Sound of My Voice Review

Rated R (Language including some Sexual References, and Brief Drug Use)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 25 Minutes

Cast-

Brit Marling-Maggie

Christopher Denham-Peter Aitken

Nicole Vicius-Lorna Michaelson

Davenia McFadden-Carol Briggs

Richard Wharton-Klaus

Kandice Stroh-Joanne

Christy Meyers-Mel

Alvin Lam-Lam

Constance Wu-Christine

Matthew Carey-Lyle

Jacob Price-PJ

David Haley-O'Shea

Avery Kristen Pohl-Abigail Pritchett

Hannah Johnson-Narrator

Directed by Zal Batmanglij

Brit Marling as enigmatic cult leader Maggie in "Sound of My Voice."

Whenever I was off from elementary school during the summer, my grandmother would always send me to an independently-run learning center near where I lived to keep me from being unproductive at home. There was a kid there approximately my age whose name I cannot recall this instant but what made him unusual was his compulsive need to suck his thumb. I do not know why he did it because I never bothered to ask nor did I care at the time but the other children unsurprisingly shunned him. The people who ran the center tried to break his habit with little success but something curious happened one day. This kid brought in his collection of Spider-Man trading cards (the 1995 Fleer Ultra Premiere set if you were wondering) and everyone suddenly became his friend just for that day. Every person has a desire to belong since it is human nature after all. However, this can easily be exploited by someone who is both charismatic and manipulative. The most infamous example would be serial killer Charles Manson, who instructed the members of his doomsday cult to commit a series of bloody murders in late-1960’s California. People are never coerced to join cults and often seek them out on their own volition because they want to belong in a group in which they matter. After making waves at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, first-time director Zal Batmanglij and writer Brit Marling’s “Sound of My Voice” finally arrives in theaters in limited release. Despite its almost non-existent production budget and vague plot that leaves more questions than answers, “Sound of My Voice” remains a thought-provoking experience and stands as a shining example of what can be accomplished with only an idea and someone committed enough to follow it through. 

A young couple drives to a house at night in an anonymous Los Angeles neighborhood where they are greeted by a large man. The two are instructed to cleanse themselves in the shower and change into matching white tunics before being driven to another location while blind-folded. The couple meets a gray-haired man with glasses (Richard Wharton) and engages in a complex secret handshake with him before being allowed into the basement to join the rest of the new members waiting there. The gray-haired man asks everyone to kneel when a young woman carrying an oxygen tank enters the sparse room. The woman is named Maggie (Brit Marling) who reveals that she is a time traveler from the year 2054 where society has collapsed due to an unnamed civil war and the loss of technology. She has journeyed forty years back into the past in order to prepare a chosen few for the coming calamity and lead them to a supposed salvation. Peter Aitken (Christopher Denham) and Lorna Michaelson (Nicole Vicius), the couple in the beginning of the film, turn out to be aspiring documentary filmmakers who have infiltrated Maggie’s burgeoning cult in order to expose her as a fraud. However, they soon find their relationship strained to the breaking point as Maggie and her cult forces them to confront harsh truths about themselves and the world they currently live in. 

“Sound of My Voice” does not invite the most positive initial reception given its grimy, heavily aliased scenes and sparse locations but its non-existent production budget proves to be an advantage because it gives the film a grounded realism despite its ridiculous premise. The film does not go out of its way to develop the characters besides a short narration revealing that Peter is a substitute teacher at an all-girls school and that he lost his mother to cancer when he was twelve because she belonged to a cult that didn’t believe in modern medicine while Lorna is a reformed Hollywood party girl. Both are motivated to make a documentary on Maggie’s cult because they want to do something meaningful with their lives. Divided into ten chapters, “Sound of My Voice” has limited mass appeal because it is a film that provides more questions than answers. Is Maggie really a time traveler from the future or is she just a clever con artist who is using ‘her traditionally feminine gift of emotional insight to bring her followers to their knees’ (Mary Pols, Time Magazine)? There’s this amazing scene where all the members of her cult are sitting in a circle with an apple in their hand, a not-so-subtle symbol of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. Each takes a bite out of the apple but Maggie explains that they are weak for eating the fruit because it represents how they are being deceived with illusions of luxury and ‘intellectual bullsh*t’ by modern society. Things take a grotesque turn when one of the members vomits up the apple, prompting everyone to do the same except Peter. Maggie confronts him about his doubts in this intense exchange that brings him to tears (Lorna later calls it an ‘emotional orgasm’ in a tone that drips with admiration and jealousy), insisting that Peter is unable to fully give himself to her due to his personal demons of maternal abandonment and sexual abuse. Whether this is true or not is never explicitly revealed but it speaks of the power of indoctrination to the point where you may start believing it yourself. The film also emphasizes Maggie’s attractiveness, with Lorna accusing Peter of succumbing to her beauty in a heated exchange where he seriously contemplates kidnapping a little girl (Avery Kristen Pohl) at his school in order to prove his loyalty. This leads to a rather abrupt ending where nothing is ultimately resolved and the audience is left with questions about the connection the little girl has to Maggie and the motivations of a heavyset government official (Davenia McFadden) seeking to apprehend the cult leader. The relationship between Peter and Lorna is also left up in the air but Batmanglij leaves a number of hints to allow us to draw our own conclusions. “Sound of My Voice” is ultimately a question of faith, from both the characters and the audience, and how far you are willing to go in order to achieve a place where you belong. 

One of the reasons the film is so riveting to watch is Brit Marling, who also serves as co-writer and starred in last summer’s equally intriguing “Another Earth.” Clad in a white robe, Marling’s hypnotic Maggie is both angelic and commanding, the kind of cult leader that exudes a soothing motherly quality but also a hidden manipulative dark side. Marling has already become one of my favorite actresses despite having only two films under her belt and I admire her for taking the chance of writing her own roles even if it means earning less and staying on the fringes of mainstream Hollywood. Christopher Denham and Nicole Vicius may be unknown to general audiences but each excel in their respective roles, with Denham’s Peter struggling with his beliefs under his controlled demeanor while Vicius’s Lorna remains skeptical of Maggie, but whether it stems from jealousy or not is the real question. Their relationship, particularly in how Denham and Vicius interact with each other, is believable and adds to the sense of realism in the film. 

Premiering at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival back in January, “Sound of My Voice” is finally in limited release since April 27, 2012 and has received largely positive reviews with 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is currently playing at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema in New York City. Many critics have praised Marling’s performance and the film’s themes but some found it frustratingly vague, a sentiment that was shared by the audience that I saw it with. Many even started to laugh as the film progressed and I honestly wanted to tell them all to shut up…but I digress. Despite its limited mass appeal, I still highly recommend the film but it is of utmost importance that you keep an open mind as it demands you to form your own interpretations of what is happening. Brit Marling is now two-for-two and I cannot wait to see “The East” later this year which is also directed by Batmanglij. You won’t find answers in “Sound of My Voice” but what you will find is an intense and riveting drama. Make sure to see this film first before the avalanche of big-budget summer blockbusters arrives to smother us all.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“To see her is to believe her.”

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The Lucky One Review

Rated PG-13 (Some Sexuality and Violence)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 41 Minutes

Cast-

Zac Efron-First Sergeant Logan Thibault

Taylor Schilling-Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Clayton

Blythe Danner-Ellie\Nana

Jay R. Ferguson-Keith Clayton

Riley Thomas Stewart-Ben Clayton

Adam LeFevre-Judge Clayton

Robert Hayes-Victor Miles

Directed by Scott Hicks

Every film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel must have a scene like this.

Let me just preface this review by saying that I am a manly man because I am about to drop a bombshell on you: I just saw a film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. Hey, it was bound to happen sooner or later given my line of work and I am not ashamed! I walked into that screening with my head held high! Nicholas Sparks has made a name for himself writing romantic fiction ever since his first published novel “The Notebook” reached the New York Times best-seller list back in 1996 and now has an additional sixteen novels to his name, seven of which have already been adapted into film with many more to come. During an interview with USA Today two years ago where he was promoting “The Last Song” starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, Sparks remarked that he writes ‘in a genre that was not defined by me. The examples were not set out by me. They were set out 2000 years ago by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. They were called the Greek tragedies. A thriller is supposed to thrill. A horror novel is supposed to scare you. A mystery is supposed to keep you turning the pages, guessing whodunit?’ He continues by saying that ‘a romance novel is supposed to make you escape into a fantasy of romance. What is the purpose of what I do? These are love stories. They went from [Greek tragedies], to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, then Jane Austen did it, put a new human twist on it. Hemingway did it with A Farewell to Arms.’ Picking up Hemingway’s novel, he proudly concludes by comparing his work to the acclaimed 20th century writer and calls Cormac McCarthy’s novels ‘horrible.’ This prompted a rather hilarious response from film critic Roger Ebert, where he wrote that he ‘[resented] the sacrilege Nicholas Sparks commits by even mentioning himself in the same sentence as Cormac McCarthy.’ I have no doubt that Sparks is a competent writer but he needs to get his head checked…seriously. Of course, I doubt he even cares given all the money he makes and it appears that Sparks is about to get richer thanks to the upcoming release of “The Lucky One,” based upon the novel of the same name published in 2008. While it is not as terrible as I had initially feared, the overly sappy and melodramatic tone, combined with its formulaic and clichéd script make this film a mediocre and ultimately forgettable experience. 

During his third tour of duty in Iraq, United States marine Logan Thibault (Zac Efron) finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt but is then caught off-guard by an explosive ambush. He alone survives and the picture subsequently becomes his good luck charm. Logan returns home to Colorado eight months later but is unable to readjust to civilian life due to post-traumatic stress disorder. Taking his German Shepherd Zeus with him, he decides to search for the woman in the picture. His journey takes him to a small town in Louisiana where the woman, Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Clayton (Taylor Schilling), runs a dog kennel with her grandmother (Blythe Danner). Unable to explain why he is looking for her, Logan ends up applying for a job to help around the kennel. Beth is initially wary of him but the two eventually fall in love after she sees how good he is with her seven-year-old son Ben (Riley Thomas Stewart). However, Beth’s ex-husband, a deputy sheriff named Keith (Jay R. Ferguson), views Logan with suspicion and puts their relationship to the test when he tries to drive a wedge between him and Beth. 

Before I begin, I just want to point you toward a funny but true pictogram on Cracked.com titled How to Write a Nicholas Sparks Movie. “The Lucky One” follows the formula presented on that website to the letter. Even if you have never read a Nicholas Sparks novel or seen one of the film adaptations based on his work, it’s hard not to feel a strong sense of déjà vu because this is a story that has been told countless times already to the point that there is no drama left in seeing the events unfold before your eyes. This is not the fault of director Scott Hicks as he is just delivering what fans of Nicholas Sparks want—romantic cheese. As such, many of the scenes in the film are accompanied by perpetual sunsets and a mellow soundtrack while Efron’s Logan and Schilling’s Beth spend the film swooning all over each other. To no one’s surprise, a love scene is included where our lovers roll around and get all wet from a still-on showerhead while slowly thrusting into each other. Seriously, you cannot make this stuff up, unless your name is Nicholas Sparks! There are also moments of unintentional hilarity such as when Beth is unable to concentrate on washing the dishes because she’s busy mentally undressing Logan as he is unloads bags of dog food outside her window. This ends up making “The Lucky One” looking like a terrible sex fantasy for women. The central conflict between Logan and Keith is also contrived because the latter character is depicted as an overly cartoonish villain while the internal debate of whether Logan should tell Beth his secret is virtually ignored until the end. Themes of destiny and fate play a part in the story as well but Will Fetters’ script offers no meaningful insight due to the superficial manner in which they are explored. 

Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling may have been cast based on their looks but the acting remains competent with the two able to convincingly sell the romance despite the Hallmark-quality sentimentalism. Efron’s brooding and glazed expression is supposed to betray his sensitive side but his character ends up being rather dull because the writer has failed to give him any real flaws whatsoever. He is the perfect gentleman who is both a passionate lover and handy around the house! Still, I admire that Efron is trying to be taken seriously as an actor but he won’t be winning any awards starring in films like this. Schilling starred in last year’s critically reviled “Atlas Shrugged Part I” based upon the first third of Ayn Rand’s novel of the same name and while her performance can be somewhat uneven, she shares enough chemistry with Efron to make up for any shortcomings. Blythe Danner is the stereotypical grandmother who sees through Beth’s excuses and offers advice while Jay R. Ferguson ends up being little more than a caricature villain of a husband unable to take a hint and move on. 

“The Lucky One” will be released into theaters on April 20, 2012 and currently has a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. Films based upon the novels of Nicholas Sparks have all received mixed to negative reviews and I expect this one to be no different from the others. I managed to see this film early at a free advanced screening and the audience was predominantly female unsurprisingly. They seemed to enjoy the film’s inherent cheesiness but I am pretty sure I heard a couple of sniffles at the end. Box office wise, I’m predicting an opening weekend debut of $15 to $17 million, which is average for a Nicholas Sparks adaptation. I must admit that if the tickets weren’t free in the first place, I would not have seen or reviewed this film. “The Lucky One” is far from terrible and offers up some unintentional comedy but there is little that audiences haven’t seen before. This makes for a perfectly adequate date movie if your lady has a craving for something romantic for the night but be prepared for a number of eye-rolling moments. You could certainly do a lot worse though.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

“You should be kissed every day, every hour, every minute.” (No man says stuff like that!)

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American Reunion Review

Rated R (Crude and Sexual Content Throughout, Nudity, Language, Brief Drug Use and Teen Drinking)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 53 Minutes

Cast-

Jason Biggs-James ‘Jim’ Levenstein

Alyson Hannigan-Michelle Flaherty-Levenstein

Chris Klein-Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher

Thomas Ian Nicholas-Kevin Myers

Eddie Kaye Thomas-Paul Finch

Seann William Scott-Steve Stifler

Mena Suvari-Heather

Ali Cobrin-Kara

Dania Ramirez-Selena

Tara Reid-Victoria 'Vicky' Lathum

Katrina Bowden-Mia

Jay Harrington-Dr. Ron

Shannon Elizabeth-Nadia

Natasha Lyonne-Jessica

Chris Owen-Chuck Sherman

Eugene Levy-Noah Levenstein

Jennifer Coolidge-Jeannine Stifler

Vik Sahay-Prateek Duraiswamy

John Cho-John

Directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

Hey, its not like their careers were going anywhere.

Former Major League Baseball relief pitcher Larry Andersen once remarked that ‘you're only young once, but you can be immature forever,’ which is an apt way of describing the “American Pie” franchise. The first “American Pie” film was something of a revelation for moviegoers when it was released during the summer of 1999 as not only did it push the limits of the R-rating (it was initially rated NC-17 four times) but it also revitalized the raunchy teen sex comedy for the new millennium. While critical reception was only mildly positive (60% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences enthusiastically embraced the film with some even going so far as to call it an instant classic (that is going too far). “American Pie” earned twenty times its production budget with $235 million at the worldwide box office and led to the release of two inferior sequels—“American Pie 2” in 2001 and “American Wedding” in 2003. However, Universal was unable to let go of such a lucrative franchise and released four additional direct-to-video spin-offs between 2005 and 2009. Word of a fourth “American Pie” began to trickle out in October 2008 with the film entering pre-production in April 2010 when Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg (the creators of the “Harold & Kumar” series) signed on to both write and direct with the intention of reuniting the entire principal cast. “American Reunion” finally arrives into theaters nine years since the release of the previous film and is actually the best installment of the franchise, although that is faint praise considering that the series never rose above mediocrity. Recycled comedy and plot aside, what makes this entry passably entertaining is that the characters are finally treated like actual people and the film manages to at least partially recapture the spark that made the series so popular in the first place. 

Thirteen years after graduating high school, married couple James ‘Jim’ Levenstein (Jason Biggs) and Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan) now have a two-year old son named Evan. Unfortunately, the two have not been intimate since his birth and are slowly drifting apart. Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher (Chris Klein) is now an NFL sportscaster living in Los Angeles with his pretty but vain girlfriend Mia (Katrina Bowden). Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is happily married and works from home as an architect while Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) has apparently disappeared with his whereabouts unknown. Finally, former party animal Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott) now works as a temp at a famous investment firm but is often put down by his boss Prateek Duraiswamy (Vik Sahay). Kevin invites Jim and Oz (but not Stifler) to East Great Falls to attend their thirteenth high school reunion in order to catch up. Finch arrives as well and reveals that he had been spending the past ten years traveling all over the world. At the bar, they meet a former classmate named Selena (Dania Ramirez), an ugly duckling who has now grown into a beautiful woman. Despite being uninvited, the group reluctantly allows Stifler to join them for drinks when he shows up. The gang spends their time reminiscing about their crazy antics in high school and tries to move on while Jim finds himself tempted by his former neighbor Kara (Ali Cobrin), whom he used to babysit and now wants to lose her virginity to him on her eighteenth birthday. 

Like its predecessors, “American Reunion” features a scatterbrained plot and largely coasts by on fan nostalgia alone. Despite being a mediocre effort, the original film still succeeded in making you sympathize with the characters as they struggled to make the pivotal transition from teenager to adulthood but the sequels unfortunately remained trapped in the past as it desperately tried to make lightning strike twice. The series is clearly long past its prime but this fourth installment does manage to partially recapture the spirit of the first film, only this time the characters are looking to finally leave their old selves behind. It does not entirely succeed and much of the blame can be pointed to Hurwitz and Schlossberg recycling much of the comedy from the previous films but with some subtle variations (as if we wouldn’t notice). The cold open features Jim in a compromising position once again only this time his son Evan walks in on him instead of his father. Continuing his obsession with feces-related pranks, Stifler lets one rip in a beer cooler as payback toward a group of obnoxious high school kids who sprayed him and his friends with their jet skies. The main set-piece is when Jim is driving a drunken Kara home and enlists his friends to distract her parents while he sneaks her back in the house. The only problem is that Kara ripped half her clothes off in an attempt to seduce Jim and lose her virginity. I admit that this was actually pretty funny and adding to its outrageousness is when Kara’s mother recognizes Oz from a “Dancing with the Stars”-knock off and begins to suggestively dance around him to the shock of her husband. 

However, the best scenes in the film are the dramatic ones and the relationship between Jim and his father has always been one of the few bright spots in the franchise, their banter always touching and hilarious at the same time. Jim’s father once again offers some sagely wisdom to his son on how to keep a marriage from getting stale (ironic given how little has changed in each film) and there’s a sincere honesty behind his words that I appreciated. The series could’ve greatly benefitted from more of these moments instead of being a series of juvenile comedy vignettes. A common complaint that I had of the previous films was that its subplots would often leave the main story feeling like an afterthought and I am glad to report that this issue has been finally resolved but this leaves some of its ancillary characters such as Kevin Myers and Paul Finch with little to do other than providing a familiar face. Fans of the series will enjoy “American Reunion” as this film literally does reunite every character, with the minor ones even making a welcome cameo but even though it’s mildly funnier and has more heart compared to the previous entries, it’s still a case of too little too late as the writers fail to really bring anything new. It may be the best installment but compared to the R-rated comedies of today, it pales in comparison. 

The cast slip easily back in their roles like a pair of old gloves with Jason Biggs still charming as the lovable dork who always gets caught with his pants down (literally!) but manages to find a way to bounce back from total disaster every time. Chris Klein’s acting hasn’t fared much better in the intervening thirteen years while Thomas Ian Nicholas and Eddie Kaye Thomas are fine despite the lacking subplots they are forced to work with. Seann William Scott’s Steve Stifler proved to be the series’ breakout character given that the actor has had the most successful career but Stifler always came across as little more than an annoying cartoon written by a horny fifteen-year-old boy. Thankfully, the directors saw fit to dial down his presence to a more manageable level. Alyson Hannigan and Mena Suvari’s characters are given a bit more depth but Dania Ramirez’s Selena proves to be largely superfluous to the proceedings. As for Tara Reid, let her be a reminder to all women on the dangers of plastic surgery. Eugene Levy continues to excel as Jim’s father and the film is at its best whenever he is on-screen. He also shares a hilarious mid-end credits scene with Jennifer Coolidge. Katrina Bowden provides the requisite eye-candy while Ali Cobrin…let’s just say she definitely takes her vitamins. Shannon Elizabeth, Natasha Lyonne, and Chris Owen appear in cameo roles. 

Released on April 6, 2012, “American Reunion” has received negative reviews with 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that ‘it’ll provide sweetly nostalgic comfort food for fans of the franchise, but [the film] fails to do anything truly new or interesting—or even very funny—with the characters.’ It had a somewhat underwhelming debut during its opening weekend with $21.5 million due to the large amount of time that has passed and the bad taste left by the direct-to-video spin-offs. “The Hunger Games” dominating the box office certainly didn’t help matters. Like I said before, only fans will get any enjoyment out of this film. Still, Universal has little to worry about given its $50 production budget as the film has already earned $80 million worldwide. It’s a far cry from the trilogy but not a total disaster. While my opinion of the previous “American Pie” films are unchanged, “American Reunion” remains a breezy enough romp that ultimately has little going for it besides the nostalgia factor.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

Kevin Myers: Were we just as obnoxious as these kids back in the day?

Paul Finch: Not us, our generation, we were more mature.

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The Cabin in the Woods Review

Rated R (Strong Bloody Horror Violence and Gore, Language, Drug Use and some Sexuality/Nudity)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 35 Minutes

Cast-

Chris Hemsworth-Curt Vaughan

Kristen Connolly-Dana Polk

Anna Hutchison-Jules Louden

Fran Kranz-Marty Mikalski

Jesse Williams-Holden McCrea

Richard Jenkins-Richard Sitterson

Bradley Whitford-Steve Hadley

Brian White-Truman

Amy Acker-Wendy Lin

Tim De Zarn-Mordecai

Sigourney Weaver-[Redacted]

Directed by Drew Goddard

You think you know the story...think again.

Note: I have done my best to avoid spoilers but reading this review will reveal the ideas behind what the film is about without pointing toward any specific scenes.

I always get a number of different responses when I tell people that I review films as a hobby. Some are merely curious about why I do it while others derided it as a huge waste of time but as posted on my best friend’s Facebook profile, ‘time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.’ Writing film reviews is certainly no easy task and goes beyond stating whether you like or dislike a movie. Active attention must be paid to every film that you are watching so that when you sit down to write the review, you have enough detail to backup your opinions in an articulate and coherent manner. The real difficulty with writing film reviews is in how much you reveal to the reader. This is the dilemma I face with “The Cabin in the Woods,” a horror film written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who also serves as director. Although completed in 2009 with a release date set in 2010, the film unfortunately languished on the shelf for two years due to the financial troubles faced by distributer MGM, who are now recovering from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Finally released into theaters courtesy of Lionsgate, “The Cabin in the Woods” may just be one of the most brilliant horror films I’ve ever seen. Whedon and Goddard have crafted something that not only serves as a love letter to the genre but also deconstructs every element in a manner that is funny, clever, and most importantly, original.

The film opens with a series of puzzling cave images depicting various cultures committing blood sacrifices throughout history. Fast forward to the present day, we find Curt Vaughan (Chris Hemsworth) and his girlfriend Jules Louden (Anna Hutchison), with their friends Dana Polk (Kristen Connolly), Marty Mikalski (Fran Kranz), and Holden McCrea (Jesse Williams), packing their bags for a weekend away at a remote cabin that was recently purchased by Curt’s cousin. Elsewhere at an undisclosed underground location, two ordinary-looking scientists named Richard Sitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Steve Hadley (Bradley Whitford) is observing the five college students as they travel to the cabin for purposes unknown. Curt and his friends make it to the cabin safely but as the night wears on, it soon becomes increasingly clear that they are not alone and that something is lurking in the woods. 

“The Cabin in the Woods” is a film that is best viewed without any knowledge in advance and I will do the best I can to avoid spoilers because much of the film’s enjoyment comes from the numerous surprises it has to offer. This is a film based on deception and it fools you by offering up one of the most generic horror premises of all: a group of college friends go to the cabin in the woods to enjoy a weekend of debauchery. Countless horror films have dealt with such a premise before but then Whedon and Goddard begin to turn the tables on the audience by slowly subverting established clichés while you’re left wondering just what the heck the two scientists in the underground bunker have to do with anything. Rest assured that the writers have a clear vision in their mind and execute it with aplomb. The film also gleefully satirizes and comments on how far the horror genre has come over the past one hundred years and there are numerous nods to various horror films from “The Wolfman” to even “Hellraiser.” Some of the references might be too obscure but for everyone who fancies themselves a fan of the genre, it offers up a level of participation from the audience that is unheard of, allowing the film to explore places without fear of ridicule. If this sounds awfully vague, I apologize in advance but it is for your own good. Classic character archetypes and conventions are deconstructed but not in a way that Wes Craven accomplished for his “Scream” films. The characters in Goddard’s film are not aware of their situation like we are and this creates a situation where they are being watched for the enjoyment of others ala “The Truman Show,” revealing that much of the appeal of horror is in watching others slowly suffer. What is really amazing is that the writers succeed in balancing two conflicting tones and create something that is both funny and serious at the same time. Despite being marketed as a conventional horror film, none of what happens is particularly scary or shocking but it does deliver on the blood and gore, especially during the final twenty minutes. 

When “The Cabin in the Woods” was being filmed back in 2009, all of the cast were unknowns but Chris Hemsworth has come a long way. He was James T. Kirk’s father in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot “Star Trek” and now stars as the Norse God of Thunder in 2011’s “Thor” and the upcoming film “The Avengers,” ironically directed by Joss Whedon. The rest of the cast aren’t as recognizable but all of them, including Hemsworth, portray their characters in a convincing manner. The fact that they are being manipulated by forces out of their control helps you sympathize with them as they attempt to fight back and survive. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford play the two scientists residing in the underground bunker whose sarcastic back-and-forth banter provides a lot of laughs to lighten the mood. Sigourney Weaver even pops up to make an appearance at the end but to reveal her role would spoil the entire film. 

Released on April 13, 2012, “The Cabin in the Woods” has received overwhelmingly positive reviews with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as ‘an astonishing meta-feat, capable of being funny, strange, and scary—frequently all at the same time.’ The audience I saw the film with thoroughly enjoyed it as well judging from the comments that I overheard and I foresee the film becoming a cult classic the future. It’s astonishing how a film that was shelved for two years could turn out to be so brilliant and clever. The film is expected to land in third place with an opening weekend debut of $15 million, which is fine but nothing spectacular. Although many have proclaimed their love for the film, some have already started to deride it due to feeling cheated by the marketing in a situation similar to last year’s “Drive.” If that is the case, then this is the advertiser’s fault and not the film. I sure hope no one sues Lionsgate though! “The Cabin in the Woods” is a film that was one surprise after another. This is a horror film made by horror fans for horror fans and I urge you to run to the theater to see it now!

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“I seriously believe something weird is going on!” (Ain't that the truth?!)

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Lockout Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence and Action, and Language including some Sexual References)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 35 Minutes

Cast-

Guy Pearce-Snow

Maggie Grace-Emilie Warnock

Peter Stormare-Scott Langral

Lennie James-Harry Shaw

Vincent Regan-Alex

Joseph Gilgun-Hydell

Tim Plester-Mace

Peter Hudson-President Warnock

Jacky Ido-Hock

Miodrag Stevanovic-Frank Armstrong

Directed by James Mather and Stephen St. Leger

"So this is what my career has come to."

French director Luc Besson has over fifty films to his credit either as director, writer, and/or producer in an impressive career that has now spanned three decades with no signs of stopping. Unfortunately, his recent work is anything but impressive as his factory-like studio EuropaCorp continuously churns out action films year after year and often recycles elements from Besson’s earlier films such as 1990’s “Nikita” and 1994’s “Léon: The Professional.” Keeping himself busy in the past twelve years as a writer and producer, Besson has only occasionally returned to the director’s chair to adapt his “Arthur” series of fantasy novels into a trilogy of animated films. His latest film, “The Lady,” based on the life of former Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi starring Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis, is currently in limited release but critical reception has been mixed. Besson and EuropaCorp’s latest collaboration is “Lockout”, a science fiction/action film that never rises above mediocrity thanks to its lazy script and generic visuals. 

Taking place in the year 2079, an ex-CIA agent named Snow (Guy Pearce) has been captured for interrogation by Scott Langral (Peter Stormare), the Chief of the United States Secret Service. Snow is accused of shooting his best friend Frank Armstrong (Miodrag Stevanovic), who was supposedly trying to sell state secrets to a foreign power. Unable to get Snow to confess, Langral later informs him that he has been found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit espionage against the United States and will be sentenced to thirty years of stasis sleep aboard the maximum security space prison MS-One. Meanwhile, Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace), daughter of the President of the United States, has arrived on MS-One on a humanitarian mission to ensure that the prisoners have been treated fairly and study the effects of stasis sleep on their mental health. Emilie interviews a psychotic prisoner named Hydell (Joseph Gilgun) but he ends up grabbing her bodyguard’s gun and shoots out the protective window separating Emilie from him, causing a massive explosion. Hydell escapes from his chains and forces a technician to free all the prisoners in stasis, who quickly overwhelm all the guards and take over the space station. An intelligent inmate named Alex (Vincent Regan) assumes leadership over the other prisoners and takes the station’s staff, including Emilie, hostage. Langral informs President Warnock (Peter Hudson) of the situation, who orders a full-scale military assault but another Secret Service agent named Harry Shaw (Lennie James) suggests sending in one man to rescue Emilie. This man turns out to be Snow, who initially scoffs at the offer but changes his mind when Shaw subtly reveals that his contact Mace (Tim Plester) is aboard MS-One and can prove Snow’s innocence. With the massive space station on a crash course to Earth, Snow races against time to rescue Emilie and clear his name while battling hundreds of the world’s most violent and sadistic criminals. 

“Lockout” was a film that wasn’t even on my radar until I saw a preview of it during a screening of “Haywire” back in January. Judged solely on its poster, I wouldn’t be surprised if you mistook the film for some bargain bin, direct-to-video schlock because that’s honestly where it should belong. Lacking any sense of identity and imagination, the futuristic world that is presented in the film is generic to a fault and looks like a poor man’s version of 1982’s “Blade Runner.” Aside from an armored police hovercraft and extra grime in the streets, 2079 looks no different from 2012. Hell, even the subways in New York City remain unchanged, although I would imagine the fare hikes will be quite high given the rate of inflation but you would think a more efficient form of public transportation be developed sixty-seven years into the future. Written by Besson with directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger, the script is predictable and offers no real surprises but what’s even worse is that these three cannot even take what is a relatively simple concept and turn it something exciting or suspenseful. Logic is thrown out the window as well with characters frequently going into dangerous locations marked with huge warning signs but no one ever notices until it’s too late! Even more puzzling is that this massive prison/space station has so few guards and no computer security system in place to lock out any unauthorized intruder. The ending is both anticlimactic and a rushed mess as the film sloppily ties-up every loose-end. Usually, a film of this type has at least a few standout action scenes to make up for its lack of story but none of the fights showcase anything new or compelling that we haven’t seen before. “Lockout” even rips-off of last year’s “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” when Snow finds himself attacked by a prisoner in a large, anti-gravity chamber. The visual effects work range from competent to absolutely horrendous, especially during a chase scene in the beginning of the film that features obvious green-screen work. No one was expecting an award-winning film but it feels like Besson isn’t even trying. 

The characters are largely one-note with little in the way of personality but Guy Pearce seems to have a lot fun as Snow and really tries to elevate the film with his snarky, no-nonsense personality. His constant one-liners offer up a chuckle and Pearce remains the sole bright spot in an otherwise mediocre film but his efforts are ultimately wasted without a good (or at least competent) script to back it up. Maggie Grace is an attractive lady but she comes across as a whiny brat and the lack of any on-screen chemistry fails to justify their eventual romance. The rest of the cast do not even try to hide their boredom and do very little besides staring into a computer screen. It’s clear that Peter Stormare and Lennie James are only in the film to pick up a paycheck and call it a day’s work. With no discernible motivation, the villains fail to drum up any sort of menace with the exception of Joseph Gilgun as a mentally-unhinged prisoner named Hydell. 

“Lockout” was released on April 13, 2012 to largely negative reviews with 33% on Rotten Tomatoes as critics wrote it off as ‘ultimately too derivative and shallow to build on the many sci-fi thrillers it borrows from.’ This film was made on a production budget of approximately $20 to $30 million so it’s not like it was a huge investment for the studios involved. However, with only $2.2 million so Friday, it’s going to have to settle for a weak opening weekend debut of $6.5 million but the screening I was at almost had a packed audience to my surprise. “Lockout” may provide some mild thrills for those who have a penchant for B-movie genre fare but for everyone else, you might as well go check out “The Hunger Games” for the fourth time…unless you’d prefer that horrid comedy “The Three Stooges” from the Farrelly Brothers.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5

“Don't get me wrong. I mean, it's a dream vacation! I mean, I go into space…I get inside the maximum security nuthouse. Get past all the psychos, save the President's daughter, if she's not dead already. I'm thrilled that you would think of me.”

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American Wedding Unrated Blu-Ray Review

Unrated (Sexual Content, Language and Crude Humor)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 43 Minutes

Cast-

Jason Biggs-James ‘Jim’ Levenstein

Thomas Ian Nicholas-Kevin Myers

Eddie Kaye Thomas-Paul Finch

Seann William Scott-Steve Stifler

Alyson Hannigan-Michelle Flaherty

January Jones-Cadence Flaherty

Deborah Rush-Mary Flaherty

Fred Willard-Harold Flaherty

Eric Allan Kramer-Bear

Eugene Levy-Jim's Father/Mr. Levenstein

Jennifer Coolidge-Stifler's Mother

Amanda Swisten-Fraulein Brandi

Nikki Schieler Ziering-Officer Krystal

Directed by Jesse Dylan

It's about time these two tied the knot!

Wedding scenes in movies have always made me smile but that still wasn’t enough to save 2003’s “American Wedding”, the third and supposedly final installment in the mediocre yet popular “American Pie” franchise. The arrival of another sequel does not come as any real shock to anyone since the first and second films have earned a nice tidy sum of $235 and $288 million worldwide each, which may not seem like much but the relatively cheap production budgets has allowed Universal to rake in the dough. The original “American Pie” led to a renewed interest in the R-rated sex comedy when it was released in 1999 with some fans even hailing it as an instant classic and comparing it to 1982’s “Porky’s”, a film that was much maligned by critics upon release and was on Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s ‘worst of the year’ lists. Whether you liked Paul Weitz’s film or not, one thing was perfectly clear—it was by no means an ‘instant classic’, two words that audiences liberally misuse too often. The surprise financial success of “American Pie” led to a sequel in 2001 but it was clear from the onset that “American Pie 2” was made without an ounce of inspiration or even wit and existed solely to cash-in on the audience goodwill generated from the original film. “American Wedding” faces the same predicament and while this third entry is a slight improvement over the previous film, many of the problems that have existed since its inception remain unfixed. The main story continues to go nowhere for much of its running time in favor of even more ridiculous antics that reek of desperation and the expanded role for Seann William Scott’s Steve Stifler prove to be a major miscalculation as the character is too much of an unsympathetic a**hole to be taken seriously. 

Three years have passed since the events of the previous film and not wasting any time after graduating from college, James ‘Jim’ Levenstein (Jason Biggs) decides to propose to his girlfriend Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan) while dining at a fancy restaurant but shockingly discovers that he had left the ring at home. His ever-dependable father (Eugene Levy) calls his son that he is coming to his rescue but Michelle misinterprets Jim’s intentions and performs fellatio on him under the table. He is literally caught with his pants down once again by his father but despite the public embarrassment, Michelle happily agrees to Jim’s marriage proposal without hesitation. He promises her that their wedding will be perfect but he secretly confides with his two best friends, Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas) and Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), that he is worried that it will be a disaster due to his bad luck. Although not invited, the obnoxious Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott) unceremoniously crashes the engagement party, making a fool out of both himself and Jim in front of Michelle’s parents, Mary and Harold Flaherty (Deborah Rush and Fred Willard). Stifler reveals that he can teach Jim to dance but will only do so on the condition that he be allowed to attend the wedding and plan the bachelor party. Meanwhile, Paul tags along with Michelle to pick up her younger sister Cadence (January Jones) at the airport and is immediately attracted to her. However, Stifler is attracted to her as well and each adopts the personality and the mannerisms of the other in an effort to win Cadence’s affections. Jim struggles to keep the two from ruining the wedding while proving to Michelle’s parents that he is a good husband and the right man for her. 

One of the reasons why “American Pie 2” critically flopped as a sequel was that there were too many extraneous characters taking up screen-time but writer Adam Herz wisely avoids this by trimming much of the fat out for “American Wedding.” Another issue was the main story being given so little attention to the point of being an afterthought due to the inconsequential subplots that took up a huge chunk of the previous film’s running time. There is only one subplot in the third film but once again Herz makes the same mistake of devoting too much time toward it. While Jim is trying hard to give the perfect wedding to Michelle, Stifler is running around trying to sleep with her younger sister Cadence. Much of the comedy is running on leftover fumes at this point and instead of coming up with something new, Herz expands Stifler’s role even further and throws him into one ridiculous situation after another in a desperate bid to generate laughs. For Jim’s surprise bachelor party, Stifler invites two buxom strippers named Fraulein Brandi (Amanda Swisten) and Officer Krystal (Nikki Schieler Ziering) but the whole sequence is a painful drag and is little more than an excuse to display two pairs of surgically-enhanced breasts. At least it’s not as god-awful as seeing Chris Klein attempt phone sex and rubbing his nether regions. 

Later in the film, Stifler is giving the Flaherty’s dogs sausage treats but accidentally feeds them Jim’s engagement ring and forcing him to wait for the dogs to pass it out since he was entrusted to keep the ring safe. He manages to retrieve the ring by picking up a piece of dog feces with a napkin but Michelle’s mother mistakes it for a truffle and asks to have a taste. Stifler instead puts the dog feces in his mouth! First off, this act of coprophagia shows that nothing is off limits in the name of comedy but the second thing is that it makes no logical sense for the dog feces to be mistaken for a truffle. The foul odor should’ve been a dead giveaway and points to how forced many of the comedy set-ups feel. Herz then tries to humanize Stifler by having Cadence fall in love with him but it doesn’t work because he’s such an unsympathetic character to begin with. The only time I laughed was during the cold open but even that is recycled from the previous films. The rest of “American Wedding” is just one unfunny sequence after another at it limps along to the end credits. What little drama found in the film is hastily and conveniently resolved but the scenes where Jim’s father gives marriage advice to his son and later his would-be wife are well-done. Having him explain to Michelle that love is about compromise and sacrifice represents the series’ most honest moment and if Herz could’ve just took a step back and treated his characters like the adults they actually are, it would’ve improved the film. The wedding thankfully ends the film on a high note but it’s still a case of too little too late given what we had to suffer through. 

Chris Klein is conspicuously absent from this entry so the biggest weak link in the acting is thankfully gone and the rest of the cast slip into their roles comfortably. Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan make for an appealing on-screen couple because their character’s personalities complement each other so well. Thomas Ian Nicholas and Eddie Kaye Thomas are on hand to provide some familiar faces but their roles don’t really amount to much. As for Seann William Scott…I will concede that he plays the obnoxious a**hole well but Stifler works only in small doses like in the first film as having him in every scene just gets grating on the nerves. Not helping matters is his incessant whiny voice. January Jones (before she became an ice queen bitch) provides a pretty face as the pretty but bland younger sister of Michelle. The ever-dependable Eugene Levy remains as one of the few bright spots in the series and it was great to see him paired up with Fred Willard. 

“American Wedding” was released on Blu-Ray back in March to promote the upcoming release of “American Reunion” but the video quality is a step back from the previous film. Colors are vibrant and bold but skin tones often take on a jaundiced yellow or flushed red. Background details also look murky and lack depth but shadows look surprisingly pleasing to the eye. Audio is a step up with strong bass being utilized for many of the licensed songs and ambience for crowd scenes such as the dance-off between Stifler and an imposing man nicknamed Bear (Eric Allan Kramer) at a gay bar. Don’t ask me how that came about because the details are totally contrived and not worth mentioning. Many of the special features are useless but the two audio commentaries should prove to be an interesting listen. One has director Jesse Dylan and Seann William Scott while the other has Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Eddie Kaye Thomas, and Thomas Ian Nicholas. 

Released on August 1, 2003, “American Wedding” received mixed reviews with 55% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that it was ‘raunchier and even more gross than the first two [films and that it] ought to please fans of the series.’ The film was a box office success (of course) and earned $231 million worldwide but the production budget was noticeably higher at $55 million. This was supposedly the final film in the series but we all know that it isn’t over until Hollywood squeezes every last dime out of a franchise. The “American Pie” named was used in four spin-off films that had nothing to do with anything other than providing Eugene Levy with a steady paycheck and diluting the brand. While there are some scenes that manage to recapture the tone of the original film, “American Wedding” never rises above mediocrity because there is never any attempt to fix the problems that have existed since the series’ inception. The ‘bigger is better’ mentality hurts the film and Stifler’s boorish antics are afforded too much screen-time but if you’re already a fan, you’ll just disregard this review anyway.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

“But boning aside, I think they call it making love because you have to make love work. You know, it's about compromise and sacrifice and I think Jim has sacrificed for you.”

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American Pie 2 Unrated Blu-Ray Review

Unrated (Strong Sexual Content, Crude Humor, Language and Drinking)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 51 Minutes

Cast-

Jason Biggs-James ‘Jim’ Levenstein

Chris Klein-Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher

Thomas Ian Nicholas-Kevin Myers

Eddie Kaye Thomas-Paul Finch

Seann William Scott-Steve Stifler

Alyson Hannigan-Michelle Flaherty

Tara Reid-Victoria 'Vicky' Lathum

Mena Suvari-Heather

Shannon Elizabeth-Nadia

Natasha Lyonne-Jessica

Chris Owen-Chuck Sherman

Eugene Levy-Jim's Father/Mr. Levenstein

Casey Affleck-Tom Myers

Jennifer Coolidge-Stifler's Mother

Directed by J.B. Rogers

I'm sure they can reattach it, son.

Here’s a funny anecdote: I stupidly believed that ATM’s would automatically start spitting out money when the clock struck 12:00 AM on December 31, 1999 due to the Y2K computer bug. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your point of view), there was no major technological catastrophe and any problems that occurred on January 1, 2000 proved to be minor. Many have complained that the problem was grossly exaggerated and that ultimately, there was nothing to worry about but even so, I always say that it’s better to err on the side caution. Y2K was big news back in 1999 but so were movies thanks to a number of high-profile releases and breakout hits, one of which was Paul Weitz’s “American Pie.” R-rated sex comedies featuring copious amounts of nudity are nothing new in Hollywood but Weitz’s film led to a revival and the creation of a new successful franchise. “American Pie” lit up the summer of 1999 to the tune of $235 million worldwide (twenty times its production budget) and prompted Universal to green-light a sequel for release in 2001. The original “American Pie” was no classic by any definition and was honestly a thoroughly mediocre affair despite the fond memories that people have of the film. Not surprisingly, the lazily named “American Pie 2” is an uninspired sequel that is simply content with recycling everything from the original, including its problems. The comedy is even more ridiculous this time around but a majority of them aren’t even funny and the story once again goes nowhere due to having so many unnecessary characters that have little to do other than eat into the running time. How this series enjoyed such a positive reception continues to puzzle me. 

After finishing their first years at college, best friends James ‘Jim’ Levenstein (Jason Biggs), Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher (Chris Klein), Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) reunite at East Great Falls, Michigan to spend the summer together. Unable to let go of his lingering feelings for his high school girlfriend, Victoria 'Vicky' Lathum (Tara Reid), Kevin confides in his older brother Tom (Casey Affleck), who advises him to rent the lake house at Grand Harbor and throw a memorable party at the end of their vacation. Kevin invites all his friends to come but is forced to have the obnoxious Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott) tag along in order to cover the rent for the house. The five manage to find temporary work as decorators and painters while dealing with their own personal predicaments. Oz tries to keep his relationship with Heather (Mena Suvari) alive while she is studying abroad in Spain by engaging in phone sex but finds himself continuously interrupted. Paul begins practicing the sexual art of Tantra in the hopes of sleeping with Stifler’s mother (Jennifer Coolidge) again while Steve becomes obsessed with a pair of female neighbors whom he suspects to be lesbians. Jim learns that Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) will be visiting by the end of the summer and seeks sexual advice from band camp geek Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan). However, the two begin to develop feelings for each other as they spend more time together. 

“American Pie” featured a rather thin premise but the sequel’s nonexistent story plainly illustrates that this film was made solely to cash-in on the audience’s good-will for the original. Instead of losing their virginity, the main plot concerns Jim’s growing feelings for Michelle but this is given so little attention to the point of being an afterthought due to the inconsequential subplots that take up a huge chunk of the film’s running time. Many of the supporting characters have little to do other than to provide a familiar face in the mix and the constant allusions to the first film rob this one of any sense of real identity. Writer Adam Herz’s lack of inspiration shows when he not only recycles story elements of the original but even the comedy as well. Sophomore director J.B. Rogers embraces a ‘bigger is better’ mentality in an attempt to do outdo the original but all of it comes off as desperation. The only time where I genuinely laughed is when Jim finds himself mistaken for a special-needs trombone player at Michelle’s band camp and is forced to perform for a massive audience while wearing clothes that are two sizes too small. All the gags are simply repeats with some variations such as Stifler getting a ‘golden shower’ instead of drinking beer mixed with semen or two nude women loudly making out with each other while everyone in the neighborhood accidentally listens in through the radio or walkie-talkie. The latter is also a blatant and cheap excuse to titillate the audience rather than coming up with something new or even actually funny. Jim even superglues his hand to his genitals while masturbating but this makes the film feel like an exercise in humiliation. One of the few strengths of the original was that the characters were sympathetic and likable even if their motivations were selfish but because there is no real development and thus no motivation, it’s hard to emotionally invest in what they’re going through considering that their problems are ultimately trivial. “American Pie 2” is proof that sequels made in response of the first film’s financial success are pointless and often creatively bankrupt but Hollywood continues to be thick-skulled and remain willingly blind. 

The acting remains a mixed affair with Thomas Ian Nicholas still his whiny self but nothing tops the god-awful scene where Chris Klein tries to have phone sex and begins rubbing his nether regions. I kid you not when I say that it was the stuff that nightmares are made of. Jason Biggs brings a sincere earnestness as Jim and it’s hard not to like him given his dorky nice-guy mannerisms. Eddie Kaye Thomas is fine as lovesick pseudo-sophisticate Paul Finch while Alyson Hannigan brings a smile to my face with her quirky line delivery. Eugene Levy reprises his role as Jim’s bumbling yet somehow hip dad and the film is always made better whenever he is on-screen to give some fatherly advice to his son. Unfortunately, these moments are all too rare. Seann William Scott continues to be a world-class jerk as Steve Stifler. His behavior feels like a hormone-addled fifteen-year-old teenager who has just seen female breasts for the first time in his life. Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, and Shannon Elizabeth make cursory appearances but ultimately do little in the film. 

“American Pie 2” was released on Blu-Ray back in March to promote the release of “American Reunion” and the results are definitely are step up from the previous film. Digital noise reduction is not as aggressively used and the overall look feels much more vibrant even though skin tones can lean toward an orange tinge. The opening scene looks terrible however but thankfully, the video quality does get better. Things on the audio front are also noticeably improved with the licensed music having a richer volume but ambience still leaves much to be desired. Special features include the prerequisite deleted scenes, gag reel, and four audio commentaries: first up is director J.B. Rogers with writer Adam Herz on the second, third is Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari, and Thomas Ian Nicholas, and lastly Eddie Kaye Thomas flies solo on the fourth. 

Released on August 10, 2001, “American Pie 2” received mixed reviews with 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that the film failed to ‘retain the freshness of the original, nor is it as funny.’ Part of the reason for the middling reception was that the sequel suffered from numerous reshoots with entire subplots excised in order to keep it light and casual. Of course, it financially outdid the original with an impressive $288 million worldwide against a still cheap $30 million production budget, leading to a third film to be released two years later. “American Pie 2” has only one funny scene and the rest of the film simply limps along for two hours with a thin story that goes nowhere. Film critic James Berardinelli said it best in his own review: ‘when a motion picture is the result of a financial impulse, not a creative one, this is often the unfortunate result’ but Hollywood (or the audience) never learns.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5

“My brother said by the end of the summer I'll get the big picture. And I see it. No matter what, times change, things are different. But the problem is…I don't want them to be.”

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American Pie Unrated Blu-Ray Review

Unrated (Strong Sexuality, Crude Sexual Dialogue, Language and Drinking, All Involving Teens)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 36 Minutes

Cast-

Jason Biggs-James ‘Jim’ Levenstein

Chris Klein-Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher

Thomas Ian Nicholas-Kevin Myers

Eddie Kaye Thomas-Paul Finch

Seann William Scott-Steve Stifler

Alyson Hannigan-Michelle Flaherty

Tara Reid-Victoria 'Vicky' Lathum

Mena Suvari-Heather

Shannon Elizabeth-Nadia

Natasha Lyonne-Jessica

Chris Owen-Chuck Sherman

Eugene Levy-Jim's Father/Mr. Levenstein

Casey Affleck-Tom Myers

Jennifer Coolidge-Stifler's Mother

Directed by Paul Weitz

Feels just like the real thing!

R-rated comedies have come a long way over the past ten years and are now more popular than ever with their relatively low production cost and potential for huge box office returns. Directed by Todd Phillips, 2009’s “The Hangover” ended up grossing a massive $467 million worldwide against a cheap $35 million production budget and its 2011 sequel made even more with $581 million despite being panned by critics (audiences didn’t seem to care). Not surprisingly, Phillips is planning to helm a third film. The comedy subgenre has also enjoyed critical acclaim with last year’s “Bridesmaids” receiving two Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay. Although winning was never in the cards (the Academy is just too biased), this acknowledgement is still noteworthy. R-rated comedies are nothing new but the subgenre fell out of favor until 1999’s “American Pie” led to a revival. That year also saw a number of high-profile releases that included George Lucas’ long-awaited prequel “Star Wars Episode I—The Phantom Menace”, the Wachowski Brothers’ groundbreaking science fiction film “The Matrix”, and M. Night Shyamalan’s breakout supernatural thriller “The Sixth Sense.” Acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick also passed away that year with his final film “Eyes Wide Shut” released posthumously. Riding a wave of hype during the summer of 1999 thanks to an extensive screening campaign on college campuses (which is being repeated for the fourth film), “American Pie” ended up grossing an impressive $235 million worldwide (against a measly $11 million production budget), leading to the creation of a widely successful comedy franchise that has now spawned three sequels along with four direct-to-video spin-off films. However, the intervening years hasn’t been exactly kind to “American Pie” and what was once considered to be pushing the envelope thirteen years ago seems tame in comparison to the R-rated comedies of today. Despite the fond reputation it has garnered among fans, “American Pie” simply isn’t a very good film as it desperately tries to garner laughs from the audience with a series of increasingly ridiculous sex jokes that often fall flat while the story goes nowhere until the final twenty minutes where it engages in awkward moralizing. Fortunately, the characters remain a likable and even relatable bunch, making them the sole saving grace in this uneven comedy. 

With only three weeks left until their graduation, four best friends from suburban Michigan decide to make a pact to lose their virginity before they leave high school after a dorky classmate named Chuck Sherman (Chris Owen) claims to have lost his during a party hosted by the popular but obnoxious and vulgar Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott). James ‘Jim’ Levenstein (Jason Biggs) is enamored with an attractive exchange student from Czechoslovakia named Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) and pursues her at the encouragement of his friends despite being socially awkward around women. However, he is forced to ask band camp geek Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan) to the prom after an embarrassing webcam incident online. Lacrosse player Chris ‘Oz’ Ostreicher (Chris Klein) decides to join the jazz choir club in an attempt to lose his reputation as an insensitive jock and find a girlfriend. He manages to win the affection of Heather (Mena Suvari) but their relationship is strained when she discovers Oz’s unsavory intentions. Meanwhile, Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) pays a fellow classmate named Jessica (Natasha Lyonne) $200 to spread rumors of his sexual prowess around the school while Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas) tries to take his relationship with Victoria ‘Vicky’ Lathum (Tara Reid) to the next level after being stuck in ‘third base’ for so long. Unfortunately, losing their virginity isn’t as easy as it sounds as each of them finds themselves in one ridiculous situation after another. 

The story in “American Pie” is as basic as they come and is little more than a skeletal framework for many of the outrageous events that occur throughout the film. Much of the material is rather tame despite its reputation as one of the raunchiest comedies ever made and although writer Adam Herz desparately tries to garner laughs from the audience, there simply aren’t many to be found. Just because the dialogue is loaded with f-bombs and various other vulgarities doesn’t mean it is automatically funny. There are some genuinely memorable moments including the infamous ‘apple pie’ and crazy webcam scenes (which reveal how far we’ve come in terms of technology) but that leaves much of the film spinning its wheels until the last twenty minutes when it realizes that there is still an actual story to tell. The four main characters go through a turning point and learn that there is more to life than losing their virginity but this last-minute moralizing feels rushed and insincere because this epiphany seemingly happens out of nowhere. “American Pie” does manage to capture the trials and tribulations faced by teenagers as they begin to transition into adulthood. The high school romances feel genuine as does the amiable relationship shared by Jim and his father. Unfortunately, too much time is spent on Jim’s friends and the film would’ve been better off focusing on one perspective instead of four at the same time. I find it puzzling that “American Pie” has enjoyed such a fond reception given its middling comedy and conventional plot but I believe much of its reputation stems from the fact that it tries to depict its characters as real people rather than as objects of humiliation (although that happens as well). Honestly, I feel Herz would’ve been better off writing a ‘dramedy’ instead of what we have here. 

The cast was made up of largely unknowns at the time with the exception of Alyson Hannigan (who was currently starring in Joss Whedon’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on television) and veteran actor Eugene Levy. “American Pie” was Jason Biggs first lead role and he succeeds in capturing Jim’s good-natured awkwardness and easy excitability around sexually attractive women. The pseudo-sophisticate personality of Paul Finch fits Eddie Kaye Thomas like a glove but Thomas Ian Nicholas and Chris Klein do not fair so well. Nicholas often comes across as whiny and Klein is an absolute disaster with his slow line delivery. Seann William Scott founded his entire career on Steve Stifler, who comes off as a total a**hole with his annoying smirk but what do I know? Audiences seemed to have responded well to him because his role increased in the sequels. The female cast members appear to have been chosen based solely on their looks. Shannon Elizabeth is only famous for her extensive nude scene while Alyson Hannigan has far too little screen-time. Eugene Levy, however, excels with his deadpan delivery and deserves to be in the film more. The acting never rises above competent and is sometimes god-awful, leaving little mystery as to why the cast (with the exception of Hannigan once again) faded into relative obscurity. 

“American Pie” was released on Blu-Ray back in March to hype up the upcoming release of “American Reunion.” Strangely, it will be re-released later this summer to celebrate Universal’s 100th anniversary. I doubt anything will change so avoid double-dipping. While the picture is definitely superior to the DVD, it appears that digital noise reduction was used as often times faces look unnaturally smooth. Colors look lackluster and blacks tend to lean toward the fuzzy side of the spectrum. Audio is adequate with sharp dialogue but fails to deliver any kind of oomph considering all the licensed music used. Special features are surprisingly impressive with a 3 hour and 33 minute making-of documentary on the entire trilogy. Director Paul Weitz, producer Chris Weitz, writer Adam Herz and cast members Jason Biggs, Sean William Scott and Eddie Kaye Thomas are on-hand for the audio commentary along with some promotional material on the fourth film. However, all of the extras are presented in standard definition. 

Released on July 9, 1999, “American Pie” received mildly positive reviews with 60% on Rotten Tomatoes but whether critics liked it or not didn’t matter as the film ended up being a box office success with $235 million worldwide ($322 million if adjusted for inflation). Two sequels followed in 2001 and 2003 but both received mixed reviews and the series limped on with four direct-to-video spin-offs that tarnished the brand further. “American Pie” may have been a big deal thirteen years ago but I feel audiences were simply caught up in the novelty of seeing a teen sex comedy after the sub-genre fell out of favor. Although the coming-of-age aspects of Herz's screenplay ring true, the film is just so desperate for laughs that the main story is little more than an afterthought with its rushed plotting and clichéd resolution. Outside of a few genuinely funny moments, much of the comedy is too juvenile and falls flat on its face. If you never bothered with the film, it’s unlikely you’ll like it now but fans will continue to love it just for nostalgia’s sake.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

“I would like to make an announcement. There is a gorgeous woman masturbating on my bed!”

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