CHARLIE’S ANGELS

US, 2000, 98 minutes, Colour.
Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray, Sam Rockwell, Kelly Lynch, Tim Curry, Crispin Glover, Matt Le Blanc, LL Cool J, Tom Green, Luke Wilson, voice of: John Forsythe.
Directed by Mike G.

A frothy but eye-popping update of the popular TV show. Along the lines of James Bond movies, it provides some amusing lines and the derring-do of Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu with the bumbling of Bill Murray. Sam Rockwell and Kelly Lynch are the villains – opposing the other villain, Tim Curry. It's old-time matinee material with gloss and glamour.

1. The popularity of the television series? Adapted for the 21st century? The stars and their screen presence, glamour, action? Bill Murray as Bosley, and the voice of John Forsythe as Charlie?

2. The opening in the plane, the bomb threat, Dylan disguised as LL Cool J? Throwing the bomber out of the plane, the parachutes, Alex coming to the rescue?

3. Each of the characters, their own distinctive screen presence, Drew Barrymore as shrewd and attractive, Lucy Liu, serious and her martial arts, Cameron Diaz playing the shrewd but ditzy personality?

4. Bill Murray as Bosley, with the Angels, the contact with Charlie? His becoming involved with the action, confronting Corwin at the party, being captured, held in the castle, the rescue?

5. The mission, Roger Corwin and his power, the party, Bosley and his disguise, confronting him, the mock battle in the animal suits? The sinister presence of the Thin Man, his escape, the pursuit, his vanishing? His re-appearing as the racing car driver? The competitive drive against Natalie? His later reappearance with Corwin? Turning against him and being with Knox and Vivien? His sword, the final fights?

6. The kidnapping of Eric Knox? His software and the expectation that Corwin was stealing it? The irony that Knox was the villain, wanting Corwin’s satellites, homing in on people through the satellites and the software?

7. The various escapades? At the racetrack and the races? The Angels disguised as pitstop help? The social, Natalie as waitress? Her meeting Pete, the attraction? Going out with him, the competitive dance, her going on stage, exhilaration with the dancing, the mainly black audience, disdain, yet getting into the rhythm? Getting a message to leave? The later phone call, Pete ringing while she was trying to rescue Bosley, doing the action and having the conversation at the same time?

8. Alex, her partner, his performance in films and television, the filming of his scene and audiences think it was he with Alex?

9. Dylan and her friendship with Chad, his boat, helping out at the end?

10. Dylan and her security with Eric? The infatuation? The revelation that he was the villain? The arrival of Vivien, the past contact with Bosley, with the Angels, turning against them, the fights? The guns and Natalie falling off the balcony – and the irony of her dress catching, yet her walking away safe?

11. The deadline, Eric and his intentions? Taking Bosley? The shooting of Alex’s partner and his trailer, demolished? Natalie and the attempt on her, her escape?

12. Converging on the castle, Alex and her computer skills, Natalie trying to free Bosley, Dylan and her coming to the rescue?

13. The helicopter, the dramatic culmination?

14. Memories of the Bond films, women instead of men, and combination of comedy with derring-do?

ROOM 514

Israel, 2012, 91 minutes, Colour.
Asia Naifeld, Ohad Hall, Guy Kapulnik, Udo Persi.
Directed by Sharon Bar- Ziv.

Room 514 is one of a number of Israeli films around 2012, focusing on the Israeli Army and its behaviour, especially towards civilians and Arabs.

It is set principally in the one room, an interrogation room, room 514. There are a few scenes outside this room and a scene on a bus, breaking the sense of confinement.

The important theme is that the interrogator is a woman, looked down on by the man she is interrogating, as well as by the army authorities. She has only a few more weeks to serve and is determined to make an impact with getting the man interrogated to admit the brutal behaviour of a special army squad. She does, breaking him down, the head of the squad commits suicide, and she is required to stay in the Army pending an enquiry.

She is in a relationship with a fellow-officer who is engaged to be married and wants her to lie to his fiancee.

The film is an interesting look at Israel and its attitude towards its armed forces.

1. The focus of the room, the interrogation, the interrogator, the man questioned? Small dimensions of the room, most of the action taking place there? Scenes outside, the offices, the bus?

2. The atmosphere of Israel, 21st century, the Israeli Army, special squads, treatment of Arabs? Called to account legally, the army wanting to protect itself?

3. Anna, her age, experience, about to leave the army? her first interrogation job? Her self-confidence, her relationship with eraz, his being engaged, his meeting his fiancee and wanting Anna to lie? Her agreeing? Their sexual encounters and intensity in the office?

4. The young man being interrogated, Nimrod, his looking down on Anna because she was a woman, chauvinistic attitudes? His refusal to answer? The intensity of the interrogation, and her questions, her threats? His character, information, the special squad, the treatment of people, especially Arabs?

5. The information about the leader, his role, attitudes, the news of his killing himself?

6. The general, his coming personally, warning Anna to give up the interrogation, her refusal? Eraz and his warning Anna? The pressure on her to give up? The reasons for her persevering?

7. The scene in the bus, talking amicably after the interrogation?

8. The news of the suicide of Davidi, the officer in charge of the special squad?

9. Her devastation about the suicide? Her being blamed? The officials not wanting her to leave the military? To be available for the hearings?

10. The perspective of Israel, military, hardline, tensions at the beginning of the 21st century?

LEAVES OF GRASS

US, 2009, 105 minutes, Colour.
Edward Norton, Tim Blake Nelson, Keri Russell, Susan Sarandon, Melanie Lynskey, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Ty Burrell, Josh Pais, Richard Dreyfus.
Directed by Tim Blake Nelson.

Leaves of Grass is the title of the book of poems by Walt Whitman. It is seen during this film. But there is another meaning of grass, that of marijuana.

That this is the story of twin brothers, both played by Edward Norton, outstanding performances as each of the brothers. They come from Little Dixie in Oklahoma, with hippy parents and a poor way of life. One twin, Billy, loses his accent, follows his love of reading and academia and moves East, eventually lecturing at a university, with the prospects of moving to Harvard with his own centre for philosophy and law. The other brother, Brady, stays local and is involved in drug networks, also developing his own hydroponic marijuana.

Brady invites Billy back to Oklahoma, pretending a crisis. He really wants Billy to be years alibi when he goes to Tulsa and he and his buddy, Bolger (Tim Blake Nelson who wrote the screenplay as well as directing) shoot the head of the drug distribution, a respectable Jewish leader (Richard Dreyfus), while his brother is seen visiting their mother, Susan Sarandon, at a residence for the elderly.

An unexpected complication arises when an orthodontist, Josh Pais, who had talked to Billy on the plane to Oklahoma, realises what has happened, buys a gun, demands money – which leads to fatal shootouts.

The film is interesting in its well-written screenplay, the contrast between the two brothers and their choices in life.

1. The title, the reference to Walt Whitman and poetry? The contrast with grass and marijuana? The interconnecting of the two themes?

2. Edward Norton, the tour-de-force of his double performance, the two characters? Origins in Oklahoma, Little Dixie? Memories of the past, their father, the drugs, his death, their mother wondering whether he intended this rather than living with her? The mother, hippie, not caring for her sons, drugs, permissive? Growing older, her life in the home? Billy, his decision to change, his continual academic interest, getting more knowledge, changing his accent, going east, his degree, teaching, his reputation, his publications, and Brady reading them all, their mother with the magazines? Brady, staying local, clever but following his parents with the drugs, his time in prison, his friendship with Bolger, the range of the deals, the network?

3. Billy, Greek culture, philosophy, hearing him lecturing? In his office, the infatuated girl, poetry in Latin, stripping, his saying no, the secretary witnessing and later using this against him? His exasperation? The dinner, the offer to go to Harvard, his own centre, law and philosophy? His prospects?

4. Brady and Bolger, Brady at home, his girlfriend, pregnancy? His still doing the drugs? Visiting his mother? The local gangs and their threats to him? Going to Tulsa, the confrontation with Pug, all talk, about settling down? Brady and Bolger shooting the thugs, shooting Pug? The importance of his development of the hydroponic growth of marijuana? The visuals of his scheme?

5. Brady and his decision to get Billy to come home? Bolger meeting him? Going to the store, the bashing? Billy not wanting to visit his mother, yet doing so? His brother, the pregnant girl? Initial suspicions, allayed? Being persuaded to smoke the pot, memories of the past? Visiting the hydroponic centre? Visiting his mother and the reminiscences?

6. Brady, shaving and becoming trim, visiting Pug, the talk, issues of power, the henchmen? The sudden shootings? Painting the swastikas – back-to-front and the later apology, not wanting to be racist? Billy providing his alibi?

7. Ken, on the plane, his family, talking with Billy, the arrival, orthodontist, his story, hoping for contacts in Tulsa? At the synagogue, seeing Brady? Googling the brothers, discovering the truth, his awkwardness in buying the gun, desperate, arrival, holding up the group, his arguments, Billy shooting him, Brady shot, Brady holding the gun for his brother’s sake?

8. The police, the officer at the home for the residents, knowing the boys’ mother? Talking with the groups, the information, arriving on the scene of the shootings?

9. The quiet times, Janet and her friendship, pleasant, talking with Billy, the bond between them?

10. Billy, going to Tulsa, talking with the rabbi, the apology for the racism?

11. Billy, shot, going to the hospital? Coming back, sitting in the rain with Janet, quietly talking?

12. The picture of drugs in Oklahoma, the dealers, the centre, distribution, the seemingly respectable Jewish citizen of Tulsa and his control of the trade?

13. A future for Billy, the possibilities of going to Harvard for his centre? The relationship with Janet?

STEP UP: MIAMI HEAT/STEP UP REVOLUTION/STEP UP 4

US, 2012, 99 minutes, Colour.
Kathryn Mc Cormick, Ryan Guzman, Misha Gabriel Hamilton, Peter Gallagher.
Directed by Scott Speer.

There was a spate of dancing films a couple of years ago, stories of groups, generally from poorer areas of big cities, going in for competitions, especially in the streets. There were rivalries, clashes, rehearsals and big finales. Just when it seemed they had quietened down, along comes Step Up, Miami Heat. In fact, it’s the fourth in the series.

While the dancers might come from an older and poorer part of the city, this is no slum show. The production numbers are big budget, lots of dancers, costumes, art design, IT backup with a finale that would rival the opening of the 2012 Olympic games (with infinitely less rehearsal time and finance for a lavish show that seems to come from nowhere – or has been forgotten by the script writers). Actually, there are no rehearsal scenes at all except a few minutes for the last show. We don’t see any real preparations. Everything seems to happen overnight, everything ready on time, the dancers not putting a foot wrong. It’s impossibly happy. There is an explanation of who’s who in the group, which is called The Mob – but where they get money from is a mystery, especially since the mastermind of The Mob works as a hotel waiter and is sacked from his job. Nevertheless, the show must go on – and it does.

There’s romance. The main dancer, Sean (Ryan Guzman) also a waiter, meets a girl (Kathryn Mc Cormick), dances with her, falls in love. She turns out to be the daughter of the millionaire who wants to tear down this section of Miami to build hotels, shops etc (Peter Gallagher). The Mob does performances in public places, films them and posts them on You Tube (the film is an extended promotion of You Tube) to win a contest for most hits. With the development threatening, they move to protest dancing. They are a sensation with TV show commentators (actual ones, and well-known) all extolling them.

Do they stop the building? Is there reconciliation? Do hero and heroine have a happy ending? Is there some money for everyone at the end? Sorry, that might have spoilt the surprise!!

A lively and colourful show, exuberant and acrobatic and gymnastic performances, sweetness and light. Nobody is really a villain.

INTO THE STORM

US, 2014, 89 minutes, Colour.
Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh.
Directed by Stephen Quale.

Whew!!

Actually, that sounds rather weak as a verbal effort to describe the impact of the tornadoes in this semi-documentary disaster film.

How to describe the extraordinary special effects, making the tornadoes (storm in the title is definitely an understatement) seem so real, visually, aurally? So that by the end of the film, though comfortably ensconced in our cinema seats, we do feel the aftermath of being battered and bruised by being immersed in these twisters. (“Awesome”, had it not been hijacked by modern usage, over-usage, could have been a word to describe the impact of the effects – a friend kindly came to the rescue and suggested “astounding” which will do!)

The plot is fairly standard, the attention of the film-makers going to the action sequences rather than to their particularly ordinary dialogue. And the characters, also, are rather ordinary. There are three groups who eventually come together.

The main group is the storm-chasers, professionals, who roam around in high-technical vehicles, one really like a tank, another with sophisticated storm-chasing computers with links to television stations to bring immediate tornado footage. They are led by a very demanding professional named Pete, harsh towards everyone, challenged that he is thinking only of money and reputation rather than the concerns of injured people, but, of course, showing himself heroic at the end. There are drivers as well as camera operators, and Alison, the university educated expert on storms.

The second group focuses on a family, widower father, rather severe on his two teenage sons, who go to a graduation at the local school only to find that the graduate son is absent, making a video with his girlfriend.

The third group, negligible (and the film could’ve done without them), are some Youtube Yobs, not a brain between them, drinking then drunk, carrying on with attitudes and behaviour and stunts like the Jackass team.

But, the screenplay posits more tornadoes on the one day than Oklahoma ever saw. And then they start to split. As has been said, the visual impact of the tornadoes, the pace of the editing for maximum shock and involvement, more than justifies the making of the film. If you want to see instant destruction, from the continually moving tornadoes, the film certainly provides it. (In the old days, Dorothy’s house rolling through the air and landing in olives’s’sOz, seemed spectacular. This time, roofs and vehicles are easy targets – by the end, there are several 747 is whirling through the air.)

By the end, there is a group in peril, the father and his son, the rescued son (in the nick of time) and his girlfriend, Pete and his team, hiding in a stormwater channel, experiencing the twisters, the calm of the eye of the storm, and the final battering.

In one sense, the film is a very average B-budget story. But, it is an above average experience of cinema tornadoes.

1. The popularity of disaster films, especially during the later decades of the 20th century? Fictions? Documentaries? Semi-documentaries?

2. The reality of tornadoes in the United States? Origins of storms, progress, the whirlwinds, the twisters, striking, destruction?

3. This film and the impact of the visuals? A huge sense of realism? The quality of the special effects? The visual impact, the aural impact? Tornadoes in themselves, a sense of wonder watching them, people and their effects, attempts to escape and save themselves, the ruthlessness and the impact of destruction?

4. The basic plot of this film, rather ordinary, the writing, characters and types?

5. The editing, the shock, the pace, audience involvement, the score?

6. The subplots and their coming together?

7. The storm chasers, as a profession, on the lookout for the tornadoes, Pete and his life, hard, demanding on the others, telling them off? Alison and her studies, the five-year-old daughter? The camera operators, the drivers? The television link for immediacy? The importance of making money out of this profession? Seeing the characters in action, the dangers, continuing filming? The young man and his being caught up in the explosion and the fire?

8. The father, widower, his relationship with his sons, hard, one building the time capsule, missing the graduation? The younger brother and his going with his father? David, going with his girlfriend, making the video? The younger son going to school, participating in the graduation?

9. The Youtube Yobs, their bikes, vehicles, drinking and drunk, mad and the risks, like the Jackass team, caught up in the whirlwind, ending up upside down in the trees, falling down? This contribution of comedy – necessary or not?

10. The school, the kids, sheltering? The principal, the warning, going to the buses, being saved?

11. The final group, Peter and the vehicles, and the technology, anchoring the vehicle, the tank? The growing fears? The fire, filming and deaths? The father and his son, joining the group, getting the lift, the phone calls, trying to contact his son, the decision to go to find the son, the young man and the girl, the collapse, trapped in the water, their serious final words? The group’s arrival, the rescue, the car moving the blockage, the young boy with his knife? The hiding in the drain, Pete and his saving the group, in the truck, lifted up, going up above the clouds and his sublime moment, his death? The peace of the eye of the storm? The further impact of the tornadoes? The group in the drain? Finally emerging?

THE SKELETON TWINS

US, 2014, 93 minutes, Colour.
Kristin Wiig, Bill Hader, Luke Wilson, Boyd Holbrook, Ty Burrell, Joanna Gleeson.
Directed by Craig Johnson.


As the film opens, the audience sees a masked man dangling two skeletal dolls, like puppets, for the entertainment of his daughter and son. We soon learn that this man has killed himself. So, it is not surprising to see his son, Milo (Bill Hader) a would-be actor in Los Angeles, gay and lonely, getting into a bath and slitting his wrists. In counterpoint, we see his sister, Maggie (Kristin Wiig) married and living in New York City, contemplating a handful of pills.

Which means that The Skeleton Twins opens very seriously. However, when the sister receives the phone call about her brother’s attempted suicide and realises that they have not been in contact for 10 years, she goes to visit him and soon there are wry remarks, jokes and touches of comedy. She offers to taking back to New York and live in the guestroom in the house which she shares with her husband, Lance.

It is this contrast between serious themes and humorous treatment and behaviour, that gives this film quite an edge.

It should be said that Luke Wilson, at his nicest, is Lance, Maggie’s husband, a truly good-natured and decent man, welcoming Milo, offering him a job (clearing grounds of sticks and brambles with Milo managing only to pick up one stick at a time) as well as an outing at a ‘Dudes’ Day’ at a climbing centre. He and Maggie are hoping to have a family, but several complications are soon revealed, especially as Maggie moves from hobby to hobby every couple of months, scuba diving when Milo arrives, with the instructor having more than an eye on her and she, despite herself, succumbing to him.

One of the interesting features of the film is the issue of sexual abuse of minors. It comes rather later in the film, although we know that Milo has a particular interest in one of his former English teachers, Richard, who owns a bookshop in New York. We realise early that they had had a relationship but not the details which Maggie reveals and challenges Milo with, he saying that this was the first time that anyone had shown him affection and did not see it as abuse. Maggie is rather severe in her perceptions of this episode in Milo’s life.

There is also a telling scene when Milo invites his absent mother (Joanna Gleeson) to a meal, Maggie completely unforgiving in her mother’s neglect of them as children and scornful of her New Age career in Sedona, Arizona. A new insight into the dire effect of their parenting on the brother and sister.

Kristin Wiig and Bill Hadar have been very effective in comedy films. They have been prominent on television as comics on Saturday Night Live. They still retain many of the characteristic of their comic styles, ironic in situations, clever with one-liners and other verbal humour, Milo bursting into a mimed song and drawing Maggie into singing it with him.

This is the story of a brother and sister who have been locked into a lack of self-confidence, whose horizons, generally, are limited to their own experiences, wracked with regrets. Which means that, in one sense, the film is very narrow, the characters enclosed in this narrow world. On the other hand, the exploration of sad aspects of human nature give it a more universal interest and appeal.

The strong cast brings characters alive, so that audiences do have quite a deal to reflect on.

1. The title? The skeleton dolls and the father and his mask, dangling the dolls? The brother and sister? Sharing together, joined together?

2. City, New York City, homes, shops, scuba pool, streets, ordinary? The musical score? The song sung by Maggie and Milo?

3. The serious and the comic? The cast, the reputation as comedians? Tackling serious roles?

4. Images of childhood, Maggie, Milo and he is dress, the lipstick? The father and his mask? Rescuing the dolls from the swimming pool? The visuals of
this part of their life? The talk about other parts: their father and his death, memories of high school, Milo and his father’s talking about people picking in high school?

5. Milo, sad, the bath, the blood, rushed to hospital? The phone call to Maggie, her contemplating pills? Going to the hospital?

6. Audience response to the initial interactions, the bond, not having seen each other for 10 years, the jokes, wry, Milo reading Marley and Me, Maggie offering to take him home?

7. Maggie and her life, married for two years, Lance and his being a congenial man, the plan for the honeymoon in Hawaii? Love, the issue of pregnancy? The meals, the talk at the table? Milo and his being given the room?

8. Lance, nice, decent, good-natured man? Easy-going? Praising people? The response to Milo, genial? In love with Maggie, hoping to have children? Giving the job to Milo, Milo and his picking up sticks, later the bundle? Milo hinting where the contraceptive pills were? His shock, sadness, closing the door – what future with Maggie?

9. Maggie and Milo and the give and take, their hurting each other, conversations, Maggie joining in Milo’s mimed song? The preparations for Halloween, dressing him up, the going out together, his feminine perspective? The breakup of the evening?

10. The visit of their mother, her living in Arizona, at Sedona, New Age, seminars, the past, the talk at the table, Maggie and her contempt for her mother, thinking her a bad mother, Milo inviting her? Her interaction with Lance and her methods? Being hurt and leaving?

11. The story of Milo and Richard, Milo going to the bookshop, Richard wary? Talking about his relationship and his son? Warning Milo? Milo going to him, the spending the night? Maggie and the revelation of what had happened when Milo was 15, Richard as the teacher, Milo his student, the sexual relationship, Milo feeling that this was one time that he was loved? The possibility of jail? How the case was handled out of court? Milo visiting again, meeting the son? Richard and his saying that he was a pussy, afraid, wanting Milo to go, asking him about his plea, Milo saying it was good though the audience knowing he didn’t like it, Milo getting some strength from this visit?

12. Milo, being gay, reference to the gay uncle, wanting to be an actor in LA, relationships, going to the venue on Dykes’ Night, the mountain climbing
exercise, Dudes’ Day? Lance and his wanting to help Milo?

13. Maggie, the scuba diving, the training, the instructor, his eyes on her, the sexual encounters, repetition, her weeping? Breaking with him? Trying to drown herself, Milo saving her?

14. Some resolution in the relationship, sad people coming to terms with their lives, making decisions to live? What future?

SACRO GRA

Italy, 2013, 93 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Gianfranco Rosi.

This documentary made quite some impact in its native Italy. It won the Lion in Venice, 2013, the first documentary ever to win this award and the first Italian film since 1998 to win.

While the appeal would be to an Italian audience, it is much less interesting to a non-Italian audience. After a number of documentaries around the world, the director jump Gianfranco Rosi decided to make a documentary about the ring road around Rome.

However, he also wanted to do portraits of people who live nearby, showing the cars whizzing past in the near-distance but people able to go about their daily life, some completely oblivious of the road.

There are day scenes of cars on the road as well as night scenes with the car lights.

And it will depend on audience interest in some of the characters whose lives are briefly sketched here. For instance, there is a firefighter talking about his life but also seeing him come home after his work. There is a recluse who is studying insects in a garden situation. There is a butcher and his family. There are some religious sequences, especially women praying the rosary. These portraits are intermingled, something like a visual installation illustrating life in this part of Rome.

It has limited appeal because of its narrow focus on Rome and the ways and lives of people in the area without the necessary hooks to involve a worldwide audience in response to universal characters and themes.

WRONG SIDE OF TOWN

US, 2012, 88 minutes, Colour.
Rob Van Dam, Dave Bautista, Lara Grice, Edrick Browne, Jerry Katz, Ja Rule.
Directed by David De Falco.

This is a typical example of the straight-to-DVD film. The emphasis is on action rather than character.

Wrestling-champion, Rob Van Dam (of course, this is not his real name, but it is fighting action by association with Jean- Claude Van Damme). While he has a lot of action talent, he is no actor.

This is a film that only those who enjoy typical low-brow action shows will want to watch.

The opening credits, very similar to those for James Bond films, are better than the film.

There is a brutal prologue in which a drug dealer is attacked, interrogated, given cement shoes and pushed into the water. The murderer, Seth, seemingly respectable, although one would not guess it by the two thugs he has in tow, not a brain between them, who assist him. And there is a payoff for a corrupt policeman.

The main story happens over one evening. Rob van Dam portrays Bobby, who works at home, has problems with his teenage daughter, tries to collaborate with his wife for her discipline. New neighbours arrive and make friends, inviting them to go out to dinner at a restaurant managed by the villain we have already seen.

All seems very nice until the brother (later revealed as his son) of the murderer attempts to rape Bobby’s wife. He confronts him, the young man pulls a knife, is full of cocaine, and Bobby throws him away from his wife. The young man hits his head and dies.

The rest of the film, needless to say, has the gangster in pursuit of Bobby, putting a bounty of $100,000 on his head, which means that a number of the local thugs get in on the act. The two couples from the restaurant are taken to the police station – and, of course, the corrupt cop is there to interrogate them.

The screenplay takes a lot of opportunities for fights, it being revealed that Bobby actually is an ex-Navy Seal, trained to kill. Bobby does not have it all is own way, goes to a former friend whom he has ignored for years but whose life he saved in the past and now asks for a favour. At first, not, the man betraying him – but then having a change of mind and heart, killing some of the assailants, and turning up at the right time to save his old friend.

In the meantime, Seth goes berserk about the death of his son, confronts the policeman, abducting Bobby’s daughter – as bait for Bobby to turn up, which he does. More fights.

Ultimately, the policeman has a change of heart about the daughter’s abduction but he is shot for his pains. Finally, all-out fight leading to the death, of course, of Seth, and happy family reunion.

Typical of its type.

SHARKNADO

US, 2013, 86 minutes, Colour.
Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, John Heard, Cassandra Scerbo.
Directed by Anthony C.Ferrante.


Audiences can tell by the title, Sharknado, that this is no Jaws, and not to be taken too seriously at all. But, audiences will see a tornado of sharks! (As one blogger put it, you don’t go to Burger King and expects steaks!)

Over the decades, there have been small-budget science fiction films, especially in the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, which were serious attempts to offer monster films, alien films, wars of the worlds… However, as audiences became more sophisticated, the makers of these films veered into parody, the sendup, especially with the coming of video and DVD so that audiences could buy or hire and have an uproarious night watching, laughing (and drinking… Or more).

In 2013, word-of-mouth and popular press and media outlets were very strong on letting audiences know about Sharknado, and audiences watched it in droves, so to speak, on the Sy- Fy channel.

The plot is corny and many remarked that the science is also corny and defies any physics or engineering probability. The dialogue is that of the quick-written variety, writing by the numbers without any subtlety. And the acting is not… Even though the cast includes Ian Ziering, from Beverley Hills 2010, Tara Reid from American Pie, and a cameo as a drunk by John Heard.

There is a semi-dramatic opening at sea with a mercenary captain dealing with an Asian gentleman in a suspicious atmosphere when suddenly the sharks arrive. There is a huge funnel going up to the sky in which sharks are whirling round. In the meantime, for the human element, there are people at a bar, with expert Nova serving and chatting, friends from surfing days – but they are soon overwhelmed by sharks flying through the air, sharks getting into the bar (and pool sticks providing some means of defence!).

The sharks are in no way realistic, contrived special effects for the purpose, but audiences enjoying the film will accept that.

Further plot, with the sharks taking a break in particular areas of Los Angeles, the surfer hurrying towards his ex-wife’s house to find assorted other relations and relationships. Needless to say, she does not believe her husband, thinking the worst about him.

But, before long, there are more and more and more sharks in the air. Can Los Angeles be saved? Nova and the hero’s son are able to go up in helicopter – and with some explosives are able to drop them, no matter how dangerous the exploit is for the humans, into the midst of the sharks to destroy them.

The film does try to offer a little bit of background for the characters, especially Nova and the scars she has, going back to the story of her upbringing.

Just for the sake of more action, there are various humans caught up in the disaster, cars trying to escape Los Angeles, and the bus trapped in a sewer.

If one were looking for an example of pop-culture at the beginning of the 21st century, this would be quite a candidate.

When you’re on a good thing… There was a sequel, amply titled Sharknado 2. The Second One.

STAY AWAY FROM ME/STAI LONTANO DA ME

Italy, 2013, 82 minutes, Colour.
Enrico Brignano, Ambra Angiolini.
Directed by Alessio Maria Federici.

This is a slight comedy, Italian-style.

The film opens well with a wedding and the groom saying the wrong name for his wife, a huge clash, but a marriage counsellor coming in, attacking the groom in the eyes of the bride, her attacking the counsellor and, so, reconciling, the ceremony going on.

This introduces us to the central character, Jacopo, and we see him in many scenes doing his thing as marriage counsellor, urging all kinds of different aspects of therapy, screaming and shouting in anger, a couple watching pornographic films together,…

At the wedding, he is approached by a young, very competent, woman who is attracted to him. She has problems in relationships and comes to him for help. What happens is that they fall in love.

But, there is a problem. Rather, everything that Jacopo does leads to some kind of disaster, falling down steps, to car crashes… And it happens with his new relationship, she having all kinds of problems. The question is, who is responsible for the jinx?

Jacopo thinks that it is himself, as we see in flashbacks the dreadfully disastrous events that Jacopo has with all his girlfriends and the sufferings that that had to endure because of him.

The young woman has the possibility of promotion in her architectural work, especially designing a new church. She feels that it is Jacopo who is to blame, and they separate. Her design for a Cathedral is waylaid by her ambitious boss was persuaded to display all kinds of designs with a Christmas Day theme, including a Christmas cake! Clerics responsible are dismayed, especially when a wrong disk is played for them which has some pornography sequences instead of the church plan. However, all is well again when the clergy accept the creative plan.

Jacopo is sad, but realistic, and remembers that a young girl put a curse on him while they were at school. Off he goes to live in Greece, away from everyone – and whom should encounter but the young girl grown into a woman, living there with her son. In contact with his girlfriend once again, he begs that the curse be withdrawn – and the woman, tongue in cheek, pretends to absorb the curse and off he goes contented. He rushes to the church where he thinks X is being married only to find that she is part of the congregation and they kiss happily – forever after.

Will the jinx be lifted – fully or just a couple of cases?