it's BIG and it's LOUD! it's my AC unit.... and episode 64 of 'The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour'....!

The 64th episode of 'The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour' is uploaded and now available through iTunes, Talkshoe, Stitcher Radio and streaming LIVE right here!

I'm back! And please pardon the AC unit blaring in the background.... it's too damn hot to turn it off. Next week, I may just have to, as it's way too noisy. Anyway, this week is a big show....again! Topics include: birthdays, cancelled TV shows, finding joy in everyday tasks and a recent decision by the AMA. It's controversial and fun. ENJOY!

Songs played this week:

1) Getting Wild by The Getdowns

2) Fresh Guacamole by Roger Houdaille

3) Reduce To White Noise by A New Ending

4) Space Girl by Matthew Heller

5) I Promise You by Jara

6) Last Goodbye by 2 Sided Story

my thoughts on.... 'The Woman' (2011)

It's been really hard for me to write reviews lately and I'm not quite sure why. I have had so many movies and films that I've seen recently, that I just can't keep up with them all. Every time I add a new movie to the list, I just get frustrated.... because I know I won't get around to reviewing it right away. But even though I see all these movies, there is a part of me that feels like I don't see enough movies. Odd, right? I currently have a rental queue on Netflix of about 500 movies and an Instant queue of about 500 movies. That's about 1000 individual and unique movies to watch, if you're keeping count. I don't double up on any of them. If they're on Instant, then the come out of the rental queue. What I've always known, is that I'll never, in my lifetime, see them all. In the meantime, while I try, I'll write about as many as I can. And hopefully, you'll check back every once in a while and not just give up on me because I don't update as often as I should or could. That being said, let me tell you about something I just saw two times in one week....

'The Woman'. What can I say about this film? It took me on a roller coaster ride and it has been plaguing me day and night to write something about it. I even watched it a second time, to try and get it out of my system. So often, a movie never pays off. Especially when it's built up beyond belief by good or bad press. There is such a thing as 'too much hype' and I very often will avoid a film until that hype has died down or gone away completely. I hate to be influenced by someone else's judgement. Sadly, 'The Woman' has been the victim of excessive negative press. Unjustly so, in my opinion. However, there is some nuggets of truth to what they have written about this film, but a lot of it is taken out of context or is only based on a partial viewing. At its initial screening, people walked out because they were so horrified. Why, you ask? The most common complaint about this film is that it's misogynistic. This is true. There are some pretty horrific things that happen to 'The Woman' and the other women in the film. What is often left out of that commentary is what happens at the end of 'The Woman'. *SPOILER?* All of the terrible atrocities are responded too.... with swift and final justice. Let's back up for a minute, shall we?

'The Woman' was written by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee. It is a sequel to two other books written by Ketchum titled 'Off Season' and 'Offspring'. All three books tell the ongoing story of a clan of cannibals that roam modern day. A tribe out of time, so to speak. There was already one movie made in the series, 'Offspring'. I've seen it and was not impressed. I think it was the biggest reason I avoided 'The Woman' when it was released. Negative press has never stopped me from seeing something, nor has the threat of excessive violence or disturbing images. I take art at face value. Anyway, 'Offspring' was bland at best and didn't do much to expand the horror genre. The book may be something different entirely, but I haven't read it. Therefore, I can't make a comment on it. I don't recommend seeing 'Offspring', other than to see Pollyanna McIntosh's original performance as 'The Woman'. It will also make this sequel make more sense and give her more depth. I've included the trailer here, so you can get an idea about it. Watch it below:

As you can see, it just doesn't do much. It feels like another re-telling of 'The Hills Have Eyes', but in suburbia. I honestly found it quite forgettable.

Now that you have that back story, we can move forward. 'The Woman takes place shortly after the end of 'Offspring'. Her tribe has been pretty much wiped out and she is all that's left. She is injured (see the first film for the reason why), she's in unfamiliar territory and she's being hunted. A man named Chris Cleek is hot on her trail and has "redemption" on his mind. He builds a contraption at his home to contain 'The Woman' and brings his family in to help. At first, they have no idea what he has in mind.... but once he brings 'The Woman' home, they're all in it together. Chris attempts to 'civilize' her, by his own methods. She in turn, bites off one of his fingers and eats it. After this, he basically treats her like a rabid animal who just needs some time, care and discipline to re-enter into the world. That's what he tells his wife and kids. However, from the first time we meet Chris, we realize that he has darker intentions, for himself and his family. At this point, we start think that maybe the film isn't so much about 'The Woman':

But that it's really more about the Cleek family themselves:

That is where the real genius of this film lies. It uses this wild and untamed 'Woman' as a metaphor for this truly dysfunctional family unit. We're lead to believe that she is a monster for her cannibalistic ways, but it's quite the opposite. Don't get me wrong, she's a very bad lady.... but some of the other things going on are far worse. I think that's why this movie hit so many people in the stomach. They didn't know what to expect and perhaps, they saw themselves in the mirror for the first time. No one in this movie is totally innocent, it's all just varying degrees of guilt. But can you really fault the kids and 'The Woman' for being they way they are? They were just raised to be that way. It's almost a form of satire in the way it's presented to the viewer. Who are we supposed to root for? Is there a hero? I think that may be another reason people disliked this film so much. You are given blow after blow to the head and just when it can't get any worse.... it does. Even the teacher, who tries to help, is presented as not being a "good guy". Jack Ketchum is known for his dark and twisted tales and this film was no exception. It's a morality tale of some sort or at least that's how I saw it.

I have a feeling that there are a lot of you that are going to see this film and think I'm insane for my overly analytical take on 'The Woman'. I have a feeling that I'll get some pretty harsh reactions to my feelings on it. That doesn't change the way that I feel about it or what it means to me. Any film that I see twice in the first week I've ever seen it, means that it left an impression. 'The Woman' is one of those films.

Back to the story line.... As Chris and his family continue their mission to save 'The Woman' from herself, things get messier and messier. I don't want to give away everything that happens, but it feels like a ball of yarn that begins to unravel. It keeps going and going, until the center can no longer hold and everything just collapses. That's where the film really goes for the jugular. The final scene starts out simple enough, but builds like a majestic symphony. You know things are going to go from bad to worse, but it's not just going to all explode at once.... the directory, Lucky McKee, wants you to feel every moment of it. I literally was on the edge of my seat for the entire third act of this film. I had no clue exactly what was going to happen, but I didn't want to know. I wanted to take the ride that I'd paid for and relish every minute of it.

When it was over and the dust had cleared, I wondered if anyone else would get it. Would anyone else walk away from that experience feeling as satisfied as I did? I know I'm not the only one that enjoyed this film. But I never know if anyone else I know will feel the same way I do. Honestly, I have the feeling that a lot of you are going to be split on the last 10 minutes of the film. The way that it all ends up is up for debate. Why do the characters do what they do and what happens next? To me, it ended exactly as it should have. But reading others thoughts online, tell a different story. That's something that remains to be seen and only you can make up your mind on that.

Everyone in this film was committed to it, that was obvious. Lucky McKee is best known for his film 'May', but he has done several other things that are noteworthy and I highly recommend you check out his other works. Of course, fans of his, will know that his favorite "muse" to work with is Angela Bettis. She plays Belle Cleek, the wife who does what she's told.... but is just as responsible for the terrible things going on as anyone else. She never speaks up and for that, she's just as guilty as Chris. Pollyanna McIntosh reprises her role as 'The Woman' from 'Offspring' and takes it to new and grittier heights. She seems to have been intent on creating something that would leave an impression on the viewer and would make them want to see more of her. She achieves that goal 100% and gives the performance of a lifetime. It's honestly scary to watch her on screen, which is a far cry from her first attempt at the role. Zach Rand plays Brian Cleek, the protegee of Chris and his middle child. He, perhaps, has the darkest character arc in the film. You always can tell that Chris is not a good guy, but Brian is a bit more vague. Speaking of Chris, he's played excellently by Sean Bridgers. A man you've seen before, but you just can't quite place where. I don't know who did the casting in this film, but he was born to play this role and embodies the character so much that you physically hate him every time he is on the screen. Lauren Ashley Carter plays Peggy Cleek and she is quite possibly the closest thing we have to a heroine. She is not without fault, however. Finally, Shyla Molhusen plays Darlin' Cleek. The youngest of the family, but you can already tell she has a dark side looming. You really have to see them all together as a unit to understand everything I've just typed. They work as a family and are so believable that it makes the story that much more dark and twisted.

All in all, this is a film that deserves a bigger audience and I'm glad that Netflix has taken it upon themselves to make it available OnDemand for all to see. I highly recommend that you add it to your queue and watch it tonight. The only thing I ask is that you check your preconceived notions at the door. Come into this with a fresh mind and with the desire to see something slightly askew. I, obviously, can't say enough good things about it and am quickly becoming the very reviewer that I mentioned at the beginning. The kind that sways you in either a positive or negative way and ends up altering your perception on the film. I don't mean to affect your judgement one way or the other and if I have.... wait to see the film until that has all gone away. This is a 4 out of 5 star film that is already being prepped to be added to my collection of films. I really want to see any special features on the DVD release. I want to find out more about it and why it was made. What inspired Lucky and Jack to collaborate and to bring back 'The Woman'? Why they cast the film the way they did? And why was the music presented the way it was? That is actually something I haven't touched on yet, the soundtrack.

All of the music is done by the indie musician, Sean Spillane. It feels out of place and strange at first, but once you get used to it.... it all makes perfect sense. The tone, the style and the lyrics. I've read several reviews that specifically point out the music as one of the reasons they hated this film. It feels odd at first, like some kind of indie romantic comedy. That just adds another layer to the film that makes it unique and gives it a voice unlike other films. I suppose it's just one more thing you have to see and hear to understand.

I've said enough. I'm done. If you like this film, check out some other Ketchum based films: 'The Girl Next Door', 'The Lost' and 'Offspring'

One final thing, remember "Anophthalmia". You'll understand once you've seen this film.

Here's the trailer, so you can make up your own mind on if you want to see this or not:

One more poster for your viewing pleasure:

my thoughts on.... 'Hard Candy'

definition of "Hard Candy" : 'An underage girl - often aged 12 to 16 - who is particularly attractive and/or gullible. In other words, a pedophile's dream.'

i've started this review several times in my head and here on the screen, but it's hard to begin a review about a movie inolving a man intent on having his way with an underage girl.... it's not like i can say i love this movie.... it just wouldn't seem right with the subject matter.... but it's so well done that i can't come up with any other ways to put my basic thoughts into words.... this film is several films in one.... it's a modern day 'Extremities'.... it's an 'After School Special'.... it's a revenge thriller.... it's a film about torture.... i can't really put my finger on one way to look at it.... and the more times i see it, the more impressed i am with the acting and the fact that two actors can carry almost the entire movie with dialouge and some intense action.... in many ways it's like a play.... and these are the type of films that tend to leave the biggest impression on me.... because it takes skills to hold the audiences attention when very little is actually going on.... but Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson seem to do it with ease.... almost if their not even acting at all.... as if you're a voyeur looking in on this sick little game as it unfolds....

now this is a movie i've owned for a few years now.... and everytime i watch it, it still packs a punch.... the fact that the predator becomes the prey.... but not only the prey.... the prey of a 14 year old girl.... this was the last thing i expected to see the first time i watched it.... and despite the fact that Ellen Page was actually 18 at the time the movie was made, she embodied the persona of an overly intelligent 14 year old with bad intentions.... however, because the character that Patrick Wilson is playing is so downright scummy, you can't help but root for our youthful heroine.... now one thing that i've come to wonder over several viewings is, what if Ellen's character isn't really 14 and just pretended to get this man's attention.... obviously she know's what he's done and is out for her own kind of revenge.... but what kind of a differnt spin does it put on the film with her being older....? granted, i don't think she is supposed to be anything but the 14 year old she portrays.... it's just something that crossed my mind and if you've already seen the film, you can ponder the theory....

obviously, the plot involves a man in his 30's meeting up with an overly flirty 14 year old girl.... they meet at a neutral location where after some coaxing from her and a little mind games from him.... they go back to his place.... where upon getting there things seem to be headed in all the wrong directions.... he seems to have the upper hand being at his own home and it's obvious what's on his mind.... they make no bones about the reality of what the situation is.... and she does her fair share of playfully leading him on.... so we, the audience, is lulled into a sense that this is the start of some kind of fling or something.... however, when you least expect it, the tables are turned.... she drugs him, ties him up and begins to question him.... well more like grills him about everything in his life.... slowly digging away at the inner demons that haunt him.... and that have made him the predator that he is.... soon talk isn't enough and she begins to torture him in ways to push him to his limits.... this is where my version stops and the rest you have to see for yourself.... it's a nailbiter to say the least....

this movie really is a close cousin of the film/play 'Extremities'.... as a matter of fact i directed this play in college and it had a profound effect on the audience and actually brought one woman to leave the theater as she had her own past experience that mirrored some of what was happening on the stage and it caused her to relive it.... (not my intention, but a strange compliment to the actors).... if you're not familiar with the storyline in 'Extremities'.... it involves a woman at home alone who is suddenly visited by a man.... he comes into her home with the intention of doing things to her against her will.... but she gains the upper hand and turns the tables on him.... suddenly he's the victim and she does what every person in that situation dreams of.... the only differnce between the two stories are the ages involved and the fact that in 'Extremities', the role reversal wasn't pre-planned.... it's another film that i would recommend as a bookend to this film and it's available OnDemand on Netflix right now.... it stars Farah Fawcett in an unlikely role for her.... but she does a wonderful job....

if you haven't seen this film, i hope that i've at least peaked your interest.... it shows that a young Ellen Page has some serious acting chops and could be an Oscar contender at some point in her career.... whether you love her or hate her, it's going to happen.... granted she's been a bit oversaturated in the movie marketplace thanks to the travesty that was 'Juno'.... but after you see this you can forgive her for that.... i think this film is required viewing for those who want to see something different and something that will make them think.... it's a bit of a morality tale.... something where regardless of how bad the man is made out to be in the movie.... does it truly justify the actions of our teen....? does she have the right to be judge, jury and possible executioner....? you also find yourself wondering the whole time why she's willing to take such a huge risk to her own safety.... as you see in the movie, not everything always goes according to plan.... in the end, however, it all makes sense and you find yourself wanting to re-watch it right away with the new understanding of the motives behind the madness....

i proudly give this 5 out of 5 stars.... it deserves every one of them.... and a lot of credit goes not only to the actors, but to the director.... this was his first feature film and all he had in his credits beforehand were music videos.... so hats off to him.... hopefully he continues to make engaging films like this one.... this movie may not be everyone's cup of tea as the subject matter is touchy and something not usually brought to the screen.... it's tiptoed and whispered about, but not shown.... and i think it's important to get the message out there that predators are everywhere and with the dawn of the internet it's so much easier for them to gain access to your children.... they have a gateway right into your home on your child's desktop.... is some ways it's empowering to a young woman to see what unfolds.... but it should be tempered with a dose of reality.... that Ellen's character was playing with fire and was always close to getting burned.... so with all of that being said.... go watch it.... it's available everywhere and should not only be seen, but absorbed.

if you enjoyed this film, see: 'Extremities' it's the only thing even close to this that i can think of

my brief thoughts on.... 'Antichrist'

Lars Von Trier is the master of creating beautifully tragic scenes and moving visual pieces of art.... only to be matched by David Lynch.... granted, his films are not for everyone.... this one especially.... this one has pushed his boundries to a near breaking point.... but he still walks a fine line.... this is classified as a horror film, but it's more than that.... it has elements of a supernatural horror film.... a stalker/slasher film.... but in a lot of ways, it's just the study of a couple dealing with the tragic loss of a child.... it's just an extreme example of how someone might deal with it.... very extreme.... i don't know that i can put into words what this movie is.... or was.... or even what i saw.... i can't sum it up into a simple string of sentences.... it's like when i saw 'Dancer in the Dark'.... it moved me so deeply.... and it was beyond description.... or 'Dogville'.... such a unique movie with a unique vision that needs to be seen to be understood.... but i digress....

this movie starts with one of the most amazing opening scenes ever filmed.... where the couple is wrapped up in their own lovemaking that they don't notice that the window of their apartment has blown open.... they live about 6 stories up or more and their son is not asleep.... he soon gets out of his crib.... past the baby gate and up on the desk in front of the window.... where he proceeds to slip and fall to his death... unable to deal with her grief, the wife breaksdown.... her husband, a therapist, begins treating her.... which is against everyones better judgement.... soon they decide to face her fears and head to a cabin in the woods where the movie just plummets off the deep end into insanity....it's strange, but in this movie.... there really isn't anyone but the couple and their son.... i can't think of one other person you see throughout the film.... it's really a meditation on their lives.... it's graphic, it's brutal, it's extremely sexual.... it's unlike any movie i've seen in a while.... i still can't say that i've made my mind up about it.... as i only gave it 3 out of 5 stars.... mostly due to the ending being a little vague.... but maybe that was the point....? i really think it deserves far more stars for it's shear creativity and boldness in filmaking.... it's unlike anything you'll see this year.... give it a shot.... but you have been warned, it's not for the weak and it's not for a large segment of the population.... this is a study in film appreciation.

some other Lars Von Trier movies i recommend: 'Dancer in the Dark', 'Dogville' and 'Manderlay'