A ROTTEN TOMATO: Child's Play

After holding on to a positive grade in the early part of the movie, I eventually had to give up and slap this film with my "A Rotten Tomato" label. The first scene of this film promises a campy, fun-filled experience but it slowly turns into something that isn't very enjoyable. For a horror film, this movie isn't very scary at all. I guess that's a hard task when the killer is a doll. Chucky is sometimes funny, sometimes creepy but he never really makes you jump out of your seat with fright. I scare easily, so that's a good indication that this "horror" movie isn't doing its job. The film lacked atmosphere and there just weren't enough violent scenes. Most of the time there just isn't anything interesting happening on screen. Apart from the lack of thrills, the film also suffers from bad acting. I have no desire to watch the sequels.

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#FF Argo, Skyfall and more...

This week was all about Argo, Ben Affleck's lastest directorial effort that is thrilling audiences worldwide. I'm certainly a fan and expect a fair share of Oscar attention for it. One of the best things about films like this is the excellent writing that it inspires from critics/bloggers. My fellow lammies are no exception. Check out some of their reviews among other interesting reads this week:

Joey praises Affleck's continuous improvement as a director in his review for Argo

Dan wasn't as enthused with Argo as the rest of us, but still gives a positive review worth reading.

Andrew writes a really excellent review of Argo that I highly recommend checking out.

Amir gives an Iranian's perspective in his review, addressing the political aspects (or lack thereof) of Argo.

There's more love for Argo over at Love & Squalor.

Tired of Argo reviews yet? Here's one more from Andrew at Go, See, Talk.

Simon sparked some interesting Oscar discussion recently, posing the question "Could the Sky Fall at the 2013 Academy Awards?"

For her latest "Scene Stealer" post, Jenny showcases one of my favourite scenes and accompanying music.

Tank and Fogs recently celebrated the one year anniversary of The (title pending) Movie Podcast!

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OLDIE GOLDIES: Bicycle Thieves (1948)

This week on Oldie Goldies I give you a classic example of Italian neorealist cinema - 1948's "Bicycle Thieves". This story about a poor man trying to make it in post-war Italy is fairly straightforward, but there's much to like. The father-son relationship (played by non-actors) packs a real emotional gut-punch. The film was one of the first Foreign Language Oscar winners before it became an official category. In addition, the film managed to earn a nomination for Best Screenplay.

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MOVIE OF THE WEEK/OSCAR WATCH: Argo

If you've been following the film festival circuit, you've probably heard a lot about the success of "Argo". As a result, the film came in to its wide release with ridiculously high expectations. I think this may be the film’s biggest hurdle going into the awards season. The marketing promises a riveting thriller, but that’s not entirely accurate. The film is divided into 2 distinct halves, made even more apparent to me due to my theater's traditional midpoint intermission.
The narrative of the film surrounds 6 persons who escape a raid of Iran's American embassy by local protesters. After this introduction though, the first half becomes your typical procedural drama. It got me thinking "this movie is good, but I don’t see what’s so special about it". Due to the high expectations and the marketing strategy, this section of the film feels very slow. It’s not exactly boring, but you keep waiting for something exciting to happen. It’s all exposition and set-up for the mission ahead. Luckily, we have Alan Arkin. This veteran actor brings a much needed spark to this part of the film. He’s delivers the humour with some great zingers that make him a memorable presence throughout, even though we don’t really see him in the 2nd half.
As the movie moves into this 2nd half, that’s when it really becomes the great film that everyone is raving about. The film is based on the true story of an exfiltration plan to free American hostages under the guise of a fake film production. It’s a crazy idea, but as they say in the film, "it’s the best bad idea they have". The Americans are hiding in the Canadian ambassador’s home in revolutionary Iran, while protesters demand the release of a former corrupt leader. When the group of hostages go on a location scout, it really hits home how risky and dangerous the plan is. You can practically feel the tension mounting. The actual escape features some of the most intense, nerve-wracking scenes you can imagine. I literally couldn't stop my right leg from shaking, and as I looked across the aisle I noticed another guy was experiencing the same too! Thankfully, we could all breathe easy at the end, as the film really delivers a satisfying conclusion.

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#FF Perks of Being A Wallflower, Film Festivals and more...

Earlier this week I watched "The Perks of Being A Wallflower" and it really blew me away. I highly encourage people to go see this film, so I've included some great reviews of the film to hopefully further your interest. Check out those reviews among other great posts from this week:

Ryan remembers high school in his review of The Perks of Being A Wallflower.

Sam also gives a strong review of The Perks of Being A Wallflower over at Duke & The Movies.

Erik also gave a strong recommendation for The Perks of Being A Wallflower.

Tom of At The Back reviewed Oliver Stone's Platoon.

As a veteran film festival attendee, Shala compares the experiences of various major festivals.

For his "Halloween Horror Movie Month", Dan praises the realism of 28 Days Later in his review.

Finally, I am so pleased to welcome The Awards Circuit to the LAMB Community. They are one of the top Oscar blogs and their editor is BFCA member Clayton Davis, who votes for the important precursor show The Critics Choice Awards. So yeah, they know their stuff. Check out the latest episode of their Power Hour podcast.

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OLDIE GOLDIES: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

This week's selection for Oldie Goldies tells a classic tale - "The Adventures of Robin Hood". The style of this film is clearly old-fashioned, so it's one of those instances where you can't scrutinize it based on modern standards. With that in mind, its a perfectly enjoyable recreation of this popular story. The film picked up a trio of Oscars (Best Art Direction, Best Editing and Best Original Score) and was also nominated for Best Picture.

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MOVIE OF THE WEEK: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

"The Perks of Being A Wallflower" is a beautiful film. It's that rare coming of age film that really challenges the viewer to experience a full emotional journey. If you come into this with an open heart and without prejudice, I believe you will be very touched by this film. Personally, I was so deeply affected that I felt physically ill towards the end. About halfway through, my eyes got watery and they stayed that way for the remainder of the film. Even afterward I was left emotionally bare trying to internally process what I saw.
Much of the film's success rests on the shoulders of young Logan Lerman. It's a heavy burden to carry, but he was definitely up to the challenge. As the introverted freshman Charlie, his performance is appropriately delicate and measured. It's an expertly subtle performance that belies his years and experience. Playing his new-found senior friends, Ezra Miller and Emma Watson are similarly outstanding. Miller is the more memorable of the two though, as he delivers a fearless interpretation of Patrick, an outgoing gay teenager. He brings the humour and devastates you in his dramatic moments as well. Somewhere in the middle of these opposing personalities lies Emma Watson's character Sam. As Patrick's stepbrother and Charlie's love interest, she plays a unique "manic pixie girl" with her sense of calm authenticity. The 3 of them together create a wonderful dynamic that shows the power of true friendship. They love each other unconditionally and form a much-needed support group as a bunch of "wallflowers". Often in these high school flicks, the characters are either nerds or popular kids. Unfortunately this ignores the presence of a larger group of misfits who simply choose to be the "average" teenager. The film's casting is genius as these 3 main characters are fashionable, good-looking and for the most part, well-liked. This is where the beauty of the script comes into play. While the trio seems perfectly normal on the outside, they all carry serious baggage that prevents them from reaching their full potential. It's a tough reminder of the life-altering scars that result from physical and emotional abuse of young people.
As this story unfolds, we really begin to admire these characters and root for their success and happiness. They refuse to let their pain define them and choose to persevere and endure. It's a great message for kids today, especially with the prevalence of bullying in schools. Overall, Stephen Chbosky did a fine job in directing and adapting his own writing for the big screen.

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#FF Re-watching movies, Hitchcock and more...

The recent release of the apparently obtuse film "The Master" has prompted some dicussion as to the value of films that require repeat viewings to appreciate. Personally, I'm in two minds on the matter as I rarely watch movies twice (there are just too many good ones I haven't seen), but I love it when a film reveals its brilliance upon re-visit. Read what Jessica and Ryan had to say, among other great posts this week:

Jessica explored the question "Should you have to watch a movie three times to get what it's about?"

Ryan also addressed the issue with a great post about the benefits of repeat viewings of films.

Dan recently listed his Top 5 Alfred Hitchcock Films.

Nick from The Cinematic Katzenjammer recently reviewed the delightful 1986 musical Little Shop of Horrors.

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OLDIE GOLDIES: Metropolis (1927)

This week on Oldie Goldies, I highlight a great film of the silent era - Metropolis. Released in 1927, this thematically rich film features impressive special effects and art direction, especially considering the technology available at the time. The film certainly influenced many of the sci-fi movies that followed.

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Check out my tumblr!

The fall tv season has begun (yay!) and I thought I should start sharing my thoughts on my favourite shows. Hence, I decided to start a tumblr site to highlight all the series I watch. There won't be any actual reviews, just little nuggets of things that grab me on TV and stuff related to my favourite tv series.
I find television a more personal medium than film, as it takes time for you to really attach yourself to it. Especially with shows like Mad Men, the brilliance doesn't reveal itself until much later when you have become attached to the characters and their individual stories. Heck, I'm still going through mild withdrawal over Friday Night Lights!
So, if you care to know what I like on tv, check out my companion site: madmangoodwife.tumblr.com

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