The Devil's Double

As the first Iraq war approaches, an Iraqi soldier is summoned by Uday Hussein, Saddam's son, to his palace and is requested to be his body double. When he refuses, Uday has him beaten and threatens his family, at which point he accepts and has his looks slightly surgically altered. Given everything at Uday's disposal, the double now must deal with his boss's hedonistic lifestyle and psychotic outburst, with his and his family's lives constantly at risk. With Dominic Cooper in "The Devil's Double", we have the case of one of the great dual performances, right up there with Peter Sellers in "Dr. Strangelove" and Nicolas Cage in "Adaptation." Cooper plays too wildly different characters here and pulls it off brilliantly. It is just a shame that the rest of the production wasn't up to task. Lee Tamahori's direction is lazy, uninspired, and glitzy. The film is ugly and hard to watch, but is buoyed throughout by Cooper's magnetic performance.

Faces

After a night of carousing with a friend (Fred Draper) and a call girl (Gena Rowlands), a successful business man (John Marley) returns home to his wife (Lynn Carlin), with whom he seems to get along with. After dinner and some fooling around, he quickly becomes enraged and abruptly asks for a divorce, leaving the house to return to the prostitute. His wife then goes out with her friends and finds herself home alone with a swinging, mindless younger man (Seymour Cassel). "Faces" is an intentionally rough looking and uncomfortable film directed by John Cassavetes, a director whose style strikes me as more European than any American director I can think of (there's even a reference to Bergman here). Shot in grainy black and white and comprised largely of closeups, "Faces" abandons any traditional film narrative resulting in a very realistic portrait. Things are presented on screen and not explained, leaving the viewer to draw their own conclusions. The acting in the film is of the highest order as well. John Marley, who played Jack Woltz in "The Godfather", is very strong and believable as the successful and unsatisfied young man and Gena Rowlands, Cassavetes' wife and film regular, is wonderful as well. Lynn Carlin submits fine work as Marley's vulnerable wife and Seymour Cassel has a very powerful scene we don't expect when his dopey character is introduced. John Cassavetes was a visionary director who was uncompromising with his work. Here, as with much of his work, the result is brimming with authenticity.

Paul

Two nerds from the U.K. attend Comic-Con and partake on a journey in a rented R.V. through the southwest on a tour of supposed UFO sites. After eluding a run in with some locals at a diner, the pair approaches a car on the road which veers off and crashes and burns in the adjoining desert. As they stop to help, a green, stereotypically looking, wisecraking, pot smoking alien emerges from the wreckage and makes his acquaintance. Having escaped from a government facility and being chased by a dogged agent, the little guy asks for assistance and as the nerds gain their composure they decide to help. Picking up a sheltered young woman along the way, as well as a few pursuers, the oddly assorted gang is in a race to return the visitor to his spaceship before he is retrieved and his brain is extracted. "Paul", directed by Greg Mottola and written by stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, is a one joke movie which isn't helped by the fact that the joke is voiced by Seth Rogen. Ok, maybe there is slightly more to it then that. Pegg and Frost are humorous and amiable, I like Kristen Wiig as the girl they pick up, and Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio are pretty damn funny as a pair of FBI agents. I also liked the southwestern locations as well. However, the laughs begin to wear thin and the movie does not know when to quit, regressing into another action picture and going on probably 45 minutes longer than it should. It's been a recurring gripe of mine lately that comedic flicks are becoming way too long. It's been said that making a good comedy is the hardest thing to do in the film, and the recent bloated running time of these films is only making that maxim more evident.

Moneyball

After his Oakland Athletics tanked after going two games up on the Yankees in the first round of the 2001 playoffs and he loses his three best players, General Manager Billy Beane listens to the usual B.S. at the preseason roundup as his scouts talk about bringing in the most bankable athletes. Knowing the system his flawed and have no money to work with, he meets an Ivy League graduate working for the Cleveland Indians front office who hears the same tune and recruits him to come to Oakland and develop a new system: They will take in guys who have been written off, for off field antics or being injury prone, and sign them to the squad as long as they are cheap and can get on base. Beane's new system seems sure to work, if only he can convince the other dinosaurs in the organization to play ball, and if he can get passed his own failures as a former ballplayer. "Moneyball" is remarkable for how unashamedly baseball oriented it is. We are given a few asides about Beane's home life, but this is really the story of how the game works: the behind the scenes wheeling and dealing, locker room drama, On base percentages and other statistics, power struggles within management, etc. The film was adapted from a true life book by Michael Lewis entitled Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game and director by Bennett Miller, his second outing following the also superb "Capote". It is wonderfully scripted by Oscar winning writers Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, who touch up the script with intelligent and humorous dialogue. Brad Pitt also delivers a finely tuned and nuanced performance as the unconventional Beane and Jonah Hill has a nice dramatic turn as the Ivy Leaguer. Philip Seymour Hoffman, reteaming with Miller, is typically strong as surly A's manager Art Howe. "Moneyball" made me think of how so many sports movies are made to appeal to a general audience and not really about the game they are depicting at all. Here we have the finest film about baseball since "Bull Durham" and the most in depth film about the game that I can recall.

The Future

Miranda July's "The Future" is a film of incomprehensible prattle that has something to do with a couple adopting a dying cat (who provides narration) which drastically alters their future together. July garnered a lot of buzz a few years back with her debut film "Me and You and Everyone We Know", which was praised for its offbeat quirkiness. That was miles ahead of this, but still an example of critics overpraising something simply for being anomalous. I think we should look at July's films, as well as the films of her husband Mike Mills come to think about it, and ask ourselves what it is we are praising about these films. I came across a quote from July where she stated, "I'm not a cinephile. My films don't reference films. I'm more interested in rhythm and feeling." It would be in her best interest to familiarize herself with films made by qualified writer/directors who know how to achieve rhythm and feeling in their work, among other things.

Attack the Block

A group of juvenile delinquents rob a young woman on the streets of South London and as they are about to walk away with the spoils a massive object falls from the sky and destroys a nearby automobile. The leader of the gang looks inside the car and sees a hideous creature and dispatches it with his blade. Soon, the entire block will be under an alien invasion and the gang, along with the girl they robbed, must defend their prized turf. "Attack the Block" is funny British escapism in the same vein as Ali G, "Four Lions", and the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost movies (Frost appears here in a humorous role as a pot dealer). The dialogue is comprised almost entirely of incomprehensible British street slang which is part of its charm and director Joe Cornish does an excellent job working with a slim budget. I felt the novelty beginning to wear off towards the end at which point the film regroups for a pretty spectacular finale. "Attack the Block" achieves its objective of taking a concept and making it funny and entertaining.

The Debt

In 1966 a trio of Mossad agents (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, Martin Csokas) has been assigned to East Berlin to capture Dieter Vogel, the Nazi war criminal who was also known as the Butcher of Birkenau, and extradite him so he can be returned to Israel and tried. As they work out their plan, a love triangle ensues, and when they finally catch him, they must employ unethical measures for the sake of their country. 30 years later, as one of the members (Worthington, now played by Ciarán Hinds) commits suicide and the truth begins to surface, the remaining members (now Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson) must take action to ensure their lie remains buried. "The Debt" is an engaging thriller by John Madden, that employs a confusing past and present narrative which it juggles quite well (it is even hard to write a synopsis about). When the film finally does come together and we are only left with the resolution in the present, it is only then that the film begins to feel standard. The scenes in 1966 East Berlin with Chastain, Worthington, and Csokas are riveting, and the romantic triangle adds tension and elevates the material above basic thriller fodder. Strangely however the 1997 scenes with Mirren and Wilkinson seem routine and less compelling, although both stars contribute their usual wonderful performance. John Madden is a competent director who deftly weaves a tangled web here, and Jessica Chastain makes it clear that this is her summer.

The Whistleblower

Kathryn Bolkovac was a police officer in Lincoln, Nebraska who lost custody of her children and saw her career hitting a dead end, so she decided to take a job as a peacekeeper in postwar Bosnia. The job was only for six months and paid extremely well but while over there, Kathy discovers a ruthless sex trade in which local officials and even fellow peacekeeping officials were involved. When she tried to report these travesties, she founf her efforts being blocked at every turn, as the U.N. wished to keep the horrendous affair under wraps. "The Whistleblower" moves from scene to scene too quickly at first and doesn't create a sense of urgency for its subject. However, as the heart of the story is uncovered, the movie begins to slow down and give weight to its material. Despite the mishandled first half, Rachel Weisz towers throughout the film in an incredibly subdued performance. This role just cries out for histrionics and overacting, but Weisz puts on the brakes and reserves the dramatics for the most crucial scenes. The result is providing complete believability that her character is a law enforcement professional. "The Whistleblower" is a hit and miss drama that covers a very dark issue and is given merit by the incredible performance of Rachel Weisz.

Stop Making Sense

"Stop Making Sense" is one of the great concert films, right up there with "Woodstock" and "The Last Waltz", and can be credited to the abilities and visions of David Byrne and director Jonathan Demme. The movie is a filmed performance of Byrne's new wave band Talking Heads, which Byrne staged himself. The entire show is bursting at the seems with energy as the band performs favorites such as "Once in a Lifetime", "Got a Job", and "Burning Down the House" as Byrne struts around the stage in his oversized suit in an incredible vocal and guitar performance. He is also given great support by fellow bandmates and onstage guests. "Stop Making Sense" is an immensely enjoyable film that takes us back to time when popular music was innovative and energetic.

The Guard

An police sergeant in a small Irish village sits in his cruiser by the side of the road as a car goes blazing by. Up the road he rolls up on the accident and approaches the driver who lies dead having been flung from the vehicle. He goes in his pockets and takes a hit of acid as he shakes his head at the poor lad. Soon the unorthodox sergeant will be involved in a bizarre murder case tied to an international drug ring and be forced to work with a straight-laced African-American FBI agent working the drug case. "The Guard" is a highly original and very Irish movie by writer/director John Michael McDonagh. It has a very distinct feel which resembles a film from the 1970s, and McDonagh beautifully captures the Irish countryside. Brendan Gleeson has gotten so good at playing these types of roles and he is at his very best here. Don Cheadle is great as well as the no nonsense agent who gradually takes to Gleeson's ways as an officer of the law. This is technically a buddy movie but I did not get that feeling from it, as the characters seemed natural. The movie is very funny and very hard to understand at times, which is part of its charm. For those who are fed up with police procedurals and buddy flicks, "The Guard" should serve as a delightful alternative.

Pursuit to Algiers

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are vacationing and Scotland when they receive a very strange and cryptic message inviting them to a private meet. There they meet a secret group trying to smuggle the prince of the fictional country of Rovinia back to his homeland, his life being in danger following the assassination of his father the king a week earlier. The group wants Holmes to escort him on his trip until he is in safe hands. Travelling by sea, Watson and Holmes meet an assortment of suspicious and deadly sorts on their trip to Algiers where they are to meet their contacts. "Pursuit to Algiers" is a fun and minor entry in the Sherlock Holmes series featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Both men are entertaining again in their roles as are the supporting characters who play like cheap knockoffs of the Warner Brothers Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre crew. The movie is only an hour long which makes for brisk entertaining and though the film does seem lacking especially for its running length, the conclusion is particularly surprising and satisfying.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

On a manor on the English moors, Sir Charles Baskerville is killed by a rabid dog and an old legend is resurrected regarding a curse in the family. Fearing for the only Baskerville heir's safety, he hires the services of Sherlock Holmes to investigate the case. Instead of taking on the case himself, Holmes sends Dr. Watson to the manor to investigate, being too busy with his own affairs to take part. Yet, Holmes may not be as far away as he leads on. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most often filmed story and was the first featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as the famed detective and his dear sidekick, both considered the foremost film actors to play the part. This adaptation of the story is thoroughly enjoyable fare blending light comedy with a good mystery. Not being a Holmes aficionado, I liked the way Holmes and Watson play off each other, Holmes acting bemused and Watson always serious. The moors add a nice aura and are a good setting for a film such as this one. The mystery unfolds in an intriguing fashion while we are given some light moments as well. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is a fine adaptation of the beloved Doyle novel, at least for someone who is not versed in them.

Hall Pass

Two restless married men with sex constantly on the brain are given a week off of their marriages by their wives. Things go unexpectedly and get out of control for the men, who aren't quite the Lotharios they have painted themselves to be. Things grow even more complicated when the wives decide the "hall pass" applies to them as well. "Hall Pass" is another raunchy comedy from the Farrelly Brothers and is largely successful thanks to the likability of stars Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis as well as the actresses who portray their wives, Jenna Fisher and Christina Applegate. They are also given nice assists Richard Jenkins, Stephen Merchant, and JB Smoove in funny supporting roles. The set-up of this movie, which consists of 40 minutes or so, is much funnier than the follow through where the men receive their passes which is just a regression into gross out fare. The movie is also far too long as it approaches the two hour mark. Yet, this is still raunch done moderately well and an improvement over much of the bodily fluid composed comedies of late. The Farrellys made some of the great comedies of the 90s and have been off track for awhile. Here, with "Hall Pass", it appears the brothers may be back on track to making the kind of films they made so well back in the day.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

After a gruesome opening scene in the basement of an old mansion, the story begins some 60 years later as an architect, his girlfriend, and his troubled young daughter move into the same house as they begin to restore it. Soon, little creatures begin to prey on the girl's fears but it quickly appears that they are anything but friendly as they try to lure her into the furnace where she will become their feast. Now, she seems doomed as her father and his girlfriend refuse to believe any of the ludicrous stories she tells them. "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" was written by Guillermo del Toro from a 1973 teleplay and directed by Troy Nixey. It is a good looking film with some great exterior photography, and it features good performances from Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes. However, the film does not go for as many scares as you would think and the ones it does go for are not handled particularly well. Young Bailee Madison does not make a compelling heroine either and I found myself not really caring what happened to her character. In the end I found myself sympathizing with Pearce's architect, not giving much credence to this poorly realized story.

Our Idiot Brother

After doing a stint in jail for selling marijuana to a uniformed police officer, Ned is kicked out of his home on an organic farm by his girlfriend and goes to live in the city where he bounces around his three sister's homes, throwing a wrench in their everyday lives with his naivety and brutal honesty. "Our Idiot Brother" is a sweet natured and often very funny movie featuring an incredibly likable performance from Paul Rudd. He is surrounded by a cast of talented and very beautiful actresses, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Rashida Jones, Kathryn Hahn, and Shirley Knight, and given fine support by Adam Scott, T.J. Miller, and Steve Coogan, who I found particularly funny as Rudd's priggish and phony brother-in-law. I have been griping lately about the state of  Hollywood comedies, specifically R-rated ones. Here is an R-rated comedy that eschews raunch in favor of sweetness and subtle humor and the result is innumerably preferable to the shit slew of restricted comedies that preceded it this summer.

The Sunshine Boys

In vaudeville's heyday Al Lewis and Willy Clark were a top act, performing their routine thousands of times over a number of years. Offstage, however was a different story and the two men cannot stand each other not speaking since the duo broke up. Now Willy's nephew, an aspiring agent, has gotten them a lucrative gig on a television special highlighting the history of comedy. Now all he has to do is reunite the cantankerous old codgers and make sure they don't kill each other before the broadcast. Written for the screen by Neil Simon from his stage play, "The Sunshine Boys" is a barrage of bad jokes, with an occasional zinger, given an incredible assist by stars Walter Matthau and George Burns. Matthau plays an exaggeration of the usual curmudgeon we've grown accustomed to and his performance here is fun, both physical and over the top. Burns is incredible in his first starring role in 36 years and one that won him an Academy Award. The ending of the film is also nicely realized and unexpected. There are moments is "The Sunshine Boys" that are laugh out loud funny and many that make you shake your head at their tackiness. But at the top stand two titans of comedy and the cinema, even if the material isn't always at their level.

Cold Weather

While taking a break from studying forensics, Doug returns home to Portland, Oregon, moves in with his sister Gail, and takes a minimum wage gig at the ice bagging factory. He visits his ex-girlfriend Rachel who is in town for business and befriends Carlos, a coworker whom he lends a Sherlock Holmes novel to and all four become friends. One night, Carlos frantically knocks on the door and tells Doug that Rachel is missing. Not seeming to bear much scrutiny at first, it quickly appears that something is awry regarding her whereabouts. Now Doug along with Carlos and Gail can put on their collective detective hats and put their amateur sleuthing skills to work. "Cold Weather" was written and directed by Aaron Katz, one of the foremost mumblecore artists. Those are the films that are associated with low budgets, young nonactors, and natural dialogue. Here Katz has applied the noir/mystery movie to that style to wonderful results. The movie is low key with a quiet sense of humor and takes its time to unfold its story while it gradually ratchets up the tension. The movie also makes great use of its Portland locations as well. "Cold Weather" is one of those films you don't really know where its going for awhile, but when it gets there, it is more than worth the ride.

Twin Peaks

David Lynch is a director I have never gotten. His films are murky and strange and border on the incomprehensible. However, with television he may have found a medium suited to his sensibilities, one that gives him the freedom and space to experiment. "Twin Peaks" was Lynch and Mark Frost's short-lived, critically acclaimed, cult classic that tells the story of a peculiar yet ingenious FBI agent investigating the murder of a young girl in the title town, which is comprised of equally strange people who are dealing with subversive and possibly supernatural elements. "Twin Peaks" is a superb series (2 seasons) and a wonderful blend of humor, soap opera, and crime. Kyle MacLachlan is phenomenal is the lead role as special agent Dale Cooper and is given great support by those around him. Here are the ones who really stood out for me: Michael Ontkean as the town sheriff, Richard Beymer as the conniving local tycoon, Sherilyn Fenn as his seductive and inquisitive daughter, Lara Flynn Boyle as the victim's best friend. With "Twin Peaks", Lynch has found a big enough canvas to suit his vision and with it he has crafted his masterpiece.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

"Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me" is a prequel to the acclaimed David Lynch television series and briefly shows the investigation of Teresa Wright before chronicling the last week in the life of Laura Palmer, the series' victim. The movie is an abomination in every way imaginable and does disservice not only to fans of the show but for those not familiar with it as well. For fans, there is no continuity in tone whatsoever. Instead of dark and funny we here just have strange and humorless. The R rated nature of the film is jarring, and much of the cast is missing, including Lara Flynn Boyle who has been replaced! Kyle MacLachlan is in it way too little as well. I liked the early scenes involving Chris Isaak, Kiefer Sutherland, and Harry Dean Stanton, but those are short lived. For non fans, there will be no way to comprehend the film, so I really don't know what Lynch was going for. In my review of the series I said that David Lynch is a director I do not respond to and that he is best perhaps suited for television. After the success of his show in his return to the big screen, he one again gets carried away and makes a movie solely for himself.

Freakonomics

Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner wrote the book Freakonomics in which they examined human behavior and incentive based thinking in the hopes of looking at certain things from a different angle. For the film, five of the most successful documentarians currently working present Levitt and Dubner's studies and what they tell us about human behavior and our beliefs. Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me") explores how a person's name affects their success in "A Roshanda by Any Other Name". Alex Gibney ("Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room") explores cheating in Sumo wrestling in Japan in "Pure Corruption". Eugene Jarecki ("Why We Fight") explores the early 90s crime drop with a surprising and controversial explanation in "It's Not Always a Wonderful Life". "Jesus Camp" directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing's "Can a Ninth Grader be Bribed to Succeed?" is self-explanatory and Seth Gordon ("The King of Kong") provides the transitional mini studies in the film. "Freakonomics" represents the best and worst in documentary filmmaking. With Spurlock's film we have the standard and irritating method of being assaulted with numbers and stats and cutesy narration, and Grady and Ewing's study couldn't be more vague and unrealiable. On the flip side, Gibney's and Jarecki's shorts are great examples of storytelling and not just a barrage of facts, which is what many documentarians think documentaries should be. In the end we have an occasionally thought provoking but mostly pointless series of studies that should show Levitt and Dubner's work for what it is: ultimately meaningless.

Sarah's Key

For two days in 1942 in what would come to be known as the Vel d'Hiv Roundup, approximately 3,000 Parisian Jews were detained in a large stadium, which a present day magazine editor equates with The Superdome, only a million times worse. They were then transported to a transit camp where they would in turn wait to be taken to the concentration camps, all of which was carried about by the French government. "Sarah's Key" involves a young girl who locks her brother in a closet during the roundup and is determined to make her way back to him. The story is told through a modern day reporter who is covering the horrendous event while finding her own personal life intertwined with Sarah's. "Sarah's Key" has a compelling story that is in turns horrific and touching and diminishes it by presenting it as a dual narrative. I did like how the mystery of the past unfolded in the reporter's quest, but it is hard to accept the modern marital strife of the protagonist when paralleled with the past anti-semitic atrocities. The ending of the film is pat and unsatisfying as well. And despite these setbacks, we still have a pretty good film here with several fine elements. Young Mélusine Mayance delivers a wonderful performance as Sarah and Kristin Scott Thomas is good as the reporter. We also get some good though brief supporting work from Aidan Quinn and Niels Arestrup, an older and powerful French actor who has been showing up a lot lately in many strong parts.The film also has some beautifully photographs scenes of the French countryside. "Sarah's Key" being a mixed bag is really disconcerting considering how strong much of the material really is. If the film would have focused more on the past and less on the present, we could have had one of the great films of the year.

Great Expectations

In an update and modernization of the often filmed Dickens classic, we follow Finn (Pip) as he aids an escaped convict on the Florida marshes, becomes the playmate of cold Estella at the behest of of the jilted Ms. Dinsmoor (Havisham), and travels to New York City where he puts on an art show courtesy of a mysterious benefactor and foolishly pursues his childhood sweetheart. "Great Expectations" is well directed by the fine auteur Alfonso Cuarón. Ethan Hawke who I have always found to be an erratic actor does nothing here to change my mind, sometimes hitting the right notes as the naive and innocent Finn and other times hitting notes that are so out of left field you wonder just how he came up with them. His character's narration of the film is unnecessary and does not add to the story. Gwyneth Paltrow does a nice job as Estella and is extraordinarily sexy and the great Anne Bancroft does a good job as Ms. Dinsmoor in a role that is written in all the wrong ways. Robert De Niro and Chris Cooper offer fine supporting roles as well. I wanted to emphasize Cuarón's excellent and beautiful direction, but when you adapt a familiar and beloved work such as this and mesh it with modern music, language, and locations, the result is jarring. Besides all that, there just seems like there is something missing from the picture and in the context in which it is presented, Dicken's timeless story simply does not work here.

The Cameraman

A man who sells tinted photographs on a New York City street corner comes across a young woman during a ticker tape and is immediately smitten. After learning she works as a secretary for MGM's newsreel department, he trades his camera for a moving one and begins shooting footage in an attempt to woo her. The Cameraman was the first studio film for the great silent clown Buster Keaton who worked independently up until this point. It is considered his last great film before studio interference, and probably foremost the talkies, stifled his career. It is not his finest work, but it is still a delightful film containing much of the great Stoneface's grace and wit. I really liked particular segments involving Keaton's attempts to open a piggy bank, his difficulties during a date on a packed double decker bus, and his exploits involving a dead monkey he is forced into buying that miraculously comes back to life. A friend recently said that Keaton was superior to Chaplin, and it is a popular sentiment among more than a few critics, but I feel that without taking anything away from Charlie, both men deserve to sit on the same pedestal as two of the foremost comics, not only of the silent era, but of the history of the cinema.

Fright Night

After his friend Adam doesn't show up to school for a few days, Charlie is roped into investigating his disappearance by Ed, his other nerdy friend. Adam's vanishing seems to be another in a string of them, and Ed has developed a theory that Charlie's neighbor Jerry, who has sharp fangs and blacked out windows, is a vampire preying on people in the neighborhood. Due to the fact that they live in transient Las Vegas where many work at night, Charlie doesn't give it much thought, until Jerry's behavior grows more and more suspicious. Now Charlie must do all he can to protect his beautiful girlfriend and mother, even if it means enlisting the aid of a vampire expert who has his own show on the strip. "Fright Night" is a remake of a 1985 film of the same name, unseen by me, and blends the vampire movie with the "Rear Window" setup. It is a movie that deals itself very nice cards, including nice atmosphere and special effects, and then misplays its hand. By not following through on Hitchcock's proven rubric, the movie reveals the nature of the neighbor too soon and regresses into a series of showdowns that become increasingly uninteresting and lame. Anton Yelchin turns in a fairly solid lead performance as Charlie, and Colin Farrell and David Tennant are a lot of fun  as the vampire neighbor and the cockney vampire expert, but they are not given any help by supporters Toni Collette (mom), Imogen Poots (girlfriend), and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (nerd) who all come off as incredibly annoying. There is a good movie here (I'm curious how the original plays) but it is bungled by its filmmakers who favor gore and action over tension and suspense.

Stand by Me

A writer recounts a Labor Day weekend when he was twelve years old in the small town of Castle Rock, Oregon when he sought out with three of his close pals  in search of the dead body of a missing boy one of them overheard their brother talking about. Their journey becomes a pivotal point in all of their lives as the four ruminate about life and enjoy what may be their last summer of childhood. Rob Reiner's "Stand by Me" is based on the Stephen King novella The Body and is a coming of age story that plays as a series of vignettes and conjures up feelings of childhood nostalgia. The events in the movie did not specifically remind me of my own childhood, but the general longing for those years that the film creates is remarkable. Reiner's direction is wonderful as he follows the boys down that wooded railroad path and fully engages all of his child actors. With the exception of Corey Feldman, who is irritating as one of the four, and John Cusack, who has always bothered me, as the protagonist's recently deceased brother seen in flashback, the cast is extraordinary. I really liked the work of Kiefer Sutherland as the sinister yet well spoken teenage punk and Jerry O'Connell as the hapless fat kid in the group, but who towers over all is River Phoenix who plays an underestimated poor kid and reaches depths that are not usually associated with child actors. The film also has a wonderful soundtrack comprised of 1950s jukebox hits. I had some problems with the movie. Richard Dreyfuss' reflective narration is distracting and unnecessary and when the film seeks to be more existential in nature it just comes off as haughty. Still, the movie wonderfully captures the essence of childhood and brings us back to a time when are main concerns were comic books, spitballs, and baseball.