Review: The Night Listener

The Night Listener (2006) ** out of 5 asterisks
Director: Patrick Stettner (The Business of Strangers)
Starring: Robin Williams, Toni Collette

A decent (although slow) psychological thriller right up until the ending. The performances by Robin Williams and the rest of the cast are solid, but it's not enough to salvage the movie from the disappointing ending. The film is based on a true story which even Hollywood couldn't glamorize enough to make the ending satisfying. Only recommended if you're fascinated with character studies in human psychosis.

Review: Dawn of the Dead

Dawn of the Dead (1978) *** out of 5 asterisks
Director/Writer: George A. Romero
Starring: Ken Foree, Gaylen Ross, Scott H. Reiniger, David Emgee

Casual horror fans should be warned that this movie is slow-paced with the exception of only a few scenes. I'll grant that this film was groundbreaking in its day and its cult classic status cannot be denied. The subtle social commentary on consumer excess and greed are noteworthy themes for a horror flick, but they also cause the plot to drag -- the film's fairly boring up until the big finale at the end. So while there are moments of humor and horror fan-pleasing gore splattered throughout the film, the slow pace is a killer. My wife (who's also a horror fan) gave up on it after 15 minutes, and I put the subtitles on and fast-forwarded to get through several scenes that were so woefully boring I wanted to gouge my eyes out. But because it's a cult classic, I saw it through to the end and I'm glad I did because there are some scenes that are very satisfying to any horror fan.

Review: Zombieland

Zombieland (2009) ***
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

While this film was generally received well by horror fans and film critics, I'm going to buck the trend and say that it was a little disappointing. I had higher expectations due to the hype from horror fans slobbering over it who apparently weren't bothered by Jesse Eisenberg's annoying performance or his even more irritating voiceover narration. But overall, I'll admit it's an entertaining flick and worth watching for horror fans.

Additional thoughts:

Although I gave this film an average score and criticized the lead's performance, I must add that Woody Harrelson is great in this. He makes the film worth watching for his performance alone. Bill Murray's cameo was also very funny, and the film had some fantastic and hilarious scenes of crowd-pleasing zombie destruction.

But I just couldn't stand Eisenberg, the lead actor who played Columbus. I realize he was cast to play an "Everyman" type, but I just couldn't identify with him. His character was annoying and his voice even moreso -- his narration nearly completely ruined the movie for me. I wanted him to get violated by a zombie as soon as possible, but it never happened.

And except for the beginning and end, the middle was dreadfully slow.

It barely gets 3 asterisks out of 5 from me. On the upside, there's a 3D sequel in development, so maybe they'll fix the problems from the first film...like not casting Jesse Eisenberg, for starters.

And FYI: my 2003 Hyundai Elantra is also seen very briefly in the background. I spent a day in Extras Holding at the Atlanta Motor Speedway during the production of this film, napping and reading magazines while they sprayed fake dirt on my car and used it as an abandoned vehicle. Easiest $125 I ever made.

And in an ironic case of life imitating art, my car was totaled in an accident a few months later and spent 9 months in my driveway as an abandoned vehicle.

Review: Army of Darkness

For the remainder of October, I'll be posting a series of capsule reviews of horror films and thrillers to coincide with the festivities of All Hallows' Eve.

I'll begin with one of my all-time favorites:

Army of Darkness -- aka Evil Dead 3 (1992) **** out of 5 asterisks
Director: Sam Raimi (who also co-wrote the script)
Starring: Bruce Campbell (no one else really matters, although this film does have a great supporting cast)

This multi-genre horror/comedy manages a balance between scary, silly and campy that's very entertaining to watch thanks to Bruce Campbell's performance, Sam Raimi's direction, the aforementioned strong supporting cast, and great make-up and creature effects. Highly recommended for horror fans, and required viewing for all Bruce Campbell fans.

Additional thoughts:

Some horror fans contend that you should watch the first two Evil Dead films before seeing this one, but I think it recaps well enough in the opening to stand on its own. (But you should definitely watch the first two after watching Army of Darkness to see the series as a whole.)

Although the first two films are considered horror cult classics and are generally rated higher than Army of Darkness, I like the third film a lot more than the first two. I tend to favor horror comedies, and Army of Darkness is easily the most comedic of the three. Bruce Campbell makes the first two worth watching, and I also admire what Sam Raimi was able to accomplish with Evil Dead on a budget of only $375K.

But I love Army of Darkness. It's like a mash-up of the best elements of Jason & The Argonauts, The Three Stooges, and Night of the Living Dead. It's The Princess Bride of the horror genre: it contains multiple genre elements and entertains on multiple levels.

It's also one of few horror films which takes place in Medieval Times, which seems ironic when you consider that it was a very scary period in history.

And be sure to watch the alternate ending available on certain releases of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, but I should caution that the 2009 Blu-Ray version was not well-received by fans, film critics or DVD/BR collectors due to the disappointing digital transfer.

Billing Don't You Lose My Number

I'm a regular on a forum called The Southern Casting Call which is a great, FREE resource for performers in the Southeast U.S. -- I've booked many a paid gig thanks to the site.

One of the most-frequently-asked-questions at TSCC involves how TV/film roles are "billed" (or credited) on a resume.

The helpful thing to do would be to provide a link to The Actors Voice -- a blog published by author, producer and casting director Bonnie Gillespie. In February 2005, Bonnie published this excellent blog post on the subject -- a list of billing terms explained in detail, followed by an equally-useful Q&A post about billing terms.

But when the question about billing was asked again recently at TSCC, after it was answered I thought I'd have some fun and provide my own definitions for billing terms:

Guest Star 
Usually someone who works the least on set, but earns the most.

Co-Star 
Something you put your drink on so your TV tray doesn't get wet.

Lead 
Something even Superman can't see through.

Principal 
Someone who gets to be first in line when filming breaks for lunch. (Not interchangeable with "Principle" or to be confused with the person whose office you get sent to when you've done something stupid at school.)

Supporting 
Actors cast so the stars will have someone to talk to during scenes.

Day Player 
An actor who prefers not to work nights. 

Under 5 
Not tall enough or old enough to ride this ride or see this movie. 

Recurring 
An actor appearing regularly who just hasn't been replaced yet.

Extra
Someone walking/sitting/standing in the background who has as much chance of actually being seen on camera as someone sitting at home watching TV. (* See "Human Prop.")

Featured 
NAE -- "Not An Extra."

And on that last note, I'd like to share a related anecdote.

One time an extra on a film shoot -- who claimed she had worked on other productions -- told me, "I don't normally do this background stuff. I'm usually featured."

Here's a healthy dose of reality: unless you have a speaking line in a production, you are still just an extra. The actors' unions and casting directors do not acknowledge uncredited, non-speaking roles as "featured." There is no such thing as a "featured extra," in spite of what extras casting agencies claim. That's like saying a piece of lettuce is "featured" in a salad.

Review: The Host

The Host (2006) ***1/2 (out of 5 asterisks)
Director/Co-Writer: Joon-ho Bong
Starring: Some Korean actors whose names you probably won't recognize

Good character-driven family drama/thriller that defies the expectations, conventions and cliches of a standard "monster movie." A very non-traditional monster flick that's recommended even if you don't like monster movies. But I would strongly advise watching it with the original Korean dialog and English subtitles. The English dub is horrible and distracting.

The Bus Ride

I originally wrote this freeverse-style poem on August 6, 2002.

Updated commentary to follow...

=============================================

The Bus Ride

In the seat to my right sits a couple
holding hands
One sleeps
The other listens to music
And from the expressions on their faces
Contentment
Peace
It's obvious there's love between the two

In front of me, a couple speak softly to each other
then fall silent
and smile
A longing look they share reveals
there's love between the two

Up further on my right, a pretty woman
with a ring on her finger
talks to a phone
“I’ll be home soon,” she says. “I miss you.”
“I love you.”

The seat beside me is empty
There’s nothing in my hands
No ring on my finger
Nothing else for me to do but look out the window

I close my eyes
and say a prayer
that someday I’ll have someone to go home to
someone who misses me, who can’t wait to see me again
someone to call on the phone and say, “I love you.”
that someday I’ll have a ring on my finger
that someday there will be someone
sitting with me
on the bus

=============================

Now, I'm sure there are people out there who eat this sort of stuff up. If you liked this, thanks. But there are a lot of writers out there who don't like to reflect on something they wrote in the past. It might make you wonder why you wrote it in the first place, and why you were foolish enough to publish it so others could read it too.

In hindsight, I still like it and think it's a nice piece even if it does sound a little like a greeting card. And I don't think I'd change anything about it...except the setting.

Today, I wouldn't subject anyone I love to the experience of riding a bus with me. Buses have a well-known reputation for being unpleasant, exasperating, claustrophobic, and filled with people who haven't bathed since Jimmy Carter was president.

The prayer expressed at the end of the poem was indeed fulfilled. I do have someone to go home to now, and I'm very grateful to God for answering that prayer. But you won't find us riding a bus together. Not no way. Not no how.