Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Persona (1966)



Persona tells the story of two women. One, an actress (Liv Ullmann), has suddenly stopped speaking. The other, her nurse (Bibi Andersson), senses the actress's strength of will and is intimidated by her at first. They stay together in a little house on the beach where they begin to get close and then almost become enemies, and their personalities begin to merge.

The film is sexual, nightmarish, beautiful, tense, puzzling. I set out to watch it expecting to not understand the film, but rather just experience it for what it was. The black and white photography is stunning and there are a couple very memorable monologues spoken by the nurse, who seems to experience every possible emotion in this house.

The film opens and then interjects in the middle with very brief shots that seem to have nothing to do with the story...a sinister face, a nail being driven through a hand, a dead rabbit. Roger Ebert, in his short essay on the film, tells us these images are taking us through film history, an example of what we can find in some of the earliest films. These images, for me, add to the dreamlike quality of the film. Many silent films evoke this feeling for me...the early days of cinema show a world that is nothing like our world today. To watch a film so outside of one's comfort zone has an intoxicating effect on the soul. Or maybe that's just me again.

(This film is currently streamable on Netflix!)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Munich (2005)


Avner (Eric Bana) heads a group of five men charged with the mission of murdering the people responsible for the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

*      *      *

Steven Spielberg has trouble knowing when to end his movies. Lately they have tended to overstay their welcome. Fortunately for Munich, this is a good thing. The entire film is about the question of, 'When does it stop?" The Arab/Israeli conflict becomes this endless back and forth. A Muslims kill Jews so Jews kill Muslims, then Muslims kill Jews in retaliation so Jews once again kill Muslims. As one character puts it, "Now we're in dialogue." But is there any end to this "conversation"? And what effect does this have on the people doing the talking? This film asks a lot of questions, and thankfully doesn't give us answers. Definitely one of Spielberg's best. It's a pity he had to follow it up with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls...

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Double Bill: Bad Girls

Caged Heat and Switchblade Sisters

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Happy Together (1997)


Follow the tumultuous relationship of two gay men from Hong Kong (Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung) as they try to make a last go of it in Argentina.

*      *      *

Wong Kar-Wai must be a very sad and lonely guy. He seems nice and affable in interviews. Yet nearly every film he has made is a story about beautiful, passionate and often unfulfilled longing. He instinctively knows exactly which moments to freeze or slow down. "Real" time is not enough for these moments. These moments are to be drawn out to their heartbreaking zenith. Viewed through Wong's lens, the smallest and most intimate story becomes an emotional epic. There's a reason this film won best director at Cannes that year.

On Tim Burton




Happy Birthday, Tim Burton!

I've been a Tim Burton fan for quite some time. I went through an obnoxious "goth" phase when I was fifteen, and did a school project on his films. I carried a Nightmare Before Christmas lunchbox, had an Edward Scissorhands poster over my bed, and wore my black and white kneesocks with pride. I loved all things dark and twisted and Burton's work spoke to my angsty teenage soul.

It was more than that. His films had a lovingly homemade quality to them, and an emotional pulse beneath their kooky exteriors. Think of Edward Scissorhands' eyes filling with tears as he tells the girl he loves that he can't hold her, of Pee Wee's utter glee over his bicycle, of Bela Lugosi weeping about his morphine addiction. His films, despite somewhat outlandish settings, felt real. His early use of stop-motion effects, creatively built sets and fun sense of humor injected life and spirit into his movies.

I still go see his films, but something has happened to his work. Corpse Bride? Meh. Planet of the Apes? Atrocious. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd? Just okay. Alice in Wonderland? Don't get me started. I love and rewatch many of his movies (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Ed Wood, Batman Returns, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Sleepy Hollow and Big Fish are some of my favorite movies ever!) and it makes me sad that I don't enjoy his more recent output. Did I outgrow him somehow? Maybe. These days his movies are smothered by CGI, and Johnny Depp gets more and more exhausting in his frantic performances. Burton's lost that spark. I'm not saying directors aren't allowed to evolve, but his recent movies just seem...empty. They lack the playful quality and instead we get green screens, flat stories, and Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Every. Single. Time.

I don't know what would need to change in order for his films to capture that original magic for me again. Maybe that chapter in my life is done. Maybe I'm wasting time fretting about the decline in quality of a creative filmmaker's work, a filmmaker who really spoke to me in my teen years. All I can do is be grateful for his early work, and the beautiful characters and stories that were shared with us all.

So thanks, Tim. Thank you for the ice sculptures, for Large Marge, for iron maidens, for resurrected dogs, for siamese twins, for angora sweaters, and for absoutely everything I hold dear in my cinema-lovin' heart.





Chicken With Plums


For years, media commentators have been declaring/predicting the death of cinematic comic book adaptations. They simply point to this or that superhero film that has bombed at the box office and declare the matter settled. And what do they say 3 months later when a comic book adaptation comes along and sets records? 

Well obviously that was just a fluke. A death spasm if you will.

But when you really think about it, the industry suddenly ceasing to adapt any and all graphic novels would be akin to them suddenly deciding to stop adapting films from novels. 

Oh man The Last Song bombed at the box office! No more adaptations of novels! Only original screenplays from now on!...until one of those flops.

Regardless of source material, every film is a roll of the dice or flip of a coin. The odds are 50/50. Some films will be amazing. Some will be shit.

But our research shows that audiences age 18-24 are sick and tired of Seth Rogen!

Anyway...

The real reason I'm writing this is to show you that the graphic novel is still fertile material for cinema. Don't believe me? Just check out this amazing French trailer (sorry no subtitles) for the live action debut of the team that made Persepolis!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Female Trouble (1974)


Following the misadventures of Dawn Davenport (Divine) as she goes from high school bad girl, to burglar, to fashion icon, to mass murderer.

*      *      *

This film feels like the manifesto of John Waters in his early years. It's all there: his love for "bad girls" alongside musings on fashion, art, family, crime and punishment. But then again, all of his films are lovingly demented collages of his obsessions. I can't really put my finger on why I place this film above all others in the  John Waters oeuvre. Maybe it's the opening title song sung by Divine herself? Or maybe it's the line "Nice girls don't wear cha-cha heels!" Could it be Vince Peranio's sets? Or maybe it's the magnificence of David Lochary's mustache? AAAAH! Thinking about all this wonderfulness is just too much. I have to stop before my brain explodes. Just see the damn movie! OK?

Monday, August 22, 2011

Double Bill: Fascist Fantasmas!

The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth

Weird Science (1985)


High School dorks Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) and Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) decide to create their dream girl using only their home computer and a Barbie doll. What they get is Lisa (Kelly LeBrock)...and their lives will never be the same again.

*      *      *

According to legend this film was written in two days and I think it shows - in all of the best ways. John Hughes had no time to second guess himself. Everything rattling around in his brain was spilled out onto the page and in turn onto the screen giving the film this insanely manic energy that is just so intoxicating. Sure The Breakfast Club is more poignant and Pretty In Pink  is more romantic, but nothing can beat Weird Science for sheer insanity and fun. No, not even Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Oh yeah I said it! What you gonna do about it?

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)



I've been aware of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien for a long time...my dad read The Hobbit to us and I remember him telling us about The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and other works. We had a copy of the animated film The Hobbit (1977), and had seen the animated film The Lord of the Rings (1978). Tolkien's fictional universe is so complete, the timeline of events so sound that it almost seems like these stories could have actually happened. Naturally when we found out that there was going to be a live-action Lord of the Rings trilogy, we were all over it.

The trilogy is about a hobbit named Frodo Baggins who is burdened with the task of destroying a magical ring that, in the hands of its rightful owner, will lead to untold death and destruction. In the first film of the trilogy, Frodo inherits the ring from his uncle and is set off on his quest with the help of the wizard Gandalf, two men, a dwarf, and elf, and his loyal hobbit friends from back home. The film provides a nice introduction to explain all the history...the audience needs to know why their mission is so important. In addition to elves, dwarves (Tolkien's spelling, not mine), wizards, and hobbits, this universe also contains goblins, orcs, trolls, ring-wraiths and scary fire monsters! I really don't need to explain these characters due to the film's popularity...think about it, who knew about Gollum before these films? Now everybody does, including the teenage gang members in this summer's Attack The Block.

Peter Jackson did a phenomenal job of bringing this fantasy world to life. Of course some of the special effects from 2001 look a little dated now, and some parts that were meant to be serious make us laugh, but overall the film is a success. Yes, my sister and I saw it in the theatre seven times. Yes, I'll definitely be in line when Jackson's new adaptation of The Hobbit is released. Well-made movies about fantasy and escapeism will always have their place in this world, and the loyal fans will be there to see them.



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Hard Boiled (1992)


Tequila (Chow Yun-Fat) is a bad ass super cop and he's going to bring down the mobsters that killed his buddy...with maybe a little help from an undercover cop (Tony Leung).

*      *      *

After years of glorifying Triad gangsters in films like The Killer and A Better Tomorrow, John Woo decided to use every trick in his filmic arsenal to glorify the police. Holy shit did it work! Since this film, Woo's work has been pretty light in the 'pistol ballet' department and I think it's because there's really no point. As sad as it is to see him churning out stuff like Mission: Impossible 2 and Paycheck, you have to remember: Everything that can been done has already been done. There's no new ground to cover. The known world has been conquered. But fortunately for us, those early battles exist forever on DVD to watch over and over and over and over again!

12 Angry Men (1957)



I finally (FINALLY!) saw this film last night, and it's very deserving of its place as an American film classic. 12 Angry Men is the story of a jury trying to decide if an 18 year old man is guilty, without a reasonable doubt, of murdering his father. Eleven men vote guilty. One man does not. And so it begins.

The majority of the film takes place in a single room on the hottest day of the year. We feel their tension, their frustration. We hear about the case only through their perspective. We don't know if the young man is guilty or not. Nobody knows. Henry Fonda plays Juror #8, the inital holdout for the man's possible innocence. We know very little about him, about all of them, until they reveal their various back stories and prejudices that influence their decisions. It's a compelling film with dynamic performances, especially from Lee J. Cobb as Juror #3, probably the angriest man in the room.

The film is an interesting look at how much information can be manipulated, and how much we let our own issues affect our thinking. Definitely worth a watch!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Double Bill: Sleight of Hand

Pickup on South Street and Pickpocket

Morvern Callar (2002)


After the suicide of her boyfriend, Morvern Callar (Samantha Morton) sets out on a journey of self discovery which takes her from Scotland to Ibiza and back.

*      *      *

This movie is definitely not for everyone. A now defunct local video store in Seal Beach even had a hand written note attached to the DVD case warning people that it was "boring". And I guess for most audiences raised on the films of Michael Bay, this is the case. There is no real plot, the dialogue is in thick Scottish accents and the main character is very unsympathetic. But I think if you're willing to meet this film half way, you will have a very rewarding experience. Oh and the mix tape that her boyfriend leaves her (which makes up the film's soundtrack) is AMAZING!

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)



This film is a classic in the "teen movie" genre, in huge part to John Hughes who reinvented the genre and gave kids of the 80s (and 90s, and 00s) iconic characters they could identify with. Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is probably the most well-known of these characters. He's popular, he has a hot girlfriend, and today he's ditching school to have an adventure. With girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron in tow, Ferris finds himself driving around town in an amazing car, leading a crowd in song while on a parade float, enjoying a baseball game, and (in my favorite scene) enjoying gorgeous art...all while Principal Rooney is determined to catch Ferris in the act so he can hold him back another year.

There are countless classic and hilarious scenes, many featuring Rooney prowling around trying to find Ferris. And let's not forget the famous "Bueller...Bueller....Bueller?" This film really stands the test of time. Sure it's dated on the surface, but who hasn't felt the anxiety of what to do after high school? Who hasn't wanted to grab hold of their youth and never let go, feared ending up like their parents, feared never living up to expectations? This movie, while incredibly funny, also reminds us, whatever our age, to be young at heart. As Ferris wisely tells us, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."




Friday, August 12, 2011

Scorpio Rising (1964)


As passionate and visceral as Martin Scorsese's imagery is, the thing that really seals the deal for me is when he ironically sets scenes to popular songs. "Be My Baby" for the opening to Mean Streets, the piano exit to "Layla" when all the bodies are being found in Goodfellas and "Rang Tang Ding Dong (I Am The Japanese Sandman)" from the freak-out scene in Bringing Out the Dead leap to mind. He's so good at it that it seems almost like he was born to do it. But this is not the case.

In countless interviews Scorsese has credited Kenneth Anger's gay biker masterpiece Scorpio Rising, as being the film that opened his eyes to the endless cinematic uses of pop music. For this alone the film should be forever cherished. But wait there's more! The visuals are unforgettable. Anger really has an eye for iconic (nearly dreamlike) images that wedge themselves in your brain. Richard Linklater even nicked the opening image for School of Rock from here.

Thankfully someone has been kind enough to post Scorpio Rising on Youtube! It's divided into 3 segments. Here's the first. you're on your own from there. Enjoy!



Thursday, August 11, 2011

Death At A Funeral (2007)



Daniel's (Matthew MacFadyen) father has died, and while he tries to keep things dignified at the funeral, the whole place is thrown into chaos as one crazy event after another occurs. One man takes what he thinks is Valium and ends up having a horrible trip where he ends up naked and talking to toilet paper. The wife of the deceased is mourning but still finds time to be bitchy to her son's wife. Everyone's fawning over Daniel's brother Robert, the famous writer. And then a mysterious stranger (Peter Dinklage, who is quite clearly THE MAN) appears and attempts to blackmail the family with some shocking photos of their father.

This movie is incredibly funny, and so very British. I have no idea why they needed to remake it...maybe they thought American audiences need more dumb humor? I don't know, but the original has just the right amount of ridiculous insanity, smart subtle humor, and genuine emotion. Peter Dinklage is hilarious, and the entire cast works together so well. There are a lot of familiar faces and unexpected twists and turns. Definitely worth a watch!




Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Léon (1994)


After the slaughter of her family, young Mathilda (Natalie Portman) forms an unlikely friendship with a stoic French assassin named Léon (Jean Reno).

*      *      *

Man this film sure holds up. It's crazy to think that it's nearly 20 years old. The video store racks are littered with pale imitations (many of them written by Besson himself) but this is the real deal, accept no substitutes. The chemistry between Portman and Reno is INSANE! Without that glue this film would be just another stylish euro-thriller. Oh well I guess the absolutely terrifying Gary Oldman helps a lot too. People keep hoping for a Mathilda sequel. But I'm kind of content with just this little gem. Why fuck with a good thing?

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

The Odd Couple (1968)



I recently watched this film for the first time, and then two days later hosted a houseguest, so I can relate! Felix (Jack Lemmon) is depressed and suicidal because his marriage is ending, so his poker buddy Oscar (Walter Matthau) saves him and offers to let him stay at his place. Problem solved, except...Oscar is comfortably slobby and Felix is kinda like Martha Stewart on crack. He obsessively cleans, he cooks these fancy little meals, and pretty soon Oscar is ready to strangle him. Would you blame him?

Matthau and Lemmon are fantastic together (this is actually the second of ten films they made together). There's a particularly funny scene where they're at a restaurant and Felix is making this AWFUL noise...he's trying to clear his sinuses or something. Oscar has WTF written all over his face; it's SO funny. There's also a scene with these two British sisters that Oscar is trying to snag, and Felix is so awkward but the girls fall for how sensitive he is, haha!
Their chemistry together is so great...they just don't make them like this anymore. Heaven forbid they try to remake this nowadays...the charm is in the era, in the rhythm of their speech, in their compatibility as actors. It's good stuff!

The moral of the story: don't live with your friends because you will soon hate them. Okay? Okay!
PS This movie is streamable on Netflix so you should hop to it!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Double Bill: Comics Of The World

You get the best of both worlds. You get your sexy French space epic AND a sexy Italian espionage thriller! What's not to love? Two crazy comic book adaptations from famed Italian super-producer Dino De Laurentiis! And they both feature the legendary John Phillip Law! Why aren't you watching these right now?

Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy and Danger: Diabolik!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Alice in Wonderland (1951)


I finally caved and bought this film before it gets sucked back into the vault! I suppose it's exactly what they want you to do: freak out and buy it before it goes away. Well, Disney, you win. Alice in Wonderland has now joined the ranks of the Cinema Nerds film collection. Might need to buy another shelf.

In case you live in a cave, Alice in Wonderland is the story of a young girl who follows a rabbit into a rabbit hole and she falls down down down into a strange land with plenty of strange characters. She grows, she shrinks, she talks to flowers and caterpillars and mad hatters and everything else in between. I'm personally not a big fan of Alice as a character...she's so uppity, haha, and the same actress voices Wendy in Peter Pan and I hate Wendy too. But the film is so lively and colorful, and it has some really great silly moments. Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter "seasoning" the watch never fails to crack me up ("MUSTARD??") and the Caterpillar-turned-butterfly screaming in Alice's face ("THE MUSHROOM OF COURSE!!!") is always good for a laugh. Disney favorite Sterling Holloway is great as the Cheshire Cat, and the animation of the flowers is lovely, not to mention the gorgeous backgrounds that celebrated artist Mary Blair created the concept art for. This film's worth a revisit if you haven't seen it in a while. It will at least have to hold me over until the next batch of Disney classics is released!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Drag Me To Hell (2009)


After refusing to help a gypsy in need, young Christine (Alison Lohman) becomes the target of an evil spirit intent to literally drag her to hell.
*      *      *

Thank God for Sam Raimi! After six years of being caught up in all things web-head, Mr. Raimi returned to the genre that made him a star with subtly titled – Drag Me To Hell. If you like BIG scares, BIG laughs and BIG anvils hitting people in the head, then this is the movie for you! Yep that’s right – comedy in a horror film! Not since Slither have I laughed so much with (not at) a horror film.

Watching this film makes me yearn for more Raimi-horror. I want more floating possessed people, more geysers of blood and more 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88s. Unfortunately we’re gonna have to sit through at least one Wizard of Oz prequel before we get there. But at least it’s good to know that the home fires are still burning.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Double Bill: Creepy Canadians

Sisters and Dead Ringers

Silent Characters

I've always had a soft spot for mute (or almost mute) characters. It forces the performer (or animator) to convey the personality through body language and expressions, which can be so much more exciting than dialogue. Maybe it's why I like silent films so much. There's an air of mystery to a silent character, and what's that quote? "It is better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." Here are some of my favorite silent characters.

Hattie, Sweet and Lowdown
I like her because she's sweet and unpretentious. More people need to keep their damn mouths shut and be the same.

Gromit, the Wallace & Gromit movies
Gromit is such a perfect counterbalance to the goofball inventor Wallace. He's chill, he helps him out and he's oh-so-supportive.

The Monster, Frankenstein
Frankenstein's Monster was SO much more effective and creepy before he started talking. For one, Karloff removed some of his bridgework to get those sunken cheeks. Once he started talking, his face got a lot fuller. Boooo. Karloff's performance as the monster (reaching toward the light, stumbling backward in the room with those dead eyes) will always be a masterpiece.

Carpet, Aladdin
Hee hee, Aladdin. So, yeah, he's a cartoon carpet. But he's adorable. And he can facepalm and he doesn't have a face or a palm. I've always had a soft spot for Carpet, he's so loveable.

Bang Bang, The Brothers Bloom
She's my absolute favorite. She's bizarre, she blows stuff up, and appears/disappears without warning or explanation. Go, Bang Bang!

Big Baby, Toy Story 3
Except for a few baby cries and gibberish, he's totally silent and totally creepy. There's a scene where he's sitting on a swingset at night and hears a noise and his head totally swivels around like the Exorcist, *shudders*

Chief, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Okay, so he's not totally mute, but I liked him better before he talked. He just seemed like he had all the answers but had no intention of sharing them, haha. And what a moving climax, crashing through that window. Goosebumps!

Thing, The Addams Family
For being just a hand, he has quite the personality. He helps Gomez with a number of things, he's good at chess, he knows Morse code, and he even likes to prank people. As Morticia says, he's a handful. Baahahaha.

I'm sure there are several I'm forgetting, but I'll leave it at this for now. Who are your favorites?