Well, with the Fifth Season of films underway at Crazy Moon Pictures, and with it are the all of the hopes and dreams for another season. I am looking forward to seeing some of the new film projects that are underway even as you are reading this article.

So, I hope that if you were eligible, you voted for your favorites in the final round of the Golden Moon Awards, and I can’t wait to see the final result. Personally, I just want to see how close I came in my predictions.

But, until the Awards Ceremony, and when we will finally see who wins (and who goes home empty handed)… let’s look at what’s new here at CRAZY MOON PICTURES.

FEATURED ATTRACTION:


Quentin Tarantino’s RESERVOIR DOGS… never understood the attraction of that film, and this film has many of the same elements. The film has a sort of “cult following”, and this film will probably fall prey to the same fate… that of the “cult classic”.

Let me say one good thing about this film… it’s got all the body count of Tarantino’s masterpiece KILL BILL (Vol. 1 & 2). On the downside, 22:01 lacks the solid, gripping storyline to match it.

Too much of a good thing, is usually a bad thing… and typically spells disaster. The testosterone level is so high in this film, and because of that, it’s extremely tough to sift through all the blood and bodies to actually find out what the story really is in this film.

Let me break it down for you…

Two rival mobs hate each other, but come up with plans to trap one another under the guise of a mutual venture… that is all just a ruse perpetrated by both sides, but neither side is “smart” enough to realize it. One side has a police undercover agent, working “deep” undercover (which is unknown to either side here)… and has arranged for the police to be present before this gets bad.

Are you following things so far?

Enter the third gang… the Triad. The Triad catches wind of the meeting, and they don’t realize that it’s a situation of the two rivals trying to ambush one another. The Triad wants both factions gone, so that they have the whole city to themselves. So they send ninjas (and after all, no action film is truly complete, unless it has “ninjas”), to kill the two rival factions.

The police arrive; there is a massive hail of gunfire, sword slashing… and massive bloodshed and body count on all sides.

END FILM… ROLL CREDITS.

So, in my nine sentences, I have told you enough about this film to save you about $10-$14 at the box office. Money that would be much better spent elsewhere.

All in all, I see 22:01 this way…

Originality of Screenplay




Interest of Storyline




Casting




Sorry, but there just has more to a film than just testosterone, body count and bloodshed to make it a film a good (or even acceptable) one. It needs a solid plot/storyline!!! I expect better from Marcus Trax, and I think you’ll see later on in this article, you see the genius of Marcus Trax’s screenwriting ability in all its glory… but I won’t spoil the surprise just yet.

NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD, HD-DVD & BLU-RAY DISC FROM CRAZY MOON PICTURES:

This was a very welcomed change of pace, and WELCOME TO SUMMER CAMP was an absolute joy for the whole family. We really need more of these sorts of films from time to time.

Not too deep, thoroughly entertaining… and you can watch it with your children and actually enjoy the experience as much as they do. Sure, has Steve Martin made this sort of film before? Sure he has… but that doesn’t make this film any less enjoyable for the whole family to watch? I don’t believe so.

WELCOME TO SUMMERCAMP is a good film for “children of all ages”, and even if you don’t have children of your own… I think you’ll find that there is indeed a great deal of enjoyment just in the viewing. The on-screen chemistry between Steve Martin and Helen Hunt is just fun to watch.

All in all, I recommend that you…

BUY IT!!!

Even if you don’t have children, I think that you’ll find that WELCOME TO SUMMER CAMP has got something to offer… every time you watch it.

ALSO AVAILABLE FROM CRAZY MOON PICTURES:

The film CROOKS was just a fun, “buddy” movie. I’m not so sure about Roy Winslow’s parallel to the movie Robert De Niro film “Midnight Run”, but I guess it’s as good a parallel as any to draw.

Granted, although I agree that the first 20 minutes or so of the film are the best, but it’s only the best by a very slim margin. That first 20 minutes or so is what sets up everything else in the picture.

I really enjoyed this film, and it was great to see two comedies (WELCOME TO SUMMER CAMP and CROOKS) released at the same time, aimed towards a different market… and I was able to thoroughly enjoy both films equally.

So, here’s another fun, comedy film that actually delivers a big payoff and I recommend that you…

BUY IT!!!

You’ll watch it again, but there will probably be a little bit of time between viewing. It’s still a solid addition for your movie library... and your viewing pleasure.

ALSO, COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU… FROM CRAZY MOON PICTURES:


This film paints a harsh reality… terrible things happen, and many times to the most innocent of people.

In today’s “lawsuit-happy” America, I find it amazing that if a dog brutally attacked my child, and my child was seriously and permanently injured that… the owner of that dog (after the dog had been “put down” because of the attack) would have the audacity to sue me for “emotional distress”. What’s even worse… would probably have a good shot of winning a settlement.

But hey, that’s America… at least in today’s “lawsuit-happy” America.

Are you already getting the idea that I have very little love for lawyers? Frivolous lawsuits have become a lucrative business, and NO EVIL shows that first hand.

The legal process, and frivolous lawsuits has a tendency to “dehumanize” the situation, and the terrible tragedy that has befallen this family… because of a terrible chain of events.

For Frank Howards… the love for his child, and the destruction of all that he holds dear… is snuffed out as fast as the flame of a candle, until he is left with what has become an empty shell. He’s pushed to the brink, and in the end… he loses everything, including probably his soul.

The performances are powerful, and feel every bit as real as life itself. This is true piece of film making mastery, and you’ll get the distinct feeling that this is probably based on a true story. Who knows, but this is how I see NO EVIL:

Originality of Screenplay




Interest of Storyline




Casting




MARCUS TRAX has created fantastic “true to life” work of screenwriting with the film NO EVIL. You owe it to yourself to see it, but it does deal with some very big “adult themes”, so keep the children at home when you see this one.

FROM THE “LOST IN THE SHUFFLE” DEPARTMENT…

The big question about RETURN OF THE LAST LAWMAN that everyone was left asking is… “Why was this film ignored for the GOLDEN MOON AWARDS nominations?” The answer may not be as simple as you might think, but I think it can all be attributed to one common denominator… TIMING.

RETURN OF THE LAST LAWMAN (Director: Robert Rodriguez, Screenwriter: Jack Hammer) was released during a season where we had such big budget blockbusters such as DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, THE GREAT WAR SERIES: STORM BREAKS and STAR WARS: MYSTERIES OF THE SITH. With competition also from such closet favorites as SOUTH EAST, WARLAND and the ultimate surprise hit of the nominations CAROUSEL… the problem is that there are just not enough nominations to go around. What this basically amounts to, in the grand cosmic scheme of things is that JACK HAMMER lost out to… JACK HAMMER. His screenplay for THE GREAT WAR SERIES: STORM BREAKS edged out his screenplay for RETURN OF THE LAST LAWMAN… in all categories.

So, RETURN OF THE LAST LAWMAN lost out in the GOLDEN MOON AWARDS nominations, but it holds a special “honorable mention” in the footnotes of the awards process… and a special place of honor in my DVD collection. I hope it holds the same place in your DVD collection as well… and it’s worth every penny you spend to purchase the DVD.

WRAPPING IT UP…

So, that brings to a conclusion another PREVIEWING ATTRACTIONS WITH MISTERBALDY edition for your reading pleasure. Agree, or even disagree… it’s fine with me either way. Everyone has a right to his or her opinions, and I’d like to hear some of yours as well.

Also, if you are an active Writer or Director here at CRAZY MOON PICTURES, and would like to be featured here in my PREVIEWING ATTRACTIONS WITH MISTERBALDY article, you can contact me through my Hollywood Mogul Forum Profile (http://www.hollywood-mogul.com/vbull/forums/member.php?u=455). We could talk about your new projects… or perhaps some old ones. Either way, I’d like to here from you as well.

So, until next time;

Go out to the lobby, get yourself a large popcorn and a drink, and…

SEE YOU IN THE MOVIES!!!

NOTE: You can also post your comments to Misterbaldy's previews here at the blog, as his issues are open to comment by clicking just down here.