Episode 19 October 9th, 2011

Welcome to another episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? the movie review podcast where Shaun and Jesse compare the Top Box Office Earner and the Best Picture Academy Award Winner of the same year. We take a look at the critical consensus and the mass appeal to try and get to the heart of what makes a movie really great. The year we look at is 2006 and the films we discuss are Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Lowbrow) and The Departed (Highbrow).

The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, stars Matt Damon and Leonardo Dicaprio as two sides of the same coin, both young up and comers in the police department. However, they both are insiders on opposing organizations, Damon an informant for the gangster Frank Costello (played by Jack Nicholson), Dicaprio a snitch for the undercover unit lead by Queenan (played by Martin Sheen). There are a lot of big performances in this film, most notably Jack Nicholson as the devilish Frank Costello, who revels in his debauchery. Dicaprio is able to keep up with everyone else by playing the heart of this movie with a fiery passion. Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen all deliver strongly in this film with strong characters and big attitudes. Matt Damon plays a convincing foil to Dicaprio, a more leveled and cool character, who portrays his conflict underneath, trying to justify his role in all the mayhem. Scorses finally scored the Best Picture Award for this film, more of a recognition of his storied career. Despite the movie clocking in at 151 min, the time isn't felt due to the deft editing and exciting pacing of the story. This is yet another strong outing from a legendary director who brings all the elements together to make a truly great film that can be enjoyed by many.

Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, directed by Gore Verbinski, has Captain Jack Sparrow, played famously by Johnny Depp, searching for the heart of Davy Jones to control the seas, while William (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth (Kiera Knightley) try to reunite and live happily ever after. Though Depp plays Sparrow with a classic zeal, this movie still feels like more of the same. The plot can be pretty convoluted and hastily explained where you're left wondering what really is going on. To make up for the that, they pile on the effects and the action to almost a ridiculous level, but at a certain point you just begin to tune out. Although there are fun action sequences and impressive effects, the lackluster story and overloaded visuals are wearisome.

So what film did we end up siding with? The visual effects feast of Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest or the gritty crime thriller The Departed? Be sure to tune in and check out the latest Highbrow! Lowbrow? to find out.

Episode 18 September 27th. 2011

Here's another episode of Highbrow! Lowbrow? the movie review retrospective, taking a look at the Top Box Office Earner and the Best Picture Academy Award Winner of the same year. With each episode, we seek to figure out who was right that year: the masses or the critics. This time we're hitting the Lowbrow pretty hard with Billy Jack up against the Highbrow but gritty crime thriller The French Connection, both from 1971.

The French Connection, directed by William Friedkin, stars Gene Hackman as rough cop Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle together with Roy Schneider as Det. Buddy Russo on the chase of drug czars with a french connection. This film was expertly directed by Friedkin as he brought a real rawness keeping the camera handheld throughout and shooting guerilla style (without permits). It really adds to the intensity of the most memorable scene of the movie the car-train chase, in which Hackman barrels through New York chasing a subway train through traffic. Hackman as Doyle is fantastic, a true badass, but really calls into question the idea of bad cop. The French Connection is a great action thriller that can be enjoyed viscerally but has enough layers to be stimulate intellectually.

Billy Jack, directed by and starring Tom Laughlin as Billy Jack, a half Indian, hapkido expert and Green Beret who roams the land protecting the local school for outcast children from the evil backward ways of the townspeople. This movie is the definition of a so bad it's good film, with unintentional comedy abound. Tom Laughlin is on a quest to spew his message of peace and love while also getting to kick butt in this film. From the hippie school doing improv acts to the redneck bad guys, it's all just a train-wreck of free love and people power. If your a fan of films such as The Room or Plan 9 From Outer Space, be sure to check out Billy Jack.

So what film ultimately won our hearts in the end? The bounty of treasures that is Billy Jack or the no nonsense gruffness of The French Connection? Check out the latest Highbrow! Lowbrow? to find out!

Reds

"Reds" is an epic, and it's hard not to admire the sheer ambition on display in this production. But it feels like a vanity project. The majority of the film is comprised of people sitting around tables yelling at each other. This does not appeal to me. Particularly when they're mostly shouting about the Bolshevik revolution and worker's rights. Hard to follow, and hard to be entertained. Nonetheless, Beatty is a tremendous actor and he managed to corral a lot of notable talent for the film. But all in all it's too preachy and self-righteous for me.


Written 9/2/10

A Prophet

As brutal and harrowing as you'd expect a prison drama to be. I had to turn my eyes away from the action several times. Tahar Rahim is brilliant as the wide-eyed young prisoner trying to find his way in life. The supporting cast is also excellent. "Un Prophète" is not for the faint of heart!


Written 8/25/10

Up in the Air

The time flew by watching this. George Clooney is a king of smug banter. He seems to float through each scene. In other words, he plays emotional detachment exceedingly well. The lead character in "Up in the Air" is perfectly tailored to his strengths. Minus a couple of weak interludes that strain believability, this is a strong film chock full of themes snatched from the daily lives of working men and women everywhere.


Written 8/25/10

The Documentaries of Louis Malle: Vive Le Tour / Humain, Trop Humain / Place de la Republique

"Vive Le Tour" is brilliant, but the other two documentary features included on the disc are overly long and boring. "Place de la Republique" in particular suffers from a lack of narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed Malle's revealing glimpse into the annual Tour de France. You may want to steer clear of the other two.


Written 8/13/10

Facing Ali

It is highly entertaining hearing all these old-timers reminisce about facing Muhammad Ali, one of boxing's all-time greats. There are a surprising number of poignant moments, too. Particularly affecting is the footage of Joe Frazier, a sweetheart of a man who still bears scars from the verbal abuse and taunting Ali leveled at him. There's no doubt Ali had a dark side. "Facing Ali" is a documentary filled with remarkable men and remarkable stories.


Written 8/13/10