Cool Hand Luke (1967): The Power of Luke Compells You

Freeze-framin' the title sequence here, boss!


Alludin' to Christ here, boss!

Yet another film on my long list of "seriously? you've never seen that?" movies. You could probably sum up Cool Hand Luke very quickly by saying it's one of the cinema's quintessential anti-authority pictures, prisoner vs. guards, but by stopping there, that really doesn't even scratch the surface. It's a very broad generalization...you get the idea from the synopsis, and the idea comes across quite clearly in the movie, but thematically, there are layers upon layers. Some of the themes presented are subtle while others are beating you over the head with a pipe wrench. See that screenshot up above, with the main character, Luke, laying on the table in a position identical to Jesus Christ being crucified on the cross? It's no coincidence -- that's just one example of the movie's Christian-centric subtext. A fair warning: there are a good bit of spoilers throughout this post, so I'd highly recommend seeing the movie before you continue reading.






Basically, what I'm getting at here is that Luke is, figuratively speaking, Jesus. If you think I'm reading too much into it, well, that's just the tip of the iceberg, so keep reading. The movie starts off with our anti-hero, Luke (played by Paul Newman at the absolute top of his game) cutting the tops off of parking meters. He's hammered while he's doing this, so when the cops show up he doesn't really seem too concerned. He literally laughs it off. If I was Paul Newman, fuck it, I would too. He's a bad-ass. OK, so, he's taken to a prison camp, assigned a number, drilled with rules & regulations, the whole nine yards. We spend the entire movie with Luke and his newly assigned group of denim-clad convict compatriots, from their bunks inside the prison camp to roads seemingly in the middle of nowhere, doing work no one would ever notice. Work that will never get done.

There's a scene maybe 20 to 30 minutes into the movie that I honestly thought was a bit out of place, and you might already know what it is: the car wash scene. Sure, it's exploitative and fun to watch, but what's the point? I kept thinking about it after the movie was over...then it struck me. Not only are there allusions to Christianity, but the script also thoroughly explores the seven deadly sins.

Here are some examples---

Lust - Pretty obvious choice. The car wash scene. It seems extremely gratuitous for this scene to be in the movie since it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot aside from hammering you over the head with the most obvious fact on Satan's earth -- all prisoners (or perhaps even just all males) are horndogs that want to fuck as much as humanly possible. Dig a little deeper and you'll realize that, thematically, the movie couldn't work without this scene.

Gluttony - Luke gets involved in an egg eating contest, which I could also count for "Greed" since all the other prisoners are betting money on whether or not he can eat 50 of them in an hour. But, of all things to eat, why eggs? Kinda like Easter Eggs? EASTER?? JESUS!!!!

Greed - see above.

Sloth - I suspect this might be the reason he went to jail in the first place. We come to learn that Luke is intelligent, witty, full of surprises. Yet, when we first see him, he's wasted, cutting the heads off parking meters, apparently for fun. He's not living up to his potential; he's better than this. His slothfulness starts off the entire chain of events.

Wrath - The scene that immediately comes to mind would be the boxing match between Luke and Dragline. Wrath doesn't necessarily have to manifest itself with physical violence, it could just be feelings of anger in general.

Envy - Most notable example is the prisoners looking at the photo of Luke in the magazine. He's pictured with his arms around two women, and, not surprisingly, the prisoners wish they were there.

Pride - This one is present in nearly the entire movie, it's just a part of Luke's personality. Luke refuses to swallow his pride in the boxing match and continues to get the shit beat out of him instead of staying down. He never breaks (but fakes it later in the movie in order to stop digging a ditch over and over) and eventually keeps trying to escape.




Dragline = Judas? There was no reason at all that Drag had to rat Luke out and then run to the church just to rub it in his face. Other than that, Drag never really acts like a Judas. After Luke gets shot, Drag runs over and chokes Boss Godfrey out, almost killing him, so there IS loyalty there. Once Drag is reunited with the rest of the gang, he's talking to them like he's preaching Gospel. LUKE IS RISEN....but did Luke really even die? Oh, and by the way, George Kennedy is absolutely amazing as Dragline. Such a great performance. Kennedy won an Oscar for the role, and he deserved it.

I'm still trying to figure out the significance of Luke's mother. If Luke is Jesus, is Arletta supposed to be God? Luke refers to God as "old man" near the end of the movie, doubly implying that he is a dude AND that Luke is his son. Plus, there's no physical presence of Luke's father in the movie. His mom is lying down in that truck...why is she lying down the whole time? I mean, it's like she just gave birth.....TO THE BABY CHRIST, SHE IS THE VIRGIN MARY, OH GOD I JUST BLEW MY OWN MIND. Another thing I forgot to mention is that Harry Dean Stanton's character occasionally chimes in with these hymn-like songs, one immediately after Luke's talk with Arletta. What the significance of these songs are other than to add more weight to the religious symbolism, I'm not quite sure. Like Luke said about eating the eggs, "maybe it's just something to do."




And if God is present in this movie, then surely Satan is somewhere to be found (and he is), but who is he? It's either the captain or Boss Godfrey, it's not very clear cut. The movie's symbolism and I are having a failure to communicate (nyuk nyuk). My initial reaction would be that it's the captain, since it seems like there's no one he answers to; like there's not really anyone in a position above him.





More iconography. The crossroads are followed immediately by the fade-in of Luke's torn-up photo, with the tears forming a very familiar shape. This is the last shot of the movie, and even though it's a photo, Luke is alive in it. The notion that he is still alive is doubly reaffirmed by the fact that the photo is pieced back together as if it was never torn apart (save the white lines where it was ripped). Luke is a martyr, no doubt about it, and whether he really is dead or alive at the end remains up in the air. If he did indeed die after riding away in the back of the police car, then I believe this ending is hinting at his resurrection.

I was disappointed to find out that after I made all this effort to connect all these fucking dots, that most everyone else on the planet had already picked up on it. I mean, I can't say I'm surprised, it's so heavy-handed you would seriously have to be asleep to not catch on to the "religiousness" of it all.
I'm not sure I can recall a movie with more blatant religious iconography besides The Passion of the Christ (duh, that guy was totally supposed to be Jesus) or Cool Runnings (John Candy = Abraham, The Bobsled Team = The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!!!!! just let it soak in).

Well, that about does it...I got nothin' left. BUT HEY -- sometimes nothin' can be a pretty cool hand. *wink* *wink* *wink* *wink* *wink* ;););););)

Wait a second....a pretty cool hand......like THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD??!?!? OPIN UR 3RD EYEZZZZ AND C DA TROOTHH!!!!!!



Finishin' a post here, boss!

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Brand New Clips For Lazy Internet Users

More new clips in the full post below. 100 percent Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey!

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RoosterFlix DVD Picks for August 19th

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Dexter - The Complete Second Season (2007)
dir. n/a

I still haven't seen one episode of this show, but I'll be watching the first two seasons within the week. There's too much positive word-of-mouth to let this show go unwatched any longer.

Product Decsription:
Dark and sinister is the new sexy, thanks to Dexter, which in its second season has proven to be the most successful series Showtime has offered up yet. Remember how much you squirmed in your seat during the season one finale? Believe it or not, the premiere of season two felt like it could have been a season finale--because jaws were on the floor when the credits rolled. For being a supposed sociopath, Dex is pretty broken up about the gruesome events that concluded last season. The one and only person who could possibly understand him is six feet under, and it seems our unlikely hero is losing his homicidal grip. He’s even having a little trouble slicing up a few of his latest victims (from a murderous gang member to a chainsaw-wielding fiend from his past). Enter Lila (Jaime Murray, Hustle), a lady with a sweet British accent and a few dark secrets of her own. She seems to accept Dex for who he really is, and he finds himself feeling relaxed for the first time in his life. In contrast, his relationship with his girlfriend Rita (Julie Benz) has been stretched almost to a breaking point. The problem is, he should be anything but relaxed. Someone picked a poor place to go scuba diving off the Florida coast, and came across an underwater graveyard: Dex’s primo spot for dropping dismembered bodies wrapped in heavy-duty trash bags. Word about the "Bay Harbor Butcher" gets out quick, and the F.B.I. sends the best of the best, Special Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine, Deadwood) to work alongside the police to sniff out Miami’s latest serial killer. This guy is no schlub, and Dex may have met his match. And, yes, Dexter gets to work with Lundy on a daily basis, which provides some wonderfully awkward moments. It certainly doesn’t help that the intuitively paranoid Sergeant Doakes (Erik King, Oz) is hot on Dex’s trail.
Season two of Dexter is all about decisions. Lila or Rita? Old code or new code? Run or fight? Right or wrong? Well, one thing’s for sure: When it comes to writing, casting, acting, and production, the makers of this show made all the right decisions. Michael C. Hall is simply superb as the title character. You’ll never find yourself more willing to genuinely root for a serial killer. It’s bloody liberating.

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Recount (2008)
dir. Jay Roach

A very solid made-for-HBO movie. It's impressive how, considering we all lived through this event and know the outcome, they can still create a pretty intense feeling of tension with the results of the elections.

Product Decsription:
At the height of the 2000 election season, CBS anchor Dan Rather quipped, "The presidential race is crackling like a hickory fire." Director Jay Roach (Austin Powers) recaptures that blaze in his smart HBO docudrama about the thriller in Palm Beach County. Written by actor Danny Strong, Recount bounces between the Sunshine State, Gore's Tennessee headquarters, and Bush's Texas stomping grounds. Gore adviser Ron Klain (an excellent Kevin Spacey) provides a privileged window into those weeks when the American public first became familiar with obscure terms like "hanging chad." (Since Klain has an ax to grind with the vice president, neither he nor Gore appear completely heroic.) First, the Democratic candidate pulls ahead; then he falls behind. Just as he prepares to concede, Klain's colleague, Michael Whouley (Denis Leary), spots an anomaly in the vote count, and the race continues. Enter eccentric Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris (Laura Dern, a certain Emmy nominee), who orders a recount, and former Secretaries of State Warren Christopher (John Hurt) and James Baker III (Tom Wilkinson), who oversee a process that ends up in the Supreme Court (where Ed Begley Jr.'s David Boies represents Gore). Produced by the late Sydney Pollack, who originally intended to direct, Recount skillfully integrates news footage with dark comedy, most provided by the foul-mouthed Whouley and Bush adviser Ben Ginsberg (Bob Balaban), who's still livid about JFK's victory over Nixon. If the Democrats come across as more sympathetic, the Republicans come across as more colorful--and strategically effective.

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Street Kings (2008)
dir. David Ayer

Looks pretty generic...I was gonna say it looks pretty similar to that Christian Bale movie Harsh Times, then I found out that David Ayer directed that, too. Hmm.

Product Decsription:
Street Kings is a pungent bouquet of corruption, violence, multi-ethnic mayhem, macho glee laced with macho angst, and fluorescently obscene dialogue from the mind of James Ellroy. Its hero, though he'd scarcely consent to be called one, is L.A. police detective Tom Ludlow (Keanu Reeves), for whom life is a wound that won't heal and dealing out retribution to scumbags is the ongoing treatment. Ludlow's the star player--"the tip of the [expletive] spear"--on a team of detectives headed by Capt. Jack Wander (Forest Whitaker). Coach Wander relies on his boys to keep breaking lurid cases, usually through deeply darkside underground work, and raising his profile with the media and the department. In pursuit of these goals, nothing is forbidden except failure, and the truth is what you make it look like. This is familiar Ellroy territory, most effectively translated to the screen in L.A. Confidential (which should have won the 1997 Oscar, and would have if Titanic hadn't launched that year). If you know Ellroy's ground game, you can pretty much guess where Street Kings is going, and where it's been. Still, the twists and torques of its urban road-rage course maintain the centrifugal force needed to hold us in our seats (a tactical highlight: refrigerator adapted as rolling barricade), and the movie keeps bopping us with oddball casting coups: comic Jay Mohr and Northern Exposure/Sex and the City veteran John Corbett as two members of Coach Warden's gonzo detective squad; Cedric the Entertainer doing a nicely nuanced turn as a street creature; Hugh Laurie doing a less-hyper version of House, if House worked Internal Affairs.
The problem is that director David Ayer keeps everything intense. Dialogues are shot too close-up, line readings are too strident, the action is too nonstop slam. Recall Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential and the mind's eye summons up a whole spectrum of existence, mood, place, historical period, emotional investment; there's an amplitude to the picture and the sensibility bringing it to us, something besides the whodunit and the endless rap sheet of nasty what-they-done. Everything in Street Kings is one-note, and with Keanu Reeves playing it implosive and Forest Whitaker locked in crazier-than-an-outhouse-rat mode, that's no way to stay the course.

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Twenty-Four Eyes - Criterion Collection (1954)
dir. Keisuke Kinoshita

Keisuke Kinoshita isn't as well known as Japan's bigger directors, but his catalog is just as impressive. Twenty-Four Eyes is probably his masterpiece.

Product Decsription:
Keisuke Kinoshita's Twenty-Four Eyes (Nijushi no hitomi) is an elegant, emotional chronicle of a teacher s unwavering commitment to her students, her profession, and her sense of morality. Set in a remote, rural island community and spanning decades of Japanese history, from 1928 through World War II and beyond, Kinoshita's film takes a simultaneously sober and sentimental look at the epic themes of aging, war, and death, all from the lovingly intimate perspective of Hisako Oshi (Hideko Takamine), as she watches her pupils grow and deal with life's harsh realities. Though little known in the United States, Twenty-Four Eyes is one of Japan's most popular and enduring classics.

DVD Features:
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
New video interview with Japanese cinema historian and critic Tadao Sato about the film and its director
New and improved English subtitle translation
PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay be renowned film scholar Audie Bock and excerpts from an interview with Kinoshita
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The Small Back Room (1952)
dir. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger

I'm just surprised there are still some Powell & Pressburger movies out there that Criterion hasn't released yet.

Product Decsription:
After the lavish Technicolor spectacle of The Red Shoes, British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger retreated into the inward, shadowy recesses of this moody, crackling character study. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nigel Balchin, The Small Back Room details the professional and personal travails of troubled, alcoholic research scientist and military bomb-disposal expert Sammy Rice (David Farrar), who, while struggling with a complex relationship with secretary-girlfriend Susan (Kathleen Byron), is hired by the government to advise on a dangerous new German weapon. Frank and intimate, deftly mixing suspense and romance, The Small Back Room is an atmospheric, post World War II gem.

DVD Features:
New, restored high-definition digital transfer,
Audio commentary featuring film scholar Charles Barr,
New video interview with cinematographer Chris Challis,
Excerpts from Michael Powell's audio dictations for his autobiography.
PLUS: A new essay by film scholar Nick James.
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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
dir. Bharat Nalluri

Product Decsription:
Based on a 1938 Winifred Watson novel, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a colorful story about lives stalled in middle age but kick-started again by the follies of youthful lovers all around. Frances McDormand stars as Miss Pettigrew, whose inability to hold a job in London as a governess compromises her well-being shortly before England’s entry in World War II. Finessing her way into a position as social secretary to a young, American golddigger and singer named Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams), the starving Miss Pettigrew finds herself at the center of a whirlwind that is her new employer’s life. Hemmed in by lovers and suitors--including a young, theatrical producer (Tom Payne) looking to cast one of his pleasing girlfriends in a plum role; a creepy nightclub owner (Mark Strong) in whose flat Delysia lives; and a pianist (Lee Pace) who genuinely loves her--Delysia needs a map to figure out how to navigate through life. Miss Pettigrew, who suffered a loss during WWI that she does not speak of, nudges the naïve songstress toward wise decisions. But she is at the mercy of Delysia’s formidable friend (Shirley Henderson), who knows the truth about her impoverished state and is engaged to a much older man (Ciarán Hinds). The latter, a fellow of substance who seems to be meandering through life, falls instantly for the soulful Miss Pettigrew. Full of Art Deco trappings and paced with a vintage, screwball comedy energy, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is like watching a contemporary version of a Hollywood classic.

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Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete First Season (2008)
dir. n/a

This show is garbage, but as a geek, I feel obligated to mention anything Terminator-related.

Product Decsription:
This spin-off from the science-fiction franchise follows John and Sarah Connor after the events of TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY. An onslaught of robotic killers from the future are bent on destroying teenager John Connor (Thomas Dekker), humanity's future savior. Standing between them are his determined mother, Sarah (Lena Headey), and Cameron (Summer Glau), a beautiful girl from John's school who turns out to be a Terminator assigned to protect him. They can't run forever, however, and their only chance of survival rests on preventing the creation of Skynet--stopping judgment day and creating a new future for the human race. This collection presents the first action-packed season of this intelligent, well-written series.

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Don Quixote (2007)
dir. Orson Welles, Jesús Franco

Probably the most (in)famous of all the unfinished Quixote projects. Jesus Franco was an assistant director on this project and decided to throw together the rest of the film himself, with mixed results.

Product Decsription:
Cervantes' epic novel DON QUIXOTE is notoriously un-filmable--several major directors have tried, only to be left with half of a finished project after a series of disasters. The most mysterious of these incomplete attempts belongs to Orson Welles; the legendary director began shooting his adaptation in 1955, but a final product was never released. This presentation of ORSON WELLES' DON QUIXOTE is a simulation of the auteur's vision, crafted after his death by assistant director Jess Franco using Welles's extensive notes and copious raw footage.

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The Fletch Collection (1985)
dir. Michael Ritchie

Two movies don't really make up a "collection" in my book, and only the first Fletch is worth watching anyway.

Product Decsription:
Gregory McDonald's lightweight mystery novel about an undercover newspaper reporter cracking a police drug ring is transformed by screenwriter Andrew Bergman (Blazing Saddles, and writer/director of The Freshman and Honeymoon in Vegas) into a fairly sarcastic and occasionally very funny Chevy Chase vehicle. Enjoyment of the film pivots on whether you find Chase's flippant, smart-ass brand of verbal humor funny, or merely egocentric. If you don't like Chase, there's really no one else worth watching (Geena Davis is sadly underused). Chase seems born to play I.M. "Fletch" Fletcher, a disillusioned investigative reporter whose cynicism and detached view on life mirrors the actor's understated approach to comedy. Fletcher offers Chase the opportunity to adopt numerous personas, as his job requires numerous (bad) physical disguises, and much of film's humor centers on the ridiculous idea that any of these phony accents or bad hairpieces could fool anyone. These not-so-clever disguises are put to use when Fletch becomes involved in the film's smart but continually self-mocking two-part mystery. As well as trying to gather drug-smuggling evidence against the LAPD for a long-overdue newspaper story, a rich and apparently terminally ill stranger also offers Fletch a large payoff to kill him. While the film does a fairly good job juggling both of these plots, not to mention tossing in a love interest as well, it's subservient, for better or worse, to Chase's memorable one-liners and disguises. Followed by two forgettable sequels that lack both the original's wit and Chase's attention span.

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An American Crime (2007)
dir. Tommy O'Haver

As I said last week, Ellen Page is my motion picture kryptonite, so while other people might want to check this out, I'll pass.

Product Decsription:
Based on a true story that shocked the nation in 1965 the film recounts one of the most shocking crimes ever committed against a single victim. Sylvia and Jennie Fae Likens the two daughters of traveling carnival workers are left for an extended stay at the Indianapolis (3850 E. New York St. is hardly suburban nor was it in 1965 by any stretch of the imagination.) home of single mother Gertrude Baniszewski and her seven children. Times are tough and Gertrude's financial needs cause her to make this arrangement before realizing how the burden will push her unstable nature to a breaking point. What transpires in the next three months is both riveting and horrific leaving one child dead and the rest scarred for life.

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The Life Before Her Eyes (2008)
dir. Vadim Perelman

Product Decsription:
Based on the novel by Laura Kasischke this powerful drama starring Uma Thurman unfolds in out-of-sequence flashbacks. Recklessly hedonistic teenager Diana (Evan Rachel Wood) and her best friend a Christian virgin (Eva Amuri) come face to face with a machine-gun-wielding classmate one morning at school in a situation reminiscent of Columbine. Thurman plays the grown-up version of Diana who has a perfect life in the same small town 15 years after the tragedy. On the anniversary of the shooting unpleasant flashbacks haunt her as she takes her daughter to school lectures on Gauguin to a bored art history class and possibly spots her older professor husband out with a younger woman. As the events cohere and time collapses one realizes nothing is certain and life renews and ends on a moment-by-moment basis. Under the helm of Vadim Perelman (HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG) a spiritual presence is imbued in lovingly photographed close-ups of flowers dirty dishes cats ants spiders bees on flowers leaves and Wood diving in and out of a swimming pool in slow motion. The dialogue is peppered with believably offhand philosophical inquiry and if the film does nothing else it makes one reevaluate one's perspective on the sanctity of every life decision--and to feel a degree of awe and reverence for the acting skills and beauty of both Thurman and Wood who meld believably into the same complex character.

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Please Vote for Me (2007)
dir. Wiejun Chen

Product Decsription:
Two males and a female vie for office, indulging in low blows and spin, character assassination and gestures of goodwill, all the while guaging their standing with voters. The setting is not the Democratic presidential campaign, but a third-grade class at an elementary school in the city of Wuhan in central China. "Please Vote For Me", which is on the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences documentary feature shortlist, packs its fleet hour with keen observations. Chroniciling a public school's first open elections - at stake is the position of class monitor - filmmaker Weijun Chen has crafted a witty, engaging macro-lens view of human nature, China's one-child policy and the democratic electorial process as the ultimate exercise in marketing.

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Prom Night (Unrated) (2008)
dir. Nelson McCormick

Product Decsription:
An attractive cast of young performers lead by Brittany Snow (Hairspray) is the main selling point for Prom Night, a remake of the 1980 Canadian slasher film starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Snow makes for a capable lead as the sole survivor of her family's massacre at the hands of an obsessed teacher (Jonathan Schaech), who returns three years later to finish his campaign on the eve of her senior prom. While no one's idea of a classic horror film, the Paul Lynch-directed Prom Night offered viewers a modest whodunit angle in between the killings; here, the villain's identity is known from the get-go, and what's left is a string of mechanical stalkings (which feature a surprisingly modest amount of blood) and reams of turgid teenspeak, which is handled as best as possible by Snow and her cast mates. The end result is a dull, suspense-free chiller that manages to make its mediocre source material seem inspired by comparison. Older moviegoers may note the presence of actors Idris Elba and James Ransone, both used so well on The Wire, and so thoroughly wasted here.

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The Wizard of Gore (2007)
dir. Jeremy Kasten

A role Crispin Glover was born to play. Throwing in some of the Suicide Girls seems like a gimmick, but it'll probably work.

Product Decsription:
Magic, madness and mayhem join in this diabolical remake of the 1970 horror cult classic. Crispin Glover (Willard) stars as a master illusionist whose female audience participants (The Suicide Girls) are hideously murdered onstage, only to miraculously reappear untouched. But when a smart reporter (Kip Pardue, Remember the Titans) finds they re later turning up dead with the same wounds as those inflicted during the performance, his investigation leads to unimaginable terror. Featuring Bijou Phillips (Hostel: Part II) and Brad Dourif (Rob Zombie s Halloween), Wizard of Gore takes you on a terrifying journey deep into the heart of evil.

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Wimbledon - The 2008 Finals: Nadal vs. Federer (2008)
dir. n/a

Not just the greatest tennis match ever, but one of the most incredible sporting events I've ever seen.

Product Decsription:
On July 6 2008, one dream ended, and a new one began on the Centre Court in Wimbledon. In the latest, magnificent chapter of their storied rivalry, Rafael Nadal dethroned five-time champion Roger Federer by winning the longest-ever Wimbledon men's final.
The consistently heart stopping 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 classic began at 2.35 pm and, thanks to a couple of breaks for rain it ended at 9.15 pm with the 22-year-old from Mallorca dropping to the ground with his arms outstretched in celebration. With the win, Nadal matched Bjorn Borg's fantastic feat of winning the Grand Slams at the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back and also prevented Federer from surpassing the five titles in a row Borg collected between 1976 and 1980.

Conditions for the latest duel between tennis's two finest players could not have been more demanding. The rain, which delayed the start for 27 minutes, eventually cleared but the chill, gusting wind which accompanied it persisted throughout the match, blowing winning shots off course and making life even more difficult for the two competitors. That they coped so well spoke volumes for their skill and adaptability.

The match is being proclaimed as the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time.

The Spaniard, who had squandered two match points in a nerve-shredding fourth set tie-break, added a first All England Club title to his four French Opens, shattering Federer's dreams of an historic sixth successive Wimbledon trophy.

'It's impossible to explain what I felt when I won. I'm just very happy to win this title. I never thought I could win but to do so is a dream'; said Nadal who had lost the last two finals to Federer.

It was late, very late, but not too late to crown a new champion.

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Marco Ferreri: The Collection
MOVIES INCLUDE:
El Cochecito (1960)
The Seed of Man (1969)
La Grande Bouffe (1973)
Don't Touch the White Woman (1974)
Bye Bye Monkey (1978)
Seeking Asylum (1979)
Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981)
The House of Smiles (1988)

Product Decsription:
Marco Ferreri's satirical and often surreal films embody a unique vision of humanity borne of exasperation and nihilism. Through these eight genre-bending black comedies the controversial director crafted a fiercely contemporary cinematic language of his own delving deep into the alienation of men women and children.

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The Riddle (2007)
dir. Brendan Foley

Product Decsription:
A brutal string of murders spurs reporter Mike Sullivan (Vinnie Jones, Snatch, X-Men: The Last Stand) to search for the cunning killer in this supernatural mystery. But to stop the killings, he first must solve a century-old murder hidden inside the pages of a newly discovered Charles Dickens manuscript. Co-starring Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, Underworld: Evolution) and Vanessa Redgrave (Atonement), this intriguing thriller takes an unusual twist guaranteed to surprise you!

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Fighting With Anger (2008)
dir. Sam Um

Could they have picked a less intimidating guy to play an "aging mentor assassin" in a martial arts action thriller? Can Wille even fire a gun without his heart exploding?

Product Decsription:
Ray (Fleming) is a young, beautiful and deadly assassin looking for answers about her past. Will (Willie Nelson) is her aging mentor who assigns her to a series of new jobs and may know more about her past than he is letting on. When an innocent woman is killed, Ray is faced with the pain of her past and a new nemesis that emerges from the shadows. Fighting With Anger is a non-stop martial arts action thriller filled with gripping mystery, blazing gun battles, and fast and furious hand-to-hand combat!

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Whisper (By Morphine) + Blue Velvet.

Crossposted with more info here. Read Full Post »

RoosterFlix DVD Picks for August 12th

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The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season (2008)
dir. David Simon, Ed Burns

One of the best TV shows of all-time comes to an end. In episode 8 (I think), keep an eye out and you'll see me in the crowd at Mayor Carcetti's speech in front of City Hall!

Product Decsription:
A barroom toast to Det. Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), a one-man good cop/bad cop, offered in The Wire's final episode could very well serve as this series' epitaph: "When you were good, you were the best we had." Season five bears witness to this. The 10 riveting, wrenching episodes focus on yet another beleaguered Baltimore institution, The Baltimore Sun daily newspaper, whose staff, much like the police, is forced to do more with less. One editor (Clark Johnson) struggles to maintain the paper's journalistic standards in the face of declining ad revenues, employee buyouts and bureau closures. An ambitious reporter (Tom McCarthy) undermines him by taking a page out of the Stephen Glass/Jayson Blair playbook, manufacturing sensational quotes, and eventually, whole stories, while bean-counter management encourages its rising star and keeps its eye on the (Pulitzer) prize. Meanwhile, on the streets, the year-long investigation of rising drug lord Marlo Sansfield (Jamie Hector) and the 22 bodies found in "the vacants" has been discontinued and police morale is at an all-time low (the money promised to the department has been diverted to the schools). McNulty manufactures a serial killer case that will have far-reaching repercussions in the mayor's office, where Tommy Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) is mounting a run for governor a mere two years into his term. "I wonder what it would be like to work at a real police station," McNulty rages at one point. The Wire, as ever, is all about real. It's a gritty and unflinching look at life in one of roughest districts of a "broke-ass city." There is street justice for some characters, and street injustice for others. Some meet sad, sudden, or shocking ends that defy TV convention. Referring to Marlo, McNulty declares early on, "He does not get to win; we get to win." The hard-earned victories are mostly small, or come with a price. Not that The Wire does not offer glimmers of hope. Bubbles (Andre Royo) struggles to maintain his sobriety (Steve Earle portrays the leader of his 12-step program and also does the theme song honors this season), and the final episode features a cameo by Jim True-Frost as the once overwhelmed teacher, "Prez," who now seems to have the hang of the job. The ratings-strapped and criminally Emmy-snubbed The Wire has always been a critic's darling with a passionate fan base. To the show's credit, it did not make itself more accessible in its final season (consequently, its send-off did not receive near the fanfare of The Sopranos or Sex and the City). That should not dissuade newcomers to the show. It is heavy lifting, and if you're just joining The Wire, a visit to the show's official website for orientation is recommended. But buy it, watch it, and be patient. It's so worth it. From the masterful storytelling to the peerless ensemble, it just doesn't get any better than The Wire. But that's not exactly news.

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South Park: The Complete Eleventh Season (2008)
dir. Trey Parker, Matt Stone

Another one of the TV best shows, let alone animated shows, of all time, except this one is still going very very strong. When a show is on for 11 seasons and they're still knocking episodes out of the park (e.g., "Naggers", the rip on Guitar Hero, Cartman's fake Tourette's, the Easter episode, Imaginationland), you've got a special, special show on your hands.

Product Decsription:
All fourteen uncensored episodes from South Park's eleventh season are now available in this exclusive three-disc collector's set. Join the boys as they attempt to rescue Imaginationland from nuclear annihilation discover the secret behind the Easter Bunny and get head lice. For them it's all part of growing up in South Park!

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CJ7 (2007)
dir. Stephen Chow

The latest effort from renaissance man Stephen Chow, although this time around he's not the focus of the movie. As much as I love Stephen Chow, the previews for this movie never really got me excited, but now that it's on DVD I'll most definitely check it out. Actually, it's been out overseas and has been on the internet forever, but I'll try and check it out now anyway.

Product Decsription:
Chinese writer-director-comedian Stephen Chow (SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE) takes a break from his usual action-comedy adventures for an E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL-inspired tale of family bonds and personal integrity. Chow stars as Ti, a down-on-his luck widower who must funnel all of his wages into the private school education of his nine-year-old son, Dicky (Xu Jiao). The two are reduced to living in an abandoned building and scrounging for necessities, as well as playing nightly games of "clobber the cockroaches." Ti tries to appease Dicky's desire for a trendy new toy by bringing home a mysterious green orb found at a garbage dump. Dicky is soon shocked when the orb transforms into a perky doglike alien being, dubbed "CJ7." When Dicky witnesses CJ7's otherworldly powers he imagines CJ7 to be the answer to all of his school troubles: passing tests, excelling in gym class, and overcoming the school bully. But CJ7 is not as all-powerful as Dicky believes, and when tragedy strikes the family both Dicky and CJ7 must overcome doubt to reveal their true inner strength. Both CJ7's creature animation and a side order of Chow's kung fu kinetics provide plenty of laughs for kids. At the same the film's adult themes of social inequality, honesty, and self-sacrifice will give kids and parents plenty to discuss once the film is over. Frequently silly but genuinely heartfelt, CJ7 features enough of Chow's trademark twists to make for a unique family entertainment experience.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary - Cast & Crew Commentary
Behind The Scenes - 1. THE STORY OF CJ7
2. THE MAKING OF CJ7 International Television Special
3. ANATOMY OF A SCENE
Clips - HOW TO BULLY A BULLY Lesson
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Smart People (2008)
dir. Noam Murro

The last two movies I've seen that have featured Ellen Page (Hard Candy, Juno) have been two of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. Needless to say, I'm not that psyched to see this one. Maybe I'll catch it on TV or something.

Product Decsription:
Much in the manner of Curtis Hanson’s Wonder Boys, the very funny and bracingly intelligent Smart People concerns a college instructor meandering through life until unexpected developments force a cascade of personal changes. Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), a recently widowed literature professor, is a numb and chilly intellectual who rebuffs his students, ignores his all-but-emancipated teen kids (Ashton Holmes and Juno’s Ellen Page), and spurns cries for financial assistance from his ne'er-do-well but rather soulful adopted brother, Chuck (Thomas Haden Church). After an accident lands Lawrence in the hospital and deprives him of the right to drive, someone else falls into his bleak sphere: Janet (Sarah Jessica Parker), a physician and former student of Lawrence who remembers her disappointment in him as a teacher and role model. Against all logic, Janet and Lawrence become a romantic item, a choice for which neither of them is entirely prepared. Meanwhile, Chuck and Vanessa (Page) enter an awkward phase in their relationship as niece and uncle, just another sign that the Wetherhold clan has become too insular and self-referential. Screenwriter Mark Poirier's inspired and literate story sets up lots of chaos, attitude, and cross-conflict, then hangs back and lets the characters verbally spar, much to our great amusement. What's happening, however, are deep changes in relationships and destinies that Lawrence and the others naturally resist, until they can't. Director Noam Murro knows one of his most important contributions to the film is to stay out of the characters' way and provide Poirier's barbed humor a supportive setting. Quaid is outstanding as the pivotal figure in this tale, a man who looks creaky and washed up beyond his years, but who is not entirely past redemption.

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Brand Upon the Brain! - Criterion Collection (2006)
dir. Guy Maddin

I know of Guy Maddin, but I've never seen any of his work. If Criterion thinks this is good enough to add to their collection after being released 2 years ago, then I might have to get on board.

Product Decsription:
In the weird and wonderful super-cinematic world of Canadian cult filmmaker Guy Maddin, personal memory collides with movie lore for a radical sensory overload. This eerie excursion into the gothic recesses of Maddin s mad, imaginary childhood is a silent, black-and-white comic science-fiction nightmare set in a lighthouse on grim Notch Island, where fictional protagonist Guy Maddin was raised by an ironfisted, puritanical mother. Originally mounted as a theatrical event (accompanied by live orchestra, foley artists, and assorted narrators), Brand upon the Brain! is an irreverent, delirious trip into the mind of one of current cinema s true eccentrics.

DVD Features:
New, restored high-definition digital transfer
Optional narration tracks by Isabella Rossellini, Laurie Anderson, John Ashbery, Crispin Glover, Guy Maddin, Louis Negrin, and Eli Wallach
The Making of Brand upon the Brain!, a new documentary featuring interviews with the director and crew members
Two new short films directed by Maddin: It's My Mother's Birthday Today and Footsteps
Deleted scene
Trailer
PLUS: A new essay by film critic Dennis Lim
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Larisa Shepitko: Eclipse Series 11 (Wings / The Ascent) (2007)
dir. Larisa Shepitko

The two movies in this set have received rave reviews, and considering these Eclipse sets are so cheap, I might have to take a chance with this.

Product Decsription:
The career of Larisa Shepitko, an icon of sixties and seventies Soviet cinema, was tragically cut short when she was killed in a car crash at age thirty-nine, just as she was emerging on the international scene. The body of work she left behind, though small, is masterful, and her genius for visually evoking characters interior worlds is never more striking than in her two greatest works: Wings, an intimate yet exhilarating portrait of a female fighter pilot turned provincial headmistress, and The Ascent, a gripping, tragic World War II parable of betrayal and martyrdom. A true artist, who had deftly used the Soviet film industry to make statements both personal and universal, Shepitko remains one of the greatest unsung filmmakers of all time.

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Watching the Detectives (2007)
dir. Paul Soter

I never really pictured Cillian Murphy as the type to do a romantic comedy, but hey, dude's gotta eat. Plus, I'm sure the idea of working with Lucy Liu didn't sound too bad.

Product Decsription:
Neil (Cillian Murphy) works in a vintage video store and wishes his life could be as exciting as the movies he watches night and day. Enter Violet (Lucy Liu), a real-life femme fatale who brings enough adventure into Neil's world to make him think he has suddenly stepped into one of his favorite movies. Being with Violet might just turn out to be a lot of fun - if he lives through it.

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The Search for John Gissing (2001)
dir. Mike Binder

Product Decsription:
Mike Binder wrote, directed, and stars in this smart comedy set in corporate London. Akin to television series The Office, and many other feature length comedies about vicious takeovers, bureaucracy, and foul business practice like 9 to 5, The Search for John Gissing also stars Alan Rickman as Gissing, a British fellow out to foil Matthew Barnes, the fumbling Woody Allen-type character portrayed by Binder. This revenge tale opens with Gissing inviting Barnes and his wife, Linda (Janeane Garofalo), to London to sign a merger with a German company. From the second Matthew and Linda step off the plane, plans fall through, income disappears, and Gissing steadily botches Barnes' attempts to succeed in this new environment. Clever characters, like Francois Fuller (Allan Corduner), the French CEO whose accent confounds Matthew with his New York dialect, and Sister Mary (Sonya Walger), the sexy nun, compliment the Barnes' and their archenemy, Gissing. Since the story is about a rather straightforward competition between the two men, one can focus on the sharp-witted script and the ways Rickman, Binder, and Garofalo infuse their characters with realistic quirks and neuroses. Garofalo transforms Linda into an understanding, but opinionated, wife. Binder's underdog persona slowly dissolves to reveal a strong, intelligent "soldier" in his businessman's "war." Rickman's Gissing is a suave, yet somehow dorky villain whose ill intentions are ultimately rooted in a fear of losing power. As each of the three main characters come to clarify priorities in their personal lives, they begin to see that they are not so opposite after all.

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The Secret (2006)
dir. Vincent Perez

I love the "fuck outta here with that bullshit" look on David Duchovny's face.

Product Decsription:
Compared to pallid supernatural romances like Ghost, The Secret is a fireball of Freudian pathos about a love triangle between parents Benjamin (David Duchovny) and Hannah Marris (Lili Taylor), and their teenage daughter, Samantha (Olivia Thirlby). Directed by Swiss actor Vincent Perez, The Secret succeeds where other cheesy ghost films fail because there is always the possibility that after Benjamin's wife, Hannah, dies in a car accident and comes back to inhabit her daughter's body, Benjamin will be lured into his daughter's arms by sheer grief commingled with desire. The film's operates with increasing tension throughout, starting when Benjamin decides to believe that Sam is temporarily not Sam, but his wife. There are sappy scenes, such as when Sam, as mother Hannah, returns to high school following the accident and flails terribly in teenage situations. But the notion of a mother spying on her daughter through possession recalls Mommie Dearest, in a great way. The real credit in this film goes to Thirlby, who in essence plays two characters well, switching identities throughout. The sexual innuendo she brings to the part adds the zest The Secret needs to elevate it from a suburban nightmare to real horror. Viewers who enjoy The Secret might also look to Argento's mother trilogy, or the recently released French horror film, Inside. That said. The Secret contains no gore and relies on psychological suspense rather than violence to construct its mother/daughter tale.

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Felon (2008)
dir. Ric Roman Waugh

Product Decsription:
After the system fails Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff), a man who inadvertently killed an intruder in his home while justly protecting his wife and son, the family man faces three years in a maximum security prison where every rule he has ever lived by is thrown out the window. To make matters worse, Porter doesn't get along with his new cellmate (Val Kilmer), most likely because the guy is an epically notorious mass murderer. In order to make it out of his sentence alive, between vicious prisoners and the sadistic machinations of the corrupt Warden Lt. Jackson (Harold Perrineau Jr., LOST), Porter is going to transform himself into the toughest, meanest cat in the joint. This gritty actioner comes from writer-director Ric Roman Waugh, a popular stuntman who has worked on such films as UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, ROAD HOUSE, TOTAL RECALL, and LETHAL WEAPON 2.

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Legend of God's Gun (2008)
dir. Mike Bruce

A "rock-n-roll spaghetti western" huh? Are you allowed to call it a spaghetti western when it's made in California buy a guy named Mike?

Product Decsription:
A gun-slinging preacher visits the sinful town of Playa Diablo seeking revenge from the notorious scorpion-venom drinking bandit El Sobero lead outlaw and number one bad guy. El Sobero and his merry band of marauders are also headed to Playa Diablo seeking their own revenge against the town sheriff. Add to the mix a mysterious Bounty Hunter and it all leads to a confrontation of Biblical proportions as they all meet in the circle of death where the lead flies people die and only one man can be left standing.

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The Killing Gene (2006)
dir. Tom Shankland

Product Decsription:
How far would you go to save the one you love? Stellan Skarsgard (Exorcist: The Beginning) stars as Eddie Argo, a veteran cop investigating a string of bizarre serial murders. In each case, the victims were forced to make the unconscionable decision to save themselves or the life of a loved one. Now Eddie and his rookie partner (Melissa George, Alias) must stop the carnage before the killer strikes too close to home. Featuring Selma Blair (Hellboy) in a terrifying performance, The Killing Gene is a "thought-provoking and brutal horror-thriller that keeps the audience on the edge of the seat until the gripping conclusion"

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The Legend of the Shadowless Sword (2006)
dir. Kim Young-jun

Originally just titled "Shadowless Sword. But us crazy Americans, we sure do love our legends. The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Legend of Ron Burgandy, The Legend of the Hidden Temple....Nice work, marketing team.

Product Decsription:
The kingdom of the land has been conquered, and the ruler's only remaining descendant is the exiled Prince Jung-Hyun (Lee Seo Jin). Unaware of the darkness that has fallen over his homeland, female warrior Soha (Yoon Soy) comes to his aid and guides him toward his royal destiny. Meanwhile, the vicious Killer-Blade Army are hot on their trail, determined to spill the last remaining noble blood. Flashing swords, swift kicks, and epic action are in store in this glossy martial-arts tale.

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The American Mall (2008)
dir. Shawn Ku

Not exactly sure why this is here.......looks like it's probably just High School Musical in a mall.

Product Decsription:
In conjunction with the creators/producers of "High School Musical" "The American Mall" is the story of Ally a hardworking young woman whose mother owns a music shop that's been the soul of the mall ever since it opened. Ally's singer/songwriter ambitions seem to come closer to fruition when she meets Joey a musician who's moonlighting as a janitor at the mall in order to support his own rock star dreams. While Joey understands her songs (and heart) like no one else Ally's happiness and the fate of the store are threatened when the mall owner's spoiled daughter Madison -- who will stop at nothing to get what she wants -- gets involved.

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The Orange Thief (2006)
dir. Vinnie Angel, Boogie Dean, Arthur Wilinski

Product Decsription:
Living on the outer boundaries of society an eponymous orange thief and some other country-wise ruffians steal fruit for sustenance sale and the sheer excitement of courting danger. After the thief ends up in a Sicilian jail his life takes an unexpected turn when his bunkmate promises him a deal.

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Glass Lips (2007)
dir. Lech Majewski



Product Decsription:
A kaleidoscope of surreal, emotionally provocative, and powerfully resonant imagery; in Glass Lips, contemporary artist, Lech Majewski, explores a hidden human frontier where memory, madness, and imagination meet. Banished to an asylum, a traumatized young poet relives his tormented childhood in a cascade of wordless images and tableaux. Imprisoned in a lifelong bedlam presided over by an abusive father and a passively seductive mother, the poet uses his ebbing sanity as a means of escape. The parochial cruelty the young poet endures and the transporting beauty he assays entwine into pungent layers of narrative (New York Times) that assault the unconscious and challenge preconceived notions of what is right and wrong, real and known. Acting as writer, director, composer, and photographer, Majewski contrasts the biblical with the baroque and the sublime with the profane to create an aesthetic of dysfunction that s as beautiful as it is disturbing. (New York Times). Composed of thirty-three short films entitled Blood of a Poet, Glass Lips opened the 2006 Lech Majewski Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. A year later, the Venice Biennale presented it on multiple screens, prior to the theatrical release in the feature form offered here.

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Gospel According To Harry (1992)
dir. Lech Majewski



Product Decsription:
Combining the theatrical surrealism of Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco, the pop-art playfulness of Richard Lester, scathing social critique, genuine pathos and the mind-boggling imagery for which writer-director Lech Majewski (The Garden of Earthly Delights) is renowned, Gospel According to Harry is a wholly original cinematic tour de force. Years before the Lord of the Rings trilogy catapulted him to international superstardom, Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises, A History of Violence) played Wes, a young husband locked in co-dependent discontent with his beautiful and needy wife Karen (Jennifer Rubin The Doors, Nightmare On Elm Street III). Their future prospects as barren as the sun-bleached dunes that are the surreal setting for their one room existence, Wes and Karen go through the dehumanizing motions of a modern life in which happiness is as ephemeral and elusive as the grains of sand beneath their feet. Boasting a remarkable cast, including 60 s British film icon Rita Tushingham (Doctor Zhivago, The Knack and How to Get It), haunting visuals, and incisive wit, Gospel According to Harry which was produced for David Lynch s Propaganda Films is at last ready for discovery, available here for the first time on DVD or any format.

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The Art of War II: Betrayal (2008)
dir. Josef Rusnak



Product Decsription:
When Agent Neil Shaw (Snipes) comes out of hiding to vindicate his former mentor's murder, he winds up on the trail of betrayal and lethal corruption. Under the charge of his friend and a senatorial candidate, his mission is to set things straight. But when more people turn up dead, Shaw realizes that he's been set up as bait.

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Maximum Risk [Blu-ray] (1996)
dir. Ringo Lam



Product Decsription:
A policeman takes his twin brother's place and inherits his problems and a beautiful girlfriend. He is forced to kickbox his way from France to the U.S. and back while playing footsie with the FBI and Russian mafia. Not just muscles with a badge, the policeman must find the answers to some tough questions, none harder than what the heck is an accordian player doing in a sauna.

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Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club (2006)
dir. Ivan Frank



Product Decsription:
Born into a life of crime G (The Game) has just spent 8 years in the pen. Now out on the streets he's back to his old ways wondering if a con can ever really straighten out. Things become more complex when G hooks up with Alexis (Shari Headley) who makes her living upholding the law. Inspired by a true story.

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Ninja Cheerleaders (2007)
dir. David Presley



Product Decsription:
They fight, they cheer, they strip and they re headed for Brown! Ninja Cheerleaders is a funny and fast action comedy about three cheerleaders who are Straight A students by day and fighting warriors at night.

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RoosterFlix Mixtape: 17 Tracks.

If RoosterFlix had a mixtape, this would be it -- a list of the tracks used in recent muxes.



01. Lissie Trullie - Boyboy (July 19 2008) [intro c/o audience reactions from the original debut of Pink Flamingos]
02. Killer Mike - Grandma's House (July 18 2008) [intro/outro c/o Blazing Saddles KKK Scene]
03. Nas - Intro/The Message (July 17 2008 [1])
04. Gojira - Global Warming (July 17 2008 [2])
05. DMX - Prayer (July 13 2008)
06. Qwel + Maker - Capathy (July 11 2008 [1])
07. Qwel + Maker - The Siren of Staten Island/Deuterium (July 11 2008 [2])
08. Jay-Z - Say Hello (July 09 2008)
09. Cam'ron - Public Enemy Mixtape Intro (July 8 2008)
10. Lil' Wayne - A Milli (July 7 2008 [1])
11. Weird War - Mental Poison (July 7 2008 [2])
12. Jay-Z - The Party Life (Jun 25 2008)
13. Jay-Z - Ignorant Shit (June 22 2008)
14. Comets On Fire - Whiskey River (June 20 2008)
15. Sleep - Holy Mountain (June 18 2008)
16. The Black Angels - Black Grease (June 17 2008)
17. Cam'ron - Purple Haze (June 15 2008)

Here is a guide that explains how to convert YouTube videos to MP3. Or, you can use a service like VidtoMP3 or vixy.net Read Full Post »