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originally printed 02.24.05 in the Eureka, California newspaper The Times-Standard.
Son of the Mask
Faulk: While I can't find it in my heart of hearts to give the movie too positive a rating because of several dramatic failings, I can say that from beginning to end my son enjoyed it, laughing with a kind of reckless abandon that can be alarming to parents who aren't used to the sight. I laughed out loud twice maybe, a better record than with some of the kids' movies we've reviewed in this space. From an adult's perspective, this film suffered the fate of most sequels - lacking the proper justification - and failed to live up to Jim Carreys marginal performance in "The Mask". All that said, it's a pretty sure bet that most kids will think its great.
Rating: M
Durant: "Smokin'" this movie was not. I didn't know much about the premise before I went in and was a little pleased by the immediate comic book feel it had, true to the Dark Horse Comics origins. There is no Jim Carrey or Cameron Diaz, but Jamie Kennedy did an all right job. I like him and his TV show, but the movie pretty much jumped around and felt rushed. The footage of the "possessed" baby and the dog were chuckle-able, but nothing made me want to see more. I wasn't even a fan of the first attempt at this comic book movie, maybe that was my problem. I had a clean slate when I went into the theater and left wishing we would have seen Dave Matthews "acting" attempt in "Because of Winn Dixie". So this is what happened to Steven Wright.
Rating: M
Hailee, age 9: I liked the movie, but there was some parts where it was very dumb.
Gabe, age 6: It was great - it was, um, whacky! I liked the part when the dog kisses the poodle (insert wet kissing noise).
DVDs
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - The Criterion Collection
Faulk: This movie was seemingly shot and cut to make the viewer feel like they were on board for the same ride that the two main characters take in the film. It works. Bad acid trip aside, Johnny Depp does a fine job as Hunter S. Thompson's alter ego, and he is well supported by Benicio Del Toro as his drunken interlocutor. I am already a fan of Terry Gilliam and this movie hammered home why, even though it was not one of his best efforts. One failing: While the book by Hunter Thompson marches off to make damning claims about the future of the American Dream and the ideology of the 1960s, there is but a shadow of this depth in the movie. The book is redeemed of its carnal excesses by this critique; it shows it all had a purpose in the making. In the movie, with only a brief voice-over to reference the thesis that tied the book together, the movie becomes little more than a drug-induced avalanche of visuals and stimuli. As for the DVD's extras, a strange early 1980s documentary assembled by the BBC is included for dedicated Thompson fans. The filmmaker here seems to get confused by the idea that Thompson was a man separate from the protagonist he often used in his work. The whole 45-minute-long TV special tries to cram Thompson into a box that doesn't quite fit, and viewers can sense Thompson's frustration.
Rating: XL
Durant: This movie was my first exposure to Hunter S. Thompson. I guess I was a late bloomer. But my interest in his career and writing has not stopped since. The movie is classic Terry Gilliam, and probably couldnt have been made by anyone else. Depp is Thompson, AKA Raul Duke, and Benicio del Toro is Oscar Acosta, AKA Dr. Gonzo. Del Toro even went as far as to gain 40 pounds for the part, ala De Niro in "Raging Bull". A plethora of cameos are sprinkled throughout: Cameron Diaz, Mark Harmon, Gary Busey, Toby Maguire, Ellen Barkin, Christina Ricci, Lyle Lovett, Flea, Harry Dean Stanton and even Thompson himself. It was very nice to have this in my collection when I heard the news that Thompson killed himself. It's better than "Where the Buffalo Roam," even though the jury still out on who is the better - Thompson, Depp or Bill Murray. The special features are extensive and can be exhausting to watch all in a row, but when you need that short Thompson fix, they're good to have around. The best way to watch it can be summed up by one of Raul Dukes lines: "Buy the ticket, take the ride."
Rating: XXL
Chulksmack
Faulk: For snowboarding enthusiasts, there is probably nothing better than a movie like this. A huge collection of startling jumps, back-flips, mid-air gymnastics and loose-footed landings. There's also a fair enough collection of bone-shredding collisions with stair railings and other impediments to remind some people that these stunts are best left to people who know how to take a fall. Beyond the powder purists, the movie has a broader appeal through smart editing and good music.
Rating: L/T
Durant: I've been following the career of legendary snowboard filmmaker Brad Kremer for years, since the only time I've ever snowboarded about a decade ago - I still have the bruises on my butt. I usually like the skit stuff in between overpaid "pro" snowbaorders finding new ways to defy gravity, but Chulksmack doesn't have much of that. At the same time I think it's Kremer's best movie to date. I don't know if it's the editing, the music or if the snowboarders are approaching their stunts in a new way. I think it's a combination of the three. Its Kremer's first movie with Mack Dawg in years and it's refreshing to see that the company handed Kremer the reins and let him loose on the slopes and in the editing room. Best snowboard film ever.
Rating: XL
Yeah Right!
Durant: Faulk wasn't able to get this one under his belt by deadline, so all you have is my opinion, and c'mon, tell the truth, it's me you always agree with anyway huh?
Spike Jonze is a freaking genius. From the Beastie Boys "Sabotage" video and Weezers "Buddy Holly" to his films, "Adaptation" and "Being John Malkovich", he has hit the target nearly everytime. When I discovered Jonze directed "Yeah Right!" I had to see it. I havent put my Chuck Taylors on a skateboard deck in years, but after watching this I felt like running outside, jumping on a deck and hitting some curbs. If I really would have attempted this, I'd probably be writing this review from a hospital bed while in traction. Maybe there should be a warning label on the case.
The special effects and interlude scenes are classic, and combined with the music, they're unstoppable. I'm going to jump onboard with every skate critic in the world and say this is the best skate film ever.
Rating: XXL
7:00 PM
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