Between the Reels

#52: Philadelphia

2012-02-04T17:41:00.001-08:00

It's not like the issue of homosexuality hadn't been touched upon before. It stretches back as far as the 1920's. Given the context the time and the introduction of the AIDs epidemic, this film allowed those simmering themes come to the fore. But there hasn't really been a film that tackles AIDs with such a succinct mood. Ron Nyswaner's script sinks its claws into that very problem. Jonathan Demme's direction turns those words into shards that penetrate through the thickest heart. It accomplished this at just the right time. Creating a piece that is distinctly 90's in its execution and mood (look no further than the Springsteen backed opening montage), yet feels contemporary in its overarching themes. A big part of this being contributed to Demme having faith in the ability of two actors. One who is coming off the DePalma flop Bonfire of the Vanities, the other a former Oscar winner for Glory.

The Tom Hanks persona is one of affection and admiration. A modern day Jimmy Stewart with whom you would give a big ole hug to as opposed to shrinking back in fear. Plug that persona into a character with AIDs and you have a homosexual character audiences can empathize with.

The character of Andrew Beckett is one who basks in life. The calm breeze that leads up to a billowing emanation of snow on a once quiet, deserted street. Andrew Beckett's openness and sheer love of life are so fully realized by Hanks that to think of another actor portraying him would be next to impossible. To see him ping pong off of Denzel in the courtroom scenes is one thing. To see Denzel's humanization of Beckett through listening to an opera achieves grand resonance. The realization of Beckett as not some 'tutti frutti' as an ignorant bartender would call it, but a real human being.

All of this- the courtoom scenes, the performances, come to a screeching halt. Two words . Words that cut deep with pain. "I'm ready" a bed ridden Beckett tells his lover. Jonathan, Tom, Denzel, Ron & Neil should all be commended in carrying the film from the battered courtroom steps to a loving rememberance of those stricken with AIDs. In its final moments, Philadelphia gives us that intangible feeling of humbleness and humility that these are people who should be as deserving of our respect as anyone else.

It really is quite a thrill when this happens.

Luke

We have assumed control

2012-02-01T17:53:00.001-08:00

Red in the face

2012-01-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

King Crimson. Were it not for the Beatles, these cool cats would be my favorite band. To even begin to explain this band would take alot more than just a brief bio. Everything must be brought into context. So let's start in 1967. A year of of Vietnam conflict and U.S. peace protests. A year where a genre that would be known as progressive rock was born.

Progressive rock is a genre that can be traced all the way back to Sgt. Pepper. What the Beatles were doing was stretching the musical vocabulary as far as it could go. It's not like they weren't doing this before with Rubber Soul & Revolver. But when the gonzo section of A Day In the Life came on, you knew they weren't fuckin' around. I'm sure anyone who has proper logic can agree to this. Two years later, a band by the name of King Crimson released an iconic album- In the Court of the Crimson King. Spearheaded by Robert Fripp, the Crim were a group of musicians that layed the foundations for countless other bands.

Bands like Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Rush, and Van Der Graaf Generator would soon follow in their footstps. Not unlike the filmmakers of the 70's (Scorsese, DePalma, Coppola, Friedkin), these musicians had one goal: push the envelope. Going into the 70's, you had the bands drop such classics as Selling England By the Pound, Close to the Edge, Thick As A Brick, and Pawn Hearts. Albums that consisted of 20 minute epics, constant time changes and complex rhythms. Pink Floyd could even be lumped into this category.

When 1974 hit, Yes would release a double LP consisting of four songs. Each clocking in at the 20 minute mark. Critics called it pretentious. Long winded. Bloated. & every other snide comment you can think of. Peter Gabriel of Genesis going up on stage and dressing up as a flower wasn't exactly a solution to these criticism either. To use to the film comparison again, Pauline Kael would describe a film called 2001 as a pretentious borefest.

At that time Crimson were in the secon dphase of their career. My personal favorite- the John Wetton era. One that was bursting with improv sets that would make Jerry Garcia blush. Larks Tongues In Aspic & Starless and Bible Black were released. Right before the last gig of the 73-74 era lineup, David Cross left the band, leaving them as a trio. They went into the studio to record Red and decided to bring in musicians from Crimson's past: mainly Mel Collins and Ian McDonald on saxophone. The resulting album is a unique blend of the 73-74 era band's sound but mixed with the older In the Court of the Crimson King sound. Several musicians including Kurt Cobain would go onto cite Red as an album of enormous influence.

Fripp would choose to pull the plug on this incarnation. Crimson would lay dormant until the early 80's.

So along comes 1977 and a band called The Sex Pistols debut. Punk had arrived. With it, the proverbial axe to the prog rock genre. This wouldn't last long however. Prog rock would experience a revival of sorts. Albeit in the underground music scene. Bands like Marillion & IQ would become legends of the 80's Neo-Prog rock genre. At the same time this was going on, the 70's proggers Genesis & Yes would go the way of the radio. Releasing hits like Owner of A Lonely Heart and the Patrick Bateman favorite In Too Deep. Don't get me wrong, I dig some of the Collins-era Genesis, but seeing these bands who once played 10 minute songs turn into radio sensations...it can get under the skin. It's a regression.

1981 hits and Fripp decides to kickstart the Crim engine into overdrive. Enlisting former Talking Heads member Adrien Belew to the cause. Fripp's decision to axe the band in the mid 70's was in many ways wise. They basically evaded the punk rock scene and went the way of new wave bands like Talking Heads. Incorporating jungle- like rhythms into their ever expanding musical pallette. It was more as opposed to gloss and glamour. Fripp's philosophy was that when King Crimson had nothing more to say musically, they would stop until they actually had something to say. A philosophy that he still sticks to. So around 1984, the 80's lineup would bow out.

After ten years, Crimson would reform. They would bring their harder-edged tendencies that they experimented with in the 70's to the fore. This time with a little more modern sound. There's even ingredients from their 80's era sound in songs like Dinosaur. Thrak would be the one album released in the 90's. Coming into the new millennium, this lineup would release The ConstruKction of Light and go on tour with Tool in 2001. A band that has stated several time just how influential King Crimson are to them. So in 2003, these 60 year old musicians would drop an album called The Power to Believe. An album as heavy as anything in Tool's catalog.

The band hasn't released an album since. But I still am hoping they have at the very least, one more album in them.

This genre of progressive rock or 'prog' was never one that gained alot of mainstream appeal. Don't expect to hear Close to the Edge playing in any hipster coffee shops anytime soon... (Something I'm very thankful for). With the exception of Pink Floyd & Genesis, you won't find any of the aforementioned bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Then again, you won't find Rush, Warren Zevon, Link Wray, Iron Maiden or Deep Purple in there either. Further proof on how much of a fucking joke that place really is.

King Crimson is a band that has always strived for musical progress. Which I must stress above all else. Progressive rock is a hell of a lot more than playing a thousand miles an hour and having songs clock in at half an hour. This is probably why I love the genre yet also hate some of the new bands that are misguided about what it really means to be progressive. Radiohead going from OK Computer to Kid A is progressive. Metallica going from And Justice For All and winding up somewhere with St. Anger is not.

Besides, all you need to know is this: Christina Ricci danced to KC's Moonchild. & what's good for her should be good for you too.

#100: Sunn O)))- Monoliths and Dimensions

2012-01-29T13:57:00.000-08:00

Since I am unable to speak articulately on youtube about this album, I'm just going to post a track of it on this blog.

If you dig intense atmosphere or just want to feel like you are buried under an impenetrable wall of sound, this is the album for you.

intermission

2012-01-28T22:20:00.001-08:00

Class of '11

2012-01-22T00:48:00.000-08:00

"We are at a point in time where if a film doesn't receive unified acclaim its viewed as damaged or a failure or something worse and that's unfortunate. I don't feel there's a sense anymore that a movie can be polarizing and that that can be a good thing. It's literally, what is the number you got on Rotten Tomatoes and if its below a certain number, your movie's not any good. You could imagine what 2001: A Space Odyssey would have gotten on Rotten Tomatoes...I guess the point of some art is to illuminate. I just don't see any evidence of it happening."

This is a quote from Steven Soderbergh taken from the Criterion release of Che. A film that came out the same year as a film that did receive universal acclaim- The Dark Knight. 2 years later that same filmmaker would create another film and meet almost the same universal acclaim as that one. That film was called Inception. & after the dire, stale taste it left in my mouth, I knew that 2010, being only July, was either going to get worse or slightly better. Sure, there were films like Social Network & Toy Story 3 that made it tolerable, but nothing during that year really pummelled me in the way of walking out A Serious Man in 2009. Go back even further, to 2007. Just look at what was released- No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, King of Kong, I'm Not There.

So I looked ahead at the slate of releases for 2011. Red State? Yes. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? Yes. Contagion? Yes. But what peaked my interests even more are some of the films from directors who are not as well establish as say, a David Fincher. To have a new filmmaker come across your radar and knock you on your ass happens all too rarely. To have it happen in the same year while veteran directors release some of their best work warms my blood and gives me hope that the frozen tundra of creativity will have finally thawed.

2011 brought us many surprises at our doorstep. Just ask Daniel Craig. What will 2012 bring us? Dark Knight Rises, Lords of Salem, Django Unchained, Hit Somebody, Lincoln, Haywire, Prometheus, Red Hook Summer, Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, A Bullet to the Head, Only God Forgives & if we're lucky, The Master. I think by the end of that year, the fickle bitch known as 2010 will be a mere afterthought and the future will be a little bit brighter.

Here are the films I saw in 2011 in order of when I saw them.

Red State
He's dead. Wrapped in seran wrap. Easily Smith's best since Chasing Amy & by far my favorite moviegoing experience I've had this year. Helps when you're surrounded by likeminded Kevin Smith fans. Some fine tuning in the editing department could have boosted this up to an A+ but with some of the trimmings left, I'm gonna have to give it an A-

I Saw the Devil
Technically this is a 2010 release but I didn't see it until last year. So I'm just putting it on here. While there are some excruciatingly violent scenes, I Saw The Devil focuses primarily on themes about revenge and about the unfairness and inhumanity of people. It also puts to question the limits of our love and our pursuit of some semblance of serenity, and it does so with remarkable performances, a haunting score and astounding direction by Jee-woon Kim. Tied with Toy Story 3 as being the most memorable 2010 release. A

Insidious
A haunted house movie in the classic 70's/80's sense (The Changeling, Legend of Hell House, etc.). This also may be one of the few times where people actually move out of the house being haunted. Only to be met with more peril. A-

The Tree of Life
It can be said that an ambitous failure is more admirable than a film that doesn't aspire to be anything and still fail. So in that regard, the gestation period between conceptual birth to theatrical release date can almost be as daunting as the ambitious proect you are making. How can anyone possibly live up to what was touted as 'the next 2001'?

Enter Terrence Malick. Having only made four films since 1973, the concept of this particular film and his presence is what made people stand in either gobsmacked 2001-like awe or The Fountain-like disappointment. Though the film was poised precariously on a tightrope between sheer genius and monotony, Malick helped it reach the end of the line with its haunting beauty intact. Barely. A-

Hobo With A Shotgun
Regardless of its intentions, this comes off as more of a Troma tribute than a tribute to 70's exploitation. Even at that juncture, Jason Eisner seems to be trying way too hard. Had it come out in the 70's, Hauer's hobo would still be overshadowed by the likes of The Exterminator & Fred Williamson's Vigilante. D

Super 8
This Spielberg fan upon first viewing really wanted to love this picture. This coming from a passion for film that kickstarted all the way back at the age of 4 with a film called E.T. (one that JJ shamefully homages at the end). Upon second viewing, it's candy coated 'magic' wore off and I was left with the skeleton of something that made me want to 'phone home'. C-

Contagion
A truly frightening procedural that seems like it might be much more closer to reality than we think. I wonder which member of the Ocean's gang would bite it first if this disease existed in that movie. A

(Scott Caan would go first. Without a doubt.)

Drive

I went into this film not expecting the wallop I got. I've seen Nicolas Winding Ren's Bronson and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Pusher movies were a solid set of crime pictures as well. But what I got here was a brutal stomp to the face. The pacing and explosive violence of the film is what catapulted this film into prime god-I-fucking-love-this movie territory. A.

Melancholia

If Tree of Life was about creation, Melancholia is most certainly the flip side of things. The conceptual framework of Von Trier's films have been, for the most part, one of impending doom. & while I wouldn't count myself as a huge admirer of his, this film still possess elements that I dig.

The good: What makes Melancholia stand head and shoulders above most apocalyptic films of the last decade is what it chooses to focus on-- characters merely accepting their fate as opposed to genre tropes.

The bad: There has always been something that pisses me off about Lars Von Trier and to an even greater extent, Michael Haneke. They seem to just revel in shoving their viewer's face in shit and kicking them while they are down. Don't get me started with how awful Funny Games is (more on this later). As expected, critics have lavished a ridiculous amount of praise for it while ignoring Insidious & Red State. Reminds me why paid film criticism is stale. But I'm digressing. I just wish Von Trier would create a film that doesn't accentuate his panache for pretentiousness. Which brings me to this question: Is this film about Earth crashing into a gigantic planet or is it about Earth crashing into Von Trier's ego? C+

Hugo

The good: Marty, Thelma, & Robert all make dutiful contributions to the making of the film and show their love for cinema. In particular Marty, who must have giggled like a little school girl with joy at the concept of building a story around George Melies. Let alone making a statement for film preservation.

The bad: In a conversation with James Cameron, Scorsese persisted that 3D should be used as a proper tool in the advancement of storytelling. This is including dramas and not just limited to genre material. If 3D were indeed to become the future of storytelling, I'd want a train to come through my house and chase me. B-

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

A film that is as hauntingly quiet as Zodiac yet feels like a sledgehammer to the face with truly disturbing scenes. Dragon Tattoo acts like a devious black widow enraveling you in its labyrinth web of a plot. The novel is something I have yet to read & as far as the Swedish version goes, yes I have seen it. Oddly enough, there's not alot I remember from it besides the big 'shock' scene which should obviously be imprinted upon one's mind when seeing any version of this story. The difference is that this U.S. version had so many things going for it that it made for countless unforgettable sequences.

The opening credits, the use of Enya's Sail Away, & Mara's performance are all pitch perfect. cemented this into my Top 100. But the totality of the story filtered through Fincher's direction is what this film should be remembered for. Go to the duck for more info: A+

The Descendants

"Paradise? Paradise can go fuck itself."

Alexander Payne uses his 'funny one moment and sad the next' style to create a film about a man and his children coming to terms with their mother who was put in a permanent coma. Shailene Woodley is an actress to look out for as her performance was rock solid. Along with this, the side characters played by Judy Greer and Robert Forster were well played. Tonally, the film effectively balances a cynical & a sincere side of the story. After the credits rolled though, I felt cold. It kinda just sits there at the end. I was hoping this would be on par with Election & About Schmidt, but the after effects of The Descendants don't resonate with me nearly as much those two films did. There was no & I'm beginning to believe it's not from my increasingly cynical nature.

As a sidenote, I find it interesting that nearly all of the movies both Clooney & DiCaprio have starred in in the last ten years are films that have been critically lauded. Yet they feel like films that are merely satisfactory or adequate. I'm hoping one day this cycle can break. Though out of all those films, this one came the closest to breaking it. (Departed almost breaking the Leo streak) B-

Rango
In a day & age where Spy Kids 4 exists, Rango is a glass of water in a sweltering desert of mediocrity. Like Hugo, Rango is an endearing family film. It's fun, full of movie references and doesn't condescend to its viewers. B+

Warrior

The difference between a film like this and The Fighter are that the punches to the heart are felt rather than telegraphed. Not knowing much about the plot (mostly due to the fact that the movie was swept under the carpet), Warrior had me in its clutches whereas The Fighter was a forgettable stalemate.

This is also a prime example of how marketing can go horribly wrong these days. Poorly edited trailer + no big push from studio = a forgotten treasure. B

Killer Elite

A needlessly complex story hastily wrapped around poorly edited action scenes. D-

**note: this list is incomplete as I still I have to see Shame, The Artist, A Dangerous Method, Take Shelter, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, & Margin Call

IN THE WORKS:
Top 10 Documentaries

Babysteps

2012-01-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

It's the summer of '94. Forrest Gump ads are everywhere. The city of Manhattan is booming with drug dealers. Instead of hearing Public Enemy blastin' out of that boombox like we did 5 summers ago, we're hearin' Wu Tang Clan & Biz Markie. It's The Wackness. & it's a quintessential example of how to handle a period piece. One that this generation shouldn't feel too removed from to remember.

One of the most facinating things about the 'coming of age' story is its ability to capture a moment in a person's life in which a multitude of questions arise All cause by events that push our characters further along the road of cynicism. Or as Luke Shapiro learned, coping with the wackness of it all.

A negative aspect of these types of stories is the 'awkward shy guy' so commonly played up to the point of having me throw up. There's no Michael Cera getting the girl after his countless faux Woody Allen hang ups. There's just Josh Peck. An adolescent who is coming into a world of cynicism just as his psychiatrist wants out of it.

This is not hipster- indie- get- out- your- flanel. This is 90's hip hop with a twinge of classic rock thrown in the blender. Thank the creative juices of Jonathan Levine for that one.

Another noticeable pattern? The soundtracks. Maybe they're cruising in a jet only to find that blonde goddess they've been lookin' for. Or they're watching that goddess take off on a jet to Morocco. Or maybe they just want her to stand still in the hallway so they can remember her in that moment. Whatever the case may be, these little events in these characters lives are given transcendence with the aid of having a film embrace the music fom that period. We're not just random passersby. This is a world we want to inhabit. The Wackness is a time that feels lived rather than merely observed.

So, pop in that mixtape and start listening to All the Young Dudes. & try to avoid falling water balloons from the sky. As the book says: when it rains, it pours.

Grade: A+

The Ides of March- a review

2012-01-19T18:45:00.001-08:00

Top 100 Grab Bag: #29 + extra stuff

2012-01-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

How's your sex life?

2012-01-08T19:48:00.001-08:00

Breaking Red

2011-12-31T16:25:00.001-08:00

Top 100 Grab Bag

2011-12-31T13:34:00.000-08:00

VISION

88. Raising Arizona

The 'jump out of your seat' moment of Blood Simple, in terms of style, occurs when Dan Hedaya grabs Frances McDormand and takes her out of her house. Suddenly we are give a Raimi-esque shot the rushes toward them. It's a wickedly clever stylistic choice by a pair of assured filmmakers. Then along comes this movie Raising Arizona. Crawlin' on its hands and legs in a wild, goofy aloofness. Only to have H.I. McDunnough pull it back to a sentimental embrace.

I've never really seen a film where the style the filmmaker is using is just as wacky as the subject matter. As knee slap funny this movie can get, the soul of it lay in its closing monologue by McDunnough. Dreaming of a future that seemed just out of reach. From a career of endings that range from a tornado, a bird falling into an ocean, to a sheriff learning to accept the ways of the new, this always felt like the one that was the most heartfelt from these filmmakers.

SOUND

74. Dead Can Dance- Within the Realm of A Dying Sun (1987)

After seeing The Insider and hearing Lisa Gerrard's haunting voice draping it in a blanket of warmth and arcane beauty, I was convinced that I needed to explore more of her music. Then I saw Baraka. A film whose use of Host of Seraphim was utterly gorgeous.

This album in particular showcases Lisa Gerard and Brandon Perry channeling world music and filter it through dark, neo classical tones. As a result we are left with an album that soulfully emits sounds that are bathed in an esoteric aura.

Things & Ideas

2011-12-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

"How can you put out a meaningful drama when every fifteen minutes proceedings are interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits with toilet paper? No dramatic art form should be dictated and controlled by men whose training and instincts are cut from an entirely different cloth. The fact remains that these so called gentlemen sell consumer goods, not an art form." Rod Serling

The Twilight Zone. A show that has always held an important place for me. I'd always remember the marathons on Sci-Fi channel around this time of the year. So in honor of that & in honor of Mr. Serling's 87th birthday, I decided to create a special list to some of my favorite episodes.

TZ is the kind of show that permeates the culture. Long before Laura Palmer and even longer before a smoke monster, viewers tuned into to see different kind of mystery unravel. Only these mysteries were packaged within a 30 minute timeframe. Given that amount of time, the self contained stories lent itself to the imagination. I'm willing to believe that Lynch took a gander at the show and dug the hell out. Damon Lindelof of Lost is among the shows ardent supporters.

Stepping back, the inspiration the series had on movies can be both good (Jacob's Ladder) and bad (The Box). Which in itself is an example of why the writing team of Rod Serling, Richard Matheson, Buck Houghton and George Clayton Johnson performed best when given a small amount of time to flesh out their scripts.

One of the key strengths beyond the writing was being endowed with an astounding cast (Buster Keaton, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Jack Klugman, Burgess Meredith, Agnes Moorehead, Charles Bronson, etc.) They brought with it a sense of nostalgia for that time. These cats have been around the block movie wise.

Peaking in excellence with the 2nd season, the show had its share of forgettable episodes. (Does anyone really care for The Hunt?) The hour long shows for the fourth season indicate that beyond the occasional misses of previous seasons (The Gift, Young Man's Fancy, The Lateness of the Hour, etc.), the show was losing steam. By the time the fifth season rolled around, the misses were becoming more and more apparent. It eventually concluded it's run in 1964. Serling would go onto Night Gallery while the show's legacy would go onto spawn a mass of imitators.

There's a futility in creating an anthology show dealing with the supernatural and science fiction in the wake of Twilight Zone. The only show that came close was ironically a show created around the same time period, The Outer Limits. Yet there's still something Zone has that the rest lack. The willingness to take us out of our mundane lives and help us understand ourselves a little bit better.

20. Nightmare At 20,000 Feet
Just what the hell was that thing on the wing of the airplane? We'll never know. A prime example of how some of the most terrifying aspects of the show lay in the unexplained.

19. The Midnight Sun
A real scorcher. The kind of scorcher that would make Do the Right Thing's Mookie give a double take.

18. Five Characters In Search of An Exit
One of the episodes that took place in one location and made the best of it through dialogue with five characters looking for a way out.

17. One For the Angels
A heartwarming episode as it is heartbreaking.

16. Where Is Everybody?
The pilot that paved the way for what several episodes that preceeded would share- the themes of isolation and loneliness.

15. The Silence
A bet that has seriously damaging repercussions on the two main characters. One physically the other in terms of honor & integrity.

14. Night Call
At first a terrifying call from a telephone to an old woman. Only to turn into a heartbreaking moment for Gladys Cooper. A potent mix of terror and tragedy.

13. A Stop At Willoughy
Serling taps into a universal desire. Who wouldn't want to escape to a place where you don't have to meet demands or have pressures put upon you?

12. The Howling Man
The transformation scene in this episode always stuck with me.

11. The Obsolete Man
Burgess Meredith is a part of a world where aging has become forbidden. One of the handful of episodes they could have actually made a good movie out of. Oh wait, they made a shitty one instead called In Time. Woops.

10. Shadow Play
A Charles Beaumont penned episode that explores the nature of reality via a man being locked in a time continuum. Imagine if Groundhog Day was played as a nightmare instead of for laughs.

9. The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street
Paranoia run rampant. Rationality gets thrown out the window all due to the fact that a couple lights flicker on and off.

8. To Serve Man
Don't ya love double meanings?

7. Time Enough At Last
If a nuclear blast ever occurs, I'm taping my glasses to my head.

6. And When the Sky Was Opened
Thinking about being in the situation of those pilots still induces anxiety in me when I watch this one. Imagine if you knew you were about to be erased from existence and there was nothing you could do about it. Truly frightening.

5. A Game of Pool
Crackling dialogue between Klugman and Winters highlight this tale about the ramifications of winning and losing. Add to that a good amount of tension and you got a classic.

4. It's A Good Life

A small town imprisoned in fear of a little boy. In Serling's world, even little kids are capable of ruling people under their thumb.

3. Walking Distance
To the casual fan, TZ is a sci-fi show packaged with a nifty twist at the end. To the die hard, this show and its creator Rod Serling, defined a culture and laced some of its best episodes with commentary on the human condition. This episode proves that sentiment. Bernard Hermann's score seals the deal.

2. Eye of the Beholder
Effective lighting and camera work highlight this episode about deformity and the meaning of real beauty.

1. The Invaders
This to me defines what Twilight Zone was all about. If I were to show someone an episode of the show who has never seen one, this would be it. Invaders combines two themes and utilizes them to their full potential- isolation and fear.

A list on Lost .

Happy Holidaze

2011-12-24T18:35:00.001-08:00

You know when you buy an album and a band puts the songs in some fuckin' order and they want you to listen to them in that order. Do you hate that? Are you tired of having people tell you what to listen to or when to listen to it? Well, your problems have been answered. Now you too can have all your favorite hits on one convenient mixtape.

Between the Reels kicks off its monthly mixtape machine with its first edition. No specific theme. No rhyme or reason. Just a hodge podge package ranging from death metal to soul.

Track listing is as follows:

Kavinsky- Nightcall
Kim Carnes- Bette Davis Eyes
Simon & Garfunkel- I Am A Rock
Ricky Nelson- Lonesome Town
College- Real Hero
Moby- Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
Pulp Fiction- Personality Goes A Long Way
Pixies- Wave of Mutilation
Tool- Aenema
Death- Symbolic
Wu Tang Clan- Da Mystery of Chessboxin'
Otis Redding- Mr. Pitiful
Bill Hicks- Artistic Roll Call
The Rolling Stones- I Am Waiting
Tom Waits- Martha
The Flaming Lips- Waiting For Superman
My Bloody Valentine- Sometimes
Fantomas- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Bill Hicks- The Elite
The Association- Never My Love
Hoagy Carmichael- Stardust

http://www.mediafire.com/?8f7e1374a9oe26v

Life of the Mind

2011-12-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

Cookies full of arsenic

One of the trends of 50's cinema was studios releasing films they thought would recapture the glory days of 1930s cinema. Ironically, a number of outstanding movies started to arise from that period of 'go for broke' that bucked this very trend. Movies that were seeped in genre material. Robert Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly and Alexander MacKendrick's Sweet Smell of Success in particular. The former a Mickey Spillane noir with a slow burn. The latter being a film with its feet entrenched in a securely rigid structure and its head in a whirlwind of knife cutting dialogue. What sets this apart from its other contemporaries of that decade however, is the biting cynicism. This along with the urban location of New York instead of studio backdrops. It is this stage where we get to watch characters with their feet in the quicksand of lies and filth. Spewing forth barbed dialogue from the screenplay by Clifford Odetts and Ernst Lehman that would make David Mamet blush.

Enjoying the ride

In the realm of comedy stand up, there are the greats: Bruce. Pryor. Carlin. Louie CK. While the 90's saw some of Carlin's best and blisteringly relevant material, another comedian with a knack for infusing social commentary into his stand up took to the mic. Bill Hicks' shtick was always going against the status quo. A free spirit that never backed away from bringing up the ludicrous contradictions that we prescribe to. Rant In E Minor is required listening, folks.

The man up in this beast

Throughout the 80's and 90's, Denzel Washington typified the American hero. The man who would stand up for Andrew Beckett. The man who would go to bat for Ferris Bueller during the attack on Fort Wagner. Something happened after this. The gloves came off and the so called hero was now filling Scott Glenn's chest full of buckshot. While directors are usually a go to field when it comes to perking my ears up, a select core group of actors can invigorate me to want to see what they'll do next. & in 2001, I finally got to see one of my favorite 'do-gooders' play the bad guy. Unfortunately, this was also the last time I really dug one of his performances.

Donner, party of one

Cannibalism is one of the many morbid curiosities and fascinations that I hold. For some reason or another that I can't quite articulate, it has seeped into other interests I have. I'd like to believe that it is because the very nature of cannibalism emphasizes an extreme act of aggression upon a fellow human being. Something I do not condone. But still find all the more interesting in terms of extreme behavior. Curiously, Silence of the Lambs, Texas Chainsaw Massacre & Cannibal Holocaust are among my favorite films. Serial killers being another fascination I hold. But let's not stray too far. Events like the Donner Party Crossing are a prime example as to what I'm getting at here. Ric Burns American Experience documentary does a more than capable job of giving a comprehensive overview of the tragedy.

You on high now

2011-12-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

From the Vault: Dark Side of the Moon

2011-12-02T23:10:00.000-08:00

Author's Note: The following is a review I wrote on March 26, 2005 for an album that has had an immense impact on the course of my music education. It was written for a series of album discussions I kicked off on a site called the Mike Portnoy Forum. I have rarely visited the site since 2010.

Some albums have that effect on you. One of discovery and revelation. Dark Side is that album for many people. Floyd begged the question in 1975 as to which one is Pink. Roger Waters has always been the side of the fence I landed on. This album is proof of that.

Enjoy.

"We all fight small battles between the positive and the negative in our everyday lives, and I'm obsessed with truth and how the futile scramble for material things obscures our path to a more fufilling existence. That's what Dark Side of the Moon is about. And despite the rather depressing ending with Brain Damage and Eclipse, there is an allowance that all things are possible, that the potential is in our hands."
-Roger Waters

THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP...
The first time I heard progressive rock was through Dark Side of the Moon in March of 2000. I remember buying the album and putting it in my discman and turning off the lights in my room. From the opening of Speak to Me, to the guitar solo in Time and to the climactic Eclipse, I was carried away by the music. It was the first time I had heard an album like that. The experimentation and keyboards intrigued me and led me to buy their other masterpieces. Shortly thereafter, I became addicted to Genesis, Yes, King Crimson and other prog bands of that era. What I love so much about the Floyd and what sets them apart from all other bands, is that sweeping conceptual feeling that you get when you sit down and listen to their albums. That heartbeat on the album signaled a new found music for me and I've never looked back since. I view it more as a single composition than a collection of songs because of the thematic concept that flows throughout the album. There isn't a note out of place. Every song compliments the next while at the same time playing an integral part of the whole. It is as perfect as you can possibly get.

LIVE PERFORMANCES
DSOTM made its live premiere at the Brighton Dome on January 20, 1972 under the name Eclipse. It's first performance used different track order than the one on the CD: I. Intro, II. Breathe, III. Instrumental Jam, IV. Time, V. Any Colour You Like, VI. The Mortality Sequence, and VII. Money. The Eclipse finale was yet to be written during that period. DSOTM made its first official live performance (this time in the same order as found on the CD) at the Rainbow Theatre in London on February 17, 1972.

RECORDING SESSIONS
Recorded at the same studio the Beatles recorded Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road, DSOTM showcases unprecedented production value. Alan Parsons did a phenomenal job on the record. You can hear every nuance of Mason/Waters/Wright/Gilmour. What always intrigued me about this album is the continuous flow. This was made during a time where you had to flip the record over to hear Side B. It was as if Pink Floyd themeselves envisioned a future where that would no longer need to happen. It was way ahead of its time not only in sonic breadth and concept, but in song structure as well. On March 23, 1973 the album would be released to the public.

A LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT
In order to understand the impact of the album you must understand what was going on at the time of its creation. David Bowie dawned his Ziggy Stardust persona and glam rock was at the forefront of popular music. Yes released Close to the Edge in '72 and that hit the Billboard at #3. There was an artistic edge that was prominent of the music that was being produced during this period. Then along comes an album that talks about what it is like to live the everyday life and its enduring hardships, and changes everything. It was a triumphant period for the genre of progressive rock.

A SIMPLE PRISM
Storm Thorgesen's Prism cover is one of the most recognizable symbols in rock music. When he gave the band a choice of several designs, the band chose the prism over all the others. Some of the best albums are ones that have no words printed on the front: Led Zeppelin IV, KC's In the Court of the Crimson King, Gabriel's Passion, Abbey Road, etc. I really like that Storm left the cover as just a prism in the middle with a spectrum. It gives the album more of a mystique.

REMASTERING
"The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consumate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost."
- Patrick Bateman, American Psycho
The 30th anniversary Hybrid SACD Edition really brings out the subtle nuances you haven't heard on the original record. This mix synchronized the original tapes together and created a pristine sound. I have yet to listen to the quadrophonic mix and am really interested in hearing how that mix differs from the one found on the original LP.

The lyrics of Dark Side of the Moon are based around universal themes that encompass our everyday lives. Things that we take for granted: money and time, and inhumanities of modern life: madness, death and war. The primary theme that runs throughout the album is life. The sonic experimentation throughout the album is prevelant through the use of VCS3 machines and synthesizers and add to the harmonious keyboards. Gilmour's and Waters' guitar and bass performances are the strongest up to this point and Gilmour shows what a gifted guitar player he is during his solo in 'Time'. Nick Mason, as in most Floyd albums, creates subtle rhythms in his drum work, giving space for the music to breathe. Which leads us into our first song...

SPEAK TO ME/BREATHE

"Been mad for fucking years, absolutely years, been over the edge for yonks, been
working with bands so long. I think crikey..."
Sound/Word- This is a great way to start the album off. It begins with a heartbeatwhich represents the beginning of life. The sound samples from 'Money', 'Brain Damage', and 'Great Gig In the Sky' enter one by one and represent the things that a person's life must overcome and endure in order to exist in the world. Alan Parsons shows his genius studio producing through the multilayered effects that quickly segue into Gilmour's soft guitar line. I think of this track as the album's collage. When you hear the lyrics "Dig that hole, forget the sun", it is open to interpretation. The sun is a prime symbol of the album and represents truth and all that is good in life. "Balanced on the biggest wave, you race towards an early grave"

ON THE RUN

"Leave for today, gone tomorrow. Ha ha ha!"

Originally titled the Travel Section and created from a guitar and keyboard improvisation. Definitely the most sonically experimental track on the album. The techniques involved in recording this track involved the VCS3 being fed a series of notes and speeding it up. You can hear a female announcer announcing flights at an airport which goes well with the message of the song. Toward the end of the song, there's the sound of a plane crashing. In concert, a Spitfire model airplane was used to crash from one side of the arena to the other and create an explosion. Did I mention how amazing PF's live concerts are?! An interesting note about the '72 performance of this track is that it went under the name 'The Travel Sequence'. My interpretation of this song is that we are on the run from our own inevitable fate. Time brings us closer to this. Which is our next song on the album.

TIME

Sound- The clocks and alarm bells in the beginning are effective in correlation to the theme of the song- alerting people as to how quickly life can slip away. The middle section features one of Gilmour's best guitar solos and is a nice bridge to the final section. The solo's very blues-influenced but at the same time very ethereal. In an era of Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, Gilmour makes his presence known with this amazing guitar solo. The themes of 'Breathe' are reprised in the 3rd section of the song.The reprise ties in very well with the 1st section lyrics and is about the later years of one's life and that they should "lay their bones beside the fire" and take it easy.

Word- Roger Waters' best lyrical contribution to the band. The lyrics ring true for every generation and dwell on the fact that time is the one thing we wish we had more of as we grow older. It is my personal favorite off the album mostly because I can relate to it the most. There are many things that I've passed up in my life that I wish I had a second chance at doing. And as I grow older, time goes faster. I look at some of the threads on this forum: one more record store closed, Tower Records gone, etc. and it is a reminder of how much we should cherish those memories in our lives. We all have a limited lifespan and it is up to us to make the most out it. This track to me encompasses the whole philosophy of how time is the one thing that people strive to have more of and we should cherish every moment of it.

THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY

"And I am not frightened of dying any time will do I don't mind. Why should I be
frightened of dying? There's no reason for it. Gotta go sometime."

Originally titled The Mortality Sequence. Listen to the vocals of Claire Torry. Her voice permeates every square inch of this wonderful song that echoes the crashing waves seen in video during their live performance. The chord progression of this song is beautiful. This track is all Wright's and showcases his gentle piano touches. There are very spiritual overtones in this track as well. Claire Torry sued the band for royalties to the song in 2002 and lost the case. This is a very hard song to nail down in terms of replicating Claire Torry's vocal performance. When Theresa Thomason performed the DT cover version at the Hammersmith, she not only nailed it, she hammered, stamped it and sent it home to Old Pink. The unexpected pitch bend at the end of this song is similar to the end of DT's The Answer Lies Within.

MONEY

Sound- The poster child for the 7/4 time signature. And surprisingly the biggest hit off the album. Roger Waters bass sounds very good on this track. It is the first appearance of the saxophonist Dick Parry, who the Floyd would use on their next album, Wish You Were Here. Gilmour's guitar solo begins and the song goes to 7/4 time. After this it goes back to 4/4 and it becomes a full out rocker. It is reminiscent of a section in DT's Beyond This Life (6:27- 6:55).

Word- This song applies so much to the corporate side of the music business. We live in a world where the dollar is what people would rather be after than creating a piece of art. A big irony is that it became the Floyd's first commercial hit while having lyrics that deal with materialism and money being "the root of all evil today." They also show the vinyl on a manufacturing conveyer belt. Pink Floyd released the song as a single and it was their first US Top Forty hit at #13.

"I was definitely in the right. That geezer was cruising for a bruising"

US AND THEM

Sound- Wright opens this song up with funeral procession-like piano. The majority of the song is particular mellow. The echoes "Me, me me and you, you, you" are subtle nuances that strengthen Gilmour's delivery of the lyrics. During the Gilmour parts, Dick Parry plays some nice laid back saxophone parts that add to the beauty and mood of the song. To me the most effective aspects of this song is when it escalates into the harmonized backing vocals being played along with the saxophone parts by Dick Parry. The 'saxophone outburst' solo at 5:44 is particularly noteworthy. Nick Mason's drumwork suits the mood beautifully. It is clear that his strengths lie in not what he does but what he doesn't do.

Word- Originally written by Richard Wright as an instrumental and to be used in the film Zabriskie Point. The scene that is was to be used in was a UCLA riot scene. It was originally titled The Violent Sequence This song deals with how people want to categorize themselves into groups. From the enemies of a war, a different race or even the homeless. Roger Waters provides lyrics that dwell on how destructive we can be and whether the human race is capable of being human. It is noted for being a song that ties in with the death of Waters' father during WWII and the impact it left on his life. This is most likely why he chose war as the center of the theme is this song. This event would later influence sections of The Wall and fully manifest itself in a good portion of The Final Cut.

"Forward he cried, from the rear and the front rank died And the General sat and the lines on the map moves from side to side."

ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE

Sound- The second track that uses a VCS3 synthesizer. It is completely guitar and keyboards. The composition shares the same beat as Breathe and in musical terms is a second reprise of the beat in the beginning of the album. This is the transition into madness and it shows because of the psychadelic nature of the music that harks back to their times with Syd Barrett. DT did a really good job covering this song at the Hammersmith.

BRAIN DAMAGE

"And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes, I'll see you on the dark side of the moon."

Madness is the key theme in the song. The primary influence of the track was Syd Barrett (R.I.P.) and his decline into madness. I love the playful insanity to this tune. The video that plays in concerts to this song shows various leaders (Bush, Arafat, and Stalin) and correlate with the first verse of the song with the lunatic being on the newspaper. The harmonizations on this track are beautiful. The lyric "the lunatic is on the grass" was written for a song during the Meddle sessions. That song was called Dark Side of the Moon! There's another lyric here I mentioned in italics under the title 'Brain Damage'. That is very much about Syd and how he went on to write new material after his duration with the Floyd. This song with Eclipse never fail to deliver the overpowering emotion that comes with each listen. If I had 5 minutes to live, I would listen to this song along with the next one.

"I can't think of anything to say...hahahaha... I think it's marvelous....hehehe..."
Thump, thump, thump, thump...

ECLIPSE

...BOOM! The climax.
This song sums up everything about the album. It recalls the themes of Breathe. The symbolic nature of the sun, the moon, time, and the heartbeat representing the cycle of life. What makes this album timeless is that it addresses the human experience and how madness, war, greed, and conflict tear us apart from the realization that we are but mere fragments in a larger part of life. The sun (symbol of goodness) is eclipsed by the moon. The album ends just as it begins, only this time the heartbeat stops which signifies death. The album is really much about life. It really is an amazing moment and one of the best album closers of all time.

"...and everything under the sun is in tune but the sun is eclipsed by the moon."

CONCLUSION
Dark Side of the Moon was an album that catapulted the Floyd to stardom and in Mike Portnoy's words "changed album-oriented rock" when it was released. I don't think even Pink Floyd can comprehend the kind of album that they created. In the music world, most popular albums are given a label, make the billboard charts and end up being forgotten. That's not the case with this gem. Albums like this one are rarely made: one that is innovative in sonic experimentation and lyrics but at the same time pummeling the listener with overwhelming emotion. As a result, it has touched millions around the world and is one of the biggest artistic statements of the last 50 years. It has an enduring legacy that is kept alive by both fans that are in it for the long run and fans that are newcomers to the band. It's universal message that although obstacles get in the way, we have the potential to overcome them. It is an album that will speak volumes to generations for years to come and showed that the genre of progressive rock was more than capable of captivating the heart, challenging the mind and moving the soul.

"There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark."

What I've been watching

2011-11-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

"I am always reluctant to single out some particular feature of the work of a major filmmaker because it tends inevitably to simplify and reduce the work. But in this book of screenplays by Krzysztof Kieslowski and his co-author, Krzysztof Piesiewicz, it should not be out of place to observe that they have the very rare ability to dramatize their ideas rather than just talking about them. By making their points through the dramatic action of the story they gain the added power of allowing the audience to discover what's really going on rather than being told. They do this with such dazzling skill, you never see the ideas coming and don't realize until much later how profoundly they have reached your heart."
Stanley Kubrick
January 1991

There's always been a tug and pull of sorts with my love of film. On one spectrum there's Toolbox Murders & Point Break. On the other end there's the filmmaker we're talking about now. Frank Zappa once said: "A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it isn't open." This is a view I have adopted into both film and music for quite some time. The only problem I have is the growing state of gray haired film criticism. On one corner you have someone declaring that Apatow is the king of the modern comedy. The next corner you have another person listing off 20 obscure foreign films and blasting American cinema. Even though it didn't have much to offer last year. Now there's a delicious dilemma for ya. I'm not trying to be prude, but I have more respect for the person who owns a copy of Cannibal Ferox and Nashville than a person who solely collects horror or the person who solely collects 'cinematic art'. Snacks and vegetables can both be on the menu.

Which brings us to today's article.

Flashback to 2003 when I was browsing the net and I came across an article written by one Roger Ebert. An article in which he name dropped Kubrick. But what was so interesting was not what was said about Kubrick so much as what Kubrick had said about another filmmaker. The film was The Decalogue and the Kubrick quotation was that it was the only masterpiece he could name in his lifetime.

There's a certain fascination on what films left an indelible impression on filmmakers' minds. For Lynch it was seeing Sunset Boulevard. For PT Anderson it was Network. You get a sense of the throughline that connects the themes and characters in those directors' respective works. Or at the very least, using bits and pieces as inspiration.

Getting hit with Kieslowski was alot like discovering Hitchcock as a kid. Like Hitch, it wasn't the plots that drew me in. It was the visual aspect. The vivid colors. The haunting scores in Decalogue, Three Colors & Double Life of Veronique. Enhancing the mood and atmosphere that exist within the framework of each story. Ambiguity can sometimes be used to a haphazard extent. Kieslowski uses it to create emotional jigsaw puzzles. Reveling in the unexplained but never to the point of becoming overwrought.

I'd write more on the films individually, but let's be honest. No amount of words can make up for the beauty within these works of art. For the uninitiated, start with Three Colors. Criterion has recently put out a fantastic blu ray/DVD set containing all three films.

a stark, chilly December

2011-11-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Last Piece of the Puzzle

2011-11-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

"Looking up at those stars in the sky. Those white clouds have turned to black"
-Norah Jones, "Black"

Don't those lyrics ring true. If the sky wasn't black enough this season, we'd think a friggin' solar eclipse occurred.

From that moment the camera zooms in onto a Lily of the Valley back to the moment Gus Fring makes his fateful walk to that nursing home, something happens in Breaking Bad that turns it into one of the true heavyweights of the art form. A 'flash-bang-wow' that changes our expression faster than Gus's when he finds out it is him finally on the 'hot seat'. Subconsciously, we kinda knew the moment would come sooner or later. The astounding attribute given to Season 4 is an emphatic bow given to the traditional villian. & willingly, the final puzzle pieces will come into play for the final season. As Walt White tells Jesse in End Times, it is him who is the last piece of the puzzle. This meaning alot more than being a cog in the wheel of Gus's plan.

Breaking Bad has already entrenched its feet firmly into non traditional storyelling. Don't try to stay ahead of it, cause you'll only lose your footing. The push and pull of family commitment vs. work has been a staple of storytelling. In terms of the long form, its most contemporary partner is The Sopranos. A show that paints a portrait of the modern family and its own head of the family circling down an existential drain. Breaking Bad, while not as ambitious as shows like Sopranos & The Wire takes a cue from the family vs. work type of story. Only to take that device and make it more complex.

The crystal meth drug trade in the universe of the show extends well beyond New Mexico. Yet its intimate and limited scope of characters complement the very subject it is dealing with. Another atrribute to be pointed out is that this is a show that, for the most part, is done in real time. A characteristic that only emphasizes the points driven home to us from the very beginning. When the camera zooms out of a gun barrel aimed directly at us. Not too different from another gun going off held by one Jesse Pinkman at the end of Season Three.

There are many disquieting sounds and static shots surrounding the show. A pair of pants flying through the air kicks things off. A pink bear with an eye missing. A pizza on a garage roof. A ringing bell that disrupts Walt & Jesse's plan to poison Tuco. By these shots alone, one would deduct that the world of these characters has spun out of control. The world of Walt & Jesse is woven together by false accusations, hollow truths and hard goodbyes. Everything lingers on a plan. Like pieces on a chessboard.

Drug trade aside, the triumph of the show lay in its character arcs of Walt & Jesse. Throughout the second season, Walt was cornered by Skylar into bearing the truth or continue spinning his web of lies. Now that the cat's out of the bag, the pressures Walt once faced from keeping his secret became pointed in the direction of one Gustavo Fring. A man driven by an unquenchable thirst for success. His detriment being the refusal to accept anything less than a 96% purity level and an even higher level of control amongst his employees.

On another plane, there is Jesse. His arc going from careless methhead to the one we are rooting for. This can best be explained by these important episodes that I predict will be cornerstones in the blueprint for Season Five's storyline.

Phoenix/ABQ: These last two episodes of Season Two are crucial to the series. Walt spilling the beans to Jesse about Jane's death is a nuclear device kept in reserve. Suffice it to say, Walt should be expecting alot more than a flask thrown at him if the truth about Jane does get out.

Fly: To make the transmission even more 'fuzzy', it is the episode Fly that pronounces an undercurrent of regret/sadness that Walt harbors. Effectively tapped to the point of tipping the scale. Or in this case, the ladder Jesse's standing on. It's not what was said in that episode but what wasn't said.

All this came to a clusterfuck that paradoxically resolved one issue and began another. Face Off is the episode that crystallized what Walt said earlier on: He is the danger.

& on top of this whole mess, Walt's intentions to get into the game the first place have got lost in the chaos of trying to maintain his own sanity. Walt has cast himself into his own private hell. With a road paved with Lillies of the Valley.

Other curious sidenotes: That same bell that once foiled Walt & Jesse's plan to poison Tuco has now finally worked in favor of Walt's plan. Turning Gus' face into one not too dissimilar from a half burnt prop on Gale's shelf. Or for that matter, a half burnt teddy bear floatin' in Walt's very own pool. All the more fitting that a 'floating object' in a pool would fit into the scene of Gus' own personal vendetta against Don Salamanca. Take take a cue from another blogger, there are events and people that are all becoming cyclical. Ourobouros is you will.

To this day, I'll never understand why people long for movies about TV shows like this. Season Four as a whole reminds me, as it should several others, of what the format of long form storytelling should be. Ironic isn't it, that some of the best writing and character presentation is coming from the small screen as opposed to the big screen.

Strange...what Love does

2011-11-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

11/11/11. Somebody out there was thinking a bomb would fall from the sky. In 1964 that fear of a bomb falling was not too far out there.

Satire, that is, sufficiently accomplished satire, can be the stuff of comic legend. A large part is of course the subject you are skewering over an open fire. Well, in '64 the fire was a kindlin'. & it's heat could be felt all the way from Russia. The Cuban Missile Crisis had just been averted. Nuclear deterrance became a hot topic.

There's something about the time period that always draws sheer fascination from me. The whole absurdity of the duck and cover routine was ripe enough for satire. But moreso is the fear born out of a generation who had just coped with the repressed air of safety during the 50's. An era where the nuclear family didn't have to be a double entendre and M.A.D. was associated with Alfred E. Newman instead of Mutually Assured Destruction. It took a a director to not only muster up enough courage to tackle the situation head on, but with sheer wit and ingenuity.

Strangelove is located somewhere between mad satire and cautionary fable. In a genre filled with many films tripping over their feet and falling backwards, this one has the tact to look into our faces and shout blast off. The concept of being a button away from worldwide nuclear disaster is nightmarish enough. Everything is crystallized when Strangelove gets up and shouts "I can walk!" Only for it to be all for nothing and gone in a flash. I don't think we'll ever get back to satire this daring. This devastatingly clever.

Kubrick would ride that little nuclear warhead all the way down to its target. Where we would meet him again one sunny day in 1968.

A trip to the boondocks

2011-11-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

I chose to sharpen the knives for a film that has repeatedly, in the past week, been brought up to me as 'a good movie'. The standard response to a Boondock fan is that it is redundant of Pulp Fiction. Which, at its core is a mineral that is still being mined to this day with the likes of Smokin' Aces.

It took a director to plunge the adrenaline shot into cinema for a new look on the crime genre. Needless to say, it was fuckin' trippy what transpired afterward. In its wake, hundreds of screenwriters tried to mimic its formula. Dressing characters up in a suit with shades. Or having two Irish hitmen spout religous diatribe while their rivals meet the business end of a pistol.

The heart of Pulp Fiction lay in not what we've seen in movies a hundred times before but what we haven't seen. The stuff that would get left on a cutting room floor. The kind of scenes that would have two hitmen go on a dialogue about toes before they enter. It's also the kind of scenes where the comfortable silences are suddenly punctured by a shot to the face. The violence is fast and quick. The wit twice as fast. There's no Dafoe running around in drag re-enacting a 'firefight'.
The plot of two religous hitmen declaring their own brand of vengeance turns out to be, as one reviewer so eloquently noted, a serial killer movie. Not a vigilante movie.

A fan of Boondock Saints should be familiar with its director Troy Duffy. In that sense they should also be familiar with Overnight. Here is the story of a man who became bartender to movie director. Though his oversized ego would destroy his career. Someone handed a huge opportunity and flushes it down the toilet.

The problem with the film as it stands? Saints feels like it was written by a bartender who has seen his share of movies. As opposed to a former video store clerk who already wrote two scripts called True Romance and Reservoir Dogs. & if I ever needed proof to that, the man would 'come back' with an an even worse offender: Boondock Saints: All Saints Day. To quote Duffy "As for my film career, get used to it. Cause it ain't going anywhere. Period."

Overall Grade: D

all out war

2011-10-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Now they got this big airgun that shoots a bolt into their skull and then retracts it.

October 30 Pt. 2: Jacob's Ladder

2011-10-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

Radio Isn't Dead posed the question at the beginning of the month. What scares you?
I think one of the scariest traits a horror film can possess is the sheer sense of unknowing. The bizarre or unexplained. No need for dull exposition. Eraserhead is a film that will always give me the creeps. But it really defies genre. Jacob's Ladder oozes that exacting fear inherint in all of us. It's also a picture that modern films have been bitin' from for a long, long time.

What starts out as a Vietnam film soon escalates into a nightmare induced fever dream. Brimming with surreal atmosphere and hellish surroundings. Few films are able to create a nightmarish world perfectly. See the aforementiomed Eraserhead for proof. Even fewer are able to inject deeper meaning into that world. Jacob's Ladder is an extremely rare breed that is not only profoundly terrifying but intelligent and heartbreaking. A film whose demons kicks you in the dirt repeatedly. Only to let you finally see the light once it's all said and done. Top 30 worthy.

A+

October 30 Pt. 1: Jaws

2011-10-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Summer of '75 saw the birth of the blockbuster. It arrived alright. With teeth ready to sink its bite into an unsuspecting crowd. Right down to the iconic poster tihs film simmers with nostalgic glory. Seeing a director like Spielberg take on material like this is something that I'm starting to miss. His last genre efforts, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull & War of the Worlds show that 'magic' he loves to talk about disappearing. Regressing in tone and texture rather than progressing. He showed off his directing chops with Duel. Jaws takes everything he learned previously and amps it up to 11.

People often accuse of Spielbergo's movies being sugarcoated. This is certainly true of the Kick the Can segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie, Hook & several parts of Temple of Doom. Around that time he was all about kids. The magic and wonder of childhood. It's a far step from seeing little Alex being attacked by a shark in '75. I don't know if he'll ever get back to this point. Jaws also contains one of my favorite monologues. Belonging to Robert Shaw of course. It's a feverish, sweat inducing story that counterposes a merrily singing Shaw, Dreguss and Scheider. A+

October 29 Pt. 2: Videodrome

2011-10-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

Cronenberg has always been interested in the human body. What gets under our skin. Both literally and metaphorically. His recent efforts like A History of Violence internalize the horror. When Stephen McHattie's face is hanging off, it makes the impact of the scene that much more potent. It's the ideas and story that are now at the forefront more than ever. That's not to say his past work hasn't had interesting concepts. It's just now they are much more subdued in presentation. But when they hit you, they hit you until you're lying on the ground with your nose punched through your skull.

The Brood was a restrained movie when all was said and done. Scanners was, for the most part, restrained. Videodrome on the other hand doesn't hold back. Only this time, instead of traditional graphic violence, its all organic. Rick Baker's practical effects hold up to this day. Look no further than the cancer gun scene.
Concept wise, it's obviously a middle finger to those who lashed out at his early work. A criticism I've seen thrown at the film is its bewildering plot. Videodrome is essentially Canada's answer to some of the Italian horror films of the late 70's and early 80's. It's much more about an intense and unforgettable experience. One that would bridge the gap between an exploding head and Jeff Goldblum spewing fly blood from his fingertips.

Long live the new flesh.

A+

October 29 Pt. 1: Frenzy

2011-10-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Frenzy to me represents what might have been had Hitchcock lived on and directed future films. Unfortunately he passed in 1980. Hitch's second to last film is quite possibly his nastiest. The trademark dark humor and masterful suspense is there in spades. Yet there is also a natural progression of some of his darkest material since Psycho. Unofrtunately that doesn't necessarily mean it's a progression of that quality. I've always wondered what types of films would ole' Hitch be makin' had he lived during the 80's. Frenzy is an indication of a delightfully grimmer side.

A-/B+

October 28 Pt. 2: Night of the Living Dead

2011-10-28T18:50:00.001-07:00

At the age of 6, a midnight feature came on that started out with a car on its way to a graveyard set to an eerie score. Night of the Living Dead the title card read. With grim foreboding I layed me eyes upon. In the next hour and a half, I would go through the ringer. Maybe I was too young to get the social commentary that was in the film. The fact that this came out in '68, a year of assassinations and protest. What always stayed with me though was Judy going up those stairs and seeing that corpse at the top of them. Karen Cooper picking up a garden trowel and going after her mother. The fact that it ended on such a downbeat note. Harp on Romero all ya want. The man formed a legacy after these films. & if it wasn't for his first three dead films, I'd be starving for something to wet my appetite. Beatin' on a car window with a brick, trying to get inside for some fresh meat. I just wish the meat of his last two zombie films felt fresh. Instead, it feels like leftovers.

I've always maintained that while Night was his masterpiece, Dawn was the one with the best balance. Day on the other hand veers into such nihilism and is shamefully dismissed because of it. I personally hold major digs for the film and actually in some ways prefer it over Dawn. Though that story has pretty much been told...

A+

October 28: Santa Sangre

2011-10-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Surrealism and horror. A theme I'll be covering this whole weekend. But what better way to kick it off with Jodorowsky's hell bent side show Santa Sangre. I'm cracking open the door a lil' bit to reveal a pick culled from my personal top 100.

The director known for more or less kicking off the midnight movie scene with El Topo and redifining cinematic art with Holy Mountain finally used tunnel vision to channel some truly creative work. It's not as sporadic and chaotic as Holy Mountain. Which is arguably his Inland Empire. The quest isn't quite El Topo either. It's really Jodorowsky setting the horror genre on fire and dancing around like a wild Indian watching it burn ever so slowly into an ember. Jodorowsky also occupies a territory with fellow surrealist Lynch. His films don't quite fit into a genre. Who can really classify Inland Empire or Lost Highway anyway. The story for Santa Sangre plays out as a horror film. The extra toppings of surrealism and mad circus mayhem are funneled through a filter and comes out as a poem full of blood red colors and hallucinations. A disorienting experience. But that's what you'd expect as the end of the mayhem from a movie like this. Right?

A+

From the Crypt

2011-10-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

5 years old. Some of my friends weren't even allowed to watch Looney Tunes. Yet, here I am. Being graced with the cover of a horror themed comic book. Tales From the Crypt. Issue #5. That cover both haunts and comforts me to this day. Knowing how it all started from there. With each page turned, I delved further into the macabre and mischievious. It did what several comedy/horror genre movies have been doing or trying to do. Bringing levity to the horror situation. Yet surprisingly, it wasn't quite Abbott and Costello. It's intentions were a few shades darker.

The boogeyman under the bed and the monster in the closet are no longer scary when you turn them on an evil doer. They are strangely comforting. Revenge has been a factor in storytelling for as long as storytelling has been around. But never has it been done with such gleefully tongue in rotting cheek humor. & that was the formula EC essentially created. If not created then perfected. It's this very formula that has been nearly impossible to duplicate. In both spin off books and movies.

This is why I hold a movie like Creepshow near and dear. Romero and King get it. They understand the material and paint each scene with care. Conversely, this is why a film like Zombieland fails miserably. It's not about some faggotty hipster trying to score with the girl next door. It's about Henry luring Wilma into a laboratory for a special surprise.

Graham Ingels, Johnny Craig and Jack Kamen would become heroes. Their artwork and writing being something I'd always look forward to as my collection grew like the grass on Jordy Verrill's house. Then there was ole' Cryptkeeper. The (g)host with the most. His ghastly presence becoming a nasty treat when Tales From the Crypt would become a TV series. Getting home after school and popping a tape in the VCR to record episodes off the television became a ritual. The episode Television Terror would end up becoming a favorite. & it only made it cooler that some of the names who would executive produce the show and even direct some of the episodes happen to be Robert Zemeckis, Richard Donner and Walter Hill. Not to mention the plethora of stars ranging from Schwarznegger to Brad Pitt to Kirk Douglas.

I'm rambling now because I seriously could go on for hours about my love for these "books of juvenile delinquency." I'll always have William Gaines to thank for creating the EC brand. My gateway drug into horror. Sometimes you love something so much it becomes a part of your soul. That's what EC comics were to me as a youngster and in many ways still are.

And that's the story dear reader! Tune in next time for another gruesome installment.

October 24: Deep Red

2011-10-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

If anyone were knew to the giallo genre, Deep Red would be the first film I'd show them. It's got the essential components: brutal (yet reserved) kills, a sleak killer and an awesome soundtrack. It was around this time giallos were in their peak before they devolved into straight up slash 'em flicks. Look no further than a film like Fulci's New York Ripper to see what I'm talking about.
Argento's direction is at a peak here.
A

October 24 Pt. 2: Who Can Kill A Child?

2011-10-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

This film has been on my radar for quite a while. I got the chance to finally sit down and watch it a few months ago. The title alone says it all. This one is not for the faint of heart. The basic premise is two vacationers travel off to an island inhabited and ruled by kids. The stock footage in the first 8 minutes is disturbing enough and it obviously is trying to drive a point home. A scene like this basically segregates a film like this into obscurity.

Imagine the "evil kids" subgenre film but taking it to the extreme. The filmmaking here is pure 70's grit. No boundaries. It doesn't revel in the gore and is played very matter of fact. It's a rare one.

B/B-

October 24 Pt. 1: Scream

2011-10-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

As time goes by, the appeal of the Scream movies seem more perplexing. In the past decade of "homages" and "tributes" to the genre, only a handful have successfully passed. The problem here is that the bad ones poke fun at what they are actually trying to be while the good ones actually are what they attempt to be. If you think about it, today's countless attempts at trying to recreate an exploitation film (something almost impossible to do anyway) are strikingly similiar to the spawned brethren of a bastard child named Scream. Which was birthed from an ugly spore of hip dialogue and survival kit for the slasher movie.

Craven does inject some good moments here and there. The opening scene for example. I like slasher movies though. I don't need a cast of hot and hip stars to tell me the rules. Trying too hard could never be exemplified better than the Scream franchise and all of its Kevin Williamson spawns that followed.

C-

October 23 Pt. 2: The Mummy

2011-10-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

Of the Universal Monsters movies, I consider Frankenstein my favorite. But It'll Dark Be Soon already covered those bases. The one film I always thought had so much potential and didn't quite live up to it all was The Mummy. Granted, the Universal Monsters vibe is in full force here. Yet upon the first couple viewings, there was still something that could be improved upon. Egyptian mythology offers a treasure trove of grotesque imagery that could be used with startling results. Yes, I'm talking remake. & I as much as I hate to say it, this is a film that, when put in the right hands, could offer up a grotesque interpretation of the material.

As '99 rolled around and they eventually did remake it, I was given Indiana Jones with mummies instead of anything remotely satisfying. Horror films have been cursed with the "R" word for quite some time. Some good (The Thing '82, The Fly, The Blob) while most others awful. There's still a bountiful amount of material to be mined here and given the right director and screenwriter, it could go down as a reinterpretation that actually elevates the material rather than completely squander it all with a brainless Brendan Fraser.

B

October 23 Pt. 1: Dead Alive

2011-10-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Around 2009 I wondered if I should ever bother with a Peter Jackson film again. Lord of the Rings, for all the grandiose special effects, ended up leaving a bitter aftertaste. Then The Lovely Bones came out and it cemented that wondering with a big NO. Strange enough, the first PJ film I laid my eyes upon was The Frighteners. An adequate spook-n-surprise story with an (at the time) more-than-adequate produced named Robert Zemeckis attached. It would only come as more of a surprise when around the time I was anticipating a soon to be lackluster seige of Return of the King that I would learn upon his early works.

I think it speaks volumes when someone who once so lovingly created a scene of a bunch of intestines chasing a man is now creating a scene of a girl wandering in the "in between". I'm pretty sure there's a "I'll never top myself after this" feeling when you create a film like Dead Alive. But that's just the thing. All of his films, with the exception of Frighteners, have a large scope if not in concept/theme, then in set pieces.

Dead Alive was the answer to the likes of Evil Dead. "Top this Raimi" might have well been the tagline for the picture. Undead baby, kung fu preacher, an overbearing mother and the zombie massacre to end them all. It still stands as Jackson's most creative effort. We all secretly want to see more blood in the zombie film that's playing. Dead Alive finally quenched that bloodthirst.

A-

October 22 Pt. 2: The Beyond

2011-10-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Italian films of the 70's and 80's are almost an acquired taste. You either get it or you don't. Suspiria is not beloved for its storyline. It's beloved because of the style Argento uses. It's all about image and sound and how the two are used to give the film that gothic vibe. Fulci takes nightmare logic one step further. Just watching the likes of Zombie or City of the Living Dead you come away with several great scenes. The splinter in the eye, the zombie taking a chunk out of a woman's neck, , etc. Well that's just it. The images of Fulci's films are the things you go to when you put on a Fulci film. Not so much the story.

Gianetto De Rossi's effects, Sergio Salveti's camerawork and the returning collaboration with Fabrio Frizzi's score are all factors to be dealt with. It harkens back to what Haxan promised in 1924. It's the stuff of nightmares. Gory crucifixions, sulphuric acid meltdowns, chain whippings, tarantuals and what Fulci film can be complete without the eyeball impalements?

It also contains the best exploding head shot captured on film. So there.

A+

October 22 Pt. 1: Freaks

2011-10-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Freaks Some may argue as to whether this is even a horror film at all. To that I ask, what line must be drawn where one considers it a full on horror or just a thriller with horrific elements? Friedkin considers Exorcist a psychological thriller. Some critics even consider The Shining to be a psychological thriller. People are afraid to own up to and embrace the genre. Se7en and Silence of the Lambs I've seen on multiple lists of both horror and thrillers. Whatever the case may be, all of these films contain unforgettable scenes of dread. Freaks is an early example of this.

Tod Browning proved he was a force to be reckoned with when Dracula was released. But his best film is Freaks. The "normal peple" actually come off as self centered and egotistical. While the sideshow performers are quite likeable. The fact that they used actual circus performers was a feat in itself. Hell, it even has a member of the Lollipop Guild in it! This film would never get a greenlight from a studio today. A

October 18: C.H.U.D.

2011-10-18T19:10:00.000-07:00

When it comes to horror, I've always preferred mine raw. Most of my top faves are from the 70's. The decade that was home to chainsaw weilding maniacs and demonically possessed children. More I think of it though, the more it hits me that a particular decade can't really be pinpointed as favorite concerning horror. The 70's, as great a decade as it was (& it easily is my favorite decade of film in general) wasn't nearly as prolific as the 80's in pumping out genre films. Yesterday we hit upon what could easily be classified as a 70's grindhouse film but with the trapping of a 80's slasher picture. Today we're hitting territory of the 80's B-film.

Subjectively speaking, one man's trash is another one's treasure. I'm not saying this film comes off as trash. Far from it in fact. C.H.U.D. takes a plot that could find it's home in a 50's midnight horror feature and dresses it up with 80's clothing. The result is an entertaining genre exercise. Besides, it's got John Heard, Daniel Stern and a cameo from John fucking Goodman!

B

October 17: Pieces

2011-10-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ever since Jason donned a hockey mask, slasher films have been about two basic needs: boobs n' gore. So, with those two ingredients in mind, directors have been concocting their own little creations and plugging in the basic formula. That's not to say the formula is at all stale. You know what you're going to get when you sit down to watch something like The Burning. What you don't really expect though is to what degree you are going to get it. With this in mind, Pieces succeeds. It 'outslashes' the Friday the 13th series. Even if its rooted in bizarre plot mechanics and grindhouse schlock. Without a memorable villian though, the dish we are served ends up a little dry. B/B-

October 16: The Innocents

2011-10-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

A black screen with only that haunting theme playing for the opening minutes of the film. Monochromatic terror doesn't get much better than this folks. The Innocents is a story based on Henry James' novel Turn of the Screw. It's been filmed several times before but no interpretation comes close to matching the eerie foreboding that Jack Clayton captures here. Granted, it's dialogue heavy. But! there still are moments that are genuinely terrifying.

If anything, The Innocents is a prime example of how to use lighting and shadows to create scares. Ones that are done right. Freddie Francis knew what he was doing. Lynch must have seen it since he would employ him for a little ole' picture in 1980 called The Elephant Man.

October 15 Pt. 2: Let Sleeping Corpses Lie

2011-10-15T15:41:00.001-07:00

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie

a.k.a. The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue a.k.a. Don't Open the Window.

The first film to really show zombies attacking in daylight. The bulk of horror films back in the early 70's and really up until that point had nighttime settings. After so many of them though, things do get desensitizing. It's not until you see the monster in the daylight in full color that things get a little surreal. A trait another horror film would share from that same year but I'll save that for later in the month.

The story at times lacks in logic and tries to bat a hand in exposition. Don't let that keep you away from this hidden gem. The plot allows the important aspects of the film to be pushed to the fore. Grau's direction keeps things interesting and gives you everything you could want in a zombie. The English countryside is photographed with incredible atmosphere. You'd be tricked into almost thinking this was a film from Britian when it's really Italian.

Everyone knows Night, Dawn & Day of the Dead. Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is that hidden gem that's always waiting in the wings for its next victim.

B+/A-

October 15 Pt. 1: Basket Case

2011-10-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

A co-worker recommended I watch this one. So it's only fitting I squeeze it into the marathon. This one took me by surprise. I'd never heard the name Frank Henenlotter before, but my ears were at attention when it was over. Henenlotter's films are essentially exploitation with the extra juice. Basket Case, Brain Damage (which I have yet to see) & Frankenhooker are films you'd expect to be playing across the street from a grungy grindhouse cinema.

Before we asked the question "What's in the box" this film had us asking "what's in the basket?". Now be forewarned, Henenlotter injects a fair amount of cheese. As expected from these types of genre movies. Yet where it would detract in other cases, it actually adds to his sensibilities. He wouldn't quite perfect it until he got to Frankenhooker, but what we are given here is a gory, straight outta EC comics plot.

B-

October 13: Alien

2011-10-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Scott's filmography is a tricky beast. Black Hawk Down had some memorable scenes. Yet it never geled cohesively & I was stuck with vapid excess as an afterthought. Speaking of excess...Hannibal?! & don'tget me started with Gladiator. It doesn't seem Scott will ever get back on the right track. Blade Runner though. That's a film I do dig in all its neon synth glory. Even that doesn't come close to approaching what he accomplished in '79.

Alien is about a multitude of things- isolation, fear, mutiny. All in an enclosed space. It's the ultimate solution to the haunted house concept. Why not just leave the house? Well, in space you're shit outta luck. & apparently no one can hear you scream either. Above all else, the concept and design of Alien are two things that always left an impression. It is after all, about getting violated. Having a creature rape your face, impregnate you and then have an alien come rucketing out your chest. Much like the feeling Scott's recent films have left me in. I guess that's what's so terrifying about the movie to begin with.

As long as were on this topic of the Alien franchise I will state a strong opinion. People alway single out Alien 3 as the worst in the series. They love Aliens but when Fincher went dark and abandoned all hope right at the outset, it got under people's skin. If there ever needed to be a reminder it is this: people die in Alien movies. The concept alone is terrifying enough. & I don't think we need to rehash this when Se7en silenced the naysayers of ole' Finch.

But I'm digressing. Alien has always had a soft spot in my heart and a hard spot in Kane's stomach.

A+

Day 10: The Host

2011-10-10T19:04:00.001-07:00

The drive in creature feature. A staple of 50's cinema. So why not go the extra step and inject family drama and black comedy. Why not even slap a new coat of wax on the monster while were at it. Voila. We have Bong Jon Hoo's The Host. A director who is 3 for 3 in my book in terms of straight up cinematic gold. In that 50's tradition, this is the creature feature I always wanted from American cinema but never really got. Don't get me wrong. The 50's "drive in classics" are fun. But The Host offers so much more than the scares or faux scares of that genre. The characters are genuine in their decisions and actions. It doesn't fall prey to being self concious. It embraces its genre and goes one step further with it. A place where many horror films these days fear to tread.

Day 9 Pt. 2: 28 Days Later

2011-10-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

The debate will rage on: fast or slow zombies. Another debate will continue: Is 28 Days Later a zombie film. One debate won't continue though and that is whether or not it is a good horror film. It dishes out everything you;d want: high intensity suspense, gore and an astounding score. Usually when bitten by a zombie, the effect actually takes time. 28 Days plays it out that if you get so much as a drop of blood on you, the change is almost instantaneous. Something never quite mined from the undead/infected genre, or at least not as successfully until 2002.

It could have been a perfect movie had it not been for some of the all too influenced Day of the Dead ending. That being said, it's easily Boyle's best work since Trainspotting. It's works like these that are proof that the genre of horror isn't entirely dead and the end is certainly not fucking nigh.

A-/B+

Day 9 Pt. 1: Spider Baby

2011-10-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

"Jack Hill is unknown for one main reason: poor self promotion. He was in the same film class as Francis Ford Coppola and it's fairly obvious as to why Francis made it big and people scratch their heads when you bring up the name Jack Hill."

Sid Haig made it clear about Jack Hill when I heard him speak at Flashback Weekend in September. It was there he spoke of with great fondness a film called Spider Baby. The chance he had to work with a legend. The wolf man himself, Lon Chaney Jr. Spider Baby has that 50s/60s "spook house" tone that I just love. It doesn't pull alot of punches either. We're treated to a severed ear in the opening moments. & that credit sequence is just foaming with evil vibes. Also, before Haig belonged to a family of psychpaths & serial killers, he belonged to another family of psychopaths & cannibals. Think of a demented ancestry between the Firefly clan and the Merrye family and you'd be on similiar wavelengths.

I don't mean to speak ill of Francis at all. Always been a huge fan. Hill on the other hand is someone who has been versatile within the exploitation genre. Introducing us to those Switchblade Sisters and giving us Pam Grier in Coffy. A director like Hill is alot like that underground band you knew about in high school that never quite made it big. It's always interesting to hear what rebellious albums they crank out next.

B+

Day 8: The Prowler

2011-10-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Prowler is one of the countless slasher films that came out in the dawn of Friday the 13th's release. While the film does suffer from the slasher stereotype of "fuck plot. tits and gore all the way", it still is one of the more memorable slasher flicks of the 80's. Tom Savini even did some of the more memorable gore FX for this film. Both him & the director Joseph Zito would team up again on the fourth installment of Friday the 13th, The Final Chapter.

Despite the illogical plot of the picture and the fact that it's pretty easy to guess who the killer in army fatigues actually is, the film still can hold its own. One that many 80's horror fans will love.

Day 6: Cannibal Holocaust

2011-10-07T18:42:00.001-07:00

"Why is this in your collection?"

It's usually a question reserved for the likes of what one would dub "a guilty pleasure". I have gotten to the point where I have no guilt for what I like. Then there's a flip side to that coin.

"Why is this in your collection?"

Same question. Only this time they're asking it not for the sake of your taste in film. But for your sanity. For those wondering where I fall in the ballpark, see the above paragraph for the answer. I guess it boils down to this: curiosity. Many of us, some to a small extent, others to a larger degree, have a fascination with the macabre. What drew me into these types of movies is that very thing. It's an andrenaline rush. Are they going to go that far? Oh yes, they just did. So as someone who had their fill of Romero zombie films, the best of Carpenter and all the other classics, I was ready for something different. Something that took horror to that next level. I had already seen tone and suspense mastered with Psycho & Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Now it was time to go to Italy and see what those fiendish filmmakers were up to.

There's always those first time viewings that get embedded into your memory. You never forget it. Cannibal Holocaust hit me like a Mac truck going 75 mph. The opening credits & Riz Ortolani's haunting score set everything up. Probably even more powerful than Ortolani's main theme is the piece of music played at one of the most infamous moments of the film. The girl on the pike. How the HELL did they pull that off? Having the knowledge of how Ruggero Deodato actually did it still can't diminsh the power of it. Cause a film like this, no matter how many times you see it, harks back to that first time sitting down in front of the TV. Popping it in the DVD player. Feeling like you just went to hell and back after those credits roll.

Cannibal Holocaust like many of my favorite movies is an experience. Horror just picks up the darker reflections of society anyway. This is one of those films that takes you the darkest recesses of mankind. Stares at you with unflinching malice and dares you to watch further. "You think you can handle this scene? Well wait till you see what's in store for you next."

It makes my top 100 because of that very reason. It's an experience. The kind that has been rarely equalled in horror & more importantly extreme horror.

Day 5: It

2011-10-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

The eater of worlds. King's novel is something I have yet to tackle & given enough time, will. Tommy Lee Wallace has dabbled in this playground before. Sure enough, Halloween: Season of the Witch had children in danger. The strength of the film lie in the dilemma it presents: only children can see Pennywise. & it works in the first half. Wallace takes the formula for Season of the Witch and injects that same sort of dread here. Only this time it's not some Silver Shamrock commercial. It's a razor sharped teeth clown that feeds on fear.

The problem? The second half. Oh that second half. Nostalgia is fun. When it's brought into a horror movie it could sway it good or bad. What's wrong here is with the chemistry and potency of the actors. The kids in the first episode all had their little quirks, or cliches even. Regardless, another high point that diminishes some of the weaker ones is Tim Curry as Pennywise. What I love so much about King's concept is that there really is no concrete thing that is used as 'the scare factor'. Every kid has their own little fear that is manifested upon them. Now how cool is that?
B-

Day 4: Inside

2011-10-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

The first two entries of 31 Days had light hearted elements in them. Now we're going straight to the jugular. The French have had a penchant for extreme violence in their latest entries into the horror genre. Instead of the machete they give us the concrete saw. With Inside, it is a multitude of weapons. The cold dead gaze of a crazed Beatrice Dalle being For my money, it the most succesful in developing overwhelming tension. Both Martyrs & High Tension had sharp left turns when they approached their third act. The former going to the point of changing the concept (a ballsy move rarely seen in horror) of the movie entirely.

When dealing with Inside, it's straight up tension until those last heart pounding minutes. Now I won't spoil it for you. But you'll know exactly when it comes. It's a constant one upmanship in terms of gore and grue that offers us the flip side of the coin to the zany antics Peter Jackson gave us in Dead Alive.

Day 3: Haxan

2011-10-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Speedy McFlash's latest entry into 31 Days is the gothic Rosemary's Baby. So I thought it'd only be fitting to go all the way back to the 20's to a movie brewing with gothic and literary references. I've always held a serious attraction to silent horror. It gets away with many things the talkies cannot. For one, they are intensely atmospheric. & to go off on a slight tangent, that type of atmosphere has been rarely captured anymore. Only Eraserhead comes close (sorry Guy Maddin, I know ya tried with Brand Upon the Brain). Haxan constantly pokes at us with a three pronged pitchfork. It's fiendish cries and devilish gaze transfixing. Benjamin Christensen's lighting cues and staging help paint a darkened world of witchcraft, torture, and possessed nuns.

If film is indeed a visual medium revolving around light and movement, the silent pictures of old are in a class unto themselves. Just watching one of these makes you wish things would almost simplify in cinema. I love the Tarantino & Mamets of the world, filling the earholes with that oh-so wonderful dialogue. But isn't it just as wonderful, if not moreso, to sit back and get engulfed in the visuals the medium has to offer?

Christensen gave Haxan a tonality of surrealism. Denying us cues from when the film jumps from reality to another. Prefiguring the genres of demonic possession that the likes of Friedkin brought us with The Exorcist. It's one of those early sparks that started the hellfire and brimstone kindling.

If you have a fascination with the grotesque, the macabre or mysticism, you owe it to yourself to watch this.

Day 2: Street Trash

2011-10-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

You go to Texas Chainsaw Massacre to feel the grimy, sweaty Summer heat. You go to Eraserhead to get enveloped by a dark brooding atmosphere. So what do feel when you pop in Street Trash? Trashy. That's what. The title delivers. The film flies by in its running time. Due to its way of linking five main characters and four plots. I mean seriously, how many movies do you see that contain the plots of:

1) a crooked cop action movie
2) a comedy about hobos
3) a drama about a Vietnam vet
4) and a love story between a homeless man and a junkyard secretary
& to add icing to the cake, throw in a little body horror with melting drunks.

Street Trash offers up a giant plate of offensive humor. We're talking the kind John Waters and Lloyd Kaufman would be jealous of. No apologies. No refunds accepted. It's foul, innapropriate and also happens to be funny as all hell. A cult classic in the tradition of Larry Cohen's The Stuff. So raise a glass of Tenafly Viper & check it out.
B+

Day 1: Night of the Demons

2011-10-01T11:46:00.001-07:00

Linnea Quigley. In the nude. With makeup all over her face. Not intrigued yet? Well, this movie just may not be for you. This movie had me with its opening titles. 80's music and synthesizers have always been criticized as dated, cheesy and stomach churning. That criticism is pretty much buried here. The opening music encapsulates what is to come- a big ole' bag of fun. The kind of fun you'd have in a haunted house with a bunch of friends.

By all intenstive purposes, this could have easily been written off as another B- horror movie from the 80's. The typical group of 80's kids going to a haunted house for a schlockfest. & it more or less plays on those conventions. Yet there's still something more to it. Even in today's state of horror, you don't get this level of ghoulish glee. A horror film that just doesn't hold back and delivers the goods.

NOTD is one of those movies that they just don't make anymore. It's hard to pull off horror that is fun. That's one of the charms of 80's style horror. The fun factor is sorely missing from the genre these days. I'm all for the scares and terror. But how often do you come across a chilling dance scene from Amelia Kinkade that comes out of nowhere. B -

Did I mention Linnea Quigley?

31 Days of Horror

2011-09-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

It's almost time kids. The clock is ticking. Be in front of your TV sets for the horror-thon. & remember the big giveaway at 9.

Yes, boils and ghouls. It's that time of the year again. Halloween is upon us. So I thought I'd pitch in. The idea was inspired by It'll Be Dark Soon. It's something I've been doing the past two months of October as well but haven't blogged about it. So in honor of what is probably my favorite month, I'll be covering 31 horror movies ranging from popular titles to obscure ones. From recent fright flicks to the silent classics. A wide variety is guaranteed.

In addition to this, there will be some features on different subgenres, the state of horror today and general nostalgia for a genre of film that is near n' dear. While work may delay a couple entries, there's a good chance I'll be doing two a day to keep up.

Top 100 Grab Bag #57: Battle Royale

2011-09-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

When it comes to the concept of a horror film, or any film for that matter, there's usually lines and boundaries that are inherent in the structure of the script. What is taboo and what is accepted. The thing about Asian cinema is just how much the directors take on those taboos and obliterate them. Sometimes creating an entire film to doing that very purpose (the Guinea Pig series, the All Night Long films, Tetsuo: Iron Man) or infusing it into a genre film backed by masterful storytelling-- Park Chan Wok's Vengeance trilogy, Kim Ji Woo's I Saw the Devil, Takashi Miike's countless genre films, etc. Yes, the violence is intense. But the vision is wholly uncompromising. & in that respect, elevates the level of intensity and drive of the characters.

The notion of a civil unrest and a nation terrorized by its youth has been done before on smaller scale. Narciso Ibanez Serrador's Who Can Kill A Child is a prime example. But what Royale has in spades that so many faux B movie knockoffs of the present don't is the conviction to stay true to its concept. The astounding thing about Battle Royale is that the entire concept & plot is taboo to begin with. It's the Lord of the Flies taken to the next level. One of those films that could not possibly be remade on American shores. Koushon Takami's graphic novel has become a cult classic and rightfully so. It rigorously goes over the multitude of scenarios that can be possible when faced with this dilemma.

One must take into account- these are actual teenage actors playing these roles. Putting even more bite into the synopsis. Here is a film that fully embraces its controversial concept and rides it out to the very end.

The scorpion and the frog

2011-09-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

A film that is polarizing audiences into the either love it or hate it camp. It is all the more fitting that Drive plays with opposites. Uncomfortable silence and abrasive rage. Nicolas Winding Refn is no stranger to the crime genre. Hitting the streets with the gritty Pusher trilogy then hitting the slammer with Bronson.

Slow motion violence can be traced back all the way to the man who made it 'cool'- Sam Peckinpah. Since then, a number of directors have infused it into their style and went for the drawn out as opposed to the Scorsese 1-2-BANG YOU'RE DEAD school of violence. This film demonstrates both at just the moment it calls for. Take for instance, the hotel scene. Given that a number of moments in the film show the Driver reacting to something happening off screen, it gives way for that type of audience inclination at what will happen next. He knows what's going to happen and seconds later we catch up.

Now I bring this up only because a criticism of the film has been it's overstylized slow motion. This isn't used as a gimmick ala Zack Snyder. I try replaying that scene in standard, pun viciously intended, speed. & it doesn't have nearly as much impact. On that token, putting the pawn shop heist in slow motion would have completely squandered the tension built up for that scene.

A major reason why Drive works so well is because of the choices dictated by Refn. What to do and what NOT to do. He knows how to build a scene

The aesthetic of Drive has been compared to that of 80's films such as To Live and Die In LA but with an even harsher, unflinching edge that accentuates the violence ever more so. Stylish. Sleak. Sophisticated. That's what the reviews are saying. If there ever was a more nail on the head remark it is that- stylish. It clearly wears it's 80's influences on its sleave.

At least a half a dozen scenes are seared into my memory. Drive is a film that will keep you under its spell long after you leave the theatere.

Ten Favorite TV Shows Pt. 6: Six Feet Under

2011-09-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

Favorite character: Nate Fisher
Favorite episodes: A Private Life, It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, I'm Sorry I'm Lost, Untitled, Everyone's Waiting

A series that deals with death in a profoundly moving way. Injecting a good number of Twin Peaks influenced dream scenes throughout. This only elevates the material and gives it a darker edge. Especially as the series progresses. Alan Ball's writing prose is certainly relevant in this case. As the series has countless moments of dark humor

The best one can hope for in a series finale is a conclusion that is wholly satisfying and original. One that caps off the series in the particular aesthetic or subject matter that series touches upon. In that regard, Six Feet Under has probably the most satisfying ending to any series I've seen.

Ready for my close up

2011-09-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

It started with a chair...

2011-09-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

Top 100 Grab Bag- #14- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

2011-09-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

I was once asked by a good friend "how could you like Zodiac more than Shawshank Redemption?" Since my digs are purely subjective and exist on the basis of wanting to watch the film multiple times, then it should come out the other end as honest. In both choice & ranking. Regardless of how high it charts an some list the AFI or imdb made or how many oscars it won.

Ranking has always been the difficult task of any list. I'm sure anyone who has made one knows what I'm talking about. It's not that I dislike the film at #100 because it ranks there. The way I look at it, these are 100 A+ students. The smartest, liveliest, wittiest kids in the class. Always ahead of the game.

So in that regard, I will be choosing all 100 entries at random. That's right. Random. & today we'll be visiting a little ole' mental institution.

#14- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Cuckoo's Nest takes on the form of what one would expect from a prison movie. You have the rebellious lead. The villian in Nurse Ratched. It's a 100% anti-establishment picture that the audience of the 70's dug so much along with those golden boys at the Academy.

Sure, films like Cool Hand Luke & The Great Escape had that tasty morsel of rebellion that had us cinemagoers chomping at the bit for that breathtaking escape scene. & while I hold huge digs for both films, one can see the inherant reblliousness of a baseball tossin' Captain Hiltz in the natural born world shaker Lucas Jackson. Characters like that exist to throw the establishment off its kilter. & do they do it ever so cool too. Even that tall glass of water, Andy Dufrasne exists to do so.

OFOTCN excels over the others because of its attention to secondary (& even tertiary) characters. Bill Bibbitt, the Chief, Tabor, Charlie Cheswick, even . It's the little moments. Billy dancing with Candy. Mac thinking to himself after the party he throws in the place. If there ever were a case to be made as to how important character actors are, then this is one of the films to show someone.

You see, the greatness of Cuckoo's Nest, Cool Hand Luke & even Great Escape lay in not having some character escape a correctional facility, POW camp or mental institution. It lay in presenting a world through thorough characterizations the that makes us innocent folk want to break in. If only for the duration of two hours. Now isn't that pe-culiar.

Lotioning. Oiling.

2011-09-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Ten Favorite TV Shows Pt. 5: The Sopranos

2011-08-28T17:00:00.001-07:00

A startling reflection of the modern American family. Its praises have been sung in countless circles. The one major problem I have with The Sopranos, & one I have with a myriad of TV shows is just how long it was given to run. Granted, the long list of secondary characters- Bobby Bacalieri, Phil Leotardo, Johnny Sack, etc. were given further development. The near existentialism of the first half of Season Six was very welcome. Though, it seemed to run out of steam when looked at in context of the entire show. That still caused Chase to leave room for unnecessary plotlines (ex: Vito Spatafore & the head scratching inclusion of what happened to his son in the last season.)

Now the big thing people have complained about since it aired is of course, the finale. I won't spoil it for those who have yet to wade through this series. Regardless, it works. & very well, I might add. The gangster genre, even traced back all the way to the 30's with Scarface & Public Enemy, has a clear cut message to it. Crime doesn't pay is the message that is always left on our doorsteps with a bowl of egg noodles and ketchup. The triumph of the Sopranos is showing just how damaged the way of American life actually is. This, made all the more chilling by the way David Chase chose how to end the series.

Favorite episodes: Long Term Parking, Whitecaps, Pine Barrens, College, Funhouse, Army of One, Whoever Did This, Join the Club

Favorite characters:
Christopher Moltisanti- Chris once ironically complained about his 'arc' when writing a script in Season One. Out of all the characters on the show, his character arc may be the most interesting. By the ending of Season 2's episode D-Girl, I felt this. By Season 5's episodes (Irregular Around the Margins & Long Term Parking) it was set in stone. In many ways, the 'Jesse Pinkman' of the series.

Paulie Walnuts- Always the comic relief. Probably the most self centered characters on the show (which is saying a hell of a lot).

Most effective villian: Ralph Cifaretto. Sure Richie Aprile & Phil Leotardo have made their impressions. Joe Pantoliano's Cifaretto on the other hand just makes you want to squirm in your seat. (think Cesar from Bound and go even further.) True sleaze that is exemplified in a horrific scene in the intensely dark season 3.

Ten Favorite TV Shows Pt. 4: Breaking Bad

2011-08-09T18:03:00.001-07:00

Favorite character: Walter White
Favorite episodes: Fly, One Minute, ABQ, Grilled

OK. So it might be a little early to proclaim this a top 10. & in all likeliness, if it continues down its current path on a consistent basis, this could even rank higher. For now, it secures a 7 spot. It may not be as ambitious as some of the other shows on the list. Its strengths however lie in its characterizations and ability to create palpable tension and mix it with jet black humor.

L-I-V-I-N

2011-07-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

Narrative structure. Where to begin. Or to ask a more important question: where do we jump in? The structure or lack thereof in the case of this little diatribe can be a beautiful thing. Not knowing what the hell will happen next. I've always found myself drawn to ensemble pictures. Ones that are done right of course. Some containing stars that have already made it big mixed in with up n' comers. There are a variety of pulls to these types of films: characters, dialogue, style. But probably the biggest is the energy and pacing that you can pull off when presented with a multitude of storylines. Of course there are a variety of ingredients we get when watching certain films we love.

Add a compression of time, 24 hours on the hottest day of the summer, and you wind up with something called Do the Right Thing. A film simmering with warm colors courtesy of Ernst Dickerson and electric dialogue courtesy of our man Mookie. Or Spike Lee as they call him.

Then we move onto those last days of school. Graduation. Looking ahead at what's next while basking in the nostalgia of that time period. American Graffiti & Dazed and Confused, or the "best hangout film since Rio Bravo" as Tarantino christened it, are two prime examples of this. Complete with killer soundtracks that represent each respective era.

Or drop in and spend some time with an assortment of personalities in Nashville. A giddy sensation tingles down the spine as a glorious chaos is brought to a close. If you're like me, you stay to the end credits. Besides, after watching a film bustling with as much energy and busy bodies as this one, it's hard not to.

The point is- we like spending time with these fully developed characters who wander in and out of scenes. These are compulsively watchable films because they are seamless in character presentation and interaction. It's that sense of being dropped in the middle of a bunch of characters that we follow around for however long the running time is. Some on a scorchin' summer day, others on the bicentennial. & of course lest we forget the ole' stars of Nashville. Humming their own tunes while the promises of Hal Philip Walker fall on their ears.

For us, they are a joy to watch. Because after all, we're all voyeurs. Just some more than others.

From the Fringe: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover

2011-07-26T18:42:00.001-07:00

A film that is structured much like a play. Peter Greenaway uses sparse sets. Lavish costumes. Color coded scenes. A visual feast of decadence seasoned with the best herbs and spices. The totality of the film is what makes it leave you hungry for more. Everything leads up to the finale. & oh what a glorious one it is.

Michael Gambon is of course the highlight performance. Albert Spica is a destestable, gluttonous thief who ranks up there with Don Logan in the realm of British villians.

It's a full meal that will have you asking for seconds. That is, right after you pick up your jaw from the floor. It may be a bit pricy to track down a copy, but it will be well worth it if you get your hands on one.

Ten Favorite TV Shows Pt. 3: The Simpsons

2011-07-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

A show whose first 10 seasons were absolute gold. With seasons 4 & 5 containing some of the best writing of any animated show.

Favorite characters: To pinpoint a favorite would be damn near impossible. So many greats that have such peculiar quirks. Lenny & Karl, Hans Moleman, Sideshow Bob are some favorites of mine.

Favorite episodes: Brother From the Same Planet, The Itchy and Scratchie and Poochie Show, Krusty Gets Kancelled, Lisa's First Word, Homer's Enemy, Rosebud, Cape Feare. As with Seinfeld, the list of favorites could go on for a while.

still there

2011-07-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Ten Favorite TV Shows Pt. 2: Seinfeld

2011-06-25T18:45:00.001-07:00

Come on. Do I really have to explain?

Favorite character: George Costanza

Favorite episodes: The Contest, The Marine Biologist, The Opposite, The Hamptons, The Pez Dispenser, & a dozen more.

Gee whiz!

2011-06-23T20:09:00.001-07:00

From the Fringe: Hausu

2011-06-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

A new feature. One that I promised would be up back in January. Better late than never. This basically highlights exploitation, cult & forgotten gems in a directors work. Digging down in the deepest cul de sacs of cinema. Hopefully this will point you in the direction of these 'misfit toys' and leave you wanting more. While the blog is not solely dedicated to exploitation & cult, this feature was created as an avenue to discuss these types of films. First up, we have a film called Hausu by Nobuhiko Obayashi. Criterion recently put out a DVD of this and as always, they don't mess around. Superlatives abound when trying to describe this delicously demnted piece of pop art. Director Obayashi made this in the same year as Eraserhead and it's got the complete opposite tone and vibe of that movie. As opposed a nightmare of industrial decay. One of the things both do well is stream of consciousness visuals. The difference in this one being bright, poppy colors with a different paintbrush.

The plot revolves around seven girls visiting an aunt in a house that comes alive. The narrative, if that ever need be important in a film of this kind, takes a back seat while maniac Obayashi drives us head first into a house of pianos that eat girls, dancing skeletons and floating severed heads. All through a style consisting of mattes, animations, and collage effects. It's one of those movies that will ring you out to dry so to speak. It's a film to be experienced. One with a lucid energy that uses the visual medium to its fullest potential.

21/42

2011-06-19T19:18:00.001-07:00

Broken nose won't kill ya

2011-06-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

What I've been watching

2011-06-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

I've been on a huge kick this month. Knocking out two fims a day. All are first time viewings. Here's the ones seen so far:

The Pledge
The cast alone made me want to see this- Nicholson, Tom Noonan, Rourke, Del Toro, Harry Dean Stanton, Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Aaron Eckhart. It's a nice thriller where Jack isn't playing Jack. 4/5

Go
Doug Liman made it clear in Swingers- if you're gonna steal, steal from the best. This is clearly a Pulp Fiction rip off through and through but instead of the kinetic hustle and bustle of that script we get one that is just above mediocre. 3/5

Suburbia
Linklater films are usually a treat because of the loose facia of dialogue and characters. Here, the characters were not as interesting as the ones in Dazed or Before Sunset & some of the situations felt less naturalistic. Still, a solid effort.3/5

Spun
Ever since seeing Rourke in The Wrestler, my appreciation for him skyrocketed. Here, he is given a fair amount to do in a drug movie that uses frenetic style ala Requiem For A Dream. Only difference is that a number of sequences are played as dark comedy. The consequences are still harsh. Not great, but a worthwhile watch. Particularly for Rourke's 'heartwarming' speech when he is in a porno shop. 3.5/5

Shock Waves
Nazi zombies. Yes, you heard it right. Directed by one Ken Weiderhorn. While I have some reservations for Return of the Living Dead II, the premise for this effort I feel is more enjoyable overall. 3.5/5

Fresh
An astounding debut for director Boaz Yakin. Someone who I've never heard before. My ears are listening now. Fresh captures life in the projects the way few films do. Great performances from Sam Jackson and especially the kid, Sean Nelson. Even Gus from Breaking Bad is in this. A highly reccomended overlooked gem! 5/5

Cropsey
A documentary about the Staten Island boogeyman. The biggest problem I had with it was the (at times) hokey narration. Other than that, this doc kept me interested in learning about the accused Andre Rand and the folklore that surrounded the case. The most impressive thing here is the news reports, full newspaper spreads mixed with current footage & interviews. 4/5

Midnight Run
The buddy movie really ended here. & what a grand finale it is. DeNiro & Grodin are perfect in this. Along with a stellar backup crew of Yaphet Kotto, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano & Philip Baker Hall! 5/5

Bubba Ho Tep
One of the most imaginative genre scripts to be cranked out in a long time. Pure fun all the way through with Elvis in the driver seat. Can't believe I didn't see this one sooner. 4.5/5

The Cooler
Bill Macy has made a living out of playing the schmoe in films. Here, he steals the show as a down on his luck cooler who brings luck after falling in love. 4/5

In addition to these, I have also seen Super 8 & I Saw the Devil but plan on doing mini reviews on those at the end of the year.

Oh & stay tuned. Some new features for this blog are in the works.

Ten Favorite TV Shows Pt. 1: The Wonder Years

2011-06-14T23:49:00.001-07:00

This show just completely floors me with its honesty about childhood. The only other show able to touch it is Freaks & Geeks. It doesn't hurt that it's set in my favorite period of history (late 60's to early 70's).

Favorite episode(s): The Accident, Goodbye, Don't You Know Anything About Women?, The Journey

Favorite character: Danica McKellar was my first TV crush, but her character in retrospect (& Fred Savage's for that matter) always had those head-slap moments. Kevin treating Margaret Farquar like garbage, Winnie cheating on Kevin, and so on. The genius of the show is showing how parallel your life is to it. I had my own Margaret Farquar in grammar school. & I could relate to countless episodes of this show. I'm sure everyone could relate to something on The Wonder Years. Which, in the end, is what gives the show its mass appeal. Regardless of the period setting.

the grand scheme of things

2011-06-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

'07 was a year stained with oil, blood, and had tire marks all 'round it. Since then, the years have given us only a handful of great films. I'm not doggin' the great films released since. What I am saying is that the paint is starting to run dry and the canvases are starting to shrink and contract.

There is no refuting the evidence at hand- the broken down pieces of meat, the disappearing pencils, the blood stained bats. All circumstantial? I for one, think not. These weren't simple magic tricks that disappeared from our memories like most of the films released the past few years- jammed into our eyes faster than you can say "ta-da!". These were films that made a lasting impression. You wanna come out of a movie theater still thinking about it weeks, hell, months afterward. The problem is, there just weren't enough of those moments.

So we waited. & whatever mediocre movie popped up, it was garnished and lathered with praise. I for one was getting...a little antsy.

Well sometimes there's a movie. & sometimes there's a movie. A Serious Man was the last of that brand for a while. Since then, the ringing telephone has only given us bad news.

It was around that same year I heard the rumblings of a long awaited film. One that would arrive with great force. Not unlike a young Danny gazing upon a 'finger of God' headed his way. It was from a totemic force in cinema- Terrence Malick. Set to release a film called Tree of Life.

I think I can summarize my review with two quotes from people sitting next to me. When it ended, the elderly couple next to me said "This is the most pretentious movie I have seen." The woman in back of me said "I felt like I just went to church." Just from walking to the exit, I heard reactions ranging from "awful" to "wonderful". My theater also had its fair share of walk outs. But those who stayed to the end would not stop talking about what it stirred inside them. & it is in the humble opinion of this blogger, that if you can have a film do that & to that extent, then the director must be doing something right.

This isn't an angry opus like Apocalypse Now. The closest film I can compare it to is the one being mentioned in the reviews. & that is 2001: A Space Odyssey. When you look at both films, a good chunk of them have more in common with music than other films. Because at the end of the day, we want to walk out of the theatre feeling inspired. Moved even. That tasty full meal that keeps you coming back to that restaurant for more. Instead of just, as some would say, "egg noodles and ketchup."

Well, Malick gives us a full meal alright. One that doesn't go down easy. But before the compliments can me made to the chef, one has to gauge where this film stands.
Like 2001, Tree of Life deals with incredibly deep themes. Creation, evolution, religion, fatherhood, brotherhood, fathers & sons. The editing & movement is graceful. Shots that pan upward to the skies. Shots of ladders, stairways. The camera is never still. When watching any of Malick's features, it is obvious the guy has a knack for capturing nature to its fullest beauty. It's something that has always outlined his canvases. Here, the story suits it in a most ambitious way. Two ways through life as the woman narrating in the beginning says- nature and grace.

The two ways being exemplified in the mother and father who runs a family set in a 50s midwestern town that seemes refreshingly real. A time & place modestly captured.

One of the many things taken from this experience is the music. The use of John Tavener's ethereal music gives the film a religous tone. You feel, as the woman behind me said, like you are at church. Spiritualism runs rampant throughout the picture.

The spiritualism was the thing I responded to the most. It's what made it transcend. The film is practically a visual sermon. It is where this film dwarfs most other cinema released in the past few years. Malick reaches where most filmmakers dare to even think of. Attempting to no less encompass human origin & man's very role in existance. The creation footage is truly a wonder to behold. In the tradition of Baraka, Koyaanisqatsi & the Jupier & Beyond the Infinite sequence of 2001, this footage is a spectacle of awe & wonder. It stirred something inside that has been rarely felt.

It's been hard to try & spew out what this film provoked in me. I'm sure a second viewing will certainly benefit. All I know is this: Malick created something that will stand the test of time. Something that will be scrutinized & studied over for years.

The state of cinema may not be what all of us filmgoers hope for. We have to wait patiently for some of our favorite filmmakers to release their next work. Some 2 years apart, some 6 years apart. When walking out of the theater after seeing this, I realized that sometimes that 6 year gap is worth it.

"So, what did ya think?" said a friend.

"Still thinkin' about this one." I told her. "Still thinkin'."

SHUT THE FUCK UP!

2011-05-27T13:20:00.001-07:00

now listen up, cause this concerns you

2011-05-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

as much ice cream as you want

2011-05-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Whenever the industry dips its toes into the waters of alternative lifestyles, the product turns out skewed and formulaic. The result is usually in the form of an Apatow production or raunchy sex comedy #9527. Rare is the case when a film doesn't go the they-overcome-their-'problem'-in-the-end route.

In my eyes, this is a film with no typin' errors whatsoever. While countless other 'rom coms' have turned in papers with typos & red circles all over.

As deliciously kinky and delicately handled the subject is, it never spins out of control into a trite formula. It maintains a fundamentally human situation. Two people-- one dominant, one submissive. What's surprising about Secretary is that the S & M isn't used as some cheap gimmick. Rather, it adds to the energy & wit being channeled by Spader and especially Maggie Gyllenhaal. Whose Lee Holloway keeps the balancing act of the film falling into near exploitation. None of the energy lags. Added in is of course the comedy. & oh what a delight it is. Shainberg sprinkles in some of the most fiendishly dark humor that would give the Coen Brothers goofy grins.

There ain't no reason for Lee to overcome her 'problem' because with this character, it's not a problem to begin with. To do so, would only have the film regress. It all culminates in a scene with Lee sitting at a desk. Palms down. Feet to the floor. One that defines how far she will go to follow the rules of her boss.

A firm slap to the ass of the rom com genre.

Retrograde

2011-05-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Snail gate from SlurpTV on Vimeo.

NOTE: I did not make this video.

You know you've seen too many movies when...

2011-04-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

- you spell bastard with the 2nd a switched to an e
- you listen to Brian Eno's Ending (An Ascent) when watching a baseball game.
- the waitress finds You're So Cool written on napkins at your table.
- you refer to your busy days as May 11, 1980 kind of days
- "My Awesome Mixtape #6" is the name of your 80's mix CD
- your dreams consist of the lone biker of the apocalypse.
- you constantly stare at radiators. Hoping for a song or two to emit from them.
- 'remember Sammie Jankis' is what you write on the back of family photos
- 'Miss Torso' is the name you give to the girl next door
- you tell people to hold on to their butts when you turn the lights on
- 'the hatch just blew' is an expression you use when something isn't your fault
- you have a fear of dancing henchmen when visiting art galleries

Public Enemies

2011-04-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

Depp. Bale. Spinotti. Mann. These cats were workin' together and workin' on a crime biopic of one John Dillinger. Another film shot on digital, controversially to some. His aesthetic that he brings to the table on Public Enemies is perfect for a TV show. A big reason why I'm anticipating the TV series. Luck even more.

The problem here is the approach. The canvas of Public Enemies just seemed too small to pack everything in. I was left a little underwhelmed walking out. I don't want that from a Mann film. Granted, there were Mann's Greatest Hits all over this film. The action scenes, sound mix, attention to detail, etc. But as a whole, the investment in the story didn't really pay off as well as I hoped it would. There's a real vibe working in Vice. And in Heat. Even in Collateral. I sorely wanted that Mann vibe in here. B

don't walk

2011-04-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

'85

2011-04-22T23:19:00.001-07:00

tumbleweeds

2011-04-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

Reels now has a tumblr account.

Rumored to heal minor cuts and abrasions.

Finding your inner medulla: Miami Vice

2011-04-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Of all the films in Mann's catalog, this is the one I was interested in revisiting the most. One that was slighted both critically and commercially as not fitting in the same white overcoat as Don Johnson and instead veering into new territory.

Adaptations from television shows are a lose-lose scenario 4/5 times. Having said that, Mann wasn't interested in stepping back into the pastel colored world of Miami Vice as much as creating a photo negative of that world. A reboot, if you will. It pains me to use that word in a day & age where studios are reboot happy with franchises & brands.

The closest resemblance to structure as far as television show goes is it's similarity to Smuggler's Blues. A mid season episode from Season 1. I love the series just as much as any Vice fan. Why be a retread though? Mann's minimalist style suits the material well. The digital allows for some great depth of field nighttime scenes. I would say "New Decade. New Rules." But that tagline has been co-opted by a bunch of "hot & hip twentysomethings." So I'll save you the bouts of nausea.

The soundtrack that was once thumping melodies from Peter Gabriel, U2 & The Who is replaced by Moby/Patti LaBelle & Mogwai. The former creating a scene that is prime Mann and the latter closing out the film in a subdued, somber manner.

Vice's dreamlike, existential narrative is key for Mann's new digital aesthetic. It's crept into many of his films. Here it's on full display. The nuances, close-ups, use of color, etc. A film that tropes action genre cliches & doesn't get enough credit in Mann's canon. A

Back to the Streets: Collateral

2011-04-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

With Collateral, Mann took a good pot boiler script and really used it as an experiment for new visual techniques. He's back on the streets. The hynotic use of lights, architecture & geography of Los Angeles. It's all there. Only this time it's more focused. Most of the scenes being shot with the Viper Cam, a camera he would use to shoot his next film. He still has an incredible eye for action set pieces, as evidenced in the nightclub shootout. Collateral also brings up some interesting challenges such as filming conversations in a car while still making them interesting. Mann's influence from Dr. Strangelove is apparent in that the film is basically an entire third act. Moving forward with a certain drive and momentum that is in sharp contrast to the wide canvas he used on Heat. A compressed, focused thriller that never overstays its welcome. A

What's in the box?

2011-04-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Sucker Punch: Ali

2011-04-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Biopics are usually, to coin a phrase from Will Hunting, paint by numba. It all depends on what the director and actor brings to the material. & that's the thing. Finding a right matchup. Ali stands as continuation of the pure drama based characterizations Mann used in The Insider. It's a sucker punch to the gut. & no, this sucker punch will not be thrown in slow motion with an on-the-nose soundtrack. Some familiar faces briefly pop up- Ted Levine, Bruce McGill & a new one that will be trading in his advising for taxi driving lessons.

Ali opens up with a fantastic montage that shows Mann in the zone. Intercutting Ali's early life with his present life all backed by a nightclub performance from Sam Cooke. The boxing scenes deftly reveal Ali's magnitude in the ring. The in close camera shots even keep us on our toes. For the most part however, the filmmaking is in the background while Ali's life takes center stage. Whose larger than life personality is personified by Smith's performance. To be sure, Mann's expressionism is based around a broader scope that preaches as much on prejudice than just funneling it out to look at a the portrait of a single athlete. The problem with this is, had he chose to go that route it would have gotten higher marks. It more than likely could have been his third masterpiece in a row. It's a fascinating time, story & portrait of a life. I just wish it could have been more than what I was left with after the bell sounded.

One thing that should be noted: this is all based around the Director's Cut. Some of the best scenes- the opening, the Zaire pre-fight scene- are given more weight. It's not exactly a James Cameron Director's Cut, where entire subplots are put back in. But the 8 extra minutes add to the story as they should. We'll get to another (yes, Mann loves them scissors) director's cut soon. B+

Safe From Harm: The Insider

2011-04-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

Grains of hyper-realized truth embedded within the framework of a film are sometimes easy to pluck at. The end card tells us some of these events were exaggerated for dramatic effect. Yet, it's able to get away with it. In terms of truth telling, this is a film that bats in the 90's. Chronicling a crucial turning point in American journalism but more importantly painting a picture of a man whose integrity is at stake. It's a murky sea of moral dilemmas that pervade the frames & will wipe the smirk off your face faster than a Bruce McGill outburst.

Mann has always had a penchant for realism and this is by far the best example of that. Not to mention the use of surrealism in the night time golf & mural transformation scenes. Employing wide shots, intense close ups and indirect focus. Razor sharp cutting that isn't showy- it moves the scenes along to a certain rhythm that never feels forced. The bullets that once hummed along L.A. city streets are now being placed in mailboxes. The dialogue cascading from a red screen on Wigand's computer to faxes, right up to to the corporate news offices of 60 Minutes. This film is porn for people who love smart dialogue. Unrelenting in its delivery of intelligent material and morality plays. The soundtrack adds a whole other dimension to the proceedings and is the decor of this sound structure. There is a certain point at the ending that has plucked at my heartstrings with somber rhythms. Rhythms rarely felt. Lisa Gerrard has a hand in it. Her soothing voice stirring up honest emotions. I feel like I am a better person for having watched it. There's not too many works of art I can say that about. Top 10 worthy. A+

[r]evolution

2011-03-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

That Windy City

2011-03-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

Event: Typeforce Gallery Exhibit (Closing Day)

Event: Agalloch concert
Place: Reggie's Rock Club

Event: Black Angels/Black Mountain concert
Place: The Metro

All the malls are closed

2011-03-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

Let me just point out one thing before diving into this fresh slab of cartilage. This observation is based on the zombie film as horror. So it should be judged as such. Therein lies the dilemma. Dawn for some odd reason, tops both Night & Day as the scariest of the bunch in online polls. & while I would agree that out of all three, Night is the scariest, that still leaves the under appreciated Day of the Dead. I'm just going to pretend the last three Romero zombie movies don't exist. They shouldn't anyway.

There's a previous blog entry I made about Alien 3 which suffers from the same lashings that this film does. People expected it to follow in the tradition of Aliens. The same way Dawn had cast a cloud over all fututre zombie films that were released in its wake.

A blogger once said "Sometimes I don't want a comedy. I want a zombie movie." Don't get me wrong. I love Dawn. It's been ingrained into my psyche like a tick burrowed underneath the skin. Though to this day I am wondering why the hell that one biker had to have his blood pressure taken while zombies were surrounding him. But I'll save that for my "common sense gone to shit" rant.

Dawn has always been considered the most epic of the two in terms of scope. But scaling the zombie outbreak down and adding in an ingenious premise allows this grimy bag o' ghoulish glee to exceed Dawn in story. Not to mention the fact that it is the bleakest film the director has worked on.

The cooky (but disorientingly logical) doctor's old "400,000 to 1" quote gives the film a deeper apocalyptic tone moreso than previous. There's not gonna be any bikers breaking into the compound any time soon. For all we know, these could be the last remaining survivors. They don't do a good job of holding our sympathy. Rhodes becomes as villianous as the zombies by the end & the duo of Steel/Rickles doesn't help things along any further either. The moral compass is not only off center, it's thrown in the river along with a heaping dose of sanity. Which is exactly the way it should be.

To any doubters, I point to the opening scene that establishes the tone. Money flying about the desolate streets. That one newspaper being blown up against a trash can- The Dead Walk! Fuckin' A they do. & one of them greets us with its tongue permanently hanging out. Savini does some of his finest work here. The zombies look like, well, zombies! Filthy, mucky & rotting. Speaking of zombies, let's just pull the cat out of the bag: Howard Sherman as Bub. Out of all the countless actors who have performed as zombies in movies, no one quites nails it down as good as this guy did.

To dot the i's & cross the t's on this matter, previous Dead installments didn't have someone's vocal chords being stretched to the point of heightening their scream. Nor did they have someone laughing his ass off only to have it turn to gasping while a zombie was ripping the skin off his face with his bare hands. Vicious, bleak & horrific.

Risk Vs. Reward: Heat

2011-03-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Heat would represent the last time Mann would shoot in his old style of filmmaking. He would end up framing shots differently and not locking down his camera in the same way he did on previous films. One thing that is still apparent in Mann's work is his painterly visual style. The use of architecture, glass surfaces, color coding (he loves those blue filters) and introspective characters mimic the paintings of Edward Hopper. Both artists paint lonely characters against visual motifs. Even looking at the work of David Hockney, one is bound to draw connections on how Mann was influenced by the architecture and how it informed the "dead tech post modern houses" that overlook the city.

The most striking thing about Heat, moreso than the gun battle which set a new standard in bank heist scenes, is the way in which the ensemble cast go about in making choices that will either diminish them or move them further along a path of hopefulness. & that's the thing with the characters- so few of them have taken that route by the end of the film. Moral and causal relativity amongst characters was something Mann was interested in and has always been interested in. It's not so much good or bad but that grey area between that is defined by behavior. With a cast this large, each character is given nuance and depth that play into that factor. Right down to the getaway driver who was recently released from prison.

Neil's "30 seconds flat" philosophy that he discusses with Vincent in the now famous coffee shop scene between the two screen legends is something he abides by up until the very end.That one decision made ultimately determines Neil's fate. One could say everything led up to that moment which climaxes into another scene between both leads. But the ending is neither triumphant or cathartic for Hannah. Capturing the duality of the professional thief & the cop is something Mann has always excelled at more than any other director. Here he shows the full potential of his abilities in that respect.

People claim this to be Mann's opus. His defining work. While it's not my favorite of his, it is the first of his works I would see and a constant reminder of why I love his aesthetic. A+

ducks, cold cuts & psychiatry

2011-03-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

This guy is good.

Up & Down the Frontier: Last of the Mohicans

2011-03-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

Mohicans is directed at a ferocious pace and carries one of the more well known scores of Mann's films courtesy of Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman. For a filmmaker known for reinventing the crime genre with his aesthetic, this film proved a departure from the streets. Instead it is fitted with 1757 attire. It's certainly one of the best looking films in Mann's filmography. Gone is the color pallette of previous films. In are the picturesque nature scenes with lots of brown & greens. One nice addition to Mann's style is the increasing realism of violence. Not that he's had the wrong penchant for depicting things with authenticity. It's just become more pronounced here. Particularly in the ambushes and geography of the scenes. The use of Daniel Day-Lewis doesn't hurt either.

Of all Mann's films, this feels like the odd duck of the bunch. Mann's storylines have, for the most part, been compelling . & that's not saying that this 'odd duck' of a film is bad just because it sticks out from the rest. What I am saying is that the story is too middle of the road for a Mann picture. I'm left wanting more. Not in a good way. However, more is exactly what Mann would deliver with his next film. B-

A Great Becoming: Manhunter

2011-03-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

The inevitable comparison to Silence will always be brought up regarding this film. As well as the comparison to the haphazardly informed Red Dragon. As far as stories go, Manhunter is the more interesting of the two. To me at least. Particularly when it boils down to villians. Dolarhyde's storyline feels more striking than James Gumb's. Buffalo Bill may be nasty and repulsive towards his victims but the Tooth Fairy's M.O. is killing entire families in order to 'change'. Something I find just as terrifying as Buffalo Bill's tactics- if not moreso. Both Noonan and Levine turn in the performances of their careers in those films. Don't get me wrong, both are top quality films in their own respective ways. I choose Silence slightly over this because of how well Demme was able to build on the foundation this one laid.

A difference from Thief & The Keep is the addition of DP Dante Spinotti. A key collaborator who, along with editor Dov Hoenig, would shape and form a tight thriller that is informed by strong characters. Even if the music hasn't aged well (which honestly doesn't bother me), the sterile atmosphere of the sets & observational approach in its storytelling give the film a particular mood. It's even little things that make this film work the way it does. Reba caressing the tiger as Dolarhyde watches. All contributing to a potent sense of anticipation towards a startling climax.

Manhunter can be viewed as an underrated thriller unfairly judged for some of its stylistic choices. Whatever the case, it's further proof that we owe Mann awe. A

The Red State Experience

2011-03-09T03:25:00.000-08:00

"Laundry detergant cocks." Girl sitting next to me talking to her friend

"That guy in front of me looks like he brushed his teeth with a fucking straight razor." Guy sitting next to me talking to his friend

Yep. I was at a screening for a Kevin Smith movie. The crowd was in form. Primed and ready to be delivered a slathering of relentless and ugly terror courtesy of Mr. ViewAskew himself.

Smith has dropped elements of action and thriller in for good measure. In a day and age where everything needs to be categorized, labeled and boxed in, it was rarified air not knowing what could happen next. If anything, that is a major strong point to the experience. Taking sharp left turns that have not been taken since the Firefly family terrorized a hotel full of musically inclined folk. Moreso in unexpected events than anything else. One review I read bashed it for not being conventional horror for the horror fanatic. How is this a bad thing? If anything, horror fans should be fed up with convention.

The audience in the theater was bloodthirsty. Some of the kills were met with gleeful adoration & applause. While other kills stunned them into silence. In particular the first few. The use of sound and editing makes them hurt even more.

It's not all just bullets and blood. There is some funny dialogue that is organically ingrained into the scenes to give them a punch. Although there were a couple of comedic bits I thought could be trimmed that felt out of place in the midst of the action. One thing Smith said in the Q & A was how Carlin said that people's minds are at their most fertile when they are laughing. In that regard, it allows ideas to come across easier. & the audience did laugh at parts of the movie. Only this time it didn't involve a donkey sho...ahem...interspecies erotica.

The sound mix is something Smith kept a close eye, or ear for that matter, on. Editing-wise the film feels tight for the majority with the exception of the few comedic bits I talked about earlier that were toward the end. Smith said he could lose 28 seconds after the tour was over & I don't think it would hurt so much as help the picture. The director also admitted the cut went quick thanks to editing on the Avid and shooting on the Red camera.

Another asset working to the advantage of this film: no score. Playing on one's emotions in these types of genre films has been done to death. Without a score it allows the audience to make up their own minds as to what they want to feel about a particular character. All the more appropriate that the moral center frenetically spins away throughout the film.

Michael Parks as Abin Cooper turns in a truly morally corrupt character. To quote a line from the script: "Fred Phelps may be a suer, Cooper is a doer". John Goodman was great (when isn't this legend great?) as a mid-level ATF agent.

The concept of Red State is what throws the switch to an emission of sparks and a hailstorm of hellfire. Smith emphasized in the Q & A that he grew up Roman Catholic. But he sure as hell wouldn't act like the people of the Five Points Church. More power to him. Something I wholeheartedly agree with. It disheartens me to see people pidgeonhole all Christians as ovezealous religous fanatics. Just as much as it makes my blood boil to see the Fred Phelps' of the world give religion a bad name. & that's about where I end that point before I turn this review into a soapbox tirade.

The last credit on the card left me with a big ole smile on my mug:
Almost the entire cast of Red State will return for HIT SOMEBODY when it goes over the boards in 2012.

Smith may be quitting from films after 2012, but rest assured, this is one he can be proud of.

I can't really give this film a rating right off the bat. My subconscious is still being gnawed at by some of the scenes in the film. Suffice it to say, it accomplished it's goal.

RED STATE hits theaters with a wide release on October 19.

Through the Smoke: The Keep

2011-03-07T13:35:00.001-08:00

The sophomore slump. Something that is even common in music. How is that band going to capture the magic of their debut and build upon it? Well, this album has some of the same beats. Tangerine Dream & Robert Prosky included. But it certainly isn't the same genre. This time Mann serves us a horror film. What could go wrong? We saw what a high profile director could do when Friedkin went from the drug pushin' streets of French Connection to the pea soup covered sheets of The Exorcist. Well that's just not the case here.

Don't get me wrong. Mann is on point in his direction. One thing I thought I'd never see in a Mann work: a smoke monster (no, not the Black Smoke from Lost.) That's the whole problem. It's not so much that I'm criticizing Mann for doing something radically different from the rest of his work. Mann's visuals defined an important subculture of the 80's. The color pallette is even more subdued here. But when filtered through the horror film, a period horror film at that, the stylistic trappings only build to a point.

Mann admits he is embarassed by the film and slightly ashamed. Even if it's at the bottom rung in the ladder of Mann's works, it still warrants a release on DVD & Blu-Ray. Let alone the fact that the studio cut out a substantial amount of scenes- butchering it. A film like this is needed to explore the evolution in the director's career. How else are film fans suppose to see it? Well, NetFlix for the time being. That's how I ended up seeing it. C+

Green Mill Fireworks: Thief

2011-03-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

The debut film of an auteur should act as a blueprint for what is ahead. Small brushtrokes that are discovered throughout the artist's later work. In the case of Mann, Thief was that blueprint. The director's films (the majority of them anyway) always seem preoccupied with the concept of work. Men who practice their craft and live a routine. Jimmy Caan's performance as Frank embodies this in his yearnings for a better life. Something that haunts the individualists of Mann's world. They have no need for contractions.

Mann chose to set Thief to a propulsive electronic score by Tangerine Dream. Another thing that is his forte: knowing how well music adds depths to scenes. To some, the synth-driven score may come off as dust on a stylistic heist film. I look at it as a coat of polish. Setting music over the wet streets with the neon reflections became a trademark. Particularly in some of his static compositions during the 80's. It links itself to the In the Air Tonight montage in Miami Vice. What's even more present than any other film of his is the extended dialogue exchanges. In particular, the one at the cafe between Caan & Tuesday Weld. Add in some great Peckinpah-like slow motion and you got Mann's early style.

Mann would trim these stylistic flourishes that he captured in this film. It's still an very impressive debut that lies in the shadow of his more operatic works. Remember, Frank is the mold from which characters like Neil McAuley were made. A

10 things I learned from the Oscars

2011-02-27T21:38:00.001-08:00