Take 4 TV: Cold Feet, Season 1

Cold Feet, Season 1 (1997)

The Basics: Award-winning British comedy-drama that revolves around the lives of three couples of friends, as they deal with dating, marriage, children…and all the other complications that come with relationships today. Think of it as a more serious (and more British) Friends.

And I Quote: Rachel: “He told me that he loved me by shoving a rose up his bottom.” Adam: “Roses. Don't talk to me about roses - big painful, thorny roses. I'm the world's first human vase.”

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: Couple; Friend; Lover; Men

Random Trivia: Over the course of its run (1997-2003), it won fifteen major television awards, and was nominated for an additional nineteen.

Curt’s Take: Worth Considering – I’d say it’s definitely worth checking out the pilot episode and maybe an additional episode (three DVDs total). But if you try to sit through the entire first season over a couple days (six episodes, in addition to the pilot) like I did, you’ll likely grow tired of it pretty quickly. Still…it’s written well, you grow close to the characters, and I even laughed out loud at several points. So check out an episode or two. Given that, though, I currently don’t have any plans to catch future seasons. It was good…but I’ve moved on.

Take 4: Murder, Anyone?

The Murder Game (2006)

The Basics: A horror film, starring nobody you’ve ever heard of…trust me; Not having been released to the big screen, it’s also unrated

In the Beginning…: A group of friends love to play a little game called “Murder,” in which one of them is randomly picked to be a killer and must dispose of the rest of the group using a collection of fake weaponry. They decide to try their game, after hours, in a self-storage locker facility…just to add a bit of thrill to the game.

The Plot Thickens: Someone starts to take the game a bit too seriously. Gee, there’s a surprise.

Curt’s Take: Run in Fear – I’m not going to spend too much time on this one. This gem mixes the production value of a college film with grade school-level writing. I’ll admit, the concept is one that I like…the old “guess who the killer is” game, while suspects get narrowed down, one-by-one. But when I can consciously count how many times I roll my eyes during the movie (14, if you must know), it’s pretty bad. This one is only worth watching if you plan on mocking it the entire time.

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Murder Party (2007)

The Basics: A comedic/horror independent film, also starring nobody you’ve likely heard of; Once again, this is unrated…do you sense a theme?

In the Beginning…: A mild-mannered office worker, Chris, stumbles upon a random invitation to a “Murder Party” on Halloween…and decides to throw caution to the wind and attend.

The Plot Thickens: Upon his arrival, Chris finds himself in the clutches of a group of rogue artists, intent on murdering him as part of their artistic “statement.”

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: Murder; Hipster; New York; Pretension

And I Quote: Chris: “I…dumped myself.”

Curt’s Take: Must See – Upon seeing the preview for this, I knew I had to take a chance and see it. It’s not often that a horror/comedy is also an award-winner (“Best Feature Film” at the Vail Film Festival). It was the right mix of quirkiness and dark comedy for my tastes, and has a “hero” that is impossible to not root for. My style of humor doesn’t always link up with those of my friends, though, and there are a couple slow points in the film, so take my recommendation with a grain of salt…but if you’re looking for something different and don’t mind a bit of blood , definitely check this out.

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Memories of Murder (2003)

The Basics: A South Korean crime/thriller that won 11 awards, including the Grand Bell Award from South Korea and the Silver Seashell Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival; Once again…no stars you’ve likely heard of (unless you’re a fan of South Korean cinema)

In the Beginning…: A woman is found brutally raped and murdered in rural South Korea. Because it’s 1986, however, investigate techniques aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, and the two police detectives on the case face many false starts as they begin to investigate the case.

The Plot Thickens: When another body is found, the detectives realize they are facing the region’s first serial killer…and have no clue what to do. A cop from the city is brought in to assist on the case, and the trio of detectives find themselves in a battle of wits with a twisted murderer.

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: Rumor; Murder Investigation; Corrupt Cop; Murder Suspect; Red Dress

And I Quote: Suspect: “But…is wanking a crime?”

Curt’s Take: Worth Considering – One of the podcasts that I regularly listen to is Scene Unseen Movie Reviews. Several weeks ago, during a “Murder”-themed movie review podcast, one of the reviewers recommended checking this DVD out. At the time, I was looking for a movie with “Murder” in the title to round out this review, so decided I’d give it a shot. I wasn’t disappointed. The dubbing was a little bit cheesy, but the story was engaging enough…with equal parts thrill, mystery, drama and humor…that you easily overlook it. I’d recommend giving this one a shot.

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Toolbox Murders (2003)

The Basics: A horror/mystery, starring…yet again…nobody you’ve ever heard of. Four for four. Nice. Rated R for strong violence and gore, language, some sexuality and brief drug use.

In the Beginning…: A young teacher, Nell, and her husband (a doctor) move to Hollywood, where he plans to complete his residency. They rent an apartment in the once glamorous Lusman Arms, which is currently undergoing major renovations.

The Plot Thickens: Once the couple moves in, they notice strange, construction-like sounds echoing throughout the building…after hours, when the construction workers have gone home. Add to that the mysterious disappearance of neighbor after neighbor, and Nell decides to dig into the history of the building in order to figure out what exactly is going on.

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: Actor; Voyeur; Webcam; Circular Saw; Moving In

And I Quote: Chas: “It's not about what can get in…it's about what's already here.”

Curt’s Take: Don’t Bother – Basically, a pointless slasher movie. You get the feeling that the crew just decided to film a supernatural thriller in a hotel, and came up with the script as an afterthought. To be fair, there are some okay moments in the script…but those moments tended to be given to half-assed actors. Likewise, the people who could act their way out of a bag ended up getting the crap writing. With better coordination, the movie might have been watchable. As it stands, the movie was meant to shock with its horror effects…and in that it is successful…some pretty gruesome stuff, but a movie can’t stand on blood and guts alone.

Take 4: State-by-State

Garden State (2004)

The Basics: A drama/comedy/romance starring Zach Braff, Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard; Rated R for language, drug use and a scene of sexuality.

In the Beginning…: After having been out-of-touch with his family for several years, living in Los Angeles as a semi-successful actor (and waiter), Andrew Largeman returns home to New Jersey for his mother’s funeral.

The Plot Thickens: Andrew’s return home re-awakens many things inside of him, and inspires him to take a sabbatical from the emotion-suppressing medication that he has been on since his youth. From reuniting with old hometown friends and meeting a young woman who proves to be a beacon of light in the dreary weather of the Garden State…to finally confronting his dad on decades-old issues…Andrew’s trip home proves to be more of an eye-opener than he ever anticipated.

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: Fingerprints; Boyfriend/Girlfriend Relationship; Animal in Cast Credits; Hole; Cemetery

And I Quote: Andrew: “We're not playing Spin the Bottle; how old are we? More importantly, how old are they?” Jesse: “Oh, they're all legal. I think...”

Curt’s Take: Worth Considering – I remember all the buzz that this independent film generated when it came out several years ago. I also had quite a few friends who were absolutely fascinated by it, so I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to catch it. I wasn’t as enthralled by it as others seemed to be, though…but it was still pretty good as far as dramas go (I wouldn’t consider it a comedy, exactly). So if you’re looking for a decent low-key film with good writing (and if you can overlook Natalie Portman’s stilted acting), this isn’t a bad choice.

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Scotland, PA (2001)

The Basics: A comedy/crime film (based on Williams Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth), starring James LeGros, Maura Tierney and Christopher Walken; Rated R for language, some nudity, drug content and brief violence

In the Beginning…: Joe “Mac” McBeth and his wife Pat work alongside each other in a small-town hamburger stand, Duncan’s Café. But Pat has aspirations beyond being a simple waitress and wants more for her slacker husband than being a burger flipper for the rest of this life.

The Plot Thickens: Pat concocts a plan that will bring her and her husband a fair bit more money and power in the small town of Scotland, PA…but it involves doing something about Norm Duncan, their boss. And, of course, getting away with it…which the local law enforcement, Lieutenant McDuff, doesn’t make easy.

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: 1970s; Shakespeare’s Macbeth; Family Business; Fast Food Restaurant

And I Quote: Pat: “We’re not bad people, Mac…just underachievers who have to make up for lost time.”

Curt’s Take: Must See – First off, I’m a big fan of creative/modern takes on classic works…especially Shakespeare. Plus, I love Maura Tierney and Christopher Walken. I’m guessing I would have enjoyed it even more if I’d ever read Macbeth. It’s set in 1970’s rural Pennsylvania, among rednecks and trailer parks, has a rockin’ 70’s soundtrack, and on top of all that, it was just very damn funny. Check it out.

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The OH in Ohio (2006)

The Basics: A comedy/drama/romance starring Parkey Posey, Paul Rudd, Danny DeVito and Mischa Barton; Rated R for sexual content, language and some drug use

In the Beginning…: Priscilla Chase is a rising star in her career, VP of a company responsible for bringing new business to the city of Cleveland. Unfortunately, however, she isn’t as successful at having a fulfilling sex life with her husband, Jack.

The Plot Thickens: Priscilla begins to explore ways to get over her “dysfunction,” and ends up causing a deeper rift in her marriage. But will their time apart from each other give Priscilla and Jack new-found appreciation for what they have…or will it open their eyes more to what they’ve been missing?

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: Vibrating Cell Phone; Love Rectangle; Self-Help Group; Pot Smoking

And I Quote: Coach Popovitch: “Me and wifey... we incorporate a lot of technology in our marital relations.” Jack Chase: “I'm uncomfortable now.”

Curt’s Take: Don’t Bother – I’m a pretty big fan of Parker Posey, from her improv skills in Best of Show (and other Christopher Guest movies) to her role in Scream 3, I think she’s just damn hilarious. But not in this. And the same goes for Paul Rudd…normally I think he’s pretty frickin’ funny. But again…if you don’t have a decent story and script, your actors are screwed, no matter how talented they are. For me…it just didn’t feel at all original. You can go ahead and skip this one.

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Eerie, Indiana: Compendium #1 (1991)

The Basics: Three episodes of a sci-fi/family television series, starring Omri Katz and Justin Shenkarow (nineteen episodes were produced in total, but only three appear on this DVD)

In the Beginning…: Marshall Teller and his family move to the small town of Eerie, Indiana (population 16,661) when his dad gets a job as an engineer at a local corporation.

The Plot Thickens: Marshall quickly becomes convinced that Eerie is “center of weirdness for the universe,” where the neighbor looks like Elvis, dental headgear picks up the thoughts of the local dog population (who happen to be planning a revolt) and Daylight Savings Time holds a special trap for those who forget to set their clocks back an hour…

Top IMDB Plot Keywords: Small Town; Children; Kids and Family

And I Quote: Marshall Teller: “My name is Marshall Teller. Not too long ago, I was living in New Jersey, just across the river from New York City. It was crowded, polluted, and full of crime. I loved it. But my parents wanted a better life for my sister and me. So we moved to a place so wholesome, so squeaky clean, you could only find it on TV. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, my new hometown looks normal enough, but look again. What's wrong with this picture? The American Dream come true, right? Wrong. Nobody believes me, but this is the center of weirdness for the entire planet: Eerie, Indiana. My home, sweet home. Still don't believe me? You will.

Curt’s Take: Worth Considering – Okay, I rented this one because I remember watching it back in high school and I really liked the quirky concept at the time. Looking back on it now, the idea and the tone reminds me a lot of current-day shows like Pushing Daisies and Eureka. I actually think a similar show might be pretty successful on television today. Anyway, the three episodes on this disc are fun, go by pretty quickly, and leave you wanting a little bit more (knowing there are sixteen more episodes floating around out there). So give this one a shot…if you grew up in a small town like I did, or if you were a big fan of The Goonies while growing up, you will probably find this to be a fun ride.