Open Window

Open Windows

Open windows is twisted, swervy plot that takes place completely in computer window screens and monitors. The conceit is a super fan (Elijah Wood) of a star wins a date with super starlet (Sasha Gray) only to get canceled at a last minute. A strange caller calls and gives him access to all her personal cell phones files and laptop info giving him birds eyes views. Things get crazy as the callers becomes more and more sinister.  If you like this movie depends on two things. One is, rather you can follow a protagonist that kind of creepy and pervey. The second is reather you think the road to the destination is more important than the destination. Because let me tell you the destination at the end of this movie is some old bullshit. I like to tell you you’re going to Disney land but really you going to grand old bullshit factory. Now that not to say the road to this movie isn’t fun. It is if you willing to suspend some disbelief. You got to accept pretty much that hacker...is magic.  It is not going for realism. The hacker basically solves most obstacles of a hacker version of going “SHAZAM” and the problems.  That said, being able to hack into different camera and security footage plays well with the storytelling. It makes it fast and unique, giving you different views and shots of the scene. It makes the car chase scenes look frantic and fast pace. It's like a really good video game. It goes fast enough to not make you think about the sheer implausibility of all this. The main character bit of a pervert for going along with the caller plan as long as he did. You keep wondering why doesn’t he just hang up on this guy. The caller clearly shown to be insane the first couple minutes of talking to him. But Woods plays the character as docile enough where you’re not creep out by him and you can imagine him enough of a push over to fall for this. He seems good at playing weird character you still root for.  Sasha Gray plays the actress. She is ok. She isn’t the greatest actress. She doesn’t have a huge amount of range. She has a constant glum what called Eyorre face. You constant expecting her to say “Thanks for noticing me” but the character is a bit distant enough where that lack of emotion fits. There a couple of plots holes that hand waved away sloppily. Still you can get past that it might be a fun distraction (C+)

Blackout

A nice bottle thriller about people 3 people stuck in the elevator.  One of which may be a killer. They slowly start go crazy, turning on each other till it reaches to a boiling point. A plot like this is something that been told a couple of times. It is a gimmick that be done but that not necessarily a bad thing. That is because if, the characters are interesting enough, it can overcome.  All 3 of them are and have nice plots that let you get to know how their personalities work for the most part. It helps that I liked two of the actors. One of them is the man who plays little finger in Game of Thrones. I call him Edward Norton light...or his Evil dopplaganger.  I wonder if you prick him will Edward Norton feel it. The other person is the start of Joan of Arcadia who I like as an actress. The other guy I never saw before but it’s pretty good. The thing is not much happen for a while. Sure it would be scary in real life but it not exactly thrilling seeing people in a box trap hanging out. When things start going south, its picks up and the good acting starts. But that pretty deep into the movie.  Also the killer background is not clear. You learn what makes the other tick...but you don’t learn what makes the killer a killer. The ticking clock the killer has to deal with though ads a lot of tension. All it not that great a movie. But not bad either.  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+

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