This time: The big-budget Hollywood remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, low-budget horror flick Silent Night, Deadly Night, Hong Kong action-fest Executioners, and French drama Irma Vep.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Directed by Scott Derrickson, starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Jaden Smith, Kathy Bates, John Cleese, and Kyle Chandler.
If you don't know what The Day the Earth Stood Still is about, google it. And, feel ashamed, very ashamed.
Scott Derrickson's remake of the classic sci-fi flick lays the preservation of our planet on thick. The need to take care of our home is the focal point of the story, and the understated action allows that to take meaning. Unfortunately, the understated action may be too low-key for many viewers. Keanu Reeves' performance as intergalactic conservationist Klaatu is solid, as are the performances of the rest of the cast. For a remake centered on saving the environment, Derrickson's The Day the Earth Stood Still manages to stand on it's own two feet as decent entertainment.
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Crap with a capital C. Directed by, written by, and starring no one anyone has heard of before or since.
A man kills people while dressed as Santa Claus. Cheezy, poorly filmed, and horribly acted, Silent Night, Deadly Night is just plain bad. Other than the unintentional laughs elicited from the overwhelmingly large amount of cheeziness, Silen Night, Deadly Night is a waste of time.
Executioners
Directed by Johnnie To and Ching Siu-Tung, starring Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung, Damian Lau, Anthony Wong, Lau Ching-Wan, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Paul Chun.
In a post-apocalyptic world, a corrupt few have come into power by controlling the flow of fresh water. Amidst political power struggles, three super women come together to save the world.
Super cheezy, Executioners is a sequel to The Heroic Trio, which starred the three leading ladies, and was also directed by Johnnie To. For their second go-round, they've upped the drama, and the need for the viewer to suspend their disbelief. Fantastical sequences and contrived situations make up the majority of Executioners, which is grounded only by To's style, melded with Ching's action direction, and the talent of the cast. Executioners isn't a great film by any means, but the overwrought drama coupled with well done action and acting, make it worth a look.
Irma Vep
Directed by Oliver Assayas, starring Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Léaud, and Nathalie Richard.
A washed-up French director tries to resurrect his career with a remake of the French silent film serial Les vampires. During filming, the director (Léaud) faces unbearable strain to his ego and mental health, while his lead actress Maggie Cheung (Cheung) has to deal with an irritable director and an emotional costume designer (Richard), both of which have designs on her.
Assayas' Irma Vep provides a neat look at the world of filmmaking. Hong Kong Actress Maggie Cheung plays a fictionalized version of herself, caught up in the insanity of a film production so weighed down with the crew's egoes that it is collasping in on itself. With top notch acting, and assured direction, Irma Vep is interesting both for how it portrays the filmmaking process, and how it comments on French Cinema. In short, Irma Vep is a good film.
Next time:
Host & Guest
Our America
Farewell to Harry
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