Mini-Review: "CSA: The Confederate States of America"

Review by Fat Jack

My Rating 3 stars out of 5














Now available on DVD
Rated PG-13
Directed by: Kevin Willmott
Starring: Greg Kirsch, Renee Patrick, Molly Graham and Rupert Pate

Rotten Tomatoes: 79% fresh
Netflix: 3 stars out of 5
IMDb: 6.6 stars out of 10


The premise of CSA: The Confederate States of America is a pungent look at what would have happened if the confederate army had won the Civil War. This is achieved by the film portraying itself as a fake TV documentary from Britain, complete with fake commercials of slavery-related products and services.

I expected the film to be funnier: a humorous look at our society had the South won. It is humorous, but only at times. Really, it’s the commercials that are disgustingly humorous. The fake TV documentary, however, is very serious. Not so much The Daily Show, as a real documentary based on a complete what if. Had I realized going in that it was so serious, I think I would have enjoyed it more. Prepare to see a hypothetical documentary on something that could have happened, salt-and-peppered with crack-up commercials.

Quotes from the movie just don’t work. So I am not putting them in. I will, however, replace that with an interesting tidbit from the Internet Movie Database: “A majority of the racist products features in the film’s fake commercials are real racists products from American History.” (see this trailer, or this one.) (view the official site.)

He slimed me!

The best quote from Ghostbusters- per the vote of our readers- is:

Venkman:" He slimed me."
Stantz: "That's great. Actual physical contact. Can you move?"

We all remember the scene where Bill Murrary's character, Peter Venkman, is slimed by the ghost and Dan Aykroyd's character, Raymond Stantz, is excited about the first contact and the slime. Venkman was not so excited about it. It is the scene that sticks the most out about that movie. It also seems to be the best quote from the movie. Thanks for the votes.

Princess Bride- Poll

Here at "INCONCEIVABLE!", we are finally getting around to paying tribute to the movie that inspired the name for this blog. The Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies of all times. It is also one of the most quotable movies of all times. I have 40 great quotes and I could only put 10 of them on the poll. Jack, Bryan, and I tried to get the best 10 on the list and we all had different ideas on the best ten to vote on. I hope your favorite one is on the list. Let us know is if we left it off of the list. Make sure to vote for your favorite in our new mini poll on the right hand side of the blog.

By the way, if you have never read the book, you should check it out. As usual, the book is better than the movie. As great as this movie is, the book is even better.

Strange Culture

RC from Strange Culture stopped by "Inconceivable!" and left us a few comments. This prompted me to go over and check out his blog. Strange Culture is an entertainment focused blog that primarily focus is on movies. He has some interesting reviews on his site. Please check out his blog and let him know that the guys at "Inconceivable!" say hello.

Coming Soon: "Homemade Hillbilly Jam"

Recommendation by Fat Jack

My Prediction: 4 stars out of 5




















At The Moxie: August 23, 2006
Unrated
Directed by: Rick Minnich
Starring: Mark Bilyeu, Mike Williamson, Rik Thomas, Jody Bilyeu, Jay Williamson

IMDb: 8.0 stars out of 10

Springfield’s homegrown bluegrass band, Big Smith, is getting attention in the documentary, “Homemade Hillbilly Jam.” The film has been making the rounds in the film festival circuit for sometime now and even was screened at the Jordan Valley Park last weekend to a crowd of 5,000.

IMDb gives the synopsis: “Hillbillies haven't died off; they've simply become neo-hillbillies. Three families of musicians in the Ozark Mountains of Southwestern Missouri give new meaning to the word "hillbilly". Float down the backwaters, soak up some old time religion, savor a washboard duel, and bask in the neon lights of the pseudo-hillbilly showtown Branson. Lean back and merge into hillbilliness.”

I am a fan of Big Smith. They are one of my favorite bluegrass-folk bands. Like The Dillards, they are a family band made up of brothers and cousins, and they come from a rich tradition of family musical talent. They have quite a devoted following in the Ozarks, being elevated to something of a cult phenomenon.

Rumor has it that technical difficulties arose during the Springfield showing and the movie was played in black and white. If you missed that screening or want to see it in it’s original format, then fret not. The Moxie theatre is at the rescue offering “Homemade Hillbilly Jam” for two weeks starting August 23. Reports from The Moxie indicate that they have had to turn people down from seeing “An Inconvenient Truth” and other films lately. So I would suggest buy your tickets ahead of time (available online).

(UPDATE: You can read a great interview with the director here. Thanks to News-Leader Features Editor Michael Brothers'.)

The Dark Knight Will Return

MC at Entertain Me has the news about director Christopher Nolan's sequel to "Batman Begins". "The Dark Knight" will once again face off against the Joker, this go around played by Heath Ledger.

New Poll- Ghost Busters

Who are you going to call? Ghost Busters! This movie has some memorable lines. Check them out and vote on the one you love the most. Remember, "If there is something strange, in your neighborhood..."

"Gee, I'm real sorry your mom blew up, Ricky.”

The winning quote from Better Off Dead is the immortal line,
"Gee, I'm real sorry your mom blew up, Ricky.”

The second place was a tie between two other memerable lines.

"I've been going to this high school for seven and a half years. I'm no dummy. I know high school girls.”

“Now that's a real shame when folks be throwin' away a perfectly good white boy, like that.”

Review: "V for Vendetta"

Review by Fat Jack
My Rating 4.5 stars out of 5














Now available on DVD
Rated R
Directed by: James McTeigue
Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry and John Hurt.

Rotten Tomatoes: 75% fresh
Netflix: 4.2 stars out of 5
IMDb: 8.2 stars out of 10
Roger Ebert: 3 stars out of 4
Entertain Me: B+

“V for Vendetta” is a comic book adaptation from a graphic novel of the same name published in the 1980’s. That’s right. The 1980’s. If you knew nothing, nothing at all, you might think that “V for Vendetta” was some kind of liberal attempt to brainwash the American public against the current government administration. But it’s not.

Like all good literature the storyline goes beyond it’s published decade, transcending any current political figure or event. “V For Vendetta” is about the dangers of a totalitarian government hell-bent on controlling every aspect in the lives of the people it pretends to govern. It is about how government, any government, uses fear and faith to control the populous and maintain power.

After enduring torture from that protective government a man known only as “V,” fights back. He does this with violence, blowing up a building in the futuristic Britain. Viewed by the people as a freedom fighter, he takes over the airwaves and opens the vault of government, exposing the lies and corruption. His techniques implicate an innocent bystander, whose family were early patriots permanently detained by the government when she was young. Together, they fight to give the government back to the people.

I find it interesting that V wears a mask, hiding his identity from the people and the audience. It’s very hard to act without seeing the actor’s face, but Hugo Weaving does an excellent job acting behind the mask. Evey tells it straight when she says to V: “My father was a writer. You would’ve liked him. He used to say that artists use lies to tell the truth, while politicians use them to cover the truth up.”

I know of no reason why “V for Vendetta” should ever be forgot.

EVEY: “My father was a writer. You would've liked him. He used to say that artists use lies to tell the truth, while politicians use them to cover the truth up.”

V: “People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

V: “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.”

V: “What was done to me was monstrous.”
EVEY: “Then they created a monster.”

Review: "Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance

Review by Fat Jack
My Rating 5 stars out of 5














Now available on DVD
Not Rated
Directed by: Kenji Misumi
Starring: Tomisaburo Wakayama and Akihiro Tomikawa

Netflix: 3.3 stars out of 5
IMDb: 8.0 stars out of 10


SYNOPSIS
Revenge. Revenge is the classic Samurai plot line. No wire-fu here, no Hong Kong chop socky. No one jumps in the trees or walks on water. This is classic cinema, dramatic and beautiful. Ogami Itto is a high-ranking samurai working as the executioner for the Shogunate (the leader of a region, directly beneath the Emperor.)

As with any highly stratified political state, there are always conspiracies afoot. The shadow arm of the Yagyu clan set up Ogami, killing his wife and disgracing his position as executioner. This in turn leads the Emperor to call for the death of Ogami and his infant son – by seppuku. You probably know of it as hara-kiri: The ceremonial act of suicide. (Just as an aside, I will tell you that the person committing seppuku sits in seiza (sitting on the knees) inserts his own smaller blade into his left side gut, turns the blade, and then runs it across his own belly, dumping his entrails onto the floor. As he slumps over dying slowly, another samurai cuts his head off. Interestingly, if it is an honorable death, then the neck waddle is left intact.

Well Ogami refuses to commit seppuku. He, instead, decry’s this treachery, proclaims he and his son as demons, and swears vengeance on the Yugyu clan. So why don’t the Yuhyu clan just kill him? When it comes time for them to do that, he strips off his death robes and is wearing the sigil of the Shogunate (a crest worn on the clothes.) The Yugyo clan cannot bring their sword against the crest of the Shogun, so they challenge him to a one-on-one duel. If he wins, he and his son are given their life, but are banned from the region. The movie is only half-way done, so I give little away when I tell you that he wins.

Now a masterless samurai, this ronin leaves the land. The tales of this samurai and child are told in villages throughout the land and they become known as Lone Wolf and Cub, assassins for hire.

FACTS
This movie was made in Japan in 1972, the year before I was born, and it is 88 minutes long. You will notice that during many cinematic transitions you may see water falling or grass swaying, but do not hear the water falling, the wind blowing, nor music playing. I don’t know why, but I found it interesting. Maybe MC at Entertain Me will know and will leave comments. It’s a 70’s movie, so you will see a breast or two. There is a beautiful scene displaying a sexual encounter; it is so artfully done, masterfully obscuring the rawness of the act so the tenderness shows through.

As for blood and gore, there is some, but not as much as one might expect. The samurai sword, unlike many other swords, is not meant to be twirled. The fights last seconds. This is because of how the sword is designed. The iaito (sword) is folded and hammered over and over, making it very strong. The sword is designed to cleave a person right down the middle, leaving two halves. It is meant to lob of limbs. Long, drawn-out fight sequences are more about movie making than actual technique. Lone Wolf and Cub, unlike Kill Bill, portrays the quickness and power of the sword. For a traditionalist or practitioner the realism makes for a more convincing experience.

Comic geeks will know, and undoubted be upset that I have not yet mentioned the fact, that there is also a comic adaptation of this book by Dark Horse Comics. It is now being released in a 28-volume set with a total of 7,000 pages. Each edition costs $10 and is approximately 300 pages. I would have started collecting them back in the days when I was reading comics, but they are black and white and I usually prefer color to my comics, although I love black and white photos. Go figure that. For your information, Wikipedia has a listing on Lone Wolf and Cub.

THE MOVIE SERIES

1. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
2. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Care at the River Styx
3. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril
4. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades
5. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons
6. Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell

DVD REVIEW
The DVD doesn’t have a lot of extras, but what it has are cool. Subtitles are offered in two versions. The full, enhanced subtitles offer information about Japanese culture, signs, and other information to help Americans understand what is happening in the movie. The subtitles change colors when multiple people are speaking, to help you discern between actors. I suggest using this feature. The other subtitle offered is just a basic subtitle. I like subtitles. You get a better translation, but they should have offered a dubbed version as well. The DVD also offered trailers to the other movies in the series.

MY THOUGHTS
Don’t watch this with your kids, until you see it yourself. For you who appreciate the story and the character more than just mindless action, then you will love this. It is unrated you know. Heads do roll, limbs are lobbed off, and blood gushes. Not quite by the gallons such as Tarantino is fond of, but it’s there. Oh yeah, baby, it is there. But the blood doesn’t get in the way.

(Sorry kids. There are not quotations for you. I can't seem to find any and I didn’t have the energy to go back and take notes. I can’t find any trailers.)

Godzilla: Final War

I love a good Godzilla movie. They are corny and it often reminds me of a Power Rangers episode but I love them anyway. This movie is pure fun and does not disappoint for a mindless monster movie. If you are looking for an in-depth discussion of life, you have the wrong movie.

You get just about every monster that Godzilla has fought in the past and it also includes the American Godzilla (the imitator as the call him). Mothra is the only monster on his side. You also get mutants that are trained to fight the monsters in flying ships with a giant drill on the front. Then you get the Alien twist. Ok, it is not really a twist because, well it is not well written but it is Godzilla.

This is the 50th anniversary Godzilla movie, which lends even more to the fun. The monsters are all over the world and not just in poor Tokyo but don't worry, we get to see the destruction of Tokyo once again. The Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, and the Sydney Opera House all get to have monster attacks.

What I did not like: Godzilla only shows up in quick flashbacks in the first half of the movie. They are developing the plot of the mutants and aliens. We do get some cool monster action
but not really good Godzilla footage until we are half way through this 2-hour movie.

Over Grade: C+ unless you are in a Godzilla monster movie mood then I give it an A-. It is worth seeing for any Godzilla fan.