First Tim Russert. Then Stan Winston. Now George Carlin. Sheesh…
Yes yes yes, we’re all gonna die and I know that probably at least dozens of non-famous but equally righteous folks have passed away as well lately but still…hearing about those three in such a rapid succession was a serious sad-maker. I raise a glass to them, knowing they’re smart-talking and monster-making and joke-telling at the big commentary show/effects studio/mic & a stage in the sky.
So…The Incredible Hulk anyone? Damned if that shit wasn’t way better than I expected. And this whole “common universe” approach that Marvel Studios is going with is the best thing about it. I’m not sure how they’ll balance the gods-and-trolls-fantasy world of Thor with the this-is-some-true-science-shit world of Iron Man and Hulk, let alone how they’ll pull off Captain America in the er’body-hates-America 21st century but I’m confident it can all be fixed with heaping portions of CGI and therefore cannot fucking wait for the inevitable Avengers movie. And what would be truly spectacular would be if Marvel Studios could wrangle back the rights for X-Men, Spider Man, FF and all the other properties that got broom-handled to greater or lesser degrees at outside shops so that we could get into some heavy Secret Wars type shit.
My best friend, he’s fretting about saving for his daughter’s college. Me, I’m all jammed up over a possible Kree-Skrull movie. Different strokes, y’know?
And speaking of unhealthy misguided anticipation: I got mah tickets to Dark Knight! Said I got mah tix to Dark Knight! (back flip-hitch kick-jazz hands) Ohh yes I got my motherfucking tickets to The Darrrrrk….Kniiiight! (thunderous applause)
Hey, here’s a groovy review Murder Party got on FilmCritic.com…
Murder Party
While watching Murder Party you can just imagine Jeremy Saulnier chuckling to himself while writing the script, and you can’t help but chuckle along. It’s the pretentiousness of a lot of independent movies that makes them so bad. And it’s Saulnier’s humble, self-deprecating charm that makes this satiric Halloween movie so hilariously good.
Speaking of self-deprecating, the movie’s “hero” is kind of an endearing loser. Imagine if Jon Arbuckle were a parking enforcement officer living in Brooklyn. That’s the best way to describe Chris (Chris Sharp), who’s such a pushover he can’t even get his cat to get off his chair. Like Arbuckle, Chris is a loner; he’s so lonesome, in fact, that when he finds a random “murder party” invitation, he looks up directions, slaps together a costume, and shows up right on time — at a shady looking warehouse.
Little does he know this isn’t an ordinary Halloween party. This is literally a party for his murder. The party hosts knock him out and tie him to a chair. Apparently this is a collective of art students whose project is to videotape a murder. They’re eagerly trying to impress a rich man named Alexander, who promises the collective a large grant once he’s thoroughly wowed.
With a premise as silly as this one, Saulnier delivers a surprisingly sharp and witty script. And as over-the-top as the movie gets, there’s an element of realism in the dialogue — a sheer frustration over the uncertainty of the future and the constant need to impress someone, which many art students can relate with. (It’s no wonder: In an interview, Saulnier admits much of the script is based on his own pent-up frustration from years of trying to break into the movie biz.)
The beauty of a good independent film is the raw innocence of every element. There’s a very quirky, self-needling, tongue-in-cheek humor running through Party — which probably wouldn’t make it past major studios. Most of the actors use their real names in the movie, and they’re so natural they feel organic, presumably because they can identify with their characters (i.e., struggling artists) so easily. Saulnier’s passion for ’80s films clearly inspires the costumes, which give a nod to Blade Runner and The Warriors. In short, Party is an inside joke that somehow everybody gets.
Whether or not Saulnier has wowed whomever Alexander represents in the film industry, he’s at least managed to entertain his viewers, winning two audience awards and other festival recognitions. Party is a rare gem that glistened in theaters very briefly before it went straight to DVD. Hopefully the director has more for us soon.
..
Pris would tell you: Time to die.
http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/Murder-Party
Thanks so much, Brian! I love that you likened Chris to Jon Arbuckle. I’m not sure which one of the cast would be Garfield but I’m pretty sure that Alexander would be both ferns and Mondays.
And now, here’s another rave from the Netflix customer comments section!
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Cleva Queenpen’s other reviews >
This movie sucks on so many levels. The “panning” camera shots, the dumb dialogue, the obvious blood squids from the gun shots, the crappy set, and the list goes on. It looks like a student film, which I can understand, but for 80 minutes? It was just ridiculous. I agree with the other reviewers..pass on this one, or you’ll wish you had.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Thank you, Cleva! You ain’t kidding: that was one crappy set, no two ways about it. Crappy as in “C” for freezing cold and…um…”rappy” like rap music, which also sucks. So yes, I totally agree with you there. However, the blood squids we used were rhomboids (also known as diamond squids) and they are universally regarded at the premiere special effects cephalopods in the business. You simply cannot do better than these babies and that’s why we committed so much of our already limited budget to having a two-ton filtered saltwater tank on set, not to mention the hundreds of pounds of feeder fish necessary to keep the noble creatures well-fed and happy until it came time for their scenes with the guns and whatnot. So on that point, I respectfully disagree with you. Otherwise, straight shootin’!
Hey, here’s a fun little game. An enterprising gent (or perhaps a lady, I ought not jump to conclusions) going by FD Fantic has posted this on the Murder Party IMDB message boards, wherein you do some sort of mysterious math type thing that eventually determines the best character in the movie. Drop by if you wanna kill a little bit of time!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878695/board/thread/109837097
And check this mastermind out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastham/1795525123/
His name is Chris Hudson and here he is in a perfectly recreated Brown Knight costume along with his pals, Scarlett Johansson and my father at age 30. Well done, Mr. Hudson!
And on that high note, I’ll end this boobery…have a great week everybody!
xoxo