Mutant Chronicals

I'm not sure why I was attracted to this movie. I hadn't seen any reviews, hadn't seen any previews, and didn't know any of the actors. The title is bland.
What ever got me to tape it, I'm not u happy I did. "Mutant Chronicals" is not a great movie; it is not what many would consider a good movie. It is not bad and includes some interesting touches.
Most of the dystopia, end of man tropes are present. Humanity has nearly stripped of it's resources. Mega corporations have replaced governments. The corporations are engages in constant war. There is a secluded religious order protecting the secret that can save humanity. A doomed quest must be made by a ragtag band. There is a noble, but troubled hero in the band.
The plot holds few surprises. There is plenty of action and gore to keep things moving.
What I found most interesting was the films visual style. It was all sort of soft focus and steam punkish. I'm not sure why. I've seen other films that use a similar style, and found it irratating. It just worked for "Mutant Chronicals".

Retrograde

When a movie stars Dolph Lundgrin and Joe Montana, you can bet it will be terrible. Sadly, I didn't check the credits before taping "Retrograde". I was intrigued by the description in the info box.
Once I saw the cast list I hoped it would either be laughably bad or action packed. It was neither. The movie takes itself seriously and Dolph is too old to offer up any more than tepid action.
"Retrograde" isn't even good for a rainy day.

Lars and the Real Girl

It is a free Showtime weekend, so we caught up on some movie watching. H heard that "Lara and the Real Girl" was really good and it was on last night.
The movie was not what I expected. From what I remember from the trailors and the movie's description, I expected a slightly juvinile sex comedy. I watched a touching drama about family, loss, and love.
The plot is original in concept, but ultimately predictable. Despite the predictable ending, there are enough outliers that surprise. I actually liked the predictability of the plot.
The characters and performances make the movie. Despite the craziness of the situation all of the characters play it perfectly straight. You know people like these characters. They are regular folk.
"Lars and the Real Girl" is a small movie with a big heart.

Crazy Burger

There is a little joint in Narragansett called Crazy Burger. As the name implies, they are known for the burgers. However, they have a full menu of interesting things. The entire menu is a little outside of the box. Nothing is quite mainstream. H had a potato skin dish that had avocado and refried beans for skin stuffing. We've been to Crazy Burger several times and always enjoyed the food.
In addition to dinner, Crazy Burger also serves breakfast. I've been once and had an omlette that was pretty good.

Dinoshark

I have a fetish for knowingly terrible horror movies. Dinoshark, a Scyfy production, ranks near the top.
The special effects are obvious, the dialog is terrible, the plot is predictable, and the acting is criminal. It is chuck full of the archetyps: hot, but discredited, scientist, mysterious, and troubled, man of action, expendable sidekicks, skeptical authority figures, creature unleashed by man's relentless assault on nature.....
To me, however, the sheer scope of the terribleness is the beauty of a movie like Dinoshark. Nobody involved in making the movie thought it would be anything more than a B-movie. It has all the references, it has all the required tropes, and it has the low budget feel. It even managed to have a few jumptastic moments.
How can you not like a movie that combines Godzilla and Jaws into one perfect cheese ball? It is a great way to waste a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Extract

Extract is a small flick that made the indie rounds last summer. The trailer was funny enough to hook me. It had just enough quark to catch my eye, but not enough to be a turn off. (The right quark balance is tricky to find.) I hoped to see it in the theaters, but sadly it was gone before its time.
When it showed up on Verizon VOD, I jumped. After a few minor technical glitches, we were treated to a funny, dark rom-comish glimpse at lives gone slightly off track. Jason Bateman is perfect as the uptight, slightly lost, mildly depressed main character. Ben Affleck is surprisingly good as his high school buddy, confidant, and spiritual guide. Mila Kunis rocks as the smoking hot catalyst.
Some of the plot is just plain goofy, but that is the fun of it all. At times it is even a little ridiculous. That, for me, was part of the fun. Its distance to reality made it cathartic.
I recommend renting it for date night.

Pandorum

Pandorum joins the ranks of in space no one can hear you scream sci-fi horror flicks. It has many of the standard elements: man ruins earth, man attempts to escape doom by fleeing to deep space, a horrible accident, mutated humanoids on a killing spree, a plucky hero, a misfit band of side kicks, ect. Because of the familiar feel of the story and the high production quality, Pandorum holds it own. It is not great like Space Odyssey, Moon, Silent Running, or Alien. Nor is it as terrible as Predator 2 or the AVP movies. It is somewhere between Event Horizon and Sunshine. Not as scary as Event Horizon and not as smart as Sunshine.
Many of the themes underpinning the stories are the same. How does the human mind hold up in deep space? Can mankind rise above its inherent flaws? Is there hope for a better tomorrow? Will the hero win and will he get the girl?
The plot is serviceable. (Miles better than Avatar) It moves along at a good pace and maintains the tension. I was never terrified, but was never entirely sure what was going to happen. The final reveal is good. The ending is predictable.
Pandorum is a solid movie. I'm glad I didn't pay $10 for it, but would not have felt ripped off if I had.