Nov 13: Confessions of a Superhero

"Chronicles the lives of four mortal men and women who work as characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard."

Directed by: Matthew Ogens, Rated: R, 92 minutes

I really don't know why I have been on a documentary run lately. Maybe it's my unofficial way of tying in my blogathon for November- The Shoes They Wear Blogathon, dealing with biopics (both fictional and based in reality), or maybe it's my simple curiosity. Either way, Confessions of a Superhero, the latest documentary on my agenda, helps fulfill that curiosity and gives a little peek into who many people call "psychos"- street performers. The documentary doesn't focus on the street musicians or sideshows, but on those walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard dressed as superheroes.

With great power comes... great publicity? 

Confessions of a Superhero focuses on four individuals. Christopher Davis is known around the country as THE Superman impersonator, looking a lot like the late Christopher Reeve and completely putting himself into the character. Davis is obsessed with Superman and not only dresses like him every day, but knows every bit of trivia concerning the character and collecting as much memorabilia as possible. Maximus Allen is a George Clooney lookalike that dresses up as Batman every day. He's a man with a shadowy past and an even worse temper, and does the superhero gig as a side job as he focuses on his martial arts skills, hoping to be a security guard (as well as an actor). Jennifer Wenger is a small town girl from Tennessee who, just like every young woman, dreams of making it big in Hollywood. She takes on the persona of Wonder Woman, showing off just enough skin to be sexy but never like a whore. She's innocent and also struggling, with her personal life (her shotgun marriage is messy) and her own self image. Joe McQueen is the Hulk. Putting up with stifling heat every day (the inside of his suit can reach 130 degrees), McQueen is genuinely confident in his ability. He's incredibly hard working and even when he was homeless for  four years, he never gave up on an audition. All four of these individuals are desperate to make it big, as is everyone in Hollywood.

Believe it or not, it takes a lot more than being rich and getting f**ked on camera to be a "celebrity". 

Confessions of a Superhero never seeks out to insult these people. However, each character is rather eccentric and "extra" unique, and while they don't make themselves look like fools, you're left questioning their sanity a bit, especially that of Davis. Davis fully believes he is the son of Sandy Davis, a Tony and Oscar winning actress. He's constantly in character and costume, and his obsession with the Man of Steel borders on delusional. He's a good man at heart and his intentions are good, but he seems to have lost a bit of his mind through his adventure in the cape. Maximus Allen, however, isn't as delusional. He's a man that did bad things in the past (enforcer for the mob) and it haunts him. He loses his temper far too quickly and can become very violent. It's a shame too because he seems like a genuinely stand up guy and the moments he reveals his past show that he's more troubled than you would imagine. Wenger's story isn't as emotional as the other two, as she really had it all growing up. Beautiful and sweet, she had everything, from prom queen title to all the attention. However, she's still cute enough that you want to see her succeed, even if thousands of other girls are exactly like her pursuing the same dream. Last comes McQueen. Confessions of a Superhero doesn't focus on him as much as you'd like, because his story really is the most "rags to somewhat riches" tale, and the hardships he has had to overcome are greater than anything we've faced. He's a shining hope in this somber story, as no matter what he's suffered through, he shows great optimism and you only pray that he'll catch a break.

HULK SMASH SAD STORY!

Confessions of a Superhero is a prime example of solid storytelling that's intertwined with great looks into these people's lives. As I mentioned, it never is out to insult its subjects, but give us a better understanding of these people we'd normally dismiss as crazy. The documentary does a decent job at sharing the screen time between the four heroes, but does tend to lean in favor of Davis as Superman. He's not necessarily unlikable, but there's something about him that throws you off, and you wonder if he needs to seek some help or if just needs to continue looking for his spot in the world. The movie is sad at times, but has a single strand of optimism that's strung through it, leaving you somewhat satisfied at its conclusion. While I am far from a fan of dressing up (even for Halloween), the effort these individuals put into their 'work' is admirable. Confessions of a Superhero has its flaws (as do the heroes) but it's still a pretty good documentary that tells the tale of Hollywood Boulevard's most recognizable, recognizable characters.

The Good:

hearing stories that are more than just "young talent seeking big break" and helps unravel the complicated and unpredictable parts about looking for fame

The Bad:

a little too much focus on Superman, while the other characters have slightly more interesting stories

The Ugly:

wondering how many people are out in Los Angeles, doing God knows what for a dollar

Overall: 7.0/10

Discussion Question:

Would you have the energy or the drive to stand outside all day, in costume, to make a living? 

Trailer:

Nov 9: Fall From Grace

"The shocking story of Rev. Fred Phelps, the Westboro Baptist Church, those who oppose it, and those who chose to leave it all behind."

Directed by: K. Ryan Jones, Rated: NR, 71 minutes

Just like my previous review of Jesus Camp, this review of Fall From Grace, another controversial documentary that treads into territories, that will certainly inspire conflicting conversation. However, this time around I don't think you need to be a full believer in God, or a fan of religion to know that the topic of this film, Fred Phelps and his family, are terrible, terrible people. Fall From Grace is a documentary that sets out to understand the lives of Phelps, his family, and his church, The Westboro Baptist Church, and try to come to a conclusion as to where their hate comes from and what their message is all about. It's an unflinching portrait of a man that was simply overlooked by God in the creation process and his motive and mission to remind the world, especially the United States, of its impending doom at the hands of homosexuals.

"Ye with black souls shall be turned away at the pearly gates" Nick 5:14

As some of you may know, Fred Phelps is behind the picketing of soldier's funerals, the protesting at any event related to homosexuality, and the continued sign-holding of posters littered with offensive words and derogatory terms. He's a man driven by, what he says, the mission of God and he utilizes the Bible and his own family to spread his word of hate. Quoting scripture to fit around his own beliefs and pulling chunks out from here and there (none in relation to what the book actually states), Phelps has created a cult, made up of entirely his own family (60+ members) that all believe the hate he has planted in each and every one of them. Director K. Ryan Jones attempts to understand where such evil and wicked behavior stems from, and in Fall From Grace's moments of peeking into the secret life of Phelps and his family, we witness a terrifying world. Phelps has 13 children himself (four have defected from the Church and have "excommunicated" themselves from the family) and even more grandchildren. Each of these people, including the kids, have been brainwashed by Fred's hate and take up the church's flag with pride. Even the kids, who know very little about the subject matter of which the protesting is about, fully believe that homosexuals are the filth of the earth and that they will burn in hell for destroying America. It's incredibly depressing to see such young kids carrying the banner of hate and it makes you feel sorry for them and their upbringing.

I mean, f**k. This is just too much...

Fall From Grace's mission is not to have you sympathize with Phelps, but give you a first-hand look at the man and his family. The man is a terrible piece of shit and deserves no attention, and luckily this film interweaves interviews him with other Christian pastors, leaders, and regular people who have encountered the Phelps family. Its in these little interviews that we are painted a picture of the devastation Phelps and his family have wrecked on the U.S and how their protesting has given Christians, as a whole, a bad image. It's a documentary that's hard to watch, and really doesn't teach you anything new, as much as it reaffirms your own disgust for the Westboro Baptist Church. It's baffling that these individuals think that they are not only the savior of the people, but that they will get first class tickets to Heaven. They are worse than criminals and the loop holes they burrow through only adds to the level of filth. Only watch Fall From Grace if you're curious, as it will only lead to more frustration. 

The Bad, The Ugly, The Worst:

Fred Phelps, his family, and his church

Overall: 6.5/10

Discussion Question:

Free Speech is one of the biggest rights this country is founded on, but should there be limitations to that and an accepted courtesy that should be enforced as well?

Trailer:

Aug 1: 30 Days of Night

"After an Alaskan town is plunged into darkness for a month, it is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires."

Directed by: David Slade, Rated: R, 113 minutes

IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

30 Days of Night is one of my favorite vampire movies. It's a vamper movie with balls that never shies away from the violence and gore one would associate with a fanger and never holds back. Sure, most of the people we're supposed to care about aren't the most developed and some, quite frankly, are annoying but, when everything looks so cool, it's a little easier to ignore. The film also stars the very underrated Josh Hartnett, who has seemingly fallen off of the face of the earth as of late, when in fact I feel he deserves to be the bigger star he was so close to becoming. He's a great leading actor and adds a lot to the film, as does the also underrated Melissa George (star of Triangle, one of my favorite movies that no one saw). 

Seriously, go find it. 

30 Days of Night follows the residents of Barrow, Alaska, a small town that is preparing for a month of darkness in one of their long and cold winters. A stranger (the glorious Ben Foster) arrives in Barrow and disrupts all forms of communication the village has to the mainland and larger cities. His sabotage comes just in time for as darkness falls upon the town, so does a mysterious "pack" of vampires (led by the creepy as f**k Danny Huston), who come out of hiding to feast and revel in the 30 days of darkness. The survivors, led by Eben Oleson (Hartnett) and his ex-wife Stella (George) must find a way to either get to safety, destroy their attackers, or hold up in whatever shelter they can for the remainder of the 30 days. 30 Days of Night has a very clever story and take on the vampire myth in a time when the bloodsuckers aren't looked upon as the greatest "monsters" in movies. The vampires are incredibly violent, speak in a seemingly ancient language that consists of clicking sounds and Latin-esque words, and use long sharp finger nails along with their mouths full of razor sharp teeth. These vamps are definitely not your sparkling, teen-angst ridden vampires you'd see in Seattle. Alaska breeds a different kind of horror. 

The vampires are like sharks, attacking the village like a school of fish. 

It's in the gore that makes 30 Days of Night fun to watch. While most of the violence is a little over-the-top, the film has its moments of gore that look all too realistic. Along with the blood, the film packs a hell of a lot of scares, even when you know something is coming. David Slade (who ironically went on to direct a Twilight movie) does a fine job at capturing the horror of a small town being infested with bloodsucking monsters and captures the panic in a very creepy way. There is one particular shot in the film where the camera looks down on the town in a bird's eye view and you lay witness to the citizens of Barrow running from the vampires through blood stained snow that sticks with you. 30 Days of Night is more unsettling than it is terrifying and the film has a very creepy vibe throughout. It's also worth mentioning that the idea behind the story is very clever, and the idea of being stuck in a month of darkness with a monster (known for mainly having one weakness- light) is disturbing to think about. 

Sunlight- Not Just for Tanning

While the film does have its flaws, I would still highly recommend 30 Days of Night. It certainly earns its R rating and grabs it by the throat and flails it around for the fun of it. It's dark, it's gritty, and has as much blood as a slaughterhouse. I do, however, have a problem with the movie's ending, as I found it incredibly rushed and a little ridiculous, but the buildup is still worth the time. The film is based off a graphic novel and I can only assume the source material goes into more depth explaining the conclusion. As a result, after watching the film, the graphic novel is now on my "must track down and read if I can" list. 30 Days of Night looks great, has a great cast (that never fully reaches its potential), and does the vampire justice by making it the blood-spilling, blood-drinking, havoc-wrecking monster it deserves to be. 

The Good:

so much blood packed into such a small movie and brutal look at the destruction a clan of violent vampires can wreck on a small Alaskan town

The Bad:

whenever I watch a Josh Hartnett movie I wonder why his career has fallen so much and while I don't think he's the world's greatest actor, being reminded of his lack of work is sad

The Ugly:

the claustrophobic feeling the film gives off, making you wonder what you would do if you were isolated in darkness, with absolutely no sign of rescue or hope

Overall: 7.2/10

Trailer:

July 27: Stardust

"In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm."

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn, Rated: PG-13, 127 minutes

There's a lot to say about Stardust. It's a modern fairy tale told with the heart and creativity you think you could only find in films and stories of old. It's creative in a completely endearing way, blending the perfect amount of romance, action, suspense and comedy. It's a film of many genres with a fantastical sense of adventure. Stardust creates a world inhabited by a wide variety of characters, including witches and sky pirates, without ever getting too big for its own good. In it's simplicity, Stardust never makes you expect much out of it, so when it delivers, it's magical in epic proportions. Plus, the film features a ridiculously sexy Claire Danes as the "damsel in distress", a role in which I know plenty of us would like to play her prince counterpart. 

Stardust tells the story of Tristan (Boardwalk Empire's Charlie Cox), a young man with big dreams and an even larger ambition, who lives in a quiet little village named Wall. Legend has it that the wall from which the village gets its name from is, in fact, a portal to another world full of magic and adventure. The love of his life, Victoria (Sienna Miller), demands Tristan retrieve a fallen star in order to earn her hand in marriage. This is a quest the blinded by love Tristan immediately accepts but, once he crosses the wall and tracks down the star, he finds it to be a beautiful woman named Yvaine (Danes). Tristan finds the fact that she's a star to be quite odd, but decides to "kidnap" her and bring her back to Wall to earn the heart of Victoria. As the two make their journey back to Wall, they are under the watchful eye of three witches, led by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer, who only gets sexier with age), who seek to steal Yvaine for themselves, as her powers give magic and youth to the hags. The evil prince Septimus (the always-a-villain Marc Strong), also seeks the star as a way to rightfully claim his throne. Stardust is fun from start to finish, and the incredible cast only makes it better. 

She has her own kind of magic. 

As some of you may know, The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies of all time. It's the perfect film, in my opinion, and one of the most unique films I've seen. I never thought any other movie could come close to capturing the imagination and charm that makes The Princess Bride so good, but Stardust comes damn close. Yes, the film has a much fancier look to it, but it still manages to hold onto some of the camp and cheese that makes it special. The comedy is also first class. The source novel of the same name, was written by genius Neil Gaiman, a modern day fantasy genius. He has a reputation of blending an unusual sense of humor with grand-scale adventure and the film adaptation of Stardust does not fail to deliver. And, while Gaiman may have written the novel, the adaptation would not be as great as it is without the screenplay written by Jane Goldman and director Matthew Vaughn (who later went on to make Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class). 

Matthew Vaughn: The king of adapting stuff, or something.

I would highly recommend Stardust. If you haven't seen it already, you're missing out on quite an adventure. It's also worth mentioning that the two leads, Cox and Danes, have impeccable chemistry and seeing their own version of a fairy-tale play out is a joy to watch. Stardust also features great supporting roles from Ricky Gervais, Peter O'Toole, and an absolutely incredible Robert De Niro. I love Stardust and everything about it. My only complaint is that it's just one film, while I believe all the characters involved would find themselves in even grander adventures. 

The Good:

a unique and wonderful fairy tale that's instantly a classic

The Better:

Robert De Niro... just watch

The Best:

witnessing magic, first-hand, and aching to visit the world created and on display

Overall: 9.6/10

Trailer:

July 3: The Man from Earth

"The movie begins with Professor John Oldman packing his belongings onto his truck, preparing to move to a new home."

Directed by: Richard Schenkman, Rated: NR, 87 minutes

The Man from Earth is a very unusual film. It's more of a conversation than it is a movie and it leaves you wondering about a lot of things, from life and death, to God and religion. It's a tale about knowledge and wondering how much can one man learn over the span of a lifetime. Or, in this case, lifetimes. At what point in a man's history do memories fog up beyond recognition and at what capacity can our minds continue to contain ideas and information? The Man From Earth discusses all of this, posing the question "If one man could live for 14,000 years, how much would he know?". 

Centuries of memories and he probably still can't remember what he had for breakfast. 

The Man from Earth is about John Oldman (David Lee Smith), a college professor who decides it's time for him to move away. Before he leaves, he gathers his colleagues and friends (other professors and scholars) at his cabin for a little goodbye party. Usual conversation ensues, as one would imagine, but then John poses a very interesting question. If a man, even a caveman, found a way to essentially live forever, what would the consequences be and how could it even happen? At first, the question is almost a riddle or a game. Something John wants discussed between him and his intellectual friends, some psychologists, some biologists. What would it take for one man to live that long and what would a conversation with him be like? After discussing the idea, posing it as research for a sci-fi novel, John confesses to his friends that he is indeed, a 14,000 year old man, who has roamed the world since the dawn of man, running into all sorts of historical and religious figures. At first, it seems like a joke, but as John continues to elaborately explain his past, his "lie" begins to seem more and more real. Along with his friends, the audience is left to figure out if John is in fact telling the truth, of if he is just f**king with the minds of those he's about to move away from. The entire movie is practically a round-table discussion set in John's living room, and while there are no flashbacks, the stories John tells paint quite the picture of the past. It's a wonderful mystery that begs to be solved, and while the ending does tell you if he is indeed telling the truth or not, it's still somewhat left to the imagination.

He certainly doesn't look like your Geico kind of caveman. 

The Man from Earth is a film written by Jerome Bixby, the man who also wrote The Fantastic Voyage, and a handful of episodes of Star Trek and The Twilight Zone. It's very similar in the mysterious supernatural aspects of his previous writings, while maintaining a humanistic realism. The Man from Earth is a movie carried by its dialogue and performances, as it really is just a stage play on the screen. The script is incredibly strong and well thought out and researched. Sure, the premise is very implausible, but the characters and dialogue make it believable. David Lee Smith is incredibly likable as John. Each thought he provokes and each picture he describes could very well be true to some extent. He's caring, sympathetic, and wise beyond belief, and what he says is not easily dismissed as too far-fetched or crazy. The rest of the cast is very good as well, with many faces you'd recognize from countless TV shows and low budget movies, but never were able to place a name on. 

Yes, that is the Candyman (Tony Todd)

The Man from Earth is definitely worth a watch. I feel the movie would make for a great discussion in a philosophy or anthropology class as it raises a lot of points that would certainly warrant strong feelings and emotions. It is rather controversial, but instead of slapping you across the face with what many would consider blasphemy, it presents the facts with great research and care. It's not out to get you or piss you off, it's simply out to inspire thought about everything going on around you. It leaves you wondering about your own mortality and if living forever would be as nice as it seems. I'd definitely recommend The Man from Earth, but keep in mind it is certainly not for everyone. You need patience and attention to respect and understand the film. Even then, it may be too out of the box to appreciate.

The Good:

an unusually unique premise that plays out wonderfully with a very strong script

The Better:

the fact the movie actually leaves you thinking about so many things, almost as though you just left a damn good lecture by some genius professor

The Best:

David Lee Smith leading a solid cast that is never too distracting from the story, each cast member believable in the role they play

Overall: 7.8/10

Trailer:

Re-watch? Yes

Buy? Yes

May 20: Dante's Inferno

"A darkly comedic travelogue of the underworld - set against an all-too-familiar urban backdrop of used car lots, gated communities, strip malls, and the U.S. Capitol. And populated with a contemporary cast of reprobates, including famous - and infamous - politicians, presidents, popes, pimps. And the Prince of Darkness himself."

Dante's Inferno is one incredibly creative film. The movie is technically animated, as paper cutouts are pupeteered in front of elaborate sets. It's kind of hard to explain and the best way of putting it would be saying it's an adult pop-up book with voice acting and a soundtrack. It's incredibly unique and deserves major points for its imagination and execution. The film is incredibly smart and combines a wicked sense of humor with some really f**ked up moments. But, with a trip through hell, all of that is pretty much expected. 

Apparently Hell is what happened when Satan came across a bunch of paper, colored pencils, and some scissors. 

Dante's Inferno is a modern retelling of the ancient classic poem by Dante Alghieri, where a man, also named Dante, is guided through the nine circles of hell by Virgil the poet. The film clearly has an extremely liberal and almost athiest agenda, so much of what Dante (Dermot Mulroney) and Virgil (James Cromwell) witness, leans very left and hard against religion (Fox News is the beast of fraud, every pope wanders the underworld). This will clearly rub some the wrong way, but if you can get past the bias, it's still pretty enjoyable. While it's definitely out to offend (as any film about Hell would), the whole thing is so damn creative and so well made you can more easily forgive it's stance. 

It also leaves you wondering how someone could come up with all of this...

I would definitely recommend Dante's Inferno. It's worth watching to see how it's made alone, and leaves you wondering if you could make something like it on your own. It gives a kick in the ass to your creative mood and makes you want to draw, write, paint, sing, and hell, even dance. The film can be rather hard to watch because it's incredibly weird, disturbing, and just f**ked up, but it deserves, at least, an attempted viewing. Get past its prejudice and simply watch it for what it is- an elaborate puppet show about a man's journey through hell. 

The Good:

the dark fairy-tale production value and an extremely creative sense of humor

The Bad:

dated in it's liberalism (many Bush administration jokes) and clear bias towards one side

The Ugly:

Hell... it really is

Overall: 7.1/10

Trailer:

Abandon all hope — Ye Who Enter Here