THE CHUMSCRUBBER (2005)

Directed By: Arie Posen 

Story By: Arie Posen and Zac Stanford 

Written By: Zac Stanford

Cinematography: Lawrence Sher 

Editor: William Scharf And Arthur Schmidt 

Cast: Jamie Bell, Camilla Belle, Justin Chatwin, Lou Taylor Pucci, Rory Culkin, Glenn Close, Carrie Anne Moss, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs, Lauren Holly, Caroline Goodall, William Fichtner, John Heard, Allison Janney, Rita Wilson 

a dark comedy about the lives of people who live in upper-class suburbia. It all begins when Dean Stiffle finds the body of his friend, Troy. He doesn’t bother telling any of the adults because he knows they won’t care. Everyone in town is too self-consumed to worry about anything else than themselves. And everybody is on some form of drug just to get themselves through the day. After Troy’s death, local drug dealers at the school run out of their stash. They convince Dean to get Troy’s stash or they are going to kill his brother that they kidnapped, but they grabbed the wrong kid.


This show is an intriguing failure that seems to be some sort of statement or satire on disaffected teens coming apart at the seams in suburbia after tranquilizing themselves on recreational drugs for so long that they seem to be scared of their own emotions. I wish the film played and explored more of what I just described.

Instead, the film seems more interested in the adult characters, who are not as deep and as types. This only makes their stories seem melodramatic or the product of a soap opera. Which makes one wonder how the film got such a powerful cast for a film that feels more like a desperate Housewives spin-off

The film seems to shy away from too much depth to focus more on the quirks and offbeat comedy.

The film is all surface but tries too hard at times to seem deep almost like a pretty girl reading an intellectual book and you notice over weeks each time you see her she is on the same page as she only does it for the attention or seems smarter than she might actually be

The ending feels too. The end feels too clean cut which one could see if this was based on pre-existing material but as it is an original production, it could’ve been worked on a bit more. It feels too self-serving, trying to please an audience instead of going for emotional truth.

It ends up playing more like a studio version of an independent coming-of-age film. With the parents so busy with themselves, they never pay attention to their own kids, even after one commits suicide, which might be blatant science for attention and help or even subconscious ones.. though the adults seem to anodize themselves with Work and each other as a form of hiding.

The film tries to tighten it like video games and not feeling real trying to achieve a numbness or doing things so that they can feel something. Not fall into the same traps and behavior as their parents, though it seems they easily follow suit.

Has a good score which other than the cast seems to be the most accomplished thing about it.

Grade: C

VIRTUOSITY (1995)

Directed By: Brett Leonard

Written By: Eric Bernt

Cinematography: Gale Tattersall

Editor: Rob Korbin & B.J. Sears

Cast: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Kelly Lynch, Stephen Spinella, William Forsythe, Louise Fletcher, William Finchter, Kevin J. O’Connor, Costas Mandylor, Kaley Cuoco, Mari Morrow

When a virtual reality simulation created using the personalities of multiple serial killers manages to escape into the real world, an ex-cop is tasked with stopping its reign of terror.


The director of THE LAWNMOWER MAN seems to be obsessed with virtual reality as he has made another film based on technology.

That special effects at least makes some kind Of sense though dates the film that is supposed to be futuristic and looks historically dated

This is Russell Crowe’s first big blockbuster film although he is playing the villain and is rather demented and charismatic. He is dressed more like an evil yuppie which at the time seemed to have been the go-to villain archetype. He is memorable throughout as he espouses to be having Fun and comes off more a horror movie villain with a sly sense of humor 

This is a strange film even for a big studio film. It is one of the first to feature Denzel Washington in more of an action setting. Which at the time was why I went to see the film and felt excited. 

Science fiction film that seems dated using technology that was cutting edge then but still seemed on its way out 

There is a curious performance by Stephen Spinella playing the inventor of Russell Crowe’s character who is just creepy as dramatic for no real reason throughout the film only to lamely come back towards the end of the film

I would talk about action sequences but they are more like continuous chase sequences throughout. Those are entertaining but hardly memorable. Where the future is made to look so technical that it feels ridiculous that it is just dressed up in the modern-day. 

The film is Over the top, amped up and hyped by a pounding soundtrack. That never seems to rest. Though the technical elements seem intriguing watching it now. It comes off a little more outdated.

I will admit to going to see this film in theaters and I left with the same questionable conclusion. I was entertained but did I like the film? I recognized it wasn’t good by any means. Though I would watch it again just not enthusiastically. Now I watch the film amazed that it was made as at times it is laughably bad.

Grade: D

STRANGE DAYS (1995)

Strange-Days-1

Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow
Written by James Cameron & Jay Cocks
Cinematography: Matthew F. Leonetti
Editor: Howard E. Smith & James Cameron 


Cast: Ralph Finnes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott, Vincent D’Onofrio, Glenn Plummer, Brigitte Bako, Richard Edson, William Finchter, Josef Sommer, Nicky Katt, Michael Jace, Todd Graff 


A former cop turned street-hustler accidentally uncovers a conspiracy in Los Angeles in 1999.

Continue reading “STRANGE DAYS (1995)”