LEATHERHEADS Doesn't Score

Written by Hombre Divertido

Take George Clooney as star and director, add the youthful and funny John Krasinski from The Office, and throw the beautiful and talented Renee Zellwegger into a movie about professional football in 1925, and it would seem like a recipe for success.

Get ready to send this unfunny, confused, convoluted, shallow, mess back.

Normally a review would include a description of the plot of the film being reviewed, but since this film has no idea what it wants to be, it is difficult, if not a waste of time, trying to explain it.

What would have made for a good film would have been the simple premise of a football team struggling to make it in the early years of professional football. Introduce us to some interesting and outrageous characters on the team. Bring in the suave Clooney as the seasoned veteran, the young rookie Krasinski, and have Zellwegger as the love interest of both guys. Show some humorous antics as the members of the team try to fit in off the field. How hard could that be? Seemed to work pretty well in Bull Durham and Slapshot to name two successful sport-themed films.

Apparently it was harder than one would think. We get no insight to anyone on the team other than Clooney and Krasinski, and even their characters are one-dimensional. There is very little actual football in the film, and the football scenes that are there are horribly choreographed and directed. The film gets bogged down in storylines that have nothing to do with football in 1925. In other words; the film has far too little to do with leatherheads!

There are storylines regarding Krazinski’s character being a war hero based on a story that has been exaggerated to the point of no longer being true, and Zellwegger’s character, a young reporter, trying to break the big story and expose Krasinski for a fraud. There are holes in the plots and neither storyline really goes anywhere.

There is absolutely no depth to any of the storylines or characters, no chemistry between any of the stars, and even the make-up is bad as they actually manage to make Zellwegger look bad in numerous scenes. The filmmakers finally try to resort to basic slapstick to get some laughs, but by then it is far too little too late. This is one hour and fifty-three minutes of pain.

The best scene in the movie consists of Stephen Root (Another underutilized comedic talent in this dud), who plays one of many poorly developed supporting characters in the film, discussing one of the football games and makes reference to it being boring. One cannot help but laugh at the ironic reference to the film itself.

Recommendation: NO! This will be one of the worst films of the year.

There Will Be Blood (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)

Written by Puño Estupendo

Very few times in my life have I actually agreed wholeheartedly with Oscar nominations let alone Oscar winners. After watching the two-disc DVD set of director Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, Daniel Day-Lewis' win for Best Actor not only seems like a rare case of the award going to the right man, but also leaves me bewildered as to why this film didn't blatantly sweep the statues up entirely. Not only does Anderson prove without any doubt that he is one of the best filmmakers working today, but he's coming close to solidifying his place as one of the best of all time.

Day-Lewis plays an independent oil man at the turn of the 20th century named Daniel Plainview, who lacks neither ambition nor intelligence. He has charisma when he needs it and a single-mindedness that seems to insure his success. A young man named Paul sells some information to him about a town he comes from, Little Boston. Paul assures him that there is oil there and that the land can be had on the cheap, particularly the Sunday Ranch, which Paul's family owns.

Plainview travels up to the Sunday Ranch and a story of greed and guile, church and business, success and tragedy plays out. This is a true American portrait reflecting the ruthless ambition which offends us on certain levels, but reminds us that our country couldn't have been built without it. This is the crux of the film for me. Though it seems like you should naturally want to damn Plainview, hate him for some of the things he does, you also have to deem him a necessary evil at times. Though he takes advantage of situations and people, he is a catalyst where there was nothing. It's a "for better and for worse" situation, and it plays out brilliantly.

Equally brilliant is the cinematography (which won the film's second Oscar) and the sound. A surprisingly perfect fit is an eerie score by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. If I had heard the music separately, I would have never figured it to work, but it does more than just work. It blends with the story and compliments it at every turn.

The only disappointment here is with the second disc, the extras. Not much to say because there's not much there. You get a 15-minute slideshow of reference material just in case you didn't realize how authentic the movie is. There's a couple of trailers and a couple of deleted scenes, really kind of underwhelming as far as a second disc of extras goes. One thing of interest is the inclusion of a silent film from 1923 which gives a breakdown of the oil business in the early 1920's which I found to be perfect for inclusion with this film.

I have intentionally left many of the story details out because it would probably fall short in description anyway. What I am trying to say is that this is damn well a perfect film, but I figured I had to write more than "This movie is perfect and you should see it".

To be clear though, that last statement sums things up pretty well.

Father Knows Best: Season One

Written by Hombre Divertido

Long before The Brady Bunch and even before Leave it To Beaver there was Father Knows Best. On April 1st, Shout Factory released Season One in a four-DVD set, and surprisingly for a show from this era, it is the extras that make this set worth having.

In October of 1954, CBS brought the show from radio to television, and for nine years America tuned in to see the exploits of the Anderson Family, though only the first six years were original episodes. The show ran in primetime for three years consisting of reruns. Jim Anderson (Robert Young) was an insurance salesman and a big kid at heart, Margaret Anderson (Jane Wyatt) was the voice of reason and the perfect mom, Betty “Princess” Anderson (Elinor Donahue) was the oldest child and typical teenager, James “Bud” Anderson Jr. (Billy Gray) was the all-American boy, and Kathy “Kitten” Anderson (Lauren Chapin) was Daddy’s adorable little girl.

CBS actually cancelled the show after the first season due to poor ratings, and it is clear why when watching these episodes. The chemistry was just not there, and the interaction between characters seemed forced and awkward. Luckily, an outpouring of fan support not only brought the show back, but to an earlier time slot where it would grow and eventually flourish.

There are some fun episodes here including “The Motor Scooter,” which deals with getting “Bud” his first motorized mode of transportation; “Football Tickets,” which revolves around Jim’s promise to one of the kids; and “Close Decision,” which is about procrastination and parenting. As in most of the episodes, the comedy writing does not properly display the talents of the actors and seems more reminiscent of the radio show. The parenting messages are a bit contrived as the relationship between the parental characters was still being established and thus not yet comfortable from a viewing perspective.

This is a great set for a history lesson on family-themed television shows, even if the first season may not have been their best. What makes this set so much fun are the extras. Usually when putting together the DVD set of a show from 1954, there is not a lot of material, but extras were found and made to round out this collection. Along with the twenty-six episodes, you get “Daddy’s Girls,” a pleasant and informative feature consisting of all-new interviews with Elinor Donahue and Lauren Chapin, lending their insights into the show as well as their experiences during the casting process. To hear of how Ms. Donahue’s rebellious nature during that period in her life impacted the show, makes this feature well worth watching.

Also included in the bonus material are “Home Movies”. Narrated by Robert Young’s grandson Bill Proffitt, these movies consist of not only footage of Young’s real-life family, but also footage from the set of Father Knows Best. The footage is great fun, and though the narration is amateurish, Mr. Proffitt possesses a nice quality that comes from being emotionally attached to what we are watching.

Another interesting piece of bonus material is an episode entitled “24 Hours in Tyrantland.” The U.S. Department of the Treasury, as a way of encouraging people to buy savings bonds, produced this special episode. It was never broadcast, but was shown in schools, churches, and for civic groups. The message is a bit heavy-handed, but it is a full-length episode, and certainly interesting and reflective of the times.

Probably the best extra in the set is the pilot episode of Window on Main Street, which aired on CBS for one year from October 1961 until September 1962. Robert Young had left Father Knows Best after becoming tired of the role he had played on both television and radio, and wanted to try something different. Along with his producing partner, Eugene B. Rodney, he produced this interesting show. Though not well received, it has a charming format that is ahead of its time. This episode also contains the original commercials that are great fun to see.

Recommendation: For a true fan of the show, these episodes may not bring back the fond memories you are looking for, simply due to the fact that the show had yet to really hit its stride, but the extras makes this set worth having for both the fan of the show, the fan on classic television, or someone looking to explore the early years of the medium.

BACHELOR PARTY 2: THE LAST TEMPTATION

Written by Fumo Verde

Bachelor Party 2: The Last Temptation. And let’s fucking hope so, I have just about had enough of Hollywood trying to re-cut and re-hash old shit. Bachelor Party with Tom Hanks had just enough “over the top” humor to make it funny, plus they had a decent script. Bachelor Party 2 lacked that key ingredient. Instead they used every stale old joke and boring cliché they could find and it still didn’t work. I guess the studios feel that if they put enough naked hot girls in the flick no one will give care that they just dropped twenty bucks in the theater, but that don’t fly to well on DVD. Sure, one could use the slow motion on the DVD player, but if you going to use it for purposes other than regular viewing, I suggest Spanky’s Porn Shop in Santa Ana.

Here’s the skinny on the flick: Ron meets Melinda in a museum and after two whole months they decide to get married. Melinda is super rich and amazingly, her father Ron. Yeah right; a mega-wealthy guy with a hot daughter (and Sara Foster is hot!) is just going to let some lonely number-cruncher marry his daughter. The old guy also has a daughter named Autumn, who is married to Todd. Todd doesn’t like Ron and thinks Ron will take over his post in the family business, which could be selling vibrators considering all the ones we saw in this flick.

Todd decides to throw Ron a bachelor party down in Miami Beach, but his ultimate plan is to get Ron to cheat and capture it on film so he can show Melinda. Ron and his buddies go along for the ride and screw everything from recovering sex addicts to shoe buffers. All Todd had to do was answer Ron’s cell phone and tell Mel that her husband-to-be is like the First Fleet when it pulls into port. She comes down, and after a dramatic golf-cart chase, love finally triumphs in the end.

No matter how much weed I smoked, this film didn’t go anywhere and with lines like “let’s have a pizza and fuck,” it’s easy to see why. Were the writers on strike when this was jotted down on the pieces of paper they call a script? Ridiculous. I can’t say the acting was top shelf, but how could it be with such a piss-poor script. At least I knew that it would soon be over, but there went another eighty minutes of my life I can’t get back.

The two things I came away from with this little adventure are: bad guys are always named Todd, and I have found a new way incorporate naked girls and golf. Sure, there were a lot of topless girls, but I have the Internet and one does not need to shell out hard-earned cash for boobs.

Extras, really, you want to know, really? The gag reel is funny, but most gag reels are. I could not bother with the commentary track.

On this April Fool’s Day, only a fool would spend money to see this. I would even pass it up if comes out on HBO. Happy Fool’s Day from a mighty fool himself.

DR. DOLITTLE: TAIL TO THE CHIEF

Written by Fantasma el Rey

Did you know that Dr. Dolittle’s daughter, Maya can speak to animals just like her dad? Did you know that they even made a Dr. Dolittle 4? Do you care? I don’t, not really, but I gave it a spin after agreeing to take part in a prank exchange of likely bad movies for April Fool’s Day and found an interesting element. That’s right, just one.

The fourth installment of the Dr. Dolittle franchise has Eddie Murphy two films gone and Kyla Pratt taking the lead as his daughter Maya. In Dr. Dolittle: Tail To The Chief we find young Maya lending a helping hand to the tree-hugging President of The United States (Peter Coyote) to deal with his rebellious dog, Daisy. The First Dog is going through a crisis and is lashing out like a wild teenager and disrupting meetings and dinners. The Prez is out of solutions and calls in the big dog, well the next best thing, big dog’s daughter. Little does Maya know that she will end up bringing a family together and saving the Rainforest.

After a brief stay at the White House, they are all off to the President’s vacation estate and that’s where all the usual hi-jinks begin. Maya does her best but Daisy won’t give in and stop her evil ways which are usually followed by tired exit lines such as “See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya.” Yeah, they come across like that snotty sitcom pre-teen that you want to kick. Daisy even turns the rest the animals on the estate against Maya, another plot point seen before. Yet our heroine doesn’t give up, and after a pep talk on how our greatest thinkers and heroes all failed at some point, she valiantly pushes forward. Eventually she gets through to Daisy, who confides in Maya her reasons for acting out. While the Prez talks to Maya he keeps beginning his sentences with “Did you know,” which she then uses in her speech to the animals of the compound. Yes, both times it gets annoying and will pop up from time to time throughout the movie.

Maya also gets into the head of the President’s teenage daughter who is disgruntled as well about the change in life style due to being the first family. The young women find they have much in common and become fast friends and along with the handsome young intern manage to foil a plot to destroy the rain forest. One of the animals stumbles on to the wicked plan and informs Maya who with her new friends is able to alert the President in time to save the day. What a saga! And all neatly rolled into an hour and a half that manages to end with every one out on the dance floor shakin’ what their mama’s gave ‘em.

As for me I found Dr. Dolittle: Tail To The Chief to be simply like the rest of the movie sequels that continue far too long, trying for the same lame laughs that we see over and over again in film and television. The movie has talking animals doing and saying cute things that are meant to be funny but weren’t, and well-to-do teenagers acting out with someone to set them straight. The same kids that find the majority of Disney television shows funny may get some giggles here as well. I give credit to Twentieth Century Fox for making an effort to put out good-hearted and clean-storied films for our young. If kids come away with an interest in the Rainforest and exotic animals, then something good was achieved.

Speaking of exotic animals the DVD contains an all-too-short featurette concerning the location on which the movie was filmed: a unique place run by the Mountain View Conservation Society. The Canadian-based society’s focus is endangered animals and breeding them properly for re-release back into their natural habitat. Lemurs and giraffes run the grounds along with birds and large hyena like wild dogs. You can check their web site for more info on tours and other interesting facts. I had a better time there than with the movie.

The remainder of the DVD extras are quick featurettes on the actors working with animals and how they feel about that. So go check the website and skip the flick, unless of course you’re a big Dolittle fan, in which case you’ll be glad to know that another film is supposedly in the works.

THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

Written by Fumo Verde

Back in 1997 an exhibit was put up in Munich, Germany. It was an exhibit about war and the atrocities committed by those who fought it. When we think about war atrocities and Germany, we think of the Nazis and the dreaded SS, but this exhibit looked deeper into who also committed those horrible crimes.

It was known as the Wehrmacht Exhibition or Army Exhibition, and the pictures and letters that were in the exhibit showed that the German Army itself also acted like the SS death squads by murdering innocent men, women, and children. Protests from hard-line German nationalists and other older Germans who believe the exhibit is out to slander the German Army and take away what pride those fighting men had left have their say in this film. Director Michael Verhoeven captures the feelings of all those involved, from the people who brought us the exhibit to those who still live in the lie that the deaths of six million Jews never occurred. This is a disturbing documentary about a proud people and the horrific part of their past that some are trying to forget while others are trying to re-kindle.

This exhibit takes a big step by saying that the German Army was not so glorious and honorable as people would like to believe, yet it doesn’t condemn the whole Army either, nor does the film. Verhoeven opens up this can of worms very carefully by giving us views from the exhibit of those who were involved with it and those who came to see it along with those who were opposed to it. Even a boyhood friend of Verhoeven, who was there to protest because he believes that his father was just a regular soldier and would have never committed such despicable things, gets a chance to speak his peace.

From authors to historians, Verhoeven tries to figure out what made such a simple people, like his friend’s father, who was a teacher, become numb to the murdering of innocent life. As he asked people who were visiting the exhibit most seem to grasp try to tackle the idea that “orders are orders” and that hopefully their grandpa wasn’t one of the brutes committing these acts. Others say that the pictures were staged and that the Army had no idea what the death squads were doing. True, some of the pictures were faked and because of this the exhibit was taken down for a period of time, but then was later reopened to the public. This just gave fuel to the fire for the young nationalists who still believe that the Holocaust never happened. Even when one soldier, who was there and had served on the Eastern Front committing these acts himself, reads his statement about what he did and about what others had done, there are still those who believe that even this man is part of the “bigger picture,” which lowers all Germans to the level of common criminals.

The exhibit itself is dramatic with its pictures and letters, and the tour guides explain both sides of the story, not only telling of the horrors that were committed but also of the brave Germans who refused to follow such orders. The tour guides say that nothing happened to these officers and enlisted men who refused to kill Jews or Gypsies which brings the audience and Verhoeven back to the question, “Why did the Army act in a way that was against every principle of which it stood for?” These questions may never be answered but The Unknown Soldier brings that discussion back into the limelight. It may open some old wounds but if these wounds aren’t healed properly, it may infect the world and we may find ourselves once again wondering how it happened, but then it maybe too late.

As someone who has studied the subject of war and of armies, it is easy to see both sides of the argument. True some soldiers committed atrocities and others didn’t, but we need to study the past as so as not to have it happen again.

BEE MOVIE

Written by Pollo Misterioso

Bee Movie is the recently released Dreamworks 3D animated feature that centers around the life of bees, or more specifically the life of Barry B. Benson, voiced by Seinfeld. For a film that got so much hype and attention, especially since it was the first major project that Jerry Seinfeld signed onto since his much loved show, I would have expected something with a little more bite, or perhaps in this case sting. Unfortunately, it was all just a lot of buzz.

So enter the world of bees, where life inside the honeycomb is as busy as, well, a bee? Barry is about to graduate from school and get a job within the community that will ultimately be his job for the rest of his life. For him, there are bigger and better things than stirring the honey everyday and he winds up on a pollen-collecting mission that takes him out of the comb. Once outside the honeycomb he meets Vanessa Bloom (how appropriate for a florist) who is voiced by Renee Zellweger; they become fast friends. This is because bees can talk to humans.

Barry soon becomes outraged with the way that honey is distributed and used by humans, therefore he sues and the bees no longer pollinate or make honey. When the bees take a break, devastation strikes the entire world; without bees to pollinate, no vegetation will thrive. With that, natural order is finally restored when the bees go back to doing what they do best and Barry becomes a pollen jock and a lawyer that represents other under-appreciated species.

The film plays more like an environmental public service announcement: save the bees, or we will all waste away. But at least it is nice to look at. Overdramatic in its devastation of all of New York, the film makes Central Park look like a landfill after the strike. Apparently with no one to pollinate, there is no more food within the year.

If one can get past this message that seems to be uncomfortably obvious, there is no novelty and it lacks the charm that is present in most 3D animated films. Films like this are so pleasant because of its genuine and enchanting way of showing us the world we already know through another set of eyes—in this case through the eyes of Barry. But when the unknown world mixes with what we already know, the line between fantasy-fun and just crazy becomes blurred. Did I mention that the bees talk to humans?

Some of the most entertaining scenes are within the honeycomb, where honey is used for everything, from hair gel to toothpaste, and it is used as the water in a swimming pool. Even their antennas are like blue-tooth headsets that pick up signals from other bees.

I just can’t seem to get past the human/insect relationship that develops between our characters. It is too unbelievable, and yes, that is hard to do in a film like this. The storyline even hints at a love story that is happening between Barry and Vanessa. This is just a perfect example of how Bee Movie took on too much for it to handle. Our protagonist just wants to do something outside of the hive. Of course he does find his place again, but suing humans and going to court is a pretty strange way to get there. Bee Movie clearly tried to be timely and appropriate for people of all ages, but in its struggle to be marketable (just look at the trailers that Seinfeld did, they are in the special features of the DVD) it lost the heart of a great story and nothing creates more buzz than that.

There is a separate DVD containing more special features in the two-disc edition of the film. This includes games and trivia about the film. An interesting extra is “Meet Barry B. Benson” and you can ask him questions about life as a bee. There is a separate selection of extras for kids that includes “A Buzz Bout Bees” and “That’s Un-bee-lieveable” which are trivia games about bees. “Tech of Bee Movie” which is a behind-the-scenes look at the film, with interviews from the director, actors and it goes into the technical side of the film. Also take a look at the live action trailers, and “Jerry’s Flight over Cannes” which documents Jerry’s trip to Cannes Film Festival.

DRILLBIT TAYLOR

Written by Hombre Divertido

There are two minutes in Drillbit Taylor worth seeing. That leaves one hundred minutes to avoid. One moment worth seeing is a subtle musical reference to Cape Fear, and the other is a cameo by Adam Baldwin in homage to the far superior film My Bodyguard. Yes, the only good parts of Drillbit Taylor are references to other films. So very sad. Even sadder is the fact that said moments are probably too obscure for most audience members to appreciate.

Having Adam Baldwin make an appearance as a potential bodyguard for some kids being tormented by a bully was certainly a good idea, since he played the role in the similarly themed 1980 film My Bodyguard, but the result was simply to remind the audience that a movie had been made with virtually the same story, and the previous movie was much better. My Bodyguard had both a story and characters with far more depth.

In Drillbit Taylor all we get is stereotypes and rehash. Tory Gentile, Nate Hartley, and David Dorfman, play over- and under-weight high school students who are targeted by the school bully (Alex Frost). In an effort to solve the problem they seek to hire a bodyguard. In an incredibly contrived “The story does not need to make sense” sequence, they find and hire Drillbit Taylor played by Owen Wilson. Wilson does an adequate job with what he is given here, and virtually makes the character interesting enough to generate a desire to see him in a story worth telling, but not quite.

Drillbit Taylor was written by Kristofor Brown and Seth Rogen and produced by Judd Apatow, Susan Arnold, and Donna Arkoff Roth. Yes, the same Rogen and Apatow whose names appeared on last year's Superbad; another superior movie dealing with high school kids. You would think that they would have seen this as a dud prior to making it, but apparently they were not aware of just how bad the script was, or how bad the direction of Steven Brill (Little Nicky and Mr. Deeds) would impact it. The direction sucks out any humor that might have been gleaned from the typical antics of the outcast high school kids. Though in his defense, something had to be done to make it different from the scenes in Superbad, Napoleon Dynamite, etc. and this was different.

Recommendation: Wait for it to come out on DVD and then rent My Bodyguard.

Medium: "Wicked Game Part One & Part Two"

Written by Senora Bicho

Executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron’s Medium is a crime drama based on real-life, self-proclaimed psychic Allison DuBois, played wonderfully by Patricia Arquette. The fourth season of Medium has had a lot to live up to because the third season was the best of its history, but it has fallen short. The cases have not been particularly interesting and have been predictable. Last season ended in turmoil as Allison was dismissed from the District Attorney’s office after her abilities were made public and her husband Joe lost his job.

Eight episodes into the new season, Joe still isn’t working, but Allison has been able to make some money for the family consulting for Ameritips, a company that looks for missing people. This opportunity came to her via the brightest part of the season so far, the reoccurring role of Cynthia Keener played by Anjelica Houston. Keener came to her in order to utilize her abilities in solving the cases she is assigned to. We don’t know much about her, just that she is feisty, skeptical and takes her job very seriously.

This special two-parter, the first of which airs on NBC on Monday, March 24 (10-11 p.m. ET/PT) and concludes on March 31, provides background on Keener viewers have been looking for. The first episode starts with a girl stranded in the rain; she is talking to her mom when a man comes along to help her. He starts her car but then knocks her out, cut to Keener waking up which turns out to all be a dream of Allison’s. She discovers that the girl is Keener’s daughter who has been missing since 1998. The next day Allison meets with Keener on a new case of a missing 18-year-old girl, and later that night she dreams again about Keener’s daughter. When she awakes, Allison confronts Keener and from the information in Allison’s dreams, they do some investigating, which reveals both cases are intertwined.

There is also a side story involving Joe and a new invention, which could solve the family’s financial problems. This causes tension between him and Allison. The resolution to this plotline is clever and amusing.

These two episodes give Houston an opportunity to show her acting talent and some range of emotion rather than just being the angry skeptic. There are good scenes between her character and Allison, and Allison and Joe. The case is the most interesting one of the season so far and finally provides an ending that I didn’t see coming. What makes this episode special is that it is not just about the case being solved, but deeper, real-world issues as well.

If you have been enjoying this season of Medium thus far, you will surely enjoy these two episodes. If you have not watched the show in the past, even though this isn’t the best season, these two episodes are still better than most other crime shows, and these days with not much new to watch it is worth trying out. If you like what you see in these two episodes, go out and rent or buy Season Three.

SCREAMERS

Written by Fantasma el Rey

Screamers are those who stand up and alert others to what is going on around them, they are the one’s that shout “there is something wrong and we have to act.” Carla Garapedian does exactly that with her documentary Screamers about genocide in the last hundred years. Garapedian’s film follows rock band System Of A Down as they tour and raise awareness regarding the first genocide of the twentieth century. The horrors that the Armenians faced at the hands of the Ottoman Empire deeply concerns the band and their own families. The band and the film scream for justice not just for the crimes against their people but for all those that fall victim to such unbelievable acts, from Rwanda to Kosovo and from the Armenians to the many Jewish that suffered the same fate.

System Of A Down has talked and sung about the Armenian tragedy since their beginning, bringing it out in their distinct sound. They draw inspiration from their culture and heritage; it’s evident in guitarist Daron Malakian’s playing style and Serj Tankian’s colorful vocals, also emerging in the way the guys put songs together and what they have to say. System’s music, which includes the songs “Spiders,” “P.L.U.C.K.,” and “Cigaro,” appear throughout the movie and we get to see some good performances as well.

Although the film spotlights System Of A Down, it goes beyond them and their music to tell the horrific tales of torture that people around the world have had to face and were fortunate enough to live through. Because bigger than the music are the personal stories, we hear Serj’s grandfather tell his story of extreme hardship as he and his family where driven from their Anatolian homeland. Serj and drummer John Dolmayan are also shown at rallies for the Armenian genocide. and caught on film is Serj’s brief meeting with house speaker Dennis Hastert, who pretty much gives Serj the brush off. As always, Serj keeps his cool and shows just how much of a class act he truly is.

Firsthand accounts fill this movie, making the tales hit even harder as we can see the look of pain in these people’s faces. Not simply focusing on Armenians, Garapedian finds screamers all over the world from Darfur, Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Korea. She even has interviews with government whistle-blowers who help point out reasons why the White House will over look genocide in certain situations. Journalist Hrant Dink, who was eventually gunned down in front of his own home, was interviewed in Istanbul about his articles being against the Turkish government and for the acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide, which the Turks have yet to officially recognize.

The movie and the band aim their cameras and mics at governments the world over and ask what it is they are doing to stop such events and why do they let them happen to begin with. Many great points are made here, like the fact that without the Armenian genocide would there have been a Holocaust? If the Turks were stopped, would Hitler have been stopped as well, or would he have had the idea in the first place? These are the kinds of questions this film and System Of A Down want you to ask and to make an effort to do something about.

As Screamers shows too many times governments and presidents have said “never again” and still these things happen. Maybe, as the film points out, “never again” is location specific and not really about the act/crime itself. Maybe the world needs more images of fields of bodies and mountains of severed heads to make it clearer? Maybe this film needs to be watched by all. When speaking of his plan for the Jews, Hitler said, “who remembers the Armenians” and as System’s bass player Shavo Odadjian says, and I agree, “I Do,” and you should too. And not just the Armenians, but those the world over who have gone through events such as those brought into focus here.

The DVD also contains interesting special feature as we get to follow one fan on his journey backstage to meet Serj and Daron. It’s always enjoyable to see bands having fun, especially when they’re as down to earth as our heroes in System. There is a bonus performance of the song “Question” and more concert footage that did not make the films final cut as well. We also get more information on Serj and John’s search for where the villages of their parents and grandparents are located and their thoughts on one day going there themselves.