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By Jenny,

Shut Up and Sing
Directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck, 2006

The Dixie Chicks are a polarizing force in music.  Ever since the ‘fifteen words heard ‘round the world,’ everyone has an opinion and there aren’t many people in middle. While all of this controversy is a reality, none of it affects the Chicks’ musical talent.  Love them or hate them, they can still play.

Ticket sales were slow for the Chicks’ latest tour supporting their first post-comment album, Taking the Long Way. The band was also hoping to capitalize on the release of their video documentary, Shut Up and Sing, directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck.  I was pleasantly surprised. Shut Up and Sing is an entertaining look at the album making process. All the struggles and doubts showcased in the movie paid off as the Dixie Chicks swept the 2007 Grammy Awards. This movie is a must-see for any fan of the Chicks.

- Amanda

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By Kyle,

Asylum
Directed by Roy Ward Baker, 1972

I have a slight obsession with insane asylums. I gobble up books set in asylums, and I absolutely love movies where the action takes place in an asylum. So, when Asylum came out on DVD in 2006, I knew I had to check it out!

Here’s a run-down of the plot: Dr. Martin arrives at the Dunsmoor Asylum for the incurably insane to apply for an open position. He expects to be interviewed by asylum director Dr. Starr. Instead he is met by Dr. Rutherford, who explains that Dr. Starr suffered a mental breakdown and is now one of the patients. If Martin can deduce which patient is really Dr. Starr, the job is his.
Who is Dr. Starr? Is it the woman whose affair with a married man turns murderous? Is it the tailor who made a one-of-a-kind suit for a very mysterious customer, with evil results? Is it the beautiful young lady accused of murdering her brother while her nurse insists “Lucy” did it? Or is it the “doctor” whose specialty is making voodoo dolls? You’ll use your own skills of deduction as you join Dr. Martin on his quest to find the real Dr. Starr…

For fans of the Hammer horror films, good old fashioned scary stories, or if you’re like me and enjoy anything set in asylum, Asylum is the film for you!

- Crystal

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By Jenny,

The Machinist
Directed by Brad Anderson, 2004

“It’s as if a screenplay by Franz Kafka had been filmed by Alfred Hitchcock.” This is how one review summed up The Machinist and I wholeheartedly agree. Christian Bale stars as an emaciated industrial worker who is becoming totally detached from reality. We slowly see the many elements of his nightmare existence exposed with devastating results. The film features an appropriately eerie music score by Roque Banos that perfectly evokes the spirit of Bernard Herman, Hitchcock’s favorite composer. This film is highly recommended for fans of the unusual and for me is one of the best of recent years.

- Lew

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By Kyle,

Something New
Directed by Sanaa Hamri, 2006

As a rule, I don’t do romantic comedies. I never have anything in common with the characters. The romances seem forced, the breakups ridiculous, and the make-ups even more contrived. Yes, I may be a tad cynical when it comes to romance; but when I saw the trailer for Something New, something told me I should watch this movie.

Kenya McQueen is a young, professional African-American woman. She’s worked very hard to advance in a field not only saturated with men, but white men – colleagues and clients alike. She and her friends get together and talk about what it means to be single and successful black women.
Kenya decides to take a chance on being set up for a blind date. After arriving at the coffee shop, she checks out the black men, looking for the person she’s meeting. Then her date arrives… Kenya is horrified when she realizes she’s been set up with a white guy. She basically blows him off at this point, but runs into him again at a party.

Brian Kelly is a landscaper. Kenya hires him to work for her. As he transforms her disastrous backyard, Kenya is transformed too. You want these two to get together as you experience their chemistry. Brian brings out a new uninhibited side to Kenya.

Of course there is conflict, then a breakup, and eventually a make-up that occurs in this romantic comedy. But Something New addresses other very contemporary and relevant issues during this process. It features a great cast, including Blair Underwood as a wood-be suitor, and Alfre Woodard as Kenya’s mother. The soundtrack is awesome. I won’t say anything else about this movie except watch it!

- Crystal

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By Kyle,

Dot the I
Directed by Matthew Parkhill, 2003

What a cool movie! It starts with what appears to be a typical love triangle. Imagine a young woman about to be married. She’s out on the town for her hen night (bachelorette party to most Americans). As part of the tradition, she chooses one man to share her last kiss as a free woman. This kiss plants the seed of doubt about whether she’s ready for marriage.

Just when you think the film is going to be a romantic drama, it turns into a thriller. The young lady has a tragic past. Her fiance’ is rich, but dull and controlling. And the guy with whom she shared her last free kiss doesn’t want to let her go. Dot the I is writer/director Matthew Parkhill’s feature film debut. I’ll say no more, lest I give away key points of the plot. This was one of the most refreshing movies I’ve recently watched. It stars Natalia Verbeke, James D’Arcy, and Gael Garcia Bernal, whom you may remember from The Motorcycle Diaries or Y Tu Mama Tambien.

- Crystal

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By Kyle,

11:14
Directed by Greg Marck. Starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Barbara Hershey, Patrick Swayze, and Hilary Swank. 2003

If you’re in the mood for a black comedy containing a 1/3 cup of suspense, and a teaspoon of thriller, try 11:14. The movie consists of several different stories. It starts with a young man driving down the highway drunk. It continues with a van full of kids up to mischief. Enter a cop with two prisoners in his vehicle. Switch to a teenage girl who is pregnant. But wait, I forgot to mention the man who discovers a dead body in a cemetery. Yikes! Yes, you do need to pay attention to the details, including the time when you watch this film. But I guarantee you’ll gain satisfaction when you see how everything fits into 11:14. Director Greg Marcks’ first full-length feature film is pure entertainment!

- Crystal

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By Jenny,

The Killing
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, 1956

Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing was his first major Hollywood film. His first two films, Fear and Desire and Killer’s Kiss, were small, independent movies. This was the first time he had a major budget ($330,000), major actors (Sterling Hayden, Jay C. Flippen, and Elisha Cook) and a major studio (United Artists). It was based on Lionel White’s novel Clean Break, and the screenplay was co-written by Jim Thompson who wrote crime novels The Grifters and The Killer Inside Me.

The story deals with a heist of a race track. Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) is the ring leader and has come up with a plan that requires spilt second timing. What makes The Killing different from other heist films are the many perspectives the story is told from. You see each story of the gang as they perform their part of the robbery. For example, you see Nikki Arane (Timothy Carey) the sharp shooter of the gang hired to assassinate a race horse to cause a distraction. In this particular episode there is an interesting exchange between Arane and a black car park attendant (James Edwards). Not only is it part of the plot but it makes an interesting comment on racism.
Another interesting aspect of The Killing is how each gang member comes undone. It comes in the form of a horseshoe, a little dog, and of course the femme fatale played to perfection by Marie Windsor.

Tragically, after Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick never made a film in black and white again. Kubrick was one of the last directors who fully exploited the process to its full advantage. Interesting note: Lucien Ballard, the director of photography, was mainly known for working in color and mainly in westerns. The Killing has a documentary-feel to it.

In conclusion, The Killing introduced to the world a great filmmaking talent. The film is still complex and compelling today.

- Bill

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By Jenny,

The Thin Blue Line
By Morris, Errol

“If there was ever hell on earth, it’s Dallas County.”—Randall Adams Hands down, my favorite documentary. It tells the story of Randall Adams, who has been convicted and put on death row for killing a police officer in Dallas County, Texas. This documentary unfolds like a great detective novel. Philip Glass’s haunting score adds to the atmosphere. It is totally engrossing.

Of Unknown Origin
By Cosmatos, George Pan

Bart Hughes played by Peter Weller is a man who has everything going for him. He has a job that has put him of the fast track for success, a beautiful trophy wife, and an upscale townhouse. He is a master of the rat race, then a real rat moves in and a war ensues. This clever cat and mouse (or man and rat) story is an off beat thriller that really works. It also has the scariest scene in the history of motion pictures.

Ace in the Hole
By Billy Wilder

Ace in the Hole is Billy Wilder’s deeply cynical movie about the vicious world of journalism. The movie was released in 1951 and it’s still relevant today. Kirk Douglas portrays Chuck Tatum, a ruthless reporter who manipulates the events surrounding a man trapped in a mine after a cave in. This movie has some of the best dialogue ever written. It’s also one of the most uncompromising films ever made.

- Bill

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By Jenny,

Once
By John Carney

This Irish film which was a hit at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival plays out like an extended music video, but that’s OK. Writer/director Jim Carney conceptualized Once as a “video album.” The two stars, Glen Hansard of the Irish Band The Frames, and Czech singer/songwriter Markéta Irglová, are true musicians. Their songs transcend the film.

The Monster Squad
By Dekker, Fred

3 stars

All your favorite horror film characters in one movie, complete with the 1980’s style film treatment. This one is a lot of fun, especially if you’re a fan of the genre.

Broken English
By Cassavetes, Zoe R.

3 1/2 stars

This romantic comedy is a bit more serious than most, perhaps due to the influence of Zoe Cassavette’s father John Cassavettes’ films. Parker Posey stars as a neurotic thirty-something New Yorker who uses poor judgment when dealing with matters of the heart. Enter a carefree (and cute!) Frenchman to teach her to love herself, and the rest will fall into place. With a supporting cast that includes Zoe’s mom Gena Rowlands, Broken English is a wonderfully quirky story about modern love.

Severance

4 stars

Imagine an episode of The Office where they meet up with Leatherface during a weekend teambuilding retreat. If you can picture that, you’ve got the idea behind Severance- Horror at its most brilliant!

Conversations with Other Women

3 1/2 stars

Are you a fan of romance movies? Do you have an admiration for great acting? Have you ever been to a wedding reception and felt lonely? Do you enjoy stylized cinematography? Have you ever fantasized about catching up with an old flame? Do you sometimes take chances on movies you’ve never heard of? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, this film is for you…. It stars Helena Bonham Carter as woman, Aaron Eckhart as man, and is directed by Hans Canosa.

- Crystal

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By Kyle,

The Larry Sanders Show – Season One

5 of 5 Stars

I never appreciated Garry Shandling until I caught up with this show on DVD. Shandling stars as Larry Sanders a popular late night talk show host whose love life and work life are in a constant state of maintanence due to his addiction to objective gratification through laughter. Much to detriment of those around him, the only thing that matters to Larry is the his show. Ancipipating many shows to come, ultra realism equates stinging satire as the in-and-outs of the late night talk show circuit are exposed. The DVDs are worth it just to see the celebrity guest stars knowingly(?) making fun of themselves. Rip Torn steals most scenes as Arty, the show’s old school Hollywood producer. Largely based on real life Tonight Show producer Fred de Cordova, Arty is one of my all time favorite TV characters. “Larry Sanders” is obviously based on the real life Shandling and his obsessiveness over this show paid off in hardcore laughs and a wallop of pathos. For fans of the British The Office and Curb Your Enthusiam.

- Bryan

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By Jenny,

Dexter: The First Season

‘Tis the season to be macabre. Out of all the gory crime dramas on TV, along with films like Sweeney Todd in theaters, this Showtime series is by far and away the most bloody (yes it’s bloodier than Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the demon barber of Fleet Street). Adapted from Jeff Lindsay’s novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, this show follows Dexter Morgan through his day to day life as a criminologist, whose specialty is analyzing blood spatters at crime scenes in order to determine how someone was murdered. The twist is that Dexter himself is an admitted monster – a psychotic killer who chooses to hunt down other serial killers (he never targets “innocent” victims), then murders them in his own calm, methodical fashion.

There is something about this show that intrigues me, but I can’t put my finger on what exactly. I’m not a huge fan of homicidal maniacs – maybe it’s just me – and I don’t really enjoy seeing mutilated, dead bodies in such graphic detail. But it’s morbidly fascinating, I must admit. I guess it also might be the layers of complexity that Dexter, portrayed by Six Feet Under’s Michael C. Hall, displays. His parents are dead (no, he didn’t kill them), but he has a sister and a family of sorts with his girlfriend (Julie Benz of Angel fame) and her two children. It is interesting to me how a man who professes to have no feelings can function so normally in society.

I do take comfort in the fact that, since I, myself, am not a serial killer, I don’t have to worry about Dexter coming after me. Plus, he is a fictional character, so that helps me sleep at night. If you have a morbid and warped sense of humor, then this show’s for you.

- Amanda

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By Jenny,

Big Love: Complete Seasons 1 & 2

5 Stars

I never thought I would enjoy a show about polygamists, but Big Love has captured my attention. The acting is great, the characters are complex and the storyline could not be more complicated. This show has made me really appreciate Chloe Sevigny as an actress, but it’s Grace Zabriskie, who plays the crazy grandmother, that steals every scene she’s in.

- Kyle

Jekyll

Jekyll is a recent BBC television drama that takes the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson and reinvents the tale in modern day England. This cutting edge horror show has a complicated structure that takes you on a wickedly funny thrill ride. The show is filled with fresh original characters. But it’s Jekyll and Hyde, both played by the brilliant James Nesbitt, that hold the show together. Nesbitt’s portrayal of Hyde is astonishing because he creates the character using no prosthetics. So grab yourself a bag of popcorn, sit back with your favorite beverage, and enjoy!

- Bill

Six Feet Under: The Complete Series

5 stars

I think this show is even better than The Sopranos. Not for the squeamish or prudish, this show explores love and death of all types. Excellent writing, characters, and acting.

- Jessica

SCTV: Disc 1

SCTV is a television series that aired in the early 1980’s. Its cast was formed with comedians out of the original Second City comedy troupe of Chicago, as well as Toronto Second City troupe members. Many comedy greats of the 70’s and 80’s came through the Second City organization, some going to the SCTV series and others graduating on to Saturday Night Live. SCTV cast members included Dave Thomas, Catherine O’Hara, John Candy, and Andrea Martin, John Belushi and Dan Akroyd. The many sketches in this collection hold up rather well despite their early 80’s time frame. Many politicians, TV stars, TV shows, and various celebrities were spoofed, which is what sketch comedy is all about. Some skits were truly inspired, such as a takeoff on Chariots of Fire which they renamed “Chariots of Eggs” and starred the pop duo Hall and Oates.

- Ric

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By Jenny,

Overnight
By Montana, Tony
Director Smith, Mark Brian

4 stars

There have been great actors who have played memorable movie monsters.

Boris Karloff played the Frankenstein monster. Bela Lugosi became Bram Stoker’s Dracula. And now Troy Duffy is Troy Duffy in Overnight. Never heard of the monster Troy Duffy? Well, let me explain. Mr. Duffy was a bartender and struggling screenwriter who suddenly hit the big time when he sold his script The Boondock Saints to Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Films (when Miramax was still considered the hottest production company in Hollywood.) Documentary filmmakers Mark Brian Smith and Tony Montana decide to film the rise of this new young filmmaker. Not so fast… What Smith and Montana document is the fall of Troy Duffy, who turns out to be an arrogant bully who but all destroys the gift handed to him on a silver platter. Granted his head doesn’t spin around and he doesn’t spit pea soup, but he does just about everything else in the repertoire of a movie monster. Check Overnight out and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

- Bill

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By Jenny,

What Would Jesus Buy?
By Vanalkemade, Rob

What Would Jesus Buy? is a pseudo documentary, or “docu-comedy,” as the liner notes say, about Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping, which also has a gospel choir.  This film illustrates their efforts to humorously get Americans to stop or at least decrease their overspending each Christmas season.  The Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) production follows the Church’s bus tour around the country and is both serious and funny at the same time. It mixes in Reverend Billy’s Jimmy Swaggart like speeches in corporate strongholds like Disneyland, Walmart, Starbucks, and Mall of America, with interviews with experts that attempt to explain our overwhelming desire to buy, buy, buy and to have the latest and greatest of everything.  There is even a segment where a couple buy an entire wardrobe for their Chihuahua. The gospel choir is uniquely suited to amplify Billy’s remarks wherever they go; they both sing and dance and add a religious flavor to his performances.

Likely the most memorable segment in the film proper is called the Shopacolyspe, which refers to the mountain of debt Americans owe, and what could happen if people don’t wise up and stop their overspending ways.  However, the most touching segment was in the added features, one of which interviewed a Chinese woman now living in the U. S. who had been imprisoned for six years for being a Christian.  During that time she was ironically forced to make Christmas lights for sale in America.  That point tied into one of the film’s observations about sweatshops providing cheap goods for us while people in foreign countries-many of them children- work for paltry wages.

All in all, this film is a quite humorous look at our excessive spending problem.

- Ric