Auteur archieven: Jeppe Kleijngeld

Planet Terror

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Written by: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton

Year / Country: 2007, USA
Running Time: 105 mins.

After an experimental bio-weapon is released, thousands of civilians are turned into zombie-like creatures. It is up to a small group of survivors to stop the infected and those behind its release. The group of survivors includes go-go dancer Cherry Darling and her ex-boyfriend, the mysterious El Wray. Cherry is searching for ways to put her ‘useless talents’ to good use. The zombie threat might give her a great opportunity for this.

Planet Terror is Rodriguez’ contribution to the double-bill Grindhouse. It is also a tribute to the zombie genre. Opinions differ on whether Planet Terror or Tarantino’s Death Proof is the best part of Grindhouse. I personally prefer Tarantino’s production. Since the idea behind Grindhouse was to replicate the experience of viewing exploitation films in a ‘grindhouse’ theatre, it is probably not the best idea to make a high budget too apparent. With Death Proof this is the case. Planet Terror on the other hand has so many explosions and spectacular action scenes a la Desperado that it is obviously a movie shot on a major budget. The casting of Hollywood icon Bruce Willis also doesn’t contribute to the exploitation feel. It is however successful in delivering entertainment without any pretensions. There is no film that has a cooler way of showing zombies getting blown to bits.

Some casting choices have also turned out well. Rose McGowan proves to be, especially in the go-go dance-opening scene, to be one of the sexiest actresses around. She gets good support from Rodriguez (no relation), who positions himself well as an action star. As a proper zombie tribute requires, Tom Savini is present for a bit part. Many of the other cast members have worked with Rodriguez before. All in all, Planet Terror is not exactly a masterpiece, not in general nor in its kind. But…there are definitely fun bits. Some extremely gory hospital scenes come to mind.

Rating:

Biography: Robert Rodriguez (1988, Texas) saw John Carpenter’s Escape From New York in 1981 and proclaimed “I am going to make movies”. Ten years later, Rodriguez made his feature debut with El Mariachi, an almost single handedly made action film that cost him only 7.000 dollars. It made Rodriguez a legend of independent, ultra-low budget filmmaking. His further career is a sign for young filmmakers that even the wildest dreams may come true if you are brave enough to follow your own path. He has directed many movies since, often collaborating with Quentin Tarantino. Besides directing, he frequently acts as cinematographer like he did on El Mariachi.

Filmography (a selection): Bedhead (1991, short), El Mariachi (1992), Roadracers (1994, TV), Desperado (1995), Four Rooms (1996, segment ‘The Misbehavors’), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), The Faculty (1998), Spy Kids (2001), Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002), Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Sin City (2005), The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D (2005), Grindhouse (2007, segment ‘Planet Terror’), Machete (2010), Machete Kills (2013), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), Alita: Battle Angel (2019), The Mandalorian (2020, TV episode)

Carlito’s Way: Rise to Power (2005)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Directed by:
Michael Bregman

Written by:
Michael Bregman (screenplay)
Edwin Torres (novel)

Cast:
Jay Hernandez (Carlito Brigante), Mario Van Peebles (Earl), Luis Guzmán (Nacho Reyes), Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs (Hollywood Nicky), Michael Kelly (Rocco), Giancarlo Esposito (Little Jeff), Jaclyn DeSantis (Leticia), Burt Young (Artie Bottolota Sr.), Mtume Gant (Reggie), Domenick Lombardozzi (Artie Bottolota, Jr.)

For some unexplained reason, Michael Bregman – the producer behind Carlito’s Way (1993) – thought it somehow necessary to bring a prequel to this great gangster film to television. Then again, maybe it’s not so strange: I haven’t read Edwin Torres’ novels, but I can imagine the source material is compelling.

The movie draws from Torres’ book series on the criminal life of Carlito Brigante, specifically the first book, also titled ‘Carlito’s Way’. Brian De Palma’s 1993 film took that title because, at the time, they chose not to use the second book’s title, ‘After Hours’, to avoid confusion with Martin Scorsese’s 1985 movie of the same name.

The story revolves around a young Puerto Rican, Carlito Brigante, who starts a heroin-dealing ring with his Black partner Earl and Italian partner Rocco. In this sense, the title Rise to Power isn’t really suitable – they’re already fairly established from the start.

True, they’re small compared to New York’s real power players: the Bottolota family also known as the the Pleasant Avenue Gang, and Hollywood Nicky, who run the city’s drug trade. Still, the trio is accepted, albeit under certain conditions.

Things go well at first, but then Earl’s brother shows up and he’s a loose cannon. The peace the boys have built isn’t going to last.

Jay Hernandez, who also appeared in Hostel around this time, doesn’t have the charisma or acting chops to come anywhere close to portraying a young Al Pacino. This is distracting. Add to that a terrible love plot, and the beginning is pretty bad. The second half is more engaging, as the problems that erupt are entertaining, but then it ends in a way that almost completely undoes the ending of the original.

In the end, this is only worth a look for gangster film completists like me. Otherwise, there’s little to enjoy here.

Rating:

Quote:
CARLITO BRIGANTE: “Buy the ticket. Catch that plane, and never come back. Otherwise your parents gonna be using that money for your funeral.”

Trivia:
Luis Guzmán played a big part in Carlito’s Way. He also appears in this movie, but in a different role.

Glen or Glenda

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


“I Changed My Sex!”

Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Written by: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Cast: Bela Lugosi, Lyle Talbot, Tomothy Farrell, Dolores Fuller, Edward D. Wood Jr.

Year / Country: 1953, USA
Running Time: 68 mins.

In the making of this film, which deals with a strange and curious subject, no punches have been pulled – no easy way out is taken. Many of the smaller parts are portrayed by persons who actually are, in real life, the character they portray on the screen. This is a picture of stark realism…taking no sides…but giving you the facts…All the facts…as they are today… You are society…JUDGE YE NOT…..

This is how it starts. Director Ed Wood sure meant business. As a cross dresser, he was driven to bring his ‘dilemma’ to the screen. Glen is what medical science calls ‘a transvestite’. The world doesn’t understand it. A very serious subject. But if you want the audience to take it seriously, throwing in Bela Lugosi in improvised talkie scenes, completely unrelated to the story, is probably not the best idea.

Director Edward D. Wood Jr.’s breakthrough movie suffers from way too much explanation. There are some very funny scenes though. Glenda in front of the store window, Bela Lugosi’s ‘pull the strings’ monologue intercut with buffalos, Bela being entertained by sexy girls. Hilarious then, hilarious now. Glen or Glenda belongs in any cult geeks collection.

Rating:

Biography: Edward D. Wood Jr. (1924, New York – 1978, Hollywood) is widely considered as the world’s worst filmmaker. His low-budget movies, usually mergers of science-fiction and horror, are mostly complete disasters in terms of production values and continuity. In 1994, Edward D. Wood Jr. became the subject of an amazing biopic directed by Tim Burton called Ed Wood.

Filmography: The Sun Was Setting (1951, TV short), Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan (1953, short), Glen or Glenda (1953), Crossroad Avenger: The Adventures of the Tuscon Kid (1953, TV short), Boots (1953, short), Jail Bait (1954), Bride of the Monster (1955), The Night the Banshee Cried (1957, short), Final Curtain (1957, short), Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), Night of the Ghouls (1959), The Sinister Urge (1960), Take It Out in Trade (1970), The Young Marrieds (1971), Necromania: A Tale of Weird Love (1971)

Repo Man

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Alex Cox
Written by: Alex Cox
Cast: Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez, Tracey Walter, Olivia Barash

Year / Country: 1984, USA
Running Time: 92 mins.

Repo men are repossessors. They take back cars from bad debtors who have failed to pay their bills. They often work through the night and rely on speed to keep up with the demands of the job. Suburban punk Otto (Emilio Estevez) lands a position with the Helping Hand Corporation, where his mentor becomes veteran repossessor Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), who shows him the ropes.

Together, Bud and Otto make an effective car-recovery team, but the job comes with plenty of threats: the fierce Rodriguez brothers as rival operators, a gang of punks, and even the government. Trigger-happy car owners frequently complicate matters as well. The story really gains momentum when a highly valuable Chevy Malibu is flagged for repossession. What no one realizes, however, is that the car originates from Roswell, New Mexico and that its trunk contains a mysterious alien device.

Writer-director Alex Cox once worked as a repo man himself, and he blends that firsthand experience with sci-fi elements to create something decidedly unconventional. Repo Man carries a strong cult vibe, which is both rare and appealing. The downside is that this atmosphere sometimes feels like the film’s main selling point. Still, a number of funny moments and consistently enjoyable performances make it a very watchable movie, just not quite the cult masterpiece it might have been.

Rating:

Biography: Alex Cox (1954, Liverpool) left law school to study film at Bristol University. Then he worked as a repo-man. He used his experiences in this profession to write and direct his feature debut Repo Man. After that, he worked as an actor, writer and director. He was successful in the eighties, especially with Sid and Nancy. Since the nineties, he mostly directed TV-movies and documentaries.

Filmography: Sleep is for Sissies (1980, short), Repo Man (1984), Sid and Nancy (1986), Straight to Hell (1987), Walker (1987), Red Hot and Blue (1990, TV), Highway Patrolman (1991), Death and the Compass (1992), The Winner (1996), Three Businessmen (1998), Kurosawa: The Last Emperor (1999, TV-doc), A Hard Look (2000, TV-doc), Revengers Tragedy (2002), Mike Hama, Private Detective: Mike Hama Must Die! (2002, TV), I’m a Juvenile Delinquent, Jail Me! (2004, TV), Searchers 2.0 (2007), Repo Chick (2009), Straight to Hell Returns (2010)