Stones Are Easy

Moving on & on & on.

2010-12-27T16:12:00.001-06:00

Zero Woman: Assassin Lovers (1996)

2010-08-18T16:16:00.008-05:00

xWell it happened again. I launch into a tv/film series and in no time at all the experience runs right off the tracks. In this case, the Zero Woman films. "Red Handcuffs" in all probability had the luxury of coming to fruition in a time when producers feared not the sensibilities of their audience, or at least were comforted knowing they weren't being browbeaten to make a movie pleasant for a mass market.

So Zero Woman: Assassin Lovers is actually the fourth of the series (the 2nd and 3rd Zero films in the series, "Final Mission" and "Zero Woman 2", are currently unavailable via Netflix) and was filmed virtually on top of the previous two - twenty-some years beyond their namesake - which leads me to believe they too have only the thinnest of affiliation with the initial release. I'll save everyone the pain of a proper recap/review, only to say that the single redeeming quality of Assassin Lovers is how the distinction between the cold professionalism of Rei (played here by model/actress Kumiko Takeda) and an unqualified rival assassin is portrayed. In addition to all of this, it's hard to believe director Masahide Kuwabara (who went on to second-chair three of the great Shohei Imamura's films: Unagi, Dr. Akagi, and the brilliant Warm Water Under a Red Bridge) is so underwhelming on his own.

Nightmare Detective (2006)

2010-08-12T12:57:00.005-05:00

xHalf Suicide Club half Nightmare on Elm Street, 2006's Nightmare Detective (Akumu Tantei) falls squarely into the could-have-been-great column for cumulative reasons: it's essentially a Hitomi vehicle, it has a couple too many false endings, it doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a horror/thriller or psychological drama, as well as a few other gripes which surround the level of acting—in particular, Hitomi's. By the by, she may be Jennifer Aniston's doppelganger. Just saying.

In fact, the entire cast is semi-dreadful save for the prolific writer/actor/director himself, Shinya Tsukamoto (Bullet Ballet, A Snake of June, Vital, Tetsuo: The Iron Man)—he plays the nameless threat dubbed "0", a Krueger-like murderer who 'takes possession' of suicidal people who phone a number looking for a companion to die with. That being said, his role, by comparison, plays somewhat avant garde in places so there's a contrast which sets itself apart.

There isn't much more to say about this movie, really. It did strike me how it becomes a movie of layers, as in layers of sleep and memory, much like a certain and current Christopher Nolan film - although it would be quite a feat to make a correlation between the two. I'm not saying what you may think I'm saying. In any event, Nightmare Detective has it's fans; I wouldn't necessarily consider myself one.

Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs (1974)

2010-08-06T10:30:00.016-05:00

xBeing that "Exploitation" is generally considered a narrow but definitive arena of filmmaking, one with not-so definitive borders if you ask me, I went into Red Handcuffs wondering how squarely inside this first Zero Woman movie would sit. I was surprised and pleased.

A mixture of Dirty Harry and Caged Heat, (I haven't actually seen the movie Caged Heat but there is little mystery, to be sure) the movie opens as Zero Woman Rei (Miki Sugimoto) lights up the dance floor at a horrendously dated discotheque in mid-1970's Tokyo. In no time at all we realize she's not your average dancing queen but an undercover agent poised to willingly throw back a doctored drink in effort to hook a European diplomat bent on a violent encounter at his apartment. Effortlessness cum ruthlessness. Oh, she's good. Rei winds up in prison for her efforts though—ultimately her handlers are forced to cut a deal for her release when the daughter of a Presidential candidate is taken hostage.

Honestly, movies like this nature tread a fine line; they can move easily from ridiculousness to repugnance in lesser capable or even willful hands, and from action-camp like Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! to the more savage of revenge stories like that of Day of the Woman, so I commend director Yukio Noda for maintaining his focus with his episode. I was also surprised it didn't turn out to be a cartoonish urban outlaw sub-culture flick. Sure, it's from and of that era, but it aspires to be more that a cursory western [s]exploitation romp. That's not to say it's free of gratuitous nudity and violence. This one is expressly NOT for the kiddies—it's ultra-violent, sleazy, comical, farcical, and crude—consecutively and all at once. Quite the experience all told.

Now the second episode of Zero Woman doesn't appear for some 20 years, so it will be interesting to find out how and where Rei materializes.

RIP TV Volume 2: ¿La red está muerto?

2010-06-01T11:01:00.008-05:00

The continuation of brief thoughts on this year's canceled (spelled it correctly this time, you'll notice) programming. This part with be almost entirely devoid of positivity and/or reasons these shows should still be on the air.

Kelsey Grammer is an institution on network television, from Cheers and Frasier to lending a crazy good voice to The Simpsons' Sideshow Bob, but that resume and all the executive producing in the world didn't ingratiate his drab studio sitcom Hank with the masses. Seems this tired, every other family television comedy clone is hell bent for The CW - a varitable dumping ground for Grammer-produced shows. Mr. Grammer's recent track record isn't encouraging; I mean, his previous network entry was the painful, self-indulgent "Back to You" - and that lasted 2 months longer! Could it be that "Hank" was meant for the stage and not a studio audience?

Now Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution was supposed to transform society-at-large by its wacky demeanor and golden aura, and had good intentions indeed, but if sitting a group of fatties in front of a mountain of greasy, sugary foodstuffs to facilitate a proper badgering is good television then you must already watch The Biggest Loser and be getting your fill. The problem with the show was that Oliver & Co could only fascinate schoolchildren and us for so long and the show wound up completely selling out when they attempted to marry the ugliness and mess of reality television with the cleanliness and simplicity of Oliver's established image as a foodie travelogue the like New Scandinavian Cooking. Good intentions with ideals that probably became too big to harness.

Although I never watched Scrubs save for a scene here or there as I flipped stations, I always had the feeling this show should have been canceled long, long ago. Sure I can understand how people might be swayed by its flippant and transient make-up, but Scrubs seemed to utterly mock its own audience, seemingly laughing at them as to why the hell they would be tuning in and reaching for fresh new levels of pointlessness as to taunt.

Now I actually did watch a few episodes of Wife Swap, and though it was one of many contemporary shows ripped from UK network television, it seemed to be wholly American in nature. Producers found polar opposite families, often across the country, and installed the moms into the other household for two weeks - by utilising the mothers as the proxy, the children would often fall in line with "new mom" and cause the necessary drama. Sure, on its face, the show touted a get to know the other side scenario, and that's all well and good, but when I think of the proverbial evil producer, I think of the ones associated with this show. Besides all of that, the problem was the premise became repetitive and predictable. Let's hope the families had fun with it and there's no lasting trauma. Seriously.

My affinity for legal and police thrillers/dramas/mysteries had zero room for the CBS procedural Cold Case - and I consumed a few episodes to be sure I wasn't mistaken. The show was a near hour of 70s flashbacks, set to a 70s soundtrack no less, so that presumably the audience could play along - or whatever. In any case, the show came off as one by and for too specific an audience and the pace played to even an older demographic. Bland characters, repetitive crimes and motives, as well as weak attempts to attract younger viewers with Bush and Nirvana soundtracks were part and parcel to my lack of interest. Not forgetting the show did last seven seasons.

Gary Unmarried was a fairly lazy comedy about a divorced couple with a couple of kids that sort of remained friends. A few episodes of this semi-hackneyed premise saw such tried and true premises as Gary dating new women and Allison (the ex) mocking him and her, one of the two contradicting the others' parental methodology and the kid ends up playing them off each other - and similar hijinks. Writers just couldn't make Gary enough of a guy's guy, and ended up turning him into a tool/caricature. Nothing fresh - nothing you wouldn't see on a number of other sitcoms - and coming dangerously close to turning the Gary into an estranged character of How I Met Your Mother. Cancellation may have been the humane out.

O.k., I'm officially bored. Basically the only show I'll miss is Law & Order. I've watched that show on a regular basis (along with L&O: CI) for some time and I'll be interested to see who, if anyone, will turn up in the forthcoming Law & Order: Los Angeles - as wary and I am of spinning off a franchise of this caliber. Hell, I even watch reruns! A great show that like many were damaged by writer strikes and economic slowdowns alike. Sad, really. In the latter couple seasons, Law & Order's writing and production values fell off to a point where even a fan like myself hesitated to tune in. And with Criminal Intent leaping between paid and free television, another great show (franchise status aside) could very well end up trying fan's patience all the way to cancellation. What's to be done?!?

RIP TV: Ramblings on 2009/2010 network television cancellations

2010-05-26T11:29:00.011-05:00

Sad but true I consume a good amount of television. That being stated, much of my viewing is purely superficial - that is to say I watch yet I don't pay much attention to what is going on. I should probably work on that, but I enjoy the surfing and popping in & out of programming. It's part of who I am. So to this point and in the face of a few of modern television's most tried, tested and successful franchises being put to bed, a mental cleansing seemed in order. My thoughts on the decline of free network television aside, here are a few thoughts on the noteworthy, and not-so much, network television seasons that came to an end in 2009 and twenty-ten.

The clock finally caught up with Jack Bauer and 24. Weak, I'm aware. Not only did the inaugural season's 'real time' framework break new ground, it successfully force fed its pressed-for-time plot lines to hungry audiences week after power struggling, assassination-laden week. It also launched one of the most distinctive and recognisable (and worn thin) ringtones in modern memory. The show was a network winner from the start, and although it became entirely repetitive on the whole, auds fed off a scattering of unique twists and its studious secondary casting that spanned the show's eight season run - personally I watched Season 1, 2, a couple episodes of 3, and 8. Best of: Producers slyly casting Dennis Hopper, without title credit to preserve the surprise, as a shadowy and brilliant foe to Bauer in the latter hours of that first day. Worst of: The inordinate number of times Jack Bauer yelled a variation of 'Drop the gun - Do it now!'

The FlashForward cancellation took many more than myself by surprise. But I fully realise the ratings axe falls on the necks of the weak. I actually followed FlashForward fairly faithfully, through both its stimulating theoretical premise and the times/episodes which bored me to no end. To agree and paraphrase an MTV.com article on the cancellation, the show had too many lead characters and was spread far too thin; the story became bogged down in dozens of individual sub-plots that ate up episode after episode that irrevocably hamstrung the pace - not to mention an ill-timed hiatus mid season that all but destroyed any chance ratings would hold steady. The series finale is the 27th so depending on how cozily producers want it wrapped up, there may be an outside shot it will find a home on some pay station. I don't subscribe to any of the packages, so this will be my last regardless. Best of: The tangential aspect of the premise itself. Worst of: Minutiae disguised as substance that never bore fruit. Staying on point was the key, people.

I've opined on provincialism in the past, but in the realm of television not so much. Happy Town affords me the opportunity to touch on this. [I linked to Wikipedia because chances are the official ABC site will disappear soon enough.] Without hesitation I would say local ratings for the faux Minnesota-set Happy Town probably kept it on the air past its initial episode. When folks realised it wasn't "One Of Us", this and a mix of it being a sad rip-off of Northern Exposure meets Twin Peaks meets Gilmore Girls had people bailing for one of time-slot behemoths. Three-quarters of an episode was plenty for me. Best of: Uh. Worst of: Everything I just wrote.

Besides the finale, Lost was a show I saw small portions of for maybe a half hour of total content. As Season 1 began and rolled on, I was encourage to catch the wave but for whatever reason it never fell into my schedule. The mysteries of Lost were never unearthed for me. As for the finale, indeed it made little contextual sense to me, or any, really. By the way, how can that one woman be both dead and alive? Don't answer that. I have no idea why I watched it.

...to be continued.

Enter [sic] Through the Gift Shop

2010-05-11T15:13:00.008-05:00

xWhile the title reads Exit Through the Gift Shop: A Banksy Film, it's really a little bit by and about Banksy. Actually it's a re-cutting, commissioned by Banksy, of hundreds of hours of handy-cam footage by one Thierry Guetta, a vintage clothier and obsessive amateur videographer who begins tagging along with notable veterans of the can and stencil after visiting family in Paris and becoming enthralled with a cousin who was gluing self-made Space Invader mosaics around Paris. It wasn't long before Guetta found himself tracing a triangle between Los Angeles, Paris, and London, where ultimately Banksy confides in him while he shoots some unique and never before seen facets of the elusive artist's process. Not that his processes are that mysterious, really. Yet some light is shed on his motivations such as when he brings Guetta up a narrow ladder and through a slim door to show him boxes of Series E British Notes he created with Princess Diana's bust in place of the Queen's. That's was a great little scene. But don't be alarmed, this isn't a glum human interest doc.

So while the first half is Guetta getting to know the creator of the "Obey Giant" campaign, (of which my city is plastered), leading into a string of scenes where they plaster and bomb from bridge decks and sight-lines of all degrees set to some tasty music - included is Portishead alumn Geoff Barrow - latter half is almost all Guetta/Banksy and Guetta's metamorphosis into an unsightly amalgamation of Shepard Fairey, Blek Le Rat, Banksy himself, Andy Warhol, and a little Jackson Pollock thrown in for good measure. In any case, Guetta, now "working" under the moniker MBW - Mr. Brainwash - co-opts yet again as he throws insane money into exhibit space for a show to feature his own work not long after Banksy's 2006 Barely Legal Exhibit.

I'll say right away that I don't buy into the whole "prankumentary" claim. I could more easily buy that Banksy wanted a lucid portrayal of the events rather than the schizo, pressured film Guetta was set to release - is it so outside the realm of possibility that the elusive artist has an image to uphold? Maybe. In any case, it's well put together and enormously entertaining - whether it be stinging indictment or simple promotion.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2010-03-27T18:10:00.006-05:00

xTo say the original Swedish title"Men Who Hate Women" is as aggressive a title out there is an understatement, and the film's denouement is a literal belch of just that - without spoiling anything - which is presumably why the softer and sweeter (by comparison, of course) Girl with the Dragon Tattoo dons marquees in English-speaking markets. In fact, the root of the title is parlayed from the disappearance of an young heiress some forty years ago from a privately owned island in the frozen reaches outside of Stockholm.

Set in modern day, the patriarch of the storied Vanger Family launches a final effort to uncover the ends of his beloved (great)-niece's life. Stieg Larsson's book of the same name, as far in as I made it before the film released, goes into how the elder Vanger studies a series of pressed flowers, foliage, and herbs he once received as gifts from the young Harriet Vanger - in sadistic fashion, he continues to get them annually, as if rubbing salt in the proverbial wound. This holds true as the jumping off point to the now hired investigative journalist named Mikael "Kalle" Blomkvist; old man Vanger brings Blomkvist back to the day of the disappearance through photos, newspaper clippings, media footage, and his own recollections to further his efforts and puts him up in a cabin on the property while he works the case. Vanger then gives him a walking tour of the island, among and past the other Vanger's homes as he is of the belief that one of them has something to hide concerning young Harriet's vanishing.

Coincidentally, a damaged 21st century sherlock named Lisbeth (indeed, the girl with the dragon tattoo - played by Noomi Rapace) is quietly keeping tabs on Blomkvist and his work, including his current charge, while she serves up background information for a legit corporation in the heart of Stockholm. Why she begins following Blomkvist explicitly is unclear, but she soon falls head first into the Vanger affair by hacking Blomkvist's laptop, and never turns back.

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a solid movie. And a frighteningly well cast for what it is. Sure it has that overproduced and convenient Da Vinci Code feel, yet those conventions are somewhat offset through tightly controlled screen time and potentially held-over chemistry from much of the main cast being alumni of either of two Swedish productions - one being a long-running series of films a la Agatha Christie's Poirot. The things which make Niels Arden Oplev's film a complex, if not a somewhat anticlimactic, thriller seem to be struggling to ruin the film in turn. The fluidity is rock solid though, and the action is indeed full-fledged and uncompromising. A single gripe may be Lisbeth's confrontation at a Tunnelbana station; I get what he was shooting to establish, yet it came off as shrill and hastily tacked on. But then the worst of culprits, the flashback, actually worked in the film's favor. Go figure. All that being said, a story that covers issues ranging from corporate corruption and journalistic ethics to latent Nazism and incest, from subjugation to fading legacies, rarely satisfies everyone all of the time.

Best of 2000-2009: Complete post

2010-01-03T21:26:00.007-06:00

Honorable mentions:

xOld Joy (2006)
Not exactly a typical "road movie" as generally described, Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy opens as a good friend calls Mark, a nesting father-to-be, out of the blue after some time and invites him to check out an idyllic hot spring in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Kurt, a sort of wonderer in his own right, has grown to become the antithesis to Mark's soon-to-be family life - the trip tests Mark's patience as he now has more hardened sensibilities mixed with a bit of trepidation concerning the big step his life has taken as opposed to Kurt's freer will and tales of abandon and intellectual pursuits. That's not to say Mark regrets his life, but the emergence of Kurt has got his mind churning over the past and amplifying his own doubts.

A very recent viewing for me, although I passed it on the video shelf dozens of times waiting for it to land on the less expensive rental shelves; I can't say I've seen a more insightful and sober film which represents how we grow up and despite our best efforts sometimes grow apart - and that's life - it reminds us that we are our own and that we can only share some of ourselves for only so much time.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Sidney Lumet, United States, 2007)

Stealing Time (a.k.a. Rennie's Landing, Marc Fusco, United States, 2001)

xxPrimer (United States, 2004)
Shane Carruth's nil-budget juggernaut wasn't the only good tech-heavy think piece of 2004, and certainly not of the decade (John Simpson's near-future thriller "Freeze Frame" loaded on the ethical dilemmas in spades; go ahead and forget "I, Robot"...), it deserves much more than being lumped into a mass heap entitled 'clever sci-fi'. A spottily lit attached garage is our entrance into Carruth's 21st century tactile Grimm Tale, and the launching point for our protagonist engineers to stumble upon Man's last great unrealised venture: time travel. Their early trial and error in the discovery process reoccurs later in the form of experimentation in the 'traveling' itself - Aaron and Abe, being entrepreneurs of thought as they are, waste no time in coming up with a plan to turn a profit on their 'service', but that's where the limits of their conception meets the infinite capacity of their situation. Science Fiction as a genre tag doesn't quite cover what Primer completely is; it being a cautionary story in the hubristic vein of centuries old "three wishes" scenarios, or fantasies of omnipotence which usually end up fraught with irreversible consequence. Classic stuff, meticulously woven with with an intensity usually reserved for steeped, excessive dramas. Primer may have since fallen from our collective tongues, but it will continue to live on, at least here, as one of the best.

-------------------------------

And now the complete Ten:

xx#10: Brick (United States, 2005)
[paraphrasing my original April 2006 review] Rian Johnson's 2005 Sundance submission made waves yet for some reason it was made to withstand more than a year on the shelf before its theatrical debut in the first quarter of 2006; had it premiered at '06 Sundance it may have been heralded more resoundingly with the theatrical support. In any case, Rian's nod to 1940's noir pitted Joseph Gordon-Levitt's cucumber cool teen sleuth Brenden against a hilarious mafia don wanna-be who requires his chauffeuring be parentally given and Astro Van driven - as Brenden clues his way through the addled ranks of high school cliques to solve the disappearance of a friend amidst shady circumstances. As juvenile as the feel can be at times, Brick never wavers into a mocking tone; more to the point it always takes itself seriously as, well, as a serious caper film of substantial consequence is wont to do - even as it appears to poke fun at itself. A real balancing act, but one very well executed.

xxx#9: REC (Spain, 2007)
A film most assuredly not on many 'best of decade' lists, if only because horror movies tend to be discounted out of hand (for some strange reason). This punishing film, shot in vérité style, followings one Ángela Vidal as she joins the late hour happenings on location at a neighborhood firehouse for a segment of what is a continuing series for the television station she works for. With cameraman in tow, Ángela brings a brand new energy into the firehouse to coax the story along but simultaneously maintains the transparency a good documentarian needs for her story to be effective; this changes dramatically as she tags along on an "elderly woman trapped" call to an apartment building some blocks away where a most horrific and sickening attack prompts city officials to quarantine the building - with responders and tenants alike inside. What makes this film so impressive is the balance writer-director Jaume Balagueró achieves by creating a character in Ángela Vidal that contradicts our fight/flight sensibilities with the film's severe danger and intensity. With a lesser degree of abandon she charges onward and upward through the building to now chronicle its happenings - this works in association with pitch perfect pace; at seventy-five minutes it's not a moment too long or does it make a single concession to further its plot. While it may lose something on repeat viewings, REC is still a powerhouse in and of itself.

#8: Noriko's Dinner Table (Noriko no Shokutaku, Japan, 2005)
Sion Sono's 2½ hour tour-de-force follow-up to Suicide Circle (a second facet to his yet to be realized Trilogy) is a masterwork in it's own right; those familiar with Sono know it's a bit unconventional in the realm of coming-of-age films - it's hardly as quaint or pleasant as, say, Bend It Like Beckham, Stand By Me, or My Life as a Dog, try a starker group including Lilya 4-ever or Morvern Callar. Ultimately, as when you filter Sono's particular brand of art, this is a film that speaks of one's life being as perfect as one makes it, finding solace in those terrific choices, and discovering that growth and/or escape can be just as easily realised walking away single-handedly as bounding forward holding hands.

#7: Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le pacte des loups, France, 2001)
Set in the heaving hills and drawn river valleys of south-central France, circa 1760, this movie is a heaping helping of dramatics of nearly every kind, and which is why it is one of the best of the decade. Christophe Gans' France is shaken to its core by an animal of unimaginable scope which is dragging humans from their quaint and unremarkable lives alike, to a point where the principality calls upon King Louis' court itself for help. Help arrives in the form of The King's taxidermist Grégoire and his stoic friend Mani, an American Iroquois with considerable fighting skills. Cinematographer Dan Laustsen's camera has always been adept to the darkness, and here it moves about and through the inky recesses of The Beast's hunting hour, dragging us into the coldest and most punishing rainstorms during an epic fight scene in a vast clearing, then floating us like a butterfly through the well proportioned, candle-dappled boudoirs during the film's steamier scenes. A triumph! Don't get me wrong this is not a bodice ripper, and though I don't normally like period films, this is first and foremost an adventure film in the vein of the classic werewolf tales - only the slickest one you may have never seen.

xx#6: Kairo (Japan, 2001)
I think it's safe to say that before seeing Kairo for the first time my perception of what true apocalyptic horror was was been half-formed and most certainly untested. What it would mean to be utterly neutralised by events beyond one's control and far outside comprehension had been touched on in the past, George Sluizer's "Spoorloos" and Hideo Nakata's "Ringu" explored some pretty savage arenas, yet Kiyoshi Kurosawa brought the world to its knees by positing that the people had become irrevocably distanced from one another and that a condition arose where human beings were not only killing themselves off because of it, but that they would return from the afterlife (unwillingly and only further tortured) to proctor further terminations. The reason Kairo surpasses most every film of this ilk is that Kurosawa, like Sluizer, presents neither solution nor horizon (other than a literal horizon by film's end) to our protagonists; they are last seen free, but their outlook appears bleak; if not for one another; at least for a short time. A stark tale indeed. For that reason I can't help but be moved and shaken, and I can think of no reason it's not only a superior horror film but also a genuinely bold theatrical disquisition.

#5: Infernal Affairs (Mou gaan dou, Hong Kong, 2002)
[a tweaking of portions of my original 2005 review] Infernal Affairs begins as young police cadet named Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung) is being groomed by the highest ranks of Hong Kong's Police Academy to eventually become an inside man. Chan's keen eye and street-worthy demeanor makes him the perfect candidate to infiltrate Triads gangs who are in control of a large portions of the city, as they are wont to do. Unbeknownst to almost everyone, a different road unveiling itself for fellow cadet Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau). Although we aren't witness to Lau's actual path, he becomes Pacino to Chan's De Niro, or the reverse inside-out, he winds up ill-directing his office to keep Triad boss Hon Sam (a brilliant Eric Tsang) two steps ahead of any police actions. What manifests is one of the best table turning catch-me-if-you-can cop stories ever put to film.

Infernal Affairs is loaded with subterfuge and intrigue. We are privy to both sides of the infiltration equation from the start, but the near misses and natural character evolve to become more substantial and tenser, even as the story itself appears to begin its resolution. To be fair, there is a touch generic cop vs cop to it, with a couple standard stand-offs, but very little mano a mano conflict outside of the former classmates'; the film's confrontations are group against group, good vs bad. The beauty is in the believability of the interactions - these actors immerse themselves fully and the film is assembled flawlessly. You're made to have a stake in that world. As I said, it does has familiar elements, but Infernal Affairs is genuine and sophisticated like no other recent crime drama.

#4: Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, Japan, 2002)
#3: No Country for Old Men (Joel Coen/Ethan Coen, United States, 2007)
#2: Zodiac (David Fincher, United States, 2007)
#1: Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy, United States, 2007)

The Best Films of the Decade: #4 - #1

2010-01-01T10:57:00.005-06:00

Well (or Oops, if one prefers), I did it again - I waited too long to put my list together and left myself with little time to put it together in full. That is to say go through the processes and postings. I know, it doesn't require a whole lot of time in reality to toss up ten films and a few honorable mentions to boot, but to my own surprise I actually have things going on and I find myself increasingly resistant to spending time on this computer; seeing as how much the weather out of doors has cooperated and being generally spent from the holiday seasons and what not. Yeah, maybe I'm copping out a bit, but that's what great about it, I can do that. So without further adieu, a simple line listing of #4 through #1:

Honorable Mentions #3 & #4:
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Sidney Lumet, United States, 2007)
Stealing Time (a.k.a. Rennie's Landing, Marc Fusco, United States, 2001)

..and the final four:

Number 04: Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, Japan, 2002)
Number o3: No Country for Old Men (Joel Coen/Ethan Coen, United States, 2007)
Number o2: Zodiac (David Fincher, United States, 2007)
Number 01: Micheal Clayton (Tony Gilroy, United States, 2007)

Now, I'm off to sharpen my skates and play a little hockey this afternoon.

The Best Films of the Decade: #6 and #5

2009-12-31T19:22:00.009-06:00

Honorable Mention #2: Primer (United States, 2004)
Shane Carruth's nil-budget juggernaut wasn't the only good tech-heavy think piece of 2004, and certainly not of the decade (John Simpson's near-future thriller "Freeze Frame" loaded on the ethical dilemmas in spades; go ahead and forget "I, Robot"...), it deserves much more than being lumped into a mass heap entitled 'clever sci-fi'. A spottily lit attached garage is our entrance into Carruth's 21st century tactile Grimm Tale, and the launching point for our protagonist engineers to stumble upon Man's last great unrealised venture: time travel. Their early trial and error in the discovery process reoccurs later in the form of experimentation in the 'traveling' itself - Aaron and Abe, being entrepreneurs of thought as they are, waste no time in coming up with a plan to turn a profit on their 'service', but that's where the limits of their conception meets the infinite capacity of their situation. Science Fiction as a genre tag doesn't quite cover what Primer completely is; it being a cautionary story in the hubristic vein of centuries old "three wishes" scenarios, or fantasies of omnipotence which usually end up fraught with irreversible consequence. Classic stuff, meticulously woven with with an intensity usually reserved for steeped, excessive dramas. Primer may have since fallen from our collective tongues, but it will continue to live on, at least here, as one of the best.

Number 06: Kairo (Japan, 2001)
I think it's safe to say that before seeing Kairo for the first time my perception of what true apocalyptic horror was was been half-formed and most certainly untested. What it would mean to be utterly neutralised by events beyond one's control and far outside comprehension had been touched on in the past, George Sluizer's "Spoorloos" and Hideo Nakata's "Ringu" explored some pretty savage arenas, yet Kiyoshi Kurosawa brought the world to its knees by positing that the people had become irrevocably distanced from one another and that a condition arose where human beings were not only killing themselves off because of it, but that they would return from the afterlife (unwillingly and only further tortured) to proctor further terminations. The reason Kairo surpasses most every film of this ilk is that Kurosawa, like Sluizer, presents neither solution nor horizon (other than a literal horizon by film's end) to our protagonists; they are last seen free, but their outlook appears bleak; if not for one another; at least for a short time. A stark tale indeed. For that reason I can't help but be moved and shaken, and I can think of no reason it's not only a superior horror film but also a genuinely bold theatrical disquisition.

Number 05: Infernal Affairs (Mou gaan dou, Hong Kong, 2002)
[a tweaking of portions of my original 2005 review] Infernal Affairs begins as young police cadet named Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung) is being groomed by the highest ranks of Hong Kong's Police Academy to eventually become an inside man. Chan's keen eye and street-worthy demeanor makes him the perfect candidate to infiltrate Triads gangs who are in control of a large portions of the city, as they are wont to do. Unbeknownst to almost everyone, a different road unveiling itself for fellow cadet Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau). Although we aren't witness to Lau's actual path, he becomes Pacino to Chan's De Niro, or the reverse inside-out, he winds up ill-directing his office to keep Triad boss Hon Sam (a brilliant Eric Tsang) two steps ahead of any police actions. What manifests is one of the best table turning catch-me-if-you-can cop stories ever put to film.

Infernal Affairs is loaded with subterfuge and intrigue. We are privy to both sides of the infiltration equation from the start, but the near misses and natural character evolve to become more substantial and tenser, even as the story itself appears to begin its resolution. To be fair, there is a touch generic cop vs cop to it, with a couple standard stand-offs, but very little mano a mano conflict outside of the former classmates'; the film's confrontations are group against group, good vs bad. The beauty is in the believability of the interactions - these actors immerse themselves fully and the film is assembled flawlessly. You're made to have a stake in that world. As I said, it does has familiar elements, but Infernal Affairs is genuine and sophisticated like no other recent crime drama.

The Best Films of the Decade: #10-7

2009-12-27T14:37:00.008-06:00

Honorable mention: Old Joy (2006)
Not exactly a typical "road movie" as generally described, Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy opens as a good friend calls Mark, a nesting father-to-be, out of the blue after some time and invites him to check out an idyllic hot spring in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Kurt, a sort of wonderer in his own right, has grown to become the antithesis to Mark's soon-to-be family life - the trip tests Mark's patience as he now has more hardened sensibilities mixed with a bit of trepidation concerning the big step his life has taken as opposed to Kurt's freer will and tales of abandon and intellectual pursuits. That's not to say Mark regrets his life, but the emergence of Kurt has got his mind churning over the past and amplifying his own doubts.

A very recent viewing for me, although I passed it on the video shelf dozens of times waiting for it to land on the less expensive rental shelves; I can't say I've seen a more insightful and sober film which represents how we grow up and despite our best efforts sometimes grow apart - and that's life - it reminds us that we are our own and that we can only share some of ourselves for only so much time.

Number 10: Brick (United States, 2005)
[paraphrasing my original April 2006 review] Rian Johnson's 2005 Sundance submission made waves yet for some reason it was made to withstand more than a year on the shelf before its theatrical debut in the first quarter of 2006; had it premiered at '06 Sundance it may have been heralded more resoundingly with the theatrical support. In any case, Rian's nod to 1940's noir pitted Joseph Gordon-Levitt's cucumber cool teen sleuth Brenden against a hilarious mafia don wanna-be who requires his chauffeuring be parentally given and Astro Van driven - as Brenden clues his way through the addled ranks of high school cliques to solve the disappearance of a friend amidst shady circumstances. As juvenile as the feel can be at times, Brick never wavers into a mocking tone; more to the point it always takes itself seriously as, well, as a serious caper film of substantial consequence is wont to do - even as it appears to poke fun at itself. A real balancing act, but one very well executed.

Number 09: REC (Spain, 2007)
A film most assuredly not on many 'best of decade' lists, if only because horror movies tend to be discounted out of hand (for some strange reason). This punishing film, shot in vérité style, followings one Ángela Vidal as she joins the late hour happenings on location at a neighborhood firehouse for a segment of what is a continuing series for the television station she works for. With cameraman in tow, Ángela brings a brand new energy into the firehouse to coax the story along but simultaneously maintains the transparency a good documentarian needs for her story to be effective; this changes dramatically as she tags along on an "elderly woman trapped" call to an apartment building some blocks away where a most horrific and sickening attack prompts city officials to quarantine the building - with responders and tenants alike inside. What makes this film so impressive is the balance writer-director Jaume Balagueró achieves by creating a character in Ángela Vidal that contradicts our fight/flight sensibilities with the film's severe danger and intensity. With a lesser degree of abandon she charges onward and upward through the building to now chronicle its happenings - this works in association with pitch perfect pace; at seventy-five minutes it's not a moment too long or does it make a single concession to further its plot. While it may lose something on repeat viewings, REC is still a powerhouse in and of itself.

Number 08: Noriko's Dinner Table (Noriko no Shokutaku, Japan, 2005)
Sion Sono's 2½ hour tour-de-force follow-up to Suicide Circle (a second facet to his yet to be realized Trilogy) is a masterwork in it's own right; those familiar with Sono know it's a bit unconventional in the realm of coming-of-age films - it's hardly as quaint or pleasant as, say, Bend It Like Beckham, Stand By Me, or My Life as a Dog, try a starker group including Lilya 4-ever or Morvern Callar. Ultimately, as when you filter Sono's particular brand of art, this is a film that speaks of one's life being as perfect as one makes it, finding solace in those terrific choices, and discovering that growth and/or escape can be just as easily realised walking away single-handedly as bounding forward holding hands.

Number 07: Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le pacte des loups, France, 2001)
Set in the heaving hills and drawn river valleys of south-central France, circa 1760, this movie is a heaping helping of dramatics of nearly every kind, and which is why it is one of the best of the decade. Christophe Gans' France is shaken to its core by an animal of unimaginable scope which is dragging humans from their quaint and unremarkable lives alike, to a point where the principality calls upon King Louis' court itself for help. Help arrives in the form of The King's taxidermist Grégoire and his stoic friend Mani, an American Iroquois with considerable fighting skills. Cinematographer Dan Laustsen's camera has always been adept to the darkness, and here it moves about and through the inky recesses of The Beast's hunting hour, dragging us into the coldest and most punishing rainstorms during an epic fight scene in a vast clearing, then floating us like a butterfly through the well proportioned, candle-dappled boudoirs during the film's steamier scenes. A triumph! Don't get me wrong this is not a bodice ripper, and though I don't normally like period films, this is first and foremost an adventure film in the vein of the classic werewolf tales - only the slickest one you may have never seen.

xxYear End: Top Documentaries of the Decade

2009-11-15T15:25:00.005-06:00

Knowing myself as I do I figure it's never too early to begin with a few Year End lists and what-not. There's really nothing preventing this. I wanted to take on several categories when the year began but as it happened I didn't make it to my first theater viewing until late May and Terminator: Salvation! That won't do in most cases, yet I'm resolved to accept that I don't get paid to watch movies or write this stuff. A given. That being said, I plan to make hay with the measly twenty 2009 films I actually saw, half of those theater views, but quite a bit more can be drawn from the dozens of small screen choices in the realm of horror, documentary, foreign, etc., and the various minglings thereof. Maybe a "bottom 5" (have come across some terrible ones this year) or television list? Anything is possible. I certainly wouldn't rule out a Top 10 of the Decade, as it appears to be an apropos time for one.

But until then, I'll get this rolling with The Top Ten Documentaries of the Decade, in no particular order:

Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008) What's frustrating about this doc is the air of blame swirling throughout; in an era of effortless finger-pointing, no one comes out ahead. The rewarding part is the frankness and discussion on behalf of former pro skater turned entrepreneur & director Stacy Peralta and the film's producers that allows the doc's participants to bare all and/or take long, hard looks at themselves.

I.O.U.S.A. (2008) As a stand-alone doc concerning the woes of institutional borrowing, leveraging, and obligations of every degree, this one is one of the best. To explain why it's one of the most important of the last ten years is to state the obvious. As I said before, this should be required viewing in basic economics classes. I mean, the things I learned in grade school I assumed were taught to everyone...

My Kid Could Paint That (2007) Whether or not a little girl painted what many have paid thousands and tens of thousands of dollars for is almost of secondary importance to what this doc's viewer's ideals may or may not be. Could these parents be little Madoff's, or simply stewards of a little girl's imagination and financial future?

Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) Well, this doc attempts to expose just who and/or what political agenda not only shut down a popular, growing, seemingly viable technology, but also set back a movement by a couple of decades. It also touches on the fact that the term "energy independence" is a myth and simply a tool that politicians of any degree (past & present) use for fodder. You may be surprised.

Jonestown: The Life & Death of Peoples Temple (2006) The most in-depth look into modern history's most unbelievable human tragedy since the holocaust. Both gripping and disgusting.

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005) Not everyone can be as bold as Bob Dylan, and it's beyond fascinating to discover slices of his life's journey corroborated by pictures and words from the most unlikely sources. When a man chooses to be free it's a powerful and misunderstood set of circumstances that he himself may not truly appreciate - Dylan's made it look easy.

Unser täglich Brot (Our Daily Bread, 2005) A picturesque and fascinating peek into greater Europe's food industry. While I don't believe the entirety of Europe conforms to the standards shown in this doc, I can appreciate the mix of clinical methods and earthly methodology used by the companies involved. No narration.

Grizzly Man (2005) Weird and wild would be an understatement in describing Tim Treadwell as he practically begged the Alaskan grizzly population to kill him for thirteen years. In tragic fashion he got his wish. Quite possibly the nearest thing to a snuff film to ever be in wide release. A documentary like none other.

The Cult of the Suicide Bomber (2005) Sure, Clooney's character in Syriana was based on Baer himself, but Baer's actual journey into radical Islam's recent history to learn the origins of the contemporary kamikaze is one not easily forgotten. All things being equal, this is a balanced look that may frustrate as soon as enlighten.

Un coupable idéal (Murder on a Sunday Morning, 2001) The title's literal English translation is "An ideal culprit"; pretty much summing up the doc in those three words. The crux being - much like the 1976 Dallas area murder in the documentary The Thin Blue Line, a person is quickly named in the crime to the exclusion of all others and evidence - very much unlike the former, widespread institutional corruption takes a back seat to a small clutch of overzealous yet similarly driven offices and officials as an absence of evidence is poised to convict the perfect suspect. The chances of drawing a public defender like this is the difference between everything and nothingness.

Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show

2009-10-18T14:15:00.004-05:00

Well, I had an entire review of the Something Weird Video double feature release Common Law Wife and Jennie, Wife/Child but I left the room to whip up some food only to return to see my program crashed; lost it. In any event, Jennie, Wife/Child plays like it was pulled from a dusty stack of rejected 1950s social studies films made to discourage growing up too fast (read gold-digging, in this case) as it portrays an ever-so cute but stir crazy twenty-year-old married to a middle-aged farmer but who's hired hand, Mario, begins to catch lovely Jennie's eye, which leads to all sorts of hilarious tension. What's more, little Jennie becomes a bit possessive of Mario after he spends a drunken night in town with the 'town tramp' Lulu, a bubbly blonde whose morals are a smidgen loose, to be kind. But the grizzled and somewhat bitter Mr. Peckingpaw is growing weary of Jennie's exploits. He has a plan. For an underground film made on a dirt cheap budget, there's some real substance to these characters. Intended or not.

The second movie, Common Law Wife, isn't so educational-based in feel; it goes far beyond with a truer thrilling plot line of an old oil-rich skinflint named Shugfoot Rainey whose live-in girlfriend, Linda, has suddenly become too old for him. Old Man Shug intends to bring his "blood niece" Jonelle a.k.a. Baby Doll to "care for him". After Linda happens upon the Common Law, she assumes the upper hand. What's that saying about assuming stuff? Baby Doll is back in town and has an agenda all her own. This feature has a surprisingly solid ending.

Now, the disc has a hidden third "feature" titled Moonshine Love (at one time known as Sod Sisters) that employs the thinnest and inanest of plots wrapped around a couple of "sisters" that harbor an amnesiac who, unknown to them, played a part in a recent robbery. The two live in a mountain cabin with an older fellow who could be any or all degree of relation; all three come to relish their visitor's presence until his two accomplices track him down. This film features copious full-on nudity, to wit, a several minute scene where one sister gratifies herself in many ways with a large, irregular yam or potato! Believe it or not! I hope I didn't spoil it for anyone...

Common Law Wife is the only one really worth a watch, if the opportunity arises, although I understand a scene or two didn't make the leap from video to disc that shed more light on the "Baby Doll" character's history in the town to which she returns. Jennie borders on comical, and well, Moonshine is as I've said.

Cookers (2001)

2009-10-09T11:21:00.005-05:00

So I saw the 2001 nil-budget horror/thriller "Cookers" this past Tuesday on recommendation from Teresa Nieman over at Cult Iconic, and since I pretty much agree with what she has written, here's what she wrote.

I think the opening credit sequence perfectly sets a tempo for the movie; the distorted music gets our heads in the right place, director Dan Mintz's camerawork moves in measured fits around the vehicle and scenery on the couple's approach their isolated digs, and the touch of fish-eyed lens (somewhat comical in and of itself, if you ask me) further distorts our introduction. The "Merle" character (coolly played by Patrick McGaw) steals the show though. He's both barometer to the cloistered couple and rural raconteur who's ghost story essentially kicks-starts the movie in earnest.

Whether or not "Cookers" languishes in places or cops out of its horror theme is debatable, I guess, but it certainly is a gem in the genre and a must rent against most of this year's major horror releases.

Paranormal Activity (2007/2009)

2009-10-04T15:26:00.004-05:00

“I figured, well, sleeping at home is something you can’t really avoid. So if I can make people scared of being at home, Paranormal Activity might do something.” - writer/director Oren Peli

Roughly a week after Paranormal Activity lit up screens in a handful of "college" markets, writer and director Oren Peli's preternatural horror film hit the road for its next leg of midnight showings. In my market, Minneapolis/St. Paul, you got two shots and out. Quite needless to mention, both screenings were sold out well in advance, as I discovered after a ticket snafu before Friday's show. Luckily, I had tickets good for Saturday to fall back on! This is one you want to see, and see early on in its run, preferably during its witching hour tour, as auds will be wholly receptive to both the film's brand of measured humor and its punishing dose of frustration and distress.

As far as the film itself, and without going into great detail, twenty-something (maybe early thirty-something) couple Micah & Katie are in the midst of investigating some bothersome happenings that have been intruding on their sleep, and for Katie, her mental well-being. Micah employs a phalanx of technology, consisting mainly of a stationary camera positioned in their bedroom to "catch" whatever it may be that's causing the rift. All of this is rather benign for the present. For Micah, it's a chance to flex his technological muscle, and for Katie it's hopefully a means to an end, and, well, let's face it, it's charmingly intrusive. Still, when sound sleep continues to evade them, she tolerates both camera and Micah's increasingly flippant attitude toward their situation less and less. Bringing some amount of substance to the table, should they employ outside help, somehow takes a back seat to exhausting bravado and menacing curiosity. Which is what they do not need at the moment. And yes, it will be very bad. And terrific for us.

Slow News Day, or Any Pub is Good Pub Edition

2009-09-18T08:53:00.008-05:00

I'm of the belief that provincialism is a curse; people love their rotting ways to be sure. A crime against nature some would assert. After all, to paraphrase the immortal (and oft sited) words of Grandfather Sports, Sid Hartman, ‘If you leave Minnesota, you’ll never work in this State again.’ Laughable, I know. The fly in his ointment was, of course, High School blue-chippers turning their backs on collegiate Minnesota, which was quickly extended to corporate Minnesota and beyond. In the realm of film, no Minnesotan would soon disparage Diablo Cody, as would they Joel and/or Ethan Coen, lest they be shunned and labeled accordingly.

So I breeze by the newspapers at the coffee shop this morning and what did I see above the fold, Page One, and in the banner no less, of our own glorious Red Star but headline “Bury Jennifer’s Body” by Colin Covert, who is, by the way, a self-proclaimed Cody fan. Suffice it to say, we all hope she gets back on the horse soon.

Recommendation: For a slightly less violent but no less damaging glimpse into the proverbial maelstrom known as the adolescent female (Yeah, as if I know what I'm talking about... ) go ahead and see Naissance des Pieuvres. That's not to say it'll be as fun as Jennifer's Body though.

More of what I started yesterday.

2009-08-25T19:30:00.013-05:00

To continue to catching up, I move on to Lars von Trier and on this film, namely Europa (orig. Zentropa), I refer you to an earlier post. As far as I.O.U.S.A. goes, it's a documentary which follows a couple of guys: one a former long-time head guy at the Federal Budget Office, and the other who runs a political awareness group that seems to focus on government budget issues, in this case the rampant over-obligating the United States has done over the past 60+ years. The Fed Office guy was appointed by Clinton and the other guy is apolitical in the sense that he's worried the U.S. financial system (and by default you & I) are not only in for a world of hurt, but have been heading toward said hurt for some time, regardless of how often and strongly some have pointed this out. It's really a non-bias doc, as it sticks to just the numbers and skewers most every administration going back to Abe Lincoln (or there abouts). A plainly executed affair, all told. Recommended; it should probably be required viewing in public schools. Now I finally saw the other two Michael Haneke films I had on my "to see" list; those being his adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Castle and the equally enigmatic (or somewhat so) Le Temps du Loup, or Time of the Wolf. The Castle is expertly performed, as Haneke films are wont to be, but it's ever so dry; it's devoid of almost all drama or distress usually attributable to his films. If you've read the book, skip the next couple sentences. A nondescript man wonders into a bureaucratic Wonderland while attempting to escape the blistering winter night, but he discovers, through no effort on his part, that the more inflexible and demanding he is the more people seemingly strive to help him out! But all is not what it seems for our dear wonderer as he becomes a pawn in a game of his own making.

Haneke film number second concerns a family of four fleeing to a vacation home after an unexplored disaster forces humanity out of the city/cities. They arrive but find another family has taken up residency, as it were, and are confronted by the husband; this is only the beginnings of this family's saga as they move along toward an outpost where people are waiting for a train, that may never come, to come. The other theatrical viewing these past 2 weeks was The Collector, and there's not a hell of a lot to say besides that I haven't been so bored at a movie since 30 Days of Night. Pass.

Now onto something I patiently waited to arrive R1; that would be the simply incredible 5 Centimeters Per Second. It's actually three animated stories anastomose (thank you Langenscheidt Thesaurus) concerning childhood friends, Takaki and Akari, who eventually move away from each other but go to great lengths to see each other again. The second and third "acts" are hinged on the continued travels of Takaki, moving from town to town, from school to school, and how he meets another girl later in life only as he grows more introverted, wayward, and a bit despondent into adulthood over his idyllic memories of childhood. It's fairly moody from afar, and in total, but is almost entirely approachable while the movie is in motion. The animation alone is worth a viewing.

And finally I'm caught up, with the last title being Orson Wells' F is for Fake. Sort of a genre-less doc, Welles spins a story of an art counterfeiter named Elmyr who isn't a counterfeiter but actually is, and his immediate circle of friends and fellow confidence men (and by this I mean they hardly lack confidence) who celebrate Elmyr to no end, that is of course when he's not celebrating himself. They wax nostalgic of their various triumphs ranging from expertly duping (or not) Howard Hughes and Pablo Picasso (or not) and countless unnamed art patrons. All the while living spectacularly simple yet indulgent lives. Welles is a righteous storyteller and a most expert narrator as he travels between continents putting on his show not only for us, the audience, but for anyone who seems willing to imbibe, nosh, and contribute (however superficially) to Orson's grandiose tale. Highly recommended.

Watching movies, writing about them.

2009-08-24T22:42:00.003-05:00

An outlandish film that is firmly contained in its own world, it would have to be, Uzumaki makes me think of the corn-balled B-movies such as Pychomania, House, and The Ice Cream Man that play to the funny bone as much as they intend to frighten. Cue warped carnival tones. It's fantastic and ridiculous. Whatever pseudo science which acted as a jumping off point will find no quarter in Higuchinsky's effort, although, said point will no doubt be unaware it has been usurped. As my first Ingmar Bergman film, Through A Glass Darkly was a pleasant surprise from the notion I carried of Bergman being the height and end all of pretension; to see a Bergman was to go, as it were, through the looking glass. But I came out the other side very much unscathed, so kudos to me I guess, as I jumped right back on the horse with the aforementioned Spiral-based movie. now this is a self-contained film; as much as Uzumaki, if not more, so if your not a fan of claustrophobic works like Glengarry Glen Ross, The Lifeboat (I think that's the title, if memory serves... the Hitchcock film from his British days), or Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea (the book... recalling my grade school days for this one) then at least this Bergman may not be for you. I liked it. Now this one came out of the blue on television over the weekend... The Love Letter. I have to preface by saying it was the only non-infomercial thing on television when I took a break from everything I was tackling around the home; yeah, I watched it. The jist is a comedy of errors surrounding an unsigned letter found and read by a woman who mistakes to be for her from a certain guy, then he stumbles upon it and mistakes it from her, then another lady does likewise, then another guy, and so on until wacky and awkward fumbling gives way to heavy issues towards film's end. A prototypical television movie. And probably one of the titles on my upcoming, yet undefined post of the subject. Oddly, not terrible. But at the same time yes, terrible. District 9 has some pretty killer CGI and the premise is alright if not a bit worn. The full extent of its premise was given away in the trailer so there's little mystery involved, the remainder is faux verite small scale warring between humans and aliens; humans that want the aliens to be somewhere away from them, and aliens who either want to go nowhere or home. It's most definitely a big screen movie, which is unfortunate because it's not much more than rental worthy. If I were one or both of those insufferable At The Movies critics named "Ben", I say Skip It. The last film for today is Lilya 4-Ever, the grim tale of degeneration and sadness. Set in Russia, and closely based on actual events, a girl, Lilya, is, so pumped to be moving to America with her mother she shouts it to everyone who will listen. All of her friends, all one of them, is sad she's going but happy all the same that she will leave the wasteland they call a town behind. But it wasn't meant to be it seems. Her mother abruptly tells her that she and her boyfriend will be going on ahead but will send for her in short order after they are settled; this is the first hit her physiognomy (a favorite term of Dostoevsky btw), the first of many successive degrees she shrinks by way of. In between drunken binges and bags of glue she holds out hope that the call from the US will come. Alas, a letter does arrive but it's not what Lilya had hoped. It's not a great film, but it is a powerful film that I'd put in the same arena as Irreversible, I Can't Sleep, and anything by Catherine Breillat.

Chan-wook Week: Act III

2009-08-13T20:35:00.002-05:00

To continue the temporary Park Chan-wook them, I've posted some brief thoughts on Simpan over at Gold Lion.

Park Chan-wook: continued

2009-08-07T15:18:00.006-05:00

Speaking of Park Chan-wook, here is his 1999 film called Simpan or "Judgement" courtesy New York Magazine by way of 1MinuteFilmReview.

Time (Kim Ki-duk)

2009-07-31T21:24:00.006-05:00

Kim Ki-duk's Time has the directorial style of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Charisma meets Miike's Detective Story meets his own Bad Guy. A confluence of relationship dualities (some quite literally) and an eluded to continuity/paradox question a la Song Il-gon! Visual-wise it's hard to believe this is the same director that gave us 3-Iron, but content-wise Time is pure Ki-duk; characters that are emotionally nude and fragile, but courageous enough to admit it. Even if they have to be physically and/or psychologically beaten into accepting so. Or as in Time's case, even if they do it to themselves. That's why it really hurts.

Yella (2007)

2009-07-16T21:29:00.009-05:00

Simply put, and in lieu of a review; this one may not be the most uniquely proposed or sunniest of films but it is an engaging little existential drama, if even an homage to a certain 1962 film. That being said, Simone Bär's screenplay incorporates strong mixture of thinking and intuition to support the plot-line (as it is) and thoroughly convince auds, even upon reflection. A genuine effort. First film for me from Germany-specific director Christian Petzold. Recommended.

Happy Independence Day

2009-07-04T11:33:00.004-05:00

(*pics of last night's fireworks didn't come out well, so here's a lifted pic showing nearby where we were.)

Crawling in the Sky.

2009-06-22T18:49:00.003-05:00

Sky Crawlers review up at Gold Lion today.

Title Pending.

2009-06-08T21:09:00.010-05:00

So it has been a while, and while nothing spectacular has happened to spark a posting during the getaway, now is as good a time as any to return; in better form? Only time will tell.

That being said, I really have nothing to post about here other than to mention the slightly new layout. I like the halved look right now, it's clean enough and there's space for different content types on either side. What content that will be also remains to be seen. I always intend to write about something but then for whatever reason back out because it comes off as droll, esoteric, or uninteresting. The latter must apply to this very post! Anyway, that, in combination with it being summertime, could make for a spotty few months at stones. In any case, don't be surprised to find anything and everything thrown into the pot.

Moshi moshi. Yes, ship the mushi mushi to Yamanashi.

Of note to myself at least, what ill flavor of fate took control of my cell phone as it fell out of my coat pocket? Rather than fall out and away onto the grassy grassness of the grass just to my right, as I turned to retrieve a letter from the mailbox, my cell dropped straight to the sidewalk like it was one of those giant 1980s portables. Not only directly down but exactly flat, on it's face. A face made of glass. The kind of glass that breaks. I didn't even know it slid out until I heard the smack. What are the odds? I guess however it landed it would have been ugly, but in this case I can only call out; no ringing, no vibrating, not even a sliver of the screen to be had. And sadly, the warranty has long since run out.

Now to the bright side! The iPhone 3G was just dropped to $99 for the base model, the 3GS is due next next week (but not so fast...) , and the vaunted Palm Pre is also out there to be had. Some killer phones for sure. One will be mine. And soon. No phone equals no good.

Call it (an early) spring break.

2009-02-16T13:26:00.010-06:00

Not that there's a whole hell of a lot of continuity or regularity with my blog, I think I'll just make it official and say that

Stones will be on hiatus for an indeterminate time; not a closure, as I've admittedly considered, but a simple self-prompted suspension. And as far as returning with a revitalised sense of mission and/or a fresh and

exciting look and feel, I wouldn't be so bold as to predict this. Until then, a random, unrelated video:

*videos removed for space

Hello from the gutter! We've been expecting you.

2009-02-03T09:38:00.009-06:00

Call me a cynic, but the current state of thinking in this country, political class and the great unwashed alike, was expertly portrayed during this week's episode of How I Met Your Mother, in the form of Barney's Resume. There's magic in the air! Yes! Say "Yeah"! As yet another (is this #5 or #6?) politcal nominee is "sorry about all the fuss [they have] caused about not paying his/her taxes" and has either dropped out of contention or currently face questions from their peers (if only), I laugh each time another one of those jokers put on a concerned face while launching into some vapid, ethereal non-apology apology and beg for forgiveness like a dog that pissed on our collective floor. Meanwhile, you and I have no such luxury. A monopoly of force is what that's called. Now for the apropos goodness. Maybe I'm simply uninspired at present... yeah, that's it.

Beer me, concessioneir.

2009-01-29T22:07:00.005-06:00

"There's something evil in this house."

Not only is that a mind-numbingly glib line out of this week's Tale of Two Sisters re-imagining "The Uninvited", but it's a point of fact concerning my 2-month-and-counting goal to catalog every movie I've ever seen. Using a program was obviously the easiest path to walk, a simple tagging to begin with, followed by the crippling, soul-sucking data entry portion (of the missing and incorrect) which is breaking my will to go on. I must finish to date. An unintended consequence to take from all of this is I feel more than justified in updating my resume! So in conclusion; the good: I'm revisiting some great movies and will have a tremendous resource at hand; the bad: there's no way I'll recall every film; the ugly: the stack of Post-Its and scraps of paper with all of the films I do remember every now & again, and have yet to add them. A leisurely is a given, but the finish line for the bulk of this thing may become next year's first resolution.

Thursday's One-sided Academy Conversation

2009-01-22T14:13:00.006-06:00

Just a quick riff concerning the present Oscar season and the nominees which seem to be becoming more predictable by the year, only at the same time, the status quo. What can one expect? I don’t want this to be an out and out criticism, that’s for sure. On the choices themselves, one glaring omission, from everything read, written, spoken, is Gran Torino. Perhaps, and most likely the case, not enough Academy-types saw the damn thing! Yesterday I listened to an interview with the writer, a local guy, Nick Schenk; he penned the story while in-between jobs and came across as a genuinely good guy.

‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ is curiously omnipresent throughout the nominations; I can’t help but think of the spot from Spike Feresten's show, The Curious Case of Forrest Gump; it has influenced my view of the film in a weird way. Probably too much, but I have the sense that it doesn’t warrant as many nominations as it received. The meat of my post (I just realised what I wrote, but I’m leaving it) concerns those movies that were forgotten or simply cast aside in lieu of ‘fresher’ Oscar-bait. I’m talking to you ‘Frost/Nixon’; you and your politically charged pseudo-plot and timely release. None for me. Then again, I failed to see the “brilliance” of the first acclaimed Nixonian “masterpiece”, ‘Nixon’. Bored to tears.

So obviously a film like ‘Cloverfield’ isn’t even Best Visual Effects worthy? I shutter to think that 10,000 BC garnering more attention in that category, but I have little doubt that in The Academy’s eyes, cartoonish excess wins over profound fidelity. And where’s the love that was for ‘Son of Rambow’? One of the most genuine and inspirational films in some time got slapped down to make way for a reunion film/vehicle that paints as bleak a picture of suburban America as there’s ever been? Just wow. A bright spot was seeing ‘Frozen River’ getting a couple of nods. Particularly for Melissa Leo’s performance in a lead role; I was equally impressed with the might she exudes in that movie. That being said, I fully expect Anne Hathaway to wrap her mitt around Oscar gold (that one was intentional…) come Feb. whatever the day is.

In any event, and these are just guesses, ‘Slumdog’ could surprise ‘Milk’ for top honors; Van Sant may claim a prize other that an official selection certificate for once in his career, maybe not though, I’m rubbing my temples and I see a Stephen Daldry victory…; ‘Kung Fu Panda’ will win the Animated contest, bank on it; and Heath Ledger will not win Supporting Actor. Once again, I haven’t seen the other nominees in the category, but something tells me The Academy’s nomination was the extent of their recognition. Maybe I’m wrong on this. I hope so. I wonder if Hoffman, Brolin, et al cringe at the prospect of winning? How could they? Why wouldn’t they feel just a bit strange about it? Wow, I'm wondering into pretzel logic territory. Or at least a minor headache. Anyway, I doubt I’ll watch a single moment of the ceremony itself, so this will have to stand if (or until) a reaction is necessary.

It's 2a.m., and I have a moment.

2009-01-11T01:55:00.006-06:00

I completely neglected to mention an "honorable mention" as an aside to my Toplist. I highly recommend seeing The Signal, from the directorial three-headed monster of David Bruckner, Jacob Gentry, and Dan Bush; a film that smacks of corny pseudo-science on its surface, but also drops into terrifying sober depths at the drop of a hat that can catch you off guard... and just as quickly, rebound. The brilliance of this movie lies laced inside a simple summary.

It's Tuesday.

2009-01-06T22:52:00.007-06:00

Just a quick hit because Perfect Blue's already out of stock Limited Blu-Ray disc, (it can be found, if you must, in the $93-120+ neighborhood), sports maybe the best cover art in Blu land. Bad news is, the picture quality is apparently inferior to its predecessor's.

Merry Christmas All. My Top 5 X-mas Songs.

2008-12-23T16:41:00.005-06:00

1. "Carol Of The Bells" by Trans Siberian Orchestra (the choral version is awesome too)

2. "Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes

3. "Winter Wonderland" by Johnny Mathis

4. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey (whew)

5. "Blue Christmas" by Elvis

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

2008-12-13T20:02:00.005-06:00

I suppose one can launch into an array of theories (irregular shooting schedules, last-minute rewrites, the complexities of and sheer scope of the CGI, three wooden leads, a visceral need for histrionics) to explain how such a simplistic yet perfectly executed film from 1951 can be so irreversibly bungled and dramatised as to compel people to walk out of the theater; you'll get no such attempt from me. I blame myself really. No, wait, it's them.

Cloverfield Part Deux Early Viral Stages (?) Aladygma?

2008-12-08T09:28:00.011-06:00

Much of this is a few months old now, and who's to say it's entirely relatable to Cloverfield, but there's little general interest from the 5-Minute Crowd. I'll freely admit to getting wrapped up in this. Source. Here's some random stuff I came across, lazily reading last night, by way of the lengthy thread following Kevin Powers' article at FirstShowing.Net. The first quote is in reference to a youtube video that I forgot the link to, or was taken down...it's in the thread.

.

"The first symbol (16:4 in the dictionary) refers to the Norse
god Loki, while the second symbol (4:37) symbolizes secret, mystery, or initiation. The third symbol seems to refer to a "raid, riding or journey" (52:5). The last symbol (16:1) refers to water, or the sea."

- As you may already know, new photos (and more) are up at 1-18-08.com

-? Full pic can be seen here. "thomas ist ein lügner" (Thomas is a liar)?

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"On many of these websites it seems a small symbol is found in one of
the corners, that looks like a snail with a line through it with some more squiggly lines at the bottom. this symbol is now also in the upper-left hand corner of the slusho.jp site."

All of this is rather random, so check the linked thread @ firstshowing.

Sean Avery suspended by NHL. You have to be kidding me.

2008-12-03T09:16:00.006-06:00

More proof The National Hockey League has been taken over by idiots and inbreds. I guess the league's scheduling bullshit, tolerating and the reinstating of feral "enforcers" (not to be confused with legit on-ice enforcement), moving of teams (Canadian, Nashville-based, and otherwise) into markets that continue to lose tens of millions per season (Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Tampa Bay...need I go on?) which have shriveling fan bases (over-expansion anyone?) isn't enough. Not to mention horrible national television coverage. I'm almost laughing. Avery was stupid for saying it, yes, but for the Bettman-helmed league to become like the NFL & NBA (both of which I used to be a fan of) is the issue here.

On the Occasion of Your Birth: René Magritte

2008-11-21T08:33:00.013-06:00

My all-time favorite René Magritte. From his L'Empire des lumières (Empire of Light) series.

Possibly his most recognised work, The Son Of Man (the witty "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" notwithstanding). Honored at length in the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair.

Very nice. Bold.

Only today did I make the connection between Magritte's La
Durée poignardée (Time Transfixed) and Ishii's usage, to personify the
mind's connection to the physical world; and our ability to create sothing from
nomething.

Where's the Saw I used to know?

2008-11-01T19:33:00.005-05:00

So David Hackl moves to the big director's chair and produces a plodding interruption in a series that appeared to be gaining strength; a warming-over of established plot-points and incoherent "trials" is the last thing the momentum built from (the underrated) Saw III, and Saw IV, let alone the creators, needed; Saw IV being easily the strongest installment since the original so many Halloweens ago (newly central characters aside). What, I ask, were we to take away from Saw V in terms of story advancement? Maybe this is the inevitable episode where most of the characters have either been killed or have left the series and this is their weak way of installing fresh faces? Yes there are a couple of holdovers: Jigsaw's apprentice and the obsessed FBI agent bent of solving the riddle, but these two characters seem to function on a different plane here. They toil in a vacuum of flashbacks and near misses for a majority of the film's 90 minutes while a band of 'wrongdoers' are set to be 'delivered'. Among the fated newcomers is Dexter co-star Julie Benz is one of the fresh faces that makes a brief but genuine impact in the final scenes, although there's no real indication of her fate. All for the best I believe. Any producer(s) should coax, beg, or whatever Benz to return for Saw VI, should it happen. I can't imagine the series concluding on this sour note.

Saw 5 promotional poster