Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: September 2022

9/29/2022

Oldboys (2009) - Steen, Halken and Co. win with lovable senior soccer dramedy

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'Forgotten, alone and more than 37 km away from home' reads the funny tagline on this poster for Nikolaj Steen's Oldboys

A Danish old-boys soccer team on their way to play a Swedish policemen team forget their goalkeeper Vagn at a gas station. He soon bands up with a Danish robber he happens upon, and together they head towards the match.

Oldboys is written and directed by debuting Nikolaj Steen (Minkavlerne (2019, TV-series)).

The script is full of weak points, (concerning a concussion, the 'forgetting Vagn' scene, igniting a car's engine etc..) Still I laughed copiously; the old men or boys and their coach (Rasmus Bjerg (Player (2013))) are fun, and Kristian Halken (Miss Viborg (2022)) is formidable as Vagn. Oldboys is formulaic and flawed but a lot of fun and with a lot of beneficial heart to it.

Watch a short clip from the film here

Cost: Uncertain; projected 5 mil. DKK or approximately 0.64 mil. $

Box office: Approximately 0.6 mil. $

= Huge flop (projected return of 0.93 times its cost)

[Oldboys was released 20 November (Denmark) and runs 95 minutes. It was supported with 3 mil. DKK by the Danish Film Institute. If made on a very slim 5 mil. DKK budget, the film would rank as a huge flop: It sold 56,820 tickets in its sole release country (Denmark) at a 83 DKK average prize at the time, coming to approximately 4.7 mil. DKK or 0.6 mil. $. The film won 2/7 Robert award nominations (Denmark's Oscar), among other honors. Steen has kept out of cinemas since, instead directing for TV. Halken returned in 4 short, TV and a voice credit prior to his theatrical return in A Funny Man/Dirch (2011); Robert Hansen (Vildbassen (1994)) in Bølle Bob - Alle Tiders Helt (2010). 1.3k+ IMDb users have given Oldboys a 6.6/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Oldboys?

9/27/2022

Old School (2003) - Some fun in low-brow frat house comedy

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Three middle-aged male stars enjoy themselves at a college party on this poster for Todd Phillips' Old School

Frank 'the Tank' Ricard is in his thirties and depressed, when his good buddy Mitch 'the Godfather' Martin suddenly becomes single, and the two decide to start a college fraternity with their old pal Bernard 'Beanie' Campbell.

Old School is written by Scot Armstrong (Road Trip (2000)) and great New-Yorker filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director Todd Phillips (Road Trip (2000)), with Court Crandall (A Lobster Tale (2006)) contributing story elements.

Luke Wilson (Idiocracy (2006)) as Mitch has a fun scene with Juliette Lewis (Hick (2011)), and Will Ferrell (Land of the Lost (2009)) as Frank has a few of them, too, in a film that's based around a silly idea. But Old School is hampered down by a lot of unfunny stuff in between the good parts, and a bunch of cameos that just don't work.

The Hangover (2009) - Phillips & Co. hit the mother lode with hilarious crowdpleaser

Watch a 3-minute clip from the film here

Cost: 24 mil. $

Box office: 87.1 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 3.62 times its cost)

[Old School premiered 13 February (USA) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place from January - March 2002 in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #2, behind holdover hit Daredevil, to a 17.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#3), grossing 75.5 mil. $ (86.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 3.6 mil. $ (4.1 %) and Germany with 1.8 mil. $ (2 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 1/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. Phillips returned with Starsky & Hutch (2004). Ferrell returned in The Guardian (2003, TV-series) and theatrically in Elf (2003); Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers (2005)) in I Love Your Work (2003); and Wilson in Alex & Emma (2003). Old School is fresh at 60 % with a 5.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Old School?

9/26/2022

Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) - Rodriguez goes digital and blows up his trilogy

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Three long-haired stars with sultry looks adorn this earthy-red poster for Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Guitar-playing hit-man El Mariachi becomes involved in a Mexican state coup, drug villains and lots - LOTS - of weapons.

Once Upon a Time in Mexico is written, co-produced, directed, photographed, edited and scored by great Texan filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi (1992)). It is the final film in his Mariachi trilogy that also comprises El Mariachi and Desperado (1995).

The plot is confused and hard to recount, as the masculine, action-packed trilogy ends disappointingly here. Once Upon a Time in Mexico is a film that isn't much fun, isn't ever exciting, but instead reeks of indifference and superficiality; it is also a raining of stars over a specific country (Mexico) that was already going apart at the seams with homicidal violence when the film was made and released due to the criminal drug cartels, which the film tries to milk some pulpy entertainment out of - making it even less fun.

Rodriguez had impressed to the point of getting a star parade of Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2 (2010)), Antonio Banderas (The Body (2001)) and Willem Dafoe (A Woman (2010)) and many more to fall into this wretched action soup here. The film nevertheless has incredibly sexy turns from Johnny Depp (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)), Salma Hayek (Americano (2011)) and Enrique Iglesias (How I Met Your Mother (2007, TV-series)), as well as some photography, stunts and special effects tricks that work. Rodriguez had become a technically superior filmmaker at this point in his career, - but he forgot (or perhaps ignored) with Once Upon a Time in Mexico that all the work still comes down to making a good film.

Related posts:

Robert Rodriguez: The Faculty (1998) or, Teacher Encounters of the Third Kind

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) - Tarantino, Rodriguez and chums' enjoyable Mexico vampire extravaganza
Desperado (1995) - Rodriguez' second Mexico actioner is a sexy, latino fireball

Four Rooms (1995) - Rodriguez, Tarantino & Co. fail with LA hotel anthology comedy (segment)

Watch 3 minutes from the beginning of the film here

Cost: 29 mil. $

Box office: 98.7 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.40 times its cost)

[Once Upon a Time in Mexico premiered 27 August (Venice Film Festival) and runs 102 minutes. Rodriguez reportedly wrote the script in 6 days. Shooting took place from May - June 2001 in Texas and Mexico. It was allegedly the first big budget film to shoot in be shot in HD digital video, a change that Rodriguez since championed and stuck with in subsequent films. The film opened #1 to a 23.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend in the top 5 (#4), grossing 56.3 mil. $ (57 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 7.1 mil. $ (7.2 %) and the UK with 4.4 mil. $ (4.5 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Rodriguez returned with 5 shorts prior to his theatrical return with The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3D (2004). Banderas returned in And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself (2003, TV movie) and theatrically in Imagining Argentina (2003); Hayek in After the Sunset (2004); and Depp in Secret Window (2004). Once Upon a Time in Mexico is fresh at 66 % with a 6.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Once Upon a Time in Mexico?

9/25/2022

Once (2007) - Music brings souls together in Carney's impressive breakthrough

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A man and a woman walk together on a road that's switched out with a guitar on this pleasant poster for John Carney's Once

A street singer and vacuum cleaner repairman with a broken heart starts a relation to a Czech girl in Dublin. Their relation develops from their musical co-creations over a span of some few days, in which they also record some songs.

Once is written and directed by great Irish filmmaker John Carney (November Afternoon (1996)).

It is a celebration of musical expression, and the original music that goes along with Once is deep-felt and beautiful. Once is a wonderful film with a striking simplicity. Although the cinematic expression is obviously dictated by the minuscule budget, the film is moving and rewarding.

Begin Again/Can a Song Save Your Life? (2013) - Carney's welcome New York music treat

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 150k $

Box office: 23.1 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 154 times its cost)

[Once premiered 20 January (Sundance Film Festival, Utah) and runs 86 minutes. Cillian Murphy had been intended to play the male lead but dropped out. 75 % of the budget came from The Irish Film Board, with Carney personally donating his salary to his two lead actors. Shooting took place in 17 days in January 2006 in Dublin, Ireland. The film opened #45 to a 61k $ first weekend in 2 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #12 and in 150 theaters (different weeks), grossing 9.4 mil. $ (40.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were South Korea with 1.7 mil. $ (7.4 %) and Germany with 1.3 mil. $ (5.6 %). The film won the Best Original Song Oscar for Falling Slowly by leads and composers Glen Hansard (The Commitments (1991)) and Markéta Irglová (The Swell Season (2011, documentary)). It was also nominated for a British Independent Film award, won an Independent Spirit award, was nominated for 2 Grammys, won a National Board of Review award and an audience award in Sundance, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Carney returned with The Modest Adventures of David O'Doherty (2007, TV-series) and theatrically with Zonad (2009). Hansard returned in a TV-series and 2 music videos prior to his theatrical return in Cyrano (2021); Irglová has only returned in a TV-series and music videos and have otherwise left the medium again. Once is certified fresh at 97 % with an 8.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Once?

9/23/2022

Observe and Report (2009) - Hill's hilarious dark comedy leaves good taste in the gutter

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+ Best Big Flop Movie of the Year + Best Dark Comedy of the Year

Two questionable mall cops pose like idiots on this poster for Jody Hill's Observe and Report

Ronnie is a mall cop, and it is a job that he carries out with what is perhaps a somewhat exaggerated sense of responsibility. His mother drinks; his flame Brandi from cosmetics is uninterested in him; but then Ronnie gains a much-wanted enemy - in the guise of a chubby flasher.

Observe and Report is written and directed by Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way (2006)).

Hill and co-star and protagonist Seth Rogen's (Steve Jobs (2015)) dark, transgressive male-centric, crude humor lies heavily over Observe and Report, as it relies on laughing at (and not with) its team of dumb loser characters.

But the film is also a ton of laughs, especially in the most absurd scenes, SPOILER as when Ronnie shoots the flasher.

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

Watch a 22-second clip from the film here

Cost: 18 mil. $

Box office: 26.9 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.49 times its cost)

[Observe and Report premiered 16 March (South by Southwest Film Festival, Austin, Texas) and runs 86 minutes. Shooting took place from April - June 2008 in New Mexico. It opened #4, behind fellow new release Hannah Montana: The Movie and holdover hits Fast & Furious and Monsters vs. Aliens, to an 11 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 24 mil. $ (89.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 1 mil. $ (3.7 %) and Australia with 912k $ (3.4 %). Hill returned with a short and 2 TV credits prior to his theatrical return, The Legacy of a Whitehall Deer Hunter (2018, VoD). Rogen returned in Family Guy (2009, TV-series) and theatrically in Funny People (2009); Michael Peña (The Mule (2018)) in My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done (2009). Observe and Report is rotten at 51 % with a 5.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Observe and Report?

9/22/2022

Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior/องค์บาก (2003) - The acrobatic martial arts breakthrough

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+ Best $ Return of the Year: 18.3 times its cost + Best Martial Arts Movie of the Year + Best Thai Movie of the Year

Star Tony Jaa's muscular back in warm, earthy tones makes up this poster for Prachya Pinkaew's Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior

When a Thai village have the head of their protective Ong-Bak Buddha statue stolen, a young, virile man gets chosen to head out on the dangerous journey to the big city (Bangkok) to repossess the holy artifact.

Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is written by Suphachai Sittiaumponpan (Thai Theeb (2006)), with Panna Rittikrai (Black Goblins (1990)) and co-writer/co-producer/director Prachya Pinkaew (Rawng tah laep plaep (1992)) contributing story elements.

Young Ting (Tony Jaa (Monster Hunter (2020))), the brave young man in question, beats up and suffers beatings from a fantastic amount of people, and the fighting scenes take up most of the film's running time. And here are very cool and acrobatic choreography to admire.

Aside from this significant quality, Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is overlong and, outside of its action, amateurish.

Watch a 3-minute clip from the film here

Cost: 1.1 mil. $

Box office: 20.2 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 18.3 times its cost)

[Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior premiered 21 January (Bangkok International Film Festival) and runs 108-105 minutes (Thai version/international version). Shooting took place in Thailand, including in Bangkok. The film opened #17 to a 1.3 mil. $ first weekend in 387 theaters in North America, its 2nd biggest market, where it grossed 4.5 mil. $ (22.3 of the total gross). The biggest market was France with 6.4 mil. $ (31.7 %), and 3rd biggest was Thailand with 2.5 mil. $ (12.4 %). The success resulted in 2 sequels; Ong-Bak 2 (2008) and Ong-Bak 3 (2010), with Jaa and Pinkaew returning. Pinkaew first returned with The Protector/Tom yum goong (2005), which was also Jaa's next movie. Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior?

9/21/2022

Open Range (2003) - Costner impresses with fabulous classic western

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+ Comeback of the Year: Kevin Costner + Best Western of the Year

A shoot-out is about to commence on this thrilling poster for Kevin Costner's Open Range

Four sympathetic open range Montana cattlemen become 2½, when they head in to buy supplies in a small, inhospitable town. The two men that are left unharmed now must claim their right to freedom against the town's corrupt reign.

Open Range is written by Craig Storper (The Truth About Alex (1986, TV movie)), adapting The Open Range Men (1990) by Lauran Paine (Skye (1986)), and directed by Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves (1990)), who also co-produced and co-stars in the film.

The first half is the best; after this comes a long prelude to the grand, final showdown, - which is very classical and really well-made, SPOILER followed by an overlong and overly sentimental round-off.

But Open Range is still a really good western. Annette Bening (The Siege (1998)) is good, and Costner and Robert Duvall (The Godfather (1972)) are not to be messed with here, class acts all three. The American open range is the film's fourth lead. Open Range is impressive and full of warmth.

Related posts:

Kevin Costner: Molly's Game (2017) - Chastain is luminous in Sorkin's great true-crime debut (co-star)

Man of Steel (2013) or, Superman v Zod: Sunset of Destruction (co-star)

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Thirteen Days (2000) - Electrifying Cuban Missile Crisis thriller (actor/producer)

Dances with Wolves (1990) - Costner's triumphant, simpatico western

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 22 mil. $

Box office: 68.2 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 3.1 times its cost)

[Open Range premiered 11 August (USA) and runs 139 minutes. Shooting took place from June - September 2002 in Alberta, Canada. More than a million $ were spent to build the town in the film, as well as 40k $ to lay a road to it. 225 head of cattle were used in the film, handled by professional cowboys. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release Freddy vs. Jason and holdover hit S.W.A.T., to a 14 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 58.3 mil. $ (85.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were France with 2.7 mil. $ (4 %) and the UK with 1.9 mil. $ (2.8 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Costner didn't direct again for nearly 20 years but is now shooting his next film, Civil War western Horizon. As an actor he returned in The Upside of Anger (2005); Duvall in Secondhand Lions (2003); and Bening in The Sopranos (2004, TV-series) and theatrically in Being Julia (2004). Open Range is certified fresh at 79 % with a 6.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Open Range?

9/20/2022

The Orphanage/El Orfanato (2007) - Bayona arrives with memorable, haunting horror

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Star Belén Rueda stands in a dark corridor among what appears to be ghost children on this poster for J.A. Bayona's The Orphanage

A married couple with an adopted son want to reopen an old orphanage, which the woman Laura once lived in, but when their son Simón disappears, the place transforms from a place of promise into a sinful nightmare.

The Orphanage is written by Sergio G. Sánchez (7337 (2000, short)) and directed by great Spanish filmmaker, debuting J.A. Bayona (A Monster Calls (2016)). The title is a literal translation of the original Spanish title.

SPOILER The house is haunted with masked children in The Orphanage, and there are shocks and a frightening medium scene, in which sound design is used to strike violently upon the gasping viewer. But the film's real brilliance may be the way it so finely balances warmly inviting the audience back to the innocent magic of childhood, - and gruesome, very adult offenses on the contrasting side.

SPOILER The ending is tragic, - but not devastating, - bringing to my mind H.C. Andersen's The Story of a Mother (1847). It perfectly fulfills this fairytale-reminiscent nightmare. Executive producer Guillermo Del Toro's preceding, more widely seen and hailed Pan's Labyrinth (2006) pales in comparison to The Orphanage, I find.

Related posts:

J.A. Bayona: 2018 in films - according to Film Excess

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) - Ideals blow up in Bayona's grand and timely dino spectacle
2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
A Monster Calls (2016) - Bayona forgets the sugar in overly gloomy adaptation turkey

2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2012 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2012 in films - according to Film Excess
Top 10: The best true story movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
The Impossible/Lo Imposible (2012) - The 2004 tsunami depicted in one of the strongest disaster films ever

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 4 mil. $

Box office: 78.6 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 19.65 times its cost)

[The Orphanage premiered 20 May (Cannes Film Festival, Golden Camera section) and runs 97 minutes. The first draft was written in 1996. Sánchez gave Bayona his script in 2004. With Del Toro's support, the financing came together with 14 production companies and support bodies collaborating. Shooting took place from May - July 2006 in Spain. The film opened #27 to a 233k $ first weekend in 19 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #16 and in 707 theaters, grossing 7.1 mil. $ (9 % of the total gross). North America was the film's 3rd biggest market. Its biggest and 2nd biggest were Spain with 37.7 mil. $ (48 %), - here it was the biggest opening of the year with an 8.3 mil. $ four-day launch, - and Mexico with 11.6 mil. $ (14.8 %). The film was nominated for 5 European Film awards and won 7/14 Goya awards, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. A much talked about US remake never came to fruition. Bayona returned with La Desgracia en 3D (2008, short), Nena Daconte: El Aleph (2009, music video) and theatrically with The Impossible/Lo Imposible (2012). Belén Rueda (The Sea Inside/Mar Adentro (2004)) returned in 8 Citas (2008). The Orphanage is certified fresh at 87 % with a 7.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Orphanage?