Day: May 26, 2012

LFM Summer Micro-Reviews: Men in Black 3, Chernobyl Diaries

Josh Brolin and Will Smith are about to light up a party at Andy Warhol's Factory in "Men in Black 3."

By Jason Apuzzo. Here are more of my summer dispatches:

Men in Black 3

After a three year absence from the movies, superstar Will Smith returns to save planet Earth from alien invasion again by traveling back to 1969 to help his straight-laced partner, K – here played by Josh Brolin, in a spot-on, dry-comic imitation of a young Tommy Lee Jones (who also appears in the film). The equivalent of a live action Warner Brothers cartoon, MIB3 showcases director Barry Sonnenfeld’s trademark visual humor, gooey aliens, some light satire at the expense of the loopy 1960s, a nice supporting performance by Emma Thompson, and a great recreation of the Apollo 11 moon launch. Don’t expect any undue brain strain watching this film, however; MIB3 is basically just an expensive platform for Will Smith’s goofy humor – which hasn’t yet grown old, even if this retro-style series probably has.

LFM GRADE: B

Stay out of Russia.

Chernobyl Diaries

The basic message of this generally predictable, by-the-book scream fest from writer-producer Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity) is: stay out of Russia. When a group of not-very-bright American 20-somethings indulge in some ‘extreme tourism’ by visiting Pripyat (former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor) with a shifty tour guide named ‘Yuri,’ they get a lot more than they bargained for when something creepy begins attacking them after dark. Peli & Co. keep things tense by never really showing you very much – but the characters are too bland and stupid to care about, like they just wandered in from a Final Destination 12 audition. Still, Russian officialdom comes across pretty badly in Chernobyl Diaries; don’t expect any gala Kremlin screenings of this film, with its hints of dark doings on the part of Russia’s military-scientific complex.

LFM GRADE: B-

[Editor’s note: for thoughts on the whole Russia vs. Ukraine issue, please see the comments section below.]

Posted on May 26th, 2012 at 12:37pm.

LFM Contributor Steve Greaves’ Tin Can Sailors Will Not Be Forgotten Premieres on The Documentary Channel, Memorial Day (Mon., 5/28)

Aside from Battleship and classic naval war movies, we want to encourage LFM readers  to spend Memorial Day watching a touching new documentary about real-life naval heroics from LFM contributor Steve Greaves, called Tin Can Sailors Will Not Be Forgotten. The film premieres this Memorial Day, Monday, May 28th on The Documentary Channel at 9:30pm EST/PST. You can watch Steve and other folks involved with the film talk about it above.

Tin Can Sailors tells the extraordinary World War II story of the USS Morris, a Sims Class destroyer that saw action from the North Atlantic all the way to the island-hopping campaigns against Imperial Japan. The Morris participated in a seemingly endless number of decisive battles during the war, including in the Battle of Coral Sea, the Guadalcanal campaign, the fighting around Leyte Gulf – and was nearly sunk by a kamikaze at Okinawa. For her efforts, the Morris received 15 battle stars for her action in World War II, placing her among the highest decorated American ships of the Second World War.

Tin Can Sailors tells the dramatic story of the Morris, and also documents how her remaining crew members to this day reunite to celebrate their service, and to honor their fallen shipmates who never made it back. Our own Steve Greaves co-directed the film, and also composed the film’s musical score. Tin Can Sailors is a moving tribute to the brave men and women of the Greatest Generation who fought the good fight and preserved our freedom, and we encourage LFM readers to take time out on Memorial Day to watch it on The Documentary Channel. You can also purchase the film here.

Posted on May 26th, 2012 at 12:14pm.