In my previous post I covered 10 movies distributed by Singa Home Entertainment. I did not give them any ratings because I was recommending them and felt they were all worth watching ... for whatever reason. So here are some movies that didn't make the cut - but I will provide ratings for these, that I hope will give some sense of how close or far they were from making the original list. The second part of today's post goes back further, when I had mentioned Birthrite (2008) with the intent of watching it someday. And the final part ... is a surprise! (Don't expect too much though.) First Time Caller (2001) An unassuming Canadian rom-com. The story is very simple: A recently-made single man starts calling a late-night radio talk show to bemoan his relationship woes to the female host. It ain't massively funny, more just mildly comic. But it's still pretty watchable. Decent dialogue and good chemistry are where this film shines. It has some great music in it too. Could have done with a more complex plot, but this is just a small criticism; clearly it's supposed to be character rather than plot based. It's more in the dialogue than the goings-on - with their warmth and attraction slowly building over the course of the movie. It's sweet. The romance factor of a faceless, but familiar voice. And that point when an innocent flirtation turns not-so-innocent. Et cetera. It's fairly good for its small scale. A decent effort. 14/20 Losers of the Year (2005) The story is pretty standard high school fare; basically an unattractive teen gets a makeover in an attempt to get the popular girl. Obstacles include his overprotective mother and his friends who see the change in him. Credit's where it's due - the lead actor has plenty of spunk and really gets you to invest in the story. A horribly unconvincing black curly wig is purported to be his character's natural hair... it's very offputting, but in order to get ANY enjoyment out of the film you really just have to try and go along with it. Which becomes a running motif throughout the film. The protagonist's father only makes a brief appearance at the end - but he looks too young for the part. His casting, as well as the Brian May wig, were but two odd choices made in the production. But it does have a really good soundtrack, full of early 2000s pop-punk and similar stuff, which redeems the film somewhat. Otherwise it's pretty generic and forgettable. 10.5/20 Big Bry's Western Style BBQ (2006) This one's a bit of a departure, as it's not a feature-length drama. Bry is clearly knowledgeable and has strong ideas about barbecuing - none of which I disagree with. He does forego store-bought briquettes and woodchip in favor of gathered oak branches and paper bags/newspaper. While it might be a hassle, I can get onboard with this. If there was one thing I take objection to, it's his overuse of beer as a flavoring agent. You'll see lots of Moosehead lager in this. Clearly there was a business relationship here. He isn't the most charismatic host. But that's hardly a priority. The background music also might be grating to some - I however quite liked its pervading presence. On a similar note, all the spelling mistakes and bad grammar only add to the charm of this production. I tried his recipe for potato salad, and it was good potato salad. I don't know what more to say. 14/20 Oil & Water (2006) A rom-com about the clash between a veteran TV newsman and his new co-star, a popular, feisty gossip columnist. I guess the most obvious thing to begin with is the huge age gap between our lead and co-lead. She's too young and beautiful for him. It might have been easier on the audience if his character was portrayed more like a Larry King figure. But he's not. Their mutual animosity apparently is really just sexual tension - but it is just about impossible to get onboard with this. (And she isn't the only one attracted to him either!) The comedy is supposed to lie in a clash of personalities. However, writer/director/star Peter LaVilla's comedic chops are non-existent. His comic timing and delivery is almost autistic in its badness (sorry, autistic people). But if Rain Man had gone to Vegas not for the casinos but to perform at a comedy show, it wouldn't be far off from Peter LaVilla's performance. Co-star Rosemary Gore is lightyears better - and she's easy on the eye too. She really does much to salvage the picture, helping make the end result much more watchable. In spite of all the film's flaws, there is still something enjoyable here. Difficult to put my finger on what, exactly. He's creepy, but adorably creepy. It really is too much of an ask for the audience to buy that she would be interested in him, but you do want to root for them to get together. The humor is hardly funny per se, but I find it perfectly charming. I think I can see some potential in the writing. 11.5/20 A Christmas Too Many (2007) I have a morbid fascination with unfunny comedy. Not with painful stuff like most of Adam Sandler's output, but with low-budget stuff that relies more on writing and dialogue. It often feels very formulaic. It's like indie filmmakers are focused too much on in-theory and not enough on in-practice. Timing is everything in comedy. And a bad joke hangs around like a fart in a lift. Basically there is a craft to editing footage and audio to maximize the funniness of a gag. Amateurs would likely forego this artistry in favor of shoving in as many gags as possible, whether good, bad, or mediocre (basically quantity over quality). Whether or not the actors can sell it becomes a matter of chance. This film is wacky without being funny. Basically it is about an aging Hollywood star having a Christmas get-together with her crazy cast of children and grandchildren. (Incidentally, Gary Coleman of Diff'rent Strokes fame makes an appearance in this.) All I care about is whether or not there is entertainment to be had. I found this film pretty watchable despite its unfunniness. I wish I could articulate why. 12/20 If you've seen the trailer or read a synopsis you'll know what's in store. Essentially it is a psychological thriller-suspense-horror about a pretty, young woman being held captive in redneck country by a mentally deficient man-child and his insane mother. It doesn't break the mold, but it's watchable nonetheless. It offers a few tense, exciting thrills, though not anywhere near the scale of any of your big name franchises or anything. So don't go expecting too much! Beautifully shot in the bayous of rural Arkansas, it does feel a tad monotonous visually - however there is enough movement in the plot for it not to get too suffocating (I would say "kinda like Misery", but I don't want to unrealistically raise your expectations!). 11/20 During the time of my last-but-one post I couldn't find a copy of Birthrite (2008) to watch anywhere. I ended up ordering the DVD from Ebay for a total of $42.00 USD! Shipping was taking FOREVER, and after chasing it up with the courier I was told they had completely lost it(!) and to contact the seller for a refund. My last hope was the sole other copy on Ebay ... but this seller refused to ship outside the US. Even after asking nicely! So I was resigned to the fact I would never get to see this film. Then it arrived. Over two months shipping! But it was effectively free, so I'm not complaining. So why am I telling you this? Well in the duration of this saga I had an urge that apparently couldn't be sated. One small way to help ease the annoyance, I felt, was to watch the wholly unrelated Birth Rite (2003) instead. So here is my review: Birth Rite (2003) A supernatural horror about a young woman who is told by a mysterious man that she is a witch. Birth Rite is nearing the edge of entering so-bad-it's-good territory. But it just feels too slow-moving, the story is irredeemably bland, and to top it all off it has a deus ex machina ending. There are some funny moments, and the dialogue is as cheesy as it gets... it is undoubtedly campy fun, but the amount of it that there is in the whole 82 minutes feels too insufficient and stretched thin. I was not a Buffy or Twilight fan so this was never going to be my cup of tea, however good or bad the film. But from the trailer I was expecting to enjoy it way more than I did (in spite of it being aimed at youngish female audiences). There looked to be enough drama and action to make it interesting. In reality though, there's not nearly a satisfying degree of either. What little there is, is sorta ok - in particular the martial arts stuntwork towards the end is a highlight, and the best part of the film for me is the schlocky kills (though of course there ain't a big number of them). But the drama never progresses. I couldn't get invested in the main character because the conflict between her humanity and witchiness was not conveyed effectively. She sort of switches nonchalantly - there's no real battle going on there. This thread does reach a dramatic climax in the final act, but the ending (as mentioned before) is just too cop-outish. Overall, really not worth watching in my opinion. Just watch the trailer - it literally has ALL the best parts of the movie condensed down into a couple minutes. 7/20 UPDATE: Ok, so like a day after posting this I decided to check my bank statements and PayPal account ... and it turns out the $42 refund never came in! I'm obviously not going to chase up the ebayer about it now. But I am annoyed.
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February 2023
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