Movie Review: Ken Park (18+ Review)

The Sex Is Real

[IMDB - Rotten Tomatoes - Amazon]

Releases:
Theaters: August 31, 2002
DVD: November 10, 2003

Cast:
-Adam Chubbuck
-James Ransone
-Tiffany Limos
-Maeve Quinlan
-Amanda Plummer
-Wade Williams
-James Bullard

Plot Summary:
An intense scrutiny of the lives of four teenagers, all childhood friends & their parents. Their unmasked lives are full of violence, sex, hatred & drugs.

My Thoughts:

There are not many non-pornographic films that show the amount of explicit real sex that the film Ken Park does. The films director Larry Clark, director of the film Kids (1995), and Bully (2001) has a knack for capturing the essence of teenage angst and culture. 

The film delves into the lives of several teenagers and their destructive home lives. It explores the unsettling themes of teen sex, drug abuse, alcoholism, incest, child abuse, and suicide. In the world of Ken Park, nothing is what it seems and there is little tangible reality besides sex. 

This film is very explicit. If viewing sex acts bothers you than you probably shouldn't watch the film because it can and does get easily pegged as a piece of pornography. However, Ken Park is not a pornographic film. It is not meant to be viewed for sexual purposes but rather the sex in the film is used to underscore the complete tragedy of these teens lives. 

The film is a piece of art. And it offers a real and gritty look into the psyche of the American teenager. It crosses gender and racial lines to show that life is not only fucked up for boys or girls, or for white or colored people, but life is hell for everyone. That theme I think offers a uniting thread for not only the characters in the film but the viewers of the film as well. 

So, I give this movie five stars for the subject matter and the audacity and bravery it took to show it without any censorship. 

Movie Review: A Good Woman

"Every saint has a past. 

Every sinner has a future."

The 2004 film A Good Woman starring Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johanson and based on a play by Oscar Wilde was surprisingly good! I was never a fan of Helen Hunt, but I love to give Scarlett the benefit of gracing my tv screen from time to time. I think it must be her screen presence, she is exceedingly pleasant to look at. 

The beginning of the film is a little slow but after that it wastes no time immersing the viewer in the intrigues of life for women in the thirties. The film is fashion forward and tastefully done. The costumes highlight each persons assets and hides their faults making them look as attractive as possible. I really enjoyed the various dresses each woman wore, it was accurate to the time period. So many historical films are careless when it comes to costuming. But the roaring thirties, the Charleston and all that jazz! Still in the swing of things you can't tell the story of the thirties without expressing the look, right down to the drop necklines, swinging pearls, the bowl hats and the pin curls.

IMDB - Rotten Tomatoes - Amazon - Official Movie Site

The film follows the life of Mrs. Erylnne (Hunt) who has run her credit, bestowed upon her by other women's husbands, into the ground and penniless, she is forced to leave America for Italy. While in Italy she meets the husband of the newly married Lady Windermere. Together they have a very suspicious relationship which threatens to destroy the lives of the young couple if things are revealed. 

Directed by Mike Barker, director of Shattered (2007) and To Kill a King (2003) does a wonderful job of portraying the lives of women in the thirties, and the still reaching hands of aristocracy struggling to stay above the rest. I give the film four stars. It's a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

'The Legend Ends'

IMDB - Rotten Tomatoes

Amazon - Official Movie Site

Release Date: July 20, 2012

DVD Release Date: December 4, 2012

Cast: 

-Christian Bale

-Michael Caine

-Gary Oldman

-Anne Hathaway

-Tom Hardy

-Marion Cotillard

-Joseph Gordon-Levitt

-Morgan Freeman

Plot Summary:

Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.

What I have to say:

So yesterday, I saw a four o'clock showing of the new Batman film The Dark Knight Rises. Needless to say ever since the tragedy that struck Colorado at the midnight showing I had an overwhelming feeling that this movie is cursed and I might not make it out of the theater. Well, Since I am alive and well, and discussing my experience today I survived the movie. Nevertheless, I was still giving the evil eye to everyone who entered the theater. But I have to give the film 5 golden stars because it did exactly what a film is supposed to do. It succeeded in transporting me, the viewer, to another time and place and making me feel emotions I had not expected to feel during my film going adventure. 

Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight Trilogy, is a brilliant man. I have to say that these are the best Batman movies ever made! And since, in my humble opinion, Batman is the best superhero ever--that makes these movies the best superhero movies! This film rocked the box office boasting over 160 million in its opening weekend. That is a very impressive number and I was glad to contribute to their earnings. 

The Film is a perfect end to the trilogy, it brings back characters from the first film and ties many elements together like a good trilogy should. We see the introduction of Bane, the only character to ever defeat Batman, and for that reason, he was immediately sexy!! Plus the actor playing him ,England born Tom Hardy, isn't bad looking either. The fights are amazing, the gadgets are bonkers and the emotion each actor brings to the screen is superb. I don't want to include spoilers but I will say that the end of the film sets up a perfect situation for another trilogy and hopefully we will see more from Nolan and his Bat-centric films. 

Screenshots :)

Let me know your thoughts..

Leave me a comment.

Movie Review: Magic Mike

Not so magical!

The new film Magic Mike was less than magical, but that didn't stop hoards of horny house moms from rushing to the midnight premiere to see the films hot bods: Channing Tatum (21 Jump Street, GI Joe Retaliation), Matthew McConaughey (The Lincoln Lawyer, A Time to Kill), and Joe Manganiello (True Blood) take it off on the big screen. 

This is the latest project from veteran director Steven Soderbergh, he directed such gems as Oceans Eleven and Contagion. It seems as if this movie was made for the sole purpose of appealing to women's panties instead of moviegoers minds. The movie is about a self made male stripper, Magic Mike played by Tatum, and his struggle trying to manage his nighttime stripper life and his daytime realities. He makes loads of money and becomes mentor to another young dancer. He also develops a relationship with a girl he really likes but doesn't know how to manage her and his job. 

The plot seems empty to me. But if you like naked men, and c'mon who doesn't? It is quite a visual treat. And even more intriguing is that the story is based on Tatum's real experience as a male dancer before he made it big in Hollywood land. It's one of those throw away movies that is made for money not art and in this economy I guess we can't blame Soderbergh for making it. 

Reasons to watch Magic Mike:

1. Hot naked guys.

2. Funny moments.

Movie Review: The Raven

Rave Reviews for The Raven!

The Raven is the latest project from Australian native James McTeigue, director of the kick ass 2005 hit V for Vendetta. McTeigue is back with his fourth directorial venture The Raven, which hit theatres on April 27 2012, was a frightening thrill for movie goers. The film centers around murders committed based on the macabre tales of Edgar Allen Poe (played by John Cusack).

Poe is recruited by the local authorities to help solve the mystery of who is committing these heinous crimes. The film takes an analytical approach and delves deep into the mind of a distraught Poe during his final days. He is further compelled to help the detective because the killer has kidnapped his intended bride. Time is running out for Poe and his love and it is thrilling to see what happens as Poe and the detective try and outwit the murderous mind of a killer Poe inspired.

Reasons to watch The Raven

1. Cusack plays a convincing Poe.

2. It gives interesting illustration to the stories of Poe.

3. A great classic feel without going overboard.

4. Provides possible answers to Poe's last moments.

5. "May god have mercy on my poor soul"-Poe.

Back To The Burton-Verse

D FOR DARK SHADOWS! 

It wasn't what I expected. The film Dark Shadows, recently received is the latest installment from the fab four:  Burton, Bonham Carter, Elfman, and Depp. The film is based on the 70's soap Dark Shadows, which is much more melodramatic than the film version.

As always, Burton has a certain vision of what he wants his movies to be and he did not disappoint. He indeed made his vision of this horror franchise a reality, but I cannot say that it did justice to the original show. But is it supposed to? A remake, is just that--a remaking and imagining of something that already exists. It is not a carbon copy of past work. 

I am of course a little biased because I am in love with the fab four! In my reality, they should create all movies! But I can understand if a lover of the original show disliked this take on the American classic.

Reasons why you should see DARK SHADOWS:

1. Depp does a stunning job as always! 

2. The music in the film is epic.

3. The colors are brilliant, as in all Burton films.

4. It offers a refreshing trip to the Burton-verse! 

I give the film four stars...

Kudos For Emily Browning

Emily Browning has done it again in 

her latest  film Sleeping Beauty. 

This child-star turned Hollywood hottie haunted us in such films as Ghost Ship, Darkness Falls, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and The Uninvited (based on one of my personal favorites: A Tale of Two Sisters). Browning kicked ass in the break out comic based film Sucker Punch and now she's back in Sleeping Beauty. 

Browning plays Lucy, an ordinary university student who, like many of us college bound kids, works a bunch of crap jobs for even crappier wages. She volunteers as a test subject at the university medical research lab, works as a waitress at a coffee shop, and as an office assistant. And from time to time prostitutes at a local bar.

She rents a room from "friends", but she spends most of her free time with Birdman, a love-sick drunkard and all around unusual companion. Birdman is in love with her, but she doesn't love him back. Though their relationship is strange Lucy finds a shade of happiness with him, in his small unkempt apartment, playing house. 

The real mind-fuck begins when Lucy responds to a job ad for freelance silver service in lingerie. She would get paid to serve drinks to old wealthy men, in her underclothes. Seems easy enough. After she tries her hand at this her new boss who insists on calling her Sara offers her a more intriguing position as a Sleeping Beauty.... Which proves to be a nightmare she cannot wake from. 

The film was first shown last year (2011) at Cannes and captivated audiences. Browning gives a revealing performance one not yet realized in her young career until now. 

Sleeping Beauty will leave your head spinning and ever pondering the relationship between life and death, men and women, and most importantly our relationships with ourselves. 

Watch it! 

~NIKA

Hola y Hello & Ello Love 'Ow are ya ta-day

I am Nika! And it's taken me a long time to finally post on this blog due to school and other such interference. When my sister and I thought of creating a book/film/whatever the hell we want blog, I jumped at the chance to develop and share my opinion with all who decided to stumble across our little page here. Needless to say--I've got some catching up to do! 

Let's talk about film....

My favorite movie is Citizen Kane

The film is brilliant! 

If you haven't seen it

you should right now!

Reasons why?

1. Orson Welles is a cinematic genius.

2. He's extremely hot.

3. Lovely commentary on American publishing giant William Randolph Hearst.

4. Rosebud.