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Turistas / John Stockwell (2006)

December 4th, 2006 by Scott Marks

Turistas (2006)

Turistas (2006)

Directed by: John Stockwell

Written by: Michael Ross

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Cast: Josh Duhamel, Melissa George, Olivia Wilde, Desmond Askew, Beau Garrett, Max Brown, Agles Steib, Miguel Lunardi, Jorge Só, Cristiani Aparecida, Lucy Ramos, Andréa Leal, Diego Santiago, Marcao, Miguelito Acosta

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1

Running Time: 89 min.


For its first half, Turistas is an entertaining, reasonably well made suspense film about a group of vacationers stranded in a remote Brazilian beach town after their reckless tour bus driver crashes his rig. The fun abruptly ended when the film took a Hostel turn and a Brazilian Dr. Mengele started plucking internal organs from the young attractive cast.

This wasn’t exactly a far stretch for actor-turned-director John Stockwell, son of Blue Velvet’s Dean Stockwell and star of John Carpenter’s Christine. A seasoned pro when it comes to babes-in-bikini surf films, Stockwell was the auteur behind such jiggle classics as Blue Crush and Into the Blue. Instead of drug smuggling, this time Stockwell substitutes kidneys, which will be sold on the black market, for heroin.

Alex (Josh Duhamel) escorts his sister Bea (Olivia Wilde) and her best friend Pru (Beau Garrett) on their first trip abroad. Former Guess! model Garrett is the only member of the cast to appear nude, and we all know what that means: she’ll be the first to die.

Fortunately, Pru (Melissa George), the most beautiful tourist on the bus is also the only one who speaks Portugese. Finn and Liam (Desmond Askew and Max Brown) are on board solely in hopes of getting laid by a future Victoria’s Secret model. From here on in, it’s strictly gore effects and death by billing.

According to the press notes, Turistas is the first American feature to shoot entirely in Brazil and what a glowing endorsement for tourism it is. Between this and Babel, I awaken each morning and immediately kiss the sacred American soil beneath my feet.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

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AEON FLUX / Karyn Kusama (2005)

December 3rd, 2006 by Scott Marks

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Æon Flux (2005)

Directed by: Karyn Kusama

Written by: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi

Cast: Charlize Theron,Marton Csokas,Jonny Lee Miller,Sophie Okonedo,Frances McDormand,Pete Postlethwaite,Amelia Warner,Caroline Chikezie,Nikolai Kinski,Paterson Joseph,Yangzom Brauen,Aoibheann O’Hara,Thomas Huber,Weijian Liu,Maverick Queck

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1

Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Based on characters created by Peter Cheung for the hit MTV animated series, Aeon Flux follows in the shallow footsteps of Barbarella, Logan’s Run, Ballistic: Sever and Ecks, and any other Sci-fi film that looks as though it were shot in an industrial park and/or shopping mall. Paramount took a pass on a critic’s screenings and ten minutes in it the reason became blindingly clear. This thing is unwatchable! Set four-hundred years in the future, Charlize Theron stars as a Monican soldier at war with the totalitarian government’s Good Child regime.

Aeon establishes a logic-free universe where anything can happen at the filmmaker’s behest. It is the type of film where about two-thirds of the way through, one character turns to another (and subsequently the audience as well) in an attempt to explain everything that just took place. Theron looks great in the costumes, especially in the first action scene where a black leather number is topped off by a Hitler hair-do, so why not wait and peruse the layouts in upcoming fashion mags.

In my review of North Country I expressed concern over this film being a hit and luring an exceptional actress over to the money-lined dark side of comic book movies. No chance. I’ll watch Catwoman a hundred times before ever stepping into this again. At least that had plenty of unintentional laughs. Advice to Ms. Theron – In the future, cross the street every time you happen upon a comic book shop.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆


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