Friday film roundup: Embracing and Avoiding Cliches
Today’s film roundup from Past the Popcorn:
Two options this week: go for the obvious, and get exactly what you expect, or take a chance on something a little out of left field?
In the first case, we have the latest sports/genre parody, Balls of Fury, in which world-class underworld table-tennis paddle it out — to the death. The film is designed to play off middle-aged male familiarity with everything from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan, as well as recent sports-themed comedies like Dodgeball and Blades of Glory. This time out, though, the comedy measures pretty low on the potty and sex-reference scales. Says Jenn Wright (in spite of a few gratutitous profanities and suggestive comments/gestures, “I doubt anyone unfamiliar with the parodied martial arts genre (such as, say, kids) will find it laugh-out-loud funny. But for those who do enjoy such films, this may be a real kick in the pants.”
On the serious and somewhat surprising side, the R-rated indie drama Self-Medicated portrays both the depths of teen depravity and spiritual faith. First-time writer/director Monty Lapica stars in his quasi-autobiographical tale of parental intervention. Says Greg Wright, the film “comes across not as an experimental first film, resume piece, or trial balloon that happened to make it to market, but as the work of a competent and knowledgeable filmmaker… Andrew is the real deal as far as three-dimensional screen characters go — like most of us, struggling mightily in the tension between faith and anguish, cursing one minute to beat the devil, and praying fervently the next.”
Next week, we’re back to a fuller slate of releases after thin (if decent) pickings today.
