Four Rooms (1995)

So it's a new year and one of my many New Year's Resolutions is to write more reviews for my six seven hungry fans. I am going to start 2012 off with a film that really gets a bad wrap but is one of my all-time favorite films: The indie quartet directed comedy, Four Rooms.

After Quentin Tarantino's success with Pulp Fiction in 1994 and Robert Rodriguez's Desperado in 1995, they, along with indie directors, Allison Anders and Alexandre Rockwell (who directed In the Soup. Click the link in the title to see my previous review of that film) wanted to make a film set in a hotel with a wacky bellhop who had comedic adventures in each room, directed by each auteur. Originally, titled Five Rooms, Richard Linklater was scheduled to contribute a room but he later dropped out before production began.

As before, I won't give you the entire plot details on each room but I'll give you enough to salivate so you'll go watch the movie yourself. Since each room is short and there are other scenes with Ted intertwined before and between each room, these descriptions will be short but as usual, I will give my thoughts afterwards. Here's the plot:

Ted (Tim Roth), a new bellhop at the once popular Monsignor Hotel in L.A. is working the late shift on New Year's Eve. On top of that, his boss, Betty (Kathy Griffin) has left him all by himself so she can go to a party. Ted is about to have a memorable night whether he likes it or not.

The Missing Ingredient:

The first room, directed by Allison Anders (Gas, Food, Lodging) is the honeymoon suite which is inhabited by a coven of witches (Madonna, Valeria Golino, Ione Skye, Lili Taylor, Sammi Davis and Alica Witt). They are coming together to resurrect their Goddess, Diana (the gorgeous Amanda De Cadenet) after she was imprisoned by a jealous lover many years ago. Each witch has brought a symbol of love with them to put into the calderon to resurrect Diana but Eva, (Skye) who was supposed to bring semen failed to "get it". The other witches give her an hour to get some and fortunately for him, Ted happens to bring up the room service.

The Wrong Man:

The second room, directed by Alexandre Rockwell is room 409 in which Siegfried (character actor, David Proval) and Angela (Jennifer Beals) are having a lovers quarrel. Ted is supposed to bring some ice to a party in room 309, however the man who called was too drunk to remember where he is and tells Ted room 409. Ted ends up right in the middle of Siegfried and Angela's psychosexual drama involving a gun, pills and a very unstable Siegfried.

The Misbehavers:

The third room, directed by Robert Rodriguez, deals with a husband and wife (Antonio Banderas & Tamlyn Tomita) who want to go out to a New Year's party without their two young children. They call Ted up to bring room service and the husband (referred only as Man in the credits) decides to pay Ted $500 to watch his kids for the night, providing they don't misbehave. After the Man and Wife leave, Ted tells the children to call him if they need anything and he leaves them alone for the night. Naturally, the children end up calling Ted a bunch of times and get on his last nerve. Things get worse when the Man and Wife arrive early at the hotel.

In between these two rooms is a very amusing interlude including Marissa Tomei, smoking pot and playing Rambo on Sega Genesis while talking to Ted on the phone. The two banter on about Ted's night and while it is unclear who wrote and directed this scene, it is well written, directed and acted. Kathy Griffin also has about a page's worth of dialogue with Ted and that's all I have to say about her.

The Man From Hollywood:

Quentin Tarantino directs and stars in the last room about a film director (who would've guessed?) and his entourage (which includes Paul Calderon, Jennifer Beals and an uncredited Bruce Willis) who want to re-enact a bet to dismember from an old Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode. The group is drunk and wants to pay Ted to be the hatchet man.

First off, I need to address the obvious: Tim Roth shines in this film! Originally the role of Ted the bellhop was written for Steve Buscemi and as much as I love Buscemi, Roth was clearly the better choice. Ted is seriously stressed out and yelling most of the film and while most actors will make you want to stop watching, Roth's Ted makes you want to see how much more he can take. Complete with subtle nervous ticks, sweating and some of the best comical delivery I've ever seen committed to film. No joke. You may end up not liking Four Rooms since if it's one thing the internet ever did, it was to prove that everyone's taste in film is different, however you will agree that Tim Roth stole the show here.

Now the small group of those who have seen and enjoy this film will agree that Rodriguez's segment (the third room) is by far the best. While I completely agree with this, that is not to say that the other rooms do not have their strong points. In the first room, there is some good quick-witted comedy and the women add sex appeal (especially Ione Skye who is still beautiful). Add Ted in for the great performance and voila!

The second room (Rockwell's - Room 409) is interesting to watch the first time for the plot and another for the performances of David Proval, Jennifer Beals, and of course, Tim Roth. There are some comedic moments that work, and some that that may be confusing but all in all, it's still a good one. Proval, who usually doesn't get a lot of screen time in the films he is in is a standout here and his and Ted's nervous, erratic banter makes this one work.

Room three, directed by Robert Rodriguez, is by far the best because it's a slappy, madcap segment that doesn't take itself as serious as the other rooms do. The direction, editing, Tim Roth, dialogue, music and other performances (including the kids) make this one shine the brightest and in a small way, make the viewer feel sorry for the other directors whose rooms weren't this good. Roth's aggravated banter with the kids and the final nail-biting moment of this room will have you in stitches from laughing and may give you some hypertension for Ted's possible fate at the hands of Antonio Banderas.

Quentin Tarantino's room is probably my second favorite if not for the dialogue and the predicament that Ted is thrown into, especially given the earlier events of his night. Tarantino starts off with a lot of dialogue given to himself which may turn some viewers off but near the end of this segment, it becomes more interesting and entertaining as he is laying out loads of money on the table if Ted accepts his offer. Bruce Willis, who spends a lot of screen time yelling is great as always and of course, there's Tim Roth.

I should also comment on the music in Four Rooms. Combustible Edison and Mark Mothersbaugh (film composer of Devo fame) contribute some great uplifting, lounge music to give the film a zany, comical feel. Sadly, if you watch this film through Netflix Instant Queue there are a few songs that have been changed most likely due to rights issues. Despite the film finally being presented in high definition, these "new" songs change the quirky feel of the film and are the major drawback to watching it on Netflix.

Four Rooms may not be a perfect film, nor is it filled with symbolism, subtext or social commentary but it is a fun film to watch while leaving your brain out for a while. Did I mention Tim Roth steals the show?

4 Rooms (Out of 5)

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David Hess (1942-2011)

I was stunned the other day to learn that a great actor of exploitation cinema has passed away. David A. Hess died in his sleep on October 8th. He left a legacy of film and music to us and will be deeply missed.



Back in January, 2010, I was lucky enough to catch a viewing of the classic film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with David and we shared some words on the film and his work. It was a night I will never forget until the day I die.

Check out the David Hess Demo Reel:

As usual, it has been a while since my last review and this time I am going to make it up to you with three, count 'em - three mini reviews of the "David Hess trilogy" in chronological order:

Last House on the Left (1972)

Pretty Mari Collingwood (Sandra Cassel) lives out in the country with her parents, just turned 17 and with her friend, Phyllis they are going into town to see a concert and have a little fun. Krug, Sadie, Weasal and Jr. are criminals on the lam and are out to have a little fun as well. The two camps cross paths the baddies take the girls out to the woods to have some rape, humiliation and murder. Then, Krug (Hess) and company meet with car trouble and head to a nearby house to hideout for the night. The film then turns into a revenge film complete with some dumb, lighthearted moments to take some of the strain off because while one may argue their opinion of the film, most will agree that it is very stressful to watch.

The spunky, uplifting soundtrack was written and performed by Hess and gives the film a quirky personality even when all sorts of terrible things happen a few minutes later. There is also another song that is very somber and fitting for the scene of the film in which it plays. "Now You're All Alone" works very well in making the viewer come to a screeching halt from all of the intense torture that has just occurred and makes them reflect on how Mari has given up hope in being rescued.

Here's the song:

Hess' character, Krug is who really shines throughout the film by making us hate him as a vicious, sadistic man with the faintest bit of remorse (and I stress faintest). Although the other actors do fine jobs of not over-acting, (with the exception of the Sheriff and his sidekick) Hess has the charisma which cemented him as one of him as one of exploitation's greatest villians. This was Wes Craven's first film and while it wasn't necessarily scary, it was disturbing enough to make lots of waves as it was banned in the UK for twenty-two years.

I must say that I love this film because of its juxtaposition of lightheartedness, intimidation and the characters, especially Hess and Cassel who does her job well, making the viewer like her more than enough so they feel worse seeing terrible things happen to her. The violence and sex are obviously the exploited elements of this film and they work well with the comedic elements to make a perfect cult classic while making you think too.

4 1/2 Peace Signs (Out of 5)

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Hitch-Hike (A.K.A. Death Drive and The Naked Prey) (1977)

Hitch-hike is quickly becoming one of my favorite films of all time!

Alcoholic journalist, Walter Mancini (Franco Nero) and his wife Eve (Corinne Cleary) whose marriage is hanging by a thread are on a road trip to Los Angeles. If that isn't enough they end up doing something your mother probably told you never to do a hundred times: They pick up a hitchhiker, Adam Konitz (Hess). Now, you are probably thinking to yourself, "I know where this is going" but you don't (unless you've seen this before)! Konitz had just escaped a mental institution and stole two million dollars with some partners and now he wants the Mancinis to drive him to Mexico. Then Konitz's partners return, take control of the Mancini's car and head for Mexico. Konitz kills his partners and gets his original ride back and ends up raping Eve but not after Walter shoots him dead.

As usual, I won't spoil the ending because you really should be watching this instead of Real Steal, but I am going to say that I found it refreshingly unconventional for the type of film it has been up to this point. When Hollywood tries to make endings like this, they always fail because it ends up coming off as cheesy or unconvincing because there is no self-identification with the characters. In Hitch-hike, even though you may not be going through the same emotions of dealing with a failed marriage, there's still a likeable connection to the characters which therefore makes you more sympathetic to them.

Most Hollywood films of this nature have characters that I could care less about so then I am anticipating their hardships and even deaths while I feel dirty and vulnerable because I paid $10.50 to see it.

What I love about this movie is that Hess is playing the character he knows best but has a different quality that isn't as balls out, hardcore sadistic as Krug in Last House on the Left. He playfully taunts Walter and Eve as they drive, making the couple reflect on themselves and their marriage. Although you may like them to a degree, it's Hess who ends up looking like the more put together person in the car, helping you to forget that he is playing "the bad guy" except when he shows it physically.

Of the three films, this is the one I have only seen once but that number will quickly increase.


4 1/2 Whiskey Bottles (Out of 5)

  

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House on the Edge of the Park (1980)

House on the Edge of the Park is an interesting film that I have gotten many things out of multiple viewings. While it may not be the strongest of the Hess trilogy that does not mean it is a bad film.

Alex (Hess) drives around at night in New York City and spots a pretty girl in a car beside him. He chases her down, brutally rapes her and takes a locket from around her neck before strangling her to death. Later, Alex is about to "go boogie" with his friend, Ricky who works as a mechanic at a garage. A young rich yuppie couple, Tom and Lisa drive their car inside and complains of engine trouble. Ricky quickly finds and fixes the problem. Tom and Lisa are grateful and invite him and Alex with them to a party they are headed to.

Once there, Alex and Ricky meet Tom and Lisa's friends, Gloria, Glenda and Howard. After some drinks, laughs and dancing, Ricky is humiliated by Gloria who asks him to do a drunken striptease while Lisa teases Alex with sexual advances. Ricky then plays a (rigged) card game with the hosts as Alex, upset about Ricky's treatment and Lisa's teasing, pulls a straight razor from his pocket, fights and end up tying Howard up to a table. Another simple plot, right?

What follows is one of the longest collections of scenes of constant abuse and humiliation by Alex and Ricky that can only really be rivaled by Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects. The stakes get higher as teenage neighbor, Cindy stops by to check on the party and is humiliated and cut all over her body by Alex.

Naturally, I won't reveal any more of the story since there isn't much to it, however there is a plot twist near the ending. While after suffering with these people for the last hour or so, the actual ending and resolution is a little drawn out but there is still much to think about in terms of similarities (if only a few) and differences between the upper and middle class. David Hess's performance is the only notable one here as everyone else isn't always as nonchalant at being terrified as he is terrifying.

Of course, Hess, who knows this role all too well is fantastic and yet there are a few differences for his character this time around, the thing about The House on the Edge of the Park is that you actually feel more sympathetic for Alex and Ricky up to a certain point, although that opinion may change a few times before the film is over.

This is also another film that may be hard to watch if you are offended and/or seriously disturbed by rape and sexual violence. I saw this film once when I was 13. A friend of mine knew it had a lot of female nudity and at that age I was intrigued, however now that the pubescent excitement of seeing naked women has faded into memory, now I see the underlining messages in House on the Edge of the Park when back then, when I was young, it was all about nudity.

3 1/2 Razors (Out of 5)

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So there you have it: Three great films that showcase what "The Mad Hessian" at his best. There are other films David Hess has been in that are great so check out his filmography on IMDB.com and pick out some films that look interesting to you.

R.I.P. David - You will live on through the films and music which have undoubtedly made an impression on many people.

Myself and The Mad Hessian

1/16/10

Red State (2011)

Now I know I said that I don't review current films but I believe that Kevin Smith's Red State is the second best film of the year after Hobo with a Shotgun. I usually only give you a little less than half of the plot but being that this is a new film, there may be some minor spoilers ahead so beware. Also, if you have any strong religious beliefs that you do not wish to have challenged, please stop reading now as this film deals very heavily with religion, specifically Catholicism.

Three teenagers respond to an online posting to gang bang a woman out in the countryside. Before arriving, they side swipe a parked car where Sheriff Wynan (the fantastic Stephen Root) sits, engaged in a sexual act with another man. The teens get frightened and leave the scene, heading for the woman's trailer. Sarah Cooper (Melissa Leo) greets the boys, gives them beers and tells them to disrobe. Before they can get their underwear off, all three pass out and later, Jared (Kyle Gallner) wakes up in a cloth-covered cage in the Five Points Church where Abin Cooper (the always amazing James Parks!) is giving a sermon to his congregation about America's corruption, sinners, homosexuality and the "end times". Among the twelve or so people in the church are Sarah Cooper, her daughter, Cheyenne (Kerry Bishé), husband, Caleb (Ralph Garman) and a few children. After the sermon, the children are led out of the room and Abin identifies a man saran wrapped to the cross in the middle of the room as a homosexual they found in an online chat room. The crucified man is shot in the head and dumped into the crawl space below where we see the other two teenagers, Travis (Michael Angarano) and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun) who are still alive but bound to each other with heavy saran wrapping.

Sheriff Wynan returns to the station and tells his deputy to locate the countryside for the teens' car. Just as Cooper is binding Jared to the cross, he notices the deputy driving up to the compound and goes outside to have a chat with him. Travis and Billy Ray (the other two teens) free themselves and try to escape. Billy Ray runs into a small rooom filled with automatic weapons, grabs one and faces the door. Caleb runs into the room and the two end up shooting each other. The deputy hears the gunshots and calls Wynan for back-up but is shot and killed. Cooper then picks up the dead deputy's radio and tells Wynan that if he comes near the compound, he will tell his wife about his homosexual affairs. Wynan calls Special Agent, Keenan (John Goodman) of the ATF to secure the compound and free the hostages.

This is where I will stop because the last fourty-five minutes (cir.) of the film are more intense than the first fourty-five.

Now it's time to wax the actor's cars: Michael Parks deserves to win an Oscar for his performance here as does John Goodman. Both actors shine through Kevin Smith's well-written dialogue. Intentionally, Parks allows you to hate him, and rightfully so, playing a character that seemingly has no other morals other than his religious doctrine and even that is askew (pun intended for you Kevin Smith fans). His sermon before the killing of the first man is filled with a strong venom, masked as a loving, caring preacher while making jokes and small talk with the children in between his "gospel" of contempt for the non-religious heathens. John Goodman shines through as the conflicted ATF agent who wants to do the right thing while following orders in fear of him losing his job - which everyone with a job these days can understand. Goodman is crass but sensible and is the most conflicted character in the film, despite the other character's dilemmas. Melissa Leo is also fantastic as the faith-blinded daughter of Cooper who does a great job of making you hate her, and believe that she is simply bat shit crazy.

Kevin Smith previously dabbled with Christianity in his 1999 film, Dogma and while it was a fantasy comedy, Red State does not take itself lightly...at all. This is a very heavy-handed film and while there are laughs, they are far and few between as the drama and action elements take over. This is Smith's first serious film and I use the word "serious" in the sense that the film itself is serious, dealing with serious subjects and people in realistic life and death dilemmas that the slap-happy comedy parody Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back or any other Kevin Smith films didn't have. It's not that I do not like any of Smith's other films. Far from it. It's simply that this is a different type of Kevin Smith film and he knew exactly what he was doing from the moment he put the pen to the paper or the hands to the keyboard. In my opinion, it is his best film by far and I am partial to the first Clerks.

Now onto the plot: While dealing with a sensitive subject such as religion, Red State makes you fear those who show their extremist religious beliefs to the audience and that is what is bound to (and has previously) gotten Smith a lot of negative publicity.

Remember, there is no such thing as negative publicity!

Even when Dogma came out in 1999, there were protests by people who haden't even seen the film and yet they were judging it because of it's subject matter. The radical religious (and non radical alike) usually say that only God can judge people, but these people are willing to judge a film that is about God. Ironic isn't it?
A hate group, concealing itself as a Baptist church, known for their stance that "God hates fags" protested Red State's Sundance premier. Obviously they haven't even seen the film, but if they did, they would find some striking similarities between themselves and those depicted on the screen. According to TMZ.com, the Westboro Baptist church spokesperson said, "God hates fags, God hates fag enablers, therefore God hates Kevin Smith."[1] I don't know about you, but I love Kevin Smith and feel he deserves every freedom to make a film like this if he wants to.

Red State handles the issues of faith and spirituality with an automatic rifle blast to the heart and the brain, making the viewer ponder their own beliefs and opinions about Catholic dogma and the people who take it too far. Intense, entertaining and thought-provoking, Red State is by far one of the best films of 2011 and Kevin Smith's second best (behind Clerks).

5 Raised Hands (Out of 5)



Red State is currently available on VOD via iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Vudu, Best Buy, Blockbuster, Comcast, Xbox 360, Zune, PS3 and any other VOD provider you can think of. Or just go to Cooper's Dell.

The Blu-ray and DVD will be released on October 18, 2011. Pre-Order it on Amazon:

Praise the Lord and Check Out the Trailer:

[1] TMZ.com