Benjamin's Stash: Video Pick of the Week

      Hello, once again, readers. It’ll be a busy week on here; there’s lots of posts for you coming up, but first it’s Tuesday. Time for my video pick of the week. This week’s pick is one example of what I refer to as a “popcorn flick” - a film where there’s no heavy plot, backstory or twists and turns. You just make yourself a bowl of popcorn and prepare to be entertained. This film, led by an A-list cast, certainly delivers the entertainment that it promises.

      Anaconda focuses on a group of “National Geographic” film-makers shooting a documentary on a long-lost South American tribe on the Amazon known as the Shirishama. Led by director Terri Flores (Jennifer Lopez), the group consists of cameraman Danny Rich (Ice Cube), production manager Denise Kalberg (Kari Wuhrer), sound engineer Gary Dixon (Owen Wilson), film narrator Warren Westridge (Jonathan Hyde) and anthropologist Professor Steven Cale (Eric Stoltz). Along their journey, they encounter a man who has been stranded in the river. His name is Paul Serone (Jon Voight). Serone leads them in believing he can help them with their search for the lost tribe, but unbeknownst to them, he is actually a snake poacher trying to capture an Anaconda - the world's largest snake. One Anaconda caught alive, according to Serone, could be worth a million dollars. If any of these people had seen anything about snakes on Animal Planet, they'd be smart enough to know that's easier said than done.

      I hate the term "guilty pleasure". If I like a certain movie, why should I be ashamed of it? Yes, some of my favorite movies ever are hard hitting films such as The Godfather, Raging Bull, Fargo, and Pulp Fiction. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good entertaining movie if it is well made, and this movie is one hell of an entertaining flick. For starters, there's no complicated plot. This film is very much self aware of itself, and doesn't get bogged down in some heavy handed story. A film crew's shooting a documentary. They pick up a snake poaching hitchhiker. They get involved with a really pissed off snake, end of story. Also, for what many would consider an entertaining "B-movie", the performances are surprisingly strong, particularly from scene stealer Jon Voight. He takes this performance and has a ball with it. A villainous performance like this always runs a fine line between believable and overacting, but Voight strikes just the right tone. It's a terrifically sleazy performance from the Academy Award winning film veteran. His final scene in the movie - involving a wink - is by far his most memorable. Credit should also be given to cinematographer Bill Butler. It's a beautifully shot movie that portrays the jungle as both seductive yet ominous. Obviously, as someone that's always been fascinated with reptiles, I know full well that snakes of any kind don't actively hunt humans, and that they don't scream like shrieking banshees, and that if they do attack humans, it's only out of either fear and self defense and (or) you're invading its territory. Guess what? I also don't care in regards to this film. This is the type of film I watch for entertainment, not scientific accuracy. Although, to its credit, it did get the Anaconda's place of origin right (tropical South America) unlike it's God awful turd of a sequel which made its new place of origin Borneo of all places (it's extremely plot heavy story about something to do with flowers they breed in being a new type of Viagra or whatever didn't help either). This film is definitely all about what you see is what you get. Director Luis Llosa manages to create an effective, top notch, mass-appealing entertainment which is not easy to do by any means. Anaconda is straightforward and to the point, and it's one wild and fun 90 minute ride. Yeah, that's right. So sue me. Just go watch it.