The World According to Garp (1982)

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White Dog (1982)

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Veronika Voss / Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss / BRD 2 (1982)

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Tootsie (1982)

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The Thing (1982)

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

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Poltergeist (1982)

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A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (1982)

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Labyrinth of Passion / Laberinto de pasiones (1982)

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Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance (1982)

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The King of Comedy (1982)

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Fitzcarraldo (1982)

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Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

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Fanny and Alexander / Fanny och Alexander (1982)

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E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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Eating Raoul (1982)

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The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982)

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Diner (1982)

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Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)

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Burden of Dreams (1982)

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Blade Runner (1982)

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Pineapple Express (2008)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

David Gordon Green’s Pineapple Express is among the absolute funniest films of this or any year. In its sheer manic zeal, a zaniness beyond description, and with a full-on ridiculous action plot somehow made believable by exaggerated yet oddly realistic characters, it manages to be that ultra-rare thing: a pot comedy that’s smart and funny.

Now by smart I don’t mean high-brow. This is a Judd Apatow production, after all. However, in its depiction of well-meaning idiocy, the fragile but ultimately solid bonds between males of a certain age and social circle, and in its approach to the material (from a screenplay by Superbad co-writers Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg), Green’s film rises above the norm of this particular sub-genre.

Seth Rogen stars as process server Dale Denton, a weed-smokin’ goofus whose girlfriend is an 18-year-old blonde high school student (“It’s consensual for me,” he says) and whose pot dealer Saul (James Franco) is, he finds, his only true friend. Saul buys his pot from Red, a mulleted (yet also jerry-curled?) redneck (another astonishing creation from Green alum and Foot Fist Way star Danny McBride), who folds like a cheap accordion whenever the going gets tough, but at the end of the day knows what is right and what is wrong and who is true friends are.

He works somehow for Ted (Gary Cole, in a truly disturbing performance), a big-time drug dealer with a corrupt cop (Rosie Perez) on his payroll. The bare bones of the plot sound silly and grounded in no sort of reality we’ve ever seen or heard of, correct? Well, yes. If I even tried to explain to you the hilarity with which the film arrives at a would-be dinner scene with Rogen’s teen girlfriend’s parents (Ed Begley, Jr. and Nora Dunn) or an all-but-inexplicable prologue shot in gorgeous black & white like a 50’s sci-fi film and revolving around Area 51, you might call me crazy.

The casting is pretty spot on. Rogen strikes notes that will ring a bell for those who remember him in everything from The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) and Knocked Up (2007) to Superbad (also 2007), and the supporting work is terrific, from McBride and Cole, Perez and Begley, Jr. to Kevin Corrigan and the invaluable Craig Robinson (of TV’s The Office) as a couple of bumbling hired thugs.

The real revelation, however, is Franco, almost unrecognizable here, who gives a performance of such acute detail and specific observation that it almost – in its way – rivals Heath Ledger’s The Joker in The Dark Knight(!). The way his eye-lids are 3/4 closed throughout (I truly don’t believe they were ever open in the entire 2 hour running time!), the way he repeats one and two word phrases shortly after they’re said (always just barely above a whisper, and always to himself), and the way he seems to have genuine affection and care for his “Bubbie” (a grandmother he has been working to get into a better senior living center via his drug business).

This could all be stupid and tedious in the wrong hands. However, the key decision on Apatow’s part was to hand over the directing reins to David Gordon Green. The 33-year-old North Carolina wunderkind known for his take on the “Southern Gothic” sub-genre made such modern indie gems as George Washington (2000), All the Real Girls (2003), Undertow (2004), and Snow Angels (2007), which was released earlier this year. In a way, he tops himself here. Remember the approach to this material I mentioned earlier? Green gives it his all, and manages to slip convincingly into the good-size budget Hollywood stoner/action comedy sub-genre with ease, never losing his tendencies for more artful indulgences. Working with long-time cinematographer Tim Orr, Green could be accused of actually doing more than was required – or wanted.

I haven’t made my case, you’re thinking. This is just a dumb pot comedy. How could anyone possibly be saying what I am about the performances, the “artful” direction of David Gordon Green, the cinematography, etc.? Well… it’s true. Compare this with an earlier stoner comedy like Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), which is stupid, offensive on every possible level, unfunny, and nowhere near the level of craft and care brought to this film. Now look again at Pineapple Express, and you find you’re positively hugging yourself, grateful to filmmakers who cared and enjoyed their art enough to put time and effort into this story, this way.

Comedy is tricky business. Unless you can guess what I’m suggesting about Franco, about the craftsmanship, about the sense of humor, you can never possibly understand how good this movie really is. The bottom line is that I haven’t laughed this hard in a theater in ages. Judge for yourself.

Note: What is it about Apatow? When he’s not directing his own films, he’s producing the work of other directors, often from the indie world. Superbad was directed by Greg Mottola, who had only previously made the somewhat forgettable comedy The Daytrippers (1996) with Hope Davis and some episodes of the now classic sitcom Arrested Development (2003-2006). Now he’s got the young heir apparent to independent cinema, David Gordon Green. What’s next? A teen sex romp from Darren Aronofsky? The unrated version runs 117 minutes on DVD.

Cast & Credits

Seth Rogen	…	Dale Denton
James Franco	…	Saul Silver
Danny McBride	…	Red
Kevin Corrigan	…	Budlofsky
Craig Robinson	…	Matheson
Gary Cole	…	Ted Jones
Rosie Perez	…	Carol / Female Cop
Ed Begley Jr.	…	Robert
Nora Dunn	…	Shannon
Amber Heard	…	Angie Anderson
Joe Lo Truglio	…	Mr. Edwards
Arthur Napiontek	…	Clark
Cleo King	…	Police Liaison Officer
Bill Hader	…	Private Miller
James Remar	…	General Bratt
Jonathan Spencer	…	Scientist (as Jonathan Walker Spencer)
Dana Lee	…	Cheung
Bobby Lee	…	Bobby
Ken Jeong	…	Ken
David C. Cook	…	Chris Gebert
Howard S. Lefstein	…	Mark (as Howard Lefstein)
Connie Sawyer	…	Faye Belogus
David McDivitt	…	Cop with Mole
Mae LaBorde	…	Mrs. Mendelson
Kendall Carly Browne	…	Old Woman
George Lew	…	Old Man
John Robert Tramutola	…	Walt (as John Tramutola)
Adam Crosby	…	Ack
Andrew Heald	…	Blake
Jeannetta Arnette	…	Sandra Danby
Carlos Aleman	…	Guy in Car
Omar Leyva	…	Guy in Car #2
Sam Carson	…	Xerox Secretary
Jack Kehler	…	Walter – Accountant
Robert Longstreet	…	Dr. Terrence
Peter Lewis	…	Peter – Thug #1
Steve Bannos	…	Jared – Thug #2
Eddie Rouse	…	Lance – Thug #5
Mark Whigham	…	Thug #3
Brian Scannell	…	Thug #4

Directed by David Gordon Green. Screenplay by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg. Story by Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg. MPAA: Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, sexual references and violence. Runtime: 111 min.

Over Her Dead Body (2008)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

Here is a romantic comedy that is neither romantic, nor comedic. It is lacking in chemistry, interest, laughs and even good ol’ common sense! To boot, Over Her Dead Body treats its idiotic plot device as just that – a plot device, idiotically, and without a scintilla of wonder at its implications.

The plot: Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) and Henry (Paul Rudd) were very much in love – we know this because of the photo slide show over the opening credits – and were about to get married. Then Kate got crushed by an angel-shaped ice statue (actually, a woman-shaped ice statue, since it had no wings), and all bets were off.

Now Henry is alone and sullen until his sister Chloe (Lindsay Sloane) decides it might be cool if she has Henry see Ashley (Lake Bell), a caterer and part-time psychic who claims she can contact the dead; maybe then, he could move on.

Not wanting to hedge her bets, Chloe gives Ashley Kate’s diary so she can absorb some information and regurgitate it on command, thus giving the impression of actually having contacted the deceased Kate. However, Kate actually does contact Ashley – and she’s pissed off.

Soon, Kate is playing goofy PG-13-rated pranks on Ashley, driving her nuts, while Ashley is falling for the bereaved Henry. Can you guess where this is going? I’m sorry – you guessed before I even started my third sentence, didn’t you? There’s also the gay co-caterer Dan (Jason Biggs) who has some secrets of his own, just for good measure.

One thing I was struck by was the utter lack of believability that a woman as outwardly beautiful and inwardly ugly as the character that Eva Longoria Parker plays – she makes her character Gabrielle on TV’s Desperate Housewives (yes, I’m a fan) look like a real peach! – would ever be even potentially engaged to marry a guy like Paul Rudd. He’s too good for her. She’s from a different planet. You know how it is. Want a nickel’s worth of free advice? Casting is everything! There is no chemistry, no believability (or even suspension of disbelief) without the right casting.

This hunk of formula idiocy comes via writer-director Jeff Lowell, the screenwriter of such beautiful work as John Tucker Must Die, as well as TV’s Spin City and The Drew Carey Show. It would be one thing if it was funny, or interesting, or thought-provoking or even just plain old romantic. It’s not. It’s boring, it’s stale and it feels astonishingly long at a mere 95 minutes. Bleh.

Cast & Credits

Eva Longoria Parker	…	Kate
Paul Rudd	…	Henry
Lake Bell	…	Ashley
Jason Biggs	…	Dan
Lindsay Sloane	…	Chloe
Stephen Root	…	Sculptor
William Morgan Sheppard	…	Father Marks (as W. Morgan Sheppard)
Wendi McLendon-Covey	…	Lona
Ali Hillis	…	Karen
Deborah Theaker	…	Mary
Natalia Jaroszyk	…	Bride (as Natalia Safran)
Andy Kreiss	…	Groom
Ben Livingston	…	Minister
Jack Conley	…	Cab Driver
Kali Rocha	…	Angel
Colin Fickes	…	Don
Armen Weitzman	…	Tom
Bru Muller	…	Rude Customer
Richard Tillman	…	Gym Employee
Freddy Andreiuci	…	Hot Dog Vendor
Brooke Bloom	…	Margaret’s Owner
Edith Fields	…	Mrs. Williams
Heather Mazur	…	Sue
Misha Collins	…	Brian
Patricia Belcher	…	Helen
Sam Pancake	…	Bill
Antonio D. Charity	…	Airport Guard (as Antonio Charity)
Jeff Lowell	…	Parrot / Announcer Voice (voice)

Written and Directed by Jeff Lowell. MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language. Runtime: 95 min.

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

The Other Boleyn Girl merely comes disguised as a serious historical drama. In fact, it’s a dark, sudsy, sumptuously made and morally vaccuous film with all the depth of a daytime soap opera – and as such, it’s quite fun.

The Boleyn family was, I guess, upper-middle-class in those grand days of all the Henry’s who became King. Their future was riding on the successful nuptials of their daughters, or at least an accepted mistress-King relationship. Natalie Portman is Anne Boleyn, the notorious “Anne of the Thousand Days” who, along with fair, doe-eyed sister Mary (Scarlett Johannsson), set about to “occupy” King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) upon his visit to their neck of the woods.

They both manage to seduce the wayward King, though he can’t seem to be bothered with which one he “loves” – he goes back and forth like a pendulum in full-swing. Mary was the one who so famously bore him a bastard son, a would-be heir, and Anne was the one who bore him first a daughter (a rather famous one, apparently) and who eventually lost her head (figuratively and literally-speaking). Caught in the middle of the machinations of the Boleyns’ nefarious uncle were their mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) and brother (Jim Sturgess of 21 and Across the Universe).

Justin Chadwick is a British TV vet (The Bleak House) who has here rendered a great-looking melodrama full of palace intrigue, incestuous betrayal, and bodice-ripping (well, PG-13-rated bodice-ripping) lust.

The screenplay by Peter Morgan (The Queen) is based on the novel by Philippa Gregory and is ostensibly a would-be classy, suds-packed period epic; think Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) before Elizabeth was born. Like that film, this one is intriguing, even if it can’t be taken too seriously, and fans of this type of thing will almost certainly enjoy it.

Cast & Credits

Natalie Portman	…	Anne Boleyn
Scarlett Johansson	…	Mary Boleyn
Eric Bana	…	Henry Tudor
Jim Sturgess	…	George Boleyn
Mark Rylance	…	Sir Thomas Boleyn
Kristin Scott Thomas	…	Lady Elizabeth Boleyn
David Morrissey	…	The Duke of Norfolk
Benedict Cumberbatch	…	William Carey
Oliver Coleman	…	Henry Percy
Ana Torrent	…	Katherine of Aragon
Eddie Redmayne	…	William Stafford
Tom Cox	…	Rider
Michael Smiley	…	Physician
Montserrat Roig de Puig	…	Lady in Waiting
Juno Temple	…	Jane Parker
Iain Mitchell	…	Thomas Cromwell
Andrew Garfield	…	Francis Weston
Lewis Jones	…	Brandon (as Mark Lewis Jones)
Corinne Galloway	…	Jane Seymour
Alfie Allen	…	King’s Messenger
Joseph Moore	…	Young Henry
Tiffany Freisberg	…	Mary Talbot
Bill Wallis	…	Archbishop Cranmer
Joanna Scanlan	…	Midwife
Brodie Judge	…	Young Catherine
Oscar Negus	…	Little Henry
Maisie Smith	…	Young Elizabeth
Daisy Doidge-Hill	…	Young Anne
Kizzy Fassett	…	Young Mary
Finton Reilly	…	Young George
Emma Noakes	…	Maid
Poppy Hurst	…	Little Cartherine
Constance Stride	…	Mary Tudor

Directed by Justin Chadwick. Screenplay by Peter Morgan, based on the novel by Philippa Gregory. MPAA: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content and some violent images. Runtime: 115 min.

One Missed Call (2008)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

One Missed Call (2008) is yet another Japanese horror remake; when will they learn? And by “they” I mean the idiots (studio executives) in Hollywood. And by “learn” I mean stop giving the micro-idiots (would-be filmmakers) access to paper and cameras and various film equipment and budgets and things.

Shannyn Sossamon “stars” as Beth Raymond, a college student whose friend was killed – right after receiving a voicemail message from the future prognosticating as much. In fact, the messages appear to be happening right before the murders. Weird, right?

So Beth decides to trust in Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns), whose sister was, apparently, the first victim of these “killer phone calls.” And there are several violent murders, and hard red candies in the mouths of the victims (including Azura Skye, sort of a quirky-looking, poor man’s Drew Barrymore type, who is lucky she opted out when she did), and Ray Wise as an over-the-top “Unsolved Mysteries”-esque TV host who decides to exploit the cell phone possession as an episode subject, and on and on.

Eric Valette, the “director” (a.k.a. some guy who was hired to remake Asian horror’s burgeoning master Takashi Miike’s original 2003 film), has no sense of style or rhythm, the screenplay consists mostly of murders and mild expletives designed to show, I guess, alarm and/or frustration, and the performances are roughly as wooden as the apartment door that Sossamon’s character seems to be so afraid of at one point. Need I say more?

Cast & Credits

Shannyn Sossamon	…	Beth Raymond
Edward Burns	…	Det. Jack Andrews
Ana Claudia Talancón	…	Taylor Anthony
Ray Wise	…	Ted Summers
Azura Skye	…	Leann Cole
Johnny Lewis	…	Brian Sousa
Jason Beghe	…	Ray Purvis
Margaret Cho	…	Det. Mickey Lee
Meagan Good	…	Shelley Baum
Rhoda Griffis	…	Marie Layton
Dawn Dininger	…	Monster Marie
Ariel Winter	…	Ellie Layton
Sarah Jean Kubik	…	Monster Ellie (as Sarah Kubik)
Raegan Lamb	…	Laurel Layton (as Regan Lamb)
Karen Beyer	…	Mrs. Ford
Alana Locke	…	Child Beth
Dave Spector	…	Gary
Mary Lynn Owen	…	Dr. Julie Cohn
Roy McCrerey	…	Dr. Painter
Lauren Peyton	…	Reception Nurse
Greg Corbett	…	John
Donna Biscoe	…	Coroner
Edith Ivey	…	Old Lady
Wilbur Fitzgerald	…	Lieutenant
Bart Hansard	…	Howie
Randy McDowell	…	Boost Mobile Clerk (as Randy MacDowell)
Jody Thompson	…	EMS Aide
Geoff McKnight	…	Fire Captain
Katie Kneeland	…	Maddie
Bob Seel	…	Taxi Driver
Jason Horgan	…	Dr. Brown
Rona Nix	…	Production Assistant
Kaira Akita	…	Jewel (as Kaira Whitehead)
Jeff Portell	…	Patrolman
Luke Williams	…	Artiste
Brian Beegle	…	Player Guy
Kendal McCray	…	Freshman Girl
DeMontrez “Dez” Spears	…	Student #1 (as Demontrez Spears)
Amber Wallace	…	Student #2

Directed by Eric Valette. Screenplay by Andrew Klavan, based on the screenplay Chakushin ari by Minako Daira (as Miwako Daira) and on the novel Chakushin ari by Yasushi Akimoto. MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and terror, frightening images, some sexual material and thematic elements. Runtime: 87 min.

This Is It (Michael Jackson’s) (2009)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

Cast & Credits

Featuring:

Michael Jackson	…	Himself
Alex Al	…	Himself / Electric and Synth Bass
Nick Bass	…	Himself / Dancer
Michael Bearden	…	Himself / Keyboards
Daniel Celebre	…	Himself / Dancer
Mekia Cox	…	Herself / Dancer
Misha Gabriel	…	Himself / Dancer
Chris Grant	…	Himself / Dancer
Judith Hill	…	Herself / Vocalist
Dorian Holley	…	Himself / Vocal Supervision
Shannon Holtzapffel	…	Himself / Dancer
Devin Jamieson	…	Himself / Dancer (as Devin Andrew Jamieson)
Bashiri Johnson	…	Himself / Percussion
Charles Klapow	…	Himself / Dancer
Jonathan Moffett	…	Himself / Drums
Tommy Organ	…	Himself / Guitar
Orianthi	…	Herself – Lead Guitar
Darryl Phinnessee	…	Himself / Vocalist
Mo Pleasure	…	Himself / Keyboards / Trumpet
Dres Reid	…	Himself / Dancer
Ken Stacey	…	Himself / Vocalist
Tyne Stecklein	…	Herself / Dancer
Timor Steffens	…	Himself / Dancer

Directed by Kenny Ortega. MPAA: Rated PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images. Runtime: 112 min.

The Naked Kiss (1964)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

Cast & Credits

Constance Towers	…	Kelly
Anthony Eisley	…	Capt. Griff
Michael Dante	…	J.L. Grant
Virginia Grey	…	Candy
Patsy Kelly	…	Mac, Head Nurse
Marie Devereux	…	Buff
Karen Conrad	…	Dusty
Linda Francis	…	Rembrandt
Bill Sampson	…	Jerry
Sheila Mintz	…	Receptionist
Patricia Gayle	…	Nurse
Jean-Michel Michenaud	…	Kip (as Gerald Michenaud)
George Spell	…	Tim
Christopher Barry	…	Peanuts
Patty Robinson	…	Angel Face
Betty Robinson	…	Bunny
Brenda Howard	…	Redhead (as Breena Howard)
Sally Mills	…	Marshmallow
Edy Williams	…	Hatrack
Monte Mansfield	…	Farlunde
Barbara Perry	…	Edna
Walter Mathews	…	Mike
Neyle Morrow	…	Officer Sam
Gerald Milton	…	Zookie, Brothel Patron
Fletcher Fist	…	Barney
Michael Barrere	…	Teenager (as Michel Barrere)
Betty Bronson	…	Miss Josephine
Charlie	…	Himself

Written and Directed by Samuel Fuller. MPAA: Approved. Runtime: 90 min.

Lola / BRD 3 (1981)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

Cast & Credits

Barbara Sukowa	…	Lola
Armin Mueller-Stahl	…	Von Bohm
Mario Adorf	…	Schukert
Matthias Fuchs	…	Esslin
Helga Feddersen	…	Frau Hettich
Karin Baal	…	Lola’s Mother
Ivan Desny	…	Wittich
Elisabeth Volkmann	…	Gigi
Hark Bohm	…	Volker
Karl-Heinz von Hassel	…	Timmerding (as Karl Heinz von Hassel)
Rosel Zech	…	Frau Schuckert
Sonja Neudorfer	…	Frau Fink
Christine Kaufmann	…	Susi
Y Sa Lo	…	Rosa
Günther Kaufmann	…	GI
Isolde Barth	…	Frau Volker
Karsten Peters	…	Editor
Harry Baer	…	1st demonstrator
Rainer Will	…	2nd demonstrator
Herbert Steinmetz	…	Concierge
Nino Korda	…	TV delivery man
Udo Kier	…	2nd waiter

Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder (as R.W. Fassbinder), Pea Fröhlich, and Peter Märthesheimer. MPAA: Rated R. Runtime: 113 min. Language: German.

Antichrist (2009)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

Cast & Credits

Willem Dafoe	…	He
Charlotte Gainsbourg	…	She

 Written and Directed by Lars von Trier. MPAA: Not Rated. Runtime: 104 min.

The Woman Next Door / La femme d’à côté (1981)

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Thief (1981)

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Reds (1981)

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

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Polyester (1981)

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My Dinner with Andre (1981)

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Halloween II (1981)

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Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

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The Evil Dead (1981)

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Diva (1981)

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Body Heat (1981)

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Blow Out (1981)

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Arthur (1981)

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Where the Buffalo Roam (1980)

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Stardust Memories (1980)

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Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

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The Shining (1980)

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By Eric Robert Wilkinson /

Cast & Credits

Jack Nicholson	…	Jack Torrance
Shelley Duvall	…	Wendy Torrance
Danny Lloyd	…	Danny Torrance
Scatman Crothers	…	Dick Hallorann
Barry Nelson	…	Stuart Ullman
Philip Stone	…	Delbert Grady
Joe Turkel	…	Lloyd the Bartender
Anne Jackson	…	Doctor
Tony Burton	…	Larry Durkin
Lia Beldam	…	Young Woman in Bath
Billie Gibson	…	Old Woman in Bath
Barry Dennen	…	Bill Watson
David Baxt	…	Forest Ranger #1
Manning Redwood	…	Forest Ranger #2
Lisa Burns	…	Grady Twin Daughter
Louise Burns	…	Grady Twin Daughter
Robin Pappas	…	Nurse
Alison Coleridge	…	Secretary
Burnell Tucker	…	Policeman
Jana Shelden	…	Stewardess
Kate Phelps	…	Receptionist
Norman Gay	…	Injured Guest

Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson, based on the novel by Stephen King. MPAA: Rated R. Runtime: 142 min.

Raging Bull (1980)

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Popeye (1980)

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Motel Hell (1980)

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Melvin and Howard (1980)

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