Drive Angry 3D

Get some. 

I know it's not the most popular opinion out in the world of film right now, but Drive Angry is a work of art. Pure pulp, 70's style exploitative Grindhouse art. In fact, the only thing that could make this film more born of the 70's midnight movies is if Nicolas Cage were played by a Van Peeble and had the word "sucka" in his catch phrase. But, as it stands in 2011, simply being named Milton and having the balls to literally drive out of hell with stolen goods is enough. Milton is a violent criminal serving time in Hell for his bad, bad deeds. He witness his daughter get raped and murdered on Earth, and sees his baby granddaughter get stolen for a ritual sacrifice by the people who murdered his little girl. Naturally, like a bat out of... he takes the fastest car he can, steals the most powerful gun known to any world, and takes the trash out. 

Let me reiterate this - a man escapes from Hell, hunting a satanic cult who is about to sacrifice his granddaughter, and to top it off? He himself is being hunted by Satan's right hand man, known only as The Accountant. And he picks up a hot blonde hitchhiker. And - though this may be a spoiler alert - he has a gunfight with about ten people, while having sex. If this movie got any cooler, my face would have fallen off.

More after the cut -- 

Paul

Eat your heart out, Roger. 

Paul is the simple story of an alien with an attitude, and a heart of gold. In fact, the entire point film is so sweet, that it seems almost impossible to believe that most of the film is crude, and partly cruel. Unlike Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, which were helmed by Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have brought us an eager "who said it" film filmed with countless references and... political poignancy. All this, from Superbad and Adventureland director Greg Mottola. Mottola's filmography is small, but consistent - he's a comedian's director with a lot of his own to say. That's a form of direction I've always appreciated; the ability to let others shine while imbuing your own specific messages into the forefront. But, here, Paul has mismatched its intent with its delivery. And that, in retrospect, hinders a positive reminder of the film. 

More after the cut --

Hereafter, and Others on DVD This Week

Weeks like this, for DVD releases, fascinate me. Three DVDs that match the spectrum of viewership - excellent, middling, and awful. The Fighter, Hereafter, and The Switch. The real question, however, is which is worth the twenty you'll have to shell out to pick one up. Or... the four or five you'll have to toss down to rent one from Blockbuster. Or get for free from Netflix. Or a buck at RedBox.  That in mind, the more important question, which is worth the time?

So, time and money in mind, let's take a look at each release.





In this corner, we have David O Russell's boxing autobiography The Fighter. I remember when the trailer hit the web, and people were immediately divided between love and hate for what Christian Bale's performance promised to be. It was an exercise in pure method gain (and weight loss?). Personally, and the Academy agreed, I found it to be intoxicating and brutal, with moments of hilarity that the actor hasn't had a chance to stretch in years. The performance is legend, and for my money, with the price of admission and certainly worth the time. For a full review, click here.

More after the cut --