Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

Genre: Horror

Directed by: Brian Gibson

Cast: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke

Running time: 91 minutes

After their home was destroyed by the poltergeist that haunted it, Steven and Diane Freeling took refuge at the house of Diane’s mother. Unfortunately, a change of scenery was not enough, and the evil spirits followed them to their new location. One year later, the malevolent spirits are coming back again for Carol Anne, and the Freelings will get the help of a psychic and a Native American shaman to fight them off.

The same main actors are back to play the members of the Freeling family, except for Dominique Dunne, who, sadly, was murdered by her boyfriend shortly after the first movie of the franchise came out. Zelda Rubinstein is also back, as the psychic Tangina Barrons.

Another unfortunate thing, though less dramatic this time, is that the actors were not given much to work with the second time around. The script was silly and cheesy, and totally uninteresting. The magic of the first film was gone. The quality of the material is reflected in the work of the actors, which was very uninspired and wooden.

The bright spot in this dim experience of a movie for me was Julian Beck’s performance as Reverend Henry Kane, the human form incarnation of the evil spirits coming after Carol Anne Freeling. He kind of reminded me of Robert Mitchum’s character in The Night of the Hunter, only even more sinister and evil.

It was also a nice touch to see Will Sampson, of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fame, though his performance was nothing to write home about.

Overall, this sequel to the classic that is Poltergeist does not have much to offer. It is a major letdown.

Rating: ««

Lilyhammer (2012-2014)

Genre: TV / Comedy

Starring: Steven Van Zant, Trond Fausa Aurvâg, Steinar Sagen

Number of seasons: 3

American mafia underboss Frank Tagliano goes into Witness Protection after testifying against new mob head, Aldo Delucci. Inspired by the Olympics held there in 1994, Tagliano chooses to be relocated to Lillehammer, Norway, where he will make a new life for himself as a club owner. While he will somewhat adapt himself to his new surroundings, Frank’s mobster roots are sure to come back to the surface once in a while.

Lilyhammer was one of the first TV show originally distributed in North America by Netflix, though it was first shown in Norway.

Steven Van Zant, better known as guitarist of the E. Street Band, is absolutely amazing as Frank Tagliano. He played a mobster in The Sopranoes before, and he did it again brilliantly in Lilyhammer. He has the right look for it. I would not cast him as the main love interest in a romantic comedy, but, for the role of Tagliano, he was great. The supporting cast was also very good.

Some things in this show do not make sense, like Frank Tagliano understanding most of what is said to him in Norwegian right upon arrival, simply after listening to some tapes, though he never learns to speak it. I get that this liberty makes storytelling much easier, but it flies in the face of logic. Also, because of the scenery, some of the subtitles were hard to see and read. I still managed to grasp the jist of it all, but I have missed some bits of dialogue.

All things considered, though, Lilyhammer remains a very good show. I popped huge for the many references to The Godfather and The Sopranoes. A cameo by Bruce Springsteen in the last episode was also great.

Rating: ««««

Swelter (2014)

Genre: Action

Directed by: Keith Parmer

Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Josh Henderson, Brad Carter

Running time: 96 minutes

Five robbers perpetrated an armed robbery in a Vegas casino. In the process, one of them was shot in the head and presumed dead. The other four were captured and sent to jail. The one who was shot was rescued by a local physician. With no memory of his past as a criminal, he becomes the sheriff in the small town of Baker. Upon their release from jail, three members of the gang break out their leader and go on a hunt to find their former partner and the 10 million dollars they had stolen from that casino. Their search will lead them to Baker, where a confrontation between the past and the present is inevitable.

The filmmakers tried to make a gangster movie with some elements of a western, and the end result is not very satisfying. The acting was for the most part very bland and uninspired. Even Van Damme, from which not much is to be expected, has given better performances in the past.

As for the storyline of Swelter, it is thin and full of holes. It probably melted in the hot California sun, which was an important character in this film. Overall, this is a very forgettable movie. Do not bother, unless you are a masochist.

Rating: «

The Girl Next Door (2004)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Luke Greenfield

Cast: Emile Hirsch, Elisha Cuthbert, Timothy Olyphant

Running time: 108 minutes

Matthew Kidman is a very good student who has always respected the rules. Now a senior, he has been accepted to Georgetown University and he is in the running for a major scholarship, that he very much needs to go on with his education. A whole lot of craziness then comes into his life, in the form of Danielle, who moves in next door to housesit. The boy falls for the new neighbor, only to find out that she is a former porn star.

I must admit, Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert have a very good chemistry on screen. They work very well off each other.

While The Girl Next Door was not the greatest film ever made, it was still a fun romantic comedy. It contains its share of clichés, but, on occasion, it did manage to deviate for the usual recipe and offered some interesting twists. There was also a good dose of good funny lines. While nothing spectacular, the acting was mostly good.

The biggest charm of this movie is that it does not take itself seriously. It is meant to be enjoyed for what it is: Entertaining and light.

Rating: «««

Mourir à tue-tête (1979)

Genre: Franco / Drama / Documentary

Réalisateur: Anne Claire Poirier

Distribution: Julie Vincent, Germain Houde, Monique Miller, Micheline Lanctôt

Running time: 96 minutes

À mi-chemin entre l’œuvre de fiction et le documentaire, Mourir à tue-tête est en fait un manifeste féministe sur le viol. Une réalisatrice et une monteuse travaillent à un film sur le viol et s’interrogent sur ce sujet controversé. Les scènes de leur film sont entrecoupés de leurs discussion, d’images d’archives montrant les diverses façons dont les hommes ont violé des femmes dans l’histoire de l’humanité et d’une portion où divers personnages féminins de différentes couches de la société tenter d’expliquer leur vision du viol à un juge mâle très peu ouvert d’esprit.

Le film auquel travaillent la réalisatrice et sa monteuse raconte l’histoire de Suzanne, une infirmière sortant de son quart de travail tard le soir. Elle est accostée par un homme qui la traîne de force dans la partie arrière de son camion pour la violer. La scène du viol, tourné à partir du point de vue de la victime, est d’une dureté incroyable, autant dans la parole que dans le geste. Le cauchemar de Suzanne s’éternise et nous en venons à nous sentir comme si nous étions dans ses souliers. Germain Houde est convaincant au point d’en être déconcertant dans le rôle du violeur. La haine et le mépris que son personnage éprouve pour les femmes transpirent de tous les pores de sa peau. La réalisatrice a fait du bon travail en montrant ce qui devait l’être avec honnêteté sans tomber dans l’exploitation de la nudité.

Comme toute œuvre féministe, ce film d’Anne Claire Poirier manque grandement de nuances. En voyant ce film, on pourrait croire que tous les hommes sont des violeurs potentiels et qu’il n’y a jamais eu de femmes violeuses et de gars violés. Nous savons tous que, même si les proportions sont moindres, ces derniers phénomènes existent bel et bien.

Cela étant dit, comme tout bon documentaire, ce film de 1979 avait un message à passer et voulait donner une voix aux femmes. Il est encore d’actualité, malgré les préjugés véhiculés, et il serait encore apte à alimenter les discussions. En ce sens, Mourir à tue-tête demeure une œuvre à voir.

Note: «««

Anna (2013)

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Jorge Dorado

Cast: Mark Strong, Taissa Farmiga, Noah Taylor

Running time: 99 minutes

John Washington works as a detective for an agency specialized in viewing memories. Through psychic ability, the detective sits down with clients and enters their memories to find out the truth about particular cases. Still coping with the loss of his wife to suicide, John is looking to get back into his work. He is sent to see Anna Greene, a brilliant but dangerous teenage girl, with the mandate of having her stop her hunger strike. But, he is in for much more than that.

The premise of this film was so interesting that I was willing to suspend disbelief and give it a chance. What I got was a very compelling story that could have given a great thriller. There were plenty of riveting plot twists and the viewer was kept guessing as to what the truth was up until the end. Unfortunately, the acting was so badly stiff that it kept taking away from my appreciation. In the end, I was left disappointed and wondering what could have been.

Rating: ««

Bad Santa (2003)

Genre: Christmas / Comedy

Directed by: Terry Zwigoff

Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly

Running time: 91 minutes

Willie Stokes and Marcus have had the same scheme going for years: Every holiday season, they find a job as Santa and elf in a shopping mall. Once their gig is over, they rob the place and make their escape only to start again in a different city the next year. Slowly, Willie’s propensity for the bottle and the pleasures of the flesh with big women is putting the business in jeopardy. When they arrive in Phoenix, Willie meets Thurman Merman, a lonely overweight kid who is living with his senile grandma and is being constantly bullied at school. At first, Willie finds the annoyingly gullible kid aggravating, but the boy slowly starts to grow on him.

Considering the sequel is coming out soon, I decided to revisit this film, which is a guilty pleasure of mine. It remains one of the few Christmas movies I truly love.

Billy Bob Thornton was tailor-made for this role. While he has offered much greater performances in such films as Sling Blade, Thornton goes full force into the role of a drunken and broken man who might very well find his redemption. In that sense, the character of Willie Stokes reminds us of The Grinch, whose heart finally grew.

The rest of the cast also did a good job. It was particularly a treat to see John Ritter in here. This film was shot shortly before his untimely death.

Overall, while Bad Santa is not your typical wholesome holiday film, I deeply appreciate it for daring to be crude and dark in a comedic way. This is one of those I can watch again and again.

Rating: «««««