God Bless America
Plot: Frank (Joel Murray) is at his breaking point. He’s been fired from his job and found out he has a tumor. Just as he’s about to end his life, he snaps and takes his aggression on a spoiled reality star. Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr) catches wind of this and joins him in his crusade to rid America of the cruel and dimwitted.
Review: I know for a fact that “God Bless America” will be compared to “Falling Down”. That’s not a slight against the film, as that is easily Joel Schumacher’s best film. I just don’t feel Bobcat Goldthwait’s latest film deserves to live in that film’s shadow. Yes, there are comparisons. Both films revolve around a man reaching his boiling point and taking out his frustration on the world. The difference is Frank is a likable man whose actions, though harsh, are understandable. William Foster was clearly a sociopath.
A better film to relate this to, if you need to, is Mike Judge’s “Idiocracy”. Take that film’s biting satire on America’s pop culture fascination and dwindling intelligence and mix it with “Falling Down’s” gritty violence against humanity. If they want to slap a comparison on the poster, that’s the best marketing tool.
Enough about comparing this film to other movies. That’s completely unfair to Bobcat Goldthwait. That would be to insinuate that he’s simply borrowing material for his own good. That would be a senseless lie. Goldthwait has crafted his own dark comedy that lashes out at America’s standards today and has Frank and Roxy doing the bidding we all wish would happen. Sure, we may not at all wish death upon people (I don’t). But, we do want them to disappear and keep their mouths shut.
The relationship between Frank and Roxy is purely platonic. Bobcat touches upon the possibility of the two having a sensual relationship. However, that’s only for Frank to rant about grown men being in relationships with young girls. It’s hinted at near the end, where the film begins to stumble. Bobcat brings it back around for the finale.
Making the film the thriving success that it is (besides Bobcat’s direction) are the fantastic performances by Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr! Murray is relatable and sympathetic as Frank, while Barr is perky, energetic and irresistible as Roxy (a fitting name). She has a bright future ahead of her!
Bobcat Goldthwait once again proves why he is the reigning king of black comedies. He knows how to correctly establish the mood and extract laughs. Instead of hoping the audience will find humor in the dark material, he inserts jokes and witty satire. He also doesn’t shy from the dramatics and making us care about the characters. For any directors out there looking to make a dark comedy, study Bobcat Goldthwait.
Final Rating: A-
Popatopolis
Plot: Clay Westervelt documents director Jim Wynorski’s attempt to film a movie in three days. That film being “The Witches of Breastwick”, a softcore erotic thriller that will air on Cinemax. We get a brief insight on his career and interviews with his crew.
Review: “Popatopolis” may not be the most polished documentary, but it’s highly entertaining. Clay obviously suffered from the same downfall that Jim Wynorski did. That being having only three days to garner footage. He fills the gaps in between with interviews with the likes of Roger Corman and Andy Sidaris (two kings of the B-movie world) and former costars. There’s also an awkward interview with his mother.
For those not in the know, Jim Wynorski is a film director best known for films such as “Chopping Mall” and “Return of Swamp Thing”. Nowadays, he directs softcore features and B-movies at a rapid pace. The man is a film lover, with his entire home being cluttered with home videos. There are tapes hidden in kitchen cabinets, for crying out loud. It’s clear Jim has a passion for film.
That passion drives him to direct movies, whether or not he’s particularly fond of the script. He needs to make a living, so he does projects that may not be up to his liking. Even so, he’s a good director that can effectively control the set. A bad temper may be involved, but that comes with most directors.
Watching as he tries to rush through the filming of “The Witches of Breastwick” gives a worthy outlook on filmmaking. Filmmaking on speed, that is. It’s not all fun and games and tension can arise. It’s not always the most entertaining thing to watch (the repetitive scene where an actress continually flubs her line), but the message comes across.
I don’t want to make “Popatopolis” sound like a chore. It’s not. Very rarely are there dry spots. If any arise, Clay wisely segues into an interview or clips from some of Wynorski’s films. He can’t help that watching the making of a film isn’t the most enthralling occupation in the world. It can be at times, which he does a stupendous job of presenting.
Final Rating: B+
Shame
Plot: Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender) has a crippling sex addiction materialized out of intimacy issues. Sex consumes his life to the point that it stops being pleasurable and becomes mandatory. He can’t settle down due to this and has a strained relationship with every one around him. This is proven when his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), moves in with him and disrupts his lifestyle.
Review: It’d be easy to write off “Shame”. I’ve seen people laugh it off as a middle class white man with intimacy issues; how cruel. This is portrayed in a mocking tone from them. Cropped from the “first world problems” meme. Though I can see their point, I feel Steve McQueen’s film goes much deeper.
It’s not so much about sex and intimacy issues as it is addiction in general. Those two aspects play a major role in the film and act as the crutch. What they support is the examination of one man’s crippling addiction. Brandon is allowing an activity in his life to take over. He succumbs to it’s power with disregard to the dangerous results that may follow.
When he finally meets a woman he likes, Marianne (Nicole Beharie), he struggles to console in her and ignore his sexual desires. He can’t even follow up on the act with her, as it would actually mean something more. Sex isn’t passionate for him. It’s raw and phlegmatic.
When his sister Sissy comes back into his life, we slowly discover why he is the way he is. He comes from a broken family that is dependant and, at times, selfish. This has rubbed off on him, which is why he ignores most people and secludes himself in his apartment. When Sissy tries to reconcile with him, he snaps and breaks down. What’s ingratiating about this is that McQueen doesn’t force the message upon the audience. He gives subtle hints and lets it play out.
“Shame” is a raw and powerful film with a strong performance by Michael Fassbender. He once again proves why he’s one of the finest actors working today. Steve McQueen also once again proves why he’s one of the finest directors working today. He does slip up near the end, letting the finale play out a bit too much. Even so, his point still stands and is told efficaciously.
Final Rating: A-
Putty Hill
Plot: When a man dies of an overdose, his family and friends return to Baltimore for his funeral. They reconcile with one another and voice their thoughts on his death. We observe their lives and their reactions to his death and the impact it has on them.
Review: I’ll give “Putty Hill” one major compliment; the characters are realistic and involving. They’re relatable and well acted. The cast (who are filled with a lot of amateurs) are lucky to have roles that don’t demand too much. They don’t need to be caricatures or outlandish. All they need to be is human. Therefore, they don’t have to stretch too much for their roles.
This isn’t a detriment to their performances. They still needed to act and convey sadness and anger at their friends’ death. They do so convincingly, making us care about them. A lot of films (both independent and mainstream) fail to do this. Quite a few times this falls into the hands of the director. Matthew Porterfield proves he can manage his actors well.
What he flounders with is putting these characters into an interesting film. He gives them a subject matter to work off of. This time being the death of a friend. What he doesn’t give them is a worthwhile plot. Essentially, there isn’t much of one. It’s a story of human emotions. Which, when done correctly, can be very affective.
I don’t want to say Matthew Porterfield failed. He put forth a good effort, but didn’t come out on top. His downfall was not giving his characters enough to work with. Mundane conversations and run of the mill obstacles aren’t engaging if nothing really happens. It may be realistic, but it’s not engrossing. This can be pulled off, but usually from experienced directors. Porterfield is still young. Therefore, he stumbled quite a bit. All he has to do is learn from this and grow with his future projects. I’m interested into what his next film will be. I just wasn’t that interested in this one.
Final Rating: C
Where the Dead Go to Die
Plot: A satanic dog takes a group of children on a journey through Hell. Their stories interconnect and play off of one another. Each story having it’s own twisted tale to tell.
Review: I have a nickname in certain circles. I am referred to as “The Cinemasochist”. I watch horrible movies and report on them. That’s essentially what my series, Movienalia, is. I take a certain pride in watching these terrible movies. I feel like I’m doing a civil duty. Everybody notices those cheesy movies sitting on the shelf and wonder what it’s like. They just don’t want to subject themselves to it. That’s where I step in.
When I put “Where the Dead Go to Die” in, I didn’t expect it to be a Cinemasochist type of film. I went in cold with barely any knowledge. If I had any inkling of information on it, I may have just passed it off and moved on to something else. I really wish I had. For this isn’t a Cinemasochist type of film. It’s a film reserved for Hell. A film used only to punish the viewer and make them queasy.
Let me put it to you this way. This is the closest a film has ever come to being child pornography. That alone should have this banned. I apologize in advance for detailing this, but it has to be done. A deformed child with a fetus growing out of his head falls in love with a girl. He discovers her father rapes her and films it. He watches these films for arousal, then “stars” in one of them. The only reason Jimmy ScreamerClauz (yes, that’s the name the director goes by) is able to get away with this is due to intricately cutting away at the right moment and (thankfully) not showing any nudity. That and this is animated. Not only that, but the animation resembles a choppy Playstation game with jarring pixels that make the characters resemble blocks than they do humans.
There’s more vile and disgusting acts such as this scattered throughout the film (if you can call it that). A scene that includes bestiality and a baby being ripped from it’s mother’s womb, just to name a few. I’ll stop there for your sake. Scenes such as this keep churning out. It becomes less of a film and more of an assault on the senses as time passes.
I can safely say this is the worst film I’ve ever seen. I know this because any bad film that has been and will be brought to my attention will have something redeeming to it. Something humane and worthwhile. Even if it’s to mock. “Where the Dead Go to Die” features none of this. It’s the film equivalent of the plague. If I ever find something that’s worse, I may go clinically insane.
Final Rating: F
Plot: Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender) has a crippling sex addiction materialized out of intimacy issues. Sex consumes his life to the point that it stops being pleasurable and becomes mandatory. He can’t settle down due to this and has a strained relationship with every one around him. This is proven when his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), moves in with him and disrupts his lifestyle.