New In The USA: DO THE RIGHT THING
Spike Lee's masterpiece set in New York's Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvescent is drawn in bright colours and bright characters. The weather is hot, and tempers simmer to a boiling point on race and respect. It all comes to a head in Saul's Pizzeria when Lee himself as Mookie throws the infamous trash can. As vivid today as it was upon its 1989 release, watch the magnificent opening credits sequence, and stay for the provocative and entertaining NYC cinema that follows.
New In Canada: OLD CATS
I've not seen Sebastian Silva's early film, Old Cats, but after being blown away by the degree of craftsmanship and empathy in his recent film, Magic Magic I am ready to explore his back catalog. Here the Latin American Film Festival of New York sums the 2010 film up nicely:
Isadora and Enrique live a comfortable life. They have a modest yet elegant apartment in Santiago’s old downtown district. Well into their 80’s, they both maintain their independence and live happily with their books, their eclectic art, and most of all with their beloved two cats. That is until, one day, the building’s elevator breaks and unable to descend the ten flights down, Isadora is left a prisoner in her own home. At the same inconvenient time, Isadora’s passionate “wild child” daughter Rosario and her female lover, Hugo, come for a visit with a new “scheme” of how to make them all rich. A touching film of black humor and pathos reflecting the often-treacherous territory of mother-daughter relationships and the empathy needed to find a survivable neutral ground.
New In The UK: KRULL
As an answer to the mightily successful Star Wars franchise, a number of studios tried to mount heavy special effects driven fantasy films with sci-fi trappings. None was stranger than Bullitt director Peter Yates' Krull. The film's eponymous weapon is iconic enough, but the pacing and cumbersome set design kind of burden it with a layer of ultra-cheese that it has only gotten fuzzier in the 30 years since.
Still the opportunity to see a young Liam Neeson in a supporting role, the curios one-eyed giant, and other Dungeons & Dragons inspired characters on display is a hoot, and the sequence with a giant spider remains quite a standout that is, dare I say it, kind of arty.
New In Sweden: DRIVE ANGRY
A vengeful father escapes from hell (not Ghostrider but close!) and chases after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter.
This dirty little Nicholas Cage genre-mashing vehicle has a myriad of base and simple pleasures. Amber Heard posing for the camera, a Hard-R rating, and most importantly, William Fichtner as the villain. Some, myself included, may have skipped this in the cinema because it only played in the 3D format, but now that Netflix has brought it back town to 2 dimensions (which is only fitting for this type of B-film) it is ready for your enjoyment.
New In Norway: HORROR EXPRESS
"The following report to the Royal Geological Society by the undersigned Alexander Saxton is a true and faithful account of the events that befell the society's expedition in Manchuria. As the leader of the expedition, I must accept the responsibility for its ending in disaster. But I will leave, to the judgement of the honorable members, the decision as to where the blame for the catastrophe lies..."
Shot in Spain and Italy and set in Siberia, this Hammer-esque bit of craziness on rails has had a cult following for years due to its strange images and willing cast. Not actually a Hammer studios production, despite Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing leading the cast (which also includes Telly Savalas as a Cossack officer!) Few creature features come as purely nuts as this one,. It is well worth your time, Norway!
New In Brazil: THE RUNDOWN
In the 21st century, as pure action-adventure entertainment, unabashed in its politically incorrect glory, it is hard to beat Peter Berg's The Rundown. Charismatic performances from The Rock (who is literally given blessing by Arnold Schwarzenegger in a cameo in the opening prologue of the film) as well as goofball Sean William Scott and the always great Christopher Walken elevate a generic find-the-artifact story into something pretty special.
With a lot of location shooting (and Rosario Dawson) to make the film pretty, and some tacked on political context, Berg never takes the proceedings too seriously, almost such that The Rundown plays like a knowing parody of the genre. I'm OK with that, the film is compulsively quotable and completely rewatchable. And that, ladies and germs, is what Netflix is for.
New In Mexico: RABBIT HOLE
After their 4-year-old son is run down and killed in a car accident from an inexperienced teen driver, the parents deal with their grief in different ways. John Cameron Mitchell's modulated drama not only features another fine performance from Nicole Kidman, it also reminds us of the incredible talent of Diane Weist who plays the boy's grandmother here. As big movie speeches go, Weist knocks hers out of the park here in the middle of the film.
As an act of empathy for all parties involved in a tragic car accident, Rabbit Hole is a near complete success, one that got quite overlooked on the festival circuit and in regular release.