SXSW is
largely about music for me, but for the second year in a row
I made the effort to try and see double digit movies.
My final count was 14, and just below you can find my
mini-recaps for each of the flicks I saw. If you
assume that they're ranked from okay (the top) to great (the
bottom), you might be on to something. Read on!
SXSW Film Recap
The Announcement
Not much to say about this flick. It was made for ESPN, and
that's where it's already been shown. My only real question
about it is in regards to Magic Johnson. Why have him
narrate his own documentary? He talks in a way that sounds
as though he's reading to children, and it leaves the
telling of his HIV announcement without any sort of tension.
The Babymakers
I don't necessarily feel any attachment to Broken Lizard (I
still think Super Troopers is just okay), but I
largely had a good time following a group of guys plotting
to break into a sperm bank. Sure, it falls apart in the
third act and there's more yelling than my ears would like,
but it's still easily the collective's best flick in a long
while.
Frankie Go Boom
I really thought this was going to be a good movie. It
wasn't. That's not to say it was terrible or anything, but I
do have to admit that it plays out like a comedy that would
star Ben Stiller (aka something I like to avoid). Although,
if you dig those sort of flicks, then by all means get out
and see Frankie Go Boom as soon as you possibly can.
Nature Calls
This movie looked as though it was going to have a nice
combination of heart and laughs. I suppose it had plenty of
the former, but the latter becomes rather scarce as the film
waddles along. I blame Johnny Knoxville, who plays a rather
stiff, successful member of suburbia (with a slight redneck
side), and is just awful every moment he's on the screen.
See it only for Patton Oswalt and the late Patrice O'Neal.
Citadel
Really solid is how I'd describe this movie about a man
trying to overcome extreme agoraphobia (anxiety that comes
with going outside) after his wife is attacked. I only wish
they had played up the "scary teens" a little more. As it
stands, the film is a little too blunt with its message
about fear and how to conquer it.
Eden
This is a movie that was really solid ... until the end. In
case you don't know, it's about a girl who is kidnapped and
forced into a prostitution ring. She then works her way up
the "company" in an attempt to escape. Such a story
obviously needs a great ending, and Eden just didn't
have it. Oh well.
The Hunter
Watching Willem Dafoe on screen is always a treat, so before
this film even started I was already liking it a little. So
how did it turn out in the end? Good. Following Dafoe's
character as he hunts for the rare (and believed to be
extinct) Tasmanian Tiger was neat, and I especially loved
the 90s-esque style of the film. It really matched the
patient pace of the plot.
Girls Against
Boys
Everything I saw leading up to this movie looked a little
cheap, so I have to admit that I sat down not expecting
much. Oops. I was way wrong on that. This is an intense,
well made film about a couple of girls inflicting serious
pain on boys who have done them wrong. If you've ever been
to the genre-loving Fantastic Fest, then this is for you.
The Impostor
What an interesting documentary. A kid from San Antonio goes
missing, and then he turns up in Spain years later? Then the
family takes him in despite the fact that the kid is clearly
not their missing son!? It's all crazy, and watching the
people involved describe the situation is just bizarre. I
highly recommend finding the time to check this out.
Gimme The Loot
There's honestly not a lot to this movie. It follows two
kids around as they attempt to put together a plan to
tag/bomb the apple that is at the stadium where the New York
Mets play. That's it. Fortunately, the characters are
interesting and very likable, so there's still plenty on
screen that's worth getting lost in.
The Aggression
Scale
After I saw this I tweeted that it played out like Home
Alone on meth. I still think that's accurate. Does that
mean it's worth seeing? I say yes, but it probably depends
on how interested you are in watching a kid (that doesn't
speak) completely beat the shit out of a bunch of guys who
are trying to kill his family.
21 Jump Street
I know this is already in theaters, but I'm going to go
ahead and mention that I really liked it. As is the case
with most comedies, it goes the way of quantity over quality
with the jokes, but it's still an incredibly funny movie.
I'd be also willing to argue that it's one of the more
inspired adaptations to come along in years.
The Raid:
Redemption
All the hype should have destroyed this for me, but it's as
good as the world has so enthusiastically insisted over the
last year. Cops enter a building, and then fight their way
up. That's it. Now get your action face on, and figure out
the quickest way to see this.
Cabin In The
Woods
Normally, you can disregard anything that's been shelved by
a studio for multiple years. This, however, is an absolute
gem. It takes the horror genre, turns it upside down, pays
tribute to it, slaps it around, and then douses it with a
huge dose of humor. If you can't find a way to like this,
then you're probably just not a big enough nerd. Also, the
least you know about this the better, so don't watch any
trailers!
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