By the time Rob Zombie's reboot of the seminal slasher classic Halloween had come out Michael Myers was a household name. For lovers of slasher films he is the King. Like Elvis he came from meager background and slashed the competition. Years later, when Zombie decided to remake this classic Myers had already impacted the majority of horror viewers.
That is why it is such an interesting choice to begin his film with Michael Myers' back story. In the original we meet Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), Michael's younger sister who knows that her estranged older brother was taken to Juvenile Hall years ago for the murder of her family. In Zombie's reimagining we meet Myers as a troubled ten year old who kills animals for fun and on one Halloween sets out to kill everyone who has ever wronged him. As we watch him grow we learn that his appetite for murder grows as well and he later kills without any remorse or reason. He even kills one of the guards who watched after him for twenty years proving that he is, as Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) describes him, heartless.
Unlike the original, Zombie's film feels like a tribute, however ill-advised, to the killer Michael Myers. I don't mean that it advocates for his actions but rather it celebrates the character who has impacted cinematic history so gruesomely. Characters watch scenes from various horror movies of the past, among them the horror hound favorite Dracula reminding the viewer that despite its gore Halloween is a movie and Michael Myers is a character.
And what a character he is. In a transformed film that focuses on Michael's love for Laurie, Michael is practically a superhero. He defies logic by taking bullets and surviving and he lifts up a gravestone single handedly. There is even a possible reference to another superhero with healing abilities when Myers kills a trucker with muttonchops seen only before on Wolverine.
The movie itself is a strong horror movie, if not for one or two killings too many. The sound of knives scraping together echo throughout the film. Tyler Mane makes a good Myers. And Malcolm McDowell, no stranger to psychopathic killers, makes a strong Dr. Loomis.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
What feels like a middle ground in a larger story Escape from the Planet of the Apes fails to decide whether it is a drama or a comedy. I couldn't help but watch this movie and be reminded of Roberto Benini's Life is Beautiful, the other Holocaust comedy I have seen. Bear with me. Escape from the Planet of the Apes takes place after the Nuclear holocaust of Beneath the Planet of the Apes but in present day Los Angeles which to them is the past. How the three apes, Zira, Cornelius and Dr. Miles managed to escapes escapes me, suffice to say before the atomic bomb goes off they make it off the planet and somehow make their way back to Col. Taylor's time. I like movies and I am always willing to suspend disbelief to enjoy fantasy/sci-fi genre films but this one makes no apologies for its transgression and continues in a nonsensical fashion. The apes are at first welcomed to the planet even going on an early staged eighties montage shopping spree. Despite the awe and astonishment that the humans would feel they readily welcome the apes. On a side note the apes have only encountered two speaking humans before and do not seem at all daunted that all humans speak now. Everything is great for the apes and humans and full of laughs making the far-fetched plot acceptable for a sci/fi comedy. But do not be deceived, Escape from the Planet of the Apes is not a comedy but a deeply tragic drama. After Zira reveals that they are from the future and will eventually be experimenting on humans the fascist government takes a turn and decides to dehumanize the apes and execute them. The movie transforms into a chase story complete with a subtext of World War Two history.
The apes are persecuted for their role in the Holocaust of the future. They are responsible for the experiments on the humans and the persecution of their kind. As a result Zira and Cornelius are hunted down and forced into hiding to avoid execution for their kind. Perhaps there is a German retaliation in this film with the apes taking the role of Nazis on the run in Brazil who when no longer in power are hunted down for their wrongs. That may be a stretch but the movie turns into a drama out of nowhere and the beginning becomes inexcusable. Worse, there is a subplot of the apes having a child making the drama all the more personal and occasionally ridiculous. This movie could be a blast if it didn't take itself so seriously. It would be less tragic were it directed more poorly but it is actually directed well making the emotional moments if not absurd somewhat touching. This makes the movie frustrating because it is neither here nor there. Neither a comedy nor a drama. And ultimately it makes no greater plea like the best science fiction does. It stands for nothing and therefore rests in a place with great distance between it and its predecessors.
The apes are persecuted for their role in the Holocaust of the future. They are responsible for the experiments on the humans and the persecution of their kind. As a result Zira and Cornelius are hunted down and forced into hiding to avoid execution for their kind. Perhaps there is a German retaliation in this film with the apes taking the role of Nazis on the run in Brazil who when no longer in power are hunted down for their wrongs. That may be a stretch but the movie turns into a drama out of nowhere and the beginning becomes inexcusable. Worse, there is a subplot of the apes having a child making the drama all the more personal and occasionally ridiculous. This movie could be a blast if it didn't take itself so seriously. It would be less tragic were it directed more poorly but it is actually directed well making the emotional moments if not absurd somewhat touching. This makes the movie frustrating because it is neither here nor there. Neither a comedy nor a drama. And ultimately it makes no greater plea like the best science fiction does. It stands for nothing and therefore rests in a place with great distance between it and its predecessors.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
In anticipation of the new Star Trek movie I decided to go where many men have gone before... to embark on the final frontier... to watch star trek. Without having the dvds of the original series I started with what I have been told is the best film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan admiral James T. Kirk's nemesis, a genetically reproduced human named Khan, wants revenge for the death of his wife and the imprisonment on a foreign planet. He will stop at nothing to get it and as the Klingons say "revenge is a dish that is best served cold". And he delivers in an adventurous romp through the icy cold of space Khan enacts his revenge by assuming control of two of Kirk's men, imprisoning Kirk and having a photon battle between their respective ships. Though the hero of course wins the battle, it is not without some loss.
As a newbie to the Trek universe, I was unaware of the strength best friends and colleagues Kirk and Spock have but was relieved to discover that their depth of character strengthens the otherwise melodramatic script. Admiral James T. Kirk is the impulsive commander who works on instinct. While this strength is also his vulnerability he is smooth enough to make it seem flawless. His counter part is the Vulcan Spock. Not a human he lacks the emotion that makes Kirk so eruptive. He works on logic and will do anything to keep things cool and is full of wise aphorisms. These characters take us where no man has gone before by asking the question when does it best serve us to be cool and logical and when to be hot and emotional.
In exploring this question the film raises another through the Kobiyashi Maru test. Putting the taker between a rock and a hard place the test forces the taker to ask when is death an acceptable option and to realize how we face death is at least as important as how we face life.
As a newbie to the Trek universe, I was unaware of the strength best friends and colleagues Kirk and Spock have but was relieved to discover that their depth of character strengthens the otherwise melodramatic script. Admiral James T. Kirk is the impulsive commander who works on instinct. While this strength is also his vulnerability he is smooth enough to make it seem flawless. His counter part is the Vulcan Spock. Not a human he lacks the emotion that makes Kirk so eruptive. He works on logic and will do anything to keep things cool and is full of wise aphorisms. These characters take us where no man has gone before by asking the question when does it best serve us to be cool and logical and when to be hot and emotional.
In exploring this question the film raises another through the Kobiyashi Maru test. Putting the taker between a rock and a hard place the test forces the taker to ask when is death an acceptable option and to realize how we face death is at least as important as how we face life.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Rio Bravo
One of the strongest Westerns out there doesn't deal with the concept of the Frontier or wilderness; instead, it functions as an action movie with strong characters and a story that underlines the violence and terror that lurks behind every corner. Rio Bravo is Howard Hawkes' response to High Noon, in which the sheriff needs the help of the townspeople to fight the bad guys. In Rio Bravo sheriff John T. Chance, played by John Wayne, doesn't need the help from the locals but he enlists the help of his misfit friends. The strongest moments come from the music in the movie. One songm sung by Dean Martin and Rickey Nelson , gathers all the misfits together as they are holed up in a jail cell not much smaller than the town they are protecting. Tarantino probably learned a thing or two about the sound of a Mexican song about no quarter or no mercy til the end. Played at the Alamo, this type of Mexican song, whose name escapes me, is reminiscent of the song that plays when Beatrix Kiddo is bashing her way through the coffin in Kill Bill . Among the misfits is Carlos the hotel worker who, while a stereotype, provides comic relief. Most of all Rio Bravo is about a team that knows they can rely on each other to do what is right and in a world where so much is wrong that is a nice relief.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Why Oscars are Meaningless
Like many film fans I recall leaning my elbows on the floor and propping up my chin less than two feet away from the television, which, despite decent eyesight, I always wondered if it was perhaps too close. The event that laid me down in front of the box was the Academy Awards, or the Oscars as we all call them. They were filled with honor and celebration of the things I valued best, the films of the year. UP until 1997 I had agreed with the choices, chances are I hadn't seen most of them and so I could predict, based on who had advertised the most who would win the Oscars. This trend disappointed me when Titanic won over L.A. Confidential, the far superior film of the year. The Oscars then went downhill from there.
Perhaps I was too naive to ever realize this before but the Oscars are bought honors, not achieved. They are awarded to the person that gives the most money to his or her company's campaign so that their film can win the most awards and yield the most return. A sensible practice if not a bit disillusioning.
This past week I saw the best film of the year. As the previous paragraphs have alluded, it was not Slumdog Millionaire. No, it was a tiny little film that too was released by Fox's subsidary Fox Searchlight. It did not win awards however, because despite boasting a brilliant song by the Boss Bruce Springsteen and a brilliant performance by Mickey Rourke, who was nominated, it was released by the same company that released Danny Boyle's winner Slumdog Millionaire.
Slumdog Millionaire was a quality film that, despite a small budget, reeked of old Hollywood sensibilities. It was the Dickensian story of a poor underdog who defies the system and wins his true love. It was essentially a sweet film which proclaimed that the underdog could win.
Despite the fact that it was almost released straight to DVD and its modest budget of 15 million, at a budget of 6 million the Wrestler lands a more powerful punch.
Does that make it a better movie? By traditional Oscar standards, yes. But I am willing to consider that Slumdog is perhaps still a "better" movie because it showcased Boyle's flair for music and editing that otherwise have been shy to awards. The issue at hand, however, is that both films are strong. Both films are of considerable better quality than the Weinstein company's release the Reader which it seems earned its nominations through financial strengths. In ten years people will still watch the Wrestler and nobody will remember the Reader but the problem is that Fox Searchlight only had the money to promote one picture. I liked it better when the awards stood for something as opposed to the meaningless trophy of a film company's marketing department.
Perhaps I was too naive to ever realize this before but the Oscars are bought honors, not achieved. They are awarded to the person that gives the most money to his or her company's campaign so that their film can win the most awards and yield the most return. A sensible practice if not a bit disillusioning.
This past week I saw the best film of the year. As the previous paragraphs have alluded, it was not Slumdog Millionaire. No, it was a tiny little film that too was released by Fox's subsidary Fox Searchlight. It did not win awards however, because despite boasting a brilliant song by the Boss Bruce Springsteen and a brilliant performance by Mickey Rourke, who was nominated, it was released by the same company that released Danny Boyle's winner Slumdog Millionaire.
Slumdog Millionaire was a quality film that, despite a small budget, reeked of old Hollywood sensibilities. It was the Dickensian story of a poor underdog who defies the system and wins his true love. It was essentially a sweet film which proclaimed that the underdog could win.
Despite the fact that it was almost released straight to DVD and its modest budget of 15 million, at a budget of 6 million the Wrestler lands a more powerful punch.
Does that make it a better movie? By traditional Oscar standards, yes. But I am willing to consider that Slumdog is perhaps still a "better" movie because it showcased Boyle's flair for music and editing that otherwise have been shy to awards. The issue at hand, however, is that both films are strong. Both films are of considerable better quality than the Weinstein company's release the Reader which it seems earned its nominations through financial strengths. In ten years people will still watch the Wrestler and nobody will remember the Reader but the problem is that Fox Searchlight only had the money to promote one picture. I liked it better when the awards stood for something as opposed to the meaningless trophy of a film company's marketing department.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Army of Darkness
An apt title for a film about the death of superstitious ancient worlds. With the advent of the technological age the days of witchcraft and sorcery have come to an end, Army of Darkness celebrates this transformation by proclaiming every man king in the new technological era. Buoyed by a chainsaw for a hand Ash works at an appliance store, the most diverse celebration of the new age where he hawks items for a daily low price. The store, quite aptly, is called S mart or combined to create a thesis about technology: smart. Ash's gadgets first save him when a wizard throws him his chainsaw to battle a demon. After showing off his slasher film prowess Ash illustrates the uses of a shotgun and tells you where you can find it at S mart, an advertisment for these people of the promising future. Ash then defeats the ancient army of the dead, itself a reference to mysticism being a dead art form through teh use of bullets and gunpowder the uses of which are found in Ash's college level chemistry book. They defeat the army of dead mystics and Ash without looking back returns to his time where he can sell appliances to anyone who is interested and retell his tale. When a demon follows him and shows up at S mart he kills he quickly with his shotgun and proclaims the victory speech of contemporary man. "I am king," he says. "All hail the king." With his shotgun Ash is the ruler of the new world, just as everyman can be in a world without superstition (because the person he was telling his story to didn't believe him)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Gremlins 3 and the curse of the Sequel
There is not going to ever be a Gremlins 3. Gremlins 2 made sure of that with its royal fuck you to Hollywood. Thank god. Somethings are better left untouched. I am tired of all of these sequels that Hollywood is churning out. Doesn't matte rthough becuse I will still see them through squinted eyes with one hand covering them up and the other holding onto my pride. Somethings are better left untouched. A good movie is like a souffle. Such a rarity that it can be such a success but when that dough is in perfect form all you want to do is touch it. But what happens? It pops. All the air goes out of it and it becomes a pile of dough, or shit or whatever a souffle is made out of. Matrix is a great movie. until you watch the sequels. Then the magic is gone and the original idea becomes played out hackneyed and stupid. Some stories resolve themselves. Sure, Neo doesn't solve the matrix's problem it still looms large at the end but his problems are resolved and unless this was written as a trilogy there can be no sequels. Fuck Disney for shiting out sequels to beloved children's classics. Money smells worse than diapers. And fuck you too if you think you are going to touch Gremlins.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday Roundup
This is it folks, the last week of spring. Sure, spring started only about a month ago in celestial terms but the stars don't make movies. Next week is May and that means that today is the last Friday before the movies start to kick ass. Though some of you may have seen it already, I have not seen Wolverine and am waiting until it makes it to the big screen. Look at me, like a little kid excited for next week. This week's movie's are:
- The Soloist
- Fighting
- Obsessed
- Earth
- The Informers (limited)
- Tyson (limited)
- The Garden (limited)
- Il Divo (limited)
- The Mutant Chronicles
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wrong Side of the Bay
Crusing the blogs I keep hearing the third dimension referred to as a gimmick. This is to me a case of people being unable to step off of the stepping stones of a technique and embrace it for the boulder it is about to become. I have seen many movies in 3-D but the most notable one the most recent Coraline. In Coraline director Harry Selik absolves the former mistakes of 3-d gimmickry by creating something both beautiful and functional. Whiel there were the occasional objects angled in your direction the majority of the work was used to create perspective. It was done with the hope of illuiminating an imaginary world and turning it into something believeable. It became a much more sensory thrill and the expereicne was more dynamically enthralling. The 3-d did not exist to jolt you only to enable you to more fully imagine what the character on the screen was experiencing, or to better progress the story.
I have heard two directors refer to James Cameron's December 3-D release Avatar. The first is Michael Bay who called 3-D a gimmick. The second is Ridley Scott, whose work far surpasses that of Bay, who had seen the movie and called himself a convert. Many people are docking their ships of reason on the Bay Bay and they are wrong. Their anchors are too weighted by the past that they cannot embrace the potential opporutnities 3-D is about to afford them. Perhaps if they had seen Coraline they would understand.
I have heard two directors refer to James Cameron's December 3-D release Avatar. The first is Michael Bay who called 3-D a gimmick. The second is Ridley Scott, whose work far surpasses that of Bay, who had seen the movie and called himself a convert. Many people are docking their ships of reason on the Bay Bay and they are wrong. Their anchors are too weighted by the past that they cannot embrace the potential opporutnities 3-D is about to afford them. Perhaps if they had seen Coraline they would understand.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Will Wednesday Work Wonders for Warner Wizards?
Potter fans can watch their favorite literary teenagers deal with their darkest issues a few days early now that Warner Brothers has moved the release date of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince from Friday July 17th to Wednesday July 15th. The film is the second from writer-director team of Steve Kloves and David Yates who previously worked together on the most recent film in the series Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. That is not the only similarity Half Blood Prince will have to its predecessor, however, both films were released on a Wednesday summers day, which WB President Dan Fellman credits for turning the summer week into a five day set of Saturdays.
Wednesday releases historically rely on word of mouth to get more people to the theater by the time the weekend box office closes. It replaced the sneak preview for many audiences and has become the standard for many films that want to earn more during their opening weekend but need to rely on more days in the week. So does Warner Brothers feel it needs days of fan chatter to combat potential negative reviews?
Order of the Phoenix received the poorest reviews since the first Harry Potter film six years ago. Many critics found the film too short and claimed a cursory glance to some of the darker issues that Harry and the gang faced. Well, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the darkest book in the series and guess what, it has been given a PG rating.
On the other hand Order of the Phoenix set the record for a Wednesday release. But as Dan Fellman point out during the summer, people often have Thursdays free. And besides, Spiderman 3 set a record too. So does this move to Wednesday simply indicate that Warner Brothers wants to replicate its past success or does it indicate something a little more foreboding. Perhaps as Harry Potter grows older and the books become longer it becomes more difficult to balance the childhood fantasies with the adult themes. I certainly hope not because I am a fan of the series and the team of Kloves and Yates is riding the Hogwarts Express straight down the line. I’m sure I will see this movie Tuesday night at midnight but then again I like my Potter dark.
Wednesday releases historically rely on word of mouth to get more people to the theater by the time the weekend box office closes. It replaced the sneak preview for many audiences and has become the standard for many films that want to earn more during their opening weekend but need to rely on more days in the week. So does Warner Brothers feel it needs days of fan chatter to combat potential negative reviews?
Order of the Phoenix received the poorest reviews since the first Harry Potter film six years ago. Many critics found the film too short and claimed a cursory glance to some of the darker issues that Harry and the gang faced. Well, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the darkest book in the series and guess what, it has been given a PG rating.
On the other hand Order of the Phoenix set the record for a Wednesday release. But as Dan Fellman point out during the summer, people often have Thursdays free. And besides, Spiderman 3 set a record too. So does this move to Wednesday simply indicate that Warner Brothers wants to replicate its past success or does it indicate something a little more foreboding. Perhaps as Harry Potter grows older and the books become longer it becomes more difficult to balance the childhood fantasies with the adult themes. I certainly hope not because I am a fan of the series and the team of Kloves and Yates is riding the Hogwarts Express straight down the line. I’m sure I will see this movie Tuesday night at midnight but then again I like my Potter dark.
Teenaged Franchise Filled with Mutant Angst
Marvel franchise producer Lauren Shuler Donner announced today that X-Men: First Class is not going to be a spin off but the beginning of another X-Men franchise. “It’s young Scott, young Jean, young Beast and that’ll be really fun,” she said. “The plan is to follow some of the characters into their own stories, and weave them back into the X-Men world. And hopefully First Class will become its own franchise and we can follow them as they grow up.”
Because the characters of X-Men: First Class, Beast, Angel, Iceman, Cyclops and Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), have already been portrayed at differing ages in the previous X-Men films, First Class will have to be not just a spin-off but a reboot.
Christopher Nolan gave us eight years to forget Batman and Robin before he rebooted the Batman franchise whereas X-Men: The Last Stand came out only three years ago. The Wolverine spin-off hasn’t been formally released yet and X-Men Origins: Magneto is still in the works to be made. Fox is certainly taking every opportunity it can to capitalize on their superhero property now that Marvel has its own production company and it is only a matter of time before the mutants get back where they belong.
I am a fan of superheroes as teenagers and an especially big fan of the comic series. Every time I have seen this done before, however, has been on a television show. Superman had Smallville, Batman had Batman Beyond and even the X-Men had X-Men: Evolutions. The serial quality of television works well at dealing with the melodrama of teenage angst, especially when that angst is coupled with new powers. Which leads me to believe that the films writer, Josh Schwartz will be able to script a quality film.
Schwartz earned the title of the youngest show-runner for a one hour drama while writing The OC and later adapted the teenage books, of the same name, into the hit series Gossip Girl. Likewise, this will not be his first time rebooting a series with a teenaged spin-off. The mother of one of the Gossip Girl characters is getting her own show, tracking her time as a troubled teen and starring Brittany Snow. The episodes that Schwartz writes are infused with a semi-satirical quality reminiscent of a young Cameron Crowe. Hopefully he can harness that quality into something that pays tribute to the genre of comic books while at the same time embracing the melodrama that made Raimi’s Spider-Man originally so strong.
Because the characters of X-Men: First Class, Beast, Angel, Iceman, Cyclops and Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), have already been portrayed at differing ages in the previous X-Men films, First Class will have to be not just a spin-off but a reboot.
Christopher Nolan gave us eight years to forget Batman and Robin before he rebooted the Batman franchise whereas X-Men: The Last Stand came out only three years ago. The Wolverine spin-off hasn’t been formally released yet and X-Men Origins: Magneto is still in the works to be made. Fox is certainly taking every opportunity it can to capitalize on their superhero property now that Marvel has its own production company and it is only a matter of time before the mutants get back where they belong.
I am a fan of superheroes as teenagers and an especially big fan of the comic series. Every time I have seen this done before, however, has been on a television show. Superman had Smallville, Batman had Batman Beyond and even the X-Men had X-Men: Evolutions. The serial quality of television works well at dealing with the melodrama of teenage angst, especially when that angst is coupled with new powers. Which leads me to believe that the films writer, Josh Schwartz will be able to script a quality film.
Schwartz earned the title of the youngest show-runner for a one hour drama while writing The OC and later adapted the teenage books, of the same name, into the hit series Gossip Girl. Likewise, this will not be his first time rebooting a series with a teenaged spin-off. The mother of one of the Gossip Girl characters is getting her own show, tracking her time as a troubled teen and starring Brittany Snow. The episodes that Schwartz writes are infused with a semi-satirical quality reminiscent of a young Cameron Crowe. Hopefully he can harness that quality into something that pays tribute to the genre of comic books while at the same time embracing the melodrama that made Raimi’s Spider-Man originally so strong.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Top Ten Pop Songs Used in Movies
Many will agree that the finest moment in Watchmen is the montage of Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A Changin' at the film's beginning. Snyder already proved his skill at this when he began Dawn of the Dead with When the Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash. Some movies are notroious for their soundtracks. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid broke new ground when in the middle of the wild west when Butch rides a bicycle to the tune of Raindrops Keep Fallin on My Head. When working on the Graduate Mike Nichols convinced Simon and Garfunkel to change a song about Mrs. Roosevelt to the now infamous Mrs. Robinson. For me, a pop song in a movie gives both the song and the movie new life. Often times I become emotionally attached to a song that I have never heard before. So, in celebration of pop songs in film I present a list of my top ten favorites. Enjoy!
10. Mad World by Gary Jules in Donnie Darko:
This song earns its spot on the list beating out all of the honorable mentions because it embodies the feeling of the movie in the strongest way. It is a dark and moody piece envelopped in mystery. It speaks of a world in which nothing really matters and everyone is sad. Donnie's apocalyptic views are echoed in the line "the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had." Jules sings as though he is a misunderstood teen akin to Darko who sees the madness of the world around him despite the fact that nobody believes him.
9. All Songs in Moulin Rouge
It is near impossible for me to pick a favorite moment from Baz Luhrman's manic opus about Bohemia. His movie musical is made up of pop songs many of which represent the most transcendent moments in musical history. I know that sound large but bear with me. He includes songs that strongly define generations of rock and roll from the necessary Beatles to the Police of the eighties to the grunge rock of Nirvana. He even includes a disco classic redone by hip-hop, pop and "rock" stars.
8.Tiny Dancer by Elton John in Almost Famous
While John Cusack's stereo serenade in Say Anything is probably a more important moment in cinema history Tiny Dancer won the battle because of the beautiful way in which it solves the problems for the rock band Stillwater. After the lead singer has an acid-filled departure from the group he returns broken and far from the "golden god" he thought he was when he left the band. One by one they all join in to sing a song that poignantly describes the ever-mysterious band-aid Penny Lane whose importance is paramount to making the experience of Stillwater as enjoyable as the films portrays.
7. Everyone by Van Morrison in The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson's soundtracks are among some of my favorite. Coupled with Mark Mothersbaugh's scores the songs on these soundtracks match the colors and neatly designed camera shots with the skill of a meticulous teenage girl decorating her notebook. While this song does not appear on the cd of the movie it is my favorite of Anderson's choices. Boasting the tagline "Family Isn't A Word... It's A Sentence" The Royal Tenenbaums is truly a film about everyone in one of cinema's quirkiest families.
6. Where is My Mind by the Pixies in Fight Club
I don't know anyone who watched this movie who at one point after didn't ponder the lunacy of a fight club while still admiring Tyler Durden as the quintessential modern American renegade and being just slightly jealous of Jack's burdensome counterpart. All of this is of course crazy but when a film makes you think about the transcendental nature of project chaos you have to ask yourself this very question.
5. The Man in Me by Bob Dylan in The Big Lebowski
After being drugged the Dude embarks on my favorite dream sequence since Eraserhead. Complete with Julianne Moore dressed in a viking hat and synchronized dancers dressed as bowling pins the Coen brothers perfectly imagine what the Dude's dreamlife would be like. When I was a kid I used to imagine what happened to the ball as it went on its course and now we get to experience it through proabbly the only camera angle of its kind. On top of all of the stylistic magestry the sequence includes a rare Bob Dylan song that I would never have heard were it not for the brothers' stonoir.
4. Wise Up by Aimee Mann in Magnolia
When writing Magnolia PT Anderson listened frequently to Aimee Mann meriting many references along the way including my favorite line, "Now that you've met me, would you object to never seeing me again," but nothing comes close to this bizarre destruction of the fourth wall as each of the characters, including the unconscious Julianne Moore in her second appearance on the list, turns to face the camera and one by one sing a line from this song. It makes no logical sense but that's part of the beauty of Magnolia.
3. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen in Wayne's World
Recreating the several harmonies mastered by Freddy Mercury the metalheads in the Garthmobile know how to rock out in the same way that Cassandra knows how to wail. I cannot hear this song and not think of this scene while wishing that my hair was long enough to headbang like the boys of SNL.
2. Stuck in the Middle With You by Steelers Wheel in Reservoir Dogs
Listening to this Dylanesque bubblegum pop ballad from Steeler's Wheel makes me glad I still have both my ears. Tarantino's first full length feature made him a notable name not only for his pop-infused direction but also for his pop-infused soundtracks. Making good use of the songs of his youth in the seventies Tarantino soundtracks are as good and referential as his films. Though Kill Bill's soundtrack sold more copies than those of his other films, it is the infamous torture scene in Reservoir Dogs that is "a cut" above the rest.
1. Layla by Eric Clapton in Goodfellas
Ever since I can remember (or at least the first time I saw this scene in Goodfellas) I wanted to be a gangster. Earning the spot at number one on this list Martin Scorcese makes use of pop music perhaps better than anyone else. Scorcese not only uses pop music to enhance his films but he relies on them to move the audience for him. The filmmaker takes a passive stance and lets the musician do the work. No better place does he do this than in Goodfellas and no place more notable than the montage of death to the tune of Eric Clapton's Layla: a tune that changes pace midway foreshadowing for the audience that all good things must come to an end.
That's my list. Can you think of any others?
10. Mad World by Gary Jules in Donnie Darko:
This song earns its spot on the list beating out all of the honorable mentions because it embodies the feeling of the movie in the strongest way. It is a dark and moody piece envelopped in mystery. It speaks of a world in which nothing really matters and everyone is sad. Donnie's apocalyptic views are echoed in the line "the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had." Jules sings as though he is a misunderstood teen akin to Darko who sees the madness of the world around him despite the fact that nobody believes him.
9. All Songs in Moulin Rouge
It is near impossible for me to pick a favorite moment from Baz Luhrman's manic opus about Bohemia. His movie musical is made up of pop songs many of which represent the most transcendent moments in musical history. I know that sound large but bear with me. He includes songs that strongly define generations of rock and roll from the necessary Beatles to the Police of the eighties to the grunge rock of Nirvana. He even includes a disco classic redone by hip-hop, pop and "rock" stars.
8.Tiny Dancer by Elton John in Almost Famous
While John Cusack's stereo serenade in Say Anything is probably a more important moment in cinema history Tiny Dancer won the battle because of the beautiful way in which it solves the problems for the rock band Stillwater. After the lead singer has an acid-filled departure from the group he returns broken and far from the "golden god" he thought he was when he left the band. One by one they all join in to sing a song that poignantly describes the ever-mysterious band-aid Penny Lane whose importance is paramount to making the experience of Stillwater as enjoyable as the films portrays.
7. Everyone by Van Morrison in The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson's soundtracks are among some of my favorite. Coupled with Mark Mothersbaugh's scores the songs on these soundtracks match the colors and neatly designed camera shots with the skill of a meticulous teenage girl decorating her notebook. While this song does not appear on the cd of the movie it is my favorite of Anderson's choices. Boasting the tagline "Family Isn't A Word... It's A Sentence" The Royal Tenenbaums is truly a film about everyone in one of cinema's quirkiest families.
6. Where is My Mind by the Pixies in Fight Club
I don't know anyone who watched this movie who at one point after didn't ponder the lunacy of a fight club while still admiring Tyler Durden as the quintessential modern American renegade and being just slightly jealous of Jack's burdensome counterpart. All of this is of course crazy but when a film makes you think about the transcendental nature of project chaos you have to ask yourself this very question.
5. The Man in Me by Bob Dylan in The Big Lebowski
After being drugged the Dude embarks on my favorite dream sequence since Eraserhead. Complete with Julianne Moore dressed in a viking hat and synchronized dancers dressed as bowling pins the Coen brothers perfectly imagine what the Dude's dreamlife would be like. When I was a kid I used to imagine what happened to the ball as it went on its course and now we get to experience it through proabbly the only camera angle of its kind. On top of all of the stylistic magestry the sequence includes a rare Bob Dylan song that I would never have heard were it not for the brothers' stonoir.
4. Wise Up by Aimee Mann in Magnolia
When writing Magnolia PT Anderson listened frequently to Aimee Mann meriting many references along the way including my favorite line, "Now that you've met me, would you object to never seeing me again," but nothing comes close to this bizarre destruction of the fourth wall as each of the characters, including the unconscious Julianne Moore in her second appearance on the list, turns to face the camera and one by one sing a line from this song. It makes no logical sense but that's part of the beauty of Magnolia.
3. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen in Wayne's World
Recreating the several harmonies mastered by Freddy Mercury the metalheads in the Garthmobile know how to rock out in the same way that Cassandra knows how to wail. I cannot hear this song and not think of this scene while wishing that my hair was long enough to headbang like the boys of SNL.
2. Stuck in the Middle With You by Steelers Wheel in Reservoir Dogs
Listening to this Dylanesque bubblegum pop ballad from Steeler's Wheel makes me glad I still have both my ears. Tarantino's first full length feature made him a notable name not only for his pop-infused direction but also for his pop-infused soundtracks. Making good use of the songs of his youth in the seventies Tarantino soundtracks are as good and referential as his films. Though Kill Bill's soundtrack sold more copies than those of his other films, it is the infamous torture scene in Reservoir Dogs that is "a cut" above the rest.
1. Layla by Eric Clapton in Goodfellas
Ever since I can remember (or at least the first time I saw this scene in Goodfellas) I wanted to be a gangster. Earning the spot at number one on this list Martin Scorcese makes use of pop music perhaps better than anyone else. Scorcese not only uses pop music to enhance his films but he relies on them to move the audience for him. The filmmaker takes a passive stance and lets the musician do the work. No better place does he do this than in Goodfellas and no place more notable than the montage of death to the tune of Eric Clapton's Layla: a tune that changes pace midway foreshadowing for the audience that all good things must come to an end.
That's my list. Can you think of any others?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Watching the Watchmen
If the film adaptation of Watchmen has taught me about anything, it is the diehard blindsighted loyalty of fans who, unable to separate a project from its parent, will stay aboard the Titanic knowing all the while that it must sink.
Watchmen, the comic series, is a rich, emotional, controversial and provocative piece of fiction meriting its place as one of Time Magazine's 100 best English language novels. It has, however, long been deemed unfilmable by its author, fans and great filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Terry Gilliam. Still, many clamored for someone to take the reins and attempt the unthinkable and in March 2009, in what will be known for a long time as the Berlin wall of fanboys, Watchmen was made.
Many believe that this is the greatest Watchmen that could ever have been made and should thus be celebrated on par with the novel. Others feel that the film gave a cursory glance at greatness and would have been better suited for an HBO mini-series. And, as the former prepares their pitchforks and torches, I declare loyalty to the failurists.
Even as a three hour movie the film feels shortened, truncated and superficial. In what could be a fine emotionally driven exploration about what it really means to be a superhero, Snyder has instead provided us with, as he has called it, a trailer for the novel. Apparently this is an incomplete version of the film and several other versions will be released either in theaters or on dvd in the future with the hopes of rounding up fans who felt the movie lacked elements of the novel.
I will be curious to see this though my hopes are small as Snyder ultimately missed the enormity of the novel in hopes of making something more commerically accessible.
The film begins with a montage sequence to the tune of Dylan's The Times They Are A Changin' so beautiful it gave me chills. I was thrilled to see some of my favorite comic book characters be brought to life in what begins as something faithful to the spirit of the novel but entirely of its own creation.
Unfortunately, the movie then transform into something altogether acutely faithful to the novel though unable to provide more than a cursory glance at something rich and unique. Instead of plunging headfirst into the waters of Watchmen Snyder recreates panel by panel the comic book using the brilliant words of Alan Moore to guide this heavily intellectual piece along.
The problem, however, is that for almost three hours, it doesn't stop. The dense intellectualism of the novel, which transcended the superhero genre, is not an alien beast for film to slay. Such a high level of intellectualism has been done before with films like 2007's Syrianna. What is missing, however, is the emotional depth that makes Watchmen so special. The characters, so well conceived by Moore, are given a superficial rendering that by all means looks amazing but amounts to nothing at the same time. It doesn't take a great film to make you care about flawed characters maybe just a little more time, and coming in at close to three hours, time is something Snyder has used up.
Instead Snyder hopes spoonfeed songs as heavy handed as Unforgettable during a funeral and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah (?!) during a passionate sex scene that are offensively two-dimensional renderings of a three dimensional drama. Ironic, considering it was transferred from two to three dimensional images.
The costumes, plucked directly from artist Dave Gibbons' comic book panels, are fantastic and worn well by a mostly strong cast led by Jackie Earle Haley's fascinating Rorscach and rounded out by Billy Crudup's Dr. Manhattan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian.
In the end, Watchmen succeeds in giving the viewer three hours of eye candy but it is a lollipop without a bubblegum center. There is nothing for us to chew on, except maybe the memory of a flavor
Watchmen, the comic series, is a rich, emotional, controversial and provocative piece of fiction meriting its place as one of Time Magazine's 100 best English language novels. It has, however, long been deemed unfilmable by its author, fans and great filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Terry Gilliam. Still, many clamored for someone to take the reins and attempt the unthinkable and in March 2009, in what will be known for a long time as the Berlin wall of fanboys, Watchmen was made.
Many believe that this is the greatest Watchmen that could ever have been made and should thus be celebrated on par with the novel. Others feel that the film gave a cursory glance at greatness and would have been better suited for an HBO mini-series. And, as the former prepares their pitchforks and torches, I declare loyalty to the failurists.
Even as a three hour movie the film feels shortened, truncated and superficial. In what could be a fine emotionally driven exploration about what it really means to be a superhero, Snyder has instead provided us with, as he has called it, a trailer for the novel. Apparently this is an incomplete version of the film and several other versions will be released either in theaters or on dvd in the future with the hopes of rounding up fans who felt the movie lacked elements of the novel.
I will be curious to see this though my hopes are small as Snyder ultimately missed the enormity of the novel in hopes of making something more commerically accessible.
The film begins with a montage sequence to the tune of Dylan's The Times They Are A Changin' so beautiful it gave me chills. I was thrilled to see some of my favorite comic book characters be brought to life in what begins as something faithful to the spirit of the novel but entirely of its own creation.
Unfortunately, the movie then transform into something altogether acutely faithful to the novel though unable to provide more than a cursory glance at something rich and unique. Instead of plunging headfirst into the waters of Watchmen Snyder recreates panel by panel the comic book using the brilliant words of Alan Moore to guide this heavily intellectual piece along.
The problem, however, is that for almost three hours, it doesn't stop. The dense intellectualism of the novel, which transcended the superhero genre, is not an alien beast for film to slay. Such a high level of intellectualism has been done before with films like 2007's Syrianna. What is missing, however, is the emotional depth that makes Watchmen so special. The characters, so well conceived by Moore, are given a superficial rendering that by all means looks amazing but amounts to nothing at the same time. It doesn't take a great film to make you care about flawed characters maybe just a little more time, and coming in at close to three hours, time is something Snyder has used up.
Instead Snyder hopes spoonfeed songs as heavy handed as Unforgettable during a funeral and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah (?!) during a passionate sex scene that are offensively two-dimensional renderings of a three dimensional drama. Ironic, considering it was transferred from two to three dimensional images.
The costumes, plucked directly from artist Dave Gibbons' comic book panels, are fantastic and worn well by a mostly strong cast led by Jackie Earle Haley's fascinating Rorscach and rounded out by Billy Crudup's Dr. Manhattan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian.
In the end, Watchmen succeeds in giving the viewer three hours of eye candy but it is a lollipop without a bubblegum center. There is nothing for us to chew on, except maybe the memory of a flavor
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A cultureless ratings system
It is really a shame that McG is having to fight for a shot of a topless woman to be featured in his new Terminator flick. The Man err I mean studios are requesting that the shot be removed so that they can have a PG-13 rating and appeal to a larger audience and have a larger marketing schema. Clearly art is not of consequence here.
Ironically enough, the original Terminator movies were both rating R and had enormous marketing abilities. I still remember playing the video game in the arcade.
But this brings up a greater issue: that of ratings. Why are we still stuck in such a puritanical society where a the site of a woman breast, something I can assure you we have ALL seen, demands such and outcry? It seems ridiculous to me that at 17 years old a young adult must be required to sit with a parent to see a breast when in many states the age of consent is 16 and one year later these young adults are then encouraged to go off and kill.
\The primary problem is American views on sexuality and profanity, while violence, for whatever reason, is easy to get past. b Ratings are optional. they are not enforceable by law. Video and DVD should render them null because of the success of movies such as the Dreamers which fare better on the dvd as unrated or NC-17.
Interestingly enough, ratings further dumb down our nation by relying on a superficial quality of a film rather than the overall message of the film. Some films talk about the dangers of sex and violence while others promote it. Tarantino films clearly demand an R rating but there are other films that deal with themes of violence and the terrible effects of it and should thus garner a lesser rating. There should be a pursuit of education in creating these ratings rather than a acquiescence to a religiously fanatic group who preaches moral values that in this day and age are wholly unrealistic.
Film ratings should be evaluated not on what makes up the film but what the product of the overall film espouses. Horror movies merit R Ratings because they don't teach anything but a film like Night of the Living Dead should receive a PG-13 rating because people should be smart enough or given enough credit to discover the thematic value of a piece rather than looking superficially at the violent nature. Sooner or later these movies will make it onto television and kids will see them anyway. We may as well stand for some sort of cultural efficacy and nourishment of children's minds at understanding one of the fundamental solids in American Culture.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Bad Ass Geek
When I think of the words anime, comic books, and bad ass the first name that pops into my head is unsurprisingly Quentin Tarantino the second is the original Bad Mother F*&er Samuel L. Jackson.
It would be foolish to argue that Samuel L. Jackson is not the baddest mother f&^er in Hollywood today, all you would have to do is look at Snakes on a Plane and realize that no other actor could elevate such a B-movie to the heights it achieved......or you could look at his wallet :)
Jackson, however, is a geek in disguise for in the same year that he plays bad mother (shut your mouth) Shaft he also plays a comic book geek/villain in Unbreakable.
He is the only man to star in one of the baddest of movies Goodfellas as well as the geek favorite Star Wars series. He is the star of action movies such as Die Hard With a Vengeance and The Long Kiss Goodnight but he also is the star of an anime series Afro Samurai.
In the next few years he will become even geekier by starring in an additional nine movies for Marvel replacing David Hasselhoff as Nick Fury. Combined with the two he has already done as well as the comic book great though cinematic failure The Spirit, soon Samuel L. Jackson will be a part of twelve comic book based movies which I think seals the deal of geekhood.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Green Hornet
Seth Rogen's Green Hornet project is getting underway not only with Stephen Chow attached as Kato but with MICHEL GONDRY attached to direct. Gondry is one of the most innovative directors out there with the critically acclaimed Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, visually daring The Science of Sleep, and the grand love letter to movies Be Kind Rewind under his belt.
In the same way that Christopher Nolan reinvented the superhero genre with Dark Knight making it dark, moody and fused in realism, I feel that Gondry could do with Green Hornet by making it spirited,colorful and imaginative paying homage to the pulp comic covers of yesteryear. Notably, The Green Hornet was especially violent so Gondry's previous work makes him a curious albeit brilliant choice. He has a strong handle on gripping personal drama as shown in and an creative vision that rarely feels unrealistic despite its absurdity. I think his vision could be akin to superheroes of old and make the genre that has become ultra-realistic extremely imaginative too.
In the same way that Christopher Nolan reinvented the superhero genre with Dark Knight making it dark, moody and fused in realism, I feel that Gondry could do with Green Hornet by making it spirited,colorful and imaginative paying homage to the pulp comic covers of yesteryear. Notably, The Green Hornet was especially violent so Gondry's previous work makes him a curious albeit brilliant choice. He has a strong handle on gripping personal drama as shown in and an creative vision that rarely feels unrealistic despite its absurdity. I think his vision could be akin to superheroes of old and make the genre that has become ultra-realistic extremely imaginative too.
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