Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Will Ferrell, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is the sequel to 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy that explores Burgundy and his cohorts in the world of 24-hour news. Set in the 1980s, the film has Burgundy not only deal with changing times but also the conflict he faces as not just an anchorman but also a father to a young boy with his wife Veronica Corningstone. Will Ferrell reprises his role as Ron Burgundy as he’s joined by Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Fred Willard who all reprise their roles from the first film. Also starring James Marsden, Meagan Good, Greg Kinnear, and Kristen Wiig. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is a very funny and exciting film from Adam McKay.

The film is about Ron Burgundy taking on the world of 24-hours news as he is asked to be part of the new medium after he had lost his job that his wife Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) had gotten. With the help of his old news team in field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner), and the dim-witted weatherman Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), Burgundy does something outrageous to get ratings for the channel where he would eventually lose sight of what he was meant to do as he neglects his son Walter (Judah Nelson) and alienate his friends only to find redemption later on. It’s a film that sort of satirizes the idea of 24-hour news but also about what news channels had become where they give news on what people should see rather than tell more important stories.

The film’s screenplay by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay does have some elements of satire as well as jokes that play into Burgundy’s clueless nature as he has no idea about how much times have changed since the 1970s. Even as it relates to what Veronica wants as well as his relationship with his new boss in Linda Jackson (Meagan Good) who is African-American. Though some of the jokes about Jackson’s race as well as a few others go on for too long where there’s parts of the stories that makes the film uneven at times. Still, there’s some nice subplots that involve Burgundy trying to be a parent to his son Walter as well as a story where Brick falls for an equally dim-witted typist named Chani (Kristen Wiig) that manages to bring in some laughs.

McKay’s direction is a bit more extravagant this time around in not just the way the 80s sort of look but also how out of step Burgundy and his gang are in this new world. Even as McKay would create scenes early in the film about where the rest of the news team had been since the first film as much of the humor is still loose and vibrant. Many of the compositions are straightforward with some exception that includes a scene of the news team crashing inside a RV with all sorts of objects. There’s also another news team battle where it’s much bigger than the first film with more outrageous cameos. Though there’s some flaws in the film due to overlong jokes and some moments that aren’t well-executed. McKay does manage to craft a pretty solid and entertaining film about an anchorman dealing with his ego and role as a news reporter.

Cinematographer Oliver Wood does excellent work with the cinematography where much of it is straightforward in the film‘s locations is shot in Atlanta,New York City, and San Diego . Editors Brent White and Melissa Bretherton do terrific work with the editing where it does play into many of the film‘s humor as well as its structure. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Jan Pascale and art director Elliott Glick, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the GNN news office as well as the apartment loft that Burgundy and his team live in.

Costume designer Susan Matheson does amazing work with the costumes from the suits to the clothes the women wear. Hair stylist Monty Schuth does fabulous work with the hairstyles of the men including the perms that Burgundy and his team briefly wear. Visual effects supervisor Eric J. Robertson does nice work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects such the RV crash scene and the moments in the all-out news team battle at Central Park. Sound editor George H. Anderson does superb work with the sound in some of the film‘s sound effects as well as the chaos in the news battle.

The film’s music by Andrew Feltenstein is pretty good for some of the themes as it‘s low-key in its orchestral setting while music supervisor Erica Weis creates a fun soundtrack that is filled with a mix of 70s/80s soft-rock music of Captain & Tenille, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, England Dan & John Ford Coley, and John Waite as well as music from Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Van Halen, and Hot Chocolate.

The film’s brilliant cast includes some notable small appearances from Josh Lawson as GNN creator Kench Allenby, Greg Kinnear as Veronica’s new boyfriend Gary, Fred Willard and Chris Parnell reprising their roles as Ed Harken and Garth Holliday, and Dylan Baker as the very fun GNN producer Freddie Sharp. James Marsden is terrific as the very good-looking news anchor Jack Lime who becomes Burgundy’s new rival while Meagan Good is wonderful as Burgundy’s boss/new lover Linda Jackson. Judah Nelson is excellent as Ron and Veronica’s son Walter who just wants his dad around while Kristen Wiig is very funny as the dim-witted typist Chani whom Brick falls for.

Christina Applegate is amazing as Veronica Corningstone as Burgundy’s wife who has the same ambitions as her husband but is dismayed by his decision as well as the state of news. David Koechner is superb as Champ Kind who is still this closeted homosexual with feelings for Ron as he brings in some good laughs. Paul Rudd is fantastic as Brian Fantana as the ladies man who is also sort of the group’s conscience as he is alienated by Ron’s growing ego. Steve Carell is great as Brick in the way he falls for Chani as well as respond to certain situations in the most hilarious ways. Finally, there’s Will Ferrell delivering another marvelous performance as Ron Burgundy as this man still out of step with the times while losing himself in his own ego where Ferrell brings a lot of humor and charm that makes Burgundy one of the great characters in comedy.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is an excellent film from Adam McKay with Will Ferrell delivering another superb performance as Ron Burgundy. Along with a great supporting cast, some funny cameos, and lots of moments that will keep people laughing. It’s a film that proves to be a worthy sequel to the 2004 film despite its unevenness and a few lackluster jokes. In the end, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues is stellar film from Adam McKay.

Adam McKay Films: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - The Other Guys - The Big Short - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay

© thevoid99 2013

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Will Ferrell, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is the story of a 1970s San Diego news anchor who deals with his new female counterpart. The film explores the world of a man who has a hard time dealing with changing times while is keen on doing things his way as the titular character is played by Will Ferrell. Also starring Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Steve Carell, and Fred Willard. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a classy and hilarious film from Adam McKay.

The film is the simple story of an anchorman in Ron Burgundy who always report the news in San Diego with his buddies in field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sports reporter Champ Kind (David Koechner), and the dim-witted weather reporter Brick Tamland (Steve Carell). They’re the number one news team in San Diego until Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) comes in as a news reporter and later becoming the co-anchor much to Burgundy’s dismay as he’s also in love with her. It’s a film that plays into a man who has his ways with the ladies and manages to do whatever he wants while is good at telling the news. Yet, he is unable to deal with the fact that a woman could do what he does only better as he later goes to war with her. Even as it would eventually put him into trouble while is forced to come to terms with the fact that times are changing.

The screenplay that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay creates is very loose though it does utilize a traditional three-act structure where the first act is about Burgundy’s success and his good times with his friends while meeting Veronica who becomes his lover though she wants to make it in the world of news. The film’s second act isn’t just about Veronica finally getting what she wants but also Burgundy trying to come to terms with it. It’s third act isn’t just the escalation of the conflict but its aftermath where Burgundy tries to find redemption. Throughout all of these major plot-points and storylines, Ferrell and McKay bring in a lot of clever dialogue into the mix filled with some funny one-liners while adding some complexities to the many characters in the film like Burgundy, Fantana, Corningstone, Kind, and to a lesser extent, Brick.

McKay’s direction is pretty simple as far as the compositions are concerned in the way he creates 1970s San Diego. Yet, he does manage to create moments that are always fun to watch ranging from an animated sequence where Ron and Veronica are riding on unicorns on a rainbow to their first date at a jazz club where Ron plays the flute. McKay does slow things down in order to focus on the story though he would find ways to use the comedy to advance the story or create something that is off-the-wall such as the anchorman brawl involving rival anchormen and their news team. Add a dog named Baxter, bears, and all sorts of strange things. What McKay creates is a very solid and enjoyable comedy that continuously brings in the laughs and more.

Cinematographer Thomas E. Ackerman does excellent work with the film’s colorful and vibrant cinematography from the way San Diego looks in its exteriors to some of the lighting in the nighttime interior scenes. Editor Brent White does fantastic work with the editing with its use of rhythmic cuts to play into much of the film’s humor and dialogue delivery. Production designer Clayton Hartley, with set decorator Jan Pascale and art directors Gregg Davidson and Virginia L. Randolph, does amazing work with the look of the news station and places that Burgundy and his pals hang out and work at.

Costume designer Debra McGuire does great work with the costumes from the suit that Burgundy and his team wear to the clothes that Veronica wears. Hair stylist Joy Zapata and makeup artist Denise Dellaville do fabulous work with the look of the hair and mustaches the men wear to make them look classy. Sound designer Mark A. Mangini and co-sound editor Scott Millan do terrific work with the film‘s sound to play into the atmosphere of the news offices and the parties that Burgundy holds in his home. The film’s music by Alex Wurman is superb where it‘s mostly low-key with its blaring horn-based orchestra as well as the music for the news while music supervisor Todd Homme creates a delightful soundtrack that includes pieces by Neil Diamond, Blues Image, Kansas, Hall & Oates, Isley Brothers, Bill Withers, and an original flute piece by Ferrell who, along with Rudd, Koechner, and Carell do an amazing cover of Afternoon Delight.

The casting by Juel Bestrop and Jeanne McCarthy is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable cameo appearances from Danny Trejo as a bartender, Jack Black as a biker whom Burgundy angers, Fred Armisen as the jazz-club owner Tino, Seth Rogen as a cameraman, Missi Pyle as a zookeeper, and Kathryn Hahn as one of the news station workers Helen who would give Veronica a secret to usurp Burgundy. Other notable cameo appearances include Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, Tim Robbins, and Ben Stiller as rival news anchors who want to defeat Ron Burgundy. Chris Parnell is terrific as Ed’s assistant Garth Holliday who sees Ron as his hero while Fred Willard is excellent as the news director Ed Harken who tries to make sure everything goes smoothly while dealing with his son’s antics. The dog Peanut is great as Baxter as this dog that can talk to the bears and is Ron Burgundy’s best friend.

David Koechner is superb as the chauvinistic Champ Kind who likes to say “whammy” while hinting that he might be a closeted homosexual. Steve Carell is hilarious as the dim-witted Brick Tamland who says all sorts of funny things not knowing what he’s talking about due to the fact that he has a very low IQ. Paul Rudd is fantastic as Brian Fantana as a ladies’ man who is often full of himself as well as wanting to use the forbidden cologne known as Sex Panther. Christina Applegate is amazing as Veronica Corningstone as a woman who wants to become an anchor and doesn’t want to be stopped by anyone including Burgundy. Finally, there’s Will Ferrell in a remarkable performance as the titular role as this sexist and fun-loving guy who cannot adjust to the changing times as he is conflicted for his love and hate for Veronica.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a marvelous film from Adam McKay that features a brilliant leading performance from Will Ferrell. The film is truly one of the finest comedies to come out in the 2000s as it is filled with lots of laughs and hijinks that will keep entertaining its audience. In the end, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a phenomenal film from Adam McKay.

Adam McKay Films: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Step Brothers - The Other Guys - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues - The Big Short - (Backseat) - The Auteurs #63: Adam McKay

© thevoid99 2013

The Rocker (2008 film)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/16/09 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Peter Cattaneo and screenplay by Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky from a story by Ryan Jafee, The Rocker tells the story of a drummer from a mid-80s glam-metal band who was left behind by his band as his life twenty years later has become one big failure. When his nephew asks him to join his band, the drummer suddenly gets a second chance to live his dream to become a rock star. Starring Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, Teddy Geiger, Emma Stone, Josh Gad, Jane Lynch, Jeff Garlin, Will Arnett, Fred Armisen, Bradley Cooper, Howard Hesseman, Demitri Martin, and Jason Sudeikis. The Rocker is a funny, rocking film from Peter Cattaneo and company.

The film is a simple story of a drummer from now very popular metal band called Vesuvius whose life of misery has him moving in with his sister and befriending his nephew who is in a band that needed a drummer. By playing their high school prom gig, he becomes a member of the band with much reluctance from his new bandmates where a notorious Internet clip gets them attention. The band called A.D.D. suddenly becomes famous where one of the band member's mother joins the tour, the band become successful as the drummer called Fish (Rainn Wilson) deals with his new chance as well as the old demons in his past where he is offered the chance to open for his former band.

While the film has elements similar to the 2003 Richard Linklater film School of Rock about an adult wanting to rock with young kids. The film is about a man's unfortunate situations about his old band becoming big as he's left living a life that is mediocre and dull. When he's given a second chance, he is hoping to do all the things he wanted to do as a rock star. Yet, the character of Fish is more than just some guy finally living his dream but someone who really cares about his band mates by helping Curtis (Teddy Geiger) on the directions of the songs, help Amelia (Emma Stone) with her own image, and his nephew Matt (Josh Gadd) in his shyness. While the script does follow certain plot formulas, it's array of humor and love of rock does make it worthwhile.

Director Peter Cattaneo does a fine job with the direction though it's mostly average in terms of compositions and settings. Yet, he does make the film quite energetic and fun while a lot of the film is shot in Toronto with a few locations in Cleveland including the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame museum. For a lot of the performance sequences, Cattaneo succeeds in knowing what to shoot as he gives each actor a chance to shine while showcasing what happens with most big rock concerts once audiences get to see Vesuvius live in the film's climatic ending. Despite some formulaic ideas with the script and lack of fresh ideas, Cattaneo does create a solid film that is funny and entertaining to watch.

Cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond does pretty good work with the film's darkened look with moments of grain in the shoot in order to make the film look a little grimy but also polished. Editor Brad E. Wilhite does a nice job with the film's editing in giving it a nice, leisurely-paced feel while speeding up a bit for some of the film's wilder moments. Production designer Brandt Gordon and set decorator Clive Thomasson does a good job in the look of the clubs, the tour bus, and places that the characters go to. Costume designer Christopher Hargadon does excellent work in the looks of 80s rock star clothing in the film's early sequence along with modern clothes and dresses for Emma Stone. Sound editor Andrew DeCristofaro does very good work with the atmosphere of the rock shows and interaction with the audience.

The music by Chad Fischer is mostly a mixture of melodic-pop and rock as it serves as the songs he created for the fictional band A.D.D., a lot of which are sung by Teddy Geiger. The songs are pretty good while the songs Fischer wrote for the fictional band Vesuvius is reminiscent of 80s hard rock while Geiger and Fischer do a pretty good cover of Poison's Nothin' But A Good Time that works in conveying the spirit of the film.

The casting by Julie Ashton is wonderfully with cameo appearances from the likes of comedy actor Demitri Martin as a pretentious video director, Jane Krakowski as Fish's ex-girlfriend, Howard Hesseman as A.D.D.'s tour bus driver, Lonny Ross as Fish's replacement in Vesuvius, and as Vesuvius, Bradley Cooper, Fred Armisen, and Will Arnett. Another notable cameo that gives the film a bit of humor, though he's only in one scene, is original Beatles drummer Pete Best as a guy in the bus stop reading Rolling Stone. Other notable small roles include Brittany Allen as an A.D.D. fan who has a crush on Matt, Jonathan Malen as A.D.D.'s original drummer, Keir Gilchrist as a drum machine kid, Samantha Weinstein as Matt's sister, and Jon Glaser as Vesuvius' manager are memorable.

Jason Sudeikis is very good as A.D.D.'s scheming manager who tries to get rid of Fish in making the band bigger. Jeff Garlin is funny as Matt's dad who is excited to see Fish be a rock star again while Jane Lynch is really good as Fish's no-nonsense sister despite not given much to do. Josh Gad is great as Fish's nephew and keyboardist Matt who is funny with some of his sleeping antics along with his shyness where he's helped by Emma Stone in a funny kissing scene. Emma Stone is really good as Amelia, the band's nonchalant bassist who rarely smiles while is often grossed out by Fish's antics while displaying a sweet persona to her role. Teddy Geiger is also good as Curtis, the band's brooding lead singer and guitarist who is trying to deal with fame while coming to terms about what making music is really all about.

Christina Applegate is excellent in a wonderful supporting role as Curtis' mother Kim who joins the band on tour after Fish gets in trouble while revealing her own past as a rocker in which she connects with Fish. The film's most fantastic performance truly goes to Rainn Wilson as Fish, the drummer who gets a second chance in living his dream. Wilson's performance is definitely funny in the way he reacts to all things uncool or to his former band while doing lots of dumb things that are very funny. At the same time, Wilson also shows range as an actor in scenes where he helps everyone else as it's definitely a great role for the comedy actor.

While it's not a perfect film, The Rocker is indeed a funny, entertaining film from Peter Cattaneo and company with a hilarious performance from Rainn Wilson. Fans of rock films will no doubt enjoy this film for its music and sense of humor while it also has something that fans of low-brow comedies can enjoy. It may not have the brilliance of films like School of Rock, Almost Famous, or High Fidelity, The Rocker is still a film that is worth watching while letting rock fans rock out.

© thevoid99 2013

Nowhere

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/9/07 w/ Additional Edits.

When controversial Japanese-American director Gregg Araki came onto the indie film scene with his confrontational, nihilistic 1992 feature The Living End. The film was hailed as a landmark for the New Queer film scene while giving Araki an audience of disaffected youth, notably those who are homosexual. A year later, Araki embarked on his most ambitious project to date on a trilogy of film relating to teen angst which was known as the Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy. 1993's Totally Fucked Up and 1995's The Doom Generation won fans among the young and disaffected Generation X audience but was hated by more conservative film critics. In 1997, Araki completed his trilogy with a film that not only heralded the end of Generation X but the era of angst for his film Nowhere.

Written and directed by Gregg Araki, Nowhere tells the story of an alienated young man dealing with problems with his girlfriend as well as his own sexuality. Meanwhile, during this strange day, an entire group of young people deal with all sorts of troubles leading up to a party that would signify their own doom. Described by Araki as he quoted, "Beverly Hills 90210 on acid", the film is an exploration of pop culture, celebrity, and such featuring numerous cameos and appearances from then-unknown stars and such. Nowhere, despite its stylish imagery and quirky characters, falls into its overwhelming sense of angst as the days of 90s teen-angst comes to an end.

Taking a shower and masturbating at the same time, Dark (James Duvall) is fantasizing about his relationship with not just girlfriend Mel (Rachel True) but also his new classmate Montgomery (Nathan Bexton). The dream becomes more intense with the involvement of a couple of sadomasochistic women named Kriss (Chiara Mastroiannai) and Kozy (Debi Mazar) as Dark is woken up by the knocks of his mother (Beverly D'Angelo). Dark is an aspiring filmmaker wanting to finish a project for a class while dealing with his already failing relationship with Mel. Later getting picked up by Mel and her best friend Lucifer (Kathleen Robertson), they meet up with Montgomery as they eat breakfast at a coffeehouse. Learning that a party by a guy named Jujyfruit (Gibby Haynes) is being held tonight, Dark and his friends including Dingbat (Christina Applegate), Egg (Sarah Lassez), Alyssa (Jordan Ladd), and Cowboy (Guillermo Diaz) are excited. Cowboy is feeling frustrated by his boyfriend Bart (Jeremy Jordan) and his growing addiction to heroin.

While in the bathroom, Egg finds herself meeting up with a former teen idol (Jaason Simmons) while Alyssa leaves with her big, biker boyfriend Elvis (Thyme Lewis). With Dark, Dingbat, Ducky (Scott Caan), Lucifer, Mel, Montgomery, and Cowboy deciding to play a drug-version of kick the can later on, the day gets stranger when Dark sees a trio of Valley girls (Traci Lords, Rose McGowan, and Shannen Doherty) get zapped by an alien. Egg meanwhile, has a conversation with the teen idol only to have their romance become violent. Bart's descent into pain and addiction leads him to a drug dealer named Handjob (Alan Boyce) furthering his break with Cowboy. With the party happening later tonight, Mel's little brother Zero (Joshua Gibran Mayweather) is hoping to go bringing along his young girlfriend Zoe (Mena Suvari).

After a pre-game sex with Mel, Dark ponders his loneliness as Mel scoffs off his own feelings as they leave for the kick the can game with Dark providing Ecstacy. High on Ecstacy mixed with alcohol, the game ensues into something stranger when Montgomery encounters an alien. While looking for directions into Jujyfruit's party, Zero encounters Alyssa's nihilistic brother Shad (Ryan Phillippe) and his girlfriend Lilith (Heather Graham) going into a game of nihilistic sex. Zero eventually finds the direction as he tries to follow a trio of drag queens before getting his mom's car stolen by a trio known as the Atari gang. Egg and Bart, each descend further into their own troubles as they watch a preacher (John Ritter) on TV spreading his message.

After the game of kick the can, the rest of the gang minus Montgomery go to Jujyfruit's party where things become confusing. Dark’s melancholic behavior and Mel's desire for more open relationships only trouble Dark's behavior and the party later on. When Handjob arrives and news about Egg and Bart are revealed, things begin to fall apart on this day which was claimed by Alyssa to be the apocalypse. For Dark, the young man ponders about his own existence and wondering if he'll ever find true love.

While the film is directly inspired by Bret Easton Ellis' novel Less Than Zero, Araki chooses to go more into the world of 90s teen angst where by the time of its production, it's clear that angst was out. Despite some wonderfully stylish dialogue, intense direction, and such. The film lacks a very central plot where there's all of these little stories but some of them don't gel well together. The most interesting story surrounds Dark who is really the central character of the film and the film's main protagonist. The other stories, as interesting as most of them are, tends to make the film feel a bit episodic and uneven. While Araki definitely goes for ambition in this ensemble-driven, Altman-like style, it doesn't work as a whole.

Then there's Araki's ode to pop culture where at times, it's fun for whatever the characters are referencing and such. Yet, at the same time, it feels a bit distracted and being that it's in set in the mid-90s. A lot of these references feel very dated. There's no doubt that Araki is into style, even with his script, editing, and direction. There is a tendency where the film does feel like it's style-over-substance. It's not entirely his fault. It's just that he had set his ambitions to high where the film, like the title itself, goes nowhere on some parts. Yet, it does become a bit interesting in the third act where an act of violence and the aftermath surrounding Dark's behavior reveal a sense of loss in a world that's definitely changing. Despite a lot of the film's flaws, Araki does bring in some redeeming moments along with some memorable characters.

Cinematographer Arturo Smith creates a wonderfully colorful, stylish look to the film with its use of filters to reveal the mood of where the characters are at. Smith’s photography is definitely a highlight of the film that is vibrant and intense as Araki's unique style. Araki serves as the editor where despite the numerous storylines, does create some unique cuts, even the use of jump-cuts for a film with a running time of 82 minutes.

Production designer Patti Podesta and art directors Dan Knapp and Pae White create some great sets in the rooms some of the characters are in. Whether it's the polka-dots that Mel lives in, the room with Babyland lyrics that Bart lives, even the coffee house that the gang hangs out looks unique. Costume designer Sarah Jane Slotnick even goes for the film's unique style from the grunge-like clothes that the guys wear to dresses that Mel wear and wigs that Lucifer wears as well. Sound designer Mark A. Rozett does some excellent work in the sound from the noise of the alien blaster to the haunting sound during the kick the can game sequence.

A highlight in any of Araki's film is the soundtrack. Supervised by Peter Coquillard, Howard Paar, and Budd Carr. The film's soundtrack is a mix of Brit-pop, shoegaze, dream pop, industrial, and anything relating to the 90s alternative music scene. Featuring cuts by Suede, 311, Marilyn Manson, The The, Slowdive, Catherine Wheel, Hole, Babyland, James, the Cocteau Twins, Filter, Daft Punk, Nitzer Ebb, Sonic Youth, Curve, Blur, Mojave 3, the Verve, the Future Sounds of London, Ruby, Portishead, Jesus & Mary Chain, Coil, Elastica, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, and Nine Inch Nails doing a cover of Soft Cell's Memorabilia. It's a killer soundtrack of what was the mid-1990s.

Finally, we have the film's cast that includes cameos from My So Called Life's Devon Odessa and Step By Step's Stacy Keenan as two girls whose respective names are What and Ever, The Brady Bunch's Christopher Knight and Eve Plumb as Bart's Swedish Parents, Charlotte Rae as a fortune teller, Denise Richards as Lucifer's sister, David Leisure as Ducky & Egg's dad, video director Stephane Sednaoui as a photographer in the party, Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers, Traci Lords, Rose McGowan, Shannen Doherty, Chiara Mastroianni, Debi Mazar, and Beverly D'Angelo.

While most of these cameos are fun to watch and such. They tend to be a distraction of sorts where the audience it's like "Hey, there's you-know-who" and such. While it worked in Araki's last film The Doom Generation to some extent, it doesn't work this time around though it was funny to hear Chris Knight and Eve Plump talk in Swedish. Another cameo from the late John Ritter as a preacher is also a hoot to watch.

Former Baywatch star Jaason Simmons brings an unsympathetic, over-the-top performance as a teen idol who is really violent and such. Then again, it's not a performance until he becomes violent and not a very good one. Alan Boyce is good as the drug dealer Handjob whose dealing eventually leads him into trouble. Ryan Phillippe and Heather Graham give excellent, over-the-top role as nihilistic lovers who just love to have sex.

Jordan Ladd is nice as the luscious Alyssa while Thyme Lewis is good as the submissive, tough Elvis. In her film debut, Mena Suvari is good as Zoe while Joshua Gibran Mayweather is also good as Zero. Scott Caan is good as the stoner Ducky while Sarah Lassez is also wonderful as Egg, whose life crashes down after a violent encounter with the teen idol. Former teen-pop idol Jeremy Jordan gives a fantastic yet harrowing performance as the self-destructive Bart.

Guillermo Diaz is really good as the despondent Cowboy who mulls over Bart's self-destructive behavior. Nathan Bexton is good as shy, different-eye colored Montgomery who becomes an unlikely companion for the melancholic Dark. Kathleen Robertson is excellent as the cynical Lucifer who hates Dark and loves Mel yet only shares Dark's heartbreak over Mel's open lifestyle. Christina Applegate gives an excellent performance as Dingbat, who is really one of the rare observant characters in the film who tries to understand what's going on with the people around her.

Rachel True is one of the film's weak points not because of her performance but the character itself. It's understandable that she want an open relationship and such but her character really feels like it belongs in a different film. Then there's Araki regular James Duvall who is good in playing the despondent, depressed Dark who is trying to deal with relationship problems and such.

The film was released in 1997 in a lot of anticipation among Araki's fanbase. Being the third and final film of his Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy, it's often considered to be the weakest of the three. Especially for the fact that the film came out around the time 90s alternative rock was pretty much over with the rise a teen-pop movement. Another controversy surrounded over the fact that Araki briefly dated co-star Kathleen Robertson despite the fact that he was gay. Even as the two collaborated again for Araki's 1999 love-triangle romantic comedy Splendor.

In the end, despite some great performances, stylish imagery, and a great soundtrack, Nowhere is a good but messy affair by Gregg Araki. While more hardcore, independent audiences will enjoy his earlier work and more mainstream audiences will enjoy his recent feature, 2004's Mysterious Skin. Nowhere is a film that unlike some of his features, is a film that might be a nostalgic trip to watch now but a trip that won't be a total joy.

Gregg Araki Films: (Three Bewildered People in the Night) - (The Long Weekend (0' Despair)) - The Living End - Totally Fucked Up - The Doom Generation - (Splendor) - (This is How the World Ends (TV)) - Mysterious Skin - Smiley Face - Kaboom - (White Bird in a Blizzard)

(C) thevoid99 2011