Kristopher McClanahan's Blog, page 5

Book Review - One For The Money by Janet Evanovich

ONE FOR THE MONEYBy Janet Evanovich1994, 338 pages, paperback, Humorous Mystery  
Re: A New Jersey girl, down on her luck, decides to get into the bounty hunter biz to get some quick cash - by catching her ex-lover, who also happens to be a policeman and an accused murderer. 
  Outstanding: I love humorous takes on the detective genre that still involve actual detecting. The characters here have a lot of life and personality, though a few are pretty obvious ripoffs of other well known characters. It's very much a novel of the era it was written in - big hair and all and it actually helps to ground the story.
  Unacceptable: Unfortunately, Stephanie Plum is so doggedly incapable of making even remotely intelligent descisions, it dragged down a good chunk of the story.
  Summary: Overall, I enjoyed this first installment in the Stephanie Plum series, which now number north of fifteen novels. Her incompetence got in the way of enjoying it a few times, but enough capers struck home and made me want to read the next book.
  3/5

Now Reading - THE PARTNER by John Grisham

Film Review - Big Nothing

BIG NOTHINGDirected By Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Starring David Schwimmer, Simon Pegg2006, 86 mins, [R] Crime-Comedy  
Re: After getting fired from a crappy job at a call center, aspiring author Schwimmer falls in with a con man and a blonde (How's that for a descriptive?) in a blackmail plan that goes spectacularly wrong.
  Outstanding: Straight-Up Comedic Crime Caper. This movie was a really pleasant surprise - good acting, clever twists, plenty of humor. This is one of those flicks where everything is connected in a spectacularly wrong fashion.
  Unacceptable: The only thing I had any real issue with was the actions of Schwimmer's wife. It seemed like there was a missing scene there. 
  Summary: I had no idea what this movie was when I started it, just chose a random flick in my queue I hadn't seen yet. It turned out being a perfect dessert to Oliver Stone's Savages. Everything it wasn't - goofy, fun, but still featuring the dirty, anything can happen crime that I dig. Not the best movie in the universe, but for its genre, pretty great. 
  4/5
Similar Flicks - Big Trouble, Whole Nine Yards, Ice Harvest, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Film Review - Hit And Run

HIT & RUNDirected by David Palmer, Dax Shepard
Starring Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, Bradley Cooper 2012 100 mins, [R]  
Re: Charles Bronson is in love with Annie, a neurotic but perky blond. He is also in the Witness Protection Program. His protector is Tom Arnold. When Charlie decides to take Annie to LA for a job interview, her jealous ex, Lex Luthor discovers Charlie's old name and reveals his location to his former miscreant bank robbers. They come looking for him to settle the score. Car chases and hilarity ensue.
  Outstanding: Dax and Kristen are both pretty great in this. They pull off the in love but obnoxious couple well and a lot of their dialogue came off as realistic. Some great car chase scenes, sexy cars. If you think cars are sexy. Also nude old people if you think those are sexy.
  Unacceptable: The chases, however are more in the drift in circles mode of chase than any actual chasing. Like Duck, Duck, Lincoln. most of the supporting cast is either set dressing or kind of wasted.
  Summary: This is a dumb madcap romp with enough raunch thrown in to let you know it was made recently. It was done on a tiny budget but manages to throw in a great soundtrack and a few fun cameos. I have to admit, I'm attracted to Kristen Bell, Dax Sheppard and Michael Rosenbaum in various degrees on the charisma event scale, so my opinion of this is colored, but apart from some of the bickering being needlessly annoying, I enjoyed this little flick. Your mileage may vary, depending on your love of them and how often you spin cookies needlessly during a chase.
  4/5

Book Review - TWO GRAVES by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

TWO GRAVESby Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child2012, 488 pages, eBook  
Re: Lincoln and Child's favorite southern detective is at it again, unraveling mysteries of his past, his wife's dark history and his own demons while other characters do vaguely connected things.
  Outstanding: I've always liked Pendergast and crew and the authors now how to keep things interesting when they write...
  Unacceptable: But this novel feels off. Pendergast's story, while interesting is a silly hodge podge of Nazis, clones and drug-induced wallowing and apart from D'Agosta's storyline, the rest of the characters have absolutely nothing to do with the plot whatsoever. Corrie's barely intersects at all.
  Summary: I enjoyed TWO GRAVES but really long for the supernatural detective horrors of Preston & Child's earlier novels. Maybe it's time to write a book that isn't focused on the screwy Pendergast family tree? 
  3/5

Film Review - Absentia

ABSENTIADirected by Mike Flanagan
Starring Katie Parker2011, 87 mins, [R]
 
Re: A young woman moves in with her sister, who is going through the procedure to declare her husband dead after seven years of being missing. Then strange things begin happening and his disappearance may be part of a larger terror.

Outstanding: Katie Parker in particular was outstanding - pretty, evocative with a non-Hollywood appeal. The special effects were quite strong. Everything - the sets and people felt like "Real Life".
  Unacceptable: Which was undoubtedly a side effect of this being a low budget film. While some of it benefited, other parts had a very college film feel to it. The music, which consisted primarily of one tone played for long periods of time got old really, really fast. The movie poster, when viewed up close is terrible and doesn't really sell the film for what it is.

  Summary: Overall, this was a truly pleasant surprise! Creepy and suspenseful with a kind of Donnie Darko meets IT vibe. Worth watching.
  4/5

Film Review - The Traveler

THE TRAVELERDirected by Michael Oblowitz
Starring Val Kilmer, some guy with a defined jawline2010, 96 mins, [R]  
Re: It's Christmas Eve somewhere warm and rainy. A group of six cops are bickering when a man shows up and says he wants to confess to murder. Murder! Murders that maybe haven't happened yet but might have to do with a secret they all share. A dark secret. About Murder!
  Outstanding: This isn't saying much, but most of the cast do a good job in their roles.
  Unacceptable: Man, this plot, a kind of twisty supernatural thriller thing, was bad and super obvious within minutes of the opening. I love Val Kilmer, but he was terribly miscast here. Also, the fact that there is a cat named "Shining" annoyed me the entire runtime. SHINING???
  Summary: I guess this would be an acceptable viewing if you just watched Fallen and wished it was more revenge themed with a side of crap.
  2/5

Film Review - The Innkeepers

 THE INNKEEPERSDirected by TI West
Starring Sara Paxton, Kelly McGillis2011, 101 mins, [R]  
Re: On the final weekend of a historic hotel, two clerks decide to find definitive proof of a ghost haunting the building.
  Outstanding: Creepy, slow burn of a movie. Paxton in particular shines as a slightly neurotic, jumpy clerk. The music was great - atmospheric and never too obtrusive.
  Unacceptable: There is one point of computer censoring that's overly obvious and drew me out of the moment. The whole EVP thing is getting a little old for me.
  Summary: Really strong performances anchor this fun little haunted house movie - no twist endings or cheap CGI cop-outs, just a creepy haunted hotel. What more could you want??
  4/5

Movie Review - Some Guy Who Kills People

 SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE
Directed by Jack Perez
Starring Kevin Corrigan, Karen Black, Barry Bostwick2011. 97 mins, [R]  
Re: A socially introverted man tries to adjust to life outside the mental institution in the midst of a tough love mother, a menial job, an unexpected daughter and someone killing his old enemies... The mentally unstable comic book artist/ main character, perhaps? Doesn't seem like too much of a stretch.
  Outstanding: A lot of funny lines in this. Bostwick is downright hilarious, channeling equal parts Columbo and Drebin. Filmed simply, taking advantage of the shabby locations. The characters in this actually act like real people.
  Unacceptable: This kind of movie is definitely an acquired taste and some people won't enjoy it's laid back, sarcastic, gory vibe.
  Summary: I only knew Corrigan from a small but memorable role in Freaks and Geeks, but he did a great job. This flick was fun, a mish mash of bumbling police work, bloody revenge and a father bonding with his daughter. That said, since the first time I saw the poster, I was certain that the movie starred Clint Howard and kept waiting for him to show up.
  4/5

Movie Review - Comic Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope

 COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN'S HOPE
Directed by Morgan Spurlock2011, 88 mins, [PG-13]  
Re: A documentary following a few intrepid geeks as they follow their dreams at nerd mecca - The San Diego Comic Con.
  Outstanding: I adored the people Spurlock chose to tail - the hopeful comic artists, the dorky couple in love, the very pretty costume designer... She was pretty. Where was I? Oh yeah, and the little clip interviews with stars and fans were perfect. 
  Unacceptable: The only sour note for me was the Comic Book Dealer - his story was never really fleshed out, the desperation to keep afloat in a world drifting from the medium never really overcame the commercial aspect of his segments. The movie seemed a bit short, but that may have been because I was enjoying it.
  Summary: Such a great doc. I have always wanted to go to the SDCC and at the same time, shuddered to think of the cost and madness involved. This managed to show a bit of both and touch on many different aspects of the event. I'd love a follow up, especially now - two years down the line with the changes in focus and industry.
  Excelsior!/5

Movie Review - Iron Sky

  IRON SKY
Directed by Timo Vuorensola
Starring Udo Kier, Julia Dietze, Gotz Otto2012, 93 mins, [R]  
Re: The Nazis were never really defeated, they merely retreated to the far side of the moon and ordered steampunk items from Etsy.
  Outstanding: Big Budget effects! Julia Dietze is just the right mix of sassy and sheltered and really pretty. The Nazis, as a whole were very well designed and cast, with clever outfits and weaponry - all with a retro 50's sci-fi meets steampunk that looked great.

  Unacceptable: Every time the Americans are onscreen, the movie falls flat on it's face. They're unlikeable, bad actors, unfunny and obnoxious. Like real Americans. The plot, once past the awesomeness of Space Nazis, was terrible.
  Summary: I had really expected a better, cheesy throwback to 50's serials, not this glossy, loud satire of war and politics. I was very disappointed. It felt like one of those porn parodies they make now with terrible jokes, bad acting, surprisingly decent sets and costumes, cleavage and a dirty feeling when you finish watching.
  2/5

Note- The reviewer is not saying he's actually ever watched a porn parody, but he has seen the trailers. The whole movies are quite expensive!