Clash of the Repo Art Titans
By Genevieve Burgess | Posted Under DVD Releases | Comments (4)
Clash of the Titans: “I can’t begin to explain how brain-damaged Louis Leterrier’s Clash of the Titans is. Liam Neeson, in full-on sell-out mode, looks like a beer commercial Zeus, and you half-expect to see twins in bikinis jump onto the screen with a six-pack of Miller Light. “Release the Boobies!” Hades is beyond laughable; he’s like “Saved by the Bell’s” version of the God of the Underworld. Vessel is as wooden and and tiresome as ever, working those gleaming white tic tacs and his shitty stubble into an ineffective scowl. Every frame of Clash of the Titans is risibly campy, yet takes itself dead seriously. It’s every bit as dull as the Ray Harryhausen original, inexplicably doted on by men nostalgic for a time in their lives before they got laid.” - Dustin Rowles
Repo Men: “Whitaker and Law really bring their characters to life, inhabiting them with actual texture. Whitaker’s Jake butchers people for a living, but still has drinks with his buddies, complains about the people from whom he repossesses and is absolutely broken hearted when Remy can’t do his job anymore. He’s psycho, but he is so devastated by losing his best friend, that you just want to hug the poor guy. He even has a beautiful screed of why rules and enforcement matter, the kind of logic that has you nodding your head up until the conclusion of “and that’s why I need to tase you and cut your lungs out without anesthesia.” Both Jake and Remy are abominable human beings, but they’re evil in exactly the way that people are in the real world: banal thugs just doing their job.” - Steven Lloyd Wilson
The Art of the Steal: “Since the day the Foundation was established, folks have tried to move it to Philadelphia. But things really heated up about ten years ago, and that is the core battle on which The Art of the Steal focuses. Specifically, after fleshing out the background information, the film focuses on the series of political machinations and legal antics which have allowed Barnes’ trust to be slowly chipped away to the point that, in or about 2012, the Lower Merion building will be closing, with the art moving to a new building in downtown Philadelphia, right down the street from the Philadelphia Art Museum. There are those who think this is a boon for the art world, and those who think it’s an abomination, with the new location being akin to a McBarnes (for the purpose of full disclosure, I should be clear that I have a personal and fairly vehement opposition to the move). While the filmmakers are clearly of the view that this is a travesty and make no bones about hiding it, they do give the move’s proponents an opportunity to share their own point of view. In fact, the filmmakers managed to obtain a great amount of access to most of the major players on both sides of the move (at least, those who are still alive), and every time you find yourself wondering why someone isn’t featured in a talking head, the film is sure to tell you that it’s because they declined to participate (likely because they knew what the film’s perspective was going to be, and didn’t fancy being an onscreen villain).” - Seth Freilich
Also released this week: Batman: Under the Red Hood, Don’t Look Up, Ip Man, Operation: Endgame
Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance
← Joshua Jackson (R.I.P.) Rises from the Dead to Celebrate Pacey-Con | Pajiba After Dark 7/27/10 →
Comments
Posted by: Rykker at July 27, 2010 6:51 PM
Ip Man (the title being the name of the man who was Bruce Lee's teacher) is supposed to be a fairly decent martial arts flick.
Just sayin'.