Blu-Ray Review: RECLAIM

Starring John Cusack, Ryan Phillippe, Rachelle Lefevre, Briana Roy, Luis Guzman, Jacki Weaver. Directed by Alan White. (2014, 96 min).
Lionsgate

Reclaim falls into that netherworld where movies often go to die…it’s not quite straight-to-DVD fodder, yet nothing the average viewer would ever feel compelled to see on the big screen. It initially received the same simultaneous on-demand/limited theatrical release as most movies which aren’t likely to generate high expectations.

And indeed, despite its sensational subject matter, Reclaim is nothing special…a fairly predictable, low-rent thriller boasted somewhat by a fun performance by John Cusack in a rare villainous role, as well as some impressive cinematography. Still, if you keep your expectations in check, the movie is a reasonably entertaining way to kill 90 minutes.

Ryan Phillippe and Rachelle Lefevre are Steven & Shannon, a dull couple duped into adopting a Haitian girl, Nina (Briana Roy), by an agency which cons as much cash from prospective parents as possible before disappearing. Since they’ve grown attached to Nina - and the local government is pretty useless - this couple tries to find the girl on their own. Cusack is a sleazy opportunist who helps the agency suck parents into this ruse by absconding with the kid. He also wants to bilk Steven & Shannon of even more money, kidnapping them in hopes on draining their bank account. But he doesn’t count on their determination and resiliency to get their child back.

Ryan and John argue over who gets to drive.
Obviously, John wins.

Like so many films before it, Reclaim largely depends on the idiocy of its characters to move the plot along. Nobody comes across as very smart. The great character actor, Luis Guzman, is especially wasted in his role as a totally worthless cop. Phillippe & Fefevre do their best, but neither have the acting chops to make us feel the desperation of their characters’ feelings of violation and loss. As for Cusack...he is obviously slumming here, but at least he brings his A-game.

Still, despite its occasionally-ridiculous plot turns and stupid characters, Reclaim remains oddly watchable, mainly because we do feel a sense of urgency in Steven & Shannon’s attempts to get their child back. Sure, we’re never less-than-convinced everything will turn out hunky-dory, but like those shamelessly manipulative movies on Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel, Reclaim compels us to see the story through to the end.

EXTRAS:

• Director commentary
• Deleted/Extended scenes
• Featurettes: Behind the Scenes of Reclaim; cast & crew interviews
• Music video: “Fighting the World”
• Trailer
• Digital copy

FKMG RATING:

1/2

(OUT OF 5)

Book Review: GANGSTERS AND G-MEN ON SCREEN

By Gene D. Phillips (2014, 191 pp).
Rowman & Lttlefield

What self-respecting movie fan doesn’t love a good gangster movie? Compared to our own mundane 9-5 existence, gangster life is as far-removed from our personal experience as a superhero movie. Even though the best films are somewhat grounded in reality, it remains an alien world, and probably the reason the genre continues to have such mass appeal. These films allow us to identify with characters we would never associate with in real life.

That’s what made early classics such as Little Caesar and the original Scarface connect with audiences, even though their protagonists are essentially awful people. Gangster films touch our dark side.

Of course, there have been scores of books dedicated to the genre, but perhaps none as unigue as Gangsters and G-Men On Screen. This book, written by Gene D. Phillips, is not intended as a comprehensive overview of the genre. In fact, many of the most historically-beloved gangster epics released over the years are scarcely given a mention (such as Goodfellas, The Godfather and 1982's Scarface). Instead, Phillips provides a lot of insight on some of the lesser-known (but no-less groundbreaking) films of the early days, along with selected recent movies which influenced the genre in the post-Godfather era (such as an entire chapter dedicated to The Godfather Part II, which steered the saga in the direction of Shakespearian tragedy).

One could carp that Phillips barely acknowledges many latter-day films which had a huge impact on modern pop culture. Yet at the same time, do we really need yet-another in-depth examination of the original Godfather (especially since Part II is arguably more ambitious and complex)? Isn’t it more interesting to read about the films which made Goodfellas possible in the first place?

As a movie guide, Gangsters and G-Men on Screen will disappoint many readers who are looking for confirmation of the greatness of their favorite gangster films. But for anyone who’s ever wondered what truly makes the genre transcend generations, this book is a good read.

FKMG RATING:

1/2

(OUT OF 5)

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR: First Clip Released

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR will be in NY and LA on December 31, 2014 and will expand in January 2015

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is a searing crime drama set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically the most dangerous year in the city’s history. From acclaimed writer/director J.C. Chandor, and starring Oscar Isaac (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS) and Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY), this gripping story plays out within a maze of rampant political and industry corruption plaguing the streets of a city in decay.

J.C. Chandor’s third feature examines one immigrant’s determined climb up a morally crooked ladder, where simmering rivalries and unprovoked attacks threaten his business, family, and - above all - his own unwavering belief in the righteousness of his path. With A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, Chandor journeys in a bold new direction, toward the place where best intentions yield to raw instinct, and where we are most vulnerable to compromise what we know to be right.

AMERICAN HUSTLE Soundtrack Limited Edition Vinyl Announced for Record Store Day (Nov 28)

Madison Gate Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, are releasing American Hustle - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, a collection of music from the critically-acclaimed box office hit with ten Oscar-nominations, in a two 12" LP gatefold blue and red colored 150 gram vinyl edition featuring six songs from the movie not included on the CD version. The 12” Vinyl will be available exclusively at independent retailers, as part of Record Store Day’s annual Black Friday event on November 28^th, 2014.

American Hustle - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack premieres "Stream Of Stars," a previously-unreleased song from the legendary Jeff Lynne (Electric Light Orchestra, Traveling Wilburys) alongside ELO's "Long Black Road," an ultra-rare track previously available only on the Japanese release of Zoom, ELO's final studio album. The soundtrack album showcases an array of evocative 70s classics--including Wings' "Live And Let Die," Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", the Bee Gees' “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" and more--while introducing provocative new tracks like Lebanese-American singer Mayssa Karaa's Arabic cover rendition of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," produced by multiple Grammy nominee Mark Batson (Eminem, Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews Band).  Susan Jacobs served as Music Supervisor for the film's soundtrack.

The new 12" 2LP gatefold vinyl release of the album features six songs used in the film, which were not included on the CD.  The exciting new additions to the American Hustle - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album are songs by Steely Dan ("Dirty Work"), The Temptations (“Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone”), Todd Rundgren ("I Saw The Light"), David Bowie ("The Jean Genie"), Frank Sinatra ("The Coffee Song [They've Got An Awful Lot Of Coffee In Brazil]") and Ella Fitzgerald ("It's De-Lovely").

Director David O. Russell meticulously supervised the creation of this exclusive vinyl edition of the soundtrack, supplying hand-written excerpts from the scrip, unique imagery from the film and artwork to enhance the look and feel of the album’s gatefold and sleeve.

Movie Haiku of the Week: BASIC INSTINCT

What? No underpants?

Good thing my remote control 

Has a pause button.

Blu-Ray Review: 22 JUMP STREET

Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Peter Stormare, Amber Stevens, Wyatt Russell, Jillian Bell. Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. (2014, 112 min).
Sony Pictures

I think it’s safe to say just about everyone was surprised 21 Jump Street (based on a TV show most-remembered for making Johnny Depp a teen idol) turned out as good as it did. What could have been just another cynical attempt to cash-in on a nostalgic brand name was instead re-imagined as a big, brash action comedy, loaded with raunchy one-liners, over-the-top sight gags and unexpectedly engaging performances by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Since it was a huge hit, I doubt anyone was surprised when the inevitable sequel was announced.

The problem with comedy sequels is that, more often than not, the initial premise is really only fresh the first time, and movie history is rife with completely unnecessary follow-ups which are little-more than stale remakes of the original (The Hangover II, Grown-Ups 2, etc). But even though 22 Jump Street is essentially more-of-the-same, perhaps part of the reason the formula still works is due to the episodic nature of the series it’s based on. In other words, if you enjoyed the original, there’s no reason you won’t like this one too.

This time, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) & Jenko (Channing Tatum) go undercover as college students to investigate who’s behind the distribution of a new synthetic drug (WHYPHY). But like the first film, the story is just a clothesline on which to hang lots of jokes and gags. Schmidt & Jenko are just as inept as ever, and much of the humor comes from them trying to fit-in even though they are noticeably older than the other students. This time around, however, it’s Jenko who manages to get caught up in the campus life, falling in with a bunch of hard-partying frat boys and becoming a star on the football team. Meanwhile, Schmidt begins dating Maya (Amber Stevens), but it isn’t until later (in one of the more amusing scenes) that it’s revealed this relationship becomes complicated in a way which wouldn’t be fair to give away here.

Channing & Jonah test drive the Not-So-Smart Car.

While the plot itself provides a few interesting twists, much of what makes 22 Jump Street amusing is the interaction between Hill and Tatum. They are often hilariously presented more like a troubled couple in need of counseling (which they actually get) than partners in an ongoing investigation.

Like a lot of low-brow comedies, not all the gags work (some go on far longer than they need to), and a few scenes appear to serve no purpose other than to provide gratuitous cameos (there are several throughout the movie). Still, 22 Jump Street is amusing enough to justify its existence. Not much has changed since the first film, but it’s still pretty damned funny. The best gag of all shows-up during the end-credits sequence, with a hilarious jab at Hollywood’s tendency to take a successful franchise and run it into the ground. With a third Jump Street film already in the works, lets hope that isn’t a self-fulfilling prophecy.

EXTRAS:

• Commentary by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, Jonah Hill & Channing Tatum
• 22 deleted/extended scenes
• “Line-O-Ramas” (alternate lines of dialogue)
• “Joke-A-Palooza”
• Zook & McQuaid Scout Video
• Jenko Split Video
• The Dramatic Interpretation of 22 Jump Street (10 minute cut of the film with all the humor removed)
• Featurettes: Casting 22 Jump Street; Everything is Better in College; The Mr. Walters Prison Scene
• DVD and Digital copies

FKMG RATING:

1/2

(OUT OF 5)

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT and My Personal Jessica

Starring Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Fleischer, Joanna Cassidy, Kathleen Turner, Stubby Kaye, Alan Tilvern. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. (1988, 103 min).

1988, a year when I felt both lucky and inadequate, often at the same time…

I met a girl named Francie, a fun-loving blonde whose classic beauty reminded me of Ann Margaret & Marilyn Monroe rolled up into one, all dolled up in the prerequisite parachute pants and Madonna bustier fashionable in the 80s. For reasons I still can’t fathom, she agreed to go out with me. One date led to another, then another, then another, and before long we were seeing each other exclusively.

Even though I was no slouch, if you saw the two of us back then, you’d have never paired us up. Francie was flirty, perky and always sharply dressed. I, on the other hand, looked like a brooding reject from The Lost Boys. Part of me always felt like she was way out of my league - a feeling which persisted well into our relationship - and it was only a matter of time before she found somebody more worthy of her attention.

At any rate, six months later, it was Halloween and the bar where I worked was hosting its annual costume party. I think it was Francie who thought we should dress-up together, something like Bonnie & Clyde or a pirate and wench. I suggested we go as Roger & Jessica Rabbit, partially because Who Framed Roger Rabbit was the latest in a short list of movies which left me awestricken, but also because Francie was…well, built in all the right places, and she’d have no trouble filling-out a red sequined dress.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a watershed movie because I grew up loving classic, theatrically-released animated shorts by Warner Brothers, Disney and MGM, which were far more detailed, fluid and funny than the cheap crap shoved down our throats every Saturday morning in the 70s. Those old cartoons were often violent and politically incorrect, yet stylish, clever and brilliantly animated.

Now these characters were gathered together in a single film, regardless of which studio originally produced them. Bugs & Mickey, Donald & Daffy, Droopy & Goofy…all looking like they did back in the 30s and 40s, sharing scenes with newly created characters like Roger, Jessica & Baby Herman (who also looked like they would have existed in the 30s and 40s).

But Who Framed Roger Rabbit is no simple cartoon. It's a mostly live-action murder mystery taking place in a world where humans and cartoon characters coexist. Bob Hoskins plays Eddie Valliant, a boozing, burned-out private detective originally hired to take scandalous photos of Jessica cheating on Roger with R.K. Maroon, owner of Toontown (where all cartoons live). Things get more complicated when Maroon is murdered. Even though all evidence points to Roger, Eddie soon realizes the rabbit has been set up.

The brilliance of Who Framed Roger Rabbit lies in, not only its concept, but its execution. While combining live-action and animation was nothing new, it had never previously been presented this perfectly. There’s nary a single moment when we aren’t 100% convinced Roger and Eddie aren’t sharing the same space.

Aside from it’s technical achievements, there are other aspects of Who Framed Roger Rabbit which make it a great film. Bob Hoskins deserved (but didn’t receive) an Oscar nomination for performing a majority of his scenes with a character who wasn’t even there; he pulled it off magnificently with the same world-weary cynicism as Humphrey Bogart. Then there’s the screenplay by Jeffrey Price and Peter Seaman, which not only turns the film noir genre on its ear, but is loaded with puns, gags, satire and a dash of sentimentality.

Finally, there’s Jessica Rabbit. Yeah, she’s a composite of every femme fatale from film noirs of the past. Yeah, she’s a cartoon character. Yeah, her physical attributes are exaggerated, to say the least. But she could arguably be the first hand-drawn character in history to ever actually stir the loins of male moviegoers (Kathleen Turner’s sultry voice work helps immeasurably).

If anyone could pull-off that look in the real world for a Halloween party, it was Francie. She was up for it of course, because her sheer self-confidence was one of the many qualities which attracted me to her to begin with. Once she threw on a red wig and squeezed herself into a skin-tight dress we found at Goodwill, Francie was truly Jessica Rabbit come-to-life. As her counterpart, I did my best to be Roger, with rabbit ears, bowtie and suspenders.

Then off we went to the costume party, me trying to pull-off a half-assed attempt at a cartoon character, and Francie’s physical attributes threatening to burst from her dress.

You can guess who was the belle of the ball when we arrived.

Despite the fact everyone (including co-workers) already knew we were a serious couple, they all wanted to talk to her, hang out with her, dance with her. Francie played-up her persona for all it was worth, meaning she didn't have to pay for a single drink the entire night (great for my wallet, bad for my self-esteem). We may have arrived as two characters from the same movie, but unless I clung to Francie’s side, most people assumed I was just a guy who randomly threw together a quick costume in in order to participate. I was relegated to the background, once again feeling like she was way out of my league. Even my best friend at the time spent most of the party in awe of her ample chest, and I don't think anyone in attendance could have told you her eye color either.

After spending most of the evening in a state of heightened anxiety, Francie and I returned home together. I gotta admit her Jessica Rabbit get-up was pretty sexy (something you can't ever say about a grown man wearing rabbit ears). Still, I liked to think, during one of those moments at the party when we weren’t joined at the hip, someone asked her, “What do you see in that guy?” and she simply replied, “He makes me laugh.”

Francie and I have been happily married for over 25 years now, and I still consider myself both lucky and inadequate. We're at the age when we're more into dressing up our kids for Halloween, but she'll always be my Jessica Rabbit.

Blu-Ray Review: I AM ALI

Starring Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Ali Jr., Maryum Ali, Hana Ali, Rahaman Ali, George Foreman, Marvis Frazier, Tom Jones, Mike Tyson, Gene Kilroy. Directed by Clare Lewins. (2014, 112 min).
Universal

Muhammad Ali is to boxing what Elvis is to rock & roll, dragging a disreputable sport kicking and screaming into mainstream public awareness. He was boxing’s first rock star, a charismatic celebrity who garnered massive attention both in and out of the ring. At the height of his career (the 60s & 70s), Ali was also a polarizing figure. Unlike Elvis, who always came across in public as an aw-shucks good ol’ boy, Ali was brash, egotistical, confrontational and never shied away from controversy due to his religious, political and civil rights views. But regardless of your personal opinion of the man, there's no disputing his status as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Fan or not, you must admit Muhammad Ali is a fascinating, larger-than-life figure whose story is total Hollywood fodder. We’ve seen dozens of documentaries and dramatic biographies over the years, the best being When We Were Kings, which chronicled his 1974 bout with George Foreman, the worst being The Greatest, starring Ali himself in what amounts to a self-congratulatory vanity project.

Mike Tyson appears...hardly an endorsement.

I Am Ali falls somewhere in between. It’s technically a documentary, but not a traditional chronicle of his life and career. In fact, Ali himself only appears in archive footage (along with interludes of recorded phone conversations with family members and acquaintances). There’s also surprisingly little footage of his historic bouts. The film consists mostly of vignettes in which those closest to him (ex-wives, sons, daughters, old rivals, former managers, etc) lovingly recall Ali’s glory days and his impact on them personally.

Hence, some of more controversial or negative aspects of his life are fleetingly mentioned, but mostly glossed over, as this is more of a tribute to Ali than a life story. He’s seldom depicted as anything less than legendary, inspirational, saintly and beloved. That’s not necessarily a huge strike against the movie, but it does ultimately end up preaching to the converted. If you’re an Ali fan, this will confirm your love for the man. However, the uninitiated will learn relatively little about what truly made him such a dynamic personality, loved and loathed in equal measures.

Writer/director Clare Lewins deserves some kudos for the bittersweet tone which permeates the film, making us well-aware of the greatness of his achievements, yet sad in the knowledge those days are long gone. Even though he’s still around, we sometimes feel like there’s one less true hero in the world. I Am Ali also looks and sound terrific. Lewins creatively juxtaposes old footage with newly shot locations and interview settings, along with effective use of songs popular during Ali’s glory days.

Ultimately, I Am Ali is an interesting film, featuring scores of entertaining interviews with those who knew him best. But it definitely could have been so much more if it had presented a more unflinching look at all aspects of his life, the good & bad, the ups & downs, the victories & defeats.

EXTRAS:

• Several Featurettes: Fighter - The Legendary Boxer, Brother - The Civil Rights Supporter, Lover - The People’s Champion, Father - The Family Man, The Music - Telling the Story
• Additional/extended interviews not included in the final cut
• Digital copy

FKMG RATING:

(OUT OF 5)

FKMG presents SEVERELY CONSTIPATED SUPERHEROES*

*A public service message from FREE KITTENS MOVIE GUIDE, advocates for the prevention of ESI (Extreme Superhero Irregularity).

Movie Haiku of the Week: MAN OF STEEL

“Superman never

Killed before!” cried the fanboys.

“So?” said Hollywood.