Debauchery? In my Nintendo 64s?

10. Conker’s Bad Fur Day (2001)

Comedic video games don’t get much better than this. Completely tasteless (but in that good sort of way), Conker’s Bad Fur Day is a helluva foulmouthed platformer that has only gotten better with age. Each time I return to this game I find yet another joke, another film-reference, another visual gag to appreciate.

I'm a consumer whore... but with these Soaps I can gring extra fast.

9. Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)

Not my favorite Sonic game, but the last in its vein that I can call great. Sonic has always been about pure, unadulterated speed. And the Sonic/Shadow levels have more than enough of that to appease any level-headed Sonic fan. While not as refined or as full an experience as the first Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2 is the last of the great main-console-series Sonic games… even if Sonic was whored out for those ridiculous Soap Shoes…

Because rolling random shit into a giant ball is fun... no really, it is.

8. Katamari Damacy (2004)

I’m a sucker for the oddball. And Katamari Damacy is one of the most eccentric games one can find. Simple, irreverent, and downright fun. The definition of a pick-up-and-play game. Sometimes a bit too silly for it’s own good, but in the end a rewarding experience. A game that you walk away from with a goofy-ass smile on your face. You have no idea what just happened, but you liked it.

Am I the only one who, after playing Sunshine for a long time, tries to use FLUDD in 64 or Galaxy?

7. Super Mario Sunshine (2002)

Lauded as a fantastic addition to the Mario franchise at release, and now looked upon as the black-sheep of the series, Sunshine is game that is criminally underrated in today’s gaming world. It didn’t capture the magic that Super Mario 64 had, but no forthcoming Mario game ever will. Sunshine holds it’s own in all facets of a good Mario game. I would have loved to see a few more FLUDDless, pure-platforming levels, though.

6. Killer 7 (2005)

I’m also a sucker for artistic ambition. Killer 7 is beautiful in that gruesome, Quentin Tarantino sort of way. As a first-person-shooter, it’s standard fare. But that is more than made up for with its unique, stylized, artful way of brutally killing people.

PLUMBERS. IN. SPACE.

5. Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

When the Mario franchise made its inevitable jump to the Wii, I was apprehensive; Will they shoehorn the new peripherals of the system into the game? Will they use them too sparingly? Fortunately, my concern was unfounded. While a bit awkward getting used to, Mario is a breeze to control. The planetary environment is the most visually appealing of any Mario game to date, and though it isn’t terribly difficult, that isn’t what Mario is about; he’s about jumping, and Galaxy certainly isn’t lacking in that area.

Violence and theatrics... makes for one fun game.

4. WWF No Mercy (2000)

Now this… this is when pro-wrestling was the shit. Edgy, brutal and pissed off, the WWF (oh.. I’m sorry… WWE) used to be testosterone-fueled genius. AndWWF No Mercy is a fantastic representation of that. One of the easiest wrestling games to get a handle of, with simple controls and surprisingly fluid animation. But a good wrestling game comes down to this; is it fun to beat the hell out of your opponent? The answer; a resounding yes.

We came from the mind of Tim Schafer, therefore we are awesome

3. Psychonauts (2005)

You know how I was talking about how I dig oddball? And then how I dig artistic ambition? Psychonauts has both in spades. And a wicked sense of humor to boot. Oh, and it is kick-ass platformer as well. You want proof that modern video games don’t have to be gritty, serious business? Check out Psychonauts.

Who the fuck needs crystal meth when you can have this?

2. Pokemon Gold/Silver (2000)

Pokemon doesn’t get any better than this. Gold/Silver is what a good sequel should be. It expands on what its predecessor accomplished, while not drastically changing the successful formula. Gold/Silver goes beyond the call of duty, though; it supersedes Red/Blue, and is an all-around better game. Does it replicate the charm of the originals? No. But it refined the deceptively deep RPG series’ mechanics to the point of perfection, and the series has since regressed a bit, leaving Silver/Gold as the best of the indefinite line of Pokegames.

The THPS series was the rebel against classification. The magic was destined to fade, though, as the series has quickly sank into mediocrity.

1. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2000)

Probably not what you were expecting, huh? My favorite installment of the once prosperous series, THPS2 expanded on the surprise smash-hit of 1999, the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, but didn’t try to fix what wasn’t broken (something future installments, namely Underground 2 forward, were guilty of). The simple, intuitive controls, tongue-in-cheek exaggeration of realism, and fluid animation all make this game a joy to play. And the soundtrack; THPS-THPS3 have the best in gaming history, bar none, end of story. With perfect mixtures of Punk, Metal, Alternative Hip-Hop, among others, the THPS series introduced me to countless bands. I can honestly attribute a good chuck of where my taste in music is now to this series. Some of the bands featured on THPS2 alone; Rage Against the Machine, Bad Religion, Naughty by Nature, Fu Manchu, Dub Pistols, and the list goes on. Throw in the then-new create-a-skater, park-editor, and a slew of new moves and you have my favorite game of the decade.

———————————————————————————————————

There you have it. My ten favorite games of the decade. Feel free to tell me how wrong I am below… I can take a verbal (well, written) beat-down with the best of ‘em.

-YeOldeJacob

These aren’t flilms that I think are the best-of-the-best, and most of them aren’t. These are the flicks I dig most; the flicks I can watch on a regular basis, and find something new to love each time, while not becoming tired of the experience… there’s a cheesy, half-assed sex-joke in there somewhere, I’m just too lazy to find it.

15. Love Actually (2003)

One of those rare romantic-comedies that isn’t a two-hour cliché… even though, in a way, it’s full of them… it’s probably worth mentioning that Emma Thompson is in it… and so is Bill Nighy…. and Liam Neeson, he’s in it too… let’s not forget Rowan Atkinson… or Colin Firth, for that matter… oh, and Alan Rickman as well, can’t leave him out…

14. Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Love him or hate him, there is no denying his filmmaking talent. Michael Moore revolutionized the documentary medium with 1989′s Roger & Me, but Bowling for Columbine, for my money, is his best, and most mercilessly funny. This film, though, is also his most intriguing… because it leaves a question unanswered. A question the audience must ponder themselves. Moore simply presents it over a span of two hilarious, yet somber hours.

13. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

The Harry Potter film series hasn’t slowed down since the release of Sorcerer’s Stone, and though there has been a slip-up along the way (Order of the Phoenix… though I blame that partly on the source material), it has catapulted what was an already wildly popular book series into global phenomenon status. Not only will the books be heralded as classics for years to come, but they now have a series of companion-films that will as well.

12. WALL·E (2008)

The first of two Pixar films that appear on my list. Wall-E is Pixar’s most ambitious film, and arguably was the most risky. Wall-E has a perfect mixture of humor and dark, questioning drama, and is one that probably appeals more to the adults than the kiddies… Though it has become tiring to say, Pixar can do no wrong. Sure, Cars wasn’t up to Pixar’s standard, but it’s far-and-away better than 95% of similar flicks out there.

11. Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Thank You For Smoking is one of the smartest satires of the decade. It savagely analyzes those who’s job it is to spin. To make his/her side come out on top, regardless of how much you have to skew logic. Aaron Eckhart is perfectly cast as tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor, one of the three members of the M.O.D Squad (“Merchants of Death,” along with a firearms lobbyist and an alcohol lobbyist). This film doesn’t bounce around from joke to joke aimlessly, something many attempted satires are guilty of. It instead slowly maneuvers its way from target to target, hitting a bullseye each time. The result? A satire that is dead-on all the way though.

10. Up (2009)

Now for the other Pixar flick. Up is yet another triumph for the studio. Oddball, yet human, and with it’s own fair-share of dark, realistic subject matter, this is my personal favorite film to come from Pixar. There is a certain magic when it comes to Pixar films, and that is their brilliant sence of story telling and character creation. I mean, come on, tell me every scene with those dogs wasn’t pure fucking gold.

9. Les triplettes de Belleville (The Triplets of Belleville) (2003)

There is no other way to describe this animated film than weird. As idiosyncratic as it may be, it is engaging at every turn. The exaggerated art-style makes the film a joy to watch. Couple that with the aforementioned pure irreverence, Les triplettes de Belleville is one of the most peculiar experiences of the decade.

8. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

My favorite Tarantino film not named Pulp Fiction. The man knows dialogue. And the man knows film. He makes both of these apparent throughout this Spaghetti Western/WWII homage. Be it the genius blaxploitation/mexploitation reference, or the odd western music cues, this film displays Tarantino’s love of the industry. This is not to say this film doesn’t stand on its own; it does, and Christoph Waltz’s Oscar-worthy performance is icing on the cake.

7. The Wrestler (2008)

The Wrestler is one of the best character studies of the last twenty years. Darren Aronofsky is something else. He perfectly captured the atmosphere of the small, bingo-hall professional wrestling promotions, and the people involved. What drives this film, though, is Mickey Rourke’s performance as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a man who only knows how to do one thing; wrestling, and is nearing his limit of the physical and mental brutality that are side-effects of the profession. All I can say is; it’s a good thing Nicolas Cage didn’t get this role. While I believe Cage could have pulled it off, this is the role Rourke needed to have, and needed to deliver on… and he nailed it. Everything in this flick is human and real.

6. Wallace & Gromit in; The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Okay. I’m biased here. Strongly so. To me, Wallace & Gromit is the most intriguing duo in recent memory. Though particularly Gromit… he conveys more emotion in one facial expression than most actors do in an entire performance… sorry Sean Penn, but you’ve been beaten by a clay dog… this can be attributed to the genius that is Nick Park and the entire team at Aardman. These guys put months (sometimes years) into a single project, painstakingly moving little clay objects twenty-four times per second of footage… that requires a real passion for your work. To transition what was (and still is) successful as a short(s) onto the big-screen can be a recipe for disaster (see: 9). But, while not quite up to par with the shorts, The Curse of the Were-Rabbitis borderline perfection.

5. The Dark Knight (2008)

Did you think for a millisecond that this wasn’t going to be on the list? It’s already a standard to pick The Dark Knight when it comes to favorite films, but there is a reason for that. Christopher Nolan’s dark, sprawling crime-drama is what Batman fans (at least the smart ones) had been waiting for. But this isn’t a comic-book movie, and as such offers much more than a campy thrill-ride. Introspective, gutsy, and, most importantly, entertaining (Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker didn’t hurt either),The Dark Knight is an instant classic…

4. Mystic River (2003)

My personal favorite from Clint Eastwood. Mystic River is powerful. Period. A realistic study on lingering pain from years past, anchored by stellar performances all-around; namely Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. Directed, produced, and scored by Eastwood, this flick cemented the fact that he is just as good (if not better) behind the camera as he is in front of it.

3. Sideways (2004)

One of the most tragic, yet silly comedies I’ve ever seen. This is why Paul Giamatti is my favorite actor. He gets the nuance of his characters (when his characters are nuanced that is), and this shines here. As alluded to before, he bounces from moments of downright absurdity and moments of legitimate, real reflection at the drop of a hat. The rest of the cast (Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh) are fantastic as well. This is by far Alexander Payne’s best, and I’d pick Sideways overMillion Dollar Baby any day of the week.

2. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Yeah, yeah; “I drink your milkshake…. I drink it up.” As silly as that line is out-of-context, it means so much more in context, and this movie is so much more than that line. Daniel Day Lewis can tackle any role with ease, but this is perhaps his best. But that is only one reason to love this flick; it’s relentless, it’s raw, and has a seamless binding of pure dramatic force and pitch-black humor.

1. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Sometimes you connect with a movie because it is one that fully defines your idea of what a great movie is. For me, that film isThe Royal Tenenbaums. Delightfully odd and ironic, dreary and bleak, this flick is my favorite from Wes Anderson. The Tenenbaums are eccentric to the point of genius, albeit menaced genius. Each performance radiates an indifference to the people and world around them, and a love for themselves. No character is revered; everyone sucks, and that’s life.

—————————————————————————————————————-

Well, that’s it. My 15 favorite films from the last decade. Feel free to praise, or (in a much more likely situation) lambaste it below.

-YeOldeJacob

Joe Wilson in the midst of spewing his vile comment upon the world

Barack Obama: “The reforms I’m proposing will not apply to those who are here illegally.“

Rep. Joe Wilson: “You Lie!“

Um. . . no. Joe Wilson, you lie:

Sec. 246. No Federal payment for undocumented aliens.

“Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments
for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are
not lawfully present in the United States.”

Congratulations are in order for Joe. He has successfully squandered any possibility that Obama’s speech will be remembered for what the President said. Forevermore, this speech will be remembered for Joe and his obvious problems with anger management. . . the anger stemming from the possibility that this bill will cause a massive drop in the money he receives from his pals within the Health Sector.

Yes, the Democrats occasionally booed Bush, but there have always been cheers and boos. . . but a Democrat never shouted “You lie” at Bush during one of his speeches. Though if they had chosen to, at least they’d be telling the truth. It would be indefensible, but the truth.

And now Joe has his sheep following him. His vile two-word caveman-esque comment has turned into something he can profit upon. Visit his Facebook page. This is just one example. Many a right-winger are not only commending him for breaking Congressional decorum (under the excuse that he was telling the truth. . . a truth that, well. . . isn’t a truth), but are promising donations; donations he will no doubt receive.

Then there was the Republican response to Obama’s speech. . . where Obama was criticized for something he didn’t say and it was lamented that he didn’t say. . . what he did say.

Now, I’m no Obama supporter. I find him to be rather spineless; searching for the never-to-be-found bipartisanship he so desires. He shall never get it, as it is the right(wing)-way-or-no-way for the Republicans. Why wouldn’t they look at it that way? As aformentioned, this bill threatens one of their cash cows.

Look. Capitalism is a fantastic idea. Our version of it? Not so much. . . Health care shouldn’t be something profited upon; it should be a right (or at least it should be an optional right).

Instead of working with the President (who has repeatedly extended the olive branch, only to have it violently snapped in half) the Right feels more content spreading lies and fear. Whether it’s “Death Panels” or these Birthers (one of which happens to be Congresswoman Jean Schmidt of Ohio) the Right has found an abundance of excuses to mask their own unfounded hatred, and, as lethal as it may sound; racism.

Remember kiddies; "Stay in school" is evil Socialist indoctrination!

Then there are those like Glenn Beck; who seems to only have found his capability to go batshit after he joined the ranks of FOX News.

Over the last few weeks he has said that the President has a deep-seated hate for the race he is a part of, has cavalierly invented a new word (O-L-I-G-A-R-H-Y), misquoted Theodore Roosevelt (“Walk softly and carry a big stick”), told parents to keep their kids from Obama’s indoctrination (which contained such Socialistic ideas as “Stay in school”), and deconstructed Rockefeller Center and showed everyone that it is one giant Socialist-Fascist-Communist (if you listen to Beck you will find out that Socialism, Fascism, and Communism are all the same. . . they have to be. . . I mean, he does use them interchagably) propaganda filled clusterfuck of doom.

These are not dissenting viewpoints. These are pundits getting a kick out of how much they control the viewers who aren’t watching them for comedic relief.

The great faces of FOX News; O’Reilly, Beck, Hannity, etc. . . they all love the sick joke that FOX News is. They know they aren’t “Fair & Balanced” and they know they don’t “Report” for “You” to “Decide”. They do know, however that it is better for them not to acknowledge their obvious bias. Not only do they get viewers who think they are journalists, but they also get viewers who watch them for the train-wreck they are.

The Right is acting as if because now that we have a Democratic President, he will never leave. That isn’t how our system works (and no, Obama is not trying to destroy it). The Democrats, after eight years, have finally received their chance; whether they capitalize upon it remains to be seen.

You will get another stint on top, right-wingers, you always will. That is how it has always worked. So think before you start proclaiming Obama’s birth certificate as fake. Think before you spread the gospel of the “Death Panels”. Think before you lose all credibility with any sane person in these United States.

-YeOldeJacob

Oh, and in case you are wondering where I pilfered the first half my title, I proudly plagiarized it from the following new website:

Joe Wilson is Your Preexisting Condition

Brad Pitt (right) as Lt. Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds
Rated R (for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality.)
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Screenplay by: Quentin Tarantino
Running Time: 149 min

Cast:

The Allies:

-The Americans-
Brad Pitt as 1st Lieutenant Aldo Raine aka “Aldo the Apache”
Eli Roth as Staff Sergeant Donny Donowitz aka “The Bear Jew”
Til Schweiger as Hugo Stiglitz
Gedeon Burkhard as Wilhelm Wicki
B. J. Novak as Smithson Utivich aka “The Little Man”
Omar Doom as Omar Ulmer
Samm Levine as Gerold Hirschberg
Paul Rust as Andy Kagan
Michael Bacall as Michael Zimmerman
Carlos Fidel as Simon Sakowitz

-The British-
Michael Fassbender as Lt. Archie Hicox
Mike Myers as Gen. Ed Fenech
Rod Taylor as Winston Churchill

-The Jews-
Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus
Cloris Leachman as Mrs. Himmelstein

The Axis Powers:

-The Nazis-
Christoph Waltz as Standartenführer Hans Landa aka “The Jew Hunter”
Daniel Brühl as Gefreiter Fredrick Zoller
August Diehl as Sturmbannführer Dieter Hellstrom
Sönke Möhring as Gefreiter Butz
Richard Sammel as Feldwebel Werner Rachtman
Sylvester Groth as Joseph Goebbels
Martin Wuttke as Adolf Hitler

Other Roles:

Samuel L. Jackson as The Raconteur (Narrator)
Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark
Ludger Pistor as Wolfgang
Christian Berkel as Eric
Denis Menochet as Perrier LaPadite
Jacky Ido as Marcel
Enzo G. Castellari as Obergruppenführer (though credited as himself in the film)
Bo Svenson as an American colonel (cameo)

Inglourious Basterds Trailer

Rating: A+

Quentin Tarantino is a filmmaking icon, and he has crafted a gritty, violent, entertaining spaghetti-western/WWII film that closely rivals his masterpiece; Pulp Fiction. There is nothing I can say about Inglourious Basterds (yes, the misspelling is intentional) that will do it justice, but I will try.

Basterds is a testament to Tarantino’s ability to right brilliant-fucking-dialogue. An easy 80% of the flick is in subtitles, and each line is just as uniquely-Tarantino as the last. The opening scene is a long conversation between a dairy-farm owner and Hans Landa (“The Jew Hunter”); it alone was worth my $7.75 ticket.

Don’t expect the typical war-flick when you walk in. This is Tarantino’s World-War-II; that means he is re-writing the history books in nearly every scene. This is a good thing. How many WWII films have we seen now? Too many to count; we know what happened, how it happened, and who it happened to. Tarantino’s WWII is a much more entertaining one, complete with an ending that is better than what really happened.

Basterds takes place Nazi-occupied France, near the beginning of the war. After being introduced to “The Jew Hunter”, we meet Lt. Aldo Raine’s (Pitt) motley crew of Jewish-American soldiers, who have been ordered by Raine to kill and scalp as many Nat-sees as they possibly can. The scalping is done close-up, and is grotesque; the another-day-at-the-office way the it is handled by the characters is absolutely hilarious.

Brad Pitt gives, in my estimation, his finest performance. Every line he delivers — what, with his ridiculous accent — is absolutely hilarious (including a scene where he needs to speak Italian). He isn’t an idiot, though. He knows how war works (or at least the way he thinks war should work), and has an ample amount of intelligence (if you can call it that). Many of his one-liners, and ridiculous speeches on Nazis will be repeated for years to come. Unfortunately, that means a lot of bad impressions of Aldo will become a staple of Basterds references (not that that detracts from the film).

Christoph Waltz, however, steals the show as Hans Landa (aka “The Jew Hunter”). He is a menacing, eccentric, brilliant, milk-loving, giant tobacco-pipe owning man who is easily the most unique Nazi ever filmed. What sets Waltz’s performance on another-level is the fact that he remains just as calm and menacing throughout multiple languages. Waltz deserves an Academy Award nomination, and he will no-doubt receive one.

Mélanie Laurent is stellar as Shosanna Dreyfus, a cinema-owning French-Jew who is also planning a mass-Nazi killing. Laurent is delightfully droll and sarcastic (especially as she is harassed by a Nazi-war-hero who has a film about him, starring him, debuting, who constantly flirts with Shosanna). She is quite resemblant (both in appearance and attitude), of iconic noir-damsels. The character is classic Tarantino; a homage to films of old.

The rest of the ensemble cast are a joy to watch as well. Eli Roth is great as the over-the-top baseball-bat wielding “Bear Jew”, Donny Donowitz (a role originally intended for Adam Sandler, who had to drop-out of the project due to his role in Funny People). Diane Kruger is solid as Bridget von Hammersmark, a famous German actress who is a spy for the Allies (who ends up the female character Tarantino uses to further establish his foot-fetish). Samuel L. Jackson is, as always, impeccable as the narrator. I could go on, but you get the point.

Tarantino has always been one of the best when it comes to odd music cues. Here, we get fantastic western-esque scores, referential pieces, and even a David Bowie song. Tarantino makes these work, and is one of the only directors who can. There is a obvious difference between Tarantino’s music-cues and, say, Zack Snyder’s; Tarantino’s don’t sound artificial.

Film-buffs will appreciate this film a helluva lot more than those who aren’t versed in cinema history. Tarantino’s love of film shines in this flick; with an abundance of both subtle and obvious callbacks to film-genres as a whole, as well as specific films from those genres (my favorite being an absolutely genius blaxploitation/mexploitation reference).

Inglourious Basterds is one of the best B-movie homages ever released. Fans of Tarantino, as well as this particular B-movie homage genre will love this flick. Detractors of Tarantino, as well as those who don’t appreciate this genre, probably won’t. Basterds does, however, further cement Tarantino’s legacy as one of the most iconic filmmakers of this generation, and is the best movie so far this year.

-YeOldeJacob

Recently,  Quentin Tarantino made a video listing his 20 favorite films since 1992 (the year he officially became a director). Now, I originally wasn’t going to make a list of my own. Then it dawned on me, 1992 is also a year of significance to me; it was the year I was born.

Tarantino’s List

I will construct the list as he did; one definitive favorite (favorite doesn’t necessarily mean best) followed by 19 more in no particular order. So, on to my top 20 movies since the year I was born. These are the films that made me love the medium; they have shaped my personality more than any person could:

Favorite – Clerks. (1994)

The Rest (19, In no particular order):

-Pulp Fiction (1994)
-Fargo (1996)
-There Will Be Blood (2007)
-American Splendor (2003)
-The Dark Knight (2008)
-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
-The Wrestler (2008)
-Sideways (2004)
-Being John Malkovich (1999)
-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
-Ratatouille (2007)
-Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
-Bowling for Columbine (2002)
-Chasing Amy (1997)
-Unforgiven (1992)
-Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) and Vol. 2 (2004) (I’m counting these two as one)
-Hot Fuzz (2007)
-Thank You For Smoking (2005)
-The Iron Giant (1999)

——————————————–

That’s it. My 20 favorite films since 1992. What did you think? Like it? Love it? Loathe it? I’d love to read some feedback, good or bad.

-YeOldeJacob

Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen in Funny People

Funny People
Rated R (for language and crude sexual humor throughout, and some sexuality)
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Screenplay by: Judd Apatow
Running Time: 146 min

Cast:
Adam Sandler as George Simmons
Seth Rogen as Ira Wright
Leslie Mann as Laura
Eric Bana as Clarke
Jonah Hill as Leo Koenig
Jason Schwartzman as Mark Taylor Jackson

Funny People Trailer

Rating: A-

Funny People, the third film written and directed by Judd Apatow, is Apatow’s most human, and most real film to date. It, more than The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up proves that one craft a film that is just as mature as it is raunchy.George Simmons (Sandler) is a famous stand-up comedian who has stepped away from what made him famous (and what he loves), and has delved into the world of Hollywood; where the movies may be mediocre, but the pay-check sure isn’t. After receiving news that he has a rare blood-disease that threatens to take his life, George looks back on his life and sees that he has wasted it. He then decides to try to find true happiness before he expires.

George then meets Ira Wright (Rogen), an aspiring stand-up comedian who has a talent for writing jokes, but is nervous on-stage. George asks Ira to work for him; almost as joke-writing secretary. It is soon obvious, though, that George is looking for friendship.

Judd Apatow is a brilliant writer. He knows how to write realistic, witty dialogue that is a joy to listen too. He also knows how to treat his characters with compassion; these aren’t just one-dimensional pieces of cardboard that are nothing more than tools for dirty jokes. These characters are human, with dreams, fears, and most importantly, faults.

While the title may suggest otherwise, Funny People is Apatow’s darkest, and most dramatic piece yet. George’s redemption story is so meticulously woven that it is impossible not to become emotionally involved. George is prickish, and someone you shouldn’t like; but you do. Even though his depression is solely his own fault, you don’t want to see him fail, even as he repeatedly refuses to heal.

Adam Sandler proves, as he has in 2002′s Punch-Drunk Love and 2007′s Reign Over Me, that he can, in fact, act. This isn’t the Adam Sandler that we’ve seen time-and-time again in mediocrities such as Billy Madison, Big Daddy, and the more recent You Don’t Mess With the Zohan. This is Adam Sandler at his best; playing a flawed, and a human character that you connect with. George is almost a satire of Sandler, but that doesn’t get in the way of what may be Sandler’s finest performance. We get to witness him play a range of emotion like we never have seen from him, and it is a marvel.

While Seth Rogen is, more-or-less, playing the same character we’ve seen out of him since the start of his career, this time, like with Sandler, he plays a much more human character. Ira wants more than anything to become a successful stand-up comedian, and finds an opportunity in working for George. After George confides in Ira, however, Ira sees George someone who is hurting, and will stop at nothing to see him happy.

Ira lives with his two comedian friends, Leo (Hill) and Mark (Schwartzman), where he sleeps on the couch. The three friends give each other constant grief; but that is what friends do. Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman are perfectly cast in the aforementioned roles. Hill is delightfully deadpan as Leo, a semi-successful stand-up comedian, and Schwartzman is fantastic as the full-of-himself star of the cheesy NBC sitcom Yo Teach.

Leslie Mann is also great as George’s former love, Laura. After George gets a new lease on life, he tries to maneuver his way back into Laura’s life. Laura obviously wants him back in her life, but is torn between George and her husband, Clarke (Bana). Mann portrays her character’s plight ably, and is fully believable in the role.

There are a lot of cameos in this film. That would normally be a complaint, but they almost all work (including a scene in which Eminem picks a fight with Ray Romano). Each of these celebrity-cameos (mostly stand-up comics) are almost all satires of themselves and are handled beautifully.

Funny People is laugh-out-loud funny one minute, and intricately dark and dramatic the next. When Oscar time rolls around, don’t be surprised if you see Funny People getting a Best Original Screenplay nod. With the amount Best Picture nominations being extended to ten, I could see Funny People sneaking into the running if some of this year’s Oscar bait turns out sour. Yes. It is that good.

-YeOldeJacob

Sacha Baron Cohen as Brüno

Brüno
Rated R (for pervasive strong and crude
sexual content, graphic nudity and language.)

Directed by: Larry Charles
Screenplay by: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines,
Dan Mazer, and Jeff Schaffer

Starring:
Sacha Baron Cohen as Brüno
Gustaf Hammarsten as Lutz

Rating: B

Brüno, Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest film to be based upon a character from his Da Ali G Show, is not for the fainthearted. This film makes his previous R-Rated outings seem like child’s play; and that is only the first 20 minutes. It is incredibly graphic; so much so that I am surprised that the omnipotent protectors of morals, the MPAA, didn’t slap this film with an NC-17. Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad it got an R, just be advised that this is one of the hardest Rs in recent memory.

This time we meet Brüno; a flamboyantly gay host of a fashion television program in Austria. He is soon fired for a unfortunate incident during Milan Fashion Week. He then decides that — to become world-famous — he must make it big in the United States. What ensues is cringe-packed comedic gold.

Whether it be a test screening of Brüno’s overtly sexual talk-show pilot, or Brüno attempting to film a sex-tape with Ron Paul, Cohen doesn’t pull punches; he is trying to make a point. This character is, despite what one may think, not the typical homosexual. The character of Brüno is a brilliant biting-satire of the world’s perception on homosexuality. In one particularly outstanding scene, we see Bruno camping with a group of good ol’ country boys, who are later revealed to be, quite obviously, rather homophobic. The three men hardly speak; much too frozen in awkward fear of this openly gay man.

Even with the aforementioned hilarity, one problem with Brüno is the fact that, more so than in Borat, there are scenes that are obviously fully-scripted. These scenes are funny, but once I realized they weren’t true reactions, I felt as if my intelligence was being insulted. This being said, there aren’t too many scenes like this, and I believe a majority of the reactions are genuine.

The major problem with Brüno, however, is that, at times, it feels much too formulaic. There are times where it feels more like gay-Borat than it does its own, unique film. There are even one or two plot-points lifted directly from Borat. This doesn’t detract too much from the flick though; this is a comedic documentary, and is more about the true, visceral reactions of those around Brüno, rather than the fictitious plot.

Cohen is as flawless as Brüno as he is as Borat. As ridiculously exaggerated as his character is, there are times that my sense of realism was suspended just enough to believe this Brüno existed. Cohen is devoted to his characters, and that may be because it seems he has a message to deliver with them.

Screenplay wise, there is not much to praise or condemn. The script is loose enough to allow much ad-libbing, and given that Cohen puts himself in situations where he has one shot to get across what he wants to, that is a good thing. This film, as with Borat, is a testament to Cohen’s on-the-spot wit. He has mastered how to play-off of peoples’ reactions, and seems to treat it as if it’s fine art, and it might as well be considered one. This makes Brüno a marvel to watch at times, and one can’t help but appreciate Cohen’s determination and dedication.

All of Cohen’s ingenuity and wit would be for not without director Larry Charles. Charles knows how to set people up for pure humiliation. He has proven this with two of his previous works; Borat and Religulous. Being a former staff-writer on Seinfeld and an occasional director of Curb Your Enthusiasm, he obviously has a knowledge of how the average person acts, speaks, and reacts to situations. This knowledge is a necessity for films like Brüno to work, and Charles is one of the best for that job.

I originally feared that the run-time, a short 81 minutes, may hurt this film. The 84 minute run-time on Borat was my only complaint with the flick, and I feared that the same may be true for Brüno. My fears were unfounded. Brüno is as long as it needs to be. I’m not sure I could take much more of the roller-coaster ride of genuine appreciation, disgust, shock, raunch, and irreverence. It was a fun ride, I’m just glad it was a short one.

-YeOldeJacob

Johnny Depp as John Dillinger in Public Enemies

Public Enemies
Adaptation of: Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave
and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34 by Bryan Burrough
Rated R (for gangster violence and some language.)

Directed by: Michael Mann
Screenplay by: Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman, and Michael Mann

Starring:
Johnny Depp as John Dillinger
Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis
Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette
Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd
Stephen Dorff as Homer Van Meter
Giovanni Ribisi as Alvin Karpis
Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover

Rating: A-

John Dillinger was a bank robber. Period. Michael Mann’s latest film doesn’t romanticize this fact, and it is his best since 1999′s The Insider. Public Enemies is good, from beginning to end; something that is very, very rare in a summer flick not made by Pixar.Damn. . . just. . . damn.

Just about everything in Public Enemies is damn-near perfect. The cinematography is simply beautiful. Both the costumes and set pieces are meticulously detailed to match that of the 1930s depression-era. In fact, some of the flick was shot on actual historical sites; including the Little Bohemia Lodge in Wisconsin, and Lake County jail in Crown Point, Indiana; the home of Dillinger’s most famous escape where he allegedly fooled the guards with a fake gun, which appears in the film.

It is hard to make a biopic like Public Enemies without it feeling like every other film of the like. The story is perfect for a director to coast upon clichés; there are law enforcers, they chasing gangsters, and it is all set during America’s recovery from the Great Depression. It it a story that has been done many times before, but Mann stepped away from the clichés, and crafted a unique gangster/crime film that is one of the best ever of its genre.

Very rarely does a flick like this have a truly engaging story. Public Enemies does. Why is it engaging? Well, we don’t know much about this man, John Dillinger, and by the end of the movie we still haven’t learned much. There is almost an aura of mystery about him. We aren’t given any reason as to why he robs banks, other than that he likes it, and there something intriguing about that. The film doesn’t deliver too much in the way of drama, but that isn’t want I was interested in. I was interested in this character, because he isn’t someone you should like, but dammit, I did.

When we aren’t focused on the character of John Dillinger, we are given some of the best shootouts in recent memory. This flick is chock-full of amazing gunfights, each of which are very much real; intense, very violent, and delivering of one visceral reaction after another.

Other than the above stated praises, much of what make Public Enemies just that good are the performances from Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

Johnny Depp delivers one of the best performances of his career, and one of the best ever in the gangster role. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill performance like we’ve seen so many times before in this type of movie. Depp’s performance is something to be marveled. He is one of the most human gangster-characters that we’ve seen, not in that he displays an abundance of emotion, but in that he isn’t superhuman. He has his skills that help him during his heists, but he is never portrayed as someone who isn’t just another person; like you or me.

Christian Bale also makes his character, Melvin Purvis, the man chasing Dillinger, human. He loves fighting crime just as much as Dillinger loves committing it. This is a different turn for Bale. After seeing him as the intense, complex, flawed Bruce Wane/Batman in ..The Dark Knight.., we see him in a much more subdued, yet equally as human, role. Here he once again displays his versatility as an actor. Bale has the potential to be one of the great modern actors, and he is well on his way to becoming just that.

Public Enemies is a film you must see in theater. It isn’t possible to fully appreciate the intricate action sequences without a viewing at the cinema. I don’t see it receiving any Oscar nominations past a possible Best Costume Design or Best Cinematography nod, but that doesn’t detract from its merits as a fantastic piece of filmmaking. It is engaging, technically brilliant, and contains some of the best performances of the summer. I’ve finally met John Dillinger, and I want to spend more time with him.

-YeOldeJacob

Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper in The Hangover

Starring:
Bradley Cooper as Phil Wenneck
Ed Helms as Stu Price
Zach Galifianakis as Alan Garner
Heather Graham as Jade
Justin Bartha as Doug Billings
Jeffrey Tambor as Sid Garner
Sasha Barrese as Tracy Garner

Rating: B+

The Hangover is one helluva comedy. It isn’t perfect, but it is one fun time at the cinema. This is one of those rare comedies that is laugh-out-loud funny nonstop; from beginning to end. Most of this can be attributed to the brilliant writing, coupled with the fantastic performances.The Hangover has one of the most interesting premises for a comedy in recent years. The soon-to-be husband, Doug (Bartha), his two friends; Phil (Cooper), a teacher and Stu (Helms), a dentist, along with Doug’s bumbling brother-in-law Alan (Galifianakis) head out to Las Vegas for Phil’s bachelor party. After an alcohol-fueled night of mayhem (which we do not see), they wake up in their hotel room. . . or at least what is left of their hotel room; torn to shreds, and containing such oddities as a tiger, a chicken, and a baby. The friends soon realize Doug is missing. They have no idea what happened the night before, and set out to piece together what happened to find their friend in time for his wedding.

What ensues is one priceless piece of comedy after another. This ranges from one of the friends discovering he was married to a stripper at a Vegas chapel, to the group finding that they had stolen the tiger that now resides in their hotel room from Mike Tyson. Each of these improbable events are pieces — or lead to pieces — of the puzzle of what happened to Doug.

Watching these three friends stumble through Las Vegas, piecing together the events of the night before, couldn’t be more entertaining. As they encountered a seemingly endless roster of colorful characters I found myself becoming incresingly involved with the story. I started caring about where this adventure would lead these characters. This is foreign to this genre of comedy, and it is something I hope to see more of.

You care about these characters because you are supposed to care about these characters. They are so well crafted, and possess flaws; flaws they face head-on while on their weekend escapade in Vegas. There is nothing to pull at your heartstrings in this flick, though. It is pure comedy, from beginning to end. Isn’t that a novel concept? A comedy that doesn’t attempt an emotional curve-ball? That is what The Hangover is all about. Comedy.

There are times where the film relies on gross-out humor, which is its only glaring flaw. Everything used in these moments has been used to death, but they still register laughs, if only nervous laughs.

As stated earlier, each performance is solid. The stand-out, though, is Zach Galifianakis’ performance as oddball with the beard, Alan Garner. He plays a dumbass with the best of them. He is completely believable, and delivers non-stop one-liners that will be repeated for years to come (see title of this review). Alan wants ever-so-badly to be accepted by his brother-in-law-to-be’s friends, even going as far as to write a speech dedicated to them.

Todd Phillips, whose previous films (Road Trip, Old School) have oozed mediocrity, is the director behind The Hangover. Couple that with the fact that the only other major title on the writers’ (Jon Lucas and Scott Moore) resume is the formulaic Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and The Hangover may just end up being the pleasant surprise of the year.

Sometimes it is nice to relax and watch irreverence for two hours. That is what The Hangover is. It isn’t stupid or obnoxious, but a near-perfect blend of intelligence and earning-every-bit-of-its-R-rating raunch. It doesn’t use pop-culture references as a crutch, and only very briefly drifts into unnecessary gross-out humor. The Hangover is something that many mainstream American comedies are not; funny.

-YeOldeJacob

Russell and Carl wonder through the wilderness in UP.
Starring:
Edward Asner – Carl Fredricksen
Christopher Plummer – Charles F. Muntz
Jordan Nagai – Russell
Bob Peterson – Dug, also co-screenwriter

Rating: A

It must be rather grand to be a filmmaker working for Pixar. I mean, what other job can you get in the world where you aren’t going to be criticized? Why would you be? Pixar is as close to perfection as any film-studio could be, and they further prove this with their latest installment: UP.UP is, quite simply, one of the best films so far this year. It is the most human of Pixar’s films – where characters have a certain complexity about them, and it is certainly one of their most unique. What sets UP apart from all of Pixar’s other outings takes place from the very beginning. It handles the topics of life, love, and death in a way I never would have expected to see in Pixar’s repertoire- until now.

Everything you’d expect out of a Pixar flick not not titled Cars is here. Beautiful animation (okay, Cars had that), colorful characters (and that), involving story, quick wit, and a tinge of social commentary. All of this is comes standard with a ticket to a Pixar film, but UP delivers more. As alluded to above, UP, more so than any of those who came before it, has something to say.

The film begins with a young Carl Fredricksen (Asner) who dreams of being an adventurer, like his hero, Charles F. Muntz (Plummer). He soon meets his future wife, Ellie, who also fancies the idea for adventuring. They promise to each other that someday, somehow they will live atop Paradise Falls in South America. We follow their lives together, as they age and Ellie passes away. This sends Carl into a state of lethargic depression. He then realizes that he never fulfilled his promise to Ellie, and sets out to do so.

He begins he journey attaching thousands of helium-filled balloons to his house. As he begins to rise into the air, he finds that the boy he sent away the day before, Russell (Nagai), had been hiding under the house at the time of lift-off. Russell, a “Wilderness Explorer”, has only the “assisting the elderly” badge to obtain to become a Senior Wilderness Explorer, sees Carl as the perfect elderly to assist.

Along the way they run into an odd, very colorful bird, who Russell names “Kevin” (which remains even after discovering Kevin’s gender) and a dog named Dug who has a special collar that turns his thoughts into speech. He is an outcast of a group of dogs with similar collars, all of which are on a mission from their master to obtain the bird that is now following Carl and Russell.

The dogs are easily the most hysterical characters in the flick. What makes these talking animals unique is that rather than speaking perfect English they speak in a broken English that a dog’s thoughts could, conceivably, produce. They, more specifically Dug, will no doubt emerge as the most popular characters from UP, and I have no problem with that, as they are as infectious as any animated character(s) in recent memory.

Edward Asner is absolutely brilliant as the voice of Carl. He is perfect for the role of the crotchety old man because he, well, is a crotchety old man. The rest of the cast lives up to the expectations of a Pixar-level film, and this is no surprise. There never is a bad performance in a Pixar flick not titled Cars, and this is no different.

Every year it saddens me to hear others dismiss each new Pixar film as nothing more than a kid’s movie. They fail to realize that these films are absolute masterpieces. Beautiful gems in the endless rough that is modern American animated films. UP is the league of Pixar’s best, in the vein of Ratatouille and WALL-E.

In UP, we see something we have yet to see this vividly in any of Pixar’s flicks- a battle for meaning. This film isn’t about dragging a house to a summit, it is about a man thinking he has done nothing of worth in his life, and searching for something to make his life meaningful before he, like his wife, is gone.

UP is as bubbly, silly, and bright Toy Story, and as and as mature and full of pure storytelling substance as WALL-E. It truly is the ultimate Pixar film.

There is but one thing left to say on the topic of UP:

And the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature goes to. . .

-YeOldeJacob