DVD Spotlight on Documentaries Part 3: Spellbound

DVD Spotlight on Documentaries Part 3: Spellbound

For anyone who knows me, you’re probably surprised that I haven’t seen this movie before now. Spelling is one of my “things,” in fact probably to an obsessive/compulsive degree. I don’t use spell check – I take proofreading as a personal challenge. I get mad when I miss a word that is misspelled, and I have to retype emails and text messages if I find I’ve misspelled something. It makes me sad when I see people misspell words, especially when the words are for publication or print or broadcast. I see it as either being lazy, being in a hurry, or just not caring, all of which are poor excuses for not spelling properly. Even if you are not a good speller, in today’s world with all the resources available (internet, spell check, dictionaries), there is hardly an excuse for misspellings.

I think I first got turned on to the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee in 1996 or 1997. I was working as a bartender in a restaurant in Cincinnati, and during the slow part of the lunch shift, we would all sit around and eat and watch the spelling bee. To me, it was almost as compelling as the Super Bowl or the World Series or March Madness (if you haven’t already, feel free to make fun of me now). With the single elimination format, though, the event provides as much tension and suspense as any sporting event. Add to that the fact that the players are just kids competing on national television, and you have the makings of a great event.

Spellbound takes the viewer behind the scenes with eight of the competitors, following the kids from qualification in regional events to the final rounds of the national championship. The film does a great job of establishing the identities and personalities and backgrounds of the children while it builds the tension for the main event – the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee. By the time the kids reach the televised rounds, the viewer has already picked his/her favorite(s), and you are crushed when one of the kids is eliminated. I remembered some of the tournament that was featured in the documentary (1999), and I was pretty sure that I knew who won – it didn’t stop me from cheering for some of my other favorites.

Another interesting aspect of this film is the family life of some of the children. Angela’s parents are Mexican immigrants who work on a farm to give their kids a better life, Ashley comes from a single parent family living in the projects of D.C. There is April, an overly shy girl who lacks self-confidence and whose mother is obsessed with collecting “bee” paraphernalia, and Emily, who comes from an upper middle-class family that seems well-adjusted if not a bit intellectually “snobbish.” Nupur and Neil come from Indian families, and two very different approaches in child-rearing are evident. Nupur’s parents want her to do well, but seem to put very little pressure on her. Neil’s father comes off as almost psychotically driven, making his son spell at least 4000 words a day and turning the kid into a nervous wreck by the time the competition arrives. Ted is large for his age, and seems scary smart. His family lives in a rural area of Missouri that has fallen on hard times, and he seems like an outcast because he doesn’t play sports. And of course there’s Harry, the little guy who acts like he just downed a dozen pixie stix and periodically starts talking like a robot.
I loved this movie. The filmmakers do a great job of staying objective – it’s impossible not to pick favorites, but I felt like I made the choices, I wasn’t steered into them. Most of the kids have a pretty realistic and healthy view towards what is nothing less than a nerve-racking and high-pressure competition. The film stresses effort and perseverance over achievement and success, and you just hope by the end that these kids make it through to the other side without having a nervous breakdown.

Overall rating: 5 cheeseburgers

Spotlight on Documentaries – Part 2: Nerdcore Rising

DVD Spotlight on Documentaries: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Nerdcore Rising, Spellbound, and Jesus Camp.

Part 2: Nerdcore Rising.

Every once awhile at the video store you have to take a chance. Not every movie you pick out is going to be good. You’re going to pick some bombs, some duds, and some just plain crap (my latest selection in this category would be Beyond a Reasonable Doubt with Michael Douglas and Amber Tamblyn – awful). On the other side of the coin, though, sometimes a movie that you nothing about can be a hidden gem, made more fascinating because you have absolutely no preconceived notions or expectations of the film. This was the case with Nerdcore Rising.

What in the world is “nerdcore,” you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Or, I’ll try to tell you. Nerdcore is a relatively new form of music. The best explanation I can give is a blend of hip-hop, rap, and electronica, performed mostly by really intelligent, really nerdy dudes, and appealing to the same general audience. Nerdcore artists can rap about anything, but mostly they talk about computers, science and science fiction, and things like Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and video games.

The film follows one of if not THE pioneer and coiner of the term “nerdcore,” MC Frontalot. He is about to go on his first tour with his bandmates, hitting mostly small bars and clubs, and culminating at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. The film follows the bandmates as they cope with the trials and tribulations of life on the road.

There are some really funny scenes in this movie. Watching five extremely intelligent guys with limited social skills hanging out in bars is comedy in itself. When women act interested, they don’t know what to do with themselves. At one point, they have lost a critical piece of equipment (left it in a hotel room somewhere), so they buy a replacement at the computer store, use it for the show, then attempt to return it the next day. Guest interviews with Brian Posehn and “Weird Al” Yankovic, among others, add to the fun while providing interesting insight into the legitimacy of the music genre.

Now I didn’t go rushing to my computer and start downloading a bunch of Nerdcore jams (though I do understand that many of the songs are available for free), the music had its own charm and style. If I heard one of these artists was playing nearby, my curiosity might force me to go check it out.

If you like music, and you’re interested in new music, then you should do yourself a favor and dedicate an hour and a half to Nerdcore Rising.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ cheeseburgers.

2/2/10 Spotlight on Documentaries: Part 1 – The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

DVD Spotlight on Documentaries: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, Nerdcore Rising, Spellbound, and Jesus Camp.

Not too long ago, I got on a bit of a documentary film kick. I love a good sci-fi or fantasy movie, a good action flick with plenty of violence, a scary horror movie, or even a light, fluffy romantic comedy once in awhile, but I also love to watch a good documentary as well. The best thing about documentary film is that you can’t make this stuff up. These are real people doing real things – and the films are full of characters as rich and different as any Hollywood feature, often times more so. So I thought I’d talk a little about four documentaries that I have seen recently.

Part 1:

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters – Directed by Seth Gordon.

This might be my favorite documentary of all time. King of Kong focuses on the trials and tribulations of one Steve Wiebe – a relatively normal middle class guy – husband, father, and teacher. While Wiebe is unemployed, he buys an old stand up arcade machine of the original Donkey Kong, and proceeds to become very good at the game. At some point he starts to notice patterns in the game, and he decides that he wants to try and break the all time record high score (yes, there are records for almost any video game you can think of, and an organization dedicated to maintaining these records). Who holds the Donkey Kong record, you may be wondering? A cat by the name of Billy Mitchell, who is the veritable Jesus Christ of this gaming community. All of the people associated with this record keeping organization revere Billy as the greatest individual that could ever be.

This is where the fun really begins. You can’t believe some of the characters in this movie – Billy, who at some point decided that the 80’s look that he has cultivated is the best look that will ever be, and sticks with it well into the next century. Anyone who ever hung around video arcades back in the day has seen this guy. He has the “hot” wife that he parades around the arcade for all his nerd-followers to gawk at, and he is pretty much the king of the castle – the castle being the world of 80’s video games. There’s Walter, who oversees all of the record keeping and is the official “witness” when someone attempts to break a record – he even wears the black and white referee jersey at points. There’s the little guy who walks around the arcade all day and acts as Mitchell’s spy, checking up on what’s going on in the “kingdom.” And who can forget Mr. Awesome, another game record holder who is the arch-nemesis of Billy Mitchell.

It is absolutely amazing the journey that Steve Wiebe has to undertake in order to get his record realized. A record that sounds totally inane to 99% of us, but by the end of this film, if you’re not cheering for Wiebe, then you probably wanted Apollo Creed to beat Rocky, too. If you like movies about the underdog, you’ll love The King of Kong. You just can’t make this stuff up.

Overall rating: 5 cheeseburgers.

Stay tuned for Documentary Spotlight Part 2: Nerdcore Rising.

12/21/09 Review of Avatar.

AVATAR – Review
Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, and Michelle Rodriguez. Written and directed by James Cameron. Rated PG-13 for intense battle sequences, warfare, sensuality, and some language.

So I, like every other nerd on the planet, have been waiting patiently for the release of Avatar, the movie that is rumored to change motion picture cinema as we know it. I’m so nerdy, in fact, that I drove up to Ann Arbor, Michigan, so that I could view the film in IMAX 3D, the way it was “meant” to be seen.

As the movie began and I put on my super dorky oversized (for IMAX purposes) 3D glasses, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. This was going to be the best 3D movie ever made. But something was wrong. The opening sequences didn’t really seem that impressive. Were they even in 3D? I think so. But it was subtle. Some depth here and there, but nothing I hadn’t really seen before. I began to panic. Had I built this up too much in my mind? What was I really expecting? I mean, it’s just a movie, after all. I decided to settle in, reserve my judgment, and just pay attention to the story and let the movie develop.

And, to my surprise and delight, it did.

Being the smart and seasoned director that he is, Cameron didn’t want to throw all of his tricks at you at once, and especially not right off the bat. As the movie got going, so did the cinematography and the effects. Giant vehicles would pass by in stunning 3D. A subtle piece of scenery in the foreground or background would capture my attention. And then, like an artist pulling the cover away from his sculpture, Cameron threw the audience into the world of Pandora (the planet that serves as the setting for the movie), and we are transported into a three dimensional wonderland of stunning scope. It is not unlike the moment Dorothy and her Kansas ranch house land in the world of Oz.

There is so much to see in this movie that a repeat viewing or two is probably not out of order. It is easy to see why Avatar was so expensive to make – it appears as if it was filmed on another planet. The effects are totally convincing – scenes that I know HAD to be done using CGI or greenscreen or both don’t seem fake at all. There are also a lot of aerial shots of the lush jungle that makes up much of Pandora that MUST be fake, but it is hard to tell.

If you can stop gawking at the screen long enough to pay attention to what’s actually HAPPENING in the movie, you will not be disappointed. The story is compelling, if a bit farfetched. Cameron sticks with conventions that work – a major conflict, as well as smaller conflicts within, a lot of breathtaking action, and, of course, a love story. And all of the actors turn in excellent performances.

I couldn’t find anything about this movie that I didn’t like. Was it long? Almost three hours. Did I check my watch? Not once. Did I leave the theater to use the bathroom? Nope, I was afraid I would miss something. One warning I will give to the potential viewer – if you have problems with motion sickness, be cautious. There is a lot of flying and aerial photography in this movie, and if you are watching it in 3D, it feels pretty real. I got slight vertigo more than once and had to briefly remove my glasses. When the film was over, I waited a few minutes before driving home, just to get my bearings back.

Avatar feels to me like the Star Wars of this generation. Cameron has created an entire world that is completely new and fresh, and I have no doubt that there will be more Avatar movies to come.

Overall rating: 5 cheeseburgers.

10/25/09 Review – Zombieland

Review: Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, and a very special cameo appearance. Rated R for extreme language, extreme violence, and extreme gore.

I had the privilege of seeing this movie at a sneak preview before it opened in theaters. If you know me, you know that this is totally my kind of movie. I love horror movies, particularly zombie movies, I love campy gore, and I love to laugh. Check, check and check with Zombieland.

The premise: the world is overrun by flesh-eating zombies. Columbus is our narrator, so named because he hails from Columbus (other characters include Wichita, Little Rock, and Tallahassee). At the beginning of the film, Columbus gives us his “rules” for surviving in Zombieland. I knew instantly I was going to love this movie.

If you liked Planet Terror, Shaun of the Dead, and Kill Bill Volume 1, then take all of the best elements from those movies, smash them together, and you have Zombieland. It never takes itself seriously, and that’s what makes it great. It’s almost like playing a zombie video game – in fact, I’ll be surprised if a Zombieland game isn’t on the horizon. It should be.

Jesse Eisenberg is perfect as Columbus – he’s the new Michael Cera. And what can you say about Woody Harrelson? He was born to kill zombies. And keep your eyes peeled for one of the greatest cameo appearances of all time, in my opinion.

If you’re not a fan of horror movies, I’d say you shouldn’t be afraid of Zombieland. Is it gory? Absolutely, but it’s campy, funny gore, not squirm in your seat need to take a shower gore. Is it scary? There are a few jump out of your seat moments, but overall, it’s not really scary. More than anything, Zombieland is a comedy with a horror backdrop. A great way to spend an afternoon at the movies.

Overall rating: 4 cheeseburgers.

10/23/09 Review – Whip It

Review: Whip It starring Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, and Juliette Lewis. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, crude dialogue, some drug references, and sports violence. Marks the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore.

I got invited to see Whip It on opening night by a friend of a friend who is friends with the Glass City Rollers, Toledo’s roller derby team. Did you follow that connection? I couldn’t say no, because I was curious to see how actual roller derby players felt about the depiction of their sport in this movie. Judging by the reactions of the team, they liked it.

Whip It stars Ellen Page as Bliss Cavendar (later Babe Ruthless) as a 17 year old in a small Texas town whose mother is intent on having her girls become beauty pageant stars. While her younger sister is completely into the beauty pageant scene, Bliss seems unsatisfied. When she sneaks out one night to see a roller derby match in Austin, she realizes that this might be what her life is missing, and she joins the “Hurl Scouts” team, unbeknownst to her parents.

Whip It does a great job of portraying a young woman trying to find her identity and find some happiness despite all the forces in her life working against her. She doesn’t want to be a pageant queen, but she doesn’t know how to make her family and friends understand.

The film is a comedy, and there are plenty of funny moments, especially the roller derby scenes. Jimmy Fallon is hilarious as the announcer, and Andrew Wilson (brother of Owen and Luke) is outstanding as Razor, the coach of the Hurl Scouts. Drew Barrymore, in a limited role as Smashley Simpson, is also quite funny, and it’s nice to see Juliette Lewis doing what she does best, playing a semi-trashy tough girl. But Whip It is also a film about a young girl discovering who she is, and what makes her happy, and going for it despite what everyone else thinks.

Whip It is a funny, cute film that is definitely worth checking out.

Overall rating: 3 cheeseburgers

Review – Surrogates

Review – Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, and Ving Rhames. Rated PG-13 for language, sexuality, some intense sequences of violence, and a drug-related scene.

Bruce Willis is back in Surrogates, a sci-fi thriller set in the not too distant future. The idea here is that a scientist has invented “Surrogates,” which are extremely sophisticated robots that perform all the functions of daily life that humans were once “burdened” with. The operator simply “plugs in” to a machine at home and then sends his/her surrogate out into the world. He/she can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel everything that the surrogate does, with no risk of injury or death to the human user. Jump out of a plane without a parachute? Sure. See what it feels like to get hit by a speeding bus? Go for it. The possibilities are endless. But when a user turns up dead because his surrogate was “killed,” everything changes.

I keep hearing that Bruce Willis is getting too old to do action movies. Baloney. Willis can still bring it, as he did in Live Free or Die Hard, and as he does in Surrogates. The movie is quite entertaining. It has some pretty cool futuristic technology, a good story, and some great action sequences. Everything you want out of a sci-fi thriller. And of course, we are forced to examine the moral implications of this futuristic technology – a must for any good sci-fi flick.

The movie did get a little slow at times, but not often and not for long. There was a heavy focus on the relationship between Willis’ character and his wife, which normally can slow down a film like this, but in this case it was pertinent because it related to the whole theme of the movie. All in all, a good time at the theater.

Overall rating: 3 cheeseburgers

Review – Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

Review – Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. Featuring the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Mr. T, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, and James Caan. Rated PG for some brief mild language.

Still number one at the box office is the 3-D animated extravaganza Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. Based on the beloved children’s book (okay, at least it was one of MY favorites), the movie tells the story of an inventor who wants nothing more than for his father to be proud of him. In a town on a small island where sardines are the major export (in fact, the only export), Flint Lockwood invents a machine that can create food. When the machine is accidentally launched into the sky, it becomes a food/weather generator, and hilarity ensues.

I don’t usually go to kid movies in the theater, mainly because I don’t have kids. If my nieces and nephew are visiting, I enjoy taking them to the movies. But I got a pass for a sneak preview of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, and I’m glad I attended.

This movie was a lot of fun. I found myself laughing through a good majority of it – the character of Flint Lockwood alone (voiced by Bill Hader) was enough to keep me in stitches. The way he announced everything he was doing in the lab (“calculating…mixing…adding…pushing buttons) was pretty hilarious. Mr. T was also a treat as the “sheriff” of the town who was a constant thorn in Flint’s side, and vice versa. And Bruce Campbell shines as the Mayor who wants to get his town noticed by the rest of the world.

What stood out about the film, aside from the clever humor, was the outstanding animation. I am always amazed at the level of animation in movies these days. After a few minutes, it’s easy to forget that you’re watching a “cartoon.” Throw in the effect of 3-D (by the way, if you haven’t been to a 3-D movie in awhile, do yourself a favor and check one out. Gone are the days of 3-D movies with the blue and red glasses where everything has a pinkish/purplish tint to it. The new 3-D will blow your mind), and you have a beautiful looking movie that is entertaining for kids and adults alike.

Overall rating: a cheeseburger, a meatball, a slice of pizza, and an ice cream cone.

Review – This Is Spinal Tap

DVD Review – This Is Spinal Tap (1984). Starring Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest. Directed by Rob Reiner. Rated R for sexual situations and suggestive lyrics, and excessive profanity.

A few weeks ago I came across an old cassette (that tells you right there how old it is) of the soundtrack to the movie This Is Spinal Tap. It is still as funny to me now as it was twenty-some years ago. I thought that I would share my thoughts with those of you who have not had the pleasure of seeing it.

I don’t know if This Is Spinal Tap is the original “mockumentary,” but it’s the first one that I ever remember seeing, and it is still the best. David St. Hubbins (McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Guest), and Derek Smalls (Shearer), are the core members of the band Spinal Tap, billed as the “loudest” heavy metal band in the world. The movie is shot as a documentary, but, of course, it is all fictional. All the better.

Hubbins and Tufnel play as a sort of hard rock version of John and Paul, with Smalls playing sort of a George/Ringo hybrid character that keeps the other two balanced. The band has a drummer, but as it is explained in the film, the drummer spot is a somewhat unstable position, so there have been more than one.

At the time of the movie, things are not going so great for the band. Their careers are on the downswing, and this frustration leads to tension between the band mates. It doesn’t help that their band manager/keyboardist is a buffoon when it comes to marketing the band. Throw in the Yoko Ono-like character of Jeanine Pettibone, and hilarity ensues.

The songs alone (all originals by McKean, Guest, and Shearer) are enough reason to see this movie. The improvisational genius of these actors is another reason to come along for the ride. Throw in some great cameos by Ed Begley Jr., Fran Drescher, Paul Shaffer, Billy Crystal and Dana Carvey, to name a few, and there’s really no reason anyone should miss out. If you are a fan of A Mighty Wind or Best In Show, then you’ve probably already seen This Is Spinal Tap. If not, put it in your queue. You’ll be glad you did. Plus, you’ll finally know what that guy is talking about when he says, “These all go to eleven.”

Overall rating: 5 cheeseburgers.