At the end, the movie doesn’t add up to much, but it’s fast, funny and dark hearted. It lets a bunch of top-drawer actors exercise their comic muscles. The Coen Brothers are smart, after winning the academy award last year for No Country for Old Men, they came out with a smile fest of funny mishaps. I enjoyed it, I took it for what it was and left the theater smiling. The highlight of the film for me is the two scenes where two CIA agents are talking about the events of the “League of Morons” played by Francis McDormand, Brad Pitt and George Clooney. I would pay money to watch those two men talk all day, heck, I wish they were the entire movie. 

Trailer

4 out of 5 Madex’s  A must see, but you can wait till DVD.

More like, what we do is boring and off topic and ulitmatly worthless filmmaking.

Its sorta sad when a bio-pic is basically a paint by numbers coloring book. Filmed line for line from the wikipedia page about The Late Singer of the Germs, Darby Crash. (Accordingly, I think the filmmaker himself wrote the wikipedia page himself). The film abandoned the rough edge of punk rock in the late 70’s and turned its back on the Los Angeles landscape. Sure the attention to detail on the venues was there, but how about something from Los Angeles? This labor of love film made on a shoe string budget either had to please too many people to be able to make decent film or the film maker was just too close to the material to step back and see what a film needs to be to be entertaining. No one likes to be lead around by the hand and shown what is cool, who is cool, - This happened here, then this happened then…that happened then he was dead. Its sad this movie sucked cause it could have had something to say about punk rock, alienated youth, the birth of punk in Los Angeles. The performance footage was just a rip off Penelope Spheeris’s film The Decline of Western Civilization, which is the only part that made it sorta seem creditable. The wardrobe department got everyone’s clothes perfect for the scenes that were ripped from the documentary. The film misses the mark it didn’t leave you with a sense that Darby did anything worth while. Never explored why the Germs matter in Los Angeles punk history. Glazed over the fact pat smear the actor acted nothing like the real pat smear. They made punks seem routine. They even made hot dogs boring. I say pass it. It had the pace of riding the bus with my sister, and was directed in a bubble.

One fun part though. Darth Mal from Star Wars Episode 1 is in the film. Actor Ray Park. 

Again, skip it. 

1 Madex out of 5.

This profound film by Director Charles Burnett was filmed on weekends and freetime throughout the 70’s. This neorealisitc film sets you in post riots Watts and has an amazing dose of gripping reality. You really feel like you get a grasp of the community, its characters and their plight. Its a must rent for anyone interested in Los Angele’s history, film history or anyone who wants to watch a great movie. You can see the directors that have been inspired by this type of docu-drama. David Gordon Green must have seen this before he made his great film George Washington, and Harmony Korine put his own sick twist to this style in his masterpiece Gummo. Rent it today and beware there is some gnarly animal factory farming scenes, but well worth the watch.

5 Madex’s out of 5

Killer of sheep

While we’ve seen the Kurt Cobain shoe disaster, and Simon posted about bastard Elvis discount shoes, and we’ve known about the back to the future shoe release for sometime now, it actually just came out.

But we haven’t seen this far a stretch in adult footwear from 80’s child movies before. Sure this sorta hack shit comes out at Payless Shoesource for infants when a film is released, I’m sure you can get your 3 year old some kick ass Dark Knight sneakers right now, but in 25 years for adults that shouldn’t be the case. I’m talking about Puma’s Goonies Shoes.

Look at this culture abortion. More pics after the jump.

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This true story about a 70’s bank heist in London, Directed by visionary snore Rodger Donaldson, fails. When the film is over, the only think you can say is, well, its sorta cool that really happened. This film set in the 70’s has nothing grounding it in the 70’s except the wardrobe. The film style is half way between an episode of CSI and The Bourne series. Wall to wall distracting music, character disconnect, you really give a hoot about anyone involved, and these were real people once. When this poster came out, I was ready to see this film. A bold poster, a throw back to the 70’s film poster style. I was hoping the film would be a throw back as well, grainy film stock, perhaps a long zoom, a rip off of The Conversation or Dirty Hairy god willing, but no. I was really disappointed. But the marking team should be rewarded for boldly pointing me in the wrong direction. Its sad cause while watching it, you could tell this could have been shaped into a really great film, they just second guest themselves and made a 70’s movie for a modern CSI audience.

1 Madex out of 5.

It gets 1 because it had way more boobs then Eyes Wide Shut.

Back To The Future Hoverboard

Ever since I was a little kid and saw Back To The Future I wanted one of these… even if it was a prop. Now all I need is $30k and its all mine! Have I mentioned that my neighbor down the street has a Delorean, he keeps it covered just like Doc. Brown did in his laborty in Pine Valley.

Now all I need is to find a self drying jacket and I’m the happiest boy in the world.

Hoverboard On Ebay

This could be the best tattoo ever. I present Patrick Swazey from an SNL Chip N Dales skit… But as a centaur.

Corey Feldman gives his wife what she wants… poor girl

Please go see it, I’m scared it will be forgotten in the Dark Knight wake.

Get your tickets for tonight in LA. patBenatard and I are going for sure.

10:20 Mann Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Get your tickets now and join us. Link

This:

Trailer

is one of the most awesome things I have seen in awhile. And not just because one of my oldest friends portrays Brian Ku. You may also know him from the “how to use the internet” video ps my name is phil posted awhile back. You may also know him from www.jonahray.com. Enjoy

Believe the Hype.

I didn’t poop all week cause I couldn’t wait to see the batman. Now that I’ve seen it, I’ve pooped, and I keep on pooping cause I am so relieved. Without giving anything away, I will say that this is an important mile stone for Comic book films. This fantasy comic film turned heavy cop drama film noir, is a first for the genre and best picture quality, (not that it needs to be quality to win since crash won) but still, high caliber, worth price of admission, twice. This movie leaves the theater with you, and takes your breath away when the Joker is present, he is always present.

A solid 5 madex’s out of 5.

Sprinkle some Oscars on this film quick.

Today’s LA Times reports that actor Andy Dick was arrested Wednesday outside a Buffalo Wild Wings Bar & Grill in Murrieta, Ca. Apparently he “fondled” a 17 year old girls breast and pulled down her top. When the police showed up they found Xanax (w/ out a prescription) and a gram of marijuana. Seriously people I can’t make this stuff up.

You can tell at the time of his booking he was still drunk/high. This mugshot is amazing, If I didn’t know better I would believe this shot could be found in a fashion magazine as an editorial image pairing to an interview with Dick. It would have a corny title like “The Private Dick” or “The Arresting Mr. Dick”

Before you read the full article on the LA Times site, checkout some other memorable celeb mugshots.

Check out the full LA Times article

I tried to see all this summer’s blockbusters, there were so many, and they keep coming. Over all, I’ve been an impressed movie goer.

Hell Boy 2: Is above its call to duty. It was really well done, and really fun. It never lost site of comic book antics, and get an upgrade from the Pans Labyrinth art direction. Well worth the jokes, the action and the cats. One special part involving a “Baby” is worth admission alone. Del Toro can do no wrong.
4 out of 5 Madex’s. See it in theaters.

Wanted: Way more then I thought I was going to see. I thought I was going to see matrix with a hot skeletor ass flash. But it was so much more then that. It was a nice slice of ridiculous action spliced with fight club cutting room left overs and you get to hear M. Freemon say the F bomb. Over all I was impressed and it was way more racy then other films dare to be. Which is nice, there was sex, vulgarity, fat people and a nice helping of violence. This film doesn’t even bat an eye lash at killing 1,000’s of people for the sake of a good action sequence. You can’t help but think that Shia Lebouef was up for this roll and pissed it away to be in Indiana Oops: and the Crystal of the..oh no one remembers anymore.
4 out of 5 Madex’s. Also, see in a theater.

Get your tickets, there are still lots left.

And yes, Whereves will be rollin’ up to this bike style.

Let’s start off by saying, I enjoy horror films, shitty cheesy horror films, there is nothing that really gets me to jump off my chair or couch, excpet; THE DESENT, that shit got me jumpin’ up the walls. But I realized something, home invasion freaks me out. Loud knocking at the door is where my nerves get jumpin. This film is slow, its well done and its based on true events which really got me scared. But now unfortunatly I can never listen to Joanna Newsom ever again.

During the film, Liv Tyler puts on her vinyl record, and let me tell you, it fucking scary when people are pounding on the doors and windows with her casper ass voice singing. The whole time I watched this movie, I just thought about where the closest Wal-mart was so I could “git meh a gun.” The film does a good job at making masks scary again, and like most horror films, it falls flat at the end and waists time setting up a sequel.
Look out for Stangers 2 and The Church of Latter Day Saints.

2.5 Madex’s out of 5.
They lose points for a weak ending, but it was worth all the door banging and window crashing. Oh and car exploding. Liv did a great job at being Jamie Lee Curtis.