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Review: SIN CITY / Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez (2005)

July 30th, 2008 by Scott Marks

Sin City (2005)
Directed by: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez and “Guest Director” Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Jessica Alba, Josh Hartnett, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, etc.
Running Time: 126 min.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Once again a Hollywood adaptation of a comic book looks great and goes nowhere. The long-awaited big screen version of Frank Miller’s Sin City presents a visually dazzling flipbook netherworld that should please only a comic book mentality.

Miller was soured on Hollywood after his experience writing the two RoboCop sequels and refused to relinquish the rights to any of his comic books. Rodriguez, a big fan of Miller’s work, filmed an “audition” scene between Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton, later used in the finished product. He presented Miller with the footage and told him, “If you like this, this will be the opening to the movie. If not, you’ll have your own short film to show your friends.”

Rodriguez deemed the comic book’s visual style so influential he insisted Miller receive a co-director credit. The Director’s Guild of America refused and Rodriguez politely ceased to belong saying, “It was easier for me to quietly resign before shooting because otherwise I’d be forced to make compromises I was unwilling to make or set a precedent that might hurt the guild later on.” This brave move cost Rodriguez a gig on Paramount’s upcoming John Carter of Mars.

Why a ‘Guest Director’ credit? In addition to pointlessly referencing episodic seventies television credits, Tarantino expressed interest in experimenting with HD cameras, a Rodriguez pet. In exchange for one dollar, Rodriguez agreed to compose the soundtrack to Kill Bill Vol. 2. With another exchange of Washington’s, Tarantino returned the favor. Frankly, they both overpaid. Long a film-over-digital proponent, when asked about his experience, Tarantino merely replied, “Mission Accomplished.” (Tarantino directed the overlong Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia homage between Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro.)

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INTO THE BLUE / John Stockwell (2005)

October 5th, 2005 by Scott Marks

Jessica Alba in John Stockwell’s INTO THE BLUE (2005)

Into the Blue (2005)

Directed by: John Stockwell

Written by: Matt Johnson

Cast: Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Scott Caan, Ashley Scott, Josh Brolin, James Frain, Tyson Beckford, Dwayne Adway, Javon Frazer, Chris Taloa, Peter R.V. Bowleg Jr., Clifford McIntosh, Adam Collins, Gill Montie, Dan Ballard

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1

Running Time: 110 min.

Genres: Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Into the Blue gives straight teenagers a chance to ogle Jessica Alba’s ass and pokies and gay boys a shot at surveying Brad Pitt clone Paul Walker’s constant shirtless physique.

Were you expecting dialectical montage?

Somewhere between the crotch and pex shots lurks a story concerning two couples’ discovery of sunken treasures: the multi-million dollar bounty of a legendary shipwreck and a drug trafficker’s submerged airplane loaded with kilos of cocaine.

The Coppertoned leads are certainly easy on the eyes during the opening travelogue passages, but when it comes to the business of acting Alba and Walker can’t stay afloat. Walker is best grinning and baring it while Alba’s method appears to be an uncanny ability to nod along with each syllable she pronounces.

Couple #2 consists of a taller, blonder version of Ms. Alba (Ashley Scott) who, unlike the sexless sex goddess doesn’t mind appearing topless in long shot. Not since Young Guns has a film assembled such an enviable cast of second-generation talent. Scott Caan seems to have been cast in the role of hotheaded party boy Bryce cause his old man played Sonny Corleone. Following in the dynastic footprints of Danny Baldwin and Chris Penn, Caan is another thick-necked ape who, when given a chance, provokes little more than unintentional laughs.

The villain in the piece is played by Josh Brolin, son of James Streisand. If only Josh put as much force into acting as he did into (allegedly) smacking around real-life spouse Diane Lane.

Rounding out the family affair behind the lens is director John Stockwell, son of Blue Velvet’s Dean Stockwell. Following the success of Blue Crush, Stockwell seems to be the go-to man for updating the Beach Party cycle. As a director, Stockwell is best remembered for his acting in John Carpenter’s killer-car film, Christine.

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