House of Usher (1960)

American International Pictures presents the first Edgar Allan Poe-Roger Corman horror film. For being a low budget affair, the film is very atmospheric and stylish. Some young pup (fiance of the Usher sister) comes to the Usher household to visit but runs into trouble when the mysterious Usher Roderick gives him a hard time. While Vincent Price gives a hammy but delicious performance as Rod, the supporting cast is nothing to write home about. The young Mark Damon's acting gets pretty sloppy especially towards the end ("TELL ME!"). The film's pacing is slow and drags a bit despite having a very slim 79 minute runtime. The costumes, set design, atmosphere, and garish but limited effects work were all pretty impressive for what little budget Corman was working with, but ultimately I felt the characters and writing fell flat (my apologies to Richard Matheson). The meatiest part of the film is the fiery climax, but the final scene plus the slick production design just doesn't quite succeed in holding the film up. I'd recommend this one for Vincent Price or Roger Corman enthusiasts and that's about it.

6/10

Django Unchained (2012)

Quentin Tarantino delivers another snappily stylish film, this time taking us to pre-Civil War America giving him the opportunity to parade around some classic Western homages (along with the typical exploitation fare). The film is gruesome, violent, offensive, and sometimes disturbing, but do you expect anything less from the man? The film is also fantastic. Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx give magnetic performances driving us comfortably through the film, and Di Caprio does an incredible job as the vile Calvin Candie. Tarantino nailed the production aesthetic of a 1960s Western right on the head, and the soundtrack is perfect for the film. Django Unchained is not afraid to breach taboo subjects regarding slavery, race, or whatever, but with Tarantino at the helm I always wonder if he's trying to make the audience think or just exploiting the taboo. Whether intelligent, exploitative, or both, Django Unchained is deliciously entertaining. The film is not without its faults: As usual, Tarantino tends to go a bit overboard on the language and violence. There was one particular shootout that went on so long that I lost interest two-thirds of the way through. I also thought the play with morality (and the karmic results thereof), a staple of classic Westerns, should have caught up to the protagonists a little harder in the end--despite their ambition and goal, I wouldn't say their actions were necessarily good the entire time. Regardless, go see it. It's great!

8/10

PS: I forgot to mention Samuel L Jackson. He's acting in this one--and well!

Gunga Din (1939)

Gunga Din is a polished adventure film from Hollywood's Golden Year starring Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as rowdy fun-loving British soldiers in colonial India and Sam Jaffe in a rather touching performance (despite the no longer acceptable practice of brownface) as their Indian servant Gunga Din. The film is like other RKO adventure pictures in the thirties (like King Kong) in that nearly everything about it is larger than life, from the characters to the sets and setpieces. Of the four main actors, three turn in great performances: Cary Grant as a cocky soldier with imperialist swagger--out for treasure at any cost; Victor McLaglen's as his crusty officer companion; and Sam Jaffe as Gunga Din. That leaves Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in the rather undemanding role of a sap about to leave the army to be married. Also of note is Eduardo Cianelli as the menacing Thuggee cult guru. A good sense of humor, an excellent cast, enormous battle scenes, and exceptional production values make this a wonderful film that has aged quite gracefully.

8/10

Expendables 2, The (2012)

The Expendables 2 is a dismal affair starring a bunch of my favorite actors who are showing their age. Sylvester Stallone leads the Expendables team again in the action film equivalent of an early silent slapstick comedy: a clothesline on which to hang the gags. Unfortunately for us, the gags consist of insensible macho lines, bad action, and too many washed-up action stars. So washed-up that it diluted any potential impact. Their flat characters are even flatter this time despite obvious childish attempts at character development. Even more criminal, though, is that the elements that made the first one a success--80s action violence--was so poorly executed that it seemed like they originally been filmed it with PG-13 in mind, then threw violent cutaways in as an afterthought. With strong direction and writing, Jean-Claude Van Damme can appear halfway normal--without it though, he's a sauntering, round-house-kicking buffoon. It's a shame because I was looking forward to seeing him as a villain. Arnold and Bruce's cameo at the end is not nearly enough to save an already sunken ship. And don't get me started on Chuck Norris. All around a lack-luster, boring, and miserable experience.

2/10