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Stephen Sommers Apologies for G.I. Joe

Erik Samdahl — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:52:43 +0000

Hi, my name is Stephen Sommers and I’m the director of the drama called G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra. I’ve been making movies since 1989, and in that time my goal has been to win an Oscar for Best Director. Or win a Razzie. I have yet to win either because Hollywood just doesn’t understand my sophisticated storytelling techniques or complex, layered characters. They just don’t understand. But audiences love my movies. They told me The Mummy was good, so I made a sequel. That movie made a lot of money, so I learned that people like ridiculous plots with terrible special effects. That’s how I came to make Van Helsing, one of the most celebrated films of this generation.

Read the rest about G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra.

Red Cliff (2009) Movie Review

Erik Samdahl — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:16:35 +0000

It’s been six years since we last heard from John Woo, and even longer since he directed a good movie. For a short while, Woo was my favorite action director – that is, until he made Windtalkers. Oh, and Paycheck. Jesus, Paycheck. But Woo is back with an all-Chinese, all-battle epic called Red Cliff (Chi Bi), and it his best movie this decade. Of course, that’s not saying much.

View this Red Cliff movie review at its original location – FilmJabber!

Blu-Ray Review: Say Anything 20th Anniversary Edition

Erik Samdahl — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:19:55 +0000

The boombox is back! Say Anything, one of the quintessential romantic comedies of the 1980’s, is coming to Blu-Ray in an all-new 20th Anniversary Edition.

Say Anything marks the directorial debut of Cameron Crowe and stars John Cusack as a young man named Lloyd Dobler, who’s one mission in life is to date Diane Court (Ione Skye). The movie looks at the rise and fall of their relationship in a very sincere way, which sets it apart from a lot of the teen comedies that were to follow.

I didn’t grow up with Say Anything (I first saw it just a couple years ago), and so I’m not a Say Anything fan, but it’s still a solid and engaging film with great performances and direction. Thanks to Crowe’s ability to explore his characters with amazing depth, the movie, even after 20 years, doesn’t feel very dated – and that’s always a good thing when dealing with the 1980’s.

The Say Anything Blu-Ray comes with the following bonus features:

Commentary by Cameron Crowe, John Cusack and Ione Skye
I haven’t listened to it, but I wonder if Cusack and Crowe spend time pointing out how much more successful their careers have been than Skye’s.
An Iconic Film Revisited: Say Anything … 20 Years Later
This little featurette includes interviews with all the major players involved in the film as they look back on Say Anything and what made it so special. The featurette feels slightly promotional in nature, but a few good insights are provided, especially around the working style of Cusack and the creation of the infamous boombox scene. Still, it’s nothing amazing.
A Conversation with Cameron Crowe
This featurette simply has Crowe talking to the camera about his experiences on set. The conversation feels very sincere and honest, as he talks about the challenges of his directorial debut and various aspects of the movie. This is the best feature on the disc.
I Love Say Anything…!
This seven-minute featurette is one of those segments you see on E! Channel where a bunch of comedians or C-level celebrities talk about their memories of a movie or person. In this case, they’re talking about Say Anything – mainly good things with a few minor jokes. There’s nothing particularly funny, though.
To Know Say Anything… Is to Love It! Trivia Track
You can add a trivia track to run while watching the movie. I’d rather just watch the movie, but if this is your kind of thing…
Alternate Scenes, Deleted Scenes, Extended Scenes
There’s a surprisingly large amount of footage to be seen here, some of which is pretty good.
Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots and Photo Galleries
This is self-explanatory.

Most of the special features save for the “20 Years Later” featurette appear to have been released on DVD before, so there’s not much to the Say Anything: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-Ray. That being said, it’s fun to revisit the movie – especially if you don’t already own it.

A Perfect Getaway Movie Review

Erik Samdahl — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 01:48:36 +0000

By the time August rolls around, most of the big blockbusters have faded into the sunset and studios, desperate to ink out a few more dollars in the dog days of summer, start unleashing their B-round of films. These movies are generally worthless and forgettable, hardly worth the $10 price of admission. Going into A Perfect Getaway, a largely un-marketed thriller from Universal Pictures, this is exactly what I expected. Thankfully, the movie is surprisingly entertaining and well done, despite a rather disastrous third act.

Read the rest of my A Perfect Getaway movie review.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review

Erik Samdahl — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:05:30 +0000

The time is near, that when the Harry Potter franchise delivers its final whisk of the wand. The tension is starting to build, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth entry in the blockbuster franchise, is a key indicator of how the story of Harry, Ron and Hermione will end. David Yates, who also directed the previous Harry Potter film, is back at the helm – as he will be for the final two movies – but there was no certainty that the franchise would end on a high note. After sitting through two and a half hours of the latest Harry Potter, however, I can say with confidence that I can’t wait for the final chapters to arrive.

Read the rest of the Harry Potter movie review.

The Unborn Movie Review – Now on DVD!

Erik Samdahl — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:43:40 +0000

Forget Megan Fox. Odette Yustman is the hottest young actress working today. In her follow-up to Cloverfield, in which she made a name for herself despite being in the movie for just a few minutes, she plays a young woman who is being haunted by her dead, unborn twin. That’s got to suck.

Read the rest of The Unborn movie review.

Kristin Kreuk is Hot, Street Fighter is Not

Erik Samdahl — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:57:25 +0000

There’s bad, and then there’s Street Fighter bad. And what’s worse than a Street Fighter movie but an unnecessary, unwanted sequel fifteen years after the franchise’s heyday, starring a TV actress and lacking a plot? Yes, it’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

One has to think that 20th Century Fox had this absurd idea when greenlighting the film that it would do well enough to fund several sequels titled Street Fighter: The Legend of Another Forgettable Character. Ah, Hollywood executives. You’re so cute sometimes.

Read the rest of the Street Fighter movie review.

Now on DVD: Dark Streets Movie Review

Erik Samdahl — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:54:18 +0000

When I saw the previews for Dark Streets, I was intrigued. It looked like a darker Moulin Rouge meets Chicago, a smoky musical thriller set in the underworld of New Orleans. Unfortunately, reality is often much less exciting.

Dark Streets stars Gabriel Mann as Chaz, a playboy and nightclub owner who finds his life spinning out of control amidst too many love affairs, debt and the mystery surrounding his father’s death. Though there is a plot, Dark Streets is essentially one-long music video, featuring original songs with performances by Natalie Cole, Etta James, Richie Sambora and more.

Read the rest of the Dark Streets movie review.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Movie Review

Erik Samdahl — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:59:55 +0000

John Travolta knows how to play memorable villains. He was intense in Face/Off, entertaining in Broken Arrow and mind blowing in Battlefield Earth. Just joking about that last one, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be excited to see the crafty Scientologist back on the dark side – and squaring off against his most worth opponent yet: Denzel Washington. Can you think of two better scene-chewing actors that should work together? Throw in the frenetic Tony Scott and you’ve got The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, an entertaining though unexceptional action-thriller.

Read the rest of my Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 movie review.

Harrison Ford’s Crossing Over Movie Review

Erik Samdahl — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:47:04 +0000

Oh, how far has Harrison Ford fallen? Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was supposed to resurrect his career, but instead it just seemed to reaffirm people’s suspicions that he is a bit of a has-been, a man whose best movies are behind him. Personally, I believe he still has a few good years left in him, but Crossing Over does little to back up my position.

In Crossing Over, Ford is but one of an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe) and Summer Bishil (Towelhead), among others. I like the idea of Ford playing a smaller role, as going the supporting route allows actors to reestablish credibility and play characters he or she might otherwise not get to play. However, if you’re going to do an ensemble part, at least play a character that is at least marginally interesting.

Read the rest of my Crossing Over movie review.