Buddha's Rhubarb Of Opinions On Media

Glib Reviews of Vaguely New Release DVDs Big Bad Wolves - Directed by Aharon Keshales , Navot Papushado This film was heavily hyped to me by  a customer, and others who have seen it. Weirdly, they used Reservoir Dogs as their touchstone. It really has very little in common with Tarantino’s first flick, other than people getting tortured in chairs, not to spoil it too much.  That said, it is an engaging, suspenseful film, that gives you some empathy with all main characters, even the ones you know you shouldn’t feel any empathy for. It’s far more about how far a person will go to get the truth (or 'a truth') out of another person. Some obvious political overtones, of course simply with this being an Israeli film.  There is lots of outrage to go around, as a suspended cop, and a dead girl’s father stalk the man they ‘KNOW’ did it. There are lots of creepy torture scenes, none of which show the torture, as much as they make you feel it; as the film makers...

Glib reviews of Recent DVD/Blu ray releases. I, Frankenstein - Directed By Stuart Beattie I, Frankenstein is just as ridiculous as you imagine it might be, perhaps even more ridiculous. What works is that the pace is whiz bang. History, of the Monster and his creator Victor, a few minutes of narration and montage, and then, Bam we are into gargoyle half Angels and Demons slicing each other up and either ‘ascending’ (Gargoyles) or ‘Descending” each other to Heaven or Hell. Aaron Eckhardt plays the least physically scarred Frankenstein Monster of them all. He’s also of of your least sympathetic monsters; in fact, he’s mostly a self possessed dick. Speaking of Possession, the best thing about the movie, other than very decent CGI Demon/Gargoyle fights is Bill Nighy ’s furniture chomping Prince/CEO Niberius Demon Lord. Nighy carries Eames Chairs to pick his teeth with, in this rat-a-tat paced movie. There is a nice mad scientist Lady inadvertently working for the Demons, wh...

Yet Another Rave Review for “Her” Her - Written & Directed by Spike Jonze I include the written & credit in this case because despite all the awesome subtle Directorial touches to this film, what makes it work for me more than anything else, is the beat for (bang fucking on) beat, script. On just one viewing, this is hands down the best scripted film I’ve seen in months. The small weird sci-fi-ish conceits of the picture also lend it an authenticity that it wouldn’t in any other picture where there would be all this exposition about why this manic depressive high waisted pants wearing not nearly the nerd he appears to be Joaquin Phoenix, can afford to live in the Beverley wiltshire by writing (pretty awesome) letters for people.  For my money, this portrayal of a middle age approaching guy who is sometimes suaver than Errol Flynn chatting up a tavern wench or Lady Pirate, and sometimes as effective in communicating as Jerry Lewis being a drooling bellboy is ...

Glib Reviews Of Recently Released DVDs Over the weekend I watched two extremely well done movies, one I liked more than I thought I would, based on the trailer, and another that i was sure I would love that left me a bit cold, despite how well done it was. Those two films are “American Hustle” Directed by David O. Russell, and "The Great Beauty," Directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Both films are homages to Italian Directors, well, one Italian American Director, and one Italian Director. The Great Beauty is as close to an actual Fellini film as we have had since the Great Master of Cinema, Federico Fellini died in 1993. American hustle, is an homage to Martin Scorsese and his films like Casino, Goodfellas, and so on.  Both films lack the actual gravitas of the films they are paying homage to, but are still very good pictures in their own right. A lot of praise has been heaped on Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle, but she’s a wisp of smoke if you compare her t...

The Josie Pages: Everything Old Is New Again : Field Notes In/On Transition Everything Old Is New Again The classic show tune “Everything Old Is New Again,” written by Peter Al...