Swerve (2011)

swerve01Aussie #1 delivers a briefcase of money to Aussie #2.  The Aussies trade briefcases, cocaine for money.   When #1 realizes the drugs are fake, he spins the car around and heads for #2.  Had be bothered to lift a single bag, he would have seen the bomb hidden under the drugs and been able to chuck it out of the convertible.  However, he does not and dies in a huge explosion which not only destroys the car but completely stops its forward inertia — gee, almost like they blew up a stationary car.  But it is very well done and the movie is off to a great start.

A beautiful blonde tears out in her car and sees a man (Aussie #3) with car trouble on the side of the road.  She blows by him kicking up sand and grit into his face.  As beautiful women do.

Aussie #2, swerving to the wrong side of the road tries to avoid the oncoming Blondie and runs off the road executing a few rolls .  Aussie #3 — whose car is running again, I guess — stops to check on Blondie and Aussie #2.  For crying out loud, I hope these people get names soon.

Aussie #3 finds Aussie #2 is dead and has with him a briefcase full of money; fortunately for Aussie #3, not American dollars.

swerve09Aussie #3 alerts the police and foolishly hands over the cash.  The sheriff offers Aussie #3 a room at his house, drives him there, and his wife is the blonde.  I can tell at IMDb that she is Jina.  She calls her husband — the sheriff — Frank, so Aussie #2 must be Colin.

A Nazi-ish looking guy shows up on the scene and the bodies start stacking up as he looks for the missing cash.  Naturally, being a noir-ish story, there are twists, the cash moves around, backs are stabbed, people left for dead come back to life, and through it all there is a local battle of the marching bands that periodically takes over the streets in the small town.

swerve21It’s no Red Rock West, but it’s pretty good.

swerve13Post-Post:

  • Sheriff Frank was the lead human in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
  • OK, it’s the name of the town, but worst hotel name ever:  Neverest Hotel.

 

Needle (2010)

needle02After the credits, an old an old man is assaulted by an unseen attacker who leaves a hole in his chest like he was shot by a cannon.

This unpleasantness passes quickly, then we cut to a college campus where it is quickly demonstrated that Australia’s production of Elle Macpherson was no fluke.  Just to further drive home the point, one of the girls is in a lesbian relationship with a French Exchange Student.  This is just the kind of craftsmanship that is sadly lacking in American movies today.

Ben is visited at his room by Mr. Joshua, a representative from his father’s estate.  He has brought Ben a box found in a storage unit.  Ben is ready to ready to eBay it, but understandably uses it first to entice some girls back to his room.

One of the group fatefully records their image with some sort of picture-taking device that does not have a phone in it, and actually is able to produce said image on paper — how retro!

needle04Ben’s ne’er-do-well brother Marcus shows up at the room.  Somehow this drifter has secured a gig with the police as a crime scene photographer.  He is generally a good guy throughout the film, but is immediately set up as unlikeable, and pulls that off perfectly.  I think it is the haircut.

Ben discovers the box has been stolen.  An unseen person begins cutting up the aforementioned photo, and inserts one of the gang’s headshot into the machine.  After adding some liquids, the machine produces a waxy doll that can be used for voodoo-like effects.  It also seems to wreak havoc on electrical systems.  The mystery person uses the doll to inflict numerous fatal cuts on the victim.

needle17The gang is pretty quick to draw a connection between the missing box and their dead friend.  Another of the gang has their picture inserted, and the box again works its magic.  It is more grizzly this time as not only is the victim sliced by an invisible knife, he has limbs lacked off.

The mystery figure is revealed, the motive is disclosed, and there is a proper comeuppance.

Overall, a nice little film with mostly likeable characters, a few shocks, and good pacing.

Post-Post:

  • Mr. Joshua is a pretty unusual name not to be a callback to Gary Busey in the first Lethal Weapon, but there seems to be no connection.
  • Ben’s professor was Jane Badler from V. The good one.