A couple of Wednesdays ago the Jury Room 4.0 gang decided on Andrew Davis' CHAIN REACTION (1996, AMAZON PRIME) as our weekly Discord watchalong. It was Davis' second bomb in a row after 1995's "Steal Big Steal Little," both mid-budget thrillers made after the director's massive success with 1993's "The Fugitive." As we watched "Chain Reaction" we couldn't help but notice how similar the '96 movie was to the formula of the '93 Academy Award-winning hit. In "CR" Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz are Chicago-based environmental scientists on the run after their group's breakthrough in 'cold fusion' (though those words are never mentioned, going instead with 'green alternative energy'... whatever! π π«€) is blown to bits by a massive explosion that takes out several blocks of abandoned factories. We know anonymous bad guys did it, but they're the prime suspects of murdering their colleagues.
No "Man of Steel"-type civilian casualties from the explosion, but the FBI (Fred Ward and Kevin 'Transformers dad' Dunn, this flick's version of Sam Gerard and his U.S. Marshals team) sets a manhunt to apprehend 'Eddie Kasalivich' (Keanu) and Dr. Sinclair (Weisz). The boss of the research team, Morgan Freeman, gets into philosophical arguments with Brian Cox, which are cool because the actors are great and not because we know what the hell is going on. Many impressive-but-soulless action set-pieces (Keanu atop a lifting bridge, a helicopter chasing after a boat in a frozen lake, etc.) follow, and it all comes to a ticking clock device that will either prove the team's research or blow them all to kingdom come. I don't care! ππ Despite competent direction by Davis', his usual cadre of working-class actors and other recognizable faces, "Chain Reaction" is one of the worst 90's action movies I've ever seen. Hated it.
Then last Wednesday night, someone at JR 4.0 had the sense of humor to pick THE FUGITIVE (1993, AMAZON PURCHASE) as an apology of sorts for having subjected the Discord group to the ordeal that was "Chain Reaction" a week prior. It's almost unfair to compare the two because the '93 blockbuster has everything (great actors as leading men, smart script by Jeb Stuart and David Twohy, the goodwill of a well-remembered 1970's TV series, a personal quest for redemption/revenge anyone in the audience can relate to, etc.) the '96 movie completely lacked. It's over two hours long, but it just moves fast and its few action set-pieces (the bus/train crash, the jump from the dam, the St. Patrick's Day Parade escape, etc.) hit hard by mixing well the improbable with the believable cat-and-mouse game that follows.
Coming just after "The Invite" showed her prowess as a dramatic actor/director, Olivia Wilde's turn in Gregg Araki's I WANT YOUR SEX ('26, THEATER) is a revelation. Playing Erika Tracy, an L.A. artist whose trashy exhibit about sex is coming together slowly, Wilde completely disappears into the role of a self-assured, h0rny businesswoman who takes advantage of her low-rank employee Elliot (Cooper Hoffman, "The Long Walk") to fulfill her S&M sexual desires so she can better work on her show. Elliot is no innocent, as his unfulfilled relationship with girlfriend Minerva (Charli XCX) and casual friendship with a co-worker at Tracy's (Mason Gooding's Zap) and a lifelong bestie (Chase Sui Wonders' Apple), all come to a messy halt because of Elliot's obsession with Erika. Told as a flashback while Elliot's being interrogated by two cops (Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville) about an opening scene reveal, "I Want Your Sex's" fantastic tale would be dull if it wasn't so freaking funny and sexy as hell because of Wilde not holding back. Recommended if you're not a prude about casual sex/nudity as a comedic storytelling device.
Seijun Suzuki's A TALE OF SORROW AND SADNESS (1977, RADIANCE BLU-RAY) finds the Japanese master of 60's crime and colorful pop art 'B' movies back in the director's chair after a 10-year absence. Like a scaled-down "Mad Men" that slowly morphs into a mini-"Network," the small scale story centers on average-at-best Japanese female golfer Reiko Sakuraba (Yoko Shiraki) being 'created' by a sports ad agency keen on using her image to compete against wealthier sports agencies with access to international sports superstars. Between Reiko not being a good actor (the bonus features on the disc reveal she was the producers' mistress, which explains her lack of on-camera polish), the uniformly sexist treatment of women by the mostly male cast (Yoshio Harada, Masumi Okada, KΕji Wada, etc.) and the eventual reveal of a female neighbor as an even bigger danger than an actual male stalker (with flowers), "A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness" is both atypical Suzuki territory and the most grounded-in-reality of his movies before his late career shift into more artistic, visually-driven esoteric features. Even the weird conversations between Reiko's pre-teen brother and a girl who may or may not be real have a certain daydream charm. Worth seeing as a time capsule of dog-eat-dog Japanese urban and suburban society in the late 70's.
After many years unseen I rewatched George A. Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD (1985, SHOUT!/SCREAM FACTORY 4K) and was overwhelmed by how unprepared I was for the avalanche of hatred between the characters that I already knew was there. I've owned the Anchor Bay DVD for decades (never upgraded to Blu-ray) and I've seen the movie plenty of times. But maybe because I've gone out of my way to avoid news and stay away from needless social media conflict until after 2028 (get it? π₯Ίπ), the torrent of anger between the human factions in that Florida underground bunker was suffocating. It's not a criticism of the film as much as an acknowledgement that the pressure cooker atmosphere it depicts, while sometimes over-the-top and cartoony (the dialogue borders on comic book prose), translates to both the cinematic end of the world and the end of the world as we all knew it we've been living under since 2016. Alas, when the (infrequent) zombie action kicks this becomes an impressive demo reel of some of the best practical gore effects ever filmed, the marriage of Tom Savini and the seeds of KNB (Nicotero and Berger working alongside Savini) in perfect blood-and-guts soaked harmony. Rhodes' final reckoning? That took guts to make. π²π«£
While a few performances pop (Joe Pilato, Richard Liberty, etc.) "Day of the Dead" is the 'Bub' show for a reason. Without Sherman Howard giving the hint of a human life that can still be accessed through the living dead malfunction by imperfect-but-necessary methods from a well-meaning-but-wacko Frankenstein-like scientist, the points of Romero's difficult-to-watch story would be lost. Other than the 4K not looking leaps and bounds better than DVD (interpositive print isn't a negative, but beggars can't be choosers) and the lack of a cool booklet or written material, Shout's best new feature for this 4K re-release of "Day"? English subtitles, which Anchor Bay never embraced and I'm so happy to finally have alongside 'Bub' appreciating Beethoven's 5th Symphony. A "bloody" good time, mate. πΊπ€
A couple of Wednesdays ago the Jury Room 4.0 gang decided on Andrew Davis' CHAIN REACTION (1996, AMAZON PRIME) as our weekly Discord watchalong. It was Davis' second bomb in a row after 1995's "Steal Big Steal Little," both mid-budget thrillers made after the director's massive success with 1993's "The Fugitive." As we watched "Chain Reaction" we couldn't help but notice how similar the '96 movie was to the formula of the '93 Academy Award-winning hit. In "CR" Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz are Chicago-based environmental scientists on the run after their group's breakthrough in 'cold fusion' (though those words are never mentioned, going instead with 'green alternative energy'... whatever! π π«€) is blown to bits by a massive explosion that takes out several blocks of abandoned factories. We know anonymous bad guys did it, but they're the prime suspects of murdering their colleagues.
ReplyDeleteNo "Man of Steel"-type civilian casualties from the explosion, but the FBI (Fred Ward and Kevin 'Transformers dad' Dunn, this flick's version of Sam Gerard and his U.S. Marshals team) sets a manhunt to apprehend 'Eddie Kasalivich' (Keanu) and Dr. Sinclair (Weisz). The boss of the research team, Morgan Freeman, gets into philosophical arguments with Brian Cox, which are cool because the actors are great and not because we know what the hell is going on. Many impressive-but-soulless action set-pieces (Keanu atop a lifting bridge, a helicopter chasing after a boat in a frozen lake, etc.) follow, and it all comes to a ticking clock device that will either prove the team's research or blow them all to kingdom come. I don't care! ππ Despite competent direction by Davis', his usual cadre of working-class actors and other recognizable faces, "Chain Reaction" is one of the worst 90's action movies I've ever seen. Hated it.
Then last Wednesday night, someone at JR 4.0 had the sense of humor to pick THE FUGITIVE (1993, AMAZON PURCHASE) as an apology of sorts for having subjected the Discord group to the ordeal that was "Chain Reaction" a week prior. It's almost unfair to compare the two because the '93 blockbuster has everything (great actors as leading men, smart script by Jeb Stuart and David Twohy, the goodwill of a well-remembered 1970's TV series, a personal quest for redemption/revenge anyone in the audience can relate to, etc.) the '96 movie completely lacked. It's over two hours long, but it just moves fast and its few action set-pieces (the bus/train crash, the jump from the dam, the St. Patrick's Day Parade escape, etc.) hit hard by mixing well the improbable with the believable cat-and-mouse game that follows.
DeleteAnd then there's the Tommy Lee Jones factor. No shade on Harrison Ford, he's the star that brought butts to seats. Richard Kimble's ability to walk through Chicago like he owns the place while a manhunt is chasing after him is only possible because we like the guy, the type of good doctor we know wouldn't kill his wife because he risks his freedom to save a hurt little boy in a hospital. But he's also bland and safe, while TLJ's Samuel Gerard provides the jolt of energy that keeps the manhunt intense even when nothing major is happening. That intensity bounces off from everyone TLJ interacts with, whether it's Ford ('I don't care!') or Kimble's doctor friend (Jeroen KrabbΓ© wearing a poker face) or anyone in Gerard's team of subordinates (Pantoliano, Wood, Caldwell, etc.). Hadn't seen "The Fugitive" in a while, and this rewatch was made even better after seeing the same crew/director blow it in '96. Thanks, "Chain Reaction." ππ‘
Coming just after "The Invite" showed her prowess as a dramatic actor/director, Olivia Wilde's turn in Gregg Araki's I WANT YOUR SEX ('26, THEATER) is a revelation. Playing Erika Tracy, an L.A. artist whose trashy exhibit about sex is coming together slowly, Wilde completely disappears into the role of a self-assured, h0rny businesswoman who takes advantage of her low-rank employee Elliot (Cooper Hoffman, "The Long Walk") to fulfill her S&M sexual desires so she can better work on her show. Elliot is no innocent, as his unfulfilled relationship with girlfriend Minerva (Charli XCX) and casual friendship with a co-worker at Tracy's (Mason Gooding's Zap) and a lifelong bestie (Chase Sui Wonders' Apple), all come to a messy halt because of Elliot's obsession with Erika. Told as a flashback while Elliot's being interrogated by two cops (Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville) about an opening scene reveal, "I Want Your Sex's" fantastic tale would be dull if it wasn't so freaking funny and sexy as hell because of Wilde not holding back. Recommended if you're not a prude about casual sex/nudity as a comedic storytelling device.
ReplyDeleteSeijun Suzuki's A TALE OF SORROW AND SADNESS (1977, RADIANCE BLU-RAY) finds the Japanese master of 60's crime and colorful pop art 'B' movies back in the director's chair after a 10-year absence. Like a scaled-down "Mad Men" that slowly morphs into a mini-"Network," the small scale story centers on average-at-best Japanese female golfer Reiko Sakuraba (Yoko Shiraki) being 'created' by a sports ad agency keen on using her image to compete against wealthier sports agencies with access to international sports superstars. Between Reiko not being a good actor (the bonus features on the disc reveal she was the producers' mistress, which explains her lack of on-camera polish), the uniformly sexist treatment of women by the mostly male cast (Yoshio Harada, Masumi Okada, KΕji Wada, etc.) and the eventual reveal of a female neighbor as an even bigger danger than an actual male stalker (with flowers), "A Tale of Sorrow and Sadness" is both atypical Suzuki territory and the most grounded-in-reality of his movies before his late career shift into more artistic, visually-driven esoteric features. Even the weird conversations between Reiko's pre-teen brother and a girl who may or may not be real have a certain daydream charm. Worth seeing as a time capsule of dog-eat-dog Japanese urban and suburban society in the late 70's.
ReplyDeleteAfter many years unseen I rewatched George A. Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD (1985, SHOUT!/SCREAM FACTORY 4K) and was overwhelmed by how unprepared I was for the avalanche of hatred between the characters that I already knew was there. I've owned the Anchor Bay DVD for decades (never upgraded to Blu-ray) and I've seen the movie plenty of times. But maybe because I've gone out of my way to avoid news and stay away from needless social media conflict until after 2028 (get it? π₯Ίπ), the torrent of anger between the human factions in that Florida underground bunker was suffocating. It's not a criticism of the film as much as an acknowledgement that the pressure cooker atmosphere it depicts, while sometimes over-the-top and cartoony (the dialogue borders on comic book prose), translates to both the cinematic end of the world and the end of the world as we all knew it we've been living under since 2016. Alas, when the (infrequent) zombie action kicks this becomes an impressive demo reel of some of the best practical gore effects ever filmed, the marriage of Tom Savini and the seeds of KNB (Nicotero and Berger working alongside Savini) in perfect blood-and-guts soaked harmony. Rhodes' final reckoning? That took guts to make. π²π«£
ReplyDeleteWhile a few performances pop (Joe Pilato, Richard Liberty, etc.) "Day of the Dead" is the 'Bub' show for a reason. Without Sherman Howard giving the hint of a human life that can still be accessed through the living dead malfunction by imperfect-but-necessary methods from a well-meaning-but-wacko Frankenstein-like scientist, the points of Romero's difficult-to-watch story would be lost. Other than the 4K not looking leaps and bounds better than DVD (interpositive print isn't a negative, but beggars can't be choosers) and the lack of a cool booklet or written material, Shout's best new feature for this 4K re-release of "Day"? English subtitles, which Anchor Bay never embraced and I'm so happy to finally have alongside 'Bub' appreciating Beethoven's 5th Symphony. A "bloody" good time, mate. πΊπ€