Fast and Furious 6

ACTION/ADVENTURE

Full Throttle

8.5 out of 10 | MOVIE, DVD

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Rated: PG-13  Intense sequences of violence, intense sequences of action, language, mayhem throughout and some sexuality
Release Date: May 24, 2013
Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes

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Director: Justin Lin
Writers: Chris Morgan, based on the characters by Gary Scott Thompson
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Luke Evans, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Elsa Pataky, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges

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SYNOPSIS:  Agent Luke Hobbs enlists Dominic Toretto and his team to bring down former Special Ops soldier Owen Shaw, leader of a unit specializing in vehicular warfare.

REVIEW: Justin Lin has been integral with the further development of the Vin Diesel and Paul Walker franchise. He has been with the film series since Tokyo Drift, and with help from writer Chris Morgan, has revitalized the fast car-centric series into a fun, highly anticipated summer series.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel, Riddick) is living a life of leisure with his pal Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker, Takers) after their successful $100,000,000 heist. Mia (Jordana Brewster, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) and Brian have just had a baby. Roman (Tyrese Gibson, Transformers: Dark of the Moon) is jet-setting with lovely ladies, a Learjet, and vouchers to Monaco casinos. Tej Parker (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, New Year's Eve) is playing with his gadgets and enjoyed his money down in Rio. Han (Sung Kang, Bullet to the Head) and Gisele (Gal Gadot, Knight and Day) are evading the law in the Pacific Rim. And Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson, Snitch) is dealing with a new international threat in the form of a new crew of car driving criminals. Tracking a man named Owen Shaw (Luke Evans, The Raven) across four continents, Hobbs is no closer to apprehending him or his criminal ring. When Shaw slips through his fingers again, Hobbs hunts down Dom and offers him and his crew a deal of full pardons if they joined forces with him and help track down Shaw. Only when Dominic sees a photo of a much alive Lettie (Michelle Rodriguez, Resident Evil: Retribution) does he think to take the job. Shaw seems to be always one step ahead in his pursuit to steal components from military convoys and installations. Shaw is all about precision and Dominic is all about family. The question is which code of conduct will prevail in the end?

The sixth in a series that started on as just drag racing thieves and cops against criminals has turned into a powerhouse franchise. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a returning cast that fans have grown to love and root for. And with the success of Fast Five and the certain success of Fast and Furious 6, Universal has already greenlit the seventh entry into the film series. Director Lin and writer Morgan, both with the franchise for the majority of the films, know what the fans want and know how to keep pushing the characters further and introducing new situations for the crew to get themselves into and out of.

With Diesel back in the driver seat, he leads his crew of misfits against an international threat that may be more than they can handle. They're not going against the cops, the feds, or drug dealers this time. Shaw is a consummate professional with a leash around federal agencies and the best criminals and vehicles money can buy. Dominic, Brian, and the crew may have an edge against everyone they dealt with in the past, but this time they seem to be outmatched at every turn.

All the actors have a great shorthand with their characters and with their interaction with other characters in the film. They seem to slip right back into the skin and the cars that the character love so much. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson returns as Hobbs, the federal agent in hot pursuit of Dominic and Brian in Fast Five. The last thing he wants to do is get in bed with Toretto, but Shaw's exploits have left Hobbs no choice. Evans' portrayal of Shaw is cold and calculating - like a precision timepiece or finely tuned engine. He brings a cool and calculating savvy as the villain, better then the druglords and lowlifes that have come before him. 

If you are going to see a fast and furious film you have an expectation of fast cars, hot women, and a little campiness. Fans of the franchise will not be disappointed. Coming in at 130 minutes, Fast Six spends most of its time burning rubber on the streets of exotic locations and setting up the crew to try and take down their most competent and evil nemesis yet. The drag races and car chases are supercharged, the close combat amped up, and Dom's crew's uphill battle against the antagonist an unsure assurance of victory.

Because there's so much action and speed some of the more tranquil moments seem slow in comparison. That's not to say that those moments are bad, only that they seem somewhat out of place after chase scenes in fights that seem to last for 20 minutes. Some the dialogue is silly and campy but it's what we've come to expect from this cast of characters. 

Filled with the adrenaline-fueled chases and sequences that franchise fans will love, and bringing back most of the characters we've come to love, Fast and Furious 6 will be a supercharged good time.

Just like the Fast Five epilogue showing Hobbs staring at a grainy photo of Lettie being alive, be sure to stay for the first part of the credits at the end of the film for a sneak peek of what's in store in Fast and Furious 7.

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The Great Gatsby

DRAMA, ROMANCE

Old Sport

9.0 out of 10 | MOVIE, DVD

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Rated: PG-13 Some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language
Release Date: May 10, 2013
Runtime: 2 hours 22 minutes

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Director: Baz Luhrmann
Writers: Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce, based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki

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SYNOPSIS:  A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor.

REVIEW: Baz Luhrmann, famed screenwriter/director of Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, and Strictly Ballroom, returns to feature films in a big way after a string of short films. Re-teaming with longtime writing partner Craig Pearce, they adapt the frequently remade story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire, Brothers) stares out the windows of a sanitarium, morbidly unhappy with his life. When the doctor tries to coax out of him a memory of a better part of his life, Nick reminisces about a man he once met that was filled with hope and vigor. That idealistic young man was named Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained). Carraway describes Gatsby as being of the new wealth, meeting him in the summer of 1922 on Long Island, New York. Throwing more than lavish parties at his home for the greater populace, Gatsby holds a mystery close to his vest that Carraway wonders about. Carraway rents the smallish cottage next to the Gatsby estate where both of them are able to look across the bay at Carraway's cousin Daisy Buchanan's (Carey Mulligan, Drive) house. Spending most of his time trying to become a decent stock and bond broker on Wall Street Carraway soon finds himself swept up with the extravagant parties that Gatsby throws. Where did this man named Gatsby come from? What are his motivations? What are the mysteries behind the man who some say is a relative of the German Kaiser, an assassin, or a secret agent? And what is his fixation on the lovely Daisy Buchanan, wife of old money heir Tom (Joel Edgerton, Zero Dark Thirty)

Writer/director Baz Luhrmann, known for his inventive interpretation of Romeo + Juliet, takes on one of America's most treasured pieces of literature. Robert Redford and Alan Ladd have made their mark in versions of The Great Gatsby. Luhrmann uses his unique style of directing to weave an original tapestry of his own. Using the backdrops of the heady days of the early 1920s Luhrmann creates the gorgeous locales of Long Island and New York City, adding in wonderful costumes, and all the glamour and glitz that the Roaring 20s provided.

The cast is spectacular, spectacular! Although DiCaprio's Gatsby doesn't appear right on away in the story he does steal the show as the title character. With every slick back of his hair, every reference to his friends as 'Old Boy', and every glance or glare speaking volumes more than the elegant Fitzgerald dialogue, DiCaprio proves again why he is an A-lister. Joel Edgerton holds his own as he Errol Flynn-esque Tom Buchanan who Gatsby battles against for a specific treasure that he owns. Edgerton is both imposing and charismatic as a heir of old money. Tobey Maguire is the perfect choice of the young man Carraway trying to make his way to world caught between these two titans of wealth. The female cast is equal to the task as objects of affection and of objectification by these men and their boys club. Isla Fisher (Rise of the Guardians) is Myrtle Wilson, a kept conquest of Tom Buchanan who knows how to party to excess. Carey Mulligan, a busy young actress, sparkles with innocence and a secret knowledge of how the world works as the object of affection, Daisy. And rounding of the main cast is Elizabeth Debicki as the golf starlet Jordan Baker, poised and postured as if made of porcelain. 

As one who was never forced to read 'The Great Gatsby' in high school literature class I was able to go into the viewing of this film with complete innocence. Like Nick Carraway I was wide-eyed with wonder at the decadence and debauchery that came with money. I could go on about The Great Gatsby as a literary allegory for the 20s and the gateway to the Great Depression of the 30s, but I am more impressed with what I enjoy onscreen. From the cinematic spectacle of it all, to the musical score and use modern rap, pop, and R and B, to an incredible cast roaring with the 20s, The Great Gatsby enthralls with mystery, misdirection, lost romance, and the excess that preceded a depression that proved greater than Gatsby could ever become.

Old money or new money, it doesn't matter. No matter what social and economic circles we travel, there is always drama that exceeds our great expectations. The Great Gatsby is one of the best dramatic and visually appealing films so far this year.

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Peeples

COMEDY

Fitting In

7.5 out of 10 | Rental

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Rated: PG-13 Sexual content, drug material and language
Release Date: May 10, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes

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Director: Tina Gordon Chism
Writers: Tina Gordon Chism
Cast: Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington, David Alan Grier, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tyler James Williams, Melvin Van Peebles, Diahann Carroll, Kali Hawk, Kimrie Lewis-Davis, Ana Gasteyer

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SYNOPSIS:  Sparks fly when Wade Walker crashes the Peeples annual reunion in the Hamptons to ask for their precious daughter Grace's hand in marriage.

REVIEW: Drumline screenwriter Tina Gordon Chism returns to writing duties with a new Tyler Perry produced flick. This time, Chism takes the reigns as the director of her own words, as well.

Wade Walker (Craig Robinson, Hot Tub Time Machine) is in love with reaching youngsters through silly songs, counseling them to be vocal and proud, and in love with a beautiful woman named Grace Peeples (Kerry Washingtion, Django Unchained). When Grace goes out to Sag Harbor in the Hamptons to be with her family for the annual Moby Dick day festivities, she leaves Wade home. Wanting to make a good impression and wanting to propose marriage to Grace, Wade takes its upon himself to venture out to the Peeples residence to meet the parents. When Wade realizes that Grace has never spoken to her parents about Wade or their relationship, Wade finds himself fighting an uphill battle for acceptance. Surrounded by Grace's well-bred rich parents and siblings, Wade finds out more than he bargained of the secrets the Peeples are keeping from each other. Whether Wade can hold his tongue against the backlash from Judge Peeples, or use it to his advantage, will have to be seen.

Craig Robinson, from The Office and Hot Tub Time Machine, takes on his first starring role in a feature film. His character plays to his strengths with music and singing, and being the overweight fish out of water. Robinson character goes straight from Manhattan Island to the well-to-do town of Sag Harbor a place mentioned in Herman Melville's classic tale of man against sea beast.

Peeples is a cross between Meet the Parents, The Proposal, and Jumping the Broom, focusing on the mismatch of a struggling or misunderstood boyfriend/fiancee dealing and struggling against the superior rich and well-to-do family of the woman he loves. With every family - rich or poor - there's always secrets kept and secrets revealed. David Alan Grier's (Dance Flick) Judge Virgil Peeples is a man to be feared and loved by his family. But in most of the cases fear comes first. Everyone tiptoes around Virgil, creating chaos and dysfunction with both his wife and kids. From wife Daphne (S. Epatha Merkerson, Lincoln) recovering from alcohol and 'herbs', to klepto son Simon (Tyler James Williams, Go On), to sister Gloria (Kali Hawk, Bridesmaids) concerned about revealing her sexual orientation, the Peeple's family as plenty to worry about beyond the problems of Wade Walker brings to their home.

The story is a romantic comedy, although most of the comedy comes from Craig Robinson's physicality and facial expressions, Williams' insistence on being called Sy instead of Simon and his perchance for bedroom rapper as an act of rebellion against his parents, and Wade's brother Chris (Malcolm Barrett, Larry Crowne) brings the 'street' to the harbor.

Peeples is a tamer and lighter version of Meet the Parents. The physical comedy is silly, the situations not too outlandish, and the storyline mostly above board. Robinson shows that he can carry the film as the leading man facing off against David Alan Grier, although it helps to have a decent supporting cast around you.

On a technical note, some of the camerawork was too soft at times, the camera seemingly out of focus for the wrong reasons. And strange cuts to black seemed a few seconds too long, with no consistency to other fades that occur throughout the story. Somewhere in an editing bay a little more fine-tuning was needed.

Peeples entertains in a lighthearted way with a silly story. Not as strong as other films in the genre, It still will appeal to some who want something to chuckle at.

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Iron Man 3

ACTION/ADVENTURE

The Demons We Create

8.5 out of 10 | Movie and DVD

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Rated: PG-13 Sequences of intense sci-fi action violence throughout, and brief suggestive content
Release Date: May 3, 2013
Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes

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Director: Shane Black
Writers: Shane Black, Drew Pearce
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingley, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Paul Bettany, William Sadler, Ty Simpkins, Miguel Ferrer

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SYNOPSIS:  After the events in New York City fight off the alien attack alongside Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow, Tony Stark's world is further torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin. After those he holds dear are put into jeopardy, Stark starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

REVIEW: Shane Black re-invented the action genre with his screenplay for Mel Gibson's Lethal Weapon. After writing The Long Kiss Goodnight, Black slipped into the background for a period of time before he and Robert Downey, Jr. on the 2005 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. That film may have been the catalyst that reintroduced both into A-list territory again. Now they collaborate again, with writing efforts from Drew Pearce (the upcoming Pacific Rim), with the fourth adventure of the armored avenger named Iron Man.

The alien attack on New York City from a wormhole connected to the other side of the galaxy is over. The Avengers have disbanded for the moment. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr., The Avengers), still suffering from the aftermath of the battle and his near death experience, finds he can not sleep and finds himself spending sleepless nights making new Mark armors. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow, Contagion) has moved in with Stark at his Malibu ocean front home, with her and Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau, Identity Thief) working at Stark Industries. Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle, Flight) still pilots the War Machine suit, repainted and renamed the Iron Patriot as it serves the United States' interests.  AIM think tank director Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce, Prometheus) approaches Pepper with the idea of rewriting the human DNA structure for healing people, but she worries that the technology is too easily concerted to a weaponized version. All the while, United States President Ellis (William Sadler, Man on a Ledge) and Vice President Rodriguez (Miguel Ferrer, The Manchurian Candidate) deal with a new terrorist threat in the form of The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley, The Dictator), a man who hi-jacks the airwaves with announcements of America's corruption and need for cleansing fire. When a bomb blast puts Happy in a coma, Tony declares to the public that The Mandarin is in Iron Man's vengeful cross-hairs. Tony's public announcement sets off a chain reaction of destruction and damage that tests the limits of both the Iron Man suit and Tony's determination and abilities.

Tony Stark has come a long way from his abduction and captivity in the desert under the thumb of the Ten Rings. He has endured threats from within his own company and threats by his own government. Now a hero in the eyes of the nation, he must deal with internal demons revolving around his own insecurities against defending against the unknown, and new international terrorist threats that strike too close to his own home and family. Insomnia and anxiety rule his life, even with the support of Pepper.

Shane Black brings a different dynamic and tone to the third solo Iron Man adventure. Pulling his source from the 'Extremis' storyline, Black and Pearce create a modern villain to put in Tony Stark's path, coupling that hidden threat with the public face of Iron Man's most famous nemesis, The Mandarin. Tony Stark must face overwhelming powerful enemies, face questions about his own mortality against the likes of gods, aliens, and monsters, and face the fact that even with all of his armor he must rely on his own guile and wit. In the first two Iron Man films, Stark's genius created the Mark suits to win the day. In Iron Man 3, the power of the suits in simply not enough - no matter how smart Stark is.

Robert Downey, Jr. shows again why there is no other choice to fill the Mark suits as Tony Stark. Its not just the designer sunglasses and well groomed facial hair. Downey, Jr. has the humor, physicality, snark, and range to put Tony through all of his paces. Jon Favreau acts his namesake as Happy Hogan, happy to be an actor instead of pulling directing duties as well. He even gets to play detective for a bit. Paltrow shows she is not just a pretty face, donning the Iron Man suit on one occasion and kicking serious butt in another. Guy Pearce is at his slick, charismatic best as the rival genius Killian to Stark, taking Iron Man 2's Justin Hammer and adding a more beautiful exterior and a more mad scientist interior. Ben Kingsley, who may never hear the end of it from the devotee fans of the comics about his interpretation of The Mandarin, brings the Iron Man villain to an all-too-real modern era as a terrorist, losing the powers of the alien rings that the comics' Mandarin relied on to face the armored avenger. Rebecca Hall (Everything Must Go) joins the cast as bio-geneticist Maya Hansen. 
Joining the bad guys, James Badge Dale (The Grey) plays Killian #2 thug Savin and Stephanie Szostak (We Bought a Zoo) plays soldier Brandt. Paul Bettany (Priest) returns as the trusty A.I. servant Jarvis, and Ty Simpkins (Insidious) plays young Harley Keener, a kid that seems to set off Tony's anxieties with a couple simple questions.

Shane Black plays with a 70s motif and sensibility, making Tony Stark deal with a mystery that he may not be able to solve with computer models and simulations - or his powerful armor. Part Bourne Identity, part Mission: Impossible, part I Spy, Stark deals with a threat as fluid as Cold War tension and as real as Modern Era terrorism. Stay through the graphic end credits for the retro style and music to end cap Black's tone. Also stay until the end for an Easter egg scene. It's not as geek-tastic as some of the sequences we have seen in the past, but it is amusing.

Iron Man 3 is a different machine from previous outings. A little more serious than Favreau's films, this sequel has everything we have come to expect, and more. The only thing missing is the AC/DC soundtrack.

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Pain and Gain

ACTION/ADVENTURE, COMEDY

Bigger Than Yours

8.0 out of 10 | Movie or DVD

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Rated: R Language throughout, bloody violence, drug  use, crude sexual content and nudity
Release Date: April 26, 2013
Runtime: 2 hours 9 minutes

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Director: Michael Bay
Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, Pete Collins
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackey, Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Ken Jeong, Rebel Wilson, Mindy Robinson

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SYNOPSIS:  A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.

REVIEW: Director Michael Bay made his mark on Hollywood with his adrenalized actioners Bad Boys, Pearl Harbor, and The Transformers franchise. He takes a break from robots in disguise to return to something more terrestrial. The true story is adapted to the big screen by Captain America and The Chronicles of Narnia series writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and new writer Pete Collins.

Daniel Lugo (Mark Walhberg, Broken City) has a dream. He is a body builder trainer with ideas of being the best he can be. He's a do-or not a don't-er. After going to a self-help seminar led by Johnny Wu (Ken Jeong, The Muppets), Daniel gets it in his head to target one of the gym's wealthy clients, Victor Crenshaw (Tony Shalhoub, Monk), and take his house and money. A three-man job, in his opinion, Daniel enlists the help of fellow trainer Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie, Gangster Squad) to help. Needing one more man, they approach ex-convict muscle head named Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson, G.I. Joe: Retaliation). Looking to have Crenshaw sign over his property and bank accounts, the trio end up being bumbling idiots and unable to get the kidnapping for the transfers done right the first time around. When Crenshaw somehow survives the experience the cops do not believe his story and Daniel, Paul and Adrian hunt Crenshaw down again. Crenshaw goes to the Yellow Pages to find former Miami cop and former private detective Ed Du Bois (Ed Harris, Man on a Ledge) to take his case. When Daniel, Paul and Adrian start living the big life off the money they stole from Crenshaw, their living in excess has its costs and forces them to plan another job, thus allowing the Miami-Dade police department to close in.

Michael Bay returns to the directors chair to leave behind giant robots and alien invasions. This time, he focuses on an unfortunate true story that seems almost as unbelievable. Michael Bay was the originator of the slo-mo hero walk and overly stylistic cinematography. In this effort he adds in some Tarantino-esque edit stop shots and on-screen labels to add to the story. With the added elements, it  shows that the director is expanding his palette a little bit.

Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and Anthony Mackie devoted their bodies to fitness for the making of this film - and it shows. Each of them normally have great physiques but they completely bulked up for these roles. Wahlberg is thick, Johnson has no neck, and Mackie looks almost unrecognizable (except for his mug). The trio is so big there costars Tony Shalhoub and Ed Harris look utterly puny in comparison.

Wahlberg knows his way around both drama action and comedy. Pain and Gain is right up Mark alley. Anthony Mackie adds in his own style, and The Rock plays against type as a coke-snorting, Jesus-finding ex-con. These guys makes for a modern day Three Stooges criminal disorganized ring. One would like to believe that Americans aren't this stupid, but since it is based on true story I guess anything is possible.

Coming in at two hours and eight minutes this film is long, but he keeps moving. Michael Bay changes narrative perspectives, by letting each of the main characters have their own voice over. Switching perspectives keeps everybody involved in the plot line and keeps the story moving. It also helps that all the characters are just fun to watch.

The success of Pain and Gain comes in the fact of its ridiculousness. Wahlberg is a master of the straight man with absurd dialogue and monster stunts without cracking a smile. The film is a series of misdeeds and misadventures on a scale larger then Dwayne Johnson's biceps.

Filled with laughs, a degree of cat and mouse antics, and some Oceans 11 style planning, Pain and Gain will make you laugh and will make you cringe. This film is never better then when Mark Wahlberg and his cronies are at their worst.

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The Lords of Salem

HORROR

We've Always Been Waiting

6.5 out of 10 | Rental (for Rob Zombie fans)

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Rated: R Disturbing violent and sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some drug use
Release Date: April 19, 2013 (limited)
Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

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Director: Rob Zombie
Writers: Rob Zombie
Cast: Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Judy Gleeson, Meg Foster, Patricia Quinn, Ken Foree, Dee Wallace, Maria Conchita Alonso

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SYNOPSIS:  Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record -- a "gift from the Lords." The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts?

REVIEW: Former rocker and current writer/director Rob Zombie startled with his House of a 1,000 Corpses and the brutal follow-up The Devil's Rejects. Gaining acclaim with his horror style and palette, Zombie was tasked with the reboot of John Carpenter's Halloween franchise. Now, Rob Zombie writes and directs a new type of horror, this time focusing on America's original gothic - witches from the ever known Salem, Massachusetts.

Heidi Hawthorne (Sheri Moon Zombie, Halloween II), a radio DJ on the late show in Salem, Massachusetts lives a simple life of sleeping, doing her radio show with her co-hosts Herman 'Whitey' Salvador (Jeffrey Daniel Phillips, Halloween II) and Herman Jackson (Ken Foree, The Devil's Rejects), walk her dog and think about what the next day will bring. After a death metal artist guests on the show, Heidi is left a wooden box with a vinyl 45 record inside from 'The Lords', Heidi plays the record at home and again in a segment slot on the radio show while new guest author Francis Matthias (Bruce Davison, The Millionaire Tour) listens in. When played, Heidi feels awkward and starts having strange visions of the accused Salem witch Margaret Morgan (Meg Foster, They Live) and her coven. As the week goes on, her visions get more vivid and she falls back to her previously conquered addictions. Heidi's landlord Lacy Doyle (Judy Gleeson, Spanish Fly), and her sisters Megan (Patricia Quinn, The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and Sonny (Dee Wallace, The Howling) try to help her through her issues but do not seem to be equipped to handle what is happening to Heidi. While Lacy and her sister sit vigil with Heidi, Francis, with help from his wife Alice Matthias (Maria Conchita Alonso, The Running Man), looks for clues to the origins of the music and the calling card 'The Lords'. By week's end, Heidi may not have any hope of regaining a foothold on her former normal life as the visions grow worse and Heidi spirals into a world of superstition, Satan worship, and secret witch covens and curses that exist in the alleys of modern Salem.

Rob Zombie brings to the screen his own twisted perspective on the horror genre. With House of a 1,000 Corpses, Zombie reinvented the back woods horror flick with a taste of artistic torture porn to bring to bear a crazed film of superstition and urban legend. The follow-up, The Devil's Rejects, took the brutality of lawlessness to the next level with an epic cat-and-mouse criminal road trip. His take on the longer origins of Michael Meyers on the Halloween reboot was inspired and respectful to the original John Carpenter genre defining effort. With The Lords of Salem, Rob Zombie reaches back to the horror films that proved most formative to him for a tale of hidden curses in the breeding grounds of  America's earliest monsters and superstitions.

The Lords of Salem is a nostalgic homage to horror films of the 70s and 80s. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining followed Stephen King's book format with white print on black screen to jarringly break the film into successive days of the week. Zombie starts with Monday and ends with Saturday in this format. Even the creepy apartment hallway leading to apartment #5 lends itself to Kubrick's style from the same film. Rob Zombie uses various slight angles of the same hallway, along with lighting, texture, and swaying lamps, to serve up a very creepy tone. The camera stock, especially for the wide angle exterior shot, is very reminiscent of 70s suspense/horror flicks. The subject matter has been popularized since the 50s, with plenty of campy attempts disguised as serious cinema. Zombie writes a supernatural, Satan worship tale that is closer to The Sentinel than to so many of the schlocky B-films. In fact, Zombie channels familiar actors and actresses to enhance the period feel and flavor of his Salem suspense story.

Zombie assembles his own coven of Zombie film mainstays, with Sheri Moon Zombie, Sid Haig, Jeffrey Daniel Phillips, and Ken Foree, plus iconic horror film diva royalty in the form of Cujo and The Howling's Dee Wallace, Patricia Quinn from the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Meg Foster, Judy Gleeson, and Maria Conchita Alonso. This ensemble cast gives the film a credibility and a bit of historical depth. Zombie knew what he was doing by bringing this talent together. Wallace, Quinn, Foster, and Gleeson take the film back several decades. Wallace, Quinn and Gleeson embody quaint sisters possibly hiding more sinister motives, reminding me scenes with Beverly D'Angelo from The Sentinel. When a town's origins are mired in accusation, death and the occult, it is difficult to ever shake its grip from growth and progress.

Rob Zombie is a visionary horror writer and director. He possesses the knowledge of suspense/horror's past to built the best into its future. Unfortunately, Zombie also puts elements of demonic camp onto screen that slaps the audience away from the beautiful and seriously suspenseful tapestry. If Zombie had meant to integrate the schlock from the past with poor and strange demonic rubber or hairy monsters, and multiple shots of goats, he succeeded in only taking away from the drama and atmosphere he had captured the audience with to start with.

The Lords of Salem had potential to be a stylish and suspenseful homage to the occult films from years ago. So many scenes are perfectly set, but the more demonic elements strip away the film's worth in the end.

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42

DOCUMENTARY, DRAMA

All We See is Greatness

8.5 out of 10 | Worth

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Rated: PG-13 Thematic elements, including language
Release Date: April 12, 2013
Runtime: 2 hours 8 minutes

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Director: Brian Helgeland
Writers: Brian Helgeland
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie. Lucas Black, Ryan Merriman, Hamish Linklater, John C. McGinley

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SYNOPSIS:  The life story of Jackie Robinson and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey.

REVIEW: Writer/Director Brian Helgeland, started his writing career with A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and most recently wrote Robin Hood and adapted a screenplay for Green Zone. Now, Helgeland returns with a screenplay surrounding the man who would be 'The First'. Jackie Robinson would become the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era.

The Second World War has ended and red-blooded Americans have witnessed victory over Nazi Germany and the Imperial Empire of Japan. Brave men and women of all races, creeds, and walks of life work side-by-side to ensure victory. But when men of color returned from the war they found they were still subject to segregation. Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford, Cowboys and Aliens), Owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Rickey bucks decades of whites only baseball, by selecting a young African-American ballplayer from the Negro Leagues to fill one of the 400 spots in Major League Baseball. That man was a young ex-military, four sport UCLA student named Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman, The Kill Hole). As the first African-American baseball player sent to what is the modern era of the major league with all white players, Jackie Robinson faced hatred and racism by his own teammates, other league teams, passionate stadium crowds, and host cities. Only Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson's wife Rachel (Nicole Beharie, Shame) and a young African-American reporter named Wendell Smith (Andre Holland, Miracle at St. Anna) believe that Jackie could be destined for greatness.

42: The Story of Jackie Robinson focuses squarely on two men. The first is the athlete Jackie Robinson himself and the work and accomplishments of his rookie year in major league baseball. The second figure is that of the Brooklyn Dodgers ball club owner Branch Rickey. Jackie Robinson wasn't looking to make history as the first African-American major-league baseball player in the modern era. It was Branch Rickey who decided to buck convention, buck the odds, and buck public opinion by bringing the talented Robinson to the big leagues from the Negro League. While Rickey claimed that his reasons for bringing Jackie up was not a matter of black-and-white, but a matter of money-making green, Ricky did do something that most men at the time would not have even attempted. But even so, through the racial slurs, the taunts, and the threats, it was Jackie Robinson who needed to take the brunt of the public's perception of him. Everyone may have seen Robinson as a color, it was up to Robinson to make his teammates, the fans, and the nation of the possibilities of his greatness.

42 opens in Rickey's office as he makes his decision to make one of the 400 major-league baseball players a non-white man. From there we quickly follow the exploits of Jackie Robinson from the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League, to the opportunity for Robinson to try out for the Dodgers' farm team - the Montréal Royals. Dealing with boos and cheers from the crowds Jackie Robinson proves that he can play ball with the best of them. From the Monarchs, Rickey brings Robinson up to the Brooklyn Dodgers, opening up a higher level of racial inequality and bigoted attitudes.

Several specific events represented on-screen show the lengths of venom that Jackie Robinson endured. The first involved a hotel letterhead declaration signed by his teammates that they would ever set out on the same field as Jackie Robinson. Branch Rickey and Dodgers manager Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: SVU) set out to quell that revolt. The second, and perhaps the most painful to watch, focuses on the racial rants from Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk, Wreck-It Ralph). The last comes with Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black, Promised Land), a piece of hate mail he receives, and the decision he must make to either stand up for his hometown fan in Kentucky or the loyalty he has for his team. We are shown representative samples of what Robinson dealt with in his early seasons in the Major Leagues but none of them can truly or accurately capture the severity and indignities Robinson truly suffered.

Harrison Ford and Chadwick Boseman really do steal the show, keeping the focus on their relationship and the turmoil they collectively suffered through. Harrison Ford plays against type as the jolly old lover of baseball just trying to make a difference. Chadwick Boseman embodies the restraint, fortitude, and patience of a man who proclaimed that he 'was built to last'. Alan Tudyk as the Phillies manager Ben Chapman is the epiphany of a closed minded redneck who thinks he's in the right in the same moment where he's doing wrong. The actor who plays Wendell tried to act as Robinson's conscience but pales in comparison to Robinson himself. John C. McGinley (Alex Cross) brings a little bit of light-hearted novelty to the role of Red Barber as he announces each game for Dem Bums. The rest of the cast is a smattering of legendary ballplayers like Pee Wee Reese, Eddie Stanky (Jesse Luken, Justified) and others. There is one exchange between Robinson and Ralph Branca (Hamish Linklater, Battleship) concerning team showering that is near priceless.

42: The Story of Jackie Robinson peeks into the rookie year of a man who broke down barriers as he broke records. Tender sweet at times while difficult to swallow at other points, 42 will make you want to stand up and cheer for the underdog.

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