X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011)
After a horrendously dire third installment and a muddle-headed spin-off, First Class puts the franchise back on track. Of course, I might be a bit biased, as a mash-up of superpowers and swingin' Sixties spy action is right up my alley (located just off Carnaby Street). Magneto and Xavier split up the James Bond persona between them, with Erik doing the globe-trotting, multilingual action stuff while Charles gets his Hugh Hefner on. Yes, the music, fashions, and slang are all a wee bit anachronistic, and yes, First Class plays merry heck with the previously established film continuity. But those are minor complaints at best when the movie is this much fun.
At least until the traditional superhero elements kick in during the film's last act. Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence, who are rather endearing earlier in the film, end up buried under some pretty silly make-up that detracts from any poignancy in their later scenes. I also had some problems with how the movie dealt with
Ultimately, though, the third act suffers simply because too much is crammed in, too many major events from X-history are perfunctorily dealt with as if the filmmakers were working from a checklist. Look, we all know this was gonna be a trilogy, so why stuff so many important moments into the last act? I would have much rather seen the first film concentrate fully on the Cold War shenanigans of Xavier, Magneto, Beast and Mystique. (Mission: Impossible with mutants? Hell yes!) The recruitment and training of the expanded team should have been saved for the second film, where more time would have been available to develop the new characters more fully. The subplot of Beast's transformation should have been pushed back to the second film as well to let it play out with more heft. Finally, the split between Erik and Xavier would have been a natural ending point for the trilogy.
Still, First Class has a lot to offer. The change in setting and the (almost) complete changeover in the cast provided the fresh start the series desperately needed. While I would love to see more 1960's era adventures, sequels set in subsequent decades could be a lot of fun. We just might get to the Disco Dazzler yet.
A heads-up: word on the intertubes is that the blu-ray release of First Class has a lot of playback issues, especially on the PS3. Apparently, the problem is related to the BD Live service. My copy of the film froze up in my PS3 until I turned off the automatic internet connection and deleted out the BD Utility file for the disc.
PAUL (2011)
I had originally avoided this film due to the false impression that it was a Seth Rogen comedy that happened to feature Pegg & Frost rather than the other way around. By the time I learned of my mistake, Paul had completed its limited theatrical release. Which is a darn shame, because I really enjoyed the film once I caught up with it on blu-ray.
Paul is extremely geek-centric, filled with references and homages to SF flicks, comic books, and nerd pop culture. It feels a lot like a direct follow-up to Spaced; Simon Pegg once again plays a comic artist ala Tim Bisely, and the film even recycles a Star Wars riff from the tv show. However, Edgar Wright's participation is sorely missed, as Greg Mottola's s workmanlike direction lacks Wright's wit and invention (though that may be a limitation imposed to accommodate the CGI-rendered title character). But the fact that Paul looks and feels like an American movie ultimately works in its favor - it is about the boys' adventure in Yankeeland, after all.
While Paul may not be quite up to the standards of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, it's still a worthy successor that will keep fans happy until the last of the "Cornetto Trilogy" is released.
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER VOLUME XXI: MST3K VS. GAMERA (2011)
Although Amazon plopped this set on my doorstep the day of release, I am still working my way through Shout Factory's latest batch of bad movie goodness. Volume XXI includes all five episodes featuring Gamera films along with a wealth of extras.
Until now, MST3K fans had little hope of seeing these shows released. The rights issues for episodes riffing on Japanese movies were especially complex as they involved not only the holders of the original copyrights but the US distributors as well. And distributor Sandy Frank, who produced the syndicated versions of many of the films used by the program, reportedly held a grudge against MST3K for the drubbing he and his work took on the show. All this led to problems even when deals for certain movies had been made; Rhino issued a box set featuring Godzilla vs Megalon only to see it soon recalled.
But Shout Factory recently acquired the US DVD rights for the original Gamera series, and that somehow opened doors for the Mystery Science Theater versions to get released. It also appears that the rift with Sandy Frank has been patched, as not only do we get this box set but Mighty Jack and Time of the Apes in the next volume as well!
In the meantime, Volume XXI has plenty to enjoy. The standard Shout Factory extras are all here, including "mini-posters" of Steve Vance's sleeve art and animated menus featuring CGI versions of the 'bots in little skits incorporating riffs from the episode (these are especially fun this time out). There are three documentaries spread out over the discs; a retrospective featuring reminiscences from the cast and crew (though Mike Nelson and Kevin Murphy are conspicuous by their absence), an overview of the Gamera phenomenon by kaiju eiga expert August Ragone, and an interview with the Chiodo Brothers that is rather baffling for its inclusion. Mystery Science Theater Hour wraps and the movies' original trailers round out the collection.
As is mentioned in one of the documentaries, the Gamera movies brought out the best of the MST3K crew, and this set is well-worth picking up for that reason alone. Add in all the bonuses and the possibility that these episodes may soon go the way of Godzilla vs. Megalon, and it's a no-brainer purchase for even casual fans.
CINEMATIC TITANIC - EAST MEETS WATTS (2009)
Fans of Mystery Science Theater are probably better acquainted with Mike Nelson's RiffTrax than Cinematic Titanic, the follow-up project of original MST3K creator, Joel Hodgson. Rifftrax has been the more prolific of the two, with a couple dozen DVD releases and regular internet downloads offered. CT does not have a major distribution deal and their handful of productions have only available been through their website. It's a shame, as Cinematic Titanic deserves a wider audience.
I prefer the more playful antics of CT over RiffTrax, as I find Mike Nelson's acerbic humor ventures into the outright cranky at times, especially on his solo outings. I'll also cop to a preference for the CT crew's left-leaning sensibilities over Nelson's conservative bent, which can stray a bit too close to outright bigotry (particularly homophobia) on occasion.
However, I kinda think there's a "too many cooks" problem with Cinematic Titanic. It sometimes feels like everyone is waiting patiently for their turn and are more concerned with not stepping on each other's lines than delivering the quip. Possibly exasperating this effect is the fact that two of the CT crew, Mary Jo Pehl and Frank Conniff, had little experiencing performing riffs when the series began. The result is that the riffs don't seem to flow organically and the general patter seems more than a little stiff.
At least with their studio-bound releases. Cinematic Titanic is much better live in concert. I caught CT perform at the Lakeshore Theater back in 2008 and had a great time. (I might check them out when they come through the area again this fall, though I am kinda bummed that the shows scheduled feature movies that they have already done on DVD). The live audience adds a much-needed spontaneity to the proceedings, with the team ad-libbing and playing off the crowd's reactions and even cracking themselves up from time to time. The CT crew must have picked up on this, because all of their latest offerings have been recordings of live shows.
The first of the live releases was East Meets Watts, aka Dynamite Brothers, and the team couldn't have picked a better subject. It's an unruly mash-up of Hong Kong kung fu flick and blaxploitation film, one of many attempts to cash in on the massive success of Enter the Dragon. It's also a terrible, terrible movie helmed by notorious schlockmeister Al Adamson. Ridiculous fashions, interminable Defiant Ones rip-offs, and cringe-inducing dialogue abounds. East Meets Watts also features the worst song ever used to seduce a mute woman.
Holding up the East end is Alan Tang, who was far better known for romantic dramas (often opposite Bridgette Lin) than action movies. Representing Watts is Timothy Brown, former NFL star and cast member of the tv version of M*A*S*H*. The legendary James Hong turns up as a baddie. Hong Kong action fans should keep an eye out for Lam Ching Ying (who also choreographed) and JC Stunt Team perennial Mars!
East Meets Watts is a great introduction to Cinematic Titanic and worth hunting down. The film is ripe for riffing, and the jokes fly fast and furious. And if you get the chance to catch a Cinematic Titanic live show, I highly recommend it.
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