Author: Brett_G

“Expendables 4”

5.7

Megan Fox is the best actor involved here… I never thought I’d say that. Especially regarding an ensemble cast. There’s a first time for everything. And it’s not just because of the translucent tank top and attractive anger throughout. She carries this thing for a lot of the run time.

Jason Statham does Jason Statham things. Randy Couture explains at least 4 separate times what cauliflower ear is… why? No clue. But he does. And 50 Cent’s here. Again… why? Your guess is as good as mine.

They should have stopped at 3, but what’s a good thing if you don’t indulge in too much of it to confirm the limit? This one’s dialogue makes the first 3 look Oscar worthy. It’s rough. There are far better action flicks to bide your time with.

“Theater Camp”

6.9

This would have made a killer double feature alongside “Bottoms.” The characters here are insane, but by god are they fun. Sadly, no one comes out of the lake or woods with a large bladed weapon to start taking people out. The villain here is private equity and preppy kids. The underdog vibes here are strong. The overall vibes are strong. It’s a musically inclined twist on “Wet Hot American Summer.” Hits every note you want it to, and given the reaction of the crowd I enjoyed this one alongside, it really nails the aesthetic of real life theater camp.

Also, no one plays a loveable dumb guy like Jimmy Tatro. Between this and “The Machine,” he’s building his career on this pigeon hole.

“Bottoms”

7.3

Very similar to “Shiva Baby.” Rachel Sennott is the master of the awkward comedy. “Fight Club” meets “Not Another Teen Movie.” There’s a lot of social commentary going on here, and I loved the caricatures here. Marshawn Lynch definitely had a second career in education if the whole football thing didn’t work out. Between this and his cameos in “The League,” can we please get more of him and less of Vin Diesel?

“The Human Centipede”

6.1

I found myself asking “but why?” quite a lot in this hour and a half. Leave it to me to try and find the deeper meaning here. Shocker – this was my first time watching this one front to back. I now understand the cult following.

In the vein of “Hostel” and “Terrifer,” this movie cranks the gore up to 11, and doesn’t let up until you’ve either lost your lunch or have left the theater. For the brave that forge on until the credits roll… congratulations? We can now never speak of this again, unless it’s to use it as the bar by which we measure the “WTF” factor of future features. Not since “Cannibal Holocaust” have I been more concerned with trying to find some sort of purpose to cling to and not since “Terrifier 2” have I been less inclined to enjoy a snack during a feature presentation.

“Stop Making Sense”

8.1

Who knew? There is water… at the bottom of the ocean!

I don’t think it ever started make sense, subverting not only the concert film genre, but also the pillars of live music production. But I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the most entertaining tight hour and a half of razor sharp cacophony ever put to film. The only people having more fun are the artists on stage. Their chemistry is almost as palpable as their incredible talents. I want to call it minimalistic, but despite the feeling of a “lack” of design… there’s a naturally choreographed beauty in almost every frame of this concert FILM. Bravo to David Byrne and crew!