Movie Reviews

‘The Day the World Ended’ (Tristar, 2001)

Directed by Terrence Gross

Here’s another in the “Creature Features” series of in-name-only remakes of old AIP films.  In this one, Nastasia Kinski plays a child psychologist from New York hired to work at a small town school.  When she arrives, her car sporting a “Darwin” bumper sticker, the locals greet her somewhat coldly and the sheriff stops her to offer some “friendly advice”.  If the town hates outsiders this much, why the hell did they hire her in the first place?  Because she’s necessary to move the plot along, that’s why.  Her first day on the job, she encounters a comic book obsessed little boy being victimized by the school bully.  She tries to help, but Randy Quaid as the boy’s adoptive father gets steamed when he finds out his son has been subjected to therapy.  

 The little boy, whose mother died in mysterious circumstances, claims that his real father is a space alien, and will soon be coming back for him.  When a tentacle faced rubber suit monster shows up and starts filleting some of the locals, this appears to be true.  Of course, our rational heroine refuses to believe anything of the sort.  Despite the claw and tooth marks on the victims and an eyewitness account, she remains convinced a human killer is at large.  Eventually the truth is revealed regarding the death of the boy’s mother, and the culpability of certain townspeople.  Doubts also begin to arise regarding the nature of the alien killer. 

Despite some script problems, ‘The Day the World Ended’ is not without merit.  The performances are good, and it captures some of the feel of an old school fifties monster movie.  Not anything you absolutely have to see, but still above average as far as direct to video schlock goes. 

‘Deep in the Woods’ (Artisan, 2001)

Directed by Lionel Deplanque

There’s a reason the French are not know for their horror films.  Oh, sure, they’ve got Jean Rollin, whose vamperotica is the exception that proves the rule.  Other than that, however, them crepe eaters have never offered much on their cinematic menu for the fright fan, and this attempt at the giallo genre won’t do much to change that reputation.

To be sure, all the elements are here.  Dark family secrets hinted at in a vague pre-credits flashback sequence, an imposing European castle, bizarre characters, an animal themed killer, and plenty of red herrings.  Unfortunately, the screenplay is a mess.

Following the rules of the “idiot plot”, a bunch of young actors arrive at a strange castle in an area recently plagued by a rapist/serial killer and quickly proceed to do everything they shouldn’t.   At one point in the film, after some characters have already been killed off, the survivors announce that from now on they’ll stick together.  Next thing you know, they’ve split up again.  The Italians, who invented this genre, are not exactly known for their strict adherence to narrative logic, either.  At least they make up for it with atmosphere and stylish, bizarre murder sequences.   ‘Deep in the Woods’ doesn’t even deliver on that base level. 

‘The Fluffer’ (First Run/TLA Releasing, 2001)

Directed by Richard Glazer and Wash West 

While ‘The Fluffer’ uses the world of gay porn as its setting, it’s less a queer ‘Boogie Nights’ than an examination of obsessive love.  Scott Gurney is Sean, a young cinematographer trying to get a break in Hollywood.   He rents what he thinks is ‘Citizen Kane’ at his local video store, but when he gets the tape home it turns out to be ‘Citizen Cum’ starring Johnny Rebel (Michael Cunio).  Sean becomes infatuated with Johnny, and applies at the company where the tape was made hoping to meet the object of his lust.  Ignoring an offer to work on a legitimate film, Sean is soon hired by the porn company and gets to shoot a scene with Johnny for his first assignment.  When the porn stud can’t seem to finish his job, Sean offers to “help out” as it were, thus giving the film its title. 

Despite being told by everyone around him that Johnny is strictly “gay for pay” and has a stripper girlfriend (Roxanne Day), Sean deludes himself into thinking he can change Johnny.  The same goes for the stripper, who thinks an unexpected pregnancy will get her man off his self destructive path of drug addiction and fooling around.  The first two thirds of the movie, which set up all the plot elements, are pretty interesting.  Then the third act turns into a generic murder mystery with Sean and Johnny on the run.   

Eventually ‘The Fluffer’ gets back on track and redeems itself, including a great shot reminiscent of the ending of Truffaut’s ‘The 400 Blows’.  I probably won’t be revisiting this film anytime soon, but it’s definitely worth a watch for people of any sexual persuasion looking for a serious film about relationships that avoids the schmaltz of your average Hollywood romance.    The acting, direction, and production values are all top notch, and the story kept my interest. 

‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ (Criterion, 2001)

Directed by Wes Anderson

American movies don’t get much better than this.  Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, the screenwriting team behind ‘Bottle Rocket’ and ‘Rushmore’ have once again made a film that entertains and surprises.  Told almost like a fairy tale complete with narration by Alec Baldwin, this is the story of a family of genius children unlucky enough to have Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) as a father.  Chas (Ben Stiller), Richie (Luke Wilson), and adopted daughter Margo (Gwyneth Paltrow) all reached their peaks before adulthood.  They have not seen their father for years, ever since their mother Etheline (Angelica Huston) gave the worthless bastard the boot.  Still, despite the passage of time and several suitors including Henry Sherman (Danny Glover) she has never gotten around to getting a divorce.  Eli Cash (Owen Wilson) is the neighbor kid who always wanted to be a Tenebaum, and despite his own ongoing success he still feels like he doesn’t measure up to the illustrious family.

When Royal finds himself suddenly at the end of his financial resources, he concocts a plan to work his way back into the family he left behind.  Pretending to be suffering from a fatal illness, he weasels his way back into the family household at the same time that his offspring return to nest for various reasons of their own.  That’s the basic premise, but it doesn’t begin to do justice to the inventive screenplay and stellar performances that make this such a great movie.  Hackman in particular excels, giving a performance that should have earned him a best supporting actor Oscar.  You can’t help but get a kick out of his attempts to teach Chas’ sons Ari and Uzi (Grant Rosenmeyer and Jonah Meyerson) how to live on the edge by shoplifting, hitching a ride on the back of a truck, or running across the street against the traffic light.  In the meantime, both Richie and Eli are chasing after Margo, who has separated from her psychiatrist husband Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray).

Despite its artifice ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ has real emotional resonance.  The story may not be realistic, but director Anderson handles the material with such skill that you want to believe it.  Of course having such a great cast doesn’t hurt.  Out of all the movies released in 2001, I may have admired ‘Monster’s Ball’ just a little more.  But for pure entertainment value ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ can’t be beat.  (BI)