Indie Film Review: PAPER BOYS (2009)

Sometimes I dislike reviewing indie films because I tend to screen earlier versions prior to a released version which has had the luxury of a test screening that would then constitute re-shoots and/or extensive editing. I say this in good faith as many films that I’ve screened could do with some trimming of the fat in order to get to the heart of the story being told.

This could go with the Aware Production release of PAPER BOYS (formerly BOYS OF THE WRECKING CREW), which was filmed in Georgia and had its World Premiere at the famous Plaza Theater, 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA on Saturday, June 20th, 2009. There are some good things to say about the film and some bad but I give indie films a little more leeway (from Hollywood films) because of their unique nature of sometimes reveling in more risqué and unconventional stories. This is such a film.

The film begins with a subtle bang as after a young couple appear to be in the throws of love the woman commits suicide and the young man Sean is left broken. Sean’s (Louis Lavdas) way of dealing with the situation is to return to his job as a paper boy solicitor who goes door-to-door selling newspaper subscriptions. He is just one of a crew of young men guided by Ray (Chris Whitley) who try to make a living at this day in and day out. Sean has more to deal with then just a lover who killed herself but he also is haunted by his estranged relationship with his abusive father, he’s addicted to just about every drug known to mankind, and he’s having a sexual identity crisis. That’s a lot for one person to deal with and therein lies the biggest problem with the film.

The film has many technical issues as in many shots that linger on the screen for far longer then they should – one scene in particular is a POV shot of Sean in a drug induced state walking through a house in which he just participated in an orgy, not to mention that several shots are handheld and pan from one actor to another with no finesse or control and sometimes it’s even on background characters who aren’t even participating in the conversation at hand. Many of these incidents could be fixed if they were trimmed or cut altogether.

Technical issues aside (since many indie films suffer from this) I do have to say that the post-sound is excellent for the most part. There are very few incidents where the volume and quality were not at top form. Since sound is one of the biggest problems with indie productions it’s good to hear that the filmmakers took care with the post-sound work on this film.

Getting back to the plot of the film, PAPER BOYS suffers from trying to say too much with so little. Sean’s plight as an abused kid with a dead-in job that only helps to fuel his drug habit because his girlfriend killed herself and he’s not sure whether he’s gay or straight just makes it seem like the entire world is against him and he should just go ahead and join his girlfriend in a suicide pact. The story is best when it focuses on Sean’s inability to cope with the childhood abuse done to him by his father heavily handled in many of the flashback sequences (some of which are the most compelling in the film). If the film had stuck with this as it’s background and conflict and then handled Sean’s inability to cope through either drug abuse of sexual identity then the film’s theme might have come off stronger but the issues are defused because no time is given to any one of Sean’s problems. He just seems to be a kid with too many problems. This inability in the film’s focus also contributes to its lackluster and unsatisfactory ending (which I won’t give away here) but needless to say the film’s climax is all too easily solved and there is no satisfying closure with Sean’s character in terms of any of the problems that the film presents that he has. They just all seem to nicely go away.

The film’s climax is the real let down as it opts for a “feel good” ending that is not warranted due to everything that came before it not to mention that it is 15 minutes too long. The film wants to say so many things about sexual identity, drug abuse, physical abuse, and even suicide yet never really says anything about any of them as the message is lost in translation amongst the film’s other problems and the “happy ending.”

The film does have some questionable performances amongst its huge cast of Georgia actors but there are some great moments with Joe (Justin Riddick), who steals many of the scenes in the film with his womanizing ways and picture-perfect life (not mention lifestyle) but Whitley as Sean’s crew leader of the paper boys and in a sense “older brother” also gives a noteworthy performance.

Writer, producer, and director Bryan E. Hall has a great many cast and location to contend with on this film, which is good for the film as he doesn’t rely on the single location film shoot that can plague many an indie film. There are many great comedic moments in the film that release some of the tension from the heavy-handed subject matter (and sometimes I wish there was more). Overall PAPER BOYS is a film that’s sometimes over convoluted with what its trying to say that needs a little trimming and cutting in some places but it’s not a film completely devoid of any redeeming value.

Book Review: TALES FROM THE CRYPT: THE OFFICIAL ARCHIVES By Digby Diehl

Author Digby Diehl’s book Tales From the Crypt: The Official Archives is one of the most comprehensive books on the history of EC Comics and their downfall to the creation of the cult HBO television show Tales From the Crypt, which ran for seven seasons. Diehl’s book starts by giving the reader a background of the EC publishers and how their comics opened the world and the industry to a different kind of comic from the Famous Funnies and Popular Comics titles of the ‘30s and ‘40s to when William “Bill” Gaines inherited the company and started producing what would eventually become the infamous Tales From The Crypt, Haunt of Fear, The Vault of Horror, and Weird Science titles (to name a few), in which Gaines and his company of dedicated artists produced some of the most strikingly original and grotesque comics and stories to ever be committed to page. With the popularity of these comics to pre-teens everywhere came the backlash of parents and religious groups all across America. The book traces this history and causes of what brought down the Gaines Empire and EC Comics eventually leading up to the creation of both the British feature films Tales From the Crypt (1972) and The Vault of Horror (1973) and eventually to the American television series Tales From the Crypt (1989-1996).

The book goes into great detail about the creation of the HBO produced television show and how close it honored the source material (all 93 episodes were based on a story from one of the EC comics titles). The book also gives a complete television guide to the series not to mention it highlights the inspiration for every episode. Diehl’s book not only is a library of information but he has extensive interviews with many of the artists involved with the original comics not to mention the people behind the television series giving the book everything a reader needs to know about history of EC Comics and the television series.

An added bonus to the book is the abundance of photos and artwork throughout not to mention that four complete stories from the comics are reprinted with the inclusion of a never before published story hidden away in the EC Vaults that never made it to the printed page. Diehl’s book is a book for any fan of the EC Comics world as well as those who just want to know a little bit of history about one of the greatest (and infamous) publishing companies in the business.

Book Review: THE WILD TREES By Richard Preston

Few books make me want to spring into action after reading them like Richard Preston’s non-fiction book The Wild Trees, which is the account of several botanists and scientists who spend their lives studying the life of some of the tallest trees in the world. Although not exclusively about the tree climbing specialist who climb trees in excess of 350 feet tall to study the canopy of some of the tallest organisms on the planet which is the redwood tree (among many others featured in the book), Preston weaves the stories of several of these scientists whose worlds and lives collide through time and different locations all across the globe to give not only a comprehensive look at the lives of these dedicated (and sometimes under paid) scientists but the worlds that they discover that have never been seen by any human being. Preston presents these people as the true adventurers exploring the strange new worlds right in our own back yards.

As Preston’s own exploration of these dedicated individuals grows deeper, he becomes not just a chronicler of their stories but a willing participant who soon finds his way as one of the team members of tree climbers. This is a far cry from his previous non-fiction books The Hot Zone and The Demon in the Freezer (where he is far removed) revealing a more personal journey in the process. In addition to the wonderful stories of his subjects (especially the couple that get married 350 feet in the air in the canopy of one of the great redwoods) there are extensive drawings and sketches of what the world of some of these trees are really like (since the location to many of these greatest discoveries remain a guarded secret from the greater public who would destroy the natural habitat of such great organisms of nature).

The Wild Trees is one of Preston’s most personal works that not only gets into the lives of its subjects following them over years of discoveries and history but it also gives an inside look into the man whose life was forever changed by the experience especially when you consider that the joy of tree climbing has infected several of his children (although he makes great mention that the sport is not for his wife). This is an adventure that we all want to make after reading the book.

Book Review: SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY By Akira Kurosawa

Few books seem to be actually written by the author like this book does (because so many of them are ghost written). Akira Kurosawa is one of the most respected directors in cinema and his book Something Like an Autobiography is less about his techniques in filmmaking and more about what incidents shaped his life and helped him craft the stories that he’s told through film for so many years.

His stories (which is the best way to describe them because of the way in which he recollects his life) are told in such a way that they could be fables about how his decisions not only as a human being but as a filmmaker are discovered. Kurosawa has a very whimsical way of describing his life which is at times extremely funny and humorous but is also very moving and tragic especially in terms of how real life events shaped the way he saw the world and thus translated what he saw in film.

Many times he ventures away from filmmaking to describe his family life and childhood and these seem to be the more interesting aspects of the book as his recollections of his filmmaking experiences (especially in the later years) do not seem as fanciful. It’s a wonder he even got into filmmaking as it was by chance but Kurosawa has a way of telling the story of his life that reminds you of a film and that is where the heart of his book truly lies.

He is so vivid with details about people and experiences about his life and experiences that you feel like you’re in a dream world and everything is like in a movie that you just can’t help but to glue your eyes to. Kurosawa’s book is an excellent example of an autobiography that’s told by one of the greatest visionaries that cinema has ever known.

Book Review: BORRIS KARLOFF: THE MAN REMEMBERED By Gordon B. Shriver

I’m a huge fan of the highly regarded character actor Borris Karloff whom most people will remember played the immortal character of Frankenstein’s monster in the James Whale directed film Frankenstein (1931) but I remember him most from another Whale’s film The Old Dark House (1932) and Scarface (1932), which are both two of my all time favorite films. In writer Gordon B. Shiver’s book Borris Karloff: The Man Remembered we get a look at who the man – Karloff, really was through some of the stories told about him and from conversations recalled by the people who met and worked with him.

Shriver’s book is a very basic account of Karloff’s life not only in films but in radio, commercials voice over, and just about anything else that he could get his hands on. Karloff is described in the book as a very soft spoken person whom people loved to work with and was well liked by everyone. If there was anything disheartening about the man it’s that he over worked himself up until the day that he died but working on films no mater how great or how small was the greatest joy that the man ever felt.

Although Shriver has a very dry way of putting down the life of Karloff it is befitting a man that was so well admired and respected among his peers even though the industry itself was not always kind to him. Karloff starred in every known type of film and genre but was always known as the man who played Frankenstein’s monster and thus never escaped that image which marked his career even though he starred in such films as The Strange Door (1951), Black Sabbath (1964), and most importantly Targets (1968).

Although the book is short it is concise and to the point and a very easy read for those who know little about the man and just are curious. For those who know much about the man already, the book may seem a little repetitive and mundane but the book is filled with 15 pages of photos throughout his career and has an extensive list of all the projects and productions that Karloff was ever involved it. This alone is worth picking up the book.

FIGHTING Can Be Good For You

It’s easy to dismiss this by-the-books action film Fighting but then you’ll miss one of the more fun and entertaining films of the year. Starring Channing Tatum as Shawn MacArthur, a down on his luck street urchin, just trying to survive from day to day. When Shawn gets into a street brawl with several thugs a street hustler by the name of Harvey Bourden (Terrence Howard) sees potential in the young man.

Harvey’s idea of potential though is underground street fighting, which he has connections to. He sees in Shawn the opportunity to make some money and get back on top after being disgraced many years ago (since everyone seems to look down on him). After several lucky wins on the underground circuit, Shawn has the opportunity not only to make a lot of money but to redeem himself when he must fight an old acquaintance in his final battle.

This film is very much in the vein of the Cuba Gooding Jr. & James Marshall Gladiator (1992) and like that film the fun of the film is watching at times real and brutal fights. This is far different from the over choreographed Jason Statham films and the over reliance of CGI in the more recent X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is why the film is such a pleasure to watch.

One of the worst things about most Hollywood films of today is that they feel over-produced and you never feel like the characters are ever in any real danger. This is not the case here as Shawn barely makes it out of his fights winning some simply by luck. Street fighting hurts and you feel bones crack in this film. Writers Robert Munic and Dito Montiel (who also directs) do an excellent job with the film in terms of presenting a gritty look at the under belly of the city. The story itself may be simple and straight forward but life for these characters is anything but.

ADVENTURELAND is in the Blood

This film first interested me because I worked at a theme park myself so I had an inherent need to see how accurate to theme park life the film actually is. Adventureland is an interesting mix of drama and understated comedy in a coming of age story about James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) who is forced to take a summer job in order to pay for his college education. James represents the ideal “virgin” who has a lot of naïve ideas about love and relationships who comes to learn about living real life through his experiences with the people he works with at the theme park none more then Em (Kristin Stewart), whom he slowly falls in love with.

Written & directed by Greg Mottola (who directed Superbad) this new film is a mixed bag as it has the same charm of his previous film but falls short in the comedy department as it stirs closer to the dramatic category, which may turn away some audiences looking for another Superbad. The film is peppered with a great supporting cast including Ryan Reynolds as Mike Connell, a former musician who works as a repair man at the park and dreams of the halcyon days of his former glory. Reynolds is channeling Monty from his film Waiting in this film and is a boon for those who liked that film.

After the over publicized Twilight, Stewart shows more range in this film as a woman who finds herself numb to true love and living a lie at a dead in job with no means of escape until James enters her life.

The film has its charm and for people like me (who spent some time of their life at a theme park) it’s nostalgic and bitter sweet at its core (despite its flaws).

Is STAR TREK the Best Summer Movie of 2009?

I’m not a “Trekkie” and I’ve only seen a handful of the various television series (I’ve not even seen that many of the original Star Trek series) but I’ve seen all the films and am very familiar with the characters through the movies. Being a little bit fed up with the whole remake/reboot and sequel mentality of Hollywood’s current brain-trust, I was not interested in this new Star Trek film. In fact, the only reason why I even bothered to go see it was because J.J. Abrams was directing and Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman were writing and these are the people behind the exceptional television shows Alias, Lost, and now Fringe. The movie had such great talent behind it that I couldn’t pass it up even if I wanted to. I’m so glad I didn’t as Star Trek has thus far been the best film of the summer season.

Prequels, in my opinion, rarely work and can destroy a franchise by claiming to go back to the beginning to explain how certain characters became who they are. Star Trek is no different as it takes our familiar crew of the Starship Enterprise back to the days of Starfleet Academy where many of them first met. Having learned most of this info from the original television and the films you’d think that there would be no where for the new film to go but Abrams and crew have crafted a familiar story that’s retold through a past that is changed when Romulans from the future journey back in time to change the past and thus their own future.

Now the whole time traveling thing has been done numerous times in the television show not to mention several of the big screen movies, so, using the same device in the new film felt a little like cheating at first but Orci and Kurtzman decide not to dwell on this device too long but instead focuses on its effect on the past (the present of the film).

I could go into more details about the plot but frankly its better if you watch it yourself as Star Trek is the best of all the Star Trek films thus far produced as it is not only a great sci-fi film but a great dramatic film as well with the peppered humor of Abrams Alias and Felicity through in for good measure. The other thing is that audiences of all ages and people who don’t even like sci-fi will enjoy this film. This cannot be said for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, which is now the second best film in the franchise (this film is liked by Trekkies the most). Before this new film general audiences only connected with the Erath friendly Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (which also relied on time travel) but this film has dated the most over the years of all the films.

Abrams cast is point on perfect at the iconic original crew of the Enterprise and all the characters get their moment to shine in this film (whereas in the later films the supporting characters became mere background characters at times). Abrams and crew should be commended in changing my views on remakes/reboots because up until this film I was willing to give up all hope on a summer with an actual good film.

I'm Seeing ANGELS & DEMONS! Please help Me!

I’ve never read a Dan Brown book and I didn’t really care all that much for The Da Vinci Code but it was entertaining and I generally like Tom Hanks, whom I can always trust when it comes to films (he can make a mediocre film watchable which is why I saw The Da Vinci Code). The only reason why I bothered with Angels & Demons was because Hanks was in it and I tend to give more credit to a film if it has Ewan McGregor in it since I think (like Hanks) this is an actor who can do just about any genre of film.

I have to say that I enjoyed Angels & Demons a whole hell of a lot more then The Da Vinci Code. Although both films move at a break neck pace Angels & Demons has streamlined the film to make it more accessible to mainstream audiences. This could have been disastrous but in Hanks and director Ron Howard’s hands the film has a great energy that the film lacked (and in my opinion slowed it down). This film also has more interesting supporting characters and a story that is neither clean cut nor too overly complication (unlike its predecessor which got convoluted in its own terminology and far too many occasions).

Unlike The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons is a fun and entertaining summer film with just the hint of a great murder mystery behind it which bolds well with its box office future.