Extract (2009, Mike Judge)

All Movie Guide Summary:

Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins, and J.K. Simmons star in writer/director Mike Judge's comedy about a flower-extract plant owner contending with an ever-growing avalanche of personal and professional disasters. An employee at the factory has just suffered an unfortunate accident on the assembly line, but little does the put-upon owner realize that things are about to get much worse. As the injured employee threatens to sue and it begins to look like his company will be bought out, the frazzled owner attempts to catch the culprit responsible for stealing wallets from the coat room and begins to suspect that his wife is sleeping with the gigolo he hired to seduce her.

I finally caught up with Judge's latest. This was a "most-anticipated movie" for me last year, though interest slid once reviews were less-than-overwhelming. Though not as consistently funny as "Office Space" and "Idiocracy", "Extract" does ride on that Judge patented low-key charm that is extremely rare in movies and television.
That charm and the inter-personal relationship comedy is what worked for me. All the stuff involving the wife, the gigolo, Ben Affleck, the workplace, was funny, interesting, and somewhat well played (REALLY well played by Affleck, and Dustin Milligan's dumb gigolo is classic Judge); though all the stuff involving Kunis, lawsuits, etc. just seemed like "plot" that needed to be there. I think that even Judge acknowledges this as being somewhat clunky and obvious, by casting himself as a factory employee who has to dispense exposition, at one point in the story, in order to cause some dramatic conflict.
But that plot clunkiness doesn't take away from the shambling low-key charm that this comedy has. Hollywood isn't making these type of movies that often anymore. It really reminded me of some comedy I'd catch on in the afternoon on HBO when I came home from middle school. It's mainly about characters, not a high concept; and most of the humor is derived by these characters and their traits (Judge mastered this with "King Of The Hill"). While not blown away by this film, I'm looking forward to seeing this come up on cable, to see how it holds up and/or rises in esteem. Judge's films always seem to play better, the more often you see them.
I really hope that Judge continues in this vein, and is allowed by Hollywood to continue making his type of comedies. His movies are notorious for not doing any kind of box office (I don't think "Extract" was any different: $10 million domestic), but I really think he's got another stunner or two in him.

The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights (2009, Emmett Malloy)

The Stripes had never played a full tour of Canada. Following the release of their last album, "Icky Thump", the band decided to give Canada the full treatment before embarking on the typical US/Europe/Etc. touring cycle. This documentary follows them through this Candaian tour, where they played every province and territory, and ultimately proved to be the only tour they did behind that album.
This film focuses on live performances and balances between the traditional rock concert formats the Stripes played at night, and daytime performances where the Stripes played non-traditional venues like bowling allies, city buses, rec centers, etc. This juxtaposition helps show what makes the Stripes such a exciting and experimental band; they're ready and willing to play anywhere, anytime, to anyone.
Malloy does a fine job at capturing the band live on stage. The black and white photography goes a long way towards mythologizing this band. Matched with the many varieties of music The Stripes play, the B&W photography helps portray them as a band not-of-a-particular-time.
Malloy (and the Whites) keep us at an emotional distance though. By focusing mainly on the live performance, we never see the inner workings of the band, their personal life, their thoughts on anything but the music. It is just the band, the tour, and the music.
And that is what makes the final scene stand out: Jack plays a song on piano with Meg sitting beside him. As the song goes on and Jack sings; Meg sways, looks at Jack, sings along, and starts to break down into tears. This scene seems out of place because we have no context for Meg's emotions (she is portrayed in the film, and admits to being, the "quiet one" who likes it that way) outside of her role as a drummer in this band. The film makes no mention, that shortly after the film, Meg White canceled the rest of the Stripes tour dates due to anxiety issues. If there was more to the Stripes' tour; was it not captured by Malloy and his cameras? Did certain aspects end up on the cutting room floor at the request of the band? And, if yes, why was this last scene left in?
Regardless, this film captures this incredible band at an exciting stage in their career, trying something really different, in order to change a tour into an exciting adventure. The live performances are always thrilling, no matter the venue. And it is something to see the Stripes walk up on a stage, gear up, and play a "one note concert", thank the crowd, and leave. Awesome.

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985, Barry Levinson)

Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974, Sam Peckinpah)

Blood On The Moon (1948, Robert Wise)

Silver Streak (1976, Arthur Hiller)

I didn't really watch this. I was falling asleep in and out. I thought that Pryor would be in this more. I usually love Colin Higgins' screenplay work. Should I have been watching Stir Crazy?

Park and Recreation, "Summer Catalog"

Summary:

Leslie holds a picnic lunch for past directors of the Parks Department, hoping they'll provide inspiration as she prepares the annual Summer Events Catalog.

B Story: Tom tries to take the cover photo for the catalog with Mark and Ann as a couple with kid. His plans are complicated by Ann looking awkward on-camera.

C Story (really the B story?): April and Andy busy themselves at the picnic. Decide to go out to a bar, which April is to young to get into. Their date is a bust. A picture of them together at the picnic ends up being the Catalog cover photo in the end.