Looking Forward

April is upon us and with that, the old saying of “April showers bring May flowers” comes. But I’ve noticed a different tune here this month, with Easter being celebrated, the general thought behind this holiday is resurrection. I think that term is taking on a new meaning besides one of religious context, since the global economy is probably hitting bottom, many people, especially us Americans are wondering when will we be resurrected? We can be down for only so long, and there’s a lot of people struggling right now, hoping soon, very soon, to come back to what they once were. This month, there is three titles that I think compliment this idea, along with Easter, for a resurrection.

The Wrestler is perhaps the film that has brought Darren Aronofsky mainstream attention, but its the portrayal of Randy “The Ram” Johnson by Mickey Rourke that has given the film that appeal. In it, Rourke plays a down-on-his-luck ex-wrestler, dreaming of that spotlight he once had, hoping for that one last shot. The film is told in a straight forward way, kind of unusual for Aronofsky but he uses some nifty camera work to show the world of Randy through Randy eyes as well as some subtle Christ references with Rourke’s character. I’m not expecting the extras on the disc to be extensive, Aronofsky never has worthwhile material, but I’m more interested in a commentary and the Blu Ray presentation of this film.

Another film about resurrection is that on one Jean-Claude Van Damme in JCVD, a film that I personally loved from last year. Mabrouk El Mechri not only directs the film with some style (just watch the opening 10 minutes) but gives the spotlight on my hero from my youth, Van Damme, and he doesn’t disappoint. The film is very self-mocking, almost a personal satire on oneself, and Van Damme does it with such earnest, that its damn near heartbreaking. As a long time fan of his, he was the one (besides Bruce Lee) to get me into martial arts, this was a treat to see Van Damme not only in the theater again, but to actually act. He does a great job, especially in this monologue towards the end, than blurs the line from him telling us his story and that of the character he plays. Beautiful work, and you can read my review here. I just hope they fix the subtitles, which were in white and the film has this soft focus that allows whites to bleed out, that caused incidents of one unable to read the subtitle.

The last film to deal with resurrection this month is that of Frost/Nixon. I’m not a particularly fan of Ron Howard’s work; he does a good job, but I find his films really surface level or hollow. With a great script by Peter Morgan, Howard allows the actors to fill in depth, and while one is against Nixon for the lies he told American and the shame he brought, not only upon himself, but that of the country, one cannot but feel for the guy. Micheal Sheen and Frank Langella’s power play against each other is the best moments in the film, one seeking a rare apology and a career boost, and one seeking redemption and a resurrection of his fallen character, provide you with some great scenes. These three films fit perfectly in with the holiday and our nation’s own attitude and are all highly recommended by myself and Killer Film.

If, by chance, these titles aren’t up your alley, there’s some great stuff on tap this month. Big studio releases like Bedtime Stories, Notorious, The Spirit, and Doubt are all coming out with good amount of extras and on Blu Ray. Horror fans should check out the hyped Laid to Rest and Martyrs, both with positive remarks from those lucky enough to see them before us Region 1 users. Donkey Punch and Splinter have been much talked about within the horror community too. Certainly not a complete waste as many would have thought, but laugh a little with Yes Man. I did especially with the Nebraska Cornhusker routine (yours truly is from that state). At least on the DVD side of things, finally, and I mean finally, the Fox animated series, X-Men, from the early to mid ’90s are on volume sets, collecting the seasons together. This was a great series, totally neglected on DVD, now please go out and buy these to show our gratitude!

And finally, on Blu Ray there’s the typical catalog titles hitting the format for the first time, but perhaps none more anticipated than Sin City, which should look beyond gorgeous. I think its a solid month, and the three I highlighted should be the better titles to seek out. You know, each month brings a slew of titles, so come back each week for a more detailed look in New Release Tuesday and keep it here for more news, reviews, and other goodies only on Killer Film! Until next month, Press Play…