Sunset Strip (2000)

I have been watching so many horror movies lately that I felt it was time to move on and start watching some other genres and nothing interests me more than music and the Sunset Strip. It is for that very reason when I saw the title Sunset Strip on HULU, I had to check out this 2000 film that was directed by Adam Collis (Car Dogs) and the film follows a group of people (a song writer, a photographer, musicians, and a stylist) that all live in the Los Angeles area and congregate to the world famous strip as the camera follows them and what happens to them in a 24 hour period of time. The film stars Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) as Glen Walker, Simon Baker (The Devil Wears Prada) as Michael Scott, Anna Friel (Limitless) as Tammy Franklin, Nick Stahl (Bully) as Zach, Rory Cochrane (Dazed And Confused) as Felix, Adam Goldberg (Dazed And Confused) as Marty Shapiro, Tommy Flanagan (Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2) as Duncan, Darren E. Burrows (Causalities Of War) as Bobby, John Randolph (Escape From The Planet Of The Apes) as Mr. Niederhaus, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Little Miss Sunshine) as Eileen, Stephanie Romanov (The Final Cut) as Christine, Judy Greer (Buffaloed) as young waitress, and Mike Rad (It's In The Kitchen) as Badger. 

Adam Collis and the writers of the film obviously went to the school of Richard Linklater and have shown their love of his classic set in the 70's look at teens in Dazed And Confused. Now the overall concept of the film may be different as one looks at teens in Texas over a 24 hour period while this film looks at musicians and various other industry people over a 24 hour period besides the only other similarity being the two actors from Dazed (Cochrane and Goldberg) also being in this one. The story technically evolves more around three characters as Stahl's character feels that it's his destiny to be in LA while Baker's character is trying to balance his photography business while dealing with a depressed friend and the fact that he can't muster up the courage to ask out Tammy who is the last character we follow as she balances her personal life with his business life. I found these personal journeys not as interesting as some of the performances in the film especially coming from Jared Leto who acted the part of a rockstar who is just so full of himself to a T. There were three sides of the spectrum with this film as far as the musicians were concerned and Leto's was the type of musician who made it for the excesses that come with the job rather than Stahl's character who still has love for the craft. Meanwhile, Flanagan's character is the embodiment of what a British rock star is and that is complete coolness like they've been there before and love is what they are missing. If I had to pick an MVP for the film though it would definitely go to Leto and Anna Friel who was just superb. You also have to check out the interactions between Goldberg and Cochrane in this film cause that is Gold. One of the other highlights is the sets that they use like the world famous Whiskey A Go-Go. Check out the film for yourself, but I am giving it an B for a final grade. 

Limitless (2011)

Bradley Cooper is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors and it should be no surprise as this is the fourth film I have checked out from him so far (Silver Linings Playbook, Burnt, & A Star Is Born). I am also learnign that he and Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook) were apparently a package deal for some time as they star together again in today's film Limitless. Imagine this scenario for a second, what if there was a drug in the world that allowed you to access every single part of your brain to allow you to perform at your very best. The question is would you take that drug and what are the costs that come with it? That is the very question that Edward Morra (Cooper) is faced with in this film as he flirts with Godlike abilities. The film also stars De Niro as Carl Van Loon,  Abbie Cornish (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Lindy, Andrew Howard (Taken 3) as Gennady, Anna Friel (Land Of The Lost) as Melissa, Johnny Whitworth (Empire Records) as Vernon, Robert John Burke (RoboCop 3) as Pierce, Ned Eisenberg (The Burning) as Morris Brandt, Tomas Arana (The Bourne Supremacy) as The Man in The Tan Coat, Richard Bekins (How We Got Away With It) as Hank Atwood, and the film was directed by Neil Burger (Divergent).

One thing that I will say about the film is that it actually kept me glued the whole entire time because the story is interesting enough. It's not the first time we've had a film that asked that very question about what happens when we can access every inch of the brain, but this is the one that was actually well done and more believable unlike Lucy. I loved all of the post edit stuff with the letters appearing and how you can see so many versions of yourself, I thought it was more clever than all of a sudden transforming yourself into a computer. The other side that I enjoyed was the fact that they presented a danger that comes with taking it that is not only what happens when others find out about it, but what happens to you if you stop taking it or don't have enough of it. What are the moral repercussions and what happens if you abuse the drug? The major acting in the film was left to Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro who do a dynamite job of carrying the film while everyone else does their part of being support. I loved some of the action sequences that you are treated to like the subway fight and even some of the more squeamish moments as well. This is definitely one of those films that you just take the chance on and you watch it because Bradley Cooper is the man and one of the best actors out there today. That is why I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade and you can check it out on Netflix as we speak.