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Reviews
Bowling Balls (2004)
Being a juggalo isn't necessary to enjoy this short film, but it helps.
Having fun is ICP's forte'. Weather recording albums, throwing concerts, or shooting videos, or films. This short film is no exception. "Bowling Balls" is the title of a song on their 2004 released album, "Hells Pit" which is the 2nd half of their sixth jokers card THE WRAITH.
"Bowling Balls" is about everyones favorite serial killer clowns collecting heads as a hobby. To heighten the experience, ICP put one of two DVD's in the CD, (the other being a performance from a gathering) being the short film "Bowling Balls". You can compare this to Michael Jacksons "Thriller". His big single from his album of the same name. The short film being basically a long music video.
This film was shot in HI-DEF 3-D. With the CD comes a pair of slip-on 3-D glasses so as you can see the blood splashing right in your lap. Or you can choose to view it in 2-D.
You can consider this film a comedy, and it certainly helps to have a dark sense of humor, or at least understand ICP's style of bloody humor. It runs about half an hour and it's really funny. Thats all I'm going to say. Do yourself a favor and watch this at least once.
State of Grace (1990)
St. Patricks day massacre
Here is a movie I've been a fan of since it's release in 1990. Gary Oldman is the gem of this film. He plays a long-haired Irish-American thug in New York's Hells Kitchen, employed by an Irish mob headed by his brother played by Ed Harris. This group is backed by the Italian Mafia, and Ed Harris's character is always trying to impress the Mob Chiefton. Sean Penn plays Gary Oldmans child-hood friend and fellow gangster, who left town one day years ago without notice. Now he's back, and welcomed heartily. Without question, he is accepted back into the gang, and put to work. Only problem is, when he left, he went to Boston to become a cop, and now he's undercover and infiltrating his old friends.
A tale of loyalty, betrayal, and murder, done with a style befitting a New York gangster flick. And for Irish-Americans such as myself, it's a great movie to drink to on St. Patty's. This is a good film with a solid cast full of action and drunken Irishmen which leads to one of the best endings to any movie ever; a bar room shoot-out with New York's St. Patrick Day parade as the back drop.
If this movie had a flavor, It would taste like whiskey. Speaking of whiskey, I have been celebrating St Patricks day every year since '95 by downing several glasses of Jameson, and viewing STATE OF GRACE.----now thats Irish.
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Certinly the best sequel ever made, and arguably the best film ever.
As a huge fan of the Godfather series, (yes I even like part three) I have to say that part two is my personal favorite. Part one shows us the title of Godfather being passed from Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) to his son Michael (Al Pacino).
The second film begins with Vito as a young boy being smuggled out of Sicily after his entire family was murdered by the local mafia. Then the story re-joins Michael in his now powerful position as mafia Don, and head of the Corleone family.
The film is divided into sections of the present-day story of Michael trying to gear the family to bigger deals in Cuba with his fathers old partner Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) while also dealing with the uprising of the Cuban rebels; and the betrayal of his brother Fredo (John Cazale). One of the great scenes is when he gives Fredo the "kiss of death" at the New Year's party.
The other section of the film is comprised of a young Vito (as played by Robert De Niro) making his way in old town New York. It shows his way up the organized crime ladder, making friends and connections that would later (and earlier) carry the story.
Francis Ford Coppola delivers masterful genius in this epic reprisal of a gangster classic. He uses soft, brown textures and dull sepia tones to perfection. The lighting has yet to be duplicated in any film. The way some of these shots are framed have been studied in film schools the world over. In short, if your looking for the epitamy of cinematic enjoyment mixed with that good ole' classic gangster violence, this is the movie for you. I would recommend it to anyone.