Well… Let’s get the most awkward issue out of the way: Ben Affleck is not a well-liked actor, writer and director.  Well he is, but he’s not Hispanic, which is something of a problem given that in Argo he plays Antonio “Tony” Mendez, the central figure in the declassified story of an American exfiltration during the 1979 Iran Hostage crisis. So that’s uncomfortable, especially given that the film has to deal with the characterisation of the Iranian and American peoples at a time of immense and antagonistic tension. In that respect the film works exhibits an odd mix of schmaltz and daring choices, with the culpability of the UK and the US in creating such a damaged and dangerous Iran stated explicitly at the beginning of the film but with other moments exhibiting a dissonant triumphalism.

Such instances are particularly odd given that though one of Argo’s first shots shows an American flag being burnt by Iranian protesters, an act which would brand a movement clearly as the villains in more jingoistic fare (the film makes explicit its extra-diegetic disconnect from the unsubtle standard by an introduction to L.A. which takes pains to show the then-dilapidated Hollywood sign in all its ruinous neglect) it seems utterly understandable in the historical context which has just been imparted. Indeed the crowd’s violences are later mirrored, in viciousness if not in scale, by the American public’s responses to hostages being taken; their outrages perhaps more inexcusable since their society had not been systematically brutalised by a dictator installed by the nation they were outraged with.

But while there are no proud nations in Argo, no national identity or character (besides, maybe, Canada’s) that one might be expected to covet coming out of the film, there is no similar shortage of sympathetic or simply remarkable figures. From the tragically un- or belatedly- edified to others who were lauded for a bravery that those offering such acclaim had no measure of understanding for both instinctual acts of courage bravery and those which go against every evolutionary urge and intellectual rationalisation. Argo is mild-hagiography then, albeit almost exclusively one-sided, taken from enough of the truth that it doesn’t cloy and moulded into a taut espionage thriller in the hands of Affleck et al. behind the cameras and Affleck et diversis al. which feels shorter than its two hour running time.

The movie takes place during the Iran hostage crisis that stretched from late 1979 to early 1981 and deals with one specific event in particular, the so-called Canadian Caper because apparently missions where people risk their lives must have adorable nicknames. On the 4^th of November, Iranian students took control of American embassy and took the staff hostage in order to protest the Americans given shelter to the former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ad have him returned to Iran to stand trial for crimes committed during his rule. Six hostages managed to escape and took shelter at the Canadian embassy and a plan was drawn up by the CIA and the Canadian government to try and get them safely out of the country. Tony Méndez, a disguise an exfiltration expert, came up with a plot to extract them. He employed the aid of John Chamber, a Hollywood make-up artist, to create a fake film production office. The cover story was that the six trapped in Iran were actually Canadians working on a film and they were in the country scouting for locations for a Star Wars-esque Sci-fi fantasy film, Argo.

And that’s about all I’m going to describer of the movie plot/actual events because to say much more would give away the plot. So, back to the original question: Did I love this film? Well, I cewrtainly enjoyed it but I did find it to be a bit slow going at points, particularly the moments where the trapped Americans are literally waiting around trying to get rescued. I suppose that this reflects the monotony of actually being trapped in a building for days on end and so in that regard I suppose it’s quite effective. Overall, however, this film was fucking awesome. Every time Ben Affleck directs something I’m always surprised by just how good he is. The pacing during some of the more intense sequences is impeccable. I was quite literally on the edge of my seat during some moments, so tense were some of the events that were playing out on screen.

There’s also a nice counterbalance to that intensity with quite a nice deal of humour provided by John Goodman as John Chambers and Alan Arkin as producer Lester Siegel. Not only are they great comic relief during some of the earlier scenes where they are trying to drum up publicity for a film that they know will be never filmed but that same humour actually comes to just rack things up later during one of the most tense scenes during the entire film.

If I have any complaint it’s that one I made earlier about some of the scenes just slowing things down a bit too much but really that’s a minor issue and about the only one I can really think of. I suppose it could be argued that the portrayal of Iranians is a bit one note, though I feel it delves deep enough into the politics behind their outrage that, whilst not outright justifying their actions, it certainly helps to explain them. So with all said and done, I’ll give Argo four and a half pints out of five. Now Argo fuck yourself and see it. Laterz.

Seth and Richie

Directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino (who also played Richie Gecko) From Dusk Till Dawn is a Genre Bender. In other words it starts out as one kind of film and evolves into another.

At the film’s opening we see the Gecko brothers Seth (George Clooney) and Richie (Tarantino) and their two hostages who are in a gas station/liquor/convenience store. After they destroy the place, the film segues into the opening credits. It is apparent that the film is about two criminals who are fleeing the police.

Later in the film the Gecko’s take the Fuller family hostage so they can use their Recreational Vehicle (RV) and them to get into Mexico. Jake Fuller (Harvey Keitel) is a man of the cloth who has turned his back on his faith, Kate (Juliette Lewis) is his troubled daughter and Scott (Ernest Liu) is his adopted son.

After the entire group make good the Gecko’s escape to Mexico, they wait in a bar recommended by Carlos, The Titty Twister. Carlos (Cheech Moran) is Seth’s contact who will take him and Richie to El Rey and he has told Seth that he will meet them at dawn. Once the group are inside the club (which is in fact a strip club run by Salma Hayek where all the employees, along with Salma, are some sort of mutated vampires who feed off the clientele) everything changes.

The film is no longer about the Gecko’s escape from the law, it’s now about the two families escaping the club alive. The film, to me anyway, is beyond brilliant. It is almost the perfect ensemble of talent. Script by Tarantino, direction by Rodriguez, FX by Greg Nicotero, and George Clooney in his first starring film role. Not to mention the rest of the cast, Keitel, Lewis, Tom Savini, Michael Parks, Cheech Marin as three different characters…Well you get the idea.

But what I want to discuss today is not the overall film or the genre shift it so cleverly performs. No, I want to talk about Seth and Richard (Richie) Gecko and their dynamic.

In the opening sequence of the film we get an instant idea of who is in charge in the relationship. Seth is the mouthpiece, the leader and the thinker. Richie is the follower, he is also odd.

When Texas Ranger Earl McGraw (Michael Parks) comes in to get some Jack Daniels and to use the toilet, he stands and talks to the store clerk Pete Bottoms (John Hawkes) before he saunters off to the restroom. Seth comes up and accuses Pete of not listening to his instructions for Pete to “get rid of the cop” and Pete explains that he is doing that.

Seth and Richie reminding Pete the clerk to lose the cop.

During this exchange Richie whispers to Seth that Pete is making signs at the cop.

*SPOILER ALERT — FROM HERE ON THERE WILL BE THE OCCASIONAL SPOILER — SPOILER ALERT*

As McGraw exits the toilet and goes to pay for his booze, Richie comes up behind him and shoots him point blank in the back of the head. For the first time since we’ve entered the store, Richie speaks out loud. He tells an angry Seth that Pete had been mouthing the words “Help me” to the Ranger.

Pete becomes apoplectic and denies this. He accuses Richie of lying. In the resulting firefight between Pete and the Gecko’s Richie is shot through the hand. Afterwards Richie has a hole through his hand and he seems detached from the whole incident.

We learn through television news flashes that Seth is a professional thief and that Richie is a psychopathic rapist/murderer. Seth himself does not seem aware of the fact that Richie is psychotic until he leaves him in charge of their hostage, bank teller Gloria Hill.

Before Seth goes to get food and to scope out their surroundings, he tells Gloria that as long as she doesn’t cause any problems and does as he says she will come out of her ordeal alive. We the audience never doubt his sincerity. He then leaves and Richie goes into the bedroom where Gloria is and asks if she wants to watch television.

Seth returns with some Big Kahuna burgers (a trademark of Tarantino’s) and information on what is going on in the area. He gives Richie his burger and takes two more burgers out of the fast food bag. He looks at the third burger in surprise and then remembers the hostage in the bedroom with the door closed.

He says to Richie, “Where’s the woman?” Richie gestures toward the bedroom, “She’s in there.” Seth goes to the bedroom door and opens it. His reaction to what he is seeing is beyond a doubt one of the most masterful moments of the film.

As Seth takes in the carnage in front of him on the bed, he starts a nervous tic of jerking his head ever so slightly, like he is starting to crack a stiff neck muscle. He also starts to slowly blink. Interwoven into Seth’s reaction are almost nanosecond flashes of the scene he is viewing. Blood, flesh, twisted gore filled bedsheets all flit past our eyes as we share the horror with Seth.

It is a turning point in the film for the two brothers. Seth suddenly realises that his beloved brother is a monster. The professional in him reacts angrily. He confronts Richie and loudly berates him for what has happened. Richies says that she tried to escape and she became threatening. Seth reacts angrily and says, “That lady would not have said shit if she had a mouthful.”

He starts banging Richies head against the motel room wall and Richie, disheveled with his glasses falling off his face, starts crying. Seth pulls himself together and then starts to calm Richie telling him that when they reach El Rey everything will be better and that he’ll get help for Richie.

Just a quick note on El Rey. In the “making of” features on the DVD both Tarantino and Rodriguez talk about El Rey. Wikipedia says this about El Rey:

El Rey is a fictional Mexican village that acts as sanctuary for expatriate American fugitives, first used by author Jim Thompson in his 1959 pulp novel, The Getaway, and again referenced in the 1996 Robert Rodriguez film, From Dusk till Dawn. In both stories, El Rey possesses a near-mythic reputation and represents the protagonists’ ultimate objective. But in truth, it’s a hellish community where inflation runs free and all new arrivals are enslaved and ultimately executed when they can no longer work.

On the DVD commentary, writer Quentin Tarantino reveals that the city is in fact hell.

The next time we see Richie he has asked Jacob Fuller if he can borrow their ice bucket. When Jacob agrees, Seth comes in and tells Jacob and his son that they are going to be their hostages. Daughter Kate returns from the pool in a bikini and Seth immediately takes full control. He now knows that Richie cannot be trusted around women.

Richie getting in the mood.

This fact is rammed home when Richie has a conversation with Kate and she asks him if he will, “Lick my pussy.” When Richie starts to reply Seth snaps him out of his mental reverie and we realise that the conversation never really took place, except in Richie’s mind. It is another scene that shows just how scarily “out-there” Richie is.

Later when the Fuller family and the Gecko’s are in the RV, Richie. Kate and Scott are in the back. Richie leans forward and tells Kate that, “What you asked about in the hotel? I’d be glad to help you with that.” Kate clearly has no idea of what Richie is talking about and her face shows her confusion and her realisation that Richie isn’t the full ticket.

If we needed any more indications of just how uncontrollable Richie is, we find out when the group and their RV is stopped at the Mexican border. Just before a border guard comes into the RV to search it Seth takes Richie and Kate and they cram into the RV’s tiny bathroom. Richie takes offence at something Seth says and starts to throw a tantrum. Just as he starts raising his voice, Seth clocks him with his elbow and knocks him out cold. Kate looks at Seth and says thank you.

These scenes and the interaction of the two characters spells out for the viewer exactly who the Gecko’s are and what their relationship is. Seth, despite the fact that he cannot understand Richie and his revulsion at what Richie does, loves his brother and tries to “save” him.

The entire film is just brilliant and perfect marriage of cast and crew and script. A lot of film references are in the movie, mostly of horror films and icons. But in closing the best film reference is the duo of the Gecko’s. That they were inspired by the Gorch brothers (Ben Johnson and Warren Oates) in The Wild Bunch is beyond doubt.

If you don’t think so, just watch the start of the movie again and listen to Seth’s dialogue when he is warning Pete the store clerk.

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Title: Argo
Year: 2012
Director: Ben Affleck
Writer: Chris Terrio, based on the article by Joshuah Berman
Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Clea DuVall, Kyle Chandler, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Michael Parks, Taylor Schilling, Chris Messina, Richard Kind, Titus Welliver, Kerry Bishé, Philip Baker Hall
MPAA Rating: R, language and some violent images
Runtime: 92 min
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Metacritic: 86

In 2007 there was an article called ‘How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran’ written by Joshuah Berman and published in Wired magazine. I say this first because, if you have or haven’t seen Argo, the masterful new film by Ben Affleck, please Google that article, it’s a fascinating read. So fascinating, in fact, that George Clooney and his business partner, Grant Heslov, were drawn to it and set it up as Mr. Affleck’s third directorial effort after Gone Baby Gone and The Town.

I don’t really know where to begin when talking about Argo. Ben Affleck had grown tremendously as a filmmaker in his first two efforts: Gone Baby Gone was an amazingly gripping thriller with expert performances and The Town was the best heist film the new millennium has seen. If you talk about actors-turned-filmmakers right now his name is at the top of the list and rightfully so, his two films have been ridiculously good and he’s more than proven himself.

Argo, however, is a totally different beast; it’s by far the most ambitious film he’s ever tackled, with the big ensemble and the different tones it goes for, not to mention it’s not set in Boston. Argo is, also, the best film he’s ever done, the one that makes what the other two hinted at: it makes Ben Affleck a director with a masterpiece under his belt. Saying that statement now, after having seen the past two films he made, is totally plausible, but imagine hearing that six years ago, the man has really grown.

And, yes, I said it, a masterpiece. I probably use that word more lightly than most, but I still don’t use it lightly at all, its just that Argo, to me, is as sublime as they get. No wonder, of course, that it came out of both Telluride and Toronto with the most amazing buzz you could imagine and is currently standing as the favorite to win the Best Picture Oscar out of all the films that have been consumed by the general public. Don’t get me wrong, The Master is still (by far) the best film of 2012, but Argo is the one people will like more, and rightfully so.

This is one of those movies that tells a story so unbelievable people wouldn’t but it if it hadn’t actually happened. You see, during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis the militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took over 50 American hostages. However, in the midst of all the chaos, 6 guys managed to slip away and were provided cover by the Canadian ambassador. Seeing as how it was only a matter of time before the half dozen U.S. citizens were found (and, in all likelihood, killed) the CIA exfiltration specialist Tony Mendez, played by Mr. Affleck himself here, comes up with the “best worst plan” to get them safely out of Iran.

The CIA sent their people over there posing as a Canadian film crew who was in Iran scouting for filming locations. They do everything by the book, setting up the fake film studio that was backing this sci-fi movie they were working on and consulting with John Chambers, the real-life make-up expert played here so damn well by John Goodman.

It’s amazing not just because of the story but because of how many different things Argo is. It’s, obviously, a fact-based film and you get every little detail explained in the best of ways here; it’s also a thriller, but it’s done like these kinds of thrillers were done in the 70′s, like All the President’s Men which is to say it’s done masterfully; it’s also a satire about Hollywood and a damn good one at that (which means it’s a movie about movies, which we know the Academy loves); it has some brilliantly timed and acted black comedy; it has amazing dialogue. Even if you only saw the trailer you’d know these different sides of Argo and the variety of tones it was aiming for, the comedy, the thriller, the biopic, it’s all of those things and it’s all of those things in the most perfect of ways.

I love that this comes from Ben Affleck because this is the man that before he became a director was still carrying the stain of Gigli and the first iteration of Bennifer. He’s like the comeback story you love because this was a guy that was being trashed with Razzie nominations, people thinking they’d seen the end of him and now he’s become one of the finest American filmmakers around, and I really mean that, that’s just a great story.

Maybe people who are kind of snobbish about movies won’t love this film because it doesn’t offer a bigger message or because it’s so clearly a movie from Hollywood and to Hollywood, one that literally paints the movie system (and America (and Canada)) as the good guys. But I mean, with Argo what you see is what you get, no more and no less, and it just so happens that you don’t really need more from any movie.

The dialogue here is amazing, it racks up tension and is so damn funny, the directing is stellar and the ensemble is just out of this world. It’s a who’s-who of great character actors even in the most minor roles who all pop up to try and steal scenes from one another and if you don’t like watching Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Kyle Chandler and Philip Baker Hall go at it then you’re out of your mind.

That’s the deal with Argo. It’s not the kind of film that when you walk out you think that the director is a sheer genius or that the screenplay was just off the charts or that it had one performance that just blew you away. No, Argo is the film that you just walk out having been entertained like crazy and you think none of those things because it was a team effort, because every single component of this film was doing its work in the most expert of ways and the sum of it was this spectacular film you just got to watch. Though, if you walk out thinking that Ben Affleck is a genius director, that Alan Arkin should get an Oscar nod and that Chris Terrio’s script should also get one, then that’d be perfectly understandable, too.

Because trust me, even if Ben Affleck isn’t an auteur kind of director like Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson are, the stuff he does with this film is tremendous and, in his own way, maybe kind of just as essential to the future of American filmmaking, crazy as that may sound. He nails the awesome pacing this film has, he manages the suspense in the best of ways, handles a large and talented ensemble with ease and knows how to get a terrific sense of humor across. Those things, especially in tandem, are not at all easy things to pull off, yet while you watch this film not for a second do you think that this was a director who was sweating doing any of it.

I don’t know just what to say to close out this review. As if it weren’t obvious, I loved every minute of Argo. I appreciate a film that just wants to entertain and I love it when the execution is so flawless, this is one of my favorite films of the year, one of the smartest and best-acted thanks to a dream ensemble led by the guy who was also behind the camera. Mr. Affleck, in his performance, was actually really quiet, even though his character is pretty much in every single scene, and I loved that, it’s like he doesn’t think much of himself and lets others (like Mr. Arkin and Mr. Goodman) steal the film. He’s fine with it, he’s a mature director who knows what’s best for the film. I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Grade: A+

In that limited time, in fact in the first 15 minutes, I could see that Kersey, played by 73-year-old Charles Bronson in his 40th year in starring roles, had lost it. About to marry beautiful fashionista Lesley Anne Down, who is only 40 here, he seems to sleepwalk into situations that the early Kersey would have dealt with with ruthless aplomb. Lesley, who won a custody case years before for daughter Chelcie over her ex, sociopathic mob leader Michael Parks, is about to testify against him. Kersey/Bronson has already seen what this guy and his minions are capable of, having left a pool of congealed blood on the factory floor from a victim who crossed them. Yet, when Parks and his stooges follow him and Lesley into a restaurant and Lesley spends far too long powdering her nose all Kersey can raise the energy to do is lift his watch and look irritatedly at it every now and again. Was that irritation? — Bronson’s face was so immobile by now that it’s hard to tell. To give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he was still depressed over the death of wife Jill Ireland three or four years before — I would be.

Parks’ cross-dressing henchman deals to Lesley’s lovely face (she was once voted the world’s most beautiful teen) by bashing it into the ladies’ room mirror three times. Kersey is in time to catch her as she collapses from loss of blood and accompanies her to the plastic surgery ward though it is known she will be disfigured for life. Finally, he reacts by going to his home safe and getting his trusty handgun. Unfortunately, he forgets to use it for quite a while. He suspects his friend the district attorney’s phone is tapped and is sharp enough not to tell him over the phone that Lesley will still be testifying, but is stupid enough to go round to his house and tell him — thinking it makes a difference. Of course, when the bad guys come round to eliminate Lesley, Kersey is left holding (well, not his gun) in his hand — and instead throws a vase at three men wielding machine guns and shotguns. They kill Lesley while Kersey, apparently still in great physical shape, throws himself off their building in a swan dive (to land on a well-placed mountain of garbage bags), just in time to cradle Lesley’s bloodsoaked head as she expires. He forgets to register any emotion in this scene, even vaguely pissed off.

Back home Chelcie tells him casually, “I’m going to miss Mom.” The next morning, resisting prostration from grief, Kersey is out taking a bracing jog through beautiful snowlined streets — I guess to keep in shape — can’t backslide on exercise — and they say it’s especially good for warding off depression. The horrible men show up to claim Chelcie and Kersey gets clubbed with a chunk of his own firewood. This is the limit! Yes, they can mutilate and murder my wife, steal my child from my home… But now they’re out of line! And next we see Kersey happily playing with a remote control soccer ball in a toystore. At least, he raises a faint smile now that the expendable members of the family are out of the way, enough to show that he’s back in his element devising elaborate revenges.

I only saw fragments of the rest of it — including how head baddie Michael Parks got his — but I am well able to resist spoiling it for anyone out there who might be in the least interested in watching this movie. The sad part is that Chelcie will have to spend the next 10 years being raised by a psycho mob family — because Kersey couldn’t move himself in time either to marry her mother.

TV Series  -  60 min  -  Adventure | Drama

Season 1

1      1-01                17/Sep/69   The Runner 
2      1-02                24/Sep/69   The Old Motorcycle Fiasco 
3      1-03                01/Oct/69   A Famine Where Abundance Lies 
4      1-04                08/Oct/69   The Circle of Time 
5      1-05                15/Oct/69   Where Will the Trumpets Be? 
6      1-06                22/Oct/69   Amid Splinters of the Thunderbolt 
7      1-07                29/Oct/69   The 3:13 Arrives at Noon 
8      1-08                05/Nov/69   Old Tigers Never Die--They Just Run Away 
9      1-09                19/Nov/69   Your Love is Like a Demolition Derby in My Heart 
10     1-10                26/Nov/69   Two Percent of Nothing 
11     1-11                03/Dec/69   All The World And God 
12     1-12                10/Dec/69   A Long Trip to Yesterday 
13     1-13                17/Dec/69   The Spitball Kid 
14     1-14                24/Dec/69   Against a Blank Cold Wall 
15     1-15                31/Dec/69   Sibyl 
16     1-16                14/Jan/70   A-Pickin' An' A-Singin' 
17     1-17                21/Jan/70   The Gleam Of The Eagle Mind 
18     1-18                28/Jan/70   That Undiscovered Country 
19     1-19                04/Feb/70   Lucky Day 
20     1-20                11/Feb/70   Mating Dance For Tender Grass 
21     1-21                18/Feb/70   The Mountain 
22     1-22                25/Feb/70   Still Waters 
23     1-23                04/Mar/70   The Forest Primeval 
24     1-24                11/Mar/70   The Ninety-Nine Mile Circle 
25     1-25                25/Mar/70   The Mary R 
26     1-26                01/Apr/70   What's an Ark Without Centaurs? 

Special Featured Movie S1            24/Mar/69    Then Came Bronson (120 min)

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The film begins with a Cliff’s Note history lesson on the fall of the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran and the assumption of power by Ayatollah Khomeini. The six who escaped were welcomed into the home of the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor (played with grace by Victor Garber). Of course, this had to be kept secret or a terrible situation could have taken a turned much worse.

 This story really takes off when the CIA gets involved and drums up a scheme to extricate the six in hiding. Ben Affleck stars as Tony Mendez, the real life CIA Agent, who uses the international fascination with movies to create a plan that involves making a fake Star Wars rip-off with the help of award winning make-up artist John Chambers (Planet of the Apes) and a long-time and old school Hollywood producer named Lester Spiegel. These two inject the film with humor and positive energy as played by John Goodman and Alan Arkin. Their levity is much appreciated given the unrelenting tension delivered by the rest of the story.

 This is extraordinary filmmaking thanks to the script from Chris Terrio, realistic camera work from Rodrigo Prieto and top-notch directing by Ben Affleck … yes, the same Ben Affleck who stars in the film. The team creates a period piece that has not just the look and feel of 1979-80, but some of the most gut-wrenching on screen tension since Three Days of the Condor or Munich. Many thrillers utilize car chases and gunfire. Here, we get personal tension thanks to politics and real life unknowns.

The film is perfectly cast and strong support work is provided by Bryan Cranston as the CIA chief, Kyle Chandler as Hamilton Jordan, Bob Gunton as Cyrus Vance, as well as Chris Messina, Zeljko Ivanek, Richard Kind, Clea DuVall and Tate Donovan. There are also brief appearances by Philip Baker Hall, Adrienne Barbeau and the great Michael Parks.

There are only two negatives to the film. First, Ben Affleck is miscast as Tony Mendez. The closing credits show what a perfect job they did with the rest of the cast, but to have a superhero looking American walking around Iran is certain to draw attention where it’s not wanted. Plus, as director, Affleck suffers from Warren Beatty syndrome. He LOVES seeing his face on screen. The number of Alleck close-ups has to push 20. It’s too much too often. Secondly, the final escape scene at the airport is just a bit too Hollywood and really stands out from the rest of the movie. There was no shortage of tension and the Armageddon style chase just looked cheesy.  However, I will admit, the audience with whom I watched, reacted quite emotionally when the race ended how it must.

 Those two things noted, this is Oscar material for sure. If you remember this era, the yellow ribbons and news clips featuring Cronkite, Koppel and Brokaw will bring back a frustrating time in U.S. history. If you are too young to remember, this acts as a reminder of just how powerful and quiet the CIA can be when it is doing its job properly.  Plus it’s nice to see the CIA doing something right, instead of being the bad guys from the Bourne movies.  Alexandre Desplat delivers a fine score, but the story provided plentiful suspense, so the musical guidance wasn’t as crucial.

Don’t miss the final credits as we hear Jimmy Carter narrate his memories as President, and we see real life photos of the six escapees.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you wish to see one of the finest Political thrillers in years OR you need proof that the CIA can be the good guys

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: the Iranian hostage ordeal is still too fresh

watch the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w918Eh3fij0

The film will be hitting theaters on October 12 and stars Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Kerry Bishe, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Zeljko Ivanek, Richard Kind, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina, Michael Parks and Taylor Schilling.

Based on true events, Argo chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis– the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979 as the Iranian revolution reaches it boiling point, militants storm the US embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendes (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.

Films that are gaining critical acclaim and generating award buzz are:

• Silver Linings Playbook starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, and Chris Tucker.
• Argo starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Zeljko Ivanek, Richard Kind, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina, Michael Parks, and Taylor Schilling.
• The Master starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, David Warshofsky, Laura Dern, and Lena Endre.
• The Sessions starring Helen Hunt and John Hawkes.
• Anna Karenina starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Ruth Wilson, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Olivia Williams, and Emily Watson.
• The Impossible starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts.
• Quartet starring Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, and Billy Connolly.
• Amour starring Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller.
• Cloud Atlas starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Xun Zhou, Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant.
• Seven Psychopaths starring Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Tom Waits, Olga Kurylenko, and Zeljko Ivanek.

Have you been following everything that is going on at TIFF? Do you think these films will live up to their Golden Globe and Oscar buzz? Are you looking forward to seeing any of these films? If you haven’t seen the trailers for these movies, be sure to watch the trailers for these films on YouTube and Apple Movie Trailers!

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Source: http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/09/10/toronto-oscar-watch-silver-linings-playbook/ and http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/toronto-film-fest-day-4-buzz-strong-films-are-dark-55596

Studio: SModcast Pictures 

Director: Kevin Smith

Starring: Michael Parks & Melissa Leo

Filmhipster Review: Good for Kevin Smith futzing around in uncommon territory and adding his own personal formula to this genre, I think this is just a precursor to bigger and better things from him…it’s a bloody good wack-job cult stand-off.

]]> http://returntofleet.com/2012/09/06/ben-afflecks-new-based-on-a-true-story-drama-thriller-argo/ Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:17:33 +0000 Fleet Commander http://returntofleet.com/2012/09/06/ben-afflecks-new-based-on-a-true-story-drama-thriller-argo/

Warner Bros. has released the first TV spot and trailer for Ben Affleck‘s newest movie ‘Argo’. This is his first time back in the directors chair since his highly successful and great film ‘The Town’ and this time there is a definate whiff of Oscar noms from the trailers.

Argo is based on the true story of how the CIA and the Canadian government team up and concoct a risky plan to rescue six U.S. diplomats who had been taken hostage by a group of Iranians in 1979. The story is told in a Wired magazine article by Joshuah Bearman, called How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran.

The screenplay for the film was written by Chris Terrio and it features a huge cast including Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Kerry Bishe, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Zeljko Ivanek, Richard Kind, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina, Michael Parks, and Taylor Schilling.

The film is due for release October 12th for the U.S.A and November 9th Rep. Ireland & U.K. (Full release date listing here)

Check out the official synopsis, followed by the Tv spot and trailer:

Based on true events, “Argo” chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis–the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.

Related articles

• Telluride Review: Ben Affleck’s ’70s-Flavored ‘Argo’ Is A Terrifically Suspenseful & Entertaining Thriller (uberinterest.wordpress.com)
• Telluride 2012: Screening of Ben Affleck’s ‘Argo’ Opens Fest, Stirs Oscar Talk – Hollywood Reporter (coralvillecourier.typepad.com)

Click photo to listen to this 2.5 hour stroll down memory lane with Carly, Jack and Parker from Oakdale!

Sometimes there are no options, and you are faced with going with the best “bad idea” on the table. This was the case in 1979, after Iranian militants stormed the US embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. Based on true events, Argo tells the little-known story of the six members of the U.S. foreign service who managed to slip out a back door when the revolutionaries stormed the embassy, escaping to the residence of the Canadian Ambassador. With armed revolutionary guards going door-to-door, however, they knew that they would not be safe for long.

Against this backdrop CIA “exfiltration” specialist Tony Mendez (portrayed by Ben Affleck) concocted a crazy and very risky plan to get these Americans out of the country. His idea: create a fake science fiction movie named “Argo,” and convince Iran that these six people are members of the film crew that is in Iran to scout the area for filming.

Argo is scheduled for release on October 12, 2012 by Warner Bros. Pictures. This political drama was directed by Ben Affleck from a screenplay by Chris Terrio that was based on a declassified true story. Argo also stars Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Kerry Bishe, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Zeljko Ivanek, Richard Kind, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina, Michael Parks and Taylor Schilling. Rated R for language and some violent images.

OK, let’s just go ahead and get the elephant out of the room: this movie sucks it. Bad. I’ve gone on record before with my dislike of most things 80s for my various reasons but this one has it all: bad hairdos, bushy eyebrows, men in daisy dukes, terrible one liners, pitiful dialogue, heinous acting, piss poor special effects, a bad plot, bad white-people dancing, pranks and hyjinks, word strings like “sit on this (middle finger)” and “the beaver patrol is out tonight!!”, that oh so wacky dude who keeps playing like he’s dead and inciting everyone to fake scream but he’s not dead and “why can’t anybody take a joke?? Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck”, wet T-shirt contests, lame 80s rock n roll and did i mention – tuuuurrrrrible acting. I don’t know what’s going on here – maybe I have the vapors – but I was kind of, almost, maybe, um, (look around), tug collar, um, er, fond of it. I’ll never watch this again if I have any choice but if anyone ever asks me if I’ve seen it this will be my response “Nightmare Beach? Yeah – I’ve seen that… it’s a pretty shitty, but it’s kind of funny. Don’t expect too much.”

Diablo?? Is that choo?? Sex me!! I’m still jour girl!!

What’s up? It’s Spring Break and thousands of half dressed young people are hitting the beach to frolic and get laid! YAY!!! Zany antics to follow!! Little do they know that a fellow named Diablo was just put to death by electric chair!! He was the leader of a bad ass mix of poorly acted Latinos and preppy-dudes-in-leather-jackets Motorcycle Gang called the DEMONS, see. He was framed, see! He vows to come back from the dead and “KILL ALL YOU MOTHER FUCKERS!!!”, see. No sooner is he dead than someone is tooling around town on a souped up motor bike killing people with electricity! No one can see his face! Is it Diablo back from the dead?? “All we can do is pray,” sayeth the local Reverend (Lance LeGault who, if you’re a little old, will recognize from any number of 70s and 80s TV shows).

No Sex for you!! Eat my shorts!!

Our two leads (Ronnie and Skip) roll into town in their Chrysler LaBaron, get their Beaver Patrol! on and head to the local bar where they meet up with cold hearted, stony Gail (Sarah Buxton) who doesn’t want to DO IT with either of them – whatever, Ice Queen!! Skip is sad because he threw five interceptions in the National Championship game so he heads back to his room to mope while, after being turned down for The Sex with Gail, Ronnie heads out, bottle of rum in one hand and a bag full of rubbers in the other – and gets his ass kicked by the DEMONS!  Left for dead, he stumbles for help and runs in to the guy on the bike who burns him alive!!

oohhhhhhhhhhhmyyyyyyyyyygaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwdddddddddd

Sayanora Ronnie! Enjoy the afterlife!! Off to join the Great Beaver Patrol in the sky. Unless he’s not forgiven for the crimes he’s committed against man. Wait, that’s not in here. Oh well – now that Ronnie’s gone missin’, Skip and Gail team up to monotonically figger out what’s happened to his best bud, including run ins with the bike gang and the local Bad Cop, John Saxon (what’s he doing in this?) and stop that maniac once and for all!!.  Make no mistake, this isn’t “good” but, I guess, it’s not terrible. I would say that this is probably best looked into for some chuckles at modern slasher’s older uncle.

With all of that written and exposéd, I have a confession to make. Last week my friend Chris and I were exchanging stupid text messages like we always do and we got in to stupid song names (again) and we decided to get together on Saturday with our other friend Richie and hang out and drink a large number of beers. Well Saturday came and I thought it would be fun to add to the suite of fun things out here and I wrote up some lyrics for a song called “Damn Y’all!! That’s a dirty finger!!!” and then we got very loaded and spent four hours making fantastic music that I was going to post out here for your pleasure and we’d make millions like The Beeb. Well, on Sunday I got up, hungover, laid around for a little bit and then listened to: the worst song ever made by human beings. Seriously. I thought about posting it as “the worst song ever made by human beings” and then I realized that, while I hope to get some laughs out here, I don’t want to get laughed AT so we can call that project terminated for the time being.

Well – I was just downstairs telling my coworker this story and she was like “OMG you have to post it” and I sez “NO NO NO NO NO it’s too terrible” and she sez “Who cares” and I say “I don’t want to be made fun of” and she sez “you crack me up – just do it stupid” and I said “OK I’ll do it if I get 10,000 hits on today’s post where I’m talking about it” so there you go. I know that will never happen so we’re safe but, for the sake of fun, here’s the lyrics you can hum to yourself while you’re at work this week:

(it’s an 8 bar melody we went “Christopher Cross” style with keyboard and maracas)

I was at the party leaning on the wall
When Chris texted me from across the hall
“What the fuck?” his message read
When suddenly it hit my head
My beer and I were quickly parted
When I turned around and Richie farted
What is causing this stink to linger?
Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!

Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!
Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!

I’ll never know where that finger’d been
Presumably up someone’s end
I wish he’d watch it, that’s for sure
Cuz it smells like I was in manure
It also fucking looked like hell
In addition to the smell
Repulsive like a song by Winger
Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!

Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!
Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!

Black and brown with yellow hues
Dripping stinking, tarry ooze
The other guests hit the streets
While Chris and I looked for some bleach
We had to try and stop this fast
There was no bleach! We doused with gas!
After this we kill the singer
Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!

Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!
Damn Ya’ll! That’s a dirty finger!

Prometheus (Ridley Scott, 2012)
It’s not Alien, but it’s a more than adequate tribute to it that manages to bring up some interesting ideas. There are a couple of scenes that have really stuck with me since I saw it, and Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender are both great. My full review is available here.
4/5

Eat Sleep Die (Gabriela Pichler, 2012)
It’s rare for a Swedish film to accurately capture the way Swedes talk in real life. This one manages this perfectly. The story of 20-year-old Rasa (Nermina Lukac) who finds herself unemployed is a straight-forward one, but thanks to the characters and the down-to-earth nature of the material, it commands your attention more and more for each passing minute. There’s some real humor to be had here, the kind that’s funny because it’s true. I saw this at a cast screening, so the release is still some months away. Make sure to see it when you get the chance.
4/5

High Tension (Alexandre Aja, 2003)
A nice and simple premise sets the stage for a deadly cat-and-mouse game as a young woman (Cécile De France) tries to save her friend from a demented killer. This one took me by surprise with the frightening atmosphere it manages to pull off, often through the use of bloody violence. So often in horror films, gore is used for its own sake. Not so here. This is blood and murder to make you scared and worrying for the protagonist. The ending has apparently divided people on whether it’s good or bad. I wasn’t a big fan of it myself, and it’s the main reason why this one doesn’t cruise on to a full 5. I’d still call it the best horror film I’ve seen in quite a while.
4/5

Fast Times as Ridgemont High (Amy Heckerling, 1995)
I feel like I’m missing out on some of the appeal of this one by not having seen it when I was younger. Nonetheless, this is a pretty decent high school flick. It didn’t make me laugh as much as it was hoping for, but there are some scenes of unexpected heartfeltness and maturity. If the movie isn’t quite as good as I had been led to believe, the same certainly can’t be said of Sean Penn as surfer/stoner Spicoli. He absolutely nails the part. I was also taken by Jennifer Jason Leigh‘s performance as curious Stacy.
3/5

Red State (Kevin Smith, 2011)
Easily the best-acted Kevin Smith movie I’ve seen, and I’ve seen most of them. John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Michael Parks all put forth impressive showings. The film is very different from Smith’s usual fare in terms of content, yet some things remain the same. For instance, Smith remains better at writing than at directing. The dialogue is as compelling and snappy as ever – though less comedic than usual – but the pacing of the film is kind of awkward. Not his best work, but an interesting step in a different direction.
3/5

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (Gareth Carrivick, 2009)
Very self-aware British time travel comedy that keeps throwing surprises at you while still retaining an effective sense of humor. I like how it starts out narrow and “small” only to gradually widen its scope. Fans of the genre should definitely check this one out.
4/5

Turn Me On, Dammit! (Jannicke Systad Jacobsen, 2011)
Norwegian coming-of-age story about teenager Alma (Helene Bergsholm) and her struggling with ostracism and her sexual awakening. The film does a fine job of evoking small-town life, at times reminding me of Lukas Moodysson‘s Show Me Love in this regard. Compared to a lot of teen dramas of this sort, this one maintains a very low-key tone for the most part, something I found perhaps more interesting than effective. The story is compelling and held my interest throughout, although the ending ties things up a bit too nicely. It’s an okay movie overall, but I wish it had dug a bit deeper emotionally.
3/5

Rock of Ages (Adam Shankman, 2012)
This glossy musical succeeds and fails in roughly equal measures. I had a good time on average, thanks to the nice song numbers and Tom Cruise‘s superb performance, but I can fully sympathize with those who are put off by the wafer-thin story and the lack of an edge. My full review is available here.
3/5

Super (James Gunn, 2010)
I did not expect this film to be as violent as it was. Compared to other self-aware superhero films like Kickass and Defendor, this one comes up a bit short. It strives for a darker story, but its handling of its rough scenes are hit-or-miss. There’s a certain unevenness to its tone. Even so, it is reasonably entertaining, and Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Kevin Bacon (why did I ever hate this guy?) all put in fine efforts on the acting side.
3/5

Hot Tub Time Machine (Steve Pink, 2010)
Not God-awful, but certainly not very good either. There are some laughs to be had here, but for the most part, the comedy here is lame and obvious. It’s also a case of wasted opportunity, as there is certainly a lot of humor that could be mined from having people revisit the 80s. None of it is taken advantage of here, sadly enough. I’m probably forgetting something, but off the top of my head, I’d say this could be the worst time travel movie I’ve ever seen.
2/5

The Grudge (Takashi Shimizu, 2004)
For clarity, this would be the English language remake. A solid effort in the horror genre, with appropriate creepiness and a strong climax. It has some problems, however. The pacing gets a bit too hectic, for one. The jump scares become repetitive after a while. The story isn’t very original, and the non-chronological way of telling it adds little to the proceedings. These issues may sound big, but the movie still succeeds at being scary, so they’re largely forgivable.
3/5

Total # of new films seen: 11
Average score: 3.3 / 5
Best film of the month: High Tension
Worst film of the month: Hot Tub Time Machine

This review contains SPOILERS!

Kevin Smith‘s first horror movie is a dark farce based on the Westboro Baptist Church and brainwashing. It starts with a bunch of highschool kids (three in this case) joining a bunch of sex sites in order to get laid. They find a local chick and it turns out to be a trap from the local crazy church. So the 3 kids are tied up and everything goes to shit.

This was a decent horror movie, but it rolled along the lines of a action/suspense/thriller. There was only a little horror, in my opinion. However it was a great, well, everything else was. The thing I didn’t get was the continuously unrealistic portrait of the ATF. They were pretty much shown as merciless killing machines. Yeah, sure, the local PD might be, but the ATF, and maybe the FBI, are usually know for STOPPING them. Not causing more deaths. At one point the Joseph Keenan character (John Goodman) states that they are going to send in jet fighters to carpet bomb the house and kill everyone inside….lolwut? If it was that small of a incident they’d get snipers on a hill and shoot people inside, not CARPET BOMB the place.

There’s also a lot of symbolism in it all. The church can be interpreted as a allegory for both our homeland struggles with weirdos like the Westboro Baptist Church and even the harsher side of Islam. The closet homosexuals are probably a acknowledgment that they are usually shunned, and sometimes killed, in small towns. But the message at the end was clear: people perceptions won’t waiver despite the outcome. If someone thinks they’re still a good guy, even after murdering 30 some people, then they’ll go to jail thinking they’re the “good guy” and they did the right thing. It’s almost a arrogant Hilter-esk view of where they can’t mentally accept, or handle the fact, that they did something wrong.

On one last note it’s VERY odd to see a bunch of well known comedian actors (Stephen Root; Kevin Pollak), not only being funny in this HORROR movie, but also getting killed. Also if you’re a Kevin Smith fan, you should know that he actually moves the damn camera this time. LOL. Also I’ll give him some props for branching out into a genera that is hard to master. This is worth seeing once, but since I’m not a fan of the horror genera, then I can’t recommend it or compare it to anything else. But since it has a good amount of action in it I’d kinda recommend it as a couples movie, after you’ve gotten to know each other some, lol. This isn’t recommended for anyone who’s religiously sensitive, like most Kevin Smith films.

7.0/10

IMDB – 6.2