Review: Splice
Married geneticists Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) have created Fred and Ginger, a pair of strange, lumpy lifeforms they hope to mine for proteins and other things that can cure diseases and forward science by leaps and bounds. The only thing missing from the formula is human DNA, and the corporation funding their research — for reasons both political and moral — is way too terrified to go there.
But Elsa isn’t.
Soon she’s got Clive spending late nights in the lab that lead to the secret creation of an oddly adorable — though noticeably temperamental — little female creature they end up naming “Dren,” which is the reverse of their acro-named lab, N.E.R.D. (Nucleic Exchange Research and Development).
Dren develops quickly and unpredictably, becoming an oddly, otherly, fascinatingly beautiful young … woman? Her ability to breathe underwater, her strange, birdlike legs, and her tail with the poisonous stinger at its end are only the beginnings of transformations in directions that Clive and Elsa could never have expected — but should have.
Equally unpredictable are the things Dren’s arrival unlocks within Clive and Elsa themselves after they try to hide her at the deserted farm where Elsa grew up, and the chances they take (and don’t) to try to make sense of this reckless, game-changing thing they’ve done.
And it all ends very, very badly … with a twist.
Splice looks and feels pretty fantastic on a low budget, for which director and co-writer Vincenzo Natali should be quite proud. The special effects are a subtle and effective blend of practical and digital, with French knockout Delphine Chanéac conducting a massive amount of facial performance through the makeup. Dren only communicates through chirps and clicks, making Chanéac’s job doubly hard. She rises to it, and she’s every bit as fascinating as the character demands.
As for Brody and Polley, much is asked of each of them in what turns out to be a very hardcore cautionary tale. Much of the film’s increasingly bizarre and troubling second half depends on these two to sell it, and they commit to it entirely. Brave work for everyone involved, even though I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about the ending.
And that’s the kicker — I wish the script had given the same amount of effort as the actors. It’s a film that I’m glad I saw because I’d been curious about it for months, and I enjoyed it a lot for what it was, but I won’t buy it and probably won’t ever watch it again.
At this point, I’m going to start talking in detail about some things that happen in the movie while completely spoiling the ending, so if you’re planning to see it, please stop reading right now. read more…
New video from the set of Thor
Entertainment Tonight visited the set of Thor recently; video here …
… and accompanying article here.
I think this looks fantastic, and especially worthy of note is the fact that Thor actor Chris Hemsworth is huge. Natalie Portman (playing mortal doctor Jane Foster) isn’t exactly Lou Ferrigno, but he dwarfs her.
And check out the shot of people running at the 1:59 mark — it’s ridiculous (in a good way) how much Hemsworth towers over everyone else.
(I don’t recognize the other running man, but the other girl is the amazing Kat Dennings, on whom I have a mighty crush.)
We also get glimpses of Sir Anthony Hopkins (complete with shiny eye patch) as Thor’s father, Odin, and massively talented Idris Elba as Heimdall.
There’s been a lot of controversy among fans about the cast of Elba, a black man, as a Viking god, and Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano as Hogun of the Warriors Three.
I’m entirely fine with it, because the Asgardians here are not Vikings. They’re beings who were simply worshiped by the Vikings as gods. Big difference, so it doesn’t really matter what they look like. As long as the actors are good, we should be in good shape. And with Kenneth Branagh directing, you know he’s going to get the best out of all of his entire cast.
As a side note, another of the Warriors Three, Fandral, is being played by local New Albany native Joshua Dallas, so big congratulations to him for landing a part in what’s sure to be a hit.
Thor brings the thunder to a theater near you on May 6, 2011!
And don’t forget to read my exclusive interview with Eric Allan Kramer, the original live-action Thor from The Incredible Hulk Returns, right here, and see the first official photo of Hemsworth in costume here.
P.S. The interviewer almost reminded me of … this.
Anatomy of an alfredo
Every week my friends Bob and Courtney (and Oliver), Jessica, and the Carsons (Melissa and Mike) and I alternate making dinner for everyone else on Tuesday.
Tonight was my night, and the return of shrimp alfredo.
To begin, three pounds of raw shrimp.
It took me over an hour to peel all of them and slip off the tails.
I could have bought them already cooked, but they would have shriveled up at the next step, which was soaking them in garlic-infused olive oil and grilling them on the Foreman one spatula’s worth at a time.
Then, the sauce.
Heavy whipping cream as the base, followed by four bags of Kraft Italian Blend cheese, and butter, and some cream cheese, and some lemon pepper seasoning, and many spoonfuls of minced garlic, and two little bags of crumbled real bacon.
Stir it a lot so it doesn’t burn on the bottom, and stir it fast so the cheese melts quickly.
Served it all on top of vermicelli with broccoli and mushrooms (which I sautéed in the same garlic-infused olive oil I soaked the shrimp in) as additional toppings, with cheesy garlic bread on the side.
And for dessert, Melissa brought cupcakes from Gigi’s.
Mine had lemon frosting on top.
A lot.
Hubba.
Why are we still pretending …
… that there’s anyone else to play Superman?
SOLDOUTcast: The Movie
Yesterday I was a guest on SOLDOUTcast, the awesome podcast created and hosted by my friends Aaron Kenney and Mike Tomes.
This was their eleventh episode, which I consider a really cool milestone for them — doing 10 of anything is great, but 11 means you’re here to stay. And with new guests signing up all the time, you’d better believe they’re ready to hang around.
You should become their fan on Twitter and Facebook to get updates on upcoming topics and guests, and guys, I’d love to come back and do it again.
Be sure to check out all the previous episodes, too. Each podcast is about an hour, and Aaron and Mike really put a lot of heart, thought, hilarity, and fun into each one.
Of special interest in my guest-starring role on this week’s episode is SOLDOUTcast: The Movie, in which we read an 11-page radio play that I wrote about Aaron and Mike and their efforts to carve out order and bring back hope in a lawless, mutant-ridden apocalypse. (Warning! Adult language and situations!)
We also talk about movies, music, and other topics as I answer the legendary SOLDOUTcast Questionairre.
You can check it out by clicking here or on the SOLDOUTcast logo below:
A huge thanks to Aaron and Mike for having me on and providing such a fun time, and of course for acting skills that would make Clooney weep.
Also, extra special thanks to Aaron for suggesting the theme music that’s right up my alley, and to Mike for going above and beyond the call of duty with editing and sound effects.
You guys are the best.
Review: Danny Mac’s Pizza
Many weeks ago, when most of the rest of the River City was at Thunder Over Louisville, my friend Melissa and I decided to try Danny Mac’s Pizza, at 1014 Clarks Lane off of Poplar Level Road. Primarily built for carryout, it only has two tables inside, and that’s where we ate. She got a massive calzone, and I got the Philly cheese steak, which was huge. A very generous helping of juicy, delicious shaved steak, big mushrooms, green peppers and onions, and gooey, melty mozzarella and provolone. I also got a side of boneless garlic/Parmesan wings. We loved everything we ate, and I couldn’t wait to eat there again.
So today, as I planned to watch the last two episodes ever of the foolishly canceled Pushing Daisies on Blu-Ray, I ordered a pizza with sausage and pepperoni and another side of those amazing garlic/Parmesan wings (which, without the bones, are really just big chunks of chicken, which is entirely fine by me).
Amazing.
Not only is Danny Mac’s sauce delicious, but the crust on the hand-tossed pie I got was of a really good thickness. The best part, by far, was the toppings, not just in quality but in quantity. Tons of cheese, a massive population of pepperoni, and enough sausage to send a pig farm into 47 kinds of panic.
And I can’t stress how huge the boneless wings are. Only $5.99 for 12, and they put the measly wings at any of the franchise chains to shame in both value and price. The sprinkles of Parmesan really accentuate the garlic flavor well. And like I said, they’re just really huge chunks. An order of these would easily be a meal all its own, unlike the franchise chains which barely give you enough to qualify as a snack.
I planned to eat the leftovers for a couple of days but didn’t really factor in just how filling the meal would be — after five boneless wings and just three pieces of pizza, I’m so stuffed I can barely type. Can’t wait to eat the rest.
So if you live in Louisville and love pizza and want to try a really killer value, call Danny Mac’s with great confidence. You’ll be glad you did.
Related links:
Three Bat-comic reviews for May
Here are the reviews for the three monthly Batman (or Batman related) titles I write about each month for Batman on Film and its creator/editor, Bill “Jett” Ramey, the hardest working Batman fan on the planet.
Review: Gotham City Sirens #12
On a personal note, Bill lost his mother this week, so please send some warm thoughts to him and his family at this difficult time.
And Bill, thank you as always for letting me write for a site that has provided me much joy and information over the years. You’re the best, brother — this opportunity is a massive honor.
With the new Nolan/Bale Batman movie arriving in July 2012, and the Superman movie Nolan’s producing coming around Christmas 2012, we can all rest assured that the best is yet to come …
Aw, man, come on.
I love Rally’s burgers. Especially the Big Buford. And now they’ve changed it for what they’d like me to think is the better.
First, some background.
One of my favorite college courses was the advertising class I took with Dr. Vijay Krishna. At the time, Rally’s had a television campaign going where they’d show close-ups of their burgers lasciviously dripping condiments. When Dr. Krishna told us one day that he didn’t like those commercials because he thought they were gross, a girl in the class and I explained to him that the commercials were very effective because they made your mouth water. And they did. And every time I saw one of those commercials, I wanted a Rally’s hamburger.
(And why did I never ask that girl out? She stood up for hamburgers!)
Dr. Krishna had never been to Rally’s, so he had us all meet at the one in Clarksville for our next class. We all ate burgers and fries while taking notes at the tables outside, and I think he was newly convinced by the burgers and the commercials.
And that’s what I’ve always loved about Rally’s (in addition to their amazing fries) — the toppings are so juicy and fresh without being sloppy. My favorite burger there is the double-decker Big Buford, which has lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, and cheese.
I always get mine without pickles and mustard, because I don’t like those things. At all.
So anyway, Rally’s has decided to “improve” the Big Buford, and I’m more than a little crestfallen after trying the results.
The big offender is the new giant “gourmet bun,” which totally overpowers everything else because it’s just too much bun.
When I tried one today, the first thing I tasted was … pickles! Even though I’d ordered it without them. So I took them off and tried another bite, only to find that all of the flavors I usually get from a Buford were muted by all that bread. Even the trademark crunch of the onions was lessened.
Oh, Rally’s. Why did you have to ruin a good thing?
Maybe the next time I go, I’ll see if I can order it without pickles, without mustard, and on a regular, normal bun. Do you think they’d do that? If not, I’m afraid the Buford and I will have to go our separate ways … forever.
It’s been almost two hours, and I swear I still taste all that bread in my mouth.
Blu-Review: Big Trouble in Little China
This is your old pal John Bierly in the Pork-Chop Express on a dark and stormy night when the thunder’s rollin’ and the lightning’s crashin’, and I’m talkin’ to whoever’s listenin’ out there.
Now, I’m not sayin’ I’ve been everywhere and seen every DVD, but I do know it’s a pretty amazing planet we live on here, and a man would have to be some kind of fool to think there’s not a better home video format in this universe.
So when some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your DVD player, taps your years-out-of-print Big Trouble in Little China 2-disc Special Edition DVD (reviewed here) up against the wall, looks you crooked in the eye, and asks you if you have it in on Blu, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye and remember what ol’ John Bierly always says at a time like that:
“Have you seen it in HD, John?”
“Yes, sir. The Blu is in the player.”
It’s hard to believe it’s been 23 years since tough-guy trucker Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) and his buddy Wang (Dennis Dun) followed the trail of Wang’s kidnapped gal-pal to Little China, where the Sing Dings — or was it the Chang Sings? — and the Wing Kongs got their little gang war interrupted by some “David Lo Pan” character, who came out of thin air in the middle of a goddamn alley while his buddies were flying around on wires cutting everybody to shreds, and he just stood there waiting for them to drive Jack’s truck through him with light coming out of his mouth.
(Tall guy. Weird clothes. First you see him, then you don’t.)
And then Jack and Wang got into bigger trouble, and Jack didn’t know where the hell they were a bunch of times, and he wondered where his truck was, and good ol’ Johnny Carpenter directed it all with charm and wit the old-fashioned way. Lots of monsters and top-notch chop-socky later and the day had been saved, just like in the old days. May the wings of liberty never lose a feather, I always say. Not to mention the fact that Suzee Pai and Kim Catrall were hotter than two-dollar pistols.
So is the Blu-ray the best this movie’s ever looked? I’d bet Egg Shen’s tour bus on it. A light layer of natural film grain brings out the finest details, and the colors look deeper and brighter than your favorite eyes have ever seen ‘em. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track serves up 1:1 lossless sonic action so capably that it shakes the pillars of Heaven, Wang. And if that’s not enough for you, tune in to the (also lossless!) isolated musical score, where the drums are rumblin’ and the guitars are slashin’. Eight deleted scenes, an extended ending, three trailers, six TV spots, interviews, ancient makings-of, the theme song’s music video, and a crackerjack commentary by Russell and Carpenter are just some of the extra goodies here. They took what they wanted and left the rest — like your salad bar! — when it came to bringing over the extras from the 2001 2-disc DVD, but that thing’s out of print, and all the best stuff made it anyway.
So just remember what ol’ John Bierly does when the earth quakes and the poison arrows fall from the sky. John Bierly just looks that big ol’ storm right square in the eye, and he says, “Give me your best shot, pal. My Big Trouble in Little China Blu-ray and I can take it.”
That’s why I need you good people to sit tight, hold the fort, and keep the home fires burning. And if I’m not back in 100 minutes, call the President.
Bill Murray, Poet
Bill Murray is one of my heroes. Stuff like this is why:
“They get worse.”
Ha!
