Youth In Revolt

A boring trailer. A terrible (movie) title, putting one in the mind of smelly Che Guevara t-shirts, and ratty Castro caps. The only reason I persevered and eventually allowed Netflix to tee this one up was I was less interested in Casino Jack & The United States of Money that day. One can only watch so many documentaries without a snack break.

And plus, hey, Michael Cera. I figured, "Yeah, I know what I'm going to get. Serve it up." But here he plays two characters: the Cera type we all know by now, and which I was looking forward to, and a more sinister, deeper-voiced Francois, who is funny merely because Cera is playing him. He even changes his slouchy physicality; it's an impressive bit of split-screen doppelganger-y. It's not Sam Rockwell(s) in Moon, a master class, but it's fun.

More, it's directed with a real sense of visual fun, incorporating some great stop-motion, slow-mo and animated sequences, which make a timeworn coming-of-age story seem fresh. And Miguel Arteta's got some real indie street cred, having directed Star Maps, Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl, not to mention my favorite Office episode ever: Diwali!

Anyway, catch this however you do what you do. It's worth every penny of the $1.09 you'd pay Redbox. Then watch Election again. And it's right up there with Assassination of a High School President. And if you've never seen The Chocolate War, give that a whirl too.

3-D

Just want to get this down in writing before it becomes the new call to arms: 3-D, as it applies to movies that is, isn't going to last. The cost-benefit ratio approaches zero. After having seen Clash of the Titans and Toy Story 3, I want my two dollars. Or in these cases six.

It Might Get Loud

Jack White, The Edge and Jimmy Page sit down together to talk about whether the guitar found them or they found the guitar, and play for each other and together. The look on Jack White’s face when Jimmy Page starts crunching “Ramble On” is, well, check it out. And when the three of them start pushing “Kashmir” around between them your mouth will drop open with a dumb, slack smile. Intercut with interviews and staged pieces and POV verite clips, it has a loose, free-flowing ease and when it’s over you feel, “can’t we hang out just a little longer?” Well, there are some interesting deleted scenes to get you over the hump. That they were left out was the right choice, but they’re not the usual deleted scene dreck, worth a look.

And an interesting production note for aspiring documentarians: the director, Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”), explains in the bonus press conference segment that he found his way in to this subject in the same way he stumbled on with Gore. He started with one-on-one interviews that a) provide the bulk of the voiceover and b) point him toward the things he’ll want to film with a full crew. Smart and economical.

Assassination of a High School President

Wow, a completely overlooked and enjoyable adaptation of "Chinatown"-as-high school noir. It shares a lot in common with "Brick," but the formal touch is lighter, so you won't be left talking like James Cagney for the next couple of days, "yeah see!" Which is actually pretty fun, now that I think about it. But the soundtrack's better, so I suppose you'll win either way.

The casting from beginning to end is just right, Reece Thompson of "Rocket Science," Mischa Barton, Bruce Willis and on down the line. Every one. And the script is tight and funny and resolves with a guffaw of recognition. Good stuff.

"Forget it Funke, it's high school."

(Apologies for the layoff this week, but I'm afraid I had to heed the Call of Duty. Also I discovered PlayOn software for the XBox. This app is amazing. Pipe web content like Hulu and YouTube, or your own video files all of which you've grown accustomed to hunching in front of the laptop screen to watch to the big boy tv through the magic of the Microsoft box. Free two week trial, install is 100% idiot-proof. Like it, and you will, and it's yours for $40 or so.)

Paranormal Activity

This first one is a softball. If you like-a the scary movies, you're going to want to see Paranormal Activity, in a theatre, with other people. And, if possible, you're going to want to have someone to go home with, although it won't matter. It can still get you if it wants.

I happened to see PA while on a trip with friends. We shared an adjoining suite and stayed up a-waaay past our bedtimes, so there wasn't much time between head hitting pillow and falling asleep. But my dreams were troubled. And when, like all good things do, the trip concluded and I returned to my apartment alone there was a reckoning. But, like the Blair Witch Project, the torment eventually subsided. And luckily I don't a) have hollow, thunky wooden floors, b) live in a two-story home, or c) have a long hallway leading to the closet with the crawlspace hatch. Shiver.

Sleep tight.