Hey Folks, Harry here - still shaking off the massive impact that BUTT-NUMB-A-THON 8 had on me. The line up was one of my faves - I'll be writing my take on it all probably sometime around the end of the week - I'm under deadline for an interview I did with David Fincher for PENTHOUSE - and have to transcribe that. Boy - Fincher is amazing to talk to. Right now - this is That Other Fan's look at BNAT 8. His utter hatred for Paul Verhoeven's BLACK BOOK - is completely out of left field to me. I suppose that given it followed Apatow's KNOCKED UP - perhaps the tonal shift it presented was too much for him to take. BLACK BOOK is a stunning film about how in war, in an occupied country - there are no rigid lines between the good guys and the bad guys. I love how the Nazis referred to the Dutch Underground in this film's subtitles as 'terrorists'. Anyway - here's That Other Fan...
Here are my short, simple and sweet BNAT-8 reviews for the 7 new films. If you use me this call me That Other Fan. Black Snake Moan: This film is a marvelous accomplishment not only because it Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci deliver performances of a life time but also because it showcases the blues in a way never before seen on film. A lot of people are gonna be talking about this film for two reasons 1.) being Christina Ricci getting naked/having sex/wanting to have sex every five minutes and 2.) Samuel L. singing the blues. And when I say singing to blues I mean exactly that. This dude sure knows how to sing and there are two particular scenes where Samuel L sings that should go down in history as two of the greatest scenes to feature music ever. You remember how cool it was in Hustle and Flow when they create that hip hop beat for the first time..... well multiply the cool quotient but ten thousand boners and you have Black Snake Moan. All hail Craig Brewer! Dreamgirls: This is a very fun and very fresh adaptation of the amazing stage show. The cast is all stellar (although Jamie Foxx takes one for the team by playing the least interesting, most unsavory yet highly critical part), but people are just gonna go nuts over Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson. In five years no one's gonna care about Beyonce in this film even though she's getting top billing right now. Jennifer Hudson steals the show in what has got to be the most memorable first time performance since.... I don't know.... maybe Ed Norton in Primal Fear (probably a bad reference). A great flick. Rocky Balboa: HOT DOG IN A BISCUIT FACTORY! This movie is so stinking awesome and inspirational it makes me want to become a better person. Sly is back ladies and gentlemen and he completely buries all the ill will he deservedly received with Rocky V. While this movie is by no means perfect it is completely and totally BALLS OUT AWESOME. The training montage alone made me cry, but it was the manliest cry I have ever had. I cried tears of testosterone and manliness because the film series I so treasured has been given a fitting conclusion. If our nation does not respond to this movie then I have no hope for us. Those who are cynical and think Stallone is a hack I want you all to kill yourselves with a pen knife. This movie rules. KNOCKED UP: This was definitely the biggest surprise of the night. Once again Judd Apatow and the whole gang have made a winning comedy with hilarious, human and relatable characters. Seth Rogen proves that he is a fantastic leading man in this comedy that is a perfect companion to last years Forty Year Old Virgin. Paul Rudd is once again amazing in a comedic supporting role and the scenes where the Seth and Paul riff of each other are pure comedy classics. All around great love for this film. By the way now that Judd has made his sex film and his birth film, I'd really love to see him tackle a comedy about death. Black Book: What an unbearable piece of crap. The entire theater was on a pure cinematic sugar high that was brought down to a soul crushing, vomit inducing low with this film. Boring and unnecessary on almost every level, Black Book was the only real stinker of the entire night. Just when you think this movie is going to be over it adds one unnecessary plot twist after the other (and even a ridiculous scene involving a naked girl getting feces dumped all over her). I really don't know why this film got played. Smoking Aces: Absolutely awesome and cool. This film starts off kind of slow and clichéd but really picks up the pace about a third of the way through. Everyone in the cast is stellar (especially Jason Bateman in his five minutes of screen time) and Ryan Reynolds once again proves he's a capable action star. The last hour of this movie is pretty much non-stop action and twists and turns. The scene in the elevator lobby with the three crazy brothers is also mind blowingly cool. On a side note, I was standing in the lobby after this screening, and I heard three stereotypical fanboys whining about this movie. They said it was too MTV and one even said it looked like a "three hour long Puff Daddy video." That got me so completely enraged not only because the film rocked HARD BALLS but also because I LOATHE whiney fanboys who think they're better than everyone else because they've seen 2001 thirty times. If one of those low level retards could made a flick half as cool, stylish, fun and entertaining as Smokin' Aces then I will cut off my testicles and eat them while singing "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden. I hate elitist fanboys. Sorry everyone... I just had to vent a little bit. 300: This is what everyone was waiting for and let me tell you one thing about this movie: it does not disappoint. At every level this movie works. It looks great, it sounds great, it is great. Gerard Butler is the next Mel Gibson/Sean Connery. Zac Snyder is the next Peter Jackson. 300 is the next Braveheart. Is there blood? There's enough blood in this movie to make a diabetic vampire get a sugar boner just by watching it. There's enough action in this movie to feed a family of five. There's enough pure testosterone in this movie to grow hair on Orlando Bloom's chest. This is by far and away the manliest movie ever made. Football teams are going to watch this movie before a big game and then they're going to have sex with their wives/girlfriends/mistresses to it afterwards. Everyone MUST go see this film when it comes out in theaters. It is unlike anything you have ever seen put on the screen. Well that's it. I'm tired now so I'm going to bed. All in all this was the best BNAT EVER! If you're interested check out my website at www.thatotherpaper.com
