I know it seems like a while since I've done much of anything on Sarcasmatron but I haven't forgotten to update...at least not completely. I haven't really been watching a lot of movies lately but I still have a stack of 'em here accumulating over the past month or so just waiting to be reviewed a bit, even if it's half-assed. In addition, I just recorded a podcast review with some other members of the V1kM crew for a movie that I'm keeping under wraps. But believe me, it won't take me as long to post this one than it did for the Super Mario Bros. podcast. Now if I can just pay more attention to writing up some mini-reviews instead of watching every episode of Pawn Stars that Netflix can stream or playing Fallout New Vegas, then I might get a decent Random Movie Roundup out of this.
In The Loop - A while back, I saw a video on YouTube to the extent of "The Best 100 Movie Insults" or some other arbitrary number like that. And a good five of them came from the poopmouth of a middle-aged British guy in a movie called In The Loop. So I ended up buying this movie on that basis alone...and the fact that it was on sale at Best Buy for about $5. I was a bit disappointed that the guy wasn't the lead character and thus cursing up a storm for the entire movie but it's a decent movie. I know it's gotten plenty of rave reviews but I can only say "decent" since this movie centers on politics. And I LOATHE politics. Of course, since this is a comedy, it's all about the incompetence that goes on behind the scenes. But since I don't keep track of politics whatsoever, a good portion of the humor was lost on me, in addition to the fact that a good number of the characters have thick British accents that tend to run on too quickly at times. Oh and it has a bit of a downer ending. I'm normally all for seeing unlikeable characters getting their comeuppance in the end or seeing their lives fall apart, but having it happen in the high stakes world of politics where declaring war hinges on the behavior of these unlikeable characters is kinda much. So while In The Loop may be a great satirical movie, I'm not the target audience but I would recommend it to others. Oh yeah, and Anna Chlumsky, the girl from the My Girl movies in the '90s, got kinda hot. C+
Akira - As big of a fan of Asian Cinema as I am, you'd be shocked to know that my interest in anime borders on ambivalence. I don't really mind anime as a form of entertainment but I don't understand the fanboy/girl-ism and the mindset that anime is better than everything. But I guess I was in the mood for a little anime and thus I popped in the only work of anime that I actually own on DVD: Akira. If I had to watch anime, I'd be a little partial to whatever comes out in the '80s, and even earlier in the case of some of Hayao Miyazaki's works, particularly The Castle of Cagliostro (which I believe I still own on VHS). It's like my love for all things '80s and all things Japan just come together in cases like this. Plus, the animation quality of something from that time period is far more impressive than most of today's anime, in my opinion. So while the story of Akira gets pretty ethereal and confusing near the end, I can still appreciate Akira not only as one of the best anime productions but also a work of art. A
Mega Piranha - While I was super-pumped about seeing Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, the whole novelty kinda wore off once Mega Piranha came out soon thereafter. Luckily Mega Piranha has popped up in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart (as well as plenty of other releases from The Asylum) so I was able to give it a chance without having to actually watch TV (which I rarely do anymore). And basically, Mega Piranha is pretty much exactly the same as Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, right down to getting a teen idol from the '80s (in this case, Tiffany) playing some sort of marine biologist. Really, you don't go into this kind of movie expecting high art or great storytelling but it still would've been nice to see something that would help differentiate it and set it apart from the pack. But I guess they stick to a formula and since it's done them well so far. Besides, if they didn't stick to the formula, then we wouldn't be getting Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus starring Urkel. I shit you not.
David Cross: Let America Laugh - Even though my fandom for him as waned in recent years, I still consider David Cross one of my favorite stand-up comedians. Let America Laugh chronicles the cross-country stand-up tour he did which culminated in his album "Shut Up You Fucking Baby". And it kinda made me realize that I don't think I want to have a career in stand-up, despite me wanting to make people laugh. Let America Laugh is more of a "Behind The Scenes" project and focuses on the places he went and the people he met. And yes, that includes hecklers, the totally inebriated and the just plain dumb. I have much respect for stand-up comedians going up on stage and plying their trade in front of a group of people, whether they appreciate it or not. And I appreciate it more knowing that I probably won't even come close. B+
Zombi 3 - I was in the mood to watch Lucio Fulci's City of the Living Dead but for some odd reason, my PS2 wouldn't read the DVD. So instead I settled on Zombi 3, which was only about half-directed by Fulci until he quit the production and was replaced by Bruno Mattei. As big of a fan I am of Fulci's work, I don't really know much about Bruno Mattei. I know The Cinema Snob is a big fan of his so I'm willing to give some of his movies a try. So I watched Zombi 3...and remembered why I hardly ever watch it despite my love for it's predecessor, Zombi 2. It's not so much that it's a bad movie, just really unmemorable and not an accurate representation of Lucio Fulci's work, as well as Bruno Mattei's I'd imagine. So in short, it's just a random zombie movie that exists. I guess if you're some sort of completionist, you might want to check it out. But I just watched it a few days ago and honestly can't remember much about it. C-
Raising Arizona - Since this is a Nicolas Cage movie, I may just not write a review and instead put it off for consideration for the next installment of Nic-Cellence...whenever that may be. So there.
Robo Geisha - Instead of attempting to write a review for this movie, I'll just show you the trailer. Robo Geisha comes from the people that made movies like The Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police so if that doesn't explain anything to you, the trailer will. If I had to rate Robo Geisha, I'd say it's definitely better than Tokyo Gore Police (one of the few movies that made me feel like less of a person for watching it) but not as good as The Machine Girl. B
The Last Dragon - Much like Tron, The Last Dragon is one of those movies that embodies the '80s to me. From the bad music to the bad fashion to overtly oblivious racism to anything else you can imagine existing in the '80s, The Last Dragon has it. Of course, it also has plenty of kung-fu fighting. And to me, a hero's story is only as good as its villain and there aren't many villains out there like Sho'Nuff The Shogun of Harlem. Even compared to many '80s villains of the time, Sho'Nuff stands out to me, particularly when he commands Leroy (aka Bruce Lee-Roy) to bow down and "kiss his Converse". Sho'Nuff is badass personified. And I guess the rest of the movie is alright as well. B
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