Howell on "Ghost Rider"
The Toronto Star's Pete Howell got out his Blackberry and wrote his Ghost Rider review straight from the theatre last night. "It's a process I call BlackBerry Spanking, although this time I actually gave more than one star," he writes. "Ghost Rider actually gets 2-1/2 stars on account being smart enough to know it's stupid.
"As eternal damnation goes, it's a toss-up for Nicolas Cage," his review begins. "Would he rather face the razzing until Doomsday he's going to endure for dressing up in a bear costume to play a psycho cop in last year's The Wicker Man remake (get that Razzie Award ready!) or would he rather be Satan's errand boy until hell freezes over?
"I'm guessing he chooses door No. 2, as seen in his new film Ghost Rider. It's all comic book stuff. And besides, his career couldn't possibly slide any deeper into the flames. Cage's human character is weirder than his skeletal one. He chugs jelly beans out of a martini glass, talks to himself in the mirror and listens to The Carpenters on his home stereo
"But damned if this one shouldn't make your so-bad-it's-good list -- especially when Wes Bentley shows up as a bad Elvis impersonator from Hell whom Ghost Rider has to send to Heartbreak Hotel. Cage has finally found a movie where it's okay to chew the scenery -- or even to set it on fire. A Ghost Rider franchise beckons. And with the lovely Eva Mendes by his side, a romantic spin-off: Beauty and the Briquette."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 16, 2007 at 7:41 AM
comment #1
Josh Massey
says ...
Dammit, now I'm sorta interested in seeing it. Not in theaters, mind you, but I might as well go ahead and put it on my Netflix queue.
Posted by Josh Massey
at February 16, 2007 8:01 AM
comment #2
leonardcoehnbrothers
says ...
The fan boys over at Aint it Cool are really trashing this movie.
Posted by leonardcoehnbrothers
at February 16, 2007 8:19 AM
comment #3
MASON
says ...
Big surprise. Poland trashed the fantastic Zodiac -- and using it to somehow trash Children of Men as well. I just don't get that guy sometimes.
Posted by MASON
at February 16, 2007 8:41 AM
comment #4
Breedlove
says ...
what the hell happened to wes bentley? he knocked me on my ass in 'american beauty' and it's been all downhill from there. following the ups and downs of hollywood careers is almost as fun as the movies themselves sometimes. it's like sports. what the hell happened to wes bentley, what the hell is john travolta thinking, where the hell did winona ryder and michelle pfeiffer go,etc. okay i'm off topic now.
Posted by Breedlove
at February 16, 2007 9:19 AM
comment #5
storymark
says ...
So far, it seems that those who are unfamilliar with the source material think it's bad but fun. Those who do know the comic hate it. I fall in the middle of the scale in terms of familiarity, I've read a few Ghost Rider comics, but was never a big fan. I'm expecting it to be fairly awfull, but I'm hoping my extremely low expectations are met with something marginally entertaining.
Posted by storymark
at February 16, 2007 9:28 AM
comment #6
christian
says ...
i always thought bentley should have been peter parker. he would have had the perfect geek angst.
but is cage's career in the skids? was WORLD TRADE CENTER a failure? ADAPTATION was only two years ago and some of his best work ever.
Posted by christian
at February 16, 2007 9:53 AM
comment #7
christian
says ...
oh, and this guy is one of those assholes who uses his blackberry during a movie.
Posted by christian
at February 16, 2007 10:28 AM
comment #8
petehowell
says ...
Correction: I'm one of those assholes who uses
his BlackBerry to write the review AFTER
the movie is over.
Posted by petehowell
at February 16, 2007 10:57 AM
comment #9
DavidF
says ...
Damn. Pete's here. Now I feel bad for occasionally using the Internet to anonymously bash him.
But, really - "Beauty and the Briquettet?"
I guess when the movie is Ghost Rider there's only so much anyone can do with a review.
Posted by DavidF
at February 16, 2007 11:32 AM
comment #10
christian
says ...
then my apologies. i've just had to endure too much movie rudeness at the ADD hands of the blackberry squad....
Posted by christian
at February 16, 2007 12:01 PM
comment #11
DavidF
says ...
IIRC there's a time Pete lost his notes en route to the offices after a Tom Petty concert and then wrote a review that was...I wouldn't say MEAN but it was a negative review of a good concert, anyway.
He had to go by memory so, in that context, a Blackberry review seems perfectly fair.
Posted by DavidF
at February 16, 2007 12:55 PM
comment #12
Circumvrent
says ...
christian, believe it or not, ADAPTATION was almost five years ago.
Posted by Circumvrent
at February 16, 2007 12:58 PM
comment #13
LYTrules
says ...
Forget that it's a comic book adaptation or anything else other than Nic Cage being insane and turning into a flaming skull biker with magic chains. Then you'll know exactly what to expect.
I like that sort of thing, but can certainly see where others wouldn't.
Posted by LYTrules
at February 16, 2007 1:09 PM
comment #14
Craig Kennedy
says ...
God help me but a flaming Nic Cage on a bike chewing scenery left and right sounds entertaining.
Posted by Craig Kennedy
at February 16, 2007 2:32 PM
comment #15
Spacelamb
says ...
Now I feel like seeing it!
Posted by Spacelamb
at February 16, 2007 10:53 PM
comment #16
MovieBob
says ...
It's totally worth seeing. Completely silly, Cage is a little too "mature"-looking for a character who the film seems to imply is in his mid-to-late 20s, Wes Bentley isn't a formidable heavy, etc; but ALL of the scenes with the full-on Ghost Rider are terrific and Cage is giving the kind of gonzo hero-as-nutbag performance you don't often see this side of Jeff Goldblum in "The Fly."
In practical terms, it best resembles (and is best compared to) those lower-end action/scifi/horror hybrids from the 80s you see running on TBS at 3am ("I Come In Peace" or "Trancers" jump to mind.) Seriously, in it's best moments it plays like the "best" movie Golan Globus never made, inexplicably recast with A-list actors and cutting-edge FX. I dug the hell out of it.
Posted by MovieBob
at February 17, 2007 12:38 AM
comment #17
petehowell
says ...
DavidF ol' buddy:
I'm afraid that your 15-year grudge against me over that Tom Petty concert is in vain. That infamous review was written not by me, but by a freelancer named Lenny Stoute. I can email you an archived copy, if you need proof.
I can also email you one of my rave reviews of Tom Petty. Love the guy.
Glad to see that you at least have a conscience...
Posted by petehowell
at February 17, 2007 4:36 AM
comment #18
petehowell
says ...
The preceding message was from Peter Howell.
Darned these anonymous screen names.
-- Peter Howell.
Posted by petehowell
at February 17, 2007 4:39 AM
comment #19
thatmovieguy
says ...
If you loved Cage's wacko work in VAMPIRE'S KISS, HONEYMOON IN VEGAS and PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, you'll enjoy what he's up to in GHOST RIDER. Absolutely nutty performance, capped off by a supremely awful dime-store wig. The running joke about The Carpenters is hilariously bizarre. The movie is ridiculous, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't get some amusement out of it.
Posted by thatmovieguy
at February 17, 2007 7:47 AM
comment #20
christian
says ...
and you know, a seriously cool movie could have beeen made out of this material.
Posted by christian
at February 17, 2007 9:36 AM
comment #21
DavidF
says ...
Damn you, Howell!
You win this round.
And it was an infamous review, too?
Well, I'm sure there's some other random, lingering, meaningless source of my grudge... but I'll give you benefit of the doubt in the meantime. Seems only fair.
Posted by DavidF
at February 19, 2007 6:13 AM
comment #22
petehowell
says ...
Very classy of you, DavidF.
Peace out.
-- Peter Howell.
Posted by petehowell
at February 19, 2007 8:06 AM