Aaron Neuwirth (DrZeek)

Gavin Cavanagh: Here's a rather long record. I hope I'm here at the end of it.

A very sitcomy, ensemble comedy that makes a fictitious, funny, but uneven story out of actual events. The cast features Capote, Davy Jones, Sgt. Butterman, Hamlet, Nigel 'The Leg' Gruff, and Murray from Flight of the Concords. Its very much a who's who of supporting British comedy actors, but the film is way to messy.

During the 60s, a pirate radio station in the middle of the North Sea that's populated by an eclectic crew of rock and roll DJs; including The Count, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, a big, brash, American god of the airwaves; Quentin, played by Bill Nighy, the boss of Radio Rock; Gavin, played by Rhys Ifans, the greatest DJ in Britain who has just returned from his drug tour of America to reclaim his rightful position; Dave, played by Nick Frost, an ironic, intelligent and cruelly funny co-broadcaster; and a fearsome British government official, played by Kenneth Branagh, out for blood against the drug takers and lawbreakers of a once-great nation. There are plenty more quirky characters aboard the boat, including the young Karl, who serves as our guide, as he is Radio Rock's newest member.

Quentin: Your mother is dropping by to pay us a visit before Christmas.
'Young' Carl: You're kidding? When does she arrive?
Quentin: Tomorrow. She was always very impromptu. Anyway, I thought you might like to know, in case you want to brush your hair or hide the large stack of pornography you keep on that shelf.

Directed by Richard Curtis, who scripted many of the big, British romantic comedies and directed Love Actually, its clearly another case of getting a large ensemble cast together and letting the chemistry make everything work. That is all well and good, but there are a number of moments that just drag on. This especially applies to everything involving the governments work to stop Radio Rock. The biggest problem I have with this movie is its terrible ending, which is literally just that - an ending, with really no closure.

However, despite some major flaws, it is enjoyable due to the fact that you can clearly see that this cast is having a great time. There is really a great kind of feeling in this film that is as if you know these characters, like they are just a bunch of guys you hang out with, and that is certainly a good quality for a film to have.

Very light and forgettable, but enjoyable moments scattered throughout.

Angus: The way I look at it, the world couldn't survive without my comedy, and who's going to have the moral backbone to play the Seekers when the mood is right?
Dave: They've split up.
Angus: I intend to celebrate the back catalog.
Dave: I intend to stop you doing so.

Terence McDonagh: Shoot him again.
Deshaun 'Midget' Hackett: What for?
Terence McDonagh: His soul is still dancing.
[laughs hysterically]

A remake of a heavy early 90s cop drama starring Harvey Keitel into a dark comedy with Nicolas Cage in the lead and directed by Werner Herzog. While the film does a good enough job balancing a lot of weirdness, Cage certainly gives his best performance in years, even if its not close to Keitel.

The main character here is Terrence McDonagh, played by Cage, a New Orleans Police sergeant, who starts out as a good cop, receiving a medal and a promotion to lieutenant for heroism during Hurricane Katrina. During his heroic act, McDonagh injures his back and later becomes addicted to prescription pain medication, leading to many more hardcore drugs, and eventually just basic corruption as a police officer, taking advantage of women, stealing evidence, and continuing to do drugs, although he does do well as an officer. McDonagh struggles with addictions and finds himself involved with drug dealer Big Fate, played by Xzibit, who is suspected of murdering a family of African immigrants. As the story goes on, McDonagh has to deal with more and more issues involving the case, his gambling habits, and issues with his prostitute girlfriend Frankie, played by Eva Mendes.

To get this out of the way, even if I think the first film is very good, but not great, Keitel's performance is among the best performances that I have seen in film. That being said, Cage does a very good job here. He is in complete big bug eyes crazy mode that works in the same way it worked for him in Matchstick Men. As this film progresses and Cage's vices continue to get the better of him, he gets crazier and crazier, with hints of paranoia, and he is still sharp with his cop skills. Its a damn good role for him.

Also fairing well are a number of supporting characters. Eva Mendes as his junkie girlfriend works. Val Kilmer is underplaying it well enough where you get just enough to make you want more of him. Xzibit is surprisingly effective. Best of all is Jennifer Coolidge, who many know as Stifler's mom, who following those 'Pie' films has been getting a lot of really goofy and stupid roles. Here she is actually in a legitmate role as Cage's father's alcoholic girlfriend and does a very good job.

Assuming one is still involved with the film, forgiving a lot of the craziness that occurs, much of the problems I had came from the end, where, without going into spoilers, seems to deliver in ways that aren't deserved. I could have used more score as well.

Setting the film in post-Katrina New Orleans works very well. Not focusing on the glitz and going with the real side of things. Moving the film here and out of New York as in the original film goes a long way in separating the two.

Overall, its a strange sort of cop film with very good performances.

Terence McDonagh: Its amazing how much you can get done when you have a simple purpose driving you.

Narrator: This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time. I am Jack's favorite movie. 1. You do not talk about Fight Club. I love watching this movie, it's always entertaining, I could easily put in on a 24 hour loop. It is a film surrounding the boring life of an office drone who becomes involved with an outsider, working together to vent their feelings initially through brutality and later through an evolved system seeking to enlighten the world in their own sort of way. The movie combines dark humor, violence, social commentary, and various other themes, and still finds time for a small love story. 2. You do NOT TALK about Fight Club. Great casting, Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Jared Leto, even Meat Loaf, all at the top of their game. Just the right amount of nonchalance to their situations, yet great intensity to some important moments, as well as all the physical stuff involved, and being able to bring a great amount of humor to some dark topics. 3. If someone yells "Stop!", goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. David Fincher's best film, at the top of his game, and from the commentaries and behind the scenes stuff, you can tell he had a great time making this movie. His visual style is wonderful, showing how to make a movie through dialog, cinematography, and editing. The combination of cynical humor and a gritty atmosphere makes for a great looking film. 4. Only two guys to a fight. I have read the book that the movie is adapted from, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The script, adapted by Jim Uhls does great justice to the book and Chuck Palahnuik has even acknowledged how the film had improved upon the book in some ways. The story unfolds itself into a unique experience that is polarizing in terms of capturing it's audience, and even those who like it may still not see the message and themes that the film gets across. 5. One fight at a time. An amazing soundtrack. Composed by the Dust Brothers, they do a great job in capturing the spirit of the film, with many memorable themes throughout. The film also caps itself off amazingly with "Where's My Mind" by the Pixies, in fact, this is the movie that got me into the Pixies in the first place. Staying with the song, it is one of the best ending songs to any movie I've seen. 6. No shirt, no shoes. Addressing the style of the film again, the movie looks great. Filled with some very clever uses of special effects, frame splices. The way the camera moves, giving subtle hints about things and establishing the tones of how scenes should play out, accompanied by the, as mentioned, incredible soundtrack to help even further. 7. Fights will go on as long as they have to. The movie is very funny. Being my favorite film, that makes it my favorite dark comedy. Besides the sharp dialog, which contains all sorts of quotable lines, their are plenty of visual jokes that one can catch upon seeing the movie many times over. There is also a lot of clever/useful little information bits throughout the film, which I find neat as well. 8. If this is your first night at Fight Cub, you have to fight. When I saw this for the first time, I watched it right away the next morning. This was one of the first movies where, upon seeing it, I started to think about things. I find a lot of the ways I think about things and react to situations to be in relation to the line of thinking that these characters have, as well as the characters in other books by Palahnuik. I believe this movie to have been one of a few sources that gave me the kind of perception that I have. To me, this movie is perfect. Narrator: It's called a changeover. The movie goes on, and nobody in the audience has any idea.

Martin Blank: They all have husbands and wives and children and houses and dogs, and, you know, they've all made themselves a part of something and they can talk about what they do. What am I gonna say? "I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How've you been? There is no real reason why this movie should be in my top 3 of all time. It is simply a movie that just clicks with me and makes me feel like having a continuous loop of it would be just fine. It fits itself into my favorite genre of movie, a dark comedy, and a hit man-comedy at that. It's very funny, has a great soundtrack, some very funny characters, and some pretty cool action scenes. Martin Blank: If I show up at your door, chances are you did something to bring me there. John Cusack is Martin Q. Blank, in a great performance as a man who became detached from life, ditched his previous life in Michigan, and became a contract killer. He has a handful of charisma as well as a dark undercurrent and some paranoia issues that create a well balanced character. Debi: Some people say forgive and forget. Nah, I don't know. I say forget about forgiving and just accept. And... get the hell out of town. Minnie Driver is perfect as the lost girl in Martin's life, who plays as a good foil to his character. She is charming and funny, and very different in relation to the other people still in her Michigan town. Mr. Grocer: Easy there Chief, I don't see Hollow-Point Wound Care on the menu. Martin Blank: Why are you in Detroit? Redwings need a new goon? Dan Akroyd is also great in a complete bizarre role as a rival hit man to Martin, and has a great style of chemistry with Cusack as well. And then there are great little roles from Joan Cusack, Alan Arkin, Hank Azaria and Jeremy Piven, all with some of the best moments in the movie. Marty: Debi's house. Paul: Kinda crept up on you, didn't it? Marty: No, you drove us here. Paul: [pause] Yep. I love the concept, a hit man is disillusioned with his work and decides to attend his high school reunion and re-evaluate his life. Of course there is also a job to be done in his town, as well as rivals awaiting him. I also love how care free the responses are concerning hit men. No one takes Martin serious when he tells them what he does and in relation to the other people at the reunion, it seems like Martin would actually win the award for the most interesting life after high school. Mr. Newberry: What have you been doing with your life? Marty: Uh... professional killer. Mr. Newberry: Oh! Good for you, it's a... growth industry. The soundtrack of this movie is great. It got me into The Violent Femmes as well as a few other bands. I am not a big fan of 80s music, but this movie somehow manages to get the only bands and songs I like that had hits in the 80s and compile 2 great soundtracks albums. Martin Q. Blank: Oh, the reason I called... Could you find out who else is in town? I've made two spooks and a ghoul already, so if they've double-booked the job, and/or they're going to kill me, I'd like to know. If you could find that out, that'd be great. The direction by George Armitage also works very well. He combines all the elements of a dark/romantic comedy with an action thriller. The action is a lot of fun, with some memorable scenes, including a particular fight scene that is very gritty and real and a shootout in a mini mart. And this is all mixed once again with the great soundtrack as well as live vibrant colors fitting the nature of the comedy and situation. Mr. Grocer: So, what are you gonna do? You gonna Throw that gun at me? Marty: No... Maybe! Mr. Grocer: How 'bout this? How 'bout I sell you a piece for a hundred Gs? Marty: OK! Front me? Mr. Grocer: Deal! I love watching this movie. It moves quickly, has a number of memorable scenes, quick and sharp dialog written by Cusack and his friends, with a fun high concept and good characters. Martin Blank: You're a handsome devil. What's your name?