Red State (B)

When I first heard of Kevin Smith's debut into the horrifying world of horror, like many I was surprised. Why was the man who brought us such comedies as Clerks and Chasing Amy suddenly so interested in the polar opposite genre? The only other comedic director I can think of who also directed horror is John Landis, so this discovery piqued my interest. Now, approximately a year and a half later, Red State has officially landed on DVD.

Pearl Jam 20 (C+)

I regret writing this review because I feel like it is unfair for me to review this film. Until viewing Cameron Crowe's slightly new rock-doc Pearl Jam 20, not once had I ever consciously listened to a Pearl Jam song. Clearly, this is not my movie. This is a movie for those who listen to Pearl Jam, grew up to Pearl Jam, and in all way shape or form love Pearl Jam. Cameron Crowe is clearly one of these people. It takes a man of true dedication to search through thousands of hours of stock footage in order to create one sole documentary. Any other director could of easily just recorded a concert and slapped on a few interviews to go with it to create this documentary, but Crowe does not. I appreciate this, because this extreme level of fanboy effort gives heart to a film which could've been a soulless advertisement for the band.

Toast (C)

The greatest flaw of the new Nigel Slater biopic Toast is that the film peaks too early, and by "too early" I mean the film's opening credits. I am not saying this as a backhanded compliment; the opening credit sequence is truly a work of art. Set to a cheesy 60's song about food, a very young Nigel and his mother go stroll through their local market passing by canned goods labeled by the names of the cast and crew. Like Gentleman Broncos before it, this clever appetizer to the cinematic main course (puns absolutely intended) sets the bar so high for the film that matching it would a surprising yet unlikely result. While I am not surprised that the film did not live up to it's credits, I am shocked of how much of a misfire the film turned out to be.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (B)

In a world in which well done smart popcorn entertainment is few and far between, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the newest dark comedy Tucker and Dale vs. Evil. The film is essentially every backwoods horror film (most notably Texas Chainsaw Massacre) told comedically from the point of view of those committing the horrific acts of violence. However, this is no Lion King 1 1/2. Screenwriters Eli Craig and Morgan Jurgenson inject enough plot, humor, and heart into the story to save what could've been a hilarious short film tediously stretched to feature length.