Just Run Away, Alice

Headed out for the early screening of Floria Sigismondi's The Runaways (2010) at Village Crossing. Lots to love in this film besides the dead-on 70s look & feel. Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning are quite good. Also Michael Shannon & Riley Keough were great. Only real disappointment was the lack of any characterization or story around Lita Ford, who I've always considered 2nd best legacy from The Runaways.

After that went over to Kerasotes Showplace 12 to be underwhelmed by Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010). Maybe because I was fighting the sleepies (or just bored) this film didn't work for me. Mia Wasikowska makes a good Alice but wasn't thrilled with Depp, Carter or Hathaway. Always nice to see Crispin Glover but that's about it for this one. Typical Burton vibe & theatrics but a whole lotta meh.

Rested up I braced myself for the deeply saddening The Cove (2009). Been putting off viewing this one due to the content even tho I know it's one that must be watched. Do yourself a solid and watch this film. The drama of documenting the video evidence of mass slaughter of dolphins in Taiji is intense throughout. It is required viewing for everyone.

Needing an emotional break after that I dropped in the period piece shark attack flick 12 Days of Terror (2004). Like the premise (shark attack off pre-war New Jersey at the turn of the century) but again the execution fails as the terror wasn't very terrifying. Wonder if John Rhys-Davies even cares anymore about the roles he takes.


Unsatisfied I went back to another Andy Sidaris staple in Do or Die (1991), featuring both Pat Morita (as the villain) and Erik Estrada (as a hero) as the two top-billed leads even tho Sidaris' stable of beauties & brawn carry the majority of the film (and I just love Roberta Vasquez). As I exclaimed on twitter, "Walking cane rocket launcher, baseball bomb, RC helicopter w/missiles, homoerotica, T&A, awful ADR... must be an Andy Sidaris flick!" That sums up this flick. Love it. Like the rest of Sidaris' catalog it's now unavailable. [sadface]