Movie Cornucopia - Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), Evil Dead II (1987), City Of Violence (2006)

Just a few short, random thoughts on films i've seen recently:


Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) - I like to think of Say Anything, Grosse Pointe Blank, and High Fidelity as a thematic trilogy of John Cusack films examining the nature of relationships (and the choices one makes within them). Of the three films, this is the weakest but still a tremendous amount of fun and (as always) has a killer soundtrack. The fight with Benny Urquidez is a magnificent piece of choreography, and the darker tone fits the film really well. Nice supporting performances from Alan Arkin and Dan Aykroyd, and Minnie Driver is perfectly ok.


Evil Dead II (1987) - Still the most fun that a person can have watching a film. Watching it a few days ago in preparation of seeing Evil Dead: The Musical it really stuck out to me how influential it was in developing my love for films and the process of film-making. The ragged edges in some of the effects and performances just add to the pleasure, and the pace is manic to the point of leaving the audience breathless. The pleasures of watching Bruce Campbell be driven insane by a disembodied hand and a psychotically laughing moose head is something I hope I never grow out of.


City Of Violence (2006) - More of a drama with some big action set pieces than a straight martial arts movie, City Of Violence doesn't really distinguish itself outside of a Warriors-inspired brawl that never reaches the nuttiness (or pace) of the source. Performances are good, and some of the action (particularly in the final scene) is definitely impressive, but it simply doesn't do enough to separate itself. Worth a rental, but don't expect a classic. The two-disc DVD set is certainly packed, however.