Great movies can sometimes take a little while for the general public to accept. Such as the case for films like Citizen Kane, The Shawshank Redemption and dare I say it, Fight Club. Initially, when the film opened to theaters in 1999, critics and audiences were split. Some thought it was brilliant on it’s commentary on everything from consumerism to the feminization of men. Others thought it was “neo-macho” (Ken Turan, L.A. Times), “fascist,” (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times), and just “an inadmissible assault on personal decency,” (Alexander Walker, London Evening Standard). To me, that kind of a polarization automatically makes Fight Club one of the films that any self-respecting and open-minded individual must see at least once in their life-time. No hyperbole here.
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It is almost becoming a new film ‘law’ that when an actor who has predominantly played heroic roles, turn ‘baddy’, he instantly delivers a much better performance and receives critical acclaim. It worked wonders for Denzel Washinton, who proved to be an excellent creep in Training Day, earning him his second Oscar. Also Kurt Russel gets that extra edge when we see him play the murderous stuntman Mike in Deathproof. And now that same law seems to apply to Kevin Costner. This law must work on the premise that otherwise heroic and charismatic actors gain extra depth when playing a baddy, since that allows them to tap into a whole new source of motivations and emotions; and in the end, we always like the baddy more. Although Costner has had quite a ‘diverse’ career to say the least, he is part of that bunch of actors that are on the verge of extinction: solid, all-round character actors that can play a multitude of roles and give that old-fashioned feel-good sense that we remember from eighties cinema. Actors like Dennis Quaid, Bruce Willis, Kurt Russel, Michael Douglas, Harrison Ford and yes, Kevin Costner. And now mister Costner is back!

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This film combines  the gothic with idyllic suburban American life.  Avon lady Peg (Dianne Weist) is unable to sell any of her make-up products locally. Feeling desperate, she decides to try her luck at the isolated dark mansion that overlooks her community. However,  instead of a prospective customer, she finds a gothic looking man named Edward (Johnny Depp).
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Funerals can be funny. Really. Anytime families get together, there’s always the possibility for absurdness. Death at a Funeral (2007) is a screwball comedy look at what happens when a family comes together to mourn.

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