Oscars 2009

Alright it's that time of year for the Oscars again, I personally don't see the big fuss why people care what suits or dresses the celebs wear every year because in the end aren't we suppose to focus on the important thing about the Oscars: film. Anyways I don't plan on sitting through the entire ordeal because it's just so bleeding boring and for 3 hours I could be watching two decent flicks in that timeframe instead of 3+ hours of boring speeches and celebrity jib-jab. Here's my predictions for this year's Oscars:

-Slumdog Millionaire wins best picture and deservedly so but I did enjoy Milk. Why the hell is The Reader nominated? God that movie sucks!

-Heath Ledger will win for best supporting actor but I wouldn't be mad if Robert Downey Jr. won for Tropic Thunder lol!

-Mickey Rourke wins best actor.

-I think Anne Hathaway should win best actress but the award will most likely go to Kate Winslet for The Reader; a movie I didn't enjoy at all (it was boring as hell) and can't believe is up for a best picture nomination.

-Penelope Cruz gets here supporting actress Oscar easily.

-Danny Boyle should get best director in a field full of very good directors, then again I think Slumdog Millionaire is going to runaway with a majority of the awards tonight.

-Pixar's Wall-E will take best animated movie like they do every other year.

-I've only seen one film nominated for best foreign language film and that was Waltz With Bashir which was pretty awesome in the animation department so my vote goes to that flick.

-Man On Wire should get best documentary but more than likely won't.

Review: CHOCOLATE (2007)

The TIFF crew with Chocolate director Prachya Pinkaew


The only martial arts film I got to see at the Toronto International Film Festival 2008 and also the closing film of the festival and let’s just say it ended the festival off with a bang. From the director of Ong Bak and starring a new 23 year old female action protégé who goes by the name of Jeeja (probably spelled wrong) that has the same fierceness and commanding presence that Tony Jaa had in ONG BAK, CHOCOLATE is just an ass kicking good time. After a slow first half hour and a weak story, the film kicked it into top gear with its insane stunts and strong fight choreography. Fight fans rejoice and stay for the end credits to see the mishaps on set of making this film, Thai stuntmen and stuntwomen are crazy. Pick this one up on DVD which is available right now from Magnet Releasing.

The Boom Verdict: 4 out of 5

Review: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VI: JASON LIVES (1986)

With the remake coming out this year I felt I had to revisit my favorite Jason flick in this incredibly long running series. Yes this is the Frankenstein Jason in this movie as he is brought back to life by electricity during a storm and man he's pissed. I enjoyed this one a lot because not only is it violent as hell as Jason does his usual business but also it seems like the filmmakers actually gave a damn about this sequel and injected some humor into this entry, something that hasn't been explored in this series. If you haven't seen any of these Friday the 13th films don't start with the first one, watch this one instead. Review of the remake (or re-imagining, whatever you want to call it) coming soon!

The Boom Verdict: 4 out of 5

Review: MAX PAYNE (2008)

What a disappointment! Considering that I enjoyed the games very much when they first came out I think Hollywood sucked it hard with this film adaptation. I didn't have a problem with Mark Wahlberg and the cool looking cinematography however it was the laughable dialogue and bland plot that dragged the film down so much that by the time the action rolls in the movie is almost over, this is freakin Max Payne for crying out loud give me lots of crazy action not some Law and Order interrogation bullshit for 90% of the film...Weak sauce to say the least, a great looking piece of shit.

The Boom Verdict: 1.5 out of 5

Review: NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST (2008)

A teenage comedy aimed for the hipster crowd that works on some levels and I wished there was more development for the two lead characters. Good hip indie rock soundtrack that goes well with the film, Michael Cera and Kat Dennings seem to have good chemistry together but my gripe was that I felt they didn't go all the way with it and some of the humor in the film just didn't fit well. This film had the potential to be great but just ends up playing it safe, I still liked it though.

The Boom Verdict: 3.5 out of 5

The Jack Boom Files

Music and Shit

Review: PUNISHER: WAR ZONE (2008)

Despite the shoddy script and suspect cheesy acting with some of the characters, Punisher War Zone delivers the goods in the action department. Ray Stevenson is badass as Frank Castle, dood has the look and attitude Castle exudes in the comics. Visually this film looks better than the last one, credit goes to director Lexi Alexander for her use of neon pastel colours and steady hand when shooting the action sequences plus this film doesn't shy away from the red stuff with its over the top kills courtesy of our hero. Recommended for the action junkies, an entertaining 90 minutes of mindless mayhem.

The Boom Verdict: 3.5 out of 5

Review: QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)

Although I found Casino Royale to be a better film story wise, Quantum of Solace really jacks up the energy level in the action department. Daniel Craig gives another solid performance as the badass Bond, only thing that hinders it is the villain is weak and you don't sense any real attachment between Craig and Bond girl Olga Kurylenko but this film is still worthy of your precious time.

The Boom Verdict: 3.5 out of 5

Review: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008)

Danny Boyle's new film definitely should belong on the top of his filmography with the likes of Trainspotting, Millions and 28 Days Later. It's the story of a boy who has a chance to win 20 million rupees on India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and is accused of cheating as he approaches the 20 million rupee question, from this point on the boy tells his story of how he knew the answers by tying it in with his personal life. It's a compelling film that does not shy away from harsh realities but also has many layers and shows both the dark and light sides of these characters worlds. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is an excellent film to say the least.

The Boom Verdict: 5 out of 5

Review: EQUILIBRIUM (2002)

Now I was kind of worried when I watched this film because I realized that it's from Dimension Films and I have a personal grudge with Dimension for releasing bad movie after bad movie, especially unnecessary sequels to hit movies. Just to let you know, EQUILIBRIUM avoided the Dimension plague, actually it was on a whole other dimension. Read what follows.

In a futuristic world, a strict society has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Clerick John Preston (Christian Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes has the only person capable of overthrowing it. And from this point on, he unleashes his Guns of Fury.

This is probably I think, one of the best movies to come out in 2002...why didn't I hear about this movie until now. I read up on it somewhere on the Web and seemed like a kick ass movie, so when I watched it, it turned out to be more than I expected. Christian Bale as the Clerick gives a kick ass performance like he always does with his movies (AMERICAN PSYCHO is still his best role) and action hero suits him well, this guy better be making more action films. The film heavily borrows elements from THE MATRIX, BLADE RUNNER, and 1984 but it rips off these movies successfully and the pace of this film is quick like Bale pulling out his gat. What was very unique about the film was the creation of their own martial art known as Gun-Kata. I would like to learn this; it looked so damn cool in the movie that I want to sign up for classes. Although their were other characters in this film, you’ll only give a damn about Christian Bale’s character, he owned every motherfucker he blasted away with his gun skills, some of the best gunfights I’ve seen in some time. Leave your brain at the door for this one, it's all about Christian Bale kicking some serious ass before he donned the Batman cape.

The Boom Verdict: 4 out of 5

Review: THE DEPARTED (2006)

Martin Scorsese is back at what he does best: crime. The Departed comfortably puts the director back in this genre after trying his hand at dramas and period pieces for the past few years. This is actually a remake of a Hong Kong crime film called Infernal Affairs which was released 2002 and is now available at some of your local video stores. Although I am not a huge fan of remakes, The Departed does the original justice and adds its own presence.

The story of The Departed involves Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), who is a member of mob boss Frank Costello’s (played by Jack Nicholson) gang. Now Costello is being harassed by the cops on a daily basis, he sends Sullivan to the police academy so he can work his way up to becoming a police officer and become the mobs’ inside man in the police force. Leonardo DiCaprio is Billy Costigan, who pretty much parallels from Damon’s character as he is an undercover cop sent in to be the inside man in Costello’s gang. Both the mob and the police force find out that there are moles in their units and the film becomes a suspenseful game of cat and mouse as they both try to find out who is the mole.

Amazing! That word alone should just make you go to the theatre now. I’m not a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio but goddamn it I think he gave the performance of his career, I would be shocked if he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar this year. His character is full of raw emotion and blunt force anger; you really do feel bad for what he goes through in the film. Matt Damon plays Matt Damon, does a serviceable job, I honestly believe he is better at playing the silent role like the Bourne films but he holds his own. Jack Nicholson as the mob boss hams his character up with that Jack personality to give him that witty dark sense of humor and personality. Mark Wahlberg in his limited screen time steals every scene he is in as a bad ass, foul-mouthed sergeant who knows the secret of Leonardo DiCaprio’s character and basically cusses everyone out that he sees with that cockney Boston accent. Also look out for the actress in the film, Vera Farmiga, she’s a definite up and comer who we’ll see in many films as time goes on. Beautiful and gave a very good performance as the shrink for Leo’s character as well as the girlfriend of Matt Damon’s character. Marty, you are back! No matter how many different kinds of films he does, the gangster film will always be his bread and butter.

The Boom Verdict: 5 out of 5

Review: J.C.V.D. (2008)

I am not going to lie, I am a huge fan of Van Damme and it hurt me to see the man's career dip into straight to video oblivion but I think JCVD is the calling card that is going to bring the Muscles from Brussels back to the limelight. To start off on the right foot there is the wonderful one shot opening sequence of Van Damme shooting a scene for an action film right down to self parodying of himself throughout the film. Half comedy and half drama, this isn't your usual Van Damme fair and it's a breath of fresh air to see Van Damme bust out his best acting of his career, the monologue scene where he's talking to the audience had me by the balls. My only gripe was the robbery subplot went a bit far too long but it's only a minor thing. I'm hoping it receives distribution here because whether you're a fan of Van Damme's or not, this definitely will change your mind.

The Boom Verdict: 4.5 out of 5

Review: THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR (2008)

Not terrible but not great either, Mummy 3 just wasn't as fun to watch as the first film. The action sequences combined with the CGI were fun to watch but the story was dull and full of plot holes. The absence of Rachel Weisz was sorely missed this time around because Maria Bello just didn't fit the role at all, Jet Li was advertised as one of the stars of this film but was reduced here to an extended cameo and Rob Cohen cannot direct a fight sequence to save his life, you have Jet fighting Michelle Yeoh...ya should have taken advantage of that oppurtunity, not squander it to a very brief 30 second fight. I think this series should be laid to rest now.

The Boom Verdict: 2.5 out of 5

Review: THE WRESTLER (2008)

Darren Aronofsky has redeemed himself greatly by toning it down a notch and doing a much more simple story of an aging professional wrestler played wonderfully by Mickey Rourke who's nearing the end of his career and doing small wrestling gigs to make ends meet. After having a heart attack and told by doctors that his wrestling career is over, Rourke struggles with his life and doesn't know what to do and this is where the the centre of the story is based on. Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood provide good supporting characters but Rourke is the main reason this film is a must to see, glad to see the man back in the limelight and he should be rewarded come awards season.

The Boom Verdict: 5 out of 5

Review: ALONE IN THE DARK (2005)

Ahhh indeed I was alone in the dark seeing as how this movie was a huge bomb I wasn't surprised to find an almost empty movie theatre when I went to watch it. Uwe Boll is the director of this monstrosity and if you don't know who Uwe Boll is, well you should know that he shouldn't be near another Hollywood film ever again as he is the director of that lame ass video game adaptation House of the Dead that came out a few years ago and now the director of this dreck which is also a video game adaptation. The film stars Christian Slater as a paranormal investigator who's trying to solve the death of a friend and gets tied up with monsters and the action becomes a complete Aliens rip-off as the film progresses, his character seems bland and the whole action hero in a trenchcoat thing is getting played out. Tara Reid is believe it or not, a museum curator and also Christian Slater's character's ex-girlfriend who somehow got a part sleeping with the director I think seeing as how I laughed everytime she opened her mouth, she couldn't even say Newfoundland right. Stephen Dorff was probably the best thing about this movie as a jerk officer in charge of the 713 Bureau Unit who collects his paychecks well as he moves on from shit movie to shit movie (Steal, Cold Creek Manor, FearDotCom and now this).

If you plan on seeing this film, I suggest you wait until video if you're curious. Otherwise, avoid this and any other Uwe Boll film that will be made such as the upcoming videogame adaptation (again!) of Bloodrayne with the Terminator villain from T3 and Ben Kingsley (who really needs some money if he's in this).

The Boom Verdict: 1 out of 5