Bright Lights, Big City 20th Anniversary Edition
I remember I was about 11 years old when this came out. I was already a fan of Michael J. Fox's films after seeing Back To The Future, Teen Wolf, and Secret of My Success. After watching the previews for Bright Lights, Big City, something felt different about it. To my surprise, I found out he was playing a cokehead in it! I couldn’t believe it. The same guy who played Alex from Family Ties and Marty McFly from Back To The Future was playing a junkie (when you’re 11 years old, news like that shocks you). I recently checked this film out after hearing about its 20th Anniversary DVD being released. This movie is just as relevant in 2008 as it was 20 years ago. Fox’s performance of Jamie Conway shows a realistic picture of someone’s life spinning out of control. The perception of Fox always playing “wholesome characters” is quickly shed after seeing him hooked on coke and alcohol in the film. The scene where he gives a drunken monologue to his co-worker is classic. Another thing worth mentioning is Kiefer Sutherland's role as Jamie's friend named Tad. He was convincing in his performance of Tad, who is a real asshole in the film. Overall, it’s a sobering movie that shows the reality of living a life dependent on drugs. It’ll make you sad, but as you get to the end you’ll see there is light at the end of the tunnel for Jamie.
America is a country where we like things BIG. Just look around you. We are a country that likes things Bigger, Stronger, Faster. That happens to be the title of an indie documentary on the topic of steroids. This film was done by a guy who IDOLIZED professional wrestlers as a kid. Imagine his shock when he found out most of them were juicin' it up. Like most documentaries these days, this one throws in humor to balance out the seriousness of the topic. You get to see interviews with people who are vehemently against steroid use, as well as those who don't think there's anything wrong with it. After seeing the film, I still don't see where the ones who are pro-steroid use are coming from. Overall, the film sheds light through entertainment on a topic that's become a huge issue in our country.
I have a hard time with movies like this. It’s not because the acting is bad (it was great). It’s not because the story was lame (it wasn’t). It’s because movies like Snow Angels get me all worked up and can fuck up my entire day. The drama is so disturbing because of how realistic it is. The torn relationships and the tragedy that a family suffers here is hard for me to watch again. I can handle disturbing movies like A Clockwork Orange because it’s easy to disconnect from reality with a film like that. But Snow Angels? You feel like you’re a part of the small Pennsylvania town where the movie takes place, and it’s hard to not get affected. Watching the pain the characters experience can really give you heartburn. If you watch, get ready to cry, get angry, and be thankful your life isn’t like some of the characters here. It’s a very well done film, but one that’s hard to see multiple times.
Snow Angels is out now on DVD.
Aang the airbender is moving on in life. In case you missed any part of Book 3 for the amazing animated show Avatar, the entire Avatar Book 3 Complete Box Set is out now on DVD. This is the perfect collection for any fan of the show. There’s over 8 HOURS of running time on this 5-disc set. If you can watch it all in one sitting, you are one dedicated follower. But if you like to take your time and really take in the story, there are 21 episodes to keep you busy for a while. It really is one of the better animated series to come out in a long time. The story is fast paced, there’s plenty of action, and the animation is top notch. In fact, stop what you’re doing right now and check it out. You won’t regret it.
It's B-b-b-b-Baby Mama! In typical Tina Fey/SNL style that isn’t afraid to poke fun at people, this movie dares to take on the topic of single motherhood. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler work together to deliver lots of laughs in this film about a successful career woman who decides she wants to have a baby. When Kate’s (Fey) doctor says she’s unable to get pregnant, she hires Angie (Poehler) to be her surrogate mother. However, when they meet, Kate discovers that Angie is NOT the woman she expected to be carrying her baby. Angie is a free-spirited lady who still likes to party while Kate is the complete opposite. Although their personalities clash, they eventually learn a lot about themselves through each other. Baby Mama is a lighthearted comedy that both men and women can enjoy. It’s take on family life and relationships doesn’t contain a lot of gushy moments, which was great for me since I usually cringe at that kind of thing. Oh and how can I forget! Steve Martin’s role as a conceited, New-Age business owner of a health food chain is classic!
Baby Mama is out now on DVD.
Here's another review by my associate Amica Paige for the new book Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go. Check it out!
Imagine getting trapped in a nightmare where you're on the run from your pursuers—the mall security and a foe so foul that it could only be, well, your worst enemy and no, it's not your wicked stepmother or vicious aunt either, but the one who loathes you for no reason, the bully Damian—and you haven't the faintest idea how you got into this mess, especially when it's virtually impossible for you to even get into the slightest mischief, since you're basically a good person with glasses, who intends to stay out of trouble by immersing yourself in everything nice and intellectual, like your books. And your name is Milton—even Harry Potter has a better chance in life more than you. You're just Milton, not a wizard. Anyhow, you're caught in the middle of a blind escapade, where you're suddenly thwarted by a giant marshmallow bear towering over a mall's main hall. So, your ruthless enemy wastes no time in blasting the colossal treat to destroy you. Apparently, he succeeds and, in a massive explosion, you go down in quite literally a rapid descent into a hellish place called Heck, which is a great deal more horrendous than your revolting foe. In short, your nightmare doesn't end, since it isn't really a nightmare to begin with. It's real. In fact, everything that's transpired in one continuous, uncontrollable, rapid flow of events is real, and Heck is where you really get banished for your misdeeds prior your ill-fated death, even if you were genuinely as sweet as an oversize melted marshmallow your whole life. The fact is you stole something, even if you were tricked and are truly innocent. Therefore, you're damned like a regular imp, because "the Big Guy doesn't grade on a curve…" and "your last sin is typically your greatest…with no chance to redeem yourself with your sticky end". And it only gets worse. You're supposed to survive this nightmare called the rest of your life in the company of a total mischief in the person of your sister, Marlo. This blue-haired Goth, who delights in dark stuff and exploits, and steals out of sheer enjoyment and simply because she can, was also the punk who fooled you, plucked you out of your comforts, dragged you into her capers, inadvertently died with you in the explosion, and ultimately got you into this appallingly huge Heck of a mess. But you've no choice but endure this wretched place with her roguish presence, as well as the demonic principal, Bea "Elsa" Bubb, and her monstrous minions, including a hair-net donning, hairless cafeteria witch that boasts "hairy moles and weeping boils" and relentlessly serves overcooked brussel sprouts that resemble "wilted globs of pale green snot" for a nourishing after-life lunch. To top it off, the nasty vermin, Damian, who maliciously blew you up above ground has now followed you underground. Meanwhile, you feel like the vermin, yourself. You're only eleven years old with a fuzzy ferret named Lucky. And, again, you're just Milton. The only consolation you have is meeting a clumsy character, Virgil, who becomes your buddy, the possibility of your sister's unlikely allegiance to you, and a slim chance for escape, and still, perhaps, a little bit of luck.
So, journey through this ludicrous limbo where time doesn't exist, yet you get punished for coming late to your first day of "disorientation" and where issues are thoroughly dealt with in the "Department of Unendurable Redundancy, Bureaucracy, and Redundancy". David E. Basye definitely brewed a wacky and wicked juvenile version of "H-e-double hockey sticks" seasoned with mythical and historical characters such as Ammit, Annubis, Pemberton, Nixon, and Dior, among several other curious creatures. This book surely has the mental energy and verbal acuity of youth nicely wrapped in both profound and confounding thoughts. Heck is highly entertaining and an absolute treat for younger bookworms yet reflective enough for more mature readers. For all those who have Peter Pan Syndrome like Basye (Life with Children: 'Heck' A Vivid Success) or have simply forgotten how it is to feel young again without loosing any sensibility, here's an excerpt for you:
"And for the first time in his life—and death—Milton enjoyed being different. He felt free: free from caring what people thought, free to choose his own path…All our days are numbered, he thought before drifting off into unconscious bliss, but that number is infinity."
Enough said. Here's a link to author, Dale E. Basye, for more info.
The world of comedy is definitely missing the bumbling presence of Chevy Chase. I was reminded of this while watching him on The Fletch Collection, a 2-disc DVD set that contains the films Fletch and Fletch Lives. In case you were born too late to see these, or were asleep when they came out, Chase plays reporter Irwin Fletcher, known as “Fletch”. It’s hilarious watching him play this reporter/investigator/master of disguises. I don’t think anyone other than Chevy Chase could have pulled off a film like this. If it had been another comedian, the results might have been disastrous. This collection of both hilarious Fletch films is great to own if you appreciate some classic Chevy Chase. Another thing that stood out to me was a feature that included interviews with most of the original cast, except Chevy. What a bummer. One other cool thing is the box it comes in. It comes with this wheel that you spin to change Fletch’s face to one of his many disguises. The Fletch Collection is out now on DVD.
