Category: 2013

Bad Dog (2009) #5

Bd05

Joe Kelly has an interesting approach to his jokes. He throws a bunch out. Some of them hit, some of them don’t, but he never tries too hard. He lets Bad Dog do its own thing (which includes not recapping after a years long break between issues) and it sort of works.

His characters are more likable than funny. It makes the humor awkward–because the characters are trying to be funny, them being likable makes their underperforming jokes more acceptable. They–and Kelly–get a lot of leeway.

The art, from Diego Greco, has something to do with it. Greco doesn’t push hard for humor, it’s already in every one of his panels. Bad Dog manages to be genial and biting at the same time, all thanks to Greco.

There’s not a lot to the comic except the concept; Kelly and Greco do a lot with what they’ve got.

Super Clyde (2013, Michael Fresco)

The worst thing about Super Clyde is the blandness. For a while, it seems like Gregory Thomas Garcia can’t figure out how to make fat jokes and be sympathetic–he has to do it cheaply in the end–but there’s nothing to it.

Rupert Grint is geeky in the lead. He’s a geeky red-haired twenty-something who’s weird. It’s awful. He has two annoying siblings–Tyler Labine and Justine Lupe; they’re supposed to be nouveau riche dipsticks (more Lapine and Lupe, but still her too). Grint wants to do something significant with his new wealth.

Enter a bored Stephen Fry as Alfred to his Bruce Wayne.

The comic book influences–even though it doesn’t seem like anyone in the set decorating department paid attention to the references in Garcia’s script–are kind of neat. But they’re a lot more playful than the show itself.

It’s lame stuff. Real lame.

1/3Not Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Michael Fresco; written by Gregory Thomas Garcia; director of photography, Sharone Meir; edited by William Marrinson; music by Danny Lux and Matt Mariano; production designer, John Zachary; released by the Columbia Broadcasting System.

Starring Rupert Grint (Clyde), Stephen Fry (Randolph), Tyler Labine (Duke), Justine Lupe (Faith), Laura Ortiz (Jolene) and Carla Jimenez (Adriana).

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Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness (2013, Brian Rosenthal)

From the opening scene–a young couple in a parking garage on the run from zombies–Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness is obviously well made. Rosenthal’s direction ably toggles between humor and gore, not to mention the gleefulness at getting to give Meaghan Lehrer comic book dialogue. Lehrer only has one lengthy dialogue delivery but she delivers it perfectly. Thanks to her, disbelief is suspended.

And then things get crazy. Rosenthal brings in the second part of the homage, with a Deadite zooming through the parking garage to the young lovers. There’s a great punchline.

All of this stuff happens before David VonHippchen even arrives, doing a great Bruce Campbell impression.

Rosenthal isn’t really doing anything new here, but he’s mixing the franchises so perfectly–with such reverence to the Evil Dead films in particular–the short is a joy from start to finish.

It’s a lot of fun.

3/3Highly Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Brian Rosenthal; written by Rosenthal and Eli David; music by Karl J. Anderson; production designer, Shay Dahlburg; produced by Duke Stephenson and Rosenthal.

Starring David VonHippchen (Ashley J. Williams), Michael Angel Colon (Logan), Eli David (Peter) and Meaghan Lehrer (Gwen).

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Phantom (2013, Jonathan Soler)

Phantom tries hard not to have a narrative. On the surface, one could argue it really doesn’t–an unnamed woman and man talk. Director Soler has his actors recite their dialogue without much emotion. There are a couple really funny moments, but never do the characters seem to get tired. It is a narrative, of course–it all takes place in one night.

Only Soler does not spend the time with the characters talking. There are a couple moments it appears the conversation and the actors speaking are in sync, but for the most part they are not. It creates a strange effect, seeing dialogue consistently not synced with the person speaking it. It somehow focuses ones attention more.

Instead of showing this long conversation–the film runs around seventy-five minutes and is not real time. One imagines the insomniac characters drift off occasionally. So instead of showing two people talking, Soler shows them out and about in their regular lives. He also shows a lot of Tokyo. Phantom is a beauty of urban isolationism picture and an odd one.

The only time Soler goes off the rails is about thirty minutes in. He has established how he’s telling this story, he has established this beautiful muted background noise thing–the film is always very quiet, leaving the audience to imagine the sounds of the street scenes. Following the first sequence, Soler does a montage of garbage to show man’s assault on nature. It misfires.

Otherwise, though, Phantom succeeds.

3/4★★★

CREDITS

Written, directed, edited, photographed and produced by Jonathan Soler; released by Ganko Films.

Starring Yuki Fujita (Woman) and Masato Tsujioka (Man).

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Tom & Issy (2013, Roger Michell)

Tom & Issy is a particular brand of hideous.

Now, it’s really just a music video for star Ellie Goulding–and having a successful director like Michell do a music video isn’t a big deal, it’s how they’ve concocted this “short film” slash music video.

Oh, and it’s also an advertisement for Nokia phones and whatever version of Windows Phone runs on it. The short is entirely shot on one of these omnipresent phones; even though there’s a credited director of photography, I don’t know exactly what Gerry Vasbenter really did. The lighting is cheap HD natural lighting and the focus is awful.

At least editor Charles Jenkins ripped of some Pi style editing for an inane, obnoxious romantic comedy short.

It’s a truly unpleasant experience. Goulding’s just not a good actor, but Dylan Edwards (as her admirer) is really bad too.

Worse, the short’s not even bad in interesting ways.

1/3Not Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Roger Michell; written by Stefan Georgiou and Sam Bern; director of photography, Gerry Vasbenter; edited by Charles Jenkins; production designer, Alice Normington; produced by Glynis Murray and Barnaby Spurrier.

Starring Dylan Edwards (Tom), Ellie Goulding (Issy), Ben Lloyd-Hughes (Eric) and Mark Bagnall (Stephen).

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Manifest Destiny (2013) #1

Manifest Destiny 1

Manifest Destiny very nicely retells the story of Lewis and Clark, only with them hunting monsters in the American wilderness. Writer Chris Dingess hints at this turn of events for a little way, then reveals it full force and it’s a good reveal. Matthew Roberts’s art helps a lot. He captures the time period but he also has a lot of personality to his people.

One of the more interesting things Dingess does has to do with the partnership. Lewis and Clark are not great friends in this issue, but there’s the expectation once their identities are clear. Dingess has these mercenaries pair off and conspire and it’s interesting to see how either set of partners gets on.

The art’s lovely–Roberts has great designs too. It’s hard to tell much else. For instance, no idea how Dingess is going to pace the comic.

Destiny’s off to a good start.

Buck Rogers (2013) #2

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century 2

For the most part, it’s a strong issue. Chaykin’s gleefully overboard with this idea of Rogers as a twenties American socialist awoken around a bunch of closed-minded future “Americans.” He loves it and it’s impossible not to get wrapped up in his enthusiasm.

Chaykin’s also downright hostile towards Wilma Deering. Buck lays it all out for her–how she and the other gangs are just playing military–and Chaykin sets up Wilma’s as both an accomplished warrior and the butt of Buck’s jokes. The way Chaykin gets in the gender equality, without ever drawing attention to it (save Buck realizing he’s biased), is nice.

Sadly, there are some art issues. There’s a whole action sequence Chaykin tells from a long shot without ever doing enough establishing, either in the narrative or the art. But that sequence comes relatively early on.

It’s a strange, fun, thoughtful comic. Chaykin’s doing well.

Castello Cavalcanti (2013, Wes Anderson)

Castello Cavalcanti is really precious. It’s precious at the start when–director Anderson is shooting in a studio but it’s an intricately designed street scene in fifties Italy. It’s odd it takes place in the fifties, because Jason Schwartzman’s affected performance seems more appropriate for a thirties setting. At least at the start, he gets better later.

Anyway, Darius Khondji is the photographer so Cavalcanti should look but it doesn’t. It looks fake and all of Anderson’s camera movements point out the lack of reality. It feels more like an Anderson imitator than Anderson himself, down to what seems to be a reference to device he used in Rushmore.

It’s also trite and predictable. The charm is what’s supposed to sell the short and the charm wears thin during Schwartzman’s first rant. By the time he finds the character, the short’s over.

Cavalcanti’s extremely cute, but it’s a pointless exercise.

The Heat (2013, Paul Feig), the unrated cut

I’m trying to imagine The Heat without Melissa McCarthy. Even though she gets second billing–the film opens introducing Sandra Bullock’s character, a superior FBI agent with no personal skills (and an odd klutziness the film never actually deals with)–McCarthy’s the only reason to watch the film and she’s the only consistently good thing in it.

Bullock ends up okay. She’s got a character arc, McCarthy doesn’t. But Bullock basically just stops being annoying and then she’s better. Inexplicably, for the postscripts, the film returns her more to the annoying side, which sort of closes things poorly.

Except McCarthy’s there to save it.

There’s a plot involving a mystery drug dealer and the most unlikely FBI operation on film, then some stuff with McCarthy’s ex-con brother (a downtrodden Michael Rapaport). Mostly it’s about McCarthy being funny, being obscene, making fun of Bullock in funny, obscene ways. Then, once they bond, it’s about them making fun of other people. There’s not much of an actual plot. There’s a really odd part where there’s a useless phone bugging.

The humor’s constant and Feig does a fine job directing the large cast. There’s a lot of thankless appearances. Between the more recognizable supporting cast members–Marlon Wayans, Jane Curtin, Thomas F. Wilson–only Wilson gets a good laugh. Curtin should, but she’s too underutilized. Her casting seems like an afterthought. Wayans, who’s good, has nothing to do.

It’s a fine time and an excellent vehicle for McCarthy. The rest doesn’t matter.

1.5/4★½

CREDITS

Directed by Paul Feig; written by Katie Dippold; director of photography, Robert D. Yeoman; edited by Jay Deuby and Brent White; music by Michael Andrews; production designer, Jefferson Sage; produced by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping; released by 20th Century Fox.

Starring Sandra Bullock (Ashburn), Melissa McCarthy (Mullins), Demian Bichir (Hale), Marlon Wayans (Levy), Michael Rapaport (Jason Mullins), Jane Curtin (Mrs. Mullins), Spoken Reasons (Rojas), Dan Bakkedahl (Craig), Taran Killam (Adam), Michael McDonald (Julian) and Thomas F. Wilson (Captain Woods).

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Call of Duty: Final Hour (2013, Jared Pelletier)

So Call of Duty: Final Hour is some kind of video game fan short, but besides the hackneyed opening where a film strip plays in a different aspect ratio and something similar at the end, it’s just a strong little bit of filmmaking.

There’s a lot of great production value–the World War II setting, there’s a CG airplane at one point–and director Pelletier has a wonderful sense of how to bring things together. His action moments are fast and confusing at the start of the short, but then he slows things down–with help from composer Daniel Ciurlizza–and the second half of the short becomes rather affecting.

Excellent photography from Erik Tallek too. Good sound design.

Cynically speaking, Pelletier is just turning a video game cutscene into a short film, but the ending to this short shows he’s going for something far more ambitious with the work.

2/3Recommended

CREDITS

Directed by Jared Pelletier; written and produced by Pelletier and Eric Tallek; director of photography, Tallek; music by Daniel Ciurlizza.

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