The Local (2008)

Was looking around for some movies to watch today as I was bored and stumbled across "The Local" which came out last year and was written and directed by Dan Eberle (who is also in the starring role).  This is a gritty drama in which the main character (whose name is never revealed) is totally down on his luck and is barely making ends meet as a courier for the local drug establishment.  What makes the main character interesting is that he has these core values and even though he has fallen about as far as a person can go, he tries never to let go of those values.  Eventually events unfold which lead to a change in the main characters life (don't worry I won't spoil it for you).

At first I wasn't sure if I'd recommend this movie as the acting is just okay, the dialogue is just okay and some parts of the story just don't seem realistic.  However, Dan Eberle did manage to do some things in the movie really well which for me lessened the impact of its faults.  What I really liked was the atmosphere of the film (which was supported by some great cinematography) and that the fundamental message the movie was trying to deliver came across on screen as after it was over it made me think about it.  At the end of the day, if a movie can make you think afterwards about its main message then it has succeeded and because of that I'd recommend it.

IMDB:  6.1/10

P.S.  Just a word of warning, if you're not into dark/gritty drama's and some explicit violence then this film may not be your cup of tea...

Frailty (2001)

The last film I'll discuss in this post is "Frailty," this movie came out in 2001.  Again I bought this movie on that same DVD shopping spree I mentioned before (really lucked out).  I'm a fan of Matthew McConaughey as an actor, ever since I saw "A Time to Kill" I couldn't get enough of his films...yes even some of his lesser ones like "Sahara."  It's hard to describe this movie but it's got that same weird/strange kind of vibe that made "The X-Files" so great.  The movie is full of suspense, wierdness, religious fanaticism and other good stuff.  Take a chance on this one, I'm sure you'll enjoy it :)

IMDB:  7.3/10

Tigerland (2000)

The next film is "Tigerland," this movie came out in 2000.  I actually got this movie on the same DVD shopping spree that I got "Ravenous"...probably wasn't the smartest thing to do as I was buying movies that I hadn't watched before but I read some good reviews about it and it was cheap so I figured what the hell and I took a chance on it.  The movie is set during the Vietnam War at an US Army training base and stars Colin Farell.  Many people don't know but this was the movie that truly launched Colin Farell's career in the US, his performance in the movie was amazing and to this date I don't believe he has come close to equaling this...although a film he was recently in "In Bruges" comes fairly close.

IMDB:  7.1/10

Ravenous (1999)

Next up is the movie "Ravenous," this movie came out in 1999.  The way I decided to watch this movie was kind of funny.  Ebert & Roeper reviewed the film when it first came out and I remember it getting a generally positive review from them but I never actually watched it.  A few years later I was buying DVD's online and saw that title, remembered the review and so I decided to buy it and I was glad I did.  This flick is like a wierd cannibal version of "Highlander".  If you dug "Highlander," than guaranteed you'll like this one.  Also this was the first movie I could recall Guy Pearce being in and it made me a big fan of his as an actor afterwards.

IMDB:  6.9/10

Dark City (1998)

Haven't run across any new movies lately that I wanted to write about so I decided instead to post about some older flicks that I've seen that everyone should check out if they haven't already:

First up is the movie "Dark City," this movie came out in 1998, the same year as "The Matrix" and other big movies and so it got overshadowed quite a bit.  I remember watching this movie at the theatre when I was going to university and how great it was and how almost nobody was in the theatre but me.  The best way to describe it is a smarter/darker more sci-fi version of "The Matrix", honestly, if you're a true fan of sci-fi you'll love this movie.

IMDB:  7.8/10

Battle for Terra (2009)

I'll be honest, when I sat down to watch "Battle for Terra" I wasn't expecting too much. I thought this movie would be just another cookie-cutter 3d animated movie aimed at kids with a tad bit of humour for the adults thrown in to make it mildly entertaining for them as well.  I am happy to admit I was wrong.

I don't want to give too much away as I feel a review should just provide an opinion on whether or not a film is worth seeing and not spoil the entire movie in the process, so I'll speak as generally as possible.  The movie starts out just like any other kids flick, the alien characters are cute looking, the human characters are cartoony and the spaceships are cool.  However, as the story progress it gets darker in tone and takes on a lot of deeper issues that one doesn't expect to see from a North American animation production.  Both the "good guys" and "bad guys" in the movie aren't all good or all bad, the story takes the time to show the perspective of both sides and relate the opposing sides to one another.  The story also doesn't shy away from the consequences of actions that occur during the movie, people and aliens alike get hurt in the movie and they bleed.  Also both aliens and humans actually die on screen in this movie...the deaths aren't bloody but they actually do occur for us to see, especially once the main battle takes place during the movie.  That's not to say there aren't positive moral ideals being preached in the film like most kids films as there are (living with the nature, respecting life, working together, showing compassion, etc.).

Most kids flicks or North American animations lately just show a ship blow up and people eject safely in a parachute or somebody die off screen. Not in this film, you see the consequences of fighting and the consequences of other hard decisions the characters are forced to make as the story progresses.  And its this adult tone injected in this film that elevate it above the numerous other 3d animated offerings being churned out of Hollywood lately and make it well worth watching. I'm glad I did.

IMDB:  7.1/10

Black Dynamite (2009)

It has been quite some time since I've seen a movie do a great job of spoofing a genre. Perhaps the last movie that knocked it out of the park was the first "Scary Movie" but nothing can compare to the skill and apparent love that was put into making "Black Dynamite". The movie stars Michael Jai White whom plays "Black Dynamite"...a guy who's one part Shaft and one part Bruce Lee...and like both of those guys when he's on the screen he's kicking ass...except in a funny pimpin kind of way.

I honestly can say I haven't laughed that much during a movie...especially at the one liners and action sequences since the first time that I saw "Army of Darkness." The story is a pure 70's B movie style revenge story but done in the funniest way possible. There are so many one liners in this movie that are delivered with such cheeziness (on purpose of course) that I don't want to ruin them for you, but to give you an idea here is one of the more milder (i.e. one of the few non-swearing quotes):

"O'Leary: We heard about your brother's death and we don't want you running around turning the streets into rivers of blood.

Black Dynamite: Then tell me who did it and I'll just leave a puddle "

What really makes "Black Dynamite" work though was the visual style of the movie which used a soft fuzzy yellow filter on the screen to make it look like it was made in the 70's and the attention to details from the old school opening credits, to the trippy animated sequence in the middle and straight on to the closing credits this movie feels like it was made in the 70's. Other filmmakers have tried to recapture the past when making their movies, most recently Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez in their respective "Grindhouse" movies and while those movies captured the style of the movies from back in the day...the visual element was somewhat lacking which is suprising considering the budget they must have had to make their movies and the budget that Michael Jai White must have had with this movie.

It is really a shame that a movie like this did not get a wider release and went straight to DVD cause it really is one hell of a comedy and perhaps the funniest movie I've seen in 2009 other than "The Hangover" but honestly I'd have to give the edge to "Black Dynamite."

IMDB: 7.7/10

P.S. Keep an eye out for some of the cameo's :)