ConMan Projects

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Written by: Joel and Ethan Coen
Actors: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Aaron Wolff, Fred Melamed
Original Release Date: October 2nd, 2009

Plot Synopsis: A black comedy set in 1967 and centered on Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern professor who watches his life unravel when his wife prepares to leave him because his inept brother won’t move out of the house. (from imdb.com)

I’ve got a special place in my heart for the Coen Brothers.  They love life and make really great movies.  How awesome is that!?  The Coens are living the dream that so many filmmakers wish for themselves, and the result is usually a pretty good thing.  A Serious Man is their latest venture into the world of motion pictures, and it is certifiably a “Coen Brothers movie” in every respect.  Channeling pieces from their own childhood, the Coens have been able to take a relatively unknown cast and a secret script, then lay on some of their magic for one heck of a ride!

The story of Larry Gopnik is one of true black comedy genius, where there more it sucks to be Larry the better it is to be us.  And boy, Larry is going through some crazy stuff right now.  His brother is a nuisance, his wife is trying to leave him, a Korean exchange student is trying to bribe him, his son won’t stop smoking pot long enough to learn the ritual for his Bar Mitzvah…well, you get the idea.  What Larry’s going through is nuts, and how he handles it all is damn fine entertainment for us.

What’s Good
So, since this is a black comedy, you may be asking yourself, “Well, is this thing funny?” HELL YEAH!  I have not laughed out loud this much in a long time.  Although this technically is classified as a drama or a black comedy, this film is genuinely funny and has several “Classic Coen Moments” (which you’ll have to see to truly appreciate).  Also, for a cast of relative unknowns, this is a fantastic cast that really helps to bring you into this alternative universe that the Coens have created for us.  The absurdity of all these characters is more subtle than the Brothers past feature film ventures, but that doesn’t make them any less interesting.

What’s Not So Good
The best way I could describe this film to anyone walking down the street is that A Serious Man is very Jewish.  That’s not a mark against Jews, only that this film is full of Jewish parables and a very Jewish style of comedy.  While I happen to find Jewish humor hilarious, if that’s not your cup of tea then there is nothing for you in this movie.

Then there’s the ending.  Going along with what I just said about Jewish parables being scattered everywhere in this film, the ending to A Serious Man (without giving anything away) is super-cryptic and will possibly piss off a lot of people.  Because of this, you’re REALLY going to have to be a Coen Brothers fan to go along with it.  I, myself, am a big fan so I could dig it just fine.

The Bottom Line
A Serious Man is by no means the Coen Brothers best work.  Having said that, it’s certainly not one of their worst.  Ultimately, those of us who aren’t Jewish or don’t “get” the Coen Brothers style are going to find it hard to swallow this film.  Fans of the brothers’ work, however, will have a great time.  I certainly did.  I really want to see it again, but I’m not going to kill myself in suspense.  For the Coens, I can wait.

Con’s Rating: 9/10

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Written by: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Original Release Date: October 2nd, 2009

Plot Synopsis: Awesome Cast + Great Script + Zombie Apocalypse =  A Damn Good Time!

There’s no easy way to review Zombieland without spoiling a good chunk of the film, so take my word for it when I say that this film is all kinds of awesome.  For years, the geek masses have demanded a zombie film that is well acted, well directed, well produced, and is funny as hell.  Across the ocean director Edgar Wright heard our cry and, with the help of the very funny Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, brought us Shaun of the Dead.

Is Zombieland better than Shaun of the Dead?  That’s actually kind of an unfair question to ask, since the two rely on completely different senarios and comedic stylings.  Zombieland is not Shaun of the Dead, nor does it try to be Shaun of the Dead.  Zombieland is its own beast that relys on the talents of four seriously funny people to deliver a seriously funny action/buddy comedy several weeks (or perhaps even months) after the Zombie Apocalypse has finally reached America.

Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone have great chemistry together and move flawlessly throughout the film, showing that they are some of the finest young talents working together.  Abigail Breslin, who I felt deserved a bit more screen time, also made a great impression on me throughout the film.  And then, there’s Woody.  We’ve known for years how truly and unbelievably badass Woody Harrelson is, and finally he gets to play a character that oozes badassery.  Well done, you badass you!

Oh, about the cameo all your friends keep telling you about.  It’s awesome.  REALLY awesome.  If you haven’t seen it yet, I won’t spoil it for you but needless to say I could not stop laughing while this person was onscreen.  You’ll know why when you see it.

As far as gore goes, there is a lot of cool zombie gore but not so much on the gross-out side.  I would say the action far outweighs the actual gore itself, but considering how this movie is structured it all works out.

My only complaint?  It ended.  I had a blast, and I must say that this may have been one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a decade.  I’m not sure if I like it better than Shaun of the Dead yet, but in Zombieland’s defense I’ve hung Shaun at least a dozen times.  However, when it comes out on DVD I’m positive Zombieland will make it almost immediately into my DVD player.

Even if you’re not a horror fan or a fan of zombies, you’ll probably have a good time with this film.  A must-see for comedy lovers.

Con’s Rating: 9.5/10

READING RAINBOW MOMENT:  But don’t (just) take my word for it!  Check out what Caleb and Doug have to say here and here!

SIDE RANT:  Due to my relocation to Los Angeles, as well as many other things going on right now, my reviews may come up delayed.  Sorry!

Director: Drew Berrymore
Written by: Shauna Cross
Actors: Ellen Page, Kristen Wiig, Alia Shawkat, Zoe Bell, Eve, Juliette Lewis, Drew Barrymore, Andrew Wilson, Marcia Gay Harden, Daniel Stern, Ari Graynor, Landon Pigg
Original Release Date: October 2nd, 2009

Plot Synopsis: In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin. (from IMDB.com)

Drew Berrymore, why have you not taken the directorial reigns sooner!?  You could have saved so many movies from obscurity with your awesome timing and keen eye!!!!  If you haven’t realized it by now, I had a wicked good time with Whip It.  This is EXACTLY the type of movie that we need right now: a heart-felt film full of glee and finding your place in this world.

Growing up in Oklahoma, I can relate well to this film.  I, too, was one who felt like the traditional norms of the south were just not meant for me and that I wanted to do something…well, different with my life.  Granted, I’ve never wanted elbow someone in the face while flying across a track on roller skates, but the analogy still applies.

In Whip It, a young girl finds solace from the more traditional world of her parents in something different and exciting that proves to be a very positive influence on her.  The movie itself is unapologetically a chick flick, but this is by no means a bad thing (In my eyes, if a chick flick is done right then it can be awesome.  Otherwise, you get The Ugly Truth).  Although it does get someone predictable (especially towards the end), I was never bored and always fully engaged in this world Ms. Berrymore has created for us to enjoy.

Boasting one of the most pitch-perfect casts I’ve seen in years, if you’re looking to have a good time then you can’t go wrong with this film.  I cannot wait to watch this film again.  It’s just a damn good time!

Con’s Rating: 8/10

SIDE RANT:  Due to my relocation to Los Angeles, as well as many other things going on right now, my reviews may come up delayed.  Sorry!

Director: Michael Moore
Original Release Date: September 23rd, 2009 (Limited)

Plot Synopsis: Michael Moore sets out to show how the ideology of Capitalism has brought great benefit and great tragedy to the United States while trying to better understand the world’s current economic crisis.

I have a weird relationship with Michael Moore’s films.  Bowling for Columbine is one of my favorite documentaries, and I think his feature film debut Roger and Me is a really important documentary about the working class in the United States.  Having said that, I really do not like Michael Moore as a person.  My feelings on Ferenheit 9/11 aside, I have come to believe that over the past few years that Mr. Moore is trying to profit off of far left politics while at the same time failing to practice what he preaches.

All that being said, I really REALLY enjoyed this film.  This is Moore’s most sobering film in the past decade. And it should be, considering the subject matter it delves into.  For the most part, Moore stays behind the camera so that he can bring us into the lives of real people who are really struggling right now in our own backyards.  Furthermore, Moore goes back in time to show us how Capitalism became the supreme ideology of the United States and how this ideology, though beneficial for several decades, has really screwed us over in the end.  What I thought was great about this film as opposed to some of Moore’s previous works is that in Capitalism, there is no innocent party.  At his most objective, Moore is able to view the economic situation from several vantage points and give an objective (well, as objective as Michael Moore possibly can be) view.  It doesn’t simply the economic crisis or put this whole mess in layman’s terms (like I wanted the film to do before the initial viewing), but it does show the effects of the economic crisis in a very real and sobering light.

Is it a universally perfect documentary?  Not quite.  The film clocks in about 30 minutes longer than it really should, and Moore’s absurd publicity stunts (i.e. trying to make a Citizen’s Arrest of the major CEO’s of these big banks) only serve to add fluff to a meaty documentary.  However, I was easily able to get past all of my minor nitpicks and have several thought-provoking discussions about this film.

If you’re a politically-minded person who wants to see a film that deals with a very real and very serious issue in today’s world economic climate, or you just like documentaries, this should definitely be on your must see list this year.  For everyone else, whether you like Michael Moore or not (I still am not), this is an interesting flick that you will, at the least, be able to have some serious ideas about.  And that’s not always a bad thing.

Con’s Rating: 8.5/10

Dear Parents:  If you are thinking about taking your kids to see this film, I wholeheartedly recommend you do so.  The only reason this film is rated R is because there is a gentlemen who loses his house to a bank that uses the f-word maybe 4 times.  That’s it.  Considering the circumstances behind this, you can work around that with your child.  Unless that child is under 15.  Then he/she will probably just be bored.

Director: Karyn Kusama
Written by: Diablo Cody
Actors: Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, JK Simmons, Amy Sedaris
Original Release Date: September 18th, 2009

Plot Synopsis: A newly possessed cheerleader turns into a killer who specializes in offing her male classmates. Can her best friend put an end to the horror? (from IMDB.com)

I really wanted to like this movie.  I love Diablo Cody’s work in Juno and her show The United States of Tara (co-created with Steven Speilberg), and Amanda Seyfried is one of the more talented young actresses working today.  Also, the film deals with one of the scariest freakin’ subjects out there: Demonic Possession. (SIDE RANT:  Don’t think being possessed by a f***in’ demon is scary enough for you?  Go rent The Exorcist.  Don’t worry, I’ll wait.)Unfortunately, Jennifer’s Body is just one big mess.  Sure, there are some hilarious moments of witty dialogue and a few scenes that are legitimately “jump-worthy” (the scene where Amanda Seyfried’s character meets up with “possessed” Jennifer scared the poop out of me), but this film is all over the place.

Strangely enough, I don’t think Megan Fox should share any of the blame for this movie’s shortcomings (and I hate Megan Fox).  Fox and all of the actors play their parts as they are supposed to, and some of them actually do a pretty damn good job.  Amanda Seyfried gives a damn good performance, as does Adam Brody (who actually plays somebody other than himself for a change).

The cinematography is somewhat solid, and while I didn’t care for the soundtrack at all it fits the film and the tone they were going for.  Diablo’s script has a some strong moments, and shows  that she has respect for both the horror and the teen comedy genres.  There’s a lot of stuff going on in this film, and the closest film I can relate this to is the black comedy Heathers (the tone’s are very similar).  It’s definitely the weakest of Diablo’s scripts, but I really dig her overall body of work so far so I don’t label that as a bad thing.

The weakest link in this film is the director Karyn Kusama, who directed the fairly strong indie Girlfight and the extremely weak sci-fi action flick Aeon Flux.  It’s clear that she and Diablo were on completely opposite sides of the spectrum when dealing with this script, and it shows in a very painful way.  Kusama’s comedic timing is mediocre (at best) and with the exception of a few key scenes the woman does not understand how to mix black comedy with extreme horror.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have fun in parts of this film, but overall I was left thinking this should have been so much better.  If this film had been PG-13, I probably would have liked this film more and it probably would have performed better.  Considering all they had to do was edit out the f-bomb (there is not nearly as much gore as they would like you to think), it would have been easy to do.  A PG-13 rating and a different director would have made this a unique film that people probably would have enjoyed watching during the Halloween season.  As it stands, people will (unfortunately) view this as “another shitty Megan Fox movie.”

I’d see it again, but I don’t think I could wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone.

Con’s Rating: 4/10

Greetings friends! It’s been awhile, but ConMan is back in business with loads of news and ramblings about movies!  So much has happened in the past month and a half, but I’ll try and give the cliffnotes version.

For those of you who were wondering, the reason why I have not been writing for Bullshish for the past month or so is because I was at the end of a highly competitive graduate program that required pretty much all of my time and writing ability. After countless hours of writing, negotiating and brainstorming, I now have…

1. A professional portfolio that details my work throughout my graduate program
2. A small business plan for a physical and online comic book retailer (which I will be talking about more in the future)
3. A Masters of Science in Entertainment Business

So after I graduated at the beginning of the month, I drove 1300 miles back to Oklahoma to spend some time with my family and to recharge before making the big move to Los Angeles, California.  Tomorrow, I will pack up my suitcase and drive another 1300 miles to Cali with high aspirations of “making it” in the motion picture industry.  For those of you who have been trying to get a hold of me, the combination of relocating and my school work is the reason why I’ve been somewhat of a ghost lately.  I do apologize to all of you, and I promise you that I will be more accessible in the future.

So what’s in store for ConMan Projects in the future?  Well…

1. I will be writing movie reviews on theatrical releases and blu-ray releases once more!  It’s going to be a slow process for a bit, due to my trying to get set up in a new city and all, but I should be back to my daily routine soon enough.  As always, the number of reviews I write depends entirely on my work schedule and my budget, so don’t be shocked if
2. Due to my being located in Los Angeles, I will be writing reviews on independent films more frequently as they will be more accessible to me.
3. Trailer of the Week is dead.  At least for the time being.  While I enjoyed writing the column and reading the feedback I got from it, I do not believe that I will have the time to do reviews and TOTW.  Hopefully this will change in the future, but for now I’m sticking to movie reviews and news.
4. On a related note, my original website (http://www.conmanprojects.com) is no more.  I could never get that site quite where I wanted it, and was unwilling to keep paying for a domain name I was only partially satisfied with.  I am in the middle of designing a new, more professional looking website but it will probably not be up until the end of the year.  Bullshish and my other wordpress blog (http://jconnorcummins.wordpress.com) are the only blogs I will be keeping up with for the unforeseeable future.

Now, just because I’ve been busy doesn’t mean I haven’t been watching any flicks!  Far from it.  I just haven’t had time to write much about them.  I plan on remedying that…NOW.

Away We Go
I really dug this film.  I was able to see this during my July trip to Los Angeles, and it really is a fun film with a strong cast and solid screenplay.  I would really like to see it again.  Con’s Rating: 8/10

(500) Days of Summer
I had been working on a review for this film just before I went on my hiatus, and sadly I was unable to finish it.  I really had a great time with this film, and have seen it 3 times to date (I’ve only paid for it once, otherwise I would have waited till DVD).  What a cute flick!  An excellent screenplay countered perfectly with Mark Webb’s direction.  Wonderful soundtrack and casting.  I strongly disliked Zooey Deschanel’s character, but that’s mainly because I thought her character was a bit of twat.  I have a feeling it will end up in the lower half of my Top 10 of 2009.  Con’s Rating: 9/10

Funny People
I LOVE THIS FILM!  Granted, I went into this film expecting to love it, but it surpassed my personal expectations.  I will definitely be finishing my full review of this film soon.  An amazing film that has some excellent messages within.  And it’s actually pretty funny too, for a dramedy (and I do stress that it is a dramedy).  It’s currently my favorite film of the year, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a strong adult dramedy.  Con’s Rating: 10/10

GI JOE: Rise of Cobra
You know, this film wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.  In fact, I must admit that there were a lot of times that I was having quite a bit of fun.  However, it is exactly what you think it’s going to be: An action movie that is directed towards a younger audience in order to sell toys.  It’s a step up from Stephen Sommers last attempt (the godawful Van Helsing), but not by much.  I didn’t hate it, but I sure as heck didn’t love it.  If this is your cup of tea, climb on board!  Con’s Rating: 6/10

Extract
Caleb’s review kind of sums up all my feelings.  I had a good time, but this is one unbelievable forgettable film.  Maybe I just need to see it again, but it wasn’t anything special from a first viewing. Con’s Rating: 6.5/10

Inglourious Basterds
Read Caleb’s review here and Doug’s review here.  I LOVED THIS FILM!  I’ve seen it twice, and both times it has been able to remind me why I want to make movies.  Just one helluva ride, and a whole lotta fun!  Will this film persuade Tarantino haters to get on board with QT’s madness?  Absolutely not, but Tarantino’s style is what it is.  You either dig it or you don’t.  Is it Tarantino’s masterpiece?  Eh, I dunno.  At this point, I’m beginning to think it might be better not to compare Tarantino’s flicks to one another and evaluate each of them separately as a unique ride into the world of cinema.  Is it one of the best films of the year?  Absolutely.  Con’s Rating: 10/10

The Informant!
I saw this film last night with my folks.  It was really funny (although not as funny as it’s over-the-top awesome trailer), but to be honest I think the movie as a whole is being a bit overhyped.  As far as Oscar contenders go I thought Inglourious Basterds, The Hurt Locker and even (500) Days of Summer have been superior to Steven Sodenbergh’s latest.  Will it get nominated for Best Picture?  Probably, but as of today I don’t think it deserves to win.  Having said that, Matt Damon gives an incredible performance worthy of praise.  The cinematography is solid and the score is perfect.  The Informant! is a black comedy that has a lot great moments, but towards the end it starts to lean pretty heavy on the dark side.  All in all, though, great flick!  Con’s Rating: 9/10

As always, thanks for reading!  I know that content has been a bit slow recently but stay tuned!  Good Stuff is coming!

Peace and Love, con

Hey Everybody!  Sorry for my tardiness this week.  As many of you know, I’m in the final stretch of graduate school and have almost no free time to myself.  I’m still struggling to finish up my Funny People review (it’s one of my longer reviews, hence the time delay).  Anywho, I do actually have a few trailers that I’d like to show you this week.

The first is for the indie short collection New York, I Love You. HUGE fan of its counterpart, Paris, Je T’aime, so naturally I’m pretty excited about this film.  Brett Ratner’s involvement and Woody Allen’s lack of invovlement kind of throws me off, but Natalie Portman lending her directorial eye to this feature is gonna make this worth seeing for me.  It’s definitely not for everyone (you kinda have to be a fan of short films to get into this series), but whatever your opinion may be it will definitely be something unique.

The second trailer I have is the redband trailer for Zombieland.  I presented you all with the greenband trailer in my first Trailer of the Week, and while that trailer is funny this one is far better.  Why?  Because you get to see all the blood, guts and F-Bombs that go with any good Zombie flick.  That, and it actually gives us a better glimpse at the characters.  The more I look into this film, the more I think that this is going to be one of the most fun films of the fall.  I’ve been wrong before, but I don’t think I am this time.  Again, RED BAND TRAILER.  NOT FOR LITTLE KIDDIES!

That is all I have for you this week.  Tune in next week for trailers for Astroboy, and much much more!

The Review
Moon, directed by Duncan Jones (son of music legend David Bowie), is one of the most interesting science fiction films to come out in the past decade.  Starring Sam Rockwell and made for a measly $5 million, the film shows us an intriguing concept that actually has a lot of possibility for our future.  In this “alternative future,” corporations mine soil from the moon that has been exposed to high levels of the Sun’s energy.  The product that they mine is a new, more sustainable form of energy that satisfies nearly 70% of the Earth’s energy needs on an annual basis.  NASA has actually been working on a concept very similar to this, and it is really damn cool.  You can find some interesting info on this concept here and here.

But back to the movie itself.  Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell (fantastic performance here), an astronaut who is responsible for mining this new form of energy on the Moon.  He is under a 3-year contract to do so alone, with only the base computer system Gerty (voiced by Kevin Spacey) to keep him company.  All is going well, but two weeks before his contract expires…some serious s*** happens.  That’s all you’re getting from me as far as the story.  Is that cheap? Kind of, but you have to understand that this is one of those films that is literally IMPOSSIBLE to explain without giving the whole thing away and ruining the film’s mystique.

My only complaint?  The trailer for this film completely makes this film out to be something that its not:

Looks kinda like a crazy, psychological thriller, doesn’t it?  I’m sorry to report that if that’s what you’re looking for, Moon will severely disappoint.  Moon is a straight-up indie Science Fiction film.  It’s one of the most effective indies I’ve seen in awhile, and it really raises some interesting questions as a science fiction movie.  The only problem is, like most straight science fiction films, this movie’s audience is already pre-determined.  If you’re a science fiction nut who also enjoys deep character studies, you’ll probably get a kick out of this film.  Otherwise, you might end up hating it.

On a technical level, this film is superb.  You can tell that it definitely had a budget, but I thought it was closer to a $15 million dollar budget.  Made for only a third of that, the sets look completely believable and the cinematography is quite excellent.  Clint Mansell delivers a great score, once again, although I doubt it’s his best.  Duncan Jones really put together a cool, thought-provoking flick that showcases his extremely vast potential as one of the “new” filmmakers of the next decade.

Bottom Line
I really got a kick out of Moon, but this movie was made to fit my interests.  Additionally, as a former film student, I really dug the technical aspects of the film.  I recommend Moon with caution, because honestly you’re either gonna dig it, or you’re not.

Con’s Rating: 8/10

Hey All!  Con here with your weekly trailer fix!

Unfortunately, there’s only one trailer that I’ve seen this past weekend that’s really worth mentioning.  That would be the trailer for The Fantastic Mr. Fox.  Based on the popular children’s book, director Wes Anderson employs stop-motion animation and the voice talents of George Clooney and Bill Murray in an attempt to capture the essence of the original source material.

Not entirely sure how I’m feeling about this one yet.  I dig most of Anderson’s work, but the guy really hasn’t made something that has “rocked” me since Royal Tennanbaums.  However, I think it’s awesome that this film and Where The Wild Things Are have been made, because maybe it will direct kids to read some classic children’s books again.  Hell, I’ll be happy if kids will start reading again.  Reading is good.

Having said all that, the trailer is fun and might be a cool movie to see with your family or with a loved one.  So, without any further ado, here is the trailer for The Fantastic Mr. Fox:

To keep in the spirit of showcasing more than one trailer a week, here is the trailer for the latest Coen Brother’s flick A Serious Man.  Have I already posted this. Yes.  Is it worth re-posting? Hell Yes!

Bullshish recently has begun taking steps to adopt a “schedule”, so that we can deliver a wider variety of reviews that showcase the high quality that we’ve come to expect from ourselves!

Currently I am scheduled to review A Serious Man on October 2nd, the latest Coen Brothers film.  I am a HUGE Coen Brothers fan.  From Miller’s Crossing to Raising Arizona to Fargo to…well, you get the point.  I think these guys are freakin’ awesome.  However, even the best directors are capable of turning out stinkers.  There has been little to no word on A Serious Man whatsoever, which honestly scares me.  Although the Coens typically work outside of the studio system, not hearing anything about a film from Academy-Award winning directors is somewhat unnerving.  This year has let me down so much already, a failure from the Coens would surely break my heart and force me into a nervous breakdown that I would be unlikely to recover from.

However, as I awoke this morning, the trailer for A Serious Man appeared on Apple’s Trailer page.  HOLY ****IN’ MONKEY BALLS!  This may be one of the best damn trailers I have seen this year.  It showcases all the brilliance and insanity that the Coen Brothers are known for, and you can officially color me excited!  Check out the trailer for yourself at the link below:

A SERIOUS MAN: THE TRAILER