Bottle Rocket (The Criterion Collection) (1996)

Released in 1996, this is Wes Anderson's first feature movie and the beginning of a great career that has also included the fantastic quirky comedy-dramas "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." "Bottle Rocket" isn't the equal of those films, but it is a great start to Anderson's career, and a fine little comedy. It also marked the beginning of the stardom of Owen Wilson, who co-wrote the script with Anderson and plays the most noticeable and memorable part. The film was shot in Texas, Anderson and Wilson's home state, based on a short film they had made two years earlier.

The movie has the type of laid-back and character-driven humor that won't appeal to everyone. This is comedy that doesn't target laughs or build up elaborate set-ups as most comedies do. Instead, the humor is continuously slow-pitched to you in the form of weird but likeable characters, off-center attitudes, and situations that seem familiar to us but are played in unreal ways and thus become extremely funny. All together, it's an extraordinarily enjoyable and pleasant movie that strolls through its story with no particular rush.

Owen's brother Luke Wilson, who had so far appeared in every Wes Anderson film, plays Anthony Adams, who gets out of a voluntary mental hospital after recuperating from a breakdown. His friend Dignan (Owen Wilson) has big plans for both of them -a life of easy and enjoyable crime! Dignan doesn't have any good ideas, but tries to make up for it with endless enthusiasm and an outrageously optimistic view of life. Unfortunately, when things inevitably don't go well for him and his friends start criticizing him, he can fall into pretty bitter depressions. Owen Wilson has the character nailed down, and Dignan sets the tone for most of Wilson's other characters: the enthusiastic but misguided nut. Dignan gets his friend Bob (Robert Musgrave) in on his plan to pull a 'job' (and all of Dignan's 'jobs' are minor-league suburban affairs) that will attract the attention of the local crime boss/landscaper, Mr. Henry (James Caan in a brief but darned funny performance). Dignan get obsessed with his planning and attempts at damage control, while Anthony and Bob are more busy with the really important things in their lives: Anthony falls for a housekeeper at a motel (Lumi Cavazos, from "Like Water for Chocolate"), and Bob tries to deal with his bully of a brother, Future Man (Andrew Wilson -yep, another Wilson).

The film has some sad and serious moments -after all, these are characters who are really going NOWHERE in a very boring suburban landscape -but with Dignan around it never stays down for long. There are plenty of chuckles and some real moments of howling laughter, especially during the climatic 'take down' (and I'm really using that term pretty loosely). Another Wes Anderson favorite actor, Kumar Pallana, who appeared as Pagoda in "The Royal Tenenbaums," is on-hand to add comedy as a safe-cracker (and again, I'm really using that term loosely).

If you like quirky, odd, but realistic comedy, and if you've enjoyed Owen Wilson in many of his later performances, "Bottle Rocket" is really worth a look.

(This DVD is, unfortunately, nothing special. The picture and sound are good, but it hasn't a single extra on it, not even a trailer.)

The Criterion 2-disc Bottle Rocket is outstanding, but don't toss your original disc just yet... the new edition is a slightly different edit that loses one laugh and adds another. I couldn't find any reference to these changes in the supplementary material at all.

MISSING: Originally, during the book store robbery, Anthony grabs a random book off the shelf and opens it, revealing the title page "Job Opportunities in Government 1995" which always gave me a little chuckle. Now for some reason the book opens to a black and white photograph of a military plane (it goes by so fast you'd have to freeze frame to make it out.)

ADDED: Originally, when Bob hands his earnings over to Future Man to cover his attorney fees, he asks if he can keep a few bucks for gas, and the scene ends. Now the scene plays a few seconds longer, and we hear Future Man's reply: "No, you can't."

In addition to these minor (and somewhat baffling) changes, I was also unable to find any images of the one-sheet art or logo anywhere on this set (as appears on the menu page and sleeve of the original release).

So if you're a hardcore Bottle Rocket fan or completist, hang onto your old disc and buy this set as well. In addition to a beautiful transfer, commentary track, documentary, the original short film, and other extras, the booklet insert is a miniature replica of Dignan's 75-Year Plan notebook, along with reproductions of Anthony's drawing of Inez on horseback, the book store heist plan schematics, etc.

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This movie grabbed my attention the first time I rented it at my local videostore for it's low key atmosphere and entertaining storyline. The highly persistent (if not entirely insane) Dignan, played by Owen Wilson has got to be one of the most memorable character portrayals in any movie I've ever seen. The slow pace of the movie makes everything just right (you won't be blown away by special effects, unless you consider an altogether cerebral script pyrotechnic) but you will come away from this movie with a sense of adventure and a deep desire for one yourself. The fact that this movie is practically a remake of an earlier project adds even more to its appeal. The caper scenes are hilarious, the dialogue will make you think as well as laugh, and you will come away from this movie with a new appreciation for film making in general. It's not all about explosions after all. And you will find yourself scaring the hell out of your friends when for no reason at all you start screaming "Ka-Caw, Ka-Caw!". If you like this movie check out Rushmore, also directed by Wes Anderson.

Read Best Reviews of Bottle Rocket (The Criterion Collection) (1996) Here

Taking a trip into Wes Anderson's head is like going into a parallel universe where most things are the same, but the nature of reality is just slightly warped. And that formula holds true for "Bottle Rocket," his first collaboration with actor Owen Wilson (who also stars), an absurdist crime caper.

Anthony (Luke Wilson) has just been released from a mental hospital after being treated for exhaustion ("You haven't worked a day in your life. How could you be exhausted?"). He hangs out with his idealistically weird pal Dignan (Owen Wilson), who has mapped out his life over the next 75 years. Dignan, having seen a TV special, has decided to become a master criminal.

First they recruitt the timid Bob (Bob Musgrave) as the getaway driver, as he is the only one who has a car. They practice for a while on smaller-time burglaries, such as robbing a bookstore -then hiding out at a motel, where Anthony falls in love with the pretty South-American maid (Lumi Cavazos). However, the guys find themselves in hot water when they bump into a REAL crime boss (James Caan).

Wes Anderson's touch is a little rough in his movie debut, but it's that slightly unpolished touch that makes his offbeat style a delight here. For example, Anthony "escapes" from a hospital that he can leave anytime he wants. That unnecessarily complex opener sets the tone of the rest of the movie, of thrillseeking young men who are just a little out of sync with the rest of us.

Don't expect stupid puns, toilet humor and bad sex jokes. "Bottle Rocket" shares the dry, funny, erratic humor of Anderson's later movies. Not to mention a thousand funny little lines ("Bob stole his car!"). Anderson and Wilson avoid being self-consciously cool, in favor of being earnestly quirky. No banter, just wit.

The Wilson brothers are in fine form here, especially when interacting with one another. Anthony is calmer and thinks a lot; Dignan is idealistic and wacky almost to the point of mental illness. They have a certain innocence despite their illegal ambitions, and it's fun just to see them ramble around. They, Inez and Bob are sort of misfits, but not the kind you laugh at.

It's a little erratic, but "Bottle Rocket" comes across as fresh, weird, and extremely well-done. Funny, zany and charming crime comedy with a twist of Wes Anderson.

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"BOTTLE ROCKET" is most definitely a hilarious but yet an insanely awkward film that just sticks in your head because of how wild and crazy it is.

Released in 1996, the film would be the directorial debut for Wes Anderson ("RUSHMORE", "THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS", "Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou") and the debut of the Wilson brothers: Owen Wilson (Co-writer) and Luke Wilson (plus brother Andrew) and Robert Musgrave who all grew up together in Texas.

Back in 1992, the first initial concept of "BOTTLE ROCKET" was shot in 16mm film on B&W after the group was able to raise about $4,000 and raise more money and eventually have the 13 minutes extra to have a short film and submit it to the Sundance Film Festival in 1994.

After being screened for the festival, the film was able to attract a few producers who were willing to invest in making "BOTTLE ROCKET" to a full-length film and thus, Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson had their first major opportunity.

As the story goes, the film did terrible in its first test screening which shocked everyone. The film then had its final released cut which then was released in theaters in 1996 and the film bombed. In fact, to everyone's surprie, the film couldn't even get screened at Sundance (where the short film version was able to be screened years prior).

But there were many people who loved the film and for critics, it was a critically acclaimed film that some critics were quite passionate about such as the LA Times (blasting Sundance Film Festival for not screening it) and then followed by director Martin Scorsese calling it one of his favorite films in the 1990's, the film reached cult-status.

Flash forward 12 years later and with three of Wes Anderson's films released on THE CRITERION COLLECTION on DVD, what an awesome way to kick off THE CRITERION COLLECTION's entry to Blu-ray in Dec. 2008 with the release of "BOTTLE ROCKET", Anderson's first film.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

THE CRITERION COLLECTION is all about gathering the greatest films around the world and publish them in the highest technical quality but the focus is to present the film the way the original director intended. For film fans, THE CRITERION COLLECTION is known for its quality and rarely do fans question the releases, the releases are embraced as fans are introduced to important classics or contemporary films.

For "BOTTLE ROCKET", the film is presented in its original aspect ration of 1:85:1. The film's presentation was supervised and approved by Wes Anderson and the Director of Photography Robert Yeoman. The high definition transfer was scanned on a Spirit 2K Datacine from a 35mm interpositive and thousands of instances of dirt, debris and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Resotration System and Pixel Farm's PFClean.

The video quality of this film looks great especially for a film created in the early to mid-90's. Typically films released on Blu-ray during these years have been clean but have this softness effect where the vibrancy of the colors are not as beautiful as I would like it to be. With "BOTTLE ROCKET", the film had many outdoor scenes and literally from the red's to the blues and greens and the yellow jumpsuit that the guys wear, these colors are vibrant in Blu-ray HD.

As for audio, audio was mastered at 24-bit from the original magnetic tracks and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss and crackle. The film is primarily a dialogue based film, thus a lot of the audio is coming from your front channel speakers. There are scenes with gunshots and music that come out quite live on your home theater channels but the film is primarily a dialogue-based film.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

For the special features, the following are included:

* AUDIO COMMENTARY A commentary featuring Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson. The commentary is not more on the filmmaking perspective but more of nostalgia as the guys talk about memories of people they worked with, areas they shot and how some of the people on the crew have moved on to bigger things.

* THE MAKING OF "BOTTLE ROCKET" A featurette with interviews with Wes Anderson, the Owens brothers, James Caan, Kumar Pallana, the producers and more. You learn a lot about the behind-the-scenes of the film from creating the short film, Sundance, how the test screening was a bomb, how the film was not a commercial success but became a cult hit and much more. Great insight on the actors about being part of the job, how they were able to get James Caan for the film and how the producers felt about the talent at the time. A fun and informative documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman.

* The Bottle Rocket Shorts The actual 13-minute B&W short film that was created back in 1992.

* Storyboards Wes Anderson's original storyboards and sketches for the film.

* Anamorphic Test Anamorphic test shots of several scenes from the film and how Anderson originally planned to shoot the film in widescreen Panavision. Test shots.

* "The Shafrazi Lectures, No. 1 Bottle Rocket" A guy who is reviewing the film and talking about why he loved it.

* "Murita Cycles" A Short film created Barry Braverman (friend and collaborator for Anderson and the Wilson family) about his father, a Staten Island bicycle shop owner which inspired the guys to create "BOTTLE ROCKET".

* Behind-the-Scenes Photograps by Laura Wilson The Wilson brothers also had a talented mother who is a photographer that took pictures of Wes, Owen and Luke during the planning stages of the film and also at Sundance.

* Deleted Scenes There were a quite a number of scenes that were cut and eleven featured on the disc. Scenes that would have explained how "Futureman" got his name, what Dignan and Applejack were up to when they went to by Bob's place, another scene of how the pot was found in Bob's home and much, much more.

Also included is a booklet that features an appreciation by director Martin Scorsese (which is a tribute that appeared in the March 2000 issue of ESQUIRE Magazine), an essay book by executive producer James L. Brooks (written as an introduction to the "RUSHMORE" screenplay published in 1999) which really goes into detail of how "BOTTLE ROCKET" was created and things that happened behind-the-scenes not mentioned on the special features and artwork by Ian Dingman.

JUDGMENT CALL:

"BOTTLE ROCKET" is just an amazing, awkward and hilarious film. Forget about the "Oceans #" type of films that try to bring comedy to heist films, BOTTLE ROCKET" was special because it came from these young people who were not known at the time but their vision of filmmaking and storytelling just sticks into your mind.

You know that feeling about pulling a prank that got a lot of laughs during your younger years and you remember it to this day. This is how I felt about certain scenes from "BOTTLE ROCKET". There were a lot of humor that was not meant to be taken in as a joke but for these characters of Dignan, Anthony and Bob, you can't help but be entertained and laugh.

From memorable scenes of the group putting tape on top of their noses before their heist, to how rob the bookstore but at the same time, those being held hostage just look at them as non-dangerous and almost humorous (despite Dignan carrying a gun).

And then scenes of love as Anthony falls for this woman who can't speak any English and goes where she goes as she cleans each hotel room and just falls in love. And his far out drawings of his love for Inez.

And also the team assembled by Dignan for their major heist. One would think, why he would select really old men (especially one who had some major memory loss issues) to bring with him for a major robbery? But you realize it's Dignan and you just accept his approach to pulling of a heist and enjoy the ride.

There are many of these moments in the film that you just think back and just be amazed of how much of those type of scenes were included. Wes Anderson and Owen Williams are just an amazing duo and although at the time, they were not known in the industry, it just showed you how much potential these guys had when they first emerged and eventually they would go on to have successful careers making many more films together.

As for the Blu-ray disc, again, THE CRITERION COLLECTION manages to pull of another wonderful release. Wonderful picture quality that is vibrant in colors and again, I've reviewed many major films released in the early and mid-90's and although cleaned up, never have the vibrancy or sharpness but this softness that always bugged me. This was not the case of "BOTTLE ROCKET", the film looks great!

And the amount of special features and also the booklet that really help enhance one's appreciation for the film. You wouldn't expect anything less from CRITERION and sure enough, they delivered.

"BOTTLE ROCKET" is a fun, hilarious and well-written film that is so different from any film that has come out. It's not a moronic film, nor is it a serious heist film. It's just a film that is just all-out fun and one can understand why it has become a popular cult film.

Highly recommended!

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Hobo with a Shotgun (Collector's Edition + Digital Copy) (2011)

Really liked this movie. Yes it's violent and over the top, but hey, this is grindhouse. The characters are wonderful and almost every one is iconic in their own right. The movie makers created a gritty world with strange and twisted people mostly committing vile acts. Kind of like if Troma had made Robocop. This was less of an homage to grindhouse movies of the 70's and 80's and more like an actual grindhouse movie. The film had bright bleeding colors and harsh contrast that helped to give this film a very uniquely gritty look. There were lots of scenes of murder, mutilation and torture, but there were also scenes in this movie that elevate it to something more than a "B" horror movie. The hobos talk to the newborns, a certain death scene, the Plague, and even the wickedness of the main bad guy. This was definitely a grindhouse flick and more. Looking forward to seeing more from this director and crew.

Hobo with a Shotgun has kind of achieved an almost mythical status. Originally a fake trailer created when Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino were bringing their Grindhouse film to the masses, here we are with a feature-length treatment for Hobo with a Shotgun, starring genre great Rutger Hauer in the title role. When our Hobo hero arrives in a crime-ridden city, he quickly runs afoul of local crime boss Drake (Brian Downey from Lexx) and his two degenerate sons (Gregory Smith and Nick Bateman). It isn't long before the sight of so much crime and pain and torment drives our Hobo over the edge and he gets his hands on the shotgun sitting in a pawn shop, and proceeds to wreck ultra-bloody havoc in the process. Gleefully over the top and definitely not for the faint of heart, Hobo with a Shotgun represents just about the best aspects of what made the grindhouse and exploitation films of yesteryear so badly enjoyable to watch. At the same time however, Hobo with a Shotgun also displays some of the worst aspects of the genre. More often than not, it feels as if the film is trying way too hard to reach that level, and there are plenty of times where it's just too much. Not to mention the fact that the acting is, well, let's just say it's kind of lacking in certain aspects. I'm not looking for Shakespeare here, but other than Rutger Hauer, a majority of the cast is way too over the top for their own good. Still, Hobo with a Shotgun is bloody, ultraviolent fun that never relents, and is the kind of ballsy genre filmmaking that has become all the more scarce as time has gone by. It definitely isn't for everyone, but for those who love and respect what the grindhouse/exploitation genre can do, Hobo with a Shotgun is a must have.

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This is a not a good film in any sense. But it is a good film within its genre. Its pure violent pulp exploitation with no pretensions and in many respects its the purity of the concept which elevates it to something more than it would otherwise be. Its kind of like the old Sergio Leone westerns or something like the original Beastmaster or Road House or the first Boondock Saints.

The film had its start as a phony trailer in an earlier bigger film. The trailer was a funny two-minute joke. But they managed to make it work for real as a film.

A nameless hobo gets off a train in a new town with dreams of buying a lawnmower to start a business. But the streets are out of control and the hobo is forced to clean up the town on his own. The town is run by a violent goof named "Drake" and his two sons...one of whom looks like he stepped out of old Tom Cruise film like Risky Business. The villians are really easy to hate. The hobo is a no-nonsense hero.

The film is slightly different than the old "Death Wish" formula because there is a clear wealth and class subtext to it. Most vigilante films feature middle class or rich victims taking revenge on psychotic criminals. But "Hobo" is about a man at the very bottom taking revenge on a corrupt system run by the wealthy and powerful who exist beyond the reach of any law. Going after the "bumfights" guy, going after the rich goof (Drake) and going after the idiot sons of the rich goof are all powerful concepts.

And like all exploitation films, we get things that just don't make a bit of sense. Two Junior Iron men eventually show up with no particular explaination. But its so goofy, it works.

The only thing that I have against it is that its too violent. Its in the nature of explotation, but I think the material was good enough that they could have done without it. An edited version would probably run on cable forever.

The acting is 10x better than it has any right to be. Rutger Hauer was perfect for the role and delivers (as usual) a really solid performance in a third-rate role. This is not award winning acting, but its a role that some people would sleepwalk through (but he did not).

Most homaige films are derivative and so tied to the source material that they can't ever even be as good as what they are swiping. But this film was better than the original films.

Again, this isn't a work of art. But its honest to what it is and it was well done within the parameters of what it is.

Read Best Reviews of Hobo with a Shotgun (Collector's Edition + Digital Copy) (2011) Here

I've been wanting to see this movie for a long time, and I finally watched it with some friends, and all I have to say is...wow! This movie was so incredibly and insanely violent. People lose their heads, get ripped open with a baseball bat covered in razor blades, and get shot to death by an ass-kicking hobo. This movie based on the trailer from Grindhouse has more action than Machete. If you are easily offended by children being burned alive or being watched by a pedophile Santa Claus, you should stay away. This was a fun movie to watch, and all the gore scenes are hilarious and epic.

Rutger Hauer stars as a Hobo who comes to a new town, overrun with corruption. He befriends a hooker named Abby. While a Pawn shop is getting robbed, the Hobo can't take it anymore and decides to shoot the robbers down with a shotgun. He becomes a vigilante and goes around shooting anybody involved with crime. Never ever cross a HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN!!!

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Spider-Man ran out of silk and fell to his death mid air. Superman's steel is rusty. Batman has retired. James Bond's license to kill has been revoked. Kick-Ass got his ass kicked. The streets are ablaze with crime and corruption, and a new breed of superhero is in town... a nameless vigilante cashing in his quarters for a new way of life. A Hobo... With a Shotgun.

I recall seeing Grindhouse on its opening day, and when Hobo With a Shotgun showed, I laughed myself silly!!! It was probably the funniest of the fake trailers, and most agreed. Cut to 3 years later, and Hobo With a Shotgun has been made as a movie!! As you can imagine I anticipated its release and saw it Monday, and loved it!!!

A nameless Hobo gets off a train in a town called Hope Town, hoping to start a new life. He tries to save whatever money he can get for a lawnmower so he can start a business to mow people's lawns. However, the streets are full of corruption and violence, ruled by a ruthless psycho named Drake and his two sons.

However, one day, a new life automatically starts for the hobo when having struggled enough to get the money, he goes to buy the lawnmower and a robbery occurs. He notices the shotgun on the wall, uses it to shoot the robbers, and leaves one alive to tell the tale. With the help of a tired hooker named Abbey, this angry hobo will not stop until Drake and his empire are dead!

Hobo with a Shotgun is fun from the first frame. It is short and sweet, it is sickeningly violent and hilarious!!! There's buckets of blood and gore spilled, there's lots of dark humour, there's great acting and it is VERY Canadian. This film is evidence that Canadian cinema is some of the best around.

I was also surprised at the amount of heart it had too. Beneath the gore and insanity was a heartfelt message about how Homeless people are no different from the rest of us. There's a powerful scene near the end whee Abbey makes a speech to an angry mob, where she tells them that "Those people have a bigger home than us, and we are standing in it". It is very true, and it does give a whole new level of heart.

So in short, go see Hobo With a Shotgun. For what it's worth, GO SEE IT. It may be the most fun you'll have at the movies. Oh and Canadians who grew up watching The Raccoonsyou're in for a treat come the end credits!!!

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Brother's Justice (Bluray/DVD Combo) (2010)

Judge Daniel Kelly, DVD Verdict-I'm not sure why Dax Shepard decided to make Brother's Justice, the bit-part comic's fake documentary about his trying to become a martial arts action star. Maybe he just wanted an I'm Still Here to call his own, although no viewer will be arguing about this project's authenticity after the final credits roll. Shepard has designed Brother's Justice to play purely for laughs, gently riffing on bruised Hollywood egos, absurd pet projects, and the ignorance that regularly accompanies fame. All of these themes were admittedly used better in Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder, but that's not to say Brother's Justice doesn't have enough laughs to deem it rental worthy.

Brother's Justice just about holds together for its brief 80 minute runtime, providing a short but very digestible dosage of ridiculous comedy. Shepard doesn't make many fresh points during the course of the movie (he paints himself as deluded, self-important, and homophobic throughout); instead beating on the same satirical doors that have already served dozens of other lampoons. However, there's a true commitment to silliness here that can't be faulted, Shepard unafraid to make himself or anyone else look like a fool in pursuit of laughs. There are at least three very funny sequences in Brother's Justice, Shepard's knack for sly improvisations helping to sate audience desire for giggles during the drier patches. Ultimately I foundBrother's Justice to be a moderately entertaining and totally tolerable experience. It's uneven and unoriginal, but it's got chutzpah to burn.

Aesthetically the movie adopts a low-fi vibe (in an attempt to concoct the illusion of reality), only breaking from handheld camera work during occasional trailers (Tropic Thunder again?) for other stories Shepard is trying to make. Bar the very last of these (entitled "Jeung Guns") none really work, they're overproduced and generally unfunny. I expect these were added late in production to beef up the final product, but there was really no need, they add little to the sense of fun permeating from the picture.

-Full review at dvdverdict.com

Dax Shepard is hilarious and there are some great moments with Ashton Kutcher, Tom Arnold, Bradley Cooper, David Koechner, Seth Green (in the deleted scenes) and other funny familiar faces.

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Be Kind Rewind (2008)

VHS is pretty much dead now, but it has one characteristic that "Be Kind Rewind" revolves around: expose it to magnetism, and it dies.

So you can probably guess what happens in Michel Gondry's fourth movie, and his first foray into all-out comedy. It has some plot holes and a rather bizarre premise, but there's a warm, funny little heart buried in the kooky antics and wild remakes of every movie from "Ghostbusters" to "Lord of the Rings."

Be Kind Rewind is an ancient video store, and supposedly the birthplace of unknown jazz legend Fats Waller. It's also due to be razed for a new block of condos -so store owner Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) goes on a scouting trip for a week, leaving his conscientious clerk Mike (Mos Def) in charge.

Unfortunately local weirdo Jerry (Jack Black) tries to destroy a local power plant, because he believes it's controlling his brain. Instead he gets fried, and his body becomes a walking electromagnet -which they only discover after he's wandered through the store, erasing all the old tapes. Even worse, a regular customer (Mia Farrow) wants "Ghostbusters" by that evening.

So Mike and Jerry hurriedly shoot their OWN version of the movie, with the help of Alma (Melonie Diaz) and soon they find that their "Sweded" movies have a growing fanbase, and they are statewide celebrities. But the demolition deadline is approaching, and Hollywood lawyers are threatening them for copyright infringement -will the town's new devotion to these quirky "Sweding" moviemakers help them stay?

Michel Gondry's movies are always set in "real life," but with a few drops of the unreal -memory erasure, waking surrealist dreams, that kind of thing. And even though "Be Kind Rewind" is set in a grimy, shabby New Jersey town, it has the same delightfully unreal quality -it's a genial buddy comedy where literally anything can happen.

I'll admit, there are some moments that don't entirely work. Note the awkward "this town is a swamp" exchange, and we're expected to allow the plot holes to slide (where did the infringement lawyers go?). And that whole magnetized body fluids thing was just gross.

But despite its flaws, it's somehow a very lovable movie. It's crammed with physical and verbal comedy ("Iloveyou Iloveyou we'relovers kissme!"), ranging from amateur train hijacks to an inept break-in at a DVD rental store. And a merely entertaining movie becomes sidesplitting when our heroes start shooting a ghastly no-budget "Ghostbusters" with fishing rods, tinsel, and bags of goo. This is followed by "Robocop," "2001," "Rush Hour 2," "Driving Miss Daisy" and several others -all with no budget, borrowed costumes, cardboard sets, and a cast of rank amateurs.

Gondry is obviously having a roaring good time lampooning Hollywood blockbusters. But he also injects some deeper currents into what could have been a one-joke movie -there's a bittersweet subplot about the possibility of losing the store that has brought a community together. Yeah, it's supposed to tug at the heartstrings, but it really does work -particularly since the movie rental industry is going belly-up.

One particularly nice touch is that the movie ends -and is punctuated by -scenes of a very low-budget, old-looking biopic of Fats Waller. Initially it just seems like another conceit, but it turns out to be very important to the plot.

Black is a delight as the insane Jerry, brimming with manic energy -in one scene, he encases himself in aluminum foil. Mos Def's Mike is more pleasant and low-key as the responsible boy-next-door type, and Danny Glover is outstanding as the paternal, gravel-voiced Mr. Fletcher. Diaz is also quite solid as a vague love interest/codirector/costar; and keep an eye out for Sigourney Weaver in a small cameo.

Michel Gondry's fourth full-length film is a big-hearted, mildly bittersweet little comedy, with the slightly unreal quality you expect from his films. I want the Sweded "Be Kind Rewind!"

Here's what I knew when I sat down to watch BE KIND, REWIND. It features Jack Black (not usually known for his subtle work) and Mos Def, who has done some over-the-top but amusing work himself (HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE, 16 BLOCKS). I knew that these two were involved in accidentally erasing all the videos in a rundown old video rental place, and to undo the damage they had done, they set about refilming all the movies.

I expected a loud, slick parody with lots slapstick. What I saw was a film whose tone and pace shifted constantly. It was a surprising film in that it dares to confound expectations at all times. It had some truly funny moments, some quiet moments of surprising depth and some instances where the film almost ground to a halt.

I suppose that knowing it came from Michael Gondry (of ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and ADAPTATION) should have alerted me that nothing would be conventional about the film. I think I let the presence of Jack Black distract me.

I'm glad I saw the film, and I had a pleasant time doing so. But it's slack pacing and constantly shifting tone did lull me into a drowse from time to time. This film will not do well at the box office, but it's also the sort of film that will develop a small but fevered cult-lite following.

Mos Def works at the store named BE KIND REWIND, run by the kindly Danny Glover. The main thing this incredibly run down store in a run-down section of Passaic, NJ has going for it is the fact that this is the building in which Fats Waller was born many decades ago. Mos and his friend Jack Black have listened to stories about Waller for years, and so they feel a dedication to keeping the store going and they feel an obligation to the poor and downtrodden denizens of their neighborhood. (We simply have to accept that none of these folks is yet clamoring for a DVD player.) So when Jack Black (a conspiracy-theory nut who runs a really shabby mechanics shop and lives in a trailer) becomes magnetized (don't ask) and erases all the videos...it's panic time for these two. Glover is away for a few days, and has left Def in charge. So these two "brain trusts" come up with idea of recreating all the films, one at a time, in the hopes of not being caught for their irresponsibility.

They first take on GHOSTBUSTERS, and the clever manner in which they recreate scenes from this film on a literally zero budget (and take on many of the roles themselves) is pretty darn priceless. The biggest laughs of the movie, by far, come in these re-creations. Later they take on RUSH HOUR 2.

No one in the neighborhood is tricked by these films...but the two auteurs inadvertently create a demand for these 20 minute, no-budget renditions, and they start a little business recreating films on demand. They get several different movies in production at once, so we see DRIVING MISS DAISY, MEN IN BLACK and KING KONG (among others), all being recreated in a junkyard. The methods they come up with to re-create beloved scenes are inspired in their lunacy (and serve as excellent reminders about how so much of filmmaking is the right camera angle!).

The film also tries to become a somber meditation on this neighborhood, and the value of preserving it. The building is set for rehabilitation by the city, and Glover must grapple with his impending loss. The city officials aren't really painted as "bad guys"...and no one is really saying the city doesn't deserve a rehab. It's just more about the way that the old must give in to the new, and how sometimes the old wasn't all it was cracked up to be anyway.

There are more plot twists towards the end, and eventually the film, which is pretty lightweight, is weighed down by a sense of sadness. While I'm okay with sadness permeating a "comedy" (see DARJEELING LIMITED, for example)...the sadness in this case translate into a film that nearly grinds to a halt...everyone just moves slower and looks droopy.

The script is certainly part of the problem. Gondry was clearly shooting for whimsical...but the scenes of re-filming movies are too close to parody for the whimsy to really work. And the two leads are also a problem. Jack Black is trying to reign in his natural tendency to be antic, to ground himself more in reality...yet the script wants him to be a nut. Mos Def, who comes across as more naturalistic, has a mumbling or diction problem that makes him hard to understand at times, and makes him vaguely annoying. Glover is doing his "sad old man" bit again, and Mia Farrow shows up to do her "slightly wacky old lady" thing. Sigourney Weaver shows us to do a tiny cameo, and her star presence is completely wasted.

There are many things to admire and laugh at in BE KIND, REWIND. By the same token, there is much to fault. It's amazing how such a quiet movie could be so WILDLY uneven.

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This movie was funny & Heartwarming at the same time. Jack Black & Mos Deff Make a great team in this hilarious movie about a video store own trying to save his shop. i recomend this movie to everyone.

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This is just a fun movie to watch. Jack Black puts on another hilarious performance. Mos Def and Danny Glover are also great as are so many others in the cast.

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When Elroy Fletcher(Danny Glover), owner of Be Kind Rewind video rental store, goes out of town he leaves Mike (Mos Def) in charge with one rule: Keep Jerry (Jack Black) Out! But when Jerry becomes magnetized trying to sabotage the local electric plant he makes his way into the video store and erases all the video tapes in the store. Finding that none of the local video stores carry video tapes having switched to the more popular DVD, and with customers threatening to call Elroy, Mike and Jerry take matters into their own hands and start recording their own versions of popular movies. Claiming that the versions are imported versions of films from Sweden, their "Sweded" films become popular amongst the citizens of Passaic, New Jersey.

French director Michel Gondry is a very unique director, taking a look at his 2004 masterpiece Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and you can see that this isn't your average director. Having amassed a body of work that doesn't just stop at film (he played the drums on Kanye West's Diamonds From Sierra Leone) Michel Gondry has become something of an underground sensation. He created effects that would eventually be used in high profile films such as The Matrix, and was the first to use morphing technics in a video clip. Put him together with rap phenom, as well as Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor Mos Def and rock star/ comedian Jack Black and what do you get?...

A great and heartfelt movie that's a love letter to film, an ode to the classic DIY spirit, and a reminder of the importance of history and the ability to change it and make it our own. Written by Michel Gondry based on an idea he got from directing Dave Chappelle's Bloc Party, Be Kind Rewind is a movie that mixes heart with comedy in a fashion that never seems schmaltzy and is very original. And the atmosphere of the movie is infectious, as the duo begin inviting others to help in making the "Sweded" videos you feel drawn in as if you're part of the process. This movie has also sparked something of a revolution, look up Sweded on Youtube and you can find other people Sweded versions of movie and movie trailers.

With actors like Danny Glover and Jack Black you expect a mixture of good acting and well played out comedy in this movie, and in casting Mos Def and Jack Black the casting directors definitely made the right choice. Jack Black is of course Jack Black, which doesn't always work in every role he plays, but here he understates slightly, dialing down his tendencies to overact on occasion. Mos Def, as always, proves masterful playing the straight man to Jack Black's crazy, perfectly filling out the bromance. Of course, you can never count out Danny Glover who is the most tortured soul in the movie as a man set in his ways realizing that he has to change with the times if he wants to keep his business, and he greatly excels at making you feel and understand the emotions of the character.

If the movie fails in one thing, it's at the very beginning. The set up for the grand scheme of the plot is not very well thought out, and a little awkwardly executed. While on paper the idea of Jack Black's character becoming magnetized and demagnetizing every movie in a video store looks great on paper (and does make for a few hilariously great slapstick moments), the execution of him becoming magnetized is even a little too quirky for this quirky comedy and throws off the pacing for a few moments near the early parts of the movie. Gondry quickly gets back on track though, but at the same time the movie feels a little cramped with everything he's trying to throw at you. The movie is filled with a lot of great ideas, and at times it can feel a little cramped with everything that's been put in there.

All in all, I would highly recommend the movie, and this is definitely a movie that takes more than one viewing to fully appreciate it. At a time when everything being cranked out of Hollywood is either a remake, adaptation, or a sequel this ode to originality is definitely a breath of fresh air.

4/5

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The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2010)

Small wonder that after director Kim Jee-Woon's magnificent "A Tale of Two Sisters" and the terrific "A Bittersweet Life" that his next film would be so eagerly anticipated. "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" has won numerous awards in Asia, achieved box-office acclaim in South Korea and has been selected for the Cannes film festival. I've said before that an Asian western isn't exactly an original concept; there was a video game called "Western Samurai", the Hong Kong produced "Peace Hotel" and most recently, Takashi Mike's "Sukiyaki Western Django" from Japan. Well, it seems like South Korea won't be left behind and with Kim Jee-Woon at the helm, expectations are rather high and the man doesn't disappoint.

A two-bit bumbling crook named Tae-Goo "The Weird" (Song Kang-Ho, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) robs a train only to unintentionally make off with a Quing Dynasty treasure map. Everyone wants this map; the Japanese army, the Korean independence group as well as a lot of shady characters. On Tae-goo's tail is a relentless killer named Park Chang-Yi "The Bad" (Lee Byung-Hyun, A Bittersweet Life) who is also after the map and has a seemingly personal reason as to why he wants Tae-Goo's head on a plate. In hot pursuit for both of them is a bounty hunter named Park Do-Won (Jung Woo-Sung, The Restless) who can do nicely with the bounty for Chang-Yi's capture or the treasure itself. Now, these three men are on a collision course--who would win out in the end?

Kim Jee-Woon's "The Good the Bad the Weird" is an extremely well-made film and is a highly entertaining genre-busting affair. This chaotic period similar to the wild west in America, a Machuria-set "kimchi" western (as opposed to "sukiyaki") is a melting pot of all things awesome about westerns and looks like a homage to Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns". There's a train heist, lots of shoot-outs in a small town and cool characters. You'll see bits and pieces of "The Good the Bad and the Ugly" (so obvious with the film's title), "A Fistful of Dollars" and even Miike's "Sukiyaki Western Django". The film has a very large budget and it shows, the film is exquisitely shot and the superb style and camerawork reminded me of Ryuhei Kitamura (Azumi). Director Kim definitely knows his stuff in style and with the film's intriguing concept, Asian and Korean cinema fans have reason to see this film, and it is definitely something that a "solid" Asian film fan just can't miss.

The film's set designs and architecture maintain some of that "dynasty-era" Korean period but it does have a strong touch of the old west. It has some rather creative touches; there is some swordplay, knives used with brutality, there's a big guy with a huge hammer, a "sleeping Buddha" under construction, rifles with telescopes, motorcycles and jeeps, saloons and more--all these contribute to the film's "mixing of genres" style. Director Kim also seems to be having a lot of fun with the film, as he never forgets his touches of humor to help the film's pace and his stunning camerawork which proves to be the film`s showstopper. Explosions and gunfire are aplenty; highlights include a very cool town gunfight and a very long chase sequence with the ensembled cast supported by dozens of extras. I've read that Kim actually had cameramen hanging on wires to shoot the desert scenes--Kim Jee-Woon's talent shines through.

The action scenes are very exciting and exquisitely executed. It looks like director Kim took some pointers from Ryuhei Kitamura because they are just so full of "coolness" that can make action scribe John Woo a little jealous. Kim also avoids the use of CGI in the action and depends mostly on elaborate stunts and old-fashioned camera trickey; there is minimal use of CGI enhanced effects but only in the film's set designs. Ok, so some scenes required a large suspension of disbelief, I rather found Jung Woo-Sung's Do-Won's skills with a gun a little too over-the-top especially when he engages a large number of the Japanese army. He never even gets grazed by a bullet so either Do-Won is unbelievably good or these guys just supremely suck. But hey, this is a minor complaint, after all I don't think this film was meant to be taken seriously and more of a homage film. Hey, please take note that Kim doesn't hold back with the blood--and the way he executes it kept the film from having too much of that "comic bookish" feel. There is also a legend of a certain "Finger chopper" that gives some surprises and I felt that the screenplay played its cards well.

Song Kang-Ho's Tae-Goo arguably steals the show and proves to be the film's most interesting character--the actor also proves as to why he is one of South Korea's most sought after performers. The man can act in almost any film I've seen that further cements his reputation in versatility. Lee Byung Hyun does have the most intense presence onscreen, his character along with Song Kang-Ho's Tae-goo are the kind of characters that can elevate the film into "cult status". Jung Woo-Sung's "the Good" character feels a little too cool and lacks precision, but the actor does do the best with what he has. Still, the three popular actors mesh very well and has dynamic chemistry. Oh, the women are also great-looking and serves to titillate the male audience.

"The Good, The Bad, The Weird" is a very polished film that lived up to my expectations. The film's plot isn't too deep, but the film's "wow" factor is just so incredibly impressive that I can look pass the very simple plot which makes it essentially a chase film. It is a solid film, that exudes popcorn entertainment but its characters do carry much of the film's weight. It may be little too pre-occupied in becoming captivated with itself but its small flaws aren't really worth to nitpick. The film is an action-packed affair that action junkies will never become bored--as for the rest, they can find something else to like in the film--its characters, style and performers will definitely impress. I'm happy to say that Kim Jee-Woon's film lived up to the hype.

Highly Recommended! [4 ½Stars]

There are two versions of the film. The International version (the one presented in Cannes) is arguably the better paced, leaner film that maintains a touch of mystery at the end. The Korean 130 minute cut has more development to Tae-Goo's character and an extended climax that answers a lot of questions. The official U.S. version is expected to have the original 130 minute version.

I love this film. I am admittedly a junkie for Korean cinema, and this is one of the better films to come from that country in the past few years. A really exciting, action-filled "eastern" that takes place in the early 20th century in Manchuria. There are some flat-out great gun fights and chases throughout the entire film. Actually, the movie is like one giant chase with ample set pieces. The camera work and pacing is excellent and the performances are quite memorable. The tone is comically light, but never cartoonish. If you consider yourself a fan of action cinema, this is a must-watch.

BUT, the blu-ray is 1080i!! Most of the time when Asian films get a 1080i transfer, it's because that's the only one available and the studio releasing the film is lazy/cheap. Like with some of the HK/Chinese blus. What that means practically is that there was pixellating in the image when the camera panned slowly. Also, in wide shots with lots of little detail, the image gets kinda blocky. This is a particularly unforgivable offense as there is another, apparently great 1080p transfer available in other markets. Very lame IFC. Sorry.

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Sergio Leone on a bender in 1930s Manchuria.

Almost non-stop action, most of it tongue in cheek but nicely choreographed, lots of color and pizazz, and above all an endearing sense of absurdity make this a pleasure to watch. Director Ji-Woon knows the genre well and delights in subverting it without mercy; the guy in the diving helmet was one of my favorites. Any movie that takes itself this unseriously yet also delivers thrills and humor is a success by any measure; that it's Korean and does Hollywood one better makes it all the more fun.

Some of the violence is a little overdone, but it's all rather comic-bookish anyhow. The real highlight for me were the many incredibly long, tight tracking shots, full of wild angles and unexpected twists and turns of the camera. Shots like that take great care and preparation and for so many of them to work so well is no mean feat (the extras docs show just how wild some of these set-ups were). To have it all be this wacky and light-hearted yet also so breakneck is a real achievement. Plus the acting is both gleefully hammy and surprisingly well done: I never once thought, "What a crappy take." Somehow it all just fits, once again in the spirit of the best spaghetti westerns.

It does go on a little longer than it might have, with too much time spent pontificatin' to no real end, but that and the occasional gratuitously graphic violence were my only qualms. I loved that there was no English-language dubbing (which is so often so bad), just the original Korean and good subtitles full of flavor and colloquial feel. This is how it should be done. All in all, it's an over the top shoot-em-up and delivers on that promise in spades, diamonds and treasure maps.

The blu-ray is very nicely done, not a flawless transfer but very good, and there are a bunch of solid extras, including various interviews and making-ofs; it's a nice package and will no doubt contribute to this film's inevitable cult status. There've been a few other Asian westerns but this one is in a league of its own, and the quality of the image along with the color and the humor make it a real treat to watch. And it's almost all shot outdoors in natural light, often in gloriously huge mountainous wilderness, so it feels very real even with all its goofiness, and the final motorcycle/horse/jeep battle is a true classic.

[A note to any surfers out there: when you see the sea in the distance at 1:18:02, check out those insane, endless tubes peeling off in a perfect set. Surf Manchuria!]

If you like westerns, Asian cinema, great cinematography, nutty genre humor, or/and just a good old-fashioned fun movie, Good Bad Weird is for you.

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n the surface, Kim Ji-Won's ("A Tale of Two Sisters," "A Bittersweet Life") 2008 film, "The Good, The Bad & the Weird," is clearly a homage to Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, but it also draws much inspiration, in terms of tone and temperament, from much more lighthearted fare like Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones" films.

Shot in Western China near the Gobi Desert, the film is set in a harsh, flat landscape that could just as easily stand in for the American Southwest circa 1860, as well as Manchuria in the 1930's. Into this inhospitable terrain has come, it seems, every Korean thief, gunfighter and gangster, all fleeing the brutality of the Japanese Occupation of Korea (1910-1945), including: a noble, if cold-blooded, bounty hunter Do-Weon ("The Good,") played by Woo Sung Jun (the heroic former slave in "Musa the Warrior,"); a vicious, if terribly insecure, urban gangster turned train robber, Park Chang-Yi ("The Bad"), played by Rom-Com hearthrob Lee Byeong-heon (who surprised many audiences with his portrayal of a young gangster in "A Bittersweet Life"), and Sang Kang-Ho (who has given great lead performances in lauded Korean dramas like "Joint Security Area," "Memories of Murder," and "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,") who carries much of the film with his comedic portrayal of Yoon Tae-Gu ("The Weird"), a doofus of a bandit, who kicks off the action by making off with a priceless Q'ing Dynasty treasure map.

It's the race for said map, by mercenaries hired by proand anti-Japanese forces, as well as local thieves and roving bands of bandits, that drives the story, as seen in lively, extended action-packed set pieces: a bloody train robbery, a crazed gun battle in a sprawling desert marketplace, and a wild horse-motorcycle-jeep & truck chase across miles of territory. There is very little depth here (which is a tad disappointing given the films huge budget and 130 minute running time), but on the whole, the film is an enjoyable ride, loaded with sharp, often funny characterizations, elaborate and intense action scenes, and a general good humor that lends a welcome bouyancy to the often crazed proceedings. The movie should easily sate the appetite of almost all action movie fans, prime yourself for a fun fast moving ride through shallow waters and you should do fine.

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This movie has everything! From the very first scene (amazing) to the very last (did NOT see that coming) I was enthralled. A South Korean film set in 1940's Manchuria, this film is the funniest action-packed western you'll ever hope to see. I watched it with my 8 year old son, re-rented it 2 days later at his urging and ordered it from Amazon the next day to save rental fees. With the unexpected soundtrack (I don't want to ruin it for you) play this movie loud. I can't decide if this or Inception was the best movie I've seen all year. The difference is I could watch this movie ten times and not tire of it. What are you waiting for? Click on "Add to Cart"!!

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Do the Right Thing (Blu-ray + DVD) (1989)

In only his third film, Spike Lee created a classic that is both socially relevant and artistically accomplished. By focusing the actions at one location in one day, this film reminds us that race relation cannot be improved if we don't improve the way each one of us interacts with everyone else. The film's finale is notable for its echos of real events that occurred not long before the film was made, and its prescience of events to follow. It is an unforgettable movie scene that shows how intolerance can victimize everyone. Nevertheless, the apocalyptic vision of the final scene did not sit well with some critics. Is it a call to end violence or to start violence, they asked. In the film Lee seems to say there are no easy answers.

Somewhat overlooked is the fact that the film also makes keen observations of lives of American black underclass, especially in the portrayals of the "cornermen". Their exchanges are as amusing as they are trenchant in commenting the state of affairs of lower-class blacks. And through them, Lee takes the uncompromising position that sometimes the underprivileged can also be victims of their own mentalities.

Also, Lee subtlely shows the many faces of racial intolerance. While Sal's son Pino overtly hates blacks, and Buggin' Out is overtly intolerant of whites, but is the attitude of Sal himself really conducive towards racial harmony? Does he have a desire to get to know his neighbors, or does he simply want to "have no trouble with these people", as he puts it? By leaving this aspect ambiguous, Lee makes us think just what IS the right thing to do...

Despite all the criticisms against him, I believe Lee tackled the difficult subject as intelligently as any director could have done.

The Criterion DVD contains most of the supplements in the Criterion laserdisc released in 1995 -audio commentaries, cast meetings and screen tests, 'Making Of' documentary. New supplements include Lee's press conference at the '89 Cannes festival, video interview with editor Barry Brown, "Fight the Power" music video, and a video segment showing the filmmakers re-visiting the Bed-Stuy neighborhood.

The DVD's video quality is characterized by deep, rich, saturated colors which cinamatographer Ernst Dickerson so brilliantly captured in order to create a feeling of overwhelming heat (literally and figuratively). There is a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track (Prologic-decodable to surround), and a PCM stereo track that actually sounds brighter and crisper than the DD track.

Spike Lee's 1989 film Do The Right Thing is among a handful of films that rise above the level of actual entertainment. It is thought-provoking, educational study of race relations. The film takes place during one extremely hot day in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is predominately black, but the film centers around a pizzeria owned by Sal (Danny Aiello) who is white. All of Sal's customers are the black, but on his wall he has pictures of white film and music stars. This is a source of irritation to some customers, especially the radically minded Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito). But Sal refuses to change and he goes about his business. Sal's two sons, Pino (John Turturro) and Vito (Richard Edson) also work at the pizzeria as does Mookie (Mr. Lee) who is Sal's delivery boy. Pino is highly bigoted and isn't afraid to let his opinions be know, while Vito is more sensitive and adverse to confrontation. Real life husband and wife Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee appear as the neighborhood elders, Da Mayor & Mother Sister who are constantly trading humorous barbs at one another while dispensing advice to the locals. Other interesting characters such as Radio Raheem, Sweet Dick Willie & DJ Mister Senor Love Daddy are featured throughout the film. Mr. Lee does a brilliant job of conveying the extreme heat that has overtaken the neighborhood. You can almost feel the heat while watching the film. Tensions also slowly rise through the film until the climatic riot scene where Sal's pizzeria is burned down, started by Mookie throwing a garbage can through the window. This is particularly devastating to Sal as he genuinely cared for Mookie and can't believe Mookie would do this to him. Mr. Lee's message in the film is that one doesn't know exactly what the right thing is. He illustrates this by the messages of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Dr. King was for a peaceful solution to racism while Malcolm X said to fight for equality by any means necessary. Is passively sitting back right or is violence right? Mr. Lee never answers the question, which is exactly his point. Do The Right Thing was shunned at the 1989 Academy Awards garnering only a nomination for Mr. Aiello (which was richly deserved) in the Best Supporting Actor category. Ironically the film that won Best Picture was Driving Miss Daisy which was the stereotypical Hollywood portrayal of blacks as subservient workers and the type of film that Mr. Lee's pictures were the antithesis of. All in all, Do The Right Thing is a brilliant movie and one that deserves all the accolades that it received.

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I remember a female friend of mine telling me she watched this film, and at the end stood up crying and yelling, "stop fighting! " This movie provokes you in that way. That Spike Lee managed to get these severe reactions from his actors even the ones opposed to him onscreen is brilliant. I doubt anybody in the cast completely agreed with his final product, but that is what makes this movie so moving. I wish other directors/producers would have the guts to tackle any subject as faithfully as Lee has here. I have followed John Turturro's career since "Do the Right Thing", and I'm barely able after all this time to forgive him for some of the things he says in this movie. Yes, it's only a movie. And Spike Lee is only a genius. To my friend who shouted in the theater, I can only say I wish this movie didn't have to be made.

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In all likelihood Spike Lee's most important achievement as director, writer and actor (though to my taste Mo' Better Blues is just as good a picture) and one of the strongest films you'll see about race relations, `Do The Right Thing' looks dated at times, but it lost none of its impact and relevance. The movie takes place in a particularly hot day in a primarily African-American neighborhood in Brooklyn, and follows the various personalities who live there throughout the day; the center of the story is Sal's Famous Pizzeria its owners, some of the few white people living in the neighborhood: Sal (Oscar nominated performance for Danny Aiello) and his two sons (John Torturro and Richard Edson), and Mookie (Spike Lee himself), the black delivery boy. What starts out as a light, entertaining movie with some amusing characters and light humor, gradually builds up tension to the point of being unbearable, up to the dramatic and tragic climax. Spike doesn't put as much emphasis on the characters themselves as he does on the relationships and the tension between them; and in this image of a very specific and small frame in time and place, makes a strong and important message about racism and race relations in general.

The film is populated with many different characters, all of them very memorable and each one a representative of a certain belief, mode of behavior or state of mind on both sides of the conflict. From the uninhibited anger of Buggin Out (Giancarlo Esposito) and Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) on one side and Pino (John Torturro) on the other side, to Jade (Joie Lee, Spike's sister in the film and in real life) and Vito (Richard Edson), who are trying to connect and live at peace with the other side, to Da Mayor (Ossie Davis), in his isolated but peaceful state of mind, living in complete peace with the world around him, and Smiley (Roger Smith), living in his own isolated existence. Then there's Mookie, who is stuck in the middle, torn between his commitment and responsibilities to both sides. Finally we have Mister Senor Love Daddy played gorgeously by the one and only Samuel L. Jackson, in one of his finest performances half active character and half all-knowing narrator who represents the voice of reason in the conflict, the reason which is bound, ultimately, to collapse. Each and every character plays an important part in the climatic and dramatic conflict to which the movie builds up, and though it's the radical ones Buggin Out and Radio Raheem who trigger the events that cause the tragedy, they are not necessarily the ones who finish it. It is Mookie and Sal, in fact, who ultimately play the main part.

Do The Right Thing is not an easy watch; it's a mesmerizing, tense, difficult film that breaks many taboos and slaughters many holy cows. But in the end of it hopefully you'll be wiser than you were in the beginning, and that's what Lee have always tried to achieve in all his films. Watch it to get a real view on racism that doesn't duck the difficult issues and isn't afraid to tackle the real problem, and to see a master director at work. It's one of the best films of its time.

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The first time I've seen Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" was at the theater and the movie refused to leave my mind for about several weeks. It just kept replaying itself constantly in my mind of the events and the turn a bouts of the story. The writing is so sharp and the movie is hilarious as well as the only movie to make Roger Ebert cry.

Deceptively open and simple in its presentation, this is one of the most complex and layered movies about human relationships that I have ever seen during that time. This movie is every bit as compound as its subject matter. I disagree with those who characterize the film as "preachy." Quite to the contrary, I think the genius of the film is precisely in the fact that Spike does not tell the viewer what to think he just compels you to think.

Spike spends most of the movie setting up his characters and their situations, some are comedic, some are dramatic, and some are both. The acting is naturally great, with John Turturro, Danny Aiello, and Spike himself standing out as the best played and most interesting characters. The movie looks very much "of the 80's" as far as fashion and things like that go but that doesn't take any power away from the movie. But the biggest question people seem to have after they have watched this movie is about doing the right thing and whether or not Mookie did it. Spike always only says that he's never been asked that question by a person of color. However my feeling on the matter is this: Did Mookie do the right thing? No. Did Sal do the right thing? No. From the time that Radio Raheem comes into Sal's at the end, not one person does the right thing. Not Mookie, Sal, Radio, Buggin Out, the cops, or whoever. Everything horrible that happens could have been avoided if one person had done the right thing, and yet nobody does.

I think that's why the movie stuck with me. Most movies would show everyone (or just the "hero") doing the right thing and everything turning out happily, but that's not what usually happens in reality. Too often people give in to their worst instincts. In here we have New York explodes over a seemingly little incident because racial tensions are always just below the surface. This film is truly a work of art and out all Of the Spike Lee movies I've seen this is one of his finest. "Do the Right Thing" is one of the signatures of an American classic.

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