A Watcher and His Keyboard

The Origin #3 of 3

2011-12-12T22:07:00.000-08:00

The Origin #3 of 3

3-issue miniseries.

Originally published from January 1999 – March 1999.

A grieving Buffy is now at crossroads in her life. Contemplating the possibility of returning to her normal teenage life, she attends the school dance. Now feeling abandoned by her friends, she connects with Pike, who knows of her double life and as a faithful steed, is willing to go into battle with her. She enters the fight solo, however, after being challenged by the senior students turned vampires. Mayhem ensues with fighting occurring all over, which ends with Buffy burning down the school gym to kill the remaining vamps. The burning of the school gym is something that has been referenced multiple times throughout the TV series but is never seen in the movie due to budget restraints. It happens here first.

The story caps off with an epilogue of sorts, first showing her former friends discussing what happened to Buffy after the night of the fire, from her complete isolation from everyone else, to her expulsion and her parents' divorce. We then cut to Buffy, having run away with Pike to Las Vegas [this story is continued in the non-canon late '90s Buffy series story arc, Viva Las Buffy! This story, which begins with issue #51* is actually far more enjoyable than The Origin, with more Whedonesque dialogue and vastly superior artwork]. The final page of The Origin cuts to the Sunnydale High library, the all-too familiar setting in seasons one-through-three. Buffy, Willow and Xander are sitting around --Giles standing close by-- with Buffy having told them the story of how she came to be a slayer (the same story we just finished reading). It is a nice tie-in to the main series and a clever way to end this mini.

*Viva Las Buffy! is chronologically the first event to occur in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and yet it happens so late in the comic's publication (the series ended with issue #63). When the comic first started, the TV show was then in its third season. The comic followed the TV show and its major plot and character progressions, essentially doing their own 'versions' of stories that could have been told throughout seasons three, four, five and six. When the show reached its seventh and final season, because it was so tightly knit together as a steady arc, the comic did not intend to accompany it. During its final year of publication, it instead went back in time and essentially did a Buffy: Year One. The final issues to be published by the series tell stories that lead up to season one, and go through the first two seasons; making the series go full circle.

- - -

I had more difficulty writing the reviews for The Origin than I thought I would. It seemed like a good way to kick off the new era of my blog, and in a way, it was. But the comic itself is so merely adequate that it failed to inspire a lot of enthusiastic writing. Perhaps I'll next jump into something more exciting. Season Eight, perhaps.

The Origin #2 of 3

2011-12-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

The Origin #2 of 3

3-issue miniseries.

Originally published from January 1999 – March 1999.

The second act in this miniseries improves upon an adequate but awkward introductory issue as it opens with Buffy waking from yet another all-to-real slayer dream; judging from her reaction this time, it appears her nightmares have been getting worse and worse, signaling the growing urgency in her life to assume slayer duties. Afraid, she tries to hide from her responsibilities by intentionally not meeting up with her Watcher Merrick, who is conveniently able to find her with ease.

In a warehouse, Merrick tests Buffy's athletic abilities, before going into another history lesson about slayers and vampires. The Watcher serves a dreaded role in the Buffyverse, acting as the encyclopedia of everything demon; a character whose central role is to explain things to the audience and give important expository monologues whenever they are needed. It is a testament to Anthony Stewart Head's warm presence and undeniable acting range that Rupert Giles is as great of a character as he is. Here is a character who was clearly not as fortunate in terms of dialogue as the rest of the cast and whose power depended so greatly on the actor; a character who could have easily been unbearable under the guise of an inferior talent. In this comic, attempts are made to make Merrick into a likeable character, and his brief humorous lines do help this, as awkward as they come across.

This issue is the Buffy and Merrick Show, which might be why it is the strongest entry in the miniseries. Little is seen of the high school friends, and if anything, they could have been used even less. They are unmemorable characters serving little purpose and clearly no effort went into the writing to do otherwise. This is a shame. Buffy, in the face of embracing her new life, now sees her shallow peers for who they are, and in these pages we see the start of the end of these relationships. It is interesting seeing her in this social status as seen in the first issue; essentially playing a Cordelia Chase. Was Buffy genuinely happy as a Cordelia and felt like she was unfairly stripped of her life in becoming a slayer? Or did she always feel isolated from her friends because of her inherent slayer-ness and it was not until becoming the slayer that she felt she could embrace this side of her? Arguments for each could probably be made using examples from the TV series, which show her frequently at battle with herself.

The issue ends off on a shocking and disturbing event, something which was altered and toned down for the movie. To great surprise, the story actually lands a punch. Woe was felt.

The Origin #1 of 3

2011-12-03T01:52:00.000-08:00

The Origin #1 of 3

3-issue miniseries.

Originally published from January 1999 – March 1999.

The miniseries has been collected in an 80 page single-volume trade paperback but for your moneys worth, you're betting off purchasing Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Volume 1, a 300 page paperback which collects The Origin as well as a number of issues/stories from the monthly 1998-2003 series.

It's no secret that Joss Whedon was disappointed in the 1992 film adaptation of his Buffy the Vampire Slayer screenplay, which sacrificed the slayer/watcher mythology and title character's emotional ordeals in favor of cheeky comedy and teen comedy tropes.

When Whedon wrote the television pilot script several years later he based it after the events told in the movie. He doesn't actually consider the movie to be a canon entry in his universe; the television series instead acting as a sequel to the original film's screenplay. Early into Dark Horse's publishing of Buffy tie-in comics, writer Christopher Golden wanted to tell a faithful retelling of the original screenplay, and he was given approval to write his 3-issue miniseries, The Origin.

The story begins with a brief two-page prologue set during “Europe: The Dark Ages”, in which a slayer is killed by the vampire Lothos, which follows up with a watcher calling on the next girl, frightened and reluctant, saying 'But I'm just a girl.”

“As long as there have been vampires, there has been the slayer, a chosen one. One born to hunt the darkness, to stop the spread of evil.”

We jump forward several centuries to “California: The Lite Ages”. Seemingly average teenage girl Buffy Summers and her friends are watching (and I use that word loosely, as they're putting far more energy into their idle chatter) a movie in the theater, supposedly a horror film. When an obnoxious male sitting behind her, named Benny, expresses his interest in seeing what happens in the movie, Buffy humorously replies, “Everyone gets horribly killed except the blonde in the nightie... who finally kills the monster with a machete, but it's not really dead.” I like to think this line was either taken directly out of the screenplay, or modeled after a similar line. It actually sums up Whedon's own motivation in creating this story. Years of watching horror movies wherein the stereotypically portrayed blonde girl is either a helpless damsel in distress or downright murdered (usually both) got to him, giving him the idea of telling a story set in a similar world as slasher and monster movies, but going against convention; throwing away the 'damsel in distress' and replacing her with a strong leading female, one more than capable of fighting her own battles. His title character would possess a degree of super-human or super-hero strength, so with the immediate physical threat not so much an issue in her life, he could instead focus on telling her emotional battles. As we now know, Whedon would use the television series to further illustrate his feminist stance, with its cast of strong females outnumbering the males (and then there's the argument that all or most of the central male characters are frequently emasculated by the females, or just generally being placed in emasculating situations).

Also introduced in the theater scene is Benny's taller, handsomer, quieter and most mysterious friend Pike, the soon-to-be love interest for Buffy. He's sort of a wannabe Angel, minus the thousands of human homicides on his conscience.

In the next pages, we get a very glimpse look at Buffy's unsatisfying home life, feeling ignored by her parents, who are in these panels surprisingly happy together pre-divorce.

After Buffy falls asleep on the couch, we cut to a page long flashback to 18^th century Hong Kong, cutting to Buffy's alert wake up, repeating the final line of dialogue said in the flashback. We know this flashback is also a dream, and is an important aspect of the slayer mythology; before they are called, their dreams are filled with the memories of real slayers of the past. It's sort of an unconscious preparation.

The next casual-teens-casually-conversing scene is light on plot, its importance being for Buffy and Pike to meet again and become formally acquainted. The dialogue doesn't have the usual flare, pop-cultural context or creative language that the TV series has. And I'm referring to this miniseries in general, really. Aside from plot advancing expository moments, the dialogue in The Origin leaves much to be desired, resulting in the tonally lite bare-on-plot scenes being entirely unmemorable.

When the watcher Merrick introduces himself to Buffy and delivers the news of her calling, the issue picks up on momentum, with the final action-heavy pages of the issue opening up the panel size to better showcase the art. The artwork is light on detail and character likeness, but the colours (relying on purples, greens and reds) help make these pages eye-popping.

Reviews for the next two issues in this miniseries coming soon.

A New Focus

2011-12-02T03:43:00.000-08:00

Over the last year I have been spending less and less time watching films and more and more time watching serialized television dramas. Perhaps my personal favourite of all that I've watched is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Don't get me wrong, there is some competition to be had. Six Feet Under, Twin Peaks, The Wire, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos. However, this is probably the most enthusiastic I have ever felt for a genre (fantasy/sci-fi/horror/etc.) television series, and being a lifelong fan of genre films, it pleases me to an infinite degree that there is actually a genre TV drama that I possibly enjoy more than even the most elite of TV dramas. The only one that really comes close, for me, is Six Feet Under.

After watching through the entire 7-season 144-episode run of Buffy in a two-and-a-half week span earlier this year, my appreciation reached maximum height. I needed further Buffy in my life, and before I was about to watch through the complete series a second time, I discovered the large library of Buffyverse comics. What really sets these comics apart from virtually every other comic based off a TV property is that a series was actually made that was written and produced by the television show's creator -- Joss Whedon -- and that the series is actually considered to be a canonical continuation to the television series. Season Eight, which started in 2007, 4 years after the television series finale, isn't just a clever name. Sir Whedon himself will tell you that the series exists in the same continuity as the TV series. This is currently an ongoing Season Nine and Whedon has once briefly mentioned the possibility of creating a Tenth.

Buffy's spin-off series, the 5-season 110-episode Angel (another series I watched through in full in a relatively short amount of time) also has a comic series continuation, Angel: After the Fall. The canon status on the Angel series gets a little shaky and debatable following Whedon's departure after issue #17. The series continued for a couple more years, finishing off with #44, but issues #18-44, to my knowledge, had zero creative involvement or overseeing or executive producing by Whedon.

There also exists an 8-issue Spike comic series intended to bridge the gap of Spike's life following Angel: After the Fall and before his arrival in Buffy: Season Eight, but the canon status on that is debatable as well.

Oh right, I forgot to mention an important little detail which created some stress on the writers of these comics; for the entire duration of the before-mentioned Angel and Spike comics, IDW Publishing actually owned these characters in their comic book form. DarkHorse, of course, was the publisher for Buffy. There was a divide; a limitation on both series which were forbidden from featuring character crossovers because of legality issues. It was all a bit messy and created some disappointment from fans who were long awaiting any sort of Buffy/Angel or Buffy/Spike reunion Well, rules were broken anyway and illegal crossovers occurred.

Thankfully the cross publishers is in the past and all of the family in once again under the DarkHorse name (for the first time since 2002). An Angel series is currently ongoing alongside Buffy: Season Nine, and thanks to there being the single publisher, any worries regarding timeline disputes and limiting character cross-overs are no more.

And seeing as how I brought up the old days of Buffy and Angel comics, pre-IDW ownership, I might as well acknowledge that yes, there were comics of both titles published in the late '90s up to the early '00s, coinciding with the then-ongoing TV shows. Buffy ran for 63 issues from 1998-2003 and as for Angel, 17 issues from 1999-2001, followed up with a 4-issue Angel miniseries from 2001-2002. I'm not mentioning these ones until now as they are the furthest away from canon as any of the Buffyverse comics. They were written at the same time as the shows, to match up with the major events but with completely new and separate stories along the way, and with no involvement from Joss Whedon (of course; he was too busy making the shows). These comics are of a rough hit-and-miss quality, often with artwork and writing notably inferior to the 2007-present Buffyverse comics. These issues were not genuine Bufy, but rather, a tie-in product. Granted, there are still some really good ones in the bunch.

The first Buffyverse comic to be set in the television universe is an 8-issue miniseries written by Whedon himself, titled Fray. His involvement continued with two other mini series, Tales of the Slayers, and Tales of the Vampires. These anthology titles brought back many of the TV show's most acclaimed writers, who would later join Whedon in Season Eight.

After IDW Publishing obtained the Angels rights around 2003-2005 (along with every other character in the main Angel cast at the time the series ended), they spent a few years publishing a series of mini-titles, usually of 3 and 5 issues each. Some were adaptations of acclaimed episodes, such as Smile Time, A Hole in the World, and Not Fade Away. Others were originals, such as Spike: Asylum and Spike: Shadow Puppets. IDW never started its first monthly Angel title until the Joss Whedon-plotted After the Fall in 2007.

I have come full circle of sorts in this introduction, briefly mentioning all of the Buffy and Angel comic series and mini-series. What I plan to do with my blog from this point on is review all of these comics, issue by issue. Or if I succumb to the workload, I might wimp out and switch to trade volume.

I apologize for this long read and whenever I have the strength, motivation and time, I will begin my mission. Heads up: it might be slow starting as my final exams are in the very near future.

In a Glass Cage

2010-10-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dreary McDreayton. Today's attraction:

In a Glass Cage (1987)

Beyond here lies not a shortage of depravity and the demented.

But there's more. I'm just not sure if I can put my finger on it.

The young imposter. Angelo. His spiraling descent is one which has to be seen. Watch, as he transforms a safe modern day house into a camp for inhumane human experimentation.

No, seriously. Watch it. [If you think you're really up for it. It's rather harsh.]

Taste the Blood of Dracula

2010-10-06T16:33:00.001-07:00

The second half of the 1950s and the entirety of the 1960s mark the peak of Hammer Studios - at least, as far as horror movies go - and I'm sure no reasonably thinking person would disagree. By the 1970s it was clear they were growing tired, desperate, and out-of-touch; the slow-moving Gothic tales they had to tell were of little interest to a post-Night of the Living Dead horror community. One '70s Hammer I do think of escaping this unfortunate result was Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, which might have had to do with being under the wing of - of course - Terence Fisher. It was his last movie as a director, and the only film he made post-1960s.

Fisher having made five out of seven of the Frankenstein titles is the primary reason for that series staying as fresh as it did, and the second reason being the incredible Peter Cushing, who always gave a performance worthy of a Shakespeare play, regardless of what movie he was working on, and the quality of its script. The Dracula series was not as fortunate. Fisher departed after having done the first three, and never returned. Number four, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, was one of the series' high points for its lush cinematography and a successful not-too-campy/not-too-moody balance. We picks things up with Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), which takes place immediately following the predecessor, and even having an early scene wherein a horrified character walks onto the final scene of Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, witnessing it from his own perspective. This is a strange confused little movie, which deserves credit for originality. It centers around three gentlemen who have grown bored of their bourgeois life style and begin looking for excitement. By chance, they meet the servant of Count Dracula, and agree to go to the castle to engage in a blood ritual where they have to drink the Count's blood. They are disgusted by the contents of their cups and refuse, so in trying to convince them, the servant himself drinks his own cup. His body has a terrible reaction and he dies; the men flee into the night. Dracula is pissed and now wants to make the three men suffer.

The premise is a quaint one, but lifeless performances from the leading men, lifeless dialogue for everyone in the story, and lifeless appearances from Dracula himself make this film more of a bore. Christopher Lee's contempt for the role was steadily increasing, but that's not the reason for Dracula's awkward and yawn-inducing scenes. It was the script; nothing interesting was written for him. Dracula himself was actually an afterthought for this movie. In the original story, there was not even going to be Dracula, or at least, not played by Lee; only a minor-role Dracula with virtually no screen-time. But in order to get the film distribution in the United States, they had to include the Count. They upped up Lee's salary, and he jumped aboard, again. But sadly, Lee himself can only save these movies to a degree, as Dracula's screen-time in them is not substantial. Yes, his scenes in the first Hammer Dracula, along with Prince of Darkness and Risen From The Grave, were very well staged, written and shot. But that magic has gone. Taste the Blood of Dracula is the series' first empty sequel; not made to entertain, only to make money. I have a feeling the later sequels will be more of the same.

Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell

2010-10-06T16:31:00.001-07:00

*spoilers follow*

As the final chapter to Hammer's 17-year-in-progress series, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1974) brings the center of the story to a most fitting location: an asylum for the criminally insane. Cushing reprises the Baron after a five-year hiatus, and director Terence Fisher also returns, making this is 5th Frankenstein film. As a whole, I do not consider it on the same level as his earlier films in the series, but its sporadic flashes of a chilling and melancholic atmosphere make it a worthy addition. Victor, who had years ago, we discover, was charged and committed to an asylum, has charmed his way into the position of their doctor (we later find out he secured the spot by means of blackmail). A young student of medicine and Frankenstein-wannabe finds himself as an in-mate in this same institution, where after being maltreated by two guards, becomes an assistant to 'Stein, who now goes by the name Dr. Victor. Victor wishes for the young Dr. Helder to take over his position as doctor over the ward, allowing him more time for his personal experiments, which we soon find out of course, is his several-decade-long struggle against nature at creating human life. We run into more-of-the-same, with the introduction of a beautiful helper of Victor's who can't speak. And then we see his creation, bearing one of the worst makeup jobs I have seen in a Hammer production. What could have - and probably should have - been the most speculative movie in the franchise suffers from an inconsistent tone, which too-often dwells into camp territory, sometimes even aiming for laughs. The ending, however, is all too fitting: upon another disastrous failure of a creation, Victor merely shrugs it off and plans out his next attempt. Frankenstein's ambitions will always be his driving force, but is it his lack of humanity and decency which repeatedly prevent his success?

The Horror of Frankenstein

2010-10-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

The 6th Frankenstein film made by Hammer, The Horror of Frankenstein (1970), is a departure from the Fisher saga of movies. It is a stand-alone adaptation of the novel, but done with a slightly satirical approach. This isn't a laugh vehicle like the classic comedy Young Frankenstein, which was made in the U.S. just a few years later; its a sly comedy with winks made to the camera. The core of the film's watch-ability comes from its Victor Frankenstein, who is not at all like we've portrayed in various other adaptations. Cold. Arrogant. Detestable. Womanizing. Sociopolitical. One-dimensional heartless killing machine. Given the light tone, this works to an extent.

The Horror of Frankenstein. A cute picture. Better than expected, but it just made me miss the adventures of Peter Cushing. This one-note escapade could have used a lot more jokes.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed

2010-10-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

In the opening scene to Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), a hideously deformed figure frightens away a thief from his lab. He then removes a mask, and we see it is the Baron. This little moment says a lot. As does the title, for that matter. Must be destroyed? That's a harsh fate isn't it, for our hero? Well, Baron is no longer the sympathetic scientist he once was. Many years of continued failures and disappointments and banishments have driven him far beyond that of a tortured genius and into a vile madman. Cushing still plays him noble to a degree, but his actions outweigh his personality. He is willing to cross the boundaries of moral decency to get his way. Blackmail, first, but it quickly leads to murder and rape and the betrayal of a former friend. Should I feel bad for continuing to root him on, despite all this? It would satisfy me greatly to see him finally succeed. Similar to how one roots for the Coyote after so many failed attempts at catching Road Runner. He gets an 'A' for effort, so we want to see him finally get his way, even if just out of pity. Frankenstein Must Have His Way.

Nothing is quite as one-sided, though. On the other end of our struggle, we have a former ambitious doctor, who once was a colleague of the Baron's. Together, they hoped their progressive ways would change the medical field, forever. But as usual, 'Stein was made to flee, and the other wasn't so lucky. He was driven into unquestionable insanity, which many blamed Baron for. His wife still visits him in the asylum, even though he cannot recognize her, or anyone else. It drives her into hysterics. She sees more doctors. They all say the same: he is without hope. 'Stein takes matters into his own hands, and steals him from the institution, with the intent to cure him of his insanity. But not out of friendship or empathy; what he actually wants is a formula his friend had devised years earlier and hoped to share with 'Stein, before the infliction had started. The tables have turned since the first film, over a decade ago. Now, Frankenstein is the Monster, and his sick colleague the sympathetic one. The craving for revenge leads to disastrous lengths, and one of the most exciting climaxes in a Hammer production.

Frankenstein Created Woman

2010-10-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

The idea for Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) was formed 1958 during the filming of The Revenge of Frankenstein. For whatever reason, though, Terence Fisher stepped away momentarily from the series for a different sequel to go in production under a different director: The Evil of Frankenstein. Fortunately, Fisher returned to continue his work of excellence. Created Woman deals further in the ideas behind the Baron's experiments, with great emphasis on the metaphysical. He previously knew how to switch people's bodies in a strictly physical sense, but now he struggles with the containment of the human soul, and whether it is possible or not to attribute to it a physical property. The film is as stylistically directed as any previous Fisher 'Stein, and has one of the strongest scripts of the series, which starts off as a drama in its classic depiction of class struggle, undergoes a tragic turn of events, and becomes a satisfying revenge story.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Frankenstein, the exciting 6*-episode miniseries brought to you by England's Hammer Studios. What controversial and ultimately death defying project will our troubled antihero Baron Frankenstein undergo in our next episode?

That's what this really feels like, not that I'm complaining. Or maybe it's a film serial. Many of our entries end with a cliffhanger climax hinting upon the death of the Baron, but never showing it. Then, next movie, we find out he came out of that last incident, unharmed.

Either way, I am getting the most out of this. As long as Cushing and Fisher are involved, the films are tremendously entertaining, making this become my favourite, most consistently impressive horror franchise exceeding trilogy-length.**

*The 6th film in the 7-part series, The Horror of Frankenstein, is a major detour from what I've read; a comedic remake of The Curse of Frankenstein, sharing no continuity with the other movies in the series.

**My favourite 3-part horror franchise is probably The Evil Dead, for those wondering.

Dracula Has Risen From The Grave

2010-10-06T16:26:00.001-07:00

Holy cleavage, Batman!

There is no way the MPAA actually watched this movie, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968). They likely deemed as nothing more than "kiddie fare", and why wouldn't they, it's not like Hammer was making some of the most sex-filled and violent horror movies of its era. In the U.S., this - the fourth in Hammer's Dracula series - was rated G. Apparently a seven-year-old could have watched this, unattended, in the cinema.

Terence Fisher took a break from this series, after having made the first three. Freddie Francis took over, for this entry. Francis is probably best known for a classic horror movie he directed for Hammer's rival studio, Amicus. I refer to Tales from the Crypt (1972), one of the greatest horror anthologies. He also made The Evil of Frankenstein just a few years before this Dracula movie.

A different direction is taken after the dark Prince of Darkness (#3). Risen From The Grave is far lighter in tone and visuals. Francis, who also worked as a cinematographer, had a riveting visual sense, and every scene in this movie screams out for attention. For me, it worked.

The Count doesn't have a lot to do this time around, but the playful cast of characters make this into a highly satisfying sex-craved campy experience; not unlike Roman Polanski's Fearless Vampire Killers, which was released just a year prior to this.

Dracula: Prince of Darkness

2010-10-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

It took 8-years for Christopher Lee to agree to reprise his role as Dracula; the performance which in 1958 elevated him to great fame. He declined to appear in The Brides of Dracula because he didn't wish to be typecast. Maybe he realized that he would be stuck doing horror movies whether or not he was Dracula or not. He came back. And we love him for it. He may not have liked being Dracula, but he was wonderful in the role - even much better than Bela Lugosi. Dracula #3, or Dracula #2 with Lee, is probably the most menacing, brooding film in the series. The vibrant sets and bright photography of the first 2 films has been stripped away, making this much darker than its predecessors. Then there's Lee, himself, who is silent in this film, which makes him all the more threatening. Those terribly red eyes help, too.

The first half of Prince of Darkness plays along with every convention of the gothic vampire film, in its following of a group of Englishmen and women, strangers to a new town, find themselves - against the plea of the locals - spending the night in the musty old castle of the deceased Count. These 45-minutes play rather slowly, the characters are not as interesting as they should be (the cast - minus Lee - are wholly underwhelming), and not a lot of memorable scenes come to mind. The second half feels like a new movie, however. Dracula: resurrected and back with a vengeance.

Dracula: Prince of Darkness is not as consistent as either Dracula or The Brides of Dracula, but at its peak, it has scenes just as entertaining as in either of those films.

The Brides of Dracula

2010-10-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Dracula (1958) - which later would be re-titled Horror of Dracula to reduce confusion with the Browning movie - became an instant success just like The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) did a year earlier. Bring on the sequels.

The first: The Brides of Dracula (1960). It sees the return of the noble Dr. Van Helsing (Cushing) in his attempts at destroying a vampire. Baron Meinster, not Count Dracula. Dracula is not in this film, despite his name being in the title. This also means no Christopher Lee. Not yet, anyway. But not worries. Cushing succeeds in carrying Brides of Dracula, and the other cast is admirable as well. The young French beauty, Yvonne Monlaur, is as strong of a female lead as Hammer has had, and the Baron Meinster is an effective antagonist, who isn't too much of a Dracula-wannabe; he charms his way into the hearts of young women before feasting upon them.

The Brides of Dracula is full of eye-catching colour and attractive sets, and with its great script and cast, has become one of more admired of the Hammer Dracula sequels.

The Evil of Frankenstein

2010-10-02T09:54:00.001-07:00

Six years have passed with no story continuation. Until now.

The Evil of Frankenstein (1964). Hammer 'Stein #3, this is. An unlucky entry, in this case.

Strike 1: No Terence Fisher. You could scoff, but the man really knew how to tell a great horror story, and no matter how many times it's been told in the past, he had that ability to make it fresh and fun.

Strike 2: The unfortunate mimicry of Universal's 'Stein. What I said about Hammer doing its own thing and working to their advantage, is true, and is evident when watching this movie. It takes a great misstep in its portrayal of the Creature, which for some reason, has turned into a Boris Karloff Monster knockoff. Okay, first, this is supposed to be the same one we saw in the first movie, Curse. During its time spent frozen in a glacier, it has somehow gained twice its weight, changed its skin, and added a bolt here and there. Two, the stiff performance. If Lon Chaney Jr. couldn't even make a great Franknstein Monster (watch: The Ghost of Frankenstein), then there's no way some actor-wannabe-pro-wrestler could.

The best that could be said for this movie is that it is a competent retread of classic Frankenstein starring still the always exceptional Peter Cushing.

The narrative is wax-paper-transparent-thin with nothing of importance really occurring until the second half. Victor's secret is discovered again, so he and his assistant head back to the Baron's former home town, where he lived when he created the original Creature. But until the Creature's discovery, time is wasted on scenes of the Baron frantically escaping from the grasp of the police. It's odd how easily they give up, too, considering he was sentenced to be hanged in that same town just several years prior.

Post-Creature resurrection. Our new interesting character is a hypnotist, who has the ability to give the Creature commands that it follows, without-fail. Because of this, he is kept to work with the Baron, despite a personal dislike. The hypnotist has different plans for the Creature's use, however.

There's a mute and dumb female character, too, who was found living in the mountains, and helped Baron and the young doctor camp out, during their search for the Creature. Purpose of eye-candy only, I assume, because with just a couple minutes of re-writing, you could eliminate her character from the story and nothing would change.

The Revenge of Frankenstein

2010-10-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hammer Studio's foray into horror began in 1955, blooming in 1957 with The Curse of Frankenstein. It brought to attention the three names who would forever be known as the key figures in 'Hammer Horror' for the next couple decades. Director Terence Fisher. Actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Cushing and Lee frequently co-starred along side each other, often with Cushing playing the protagonist/hero (Baron Victor Frankenstein, Dr. Van Helsing) and Lee as the antagonist/'monster' (Frankenstein's Creature, Dracula).

The Curse of Frankenstein was the start of the second Frankenstein film series. It differs greatly from Universal's movies of the 1930s and 1940s. It was forced to, to avoid lawsuits. But this worked to its advantage, resulting in Curse as being one of the most distinctive and memorable of the Frankenstein movies. The sequels generally followed the tone created in the first movie. This is because Fisher directed 5 out of the 7 'Steins made by Hammer. And it's the other 2 entries lacking in his involvement which are most frequently deemed as the worst of the series. This probably is not a coincidence.

The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), the first sequel, was made only a year after the success of the first. It was filmed alongside another classic, Dracula (1958), which Fisher also made.

It opens with a guillotine. The 'atrocities' committed by Baron Frankenstein and his failed Creature lead him into a death sentence. He manages to escape death (something he miraculously is able to do throughout this series again and again) with the assistance of a physically paralyzed man, who later becomes Victor's helper. They move to a new town, and the Baron changes his name and resumes his work as a doctor. His secret is discovered by a young local doctor with great aspirations. He persuades the Baron into taking him under his wing as an assistance. What starts off as blackmail forms into a mutual bond of two men who's scientific aspirations outweigh anything else in their lives.

One major difference in this series, and the Universal one, is its focus. In the Universal movies, the stand-out character; the tragic figure who's presence is the strongest is that of the Creature, particularly when played by Boris Karloff in the first three movies - a major descend occurred after his departure. In the Hammer series, the stand-out, tragic figure is the Baron, a tortured soul who walks the line between unappreciated genius and raving madman. Peter Cushing plays the Baron with a great deal of sympathy - just as Karloff did with the Creature.

Revenge of Frankenstein is very much like Curse, and we can see its plot developments before they happen. This isn't a complaint, because it's a story I very much enjoy, and it is incredibly well told in both of these movies. This is a sequel that is every bit as strong as its predecessor.

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer

2010-10-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Upon starting this movie, I was already headed in a downward spiral of disappointment. My initial thoughts: oh, it'll never match up to Tetsuo 1: The Iron Man. It won't be close. No way. Won't be as good. Won't be as good. Won't be as good. Even before it got a chance to start, I wasn't giving it the opportunity. So, for a while, yeah, I felt uninvolved. Even bored, slightly.

Then what happened?

Then it slapped me hard across the face, knocked me to the floor, dropped weights on my eyelids while proceeding to bash me across the ribs repeatedly with an iron pipe - all the while, leaving me begging for more.

What is Tetsto II: Body Hammer?

It's a direct shot of adrenaline.

It's better than caffeine.

There are men. They become Iron Men. Men, who transform into machines over the duration of the film. It's lightly explained. Maybe. But it doesn't matter.

The images I showed you show only a glimpse of what you will experience if you watch it. But they do not do justice. The energy stems from its rapid fire editing & pacing, which goes into overdrive during the final thirty-minutes. You could say it looks dated by today's standards of special effects. And maybe it is. But it's no less extraordinary. Tetsto is a spectacular display of what can be accomplished using practical special effects and stop motion animation. Today's effects can give us more accurate depictions of what is considered realistic, but that is not necessarily better. Tetsuo 1 and 2 look perfect the way they are.

Will I soon be eating my words? In 2009/2010, Shinya Tsukamoto (creator and director of Tetsuo The Iron Man & Body Hammer) made and released a third entry in this now-trilogy. Tetsuo: The Bullet Man. It should be most fascinating. The first two Tetsuos were made close together, and it surprised me how different they feel. There marks a 17-18 year gap between Body Hammer and The Bullet Man.

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer. Love it.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Love it.

Let the metal fetishist live on.

The Unknown

2010-09-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Tod Browning's Production

Upon seeing those three white words on a plain black background, my expectations dropped. I worried; became anxious. Dracula was fine, sure, for Bela Lugosi's commanding performance and the extraordinary cinematography during the film's first half hour - but everything else was dry. It's even lesser in my eyes, after seeing the Spanish counterpart Dracula, which was filmed simultaneously with the American version. Then there was Freaks, which I never liked at all. And being that the setting of The Unknown was a traveling circus with its share of 'freak shows', the comparisons in my mind to Freaks, were formed. But to hell with that movie. The Unknown is better in every way.

Lon Chaney Sr., the king of silent horror gives maybe his best performance. Maybe - I'm not one to say; haven't seen enough. He undertakes the role of a tragic figure: Alonso, the armless knife thrower. He's a sad looking man, but the one thing bringing happiness into his life is Nanon, the daughter of the circuses owner. The beautiful Nanon. Joan Crawford. She too is sad, and fed up with men. Every man she's been with, has ended up trying to take advantage of her; get their hands all over her. She grows to hate a man's arms and hands. In this hate, she finds a friend in Alonso.

What ensues is demented. And all those other key words like "disturbing", and "chilling" - those can apply, too. It'll all I'll say about the narrative, because the storytelling is seamless and every further development is as crazy yet well told as the one that came before it. The Unknown is only 50 minutes, but it takes the viewer on a deeper, more exhilarating journey than most movies can pull of in 90.

Samurai Zombie

2010-09-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Along with Noboru Iguchi and Yoshihiro Nishimura, Tak Sakaguchi is one J-horror director to pop onto the scene in recent years, although he's spent more time in acting. His directed films include Sakigake!! Otokojuku (2008), Mutants Girls Squad (2010) - which is co-directed by Sakaguchi and the two other names I previously mentioned, and this movie: Samurai Zombie (2008).

Samurai Zombie delivers in title, that's for sure, as there is in fact a Samurai Zombie character, who appears just some 20 minutes in. Don't be fooled by the title, though; this isn't nearly as campy and aimed-for-laughs as such movies as The Machine Girl, Robo-Geisha, and Vampire Girl V.S. Frankenstein Girl.

We open with a family of four (mom, dad, teen daughter, pre-pubescent son) driving in the family van for a quaint little family vacation. First, they accidentally run over a man dressed in white who hysterically ran in front of them. Then, they get hijacked by a couple of gun-wielding thugs; a tough guy and his pink-haired girlfriend. They force the family to drive them where they want to go, driving over a "Keep Out" fence along the way. The van breaks down; the thugs send the dad on his way to the nearby village to get a new car.

Things get weird at this point.

Upon standing on some graveyard, dad is overcome with a presence that forces him to put a knife to his throat, and slice. We skip to night, and lo and behold, the Samurai Zombie climbs out of his grave, and decapitates the dad - the Samurai loves to decapitate; there many decapitations in this movie.

The guy-in-white who was ran over earlier, we find out, is actually immortal, and he continues to hysterically run and scream, looking for the other two thugs, whom he has a personal vendetta against. He shouts, "I'm gonna die!" a lot.

There's another sub-plot involving two cops which plays off like something out of a '90s Tarantino film. They follow the tracks and what-not beyond the broken "Keep Out!" fence which is explained, was made to frighten people away from what is actually haunted grounds.

There's this scary looking woman-thing with ratty hair who pops up a few times, to scare the family and thugs and hysteric thug and she likes to shout, "You all gonna die!" or something along those lines.

Samurai Zombie gets a lot more action-oriented as it progresses, and has a lot of running and shooting.

Fun movie, that Samurai Zombie.

Misery

2010-09-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

Last month. A slow day it was, like any other, my eyes fixed on my bookshelf. I shimmied over, focused heavily on my Stephen King collection. The picked up book grasped by my hands: Misery. The fun began. It's not a long story, and like most King stories, it can be digested rather seamlessly. It was a two-day read for me. I enjoyed it very much.

The film. It was good, yes. Good. Not great. But I can see why King likes him, Rob Reiner. He doesn't challenge the medium or push beyond what is expected, but he comes up with worthwhile and pleasing entertainment living inside the box. The Princess Bride is just lovely, that was something else. Misery is good. True to the book, for the most part. It lacked one thing.

One. Very. Important. Thing.

What became of Paul's inner monologues? His stream-of-consciousness cries for help? His rants? That was the meat of the novel. Without it, Misery is reduced to a 20-page short story. It'd be a fun read, yes, but not compelling. James Caan. Wonderful actor. He did service to the character, yes, but we needed to see more than that his face was capable of telling us.

The film needed quiet moments. There were none. Just scenes now and then with Paul in his room, with a voice-over narration from Caan. That would have elevated this movie substantially.

Still. It was good.

Commence horror movie jamboree 2010

2010-09-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

Every Autumn, in the month leading up to Halloween, I like to dedicate a large portion of my movie & television watching strictly to the horror genre. I'm a nut like that. This year I'll actually be documenting the films I watch over the next month or so. So stay tuned for that. And for now: just some musings.

One of my earlier exposures to blood-churning horror came in the form of three books. Short story anthologies. Tales grounded in urban legends, folklore, and sometimes just the bizarre. They were titled Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and I had purchased them in my primary school book catalog. Alvin Schwartz was the author of this series, and by all means, his child-targeted stories did the job for that age group. Reading through them again (I own these books, still) is less adventurous, however. Once your age reaches the double-digits, these stories become embarrassingly awful. But the allure and infamy of these books had very little to do with the words. It was the artwork. The illustrations. Stephen Gammell was the twisted, imaginative mind responsible for traumatizing the last few generations of school children. A quick Google Image search of the book title will show you everything. In the last 10-to-20 years, these have been among the most frequently banned and challenged books in school districts across America.

A decade or more has passed since my eyes first came in contact with these images, and they've stuck with me, over the years. I credit these books as being a great influence on me, and I like to think of them as being at-least-partly responsible for turning me into the horror obsessed freak I am, today. There was something powerful about them. For me, those pages showed me a world I was too young to enter; the same world which aired graphic movies late at night, hours after my bedtime. They sparked a great flame of curiosity within me; one which has been burning brightly, ever since.

2011 in Cinema: Coming Soon

2010-09-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

A couple months short of a year ago, I posted a two-part entry on this here blog listing my most anticipated films of the year 2009 that I had not yet watched; mainly being comprised of Autumn-Winter releases. The ironic thing is, nearly a year later, and a few of those titles I still have not watched, and am actually not motivated to change that anytime soon. Two of them I recall are Ninja Assassin and The Road. Maybe some day I'll give them a look.

Well now, I shall do something very similar: list my (CURRENT) most anticipated films of the year to come, 2011. Of course, a lot can happen between then and now. Most drastically, I could lose interest in seeking out new releases almost all together, like I have during most of 2010. Maybe later footage (i.e. trailers) will turn me away. That's also happened. And then, not all of the movies that I will soon mention even have confirmed release dates; a few of these might not come out until 2012 or beyond. And then there are the soon-to-be '11 titles that I have not yet heard of but will ending up rocking my world.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II (Yates)

I'll get that big one out of the way. I'm a Potter fan; especially a fan of the films, which I have generally preferred over the books. And of course, things never got awesome until Azkaban. The hormone-fueled adolescent meltdowns combined with life-or-death battles using the dark arts set in a vast and visually stunning universe, pleases me very much. And of course, Deathly Hallows, the final entry, is where everything goes wild. And yeah, I thought the book was really good.

A Dangerous Method (Cronenberg)

Midnight in Paris (Allen)

The Master (Anderson)

Hugo Cabret (Scorsese)

I admit, my interest in these four films stems entirely from the brilliantly talented men behind each project. I don't even really know what each of these films are about aside from a couple-sentence synopsis, but it's all I need to know for now. These directors have all been consistently amazing, for me, and I have faith in them to please me again (and again).

The Adjustment Bureau (Nolfi)

This could go either way. What intrigues me most is that it's an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story. His story-turned-films have done well with me. I like Blade Runner. I like Total Recall. I like Minority Report. I like A Scanner Darkly. In fact, I like them all a lot.

Immortals (Tarsem)

Again, I only have a one-sentence synopsis from IMDb to go by, which reads, "Greek warrior Theseus battles against imprisoned titans". Under most circumstances, that wouldn't even get an eyebrow raise out of me. But this is being directed by Tarsem Singh, who, a few years ago, made this little film called The Fall. Its reception was very mixed, but I was a big fan, especially of its aesthetics. It was filmed in real locations, across many countries as it tells a visually whimsical and heroic adventure story.

Thor (Branagh)

Captain America: The First Avenger (Johnston)

The Green Hornet (Gondry)

This is where the geek in me really shows. I still dig the comic-book-movie scene. I will continue to watch comic-book-movies for as long as people make them, I guess. Those first two have me especially curious. This whole epic buildup to an epic Avengers story of epicness in 2012 has me somewhat giddy. Okay, very giddy, considering that that one is being directed by Joss Whedon. For Green Hornet, I'm more-so into for Seth Rogan. I like him, and I want to see how he handles this role. And okay, yeah, also because of Christoph Waltz and director Michel Gondry.

Hobo with a Shotgun (Eisener)

[REC] Genesis (Plaza)

Red State (Smith)

Horror movies! Hobo with a Shotgun had a pretty awesome trailer, so watch it on youtube if you haven't, already. [REC] is one of my favourite horror films of the last ten years. I was somewhat weary of its handheld camera technique, but it ended up really freaking me out. I very much appreciated [REC] 2 as well, and was pleasantly surprised by its twists, even if it was a little more uneven. Genesis will be a prequel entry into the series, and everything will be finished in 2012 with the release of [REC] Apocalypse, which will act as a continuation of [REC] 2. Red State will be Kevin Smith doing (dark) horror. I can't wait for that. I hope it will come out in 2011.

Karate Robot Zaborger (Iguchi)

Hell Driver (Nishimura)

Noboru Iguchi (The Machine Girl, Robo Geisha) and Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl) are two of my favourite directors to really pop up in the last few years. While they've both had careers dating back to the '90s, it was The Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police that really gave them global media attention, with the films even obtaining release in the U.S. Their follow-ups were just as good, too. Here are two movie makers who really know how to capture the low budgeted, energetic bliss of campy blood-squirting sleaze. These are movies that looked like there were a lot of fun to make, and are just as enjoyable for the viewers.

Tokyo Drifter (1966, Seijun Suzuki)

2010-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

From its opening moments in black & white of a gang leader and and his crew ruthlessly beating a hit man, which quickly explodes into an onslaught of pop-art colours, to its later excessive action sequences, Tokyo Drifter is an obvious influence on one of my most admired films of all time - Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. For that alone, I salute Seijun Suzuki. They both share a love of gloriously over-the-top set-ups, visuals and fight scenes, and have no shame in over-indulging. Its among both of their many charms. Surprisingly however, I think that Suzuki is even more obsessed with style than Tarantino is. In paying attention to the dialogue, characters and plot of Tokyo Drifter - or at least, attempting to - it can be easy to find yourself lost in your thoughts, no longer paying attention to the film playing before your eye; it happened to me. The too-cool-for-school Suzuki doesn't concern himself with such trivialities; his goal is to make Tokyo Drifter into a non-stop pop-art pulpy action extravaganza of sorts. Sometimes, it succeeds perfectly; looking stunning and so insanely cool. But not always. There's still the presence of tired exposition inserted throughout, as if one cares for what is going on. It's a very fun movie, Tokyo Drifter is. But it could have easily been so much more, had Suzuki further indulged himself, and gave us a lot less of those not-a-lot-really-going-on moments.

I direct your attention to...

2010-09-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

Look up. Just below the banner. You will see a row of headers. Home. Lists. And a new link you probably never saw before. RS 500. Huh - what could this be? Why, it's a new addition to my blog! So please, make your way over, read, and comment. Hell - give me some music suggestions. What's this, music? Yes, music! I will be tracking my progress. My goal, of attempting to list every album on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Whenever I make a significant alteration to the page, I'll make an update here, on the main page of the blog. My most recent album listens:

Weezer - Weezer (1994)
also known as "The Blue Album". It's a fun little record of up-beat nerdy emo pop. You know, back when Weezer used to be good. Favourite songs: Buddy Holly, Undone, Say It Ain't So

Prince - Purple Rain (1984)
The constantly energetic Purple Rain marks the highlight of Prince's career, and is one of the most exciting rock albums of the 1980s. It's a great fusion of rock, pop, new wave, r&b and funk, and features some truly amazing guitar solos. Favourite songs: Let's Go Crazy, Take Me With You, Purple Rain, and of course: When Doves Cry

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970)
Bitches Brew is a devastating, harrowing yet simultaneously tranquil experience. It's over an hour and a half long, and only features half a dozen songs, making it a difficult listen; one which is just demanding and screaming for you to put effort into, though makes for one unforgettable ride. It was largely responsible for creating jazz-fusion and jazz-rock.

The title says it all.

2010-08-30T22:02:00.000-07:00

I just felt like posting this. Enjoy.

I love this trailer. And the film itself is just as good.

"This is your brain on anime."

2010-08-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today is a tragic day for anime lovers across the world. August 24th, 2010. I've been mulling over the news for a couple hours, but it gets no less shocking. MadHouse Studio's knight in shining armor, Satoshi Kon, is dead. He was only 46 years old and in the middle of working on a new film, titled The Dream Machine.

In some ways, my favourite film of his is still his directorial debut. Perfect Blue. Have you watched the recently revealed trailer for Darren Aronofsky's upcoming film, The Black Swan? Well, from those 2 and a half minutes it's clear that Aronofsky got a lot of his material from Perfect Blue - he even owns the rights to that film; this is probably as close to a remake of that film as he'll consider doing. It's about a young teen idol singer who's the shining star in a pop group. She breaks apart from her music career, in hopes of her following her dreams of becoming a actress, and succeeds in landing a role in a provocative murder mystery television series. Things get heavy when she stumbles upon a blog on the internet which claims to be a diary of her life, recounting her daily events in highly accurate detail. Only, she has no memory of ever writing this. Perfect Blue is the most frightening animated film I have ever come across (so far, only End of Evangelion comes close - and that's frightening for completely different reasons). It's a surreal, dark, explicit, mind-bending film that perfectly and simultaneously captures the essence of both David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock at their finest. It's the quintessential animated horror feature, and thematically paved the way for Kon's later films.

Millennium Actress, his second film, which goes further in reality bending, a trait seen in most of his work, is a heart warming story about a documentary film director, who in trying to make a new film, tracks down a now-reclusive and now-elderly former movie star and manages to get an interview with her. The lengthy - and impassioned - interview spans the duration of her entire career; the film seamlessly blending the flashbacks of her life with the present, often incorporating the two together.

Structurally, Tokyo Godfathers is Satoshi Kon's black sheep. There is no mind-bending or morphing of multiple realities to be found. And rightly so; it wouldn't belong in a movie like this. This plays off more like an oldie. I could easily visualize watching it in black-and-white. The comedy/drama is about three homeless people in Tokyo, who on Christmas Eve discover a missing baby, and their attempts at locating the parents. It really views people, along with the setting of Japan, in a very different perspective than what you've seen in other films and television. Many unpredictable events occur, which one could argue as being deux ex machinas, although it never feels like it. It's a film of miracles.

When viewing Satoshi Kon's next work, thinking caps are a requirement. Kon's foray into television, the 13-episode Paranoia Agent, is every bit challenging as it is engrossing. There's a cap-wearing-roller-blade-riding-boy beating people's heads in with a baseball bat. Shonen Bat. No one knows who it is. At its exterior, the series is a detective-story murder mystery. But it's so much more than that. Over the course of its 5-hours, it explores so many themes and aspects of human nature and characters. There are new characters introduced every episode, each with their own story, making it feel like an anthology show at first, but we go in further, and we realize that everything is connected, everyone is intertwined. Then things get scary. There are dozens of plot twists to be revealed, and they never once feel contrived. Paranoia Agent is one of the most sharply and cleverly written television series' I've ever come across.

"This is your brain on anime." reads the tagline of his final completed film, Paprika. Not only a great tagline, but also a fitting sentence to summarize the oeuvre of the Satoshi Kon himself. Sometime in the future, a new form of technology is created, which allows one to go into the dream of a person, as well as to record it. A valuable prototype is stolen from the lab of this company, and it's feared it'll be used for hacking purposes. Things get worse when it's found out that the thief is using it to manipulate the dreams of an insane person to conger up a weapon of mass destruction, of sorts. It's up to a team of only a few people to prevent the dream world from colliding with the real world. Paprika is Kon's most visually stunning film (if you've seen even just one of his movies then you know this is a huge compliment) and every bit as intelligent and moving as everything else he's created.

Four films and one series. It's such a tragedy he had to die so soon, leaving behind such a small body of work. Even in just the decade that he's been a film maker, he's gained the respect of virtually everybody in his line of work, received countless praise, and has gained an enormous following around the world. And he was only getting started. We can only imagine what he had planned for us over the course of the next 20, 25 years. He was anime's saving grace, and I had hoped for him to lead the industry as its greatest mind, for many years to come. Unfortunately, that'll never be.

But let's not wallow in what could-have-been. Let's instead appreciate what he has given us, and continue to watch and praise his creations, for many years to come, and to make sure that future generations discover his films and do the same. Perfect Blue. Millennium Actress. Tokyo Godfathers. Paranoia Agent. Paprika. We will always have those. Let us celebrate that.

The Wizard of Gore (1970)

2010-08-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

Herschell Gordon Lewis - the Godfather of Gore, as he's sometimes referred - is one of the most influential men of horror films, simply because, he created the gore (or "splatter") film. Well, not really create, but he was the first director in the United States to start making and releasing them. They date back to 1963 with Blood Feast. Before then, he made nudist movies. Lewis was all about business. He never had a lot of talent or money, so to make himself stand out - and more importantly - make profitable films, he simply did things that mainstream films didn't dare do. And it worked. Considering his micro budgets, his movies were smash hits in drive-in cinemas. And now decades later, because of his courage to go where no other filmmaker would go, he's even become a cult icon.

The Wizard of Gore is maybe one of his most well known films. If you recall, it even got a nod in Juno, being praised by Ellen Page's character. In 2007 it was remade, with Crispin Glover in full scenery-chewing mode as Montag the Magnificent. I wrote a blog entry on that film, quite a many months back. That remake is stronger than this film. It's not really a surprise, though. Lewis' films have their charms, but he wasn't really a strong director. The editing was choppy, and he didn't exactly have an eye for aesthetics. And the acting is lousy. It's kinda enjoyable, though, if you're into C-grade horror. If you're a 'horror buff' such as myself, then I recommend checking out The Wizard of Gore, or at least, films in general directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis. I'm sure he's made better films, though, I just haven't watched them, yet. I've currently only seen this and Blood Feast, which was great fun if only for its unintentional hilarity.

Other Herschell Gordon Lewis movies I would like to check out:
Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964)
Color Me Blood Red (1965)
Monster A Go-Go (1965)
Something Weird (1967)
The Girl, the Body, and the Pill (1967)
She-Devils on Wheels (1968)
The Gore Gore Girls (1972)

Catch Up

2010-08-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

Oh to become a voracious television viewer. I thought film was intimidating; really, it's television that takes the cake (or pie, or any other delectable snack). Not that there's more TV series' out than films that I hope to watch - there's not. But it's all in my viewing habits. Similar to how one would prefer to watch a film in its entirety in a single sitting rather than to watch it in parts, I like to experience very large chunks of a series in very short bursts. I don't follow the watch-an-episode-per-week system. I will usually wait until a season is complete, and then watch it on my own terms. Mostly. There are exceptions. Like now, for instance, with Futurama; a series too good to wait on.

The series filling up my agenda over the past couple days has been the AMC period-drama Mad Men. I post regularly on a message board where Mad Men happens to be one of the most discussed current series', so I thought it was worth checking out. I've been very impressed thus far in what I've seen. Set in the early 1960s, Mad Men follows the personal and business lives of a handful of employees working for the advertising agency Sterling Cooper. Light on plot, but heavy on dialogue and character development, this is a haven for wonderful talent, from writers to actors. Whats startling, on first viewing, is its authenticity to the era, divulging in many acts that today would be taboo. Maybe a little heads up: there is sexism and misogyny aplenty. The fathers control the households. Parents are neglectful. Blacks get second rate jobs. The writers don't tip toe around these issues, nor do they condone any behavior, treating their characters with the most respect. Actually, I think the stand-out character is one of its females, Peggy Olson (as played by Elisabeth Moss), a secretary who rises to the occasion and gets promoted as the company's only copywriter. The woman/man dynamic makes for the show's most interesting moments.

I'm currently 8 episodes in the second season. I've been streaming episodes via ctv.ca, which only has the first two seasons available. I'll probably take a break, then, before I move on to season 3. I might go to another series. There's a lot I would like to see.

Elfen Lied. A 13-episode anime series. I know almost nothing about it, but have heard excellent things about it from friends who's opinion I really respect.

Another anime series I will dive into is Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - 2nd GIG. Long title, yes. It's a 26-episode sequel series to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which I watched last month and thought was wonderful. It's a beautifully animated cyberpunk action sci-fi series with occasional dosages of philosophy.

Breaking Bad, from AMC. Currently 3 seasons; 33 episodes. I've heard many amazing things about it from a lot of friends and online sources, many saying it's currently the best tv show on the air. It sounds very promising, from what little I've read about its plot.

True Blood. I love me some campy horror, but what really intrigues me most is that it was created by Alan Ball, the man responsible for my favourite drama series ever - Six Feet Under.

Curb Your Enthusiasm. I have the first 2 seasons of this brilliant comedy already watched. I have 5 more to go, and apparently there might be yet another to be made.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Another series which I already have the first 2 seasons of, watched. Season 1 was alright, but the second was really great. It's been years though, since I saw those, so when I get back to it, I'll probably start at the beginning of season 2.

Deadwood. HBO drama. I love westerns. Me and it would probably get along very well.

The Sopranos. I haven't seen anything from it, yet, and I might not for quite some time. I'd like to get a lot of shorter shows out of the way, first. The length of this one is intimidating.

Treme. Created by David Simon, who made The Wire, which is one of the greatest things ever, of course. It has a wonderfully interesting synopsis, too - it's set in New Orleans, just months after the Katrina disaster.

Before I know it, two more shows will pop into the list as well.

The Walking Dead. This soon-to-be AMC series is premiering in October. It's an adaptation of one of my favourite comic series- I'd strongly recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach. It's zombie survival, and its devastatingly tragic. The first season will only be 6 episodes long. I'll likely watch each of these episodes as they become available.

Boardwalk Empire. This soon-to-be HBC drama is premiering in September. It's a 1920s crime gangster saga set during the Prohibition era. It has an incredibly cast, and is co-created by Martin Scorsese, and Terence Winter, one of people behind some/many of The Soporano's best episodes.

Oh televised entertainment. You will be the death of me.

Deep Red

2010-07-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Deep Red. (Profondo Rosso, 1975)

Director: Dario Argento

Looking for an amazing horror film with captivating images, engrossing suspense, and one of coolest damn scores you've ever heard? Look no further than Deep Red. This Italian murder mystery is perhaps the best film Dario Argento ever directed. Being one of the truly great horror directors, picking a best is no easy feat. Other gems include Suspiria, Tenebrae, Phenomena and The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. I've also heard great things about Inferno and Opera, both of which I have not gotten to, yet. What I'm trying to say is - if you even remotely enjoy violent and intense horror films - watch Argento films. Hey, Deep Red is as great of a start as any.

There's been a murder! The only eye witness is a young, struggling pianist on a vacation of sorts. The woman killed lived in the same apartment as him. He could take his cue and go home, but he finds himself wrapped up in the mess, devoting all his energy to discovering who the killer is; going to great lengths to unravel the mystery, he puts himself in grave danger of becoming the next victim.

That's essentially the plot over the course of its two hours. It burns slowly, but its every flame dazzles. Dario Argento is not much of a "story teller", that you should know. He's no Hitchcock when in that department. Many of his films even follow a similar murder-mystery narrative. Argento's works try to appeal more directly to the eyes and ears. Visuals and music plays a very vital role. He does wonderful things with colour - to which he owes everything to Mario Bava, who perfected this aesthetic a decade earlier. Not to discredit Argento. His films do have a look of their own. And a damn fine one. And the music I mentioned? I'm not good at describing music, so I'll post some links to the film's soundtrack so you can give it a listen first-hand. I'll just say that I think it's amazing (it's even better when listened to in context with the film).

Horror really doesn't get a whole lot better than Deep Red.

Here's the trailer for your viewing pleasure:

Word of caution: there exists a severely edited version of this film, which to my knowledge cuts out anywhere from 20-to-30 minutes from the running time. It sounds horrible to me. Please, if you're going to watch it, make sure it's the two-hour version. There's nothing in that cut I felt should have been removed.

What I Have Been Watching

2010-07-25T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)

Some might call this film an exercise in tedium, or even worse - flat out boring. Well, those people suck. There are long takes a plenty in Petra von Kant; the average scene length being roughly 20 minutes. And all of which take place usually in just one room. Very constrained. The atmosphere is dense, and when emotions fly, you feel it. The sets look stunning. Attention to detail. Standstill and slow camera movements, accentuating the interior of the rooms; the placement of the characters. Yes, there are characters. Several, in fact. All female. A lesbian relationship in parts. The anticipation. The romance. The aftermath. A perfect film.

Ali: Fear Eats The Soul (1974)

This Fassbinder doesn't have the eye candy that Petra von Kant did. This one is all about the actors. And they are very good. Young Arab man. Old German lady. Forbidden romance. Blasted racism makes me sad. Seeing two people who genuinely care for one another makes me happy. Fear Eats The Soul made me happy. Then sad. Then happy again. Then sad again.

Cop Out (2010)

Kevin Smith written and directed films all have a very quaint charm to them. Very homemade. Example: homemade cookies. All of Kevin Smith's movies are like homemade cookies. Sometimes the recipe is good. Sometimes it's not. But it's always homemade. Cop Out is a box of factory made cookies. AND they lack flavour. Cop Out doesn't contain his dialogue. Who's dialogue is it? It could belong to anyone; it lacks distinction. Sometimes it looks like he's trying to grow as a director. I respect that. But there's nothing interesting about this film, visually, either. The mix of juvenile comedy and action set pieces doesn't work in Cop Out - maybe because most of the jokes suck. Bruce Willis is alright. Sean William Scott is alright. Tracy Morgan was awful.

Tout va Bien (1972)

Go Marxism!

The Double Life of Veronique (1991)

Enigmatic fantasy. And not the fantasy with hobbits and witchcraft. This is fantasy at its most human. Also. Do yourself a favour and look up screen captures from this film. Lose yourself in the stills. Then watch it. You'll be doing yourself a mighty big favour.

Dracula: Spanish Edition (1931)

2010-07-20T17:03:00.001-07:00

Back in the days of yore it was common for Hollywood studios to film a foreign language version of their American films, using the same sets, costumes, etc. Many of these alternate versions no longer exist; they've long been ignored and destroyed; considered lesser causes. The Spanish '31 Dracula is probably the most well known to still be around. It was saved in the '90s I believed, when it was released a special feature on a Dracula home release. Hitchcock, I read, filmed a German version of one of his early features; this version was called Mary. It's the only other film in a case like this that I know of.

The Spanish Dracula is actually better than its American counterpart. It's better acted, better shot, and it gives the story more time to develop. Browning's Dracula was 75 minutes; common for Universal, but not enough to tell such a dense story. The Spanish version is nearly a half hour longer, at some 100+ minutes. Some people may prefer the briefness of Browning's, and I can see why; it gives the movie an almost dream-like feel in how blunt it is in going from one event to another. But I found it to be choppy. It felt restrained. Dracula is such a sexually charged story, and while the American take shows glimpses of it, it's the Spanish version that goes further with it; even in things as simple as wardrobe; Mina's outfit in Melford's version is a lot more revealing. And the actors also go further with their characters. They feel more free.

The American cast and crew would film during the day, and the Spanish would film during the night. The later had the advantage of watching the dailies filmed by the Americans; this probably explains why theirs was better. They got to closely examine what the others were doing, and were able to think of new ways to present the same story; it fueled creativity. Also, Browning's Dracula was very much a Hollywood product. I get the impression that the studio heads didn't care so much about the finished product of the other crew, giving them more opportunity to go about work as they pleased.

For the most part, the cast in George Melfold's Dracula act circles around those in Browning's. Except of course, for the Count, himself. The Spanish Count was a fine presence, but it was too much a Bela imitation. Remember how Renfield was the most interesting and entertaining character in Dracula US? Well, this Renfield is even better! There's nothing low-key or subtle about Pablo's performance; he takes Renfield's raving madness to heights far greater than Dwight Frye.

Whether or you liked or were disappointed with Browning's Dracula (or both), I would strongly recommend you to view this one, as well. This is a very fine movie. It's actually disappointing that this will always be seen as a companion piece, and never as its own entity; it deserves better.

Dracula (1931)

2010-07-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Dracula is arguably the most important horror/monster film that Universal Studios made (but by no means the greatest). Although they had earlier success in the silent era with The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera (both starring Lon Chaney Sr.), it was Dracula that was responsible for starting the studio's horror boom, and thus the start of a cultural phenomenon. The other films previously discussed, from the likes of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man, to the Poe adaptations, they may not (all) even exist if not for this.

It also made the career of Bela Lugosi. No one in their right mind would argue anything else to be the defining role of Lugosi, for better and for worse. For his many years of acting, post-Dracula, he was a victim of typecasting, having to play similar type characters in monster films, getting little luck with anything else. Then as a broken down old man he met Edward Wood. But that's a different story for another time.

Karl Freund is the behind-the-camera star of Dracula; we sit in awe at his iconic and ghostly images - even if they primarily only occupy the first 20 minutes of the feature. Renfield's travels to Castle Dracula; the Count rising from his coffin; Count greeting Renfield; their interactions in the castle; Dracula eying Renfield after spilling blood; the three erotic lady vamps. Even the scene aboard the Vesta gave us a raving mad Renfield with determined eyes gazing up at the screen - that's an image that's hard to forget.

Tod Browning was probably the wrong choice for director, who's, uh, style, was not at all fitting with the story. From the half hour point onward, the movie is played more like its stage production counterpart. It starts to become just another silent era 'stagey' melodrama. Fortunately, there are some inspired moments which save Dracula from deterioration. I think, mainly, of any post-insane Renfield scene, the part where Van Helsing discovers that the Count has no reflection and his choice to confront the Count on it, and the picture's finale, which brings a return to the effective dream-like images of the opening act.

A motif (if you could call it that) that runs through Dracula, at least during the first half of the running time, is how light is seen on Count Dracula's face. Shadows hide all of his face, except for his eyes, which are visible by thin rays of lighting. This is a small touch that I thought really worked, and helped in setting the Count apart from everyone else. Bela's truly unique accent and speech mannerisms also help in alienating Dracula from out protagonists. His out-of-this-world, enigmatic presence makes him all the more menacing.

Universal Studio and Edgar Allan Poe

2010-07-18T20:44:00.001-07:00

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Director: Robert Florey

Story goes that this project was handed over to Robert Florey and Bela Lugosi as a result of both being dropped from Frankenstein. Despite not having nearly the budget of Frankenstein (at least, not appearing to), Flory and cinematographer Karl Freund admirably did what they could. And it shows. This is a minor-classic in the Universal horror catalogue.

It's hard to not compare this to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Both feature travelling carnival sideshows and insane doctors as their lead characters. Flory and Freund didn't want comparisons to stop there, apparently. Every visual aspect, from the sets to use of shadows, are copied from the German expressionism films of the 1920s – Caligari obviously included.

Bela Lugosi is Dr. Mirakle. As part of the travelling carnival, his leading attraction is an apparently murderous ape. Mirakle plans to mix the blood of the ape with the blood of a woman. For some reason. Lugosi, is Lugosi. This is very shortly after his claim to fame role in Dracula. His Mirakle character isn't nearly as memorable or subtle. Lugosi hams it up, trying to be as sinister and evil-looking-and-sounding as he can.

This is a short film, even for early Universal standards, running just some 60 minutes. And even then, the pacing is awkward. There's still plenty of fun to be had with this film, however. And the whole Edgar Allan Poe credit – don't take it to heart. This is the first of three films from 1930-1935 that Universal made that was based off a Poe story. “Very loosely inspired” is more like it. To put things into bit of a perspective, they're just as much accurate to the source material, as Frankenstein (1931) is faithful to Mary Shelley's novel.

The Black Cat (1934)
Director: Edgar G. Ulmer

Poe adaptation #2. Another entry highly influenced by the works of Murnau, although not quite as striking as Rue Morgue. This is one of the earliest examples of a psychological thriller that I can think of. The battle of science used for good purposes versus "evil" purposes, as seen through its leads. Boris Karloff. Bela Lugosi. Seeing Karloff vs. Lugosi like that was quite entertaining, though, even despite a murky narrative. Bad editing, perhaps. Notable soundtrack consists entirely of well known classical music - I enjoyed this, as well. It was also interesting to see Universal make a horror film without any creatures/beasts. There's a curious aura exhibited in The Black Cat - though I'm not sure what it is. This has the makings of a great film - but it's not one. It's being held back. We could always blame studio interference. As well as the supporting cast. Well, the male honeymooner, at least. He was terribly uninteresting. Another reason to watch this film? Satanism! Spooky stuff. Hm. Maybe that was revealing too much. There's some sexual repression mixed in, as well. One last complaint: the cat could have used more screen time.

The Raven (1935)
Director: Lew Landers

Poe adaptation #3. If you can call this an adaptation. This self-aware film is about a Poe-obsessed surgeon played by Bela Lugosi. He frequently quotes brief passages from "The Raven". He falls in love with the judge's daughter who he saves the life of, at the disgist of the judge. Crazy-doctor invites them to dinner at his mansion, and plans to test out his torture equipment on. Of course this is stuff modeled after traps used in Poe's own stories. Boris Karloff appears, as an escaped convict who begs the doctor to change his appearance. This absurd little film takes camp to the extreme. Lugosi is at his hammiest, which may please some fans. And yes, I seem to recall him cackling. Karloff, as usual, plays it more subtle, offering a nice balance among the two. And the other characters? It's almost as if no thought went into them at all. Flavorless crackers gone stale and left out in the rain for a week.

The Wolfman (2010)

2010-07-18T20:42:00.001-07:00

This should have been a photo collage – not a film. Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. The eyes. The images. They interlock; perform a two-hour tango.

Which brings me to this: why is this film two-hours? Unlike Frankenstein and Dracula, Wolf Man did not originate from a textured novel and literary classic. The '41 film came to be solely from a screenplay written specifically for it, which did incorporate many elements of previous werewolf lore. But the story written for that film was the entire story. And it was 70-minutes. Granted, the studio's horror films of that era were all generally very brisk, but this 2010 film padded it to the point of increasing its running time by 50 minutes – nearly double the original's length. And my is it ever slow. Slowness doesn't bother me. Slowness without purpose or direction does. Textbook dialogue does, too. So much speaking in this film – none of which really resonated with me. The cast looked the part; I was impressed by how much Benicio Del Toro actually resembled Lon Chaney Jr. And he played the part well. As did Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt. So I'm not quite sure what the problem is. It just doesn't translate well for us, the viewer. It's as if the film was constructed so that it showcases only its eye-catching visuals, while drowning out any heart this film should have had. I'm not a soulless heathen, I give you my word. But this film failed to provoke any sort of emotion out of me. Okay. I guess I thought a couple scenes were pretty cool, like when Talbot was showcased before a room full of doctors on the night of the full moon, and then a whole lot of shit goes down. That was fun. The film needed more moments like that.

The Wolf Man (1941)

2010-07-18T20:41:00.001-07:00

The Wolf Man's protagonist-and-monster Larry Talbot is unlike Universal's other star monsters. Larry, first of all, is merely a normal person up until the events of the film, and experiences drastic change through no fault of his own. Not even the Invisible Man is as 'innocent' as Talbot. For this he could be seen as the most tragic character produced by the studio during this era. This wealthy, charming young man has his life and freedom stripped from him, as he lives his later days under the curse of the werewolf, turning him into a vicious murderer during nights of a full moon, but it's the days in between that bring more anguish and psychological torture to Larry. Lon Chaney Jr rose to fame for his performance as The Wolf Man, and would become Universal's biggest star throughout the 1940s, going on to play as both Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula in later pictures. A decade later, he would return to his breakout role, playing Larry Talbot in Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943) – a film which plays out as a direct sequel to Wolf Man and later incorporating the events of previous Frankenstein features.

This a fine feature, although not exactly holding the same grace as the features of James Whale. The cast is superb, which apart from Chaney's tortured performance, also features the talent of Lugosi and Claude Rains. The graveyard scenes are still gorgeous today, and help make the finale of this film one of Universal horror's most memorable climaxes.

Werewolf of London (1935)

2010-07-18T20:39:00.001-07:00

Six years prior to Lon Chaney Jr's breakout role las Larry Talbot in The Wolf Man, there existed Dr. Glendon, as played by Henry Hull. Like Talbot, he too finds himself to be under the curse of the werewolf. But while Chaney portrayed Talbot as the ever sympathetic everyman-turned-victim of circumstance, Hull is never sure what to do as Dr. Glendon, thus resulting in one of the most disappointing lead performances seen in a Universal horror movie. This is a rare horror entry in the studio's catalogue that doesn't contain Karloff, Lugosi or Chaney; there are no familiar faces to horror fans. Nothing wrong with that, of course. It just leaves more room to be pleasantly surprised by an unknown. But don't press your luck; Werewolf of London can't even deliver that. The acting in this film is flat throughout, which I guess fits very nicely with the photography. Cardboard cutout characters breezing in the artificial wind of a cardboard cutout environment.

If there's one thing going for this film, it's the story itself, which differs greatly from The Wolf Man in its portrayal of the werewolf curse. While of course not as impressive as Chaney's transformation into a werewolf, this picture's special effects are very impressive. Henry Hull's werewolf acts very differently, however; certainly not what most viewers would expect. His posture remains only midly changed. His clothing remains intact, as his body size isn't altered. His behavior is that of a homeless man bitten by a rabid dog - not that of a ferocious wild beast. Many have found Werewolf of London more similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, than that of The Wolf Man, and I can see why. Hull's character dreads the idea of changing into the wolf - although not exactly examining the severity of the condition. He even takes an anditote regularly to prevent his transformation - this is an element absent from other werewolf movies. And then there's the beast, which is not really a beast at all but a violent, untamed side of his original self.

Werewolf of London only barely escapes mediocrity, but it's an essential stepping stone in the history of horror, being Hollywood's first werewolf centric film, later being a big influence on The Wolf Man, a classic which to this day is helded in high esteem as one of the best ever werewolf movies (although it doesn't come close to An American Werewolf in London or the Ginger Snaps trilogy).

Harry Potter Revisited: The Prisoner of Azkaban

2010-07-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Chris Columbus did satisfactory work on the first two films, and left the series at the perfect timing. The world of Harry Potter was changing. It needed a strong creative force backing it. And it got one. Alfonso Cuaron.

The Philosopher's Stone and the Chamber of Secrets were whimsical and bubbly; striving to be the equivalent to a theme park experience. Cuaron dropped this act, getting down to the meat of the story. The Prisoner of Azkaban is a brooding tale of childhood's innocence now lost. Our young heroes were growing, and for the first time, we see signs of the adults they are to become.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson showed an immensely impressive learning curve, growing into strong actors over the course of the first three films; their characters now dealing more with internal struggles on top of their many dangerous adventures. Adolescence is hitting these kids hard, although it's not until the fourth film that their hormones really come into play.

Although Azkaban is a longer book than the first two in the series, it is a shorter film than their adaptation, being under 2 hours 20 minutes when the ending credits hit. Cuaron doesn't feel chained to the text, freeing his vision. The result? Azkaban is only some 10 minutes shorter than Philosopher and Chamber, but feels much more quicker than that. Its pacing is extraordinarily enthralling. While I found myself often checking the time watching the first two, Azkaban appeared to fly by. The atmosphere is a dark one, turning the world grim, but for the first time, it feels real. Alfonso Cuaron is delicate with the camera, not afraid to often let it linger, letting the scenery effectively develop before our eyes.

The Prisoner of Azkaban is a thrilling mystery worthy of the title "thriller", exceeding in moments as comic as in the triple-Decker-bus ride to the Leaky Cauldron, to the sinister introduction of the Dementors. Also integrated is the horror folklore of lycanthropy and science fiction staples such as time travel.

Here is a film so good it almost makes me wonder how the series would have turned out had every entry been under the wing of Alfonso Cuaron. Okay, okay, as least the first three. I don't discredit the very very fine work done by Mike Newell and David Yates in the later Potter flicks.

Harry Potter Revisited: The Chamber of Secrets

2010-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

Commence phase 2 of Harry Potter, which really, is not a whole lot different than the first. It feels less episodic though, thankfully, and the main conflict is introduced a lot sooner. Chambers of Secrets feels like a retread of sorts, albeit a superior one.

There are some wonderful cast additions, the most noteworthy being Kenneth Branagh as the charming fraud of a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart. He brought so much more to the film that previous Defence professor Quirrel.

The introduction of Dobby the House Elf saves the beginning of Chamber of Secrets from feeling like nothing more than a copy of last film's family woes.

Richard Harris plays Dumbledore for his second and final time, dying not long after this film's completion. He played Dumbledore very much as the archetypal elder wizard, with just a faint whisper of a voice.

I'm not much of a fan of Quiddich, thinking there was too much screen time spent on it in the first film. There's really only one Quiddich scene in Chamber of the Secrets, and it's far more exciting than the ones in Philosopher's Stone. The game is executed very well, and I very much enjoyed the chase between Harry, Draco, the snitch and the bludger.

The young Draco Malfoy and rival to Harry has some highlight moments in Chamber of Secrets, my favourite probably being the duel between the two which results in Harry speaking to a snake conjured up by Draco.

Chamber of Secrets takes things up a notch, and starts to show more of the darker corners of its magical world, while still being very child-safe. Philosopher's Stone and this film are perfect examples of a feel-good-family-friendly-blockbuster-experience. Many conflicts arise, but everything is either so nicely resolved by the end of the films duration or swept under the rug for a later time that it ends on such a groan-inducing sappy note. Harry hugging Hagrid while the rest of the school cheers on? Oh, my.

Upon watching this film for my first time in years, I was taken back by how enjoyable it really was, finding it better than I had even remembered. I still think that director Chris Columbus stifled his creativity once again by treating the book as a sacred text, but just as Chamber of Secrets is a more engaging novel than Philosopher's Stone, the same can be said for the films.

Harry Potter Revisited: The Philosopher's Stone

2010-07-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

The first film in this now cherished series is very much like a television pilot; it introduces the characters, the settings, lays the groundwork, and guides through its world almost step-by-step. We meet Harry and his abusive family. We are guided through the wizarding world by Hagrid, with him explaining each destination they arrive in. We meet Ron and Hermoine. We meet the teachers and the classes. A large portion of this film is merely this. The main conflict of the Philosopher's Stone doesn't become the main plot point until over halfway through. But this is just how things work. Philosopher's Stone is merely an indicator of greater things to come.

Philosopher's Stone is a very true and literal adaptation of J.K. Rowling's novel. This is both a pro and a con. Rowling's novels are full of many delights, but she herself is not exactly a terrific writer; similar to how I've often seen Stephen King described as a brilliant storyteller, but merely competent writer (not exactly in those words, mind you). One lengthy scene nearing the climax which I've pondered about is the life-sized Wizard's Chess battle, which in my opinion was a bad idea Why must Ron actually mount the piece, putting himself in danger? Who told him this? Why didn't the other two mount anything? Why Ron? Why the Knight? Why not jump off the piece just as it was being destroyed? This whole sequence I felt should have been left out.

And is it totally rewarding to the fans to present to them what is essentially a duplicate of the first novel? One of the joys in reading the books was to experience its surprises and twists at every turn. But if you read the book, then watch this film, there is no surprise; you see just about everything before it happens. I'm not criticizing this film because of its loyal nature – this is just a side note of mine.

The three lead actors neither impress nor disappoint in this installment; considering their lack of experience up to this point, though, they did most well. One of the exciting things about these films is watching them grow as actors as the series progresses. Alan Rickman is the one to watch; oh my, he made Snape into quite the presence. The voice. It's all in that voice.

I don't think Quirrell was given nearly enough screen time, considering his importance in Philosopher's Stone. Not exactly more clues or foreshadowing as to his status, but just more scenes to really let us know that he was there.

And uh, that's about it. This was my first time watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in quite a few years, and it still holds up. It's probably the weakest of the Potter films, but it successfully established the universe.

My Top Favourite Actresses and Actors

2010-07-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

#4 Actor: Crispin Glover

If a film was ever to be made about my teenage life, the ideal casting choice: Crispin Glover circa 1985. He brings social awkwardness and crippling neuroses to such intense lengths. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Back to the Future (1985), River's Edge (1986), Rubin and Ed (1991), Bartleby (2001), Willard (2003), What Is It? (2005), The Wizard of Gore (2007)

#3 Actress: Renée Jeanne Falconetti

Her performance in the classic silent film, The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), probably gets my vote as the finest, most emotionally powerful acting I've seen from any actress in any film. Unfortunately, it's practically her only role on film.

#3 Actor: Malcolm McDowell

Here's an actor I've seen little from, but one who has impressed me immensely. I speak, mainly, of course, about Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971), one-of-my-all-time-favourite-films-and-the-film-responsible-for-getting-me-into-film. Alex DeLarge really came to life on the screen. So much charisma, Malcolm somehow makes such a morally corrupt and villainous character into such a likable presence. He was also tremendous in If.... (1968).

#2 Actress: Liv Ullmann

Ingmar Bergman's muse, frequent collaborator, and former lover. Her heart burns to the core of many of his finest works. Persona (1966), Cries and Whispers (1972), Scenes from a Marriage (1973), Autumn Sonata (1978), Saraband (2003)

#2 Actor: Max von Sydow

Ingmar Bergman's frequent male collaborator, giving such memorable and engaging performances in The Seventh Seal (1957), The Virgin Spring (1960), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Winter Light (1963), Hour of the Wolf (1968). Unlike his female counterpart Liv, Sydow would make the jump over to American cinema. Post-Bergman career highlights include The Exorcist (1973), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and Minority Report (2002).

#1 Actress: Audrey Hepburn

She's perfect - every little thing about her. Memorable performances include everything she's ever done that I've seen. Seriously. She never disappoints. Wait Until Dark (1967), Two for the Road (1967), How to Steal a Million (1966), My Fair Lady (1964), Charade (1963), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Love in the Afternoon (1957), Funny Face (1957), Sabrina (1954), Roman Holiday (1953)

#1 Actor: Robert De Niro

Does my testosterone-pumping side show? De Niro plays the tough guy social rejects better than anyone out there. Mean Streets (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), Brazil (1985), The Untouchables (1987), Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Casino (1995), Heat (1995), Jackie Brown (1997). And yeah, I still need to see The Deer Hunter (1978).

#4 Actress: Diane Keaton

2010-06-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

Diane Keaton is a wonderful talent who not only held her own against Woody Allen in many of his best comedies - but arguably out-performed him. She may have incited more laughs in Play It Again, Sam and Love and Death than he did. The two together comprise probably my favourite comedy duo ever. And let's not forget her moments with Al Pacino in the Godfather films.

Favourite Performance: Love and Death (1975) / Annie Hall (1977)

Other Memorable Performances: The Godfather (1972), Play It Again, Sam (1972), Sleeper (1973), The Godfathr Part II (1974), Interiors (1978), Manhattan (1979), The Godfather Part III (1990), Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

Need to See: Reds (1981)

#5 Actors: Charlie Chaplin, Woody Allen, Peter Sellers

2010-06-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

Cheat entry. The ones who's on-screen abilities always makes me laugh. Bonus points for Chaplin for equally as spellbinding when showing his dramatic side.

Great Performances:

The Gold Rush (1925)
The Circus (1928)
City Lights (1931)
Modern Times (1936)
The Great Dictator (1940)
Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
Limelight (1952)
Lolita (1962)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Bananas (1971)
Play It Again, Sam (1972)
Sleeper (1973)
Love and Death (1975)
Annie Hall (1977)
Manhattan (1979)
Stardust Memories (1980)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Husbands and Wives (1992)

#5 Actress: Winona Ryder

2010-06-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

Her career is not exactly in shambles, but it's certainly lacking the flare it had in the late '80s to early '90s, with acting highlights including the funky-haired almost-parody-of-a-gloomy-teenage-girl in Beetlejuice and the cynical witty misanthrope in Heathers. Oh, and there was that Scorsese film that got her an Oscar nomination. Oh wait - it's 2 nominations she's had.

Favourite Performance: Heathers (1989) & Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Other Memorable Performances: Beetlejuice (1988), The Age of Innocence (1993), *Celebrity (1998), A Scanner Darkly (2006)

Need to See: Little Woman (1994), The Crucible (1996), Girl, Interrupted (1999)

*I don't like this film, but she was definitely the strongest redeeming factor.

#6 Actor: James Stewart

2010-06-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Most gosh darn likable screen presence ever? Well, he's certainly up there. And he had range, too! I've never not sympathized for one of his characters. Whether you wanted romantic comedy, murder mystery, or western, Jimmie was your man.

Favourite Performance: Rear Window (1954) & Vertigo (1958)

Other Memorable Performances: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Rope (1948), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), *An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)

Need to See: The Shop Around The Corner (1940), Harvey (1950), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), The Shootist (1976), and more

*I can't resist. It's a childhood favourite.

#6 Actress: Anna Karina

2010-06-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

My Life To Live. 80-minutes of no plot and doesn't rely on Godard's usual signature style. What we have, instead, to focus on, is Anna Karina. She is that film. It's all on her. And it's one of most powerful feel-good human story films of all time. I don't even know what that last sentence really means but I'm sticking with it. A Woman. She's small in size, but is driven by her ambitions and intellect. She talks the talk, and walks the walk; can fit in as one-of-the-guys, but never afraid to use that to her advantage. Is a woman.

Favourite Performance: Vivre sa vie (1962)

Other Memorable Performances: Une femme est une femme (1961), Bande à part (1964), Alphaville (1965), Pierrot le fou (1965), Made in U.S.A. (1966)

Need to See: ? (I'm not quite sure.)

#7 Actor: Orson Welles

2010-06-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

What Welles do you prefer - young and handsome or old and crazy? I think young and handsome was a better actor, but old and crazy was more entertaining in his eccentricities. Plus, old and crazy people are just plain fun to watch - given that he was Orson Welles, well, that was an added bonus.

Favourite Performance: Citizen Kane (1941)

Other Memorable Performances: The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Macbeth (1948), The Third Man (1949), Mr. Arkadin (1955), Touch of Evil (1958), The Trial (1962), *F for Fake (1974)

Need to See: The Stranger (1946), Othello (1952)

*he didn't "act" in this film, but god, was he fun to watch

#7 Actress: Grace Kelly

2010-06-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

Given his reputation, it's possible that Alfred Hitchcock has slept with Grace Kelly on numerous occasions. If not "sleep", then maybe just a series of quickies, oral play, or ass slapping. And given that they worked together on 3 films, she probably liked it. Or at least liked what it did to her career. Whatever. Hitchcock loved beautiful and talented women, which is just what Grace Kelly was. I need to see her non-Hitch films.

Favourite Performance: Rear Window (1954)

Other Memorable Performances: Dial M For Murder (1954), To Catch A Thief (1955)

Need to See: High Noon (1952), The Country Girl (1954)

#8 Actor: Al Pacino

2010-06-12T21:44:00.001-07:00

Michael Corleone. That's all that needs to be said.

Favourite Performance: The Godfather (1972) & The Godfather Part II (1974)

Other Memorable Performance(s): Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Scarface (1983), The Godfather Part III (1990), Heat (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997)

Need to See: Serpico (1973), Dick Tracy (1990), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Scent of a Woman (1992), Carlito's Way (1993)

#8 Actress: Mia Farrow

2010-06-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

As Rosemary Woodhouse, Mia Farrow convinced us of her transformation from once stable happily newlywed into that of a hysteric mess who's paranoia drives her away from her husband and neighbors. The brilliance of Rosemary's Baby is the uncertainty that exists within it - we're not sure who to believe. And Mia Farrow. Oh, Mia.

The next film of hers I've seen was made over a decade later. It was her string of films with then-boyfriend Woody Allen - a relationship and collaboration which would last for over a decade. In these films she presents a mixed aura of both sophistication and nativity. She's funny. She's sweet. She's genuine. No glitz or glam here. She simply is.

Favourite Performance: Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Other Memorable Performance(s): Zelig (1983), Broadway Danny Rose (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Radio Days (1987), September (1987), Another Woman (1988), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), Husbands and Wives (1992)

Need to See: Don't really know any others I "need" to see.

#9 Actor: Jack Nicholson

2010-06-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

Stanley Kubrick sure knew how to get incredible performances out of his actors (you'll be seeing more of his collaborates further down the list). I have a thing for theatrics so that probably explains why my favourite Jack Nicholson performance is Jack Torrence, in The Shining. It's incredibly over-the-top and uncharacteristic of the character as portrayed in Stephen King's novel, but Nicholson possesses this character with such a maddening intensity and charisma that always leaves me awe-struck. The scene where Jack is taunting his wife as he follows her up the stairs while she swings a baseball bat in self-defense is a frightening moment. I begin to even question the insanity of Mr. Nicholson. And then there's poor Shelly Duvall, who practically was driven mad during the filming of The Shining. Her tears in this film are real. It makes her scenes with Nicholson all the more convincing for both of them.

Favourite Performance: The Shining (1980)

Other Memorable Performance(s): Chinatown (1974), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Batman (1989), A Few Good Men (1992), About Schmidt (2002), The Departed (2006)

Need to See: Easy Rider (1969), Five Easy Pieces (1970), The Last Detail (1973), Reds (1981)

#9 Actress: Monica Vitti

2010-06-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

What is it about this Italian leading lady in the films of Antonino what is so captivating? I don't quite know. She's not the usual blonde bombshell beauty cliche. She has a rare indescribable aurea that makes her hard to look away from. It's more than appearance. It's her. It's how she breathes through her characters. I must see more.

Favourite Performance: Red Desert (1964)

Other Memorable Performance(s): L'avventura (1960), La notte (1961), L'eclisse (1962)

Need to See: The Phantom of Liberty (1974)

#10 Actor: Johnny Depp

2010-06-08T15:58:00.001-07:00

Give Johnny Depp an eccentric ensemble to wear (preferably with hat) and watch magic happen. Here's a great example of an actor who soaks himself into every nuance of his surroundings. We saw him thriving with energy in musicals, whether it be lip-syncing in Cry-Baby or doing his own singing in Sweeney Todd. He donned a pirate outfit and had a ball (he even makes those damn Pirate sequels almost bearable) and broke hearts as the lonely creation of an elderly Vincent Price. But he's not a favourite of mine just because of this. It's when he's doing 'straight' roles does he really shine; not real-life cartoons, but rather, characters grounded in reality. Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Finding Neverland.

Favourite Performance: Ed Wood (1994)

Other Memorable Performance(s): Cry-Baby (1990), Edward Scissorhands (1990), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Benny & Joon (1993), Dead Man (1995), Donnie Brasco (1997), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Finding Neverland (2004), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Public Enemies (2009)

Need to See: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), The Ninth Gate (1999), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010)

#10 Actress: Catherine Deneuve

2010-06-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

This French beauty first caught my interest around two years ago, upon seeing Roman Polanski's most nerve wracking 1965 horror film, Repulsion. She was Carol, a sheltered young woman; sexually repressed and emotionally distant. After being stripped of her dependence and made to live on her own, she experiences a very convincing breakdown.

Recently I saw her in the leading role in Luis Bunuel's French drama Belle de Jour, in which she portrays a dissatisfied woman who on a whim starts working as a prostitute while her husband is out working.

I've only seen her in these two films, and she's already impressed me than most actors/actresses I've ever seen. I anticipate seeing more from her.

Favourite Performance: Repulsion (1965)

Other Memorable Performance(s): Belle de jour (1967)

Need to See: Tristana (1970), The Last Metro (1980)

My Favourite Actors and Actresses

2010-06-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

I am back and with a new series of updates! Over the next [insert duration of time here] I will be counting down my top 10 [I couldn't even stick to this rule] favourite actors and 10 favourite actresses, starting from #10 of each, and counting back, one at a time. I'll insert some text in which I'll try and explain what it is I like about said person, which performances impressed me the most, which make me swoon the most - whatever. Only the top of the top will be mentioned. Spoiler Alert: Keanu Reeves is my #1 on both lists.

Listening to David Bowie's "Low", and

2010-05-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

I am suddenly reminded of the Nicolas Roeg directed science-fiction film that Bowie himself starred in, "The Man Who Fell to Earth". It perfectly captures the mood of the music he was soon to make - the trilogy of experimental-art-rock albums he recorded with Brian Eno - while complimenting his earlier '70s music; the space and glam rock he explored under the alter ego Ziggy Stardust. Nearly everything about David Bowie circa 1970s is portrayed in some sense in "The Man Who Fell to Earth". It's a terrific yet tragic film about an extra terrestrial's attempt to rescue his dying planet; and it's the ultimate time capsule moment of Bowie's early career. I strongly recommend it.

That is all.

My Stand-Out Horror Films of the 21st Century: Part Two

2010-05-05T16:15:00.001-07:00

The Call of Cthulhu (2005)
It's like a 1920s short film - but not.

The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Rob Zombie writes beautiful dialogue.

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
This isn't the embarrassing Exorcist: The Beginning we're talking about. Dominion was an ambitious admirable film which tried to stray away from the horror of the franchise to instead tell what was more-so a compelling drama. And yeah, it was pretty damn close to being good. The performances were heartfelt and the story was well told. What killed this film was its lack of budget, which made for an ugly, unconvincing and almost laughable final act. Damn shame.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
For its first-hour Behind the Mask was a hilarious and clever satire, deconstructing the slasher movie formula and having a lot of fun with it. It was even topping Scream. Unfortunately, in the last act it lost its way and became the very thing it was satirizing - another predictable slasher.

Grindhouse (2007)
Maybe my favourite cinema-going experience, ever.

The Mist (2007)
It's even better than the pretty-good (long) short story.

[REC] (2007)
This is the best of the "found footage" sub-genre of horror film I've seen thus far, even despite the awful subtitles I had for mine.

Dance of the Dead (2008)
As far as horror-comedy goes, this is fluff, but I had so much fun watching it.

Dead Set (2008)
This is a UK miniseries which totals around 2 1/2 hours. It was fun seeing a serious zombie movie being told over such a long period of time. I really hope The Walking Dead tops it.

Eden Lake (2008)
Eden Lake hates the world. By watching it you too will hate the world. There's no way around that.

Let The Right One In (2008)
Uh, it's Swedish.

The Machine Girl (2008)
Kill Bill + Planet Terror + Ichi The Killer = The Machine Girl
Or something like that. It's pretty awesome if you're into a ridiculous splatter fest with a classic revenge plot. "Tokyo Gore Police" is another good one, but tries a little too hard.

Funny Games U.S. (2008)
I loved it even before I saw it; I saw sold on the trailer alone. The movie did not disappoint.

The Box (2009)
Richard Kelly's full-length Twilight Zone afterthought gets to the point where it becomes nothing but back-to-back scenes of imaginative preposterous horror - and he makes it fun, so why not.

Drag Me To Hell (2009)
I was pleasantly surprised. It's no Evil Dead II, but then, that was too much to measure up against.

The House of the Devil (2009)
The film is mostly walking and 1980s attire. It's predictable as hell (pun). But I was into it.

Trick 'r Treat (2009)
Children dying, interweaving stories, and Little Red Riding Hood

My Stand-Out Horror Films of the 21st Century: Part One

2010-05-02T11:33:00.001-07:00

Ginger Snaps (2000)
A funny coming-of-age teen-puberty werewolf movie that parallels the mensuration cycle with lycanthropy. This is my favourite horror movie of the last 20 years, probably. Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle were so perfect in this.

The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001) & Ichi The Killer (2001)
These aren't exactly horror films, but in a lot of cases the work of Takashi Miike escapes easy genre classification. They're absurd dark comedies with a dash of Looney Tune-esque playful mayhem mixed with the depravity of one of J-horror's most relentless directors.

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
This movie turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than it had any right to be But it's horror camp with just the right amount of self-awareness. As a horror movie, it's a joke. This is more like an action movie. And I love the idea of Jason being the “good guy”.

Gozu (2003)
Now this here is one dark Takashi Miike film. Very Lynchian.

A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
Too convulted for its own good, maybe, but I was thoroughly engaged.

Willard (2003)
Another film that's more of a dark-comedy than horror; Crispin Glover's most intense performance since River's Edge (1986).

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004) & Ginger Snaps: The Beginning (2004)
Compelling moody horror flicks that make Ginger Snaps the best horror movie trilogy not starring Bruce Campbell.

Shaun of the Dead (2004)
It's really funny.

The SAW Series (2004-Present)
Guilty pleasures of mine, I guess. Well, the first is probably a genuinely good film, making great use of few sets and simple premise. The sequels get more confusing, and well, funnier, as they progress. The complexity of the later movies make this into a joke of the series, but here I am, patiently anticipating the release of SAW VII.

C-C-C-Combo Breaker?

2010-05-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

So, yeah. Video games movies. What exactly went wrong here? The potential is there; the epic scope of wonderful storytelling, the memorable characters, the satisfying aesthetic, the enchanting music. Video games are a goldmine of potentially great-movie material. And yet, in some 20+ years there isn't has been one great one. But hey, just look at who these projects have been given to. Director-for-hire working men who can turn out a marketable product with no aspects of what makes a memorable film. This is why I see the landscape of video-game-turned-movies changing drastically within the next 10 years. Later this month we'll see the big blockbuster action film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time released to cinemas. The director: Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). I'm not expecting anything great, but this is certainly a step in the right direction. Then there's master of camp entertainment, Sam Raimi, set to direct World of Warcraft. After the money made by his Spider-Man trilogy, anything big he does now is sure to get attention. A BioShock film is also in pre-production, and for a while it was going to be directed by Gore Verbinski, the man behind the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Now he's producing. So, yeah. Directors/producers of acclaim and talent are now setting their sights on video-game properties. And it's a beautiful thing indeed.

Now, for some fun. A look back at some video game movies. The ones I've seen.

Super Mario Bros. (1993). The horrific humanoid creatures ruined it. Wait no - everything ruined it.

Double Dragon (1994). Two not-so-Asian Asians who kick ass? I guess. All I can remember.

Street Fighter (1994). This is a moderately entertaining one, yet still equally as baffling. Why make Guile into your lead character?

Mortal Kombat (1995). Maybe it's just because I adore the game series, but I'm a defender of this. It's fun camp. And yeah, the fight scenes were pretty damn cool. Plus it created one of the greatest theme songs ever.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997). Horrible. It has none of the ironic charm of the first film.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). A decent lead who looked the part, with nice sets, but the story and action are devoid of anything remotely engaging. A lifeless experience.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001). Wonderful CGI animation, but that's all there is. There is nothing else in this film that sticks with you.

Resident Evil (2002). I was only like 12, but I think I saw it somewhat amusing. Maybe I'd hate it, now.

House of the Dead (2003). Give it to Uwe Boll for setting the bar as low as fucking possible for video game movies. This is so terribly inept. I couldn't finish it. I turned it off an hour in.

Alone in the Dark (2005). Yup. More Uwe Boll. This one I fell asleep to, again, about an hour into it.

BloodRayne (2005). Uwe Boll's best movie that I've seen. I actually finished it! It's terrible, but in a respectable way.

Silent Hill (2006). It's pretty and has some great atmosphere. I like it. If only I knew what was going on.

BloodRayne II: Deliverance (2007). Cowboy vampires? What?

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2008). Yup. I've seen 5 of Uwe Boll's films. This is as terrible as the rest. Plus, it's like 2 1/2 hours. Urg. At least it had Ray Liotta as the villain. That was funny.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009). Even worse than the '90s Street Fighter.

Lady Gaga - "The Fame"

2010-04-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Beat rhythm. Beat rhythm. Beat rhythm. Move. Jive. Beat rhythm. Beat rhythm. Now, dance it up. Dance. Cue backup dancers. Oh, Lady Gaga. I dare say you have a spell on me? Naw - wouldn't go that far.

Just Dance. Dance. Dance. The title says it all. And it does its job. Only - I don't dance. I suppose I could move my shoulders, but it's not quite the same. Plus, maybe it's just too repetitious. It's kinda fun. The album continues along with LoveGame. This electropop ditty oozes with miss Gaga's promiscuity. And it does get downright embarrassing with its contender for "worst-lyric-of-the-album" with "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick". Apparently, she went into detail during an interview explaining the origin of that line - as if it really needed to be explained.

By song #3, I'm won over. Paparazzi. I remember seeing the music video a year back and laughing at it to a friend of mine, online. It was awkward laughter, out of seeing something I hadn't really seen, before. Was it a joke? Well, in some ways, yes. It's highly entertaining and as ridiculous as the story is, it won me over. The song itself is only half the length of the video; it's good. About the whole not-dancing-to-music thing? Yeah. I kinda lied.

Beautiful, Dirty, Rich. Another glamor and wealth obsessed dance routine is more-or-less what we've heard from the earlier songs. But hey, add in a new beat, a couple more lyrics, and you've got yourself a brand new song. It works. And I like this one, still.

Eh, Eh (Nothing I Can Say). What the fuck is this? It's a distraction. It stops the album abruptly, brings it to an entirely different atmosphere, and immediately after, returns to its previous plains. This laidback breezy song which takes after 1990s Europop is more lifeless than anything, and maybe, because this isn't the coked up badgirl Gaga we've come to admire and question. It projects an image of Lady Gaga which is unconvincing and honestly, just really boring.

Poker Face. Alright, the robotic vocals do piss me off quite a bit. By watching her live and acoustic videos on YouTube, I am convinced that Lady Gaga is a good singer, but in songs like this, the production seems to drown out any of that. But, whatever. Its Poker Face. I can't not love it at this point, if only for the onslaught of parodies giving it an added dose of charm.

A high-pitched whistle which soon becomes a tranquil echo which hums through the duration of the song. Where is my mind?, they ask. The "they" being The Pixies, influential alt-rock band of the late '80s. So yeah, kinda got bored with The Fame. It's not a bad album or anything. In fact, I actually did listen to it all, before, and enjoyed it, then. But hey, I shouldn't have to bother to listen to it all again. Lady Gaga is simply not an "album artist". Maybe one day she'll create this fucked-up concept album in usual Gaga fashion (which I would be for), but she's not there, yet. Her music videos are mini works of art (or at least like to be seen that way), but her songs - as amusing or catchy as they may be - work better in short bursts. Besides, there's nothing on the album I like more than Paparazzi or Poker Face. Though I'll admit that Boys Boys Boys tickles my fancy.

Whatever. Back to the Pixies.

I return.

2010-04-15T16:37:00.000-07:00

Six weeks since our final encounter (and even more days). This here be a "oh-hey-look-my-blog-that-I-used-to-post-in-a-lot-but-stopped-for-some-reason-and-wish-to-post-in-it-again-regularly-someday-so-here's-a-cheap-entry-about-nothing" post.

2010 will be a slow year for me, film-watching-wise. I guarantee this. January. Year started out with a bang! Over 60 viewings that month. February: maybe 30. March: less. Don't fear - I haven't gained an active social life or anything like that (or even worse: a job). And I've been spending about the same amount of time just staring at walls. But my time originally directed towards films is now switched over to television. Don't worry - the good stuff. Throughout March I watched all of Six Feet Under. Amazing. So, so amazing. Peter Krause, I never knew you two months ago, but now I know you as giving the greatest performance of any actor I've seen in a tv series. You made Nate Fisher realer than most real people. Good job.

Now I'm watching what I've so often seen called the "best tv show ever": The Wire. Another HBO flagship. I've completed the first three seasons, and as terrific as it is - it doesn't match up to the brilliance of Six Feet Under. But hey, season four is coming up and that's the one that gets the most love. Perhaps it'll change my opinion?

I'll likely finish The Wire this month. I've just 23 episodes left to watch. After its completion, I will move on to two other HBO drama series; the short-lived-and-prematurely-canceled Carnivale, and Deadwood. I'll likely watch Carnivale first. A review I read called it Lynchian. That's all I need to know. Those two may be just take up a month or more.

And my plan for summer? To take on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. All 7 seasons, 144 episodes, and some 100-hours of it. Ah, yeah.

Looks like being a shy introvert with little hobbies, has its upsides.

Woody Allen

2010-03-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

As my favourite living film director, Woody Allen has helped broaden and mold my sense of humor during these last few years. He has created so many characters and situations and dilemmas which I can relate to (whether or not they've even ever occurred to me) through his undeniable wit and true-to-self writing. Of the 40 feature-length films he has directed from 1966 to 2009, I have not felt a feeling of distaste towards any. Even the ones I have ranked among the very bottom I think make for moderately amusing viewings.

40: Alice (1990)
Cute premise; an adult New York riff on Alice in Wonderland (don't, it's very loose. It's more based off a particular Fellini film I haven't seen). But where's the magic? The script is weak. Even the usually great Mia Farrow seems lost.

39: What's Up Tiger Lily? (1966)
His directorial debut is often overlooked, and that's understandable. It's not even really a film that Woody made. It's an existing one that he voiced over as a parody of spy movies. It's a precursor to Mystery Science Theater 3000. The jokes are hit-and-miss.

38: Celebrity (1998)
Kenneth Branagh's Woody impersonation is grating and shameful. It looks nice. Winona Ryder is her lovely self - not enough screentime.

37: The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
A forgettable light detective-comedy. There's no chemistry among the leads. Aykroyd and Woody are merely satisfactory.

36: Melinda and Melinda (2005)
Nice idea, but unfortunately the comedy side isn't overly funny and the dramatic side isn't overly dramatic.

35: Hollywood Ending (2002)
There's some genuinely hilarious content in this film, but it's far too long - nearly two hours - and has just as humor that doesn't work. As a tightly edited 80 or 85 minute film, this would have been really good.

34: Small Time Crooks (2000)
I really enjoyed the first act, wherein Woody and several others try to pull off a heist. It reminded me of his character from Take The Money And Run. Maybe this is where he ended up. But what's the fun in him actually getting rich? It tries very lightly to criticize materialistic behavior, but isn't dedicated to this message.

33: Cassandra's Dream (2007)
A London-shot drama thriller with Collin Farrell and Tom Wilkinson and Ewan McGregor - all of whom give it their all. The script is fine, but feels rather forced.

32: A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982)
It's title spoofs Shakespeare, but this takes more inspiration from Smiles of a Summer Night (which I liked, but is the least favourite of 13 Bergman films I've seen). This is his first ensemble comedy. It was fun, but never left a lasting impression on me.

31: September (1987)
A chamber drama shot entirely in a house. Long takes, and pure straight-faced drama. Dianne Wiest can be really incredible, sometimes. And this isn't even one of her better roles.

30: Anything Else (2003)
Jason Biggs does surprisingly well in the role of the archetype Woody Allen neurotic writer protagonist. Christina Ricci is most charming in her role. It's pretty much a rehash of scenes and ideas from his older films.

29: Shadows and Fog (1992)
One of his best looking films for sure. The sets are beautifully made. John Cusack, John Malkovich, and Mia Farrow are all interesting in their roles.

28: Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
The reunion of Woody and Diane Keaton is a sight to behold. They're just as adorable together as they were in the '70s.

27: Don't Drink The Water (1994)
A made-for-tv film based off a play he wrote in the '60s. It's a whimsical and joke-centric political comedy. The plot is merely an excuse to garner some laughs. And it works. Michael J. Fox is a charismatic lead. Julie Kavner plays a terrific Jewish mother; just as she did in Radio Days. The two should have worked together, more.

26: Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
The Greek Chorus narrates this wild tale of a man searching for the mother of his adopted child. Mira Sorvino won an Oscar for her performance in this film, and deservingly so.

25: Another Woman (1988)
Another film of Woody-imitating-Bergman. This is a somber movie of the lives of two much troubled middle-aged women.

24: Radio Days (1987)
A series of stories autobiographical to Woody's childhood. Seth Green played his child-self.

23: Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
Not even my dislike of Sean Penn as an actor can get in the way of my enjoyment of this film [and no, I don't even like his acting in this particular film].

22: Deconstructing Harry (1997)
This is a troubled film. It's bitter throughout, and the stories are all over the place. But it works very well with the frequent motif of writer's block, throughout. I loved Julia Louis-Dreyfus' appearance.

21: Scoop (2006)
Is this Woody's most trashed film? If not, it appears to come close, being one of the worst reviewed of his career. I'll agree - the fantasy/supernatural aspect seemed out of place, but Woody playing a mediocre magician spouting off constant one-liners and the irresistible Scarlett Johansson playing a ditsy journalist make Scoop - for me - a very enjoyable experience.

20: Take the Money and Run (1969)
Woody's first 'real' film as a director, after being disappointed at the results of his other directors filming his screenplays. This unpolished film is 85-minutes of nothing but pure slap-stick. There's a narrative here, but that's just an excuse to set up hilarious gags, one after another.

19: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972)
A series of 7 comedic shorts - all very loosely based off the chapter titles of the then-famous book this film was named after. "Do Aphrodisiacs Work?" - his flawless '70s wit makes it fun. "What is Sodomy?" - To hell with his Mel Brooks films - this is the funniest that Gene Wilder has ever been. His reaction to the farmer admitting his love of sheep is so hilarious. "Why Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching an Orgasm?" - an homage to Italian cinema. It's very convincing. Shot nicely. Features all Italian dialogue. I loved Woody's sunglasses. "Are Transvestites Homosexuals?" - the worst thing he has ever filmed, ever. Did he actually think this was funny? "What Are Sex Perverts?" - an obvious gameshow parody that's too safe. "Are the Findings of Doctors and Clinics Who Do Sexual Research and Experiments Accurate?" - Another nice parody of sorts. "What Happens During Ejaculation?" - wonderful concept with equally impressive results.
[Note that this is my least favourite of Woody's films from the 1970s. He was on fire throughout that decade.]

18: Interiors (1978)
His first attempt at serious drama is also one of his best. And yes, very strong in Bergman influence. The acting all-round is terrific.

17: Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
One of his best screenplays about a writer. Dianne Wiest is phenomenal.

16: Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
This is the musical at its most genuine. There's no extravagance. This is simply another film about loving New York. None of the cast are professional singers, and that's what makes it so great. These are just regular people singing their hearts out. For anyone who loves to sing in the shower - this is for you.

15: Whatever Works (2009)
Allen's most recent film is based off a screenplay he wrote in the 1970s. I'm kinda happy it wasn't made until recently. I don't think anyone could have pulled this off better than Larry David. He's a neurotic Jewish comic talent of a different breed; his approach and delivery is far more aggressive; misanthropic. He hasn't the many charms of Woody. This was the perfect role for Larry.

14: Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
A really funny black & white, stage performance crime filled adventure of mishaps and clumsiness starring Woody and Mia.

13: Match Point (2005)
His first European-filmed film was exactly the change of atmosphere and pacing he needed to save his career for his amusing yet lifeless 2000-2003 work; a surprisingly stylistic thriller.

12: Bananas (1971)
"I once stole a pornographic book that was printed in braille. I used to rub the dirty parts."
It's all about the one-liners.

11: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Woody's sexiest film ever? I think so. Penelope Cruz. Scarlett Johansson. Rebecca Hall. Javier Bardem. The scenery! That narrator!

10: Zelig (1983)
A seamlessly constructed mockumentary altering old film footage; predating Forest Gump by a decade. Woody is Zelig, a man with a wonderful talent to physically alter his body after anybody; this rare ability would make him a celebrity throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

"I worked with Freud in Vienna. We broke over the concept of penis envy. Freud felt that it should be limited to women. "

"My brother beat me. My sister beat my brother. My father beat my sister and my brother and me. My mother beat my father and my sister and me and my brother. The neighbors beat our family. The people down the block beat the neighbors and our family. "

9: Husbands and Wives (1992)
A difficult drama made at a time when the relationship between Woody and Mia would be coming to an end. They star in the film, along with Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis. It's a film of marriage and infidelity. This is Woody's best drama.

"You use sex to express every emotion except love."

"I thought that I liked what Michael was doing to me, and that it felt different to Jack- more gentle. And more exciting. And I thought how different Michael was from Jack how much deeper his vision of life was. And, I thought Michael was a hedgehog and Jack was a fox. And then I thought Judy was a fox and Gabe was a hedgehog. And I thought about all the people I knew, and which were hedgehogs and which were foxes. Al Simon, our friend, was a hedgehog, and his wife Jenny was a hedgehog. And Cindy Salchime was a fox, and Luke Trinow was a hedgehog. "

8: Stardust Memories (1980)
A spoof of Fellini's 8 1/2 and so much more; a thoroughly funny and endearing semi-autobiographical reflection of a great filmmaker.

"You can't control life. It doesn't wind up perfectly. Only-only art you can control. Art and masturbation. Two areas in which I am an absolute expert. "

"To you, I'm an atheist; to God, I'm the loyal opposition. "

7: Sleeper (1973)
Just as Bananas was a great leap forward from Take The Money And Run, Sleeper is an even larger step-up from Bananas. This is slapstick that would make Chaplin and Keaton proud.

"I haven't seen my analyst in 200 years. He was a strict Freudian. If I'd been going all this time, I'd probably almost be cured by now. "

"Science is an intellectual dead end, you know? It's a lot of little guys in tweed suits cutting up frogs on foundation grants. "

6: Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
The strongest ensemble cast he ever lined up. And Woody finally got to work with long-time collaborator to his favourite director, and brilliant actor - Max von Sydow.

"A week ago I bought a rifle, I went to the store - I bought a rifle! I was gonna, you know, if they told me I had a tumor, I was gonna kill myself. The only thing that might-ve stopped me - MIGHT'VE - is that my parents would be devastated. I would have to shoot them also, first. And then I have an aunt and uncle - you know - it would've been a blood bath. "

"I had a great evening; it was like the Nuremberg Trials. "

5: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
"I just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional but you can't have everything. "

"You make love without fading out?"

"As your lawyer, I advise you to get control of it fast. A character from one of your productions on the loose? Who knows what he's capable of? Robbery? Murder? I see lawsuits."

4: Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
"Show business is, is dog-eat-dog. It's worse than dog-eat-dog. It's dog-doesn't-return-other-dog's-phone-calls, which reminds me. I should check my answering service. "

"But the law, Judah. Without the law, it's all darkness."

"And after the awful deed is done, he finds that he's plagued by deep-rooted guilt. Little sparks of his religious background which he'd rejected are suddenly stirred up. He hears his father's voice. He imagines that God is watching his every move. Suddenly, it's not an empty universe at all, but a just and moral one, and he's violated it. Now, he's panic-stricken. He's on the verge of a mental collapse-an inch away from confessing the whole thing to the police. And then one morning, he awakens. The sun is shining, his family is around him and mysteriously, the crisis has lifted. He takes his family on a vacation to Europe and as the months pass, he finds he's not punished. In fact, he prospers. The killing gets attributed to another person-a drifter who has a number of other murders to his credit, so I mean, what the hell? One more doesn't even matter. Now he's scott-free. His life is completely back to normal. Back to his protected world of wealth and privilege."

3: Manhattan (1979)
"Chapter One. He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved. Beneath his black-rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat. I love this. New York was his town, and it always would be..."

"She's 17. I'm 42 and she's 17. I'm older than her father, can you believe that? I'm dating a girl, wherein, I can beat up her father."

"I had a mad impulse to throw you down on the lunar surface and commit interstellar perversion."

2: Annie Hall (1977)
"What's with all these awards? They're always giving out awards. Best Fascist Dictator: Adolf Hitler."

"Love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you, you know, I loave you, I luff you, two F's, yes I have to invent, of course I - I do, don't you think I do? "

"I was thrown out of N.Y.U. my freshman year for cheating on my metaphysics final, you know. I looked within the soul of the boy sitting next to me. When I was thrown out, my mother, who was an emotionally high-strung woman, locked herself in the bathroom and took an overdose of Mah-Jongg tiles. I was depressed at that time. I was in analysis. I was suicidal as a matter of fact and would have killed myself, but I was in analysis with a strict Freudian, and, if you kill yourself, they make you pay for the sessions you miss."

"Can I confess something? I tell you this as an artist, I think you'll understand. Sometimes when I'm driving... on the road at night... I see two headlights coming toward me. Fast. I have this sudden impulse to turn the wheel quickly, head-on into the oncoming car. I can anticipate the explosion. The sound of shattering glass. The... flames rising out of the flowing gasoline."

“La-di-da, la-di-da, la la.”

1: Love and Death (1975)
"And so I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Actually, make that "I run through the valley of the shadow of death" - in order to get OUT of the valley of the shadow of death more quickly, you see."

"In addition to our summer and winter estate, he owned a valuable piece of land. True, it was a small piece, but he carried it with him wherever he went."

"If it turns out that there IS a God, I don't think that he's evil. I think that the worst you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever."

"To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down."

"Granted, I have a few eccentricities. I won't eat any food that begins with the letter F. Like chicken, for instance."

"Boris is trying to commit suicide - last week he contemplated inhaling next to an Armenian."

"And you, Sonja, you look more beautiful standing here than you do in person."

"Of course there was Old Greggor and his son Young Greggor. Oddly enough, Young Greggor's son was older than Old Greggor. Nobody could figure out how that happened."

“Wheat... lots of wheat... fields of wheat... a tremendous amount of wheat...”

“The question is have I learned anything about life. Only that human being are divided into mind and body. The mind embraces all the nobler aspirations, like poetry and philosophy, but the body has all the fun. The important thing, I think, is not to be bitter... if it turns out that there IS a God, I don't think that He's evil. I think that the worst you can say about Him is that basically He's an underachiever. After all, there are worse things in life than death. If you've ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman, you know what I'm talking about. The key is, to not think of death as an end, but as more of a very effective way to cut down on your expenses. Regarding love, heh, what can you say? It's not the quantity of your sexual relations that counts. It's the quality. On the other hand if the quantity drops below once every eight months, I would definitely look into. Well, that's about it for me folks. Goodbye.”

Funniest movie ever? For me, at this current stage of my life - it is.

A Post on Tom Waits: Small Change, Swordfishtrombones, Bone Machine

2010-03-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

Hm. Well a stupendous salutations and evening to all you sapiens and homos out there. Please. Make yourself at home. Grab a chair up next to an old friend; grab yourself a nice cold glass of sunshine and light one up. Footwear is optional. This here thread – my first real one on this nice community of a forum – is done with one true intention – to honour a great artist; one of the damn finest artists to emerge from that twentieth century and come out alive; all along the way just treading that line separating the mainstream with the “oh-I-think-I've-heard-of-him-before”. Man's tackled genres of rock, jazz, blues, and created many more. Hell. Leave the word 'genre' out of his line of work. It'll serve no good. The music of Tom Waits is like none other; and will forever will be that of none other. It moves. It grooves. It soothes. Gets you through the rough times; a chum just when you need one. It paints vivid images. Those created by the mind of a true one-of-a-kind; a post beat spirit mixed with ambition, amusing anecdotes, and maybe just a little too much to drink. Will this thread be filled with improvised, half-assed faux-Waits articles and musings? Of course not. So don't worry. This is to celebrate arguably the most imaginative and distinctive songwriter who's name isn't Bob Dylan. But hey. At least Waits never made an Empire Burlesque. Credit when credit due. Has there ever been a more consistent string of brilliance in any popular music career that's now neared forty years? So how does one do it justice? Well frankly, I haven't the ability (maybe in four years my writing could be considered anything more than competent). I just figured I'd do what Waits himself does, and be true to myself. Write how I feel. Will it come across as bland at times? Perhaps. But let's see how it goes. The music. The albums. His jazz/ballad debut Closing Time, to his segregated triple disc Orphans. Then there's the live music. The early recordings. Whatever. This might not be chronological; might not even cover everything. But the essentials will not be overlooked. Nor underlooked. They'll be getting proper lookage, let me tell you that.

So. Now that this intro is nearly over, I hope you've made yourselves at home. Don't mind the smoke. Show's about to start. Please save any questions until the end. Or for whenever you feel like asking a question. I won't bite. Commence the chin hair scratching; the beer drinking; and most importantly – commence the music. It'll move. It'll groove. It'll soothe.

Small Change
Released October 1976

This album appears right in the middle of Waits' period with Asylum Records; an era which lasted from 1973 to 1980. It was during these years that he produced his most conventional, genre-friendly records; a hybrid of jazz, blues, and piano ballads. Now, the conventionality doesn't make these albums any less worthy. They're all pure Waits, and Small Change would rank fairly high as one of favourite albums of his. Small Change is the drunken reflections of your everyman; one who's experience many short-ends and failed relationships. You have to wonder how much of this is really him, and how much belongs to these characters-of-sorts that he creates.

"Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)", the album opener, is one of the finest ballads he's recorded. A heart-aching opus of six-and-a-half-minutes. The wailing of his voice lets it all out. It sounded like he had to struggle to get his voice that rough, back then; like, it was forced. And then his many years of doing this – along with his chain-smoking – gradually turned his vocals into what remains, today. I almost think he sounds better, now.

“Step Right Up” is the album's funnest song; an upbeat jazz number with impeccably poetc stream-of-conscious lyrics. “Jitterbug Boy” and “I Was I Was in New Orleans” follow; which are more somber pieces, and neither with the everlasting power of Tom Traubert's Blues.

Next is “The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)” , a fan favourite among Tom Waits admirers. It's actually the first song of his I've ever listened to. It's a bizarre song; as it carries over the melancholy tone of the previous two tracks, but has rather playful lyrics.

“Invitation of the Blues” is one of the better written pieces of Small Change. The soft tapping of the drums in “Pastries and a G-String” brings this performance alive on the record's shortest song. “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart” continues the down-and-out attitude of the earlier melancholy numbers. “The One That Got Away” is more imaginative. The title track places more emphasize on its narrative, with the low moaning of a sax being the only audible instrument. The album is closed up adequately with “I Can't Wait to Get off Work”; it's not the album's best song, neither a stand-out. It covers the same grounds, which in the case of Small Change, is certainly not a bad thing.

Favourite Songs: "Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)", "Step Right Up", "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)"

Swordfishtrombones
Released September 1983

A decade into his music career, Waits was burning for a change. Heartatack and Vine showed signs of a yearning for something else. He stripped himself free of his manager and his record company. The chain-smoking piano player aching about lost love would never be the same, again. With Swordfishtrombones, he moved to a new company, and produced his own work. He would reveal to the world a new Tom Waits; one who would sing about surreal odysseys; one who shred himself of conventional use of instruments, and focus more on making his own arrangements – percussion, horns, the triangle. Hell- anything that could produce a sound, he probably experimented with. The album even contains three instrumental tracks, just to showcase his bizarre soundscopes. One of the highlights is the hilarious spoken word piece, “Frank's Wild Years”. From the '80s onward, spoken-word pieces accompanied with some music would become a staple in his music catalogue. There's also a change in his voice from his earlier music. Yes, it's gotten rougher. But it also feels more natural; his cryptic poetry and narratives leave his lips at such ease, as opposed to his '70s heartache songs that he pushed out of his being with a great heave.

Swordfishtrombones is a somewhat brief at 40-minutes in length, yet is comprised of 15 songs. The majority of the tracks being between two and three minutes each, Waits doesn't let the record ever hit a low or slow patch; there's energy present throughout. Songs like “Down, Down, Down” are the adrenaline that maintain the album's excitement. This isn't my favourite of his 1980s albums, but rather a sign of better things to come. [Yeah, I'm one of those people who really loves Rain Dogs.]

Favourite Songs: "Underground", "Shore Leave", "16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six", "Frank's Wild Years", "Swordfishtrombone", "Down, Down, Down"

Bone Machine
Released August 1992

Bone. Machine. Bone: Mortal remains; the skeleton. Machine: A person who acts in a rigid, mechanical, or unconscious manner. There couldn't be a more suiting title.

This very well may be Waits' most harrowing album. There are less instruments at play. This stripped down blues voice, starring Waits' painful heart aches. A progression of his late '70s era, though. The common theme throughout the songs being mortality. Plus – the wear and tear in his voice.

Earth Died Screaming. How about that for an attention grabbing opener. “And someone will eat the skin that he sheds /and the earth died screaming/The earth died screaming/while I lay dreaming of you” The second song isn't any lightening, opening with the contemplative thought, “What does it matter, a dream of love/Or a dream of lies”.

A grandiose landscape is created in Bone Machine. Earthly music; spreading great distances. Well, the decay of earth, maybe. But then, everything does break down over time. I feel it, now. There's a desert; also part leaky furnace room. The rhythms devastate. The echoes boom.

The ocean doesn't want me today. An exhausted tale of a sea-traveller at the end of days.

Jesus Gonna Be Here, he moans. Oh, the yearning for something better.

In the Colosseum again throws us into his world; thrashing us relentlessly from verse to verse- I mean, from musty backdrop to musty backdrop. It becomes no less easy.

By now, the bruises will appear. The sweat stains your skin. But stop not. The hurricane in the distance. It's nearing. Fast.

Goin' Out West – one of his very strongest rockers. “Well I kno karate, Voodoo too/I'm gonna make myself available to you/I don't need no make up/I got real scars/I got hair on my chest/I look good without a shirt”

The hopelessness reaches a peak with I Don't Wanna Grow Up. The irony; so much, spilling over the cup. What pushes it to success is its playful allure.

Bone Machine. It's not a depressing album [certainly nothing like The Cure's Disintegration]. Its despair and emotionally crippling performances are placed elsewhere. It's an amusement park Carnival ride gone wrong. It straps you in and doesn't let go. You leave, tired and battered. You could use a rest. But oh God, what an experience it was. You never want to forget it.

Favourite Songs: “All Stripped Down”, “Goin' Out West”, “Murder in the Red Barn”, “Black Wings”

-----

Write-ups on other Tom Waits albums to come in the near or distant future. Maybe.

James Cameron

2010-02-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

An innovator of special effects and film-making technology and a man who knows how to make a spectacle of an action film.

7: The Abyss (1989)
Trudges along well enough until it hits its joke of a final act.

6: True Lies (1994)
Competent big-scale, big-name action film.

5: Titanic (1997)
The stuff with the boat - tremendous! The romance plot with Leo and Winslet was most unconvincing, except for those two really hot scenes, together. Still. Missed opportunity. This should have been an anthology ensemble piece, detailing the ventures/lives of many different passengers aboard the Titanic.

4: Avatar (2009)
It's social commentary is rather blatent, and what was up with the aliens often speaking in English when it made no sense in the context of certain scenes? Other than that, I'll admit that I enjoyed myself.

3: The Terminator (1984)
Very '80s. That is both a good and a bad thing. Cameron at his most gritty. Arnold makes a sweet villain. A cat-and-mouse hunt -almost horror- film.

2: T2: Judgment Day (1991)
The plot holes are pretty severe in even just the first two films of the series. These movies were never well written, not even for time travel. The highway, motor vehicle chase sequences are most thrilling.

1: Aliens (1986)
It's no Alien, but it comes very, very close.

Wong Kar-Wai

2010-02-25T14:15:00.000-08:00

Ennui-filled romances; observing in infidelity; the harsher reality of people and their relationships.

9: As Tears Go By (1988)
An average gangster flick. Kar-Wai's debut shows only glimpses of his artistic expression.

8: My Blueberry Nights (2007)
His only English-language film; starring American and European actors, set in the United States. It looks delicious. The narrative is fine.

7: Days of Being Wild (1991)
Moody period romance; In The Mood For Love-lite.

6: Ashes of Time (1994)
A wuxia film with no martial arts combat? That's alright. This is about the images. I watched the Redux (a 2008 re-edit), but it might have been the best looking of any Kar-Wai film.

5: Happy Together (1997)
Lonely frustrated homosexual love.

4: Chungking Express (1994)
The guy from the first half and the girl from the second half should have hooked up.

3: Fallen Angels (1995)
Almost-Godard.

2: In the Mood for Love (2000)
The hip moving and slow motion did it, for me.

1: 2046 (2004)
His longest film is a loosely narrated affair filled to the brim with dazzling beauties, melancholic love, eye-opening visuals. It's not really science-fiction.

Andrei Tarkovsky

2010-02-21T12:34:00.000-08:00

A Soviet virtuoso who had a serious hard-on for philosophy and extended-takes. And we love him for it. [Note: I like-love all seven of these films.]

7: Ivan's Childhood (1962)
A cold anti-war picture of a boy wandering the destroyed barrens of of post-battle Soviet Union. Tark's shortest and most conventional feature. The forest was stunning in all of its black & white glory.

6: Nostalghia (1983)
Part-Italian, Part-Russian film about a man searching for faith; the film is as plot-less as the man is aimless. The candle scene was most suspenseful.

5: The Mirror (1975)
A film broken into many sections; all semi-autobiographical of Tark's own life. How poetic.

4: Solaris (1972)
Wonderful moments early on, and in the first half, as well as a truly memorable ending, but I didn't feel that with the content present that the film really needed to surpass 150-minutes.

3: Andrei Rublev (1966)
The painting-the-church and building-the-bell-tower segments were my favourites.

2: The Sacrifice (1986)
The tension in this film is unbearable. This has perhaps Tark's most stunning long takes.

1: Stalker (1979)
Exercise for the mind and a gourmet meal for the eyes.

Music I've Been Listening To, Recently

2010-02-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)

Favourite Tracks: "A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours", "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish, "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"

Long song titles that aren't obnoxious. Suck it, Fallout Boy.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane over the Sea (1998)

Favourite Tracks: "The King of Carrot Flowers [All]", "In the Aeroplane over the Sea", "Holland, 1945", "Two-Headed Boy, Pt. Two"

I'm enjoying this far more than I expected to.

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)

Favourite Tracks: "Disorder", "Shadowplay", "Interzone"

It's alright.

Hayao Miyazaki

2010-02-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

Miyazaki is a magician, standing up on stage with his top hat and cape. We sit, open eyed; giddy; staring in great amazement that the wonderful tricks he shows us. Watching his films, we become that young and appreciating child. The magic of cinema. His tricks; they fill us with glee and wonder. And his smoking white beard is most manly.

10: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

The only exposure I've ever had to to Lupin the Third. It's a most fine action-comedy.

9: Ponyo On a Cliff By the Sea (2008)

Colourful and sweet. Not too unlike The Little Mermaid (minus the music).

8: Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986)

Arrr! There be pirates in this adventure.

7: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Eco-peace themed trek with memorable creature design.

6: Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

That Howl's a smooth one.

5: Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

Scores extra points because of the cats.

4: Porco Rosso (1992)

Miyazaki's period film is often shamefully neglected.

3: Spirited Away (2001)

This is what the Disney Alice in Wonderland film should have been like.

2: Princess Mononoke (1997)

A lengthy and calmly paced action/adventure with talking animals.

1: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

This is the most heart achingly cute film that exists.

Satoshi Kon

2010-02-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

The brightest of the gems working for Studio Madhouse (the studio responsible for Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D and a lot of mediocre stuff), Kon is director of some of the most strikingly complex and poignant animated films of the last decade and a half. I'd even argue that he's Hayao Miyazaki's equal in terms of quality of film, but it's an unfair comparison as Miyazaki has twice as many films and nearly 20 more years of experience, to his favor.

5: Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
The Western film influenced title is a bit of throw off for what it more of a melodrama than anything else. There's some overlapping of narrative going on, but Tokyo Godfather is by far Kon's most linear and easy-to-follow film; it's even family-friendly, for the most part. Watch it for its uplifting Christmas-time story of hobos who find an uncared for baby, but it's the landscapes of snowy Tokyo which will keep you in awe.

4: Millennium Actress (2001)
The blurring of reality and fiction (in this case, cinema) is a theme present in most of Kon's work, and it's arguably dealt with at his finest, in Millennium Actress, an inventive drama about a Japanese documentary director who sits down with a recluse elderly woman who was once a huge movie star, as she proceeds to recall moments of her younger life. The scenes of her past, her present, and her factious cinematic portrayals are brilliant interwoven.

3: Paprika (2006)
My favourite animated feature of the last decade, Paprika is an illogical trip of dazzling sights and colours and insanity. The science fiction plot about a stolen dream-machine's misuse, resulting in the colliding and intersecting of dreams, and later, the dream world/reality, may be hard to follow, but it never stops being fun.

2: Paranoia Agent (2004)
This 13-episode series directed entirely by Kon, with its means of weaving together its complex narrative - which is partly episodic, but mostly overarching - features his most head-scratching tale to date. It's part horror, psychological thriller, mystery, drama, satirical comedy. Those last couple episodes kind-of went over my head, but I can't exactly say that I was disappointed.

1: Perfect Blue (1997)
Kon's debut feature as my favourite might not be a popular choice - as he's certainly matured as an animated and storyteller since then - but I hold this wonderful part Hitchcockian part Lynchian horror story in very high esteem.

David Cronenberg

2010-02-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Canada's own David Cronenberg helped bring respect and acclaim towards low budget science-fiction and body-horror, with his intelligent scripts, and innovative use of special effects. In the last decade, he made the smooth transition to mainstream dramas without having to sacrifice his artistic integrity.

18: M. Butterfly (1993)
A romantic drama based off a play by Davd Henry Hwang, M. Butterfly suffers from poor pacing and unenthusiastic performances. I found the film to be a complete bore.

17: Fast Company (1979)
Sandwiched in between his '70s horror efforts, Fast Company sticks out plenty, and has been pushed into obscurity over time. It's a drag racing movie; and a rather conventional one at that.

16: Crimes of the Future (1970)
15: Stereo (1969)
Cronenberg's first two full-length films (each barely over an hour long) were shot in black & white and silent. Both play out documentary-style with voice-over narration, in following doctors, scientists, and the aftermath of experiments gone wrong. Neither are overly entertaining, but they make for interesting viewings.

14: Scanners (1981)
Everything who uses the internet has seen the much classic head-explosion scene in .gif form. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the film's most awesome moment. The story's rather convoluted, but the premise is great. It's about a company which tries to control telekinetic/telepathic people for its own dubious purposes. The effects are fun to watch, but the mystery element of Scanners is too ridiculous for its own good. Oh, and I like the ending.

13: Shivers (1975)
There's a very tight, almost claustrophobic vibe from this film, primarily set inside of an apartment building. An over-ambitious doctor performs risky transplant experiments, which result in the patient becoming sex-craving zombies. The parasite is planted inside of a female teen, who then proceeds to have sex with people in her apartment, causing the infection to spread. It makes a nice AIDS allegory, today.

12: Rabid (1977)
Porn actress Marilyn Chambers stars in this film, as a young woman who is injured in a motorcycle accident. She's taken to a plastic surgery clinic, where another over-ambitious doctor grafts her healthy skin tissue to the fire-damaged tissue on her body, hoping the healthy tissue will replace the damaged skin. Alright. Seems fine. Then things get crazy. The girl's body accepts the new skin, but it also forms an orifice under her armpit. Inside of it is a penis-like sting ray. Or something. She goes mental and uses this new addition to steal other people's blood, wipe their memories, and have them become rabid zombies. The film has a similar vibe to Shivers.

11: Spider (2002)
A moody schizophrenic psychological thriller carried by the acting of Ralph Feinnes.

10: eXistenZ (1999)
eXistenZ is a thematic continuation/rehash of Videodrome; a critique on violence and the reality and authenticity of (virtual-reality) video-gaming/media. Stand-out performance is Jennifer Jason Leigh.

9: Eastern Promises (2007)
A dark crime/drama with great acting from Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts. That nude bathroom brawl was pretty awesome.

8: A History of Violence (2005)
Another examination of violence and how it effects people. Viggo Mortensen, William Hurt, Ed Harris. All great. That first act is so intense; so terrific, but the film loses its momentum after the reveal.

7: The Brood (1979)
Just as graphic as Shivers and Rabid, but with a much more sophisticated execution, making it a truly suspenseful ad emotional horror/drama.

6: Naked Lunch (1991)
Naked Lunch is probably one of the most difficult books to ever adapt, and Cronenberg did it justice, making it part-adaptation, part-biography on the author, William S. Burroughs. There's a stong overall feeling of melancholic isolation and anxiety in Naked Lunch, but it doesn't take away from the hilarious dry humour. The special effects and the 'creatures' are possibly the best looking of any Cronenberg film.

5: The Dead Zone (1983)
Mmmm. Cristopher Walken. An adaptation of a rather good Stephen King novel, and a film which actually sticks fairly close to the text.

4: Crash (1996)
Oh, God. Never has human-on-automobile intercourse been so sexy.

3: The Fly (1986)
It's grotesque horror with stomach-turning sequences, and creature. It's tragic romance. It's a cautionary tale. It's a vehicle for Jeff Goldblum to prove that he's a brilliant actor.

2: Dead Ringers (1988)
Another Cronenberg film with doctors. Two doctors, actually. Twins. Both played by Jeremy Irons. And the sickening tricks they're up to in manipulating their patients. The ending ruined me.

1: Videodrome (1983)
A mind-altering experience; an entertaining critique on technology and media that's probably more relevant today. It has James Woods. That's a plus. The sexy Debbie Harry. Another plus. The special effects haven't aged as well as in The Fly or Naked Lunch, but they're still very admirable.

The Wizard of Gore (2007)

2010-02-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

This is the kind of remake I can get behind; a remodeling of a rather obscure or ambitious but flawed film. This modernization features the likes of Crispin Glover, Jerrfey Combs, and Brad Dourif, all set in full on scenery-chewing mode. The core of film centers around the character of Montag the Magnificent, a magician who performs late-night magic shows not for the squeamish. They attract the attention of fedora-wearing Edmund Bigelow, a not-so-fast-talking writer for an underground newspaper. He is our protagonist, who's faux-noir aesthetic and speech looking like a fish out of water; he is also the film's narrator. Edmund attends two of Montag's shows in two nights; both times Montag brings a lovely yet horrifid lady to the stage, and proceeds to strip her naked and perform a fatal experiment on her, to the disgust of the crowd, but just moments later appears with the lights on, with the same girl, intact and unharmed. When these girls start dying in real life, after the shows, Ed tries to get to the bottom of the story. Twists follow and all that jazz, but even you could have guessed that. The Wizard of Gore is a pseudo-noir murder mystery wrapped around a tightly edited gore-fest. You could even argue it being a dark comedy of sorts; it never quite taking neither the noir nor horror aspects of the film too seriously.

David Lynch

2010-02-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

An artist who's just as interesting as the work he creates. Seriously. Just look at the man. And his crazy hand.

22: The Amputee (1974)
5 minutes of nothing? A woman who is a double-legless amputee talking on the phone. It was made to test out some cameras.

21: Darkened Room (2002)
An 8 minute short he made for his website. A lot of darkness; taking place in some rooms; non-linear; shot on digital film; not overly interesting; Lynch merely testing out a few ideas he had.

20: The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988)
I think he made this for some series. It's episode length; 22 minutes. It's a western setting, on some ranch. There's this visiting Frenchman, a real stereotype of one. And he's talking to these cowboys. It's a silly comedy.

19: Six Figures Getting Sick (1966)
This was Lynch's first work as a director. As with his first couple projects, it's an animated collage of sorts. This one is a couple minutes long, and there's a lot of movements and colours and things moving and vomiting.

18: Dumbland (2002)
A short web-series he made for his website; in total it runs about 30-minutes. It's a crudely animated and written comedy. Is it a parody of shows such as Beavis and Butthead and South Park? Or a deconstruction? Either way, it's oddly amusing.

17: Absurda (2007)
A 2 minute short that played at Cannes. It's a single "shot", set in a dimly lit cinema; has some interesting images.

16: Boat (2007)
An 8 minute short shot on digital, this one with more of an actual narrative. There's a this man on a speedboat who is revealed to be Lynch himself, and a girl describing what is happening.

15: Premonitions Following an Evil Deed (1995)
Definitely worth a viewing considering it's only like 1 minute long. Read up on Lumière and Company.

14: Dune (1984)
Lynch's weakest feature film is still nowhere near as bad as reputation has it. I actually liked it. It's very bloated, and frustrating, but taken as a series of individual scenes, it's a pretty cool spectacle to witness. This is Lynch's take on a big-budget sci-fi adventure. It shouldn't be shrugged off.

13: Wild At Heart (1990)
Crispin Glover's cameo scene was so, so good.

12: The Alphabet (1968)
A 4 minute animated piece of bizarre imagery and creepy music; features a verbal countdown of the letters of the alphabet.

11: The Straight Story (1999)
The most obscure work of David Lynch, when put in context with everything else he's done.

10: Lost Highway (1997)
When the "switch-up" was done some halfway or 2/3rds through, my mind caved in.

9: The Grandmother (1970)
A very striking black-and-white 30 minute short about a young child who - to escape the abuse from his parents - plants seeds which sprout into a grandmother. This is must-see entertainment.

8: Eraserhead (1977)
In Heaven, everything is fine.

7: Blue Velvet (1986)
I need to watch this one again but I remember being very impressed. Dennis Hopper was fucking scary.

6: Rabbits (2002)
A web-series he made for his site. It totals about 50-minutes. This is seriously one of the most horrifying things I've ever seen. And for some reason I've seen it twice.

5: The Elephant Man (1980)
I cried.

4: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
3: Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
This is easily one of the best things to ever happen to television; a teen soap opera / murder mystery as presented by David Lynch; he's kind of mocking those genres of television without making his series a parody; it's far from; Twin Peaks gets hella intense so many times. And it has one of the most fitting, frustrating cliff-hangers, ever. I like it.

2: Inland Empire (2006)
1: Mulholland Drive (2001)
A cerebral one-two punch from David Lynch. I see them as companion pieces to each other; the two sides of the dream-world.

Coen Brothers

2010-02-07T09:46:00.001-08:00

America's most exciting duo screenwriters/filmmakers.

14: The Ladykillers (2004)
It's a shame that a film with such a darkly comic plot resorted to such easy, cheap humour. It's jam packed with lazy stereotypes and jokes based around the assumption that swearing is always funny.

13: Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
A rather conventional romantic comedy with little to offer, except of course its sharp and quick dialogue.

12: Blood Simple (1984)
Their debut feature. Some great tension early on, and towards the end, but there's a long period in the middle where the momentum is lost.

11: O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000)
It's pretty fun. The music is good.

10: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
A living caricature of 1950s America. Jennifer Jason Leigh is perfect in this film, and Bruce Campbell and Paul Newman shine in every scene they're in. This was co-written by the brothers, as well as by friend, Sam Raimi.

9: Burn After Reading (2008)
Another strong outlandish comedy/thriller brought to great lengths by its cast. The standout performances being J.K. Simmons, John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand.

8: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Part neo-noir; part deadpan comedy. The black&white cinematography is stunning. Billy Bob Thornton's dry voice-over narration is perfect. The scenes featuring a teenage Scarlett Johansson are very funny and memorable.

7: Raising Arizona (1987)
The duo's first foray into absurd comedy and also one of their most successful. Nicolas Cage lives and breathes through his characters.

6: Miller's Crossing (1990)
The plot is a complex one and hard to follow, but it matters not. Miller's Crossing is all about the look, the characters, the dialogue - all of which are near-perfect. John Turturro's scene is one of the best moments crafted by Ethan and Joel Coen.

5: No Country For Old Men (2007)
The film to finally win the brothers the big Academy Awards. This is a frightening crime thriller in a contemporary western setting about a cat-and-mouse hunt among police, criminals and bountymen.

4: Fargo (1996)
Another intense crime/thriller, but with added dosages of black comedy; all of which works in the film's favour. There's something so satisfying about crime schemes which fall apart and watching a Steve Buscemi character deal with the ensuing madness; he's wonderful in Reservoir Dogs; he's wonderful in this.

3: A Serious Man (2009)
Too soon? I don't know. I've seen it twice now, and enjoyed it more on the recent viewing. A very Jewish, modern (1960s) retelling of the story of Job. Or something like that. It's just so ...real. The mystery. I accepted it.

2: The Big Lebowski (1998)
The funniest that the Coens have ever been. Jeff Bridges and John Goodman give god-tier comedic performances.

1: Barton Fink (1991)
A creepy -almost unsettling- comedy about the frustrations of writer's block. And some great stuff about Hollywood being Hell. Oh, I love it. John Turturro and John Goodman each give the best performances of their entire film careers.

Tim Burton

2010-02-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

A director who's been subject to much backlash among the online community over the last decade, Tim Burton is one who's films I probably enjoyed more when I was younger, but I still dig his work. And yeah, let's make fun of the guy who always casts the same people in all his films. Because no other director has ever done that. Ever. I'll be doing the same thing as I did with Kubrick, a few days ago. A personal ranking of his films; my favourite being #1. This'll be a regular thing I do.

15: Planet of the Apes (2001)
The only film of his I'd consider to be downright bad, Planet of the Apes is as bad as remakes get. It's a soulless corporate vehicle with a muddled, incomprehensible narrative and very little entertainment value.

14: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Another remake; this has more going for it. I guess it's worth noting that I love the original Planet of the Apes, so the remake was all the more frustrating. I don't like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and I guess I'd consider it equal to Burton's version. Aesthetically, this film is a lot more satisfying, an actually tries to have a more emotionally involving story. It just doesn't. Johnny Depp was a miscast. And the musical sequences are shockingly bad and over-the-top.

13: Frankenweenie (1984)
This is a 30-minute short he made while still with Disney; a parody of the story of Frankenstein. It's cute family fun with a more sinister side, but not overly memorable.

12: Corpse Bride (2005)
The animation is wonderful. The story is nice, but distant.

11: Mars Attacks! (1996)
A $100 million extravaganza replicating the b sci-fi flicks of '50s and beyond. The heart is there; just as it was in Tarantino's ode to the grindhouse in Kill Bill and Death Proof.

10: Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Paul Reubens is so talented.

9: Big Fish (2003)
Good, but could have been so much more. The fantastical tales are beautifully done, but it doesn't quite all tie together all tightly as one would hope. It tries to pass off a tear-jerker; maybe it did, for some. I thought it came close.

8: Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Material that suits Burton well; a creepy pulp experience with faux-scares and well balanced humour that's right up Johnny Depp's and Christina's Ricci's alley.

7: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
That's this intensity to Sweeney Todd that I like; almost of a horror quality. A strong musical led by Depp's driving passionate vocals. And he actually sounds good!

6: Vincent (1982)
A 5-minute stop-motion short film, narrated by one of Burton's idols, Vincent Price. This is pure, concentrated Tim Burton material.

5: Beetlejuice (1988)
Who doesn't love the scene with the Banana-boat-song? This is a such a creative film; very funny; Michael Keaton's best performance? And Alec Baldwin! Also: Winona Ryder, who is incredibly adorable in the film.

4: Batman (1989)
3: Batman Returns (1992)
Mmmmm. Batman. Burton. Pulp-entertainment. It's showy. Wild. Very unlike the comics, but he makes this universe his own. Gotham looks great in this; even better than the Gotham of Nolan's Batman universe. Oh, and Batman's practically a secondary character in these films, but it doesn't matter because the villains are so much fun. Nicholson as Joker. DeVito as Penguin. Oh my God, Pfeiffer as Catwoman.

2: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder at their absolute best. That falling ice dance scene at the end ruins me every time.

1: Ed Wood (1994)
Depp is electric, but it's the supporting cast who steal the show; mainly Martin Landau and Bill Murray. The character of Ed Wood is tragically sympathetic. This is about the joy and magic of filmmaking.

[*The Nightmare Before Christmas*] (1993)
Technically cannot count as part of my countdown as Burton did not direct; he was busy filming Batman Returns so hired someone else to helm it, Henry Sellick. But it's Burton's characters, story, eccentricities, charms, and passion. It has his presence stamped all over it. And it's better than any of his directed efforts. Interesting.

Stanley Kubrick

2010-02-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

Being as unoriginal as I am when it comes to my tastes, my two favourte film directors are Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock. This, no doubt, has to do with their strong influence on me; it was my introduction to their work in 2005-2006 which immediately raised my interest in cinema in general. It was over those two years that I saw The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rear Window, Psycho and Dial M For Murder; it was those films that began to make me look at film as being an actual art form; not just a means of entertainment. Anyway. Here is a quick ranking of Kubrick's films, in order of least favourite to most favourite. I won't be counting his three early documentaries, which are worth viewing only out of curiosity, and I still have yet to watch Fear and Desire; so this will just cover his 12 films from 1955-to-1999.

12: Killer's Kiss (1955)
A micro-budget film-noir crime drama mainly shot in an apartment building; his eye for visual storytelling is seen as early as here. The plot itself is underwhelming. Just over an hour long, and barely manages to hold ones interest for the short duration.

11: Spartacus (1960)
This historical epic is his first and last foray into the corporate Hollywood system. Much conflicts with the star, Kirk Douglas, resulted in a rather conventional film lacking in Kubrick's artistry. Still. It's well acted enough, and feels somewhat breezy for a 3-hour film.

10: Full Metal Jacket (1987)
This Vietnam War picture holds up well on both halves; I'm not one who loves the first section, and was disappointed with the second. And I understand that this was done to illustrate its message of the duality of man; the bootcamp training emphasizing man's transformation into the killing machine, and the second half being the results of their training; cold figures brought to ugly lengths. I love that final scene, showing that maybe that maybe they still haven't changed as much as it appears; machines on the outside, but children on the inside. That's rather frightening.

9: The Killing (1956)
Another film-noir, and only one year after Killer's Kiss, and yet this one is leagues superior. It's a story presented out-of-chronology about several men trying to get away with robbing a horse track.

8: Lolita (1962)
In a way, this was a sign of things to come from Kubrick. A darkly hilarious comedy co-starring Peter Sellers. It's no Strangelove, that's for sure. This is still a surprising film; but just imagine how much better it could have been if he had waited until the '70s or '80s to make it; he could have gotten away with so much more. The novel is one of my personal favourtes; the film is a worthy adaptation.

7: Paths of Glory (1957)
His best of the '50s is a tragic war film; its impact a more powerful one that Full Metal Jacket. A gritty picture with an arguably out-of-place final sequence, but I'll admit that I always tear up watching it.

6: Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
For a while this was his most misunderstood film, but a decade plus later, I think people are a lot more appreciative of its magic. This sinister psychological faux-erotic thriller is one full of haunting imagery. Its dream-like atmosphere is not too unlike something you'd see from Lynch.

5: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
A subtle black-comedy that actually gets funnier on re-watches. Peter Sellers gives one of the grandest comedic performances I've ever seen.

4: Barry Lyndon (1975)
A 3-hour canvas painting brought to life. Aesthetically, this might be the best thing he's ever accomplished.

3: The Shining (1980)
This could be a bias because of my love of horror films, but I adore The Shining so much. There's nothing more horrifying than a slow-burning horror picture exceeding two-hours that goes from uncomfortable, to eerie, to heart-stopping thrilling by its climax.

2: A Clockwork Orange (1971)
For a while, I thought of this as my #1 favourite film. It's such a bizarre experience, and I love everything about it. Malcolm McDowell as Alex might be my favourite performance from any actor.

1: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
My opinion of this film has elevated so much since I first saw it back in 2006. At that time, I might have criticized it for being too slow, or ambiguous. Today, it excites me. Watching this might be as close as I'll ever come to experiencing nirvana.

[I also highly recommend the 2001 documentary, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures , an entertaining 140-minute look at the dirctor's life and accomplishments.]

Shaw Brothers Viewings

2010-01-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

Lady with a Sword - Feng Fei Fei (1971)
Directed by Pao-Shu Kao

This film marks the distinction of being one of the few martial arts films to be directed by a female. Even more impressive is that this was Pao-Shu Kao's directing debut.

In the opening scene, you have a child and her mother, frolicking or what-have-you near wooded areas. They're happy enough. But then strutting in we have a few gaudy men. Real tough guys. For no other reason than to flaunt their manliness, they tease the child and woman; the teasing leading to violence. The child is scrapped by three guys, while the mother is accidentally killed by the alpha male of the pact. The kid finds his way home, telling his family what happened. It just so happens that his aunt, the dead mother's woman, is a skilled martial artist. Really skilled. She and the child leave to find the men so they can avenge the mom/sister's death. (the child goes because he knows the identity of these men) They arrive in town. Find the thugs. The Lady fights them good, proving to be a superior to the alpha male, but upon a scary realization, she flees. What later ensues in his 84-minute spectacle is some of the very greatest, most energetic, and rapid paced action scenes I've ever seen (one scene in particular very much resembling the incredibly awesome Bride/Crazy 88s fight in Kill Bill), and a challenging drama dealing with family honour. I love this film. It's one of the few kung fu movies that never lets up, and entertained me through every minute, which I credit to wonderful stunt work and choreography and a well told story.

9/10.

Kid with the Golden Arm - Lin bei tong (1979)
Directed by Cheh Chang

The Golden Arm, a highly talented and skilled fighter, along with his gang of bizarrely named martial artists, are out to steal the gold from a service which is trying to use it to aid famine victims. Weak, unmemorable story. Nothing else of its plot I cared to remember. What makes Kid with the Golden Arm worth watching is Chang's fight scenes, which are always good. It's a shame that silly little things like narrative have to get in the way of his specialty.

7/10.

Five Deadly Venoms - Wu du (1978)
Directed by Cheh Chang

This cult classic is one of Chang's - and well, SB in general - most well known films. This gem is another one of many that Tarantino drew inspiration from; the Deadly Venom group giving him the idea for the Deadly Viper Gang of Kill Bill.

After years of masked training by their highly talented master, the five Venoms each decided to go their separate ways in life; each unaware of the identity of their former comrades. Each Venom specialized in a different fighting technique named after an animal, and thus have their own distinctive style. It's fun seeing each of these styles integrated into their fights, especially when they are facing off against one another. Their master is on his deathbed, and fearing that the more corrupt of the Venoms would be seeking his secret treasure, he sends a young pupil of his to go out and stop the evil Venoms while teaming up with the more righteous ones. Of course, this film excels during its lively kung-fu scenes.

8/10.

G is for Godard

2010-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

1: Pierrot le fou (1965). After committing a spontaneous crime, a man and woman are on the run, directionless, in their existential universe of theirs. There's no plot; no script. What we have here are different encounters this couple takes, with a lot of talking along the way. There's romance, comedy, drama, some musical numbers tossed in, and it all leads up to quite the unexpected finale.

2: Alphaville (1965). A brilliant work which simultaneously satires two of the most 'serious' genres of film - science fiction and noir (not technically a genre, I know). That super-computer is pretty damn hilarious; I don't see why he doesn't get ranked alongside HAL 9000 as one of sci-fi's most memorable AI's.

3: Le Mépris (1963). A more up-scale and ambitious multi-national affair about love, relations, and the film industry. Plus Fritz Lang!

4: Une Femme est une femme (1961). Probably the most delightful thing Godard has ever created. Bubbly fun; an homage to American musicals; bright colours, stylish attire, quirky characters, and shenanigans galore.

5: À bout de souffle (1960). His debut feature. A snazzy flick with fun dialogue, quick edits, a lovely female lead who isn't Anna Karina.

[To anyone not familiar with Godard at all, my #1,4 and 5 would make the best starting points.]

---

The rest:

6: Vivre sa vie (1962)
7: Masculin, féminin (1966)
8: Week End (1967)
9: Made in U.S.A. (1966)
10: Prénom Carmen (1983)
11: Bande à part (1964)
12: Notre Musique (2004)
13: 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (1967)
14: La Chinoise (1967)
15: 'Je vous salue, Marie' (1985)
16: Une femme mariée (1964)
17: Détective (1985)
18: Le petit soldat (1963)
19: Sauve qui peut (la vie) (1980)
20: Eloge de l'amour (2001)
21: Passion (1982)
22: Les Carabiniers (1963)
23: Soigne ta droite (1987)
24: King Lear (1987)

[Write-ups can be found in previous, individual entries.]

Godard #6: Vivre sa vie (1962)

2010-01-26T13:11:00.000-08:00

Vivre sa vie is brought to us through 12 different sketches, or episodes. They follow Nana, portrayed by Anna Karina. This aspiring actress works in a record store, and as a means of solve her economic woes, she succumbs to working in prostitution. Whether it be contemplative thoughts by her self, her relations with various people, growing realization of the absurdity of life, or growth in her cynicism, each episode succeeds in bringing depth to Parisian Nana, arguably Godard's most well constructed character.

Godard #7: Masculin, féminin (1966)

2010-01-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

This film should be called "The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola."

Godard #8: Week End (1967)

2010-01-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

The last film of his much prolific 1960-1967 span, and probably the most radical and polarizing film he had made up to this point. There's something oddly alluring about that ten-minute traffic jam sequence.

Godard #9: Made in U.S.A. (1966)

2010-01-26T12:42:00.001-08:00

Features the similar eye-catching pop-art aesthetic used in his previous Une Femme est une femme and Pierrot le fou, and looks just as good as those. Anna Karina is the star here, once again, this time playing a parody of a Bogart protagonist in this challenging, self-aware crime story. There's a light narrative here, but it's best to simply take in each scene as they occur. This was made right before his three highly political films of '67, and is his last feature with Karina.

Godard #10: Prénom Carmen (1983)

2010-01-25T14:15:00.000-08:00

That scene in the apartment where Tom Wait's "Ruby's Arms" plays is something I could watch on loop.

Godard #11: Bande à part (1964)

2010-01-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

Once again Godard wanted to reinvent the crime genre, just a few years after his marvelous debut, À bout de souffle. In this picture, two men, disgruntled and mischievous, are wanting to commit a house robbery, but to do so, need to gain the assistance and approval of a young woman (Anna Karina!) who lives theres. It's romantic, soaked in a feeling of comedic melancholy.

Godard #12: Notre Musique (2004)

2010-01-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here, we have a film of three sections; each titled after Dante's Inferno. The first of which is the most striking and memorable. Running nearly 10-minutes, it's a non-linear montage of war footage taken from non-fiction, propaganda and fiction films - all accompanied by a lovely composition on piano. Okay, "Lovely" isn't exactly an appropriate word to describe it; but it's most engaging.

Godard #13: 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle (1967)

2010-01-25T13:53:00.000-08:00

A dramatized account of the empty life of a young woman living in Paris. The Vietnam War was heating up, as was Godard's feelings towards American culture, which had now become something of disdain. He was also now stripping away from the sort of films he had been making up to that point in his career; thinking less and less of coherent narrative, and more-so on ideas.

Godard #14: La Chinoise (1967)

2010-01-25T13:50:00.000-08:00

From what I remember, this consists pretty much entirely of political discussion and ranting; but Godard's radical camerawork, aesthetic, and snappy dialogue makes it fun.

Godard #15: 'Je vous salue, Marie' (1985)

2010-01-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

Modern-day retelling of the virgin pregnancy/birth. Got a lot of controversy, yet there's nothing really offensive about it; I thought it handled the subject delicately and respectfully. Christians are such tight-asses.

Godard #16: Une femme mariée (1964)

2010-01-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

Never stood a chance, being sandwiched right in the middle of great films like Band a part, Alphaville, Contempt, and Pierrot le lou, leaving little une femme mariee largely ignored. Shame, too, because it's rather good. A simpler more straight forward film, but its drama is no less affecting.

Godard #17: Détective (1985)

2010-01-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Probably his most "conventional" effort of the '80s, which I read he only agreed to make to fund a later project (Hail Mary, I think). It has some big stars in there, too. It still isn't that coherent, though. But it's loose, light-hearted entertainment, and if you just accept its absurdity, it can be pretty fun to watch.

Godard #18: Le petit soldat (1963)

2010-01-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

Not a particularly well-liked Godard, and I can understand why. Such a slow film, but the part where the lead is captured and tortured by Algerian revolutionaries was well done. Very well done.

Godard #19: Sauve qui peut (la vie) (1980)

2010-01-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

Godard's return to conventional filmmaking (well, conventional for him) since the late '60s. He spent the '70s making these Marxist propaganda films, I think. I've yet to see any of those. This one, titled Slow Motion in its U.S. distribution, is a bit of a bleak look on the relationships, decision-making, and self-questioning of several connected people.

Godard #20: Eloge de l'amour (2001)

2010-01-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

A film split into two halves of distinctly different aesthetic. One, moody black & white cinematography. The other, an over-saturation placing emphasis on every colour. Both look stunning. One of his best looking films. I place it over #21-24 for this reason, alone. I couldn't give a damn for anything that happened in it; but wow, did it look good.

Godard #21: Passion (1982)

2010-01-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

Life of a film director? His relationships. His struggles making his new film "Passion", an over-budget and uninspired conceptual project aiming to bring paintings to life. Covers the usual Godardian fare; nothing new, here.

Godard #22: Les Carabiniers (1963)

2010-01-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

Most of Godard's films of the 60's didn't shy away from their anti-Vietnam War/anti-war (in general) sentiments, when either attacking it, or lampooning it, as Carabiners tries to do. In a fictitious land, two poor farmers are recruited to battle in war, with the promise that they will gain great wealth and fortune; encouraged even by their King to recruit. Their wives also convince the two to go, and they do, pillaging their way through towns. There's a very light tone to the film, despite the material, without exactly being a comedy. I get the impression that the film was aiming for satire; it just wasn't witty enough.

Godard #23 Soigne ta droite (1987)

2010-01-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

Has the occasional enjoyable or slightly humorous scene, but it's too fragmented for its own good. Too often feels like a chore to get through, even despite a brief 80-something-minute length.

Godard #24: King Lear (1987)

2010-01-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

An endlessly infuriating, intentional mess of a film, that's not even really an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear. Godard is pulling one over on the audience, giving us this joke of sorts; unfortunately, it's not as enjoyable for the viewer. I guess that was the point? I think Molly Ringwald was in this film, for some reason, looking just as confused as I was, watching it. Highly inaccessible. For Jean-Luc purists, only (in which case, it isn't even that bad).

Jean-Luc Godard: A Directorial Countdown

2010-01-22T14:05:00.001-08:00

Following my film exploits up to January 2010, if I were forced - by gunpoint, let's say - to pick my #1 favourite foreign-language film director, Godard's name might be the first to slip from my tongue. He may or may not be my favourite (he would rank high), but I've seen more from him than I have any other non-English language filmmaker. His work has most certainly struck a chord with me.

Next on my "must see Godard" list is his epic-in-scale, and highly ambitious Histoire du Cinema film essay, which spans some four or five hours. I've though that before I begin what might be his opus or definite work, that I should count down the films of his I've seen thus far. There's 24 in total. This covers his prolific 1960-1967 New Wave span, his 1980-1987 "Second Wave", and the two full-length films he directed in the 2000s.

2010 Films I Anticipate

2010-01-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

The Wolfman (Dir. Joe Johnson) - February 12

Shutter Island (Dir. Martin Scorsese) - February 19

Cop Out (Dir. Kevin Smith) - February 26

Alice in Wonderland (Dir. Tim Burton) - March 5

Kick-Ass (Dir. Matthew Vaughn ) - April 16

Machete (Dir. Robert Rodriguez) - April 16

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Dir. Samuel Bayer) - April 30

Iron Man 2 (Dir. Jon Favreau) - May 7

Toy Story 3 (Dir. Lee Unkrich) - June 18

Inception (Dir. Christopher Nolan) - July 16

Rapunzel (Dir. Byron Howard) - November 12

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One (Dir. David Yates) - November 19

The Green Hornet (Dir. Michel Gondry) - December 22

True Grit (Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen) - December 25

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Dir Edgar Wright) - ??

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (Dir. Woody Allen) - ??

Zebraman 2 (Dir. Takashi Miike) - ??

Socialisme (Dir. Jean Luc Godard - ??

One film I really hope comes out in 2010: The Dreaming Machine (Dir. Satoshi Kon)

Spider-Man Meets Batman Begins?

2010-01-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

So. This has been a much bemusing, frustrating last two days for any Spider-Man fan. First, we find out that John Malkovich has agreed to play a lead in Spider-Man 4, most likely the lead antagonist that Sam Raimi was fighting for - The Vulture. Vulture isn't a great character in the Spidey mythos, but is one who Raimi obviously cares for a lot, and was willing to fight for. When he puts his heart into something, magic is made (a cliche expression, but I don't care). Malkovich isn't the type of actor to simply 'phone in' a performance; he's someone who makes his presence known, and most often excels, no matter the project. The very idea of him dressed up as a Vulture flying around in Raimi's beloved and zany Spider-Man universe is one which fills me with delight.

Was it too "out-there" to be true? For the second time, Sony battled with Raimi over control of Spider-Man (we all know what happened when they got too involved in SM3). First, they dislike the Vulture as a villain and try to make him change it, then they refuse to push back the May 2011 release date, even though the script wasn't finished and the project would have had to had been seriously rushed. Instead of comprising his creativity again, he walked out. Tobey Maguire, someone who has been loyal to Raimi over the course of this decade, would only continue Spider-Man should Raimi be involved. Spider-Man 4 - without a director; without a star. Project canned.

New project. New series. Spider-Man will be back in high school in 2012, when the new film is to be released. Restarting the series just 10-years after the last one began. Cutting it a little soon, aren't we?

It disappoints me greatly that this new film will not be taking advantage of Spider-Man's extensive story and character history. Here is a retro-active comic series that's been in publication sine the early 60's; always changing with the times; has done plenty of arcs. And here is Sony, again doing a "Spider-Man in high school" scenario. In case you haven't noticed, the 2008-current (or maybe not-so-current should it not be renewed for a third season) animated tv-series, The Spectacular Spider-Man did as as fantastic a portrayal of teenage Spidey as is possible. Even being an admirer of Raimi's live-action trilogy, I admit that this series is better.

Today it's been announced that they're expecting to add a twist to Spider-Man in post-Dark Knight world we live in - they plan to make it, "gritty, contemporary". Dark. Brooding. They plan to Batman Begins-this series, both in terms of reboot, and tone.

Dark Spider-Man? Visually, yeah; a darker Spider-Man could rock the house. But in terms of tone and atmosphere; I smell an embarrassment. For me, Spider-Man has always been the epitome of great comic-book camp entertainment. There's great storytelling to be had, sure, but like most Marvel properties, it's very light-hearted in nature (that's why Raimi worked so well with this product; getting a camp-horror director to instead make camp-action is not much of a stretch - and let's not forget his 1990 original comic book-esque super-hero film, Darkman). To mess with that is to potentially alienate an entire fan-base.

What's wrong with showing an aspect of Spidey that's often been ignored in film and television. Skip some years or more into this world. Peter Parker, now a veteran crime-fighter in his 30s, effectively balancing his daily life with his Spider-Man duties. Despite his greatest efforts, the crime community has been growing extensively over the last decade, and it may be beginning to grow to be too much for Spider-Man to take on by himself. Enter The Black Cat, an agile, stealthy burglar who's been having a little on-off fling with Spidey for several years; their opposing views on justice and crime getting in the way of what could be a great partnership. Still; desperate for help, Spider-Man persuades Black Cat to become his partner in overcoming the current wave of crooks in New York City. Bang. There's your story; it's that easy. You have that great, often tricky sexually-frustrating relationship with Black Cat (now with Peter's maturing of being an adult, you have opportunity to create more effective romance than was possible during his teens), along with the many trust issues that come with having a partner, especially one with whom you do not agree with. And best of all, you could potentially incorporate any Spidey villain from the rouge gallery into this scenario. Hell, why not add two?

But, I digress. This "gritty" Spider-Man could turn out to be a very interesting twist on this mythos, and being the fan I am of this series, I'll look forward to it with an open mind. Well - I'll try.

Sex and Death 101 (2007)

2010-01-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

The moral of Sex and Death 101? How about: Men suck, and Winona Ryder is awesome. Although this is the second collaboration of Winona and writer Daniel Waters, this has nothing on Heathers, which is still a brilliant and shocking satire some 20 years later. This film tries to go for more-of-less the same level of satirical comedy, but doesn't succeed. It has its clever moments, some tolerable jokes, and the film at least deserves an A for effort and ambition. But really, it's just a step about 'Meh'. And that's mostly just because of Winona and Patton Oswalt. The film would have had far more promise if the list aspect of the film, and protagonist Roderick Blank, were dropped. Had it been about the exploits of Winona's Death Nell vigilante/'freedom fighter' escapades, it'd probably have been a lot better.

Complete List of my Favouite Films from 2000-2009

2010-01-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

1: Ichi The Killer (2001)
2: Kill Bill (2003-2004)
3: Mulholland Drive (2001)
4: Inland Empire (2006)
5: Inglourious Basterds (2009)
6: Synecdoche, New York (2008)
7: Requiem for a Dream (2000)
8: Ginger Snaps (2000)
9: Sin City (2005)
10: There Will Be Blood (2007)
11: Paprika (2006)
12: Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
13: Oldboy (2003)
14: Grindhouse (2007)
15: Yakuza Horror Theater: Gozu (2003)
16: Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
17: The Wrestler (2008)
18: Zodiac (2007)
19: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
20: Spirited Away (2001)
21: Southland Tales (2006)
22: Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)
23: Rabbits (2002)
24: Up (2009)
25: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
26: A Scanner Darkly (2006)
27: Wall-E (2008)
28: Mary and Max (2009)
29: Let The Right One In (2008)
30: Willard (2003)
31: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
32: The Dark Knight (2008)
33: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
34: The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)
35: Hot Fuzz (2007)
36: No Direction Home: Bob Dylan/I'm Not There (2005) (2007)
37: American Psycho (2000)
38: Amost Famous (2000)
39: Daria: Is It Fall Yet?/Daria: Is It College Yet? (2000) (2002)
40: Ratatouille (2007)
41: Adaptation. (2002)
42: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
43: Trick r' Treat (2009)
44: The Devil's Rejects (2005)
45: Lost in Translation (2003)
46: Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
47: [REC] (2007)
48: Brick (2005)
49: Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)/Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' (2008)
50: Notre Musique (2004)

Individual write-ups can be found on previous entries of this blog.

1: Ichi The Killer (2001)

2010-01-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

1: Ichi The Killer (2001)
Directed by Takashi Miike

Viewing One: I see two-hours of crazy over-the-top violence and torture.
Viewing Two: I see an ensemble of eccentric and amusing characters.
Viewing Three: I see an engaging narrative full of many twists and plot points.
Viewings Four & Five: It all comes together. I see a glorious piece of pulp entertainment, dark-comedy, cartoonish violence, and Miike's own brand of craziness.

If there's one film for me from the decade of 2000-2009 that has gotten drastically better with each viewing, it is Ichi The Killer.