Safe Review (Kirk Haviland)

Safe (2012)

Starring Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Robert John Burke, James Hong, Anson Mount and Chris Sarandon.

Written and Directed by Boaz Yakin.

 

Jason Statham has been carving out a decent resume of action films for years now. His chiseled looks, thick English accent and hand-to-hand combat skills have made him a star. Safe is a film that feels like it’s ripped straight from the late 80’s/early 90’s with Statham jumping into the role that would have easily gone the likes of Steven Segal back then. But the question is can a film with the qualities of those late 80’s action set pieces work in 2012?

Safe begins outlining the fate of Mei (Chan), a 12 year-old girl with an amazing ability to read, interpret and memorize numbers effortlessly. The Chinese Triad operation hears about this girl and uses her to start organizing drops and keep mental booking of their illegal US operations, while holding her mother hostage back in China to guarantee compliance. Mei is given a series of numbers to memorize, then is to be driven to a second location for a second set of numbers, but the plan goes awry. En route to the second numbers the Triad’s caravan is attacked by the Russian Mob, who promptly take Mei and attempt to force her to tell them the first set of numbers. This then brings in the involvement of Captain Wolf (Burke), a corrupt NYC police Captain more worried about increasing his percentage of the take from both sides than dispensing any justice. During the commotion of a police standoff, Mei manages to escape to the subway where she crosses paths with Luke Wright (Statham). Luke is a former cage fighter who was supposed to take a dive but instead manages to put his opponent into a coma with one strike. A lot of people lose money on the fight, including the same Russian mob who pay Luke’s wife a very deadly visit. Luke is told to disappear or he will suffer the same fate, which he does. He has returned to NYC in an effort to put stuff together when he is recognized by one of NYC’s finest. We then are informed that Luke is actually a former NYC policeman who became whistle blower against the same Captain Wolf and his crew. After a generous beat down, Luke ends up in the Subway where he sees Mei and recognizes her attackers, and the insanity begins. Eventually even the higher ups, the Mayor (Sarandon) and his top aide (Mount), become embroiled in the wake of the increasing body count.

Director Yakin smartly embraces all the contentions of the 80’s action genre and manages to craft a fun and entertaining ride. Statham knows how to deliver in these situations and newcomer Chan does very well as the precocious Mei. Yakin also has been very savvy in scattering many familiar faces from late 80’s/early 90’s action films throughout the supporting cast. James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China and many more), Robert John Burke (Robocop 3) and Chris Sarandon (the original Fright Night and Child’s Play) all lend a retro feel while providing solid backing work throughout the film.

Overall Safe is a fun night out at the movies that is not meant for heavy criticism. This throwback is the perfect prep film for the popcorn fare starting next week with The Avengers. And it’s a lot better than any of these trailers/commercials are allowing it to look.

Til Next Time

Movie Junkie TO

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The Death of the Video Store? (Kirk Haviland)

With the news a short time ago that Rogers has decided to pull out of the video rental marketplace Canada has found itself somewhere it has not been in decades, without a nation-wide video rental chain. This is a turn of events that most in the industry have seen coming for a while, but the question is whether it’s actually a step forward or a step backward for the industry. I must confess, being a former Blockbuster Canada employee, my opinion on this issue will be informed but also biased. That said, I am going to try to explore this issue from an open mind.

I can remember a 12 year-old version of myself excitedly making the long trek to the video store with money from my parents; finally able to pick out exactly what I wanted. The aisles of VHS tapes lining the store with covers that hinted at what the tapes may hold. The bulky cassette tapes dangling from my handlebars on my bike trek home. My preparation to watch my picks only to discover that the previous renter ‘was not kind’ and hadn’t rewound the tape, then spending the first two minutes of the tape playback adjusting the tracking on the machine to get rid of the fuzzy picture. Finally, receiving that familiar reminder from Mom the next day, “Did you return the movies? We don’t want to have to pay for any late fees!”

This cycle then repeated over and over again.

The family tried Laserdiscs, we never got stuck with a Betamax though thankfully. Years later I used my severance from the Cineplex I had worked in before it became a sporting goods store to become an early adopter in the DVD revolution, being lucky enough to use a friend who worked for RCA at the time to hook me up with a discount on my first player. By this time I had moved on to Musicworld, and witnessed first-hand the decline and demise of the VHS tape in the marketplace. It was while working at Blockbuster that I watched the short lived HD-DVD and Blu-Ray War that Blu-Ray ended quickly and decisively. And I have seen the dramatic effect of file sharing and downloading on the rental business first-hand; the customer base and net revenue of a video rental store dwindled before my eyes. My parents, who live north of Toronto, lost their only video store when Blockbuster closed down last year. The end result is they have simply started buying new release Blu-Rays at Walmart due to a lack of options. This may become the only option for many more with the demise of Rogers rentals this week.

Of course, for someone like me who follows and writes about the film industry, this is a wake-up call. That a once multi-billion dollar industry is now seen as obsolete and not feasible in our marketplace should be concerning. Of course for Torontonians this is also a weird dichotomy when you factor in that we have one of the most thriving Repertory Cinema scenes in North America. In fact, who would have guessed five years ago that most of the movie theaters would be thriving while Rental Stores would be shuttering up their doors? People working for the video chains in question, that’s who.

The reality of the Rogers defection from the rental market is that Rogers has been trying to do this for at least five years. The only shocking thing about this is that they went forward with the plan despite Blockbuster leaving the market wide open for them. Rogers has been on the front lines of this battle with their Video On Demand services, encouraging consumers to rent at home and leave the stores behind. The raise in internet usage prices a couple of years ago was seen by most as a direct result to Netflix entering Canada, Rogers again defending their ‘turf’. Of course the CRTC backing their plan to make it mandatory that all homes run digital cable by last year was another key factor in Rogers’ decision to go all digital with their product.

Blockbuster’s demise was the result of the opposite side of the coin. Blockbuster’s lack of a digital plan for Canada and failure to stay in line price-wise with competitors on new sale items really started to hurt their reputation in the marketplace as a viable place to rent and buy movies. The ‘No Late Fee’ experiment failed badly as it lost millions in revenue for the company, especially on video games that would remain rented out for a month at a time, and simply changing the terminology to a ‘restocking fee’ did not sit well with many. These poor decisions combined with the sale of the US side of the business resulted in the Canadian company being buried in millions of debt. Once the company hit receivership it was already too late.  As should have been expected the receiver looked out for the creditors, unfortunately though this came at the expense of the remaining staff (I was gone by this point). Thousands of employees shown the door without a cent in severance pay with no chance of receiving anything either. Fortunately for Rogers employees the company is not going anywhere, so even if they cut back they will get something.

Now the real question is where does this leave us? If you’ll indulge me for a moment, let me say this. VIDEO STORES SHOULD NOT BE RUN AS A CORPORATE ENTITY.  There I said it. Videos Stores are NOT dead, but thankfully the chains in Ontario are. A video store is and always should be a place to go and have a meaningful conversation with someone who knows about film before making a selection and not just the new release they have 250 copies of. We have a unique situation here in that the Indies have out lasted the big boys and for the most part they are still kicking along very well. So what should we the movie watching public do? Get out there and support your local run video store. Queen Video, Suspect Video, Eyesore Cinema, The Film Buff, 7-24 Movies and More, Bay Street Video Videoflicks and Big Daddy’s Dvd Shop are some of the most highly regarded, but there are so many more out there as well. I know it’s far too easy in this digital age to skip this ritual of the video store in favor of downloading , legal or illegal. But my question to you is do we really want these ‘mini museums of film’ to disappear as well? I certainly don’t.

Deep down inside I hope that there will still be 12 year olds, DVD’s dangling from their handlebars after spending Mom’s money, running home with their treasures discovered in those aisles, eager to pop the disc in the tray and start the film. Of course they don’t have to worry about ‘being kind’ anymore.

Til Next Time

Movie Junkie TO

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ChickFlicking on Entertainment Maven with Nadia Sandhu

I was never one for “chick flicks”, unless you count my teenage obsession with Gone With the Wind.  When my best friend was sobbing, I was laughing at the end of The Notebook.

Now that I’m on the other side of thirty and a confirmed singleton, I’ve noticed some strangely mushy stirrings.  It all came home to me earlier this winter when I started watching Downton Abbey and found myself enthralled, absolutely captivated, by the romance and SPOILER ALERT the long overdue engagement of Matthew and Mary. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m shipping Delena on The Vampire Diaries.

So I think it is time to revisit the Chick Flick, for lack of a better term.  What makes us ladies weak in the knees ? Why do some of us pull out hankies? What is a chick flick anyway?  And how does one go about conducting a comparative evaluation?

I’m Nadia Sandhu and I’ll be ChickFlicking on Entertainment Maven as I strive to develop a criteria, get to the bottom of the genre, and grow a heart after all.

Here’s a peek at her first review!

I saw Titanic more than once on the first go-around in 1997 – the third time was even on a date!  It was pure disaster porn and my takeaway point was apparently that when faced with death by propeller, or plunging into the cold blue sea, I would take the pessimistic approach and go the revolver route (I know, I know – my date was suitably appalled too).

I’ve since rethought that position; better to give oneself a fighting chance, play those odds and potentially find myself on one of those rescue boats after all.

So if I can change my mind about a matter of life and death like that, maybe I will find the epic romance between Jack and Rose more compelling this time around?  And in 3-D no less!

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Hot Docs 2012 Preview – Documentary Film Festival in Toronto, April 26 – May 6 (Kirk Haviland)

Hello All,

Toronto is yet again about to plunge head first into 11 days of Documentary bliss with the 19th edition of the world renowned Hot Docs film festival starting Thursday April 26th. Staged at various venues across the city, this year the main hub of the fest will be at the newly re-branded Bloor Hot Docs cinema. Here at Entertainment Maven we will be bringing you coverage from two different sources as we welcome new writer Paolo to the fold. I will be attempting to bring as much coverage as I can during the actual festival, unfortunately the “Day Job” will limit the amount of films I can get out to see, but I will endeavor to put film in front of everything including even sleep (well maybe not sleep). For the purpose of this preview, out of this years 189 films from a record 51 countries , I will be spotlighting my 10 most anticipated on my festival schedule.

CLICK HERE FOR HOT DOCS WEBSITE AND TICKETS

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography – Follow up to one of my favorite docs of all time, Dogtown and Z-Boys, this time director and former Z-Boy Stacy Peralta takes us back to the eighties. Peralta had moved behind the camera by then, producing skate videos and films, and had put together an elite team he dubbed the “Bones Brigade” to star in those films. The Bones brigade became international stars in the skating world and in particular one of the members would come to be known as the greatest skateboarder of all time, the one and only Tony Hawk.

Despite the Gods – A behind the scenes look at the filming of the Bollywood/Hollywood production of Hiss, about a man eating snake goddess. Bizarre,  yet the real story is the woman behind the camera. Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David, is in charge of this mess and we see how she copes with the troubling production spiraling out of control and dealing with an all Bollywood crew and stars. The documentary is staged around Jennifer herself and not the film production per say and what a strange world the life of a director can truly be.

Beware of Mr Baker – A biography of one of the most notorious characters in Rock and Roll history, drummer Ginger Baker. Now living in South Africa, desperate for cash, with a 29 year old mail order bride and a stable of polo ponies, Baker is as cantankerous as ever. With interviews from rock heavyweights like Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts and Canadian Neil Peart, Beware Mr Baker looks to be a moving account of one of music industry’s truly self made men and boldest individuals.

Ping Pong– Pensioners from across the globe all head to Mongolia for the Over 80 Table Tennis Championships. In what could very well end up being the most heart warming film of the fest, we follow the lives of 8 seniors from various parts of the world as they prepare for the tournament. We see their training regimen and lives at home all the way up the tournament itself. The stories include a woman trying to win her way out of a dementia ward and one man who has been diagnosed with one week to live yet is still determined to win at all costs.

Charles Bradley: Soul of America – Charles Bradley is determined to live his dream. The 62 year old lives in Brooklyn’s projects, scraping by during the day doing odd jobs for cash, and performing in nightclubs for limited audiences and limited cash during the evenings, desperate to be discovered. That is, until the minds behind Daptone records find him and maybe perhaps he can finally get that break. Oh and did I mention Rolling Stone named his record as one of the top 50 of 2011?

The Mechanical Bride – An expose on the thriving world of mechanical companions and the men who are devoted to their artificial “brides”. The film goes through the history of the world surrounding these men, from the early beginnings to what is hailed as the “Rolls Royce” of the industry, the Real Doll. What was fictionalized in the Ryan Gosling film Lars and the Real Girl is explored in earnest in this entry into the late night “Nightvision” section of the program.

Tchoupitoulas – We follow the story of three teenaged boys in New Orleans as they sneak out late one night to explore the legendary French Quarter and all that it holds. We see the debauchery and sketchy characters of the night all through the untainted eyes of youth as they travel through the back alleys and boisterous nightlife of the French Quarter. A unique directorial vision that allows us to go back to that time in our own lives where there was still so much to discover about our own world surrounding us.

Theo Fleury: Playing with Fire – Theo Fleury had it all, hockey superstar with an abundance of talent and the adoration of fans in Canada country wide. Then he blew it all on drugs, gambling and booze. No one knew of the demons that chased Fleury til he came out publicly and told us of the sexual abuse he faced as a child under his former coach Graham James. The movie follows Fleury as he embarks on a book media tour for his candid memoirs and includes interviews from many famous athletes.

Marley – Oscar winning Director Kevin MacDonald (One Day in September, Last King of Scotland) directs the first authorized biography on musician Bob Marley.  MacDonald is allowed unprecedented access to the Marley family and legacy with archival footage never before seen and concert footage to make even the most ardent of fans jealous. The combination of one of the most influential musicians in history along with the extremely talented director MacDonald should make this a not-miss film.

Radioman – A fixture on NYC film sets Radioman has appeared in over 100 films and calls the likes of George Clooney, Johnny Depp and Matt Damon friends. His list of cameos, impressive as it is, is not enough for Radioman though as he longs for more recognition and a leading role someday. Featuring interviews from a list of ‘who’s who’ in Hollywood, Radioman serves as a fascinating portrait of the film industry from a very unique viewpoint.

With as many films as the fest offers this year narrowing it down to 10 of course always leaves many deserving choices on the side. Other notables on my list include Indie Game: The Movie, Shut Up and Play The Hits, In the Year of Hip Hop, The Punk Syndrome, No Room for Rockstars, Beauty is Embarrassing and Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet. Of course there should be many “undiscovered gems” that will manage to sneak up and surprise during the fest as well, as they usually do.

This year marks my first full experience at Hot Docs and I must admit I am excited to experience all the fest has to offer. I certainly hope many of you readers get to do the same.

Til next time

Movie Junkie TO

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Nightwatch\Nattevagten Review (Matt Hodgson)

Nightwatch\Nattevagen (1994)

Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Sofie Gråbøl, Kim Bodnia, Lotte Anderson, and Ulf Pilgaard

Screenplay by Ole Bornedal

Directed by Ole Bornedal

I think of myself as a horror movie connoisseur and as a result I’m kind of embarrassed to say that I had not seen Nightwatch until a few nights ago. This film is not necessarily one of the greatest horror movies of all-time, but it is on plenty of ‘the best underrated or underappreciated horror movies’ lists. I think Nightwatch has earned every bit of its reputation as a hidden horror movie gem. This is a taut thriller with some definite horror movie elements that make for a creepy evening in at the movies.

Martin (Coster-Waldau) is a law student hard up for cash to finance his studies. In fact, he is so desperate for cash that he takes a job as a night watchman in a mortuary. As the soon-to-be-retired watchman shows Martin his new digs we quickly get the feeling that things may not be as dead as expected at the mortuary. In addition to his unsettling new job a terrifying story is making headlines in the news. Martin, his beautiful girlfriend Kalinka (Gråbøl), his capricious friend Jens (Bodnia), and Jen’s pious girlfriend (Anderson) follow the series of killings in which a Jack-The-Ripper-esque killer is disposing of prostitutes in a very grotesque manner. The killings quickly become more than just news and part of Martin’s reality as the bodies of the deceased women begin to be deposited in the mortuary during his shifts. Strange happenings at the mortuary and Inspector Wörmer’s more than casual interest in Martin’s extracurricular activities give Martin pause to wonder – was this the best job for him after all?

Right from the start of Nightwatch it feels like a very professional movie and not some cheap old horror film (sorry if you were looking for nostalgia). From the very first scene depicting a dinner party with Martin and his friends, we are treated to beautiful cinematography and even a little symbolism, not always a staple of the horror genre. Martin’s scenes at the mortuary are both suspenseful and frightening. Nothing in the world would make me agree to take Martin’s place during those lonely scenes that would likely inspire some of the most disconcerting journeys of imagination. As the viewers, we truly feel for Martin and share his fear.

One problem with Nightwatch is a bizarre bet that Martin and Jens make near the beginning of the film. It’s a bet fueled by machismo in which the friends can request anything of each other, if they do not comply, then they lose the bet. This is a very flimsy plot device, and unfortunately one that the narrative revisits and relies on throughout the film. If you can suspend your incredulity for this one point then the rest of Nightwatch is very enjoyable.

Finally, one of the greatest strengths of Nightwatch, second only to its unsettling atmosphere, is the traditional who-dunnit at the heart of the film. The characters are quite well written, many having the potential to be the serial killer on the loose, and they should have you guessing at the identity of the killer right up to the final scenes of the film.

If you’re looking to try out an older horror film then take a chance on Nightwatch. But be warned, patrolling the almost silent halls of the mortuary alongside Martin at night is not recommended for the faint of heart.