Stephen King's IT has always been one of my favorites of his many, many works, whether it's the epic novel, the 1990 mini-series, or now the two-part theatrical films. What was started in 2017 with the first half of the story resolves now with the member of the Losers Club coming back together 27 years later to once again confront the monster they thought they killed when they were kids.
It's been 27 years since the Losers Club had last faced the monster known as IT and now it has resurfaced, as Mike Hanlon (played by Isaiah Mustafa) has discovered. He sets out to recruit his fellow club members to live up to the pact they made all those years ago: if it isn't dead, if it comes back, they return to finish the job. Scattered across the country, they all reunite in their childhood home town of Derry, Maine. Each one had carved out a life for themselves. Bill Denbrough (played by James McAvoy) is a bestselling author. Beverly Marsh (played by Jessica Chastain) is a famous fashion designer, Ben Hanscom (played by Jay Ryan) is an architect, Eddie Kaspbrak (played by Jay Ransone) works as a risk analyst for a major insurance company, and Richie Tozier (played by Bill Hader) is a famous stand up comedian. As they reunite, they all remark how much they had forgotten about their childhoods and how any memory of Derry at all had faded until Mike called each one of them. The only one that remembers everything is Mike, who never left and had devoted the past 27 years working at the Derry Library and preparing should the monster they fought as kids ever return. And it falls to Mike to get the rest of his friends up to speed and unite them all, setting the stage for the final showdown between them and the monster they know as Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgard).
The film was directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Gary Dauberman from the iconic novel by Stephen King. The two manage to craft a follow-up that is every bit as good as the first film, if not actually better. The film is by turns terrifying, hilarious, and at times heartbreaking. Muschietti and Dauberman do a fantastic job balancing the tone throughout the film as they craft their epic tale of horror. They also bring back the younger actors for some key flashbacks throughout the film that never feel extraneous and fill in some scenes we didn't get to see in the first film that only strengthens the bond we feel between the characters. That is the theme that runs the strongest throughout both of the films and brings the story home by the end and that is the power of friendship and their unified strength in standing up to the darkness of the world. The filmmakers hit this theme so perfectly that the movie perfectly hits those emotional highs. At the same time, they manage to craft some memorably scary moments in the film as well, especially with our intrepid heroes each having an encounter with Pennywise or his assorted other forms, with Beverly, Richie and Eddie's encounters sticking out, as well as a very tense sequence of Bill chasing after potential Pennywise victim in a carnival funhouse. The film also has a good amount of humor to break the tension and often in the most unexpected places.
The cast assembled for this is phenomenal and there isn't a weak link between them. You really believe that these are the adult counterparts of each of the kids we saw in the first film. I have to start with Bill Hader. Now, I've been a fan of his since his days on SNL but he blew me away here. Richie Tozier has always been my favorite character, whether it's the novel, the 1990 mini-series or here and he absolutely nails the role, not only hitting every comedic beat but hitting emotional depths with the character's vulnerabilities that had me sobbing in the theater. Jay Ransone likewise impressed as Eddie, capturing his character's insecurities and fear perfectly. He also plays off Bill Hader's Richie perfectly and the special bond between the two characters shines through beautifully. Jessica Chastain also manages to capture an adult Beverly quite well. Isaiah Mustafa has the trickier role with Mike Hanlon having to deliver a large amount of exposition as he gets the other characters up to speed and prepared to face off against Pennywise, but he handles it effortlessly. James McAvoy more or less picks up when his character's youthful counterpart Jaeden Martell left off as he continues to cope with his survivor's guilt, something he tries to atone for when he realizes the re-awakened Pennywise has set his sights on a kid roughly the same age as Georgie that lives in his childhood home. Jay Ryan doesn't have as much to play with in his role as adult Ben Hanscom, but does the most with what he has since much of his arc has to do with his unrequited love for Beverly, who as kids was crushing on Bill instead. I also appreciated that when we are first introduced to adult Ben, we get a cameo from Brandon Crane, who played young Ben in the original mini-series in a fun little moment at the beginning of the film.
Overall, IT Chapter Two is a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to an epic tale of the power of friendship. By turns frightening, funny and emotional it captures the spirit of the original novel. Rather than be a simple monster movie or horror movie, much like the novel, it finds it's real strengths in it's characters and with them at the forefront injects the film with a surprising amount of heart and emotion behind the scares and shocks, which gives the film more depth that your average cinematic horror film and is all the better for it. Clocking in at an impressive 2 hours and 45 minutes, the film flew by for me as I got pulled into the continuing adventure of a group of friends I have loved for almost 30 years now, ever since I saw the original 1990 mini-series. I've always had a strong affinity for this story. Probably because growing up I was part of a group of friends that very well could've been the Minnesota chapter of the Losers Club. And I say that with the utmost affection.
There is something about Horror and Comedy that makes the two mesh so well together. Horror movies tend to rely on plot elements that under normal circumstances would be ridiculous, outrageous or absurd but with a difference in tone can be suspenseful and frightening instead. When mixed well, a horror comedy can move from scary to funny with ease. Ready or Not is one such movie, a suspenseful thrill ride that can also at times be very funny.
Grace (played by Samara Weaving) is getting married to Alex Le Domas (Mark O'Brien), who is part of the La Domas family who own a huge gaming empire (or dominion as Alex says), at Alex's family's mansion. On their wedding night, the family has a very important tradition. The family has to gather at midnight to play a game. It doesn't matter if the new member wins or loses as long as they play. Grace agrees to go along with it and gathers along with Alex's parents, Tony and Becky (played by Henry Czerny and Andie MacDowell), brother Daniel (played by Adam Brody) and his wife Charity (played by Elyse Levesque) along with the stern Aunt Helene (played by Nicky Guadagni). Grace is presented with a mysterious box with a blank card inserted inside. She would then press a button on the box and whatever game comes out printed on the card, is the game they play. Grace's card comes out saying Hide and Seek. Grace is given time to hide and the rest of the family has to find her in the mansion. What they don't tell her though is that if the box picks Hide and Seek, the family has to sacrifice Grace as part of a pact their Great-Great Grandfather allegedly made with the devil. If they don't, the legend states the rest of the family will die instead. Grace quickly realizes what is happening, kicking off a battle for survival between Grace and her new in-laws.
The film was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a script by Guy Busick and Ryan Murphy. The film may on it's surface seem like another gruesome horror movie, but it is also filled with all kinds of biting social commentary towards the upper class while engaging in some literal class warfare (although the film is still pretty gruesome but in a very over the top sort of way). The film does a solid job covering all of the possible plot holes, such as if Alex knew this possibly was going to happen, why didn't they just elope? Alex informs her the wedding had to be with his family, and had to be there at the family mansion, showing that on a certain level Alex believes the legend as well and was just hoping the card would come up with them all Clue or something instead. The house itself is quite the set piece, complete with security cameras, security locks, dumb waiters and secret passageways that all come into play throughout the film. The film is filled with dark humor as the family proves to be inept at trying to capture Grace, and as Grace proves to be a far more formidable opponent than they may have anticipated. The film also has it's knives sharpened for the one-percenter Le Domas family, who made apparently made a deal with Satan generations ago for business success and have no problem carrying on that tradition that occasionally requires the sacrifice of a new family member if that means they get to continue to survive.
This film has managed to gather a rather impressive cast, starting with Samara Weaving. Weaving is quickly creating a niche for herself in the horror genre after impressive turns in both The Babysitter and Mayhem and continues here. She really shows both Grace's fear and confusion at the outset, as well as her intelligence and strength as she overcomes her initial panic to pull herself together and try to find a way out of her situation. Adam Brody has plenty to play with as Alex's brother Daniel, who is having trouble dealing with his family's bloody history and as a result has become an alcoholic due to his guilt. Brody plays the role well and is a natural fit for his character's deadpan snarkiness throughout the film. Yet, he really sells his character's inner turmoil as well. Andie MacDowell is great as the Matriarch of the Le Domas clan Becky, giving her role a certain iciness that shows the wear of decades of her family's sacrifices has brought. Henry Czerny infuses a good amount of humor to his role as patriarch Tony. When one of the character remarks they at least don't have to wear masks during the Hide and Seek game this time, he responds, "That was Dad's idea...it was the 80's," in an amusing nod to the slasher genre that often includes a masked killer. Mark O'Brien has a trickier role as Alex, who leads his new wife Grace into this nightmare while keeping her completely in the dark about what could come. He does manage to keep his character reasonably sympathetic and is deservedly chewed out by Grace once he does finally explain to her what is going on.
Ready or Not is a deft mix if humor and horror creating a fun ride of a film that while at times feels familiar, remained unpredictable for me (even if the trailer does ruin some of the best moments in the film) with plenty of crazy surprises. With a spirited lead performance from Samara Weaving and a talented supporting cast, this one is an easy recommendation for genre fans looking for something a little more offbeat as the blockbuster season winds down.
Among my list of movies I was looking forward to this summer was Blinded by the Light, a touching coming of age story of a teenage boy of Pakistani descent growing up in the turbulent 1987 Luton, England who finds solace and inspiration in the most unlikely of places...the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Javed Khan (played by Viveik Kalra) is trying to be a good son, but also finding his own desires at odds with his strict and no nonsense father, Malik (played by Kulvinder Ghir), who is continually pushing Javed to pursue business as a career despite Javed's clear talents as a writer. He does have his friend Matt (played by Dean Charles Chapman) from across the street to confide in. Things get even more difficult for Javed's family when his father is laid off from the local automotive plant and the family becomes reliant on his mother's work as a seamstress. But a chance encounter with another student at school, Roops (played by Aaron Phagura), changes everything when Roops loans him a couple Bruce Springsteen tapes. Initially hesitant as he can't imagine anything Bruce would sing about would be at all relevant to him, he eventually relents and is shocked to find just how deep he feels the music of The Boss. He takes it so to heart that be begins collecting Bruce Springsteen memorabilia and even begins to dress like him. But even more so, begins to pursue writing as a career in earnest with the encouragement of his Writing teacher Ms. Clay (played by Hayley Atwell) and his next door neighbor. He even gains the courage to ask out a girl he fancies from class, Eliza (played by Nell Williams), with some assistance from Matt's Dad (played by Rob Brydon) in a cute scene set to Springsteen's "Thunder Road." Yet, Javed still feels himself torn between his dreams and a sense of responsibility to his family in their moment of crisis.
The film was directed by Gurinder Chadha, and she co-wrote it as well with Sarfraz Manzoor, whose memoir inspired the film. The film paints a portrait of Great Britain in turmoil. A massive recession his the populace hard leaving millions out of work. They also saw a strong rise in White Nationalism who many of their efforts were directed towards Pakistani immigrants like Javed and his family. The film depicts this with an earnest sincerity as we Javed and his family face this discrimination head on, whether it's Javed being spit on by one on his way home from school or him and his father witnessing racist kids urinating through a friend's letterbox. Malik's response to this is to keep his head down, not make noise whereas Javed is at first frightened and then angered as evidenced in an empowering scene where he and Roops stand up to a trio of skinheads while belting out Springsteen's "Badlands." Chadha and Manzoor balance the trials of Javed with his triumphs as he finds confidence with his writing quite well. The film, which is not quite a jukebox musical and yet kind of is at times, still wears it's heart on it's sleeve and the plot is a bit predictable at times. Honestly though, I didn't care because the story was so relatable to me. And then on top of that, it's all punctuated with some choice selections from Bruce Springsteen's discography. The film does a great job capturing the world of fandom and how obsessive it can seem when you have such a strong, positive reaction to something, in this case the music of Bruce Springsteen. Gurinder Chadha brings it to life on screen in such a fantastic way too as Javed listens to the music, the selected lyrics he responds to appear on screen as he's listening to them, visually showing the impact it's having on him in a creative and visceral way.
Viveik Kalra was quite good as Javed and really captures his character's arc quite well, from the lonely and introverted boy at the beginning to the film who grows throughout the film to begin standing up for himself and go after what he wants. Kulvinder Ghir gives a lot of layers to his performance as Malik. Now, coming of age movies are littered with disapproving fathers that the main character needs to overcome and on the surface Malik is no different, but Ghir shows that everything he does and says comes from a place of real concern for his childrens' futures. Ghir is able to convey so much with just a look, you can tell he's terrified that being out of work and not being able to provide for his family means they could lose everything. He is also a traditional and proud man who feels absolutely humiliated at having lost his job after 18 years and having to rely on his wife's work to help make ends meet, as well as the part time jobs of his children and Malik does a fantastic job conveying this throughout his performance. I really liked Aaron Phagura as Roops. He does a great job portraying Roops' fan love for Bruce Springsteen, as well as being a much needed friend for Javed as the two bond over the music, especially since Matt is completely mystified at his friend's new obsession. I really liked Nell Williams as Eliza. Her character is a fun one with her style and independent spirit that informs her character's political activism that no doubt is just as much an inspiration to Javed as Springsteen's music. Williams imbues her with a spunky charm that I really enjoyed and responded to. Hayley Atwell takes a refreshingly grounded approach to her role as Javed's creative writing teacher, Ms. Clay. She encourages him to continue to pursue his writing, whether it be poems or essays as she pushes him to find his own voice and relates the talent she sees in his work. It's a wonderfully understated performance that made it more memorable to me as it reminded me of teachers who filled a similar role in my life. Rob Brydon may have only had a small role in this film, but he made the most of every scene he was in. I loved how he and Javed formed a bit of bond over their shared love of Bruce Springsteen as it was a little something Javed was missing with his own father. It also may just be because I've been a fan of his since his role of Uncle Bryn in the U.K TV series Gavin and Stacey.
Blinded by the Light functions not just as a tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen, but also the trials and tribulations of growing up and finding inspiration and solace in fandom, in this case Springsteen's music. It's a heartfelt and joyous film that also draws some rather stark parallels to our current political climate with once again seeing a rise in racism and hatred as well as a tumultuous Government, both here and in the U.K. Still, if I was able to relate to a British-Pakistani teen in 1987 Luton, so much so that I was moved to tears, perhaps there is hope for us all. That's certainly something this film has in abundance and is all the better for it.
I've long been a fan of Quentin Tarantino's films and various phases they have gone through over the many years from Pulp Fiction to Django Unchained to The Hateful Eight. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is easily his most mature and thoughtful film since Jackie Brown, anchored by two fantastically drawn characters making their way through a Hollywood in transition.
In 1969 Hollywood, Rick Dalton (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is an actor facing a career downturn. He made a name for himself starring on a T.V western and making a number of Western and War movies. But now he is getting by on making guest appearances on T.V shows, often playing the heavy. The best offer he has gotten is from a Producer Marvin Schwarzs (played by Al Pacino) to star in a series of Spaghetti Westerns, something he is less than enthused about. He relies a lot on his best friend and stunt man Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt). The two share a close bond and Cliff often acts as Rick's personal assistant as well, going so far as running errands and even fixing his T.V antenna. Living next door to Rick is Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robie) and Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha), whom Rick clearly envies since Polanski is hot off directing the hit film Rosemary's Baby. During this, Cliff keeps crossing paths with a girl known as Pussycat (played by Margaret Qualley), who is a member of the Manson Family, who are currently squatting at the old Spahn Movie Ranch and led by Charlie Manson (played by Damon Herriman). It's only a matter of time before all the parties converge in unexpected ways.
Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed this cinematic love letter to a bygone era of Hollywood. In 1969, outside influences were starting to impact the kinds of movies Hollywood was making. Films were becoming grittier and what kinds of films were able to made were growing. The Vietnam War was in full swing and all the differing attitudes towards it as well. During this period of transition, some actors were finding their opportunities drying up as the current iteration of the Western genre was becoming played out with audiences gravitating towards the more complex and violent Spaghetti Westerns. Tarantino and his amazing crew lovingly recreate the Hollywood of the era as they not only painstakingly recreate Los Angeles circa 1969, but also some of the shows Rick stars on throughout the film, including a spot on recreation of an episode of The FBI that originally starred a young Burt Reynolds among a few other fun surprises. He also has a number of actors of the era turning up throughout the story, with notable appearances by Steve McQueen (played by Damian Lewis) and Bruce Lee (played by Mike Moh). And then he has the Manson family slowly working their way into the story and anyone who knows their history of the time knows that the two storylines will eventually and violently converge. Yet, as anyone who has seen Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds might already suspect, things don't go quite the way you might expect it to.
Leonardo DiCaprio is quite good as Rick Dalton as he digs into his character's insecurities and anxieties as he faces a faltering career and tries to figure out what to do next. DiCaprio has a great scene where Rick is in his trailer and he melts down over what he thought was a bad performance and then eventually pulls himself together, goes back out and knocks it out of the park. That scene has really stuck with me because as someone who has dealt with their fair share of anxiety and insecurity I really related to it. Brad Pitt's character Cliff is also experiencing a career downturn but, unlike Rick, he seems to be taking it in stride content to help out his buddy Rick day to day and retire each evening to his trailer located behind a drive in theater with his dog Brandy (herself practically another star of the movie) and just take things as they come. It's an interesting dichotomy between the two characters that I really enjoyed. Margot Robie has an interesting task in playing Sharon Tate and does a really great job in the role as well. She is very much a supporting character, but makes the most of each scene she is in, most notably an extended sequence when Tate is walking in downtown LA and decides to pop in to a matinee screening of a film she is in, The Wrecking Crew. Robie does such a great job showing Tate's initial insecurities slowly melt away to genuine elation at the audience around her and their enjoyment of her performance. It's completely non-verbal and fantastic. As an aside, I also appreciated that Quentin used actual footage from The Wrecking Crew with the real Sharon Tate in the footage in the scene as well. I also have to single out the performance by Damian Lewis as Steve McQueen. He's only in one scene, but he captures McQueen so well it's incredible to watch. Mike Moh is great in a similarly small appearance as Bruce Lee, although that has been a bit more controversial with his family stating the performance in the film doesn't match who Bruce Lee really was. To be fair, in the scene in question Cliff is antagonizing Bruce while they are both on the set of The Green Hornet and there is a scene later in the film where Bruce is teaching Sharon Tate some martial arts that seems to better match the real Bruce his family describes. It is also seen in flashback as Cliff reflects on the incident, so there is an unreliable narrator aspect to it as well. But, then again anyone who has seen the entire film can attest Quentin Tarantino isn't particularly interested in adhering strictly to historical fact anyway.
There is a lot to really like about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It has a slow burn quality for much of the film as it focuses on it's characters as the film builds towards it's inevitable end. But as the film goes on, I really got to know these characters and came to genuinely care about them so that when they do converge with the Manson Family, the tension is palpable as I wondered how this was all going to play out. It's also a far more character driven film than the last few Tarantino films, which makes for a different film than some people might be expecting. The film moves at a deliberate pace as it works establishing these characters day to day lives, including an extended scene of Cliff making Kraft Macaroni & Cheese that is shot so throughly, it had more that a few viewers picking up a box or two on the way home from the movie after winding up craving it themselves. It's a film that takes it's time telling it's tale, clocking in at roughly 2 hours and 40 minutes, and honestly is all the better for it.
Opening a mere few weeks after the aforementioned Lake Placid, along came Deep Blue Sea to give some new teeth to the beleaguered shark movie left largely adrift with the last notable film being Jaws: The Revenge 12 years earlier. Yet, here was a film that very much knows what it is and wears it's B-Movie roots proudly, while coyly hiding some rather memorable surprises among it's bloody shark mayhem.
Dr. Susan McAlester (played by Saffron Burrows) has been working on cutting edge experiments to try and find a cure for Alzheimer's Disease in a very unlikely place: the brain fluid of Mako sharks. When one of her sharks gets loose from her isolated lab in the middle of the ocean and attacks a nearby sailboat, corporate investor Russell Franklin (played by Samuel L. Jackson) flies out to personally observe the facility and process to determine whether or not to continue with the project. The lab is running on a Skeleton crew for the weekend and aside from Susan we also have Shark wrangler Carter Blake (played by Thomas Jane), fellow scientists Janice Higgins (played by Jacqueline McKenzie) and Jim Whitlock (played by Stellan Skarsgard, technician Tom Scoggins (played by Michael Rappaport) and resident cook known as Preacher (played by LL Cool J). There are three Mako sharks at the facility and Russell is impressed and terrified at the large beasts. When a demonstration of the extraction of the brain fluid goes terribly wrong, Susan begrudingly admits she took a shortcut in her research to genetically engineer the sharks to be larger than usual, especially their brains, and as a side effect the sharks got smarter. Through some rather ingenious means, the sharks manage to start a chain of events that leads to the largely underwater facility to begin to flood, with the sharks infiltrating the facility and hunting down our intrepid human characters, who are desperately trying to escape the sinking and crumbling facility.
Renny Harlin directed the film from a script by Duncan Kennedy, Wayne Powers and Donna Powers. Harlin approached the film knowing that his audience was going to be very familiar with Jaws and realized there was no point trying to hold back showing the sharks and instead resolved to show them as much as possible. It helps that in the intervening 24 years, the effects had decidedly improved in terms of the animatronics for the three sharks. All three sharks are very convincing and work well in the film as they create convincing and unique thrills as they work their way through the flooded facility. He also employs CGI for them as well, with more mixed results (but given the B-movie roots of the film, I didn't mind). From a narrative standpoint, they also manage to create a few genuine shocks as they play with audience expectations, especially in terms of who will survive. I won't say more than that because even 20 years later this film contains one of the more legendary shock movie deaths this side of Psycho. The film has a few amusing nods to the Jaws films as well, starting with one of he sharks found chewing on a license plate...the same license plate Richard Dreyfuss pulls out of the Tiger Shark's stomach in Jaws. The whole film is then capped off with a genuinely great Trevor Rabin score that keeps the film moving at a breakneck pace as it moves from one crazy and intense moment to another.
The film assembled quite a good cast for the film led by Samuel L. Jackson. This film is a bit of a departure for him playing a business executive Russell Franklin, although hints of a past tragedy with his character shows he may have some experience in survival situations. Still, Jackson does a great job in the role as the outsider of the group and actually shows some vulnerability as well at times. Thomas Jane really nails the big damn hero with a dark past role as Carter Blake, who got the job at the research station after being paroled from prison. Saffron Burrows really digs into her role as Dr. Susan McAlester and really shows her character's fierce determination with her research. It's only when disaster strikes and people start to die that she begins to see the horrible consequences of the short cuts she took in her research. I also have to call out LL Cool J who plays the facility's scripture quoting badass chef Preacher. He functions a bit as the comic relief but at the same time is such a cool character and LL Cool J makes the most of every scene he's in.
Deep Blue Sea is a movie that knows exactly what it is, a big goofy monster movie that has the primary function of being a big rollercoaster ride and the movie succeeds supremely at that. Does the plot stand up to a lot a scrutiny? No, of course not. But it knows how to play with audience expectations and has some damn good twists and turns to it along the way. It's also a lot of fun and when it comes to a monster movie you can't ask for much more than that.
July of 1999 was a great time for water based Creature Features with two campy delights released within weeks of each other, Lake Placid and Deep Blue Sea. I'll be discussing both on my blog here this month, but I'm kicking things off with the very silly but very entertaining Lake Placid.
Sheriff Hank Keough (played by Brendan Gleeson) is assisting a Fish and Wildlife ranger with scuba diving on an isolated lake, who is there tagging beavers when said ranger suddenly comes back up screaming for help and ultimately winds up half the man he used to be. The Sheriff quickly calls in Jack Wells (played by Bill Pullman) from Fish and Wildlife to try and figure out what happened. From the ranger's body they find a tooth fragment that appears prehistoric. New York Paleontologist Kelly Scott (played by Bridget Fonda) is sent to check out the tooth and intrigued joins the search to the monster. They are soon joined by Crocodile expert Hector Cyr (played by Oliver Platt), who has deduced that the monster in question is a crocodile. As they set up camp nearby, accompanied by a number of Deputies, including Deputy Sharon Gare (played by Meredith Salenger), to try and contain the animal if possible, destroy if necessary, with the various members of the group falling on either side of the debate. Things get more interesting when they discover that the foul mouthed old lady, Mrs. Bickerman (played by Betty White), who lives by the lake may know more than she's letting on with the crocodile.
The film was directed by Steve Miner from a script by David E Kelley of all people. The result is a unique blend of gruesome monster movie mayhem and hilarious comedy, with perhaps the most mismatched cast of characters who spend the bulk of the short 80 minute run time trading sarcastic remarks and bickering with one another. It makes for a memorably unique film that is hard to take too seriously. Then again it's about a giant crocodile in a lake in Maine that eats people, so perhaps it's best to keep things on the sillier side. The film does briefly try to explain just how a Crocodile could wind up there, but in the end the film loses interest in explaining it and in the end it doesn't really matter. Backing the film is some pretty solid effects work, especially the practical effects for the Croc by Stan Winston holding up quite well. Some of the CGI doesn't hold up as well, but the dodgy effects kinda play into the movie's B-Movie charms, so I didn't mind it. The production is capped off with a rather nice John Ottman score as well.
The cast of the film is top notch, with Bill Pullman as Jack Wells, more or less the straight man having to deal with this group of oddballs (although his character gets in a couple of zingers as well). Bridget Fonda's performance as Kelly Scott is one of a long line of David E Kelley neurotic single ladies, but she plays the role quite well as a character completely out of her element in the Maine Wilderness, far more accustomed to her cushy New York City museum job. Brendan Gleeson does a great job as the grumpy local Sheriff Hank who loves big guns and hates sarcastic people. He frequently butts heads with Crocodile enthusiast Hector Cyr, who Oliver Platt plays with a great deal of charisma and the two play off one another beautifully to great comedic effect. One of my favorite moments was between the two of them, where they come across a dismembered toe. Hector picks it up and shows to Hank asking, "Is this the man that was killed?" Gleeson just fires back with, "He seemed...taller." Oliver Platt is a delight in his role and surprisingly works as the charming playboy who mythologizes crocodiles, while romancing Deputy Gare on the side. And then there was Betty White as Mrs. Bickerman, who effortlessly steals every scene she's in as the foul mouthed old lady who is nothing but openly hostile to our group of dysfunctional heroes. It probably doesn't help that on their first encounter that as they inquire about what happened to Mr. Bickerman Hank bluntly asks, "Was he swallowed?"
Lake Placid is a deft mix of horror and comedy, with a stronger emphasis on the comedy side of things that at times plays out like a demented Jaws rip-off and honestly, that works for me. It wasn't a film that did particularly well in theaters, but has developed a bit of a cult following. It also spawned five direct to cable sequels, none of which I've been able to bring myself to watch. Probably because they were made for the SyFy channel and at this point, I just know better. At least with the first one, they were intentionally trying to be funny.
When veritable character actor Rip Torn passed away last week, a number of his most memorable roles no doubt came to mind. For many it may have been Zed from the Men in Black films or Patches O'Houlihan from Dodgeball (his line, "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!" seems to be one of the most quoted lines from the film). Yet, it was his role as Bob Diamond in Albert Brooks' afterlife comedy Defending Your Life that first came to mind.
Daniel Miller (played by Albert Brooks) is celebrating his birthday by picking up a new BMW convertible he just bought. He doesn't get far though when driving it home he leans over to grab a CD case that slid off the seat and winds up accidentally drifting into oncoming traffic (while "Something's Coming" sung by Barbara Streisand ironically plays on the car radio no less) and gets hit by an oncoming bus. Daniel suddenly finds himself arriving somewhere new, yet strangely familiar called Judgement City. It's a purgatory of sorts where the recently deceased have their life evaluated by a panel of judges to determine if a person is ready to move on to the next level of existence or if they need to go back to Earth for another try. All of this is explained to him by his defender, Bob Diamond (played by Rip Torn). The proceedings, while they insist it's not a trial, is certainly set up like one with two judges and a prosecutor, Lena Foster (played by Lee Grant). Over the course of the next nine days, they will be revisiting moments from Daniel's life to determine if he conquered fear, viewing each moment on a giant screen. In the meantime, he'll stay in one of the hotels in the city, be able to indulge in as much of the fine foods the city has to offer (without worrying about gaining weight!), and enjoy the many attractions, including a past lives pavilion, where people can go and see what their past lives were. Things get complicated when he meets Julia (played by Meryl Streep) and sparks begin to fly between the two. But as it becomes clear to Daniel that she'll be able to move forward and he becomes increasingly convinced he's going to be sent back to Earth, he finds himself at a crossroads whether or not to continue feeling they would just be separated in the end.
Albert Brooks wrote and directed the film and created a really unique vision for the afterlife. The area it takes place in, Judgement City, looks very much like any other city in America, as was the goal, except all the guests there awaiting Judgement are transported around on a series of Trams (like on the old Universal Studios tours), from destination to destination. The main concept of having to defend the choices you've made during your time on Earth in an attempt to prove you concurred fear is an intriguing concept that I imagine any viewer can relate to. It's certainly something that has stuck with me ever since I first saw the film. The film also has a decidedly sweeter tone over the earlier films Albert Brooks had made, keeping the film a lightweight romantic comedy for the most part. The film is very funny though, finding a lot of humor in very interesting places. One detail is the residents of Judgement City use a far higher percentage of their brain than the people from Earth, calling the folks from Earth "Little Brains" no less. Apparently, those on Earth only use 3-5% of their brains ("Any more than that an you won't want to live on Earth, believe me," explains Bob). And of course, the idea that purgatory is made of chain hotels (and the better of a life you led, the better the hotel, apparently) and office parks is low-key hilarious. The dialogue is also expectedly witty for an Albert Brooks film and given the film's fantastical premise, he takes it even further. A prime example is Bob's excuse for missing the prior day's hearing, "I was trapped near the inner circle of fault," with no elaboration.
The performances in the film are quite good. Albert Brooks is great in the lead role of Daniel and does a great job of portraying Daniel's wide-eyed befuddlement with what the afterlife is, as well as his character's own insecurities and especially his inner turmoil towards the end when he becomes convinced his trial isn't going to go his way. He also has a nice, easy going chemistry with Meryl Streep, who exudes warmth in her role as Julia. Rip Torn easily steals the show as Bob Diamond. He fills the character with such a jolly, irascible charm as he tries to ferry Daniel from one plane of existence to another. He delivers even the worst news in an upbeat and reassuring manner. It's a fantastic performance that is burned into my mind when it comes to him. Lee Grant makes for a worthy adversary to the upbeat Bob Diamond and their verbal sparring in the court room is fantastic.
Defending Your Life is definitely my favorite of Albert Brooks' films. It's a warm and breezy romantic comedy and for a movie about the afterlife it's surprisingly hopeful. It's a witty film that is hard to dislike from the beginning to a real great ending. With three fantastic performances from Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep and Rip Torn, it's an easy one to recommend.
