Jason and Shawn review: Rubber

Rubber

Jason: Rubber is a slap in the face to Hollywood and all the sheeple who flock to the mass-market garbage movie studio's make. As long as the sheeple keep watching movies like that, Hollywood will keep making them. That's what Rubber is about, but it's also about a killer tire named Robert. To say Rubber is witty as hell and twice as funny would be an understatement. It's ballsy and has something to say. People will either groove on that or hate it. I grooved on it, and it's getting a Good in books.

Shawn: I'm still processing this movie in my mind. There are so many ideas at work here that I can't turn my brain off. I didn't want to see Rubber because it looked like another dumb comedy like Scary Movie or Vampires Suck. It's not that kind of movie at all. Rubber says a lot about Hollywood and the people who watch Hollywood movies. I can't stop thinking about this movie. Some people will hate it, others will love it. I'm giving it a Good! FYI: Stephen Spinella's Lt. Chad is one of the best movie characters ever.

Next on the chopping block: Rubber

While nothing original seems to be coming out of Hollywood, we in The Basement can always count on the French to come up with something completely different. And, in this case, different = Rubber.

When Robert, a tire, discovers his destructive telepathic powers, he soon sets his sights on a desert town; in particular, a mysterious woman becomes his obsession. Sounds like Rubber, from writer/director Quentin Dupieux, is a send up of the Hollywood monster movie doesn't it? Well, it is. Kinda. But it's so much more. How much more? Find out when the June Special lands Sunday at 6 p.m. PST on iTunes, Facebook, podOmatic and right here on the blog.

Our special episodes are stripped down versions of the radio show. Just a review and some lively banter. If you miss our hour-long episodes tune in Fridays at 4 p.m. at 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca for archived Season One episodes.

And we'll be back in The Basement Oct. 7 at 10 p.m. PST for all new episodes with Season Two. Stick with us!

And now a preview of coming attractions:

RUBBER: Movie Trailer. Watch more top selected videos about: Stephen Spinella, Ethan Cohn

Micro Review: Due Date

To be honest, I enjoyed this far more than The Hangover, which I believe is highly overrated. Funny yes, but overrated. This is funnier though, and not because of Zack Galifianakis, but despite him. Sure he's OK, but this is Robert Downey Jr.'s show. Seeing him slug an unruly 10-year-old and then get his ass kicked by a war veteran in a wheelchair is bust-a-gut funny. And that's just the tip of the inappropriate iceberg. You need to check yourself before you wreck yourself, because this is Good!

Jason and Shawn review: Legend of the Fist and Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

Jason: Action doesn't need translating. Too bad there wasn't more of it in this talky martial arts film featuring the great Donnie Yen. There are about three or four exceptional fight scenes, but they are way too spaced out between long sequences of chatter. I don't mind chatter and plot, but when I watch a kung fu film, I want a lot of kung fu. Sadly, the lack of kung fu means Legend of the Fist has to rate a Bad.

Shawn: We need a kung fu guy and Donnie Yen is he. He ranks right up there with Tony Jaa. This is a guy who can use the big-screen exposure. He is so precise with his moves. This movie is excellent. The story is excellent and the action scenes ridiculously long. It was all a bit too foreign for my tastes, but I know I'll watch it again. My biased kung-fu loving side can't resist a Good here.

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil

Jason: What a fun, likable movie with lovable characters and some great, gory deaths -- none of which are at the hands of another character! And yes, Katrina Bowden is gorgeous. Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil isn't laugh-a-minute funny, but I did laugh a lot. And one's enjoyment of it doesn't hinge on whether or not he or she is a horror fan. If you dig horror comedies in the vein of Shaun of the Dead, you will likely enjoy Tucker and Dale. I did, and I'm giving it a Good.

Shawn: Well, well, well. What have we here? Could it be? Is this possibly an original movie based on cliched ideas? Wow! This is excellent. I believe it's the best movie I've sat through this year. I liked everything about it. I honestly can't complain about anything except the dog needed to be in it more. Love that dog! And I loved the wood-chipper scene. Loved it! I have to give this movie a Good.

Episode XXVI: Legend of the Fist and Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil

Radio NL reporter Shane Woodford returns for a second go-round in The Basement and, believe it or not, he actually asked to be here. Usually we have to put on skin masks and butcher's aprons and haul our return visitors back kicking and screaming.

We kid, we kid. Or do we? You'll never know for sure.

Seeing as Woodford isn't a horror fan (wuss) we've lined up something different for your listening pleasure tonight -- kung fu! Everyone loves kung fu, right? Well Shawn does and I do. We're not sure about Woodford.

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is a good 'ole fashioned kick 'em up that promises spectacular fight scenes. To say we're looking forward to reviewing it is an understatement. And it stars martial arts legend Donnie Yen. Get ready for a good time!

Which brings us to Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil. A horror comedy, the film stars Firefly fave Alan Tudyk as one half of the Tucker and Dale combo. As for the evil? Well, stick with us! Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil has done well on the festival circuit as a spoofy riff on the backwoods horror genre. We'll see how it does in The Basement tonight!

We've also got our thoughts on Sequels That Rock, the latest movie news as read by newshound Woodford, and some great music for your ear hole. You know where you need to be tonight at 10 p.m. PST? That's right: at 92.5 FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca!

And now for a look at tonight's films:

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen



Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil

Rubber rolls onto DVD, Blu-Ray in June

Remember the tragic tale of Robert, an inanimate tire that somehow comes to life with the ability to kill people with its "mind"? Sure you do. Shawn and I talked about it on an episode back in January. And you thought we were kidding.

The movie is called Rubber and it looks like all kinds of crazy and cool. Well, the story of Robert The Killer Tire rolls onto DVD and Blue-Ray on June 7, so you know what movie we're featuring on our June Special.

According to the official website, Rubber is about "Robert, an inanimate tire that has been abandoned in the desert, and suddenly and inexplicably comes to life. As Robert roams the bleak landscape, he discovers that he possesses terrifying telepathic powers that give him the ability to destroy anything he wishes without having to move. At first content to prey on small desert creatures and various discarded objects, his attention soon turns to humans, especially a beautiful and mysterious woman who crosses his path. Leaving a swath of destruction across the desert landscape, Robert becomes a chaotic force to be reckoned with, and truly a movie villain for the ages.”

Here's the trailer for Rubber, just in case your brain needs a refresher:

Jason and Shawn review: The Next Three Days and The Last Lovecraft

The Next Three Days

Jason: Yawn! You call this is a thriller? It doesn't thrill, entice or make one's heart skip a beat.When Crowe is told what he will have to give up in order to break his wife out of prison, I expected there would be a price to be paid. In the end, there wasn't. This is a play-it-safe Hollywood movie, and it's boring. Good acting? Sure. Well made? Yup. But boring! And it rates an Ugly because of it.

Shawn: This would probably be exciting if they had packaged it better and cut out about an hour. It looked good. The acting was great. But it just went on, and on, and on, and on. Another case of The Girl With The Terrible Titties? No. I didn't hate on this, and it was nice to see the Canadian quarter make a cameo, but I'm still giving it an Ugly.

The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu

Jason: Here's a no-budget film that tries hard to please and almost succeeds. This is highly enjoyable for those who know their H.P. Lovecraft mythology, and there's enough oddball humour, gore and monster effects for those who don't. Sure, this would have been better, and funnier, if Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Zach Galifianakis were in it, but they aren't. The cast does try hard, and it's the effort put into this that edges it into the Good.

Shawn: This movie was everything it promised it would be: funny, dark, and there's a merman living in a pool in an RV in the middle of the freakin' desert. I was happy to see all that gore right off the bat, but wish they would have kept it up. Some of it was pretty funny, but other jokes missed the mark. While I did enjoy this more than The Next Three Day, I didn't enjoy it enough to watch it again. It's a Bad for me.

Next on the chopping block: The Steve Alten interview, The Next Three Days and The Last Lovecraft - Relic of Cthulhu

Tonight's a big night for us in The Basement folks as we've got an exclusive interview with New York Times bestselling author Steve Alten.

Alten's the mind behind Meg, the original giant shark tale that inspired The Asylum's Mega Shark movies. The novel has been circling Hollywood for years as it waits to hit the big screen. Alten talks about his battles with Hollywood, his other novels Domain and The Loch, and the world's fascination with the pending Mayan apocalypse. Its a half hour of talk you won't want to miss.

Do any of you remember when Russell Crowe was a big deal? Remember Gladiator? Master and Commander? L.A. Confidential? Hell, how about Virtuosity?

Well, the moody actor's glory days are likely behind him if the box office returns for The Next Three Days are any indication. But a final domestic gross of just $21 million doesn't mean the action/thriller isn't any good. It's just that no one seems to care about Russell Crowe anymore. Nor do Shawn and I really, but that doesn't mean we object to watching his movies and sharing our thoughts on them, which we do for you tonight.

Once we're done with Crowe, we aim the executioner's axe on the ancient ones. Yes, those evil beings from beyond are back in a new horror comedy inspired by the imagination of H.P. Lovecraft. The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu looks like the kind of quirky mix of horror and comedy that made Shaun of the Dead so good. But that doesn't mean that it is. What do we think? Stick with us!

So tune in tonight at 10 p.m. PST on 92.5FM CFBX Kamloops, Shaw Cable 106.1 and www.thex.ca. Oh yeah, that's the good stuff!

And now for some previews of coming attractions:

The Next Three Days



The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu

Aliens are ready to Attack the Block

More and more often it seems we have to look overseas to find cool, fun and creepy genre efforts. And it's great when we encounter one that looks to be all of the above.

Joe Cornish's Attack the Block is an alien invasion horror/comedy about a gang of South London teenagers defending their housing project home against an alien attack. And it looks wicked cool, with the right balance of scares, action and humour that made 80s movies like Fright Night and The Monster Squad so hip. 


Yes, that's Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz's Nick Frost among the group. This is also from the producers of Shaun.


We've got the trailer for you below and suggest you give it a view. And trust me when I say Shawn and I will be doing a review of this film as soon as we can get our mitts on a copy.

Micro Review: The Green Hornet

I didn't expect to like The Green Hornet as much as I did. Truth be told, I didn't expect to like it at all. It's a decent popcorn movie that makes fun of the super-hero genre while still playing within the confines of it. Seth Rogen and Jay Chou have a nice chemistry and comedic timing, Christoph Waltz makes for an amusing villain and Cameron Diaz is only mildly annoying as the love interest. And thank you director Michel Gondry for adding just enough visual style to make it look more interesting than it really is. A Bad review on this one.

The world's first killer tire movie rolls into theatres

Yup, you read that right. A killer tire movie.Called Rubber. We shit you not.

The tire's name is Robert by the way. Again, we shit you not.

The film, by way of French music producer Quentin Dupieux, screened at last year's Cannes Film Festival and generated some good buzz before being picked up Magnet Releasing.

According to the official website, Rubber is about "Robert, an inanimate tire that has been abandoned in the desert, and suddenly and inexplicably comes to life. As Robert roams the bleak landscape, he discovers that he possesses terrifying telepathic powers that give him the ability to destroy anything he wishes without having to move. At first content to prey on small desert creatures and various discarded objects, his attention soon turns to humans, especially a beautiful and mysterious woman who crosses his path. Leaving a swath of destruction across the desert landscape, Robert becomes a chaotic force to be reckoned with, and truly a movie villain for the ages.”

Fucking sold! Rubber premiers on VOD Feb. 25 and hits theatres April 1. No, the film is not an April Fool's Day joke. It's real, and the trailer below looks absolutely amazing. Funny, suspenseful, you name it.

And you know we'll review Rubber and share our thoughts with you on the show. We're good that way.

Micro Review: The Other Guys

A fun and funny riff on the buddy cop/action genre made popular in the 1980s, with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg playing their mismatched partners to the hilt. This is everything Cop Out should have been: clever, exciting, witty and silly without being stupid. The action sequences are brisk and well staged and the humour works more often than it doesn't. I laughed a lot through The Other Guys, which is more than I can say for most mainstream comedies these days. That, and the fact the film is narrated by Ice T and features the sexy Eva Medes, earns this a Good from me. FYI: Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, who play the hero cops, aren't in this for long. Fans take note.

Micro Review: I Love You Phillip Morris

I'm not 100 per cent sure what to make of the Jim Carrey/Ewan McGregor romantic dramedy I Love You Phillip Morris. On the one hand it's a pretty darn funny comedy caper and on the other it's a heavy drama reminiscent of Carrey's more serious efforts. Some times it's both at once. I think it's the film's schizophrenic nature that prevented me from fully engaging in it. That and the fact that Carrey's character is so unlikable. However, when Phillip Morris works, it works well and has one of the funniest five minutes I've ever seen put to film. A Bad for me, and not recommended if you are the least bit homophobic.

Naked Gun star Leslie Neilsen dead at 84

Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen, AKA Frank Drebin, has died from complications of pneumonia. And the world has become a little less funny because of it. He was 84.

The first time I became aware of Nielsen was in the movie Airplane. His "And stop calling me Shirley" sketch had me in stiches. I'd never heard anything so funny. I was also a fan of his Frank Drebin character long before he appeared in The Naked Gun films. The TV series that inspired the films, Police Squad, was a favourite of mine during it's short run.

Sure Nielsen made some bad films in his time. What actor hasn't? But the one's that worked were pure gold.

Saskatchewan-born Nielsen first popped up on early 1950s TV. He received his first big film break playing Commander J.J. Adams in the 1956 sci-fi flick Forbidden Planet. During the next few decades he established himself as a reliable character actor who graced myriad TV dramas and movies like the Poseidon Adventure. Airplane was his first comedy.

We in The Basement toast you, Mr. Nielsen. We're sure you are making everyone laugh wherever it is you are now.

Here's some of the funniest moments from The Naked Gun movies.

Wahlberg says no to The Crow

Thank F-ing God! The boys at JoBlo.com and Cinematical report that Mark Wahlberg has decided not to step into Brandon Lee's shoes for a Crow reboot, remake, whatever. And we applaud that.

In Wahlberg's own words: "We never committed to making the movie. They talked to me about it and there was a director attached who I was a fan of, and he's no longer doing it. We just thought about it – 'is there something cool to be done there?' But we're not committed to making the movie."

The director he mentions is Stephen Norrington, who had this to say about Wahlberg's involvement with the project after he left: "I think Wahlberg could be cool if they take a gritty blue-collar approach. He's a truthful actor. I think he could really ground the supernatural stuff."

Shawn and I voiced our displeasure at Wahlberg's potential casting here. Now if they can just deep six the project altogether we would truly be happy.

Micro Review: Get Him To The Greek

The latest in a long line of raunchy  comedies, and almost as funny as all those that proceeded it. In fact, there is a 15-minute sequence that is by far one of the funniest ever put on film. The flick works because of some winning performances by Jonah Hill and Russell Brand and a script that knows when to slow down and let some pathos and character beats shine through. Another winner from producer Judd Apatow, and a solid Good rating from The Basement.

Jason and Shawn review: The Joneses and Four Lions

The Joneses

Jason:

The Joneses has a lot to say about consumerism, the economic crisis and people's willingness to go into debt to achieve the American dream. However, what good intentions co-writer/director Derrick Borte had for his film are shattered by a storyline that refuses to break free of the shackles set by mainstream Hollywood. David Duchovny is still a fun screen presence and Demi Moore is looking great at 47, but I didn't buy their romance one bit. And spare me the warm, fuzzy happy ending. This could have been a good movie, but instead it rates a Bad.

Shawn:

Hello X-Files and G.I .Jane, long time no see.  This was the best you could get? I get it. Keep up with the Joneses. But even the Joneses are fucked up. The chemistry was terrible between Demi and Duchovny.  I know the relationship was supposed to be awkward, but the performances seemed just a little too rough around the edges. And salespeople with consciences? Please. I guess I'll have to wait for karma to come around and reward me for my hour and a half lost. This is Ugly through and through. 

Four Lions

Jason:

I so wish I could write a review for this movie that would do it justice. Instead, all I can say is SEE IT! This is one of the best and funniest independent comedies to come down the pipe in a long, long time. The film is emotionally engaging without being sappy, slapstick without being silly. And it has some of the best, most quotable lines of any film since Black Dynamite. Did I mention you need to see it? SEE IT! One to own and watch again and again. A Good review from me.

Shawn:

Trailer Park Boys meets Hezbollah.  But a movie about British Muslims is quite a bit funnier. This movie was hilarious.  I found myself hoping that they actually succeeded.  Sick yes, but I haven't watched a good black comedy in a long time. Well done, well casted and funnier than shit!  Did I mention, it was actually funny? This rates a Good, even though one sheep was blown up in the making of this movie.

Micro Review: MacGruber

It's nice to know that stupid funny is alive and well. That's not exactly a compliment, but I'm not slamming the movie either. MacGruber is better than it has any right to be, and it could have been great had the filmmakers not focused on shock value over straight comedy. The film works best when its being a satire of 1980s action movies and fails miserably when it falls back on its roots as a bad Saturday Night Live skit. A Bad review from The Basement on this one.

Micro Review: Cop Out

Not the crapfest many critics and filmgoers have claimed it to be, but nothing to write home about either. The film is saved by the presence of The Bruce and a welcome supporting role played by Sean William Scott. Tracy Morgan's performance becomes tolerable as the film rolls along, and his fight with a foul-mouthed 10-year-old car thief is hilarious. The rest of the film is uninspired and there are too many gaps between laughs. Director Kevin Smith really doesn't know how to shoot an action scene either. They aren't poorly staged, but the gunfire fails to generate excitement. A Bad review from The Basement on this, at least as far as Jay is concerned.

Due Date Trailer F$%king Funny!

Robert Downey Jr. and Zack Galifianakis in a road comedy from Hangover director Todd Phillips? Sold!

I legitimately laughed all the way through this. So did my wife. I'm pretty sure we'll be braving a trip to the movie theatre come November.

Between this and Red, fall is looking pretty good. Hopefully it will make up for the asstacular summer we're suffering through right now. Hopefully Inception breaks the curse.

Check the trailer out below, and leave a thought or two.