Rack Focus Review: Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Jeff, Who Lives at Home, which is written by Jay and Mark Duplass, is rather obsessed with signs — and by that, I actually mean M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs. Both present their protagonists as witnesses to coincidences that, if paid their due attention, may ultimately prove to be an order to a seemingly listless universe. But this indie drama is smarter than the big-budget sci-fier it references, and indicates this self-awareness by placing these theories in the mouth of Jeff (Jason Segal), a 30-year-old stoner who does indeed live at home with his widowed mother. Continue reading “Rack Focus Review: Jeff, Who Lives at Home”

Rack Focus: John Carter

John Carter is a stupid film, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad one. I imagine the intended product is exactly what we’re getting: a fantastic exercise in pulp storytelling set in a world where mid-air combat and intergalactic swashbuckling collide in astonishingly ludicrous ways. It’s entire narrative is flawed, and the mechanics of the universe has more than a few inconsistencies. (How a man can be incapacitated by a member of an alien species, and then proceed to kill another with one punch, is a quandary indeed). Continue reading “Rack Focus: John Carter”

Rack Focus: The Lorax

The Lorax is my favorite of the many animated adaptations of Dr. Seuss’ works from the 1960s and ‘70s — where bizarre and vaguely hippie-dippie tunes were set against the rough lines and bright-yet-cruddy pastels that are synonymous with the artist’s humble illustrations. Now we have a feature-length version courtesy of the studio and director of Despicable Me, where the viewer enjoys state-of-the-art CGI artistry wrapped in a cotton candy-coated color scheme not found anywhere I’ve seen in nature. Continue reading “Rack Focus: The Lorax”

Rack Focus: Review – Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

I actually really wanted Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance to be good. I’m a comic book fan, and I had hopes that directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor would bring the same wit, vigor, and panache that they brought to CrankCrank: High Voltage, and to a lesser extent, Gamer. It takes time and energy to effectively execute remarkable cinematography, and it’s an even bigger challenge to keep your story before your intense visuals. I will acknowledge that there are some neat moments in Spirit of Vengeance, and maybe somebody will be goodly enough to put those moments to rocking music and post it on YouTube one day. Continue reading “Rack Focus: Review – Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”