Another Film Review: Surrogate

This movie is so horrible that I am in physical agony. If I had a can of paint, I'd open it and watch it dry.

Remember, kids: Redbox may only be a dollar, but you can't buy back your time.

Yeeeeesssssss!

Rumor has it that Pee Wee Herman, who will open his LA stage show, "The Pee Wee Herman Show" in January, might even have another movie in the works.

"He's the impulsive character who will do what you're feeling inside," said the show's director, Alex Timbers.

Insert your own "what I'm feeling inside" jokes here. Nevertheless, they claim that the show is the equivalent of a PG movie.

Now, for your viewing pleasure...

Film School, Vol. 7: Flight of the Conchords, Season Two!

Hooray, they're back! If you were savvy enough to listen to my previous recommendation, then you're already familiar with Bret and Jemaine, "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo" from season one of HBO's Flight of the Conchords.

My favorite song from this season is "Sugarlumps". Don't watch it in front of your six year old. (It's called "Sugarlumps", what do you expect?) It's catchy, and you don't want them running around singing this one at Sunday School.

Film School, Vol. 6: Ricky Gervais: Out of England

This is a stand-up special, not a movie, shot at Madison Square Garden in 2008. Not surprisingly, it's the best stand-up routine that I have ever seen. It's not for the easily offended, as he jokes about cancer, Nazis, nursery rhymes, and obesity. But that is what makes it great!

If you've ever seen Extras (which you should have, because it was a previous Film School entry) or BBC's The Office, I don't have to sell you on this.

Film School, Vol. 5: Milk

"My name is Harvey Milk, and I am here to recruit you."

Milk is the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to a major public office in the United States. After a few failed attempts, he was elected City Supervisor for his district in San Francisco during the 1970s. He worked for civil rights not only for homosexuals, but also for minorities and the elderly. Milk, along with Mayor George Moscone, was assassinated by disgruntled fellow City Supervisor Dan White. By then, he had already advanced a movement across America to demand fair treatment for homosexuals, who were at the time persecuted freely in the workplace for their personal choices.

Sean Penn was excellent in his role, and I enjoyed the style of the film--actual footage from that time added in at appropriate times. The film's message is not the advancement of any gay agenda, but rather fairness and equality. So if you believe in fair treatment of all individuals, regardless of personal preference, then you will probably really enjoy this film. Despite a tragic ending, it was very uplifting.

Film School, Vol. 4: Extras

Again, I'm recommending a sitcom because I haven't seen many good movies lately (or many at all, really). Extras, an HBO sitcom starring Ricky Gervais from the BBC version of The Office, is the story of "supporting artist" Andy Millman, his dim-bulb best friend, Maggie, and his incompetent agent, Darren Lamb, played by Stephen Merchant, his Office co-creator. Each episode also features a celebrity, including Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, Orlando Bloom, and David Bowie, who is usually the star of the film in which Andy is appearing.

The first season of the show centers on Andy's work as a movie extra, and the second involves Andy's attempts to jumpstart his own sitcom. Additionally, there is a Christmas special that picks up where the second (and final, for now) season left off. There is speculation that the show will return after Gervais and Merchant have finished other projects.

In this clip, Andy gives Maggie a "racism test" after she develops a crush on a black coworker and worries that she has made a bad impression.

Film School, Vol. 3: Death at a Funeral

Death at a Funeral is a very funny British movie that I watched this week. After a man dies, his grown sons come home for his funeral and meet a dwarf who claims to have had a gay affair with their father. He demands £15,000 in exchange for keeping to himself some very embarrassing photographs of the two of them.

Hijinks ensue, someone unknowingly takes drugs and trips in front of the family, there are pratfalls, a casket fall, lots of outrageousness, etc. Chris Rock is even remaking the film, except urban American, and with black actors instead of British ones.

It's really amusing, only 85 minutes long, and you should take a look.

Do you have anything better to do?

Film School, Vol. 2: Flight of the Conchords

I haven't written about any movies lately because I haven't seen anything that was very good. I do love TV on DVD, though, so I would like to recommend HBO's Flight of the Conchords.

Bret and Jemaine are"New Zealand's fourth most popular folk-parody duo", trying to build a music career in New York City. They have an inept manager, Murray, who "manages" them during business hours at his Cultural Attache position in the New Zealand consulate, and one obsessed fan, Mel. Their friend and confidante, Dave, owns a nearby pawn shop and dispenses advice on dealing with everything from anti-Kiwi sentiments to women.

Every episode includes a spontaneous music video, which often takes place only in their imaginations. In the scene pictured here, they imagine dancing, bicycling, and singing (in French) with two girls who work at their local croissant shop, after standing outside for two hours working up the nerve to go in and order. The series was nominated for two Emmys for original songs from this season: "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)" and "Inner City Pressure" (video below).

Perhaps the best episode of this season is "Mugged", in which Bret abandons Jemaine when his coat sleeve becomes caught on a fence as they try to run away from muggers, saying he's simply "too scared" and running all the way home until he's safe in his bed. They sing an impromptu rap song ("Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerous") for their muggers, a series of humorous events take place, etc.

Watch Flight of the Conchords!

Film School, Vol. 1: Once

Since you already consult this website for good advice on how to vote, what to cook, and what current world events are most interesting, so I've decided to throw in a movie review from time to time. We watch a lot of movies and TV-on-DVD, thanks to Netflix, but this series will only address movies I really liked. Movies I hated will be ridiculed as usual, but will not be part of the Film School series.

The movie that prompted me to begin this is... Once, which you might have heard of by watching this year's Oscars. Glen Hansard, of the Irish band The Frames, and Czech singer Markéta Irglová won the Oscar for Best Original Song, and there was only one other song in their category of five that was not from the film Enchanted. Barf.

Now, about this movie. Guy and Girl (they remain unnamed throughout the movie) meet when he's singing on a Dublin street corner and she walks by, selling flowers. He tells her that his "real job" is working in his father's vacuum repair shop, which makes her day since, as she puts it, "I have a broken Hoover!" She returns the following afternoon with the broken vacuum cleaner in tow, and from there they get to know one another and discover that they make a great musical team.

Without telling so much that I spoil the movie, she aids him on a project to record a demo album and get rolling the career he has been long putting off. (Hence the title, which comes from the director's experiences with musicians who say they will start their career "once" such-and-such takes place.) The movie also centers somewhat on their potential relationship.

I bought this movie's soundtrack on iTunes weeks ago after hearing and liking their Oscar song, Falling Slowly, and it turns out that the rest of it is fantastic as well. My favorite song from the album is Fallen from the Sky, which is played in the movie on a Casio keyboard (drumbeats and all). It reminded me of my own Casio from my childhood, which played Greensleeves, Holiday, and Born in the USA.