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+

Agression Scale

Aggression Scale

To understand the main character of this movie, picture the kid from Home alone if he was a complete sociopath...so basically picture the kid from Home Alone. This a dark take. Criminals break into someone house who stole money from them. It up to the two kids to escape as the bad guys tries to take them out. Little do they know the boy is lunatic with a history of violence and love to hurt people? It’s a pretty good twist. The kid is really creepy and when the criminals found out what they dealing with they have a nice “Oh $%it face” and some of the take downs pretty brutal. The problem is the brother and sister doesn’t have a great amount of chemistry together. I know there step ceilings but they don’t play off each other that well. The boy doesn’t talk...so it ups to the sister to carry most of the dialogue and exposition...and she not a good enough actor to carry that much weight. She mostly whines and kind of useless. The boy pretty good at his expressions but it a bit one note, Silent Bob this kid is not. But he plays a good lunatic. Although you get to the point where you say...dont these criminals have guns that can aim. Don’t the kids know where cops are or neighbors are or have Cell phones. Why they heck are they Rambo’ing it against these guys. Also the parents hiding the money kind of makes them the worst parents ever. All in all a nice fun flick to play if you have nothing to do C+

Get The Gringo

Get the gringo

Mel Gibson plays a Parker like Criminal who just did a robbery, and now escaping from the cops with a load of money.  In the first minutes, he is on a chase from the cops heading toward the boarder. His partner gets shots and he crashes over the border. His money gets taken and he ends up a prison that likes it own city, and his goal is to survive and get his money. Say what you want about Mel’s insanity...this guy knows how to make a moving and good action pacing. He plays a real scum bag in this that you root for cause he surrounded by much bigger scum bags. So you root for him. He also bounds with this kid in the prison and his mother that makes him more sympathetic. Yes it’s a cheap gimmick to make you feel for the character but the explanation of why the kids there pretty smart and add some tension. Also you know ever hard edge noir anti hero is puddy in a dames hand.  Lot of fun characters. He ends up double crossing and setting up the bad guys and it’s pretty satisfying. Now some may argue the realism of this prison, in fact I am sure the Mexico tourist board will have words with this movie. The cops are crooked to the point it makes Boss Hog look like Serpico. The people guarding the prison and the bad guys seem to have learned security from the cop from the COOKIE CRISP commercials. But it still hella fun if you let that go. Yea I said Hella...I am bad ass like that.  Not only are the character good but the world is a character.  The way its shot you can feel the heat and sweat.  You can feel the dirt and the culture that is around the movie. It a bad place to be by the story never that down beat. It’s like a twisted little theme park culture stereotypes.  The camera works is very good and show is music. It looks like a bigger budget then it really is. It could have been in theaters longer but I think it getting just a limited release…is due to Mel somewhat spectacular melt downs and less to do with the movie. It’s ashamed that he maxed out his celebrity F up card.  I say that not cause I am feeling sorry for him (he could of got back into people good graces if he played it smarter) but due to people might me missing out on a fun little flick. If you like a good modern noir crime movie you will love this

Bitch Slap

Bitch Slap is a throw back to Russ Meyer films. One of those explotation films that has hot girls, guns, and  cars that has not 1..not 2 but 3 actors from Hercules Ledgenary Journey. So you know its great. It has plenty of action,  All ending with a huge catfight that reach not only hot...but at a THEY LIVE "(the Street Scene) level hillarious length. Where even my boner started looking its watch half way through saying "Come on hurry this shit up...we got smurf porn pictures to look at". Not you may ask what about the plot. Meh.  It about 3 women of questionable backgrounds, One spy, one convict, and one dancer out in a desert. They are trying to break into this secret stash house of this super powerfull crime lord.  It has flashbacks going back and fourth. Now lets get this out of the way, the plot is dumb. Very…very dumb. But its fun. The actors all have fun, and they play it at a nice over the top way that really sales the feel of the movie. It nicely shot and the 3 girls interact with each very well.  The dancer character a bit of a weak link though, but that cause she not given as much cool lines as the other two women. The actress who plays the fugitive sales the bad girl thing well and actually seem like she could kick your ass.  Now if exploration but it not full out. It sadly no actual nudity, and the violence cartoony , with people getting shot but no blood. The last fight pretty damm brutal though.  Kind of wish they really went all out because this not a family film either way.  Then again Faster Pussy Cat Kill Kill didn’t have any of that stuff either. And this more in the vain of that so I can let it slide

Good neighbors

Good neighbors.

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1576440/

Finally, a movie that shows the dark underbelly of Canada. They seem nice with their maple syrup and love of hokey...but deep down it’s a savage land.  Story follows a man who moves to a building in Montréal during a time a serial killer roaming streets. He befriends a waitress (The main protagonist of the movie) with a love for cats and a wheel chair bound man. Each character a bit weird and each one could be the killer. The movies almost like a total different movie half way through. The first part is a slow character pieces that should be called the adventures of Lolcat girl and Wheels. The rest a nice twisted dark comedy. It was just slow to get there.  Part of that attentional sense they had to build up characters. Each character could be a killer but they don’t play it in a way that there constantly making shifty eyes at the camera. The all seem normal, and ok people but keep showing signs of oddness.  It all in a pretty realistic way sense you probably met people like this. It really that over the top until the twist. But I kind of wished the twist happen early and build upon that cat in mouse games. I say this because half the movie NOTHING happens. Then it becomes a pretty good movie. Also would like to see the character dance around each other once the other shoe drops. Now the ending probably not super realistic. The characters plan seems kind of dumb.  It relies on luck more than anything and it basically acts like forensics though exists. But still witty enough where I will let it slide. B

River Murders

A Seattle detective who a bit of a ladies’ man, gets into hot water, when all his past conquest end up getting murdered. Not only murdered, but murdered at places where he met them. It especially bad senses apparently the cop hitting wilt chamberlain numbers when it comes to how many woman he banged. Christ Slater plays a cop investigating/helping him.  Now one thing that may pop in your head how is a cop that looks like Ray Liota bagging this many women. Well I tell you something wise guy or girl.  Ray is a sex magnet…he makes the panties drop. He filled with so much sexual energy, that every time he masturbate, some woman around the world instantly gets pregnant. Every he unzips his fly, some lesbian around the world becomes straight. So think we got that out of the way. It’s a pretty fun thriller, and Ray plays it well. It plays a good down on his luck guy who world crashing apart. Christian pretty good as the guy busting his balls.  Ving Rhames has a nice scenes as his friend. The ending a bit iffy and kind of dumb.  Also how the killer knows about these women and so much about his life is kind of a huge stretch. Also there ending battle a bit anti climatic. I wasn’t expecting a bigger showdown and it pretty much just fizzle. But up to that it was a pretty breezy mystery. It not overly gory, but you see some elaborate crime scene set ups.  It’s a movie to watch in an afternoon when you got some time to kill.