Movie Junction

Even though the French director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is credited with directing the fourth movie in the popular “Alien” series, “Alien Resurrection” (1997), he became a known name in the U.S. with the charming tale of “Amelie” (2001). But his debut film, “Delicatessen” (1991), and a subsequent film, “The City of Lost Children” (1995), continue to remain utterly bizarre and weird after all these years. Jeunet’s films have always been about characters and their quirky situations, and “Delicatessen” does not deviate from Jeunet’s formula and characterizations. On the surface, “Delicatessen” is about conducting a business in a ravaged world, but at a deeper level it is a fiercely rebellious movie. First, you have a daughter, Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac), who is not on talking terms with her father, Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus); Clapet is a sinister butcher running his own shop in a building. Julie is a quiet person, but she is not afraid to speak her mind against Clapet’s barbaric ways. ...

Harvey Keitel began his career as the leading actor in Martin Scorsese's "Who's That Knocking at My Door?" (1967). Over the next few years Keitel appeared alongside Robert DeNiro in Scorsese's "Mean Streets" (1973) and "Taxi Driver" (1976). The leading actor with immense acting talent was transformed to a supporting actor category in the subsequent years of his acting career.  The period of the Nineties was where Keitel reinvented himself in trademark supporting roles in movies such as "Bugsy" (1991), "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), "Thelma & Louise" (1991), and "Pulp Fiction" (1994).  Although these movies were hugely successful, Keitel has always remained an underrated and underappreciated gem in Hollywood. Keitel stars in writer-director Abel Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant" (1992) as a nameless corrupt cop who is a drug addict as well as a gambler who lost a big bet in a baseball league match. ...

Open Water Made by a husband-wife team with a budget of $150,000, “Open Water” (2004) was later purchased by Lionsgate for $2.5 million. After receiving rave reviews from critics and with positive word of mouth, the movie raked in about $55 million at the box office, making it one of the most successful independent movies ever, after “Paranormal Activity” (2007) and “Mad Max” (1979). “Open Water” is based on a true story in which an American couple is gone missing in the ocean. Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis) decide to take a vacation break from their busy lives. While scuba diving, they drift away from their designated diving spot. To make matters worse, the boat crew miscounts the number of divers returning to the boat. Susan and Daniel are left alone in the ocean, but they hope the crew will come back for them after seeing their belongings in the boat. But as time passes, they soon realize that there will no help, and their fate in shark-infested waters hangs...

The cover for the new Lionsgate Blu-ray release of “Secretary” shows Maggie Gyllenhaal holding a piece of paper in her mouth in a bent-over position. Then, on the back cover you see her arms outstretched on a long bar with hands cuffed at the end of the bar-- again trying to hold office papers with her mouth. Another picture on the back cover shows James Spader strapping up a saddle on Gyllenhaal’s back. I wasn’t sure what to make of this lurid artwork:  Is this a movie about sadism and masochism? Or is this film a study about sexual fantasies? My expectations were low, but upon my first viewing of “Secretary,” I can say it is an unusual movie that surprised me with its complexity and depth. Even though this movie is eight years old, this is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s best performance to date, including her recent performance in “Crazy Heart” as well. “Secretary” was an independent movie released through Lionsgate back in 2002, produced with a minuscule budget and limited marketing, and ...

The eventful day of 9/11 is still very fresh in people’s mind, when America was attacked by terrorists, killing more than three-thousand people. The aftermath of the events led America to wage two battles--in Iraq and Afghanistan--in an effort to quell terrorism. It was a game-changing event impacting the world we live in. With the hope to make American safe and to catch future terrorists, new security measures were implemented like wiretapping, racial profiling, the Patriot Act, and torture--against a fierce political outcry that deemed these measure unconstitutional. One can argue if the new measures have actually made America safer, but one thing has become increasing clear--the new techniques have demonized the moderate Muslim population. More so, the 9/11 terrorist attack has divided the entire nation based on religion, and it has lead to a questioning of the rights of freedom of speech as constituted by our founding fathers.   The post-9/11 era has produced several Hollywo...

Director Adrian Lyne is mainly known for erotic movies like “9 1/2 Weeks” (1986), “Fatal Attraction” (1987), “Lolita” (1997), and “Unfaithful” (2002). His “Flashdance” (1983) and “Fatal Attraction”--both produced with meager budgets--became big hits, while the latter generated critical Oscar acclaim during its theatrical run. Although these movies are consistent to his style, “Jacob’s Ladder” (1990) is an odd film in Lyne’s filmography. Billed by some critics and the media as the scariest movie ever, “Jacob’s Ladder” has developed into something of an unseen cult classic--a movie frequently appearing in the top list of horror movies but still not watched by a large number of moviegoers. I skipped the previous DVD release, but the new Blu-ray edition from Lionsgate provided me another opportunity to view this underrated gem. After having watched “Jacob’s Ladder” for the first time, I can say that it is better not to get too descriptive with story details. Instead, I am just going t...

Earlier this year, the “New Yorker” magazine published an article written by Hilton Als in the April 26, 2010, issue, in which he wrote about Tyler Perry. In the article, Als highlights the fact that Perry is the most-financially successful black man in the American film industry. I am not going to argue this, but Al describes Perry’s cinematic style with numerous examples and references. After watching an Oprah Winfrey episode, Perry decided to launch his entertainment career with a meager savings of $12,000. Perry’s first theatrical feature in 1992, “I know I’ve Been Changed,” tanked initially, and success was hard to come by. He realized that he was targeting the wrong audience, and soon implemented a new launch strategy. During its second life in 1998, the show became hugely successful. Perry’s signature style always deals with relationships and human conditions. In this aspect, “Why Did I Get Married Too?” (2010) is no different from his other movies. “Why Did I Get Married Too...