger (Hank), Stephen Lang (Jack Bennett), Alan C. Peterson (Gilbert), Hrothgar Mathews (Manny), Angela Alvarado (Lopez), Robert Prosky (McKenzie), Robert Patrick (Noah), Courtney B. Vance (Reverend Jones), Sean Patrick Flanery (Conner), Tim Henry (Weeks), Dina Meyer (Mary), Rance Howard (Geezer), Frank Pellegrino (Jimmy) and James Kidnie (Red).


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Murder by Numbers (2002, Barbet Schroeder)

Besides being bewildered at how low Barbet Schroeder’s fortunes have sunk for him to be involved with this film and seeing Ryan Gosling in an early role, all Murder by Numbers offers is a look at Sandra Bullock’s seemingly limitless egomania.

Bullock’s police detective isn’t just so beautiful even high schooler Gosling can’t resist her, neither can her coworkers (Numbers believes in empowerment through promiscuity), she’s also smarter than any of the other cops and she has Oprah-like epiphanies at all the right moments.

But Numbers isn’t really about Bullock and her overcompensating issues, it’s supposed to be about Gosling and co-star Michael Pitt being modern day Leopold and Loebs. Sadly, since their very boring story is juxtaposed against Bullock’s equally boring (and even worse) story, Numbers is a disaster.

About the only good performance in the movie is Chris Penn playing a seedy high school janitor. It’s not a stretch for Penn.

Bullock is shockingly bad. One has to wonder why she’s trying for an East Coast tough girl accent in coastal California, though one could ask the same about Gosling. Though he seems to be going for a tough guy, not girl.

Pitt’s terrible. Gosling’s terrible. Ben Chaplin, as Bullock’s new partner who falls madly in love with her because she’s so wonderful, he’s awful too. R.D. Call is laughable as her boss.

While Tony Gayton’s script is garbage, Schroeder doesn’t even try with it. He could’ve at least tried.

Bullock and her Numbers are execrable.

ⓏⒺⓇⓄ

CREDITS

Directed by Barbet Schroeder; written by Tony Gayton; director of photography, Luciano Tovoli; edited by Lee Percy; music by Clint Mansell; production designer, Stuart Wurtzel; produced by Richard Crystal, Schroeder and Susan Hoffman; released by Warner Bros.

Starring Sandra Bullock (Cassie Mayweather), Ben Chaplin (Sam Kennedy), Ryan Gosling (Richard Haywood), Michael Pitt (Justin Pendleton), Agnes Bruckner (Lisa Mills), R.D. Call (Captain Rod Cody), Tom Verica (Asst. D.A. Al Swanson) and Chris Penn (Ray Feathers).


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Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) #3

It’s a fast finish—maybe too fast—but Rucka’s pacing the series more and more like a TV show. The entire issue is the last few minutes of a longer episode, which probably frustrated when reading the series split over three months but not much in a shorter period.

Unfortunately, from the first page, it’s clear Kordey is hurrying along. Maybe it’s because a lot of the issue is bright. He’s letting the colorist fill in the darks here, whereas before he was making sure they were there. It still works, just because Rucka knows how to craft an espionage story. This issue is the finale and has the big moment for Yelena, but it’s the least about her. Like Rucka also knows he can’t push the situation in an action comic.

Spider‘s a strong approach to the character. It’s a shame Rucka and Kordey didn’t get a follow-up.

Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) #2

Rucka continues with less of a procedural, though that element is still present, and more of a… well, not character study but something close.

Pale Little Spider is, for the majority of this issue, all about Yelena and her psychological problems. She’s not crazy or anything, but she’s disturbed and she discovers things about herself and her world view while in the S&M club.

I’m not sure where Rucka came up with the issue’s twist, but it’s a good one. He’s bringing thriller movie set pieces to a familiar comics territory. One of the best moments is when it’s clear the Russian police don’t really believe in “The Black Widow.” She’s so scary, she’s just a legend. Then Rucka shows the damaged person behind the assassin.

And great Kordey art too.

The Call of Duty backup is pretty awful. But at least Marvel’s lionizing firefighters and not soldiers, right?

Black Widow: Pale Little Spider (2002) #1

Something tells me Marvel won’t be trading Pale Little Spider if Disney ever makes a Black Widow movie. Jaded as I am, I never thought it’d be an S&M-themed Black Widow comic, regardless of it released via MAX.

What’s immediately striking about it is Greg Rucka’s writing. He’s doing a police procedural (in Russia). It opens with regular detectives, then it turns to Black Widow II (you know, the blond one) doing the investigating. The series plays to Rucka’s strengths—though I had no idea S&M was one of them.

It helps he’s got Igor Kordey, of course. Kordey is able to show the entire thing as ugly, whether it’s something simple like the crime scene, the autopsy or the investigators themselves. Disney also wouldn’t want this one traded because Yelena (blond Black Widow) is an ugly little troll under Kordey’s pencil.

Little Spider‘s shocking and good.

Sci-Spy (2002) #6

Are there any real surprises? Nope. Moench doesn’t even resolve the questions he raised last issue. It’s not a particularly good issue of the series—though far from the worst in terms of Moench’s expository dialogue. He’s got a bunch of it here too, but since it’s the last issue, he gets some leeway.

There’s a huge battle scene and Gulacy and Palmiotti do well with it. The battle has an unlikely setting, at least in terms of physics, but it looks good. It’s not particularly dramatic—again, it’s the last issue and even Moench’s surprise is expected. Actually, not even the big final dramatic moment has much drama.

Sci-Spy mixes a lot of sci-fi movie plot points—not much spy stuff, except Q and then only in the second issue—and Moench and Gulacy do an okay job regurgitating it all into something workable.

It’s decent enough.

Sci-Spy (2002) #5

Now, how’s Moench going to get himself—and the cast—out of the not insubstantial hole he dug for them?

Creatively.

I mean, it’s sort of simple—kiss, kiss, bang, bang simple—but it works. Gulacy and Palmiotti eventually have a lot to do this issue, but even at the open… they do well making the unbelievable seem somewhat reasonable.

Moench has one big surprise for the issue and it’s not a bad one. It does leave something to be desired in terms of background. While the reveal is certainly plausible, he’s leaving out what leads up to the event and that sleight of hand is obvious. He doesn’t need it, but it would be nice just to feel like he took the time to figure it all out.

Maybe the next issue will reveal all.

After a couple definite trips, it looks like Sci-Spy will finish pretty well.

Sci-Spy (2002) #4

Coming off the highpoint of last issue, it shouldn’t be a surprise this one has problems. Moench spends the first half of it unveiling the “true” ground situation. Loads of expository dialogue, but some really nice flashback summary art from Gulacy and Palmiotti. Not sure what’s up with the weightlifting fetishizing, but whatever….

Then Moench moves on to the action, sci-fi part of it. It’s well-plotted and interesting, even if the dialogue’s terrible. He’s got to fill the pages with something, so he choses weak dialogue between the two protagonists. They’re an established couple now and a lot less interesting. Once again, the orb provides a lot of needed comic relief.

As for the conclusion—and the very hard cliffhanger—it’s good. I have no idea what to expect, given the situation Moench saddles on the protagonists.

Only one severe problem—Gulacy’s Predator-influenced alien designs are weak.

Sci-Spy (2002) #3

Interesting. Moench pulls out some surprises this issue—not simple ones either. The issue opens with something like a Raiders of the Lost Ark homage and it works. The dialogue’s still kind of weak, leftovers from last issue, but Gulacy and Palmiotti make the action pretty.

Then we get romance and humor. Moench comes up with some funny stuff too and the romance angle—between the protagonists—changes the book enough it starts to really work. it’s different… sci-fi action as a first date and so on.

The names, I need to take a moment on the names. The guy—Sebastian Starchild—gets the regular comics alliteration. But the girl? Isis Nile. Maybe Moench just liked that name and didn’t want to make it rhyme with anything.

Oh, and the finish—the soft cliffhanger? Absolutely fantastic. Might even go a level deeper and get really funky.

It’s getting good.