Crank
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
By Travis Mackenzie Hoover

It would seem as though the title, Crank, has less to do with the drug and more with a guy on the street who shouts at passers-by. Like him, the film traffics in a stream-of-conscious affront peppered liberally with obscenity and engages in antisocial behaviour as frequently as possible.

Ex-Transporter Jason Statham is at the centre of the storm; he’s a hit man who’s just been administered a deadly poison that will kill him if his adrenaline level drops, thus he never gives himself the chance, as he searches for his killer while destroying as much property, human life and respect for civility as possible. Amy Smart shows up as sex-interest window dressing but mostly it’s about a man in love with his fist pounding somebody’s face.

Writers/directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor assist him with the loudest, fastest-cut and most digitally tweaked production imaginable, while populating the narrative with an array of foul-mouthed racial stereotypes calculated to pop your head with outrage. Except you never can muster the indignation — the film is ludicrous, willing to try things and so completely beyond the pale that you have to give it points just for trying.

Say what you will about the film’s stone age politics and seething macho aggression but it’s never dull or sanctimonious; the movie just wants to astound you and refuses to ladle on some phoney moral message to cover its tracks. Just when you think Neveldine and Taylor have gone as far as they can with a particular tangent they slam something into it that makes you jump. And while the duo have lamentable taste in loud, grinding music, one can’t fault their attempt at pulp virtuosity even when they don’t quite pull it off. (Maple)

The Illusionist - Dir. by Neil Burger
Playing a master of slight of hand, disappearances and other tricks of the 19th century illusionist’s trade, Edward Norton manages to distract us only briefly before we realise that there’s not much behind this tale of supernatural romance. ...Read More
Accepted - Dir. by Steve Pink
Accepted follows the long-running tradition of comedies that root for the underdog as he’s pitted against some unpleasant force that must be conquered and fed a piece of that tasty humble pie. ...Read More
A Sunday in Kigali - Dir. by Robert Favreau
All The King’s Men - Dir. by Steven Zaillian
Dreamland - Dir. by Jason Matzner
Employee of the Month - Dir. by Greg Coolidge
Flyboys - Dir. by Tony Bill
Half Nelson - Dir. by Ryan Fleck
Hollywoodland - Dir. by Allen Coulter
Idlewild - Dir. by Bryan Barber
Invincible - Dir. by Ericson Core
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles - Dir. by Zhang Yimou
Shadowboxer - Dir. by Lee Daniels
Shortbus - Dir. by John Cameron Mitchell
The Black Dahlia - Dir. by Brian De Palma
The House of Sand - Dir. by Andrucha Waddington
The Last King of Scotland - Dir. by Kevin MacDonald
The Quiet - Dir. by Jamie Babbit
The Science of Sleep - Dir. by Michel Gondry
The War Tapes - Dir. by Deborah Scranton
The War Tapes - Dir. by Deborah Scranton
The Wicker Man - Dir. by Neil LaBute
Trust the Man - Dir. by Bart Freundlich
Mary J. Blige - Stronger with Each Tear
Mary, we love the fact that you're happy ― no more drama ― and that your personal issues seem to be a thing of the past. Trouble is, your pain was what fuelled your passion. It's the reason why What's the 411 was a classic, and why subsequent albums were usually measured by whethe... Full Review
Toronto Punk Finds A Voice
If you've ever wondered why Toronto's first wave punk scene lacks the oral histories, band biographies, and memoirs pouring out of similar scenes, Treat Me Like Dirt is for you — as evidenced by a first printing selling out a week before its release. "I didn't know that any of this had happened the way I knew that New York and London had these great punk movements," says author Liz Worth.... Read More
The Hurt Locker Dir. by Kathryn Bigelow
Taking a break at about the halfway mark of director Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war drama, The Hurt Locker, I realized my jaw was sore. I had been unconsciously clenching it from the first moment of The Hurt Locker, which chronicles a three-man team of explosives ordinance disposal (bomb s... Full Review
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
• Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the September 2006 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Comics  •  Questionnaire  •  Research  •  Videogames • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews  •  Hillside Festival Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  Videogame Reviews • Music School --> Label Life  •  Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  What I Play • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues