To quote the opening seconds of another classic Eighties title crying out for a remake: “Okay, let’s do it.”
“Agora”: Alejandro Amenabar takes a giant step backwards after “The Sea Inside” with this rather overburdened historical drama about the destruction of the library of Alexandria. I thought Rachel Weisz was quite good in it, but felt the movie as a whole didn’t really work. Glenn agrees; Jason is more accommodating.
“The A-Team“: What can I say? I love it when a remake comes together.
“It Came from Kuchar“: Once upon a time, in the magical kingdom of the Bronx, two brothers made some very strange movies. Jennifer M. Kroot’s documentary celebrates the creators of “I Was a Teenage Strumpot” and “The Naked and the Nude”. And if you read on, you’ll find a shortish look at “Birdemic: Shock and Terror”, which is playing a midnight show at the Bloor tomorrow night and about which Will Sloan writes very astutely here.
“The Karate Kid”: The ’10s are the new ’80s, Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are the new Noriyuki “Pat” Morita and Ralph Macchio … and the new “Karate Kid” is 139 minutes long. Rad was less than whelmed, but Adam thought it was okay.
“Machotaildrop”: If Wes Anderson and Harmony Korine had a baby, he might grow up to make something like Corey Adams and Alex Craig’s odd but endearing little fantasy about an impressionable young shredder (Anthony Amedori) corrupted by Big Skateboard. Or he might grow up to take over the world with robots that play Kinks singles. Adam liked it; Andrew didn’t really go for it.
“The ‘Socalled’ Movie”: Fresh from Hot Docs, Gary Beitel’s study of radical klezmer fusion artist Josh Dolgin drops into the Royal for a limited run. Susan found it a little light on insight, but the music will still pull you in.
There, that’s everything. Oh, except for the ongoing Dennis Hopper tribute at the Toronto Underground Cinema, and the massive Kurosawa retrospective that kicks off tonight at TIFF Cinematheque. I’ve written at length about those for NOW Daily, and will link to that post as soon as it goes live. UPDATE: Turns out there are two separate posts — one for Kurosawa, and another for Hopper. Enjoy!
“To quote the opening seconds of another classic Eighties title crying out for a remake: ‘Okay, let’s do it.'”
Remake Tango & Cash??? It’s a sacred cow of eighties bombast, witty repartee, and over-cranked synth music. Besides, with 2 directors required to give said bombast some finesse, and the presence of the inimitable Brion James, a teeth gnashing Jack Palance (“Tango and Cash… Cash & Tango”), and a silvery Terry Hatcher jiggling to Yazoo, it’s a perfect guilty pleasure that’s a hair away from being Holy.
Oh heck, it IS Holy!
It is also the film where I learned all about the magic word FUBAR.
– MRH