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Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018)
Bad Acting...
Llc & llc ii - hellhouse. h.h. holmes - cognetti. clown crazies, dumbies, schlepps. a decade of horror for a century of terror. socialism. drugs & cult worship. they're in your basement, the bums are waiting in the dark... they're in your minds' fears.
Hell House LLC (2015)
Intense update to many classic horror genres
Kurt Russel joints were always good, through their time periods, along with Schwarzenegger flicks, even Bela Lugosi was a great actor who franchised horror films in the early years of cinema. The additions of technique pioneered, of course, by The Blair Witch Project, are really updated with this intense rally against our youths and of phobias and fears of generations behind ours. Note that the dialogue stretches with the actor's ability, each in a methodical character portrayal obviously pivotal to the catchy storylines, whose convergence for the grand finale are truly caught up to us at a terrific rate, and to which the epilogue certainly owes its own eerie overlengthy-feeling tempo. Compare the "unintentionally gripping" story of Rosemary's Baby, pared with the classic macarbe writing of a mastermind such as The Shining, from a news interview angle that actually works on its own, to propel the gruesome fates of everyone in the movie. I hope to enjoy the rest of the trilogy!
Hell or High Water (2016)
very solid flick
Hell or High Water, obviously a work from the hand of a great writer, Taylor Sheridan, is a very solid flick. the cinematography looked almost digital, yet immense in it's capacity to fill the screen with interesting aspects of an environment that builds the audience to the role of conscience projection of a story that definitely compels them to follow it. but the reason it was really good was made even more clear that it was the work of an ambitious team of producers that truly had an end in sight and decisive means to get there through a deliberate plot guided by action-packed scenes and great dialogue. Jeff Bridges did his normal overacting, which is a great method for an anti-hero sheriff whose character was written as though it was made for a Clint Eastwood. even the soundtrack deserves special credit, done by Nick Cave. i haven't seen as good modern spaghetti western movie since Way of the Gun, honestly. 10/10
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Terrible, but Perfect
This movie had gotten a lot of hyping up by people and advertisements, to me, so when I saw it, I already knew that I was supposed to be in love with it. However, sadly, I will say that it is stupidly exaggerated in most aspects of the realistic portrayal of a real life music industry giant that has gone on to now self- produce it's own movies and music videos in the capacity that the genre has begun recycling so many ideas, and still coming up with new ways to spin the story. I think that the best thing about this movie, is that it is the definitive story of the plot behind many sub-culture hip hop movies. To say that it had been anticipated would be necessary then, for the true understanding of a sub- culture, itself. It seems redundant, and misinformed with guidance and any methodology to ethics, in many ways, too, and glorifies violence in the same way as it's predecessors, but in the innovative true story element, and a big enough budget, it is truly quite spectacular of a movie watching event, for the very same reasons that you would dismiss it as being over the top or uninspired. Straight Outta Compton (2015) is a 10 out of 10, movie, whether you would like it to be, or not.
Down by Law (1986)
Great Film
Altogether I think that the film, "Down By Law" (1986) by Jim Jarmusch featuring Tom Waits, is one of cinema's finest noir pieces, an obvious montage through the arts of it's time period, but held together at it's essence, which is the perceived voyeur's agreements with the sometimes awkwardly staggered and dragging exaggerations made by the true minds of the film. This context within context is somewhat familiar to the actors and writers whose hand at the work is seen like a stark author's stencil's dark shading on the texture of the characters at work in the movie. The exemplary effort given by the both the entire teams of the production and writing seem to fit seamlessly as though the stages were set and the actions seemed to flow out of the actors through the piece in the easiest, while at the same time, most mind-blowing orchestration through which the music plays on the rhythm of the story, and viewer. Great early attempt by Jim Jarmusch in film-making, and a true classic. Special recognition, definitely, for Roberto Benigni who was truly fun.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
An Accident
"'A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing.'"
That the second viewing of this feature has the same effect as the first is a statement that deserves review. I did, admittedly, miss the second-to-last scene while outside the theater on a cigarette break. That's where the continuity of the film really shined, for me, personally. The climax, then lost, recovered on second viewing, itself did not change the pace of the film, however committed the final snare to the drum rolls therein. The first thing I noticed on screen was the Confederate Flag, obscured by various clutter of the lead character's fitting room. Then, the floating actor's turned back, in meditation.
"He was never around."
The piece flows like a jazz note and floats it's plot onward, like a riverboat approaching a dam & lock. Quietly navigating through dialog that hovers above the cinematography like an increased loudness, a bass, to the treble of the thoughts within the audience.
"Destroy your play."
The problem was the sensitivity of the actors, especially the leads. They were working on stage, on camera, and inspired by all of the traditions of modern artistic entertainment. You can see it in their eyes as they read the lines without microphones, speaking to a crowd as shocked as we are, the movie-goers, to witness the incredible voyeurism.
"It was an accident."
10/10
Heartstopper (2006)
Heartstopper (2006)
Heartstopper (2006) 10/10
***WARNING*** Explicit language Possible spoilers...
"You have the right to shut the f*ck up!"
Directed Bob Keen, best known for working on Dog Soldiers, Event Horizon, & Hellraiser, directs his best in Heartstopper, a supernatural horror slasher starring Robert Englund, Meredith Henderson, James Binkley, & Nathan Stephenson.
Heartstopper was one of the best movies I've seen in a while. But at first glance, it was just a normal slasher rehash of Jason and the Friday the 13th series. Possibly Robert Englund's best movie or career move since the Nightmare On Elm Street series, this movie almost certainly eclipses in that popularly acclaimed title if you even go by the standards of cinematics such as believability, cinematography (for the most part excellently handled by David Mitchell), and acting. The plot is similar, and heavy in it's dutiful commitment to the unoriginality of yet another supernatural serial killer in the already over-saturated market. Let's face it though, there's quite a high bar for Heartstopper to meet. To say that it over-qualifies is an understatement.
In this movie, we begin with the obvious necessities in horror, the threat of extreme danger in the form of an inmate who has killed quote; "A gazillion" people. It's fairly obvious by the casting of Robert Englund as the sheriff in charge of his execution, the danger is going to be more extreme than we might be ready for. There is a man who we normally fear in charge now, and we feel safe. Seeing the killer, Chambers, in the electric chair is an early satisfaction that this movie will make up for in short time.
Next, the character development happens so rapidly, we are almost rooting for the villain for a while. But surely as we get to the scene where the killer's power is revealed, we soon understand that his obsession for human hearts is more than a superficiality or gimmick, it's his superpower. But more than that, it's a metaphor for the wrath of the epitomized sin of humanity, exhibited in the killer's own admittance of motivation, as well as his supposed hidden motive of self-disgust.
The camera stays active, although trapped in the halls of an old insane asylum for the duration of the film. But it seems like most of the camera work is done off-screen, where our imaginations are oft lead to go astray in confused assumptive attempts to make sense of what literally seems like at first to be hell on earth.
The characters who seem weak, are the ones left at the end, and by now they are strengthened to their maximum giving the heartfelt acting towards the end an extra charge of imminent importance in the wake of the extra-excessive gore effects used in absence of a substantial need for an exaggerated plot. It's simple, it works, and it's scary.
As for that old scare factor, though, less attention is put on it than normal for this type of fare. Most of the times that I jumped out of my seat were actually from just the raising tension when I was suspending myself in midair ready to shout "NO! DON'T GO AROUND THAT CORNER!" Thankfully this was a DVD release, and I wasn't blocking anybody's view behind me in a theater.
Get your budget dollars ready next time you visit the DVD store. Looking for a showstopper? Get Heartstopper. Your guaranteed to miss at least a beat.
"Well, most would call it the stuff of nightmares, I'm afraid."
Heartstopper (2006) 10/10
Shao Lin san shi liu fang (1978)
The 36 Chambers
SHAO LIN SAN SHI LIU FANG (Master Killer) Director: Chia-Liang Liu Writer: Kuang Ni "For one's country, one takes risk." Here in America, the people walk through their daily lives as if mandatory cogs in the wheel of social and economic progression. We take risks, if necessary, but otherwise lead completely safe lives under the wing of democracy and police surveillance. A lot is taken for granted, and not all of us ever would have stepped into the World Trade Center as it crumbled to the Earth, but the donations were all left with neat and tidy care packages as the firemen walked around in a glass haze of destruction. There is not much that America holds onto as far as risks.
China, has always been a mainstay of American idolism, with the aspects of Kung-Fu, science, and Buddhism that trickle in across the oceans that separate us. Needless to say, there are many sharp contrasts between our cultures even in today's modern age. For one, the Chinese adhere to Communism, whereas our government only takes advantage of the loopholes to create an illusion of Republic.
"I should have learned kung fu, instead of ethics. If I could fight, I could've stopped them!" Kung-Fu, another mainstay of cinematic culture in America had its beginnings in the ancient days of Buddhism, when teachers at select schools of thought allowed their students to take up boxing. It began as Karate, and quickly evolved to contain a more fluid motion and movement in fighting style. Buddhists were not allowed to actually hurt other people, so the reason for their training remained mysterious until the Wu-Tang or Southern revolution that caused the burning of the main temple in Shaolin.
Master Killer, or "The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin", is based on the legends that stirred around after the Southern farming lands of China reclaimed their unity across China. The ideas that were based in Shaolin at the time were based on a 35 Chamber training session that culminated in a mastering of physical movement to ultimately understand all of the major forms of fighting that could be used in battle. As we see in the film, this was not at all constrained to the average stuff that is taught today at modern Kung-Fu schools in America. In fact, many of their practices would be made illegal if introduced these days in America.
Gordon Liu, by far one of the most underlooked and best Kung-Fu actors in the business shines like a star in this film. From the opening credits' grunting display of superior Kung-Fu, to the humbleness of his approach to the temple, we see a young man struggling against the oppression of China's police state known as Manchu. This was the idea of the film, no doubt, to show that even a young apprentice with limited expertise could ideally become one of the grand masters in a trade. Nonetheless, the end sequence is so moving that we feel as though the American "Rocky" series owes more to it than anything ever done in American boxing.
This is the greatest training film ever made, surpassing anything I've ever seen in the way of showing how a young man can be transformed over time to an archetypical master of trade. Martial arts films were at one time real, as this demonstrates for us, and not whimsical art-fests of CGI graphics. The results are stunning, amazing, awestriking, and worth the time of every view. The direction is superb, and the writing is hard-hitting to the point of sublime reaction.
"After all, those who are in charge must be very humble" MASTER KILLER (1978): 10/10 Actors: Chia Hui Liu, Lieh Lo, Chia Yung Liu, Norman Chu, Yang Yu Producer: Mona Fong, Run Run Shaw, Chia-Hsi Huang Cinematographer: Huang Yeh-Tai Music: Yung-Yu Chen Editor: Hing Lung Gueng, Yen Hae Li
Severance (2006)
Severe Scares Inspired by Kubrick
Severance (2006) Directed by: Christopher Smith Produced by: Steve Christian, Michael Kuhn Written by: James Moran, Christopher Smith Cinematography: Ed Wild Editing: Stuart Gazzard Soundtrack: Christian Henson Actors: Toby Stephens, Claudie Blakley, Andy Nyman, Babou Ceesay, Tim McInnerney
"Foursome?"
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, meet Christopher Smith. Christopher Smith, meet Stanley Kubrick. Stanley Kubrick, meet the B-Movie horror genre. B-Movies, let's introduce you to the new millennium. When Saw came out, I wasn't the least bit surprised that the industry of horror films had struck so low a point as to take the gore/special effects sequences of our favorite classic slasher flicks and throw them together and call them the film's "gimmick". It was definitely American B-Movies that inspired the latest craze in film-making to be splurges of blood-drenched scenes, and it is certainly not overlooked by critics such as myself who have actually taken the time to enjoy the cult-cinema of the 60's, through really the 80's, when lower budget constraints lead to more buckets of paint rather than a stronger selection of screen writing. However, while in the "old days", when a B-Movie was billed next to an A-Movie and a short, in today's world, most of the B-Movies that are released are given short runs in select theaters before going directly to video. These are the cherished winners, the shining light on the film schools of America that had done during the 90's an incredible amount of output of marginally disposable horror films. Scream Trilogy, anyone? Interestingly, the new era of film-making is doing a fantastic job mimicking the ways of the older cinema/nickelodeon. The direct-to-video horror genre propelled by horror festivals and the pressures some of these young directors must feel from student loans has lead to quite a surplus of incredibly grotesque underground movies. Severance is now the one, though. The film by Christopher Smith borrows heavily on the Saw premise of nonstop surprises and successfully takes it a step further out into the realm of, yes that's right I'm drawing a parallel to classics with this thrilling piece of entertainment, Stanley Kubrick. I think Mr. Smith would be proud of that distinction, but he earned it, and if Kubrick was still alive I think he'd get a kick out of this. The plot is far from vague, and for this reason we find ourselves literally engrossed in the action throughout the film. By keeping up with the times while putting a hand right on the pressure of changing world political systems, the film plays right onto our daily phobias and paranoias. It stars a group of weapons manufacturers from Great Britain. They work for a global conglomerate responsible for supplying guns and ammunition to (of course,) armed forces, national security, as well as terrorists. But as we all know, one of those three bears is sure to bite the hand that feeds it. However, while the group is out on a team-building resort getaway in Romania, the question is simple: "How well does a group of weapons specialists fare when their weapons are stripped and they are left completely abandoned in the middle of nowhere?" It might not sound spooky yet, and believe me, they don't have much to be scared of in the real world, so don't expect them to act like the Sorority Girl Massacre girls that we're so used to in even big-budget horrorfilms of today. They seem, especially at first, fairly impervious to fright or even the creepiness of the vacant, run down, low-ceiling and bug-infested house they land themselves in. As an audience, though, we can tell the trouble is brewing just by the dramatic and excellent soundtrack. The guy in the woods with the briefcase may be a big hint as well, but as that the movie plays it safe with the supplemental humor shots, we are constantly brought further into the movie's suspenseful clamber until by the end we are gasping for breath. The horror movie genre is still running strong, but a sidestep from the normal zombie-fare is currently especially juicy, so grab a bag of popcorn and dim the lights, but don't pop the mushroom bag open like poor Steve. No, we don't you to actually survive this movie. And we won't pay your severance.
10/10
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare On Elm Street
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
"I'm gonna kill you slow
"
In the event of my death, please cease all life support systems that may be even biologically or genetically in place.
Why?
"This
Is God!"
I was young when I first saw Freddy in a dream, probably in my early teenage years. He was sitting in a greenish-yellow hued, dark room with nothing aside from a disappearing window that bleakly shown the light of a black moon through a white sky.
Have I gone crazy since the night of that particular dream? Definitely.
Have I recovered and became readjusted to the side of dreams that are more lucid and easier to mentally digest? Yes and no. It was in reality one of many nightmares that I had in my youth that I could not control, so it will always be my self-employed job to control myself during sleep.
Am I still concerned that the dream may reoccur? Indefinitely. A quote, not from the original Nightmare on Elm Street, that I'll use here, is the one sentence spoke by the monster of my own unconscious creation, after a long night of staring dreadfully at the shrouded face of Freddy Kreuger. At the end of the dream he merely said this before hopping out the window.
"I'll be back"
A year before I was born, the masterwork of infamous director Wes Craven was released worldwide. It was unquestionably the most original work of horror in history.
"
Count myself a king of infinite space
"
The lucidity of the dreamer's is questionable. Is Freddy in charge of the dreams, or is he merely an invasive force that beckons them deeper into lucidity? It becomes apparent that the fearlessness of the heroes is partially an effect of the dreams, as we become acquainted with the characters whose fears of sleep become dangerously unhealthy. It's only when they fall asleep that their irrefutable anxiety becomes pure angst that lashes out at the filmviewer's conscience.
Scream "Stop!" Scream "Don't go down the stairs!" "Don't fall asleep!"
But they will. They are superheroes within the dreams that they are victims of having.
This brings to mind all of the intricacies of dreaming and the completely repellent hoax of rapid eye movement. The mind's eye is working, in our dreams, this is for sure
The eyelids which quiver beneath the pillow's lulling are more likely merely a lullaby to the soul.
I have never seen a movie that has been more overlooked as well as underlooked in it's effect on popular culture. Either your looking at it as the greatest film of all time, for the wrong reasons
Or your looking at it as another campy 80's concept flick
For again, the wrong reasons.
In truth, this is one of the top ten films of all time. It preys on self-esteems of everyone that can watch it from beginning to end in one sitting. I watched it myself, for about the fifth time before writing this review. I was still jumping out of the chair at certain points. I am not someone who scares easily, especially from movies.
So why is a movie that is so difficult to understand worthy of such praise? It's not how you watch it, why you watch it, where or when, or even who
watches it. It's what your watching. It's the same every time, and it will always be funny, as well as scary. But I've heard that laughter is the sincerest form of insanity known to exist within the physical spectrum of emotion.
Fear the night, but if you do
Don't forget who's watching behind the other sides of your eyes.
Goodnight, folks
til next time
"Whatever you do
Don't fall asleep"
By the way
his glove is missing from the face of the planet. Wonder if I still got it? I definitely have the hat to match
A Nightmare On Elm Street 10/10
Headspace (2005)
Your eyes are bleeding...
HeadSpace There is always a certain urge, controllable, yet always persistent in everyday thoughts that deviates from the norm, sets itself at a distance and realizes the ridiculousness of common event. The urge, it takes it's shape as a distortion, an unrealistic fascination that changes our perception of a constant moment. This quandary of the human mind is a focus of the horror genre.
It takes a lot of guts, so to say, to step into the horror genre, but not a lot of wit. Anyone is capable of tricking someone else, easy to pop out behind a closed door, simple even to cue the wolf's howl on a dark moonlit night. The movies, then, that truly stand out in horror, are those that not only stay on a well-founded formula, but continue the internal analytic deviation in the voyeur's eyes by stretching the limits of what is believable.
Then, there are the movies, such as Houten's HeadSpace, starring Christopher Denham, that go and above and beyond the dilemma of how to make a monster unbelievably horrific, but to make the story real, to take back that previously forsaken realm of storytelling. Without abandoning the human emotions of empathy, sympathy, and character attachment, HeadSpace delivers a full force horror entourage. The most actually interesting thing about the story, aside from the numerous sub-plots, is that the story on paper, might even sound believable for a moment. The only thing bringing us away from the dangerous precipice of the "normal" belief suspension commonly used in film, is that it is indeed, only a movie.
The story follows Alex, a mid-20's inner city male. The striking yet correlated traits of confused innocence, uncouth arrogance, selfless helplessness, stand out amongst the youthful characters he surrounds himself with. He is a homesitter, and artist, who collects unemployment, and drinks himself silly some nights, while still maintaining certain hidden truths about his life and future. The trouble begins one day while playing chess in the park, but by the time the story ends, we're taken into a world where we are all just pawns to a game of life and death played in realms we do not belong.
My advice for approaching this film, is to pay attention to nuance. The dialogue is phenomenal for character development, the most crucial part of a horror/slasher film, and the plot that intertwines religion with metaphysics and science, is genius, but don't forget to watch everything else. The score is great, although not the best, and the cinematography is simple and effective.
"Checkmate." 10/10
Æon Flux (2005)
Unrecognized Catalyst
Aeon Flux (2005) Cloning in films may not be an original concept, in fact, there have been many films in recent years with an underlying motivation of warning the dangers of cloning. In this way, the feature film Aeon Flux may appear to be filling the tracks where the others left off. But to not give Aeon Flux credit for innovation would be hypocritical, when even graphically it breaks ground while many blockbuster-made films only scratch the surface.
My best advice for seeing this movie, is to not go into it expecting anything. Although it may be a bit rhetorical to say, it deserves attention in particular with this film which on first glance is another Matrix makeover with a plot based on the cult television show of the same name. If you can get past the fact that this movie's main agenda is to be original in all aspects, the film can be unwound and the beautiful elegance of the scenery becomes a backdrop for one of the most fascinating stories told in the 21st century.
The plot is as complicated as one would hope for in the futuristic science fiction genre, and then some. The idea that formed in the creator of the television series remains intact through the translation from animation to live action. It's as if your watching a cartoon made of flesh, and instead of gimicky effects, we are refreshed with a continuing line-up of some of the most spectacular landscapes that ever graced the silver screen.
This movie is a must see, one of the most under-rated films ever, and was definitely a catalyst for the new wave of science fiction, CGI-enhanced films that are poised to sweep the nation in future years. Where the world thought on it's initial release that it was only a retread on the same graphically enhanced superaction, on closer inspection; here is finally a movie that can never be cloned.
10/10
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Borat: Not Boring At All...
BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF America FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
Director: Larry Charles Writer: Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines, Todd Phillips, Dan Mazer
"Although Kazakhstan a glorious country, it have a problem, too: economic, social, and Jew."
Sacha Baron Cohen, the man we all know and recognize as the simple-minded yet intense Ali G, is treading water. He's not going anywhere, and doesn't seem to be gasping for breath either. Maybe it's nothing new, and Tom Green may be owed some dues, but he's still freakishly good at getting the laughing stock award of the year. Jackass? Johnny Knoxville? Make room for Borat, because if you don't, he may make sexy time with you without you even being aware.
As an actual, living, breathing, walking around type of person, Sacha Baron Cohen is probably sure to surprise you as evidenced in his out of character interviews. He graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in history before entering the world of comedic performance. His show "Da Ali G Show" on HBO was a cult hit in post 9/11 America, where he imitates a hip hop style interviewer in an effort to intimidate experts in many social and political fields. His Hebrew is pretty good too, despite what the film Borat would lead you to believe about his opinions.
The film Borat is the story of a young ambassador from an Eastern European country in the United States. It follows his path along from New York City to Hollywood, and all the pitfalls along the way. It is an extremely edgy mockumentary that hearkens comparisons to many films of coming to age in America, but without the sappy side stories, excluding Borat's obsession with Pamela Anderson which fuels his journey across the country, by way of a Baywatch magazine and eventually as an unwitting saboteur in the form of a DVD. It is a story that makes little sense, but brings attention to many stereotypes we take so easily for granted when living here in the U.S.A.
"What's up with it, Vanilla face? Me and my homie Azamat just parked our slab outside. We're looking for somewhere to post up our Black asses for the night. So, uh, bang bang, skeet skeet, nigga. Just a couple of pimps, no hos."
Borat and his manager of sorts, a chicken, and a bear are all that we get for main characters. But the amount of laughs more than make up for any shortcomings that one might foresee. Much of the humor is very dry yet jolting. You will probably actually find yourself wondering how a man could be so under cultured, and totally lose track of the fact that this is indeed a comedic character portrayal, and not a real human being sent from Kazakhstan to learn the ways of American life.
The best scenes are back-to-back, and the wheels keep rolling, even while our eyes are. His inept fear of Jews and Gypsies alike, are fairly unsettling, but his reactions are so outrageous that we can almost overlook the prejudice inherent in much of his "foriegn" viewpoints. My personal favorite scene is towards the end at a Church where Borat finds himself stumbling in to be redeemed and saved by an overzealous evangelist. But everyone will more than likely have their own moments of complete comedic satisfaction while being entertained by this film.
The acting by Cohen is phenomenal, as stated before we can easily subdue our objective view and find ourselves as lost as he is in not only the plot but dialog of the film. The dialog is undoubtedly the stronger point of the picture, even amidst the tom-foolery of an overgrown man with a child's heart.
Borat actually caught a big bit of flak from the actual government of Kazakhstan when he toured the States for interviews in character as Borat. On the white house lawn, Cohen threw an impromptu press conference touting the downfalls of the Kazakhstan government, which they retaliated to with a spread in The New York Times that intended to shoot down statements made by Sacha. However, despite these factors Borat managed to break records at the box-office.
Consider yourself lucky to be part of a time when mockumentary film making is at such a high standard of success. Borat is definitely one of the more refined and professional attempts in the genre, and an unmissable contribution to comedy.
"May George Bush drink the blood of every man, woman, and child in Iraq!"
Actors: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Luenell
Producer: Monica Levinson, Dan Mazer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jay Roach Cinematographer: Luke Geissbuhler, Anthony Hardwick Music: Erran Baron Cohen Editor: Craig Alpert, Peter Teschner, James Thomas
Borat (2006) 10/10
Kyûketsuki hantâ D (1985)
Vampire Hunter D Gets An 'A'
BANPAIA HANTA D (Vampire Hunter D)
Director: Toyoo Ashida, Carl Macek Writer: Hideyuki Kikuchi, Yasushi Hirano, Tom Wyner
"You and your kind do not belong among the living. You are nothing but visitors from the past, shadows from the world of darkness."
Japanese animation comes in whirlwinds of both creativity hand-in-hand with quirks, and naive science fiction fares. The characters are often disjointed and one-dimensional, and supposedly comical, yet by American standards, very mundane. Yet the creative side of the art remains to be surpassed even by the 'great' CGI era. Sticking to the old techniques of hand-drawn as opposed to computer-generated, Anime reflects on the human spirit more than anything else, which is surprising in the midst of so many far-fetched scenarios brought forth in the genre. It is fiction, we suppose, as we sit down in our seats with a bucket of popcorn and maybe some Twizzlers or soda, but as we delve into the storyline it can also be aggravating to watch so many grandiose scenes of mayhem meshed in with as many blatantly stupid and over-the-top characters.
Do people really laugh every time a stupid cat is shaken out of a tree by quasi-martial art ninja on screen? Is it really funny to see some teenage girl get her skirt blown up by a sudden gust of wind? These types of moments plague the stories of many an Anime feature, as well as frustrate the h*** out of yours truly. This is why this may be one of the few features worthwhile for any moviegoer. Skip the bulls***, give me action, blades, and bloody slaughter, I say. Color it red and black, put a sticker on it, and I'll buy it and enjoy it as much as I can.
Be forewarned: "Vampire Hunter D" is NOT for the faint of heart. Nudity is prevalent, blood is spilled by the bucket-load, and the gore is beautifully choreographed so as to astonish yet captivate any viewer. Even the first scene is sure to mind-boggle.
The real strength of the Anime is the animation, as previously stated. "Vampire Hunter D" will not disappoint in this aspect. Surely, we won't see much in the dark, but when the finale begins, and the light finally shines along the hills that D has traveled throughout the film, it is no less than inspiring. Left with afterthoughts of how great this film would be if it were all drawn in such vibrant color, we are easily mislead at the end to fantastic wishes. This is a vampire flick, though, and it just doesn't seem right to have such ideas floating around. Beautiful, because of its double-edged art and yet gnawing loss of concentration towards the end, the film is certainly one of the finer moments in animation history. But how great can it be for a whole hour to watch blood get splashed around, even "hand-drawn", and then have the whole thing cascade when we see how really talented the artists were at the end?
Well, it's rewards are well worth the watch. The snake-women are guaranteed to send shivers down the spine of even the more avid horror-freaks who view the film for the first time. Also, the fact that this is an animation really alleviates the need for real scares, which to be perfectly honest, never quite worked for the vampire sub-genre. Instead, we are given the truest depiction of the vampire subculture, complete with the werewolves, monsters, demons, and terminology that should be in any great vampire cinema.
The main vampire, Count Magnus Lee, is one of the more colorful characters in the film. His subtle impatience mixed with superiorly crafted monologues are a point of reference through the chaos that warps the short-lengthened movie. He was actually named after Count Dracula's most played actor, Christopher Lee, and of course the similarities are in focus throughout the film. Dracula, doesn't got s*** on this guy though.
D, the hero/anti-hero of the film is truly one of the more great characters I've ever seen in cinema, ever. The less-is-more approach is conducive to the atmosphere, as well as mentally arousing to allow the punctures of every pair of teeth to seethe and cut through the viewer's own skin.
As over-glorified the Anime genre became in the late 90's, this classic of the mid 80's remains one of the finest pieces of cinema never viewed by the common public. Hats off to the creators and artists that worked on this piece, I wish they had done more.
"I've lived for almost ten thousand years. Believe me you have no idea what that means: boredom. Everlasting and hideous boredom. A never ending search for ways to pass the time..."
VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985): 10/10
Actors: Kaneto Shiozawa, Michael McConnohie, Barbara Goodson
Art Direction: Toyoo Ashida Music: Tetsuyo Komuro Producer: Shigeo Maruyama, Yutaka Takahashi, Carl Macek, Hiroshi Kato, Mitsuhisa Koeda
Stand by Me (1986)
Stand By Me
Director: Rob Reiner Writer: Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans, Stephen King
"F*** writing, I don't want to be a writer. It's stupid, it's a stupid waste of time."
F*** writing? Wait, F*CK writing? Wow, such an explicit statement for such a young UN-prodigal son to make. It's a surprise that his tongue isn't full with suds and bubbles, isn't it?
Well, Stephen King's outlook on writing may be a little over the top, but at least he shades in the areas of self-criticism. I couldn't put down "The Stand", when I first opened it at age 15. "The Green Mile" serial was also a mainstay in my young paws. But other brands of King have always eluded my attention span. I never got into his shorts, because I was forever caught in the glare of the unworthy mentions such as "It" and "Thinner," amongst other total page flopper's.
However, the cast and crew of the turning-of-age film "Stand By Me" must have been just caught in the time-period and all of it's everlasting glory. It's hard to believe that this movie was made in the depths of the 1980's, when throw-back moments may have been high, but more high on cocaine than on the plateau of self-awareness as portrayed in this milestone of modern film-making.
You could cry at this movie, and with it, but never figure out why. Thirty laughs practiced for young Corey Feldman, and you wonder why. You'll wonder why, and you'll never figure out who it is that River Phoenix character will remind you of from your own life. But you'll pine out of the miseries that you've experienced, for at least two solid hours, those moments you've left in the distant past, yet so close to your heart.
A strange thing, even the young actors of the piece seem to be left-overs from a better, more innocent, and golden era when rock and roll was skittish, time moved so slow it appeared to whiz by at the bat of an eye. You can almost see the horseflies try to land on the camera lens, and in some of the more poignant parts of the film, you almost wish you could see the director's wastebasket filled with Kleenex.
Sure, it's an oldie but goo-die, but when the oldies are blaring from your television speakers, no DVD does it better for the amount of nostalgia offered here. I've seen this movie about 20 times, and it simply doesn't get old enough, to make it any easier to stand by and watch the children that we wish we knew and had as friends, wander through life whimsically yet in an education of the mind body and soul. Your heart may thump through their escapades along the train tracks of life, but you won't forget for a second that this is when and where life should have stayed.
Guns, cigarettes, booze, dead people, life-threatening situations and suspense, and yet all we are doing is watching a future journalist sling around with his cheerful crew of buddies. Nothing better to do in the summertime, no better lie to make to escape the harsh realities of post-war America and it's constant discrimination and powerful discontent that ran like a leaky water faucet through the seventies.
Rob Reiner, hats off, good man. You've created the masterpiece that should be required watching for all middle-grade schoolers of the world. Turn the thinking off, and enjoy one classic that will never be forgotten.
"Look, you guys can go around if you want to. I'm crossing here. And while you guys are dragging your candy asses across the state and back, I'll be waiting for you on the other side relaxing with my thoughts."
STAND BY ME (1986) 10/10
Actors: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Conner, Kiefer Sutherland
Cinematographer: Thomas Del Ruth Music: Jack Nitzsche Editor: Robert Leighton
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
The 40 Year Old Virgin
40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN "Really? All your girlfriends wanted to have sex with virgins too? That's funny... I didn't even know you g-girls talked like that. I think my first time might be your best time too. Well I knew it, you know what? I knew that you'd react that way and I knew that you would want to lead me through my first sexual encounter will all the compassion and care that someone would give to their soul-mate." There are so many films about romance. Too many. With titles floating around every year that just make the mark harder to reach for the next batch, where will we be in 15 years? Hopefully, some of the better writer's will always find the new humor, without resorting to current trendiness and eventually retread on the field of romantic film. Romeo and Juliet deserves a better remake? Bah, let the kids take it as they got it, I say. No need to follow the script to a 't', anymore. Too much is on the line with American media for it to admit it, but romantic comedies are so easy that it's actually harder to get attention at the box office.
The 90's were a prime example of the "way too much of a good thing" theory. We all need that moment in the theater with a spouse or loved one around one arm, with one in a popcorn bucket. The balance is good. But the quantity of these movies released seems a bit brash. The point is, since "There's Something About Mary", we've all been waiting for the next troupe of filmmakers to fill the Fareley Brothers shoes.
"You know what my problem is? I am not interesting. What am I supposed to say I went to magic camp? That I'm an accomplished ventriloquist? Oh, I am the 7th degree imperial yo-yo master." No wonder, then, that it took a mockumentary specialist of the likes of Steve Carell to bring the life back to the perpetual stream of love-shmuckery in modern cinema. Carell, fresh of his stint on "The Daily Show", co-wrote "40 Year Old Virgin" with "Anchorman" director, Judd Apatow (which Steve also starred in.) Carell, himself has a charisma that allows first name approach to even the most unacquainted viewer. Shortly after "40 Year Old", Carell went on to command the reigns of popular TV show "The Office", playing in a similar business-type setting as the one in "Virgin." It is also probably of no surprise that the film "Virgin" contains some of it's most brilliant mockeries of culture in segments that totally exclude opposite gender reactionary stunts. For example, the poker scene near the beginning of the film should be listed, in my personal opinion, as one of the most funny scenes in film-making history. In it, we see five well-ab-led men in their middle ages (late 20's to late 30's) make total asses of themselves for each other around a table of gambles. As the Arabic fellow leaves the scene, we get a real taste of how down-right grungy the characters will be in the movie. How fitting, once again, that a film of such improportionate standards takes on cultural symbology and does a total script-flip on the idea of stereotypes, right? It doesn't do much good to really explore the depths of the film, without viewing it for yourself. "40 Year Old Virgin", is certainly one of those few movies that you need to be there to get the humor. Yet, nonetheless, the film remains attractive and utmost hilarious during just about every segment that it rustles out of it's pockets like a forlorn drunk scrambling to pay up his tab after an unsuccessful night at the bar.
The lengths that the actors went to for the sake of comedy are, as such, mostly unscripted and spontaneously set up to explode on impact. Steve Carell even went in for a real chest hair removal job without special effects, for the film. Now where else are you going to get that realness? Objectively, the film demands attention. Subjectively? forget it. I just hope guys who go and see this flick have already gotten their share of play with the female gender. Feelings will get hurt, quite easily, otherwise.
"Do you ever notice how... like, in a relationship... one person's always like 'blah blah blah blah' and the other person's like 'What are you talking about?' and one person's like 'blah blah blalablah...'" 10/10
Waking Life (2001)
Waking Life
"Super perfundo on the early eve of your day."
We get what we want out of most movies; we get good guys and bad guys, lines of dialogue that make us think, romantic playfulness, maybe some laughs and/or tears, and we walk away feeling as though we have experienced some sides of life that we wish that we had more time to explore in our own. We also, of course get some stuff that we don't want, like bad acting that distracts us, overwrought plots that deceive us, characters that we think we could either have gone without or wish that we could take home with us. Nonetheless, movies are our escape and as much as we dislike admission that we see a lot (maybe too many), sometimes it's exactly what we need.
So, with that being said about the art of drama, we can now also look at the other side of film-making. The documentary has been another element in film, that has existed since the invention of the camera. The early part of the 20th century, for example was filled with propaganda pieces as well as informational and exploratory films. Fact, as opposed to fiction, has the mirror effect of education in the movie-making business. Here, we see that although a broad brush has painted film as an escape, another canvas has exposed a return to reality. Important to note, of course, is that there aren't a substantial amount of documentaries that attempt to encompass the entirety of human existence. Documentaries, instead, tend to focus on a particular area of study, compiling both facts and opinions that are intended to give us glimpses of those parts of life that we can be unconsciously overlooking in our daily routines.
In not only providing the audience with entertainment in realistic ways, but letting the same audience come to points of interest at their own pace and retain their abilities of judgment and thought, you might wonder how much of an escape is actually being given to people in need of such. Especially in a time of world disaster, poverty, repression, and terrorism, you might expect that we'd be seeing the better part of ourselves wanting to forget, to regret mistakes, to live in an alternate dimension of purity in wholesome rehabilitation.
However, we have gotten somewhat of a different reaction from a variety of places.
"It's up to each and every one of us to turn loose of just some of the greed, the hatred, the envy, and yes, the insecurities, because that is the central mode of control, make us feel pathetic, small, so we'll willingly give up our sovereignty, our liberty, our destiny."
"Waking Life", points out that there is no need to seek truth, when subjectivity will ultimately confuse our relations. It takes a seldom traveled path, where we accept that we will meet people whose ideas may have evidence but whom we will never be able to share even what amounts to a single shared experience in life. It's not because they don't intrigue us, or that the concepts they speak about don't ring bells. Only because we have the understanding that life is temporal do we learn to move on.
Through the idea that we have the ability to lucid dream in a state of unconsciousness, we can learn without processing thoughts or having recognition of natural instinct and rely on intuition alone. Often we have dreams with themes, some so progressed that they will reappear. This film exhibits the message that as a consequence of us contrasting existence with existentialist thought, it will undoubtedly result with conflicting viewpoints, in the way it was translated onto video, alone. Taken from an actual film crew with camera equipment, and then given to the hands of enhanced creative animation illustrators. The improvised yet informed and intellectual conversations become rhythmic with personal impressions whose sole works are our personal complexities inherited through time itself. However, we never lose sight of the fact that pedestrians exist if only as members of an eternal connection who can perceive the emotion.
It is with this film that instead of unwarranted commitment and loyalty we are assisted with the inward reflection of values, and learn the virtuous curiosity which accompanies the purpose of change through life, and ultimately the afterlife. We learn that the quest is what with as complete authenticity as the dream of life, under the constant conditions of time and truth, personifies the undefined belief system. There have been multiple instances of generation, yet the eternal beginning is enough that we have experience of the essence of life long before we even have science or reference.
This is the interpretation that I choose, that many critics have overlooked. I propose that the theme of this movie is more about birth than death. "Waking Life", although based on the extremity of uncertainties, is in my eye, less than guaranteeing the prophecy of the end to our human spirit. It isn't even guessing that you'll die without knowing the grandness of our universe. It is quite simply telling you that you'll always be positive of your soul's origin, everything that will happen to you is a prescription of morality, with decreasing potency as distance increases, until the inevitably and infinitely mysterious unforeseeable end of action. The film, in my opinion, implies that we are witnessing the poetic birth of a soul into the sphere of life.
All in all, Linklater has broken the mold of film production. His reminiscent air of nostalgia for the loss of time as golden as spent, does justice to the robbers of the human spirit, as the emotional outlook that captures us all when we look into the eyes of a photo album and feel the burden of a succession of guilt over the advancement of dreams.
"Dream is destiny."
"Waking Life" (2001) 10/10
Lost Highway (1997)
Lost Highway
"In the East, the Far East, when a person is sentenced to death, they're sent to a place where they can't escape, never knowing when an executioner will step up behind them and fire a bullet into the back of their head. It could be days, weeks, or even years after the death sentence has been pronounced. This uncertainty adds an exquisite element of torture to the situation, don't you think? It's been a pleasure talking to you."
"The Elephant Man" was the first David Lynch movie that I saw, introduced to me by my dear old grandmother around the age of 10. I, at that young of an age, had never been as deeply moved by a movie yet in my life. As the years went by, it came to pass that I forgot all about it, and my next Lynch film was much later in the form of "Mulholland Drive", a film that was a success in the field of critics at the time. I was wary of the fact, after researching a little bit about David Lynch, that my grandmother had done something astounding in my movie-going experience. She had introduced me into the avant-garde, experimental aspects of directing and writing, without having the slightest clue.
After a binge of renting and watching a mass of films that decidedly shaped my view of film-making, the power of surreal and imagination, I was home, at last, in the hands of the creative minds behind that substance that makes great cinema.
"Film to me is a magical medium that makes you dream... allows you to dream in the dark." -David Lynch
Transfixed on worlds that delve deeper than fiction and transcend our deepest fears and dreams, I found myself in the local video store one night, and some unexplained impulse drew me to a video that only sounded faintly familiar. I brought it home, but it was awfully late, and I ended up falling asleep before I even really caught a glimpse of what the movie was about. My dreams on the couch that night were exceptionally strange, and I remember (as fabricated as this sounds), images and feelings that could only be expressed as being lost in the desert along the side of a winding road.
The movie, was returned without being watched all the way through, but when I finally came back and gave it a second shot, David Lynch's "Lost Highway" was one of the most disturbing, dreamlike, and memorable movies that I'd ever seen. Scary at some points, to extents that I actually turned it off a couple of times to catch breathers.
The filming location of most of the inside scenes were actually inside a supposedly haunted hotel in Death Valley. One actor on the set, was actually convinced that his character in the film was the devil. The film defies summarization, except that it is built out of the most bizarre events that you could imagine. Murder, kidnap, possession, demons, stalkers, betrayal; to name only a few. Some people think that the plot is unnecessary, that this is a film version of what hell must be and feel like. For this reason, you can either love it or hate it. Either way, you'll feel as you would in fact feel if you were trapped in motion and lost at every turn.
The story begins with Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) and his wife Renee (Patricia Arquette), who seem to be struggling to keep their relationship afloat. Fred is a jazz saxophonist, and when he goes to a gig one night, we get the feeling that he is concerned that his wife, who stayed home alone, might be having an affair. Strange things are happening to them, including a door buzzer that when answered by Fred, seems to be answered by his own voice; "Dick Laurent is dead". They receive menacing video tapes on their doorstep, apparently made by a stalker who has found a way into their house. Fred relays to his wife, one night, a dream that he had that furthers the couple's paranoia. But it isn't until Fred goes to a party, where he meets a stranger with a telephone, that the plot begins to jump from mysterious to outright creepy. Dick Laurent is indeed dead, but why would Fred receive that message, if he never met the man?
Well, that's where we begin in "Lost Highway", and I could go on about the plot without spoiling the real secrets of the film. This is because, as stated earlier in the review, the story is certainly non-linear in the conventional sense. Enjoy the experience for yourself, though. But keep in mind, this film is definitely in the same vein as Lynch's other mind-warping movies such as "Mulholland Drive" and "Twin Peaks".
So buckle up, drink some coffee, and prepare to be taken on a ride that will permanently alter your notions about memory and the future, life and maybe afterlife.
"How I remembered them. Not necessarily the way they happened."
"Lost Highway" (1997) 10/10
Videodrome (1983)
Videodrome
"The television screen is the retina of the mind's eye. Therefore, the television screen is part of the physical structure of the brain. Therefore, whatever appears on the television screen emerges as raw experience for those who watch it. Therefore, television is reality, and reality is less than television."
David Cronenberg is one of the 20th century's few outstanding philosophers. As much so, even, as he is a social scientist. That his major statements and contemplations of reality are for the most part found only as horror films that depict apocalyptic scenarios has much to do with the state of both the external politics of his times, and the internal sins of mankind which have evolved with technology to become entertainment, is far from bewildering. A fire with fire approach as strong and prolific as Cronenberg's catalogue of classic cinema is surely a sign of our times, but more importantly a reminder that progress in modern society can still be made with individual expression.
His major philosophies can't be judged, they are utilized instead by fictional characters and stories that are meant to frighten while revitalize the faltering and flailing science-fiction genre. Asked to direct part of the famous "Star Wars" series, but declining, is just one of the more righteous moves made by anybody. His incompliance with popular culture is then evident in the slew of films that he would write during the 80's and 90's. Most of his warnings of polluting the body and mind are perfect symbols of censured values in the name of mass-marketing. His prophecy revolves around the idea of the human race replacing itself, without knowing it or seeing it coming.
"Long live the new flesh!"
We've all heard the phrase "sex sells". What is overlooked in this overused cliché of society, is that sex sells for a reason. Sex, as a mode of entertainment is a replacement for our own sins as humans. In fact, it is the most exact denial of our self-worth. Violence, too found in much of today's entertainment is a form of denying our own identification within the structure of the world. However, draw it out even further, and you'll see the grandiose picture of entertainment and art in general as an attempt, by humans, to pervert reality and escape our mortality. This trend that began with human language and evolved into writing, and recently cinema and video games, is without a doubt just as purpose-driven as religion.
Enter the world of "Videodrome". Basing it's characters in the pornographic industry, where morals are pretty low to begin with, "Videodrome" sidesteps the obviousness of my earlier explanation of the nature of man's unhealthy obsessions, and ups the ante. The plot of the movie, as it unfolds, is less about heartless snuff and television piracy, and more about the danger of media as a medium of corruption of the soul. It so seems so easily we forget the rumored Japanese television program that caused it's young viewers to seizure and collapse, the role-playing suicides/homicides, or even recent occurrence of comic strip riots. Even the pieces of media violence that we retain from history, are for the most part misunderstood by our elected officials and public. Shameful T.V. news anchors broadcast disgust, made-for-T.V. movies are made, politicians organize boycotts and censorship committees. But each time, the industry of commerce will just push the boundaries further.
Andy Warhol proclaimed "Videodrome" to be the "A Clockwork Orange" of the 1980's. Whether he was referring to the movie or book wasn't made clear. I personally, find myself when introducing "Videodrome" to friends, as a combination of "The Ring" and "The Matrix", with twice the horrifying effect of both together. The paradox of "Videodrome", is that while it is, itself, an extremely perverted concept, it never accepts that being a portrayal of deviant art is any more abstract than viewing the deviant artist at work. Sensibly, it constructs out of illusion, and destructs out of realization of powerlessness to it's own magnetization into the evil of reality.
John Woods plays the central character, a pornography channel's executive. We see him struggle to understand his marriage, to fulfill his need to expand his empire, to battle his conscience, to ultimately feel the sensation of love. Yet he never shows his inner self, and only through our own struggles with the same problems do we realize what he is going through.
Special effects are over-the-top, as well they should be. Metamorphosis of the physical body in this movie are probably representative of the distortion of television on the human psyche. "Videodrome", with all of it's philosophy and dissection of entertainment is a masterpiece. Calling into question not only our morality, but our judgment as well.
"You'll forgive me if I don't stay around to watch. I just can't cope with the freaky stuff."
"Videodrome" (1983) 10/10
The Way of the Gun (2000)
The Way Of The Gun
"I promise you a day of reckoning that you won't live long enough to never forget."
With a film like this, it's hard to not draw comparisons. As a modified, modernized western, as a Tarantino-esquire noir, as a follow up to "The Usual Suspects", or as a biting reflection on culture, anyway that you choose to look at it, a film like this so easy to allude the viewer yet still put in perspective gunplay before plot is deceivingly becoming a mainstay in screen writing. But before you are too quick to draw comparisons, remember that Christopher MacQuarrie did indeed brainstorm Kaiser Soze, and that his compadre Brian Singer only went on to direct a slew of run-of-the-mill comic book hero series. So MacQuarrie deserves a chance, the Hollywood producers thought to themselves. Little did they know, that MacQuarrie would so soon eclipse every major filmmaker to emerge in the 1990's with one film. Then, what would he do? Disappear, reminiscent of his aforementioned supervillain.
"My belief is that if you can't find an interesting way to say it, don't say it." -Christopher MacQuarrie
It has become common practice in the past to create an abundance of witty dialog and action scenes high on explosives. It has become so cliché, in fact, that it begs one to wonder whether the trailer for a film is the major reasoning behind the high blood pressure attempts in modern thrillers. I recently saw the preview for "The Way Of The Gun", and was pretty startled that despite the awkward moments of revealing scenes, none of the true taste of the movie had been easily transitioned to the montage. Proud, I am, that there exists movies like this that defy audiences, critics, and studios alike.
Maybe it's that the true moments of excitement during this cinematic experience were opposite of film-goer instinct. Rather than high-speed chases, overdone explosions, fake guns, and uncaring lines of dialog, we basically get all of the antonyms to these definitions. So, it's no surprise that critics have panned the film so bad. Nobody was ready for what MacQuarrie was to serve with his directorial debut, except the intellectual elite who were so starved that the release will forever be a true cult-classic and Top Ten list ingredient for those wishing to convey a deep understanding of screenplay. It must have been no coincidence that the sites of filming range from desert, hospital, mansion, to Mexican hotels. The first of the latter is rumored to be shot in a town whose Spanish translation is "get out if you can". More interesting than the obvious hidden message of the translation, is the comedic element that despite the amount of overexposure of most major studio productions, rumors with so much depth and weight still exist in America.
Take a stab at the plans of our two anti-heroes, played with precision by Benecio Del Toro and Ryan Phillppe, and you'll come up gasping for air without ever even stepping foot in the deep waters of the consequential turmoil that develops during the film. The idea is, kidnap a surrogate mother and hold her for ransom. But don't expect the operation to run smoothly. James Caan plays to perfection the bagman that is put on the case, and his "more is less" approach is reflected directly by Mr. Longbaugh, Benecio Del Toro. Nicky Katt and Taye Diggs are the pratfall-prone bodyguards who make it sort of their personal vendettas to retrieve back the woman they were supposed to be protecting in the first place. Juliet Lewis is probably the least touched by the situation, which runs counter to our instincts that she'd by nature be the most scared. So that's the setup, but to straight-forwardly approach this film would be the biggest mistake made by the viewer. Absolutely nothing is going to work in your advantage if you keep any expectations whatsoever.
The dialog is the most refreshing I've heard in an action film, as it breaks the norms of the average Bonnie and Clyde stereotypes, and builds itself in a world of it's own. The main comparison I personally would make between this film and any other would be the classic western "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid", from which the main characters take their (fake) names; Mr. Parker, and Mr. Longbaugh. As in that classic, we are confronted by personalities unafraid to degrade themselves, while still keeping perspective the gold, partially because they have left the path of the good and right a long time ago.
Watch it as many times as it demands, before judging the complexities that the plot offers. We have seen enough of the bland and uninspired, that this reversal overcharged with wit and power, should be worth the time and effort of repeat contemplation.
"It's not what you say anymore. It's how you say it."
"The Way Of The Gun" (2000) 10/10
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
In The Mouth Of Madness
"I think, therefore you are."
John Carpenter is a patron saint of the macabre. There's really been no arguing that statement since "Halloween", and after you get a taste of his Apocalypse Trilogy it will be engraved forever in your unconscious. At first consideration, a movie about a book seems like a retread and certainly ill-fated for the horror genre. Thankfully, Carpenter binds the idea like a hardcover classic, and shakes our preconceptions of the timeless film adaptation.
"Beware the hobby that eats." -Benjamin Franklin
Hobbies that become obsessions often alienate us from the rest of society. Yet, reading, although when we are young is almost a magical escape from reality, is more and more as we grow older and progress through schooling, simply about unanimous interpretation and less about anonymous opinion. We can all of course, hold our personal thoughts on an excerpt, but even the Bible itself has been analyzed to the point that most passages are agreed upon by the majority of experts as to their meanings. Before you read to much further into this review, try to empathize with the writer at this junction of expression. If a book has a theme, and the theme is powerful enough to capture the reader for a certain amount of time, wouldn't it be the author's integrity to attempt to change the reader's viewpoint after completion of a novel?
The question posed by "In The Mouth Of Madness", the third and last installment in Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy, is what would happen if a book contained a theme and underlying message so strong, that it not only changed the readers' lives, but their entire perception of reality? Some may credit Wes Craven for laying out groundwork for this startling look at popular culture in "New Nightmare", but the major difference for "In The Mouth Of Madness" is the seriousness of the subject. There are plenty of people that cite films as being big inspirations in their lives, but there is a much vaster populace that will directly relate themselves to a book, whether religious, fictional, or historic. What if these people were to read a different type of book, by an insane genius, and took the inspiration in a slightly different way? It is, after all, the most hands-on experience to be in control of your own imagination.
The story offered in the movie is very concept-driven. A world-renown novelist, Sutter Cane (played by Jurgen Prochnow, of "The Seventh Seal") disappears off of the face of the planet right before the publication of his proclaimed last book in a series that has stormed the country with fanatic rage. It becomes the job of Sam Neill as John Trent, an insurance investigator, to decide where Sutter Cane has holed himself up, and whether the whole fiasco is actually a publicity stunt. Julie Carmen as Linda Styles, Cane's editor, accompanies him in his search. Charlton Heston also has a cameo appearance as the executive of Cane's publishing company.
To get off on the right foot, Trent caves in and begins to read the Cane books. Immediately he realizes the potency of the writing and begins having nightmares. So when he convinces himself that the author has retreated to a town called "Hobb's End", located in New Hampshire, we can't help but wonder whether he is already losing his mind. Hobb, in ancient writing was a word used to refer to the devil, and the town with the namesake is not found on any modern map.
So Styles and Trent are in a sense signing away their souls. Hobb's End, as it turns out is one of the most memorably creepy towns in movie history. Sutter Cane is pretty easy to find, on the other hand, once they arrive. Too bad nobody packed a Bible, is all I can say. It turns out that Cane has already planned for their arrival, leading Trent to become the skeptist, and Styles to act more as a guide for the duo. Hobb's End is directly out of Cane's last novel, and it definitely adds to the atmosphere when Trent is being read directions from it, as if it were a travel guide.
Well, I've avoided spoiling many of the plot points and surprises in this film. This is one of the few horrors that I find myself watching again and again, without losing understanding of the original foreboding ambiance, or respect for the scenes where blood pressure raises. Loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft stories, and with a lot of homage paid to Stephen King and many of the campy B-movies that Carpenter grew up watching, this film is indeed chilling and thought-provoking.
"A reality is just what we tell each other it is."
"In The Mouth Of Madness" (1995) 10/10
C'era una volta il West (1968)
Once Upon A Time Is The Best
"My weapons might look simple to you, Mr. Morton, but they can still shoot holes big enough for our little problems."
Leone gets a budget that's proportional to his expertise, and now we want to complain about length. Shoot, the more the merrier, in my case. It could be speculated that Al Mulock would have postponed his unfortunate suicide for a chance to survive the first showdown. But at 164 minutes, this is hardly overkill.
"Get the costume! We need the costume!"
Dario Argento, one of my personal favorites, takes writing credit alongside the usual suspects; Bernardo Bertolucci and Sergio Leone. Call it the good, bad, and ugly of Italian screenwriters. Ennio Morriccone returns for the soundtrack, and once again composes a masterpiece. The cinematographer was the man who masterminded the spinning graveyard scene that enthralled us at the end of "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly", so expect this one to up the ante. The actors, though, is where the credibility of Leone's previous work is really evident. Henry Fonda plays a villain named Frank, need I say more? Well, yes I need, because that tasty, zesty widow is quite easily one of my top picks for hottest women to lead a role in a film, Claudia Cardinale. So hot, in fact, that I have to admit I didn't know whether to cheer or cry for her during the softcore sex scene. I mean, for real, John Landis of all people has credits in the film. As a stunt double.
Well enough credit-talk, let's get to the plot. If money is indeed the root of all evil, it must have been intentional that for once, after the "Fistful Of Dollars" series, that the green bill doesn't enter much into the scene of the film. These guys are just plain bad. Most of the fighting goes on over an empty, unwanted plot of land. Prospects can be almost as important as respect, the story seems to tell us. No, really. We see money only a handful of times in the duration of the film. It's probably used most effectively here, when it's refused. But as the body count rises, and rises, and rises, it reminds us that where there is a serious power struggle, emotions fly just as often as bullets. Revenge, it must be, yet we don't ever truly know why.
So, if we accept that Frank is indeed one of the toughest sons of a gun in film making history, which he is, then it only leads to reason that lone gunners won't stand a chance. Enter Jason Robarbs, and the resulting factor of breaking typecast will bring a smile to your face. It sure better. Because the heroic Harmonica, played by Charles Bronson, couldn't play a harmonica to save his life. But who is going to deny a protagonist who doesn't stop smiling while being tied to a train and smacked around by an angry, angry man with a gun.
In another turn of events, Leone finally writes a piece where the ending will leave you reeling back when you see who the final profiteer is. Well I suppose that's the way these types of triangles work.
If you don't like westerns in general, don't expect that this will change your mind that much. It probably will, anyway, because the epic proportions of the storyline are undeniable. But as usual in Sergio Leone's films, you might have no idea why there are so many people getting shot until about midway through the film. Remember, this is an intelligent western from an intelligent man. It's his prerogative to create something sort of like a good Italian spaghetti bowl; lots of long strands, that when twisted around each other just right, make for a delicious bite.
"He not only plays. He can shoot too."
"Once Upon A Time In The West" (1968) 10/10
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
The Best Temptation Is Usually The Last
"What's good for man isn't good for God!"
The film of the century for our more religiously inquisitive minds was directed by the same man who gave us "Goodfellas", one of the more powerful depictions of the corruption and downfall for the Italian-American family? What a surprise! Well, let's be honest first and foremost, since most of our religiously inquisitive minds are anything but, I'm not exactly from the same vein as most atheists claim to be. In fact, if I were, I'd be strongly attempting to create severe stigmata.
"Whosoever trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."
Oh boy, divine intervention can result in love, life, happiness, and crucification! Epilepsy and Tourrette Syndrome, as well, if you are one of those ministers that we all know and love so much. So the possibilities are really endless I guess, for Christians, and the film "The Last Temptation Of Christ" really, really proves it.
Whoever did the casting for this movie, must have been on a serious acid trip. David Bowie plays Pontius Pilate, and that's one of the more LOGICAL acting roles assigned. I have to say, though, that Willem Dafoe couldn't have been a better choice for Jesus Christ, but that's an opinion that a lot of "Boondock Saints" fans will find hard to believe. Harvey Keitel is Judas? Excuse me, but I really, really didn't even see it coming, even after I had already read the credits. By the end, I was sincerely proud of him, but for the first hour or so of the movie, he made me want to shoot my foot. I guess that it's no surprise that "Hershey Kisses" could be something of a metaphor, either, but where the hell was Barbara in, uhhh, the entire stretch from "Boxcar Bertha" to this movie? I guess "Hoosiers" must have really pushed the envelope forward... So with all of the obligatory E!-style ranting on actors aside, let's return to the things about this film that actually count. Paul Schrader and Martin Scorcese. Oh, good point, maybe the 100's of people that contributed to the Bible kind of matter in some way, too. Not in the way most conservatives would be interested in hearing about though. No, this film was based on NOVEL by an Italian named Nikos Kazantzakis.
My main point that I'd make with any first-time viewer of this film would be; prepare to be overwhelmed. Not only does this stray from the original doctrine, but it seriously agitates our predefined image of Christ. The portrayal of him here, is less than glorious. He first appears as a torchered sinner who's employment depends on the persecution of his fellow Jews. We are often put, throughout the film, into a state of confusion over his relationship to women. To top it all off, we actually don't even get a sense if he even dies at the end.
The most potent scene to me, was his escape to the desert, where he is tempted in many ways by sin. Of course temptation must have been flaunting around with him from the very beginning, where he admits to a Rabbi that he is a habitual liar and full of hatred in his heart. Where'd all that wine COME from anyway? Also, important to note are the scenes with John the Baptist, his exile from Nazareth, and his promise to "baptize with fire". The cinematography, by Michael Ballhaus is unbelievable as usual by him. There are scenes of exquisite beauty, as well as stunning visual testimonies of pain and hardship. The eventual sex scene between Mary and Jesus was done very tastefully, and at times you can find yourself lost in the ancient world despite the low budget cost for the film.
A couple of modern day miracles actually occurred during the making of the movie as well, and were allegedly totally unplanned by the producers. For example, the final scene where the camera shows Jesus on the cross, fades to white. Scorcese himself has adamantly told that this sequence happened by mere coincidence, and that the sun was just reflecting at a certain angle to create the effect. Also, interesting to mention, Willem Dafoe was temporarily blind for part of the shooting, for a three day period.
Cynics of the film aside, this was easily one of the most spiritual movies ever made. Unquestionably thought provoking, and at it's peak a startling unstereotypical biography of one of humankind's most revered and idolized characters. A story, that with the duality of sin and love combined to almost complete perfection, has rarely been told with such outstanding results.
"So Lazarus, how do you feel?"
"The Last Temptation Of Christ" (1988) 10/10
Pi (1998)
Pi
"When I was a little kid, my mother told me not to stare into the sun, so when I was six I did
"
So what "A Beautiful Mind" got Academy Awards? I don't trust collegiate societies anyway. Besides, even if it WAS based on a true story, Russel Crowe will never get my vote for acting. His method acting style really, really gives me the creeps. Well, then, where might my curiosity of the mathematics and sciences lead me? What's interesting about arduous code-breaking anyway? It must be Arronofsky's fault that I'm asking so many questions. I have a theory that if you receive an answer, it's kind of like potato chips, you can't stop grabbing for more. Speaking of chips, I'm still confused about his first movie. Either the ming mecca chip was responsible for the atrocities of man, or Max Cohen. Reminding me of the age-old question, what came first; the chicken or the egg?
Questions may seem arbitrary if you don't truly receive any tangible answers. But that doesn't stop physicists from quantifying electrons! And it definitely shouldn't stop your enjoyment of "Pi". From beginning to end. But the scratchy camera-work and ear-popping soundtrack may scare off the newbies, teenyboppers, and elderly. Well, I personally won't be missing them that much. I like my art the way I like sex, hard to get most of the time, and usually fulfilling for only half of us.
If rumors are true, this may be your one chance in cinema history to watch a real live brain be penetrated by a pencil tip. But, goodness gracious, that's not saying much after you see the finale! I have to say, there's been a lot more surprising endings to movies that I've seen, but I'm hard-pressed to think of one more appropriate.
"Eureka, I have found it!"
In all seriousness, "The Blair Witch Project" really did what no other film had done. Made millions with thousands. "Pi" was, too, on a shoestring budget. The similarities don't stop there. As mentioned before, the camera-work is really nerve-wracking. It's scary, and there are very few namebrand actors in the film. By the way, Marcy Dawson, the stock market recruiter, would be my own personal definition of witch. Not to be misleading, however, while the former had us lost deep in the woods
This movie is just DEEP.
Based on a concept that many major thinkers have always suspected and strived to decipher, "Pi" is not afraid to break boundaries of any type. The idea is repeated many, many times through the film, in the exact same consecutive phrases leading to the conclusion that there is a certain code in nature that if broken would lead to enlightenment. Well, alright, I take back what I said earlier about redundancy in code-breaking. Kind of. You see, Max Cohen is trying to find the big one. But he's not the only one. Count the badguys in this film and you'll be left wondering why he even bothers. You'd think that the answer to life itself would be more readily shared with the public in today's age of mass communication. On the contrary, we find that greed does indeed outdo a do-gooder.
Hidden deeper, though, the truth that Max Cohen may actually be the wrong guy to try is inevitable. After all, we had dudes in the past who claimed enlightenment. One was hung to death, one disappeared in a forest, and one, well, reportedly "prayer-dueled" himself to death. Look at the number of digits he seems to be so attached to. 216 = 6x6x_ . I'll let you fill in the blank. Use a calculator if you have to, I won't consider it cheating.
Despite the scratchiness, the camera lens never seems to do anything unnecessary. In fact, this may be the beginning of a new age of film-making and we never even knew it. Matthew Libatique and Darren Arronofsky (who also wrote the of course ingenious script) are claimed to have invented the technique of the "hip hop montage" in cinema. In which the score (brilliantly executed by Clint Mansell) guides the viewer through a series of moving frames. The acting is superb on every count. Even the little girl next door seems to take on some sort of magic, emphasized by her last question to Max as he descends down the stairwell of the project building they share together. 748 divided by 238. Well, it's close, at least.
Hands down one of the most thought-provoking films of all time, "Pi" deserved every Oscar nomination that "A Beautiful Mind" gained later. But it's okay, Russel Crowe may have stolen the University, but Sean Guillette still holds the Universe.
Something's going on. It has to do with that number. There's an answer in that number.
"Pi" (1998) 10/10