Time Theft Nation

REVIEW: Four Lions (Movie) - 2010

To make a topic funny like suicide bomber’s, is no small task, and I found myself having trouble laughing at the beginning of the movie. I’m very fond of writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show, find this show on Netflix, funniest show on Television), so I know they’re prone to take extremely sensitive subjects and find the funny in them. This however, this seemed like an almost too aggressive task.

Aside from maybe two scenes (in a lecture hall and in the middle of the night, around the family dinner table) that made me squirm a little bit, this is full of hilarious dialogues that mocks the extremists who choose to blow them selves up for a cause and the general misconceptions of Muslim and Islamic faith.

There are very funny bits along the way, like when they tie up the one white extremist and throw him in the trunk of their car (on the way to training), and the race at the end, which particularly stand out. Like Peep Show, the dark comedy and satire is ever present, poking fun at the police and also the general nature of sheep vs. lions/wolves in humanity. 

If you think you can stomach this, check out the film by Chris Morris for a non-stop hilarity.

REVIEW: Zodiac (Movie)

David Fincher has a passion for taking advantage of defenseless people in his flicks. Aside from the opening scene, another that was exceptionally squirmful by a lake, and one with a botched flat tire, this was very good movie focused on the exhaustive length of solving a case.

The editing is expertly done, providing hourly time lines at first to move the story along, and eventually stretching those markers to multiple years at a time. One of the best edits shows the transformation of an era in American culture. My favorite shots in the movie were a brief second at the top of the Golden Gate Bridge and behind the cage of a squirrel in a trailer.

The real reason this movie excelled was the fact that it maintained the tension through its laborious two and a half hour run time, most notably at the climax of the movie, which will surely make you lose your breath (@ZillaRocca called it). The reason this works particularly well is Fincher’s ability to employ callbacks, like an exceptional stand-up comedian, throughout the film. There are numerous shots and bits of dialogue that reappear, making the detective in all of us happy for picking up on a key piece of information. The climax works particularly well due to this phenomena and thanks to Fincher’s tireless efforts to keep the viewer engaged.

The movie takes place over four decades, and there are very few times (I didn’t once) where you’d be inclined to check your watch. Much like AMC’s “The Killing”, which chronicles the death of Rosie Larsen, you are studying the human character of everybody involved with the case, at the expense of no Hollywood magic. I personally thought the first season of The Killing was remarkable, which took place over the first two weeks of the Rosie Larsen’s investigation, with each episode representing one day following the murder.

Since the case wasn’t solved in the first season, it was bashed by many fans, including the hypocritical Bill Simmons:

• His first post, Welcome to Grantland talks about how they wanted to break the mold of the late night talk show with Jimmy Kimmel. They wanted to change the rules and how they did over the course of that first year.
• His post on the finale of The Killing, 12 days after the Welcome to Grantland post, He says he feels cheated by the show because they didn’t give up the murderer in the first season, like any other detective show would, so he bashes the show and tweets it to his million followers.
  
  Translation: Bill Simmon’s thinks it’s really cool when he tries to change the mold, but when somebody does it to him, he throws a real big hissy fit.

Anyway, I really appreciate and I think you will too, when a director doesn’t leave anyone behind. I think you’ll really dig this movie and you should definitely check out The Killing, which returns for its second season on AMC, April 1st, 2012.

REVIEW - Cedar Rapids (Movie)

Quite possibly the best use of bonus footage in the credits I’ve ever seen, so definitely stick around to watch that. This is a fantastic, feel good movie that has a Hollywood ending, but it isn’t cheesy in the slightest. 

Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr. make an awkward team from the start but they come together greatly over the course of the movie during a string of unlikely events.

I’m guessing this wasn’t all that well received, because it isn’t a laugh out loud comedy for everyone. There are parts where you may laugh at seemingly inappropriate times, as it’s a definitely a black comedy or dark comedy.

You should see this movie, you’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside afterwards and all that goodness. Also, shout out to @ravi_mangla for recommending this movie and Thomas Lennon for getting laughs out of me after being off the screen for more than an hour.

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2000s Film Alphabet, Poster That Quizzes Your 2000’s Movie Knowledge