Greetings everyone. I just found out yesterday that my contract at work will not be renewed as of June 30 because of budgetary reasons. Fortunately, I will be able to collect unemployment while I look for work. I am not sure what I will do and am going to look outside the box at any and all positions. Please keep me in your thoughts during this tough time. I do not know how new releases I will be able to review in the near future so I apologize if my posts are few and far between. If you have suggestions for employment please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks,
Jim Napier
napiersnews@gmail.com
Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion is a Netflix film that I just watched on my Instant Viewing Que. I am a huge fan of Zach's comedic style where he is so unorganized and lacks direction with his routine that it is hysterical to me at least. His characters are short and sweet but pack a punch to the gut. This is a very bare bones live show in an up close and personal setting in San Francisco. It has a very humorous interview by
Brian Unger with Zach's "twin brother" Seth that is priceless. The funniest bits are when Brian tries so hard to keep a straight face during the interview process and completely loses it. The film and sound quality were very low key as planned making it a very personal and enjoyable show. If you don't have Netflix you need to get it NOW.

Please stop reading this review immediately if you are vehemently against marijuana use and comedy! I am not going to get into my personal preferences but I am going to discuss this funny and educational documentary.
Super High Me is inspired by
Supersize Me and a joke he did during his routine comic Doug Benson took a look into the effects of marijuana usage on the body. Benson, who is an avid marijuana user did not smoke for an entire 30 days and then smoked for 30 days straight which is something that was abnormal for him. Just like Supersize Me, there were tests that were completed on him throughout the film. This film gave the audience a great look into the history behind
Proposition 215 and medical marijuana usage within the state of California. The film also showed the growing number of legal businesses authorized by California and their constant fight against Federal law and the DEA. Being a fan of comedy, I enjoyed the behind the scenes look into the life of Doug Benson and his comedian friends. Obviously, this is not a movie for children because of the drug usage and more importantly language. I think that this is a funny and worthwhile documentary. Inhale... errr I mean rent it on DVD or not, it is your choice. I welcome your comments.
I am able to lose myself in music and have since I was a teen. Growing up in the MTV generation I have come to love music of all types. I love the way a song can make you feel. An artists lyrics or musical notes have an ability to make you feel a wide array of emotions. When I listen to music I think to myself this song would be perfect for scene like this or that song would be perfect for this type of scene. Music can add to a scene of a film immensely by building tension. Just think about how tense those simple chords where in Halloween when Michael Meyers was nearby. The same could be said for other situations throughout a film. I love opening sequences and/or closing sequences with lots of music. One of my favorite parts of Greys Anatomy is the wrap up sequence that highlights a full song and shows the wrap up for each of the episodes. Mind you, I am not a huge Greys Anatomy fan but that is a cool feature. It has been used in other shows like The O.C. too. Recently, I noticed one of my favorite new groups, MGMT, had a song in the opening credits of 21. There are some great soundtracks that are truly able to capture the essence of the film. For instance, the soundtrack for Trainspotting does a great job of capturing the life and times of that film. I loved the music used in Stand By Me and the Miami Vice series. Both were pure examples of a time and place in history. I could make a list of films that in my opinion have excellent soundtracks but I would rather hear from you. What are your favorite soundtracks?

Go Speed Go!!! I have been on an anime candy coated infused popcorn ride directed by the Wachowski brothers. For those of you who do not know, this film is based on the classic cartoon named Mach GoGoGo from the 60's. The Wachowski brothers have truly stuck to the roots of the cartoon which will make manga lovers happy. The film starts off with Speed as a young boy who idolizes his older brother. He dreams of one day being such a great race car driver and joining the World Racing League like his brother Rex. I think that moviegoers will relate to this movie because of the family dynamics of the Racer family. The story revolves around the Racer family and their love of racing. John Goodman plays Pops racer perfectly. Pops builds the car with the help of Sparky, played Kick Gurry, and the rest of the family. Susan Sarandon is great as the matriarch of the family and is like most mothers, keeps the family together and is the voice of reason. Emile Hirsch is very believable as Speed Racer who uses his skill and the awesome Mach 5 race car as a battering ram. He is fearless as he performs acrobatic maneuvers the not only defy gravity, but defy reason. I never realized that Christina Ricci had as large eyes as she does, which is actually a compliment and perfect for the role of Trixie, Speeds girlfriend. Paulie Litt and his pet chimp Chim Chim add some slapstick comedy that is a nice touch to the film. Matthew Fox is so cool as the mysterious Racer X. I am a little partial to him because of his role on LOST but I don't care. Roger Allam does exactly what he did in V for Vendetta and is perfectly evil and a downright bad guy.
I have not been a huge fan of manga and my only experience with the show was from it being on the cartoon network when I was growing up. Despite that, I truly enjoyed this movie. I like a movie that is able to transport me away from my thoughts and worries for a bit. Speed Racer does just that at 2 hours and 10 minutes. That was a little long for some kids bladders but not too long for their attention spans from what I could tell from the large number of children in the showing I was at. I really liked that this film had a nice mix for all ages. Please take the chance to see this movie on the big screen because it will NOT be possible to duplicate the sound or picture quality at home no matter how good of a setup you have.
You need to be a member of Napier's News Movie Reviews & Discussion to add comments!