O An excellent must-see
X Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 25, 2007
Even though this version is edited, “300” is still remarkably violent and bloody, and it still includes two beheadings.
This movie could have also been titled “Testosterone.” It is a “guy movie” in every way, and as macho as it can be. The last movie with this much manhood was “Fight Club” (1999).
Not a movie for plot or story, “300” is a war movie whose warriors battle with spears and swords. And that’s really all there is to it.
A tyrannical, self-proclaimed “god-king” named Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) leads countless Persian hosts to dominate and enslave many lands, including Greece. Mighty king Leonidas (Gerard Butler) fiercely repels the threat.
And though Leonidas cannot get approval for a full-scale war, he assembles 300 “body guards” and takes a walk to a narrow corridor of land by the sea. This geographic advantage will funnel Xerxes’ numbers into manageable targets.
So, we watch the 300 receive wave after wave of enemies, some monstrous, some gigantic animals, all of them bleeders. (There is a lot of blood spatter, albeit CGI blood spatter.)
Other than this battle ground, the movie doesn’t really go anywhere else, except for the occasional glimpses back at Sparta. But as I indicated, this is an action/war movie, not a story like “House of Sand and Fog” (2003).
Despite the editing, this is still, at the very least, PG-13 — if not R. To be fair, “300” is a movie that probably could not successfully be edited down to PG. We see swords run through necks, eyes, arms, etc. You get the picture. All of the Spartan men are buff, bare-chested battlers; and the females in the movie are typically scantily clad.
If you love bloody action movies, “300” is for you. If not, rent the edited version of “House of Sand and Fog.”
Directed by Zack Snyder
Gerard Butler / Lena Headey / Rodrigo Santoro
117 min. Action / War
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 18 and up
DVD release date: July 31, 2007
Copyright 2007.
JP0183 : 302
Derailed (2005)
X An excellent must-see
O Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 11, 2007
I love my life just fine. But I’m the type of person who loves to watch thrillers because it makes me feel so thankful and cozy in my comparatively uneventful, everyday life. For this reason, I especially like disturbing moves. “Derailed” is only mildly disturbing but an overtly excellent, emotionally engaging thriller.
“Derailed” is a movie about escalating bad choices. But not just bad choices — terrible choices.
Charles Schine (Clive Owen) is restless. His relationship with his wife is tense, but probably because their daughter has a serious medical condition. While taking the train to work one day, Schine encounters Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston), a flirty charmer who is also quite a looker. Oh, and she’s also married with a child, just like Charles.
Against their better judgment, the two cave in and decide to rendezvous at a motel in downtown Chicago. Unfortunately for them, they have a traumatic experience courtesy of the big city’s criminal underworld. This experience, by the way, continues to haunt and revisit them throughout the movie, especially Schine.
I know I’m being vague, but this is a movie filled with surprises. It’s one of those films where you think that it couldn’t possibly get any worse for our protagonist, then it does.
The edited version is still rather violent. There is fighting, gunfire and bloodshed. Of course, there’s the adultery theme, too, along with some fairly brief, passionate kissing.
“Derailed” is intense and will anger you (in a good way), but if that emotional ride is your thing, then this movie is an absolute must-see.
Directed by Mikael Hafstrom
Clive Owen / Jennifer Aniston / Vincent Cassel
112 min. Thriller / Drama
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 17 and up
DVD release date: March 21, 2006
Copyright 2007.
JP0172 : 260
O Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 11, 2007
I love my life just fine. But I’m the type of person who loves to watch thrillers because it makes me feel so thankful and cozy in my comparatively uneventful, everyday life. For this reason, I especially like disturbing moves. “Derailed” is only mildly disturbing but an overtly excellent, emotionally engaging thriller.
“Derailed” is a movie about escalating bad choices. But not just bad choices — terrible choices.
Charles Schine (Clive Owen) is restless. His relationship with his wife is tense, but probably because their daughter has a serious medical condition. While taking the train to work one day, Schine encounters Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston), a flirty charmer who is also quite a looker. Oh, and she’s also married with a child, just like Charles.
Against their better judgment, the two cave in and decide to rendezvous at a motel in downtown Chicago. Unfortunately for them, they have a traumatic experience courtesy of the big city’s criminal underworld. This experience, by the way, continues to haunt and revisit them throughout the movie, especially Schine.
I know I’m being vague, but this is a movie filled with surprises. It’s one of those films where you think that it couldn’t possibly get any worse for our protagonist, then it does.
The edited version is still rather violent. There is fighting, gunfire and bloodshed. Of course, there’s the adultery theme, too, along with some fairly brief, passionate kissing.
“Derailed” is intense and will anger you (in a good way), but if that emotional ride is your thing, then this movie is an absolute must-see.
Directed by Mikael Hafstrom
Clive Owen / Jennifer Aniston / Vincent Cassel
112 min. Thriller / Drama
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 17 and up
DVD release date: March 21, 2006
Copyright 2007.
JP0172 : 260
Grizzly Man (2005)
X An excellent must-see
O Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 11, 2007
“Grizzly Man” is one of the great documentaries by one of the great filmmakers, Werner Herzog. If you are not familiar with Werner Herzog, then make that your first priority. Herzog is to filmmaking what Evel Knievel was to “stuntmanship.” Or, more accurately, Werner Herzog is the Evel Knievel of filmmaking.
In “Grizzly Man,” Herzog introduces us into the world of Timothy Treadwell, a man who chose to live in the Alaskan wilderness among grizzly bears for 13 summers. Unlike Herzog’s other documentaries, much of the footage was shot by Treadwell himself — of himself, dangerously close to the bears.
For 11 of the 13 summers, Treadwell lived alone with the wild animals, 24 hours a day, for months at a time. His last two summers, he dragged his reluctant girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, with him. It is no secret (in the film or otherwise) that the inevitable happened: Both people were eaten in 2003 by a grizzly bear. (Visual footage of the fatal attack does not exist, and we are spared from hearing the audio recording.)
Herzog selects phenomenal footage from more than 100 hours of Treadwell’s video diary. Also, the German director interviews friends and associates of Treadwell; they say surprising things.
As for the editing, this documentary was initially rated R for language. All of that has been removed from this version, of course, but at one time Treadwell says “frikin’,” and it sounds like something else. But I would warn sensitive viewers about the frank discussions of the grizzly (and grisly) attack. Although some of this has been edited, too, much of it remains. It is vivid, explicit and horrifying.
“Grizzly Man” is an absolute masterpiece whose credit partially belongs to Herzog, but even more so to Timothy Treadwell, the so-called Grizzly Man himself, who loved bears more than anything, including his own life.
Directed by Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog / Timothy Treadwell / Jewel Palovak
103 min. Documentary
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 15 and up
DVD release date: December 26, 2005
Copyright 2007.
JP0171 : 306
O Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 11, 2007
“Grizzly Man” is one of the great documentaries by one of the great filmmakers, Werner Herzog. If you are not familiar with Werner Herzog, then make that your first priority. Herzog is to filmmaking what Evel Knievel was to “stuntmanship.” Or, more accurately, Werner Herzog is the Evel Knievel of filmmaking.
In “Grizzly Man,” Herzog introduces us into the world of Timothy Treadwell, a man who chose to live in the Alaskan wilderness among grizzly bears for 13 summers. Unlike Herzog’s other documentaries, much of the footage was shot by Treadwell himself — of himself, dangerously close to the bears.
For 11 of the 13 summers, Treadwell lived alone with the wild animals, 24 hours a day, for months at a time. His last two summers, he dragged his reluctant girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, with him. It is no secret (in the film or otherwise) that the inevitable happened: Both people were eaten in 2003 by a grizzly bear. (Visual footage of the fatal attack does not exist, and we are spared from hearing the audio recording.)
Herzog selects phenomenal footage from more than 100 hours of Treadwell’s video diary. Also, the German director interviews friends and associates of Treadwell; they say surprising things.
As for the editing, this documentary was initially rated R for language. All of that has been removed from this version, of course, but at one time Treadwell says “frikin’,” and it sounds like something else. But I would warn sensitive viewers about the frank discussions of the grizzly (and grisly) attack. Although some of this has been edited, too, much of it remains. It is vivid, explicit and horrifying.
“Grizzly Man” is an absolute masterpiece whose credit partially belongs to Herzog, but even more so to Timothy Treadwell, the so-called Grizzly Man himself, who loved bears more than anything, including his own life.
Directed by Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog / Timothy Treadwell / Jewel Palovak
103 min. Documentary
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 15 and up
DVD release date: December 26, 2005
Copyright 2007.
JP0171 : 306
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
O An excellent must-see
O Good video rental
X Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 4, 2007
During the introductory comments, one of this documentary’s three writers, Bethany McLean, tells us that “this isn’t a story about numbers and complicated transactions, it’s about people and is really a human tragedy.”
I beg to differ about one point: “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” is indeed a human tragedy (namely for all of the employees who lost their retirement and pension plans, not the crooks), but it is also about numbers and complicated transactions and is therefore, somewhat tedious to watch.
Basically, rent this video if you’d like a blow-by-blow, play-by-play recounting of what the corporate, criminal masterminds, Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling and Andrew Fastow (and many others) did to “cook the books,” pull “the corporate crime of the century” and bring about America’s largest corporate bankruptcy. (Oh, and it would also help if you have a good grasp on financial matters.)
There are interesting parts in this documentary, particularly ironic file footage and recordings of devious, despicable phone conversations. Some of the documentary will make you sad. Most of it will cause your blood to boil.
“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” is fairly well made. I particularly liked the soundtrack selections. It was not, however, as clear and accessible to “common folk” like me, and I’m no dummy, usually.
Since this documentary was initially released in April of 2005, it does not contain some of the updates, such as Kenneth Lay’s dying on July 5, 2006. Even so, this documentary is a decent recap for a history class.
Directed by Alex Gibney
Ken Lay / Jeffrey Skilling / Andrew Fastow
110 min. Documentary
(No original MPAA rating)
Edited version age recommendation: 10 and up
DVD release date: January 17, 2006
Copyright 2007.
JP0164 : 254
O Good video rental
X Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 4, 2007
During the introductory comments, one of this documentary’s three writers, Bethany McLean, tells us that “this isn’t a story about numbers and complicated transactions, it’s about people and is really a human tragedy.”
I beg to differ about one point: “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” is indeed a human tragedy (namely for all of the employees who lost their retirement and pension plans, not the crooks), but it is also about numbers and complicated transactions and is therefore, somewhat tedious to watch.
Basically, rent this video if you’d like a blow-by-blow, play-by-play recounting of what the corporate, criminal masterminds, Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling and Andrew Fastow (and many others) did to “cook the books,” pull “the corporate crime of the century” and bring about America’s largest corporate bankruptcy. (Oh, and it would also help if you have a good grasp on financial matters.)
There are interesting parts in this documentary, particularly ironic file footage and recordings of devious, despicable phone conversations. Some of the documentary will make you sad. Most of it will cause your blood to boil.
“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” is fairly well made. I particularly liked the soundtrack selections. It was not, however, as clear and accessible to “common folk” like me, and I’m no dummy, usually.
Since this documentary was initially released in April of 2005, it does not contain some of the updates, such as Kenneth Lay’s dying on July 5, 2006. Even so, this documentary is a decent recap for a history class.
Directed by Alex Gibney
Ken Lay / Jeffrey Skilling / Andrew Fastow
110 min. Documentary
(No original MPAA rating)
Edited version age recommendation: 10 and up
DVD release date: January 17, 2006
Copyright 2007.
JP0164 : 254
King Kong (2005)
X An excellent must-see
O Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 4, 2007
Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” remake is a masterpiece and nearly perfect. You must see this film. In fact, if I ever met a person who had never seen a movie, and I could only show her three movies, “King Kong” would be one of them.
To be objective, the two most common complaints about this movie are that it’s too long, about three hours long. The other complaint is that it takes too long (an hour) to get to Kong. But I suspect that Jackson was employing the anticipation technique that we experience with “Jaws” (1975). (The next time you watch that shark classic, note how long it takes to actually see the shark.)
These two complaints are legitimate, but only after your first viewing. Your first viewing of “King Kong” will fill you with wonder. When I first saw this in the theater, I had tears in my eyes from pure cinematic awe.
You already know the story from the 1933 original (If you don’t know the story and would rather learn it from the movie, skip this paragraph.): A filmmaker takes his crew to film the mysterious location of Skull Island. The travelers encounter an inhospitable place filled with unfriendly natives, prehistoric monsters and a giant gorilla called “Kong.” Kong claims Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and becomes infatuated with her. Writer Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) attempts to save her from the gorilla and Carl Denham (Jack Black) wants to capture Kong to take him back to New York to be a moneymaking spectacle.
This edited version removes the language and brief references to a burlesque theater. But the intense creature violence and harrowing situations remain in the edited version. “King Kong” really isn’t a movie for children, despite the monkey. For kids, rent “Curious George” (2006), instead.
But for a spectacular, action-adventure, creature-feature, “King Kong” is exceptional.
Directed by Peter Jackson
Naomi Watts / Adrien Brody / Jack Black
187 min. Adventure / Action
(Original MPAA rating: PG-13)
Edited version age recommendation: 13 and up
DVD release date: November 14, 2006
Copyright 2007.
JP0162 : 309
O Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 4, 2007
Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” remake is a masterpiece and nearly perfect. You must see this film. In fact, if I ever met a person who had never seen a movie, and I could only show her three movies, “King Kong” would be one of them.
To be objective, the two most common complaints about this movie are that it’s too long, about three hours long. The other complaint is that it takes too long (an hour) to get to Kong. But I suspect that Jackson was employing the anticipation technique that we experience with “Jaws” (1975). (The next time you watch that shark classic, note how long it takes to actually see the shark.)
These two complaints are legitimate, but only after your first viewing. Your first viewing of “King Kong” will fill you with wonder. When I first saw this in the theater, I had tears in my eyes from pure cinematic awe.
You already know the story from the 1933 original (If you don’t know the story and would rather learn it from the movie, skip this paragraph.): A filmmaker takes his crew to film the mysterious location of Skull Island. The travelers encounter an inhospitable place filled with unfriendly natives, prehistoric monsters and a giant gorilla called “Kong.” Kong claims Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and becomes infatuated with her. Writer Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody) attempts to save her from the gorilla and Carl Denham (Jack Black) wants to capture Kong to take him back to New York to be a moneymaking spectacle.
This edited version removes the language and brief references to a burlesque theater. But the intense creature violence and harrowing situations remain in the edited version. “King Kong” really isn’t a movie for children, despite the monkey. For kids, rent “Curious George” (2006), instead.
But for a spectacular, action-adventure, creature-feature, “King Kong” is exceptional.
Directed by Peter Jackson
Naomi Watts / Adrien Brody / Jack Black
187 min. Adventure / Action
(Original MPAA rating: PG-13)
Edited version age recommendation: 13 and up
DVD release date: November 14, 2006
Copyright 2007.
JP0162 : 309
Changing Lanes (2002)
O An excellent must-see
X Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 4, 2007
“Changing Lanes” was released in 2002. But there is another movie (which is superior but different) that was released in 2006 called “The Prestige.” Both movies are about two men battling each other in escalating revenge, tit for tat. Both movies are consuming, and I recommend them.
Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) and Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson) are both driving in busy, morning traffic on the FDR highway when they have a small fender bender. No one is hurt. Both are reasonably collected and commendably civil. But they are both in a profound hurry.
Doyle wants to do things “by the book” and exchange insurance information. Gavin simply needs to quickly be on his way, so he offers to leave a blank check with Doyle for damages. Doyle refuses because he wishes “to do this the right way.” Gavin does not comply and leaves.
This is the inciting incident that sets a series of events in motion like a snowball rolling down a slope. I will not disclose any more about the plot; but rest assured, “Changing Lanes” does an excellent job at depicting how scarily ugly vengefulness can become.
Where “Changing Lanes” goes amiss is with its characters: We should equally like and equally root for both individuals, back and forth, as their battle ensues. But we don’t, because, Gavin is too immoral. Neither person is an angel, but we tend to lean toward Doyle’s predicaments.
“The Prestige” corrects this oversight. We are equally heartbroken and equally angry with both of the movie’s characters as they trade blows.
Directed by Roger Michell
Samuel L. Jackson / Ben Affleck / Sydney Pollack
99 min. Drama
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 13 and up
DVD release date: September 10, 2002
Copyright 2007.
JP0161 : 259
X Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 4, 2007
“Changing Lanes” was released in 2002. But there is another movie (which is superior but different) that was released in 2006 called “The Prestige.” Both movies are about two men battling each other in escalating revenge, tit for tat. Both movies are consuming, and I recommend them.
Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) and Doyle Gipson (Samuel L. Jackson) are both driving in busy, morning traffic on the FDR highway when they have a small fender bender. No one is hurt. Both are reasonably collected and commendably civil. But they are both in a profound hurry.
Doyle wants to do things “by the book” and exchange insurance information. Gavin simply needs to quickly be on his way, so he offers to leave a blank check with Doyle for damages. Doyle refuses because he wishes “to do this the right way.” Gavin does not comply and leaves.
This is the inciting incident that sets a series of events in motion like a snowball rolling down a slope. I will not disclose any more about the plot; but rest assured, “Changing Lanes” does an excellent job at depicting how scarily ugly vengefulness can become.
Where “Changing Lanes” goes amiss is with its characters: We should equally like and equally root for both individuals, back and forth, as their battle ensues. But we don’t, because, Gavin is too immoral. Neither person is an angel, but we tend to lean toward Doyle’s predicaments.
“The Prestige” corrects this oversight. We are equally heartbroken and equally angry with both of the movie’s characters as they trade blows.
Directed by Roger Michell
Samuel L. Jackson / Ben Affleck / Sydney Pollack
99 min. Drama
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 13 and up
DVD release date: September 10, 2002
Copyright 2007.
JP0161 : 259
Field of Dreams (1989)
O An excellent must-see
X Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 4, 2007
I am part of an unpopular minority, but I must confess that I don’t love “Field of Dreams” the way everyone else seems to. Chances are you’ve seen this movie about 100 times. But if you haven’t, I have indicated that it is a “Good video rental” because it is well made, and it clearly has undeniable widespread appeal.
In my mind, “Field of Dreams” is about as American as apple pie and baseball; perhaps that’s because baseball is a major part of this movie. When you watch this again, take note: The very best part is the first five minutes of Kevin Costner’s voice-over narration. While he talks, we get what is called a “filmograph sequence,” which combines still photos and live action to make a creative montage, of sorts. This portion of the film is its masterstroke.
Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is a new corn farmer in Iowa. One day he begins to hear “The Voice,” which tells him, “If you build it, he will come.” Ray learns that he is being instructed to build a baseball field in the middle of his corn field. Obeying this construction commission rewards Ray with unlikely visitors. The Voice keeps instructing Ray further, and he keeps following its instructions. The Voice has an eventual purpose for giving Ray these baseball-related chores.
“Field of Dreams” is pleasant, mystical, sweet and warmhearted; it is a good choice for “a family movie” ... much better, for example, than something like “Cheaper by the Dozen” (2003) or “RV” (2006). Please don’t subject your children to such things. I will have to report you.
Directed by Phil Alden Robinson
Kevin Costner / Ray Liotta / James Earl Jones
107 min. Fantasy / Drama
(Original MPAA rating: PG)
Edited version age recommendation: 8 and up
DVD release date: June 8, 2004
Copyright 2007.
JP0163 : 268
X Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else
Review by Jason Pyles / August 4, 2007
I am part of an unpopular minority, but I must confess that I don’t love “Field of Dreams” the way everyone else seems to. Chances are you’ve seen this movie about 100 times. But if you haven’t, I have indicated that it is a “Good video rental” because it is well made, and it clearly has undeniable widespread appeal.
In my mind, “Field of Dreams” is about as American as apple pie and baseball; perhaps that’s because baseball is a major part of this movie. When you watch this again, take note: The very best part is the first five minutes of Kevin Costner’s voice-over narration. While he talks, we get what is called a “filmograph sequence,” which combines still photos and live action to make a creative montage, of sorts. This portion of the film is its masterstroke.
Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is a new corn farmer in Iowa. One day he begins to hear “The Voice,” which tells him, “If you build it, he will come.” Ray learns that he is being instructed to build a baseball field in the middle of his corn field. Obeying this construction commission rewards Ray with unlikely visitors. The Voice keeps instructing Ray further, and he keeps following its instructions. The Voice has an eventual purpose for giving Ray these baseball-related chores.
“Field of Dreams” is pleasant, mystical, sweet and warmhearted; it is a good choice for “a family movie” ... much better, for example, than something like “Cheaper by the Dozen” (2003) or “RV” (2006). Please don’t subject your children to such things. I will have to report you.
Directed by Phil Alden Robinson
Kevin Costner / Ray Liotta / James Earl Jones
107 min. Fantasy / Drama
(Original MPAA rating: PG)
Edited version age recommendation: 8 and up
DVD release date: June 8, 2004
Copyright 2007.
JP0163 : 268
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