Well here we go with a spy by the name of 'THE TERROR' that's taking a look at a couple of the films we ain't heard that much on. The first one, ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE, he liked quite a bit, and the Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter flick, THE THEORY OF FLIGHT well, he felt it was a bit of a discarded dog turd. But hey, that's just some guy named THE TERROR's opinion. Let's see what sort of word begins leaking out on these two films, but for now, just think of this as the first tidbits....
Saw a hot new flick that's opening in Los Angeles soon for an "Academy Award Qualifying Engagement" tho that's a bit of a stretch, and I don't know when and if it's opening everywhere else... it's called ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE by Larry Clark (KIDS) and stars James Woods, Melanie Griffith, Natasha Wagner, and Vincent Kartheiser....
Billed as "a sharp, shrewd and sexy look at a makeshift family of professional thieves as they blow through the midwest in the 1970's".... ok I only just read that now and I HAD NO IDEA that it takes place in the 70's - in which case that kinda sucks, I thought they were all just funky retro - not at all believable as a 70's piece... and it definitely took place in the SAN FERNANDO VALLEY!...but I did miss about 10 minutes so maybe they set this up early. Still I like it better thinking it's a 90's piece - I mean those plastic surgery faces like Melanie's didn't exist until the 80's at least. I don't mean to slog on the actors though - they were all fucking great IMHO. That IMHO's a disclaimer there because as far as I could tell I was the only one laughing in a screening full of old farts, and my Pretentious Film School escort thought it sucked, (tho this person thought Happiness sucked too for stupid reasons) - but they felt this film was utterly cliched, a total rip- off, horrible dialogue, and shitty filmmaking. And yeah sure it was but it fucking rocked - I laughed so hard I hadda cross my legs. Melanie Griffith is so cool - she's finally back in form like her great early roles - not the fresh baby-face slut tho, she's totally a sexpot burn-out victim here - her timing, her whispery voice, the way she works her body, her freak out - BTW everyone has at least one phenomenal freak out scene. I love good freak out scenes. Shelley Winters in Lolita. Joan Crawford in Straitjacket. And now....
The best was Natasha Wagner's big scene - she's Natalie Wood & Robert Wagner's pretty thing, star of TWO GIRLS AND A GUY and Balthazar Getty's car seat floozy in LOST HIGHWAY... you really couldn't have a more perfect cast for these roles here - she's an eerie complement to Melanie Griffith, they both have a whispery vulnerable purr of a voice that for some reason makes me think of lip herpes. Anyway her great freak out is a total fucking shrieking leg- grabbing wall-slamming tantrum trying to prevent her boyfriend from going on a dangerous thieving job, it is hilarious. She also has great sexual chemistry with her boy, Vincent Kartheiser - who gives a great lead performance and is a hot dude to boot. He's got an amazing slap-happy face which just gets even more interesting when it's actually slapped. James Woods takes a while to get into, but by the time he starts to lose it he really delivers. Some great nasty mindfuck scenes slapping Vincent around and poking his forehead really hard, that musta hurt for real no matter what.
The old timers adopt the new kids and teach them the ropes of the crime lifestyle. Now, everything is pretty much a rehash of PULP FICTION and DRUGSTORE COWBOY - both genre films which might have run their course - and one of the plot twists is a misguided predictable lift from DRUGSTORE COWBOY especially which is unfortunate - but I still like that kinda shit, and the element that sets this one apart is the whole make-believe family delusion. James and Melanie can't have kids, and Vincent and Natasha had lousy parents.
They show their hand pretty quickly - they all get drunk and the new foster parents tuck their drunk kids in tenderly with a kiss to a loving "Goodnight Dad"... my escort rolled eyes, but I really fell for it - very sweet in a criminal way. The rest of the interplay between the sexes made for a fascinating game of family politics. I mean, I'm giving spoilers here because I don't know if it's gonna get big play - but another great scene is after a drug deal has gone very very wrong and the guys are both bleeding profusely in the car and the girls are freaking as they frantically drive to a friend's for medical help and of course it's pure hysteria, and the scene just goes on and on and then they finally start laughing at stupid jokes which makes the hysteria even worse until James Woods finally passes out from laughing too hard. How can you not like that? Well I'm sure I'll find out because you are all so fetchingly vocal in your own little illiterate ways...
Check it.
Later Bator,
T E R R O R
P.S. - I also saw THE THEORY OF FLIGHT with Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter... what a piece of shit. Branagh is quickly becoming one of my least favorite actors - stick to Shakespeare dude, leave that ego out of the present day please. You really fuck up a good..well, ok a bad thing anyway. Lousy script - stupid plot devices - really idiotic - and the worst soundtrack I've ever heard. Plus lately when I see bad movies it feels like someone chopped my dick off and there's nothing there to keep the pee from falling out so I start getting anxiety about becoming incontinent and I strain and I strain even though I don't hafta, you know, go - this happens EVERY BAD FILM and only bad films...it's like some weird unconscious body metaphor and it really sucks. So I was going crazy this lame film, and then on top of that one of the reviewers in the screening was cutting the SMELLIEST farts EVER - I mean Jesus - my friend and I were coughing for air. Ew Yuck. I'm getting ill even thinking about it. Bad film experience. Stay away. Not even worth saying why it's bad. Bad bad bad bad bad. But Helena Bonham Carter is actually good.. actually great as a wheelchair bound virgin with Lou Gehrig's disease. Amazing that she can still smell as sweet as a rose in this piece of crap. She's the pro, baby.
Later Satyr,
T E R R O R
