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Just Go With It – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray
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Just Go With It – A Review by Gary Murray

JUST GO WITH IT

By Gary Murray

Starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooke Decker and Nicole Kidman

Written by Alan Leob and Timothy Dowling

Directed by Dennis Dugan

Running time 1 hr 56 min

MPAA Rating PG

Selig Film Rating Matinee

Adam Sandler has always been a hit-or-miss performer. He has made scads of money with juvenile characters, man-boys who eventually find the maturity of age. Now that he’s getting older, he is the seasoned man-boy who looks a little silly now finding maturity. The latest romantic comedy from his company is Just Go With It.

Our little play starts many years ago with a very young Danny (Adam Sandler) finding out that on the day of his wedding, his future wife has been and will continue to cheat on him. Distraught, he goes to a bar with the wedding ring on his finger. He finds that single women go for a distraught married guy. Many years (and one major nose job) later, Danny is still doing the scam of using the ring to bed young women.

His faithful assistant Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) knows all about his peccadillos but still cares for her boss and partner. She is a divorced lady with two kids of her own. Wearing tennis shoes and scrubs, Katherine is more the kind of woman who is looked over than looked upon.

One night at a party, Adam meets Palmer (Brooke Decker) a middle-school teacher that every boy on the planet wishes was in the classroom. After a night on the beach, Palmer hands Adam his pants and finds his faux wedding ring. She is appalled that he is a married guy and gives him the brush off.

Danny tells Katherine that Palmer is “the one” and wants to do anything to win her back. They concoct a little white lie. Katherine agrees to play the part of his divorcing wife Devlin, the ultimate California gold-digger. At the meeting, Katherine’s phone goes off. It is her kids. Little white lie #2–Danny claims that Katherine’s kids are his. This leads to hiring her little ones to play parts in deceit.

Well, the deceit gets bigger and Danny is conned by the kiddos to take them all to Hawaii for a family vacation. Matters get even more crazed when Katherine’s sorority sister is on the island. She is the real Devlin (Nichole Kidman). Katherine begins down the path of lying by claiming that Danny is her husband.

All of these threads criss-cross until every characters is caught up in the web of lies. Just Go With It keeps going and going to the typical romantic comedy ending.

Jennifer Aniston has had few hits in the decade post-Friends. This is a role that should give her some clout with producers. She is genuinely funny and charming, playing a character more than just being Jennifer Aniston.

Adam Sandler has done this kind of role so many times he could probably do it in his sleep. Even though the bloom may be slipping in the aged romantic comedy star, he can still do dumb stunts and pratfalls while keeping the love-light glowing. There is nothing new here but it still works in a familiar way.

Nicole Kidman basically has an oversized cameo with her Devlin, the villainess of the piece. She is the little miss perfect from Katherine’s past and plays the part to the nth degree. She is an ice queen, but a genuinely funny one.

The real find is Brooke Decker as Palmer. The Sports Illustrated swim suit model keeps pace with her much more seasoned cast, delivering jokes and situations against actors who have been behind the camera for decades. She is charming and winsome with just a bit of flirty.

Just Go With It is surprisingly charming, with a narrative that still manages to get a few different twists and turns along the beaten path that is the romantic comedy. It is a Valentine’s Day treat that will please all the couples who include the cinema with their bon-bons.

GNOMEO & JULIET – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray
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GNOMEO & JULIET – A Review by Gary Murray

GNOMEO & JULIET

Starring the voice talents of Emily Blunt, James McAvoy,Maggie Smith and Michael Caine

Written by Kelly Ashbury, Mark Burton, Kevin Cecil, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg, Andy Riley and Steve Hamilton Shaw

Based on the work by William Shakespeare

Directed by Kelly Ashbury

Running time 84 min

MPAA Rating G

Selig Film Rating Matinee

The story of Romeo & Juliette has been one of the most enduring tales ever put on any type of stage. There have been many versions on the silver screen, some exact and others with wide interpretations. The newest is an animated feature that comes from Disney and Rocket (Elton John’s company) and is called Gnomeo and Juliet.

The movie opens with a garden gnome on stage, letting us know that this will be the classic tale told a different way. It is both funny and endearing, while giving a gimmick off the 3D effects. We open up to a simple English street called Verona. A split duplex with one side red and the other blue is shown, with perfectly kept back yards. One family is Capulet and the other Montague. The garden gnomes in either yard is Red–Capulet or Blue–Montague. The little figures have been in battle for years with neither side wanting to end the feud.

Gnomeo (James McAvoy) is the son of the Blue Queen Lady Bluebury (Maggie Smith) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) is the daughter of the Red King Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine). Both monarchs have lost they spouses and dote on the future rulers Each side hates the other.

While going for an orchid, our Juliet meets Gnomeo and each is smitten with the other while not realizing that the other is from the enemy camp. They are both disguised for different reasons. Even though they are enemies, the forbidden spark is there and they begin a relationship. The friends of each warn them of the impending doom that awaits star-crossed lovers but they cannot break away from each other. The two befriend a pink flamingo who has his own tale of unrequited love. This is the wacky sidekick role that always pops up in these films but his story does have a definite sad side.

The film uses some of Shakespeare’s dialog but doesn’t go for the tragic ending, playing against the convictions of the tale. Gnomeo meets the statue of William Shakespeare and finds out the true tragic ending of the original take. This take is loosely based on the work of the Bard but has a gaggle of screenwriters to give a different spin to the tale. The ending of Gnomeo & Juliet is more along the lines of the Bard’s comedies than tragedies.

While the leads are all fine in both voice and acting, there are more than a few aural cameos such as Patrick Stewart as William Shakespeare. In the vocal mix are such unique timbres as Hulk Hogan and Ozzy Osborne. The film does have many ‘in-jokes’ throughout the proceedings such as the moving company being Rosencrantz & Guildenstern. The makers peppered the film with reference upon reference to the works of the Bard, making repeat viewing a must.

The music is all Elton John with symphonic accompaniment, which means it is familiar and lyric. “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” is used as a racing song to pump up the action while “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” is given a melancholy overtone. The entire exercise just makes the film work on a different level.

While not on the level of Pixar, Gnomeo and Juliet does entertain and never wears out its welcome. While not a great film, it is an enjoyable slight kids entertainment with enough educated references to keep the adults on their toes.

CLAY LIFORD’S DALLAS-BASED “WUSS” TO PREMIERE AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL

John Strange
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CLAY LIFORD’S DALLAS-BASED “WUSS” TO PREMIERE AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST FILM FESTIVAL
DALLAS, TX (February 7, 2011)—The prestigious South By Southwest Film Festival recently announced in its 2011 line-up that Texas filmmaker Clay Liford (EARTHLING, MY MOM SMOKES WEED) has been invited to premiere his latest feature, WUSS.
“…WUSS boasts an impressive cast that includes Alex Karpovsky and ‘Arrested Development’s’ Tony Hale.” – Dallas Observer
“Clay Liford is an established cinematographer and award-winning filmmaker, who’s had a short play the Sundance Film Festival and a recent feature travel the festival circuit the world over.” – Film Threat
“I really appreciated Clay’s honesty with this topic. He didn’t glorify the kids’ behavior and there were consequences for their behavior.” – Tony Hale (in an interview with Pegasus News)
WUSS is the story of a high school teacher who faces constant ridicule after he’s repeatedly beaten up by several of his own students. Having nowhere else to turn, he eventually teams up with another of his students to fight back. This student, a young girl, is feared school-wide because of a dark family reputation. She also has an unfortunate nickname grafted to her due to her predilection for smoking discarded cigarettes. Bonded in battle, the student and teacher form a friendship that stretches the use of the word inappropriate.
Starring Nate Rubin (BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY, MY MOM SMOKES WEED) and newcomer Alicia Anthony; featuring Jonny Mars (THE HAPPY POET, TREE OF LIFE) and Jennifer Sipes (W., TREE OF LIFE, EARTHLING); with Alex Karpovsky (TINY FURNITURE, LOVERS OF HATE) and Tony Hale (TV’s “Arrested Development”), the film is a dark comedy that almost plays as a horror film. Says Liford, “In most comedies, when characters do harebrained schemes they’re never held accountable for them. I hold them accountable.”
Produced by Texas Theatre partners Barak Epstein (EARTHLING, BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY), Eric Steele (UNCERTAIN TX, TOPEKA) and SXSW regular Adam Donaghey (EARTHLING, LOVERS OF HATE, AUDREY THE TRAINWRECK) and executive produced by Dallas-resident Bala Shagrithaya, WUSS represents the first true collaboration of all three partners. Chief People Officer Eric Steele promises it won’t be the last: “Our dream was always to make Aviation Cinemas and the Texas Theatre a central hub in film production. WUSS, in many ways, is the flagship for us in terms of Adam, Barak and I working together to produce something. We even did early rough-cut screenings of WUSS at the Texas as Clay was in the editing process. We are beaming with pride about Clay’s work—it’s a stunning film and one that all of Dallas will be proud of.”

THE RITE – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray
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THE RITE – A Review by Gary Murray

THE RITE

By Gary Murray

Starring Anthony Hopkins, Colin O’Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones and Rutger Hauer

Directed by Mikael Hafstrom

Written by Michael Petroni

MPAA Rating PG-13

Running time 112 min

Selig Film Rating Cable

Films about demonic possession that are ‘based on true events’ are rarer than true demonic possession. Most of these films are just fantastical tales of the Dark Lord taking over the body and soul of the innocent. In The Rite, the latest version of this tale the Devil is still up to his own tricks.

Colin O’Donoghue stars as Michael, a kid who has to make a choice of going into one of the family businesses, either become a priest or become a mortician. Michael chooses the former. Flashing forward four years, Michael has the collar but doesn’t have the belief. After he tells his mentor priest (Toby Jones) his decision to leave, the mentor tells him that if he leaves the priesthood, he will be finically responsible to pay back all the education he received. The mentor suggests that since Michael is used to being around the dead, he might consider taking classes in exorcism at the Vatican.

In Rome, he finds that the group studying the ancient rites has priests, nuns and a single babe reporter. The instructor suggests that Michael see Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), a priest who has some unorthodox ways to rid the bodies of evil spirits. Michael still thinks that Father Lucas is a faker, using parlor tricks to convince the naive of the supernatural. They deal with a pregnant teen who Lucas believes is possessed and Michael thinks needs psych help. When nails come from her mouth, Michael begins to wonder about all that he believes.

After a death, Michael begins to notice changes he cannot explain with science. Both Michael and Father Lucas have their faith tested in a final battle that sums up The Rite.

Director Mikael Hafstrom seems to be hampered by his PG-13 rating. The film never goes for the true scares and gives the audience those ‘throw the cat at the window’ style jumps. All the best horrors are in the R rating, with loads of blood and buckets of bile. This just doesn’t deliver any other the top thrills.

Though,Mikael Hafstrom does give a great Travelodge of all that is Rome. The shots are just wonderful in composition, it is just there isn’t that much horror with all the pretty pictures.

Anthony Hopkins seems to be channeling his Hannibal Lector character with parts of Father Lucas. This Oscar winner just seems to be slumming it in a role that is beneath his acting resume. There is never a true sense of terror with the role and he just seems to be in the film to cash a paycheck.

The idea of the film is ‘choosing not to believe in the Devil won’t protect you from him’. That basic driving force behind The Rite. It is a great idea for a movie, but this time out it just doesn’t work that well.

THE MECHANIC – A Review by Gary ‘Hitman’ Murray

Gary Murray
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THE MECHANIC – A Review by Gary ‘Hitman’ Murray

THE MECHANIC

By Gary ‘Hitman’ Murray

Starring Jason Statham, Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland

Written by Richard Wenk and Lewis John Carlino

Directed by Simon West

Running time 92 min

MPAA Rating R

Selig Film Rating Cable

January is usually a dumping ground for films, just putting anything on the big screen to keep some patrons coming back until Spring Break. It feels like that The Mechanic is another bit of action used to fill time between blockbusters.

Jason Statham plays Arthur Bishop, a mechanic but not on cars. He’s an elite assassin who makes targets die by seemingly natural causes. As the movie starts, we see him at work, methodically ridding the world of his target in what will look like an accident. He does the job and retreats back to New Orleans and a favored lady of the evening.

His best buddy is Harry (Donald Sutherland), an underworld figure who has come to the end of the line. When the murder happens, Harry’s son Steve (Ben Foster) wants revenge. Bishop stops a blind rage by Steve and then decides that Steve needs to learn the assassin trade. As Arthur and Steve bond, the bosses who set up the contracts begin to get suspicious of the duo. As Bishop discovers all the twists and turns behind an killing, Steve becomes more in tune about just who Bishop is and what really happened to his father.

The Mechanic is one of those films that look great in trailers but do not translate well as a feature. After the first bit of action, the film takes a very long time setting all the pieces into play. Though the build-up almost pays off in the third act, there is a very long stretch where not much happens.

Jason Statham is playing the exact same character he has played for the last decade. He photographs great and keeps that wicked snarl in check, but it is still much of the same old same old. We just don’t get all the cool car chases that are usually found in his films. The big problem with his Arthur Bishop character is that there is no sympathy in the performance. There is never a reason to like this guy, not even in an anti-hero mode.

Ben Foster comes across much better in The Mechanic. His is a bitter man, lost in a world without his parents. As he learns the tricks of the assassin trade, one feels that he never gets any of the finesse it takes to do the job correctly. His will be a short career, wanting to draw attention with a gun when a more subtle method could be done. The centerpiece fight he has in the middle of the film is an exercise in brutality, hard and heavy will little style and much force.

In a 90 minute movie, the audience gets more than a little impatient for the final battle scenes. While director Simon West gives the crowd what it wants, it just takes so long to get to it. While not a bad film, there is not much in The Mechanic to make one want to rush out an see it.

 

ANOTHER YEAR – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray
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ANOTHER YEAR – A Review by Gary Murray

ANOTHER YEAR

By Gary Murray

Starring Jim Broadbent, Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen and Peter Wight

Written and Directed by Mike Leigh

Running time 129 min

MPAA Rating PG-13

Selig Film Rating Matinee

Another Year is one of those slice of life flicks, showing snippets of certain days to give a grand picture of life. We get each season as a window into characters and their lives.

First up is Spring. Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) are a happily married couple living an upper middle-class existence in London. Though it is becoming the autumn of their lives, the two are very much in love and content with the world they have chiseled out. Tom is a geologist working on environmental impacts of construction projects. Gerri is a counselor working for the public health. Gerri’s best bud at work is Mary (Lesley Manville) a very lonely, twice-divorced middle-aged woman looking for love and finding solace at the bottom of a wine bottle. Joe (Peter Wight) is Tom and Gerri’s son, who is 30 and lamenting the fact that all his friends are getting married while he still hasn’t found the right woman.

We cut to Summer and a backyard barbecue. Ken is a family friend who comes to town. He’s a giant of a man, struggling with weight and alcohol. He has a thing for Mary while Mary spurns his advances. Mary gets drunk and makes a clumsy pass at Joe which is equal parts sad and funny. In Autumn, Joe comes home with his new girlfriend Katie. When Mary comes over, she is upset that Joe never called her. She becomes even more upset when she sees that Joe has found another. Winter begins with a tragic death and the realization by Mary that her life is not what she thinks it is and that her pettiness may have cost her more than just friendship.

Another Year is another art house film that will have little appeal outside that audience. Though it feels like an ‘important piece of cinema’ the end result is weaker than expected. Michael Leigh made one of my favorite films Happy-Go-Lucky. The man has been getting awards for years but this time out he just does not deliver the emotional punch needed.

The biggest find of Another Year is Lesley Manville. She is just brilliant playing a character who is wounded and bitter yet hopeful. She has some major problems but has the stubbornness not to confront them. The final realization by her is heartbreaking without saying a word. Just an amazing bit of acting.

Though Jim Broadbent is the star, he doesn’t give much of a star turn here. His character never changes, never has a snippy moment. He is almost a simpleton with a goofy smile. One just wants more from the character.

Another Year is a tale of joyful sadness, filled with equal parts companionship and loneliness. As it runs the gamut of emotions, while never over staying its welcome. While not a great film, it is a strong diversion.

IP MAN 2 LEGEND OF THE GRANDMASTER – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray
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IP MAN 2 LEGEND OF THE GRANDMASTER – A Review by Gary Murray

IP MAN 2 LEGEND OF THE GRANDMASTER

By Gary Murray

Starring Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung, Simon Yam and Sammo Hung Kam-Bo

Written by Edmond Wong

Directed by Wilson Yip

Running time 115 min

MPAA Rating R

Selig Film Rating FULL PRICE

The Kung Fu film has changed much from the days of Enter the Dragon. Where once it was just a bunch of guys hand-to-hand fighting, today we get giant battles with wire works and flying stunts. The latest is Ip Man 2 Legend of the Grandmaster and goes back to basics. It is one of the highlights of 2011.

The story is of Ip Man (Donnie Yen), a master of martial arts trying to teach a new idea of Wing Chun martial arts in Hong Kong in 1949. His studio is atop a building and he has no pupils, just a belief in what he is doing. With a young son and a pregnant wife, his business needs to take off.

A young man, Wong Leung (Huang Xiaoming), comes to the roof and challenges Ip Man. When the man loses, he brings a group of friends to to battle. When they all lose, the men drop to the ground and ask the Master to teach them his martial arts. As the school begins to grow, other Masters begin to take notice. There is a pecking order to being a teacher of martial arts and Ip Man has broken the rules. He is challenged by the masters of the other schools. When Ip Man defeats the Master Hong (Sammo Hung Kam-Bo), they reluctantly let him have his classes.

On the other side of the plot, the British who run Hong Kong, have decided to have a Western style boxing exhibition in the city. The British are bringing the reigning champion Twister (Darren Shahlavi) to show everyone the proper way to box. At the exhibition, one of the Masters takes on the boxer and it doesn’t well. In order to save face on both sides of the isle, a challenge is sent out for someone to take on the dangerous killer Twister. Ip Man is that challenger. He must not only protect his well-being but save the face of Chinese fighting.

The cinematography in Ip Man 2 Legend of the Grandmaster is some of the most impressive seen in a very long time. The camera is filled with sweeping vistas and brightly colored backdrops. The framing of the fight scenes are along the lines of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon both in composition and effecting story-telling techniques. It is just a beautiful film to behold

Director Wilson Yip does an impressive job telling the simple story. He almost goes overboard with some elements of the script of Edmond Wong but every time it seems to be too much, he magically pulls back to reality. Even though there are some wire works in the film, he basically keeps the film in a believable framework. This is not fantasy flick but an almost true story.

Donnie Yen does a great job with the role of Ip Man, but he keeps the entire work on an even keel. There is never the moment of doubt or the growing of the character. He is the same from first to last reel.

Sammo Hung Kam-Bo does much more with his part of Master Hong. He gets both a chance to grow his character and defend the pride of his culture and race. His role is a turning point of the film and he goes from semi-bad guy to tragic hero in just a few blinks of the eye. Darren Shahlavi becomes our true villain and the one everyone gets to hate in the piece. He represents not only the Western Devil but all that is wrong with British Imperialism.

Though this is a sequel to the 2008 film, it stands alone as a work of art. One does not have to see the first film to be thoroughly entertained by this movie. Ip Man 2 Legend of the Grandmaster does have a few flaws but it is a solid and enjoyable bit of entertainment. The ending holds a great twist that all the fans of Kung Fu will know.

NUCLEAR COWBOYZ SHOW

Gary Murray
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NUCLEAR COWBOYZ SHOW

NUCLEAR COWBOYZ

By Gary Murray

Photos by John Strange

Starring Adam Jones, Mike Mason, Ronnie Faisst, Beau Bamburg, Taka Higashino, Dustin Miller, Nixey Danielson, Jackson Strong, Brody Wilson, Derek Garland, Jimmy Fitzpatrick, Jim McNell, Derek Guetter, Colton Moore, Geoff Aaron and Keith Wineland

With an announcer telling the tale of a future world in a Mad Max style destruction, Nuclear Cowboyz took over the American Airlines Center on January 22. For two hours, the audience got some of the most impressive motorcycle jumps to the beat of blaring heavy metal music.

Nuclear Cowboyz is a traveling motorcycle stage show that is filled with high jumps, severe explosive smoke, dancing girls and impressive stunts. The story is of three different groups battling for supremacy in this world. Instead of having just a series of stunts, the creators have made the stunts into a giant stage show.

We are introduced to two different motorcycle gangs, the Soldiers of Havoc and the Metal Mulisha, each wearing different colors and the leaders sporting red and green lights on their back fenders. The third gang is a group of Nuclear Cowboyz dancers and Shadow Warriorz acrobats, represented with blue, who are both a part of the show and a fill-in between the two sets motorcyclists taking stage.

First up are the Soldier of Havoc. They guys jump stories up in the air, with precision and acrobatics. The riders fly off their bikes, making them twist in the air as they find the perfect spot to land. We see them actually come off the machines and flip the bikes backward, doing full twists while being many feet off the ground. The Metal Mulisha come out and do the same kinds of effects, using side ramps to achieve higher altitudes. One of the most impressive feats is when a quad bike comes on the blackened stage. Not only does the rider make the bike sail in the air, his big finish is when the four wheeled beast flips backward and perfectly lands on the ramp.

This year there are a series of smaller walkways that connect the stage. Not only are they used by the dancers to keep focus on the center stage, but two of the riders do tricks while riding across the slight width of the connectors. Much like the show last year, the bikers rider up and over a series of destroyed cars, twisting and turning on the hood of the vehicles. The first act ends with a battle of bikes and some riders off the machines and hand-to-hand fighting.

The second act starts with a fire stunt with one rider actually on flames while flying through the air. The gangs get together and we get all the riders all over the ramp-filled stage. The ending of the show is when all 16 riders take the stage and do back flips three at a time on the ramps. When the crowd is on their feet applauding the stunt, the riders up the ante and jump and back flip four across, two on each ramp. It is perfectly synchronized, done flawlessly.

Director Barry Lather has truly given the spectacle a much grander vision this time out. We sill have brave stunts (the reason people come) but the story makes much more sense this time around. By using his non-riding cast as participants and not as distractions, he has found a solid center to the show. It is not just a framework for stunts but an actual play, just done with motorcycles and stunts.

This is the second time I have experienced Nuclear Cowboyz and the 2011 version is head and shoulders above the last edition. Many of the faults I noted from the last time I attended (the muffled narration) have been fixed and the final product is just a wonderful and different experience.

Nuclear Cowboyz is subtitled ‘freestyle chaos’ and that the best description of the show. With all the motorcycles flying over ramps, it is probably not the kind of show for the Great White Way, but is a fun and enjoyable night of thrills and chills. The show is loud, filled with roaring motorcycles and Kiss style flames and explosions, so bring your earplugs and don’t miss Nuclear Cowboyz.

GOING NUCLEAR–The Nuclear Cowboyz press tour

Gary Murray
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GOING NUCLEAR–The Nuclear Cowboyz press tour

NUCLEAR COWBOYZ PRESS

By Gary Murray

Photos by John Strange

Usually when there is a press junket it is either a film actor a few weeks before the release of the film or with stage actors, just after the first performance. Seldom does one get the chance not only to talk to the live cast before the event, but to also see the sets being erected. For the newest thrill show Nuclear Cowboyz, not only did we get a chance to talk to members of the cast, but also got a behind the scenes at the American Airlines Center to look at the stage being placed.

Nuclear Cowboyz is a stage show like no other. It is a story of two rival bike gangs in a post-apocalyptic future, battling for supremacy. It features riders on two and four wheel bikes doing jumps, flips and flying from a series of ramps. Filled with hard and heavy music, the show also features acrobats and eight dancers. There are fire effects and explosions in what is best described as ‘Freestyle Chaos’. It is one of the most different events one will see in 2011.

Showing the press around the arena were motor bike riders Ronnie Faisst and Takayuki Higashino and feature dancer Amber Strauser. The riders have been seen all over the sports channels and Amber is a former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader and graduate of the Dallas High School for the Performing Arts. Before we sat down to talk she had appeared as a featured speaker at the school, encouraging kids to pursue their dreams.

Takayuki is from Japan and has been in the US for the last five years, performing with his bike. Ronnie hails from a small town in New Jersey. He calls being in the show a dream come true. “I have a big following in my home town because it is a small town,” said Ronnie, “everyone knows everybody in the town.”

Ronnie felt that the Nuclear Cowboyz shows are more entertaining than a traditional motor cross show because of all the different stage elements and without the pauses needed for network broadcasts. “We’re telling a story and not just one guy at a time. There are times when all twelve guys are on the course at once, three wides and four wides. It is just a lot of fun for us.”

The show is on a 13 week run with 16 cities from Pittsburgh, PA to Rosemont IL. Though they have been working on the show for months, it is still not set in stone. Amber said, “We are still changing things up until the show. A few things are being changed but it is only for the better of the show. Rehearsal days were 10 to 12 hours long in Tampa.” She said that the show is different from last year, “With all the new elements it has changed a bit. It makes more sense. What is (different) about this show is that if you are a chick or not a fan of motorcycles, it is still a great show.”

All three of the performers were in the show last year, but for 2011 there are changes. According to Amber “They have added an extra trail rider and an extra quad rider. We have incorporated six acrobats.” In the last show the dancers would perform between scenes with the bikes. “We live in the ramps and it is more real and life-like and not like a recital.”

None of the cast is worried about being around all the machinery. Amber emphasized, “Safety first. We are working with professionals here and they have their eye out for us.”

Takayuki said that the most dangerous aspect of the show is the four wide bike jumps and Ronnie added that there is no room to drift side to side. Though they are few and far between, there have been on-set crashes and Takayuki admitted he did crash in 2010.

“Free style is supposed to be fun,” said Ronnie, “so kids should just have fun with it. When you are not having fun, it’s not fun.” Ronnie admits he wants to be on a racing stage until he’s forty. Takayuki agreed and said he has fifteen more years. After he is done with the sport, Ronnie wants to teach others how to ride in his style and Takayuki wants to make a big show in Japan.

On asking Takayuki about flying ten stories for the first time, he became wide-eyed and said, “I can’t believe it, Oh my God! It is much higher than I though. Then after a few times, you get used to it.”

Ronnie said that most guys retire not because they are out of shape but because of injuries. “They either don’t want to deal with the pain of the injuries or it is a mental thing where they lose the edge of keeping up with the sport.”

To keep in shape the guys weight train, do martial arts, run and bike. “With the tour, I ride maybe once or twice a week,” said Ronnie. “But when we are training for X-Games, I ride five days a week and Takayuki rides seven days a week.”

Amber called touring with the bikers ‘a dream job’. “Its nice to be around ‘guys’,” she said. “In LA they are so ‘metro’. It is nice to be around guys who ride bikes and are tatted.”

As we toured the stages that filled every inch of the American Airlines Center, the pyrotechnics experts were planning the multiple charges. According to Ronnie, “It is so hot that we can feel it on the bikes.” To make the magic happen, there are wide ramps that tower over 12 feet and shorter ramps for the higher jumps. All over the ground of the AAC are astro-turf style carpets. Ronnie assured us that they grip the tires better than any other surface.

After the Nuclear Cowboyz tour Ronnie Faisst and Takayuki Higashino plan to go on tour in Europe and Amber Strauser will be another out-of-work actress/dancer looking for her next job. Said Amber, “I gotta hustle and find a new job, that’s the beauty of being an artist. I love what I do, it’s complete gratification.”

Complete gratification is what these artists will attempt when the show opens on January 22 at the American Airlines Center.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED – A Review by Gary Murray

Gary Murray
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NO STRINGS ATTACHED – A Review by Gary Murray

NO STRINGS ATTACHED

By Gary Murray

Starring Ashton Kutcher, Natalie Portman, Cary Elwes, Kevin Kline and Greta Gerwig

Directed by Ivan Reitman

Written by Elizabeth Meriwether

Running time 105 min

MPAA Rating R

Selig Film Rating Matinee

In the 1970’s and 1980’s Ivan Reitman was a cinematic god. He was the driving force behind Animal House, Stripes and possibly the greatest comedy film of all time Ghostbusters. Since those days, he has been a part of some very successful flicks and a few major flops. Lately, he’s been known more for being the dad of Jason Reitman, the new hot film director. No Strings Attached should put Ivan back on top.
The film starts fifteen years ago with Emma and Adam meeting in camp. We learn very shortly that he’s a bit of a softy and she is a bit hard. We go ahead another few years and they are both in college, meeting up again. Adam (Ashton Kutcher) a Michigan party frat boy and Emma (Natalie Portman) is going to MIT. She asks him to go to ‘this thing’ with her. He dresses casual and finds that ‘this thing’ is her father’s funeral. Flash forward again and they meet for the third time, this time in LA. He’s working as a production assistant for a cheesy Disney Channel style show. She’s working on her residency at a local hospital.
Now enter all the complications. Adam’s Dad is Alvin (Kevin Kline), the star of a sit-com Great Scott who just seems to be cruising on the laurels of the show. Alvin is dating Adam’s former girlfriend. Emma, so busy with becoming a doctor, has no time for a social life which she refers to as ‘an emotional peanut allergy’.
One night, Adam starts to drunk-dial everyone on his phone, getting drunker as the night goes on. In the morning he wakes up in an apartment naked. In the apartment are two different women and a gay guy. He’s not sure if he slept with any of them. Then Emma walks out, laughing. He came over to her house, got naked and passed out. The four are all roommates and working at the hospital.
Going into Emma’s room to get his pants, the two finally hook-up. This starts the basic precis of the film. The two of them will be sex friends, in a non-committal relationship on-call 24 hours just to have sex. They will do their best not to fall in love. Anyone who has seen a romantic comedy will know where this is heading.
This film earns it’s R rating with drug use, loads of nudity and a Titanic load of swear words. Those looking for a cute romantic flick need to be wary of all the adult themes that spill over just about every frame of No Strings Attached.
To build romantic tensions, we get other doctors who show interest in Emma including Cary Elwes as Dr Metzner. We know these suitors are not going to measure up. On the flip side, there are many temptations for Adam to sample including a three way with two newly discovered lesbians. But the more the screenplay tries to twist others into the mix, the more it becomes a weakness of the script.
With a film like this one, everybody knows where it will end-up, they just want to take the trip with the characters. Both Ashton and Natalie define their roles and work well together in a Mutt and Jeff fashion, mismatches juxtaposed side by side. Both are what is expected by the romantic comedy genre, cute and quirky, with loads of charm. By the time we get to the ending, many of the moments seem false.

 

The supporting cast is made up of members from The Office and Saturday Night Live. adding bits of comedy in moments. The story is a cupcake of the two leads and everyone else is just sprinkles on the icing.

Ivan Reitman, at one time, knew how do deliver madcap comedy. He used the best comics of the day to give audiences films that are treasured as masterpieces of a generation. Lately, he has been a bit off-track, delivering softer films. This is a slight turn of the cinematic boat to his heyday. He builds scenes of comedy and scenes of romance but doesn’t meld them together well.
 
No Strings Attached should be a major box office winner but it is neither a comedy classic nor a romantic classic. It is a Valentine’s Day flick, a sweet little morsel that goes down easy and is forgotten by President’s Day.
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