Interview: KYLE CLARE

(NOTE: this interview with Kyle Clare was originally conducted in January 2011; have relocated it from an old blog I no longer write.)

Since my first interview on this blog, with Gran Torino's Bee Vang, I've occasionally sought out other actors to speak with; actors whose work not only inspired me, but also who deserved the attention of everyone I knew, because his or her talent was so freaking out there, it should be seen.  Well, between moving to L.A. and other things in life intervening, I came across an actor who - in just one performance - blew me away so much, I sort of dug in and hung on, more than happy to work around his busy schedule until he could find the time for a chat.

You may never have heard of him, but I suspect that is only temporary. It's real talent that holds its own in this town, building a lengthy career, and if that's the case I think Kyle Clare is pretty much set.

It was Watercolors that did it for me. The first time I saw the film, I sat down expecting another formulaic film about a young gay high school boy who falls for the jock he can never have - yet, somehow, manages to get, even if only temporarily. Such indie films are rampant, usually showing excessive skin in lieu of a plot or characterization, and almost always such films also end in tragedy for those involved, especially the main character (or someone he or she loves).

Watercolors broke that, beautifully. On paper it may play out as as read above, but thanks to the phenomenal heart and soul put into the film by writer/director David Oliveras, as well as the pure, very honest and humane performances of the two lead actors, Tye Olson and Kyle Clare, Watercolors takes a compassionate, very honest and wholly real approach to its subject matter - and delivers beautifully. And much as Tye Olson's character of Danny finds artistic inspiration for his drawings and paintings in the form of Kyle Clare's character Carter, it's Clare himself, with his performance, who inspired not only this interview, but my own work as a writer, as well. I hope he won't mind if I call him my friend, but that's just how Kyle is; one conversation, and he treats you like he's known you forever.

But enough of that; you can read the review here; this piece is about one of the stars of a film everyone who has ever fallen in love should see.

Kyle Clare, was born in Santa Monica in January of 1985, the son of parents who divorced while he was still very young. Movies were a big passion even from an early age, and a young Kyle would often find himself acting out characters to the point where he wouldn't answer to his own name. He was signed to a children's agency as a kid, but barely remembers the experience; it was in the eighth grade, after his class attended a show at the high school, that young Kyle first realized THIS was what he wanted to do.

Though he'd start off well, playing the purser in "Anything Goes" in high  school, Clare's the first to admit, "I didn't have it all together in high school. I tested well, but didn't really have a plan." While he got good grades, and had landed the lead in every show by the time he was a senior, it was a guidance counselor who saw a young man in need of direction that saw the young man's talent and handed him a few applications for acting schools. Four days after graduating high school, Kyle auditioned for the prestigious AMDA (American Musical and Dramatic Academy) conservatory in New York City, who accepted him into their program. "So I was just graduated from high school and off to New York," Clare recalls, citing that his mother especially ask him, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?" - but  by then, the acting bug had fully bitten.

Clare has nothing but good thing to say about the AMDA, though it was often all work and no play. "It was a tough school," he says. " There was no time to rest, you were always acting. But I learned that you get out only what you put into it ... and if you're really focused, which I was, then you can get a lot out of it." When asked how he feels attending the conservatory helped shape his career, Clare stresses "the best training an actor can get is from theater; theatrically-trained actors have a real advantage." That said, Clare did eventually choose to take the second year of his two-year training in Los Angeles, where he could focus more on film and television, though his respect and admiration for the school and for theater are obvious when he admits, "Looking back, had I been older I might have stayed (in New York) and pursued stage, but the glitz and glamor of being rich and famous gets to you ..."

Then, soon after graduating from AMDA, Kyle Clare only wanted to take a break when his girlfriend at the time, Jessica, talked him into submitting for an independent film he'd found was seeking actors online. After reading about the indie film Watercolors, which was to be shot on video for a more-than-modest budge of $35,000, Kyle wasn't sure about submitting for a role in which he'd be not only playing a closeted gay male (especially for his very first film role), but also for a part that, right out, stated would require nudity. But Jessica encouraged him to seek out the role, pointing out that Carter was Kyle Clare as described in the breakdown - a lean and athletic with long hair - but that didn't stop Clare from being more than a little nervous at the audition.

"What really made me nervous, though, was that I knew I was perfect for the role," Kyle says. "I was nervous about getting it, about playing a gay character and the nudity, but I called back and after the call back I heard from David (Oliveras, the writer and director). He told me it was between me and this other guy, and he wanted to get together and just hang out, get to know me. After the second time we hung out, he called to offer me the role."

From here, the friendship between Oliveras and Clare only grew, especially as Kyle grew more excited about the project, and even became a part of the casting process. "At the time I was cast, Danny's character was called Eric, and another actor had been cast in the role. But after two weeks of rehearsals the vibe just wasn't right, and David ended up letting the other actor go. He asked me to help him re-cast Eric, and we got this kid who dropped out, like, after one rehearsal ... so by now, five weeks since being cast as Carter, we were still looking for a Danny - which was what David had changed the other lead character's name to - and then Tye Olson walks in."

Clare was impressed from the beginning. "Tye walks in, and Tye was Danny. I read with him, then Tye left and I turned to David and said, 'I want him.' We called him at Starbucks and cast him."

But more than just winning a role, what makes Watercolors work is that the Olson and Clare seem absolutely in-sync with their performances; you fully believe in the characters and their relationship with each other, both good and bad. And talking with Kyle Clare, it's easy to see, now, why the film works on an emotional level the way it does.

"Even if I wasn't shooting, I was on-set all the time. David, Tye and I became "the trio" - we hung out together, talked about characters, and got very close. I don't like to over-rehearse, but forming this great friendship with Tye and David, just hanging out and talking about the characters and story, really helped the film."

And it works; just see the film to believe that. Better still, go by the fact that Kyle Clare - for his first feature-length role, won the 2008 Best Supporting Actor Audience Award at the Clip Film Festival, and FilmOut San Diego, in 2009, presented him with the Jury Award for Best Supporting Actor, for playing Carter Melman. Not bad, for a straight guy playing a complex, troubled and closeted gay teen in his first film.

When asked how his family and friends reacted to seeing him as Carter, Clare curiously mentions that his mother of all people had little problem  with the character. "I had blond curly hair as a little kid," he remembers, "and was always made fun of, seen as artistic and a little weird. In school, because I was artistic and a performer, I was called gay a lot, so I think my mom sort of always wondered if I wasgay, which prepared her a little more." To this day, while Clare knows he has his father's overall respect and support, he's not even sure if his father has seen the film - "though I know he bought it the day it came out on DVD" - and admits to taking a ribbing from his friends about playing Carter, especially for the nudity. And even his girlfriend at the time, Jessica - who started the whole thing - was very proud of his work as Carter, and loved the film.

Life since Watercolors involves Kyle Clare cutting his acting teeth back on the stage - particularly with Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre in North Hollywood. "It's really unique, a 50-set, black box theater; total audience immersion, with some crazy, really out there shows ... and I've learned a lot there; it's prepared me for when the right project comes along. Being forced to play some really crazy characters, its torn and pulled and stretched me; now I know, if I can do Zombie Joe's, then I can do into any audition, on any set, and pull off the character. With every show I'm stretched; tested."

It's also taught Clare to be an actor's actor. His taste in favorite performers - or actors he'd like to work with one day - runs toward a few of the most well-renowned working today. "Sean Penn is my man. He's so deep. I really relate my style to his in some way, he really seems to understand his characters; he's so cerebral." On Robert Downey Jr. - "One of the most naturally-gifted actors of all time; he never ceases to entertain or amaze me." And Clare adds Sam Rockwell as a third influence on his work, stating "he's just an incredible actor, period."

Just approaching his twenty-sixth birthday, when asked where he'd like to be in, say, five years, Clare - as many actors before him - mentions wanting to direct in time. But as always with Kyle Clare, it all has to come with meaning: "People have said they'll see me hitting my stride in my thirties," he says. "If so, I hope I can continue to do roles that I find interesting and satisfying. Working on things that mean something; heartfelt projects I want to do, and be able to sustain myself doing them. Just be able to act, and focus on that; whether theater or small, independent films, I would like to be where I can do the projects I want to do." When asked the kind of character he'd most like to play right now, Clare - in line with his theatrical training - cites his desire to explore the psychology of a character out of the norm of society. "Mental illness intrigues me," says Clare. "Exploring the character or a crazy person, or maybe a savant or even a psychopath, like Heath Ledger's Joker. I'd die a happy man if I could play a role like that, or maybe even like Sean Penn in I am Sam ... Hoffman in Rain Man. It's the only other role I've consciously thought of doing."

But no matter what, Kyle Clare is in it for the long haul. With most of his lengthy career still left ahead of him, the young and hugely talented performer has been around enough to have some good, solid and very realistic advice for the aspiring actor; advice as blunt and honest and together as Clare himself.

"Go home, sit down, and think about the whole thing. If you could eversee yourself doing anything else ... then do that. If you have doubts then do something else, because to be successful and effective and a good actor, it must be something you HAVE to do."

Interview: BEE VANG

(NOTE: this interview with Bee Vang was originally conducted in September 2009; have relocated it from an old blog I no longer write.)

At the age of seventeen, Bee Vang has already put behind him the kind of break that many actors spend the majority of their careers trying to land - a co-starring role in a prestigious Hollywood film, directed by and starring an icon of American cinema.

Such was Gran Torino, a 2008 release starring and directed by Clint Eastwood that proved to be one of the most critically-praised films of Eastwood's career. And Bee Vang, who played Thao Vang Lor in the film - the next-door-neighbor who would turn out to be the biggest pain in Clint Eastwood's character's behind ... and, ultimately, his best friend. Vang's performance was praised by critics and fans alike, as well, and has already earned the teen from Minnesota a core group of fans.

Not bad for a guy who had no previous acting experience (or, for that matter, ambitions) going into it all.

Born in Fresno, California, Bee Vang grew up in a big, quite extended family; his Hmong (an ethnic group originating in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia forced, years ago, to flee their homeland in search of political asylum) parents had emigrated to the United States just a few years before his birth, and Bee remembers his childhood as being constantly surrounded by family - literally, with sometimes as many as fifteen people sharing the same home. "It was always cramped, and sometimes tough," Bee says, "but I was so young, it was okay."

When Vang and his immediate family - which includes four brothers and one sister - relocated to Minnesota, it was there that Bee met "Miss D," a teacher who would nurture his artistic side. "I fell in love with the piano and viola," he remembers, "and Miss D always encouraged me; she found me a piano to play on, and bought me a viola." When Miss D passed a few years ago, Vang even played one of her favorite songs at the funeral - and in fact, in an otherwise completely professional yet personable demeanor, it's in talking about Miss D that Bee Vang's voice hints at the emotional bond he still has with his inspirational teacher: "Remember the part in Gran Torino, when I go to help that lady across the street with her groceries?" he asks. "Well, if you listen close, you can hear me call her 'Miss D' in the movie."

It's this kind of honor and respect that led Bee to originally pursue classical music; he was playing by 7th grade, and listening to classical music to sleep. "I found out, though, that I wasn't disciplined enough to be that good," he adds. "That, and I was never really encouraged much by my parents, who wanted me to pursue a more stable career. So after Miss D died (from brain cancer), I was inspired to go into neuroscience and medicine. I volunteered at local hospitals, and even got my CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant certification) through an internship."

But Bee's love for the arts - and, in particular, for film - was rekindled via an apprenticeship with a local Hmong filmmaker. Soon Bee learned, however, that his own ideas and work were a bit too controversial for that market, and by 9th grade he'd left the apprenticeship when there were too many compromises and changes requested of him. Even by this time, Bee had never had any desire or interest in acting ... but then received an email that changed his life.

An ad in the Hmong Times newspaper stated that a film company was seeking local Hmong actors for a feature film. Not expecting anything, Bee sent in his information and a photo - and, to his surprise, was called about an audition. "They called me, and sent me a side (a portion of a film script containing only the lines the actor is to read for his/her audition) to read," Bee recalls. "I prepared and went to the audition, while still juggling school and everything, and six weeks later got the callback. Several more weeks, and they told me I had the role."

And when asked his reaction to landing a major role in a film co-starring and directed by the one and only Clint Eastwood? Bee stifles a chuckle before replying. "I know girls are supposedly more emotional, but I realize maybe guys can be; looking back, I felt like this would give my artistic side a chance again; the opportunity for me to really push myself. I jumped up, screamed - even cried a bit. It was a real life-changing moment. Being Hmong, my parents have always pushed me into a stable career - professor, teacher, doctor - so this was an emotional experience for me." Vang mentions a lack of Eastwood star power at the auditions, "but for me that was good; less intimidating. I was less nervous because of it, and didn't meet Mr. Eastwood until my first day of shooting, three months later."

And for sure, meeting Clint Eastwood that day was something Bee Vang will never forget. "I was scared, but kept looking for him that day. I really wanted to make a good impression, didn't want to go overboard, but just shake his hand - and when I did, I think I said something like 'Nice to meet you, Mr. Callahan'. So much for a good impression!

"Until then I'd seen him as the intimidating, scary guy from the Dirty Harry movies. But he's just a regular person; another human being. He's not a 'star,' he's just ... Clint Eastwood - and I realized he's a very down-to-earth, serious guy."

Vang expands on his impressions of Eastwood further, when asked what working with him was like. "We never really talked on-set, other than our scenes together. He has his own style, and when you're on set he lets you know you're fine and will be taken care of. He's very quiet; I tried to ask him about his career and the industry, ask his advice, but only usually got, like, five minutes with him on set at a time, so it was hard to talk with him - but he told me that he kept that distance on purpose, to keep the same feel of the relationship that Thao and Walt had going on on-screen . So I learned all I could, for as long as I was with him, and also applaud Mr. Eastwood for giving Hmong people a chance to be seen and heard. He (Mr. Eastwood) works way too much, though - acting, directing, post-production; I heard that Gran Torino was going to be his last job as an actor, and I'm proud to have been a part of that."

Because of his outstanding, very realistic performance as Thao, it was natural to ask Bee about similarities he and his character have (warning: a few Gran Torino spoilers here!). "I think I'm smarter than Thao. Smarter, and maybe more aggressive. Thao is passive-aggressive, not as professional in his conversation. But there are similarities. Thao got the car - I got the piano from Miss D. My sister is a wonderful influence in my life, like Thao's. I've been greatly influenced by the women in my life, supported by women - there are many similarities to me and Thao, only if you gave Thao more of a chance to come out of his shell." Bee even remembers a time, like Thao helping his neighbors with the groceries in the film, when Bee himself spotted a blind man once, during the winter, whose path was blocked where he was about to walk. Like Thao, Bee jumped out of the car to help the man.

And that same guy still seems to reside in Bee Vang, even with all the attention the film has brought him. "I'm still very self-conscious. I'd never even given speeches in school. And when the premiere was coming, suddenly I had to give school speeches, interviews, speak in front of forums; I hadn't even prepared what to wear to the premiere! It still seems like a dream, that someone like me could even step up to such heights to work with Clint Eastwood in a film like this - and I remember I even screamed in the car on the way to the premiere. I'm trying, though, to be a better public speaker, and am proud to be a representative of the Hmong people. I like to feel like I helped pave the way in Hollywood a like - like maybe what happened to me was a stepping stone for other Asian and minority actors."

And while he's currently back in school in Minnesota, don't think for a moment that Bee Vang is a one-shot wonder - or going back to medicine. "I'm learning - reading - trying to become better with theater and acting in film. I've starred in a local Hmong filmmaker's film, Fallen City, that's due out in December, and had a small role in another independent film, Anatomically Incorrect. Right now, I'm just trying to study and learn, before eventually leaving for California or New York City." And Vang has good influences for his career goals, as well - favorite actors include Peter O'Toole, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tony Leung, and Leslie Cheung, and Bee cites directors like Chan-wook Park, Wong Kar-wai, Korean arthouse director Kim Ki-duk, Sean Penn, and of course Eastwood himself as his inspirations.

"I'd like to get a degree in acting and filmmaking - to become more known internationally, and work everywhere with directors all over the world. I need to finish college first, then get into film - more movie and acting opportunities. Maybe even directing," he adds with a small sigh.

And with a film like Gran Torino as his debut, it seems like Bee Vang may already be well on his way.

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (2014)

While no Blazing Saddles, this may be the funniest (and most fun) western-comedy to come along since.  "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane (director, co-writer, and star) is Albert, an wimpy farmer/sheep owner who spends most of his time avoiding death (it's the Old West, circa 1882, and the film constantly reminds us of the MANY ways one could die an early death in those days) and worshiping girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried) ... who, early on, dumps Albert for the rich, successful Foy (a terrific Neil Patrick Harris), owner of his own first-class moustachery.  But it's when a distraught Albert meets new town resident, Anna (Charlize Theron) - hiding out while her outlaw husband Clinch (Liam Neeson) pulls off a big robbery - it's Albert who must face his own fears to find both true love and his real calling in life.  The raunchy/potty humor, a trademark of MacFarlane's, is in check but also quite toned down (by Seth standards), in a film that's hugely enjoyable and at times laugh-out-loud funny. (rated R)  A-

A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST trailer (adult content)

LOCKE (2013)

If there were ever any doubt that Tom Hardy is one of the best, most underrated actors working today - Locke should take care of that.  Virtually a one-man film, it tells the story of a good family man, Ivan Locke (Hardy), always responsible and devoted to both family and his career as an on-site construction manager, who - because of one phone call - one night climbs into his BMW after work and risks throwing everything away.  The entire film, consisting of Ivan's night-time ride alone in his car, is far from static or dull, as - still always trying to do the right thing - he carries on multiple conversations with his wife, children, boss, and employees, trying to remain the "good man" by smoothing over missing work the next day and not going home that night ... all while things spiral more out of control as Ivan drives on (and on) into the night on his quest to right a horrible wrong.  Hardy is utterly convincing, the low-budget film building tension even as the creeping sensation that none of this can end well overtakes you.  Hardy truly is a marvel. (rated R)  B+

LOCKE trailer

'NIGHT, MOTHER (1986)

Marsha Norman adapted her own Pulitzer Prize-winning play in writing the story of Jessie (Sissy Spacek) and Thelma (Anne Bancroft), a daughter/mother duo living a quiet life in the south until one evening - calm as can be - Jessie announces to her mother that she is going to end her life before morning.  At first finding her daughter's humor in bad taste, Thelma slowly begins to realize that Jessie is not only serious ... but has been planning her suicide for many weeks and down to the last detail, including detailed instructions for how Thelma will deal with everything from laundry to grocery shopping to her prescription meds, once Jessie is gone.  The rest of the film, carried by the phenomenal, flawless performances of its two leading ladies, is a slow revelation of Jessie's life and reasons for coming to this decision, even as Thelma tries like hell to talk her out of it.  Rarely has a simple, two-character drama been this good, or this riveting, in dealing with a hugely taboo subject with such raw emotion and insight.  Incredible film. (rated PG-13)  A-

'NIGHT, MOTHER trailer

GODZILLA (2014)

Fifteen years after a Japanese nuclear power plant was destroyed under mysterious circumstances, former employee Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), who lost his wife in the incident, remains fixated on what truths are being hidden there.  Rescued by his now-adult son Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a U.S. naval officer who flies to Japan when Joe is arrested again for trespassing on quarantined property, Joe instead talks Ford into trying to help him find out what occurred ... both men just in time to see two monsters unleasheds, from deep inside the earth, who threaten the very existence of mankind.  Our only hope?  The subterranean creature who also recognizes the danger these monsters are to this planet's existence; problem is, how do you trust what appears to be another monster, come to "rescue" us?  The answer lies in 123 minutes of one of the most exciting, thrilling, enthralling, and downright fun monster films ever made, bringing Godzilla into the 21st century with all the love and respect deserved. (rated PG-13)  A+

GODZILLA trailer

HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953)

Three friends, all models in New York City - Schatze (Lauren Bacall), Pola (Marilyn Monroe), and Loco (Betty Grable) - snag a fantastic furnished apartment in the city that they really can't afford, and begin using it as a base of operations in a campaign, led by Schatze, for all three to meet and marry millionaires so none need ever to struggle to pay the bills again. Schatze (a radiant Bacall), a divorcee wounded by love, has gotten smart the second time around and soon sets her sights on a rich older Texan, J.D. (William Powell), while the ditzy Pola (a luminous Monroe) and bubbly Loco (Grable at her funniest) pan for gold in the dating pool with unexpected results.  Sophisticated, funny, and still relevant today (also listen for Bacall's reference to Bogart in the film - one of THE best lines ever uttered on screen), How to Marry a Millionaire could have been about three gold-diggers out to scam wealthy men ... but instead tells the story of three beautiful women you grow to care and root for, in their searches for love. (not rated)  A-

HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE trailer

DIVERGENT (2014)

Set in a future, dystopian Chicago where society has been divided into five factions depending on virtues, young Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) - when tested - learns she is Divergent, a mix of more than two or more factions, really fitting into no one group.  Problem is, for some reason the governing society is threatened by and seeking to capture and destroy all who are Divergent, so after joining the wild Dauntless faction that holds guard over the city, she changes her name to Tris and tries to navigate her training into her new life, all the while trying to hide who she really is while avoiding the unwanted scrutiny of the hardened, mysterious Four (Theo James).  This movie seems like one people either really love or really hate, and if so I'd lean toward the former; shutting off my brain, I just enjoyed the ride, finding it much more entertaining and involving than, say, the oft-compared The Hunger Games, particularly with Woodley in the lead.  I guess one good sign I liked it: I bought the book almost immediately after watching the film. (rated PG-13)  ****

DIVERGENT trailer

MALEFICENT (2014)

Though I've never been a particular fan of Angelina Jolie's (neither liking nor disliking her work), her as Maleficent - one of Disney's most iconic villains, and a personal favorite of mine - was something worth checking out.  And she's great in the role; sadly, it's Disney who screwed things up a bit.  The story purports to tell you the "real" story of Maleficent, and in doing so pretty much strips the character of all the wickedness that made her so enthralling in the first place.  She even wimps out on her own curse, in cursing Aurora with the sleep curse, taming it down to "true love's kiss" being the solution instead of the third good fairy changing her curse - and the three fairies themselves, here, come off as bumbling fools who only raise Aurora out of duty and intimidation, not love.  Well-acted, well-made, and nice to look at - entertaining - but turning Maleficent from evil fairy to fairy godmother to tell her tale was just a bit too much of a stab in the back to the character, for me. (rated PG)  ***

MALEFICIENT trailer

MUPPETS MOST WANTED (2014)

Picking up literally where the previous one left off, the Muppets are enjoying their regained success and popularity - especially in the form of Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais), a big-time theatrical manager who wants to send the gang on a world tour to capitalize on their new fame.  Kermit, the group's current manager, is against the idea but eventually agrees ... only to learn that Dominic is in league with the world's most cunning villain, Constantine, an evil frog who resembles Kermit exactly (with the exception of a mole on his face) and has just escaped a Russian gulag in Siberia.  The innocent Kermit, after getting a fake mole attached to his face by Constantine, is captured by the Russians ... as Constantine, using a horrid Kermit impersonation, starts the Muppet gang on their world tour - in reality, a cover for a series of daring robberies around the globe.  The film is funny at times (kids should love it), but this one lacks the real heart and soul that made the first one so terrific, a few weak musical numbers also dragging it down a bit. (rated PG)  ***

MUPPETS MOST WANTED trailer

THE ROVER (2014)

The Australian outback, not looking this desolate since Mad Max, features as the third main character in this beautifully-filmed drama, set "ten years after a global economic collapse" in which a tough-as-nails loner named Eric (Guy Pearce) stops one day for a cool drink, only to have his car stolen by a trio of outlaws.  Pursuing them in the truck they'd abandoned, it's obvious from jump that Eric is possessed with getting his car back, but they elude him - that is, until the young brother of one of the crooks, the mentally-challenged Rey (an incredible Robert Pattinson), finds the truck, Eric essentially kidnapping the young man, the two starting out on a road journey to find Rey's brother and the car.  The film is violent, bleak, and - thanks to Pattinson's understated and wholly believable performance, especially - an intense, riveting watch.  Pearce has often been brilliant in front of the camera, but it's Pattinson here who steals the show. (rated R)  ****

THE ROVER trailer 

A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 (2014)

Though containing humor just as R-rated and dumbed-down as the first one, there are three great reasons why A Haunted House 2 is worth seeing.  The plot - such as it is - like most sequels parrots the first; Malcom (Marlon Wayans), having dumped his demonically-possessed first girlfriend Kisha, has just moved into a new home with his new girlfriend Megan (Jaime Pressly) and her two kids.  But evil spirits aren't done with Malcolm yet, and soon invade his home, particularly in the guise of a very disturbing doll who looks very much like the one in The Conjuring, who Malcolm ... umm ... ends up "getting freaky with," only to regret it (this storyline being reason #1 to watch).  The humor is crass, very R-rated, at times eye-rollingly lame and at others hilarious - and, in the cases of an early scene with Malcolm and his fluffy white dog, or later as Malcolm tries to kill a rooster as a sacrifice, pee-your pants funny (reasons #2 and #3).  Wayans has yet to learn how to construct a good ending, but in terms of humor this one's actually better than its predecessor. (rated R)  **1/2

A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 trailer

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)

Coming back after decades of being put "on ice", Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is still adjusting to life in an America that isn't the flag-waving, uber-patriotic place he left behind.  But sticking to his ideals and beliefs become even more important when a vicious (and pretty awesomely-filmed) assassination attempt at S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) forces Rogers to distrust even those around him he's thought of as his closest allies.  Suddenly seen as a traitor by his own organization, as Captain America he becomes determined to get to the truth of who is friend and who is foe - all the while chasing down the elusive Winter Soldier, an enemy who will strike much closer to home than he'd ever realized.  Incredible action, fight sequences, effects, all wrapped around a beautifully-crafted film with Evans' sympathetic hero at its center, make this one of the best "superhero" films ever made.  In fact, if I may so so, it's downright "Marvel-ous". (rated PG-13)  *****

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER trailer

SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE (2014)

If you could get your doctor to digitally record your next colonoscopy ... you'd be better off watching THAT than Sharknado 2.  Everything that was so endearing about the first film - the B-movie acting and production values, the earnestness of the actors/script in taking all the zaniness seriously on-screen (as all the best B-movies and monster movies do) is gone here in a pretentious, hideously-written, self-absorbed mess that's full of unbelievable stupidity, multiple cameos of celebrities who were popular a decade or more ago, and more plastic surgery on the faces of at least half of the main characters than Joan Rivers has gotten in her entire lifetime.  So bad it's not even laughable - just irritating.  If looking for the perfect summer film that will make you want to gouge your eyes out when it's over (btw, it will also be THE longest 85 minutes of your life), by all means see this one.  Hands down, the worst film I've seen so far this year. (TV-14)  1/2-star (and that's being generous)

SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014)

I was a bit disappointed with the first one, so was hoping The Amazing Spider-Man 2 would upgrade my opinion a bit, and it did ... to a degree.  After some backstory about Peter's parents to set us up - along with a funny, way-cool chase scene through Manhattan, to rescue a truckload of stolen plutonium - we're given more plot and story here, developing the relationship (or lack of one) between Peter Parker (Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) before a lonely, lowly Oscorp worker named Max (Jamie Foxx) suffers a horrific accident at Oscorp that turns him into super-villain Electro.  The brilliant Dane DeHaan comes aboard as Harry Osborn (Green Goblin), and even though the film is overstuffed with story, plot, and villains, I liked how big action sequences never overshadowed Peter's attempts to keep Gwen in his life, OR his determination to find out the truth about his dad.  Not a perfect film, but entertaining and absorbing - and it's nice to be getting more used to Garfield in the Spandex suit. (PG-13)  ***1/2

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 trailer

ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE (2013)

You can put up with a lot with horror comedies.  Most are low-budget, low-brow, and viewers tend to give them a lot of leeway on quality, not expecting much.  That said, All Cheerleaders Die - which I was really looking forward to seeing - doesn't come off as much of a comedy, is certainly weak (even by lowered standards) as a horror film, and seems more like the dream child of a couple of horny frat boys whose goal was to make a horror flick with scantily-clad chicks (though, oddly enough, there's almost no nudity here), and even some girl-girl action.  The acting is okay (what you'd expect), special effects kind of cool in some places, super-lame in others, but the story - of a quartet of cheerleaders brought back to life, via some enchanted crystals, by the lesbian goth girl in love with one of them - gets sillier as the film goes on, when for some reason (it's never explained) each of the girls needs to feed on blood to survive.  And while there are a couple of hints of dark comedy, the film is never funny ... or for that matter, even particularly interesting. (not rated)  **

ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE trailer

DARR @ THE MALL (2014)

Opening with a mall security guard killed by a tall, menacing figure in black, Darr @ the Mall is a creepy Bollywood horror flick that has slow moments early on, but gets stronger as the bodies start to pile up (and the reasons behind what's going on are revealed).  Jimmy Shergill plays Vishnu Sharma, new head of security at Amity Mall, Asia's largest shopping mall about to open to the public.  Problem is, there have already been nine mysterious deaths since construction began on the mall (plus the guard, in the opener, who was also forced to set Sharma up to replace him), so right off Vishnu finds odd things going on.  The fun really begins when the mall owners host a lavish party for family, friends, and VIPs the night before the opening - a party that soon has ex-army Vishnu fighting to save the guests, all while dodging who (or what) brought him there in the first place.  Fun, nice jump scares, and a good reveal in the end - all without pummeling you with gore.  Loved it! (not rated)  ****

DARR @ THE MALL trailer

DOC OF THE DEAD (2014)

Irreverent documentary about our obsession with zombies, supposedly from the roots of the "zombie" in Haiti through White Zombie to George Romero to World War Z - but the film is scattershot, all over the place, unsure of whether it wants to be funny or really explore the topic (the latter would have been nice).  Worse, the film comes off slamming the very fans it showcases, from Romero's "I don't get it" reaction to all the hype (though he's made a fortune from it), to pompous World War Z author Max Brooks, to those who openly exploit the fans for financial gain by selling zombie survival kits or real-world walk-through scenarios of a zombie apocalypse.  The fans come off here as social misfits with little else going on in their lives; so much so, I even felt a bit uncomfortable myself - by the end - for even being a fan of the genre.  p.s. The too-brief Simon Pegg bits aren't bad. (unrated)  **

DOC OF THE DEAD trailer (R-rated)

GHOST (2010)

With a lack of originality in film today, why a re-do of the 1990 mega-hit?  Because 2010's Ghost, a Japanese film in which a distraught, grieving man works to solve the murder of his wife using a spiritual medium to communicate with her ghost, has more than just a gender switch to make it worthwhile.  While viewers will recognize elements such as the pottery wheel scene, the "dark" ghosts who escort you below, and the lilting refrains of "Unchained Melody" (even "ditto"), much of the comedy from this Ghost has been left out in favor of the more dramatic - and romantic - storyline.  Here, we see how Nanami and Juno met, fell in love, and married; the romance, and just how much they loved each other before Nanami was struck down, is better developed.  While the ending slips a bit into melodrama, once the 'real villain' is revealed, this is a worthy retelling that may not replace the Swayze & Moore "recognizable star quality" of the original ... but is still quite the enduring love story. (not rated)  ****

GHOST trailer (Japanese)

WALK OF SHAME (2014)

Meghan Miles (Elizabeth Banks), an L.A. TV news reporter who always plays it safe and is nice to everyone (except cats; cats, for some reason, hate her beloved guts), finds herself up for her dream job at CNN - but when she loses both it and her live-in boyfriend on the same night, is talked into a night of partying with her two BFFs.  A lot of liquor later, Meghan goes home with the bartender (James Marsden), then through a bizarre set of circumstances finds out she's still in the running for the CNN gig after all ... but now is stranded in downtown Los Angeles, late at night, with no car, no money, no purse, and still wearing the tight, bright yellow dress she'd borrowed the night before.  With mere hours to get to the studio for her final interview, Meghan must do it on foot - eluding cops, gangbangers, drug dealers, a horny teenager, a posse of Orthodox Jews, and other Angelenos who think she's a washed-up hooker on drugs.  Banks is so hilarious and charming here, in a very funny comedy about a desperate good girl just trying to get her life back.  Loved it! (rated R)  ****1/2

WALK OF SHAME trailer

THE BODYGUARD (2004)

Thai comedian-turned-actor/director Petchai WongKomlao co-wrote, co-directed, and stars in this action-packed, very funny movie about a bodyguard named Wong Kom, assigned to protect the family of a wealthy businessman, who does his job incredibly well in the bullet-riddled action/chase scene that opens this film ... only to, in the end, lose it when the very man he's assigned to protect gets killed.  Humbled and shamed, Wong Kom seeks only to prove his merit by staying with the family - something the new widow wants, yet her only and obstinate son blames Wong Kom, firing him.  Soon after, a gang of incredibly inept thugs try to kidnap the son, who instead flees to a poor section of town, staying incognito with a family even as he falls for their tomboy daughter ... all while Wong Kom and the bad guys scour the city trying to find him.  A funny, uplifting film featuring one of the most unlikely yet likable leading men you'll ever hope to find (and Tony Jaa even has a cameo!). (not rated)  ****

THE BODYGUARD trailer

ENEMY (2013)

Been awhile since seeing an American film that made me THINK.  So welcome to Enemy, where college professor Adam's life is beyond sedate until, on the advice of a co-worker, he rents a movie to watch ... and spots, in the background on-screen, a man who is his exact double.  Confirming it online, Adam becomes obsessed with tracking down the actor, Anthony (both played by Jake Gyllenhaal), and eventually gets the guy's wife on the phone - who, when he does, thinks it's Anthony playing a joke on her because he even has the same voice.  When they finally meet, their two worlds colliding in David Lynch-ian ways, Anthony becomes as obsessed with Adam's world.  And then there are the spiders.  You may have to watch this one a couple times to even figure out the spiders.  Shot in muted yet saturating colors, the film builds up an increasingly uneasy suspense throughout, ending with a final two seconds that make 'WTF' an understatement.  Odd as hell, not for everyone, but really creepy and intriguing - and Gyllenhaal is terrific. (rated R)  ***1/2

ENEMY trailer

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014)

It's a given that a Wed Anderson film is going to bowl you over visually (this one's no exception), but the story of legendary concierge Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), as recounted in present day by the hotel's current owner (F. Murray Abraham) to a traveling journalist (Jude Law), is just as outrageous, daring, funny, captivating, and beautifully rendered as the film itself.  Told through the eyes of Gustave and the new lobby boy (Tony Revolori, who virtually outshines all his A-list co-stars) he's taken under his wing at the hotel, their adventures involving a stolen painting and a sadistic wealthy family complete with murderous henchman (Willem Dafoe), make Indiana Jones' exploits look tame by comparison.  Set during the period of unrest that pervaded Europe between the world wars, and told with such love for the spirit of adventure of those times, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a fresh yet nostalgic, funny yet romanticized nod to the kind of films Hollywood simply doesn't make anymore. (rated R)  *****

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL trailer

AFTER (2012)

Quiet, shy young Ana (Karolina Wydra) and handsome comic book artist wannabe Freddy (Steven Strait) meet as sole occupants of a Greyhound-type bus driving through the late night.  The two get chatty after finding out they are both originally from the same small hometown, but minutes later the bus crashes ... and when Ana wakes up again she's in a hospital in her hometown - completely alone.  I mean, NO ONE else is in the hospital, on the streets ... anywhere.  Finally crossing paths with Freddy, who's also solo, the two try to find out what the hell is going on, even as they learn of a monstrous black cloud that's slowly swallowing up the town from all sides, sure to do them in if they can't figure things out first.  When a film's two leads are nearly the only characters in the film, it really hurts the movie when one of those actors - in this case, Wydra - is so unbelievable in the role, you can't buy into the film at all.  Really like Steven Strait, think he's often underrated, but this film is confusing, too dark (literally), without a plot, and without central characters you really give a hoot about.  Disappointing. (PG-13)  *

AFTER trailer

NOT SAFE FOR WORK (2014)

For only 74 minutes in length, this thriller packs quite a punch.  Max Minghella (the reason I watched the film) stars as Tom Miller, an ambitious paralegal for a huge law firm who often goes above and beyond his job duties to help - a trait that gets him fired over an innocent error.  Heading out of the office that afternoon, head low, Tom notices some odd activity in the lobby that leads him back up to the 34th floor ... where he soon finds himself and a couple of unwitting co-workers trapped on the empty floor with a coldblooded killer (JJ Feild, AWESOME here) who shoots first and doesn't bother to ask questions (well, not that many) later.  A small cast and limited sets (nearly everything takes place on the office set) only add to the tension of this well-paced, tautly-written thriller that deserves a much wider audience than it's likely to ever get.  The ending could have put more of an exclamation point to things, but that said this was a VERY pleasant surprise. (unrated)  ***1/2

NOT SAFE FOR WORK trailer

NON-STOP (2014)

Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a federal air marshall well past his prime, still dealing with an alcohol problem stemming from the death of his daughter years ago and now just going through the motions ... until boarding an international flight to London, where a series of texts forces Bill into a game with an unknown fellow passenger - one who will see to it that someone on the plane dies, every twenty minutes, until the airline transfer $150 million to an overseas bank account.  As the game plays on, a devoted Bill determined to keep everyone safe even as bodies start to fall, the marshall also learns that he's been set up as the terrorist himself, cutting Bill off from nearly all outside - even on-board - help, his only allies the lead flight attendant (Michelle Dockery) and the woman sitting next to him (the wonderful Julianne Moore) ... who may or not be what she seems.  Tense and suspenseful, Non-Stop is a nonsensical mental puzzle that - if you can suspend the necessary disbelief - is also an entertaining, enthralling film that solidifies Liam Neeson's growing rep as an awesome (if unlikely) action movie hero. (rated PG-13)  ****

NON-STOP trailer

ANOTHER HAPPY DAY (2011)

Another Happy Day - billed as both a comedy and drama (not sure "comedy" even loosely fits) on IMDB - is the story of volcanic, high-strung Lynn (Ellen Barkin), who travels to Annapolis with her husband and three younger children to attend the wedding of her oldest child, a son she's been both physically and emotionally distanced from since he was a kid.  There, she has to contend with her coldly impersonal mother (Ellen Burstyn), ailing father (George Kennedy), and bitchy sisters, all while keeping her drug-addicted son (Ezra Miller) and emotional wreck of a daughter (Kate Bosworth) from going under while also dealing with her ex (Thomas Haden Church) and his overbearing second wife (Demi Moore) ... the "family reunion" Lynn was hoping for unleashing more of the family's insanity instead.  Burstyn and Miller are especially great, but Barkin overplays, oozing melodrama, and you never really grow to care about these people, making the film even more of a downer.  Average. (rated R)  **1/2

ANOTHER HAPPY DAY trailer

SNOWPIERCER (2013)

In the near future, scientists release chemical CW7 to finally combat global warming - which instead starts a new ice age that kills off nearly all life.  By 2031, survivors live circling the globe on a constantly-running super-train, whose movement sustains its eco-system and therefore all life on it.  The train's also developed its own class system; the rich and powerful at the front of the train enjoying untold luxuries, the quality of life dropping as you go down the train to the general populace in the end cars - the poor, starving class beaten down by their "superiors".  It's all run by the deity-like Mr. Wilford, the mystery man at the engine - and the target of a group of rebels at the train's end led by Curtis (Chris Evans) and his wise mentor Gilliam (John Hurt); a courageous group determined to claw, scratch and kill their way to the engine and Wilford - to live as equals or not at all.  What they find along the way makes for some stunning cinema ... and a hard-to-forget film, even if the ending doesn't quite live up to the promise of all that came before. (rated R)  ****

SNOWPIERCER trailer 

PETALS ON THE WIND (2014)

It's been ten years since the events of Flowers in the Attic, and "perfect" siblings Christopher (Wyatt Nash), Cathy (Rose McIver), and Carrie (Bailey Buntain) Dollanganger are mourning the death of their guardian, Dr. Sheffield, who took them in soon after they escaped the attic.  Determined to forge a career in ballet, Cathy enters into a relationship with a volatile principal dancer in New York, who gets her into his company there - even as the darkness of their past (and rich-bitch mother) still haunt them, payback always hovering in the back of Cathy's mind.  Packed with as much melodrama, over-the-top story, and the siblings-who-are-more-than-siblings Ick Factor you'd expect if you've read the novel (even with major book-to-film plot changes), POTW definitely benefits from the recasting of McIver (Nash was good as well, though I was sorry to see Mason Dye go), the sequel much more fun to watch than Flowers.  Definitely "guilty pleasure" material ... though what the hell was with having so little Ellen Burstyn in this one?! (TV-14)  ***

PETALS ON THE WIND trailer

UNIDENTIFIED (2013)

Admittedly, I would watch anything Parry Shen is in; he's one of the most likable, watchable, natural actors working today, and has been since Better Off Tomorrow.  That said, I still don't get the negative reviews I've read for Unidentified.  True, the film doesn't always seem sure of what genre it wants to be; about four friends who go to Vegas for a shady poker game, then end up on the run from a loan shark before ending up stranded in the Nevada desert with extraterrestrials, this part comedy, part science fiction, part horror, part buddy film is helped greatly by Shen and the always-excellent Eddie Mui, who - along with Colton Dunn and Eric Artell - help the film's slower first third give way to a healthy dose of suspense and creepiness until The End.  Go in with the right frame of mind - that this isn't Gandhi, but a low-budget buddy/road trip comedy/alien invasion horror film with good special effects and better-than-average acting, designed to entertain - and there's no reason not to enjoy the ride. (not rated)  ***1/2

UNIDENTIFIED trailer

THE LEGO MOVIE (2014)

As someone who didn't play with Legos much as a kid, I was completely bowled over by this film - easily one of 2014's best.  The storyline's simple: per a prophecy, lowly Lego construction worker Emmet (Chris Pratt) is thought to be the new "Special" by a rebel group of master builders when he discovers the missing "piece of resistance," the only thing able to stop the machine the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell) is going to use to destroy all the Lego worlds.  So various Lego-ites, including many recognizable film, book and TV characters (Best. Batman. EVER.) band together to help a nobody save the world ... a world that just pops on-screen, beautifully rendered and wholly believable, in a film that kids will love, while at the same time adults will enjoy, laugh at, and "get" (there's even a sort of Orwellian theme going on), as well.  One of the best animated films ever made, I think The Lego Movie - had it been released just a few months earlier - might easily have snagged the Oscar from Frozen.  Yeah, it's that good. (rated PG)  *****

THE LEGO MOVIE trailer

TRUST ME (2013)

Howard Holloway (Clark Gregg) is a former child star in Hollywood, who now represents young talent as an agent - or at least, does so when super kid's agent Aldo Shocklee (Sam Rockwell) isn't stealing even the most moderately-decent talent from him (often by any means necessary).  When Howard accidentally comes across a genuinely gifted fourteen-year-old named Lydia (a quite impressive Saxon Sharbino), up for the lead in a new series of big-budget Hunger Games-style films, and finds potential love in a beautiful neighbor (Amanda Peet), it seems as if the "bottom-feeder" agent is on top of his game at last.  But this is L.A. - where very little, if anything (or anyone) is what it seems for Howard, something that Trust Me echoes as a film; it's not the comedy the poster and trailers imply, but more of a dark comedy-drama that even comes with touches of film noir.  Written and directed by Gregg as well, it still an impressive film that - if a bit uneven - does VERY much paint the industry as exactly what it is (wow, does it).  That he captured perfectly. (rated R)  ***

TRUST ME trailer

BLACK WIDOW (1987)

Catherine (Theresa Russell) is a beautiful young woman who has married and murdered three millionaires for their insurance.  With each one she changes her appearance, dons a new name, and spends months researching the man's personal and professional life, boning up on whatever interests he has until she can discuss them like her own.  She makes each death look like accident or illness, and vanishes soon as she collects her inheritance - seemingly unstoppable until ambitious Justice Dept. investigator Alex Barnes (Debra Winger) stumbles upon a clue pointing to one of the deaths as murder - and becomes obsessed with Catherine when she just misses preventing her latest kill.  Taking a leave from her job, Alex trails Catherine to Hawaii, ingratiating herself into Catherine's world even while trying to find a way to stop her.  One of the best "guilty pleasures" ever; one you'll watch over and over again, thanks to the blistering chemistry between Winger and Russell.  Surprising, just how good this is. (rated R)  ****

BLACK WIDOW trailer