The Filth

The Filth

                If you thought cops in your country was bad, check this out. This is a British movie about a crooked cop who competing with other cops for his promotion, while a murder investigation taking place.  He goes on a path sabotaging his friends competing for a Job and general being a dirty rotten bastards. Well while trying to catch some killers. He crooked at a level that makes Vick Mackey look he works in Mayberry. He really surprise they made a film that follows someone that that much a piece of shit. This is not a complaint. He is an interesting piece of shit that makes you go “You know what it smells but got a unique smell to it “This cop is a druggy, a Jerk, a sociopath, and sex maniac. The Humor very dark but it gives an out there feel where you enjoy the ride. It also makes the main character funny enough where you go with him…somewhat and drops hints of sympathy. You just want to see what happens to him. That said he does do some horrible things where you loses him. He is not all fun and games. He is a scary mother F’er at times. So he probably goes to lose you at some point in the movie. But that when they heap stuff on him and you see WHY he this way that makes you want to follow him to figure it out. You start to pity him.  Also the people he going after is worst. Although he does it half ass like as possible. There is a change and tone that little unbalance. It gets REAL DARK and serious as the movie goes on. So it kind of a sudden Jarring switch. Thought it manage to still be off the wall during that seriousness.  Also some of the people he tricking come of a little too dumb or push over’s. He so obviously a lunatic...you surprise how he able to pull one over on them. You wonder how this dude remains on the Job in the first place. All through the movie it’s still a good ride. It goes by fast and pace well.  It’s a unique, interesting, fun, wild, drug fuel ride B+

Haunter

Haunter

Aka Casper the Hipster Ghost. Haunter switch things up by putting you in a ghost side of the story. It not like some movies with similar twist, since you know the character are dead from the get goes. The main character knows she dead, it just the family doesn’t. Now she trying to find out way, and about past people who die in the book, and their connection. She does that while trying to talk to the living, even though she was warning not to. The movie stars Abigail Breslin as the ghost teen in Question. She seems to have died in the 80’s due to her clothes and love of labyrinth era David Bowie. She helps keep the story movie since she has to carry different emotion. She has to be scared, angry, sad, happy, nervous, and sometimes all at the same time. She manage to be a ticked off teen but not to bratty about it. She is also enough of the every girl where you follow the mystery as she solving it. It not a big acting type role, it low key and helps drives you a long as the clues given to you. She a bit of cipher that way but manages to do it without being boring. It helps that the small cast pretty good in carrying there rolls. Some of them carry creepy scenes. One problem with the movie is it slow at times. It takes it sweet time. It one of those I get to the point when I get to it, you guys just enjoy the atmosphere type of stories.  This stand out when you become a couple of steps ahead of the character. Also doesn’t help at time it only a little bit of dialogue. That not a huge complaint though since that time is to tell you the rules of the world. Those rules they stick to pretty well. Also you suppose to feel the since of repetitive that the character feeling. When it gets creepy it does it very well. It not real blood or gore, it most atmosphere and weird stuff happening. All and All a nice low key movie a B

Cleanflix and art of Rap

Cleanflix is a documentary that starts out simple enough, with a Mormon group that edits R rated and PG-13 rated movies. The basic idea is Mormons cant watch R rated and PG-13 movies but they don’t want to be left out of pop culture. This gives them the best of both worlds, with the cuts having mixed results. Some don’t change it that much other changes it hugely. Then the movie morphs back and forth a legal battle with Hollywood about licensing, interfering with the artist vision, each of the sides finding and changing loopholes while others just straight up breaking the law. But then it change to darker more twisted things involving scandal, in fighting, religion, sex, gobs of money, fame and ego. All while playing this cat and mouse game with the Hollywood.  One man that causes it to take a twist was an owner of a Cleanflix store Daniel Brown who (to Cleanflix displeasure) became the very unofficial face of Cleanflix. Basically, he the type of guy who (if you were a lifeboat together) would not only be gleefully poking holes in the life boat but would be using a titanium power drill to do it. And when you got angry at him for doing it the act like you’re the crazy person for getting mad. He fame hungry and a crooked guy, who is constantly, get everyone else in trouble due to not knowing the meaning of low key. He is the reason for the dark and ironic turns the movie takes.  Some of the focused might be a little too much on him making the narrative of the democracy seem force. Namely since he really not the head of Cleanflix. He is basically, a religious version of Michael Scot from the office. Heck it kind of clear he might not be that religious and just see it as more of business thing. It seem like they wanted to force a nice 3 act structure and he was the best way to do it. But to be fair, a big percentage of Cleanflix fall is due to him and his arrogance. So, it not that out there to focused on him and he is a pretty entertaining guy

Also the speech over near the end kind of forces the director message to much. It is like they seem like they were afraid we wouldn’t get it. I think they should have trusted the audience in that regard. That said it’s a pretty good at introducing you to this world. I didn’t know how popular this editing was. It was a pretty huge business that remains underground. Also it was good and giving you different points of view. It would be easy just to bash them. At the time watching you think “Airlines and TV have edited version...why not offer it to the public”. Then you go “Oh wait that right...the law” or wait “The money”. Also they make a decent argument on why they don’t want to watch R rated movies. Then ironically it also points out the Mormon customers want the sex cut out but they prefer the violence be kept it because sometimes those parts are awesome. Because really if you seeing the Matrix...you want to see Neo kick someone in a face a 1000 times don’t care what your religion is. It’s the after all the defining trait that unites us all, the love for super kung fu and a desire not to see Keanu Reeve pasty naked butt. B+

Art of Rap

Art of rap is a documentary directed by ICE T that involves him going around to different rappers and talking about the process of creating a rap song. It goes to the skill going into making.  This speaks to me because if you know anything about me it’s that, I keep it both real and I keep gangster. Pretty bare bones. Just him and a rapper talking most of the time.  It not much bells and whistles or camera tricks.  It does get you into on how to create a rap song. Also you get rare moments of modesty from some of these guys about their early frustrations and insecurities that there raps weren’t as good as the other peoples, to the point some get in a funk for up to year and can’t write anything. Also some even admitting maybe all the ditch tracks is why it may not get as much respect as the others cause they don’t bringing each other up. Although one of the rappers saying he has a ditch tracks he already recorded for every big rapper out there JUST IN CASE. Making him basically the batman of Rap, when it comes to his back up plans. But you see as it go on they admire each other art and skills. You learn how to get their different styles, create their persona, and set up their lines. Although would of like to see more stories about how they market their records and going out touring for the first time. It basically just about the writing. It would have been nice to broaden the scope of the documentary more. Although I guess you get more into their personalities more focusing on a few. Like when  ICE T talk to pepper (which I am going to assume her god given name) about how their spouses admitted they  mostly listen to the beats and not the lyrics which ticked them off to know end.. For Shame coco…for Shame. Anyway a nice documentary that goes at pretty breezy pace, something to show to people who say rap isn’t an art. Although, it’s only really for big rap fans.

B

Battle Ground

Battle Ground

                Battle Ground is an ultra low budge shoot em up about bank robbers vs. a crazy nam vet. That hook alone was enough to make me (a love a Z grade Action movies) want to see that but the results are realty mixed. Think of it as Rambo vs. the guys from heat with a slasher movie style and you have a good idea of the movie.  The movie starts out with them just finishing a bank robbery with one of them injured. They are on the run cause one of them shot a cop now there normal means of escape will be delayed and cost more money. The idea of loose cannon on a team always bugs me. Why would you hire people on your team that clearly that insane? I mean no professional bank robbery team really wants some guy going all “Leroy Jenkins” by shooting up the place. It just counter productive. But that just my own pet peeve. The start of it gets you interested cause it takes you right into it. So they have to find a place to hide. They find an empty house in the woods thinking nobody there as they bicker on how the bank robber went all fubar. Low and behold this happens to be a house of crazy Vietnam vet who proceeds to hunt them down and killed them. An apparently does this to anyone who gets near his area. He sets up traps like a derange home alone kids and takes their money. Which cause the criminals to stay and hunt him down? There some nice kills and the set up of the battle ground are pretty sweet with a lot of secret passageways and good places for shoot outs. Problem is it no one to really root for cause both sides are dirt bags with very little remorse. So you don’t really root for anyone. You can have evil protagonist but you got to do something to make the audience follow them...make them exciting somehow. Something that makes each side somewhat rootable. Smoke Aces did this cause people had different hitmen they liked. Not so much here. Also you go into the clique that no one able to aim well in this...sense they can’t hit each other until the end. I mean this guy pretty old given when nam was…let no one seem to be able to get a shot off old man river over there. And it not like he a particular fit old mans…he has some city years on him. Still pretty fun. Some of the keys pretty imaginative and you can enjoy seeing the cat and mouse game. C+