Lock, Stock, and Two Film Geeks

Ashley Cahill on the set for his debut film, "Charm."

Sporting a red-checkered jacket and sunglasses with a copy of “The New York Times” tucked under his arm, independent filmmaker Ashley Cahill strolled onto Larchmont Boulevard on a sunny Wednesday afternoon to discuss his debut film “Charm,” as well as his influences and favorite films.

“There are people who like movies, and there are people who like their movies,” said the 34 year-old Englishman.  “I like movies,” which speaks to Cahill’s great enthusiasm and knowledge about film.

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“The Hunger Games” took in 155 million dollars last weekend, making it the third largest grossing film on an opening weekend of all time.  The odds were certainly in their favor.

Given the massive fanbase and hype surrounding the film, there was very little doubt that “The Hunger Games” was going to be a massive hit.  But amidst a box office dry spell and a prior 200 million dollar, big-budgeted bust, anything that breaks the 100 million mark in March is worth taking notice.

British thespian Malcolm McDowell was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Friday morning, then hosted a double feature of “A Clockwork Orange” and “Time After Time” at the Egyptian Theater later that evening.

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Trailers for “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” and “Iron Sky” recently hit the Internet.  Those who have heard of these films are understandably excited, and those who are unaware of either will be marking their calendars shortly thereafter.

Well.... at least it's not "Daredevil."

I walked out of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance not really knowing what I had just seen.  It is a terrible movie, but it is unabashedly ambitious in a way that somehow manages to wrestle from the audience something that resembles respect.  Not actual respect, mind you, and not enough of it to warrant any real praise, but there is something so odd about a film this bad, but made with this much passion.

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A bit unfocused, but very funny and well acted. 3 out of 4.

The trailers for The Trip make the film out to be a madcap comedy.  Truth is, The Trip contains a number of genres, from comedy to foodie to road movie to character drama, and for the most part, they all work.

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Weird, original and enticing, but very misguided. 2/4

Rubber is about a sentient tire named Robert that rolls around the highways of the American Southwest, becomes infatuated with a young woman, and blows peoples’ heads off via telekinesis.  Naturally, when word of this film hit the Internet early last year, people were understandably perplexed and excited; it was the right side of bizarre.

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Utterly Charming. A True Delight. 4/4.

Since his cinematic move to Europe, Woody Allen has continued experimenting with a variety of styles and genres, ranging from mysteries to romance to morality tales, most of which were of a much darker tone than what one would expect from the famed filmmaker.  In Midnight in Paris, Allen breaks away from this trend and delivers one of his most charming, optimistic films of his career.

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With the succession of Marvel films throughout the last three years, The Avengers has become the most anticipated film of the film season, more so even than The Dark Knight Rises.  With the film’s principle photography having begun in late April, the upcoming comic book epic is no longer an upcoming project discussed on the internet and Comic-Con, but can now be seen upon the horizon.

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Smart, engaging, funny, thoughtful, and doesn't collapse under its own weight. 4 out of 4.

There is a scene early on in Jesus of Montreal in which one of the characters performs a voiceover to a video depicting the Big Bang, and the inevitable end of the universe.  The presentation is both scientific and philosophical, and all in all, quite moving.  After he is done, the voice over artist turns to the sound technician and says, “Leaves a lot unanswered,” a question that not only addresses the cosmology at hand, but the nature of the human experience betwixt the beginning and the end.  In many ways, the scene sums up the film: curious, introspective, and reverent towards scientific explanations and religious experiences.

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