Film Review: BROKEN ARROW (1996, John Woo)

Stars: 4 of 5.
Running Time: 108 minutes.

Notable Cast or Crew: John Travolta, Christian Slater, Delroy Lindo, Samantha Mathis, Frank Whaley (of PULP FICTION and GLAM), Howie Long (of those delightful ads with Teri Hatcher), Hans Zimmer (whose soundtrack for this flick is vaguely ripped off by Rodriguez's PLANET TERROR soundtrack), Graham Yost (writer of SPEED whose career was later derailed by SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL and co-writing the brilliant MISSION TO MARS), Peter Levy (the fine cinematographer from PREDATOR 2 and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5), Mark Riccardi (Travolta's 90's & 00's stunt double on everything from GET SHORTY to BATTLEFIELD EARTH), plus we even got the Dad from THAT 70'S SHOW and RAMBO III (Kurtwood Smith).

Tag-line: "PREPARE...TO GO...BALLISTIC."
Best one-liner(s): "Alright, you're bleeding, aren't ya? Well, that's good. Let's see if we can get any more out of you."

"You're out of your mind." "Yeah...ain't it cool?" Damn. Look at that poster. Slater wants to be in the limelight, but Travolta is having none of it. This is causing Slater to slightly raise his right eyebrow. More on that later. John Woo comes stateside for the second time, the first being HARD TARGET with Van Damme. Let's look at the Woo hallmarks: Slow motion? Check. Hero firing two guns at once and sliding downward? Check. Gun slowly being loaded in closeup? Check. Hero seeing the reflection of the baddie aiming a gun at him? Check. Two well-developed characters clashing with great determination? Check. Mexican standoff? Check. The Slater factor? Check. Wait, WHUTTT?!

You can't believe your ears? The SLATER FACTOR. Yeah, that's right. The Slater factor is very high here. The eyebrows and smarmy Nicholson voice are in full force. But what comes out of left field is Travolta stealing a great deal of the limelight from the Slater factor.

He's developed one of the most bizarrely gleeful, subtly feminized, and totally whacky antagonists to ever appear in one of these types of films. The man is having so much fun playing a villain and finally getting to sling about malevolent one-liners that you can't help but smile every moment he's on screen.


In fact, either Travolta or Slater are on screen for almost every frame of the entire movie, so the odds are the viewer will be beside themselves with youthful giddiness for the duration. Throw in a brilliant Hans Zimmer soundtrack, chemistry with ex-Slater PUMP UP THE VOLUME-era squeeze Samantha Mathis (Mathis later said that being romantic with Slater in this film was "like kissing your brother"), beautiful Southwestern landscapes, and the under-appreciated Delroy Lindo, and you've got yourself a splendid little way to spend the afternoon.

-Sean Gill

Film Review: RAMBO IV (2008, Sylvester Stallone)

Stars: 5 of 5.
Running Time: 91 minutes.

Notable Cast or Crew: Sylvester Stallone (starring, co-writing, and directing), Ted Kotcheff (director of FIRST BLOOD and WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S) as technical consultant, Julie Benz, Matthew Marsden, Hal Hartley alum Paul Schulze, Graham McTavish.

Tag-line: "Heroes never die...they just reload."
Best one-liner(s): "Fuck the world. " -John Rambo
Alternate titles: JOHN RAMBO, RAMBO IV: THE END OF PEACE, RAMBO IV: IN THE SERPENT'S EYE, RAMBO IV: PEARL OF THE COBRA, RAMBO IV: TO HELL AND BACK.
Body Count: 236.
Best reason to see it in 3 words or less: Rambo nightmare sequence.
Best socially conscious reason to see it: Banned in Myanmar, freedom fighters have adopted it as a rallying cry, even quoting it on posters and flags. Upon hearing about its effects, Stallone said it was the proudest moment of his film career.

RAMBO movies are like snowflakes. No two are quite the same. FIRST BLOOD is the postwar 'Nam vet experience by way of Jack London-esque survivalism, RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II is like THE DEER HUNTER if it was directed by Ronald Reagan, and RAMBO III is kind of like if Walker, Texas Ranger -not Chuck Norris, but his character- directed a remake of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. After the cartoonish lunacy of III, I was expecting to kind of make fun of IV. I was gonna jump on the bandwagon of people saying Stallone looked like an aged, overweight Native American, etc.

But Stallone has made a genius film here. He's taken Rambo seriously again, something that hasn't happened since part I when he had two time Tony winner BRIAN DENNEHY's talents to play off of. RAMBO IV is as if Rambo himself directed a RAMBO movie, and in this fictional universe where Rambo directs movies, I think his favorite film and biggest influence is SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Actually, this fictional scenario is probably pretty close to the truth. But it doesn't matter, because RAMBO IV spells quality any way you slice it. And it will be sliced, diced, have its limbs blown off, and its kids flamethrowered. This movie is brutal.

And it's brutal because III was so glib, so superficial. RAMBO IV reminds us of the agony and horror that transformed Rambo the civilian into Rambo the instrument. We live in a gruesome world with horrors taking place in its far corners as well as its center stages, and in part IV, Rambo reclaims the fact that he is a man, not not some jingoistic tool to be used and cast aside.

Not since part I when he lashes out madly at his American tormentors have we seen Rambo truly decide to follow his own path, and to see it is a triumph.

-Sean Gill

Junta Juleil salutes Nick Garcia!

As I and the rest of Junta Juleil Productions, LTD. were putting the finishing touches on our latest film, HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL, it occurred to me to post an appreciation of one of our greatest collaborators, the highly-talented actor, writer, performance artist, lip-syncher, and outrageous personality, Nick Garcia.

In our latest film, HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL (which co-stars Jillaine Gill as Harrington, a racist, hard-boiled authority figure of some sort), Nick plays Esteban José Garcalina Viejo- either a slippery character or perhaps just an all-around nice guy. As the film progresses, and the characters clash, it turns into a dialogue about race- can years of social conditioning be swayed or is said dialogue bound to erupt into spicy violence? Then again, maybe we all have some learning to do.


HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL notwithstanding, Nick Garcia has been a frequent collaborator of Junta Juleil Productions, LTD., both filmically and theatrically. In the realm of theater, for example, his lip-synch performance of England Dan and John Ford Coley's "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight," pushed the limits of hilarity as well as pain and audience tolerance. His interpretation of the song highlighted its absurd banality and may or may not have involved an unexpected barrage of nipple pinching.

In Junta Juleil's LOW LIVES, Nick played the nefarious "Black Gloves" with ghoulish elan in a brief, but highly memorable role.

This summer, he played "The Nerd" in Junta Juleil's long lost creature feature homage, CHEWIES 4: BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE.



But it wasn't until recently that I was able to experience, firsthand, some of Nick's more memorable work from the 90's and early 00's.

From avant-garde theater

to the interview circuit

to lottery commercials where he plays the nerdy date,

the nerdy goalie,

and the nerdy convenience store clerk,

or his role as the skateboarding 'Gourd' in the indie flick NOT THIS PART OF THE WORLD which co-starred Adam West.


Nick imbues every role with the proper combination of pathos, subtlety, connectedness, and hilarity, whether he's wearing a shaggy purple vest or playing a big 'ole nerd. He's one of the finest actors to ever work with me (and Junta Juleil Productions), and I'm both proud and overjoyed to count him as a collaborator and a friend.

Film Review: MURDER ROCK (1984, Lucio Fulci)

Stars: 5 of 5.

Running Time: 93 minutes.

Notable Cast or Crew: Keith Emerson, Ray Lovelock, Olga Karlatos, Carla Buzzanca, Christian Borromeo (the boy helper of Tony Franciosa in TENEBRE), Cosimo Cinieri (the bearded specialist of NEW YORK RIPPER and MANHATTAN BABY who bears a tremendous resemblance to DEEP RED's Glauco Mauri).

Tag-line: None!

Best one-liner(s): Fulci definitely doesn't know what that means.
Alternate Titles: SLASHDANCE, DANCING DEATH, THE DEMON IS LOOSE, GIALLO A DISCO, all of which probably would have made better titles than MURDER ROCK. Especially SLASHDANCE.

Alll right...'fess up. Which one of you wags let Italy borrow our copy of FLASHDANCE? Alright, so it was you. I'm sure you thought it was funny at the time, but do you see what happens? Do you see what happens when you let Italians get a hold of stuff like this? They immediately start mimicking it. But their brains are wired funny, so it always ends up being way Eurotrashier, more visually impressive, and utterly incomprehensible. MURDER ROCK is actually an awesome movie. I laughed, I cried, I pulsated wildly.



It's the tale of an elite New York dance academy where someone is willing to KILL to be the best. And, if you watched the trailer, you know exactly who that person is. Or do you? There's a lot going on in this film that makes absolutely no sense. There's a scene that exactly duplicates the famous one in FLASHDANCE, complete with leotard, backlighting, water, and hair-flipping.


The only difference is this version has more asscrack, more crotch-thrusting, and the girl gets murdered right afterward. Again, this is an Italian movie. It's a movie where a woman has a vaguely voyeuristic, scantily clad dream about herself. It's a movie where a heart stabbed with a pin makes a sound like an explosion. It's a movie populated by the sounds of the blandest, most generic, faux-American 80's pop music- and that's not just a good thing, that's a GREAT thing. Fulci takes a lot from Argento and Bava here (voice analysis like THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, pet bird killed with pin like DEEP RED, majestic visuals, black-gloved killers), but a comparison is unfair. This is Giallo-lite. But damned if it isn't amazing. "You've got to grit your teeth and dance, even when a friend dies!"

Five spandex sweat-dipped stars of sleazy, wide-eyed, crazy Italian goodness.

-Sean Gill

COMING SOON: The third installment on the postmodern effects of FLASHDANCE and MURDER ROCK, with a review of KILLER WORKOUT.

Film Review: FLASHDANCE (1983, Adrian Lyne)

Stars: 4 of 5.

Running Time: 95 minutes.

Notable Cast or Crew: Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri (who never really went anywhere else except for THE HIDDEN with Clu Gulager), Joe Eszterhas (co-writing here), Joe "Bean" Esposito with his smash hit "Lady Lady Lady," Giorgio Moroder, Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, Laura Branigan, Irene Cara, Karen Kamon, Michael Sembello (and his seminal song "Maniac," Donna Summer, and Shandi.

Tag-line: "Something happens when she hears the music...it's her freedom. It's her fire. It's her life."

Best one-liner(s): "I'll bring him a doggy bag if you'll have dinner with me." "I told you, I don't think it's a good idea to go out with the boss." "Okay. Have it your way. You're fired. I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight."

"Just a steel town girl on a Saturday night, lookin' for the fight of her life...in the real-time world no one sees her at all, they all say she's cra-ay-zy..." This tale of a high-steppin', leg-warmer wearin' welder who aspires to something greater will dance its way into your heart, leave you limp with excitement, and then when you're sitting there- all sweaty and out of breath- it's gonna pour a bucket of water all over you, just because it can.

I haven't seen the camera linger on pulsating, perspiring, toned bodies this much since PERFECT. Or at least since RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II. I think the thing I love the most is the fact that these blue-collar, Budweiser-swiggin' factory Joes congregate nightly at a club with acts that combine neo-avant-garde dance, makeup and glitter that belong on Klaus Nomi,

and costumes straight from 80's Milan Fashion Week (watch for inappropriate use of an umpire's mask during "Manhunt"),

which, of course, all go really well with beer nuts and men who'd rather be committing hate crimes.

The film is produced by action/adventure legend Jerry Bruckheimer and helmed by director Adrian Lyne (9 1/2 WEEKS, FOXES), who really knows how to hammer out a solid relationship drama. The end result is a very likable movie with likable leads that has enough ridiculous dance scenes to cement its mainstream AND cult statuses. This of course all leads to an amazing denouement where Jennifer Beals gets to strut her stuff before the stodgy board of an elite ballet academy. Needless to say, she pulls out some moves that, though they may induce spit-takes in the viewer, get those pencil-necked admissions reps' toes a-tappin.' Would anyone like to place bets on whether or not it ends on a freeze frame? What a feeling, indeed.

-Sean Gill

COMING SOON: Two addenda to this review, analyzing the postmodern reverberations FLASHDANCE caused with Lucio Fulci's 1984 MURDERROCK and then David A. Prior's 1986 KILLER WORKOUT.

Film Review: RAMBO III (1988, Peter MacDonald)

Stars: 3 of 5.
Running Time: 101 minutes.

Notable Cast or Crew: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Jerry Goldsmith, Kurtwood Smith, Vic Armstrong (stunt coordinator who's doubled everyone from Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, Roger Moore as James Bond, and Christopher Reeve as Superman).

Tag-line: "The first was for himself. The second for his country. This time it's to save his friend."

Best exchange(s):
Hamid: What's that?
Rambo: It's blue light.
Hamid: What does it do?
Rambo: It turns blue.

Moussa: You do not look like men Griggs sent before. You not look like you are with military.
Rambo: I'm not.
Moussa: What you are? Mercenary?
Rambo: No.
Moussa: You're not with military, not mercenary - what you are? Lost tourist?
Rambo: I'm no tourist.
________________________________________

Hey, Rambo, what's happening? It's been a while.

You decided to stay in 'Nam at the end of the last film. Walken went back to 'Nam in THE DEER HUNTER, delirious and self-destructive, playing Russian Roulette for money, are you doing something like that? Ah, you went back to participate in slomo nunchuk (but without the chain) battles with the locals for cold hard cash.

Wow. That's pretty hardcore. I bet the locals don't take too kindly to the white guy who came back to 'Nam to singlehandedly grasp victory from the jaws of defeat. Wait, they love you? Nice place you got here. Wait, you live with MONKS? You're like the handyman?!

Wait a second, what are you doing? You're giving all that money you won to the monks? Are you serious? Damn, Rambo, you're like a saint! Well, now I feel really bad about what I have to ask you. How do you feel about leaving for Afghanistan and killing like a thousand people and a dozen helicopters? It'll be like LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.

Just like it. Except with an endgame that involves you playing a giant game of chicken between your tank and some Russkie's helicopter instead of some crap with Peter O'Toole. No, Rambo, this time it's different.

I even brought the dad from That 70's Show to help sway you. We promise we won't screw you this time.

What? That never happened. Why do you hate America so much John Rambo?

-Sean Gill

COMING SOON: A review of RAMBO IV.

Film Review: THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970, Dario Argento)

Stars: 5 of 5.

Running Time: 98 minutes.

Notable Cast or Crew: Ennio Morricone (did the score for Argento's entire animal trilogy and was evidently next-door neighbors with Dario at the time), Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Renato Romano, Vittorio Storaro (ace cinematographer who also did everything from THE CONFORMIST to LADYHAWKE to THE LAST EMPEROR to APOCALYPSE NOW) , Salvatore Argento.

Tag-line: "A stunning portrait in psycho-terror!"

Best one-liner(s): (at a police line-up) "Bring out the perverts."

Dario Argento's first film as a director, and his first Giallo (literally "yellow" in Italian, after the color of the covers of Italian murder mystery novels), and he certainly lets you know it- he ridiculously (but artfully) weaves the color yellow in and out of the aesthetics and narrative. This giallo was the first in Argento's 'animal' trilogy which also included THE CAT O' NINE TAILS and FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET, which proved so successful that they spawned a slew of rip-off animal-themed gialli from THE CURSE OF THE SCORPION'S TAIL to LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN to THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA.

Everything that makes Argento 'ARGENTO' is here, alive and well, even at this early stage. The ritualistic black-gloved murders of beautiful women; the fact that every frame could be frozen, ornately framed, and put in a museum; the laying of knives on red fabric; making animals essential to the plot; his awkward sense of humor, which treads territory from brassy streetwalkers to the taboo of eating cats; and the use of art as a weapon, literally and metaphorically.

It's funny that the first murder setpiece of Argento's career doesn't actually end in a fatality. But it's a beautifully shot tour-de-force sequence with our hero trapped between two sets of glass doors watching an attempted murder in an art gallery, with all the kinds of visual, aural, and ironic touches Argento murders have always been known for.

As always, Argento keeps us guessing as to the identity of the murderer (and not in a corny or embarrassing or Agatha Christie-cheating way), and the mystery unfurls with the sure-headed confidence of a master, despite the young Argento's lack of directorial experience. (Though we need only turn to his writing contributions on Sergio Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST to see him masterfully wield horror elements within the constraints of a Western.)

 

Viva Argento!

Film Review: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008, Mike Leigh)

Stars: 5 of 5.

Running Time: 118 minutes.

Notable Cast or Crew: Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Dick Pope, Jim Clark.

Tag-line: "The one movie this fall that will put a smile on your face."

Best one-liner(s): "It was in a Cadillac. Miami. Bunny-hopped down the beach. I was a bit pissed. It was hilarious."

Awards: Silver Bear at Berlin, Most Enjoyable Film at Norwegian Film Festival, Hollywood Breakthrough Award for Sally Hawkins at the Hollywood Film Festival, the Golden Arena at Pula International.

A lot of filmmakers could learn a thing or two from Mike Leigh. He frequently ignores one of the primary tenets of drama, which is "as the story progresses, the protagonist undergoes a fundamental change." But here, Sally Hawkins' Poppy is optimistic at the beginning, optimistic in the middle, and optimistic at the end. But it works. It's like the anti-NAKED, where David Thewlis' Johnny is an asshole for the entire duration, is about to change, but then- nope, still an asshole. And Leigh always makes it completely believable. Much of his success is due to his lengthy rehearsal process and reliance on improvisation, which imbues his ensemble casts with the spark of life and the intricate texture of well-developed characters. Leigh knows how to unfold a narrative with subtlety and grace, not unlike the progression of real life, and he does it without having to resort to stark Reygadas/Tsai/Tarr-style minimalism. So there! With HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, he also manages to make an optimistic , good-spirited film which doesn't fall into American-indie traps like manufactured quirkiness, gut-wrenching mawkishness, and smarmy Diablo Cody-esque dialogue. Though the American poster makes it seem as if it's ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW 2, this film is brilliant and real; Hawkins' masterful Poppy and indeed the film itself warm up to you like a real person might, slowly winning you over and allowing you to forget that you're merely watching a movie. Five stars, and Leigh's best since NAKED.

-Sean Gill