Will be viewed, archived, and reviewed tomorrow night!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Waiting anxiously for: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest....
Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It's the middle of night and I can't stop thinking about her. The other night on Halloween in Hollywood at the Wiltern I saw Mr. Marilyn Manson. And in the middle of the show during "Tainted Love" Manson was spitting on the crowd as he clenched a microphone shaped like a butcher knife and I decided to turn the opposite direction of the stage and take in the crowd. Everyone was enjoying their Halloween in Hollywood. People were dancing, diving, slamming, fighting, drinking, kissing, laughing and bobbing for apples. Then I directed my attention to the corner pocket of the floor. That's when I saw her.
She was juxtapositioned against the brass railing behind her and the black silhouette of her body stood out like a sparkle in a coal mine. She stood motionless dressed in all black and the green lights of the show cascaded against her shiny dog collar, mettalic nose ring, brown bitter eyes, and black mohawk. She didn't move a muscle to dance all night or ever crack a smile. And in a sold out concert she had five feet of space in every direction from her. The only movement she made was to pull out another Marlboro Light, out of her black leather jacket coat pocket. She chain smoked through the whole set. If i could read her mind she looked like she was scientifically breaking down in aeronautical units how to blow up the world!
That's right distinguished cinephiles Lisbeth Salander was in Hollywood last night! Noomi Rapace and the Millenium Trilogy has ignited a kerosene filled drum of followers and I am part of that fire. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has been the biggest thing to come from Sweden since Bergman crashed a big rig trailer in 1957, which contained a print of a cinematic gem, off a ferry into the heart of the Cannes Film Festival with The Seventh Seal. Stieg Larssen has unfortunately died, but his novels have sold millions and millions in the international book market place, which is usually saturated with garbage. People keep wondering why is Lisbeth Salander an interesting character? I think that is a terrific question and I will attempt to answer it. There is no one else quite like her. At the beggining of La Femme Nakita, Nakita is a little bit like her, but quickly changes and eventually smiles in the film. Having a female heroine that doesn't smile is so rare. Think about it. Even the bad ass Beatrix Kido smiles. So what else is it about Lisbeth? She is very punk rock and dresses outrageous. Yet we never see her at a concert and the soundtracks for the first two features do not have one punk or metal tune. Lisbeth is a computer hacker. In a digital age she accesses everyone's private information. Bank statements and any information she wants to know is at her fingertips. She is a genius, but a complete social deviate. She communicates mostly in commands and couldn't carry a conversation to save her life, but all of these things make me love this character that much more.
Only in Sweden would a woman be allowed all of these traits and never break character. And news flash to Mr. David Fincher the Social Network, may have been one of the top films of the decade, but remaking The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is cinematic sacrilige. When Scorsese remade Infernal Affairs and put out The Departed it was so disappointing, it not only won best picture at the oscars, but everyone kept saying to me isn't it such a unique script. Infernal Affairs was Hong Kong cinema gold and Scorsese boxed it in a Big Mac container and American audiences went to take a cinematic knee at fourth and goal.
I just watched the teaser trailer for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and it is one of the best teaser trailers I have ever seen. Trailers are getting worse and worse and they tend to show way too much. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest trailer was only thirty seconds.
Which was perfect. The trailer starts with the sound of an electric flash bulb illuminating. Opening shot is of a left black steel toe leather boot on a white floor. There is a shot of a long white hallway with pipes running across the ceiling. Followed by a shot of Lisbeth dressed in the same outfit from the Manson concert, from behind and you see her walking with her back towards you with a prison guards on either side of her. Then there is a frontal shot which zooms into Lisbeth's face. She is determined, driven, and a power broker. She has unfinished business to attend to and a trilogy to complete. And then there is a profile shot of her mohawk and that same look. The screen goes black and the image of Lisbeth kicking a wooden freight box off the top of a warehouse is the final image. Trailer gold! Well ladies and gentlemen. I am currently doing freight work myself and can't make it to the movies this week. But rest assured The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest will be viewed within eight days and when I view the picture rest assured gumshoes you will get a thorough report. Until till then hip hoppers stay tuned, stay tuned............................
She was juxtapositioned against the brass railing behind her and the black silhouette of her body stood out like a sparkle in a coal mine. She stood motionless dressed in all black and the green lights of the show cascaded against her shiny dog collar, mettalic nose ring, brown bitter eyes, and black mohawk. She didn't move a muscle to dance all night or ever crack a smile. And in a sold out concert she had five feet of space in every direction from her. The only movement she made was to pull out another Marlboro Light, out of her black leather jacket coat pocket. She chain smoked through the whole set. If i could read her mind she looked like she was scientifically breaking down in aeronautical units how to blow up the world!
That's right distinguished cinephiles Lisbeth Salander was in Hollywood last night! Noomi Rapace and the Millenium Trilogy has ignited a kerosene filled drum of followers and I am part of that fire. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has been the biggest thing to come from Sweden since Bergman crashed a big rig trailer in 1957, which contained a print of a cinematic gem, off a ferry into the heart of the Cannes Film Festival with The Seventh Seal. Stieg Larssen has unfortunately died, but his novels have sold millions and millions in the international book market place, which is usually saturated with garbage. People keep wondering why is Lisbeth Salander an interesting character? I think that is a terrific question and I will attempt to answer it. There is no one else quite like her. At the beggining of La Femme Nakita, Nakita is a little bit like her, but quickly changes and eventually smiles in the film. Having a female heroine that doesn't smile is so rare. Think about it. Even the bad ass Beatrix Kido smiles. So what else is it about Lisbeth? She is very punk rock and dresses outrageous. Yet we never see her at a concert and the soundtracks for the first two features do not have one punk or metal tune. Lisbeth is a computer hacker. In a digital age she accesses everyone's private information. Bank statements and any information she wants to know is at her fingertips. She is a genius, but a complete social deviate. She communicates mostly in commands and couldn't carry a conversation to save her life, but all of these things make me love this character that much more.
Only in Sweden would a woman be allowed all of these traits and never break character. And news flash to Mr. David Fincher the Social Network, may have been one of the top films of the decade, but remaking The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is cinematic sacrilige. When Scorsese remade Infernal Affairs and put out The Departed it was so disappointing, it not only won best picture at the oscars, but everyone kept saying to me isn't it such a unique script. Infernal Affairs was Hong Kong cinema gold and Scorsese boxed it in a Big Mac container and American audiences went to take a cinematic knee at fourth and goal.
I just watched the teaser trailer for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and it is one of the best teaser trailers I have ever seen. Trailers are getting worse and worse and they tend to show way too much. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest trailer was only thirty seconds.
Which was perfect. The trailer starts with the sound of an electric flash bulb illuminating. Opening shot is of a left black steel toe leather boot on a white floor. There is a shot of a long white hallway with pipes running across the ceiling. Followed by a shot of Lisbeth dressed in the same outfit from the Manson concert, from behind and you see her walking with her back towards you with a prison guards on either side of her. Then there is a frontal shot which zooms into Lisbeth's face. She is determined, driven, and a power broker. She has unfinished business to attend to and a trilogy to complete. And then there is a profile shot of her mohawk and that same look. The screen goes black and the image of Lisbeth kicking a wooden freight box off the top of a warehouse is the final image. Trailer gold! Well ladies and gentlemen. I am currently doing freight work myself and can't make it to the movies this week. But rest assured The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest will be viewed within eight days and when I view the picture rest assured gumshoes you will get a thorough report. Until till then hip hoppers stay tuned, stay tuned............................
Friday, October 15, 2010
Hereafter is a KNOCKOUT!
Well Mr. Eastwood has finally done it. Shot three different countries impeccably, scored an exsquisite soundtrack, utilized a great script, and single handedly given Matt Damon the role of a lifetime. In seeing the trailer the picture looks to be an akward science fiction film. But ladies and gentleman let me tell you that it's the kind of film that reaches out and grabs your heart!
Critics will argue the film is to cheesy and try to destroy it, and cite that it is a Hallmark Card. They can all be cool and miss out on one of my top 5 films of the year!
I will argue that Eastwood has delivered his best film since "Unforgiven" "Hereafter" is a serious contemplation on mortality. The film for me personally was not so much about life after death, but about the emotional moments that highlight one's existence. The scenes between Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard were some of the most gut wrenching of the year. I believe the cooking class sequence between the two of them had a 1950's air of innocence to it. Damon plays a man who is haunted by his past, but he must utilize his gifts to serve his soul!
Pop the cork on the bubbly for Mr. Eastwood because Dirty Harry just used an ice pick to reach the peak of the Mountain called SUMMIT CINEMA!!!!
Critics will argue the film is to cheesy and try to destroy it, and cite that it is a Hallmark Card. They can all be cool and miss out on one of my top 5 films of the year!
I will argue that Eastwood has delivered his best film since "Unforgiven" "Hereafter" is a serious contemplation on mortality. The film for me personally was not so much about life after death, but about the emotional moments that highlight one's existence. The scenes between Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard were some of the most gut wrenching of the year. I believe the cooking class sequence between the two of them had a 1950's air of innocence to it. Damon plays a man who is haunted by his past, but he must utilize his gifts to serve his soul!
Pop the cork on the bubbly for Mr. Eastwood because Dirty Harry just used an ice pick to reach the peak of the Mountain called SUMMIT CINEMA!!!!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Reviews of the Summit Cinema Film Festival
Well looking at the fall features was quite enjoyable. Starting at the Gala of the Summit Cinema Film Festival let's briefly look at Machete by Mr. Robert Rodriguez. Well if the intention of Machete was to make a political statement about harsh illegal immigration laws instituted in Texas it failed miserably. On the other hand if Machete was intended for limitiless popcorn entertainment it succeeded with flying colors! Getting the opportunity to view Danny Trejo as a no nonsense lead character was an overdue thrillride. Hearing Seagal's hilarious accent as the arch-nemesis Mexican Mafia kingpin was a guilty pleasure. And seeing the gorgeous Ms. Lindsey Lohan awaken from a heroin overdose in a flop house by being shaken by her father was pure comedy. Seeing Lohan later in a nun's habit spraying an oozie at a crowd of warehouse thugs was also a personal favorite. Machete however was a difficult film to classify. It was not an action movie, or political drama, it felt like a mix of hardcore exploitation and slapstick comedy.
The second film of the film festival was The Cave of Forgotten Dreams by aueter Mr. Werner Herzog. A little background on Herzog. When I went to see him speak at the Aero Theatre for
Lessons of Darkness and I waited in the lobby for him to autograph my copy of the dvd Aguirre the Wrath of God, a kid was standing in front of me and handed Herzog a popcorn box to sign. Herzog handed the box back to the kid and said "I am not going to sign a popcorn box!" He gladly signed my dvd. So knowing that Herzog is a slightly driven artist The Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a documentary that let's his imagination run wild. Getting security clearance from the French Ministry of Culture Herzog get's film access to arguably the oldest cave in human history.
The cave painting were done by neanderthals and are 50,000 years old. The paintings were created with charcoal flints from torches and words cannot due them justice. The paintings are unbelievably haunting and amazing. Herzog's keen artistic eye makes the film somewhat science fiction even though he got the majority of his funding from the History Channel. At one point in the film he has a French woman whom is a historian of culture give a guided tour of the caves in which she makes the ancient location come alive. The film is supposed to be in 3-D, but for the Summit Cinema Film Festival only a two dimensional print was available. Even in 2-D I can honestly say it is one of the best documentaries of all time. Classic Herzog.
The third film screened was The Town and yes for those of you who are keeping score it won the coveted Daquiri award. Mr. Ben Affleck the same man whom has hit rock bottom with acting moments like Dare Devil and the atrocious Gigli has rebounded behind the camera and in the lead role to hit an artistic peak. The Town is about a group of highschool friends who become bank robbers. The group are born and bred Bostonians and come from a neighborhood called Charlestown, which is the gene pool for the bank robber capital of America. Jeremy Renner is a tour de force as the loose cannon in the crew. Ben Affleck gets extremely strong for the role and being from Boston is totally believable. Rebecca Hall plays a bank employee who is taken hostage and suffers from the Stockholm syndrome. The biggest bone critics will have with the film is the romance between Hall and Affleck in the film and many will argue that it is not credible. I argue it is seamless and completely pure and beautiful. He has a past that is haunted by his high school friends, cheap girls, and oxycotin. She is coming off of a traumatic event and is intrigued by his darkness. She has a sense of wonder in her eyes that none of his peers has and she did not grow up in his town. The Town ripped the lid off of the Summit Cinema Film Festival and everyone is on point. Even John Hamm as a Special Agent Adam Frowley was perfect!
The fourth film to be screened at the film festival was Woody Allen's You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger. The film is set in London and has a combination of talented actors. The film belongs to Gemma Jones who for me was a total surprise and newcomer. She is an older British woman whom has recently been divorced by her husband Alfie played brilliantly by Sir Anthony Hopkins. Jones then drinks scotch and sees a psychic named Kristel for advice. The scenes of her and the psychic steal the movie. She hit a cord in me for all people who suffer from heartache. The film is strange because it is simultaneously extermely sad and hilariously funny.
Seeing Hopkins have a mid-life crisis and just watching him running to stay in shape was a cinematic treat. Also watching him reinvent himself with escort and also newcomer Lucy Punch made me almost fall out of chair with laughter in the theater several times. I think Mr. Allen is on top of his game and traveling the world and shooting his dreams. Cheers to this movie.
The fifth film of the festival hit an economic downturn and nosedive. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps was aguably Mr. Oliver Stone's worst movie. I am Stone's biggest fan and even loved South of the Border, but it became apparent during Wall Street 2 that he was simply going for the money. Shia is horrible and Mulligan nearly cried in every scene! Gekko played by Dougalas was poorly written. Is he a bad guy or a good guy? Oliver you have to be kidding me. The man is a mixed bag. The character who in the original was quoted for saying "if you need a friend get a dog" and went down in the pantheon of film quotes with the line from his speech "Greed is Good!" has now in 2008 suddenly got in touch with his feelings and wants to connect with his daughter and donate money. Gekko can only succeed as an evil financial wizard! Josh Brolin was evil the entire movie of Wall Street 2 as Bretton James and he stole the movie. Well the good news for Stone is he finally has a economic hit because greed is good and it grossed 19 million over the weekend. Oddly judging the audiences reaction after the screening of the film from young to old they loved the movie. Well I enjoyed Alexander, World Trade Center, W., and South of the Border much more than this lemon! But like I said it was very apparent that Oliver sold his soul for a financial hot dog with onions. Hopefully he will return to serious cinema next time!
The closing night of the Summit Cinema Film Festival was quite unique. The film by Mr. Jaspar Noe entitled Enter The Void was screened and it was not a film, but an experience. Let's start with the crowd there was a Japanese techno rave girl in rainbow stockings who had a chain around her neck and was gently pulled around by her buff Caucasian boyfriend who was wearing a black mesh shirt. The funniest thing was watching her come down the aisle with her popcorn and seeing him follow. The rest of the crowd was a combination of techno, nerd core. The film starts with a huge amount of strobe lights and loud techno music. The credits for the entire feature flash for 10 seconds in fast motion in combination with the loud techno music. The film is shot from the POV of a junkie drug dealer in Tokyo both alive and dead. His spirit hovers over Tokyo when he dies then zooms into the keyhole of situations that his stripper sister faces. The visuals of this film are a variety of neon black light colors and are some of the best I have ever seen. The script is one of the worst that was ever penned and this caused half of the crowd to leave the Nuart theatre at the end of the Summit Cinema Film Festival. At the end of the film the strobes came up and the same techno music accompanied the screen as the black letters Enter the Void came up and the curtain closed. I shouted the words "let's see it again!" To which the majority of the crowd laughed. The visuals are worth seeing it for because it is an amazing perspective of Tokyo. However, be forewarned the film could ruin almost any date night.
The second film of the film festival was The Cave of Forgotten Dreams by aueter Mr. Werner Herzog. A little background on Herzog. When I went to see him speak at the Aero Theatre for
Lessons of Darkness and I waited in the lobby for him to autograph my copy of the dvd Aguirre the Wrath of God, a kid was standing in front of me and handed Herzog a popcorn box to sign. Herzog handed the box back to the kid and said "I am not going to sign a popcorn box!" He gladly signed my dvd. So knowing that Herzog is a slightly driven artist The Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a documentary that let's his imagination run wild. Getting security clearance from the French Ministry of Culture Herzog get's film access to arguably the oldest cave in human history.
The cave painting were done by neanderthals and are 50,000 years old. The paintings were created with charcoal flints from torches and words cannot due them justice. The paintings are unbelievably haunting and amazing. Herzog's keen artistic eye makes the film somewhat science fiction even though he got the majority of his funding from the History Channel. At one point in the film he has a French woman whom is a historian of culture give a guided tour of the caves in which she makes the ancient location come alive. The film is supposed to be in 3-D, but for the Summit Cinema Film Festival only a two dimensional print was available. Even in 2-D I can honestly say it is one of the best documentaries of all time. Classic Herzog.
The third film screened was The Town and yes for those of you who are keeping score it won the coveted Daquiri award. Mr. Ben Affleck the same man whom has hit rock bottom with acting moments like Dare Devil and the atrocious Gigli has rebounded behind the camera and in the lead role to hit an artistic peak. The Town is about a group of highschool friends who become bank robbers. The group are born and bred Bostonians and come from a neighborhood called Charlestown, which is the gene pool for the bank robber capital of America. Jeremy Renner is a tour de force as the loose cannon in the crew. Ben Affleck gets extremely strong for the role and being from Boston is totally believable. Rebecca Hall plays a bank employee who is taken hostage and suffers from the Stockholm syndrome. The biggest bone critics will have with the film is the romance between Hall and Affleck in the film and many will argue that it is not credible. I argue it is seamless and completely pure and beautiful. He has a past that is haunted by his high school friends, cheap girls, and oxycotin. She is coming off of a traumatic event and is intrigued by his darkness. She has a sense of wonder in her eyes that none of his peers has and she did not grow up in his town. The Town ripped the lid off of the Summit Cinema Film Festival and everyone is on point. Even John Hamm as a Special Agent Adam Frowley was perfect!
The fourth film to be screened at the film festival was Woody Allen's You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger. The film is set in London and has a combination of talented actors. The film belongs to Gemma Jones who for me was a total surprise and newcomer. She is an older British woman whom has recently been divorced by her husband Alfie played brilliantly by Sir Anthony Hopkins. Jones then drinks scotch and sees a psychic named Kristel for advice. The scenes of her and the psychic steal the movie. She hit a cord in me for all people who suffer from heartache. The film is strange because it is simultaneously extermely sad and hilariously funny.
Seeing Hopkins have a mid-life crisis and just watching him running to stay in shape was a cinematic treat. Also watching him reinvent himself with escort and also newcomer Lucy Punch made me almost fall out of chair with laughter in the theater several times. I think Mr. Allen is on top of his game and traveling the world and shooting his dreams. Cheers to this movie.
The fifth film of the festival hit an economic downturn and nosedive. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps was aguably Mr. Oliver Stone's worst movie. I am Stone's biggest fan and even loved South of the Border, but it became apparent during Wall Street 2 that he was simply going for the money. Shia is horrible and Mulligan nearly cried in every scene! Gekko played by Dougalas was poorly written. Is he a bad guy or a good guy? Oliver you have to be kidding me. The man is a mixed bag. The character who in the original was quoted for saying "if you need a friend get a dog" and went down in the pantheon of film quotes with the line from his speech "Greed is Good!" has now in 2008 suddenly got in touch with his feelings and wants to connect with his daughter and donate money. Gekko can only succeed as an evil financial wizard! Josh Brolin was evil the entire movie of Wall Street 2 as Bretton James and he stole the movie. Well the good news for Stone is he finally has a economic hit because greed is good and it grossed 19 million over the weekend. Oddly judging the audiences reaction after the screening of the film from young to old they loved the movie. Well I enjoyed Alexander, World Trade Center, W., and South of the Border much more than this lemon! But like I said it was very apparent that Oliver sold his soul for a financial hot dog with onions. Hopefully he will return to serious cinema next time!
The closing night of the Summit Cinema Film Festival was quite unique. The film by Mr. Jaspar Noe entitled Enter The Void was screened and it was not a film, but an experience. Let's start with the crowd there was a Japanese techno rave girl in rainbow stockings who had a chain around her neck and was gently pulled around by her buff Caucasian boyfriend who was wearing a black mesh shirt. The funniest thing was watching her come down the aisle with her popcorn and seeing him follow. The rest of the crowd was a combination of techno, nerd core. The film starts with a huge amount of strobe lights and loud techno music. The credits for the entire feature flash for 10 seconds in fast motion in combination with the loud techno music. The film is shot from the POV of a junkie drug dealer in Tokyo both alive and dead. His spirit hovers over Tokyo when he dies then zooms into the keyhole of situations that his stripper sister faces. The visuals of this film are a variety of neon black light colors and are some of the best I have ever seen. The script is one of the worst that was ever penned and this caused half of the crowd to leave the Nuart theatre at the end of the Summit Cinema Film Festival. At the end of the film the strobes came up and the same techno music accompanied the screen as the black letters Enter the Void came up and the curtain closed. I shouted the words "let's see it again!" To which the majority of the crowd laughed. The visuals are worth seeing it for because it is an amazing perspective of Tokyo. However, be forewarned the film could ruin almost any date night.
Ladies and Gentleman the Summit Cinema Film Festival!
Ladies and Gentleman I would like to welcome you to the Summit Cinema Film Festival. After the steady diet of desert thorns at the summer cinematic salad bar. The month of September brings a fusion of refreshing blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries cooled with ice, milk, and vodka forming a delicious and refreshing fall Daquiri.
That's right distinguinshed cinefiles the month of September is here and school is in session. The Summit Cinema Film Festival lasted one week. Six movies were screened at six different locations. The Rave in Westcher, the Sunset 5 in Hollywood, the Archlight in Hollywood, the Landmark at the Westside Pavillion, The AMC in Marina Del Rey, and the Nuart in Santa Monica. The fall entries into the Summit Cinema Film Festival were in chronological order to the locations in which they were screened. Machete, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, The Town, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Enter the Void. The Jury results were handed to me this morning, in a gold Fed Ex overnighted envelope and the Daquiri goes to oh my god I think the jury made a mistake do those bold letters actually say NAME: BEN AFFLECK FOR DIRECTING: THE TOWN. Congragulations Mr. Affleck on behalf of the Jury of the Summit Film Festival you win the coveted fall Daquiri!
Now for a complete review of the Summit Cinema Film Festival stay tuned cinefiles stay tuned!!!
That's right distinguinshed cinefiles the month of September is here and school is in session. The Summit Cinema Film Festival lasted one week. Six movies were screened at six different locations. The Rave in Westcher, the Sunset 5 in Hollywood, the Archlight in Hollywood, the Landmark at the Westside Pavillion, The AMC in Marina Del Rey, and the Nuart in Santa Monica. The fall entries into the Summit Cinema Film Festival were in chronological order to the locations in which they were screened. Machete, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, The Town, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Enter the Void. The Jury results were handed to me this morning, in a gold Fed Ex overnighted envelope and the Daquiri goes to oh my god I think the jury made a mistake do those bold letters actually say NAME: BEN AFFLECK FOR DIRECTING: THE TOWN. Congragulations Mr. Affleck on behalf of the Jury of the Summit Film Festival you win the coveted fall Daquiri!
Now for a complete review of the Summit Cinema Film Festival stay tuned cinefiles stay tuned!!!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Soul Kitchen: Review
Yah man. "Soul Kitchen" Yah man "Soul Kitchen." When Birol Unel say's these words to Zinos in his kitchen it is priceless. Birol Unel made a Turkish sprint to stardom in Fatih Akin's "Head-On" where he jumped in to the same arena as the legendary fiend Mr. Klaus Kinski, but from "Head -On" he became one of my personal favorite actors ever. He is a wild bull of an artist and the neck muscles lunge out and his spit flying everywhere is always a personal favorite.
Well in Fatih Akin's newest motion picture Birol Unel portrays a Chef named Shane West. As Shane he is a background character, but becomes one of my favorite elements of the film "Soul Kitchen". Introduced in a Shi Shi Hamburg restaraunt that overlooks the Danube and has a round cedar bar. He is a Chef expert. When an angry German customer complains that his gespacho soup is cold. Birol as the Chef is asked by the waiter to heat up the soup. To which Birol comes out behind the background and explains to the angry German man that gespacho is a traditional Spanish soup and it is supposed to be served cold. This angers the customer and causes Birol to put his knife in the middle of the table and say to the customer in a priceless scream that he "will piss in his soup to warm it up." He is fired instantly and soon meets Zinos outside having a smoke. So "Soul Kitchen" begins. A restaurant owner and a fired Chef hit it off.
Fatih Akin is one of the most exciting directors to come to cinema in decades. "Head-On" is a masterpiece and "Edge of Heaven" is amazing. Similar to Lars Von Trier's "The Boss of it All" the film "Soul Kitchen" requires a certain kind of viewer. I found it hilarious, but it takes an appreciation of a certain combination of slapstick, deranged, humor. Akin might have had to shoot himself in the head after the last two features so "Soul Kitchen" seems fresh. Going that deep and intense can be detrimental to almost any artist. Fatih Akin is a Turkish-German filmaker who deals with the topic of race in fascinating ways. Zinos is a Greek restaurant owner operating in German, Hamburg. When Zinos is dancing with his brother it is my favorite crane shot in the whole film. It parallells Birol dancing onstage covered in blood in "Head On". The thing that is best about "Soul Kitchen" is that being a comedy it seemed that anything was truly possible in the movie. The apartment burns down, they steal the deed, Zinos has a slipped disc in his bakc the whole film. After the second viewing a positive thing happened in watching the spraying painted graffitti artist style credits it struck me that Mr. Akin is a virtuoso and has complete artistic control of everything he creates.
Well in Fatih Akin's newest motion picture Birol Unel portrays a Chef named Shane West. As Shane he is a background character, but becomes one of my favorite elements of the film "Soul Kitchen". Introduced in a Shi Shi Hamburg restaraunt that overlooks the Danube and has a round cedar bar. He is a Chef expert. When an angry German customer complains that his gespacho soup is cold. Birol as the Chef is asked by the waiter to heat up the soup. To which Birol comes out behind the background and explains to the angry German man that gespacho is a traditional Spanish soup and it is supposed to be served cold. This angers the customer and causes Birol to put his knife in the middle of the table and say to the customer in a priceless scream that he "will piss in his soup to warm it up." He is fired instantly and soon meets Zinos outside having a smoke. So "Soul Kitchen" begins. A restaurant owner and a fired Chef hit it off.
Fatih Akin is one of the most exciting directors to come to cinema in decades. "Head-On" is a masterpiece and "Edge of Heaven" is amazing. Similar to Lars Von Trier's "The Boss of it All" the film "Soul Kitchen" requires a certain kind of viewer. I found it hilarious, but it takes an appreciation of a certain combination of slapstick, deranged, humor. Akin might have had to shoot himself in the head after the last two features so "Soul Kitchen" seems fresh. Going that deep and intense can be detrimental to almost any artist. Fatih Akin is a Turkish-German filmaker who deals with the topic of race in fascinating ways. Zinos is a Greek restaurant owner operating in German, Hamburg. When Zinos is dancing with his brother it is my favorite crane shot in the whole film. It parallells Birol dancing onstage covered in blood in "Head On". The thing that is best about "Soul Kitchen" is that being a comedy it seemed that anything was truly possible in the movie. The apartment burns down, they steal the deed, Zinos has a slipped disc in his bakc the whole film. After the second viewing a positive thing happened in watching the spraying painted graffitti artist style credits it struck me that Mr. Akin is a virtuoso and has complete artistic control of everything he creates.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Dersu Uzala: revisited
Akira Kurosawa' s "Dersu Uzala" is a cinematic treasure chest. Last night I had the good fortune of viewing a rare print at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum. As a historian I have profound respect for Archives. The UCLA film & television archive has an extensive catalogue of rare films. The Archive was having a centennial celebration of Kurosawa. Getting a clear print of Dersu Uzala on dvd is almost impossible. King Video, Mosfilm, the former Soviet Union, and Japan have all been tangled in bueracratic red tape to work with Criterion to distribute the movie to dvd and honor, arguably the best motion picture Kurosawa ever shot. In revisiting the picture last night some things became apparent.
The background history on the film is quite intense. Akira Kurosawa had just tried to commit suicide a few months before the cameras started rolling. The Japanese studios would no longer fund the aueter because his condition was a security risk. So he looked for funding elsewhere and the Soviet Union welcomed the master with open arms and financed the picture. The shoot took place for two years and when I saw the shots last night it still looked impossible.
"Dersu Uzala" is my personal favorite Kurosawa picture. I realize this is a bold statement, but allow me to state my case. There is no film in the history of cinema that is similar to "Dersu Uzala" and the story is quite unique. The narrative structure reminds me of a western, but mainly is about friendship. Captain Vladimir Arseniev is a Russian surveyor for the army. His duty is to chart all of the remote and unexplored regions of Russia. The regions represent the frontier. The unknown, the daunitng, and the bitter cold. In looking at Soviet history the Transibberean Railroad wasn't completed until Stalin utilized slave labor from the gulag. Without the railroad traveling the entire distance across the Soviet Union was almost impossible.
So Captain Vladimir Arseniev is given one hell of an assignment. Survey Siberia and chart the regions no one has ever seen from Moscow. The film is set in 1900. One night out in the frontier with his troops around the campfire, Arseniev is visited by a man who is one tough son of a bitch.
He comes up to the campfire where he gets a lit twig and starts smoking his pipe. He does not say how are you doing? He yells at the fire and speaks to it as a living being. Then he asks Arseniev for food. The man, the myth, the legend, is none other than Mr. Dersu Uzala. Arseniev complies and an amazing friendship ensues. Through the elements comrades for life are developed.
My personal favorite scene is when the winds start whipping across the Siberian landscape and the arctic tundra goes on as far as the eye can see. Dersu and Captain Arseniev are all alone. They have lost there way and everything looks the same. In frontier American history this happened many times to the Frontier Army and buffalo hunters in the Great Plains region during a snow storm. In "Dersu Uzala" the music Kurosawa provides starts building the tension as the sun starts to set on the Siberian landscape. Last night at the Billy Wilder theater many people in the audience started to put there coats on during this scene. The wind howls and the snow flurries start swirling. Dersu and Captain Arseniev start cutting down grass, cat tails, and reeds, to form a hut for warmth. Watching this scene when Siberia looks overwhelmed with nature and two men work frantically for survival is amazing. It's one of my favorite scenes of all time in cinema. On the same level as the steamboat being dragged over the mountain in "Fitzcaraldo." There is no CGI and Kurosawa captures the shots of an endless ocean of ice and tundra during a snowstorm at sunset. The colors are some of the most unique in film history and the way the wind swirls against the landscape is magical. The tundra looks similar to sand at the ocean. Cheers Kurosawa and happy centennial! You just reached the Summit of Cinema!
The background history on the film is quite intense. Akira Kurosawa had just tried to commit suicide a few months before the cameras started rolling. The Japanese studios would no longer fund the aueter because his condition was a security risk. So he looked for funding elsewhere and the Soviet Union welcomed the master with open arms and financed the picture. The shoot took place for two years and when I saw the shots last night it still looked impossible.
"Dersu Uzala" is my personal favorite Kurosawa picture. I realize this is a bold statement, but allow me to state my case. There is no film in the history of cinema that is similar to "Dersu Uzala" and the story is quite unique. The narrative structure reminds me of a western, but mainly is about friendship. Captain Vladimir Arseniev is a Russian surveyor for the army. His duty is to chart all of the remote and unexplored regions of Russia. The regions represent the frontier. The unknown, the daunitng, and the bitter cold. In looking at Soviet history the Transibberean Railroad wasn't completed until Stalin utilized slave labor from the gulag. Without the railroad traveling the entire distance across the Soviet Union was almost impossible.
So Captain Vladimir Arseniev is given one hell of an assignment. Survey Siberia and chart the regions no one has ever seen from Moscow. The film is set in 1900. One night out in the frontier with his troops around the campfire, Arseniev is visited by a man who is one tough son of a bitch.
He comes up to the campfire where he gets a lit twig and starts smoking his pipe. He does not say how are you doing? He yells at the fire and speaks to it as a living being. Then he asks Arseniev for food. The man, the myth, the legend, is none other than Mr. Dersu Uzala. Arseniev complies and an amazing friendship ensues. Through the elements comrades for life are developed.
My personal favorite scene is when the winds start whipping across the Siberian landscape and the arctic tundra goes on as far as the eye can see. Dersu and Captain Arseniev are all alone. They have lost there way and everything looks the same. In frontier American history this happened many times to the Frontier Army and buffalo hunters in the Great Plains region during a snow storm. In "Dersu Uzala" the music Kurosawa provides starts building the tension as the sun starts to set on the Siberian landscape. Last night at the Billy Wilder theater many people in the audience started to put there coats on during this scene. The wind howls and the snow flurries start swirling. Dersu and Captain Arseniev start cutting down grass, cat tails, and reeds, to form a hut for warmth. Watching this scene when Siberia looks overwhelmed with nature and two men work frantically for survival is amazing. It's one of my favorite scenes of all time in cinema. On the same level as the steamboat being dragged over the mountain in "Fitzcaraldo." There is no CGI and Kurosawa captures the shots of an endless ocean of ice and tundra during a snowstorm at sunset. The colors are some of the most unique in film history and the way the wind swirls against the landscape is magical. The tundra looks similar to sand at the ocean. Cheers Kurosawa and happy centennial! You just reached the Summit of Cinema!
Friday, August 13, 2010
As Slayer say's "were all Expendable Youth!"
Jump in Marty Mcfly's Delorean and travel back to 1980. The Berlin Wall is still up and David Lee Roth keeps rocking the vocals for Van Halen. Wait what is that it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Stallone and Dolph Lundgren and it's not Rocky X? That's right ladies and gentlemen let's get ready rumble! The time for the 1980s action hero is now!!!
In an era where Jason Bourne and Vin Diesel have tried to steal there thunder "The Expendables" retakes the championship belt. Enter Stallone, Staham, Li, Lundgren, Couture, Willis, Schwazanegger, Rourke, Crews, Austin, and especially the one and only Eric Roberts. Eric Roberts must have gotten the slot because of Mickey Rourke's acceptance speech at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards in which he won the award for "The Wrestler" and then proceeded for 10 minutes straight to ask any director in the audience to hire Eric Roberts. Stallone must have been watching or in the audience because Eric is the perfect villain in the Expendables. He is a throw back to the type of character played by Jack Palance in "Tango and Cash" a man whom wears the same suit the entire movie and holds a woman hostage with a gun to her head and asks Stallone to put his gun down!
Oh "The Expendables" is a wild ride. From the opening in taking down Somalian pirates it became apparent to me that I haven't seen laser scopes since Jean Claude Van Damme and Seagal made them famous in the 80's. Hyper color hasn't been used since the first "Predator". And a body hasn't exploded into that many pieces since the "Dawn of the Dead" by George A. Romero. The simple pleasures of life as a moviegoer.
I do not want to give away any details about "The Expendables" because with Stallone in the director chair he delivers the classic goods. An evil South American dictator, Mickey Rourke on a chopper with a blonde stripper, Dolph Lundgren with a knife the size of a surfboard, and hundreds of steel barrels of gasoline filled for 1980s "Terminator" style explosions. What more can a summer movie fan ask for? Stallone duking it out with WWF sensation Stone Cold Steve Austin. And last, but not least a meeting in a church between Willis, Stallone, and the one and only Governator. Where Stallone actually say's to Willis about Schwarzie "don't worry about him he wants to be President!" Rocky meets Rambo and bites off Evan Holyfield's ear like Mike Tyson. Don't Miss This One!!!! (it could change your life and the way CGI has taken away real muscles!!!) (or are the Australian Airport Police still holding on to Sly's steriods from his gym bag???) [too bad Van Damme and Norris thought the Expendables would have been a poor career choice: eat your hearts out fellas, because you missed the boat!!!]
In an era where Jason Bourne and Vin Diesel have tried to steal there thunder "The Expendables" retakes the championship belt. Enter Stallone, Staham, Li, Lundgren, Couture, Willis, Schwazanegger, Rourke, Crews, Austin, and especially the one and only Eric Roberts. Eric Roberts must have gotten the slot because of Mickey Rourke's acceptance speech at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards in which he won the award for "The Wrestler" and then proceeded for 10 minutes straight to ask any director in the audience to hire Eric Roberts. Stallone must have been watching or in the audience because Eric is the perfect villain in the Expendables. He is a throw back to the type of character played by Jack Palance in "Tango and Cash" a man whom wears the same suit the entire movie and holds a woman hostage with a gun to her head and asks Stallone to put his gun down!
Oh "The Expendables" is a wild ride. From the opening in taking down Somalian pirates it became apparent to me that I haven't seen laser scopes since Jean Claude Van Damme and Seagal made them famous in the 80's. Hyper color hasn't been used since the first "Predator". And a body hasn't exploded into that many pieces since the "Dawn of the Dead" by George A. Romero. The simple pleasures of life as a moviegoer.
I do not want to give away any details about "The Expendables" because with Stallone in the director chair he delivers the classic goods. An evil South American dictator, Mickey Rourke on a chopper with a blonde stripper, Dolph Lundgren with a knife the size of a surfboard, and hundreds of steel barrels of gasoline filled for 1980s "Terminator" style explosions. What more can a summer movie fan ask for? Stallone duking it out with WWF sensation Stone Cold Steve Austin. And last, but not least a meeting in a church between Willis, Stallone, and the one and only Governator. Where Stallone actually say's to Willis about Schwarzie "don't worry about him he wants to be President!" Rocky meets Rambo and bites off Evan Holyfield's ear like Mike Tyson. Don't Miss This One!!!! (it could change your life and the way CGI has taken away real muscles!!!) (or are the Australian Airport Police still holding on to Sly's steriods from his gym bag???) [too bad Van Damme and Norris thought the Expendables would have been a poor career choice: eat your hearts out fellas, because you missed the boat!!!]
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Farewell: Review
"Farewell" by Christian Carion is a mesmerizing Cold War spy film. The film touches on acts of espionage by a Soviet colonel named Sergei Grigoriev in Moscow during 1981. Grigoriev played superbly by Emir Kusturica is a fascinating character. He believes in the tenets of Communism, but like Lenin argues that in order for a system to be free it must be continually destroyed and rebuilt in order for it to remain pure. Kusturica is a fabulous actor and was fabulous in Neil Jordan's, "The Good Thief." He has an unusual look and simply from his eyes he reveals so much without saying anything.
Kusturica in Farewell plays a Soviet who is responsible for dismantiling the system which he has devoted his life to. His rationality for this move is he believes he will make the U.S.S.R. better for his son. Being a colonel he has access to the KGB archives. From this location he compiles data, which is prized by the Reagan administration. There are parallels to Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn in "The Falcon and the Snowman." Kusturica in Moscow steals the blueprints of the Soviet space program, reveals a paper trail that accounts for 40% of the Soviet defense budget that has been spent on espionage, uncovers the whereabouts of nuclear warhead locations in both America and the U.S.S.R. as well as Reagan's travel itinerary, Reagan's food service, and the blueprints of Air Force One. The intermediary between the CIA and Kusturica is a French engineer working in Moscow. Played on point by Guillame Canet. Canet is a reluctant intermediary who really doesn't realize the extent to which he is involved. Kusturica and Canet both have to lie to their families about their espionage involvement. There are many parrallels to "Farewell" and "The Lives of Others" in both films relationships and privacy are abused by the nature of a totalitarian state. "Farwell" is one of the first Cold War films to have actors playing world leaders Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.
Fred Ward plays Reagan as a cowboy president who constantly watching a scene from John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" his reason for watching this scene repeatedly is the scene reveals that John Wayne not Jimmy Stewart killed Liberty Valance. In "Farwell" this a fantastic way of revealing Cold War policy. Arguably it reveals that the Soviet Union with help from the DST dismanteled itself. The Cold War was not won by Ronald Reagan and his Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall speech, but instead ruined from the interior. Unfortunately Mikhail Gorbachev has one scene in the entire film and it reveals very little. There were many scenes of Reagan, but sadly the actor portraying Gorbachev was not utilized to his potential. My biggest criticism of "Farwell" was the lack of Gorbachev. In my personal opinion Mikhail Gorbachev was the last of the mohicans. He was the last Soviet Premier who believed in the ideology. Like Kusturica he thought communism would last forever. Gorbachev felt that if Soviets were given their choice between democracy and communism that they would still choose
communism. Gorbachev wrote his doctoral thesis on how Soviet grain production was superior to American agricultural methods. However, Gorbachev with Pereistroika wrecked the Soviet Union. In America he is championed as a great leader and peace maker. In Russia he is seen as the man who wrecked the Empire. Gorbachev refused to shoot to maintain empire and this in my opinion is why the Berlin wall really fell. In Tianemmenan Square the response of the army of the People's Republic of China kept the nation under the communist umbrella. Without terror communism cannot work.
"Farwell" is a good film and is responsible for putting many fresh ideas on the struggle to understand the Cold War in a motion picture. However, Gorbachev needed to play a more central role in the film in order to balance the amount of screen time Fred Ward had as Reagan.
The look, pace, and tone of the film is on point.
Kusturica in Farewell plays a Soviet who is responsible for dismantiling the system which he has devoted his life to. His rationality for this move is he believes he will make the U.S.S.R. better for his son. Being a colonel he has access to the KGB archives. From this location he compiles data, which is prized by the Reagan administration. There are parallels to Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn in "The Falcon and the Snowman." Kusturica in Moscow steals the blueprints of the Soviet space program, reveals a paper trail that accounts for 40% of the Soviet defense budget that has been spent on espionage, uncovers the whereabouts of nuclear warhead locations in both America and the U.S.S.R. as well as Reagan's travel itinerary, Reagan's food service, and the blueprints of Air Force One. The intermediary between the CIA and Kusturica is a French engineer working in Moscow. Played on point by Guillame Canet. Canet is a reluctant intermediary who really doesn't realize the extent to which he is involved. Kusturica and Canet both have to lie to their families about their espionage involvement. There are many parrallels to "Farewell" and "The Lives of Others" in both films relationships and privacy are abused by the nature of a totalitarian state. "Farwell" is one of the first Cold War films to have actors playing world leaders Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.
Fred Ward plays Reagan as a cowboy president who constantly watching a scene from John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" his reason for watching this scene repeatedly is the scene reveals that John Wayne not Jimmy Stewart killed Liberty Valance. In "Farwell" this a fantastic way of revealing Cold War policy. Arguably it reveals that the Soviet Union with help from the DST dismanteled itself. The Cold War was not won by Ronald Reagan and his Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall speech, but instead ruined from the interior. Unfortunately Mikhail Gorbachev has one scene in the entire film and it reveals very little. There were many scenes of Reagan, but sadly the actor portraying Gorbachev was not utilized to his potential. My biggest criticism of "Farwell" was the lack of Gorbachev. In my personal opinion Mikhail Gorbachev was the last of the mohicans. He was the last Soviet Premier who believed in the ideology. Like Kusturica he thought communism would last forever. Gorbachev felt that if Soviets were given their choice between democracy and communism that they would still choose
communism. Gorbachev wrote his doctoral thesis on how Soviet grain production was superior to American agricultural methods. However, Gorbachev with Pereistroika wrecked the Soviet Union. In America he is championed as a great leader and peace maker. In Russia he is seen as the man who wrecked the Empire. Gorbachev refused to shoot to maintain empire and this in my opinion is why the Berlin wall really fell. In Tianemmenan Square the response of the army of the People's Republic of China kept the nation under the communist umbrella. Without terror communism cannot work.
"Farwell" is a good film and is responsible for putting many fresh ideas on the struggle to understand the Cold War in a motion picture. However, Gorbachev needed to play a more central role in the film in order to balance the amount of screen time Fred Ward had as Reagan.
The look, pace, and tone of the film is on point.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I AM LOVE: Shatters the rest.......
The cinematic experience that is I AM LOVE is by far the best film of the year. Luca Guadagnino's visual pleasure cake and the fury of Ms. Tilda Swinton's powerhouse performance left me floored. The film is the type of feature that made it difficult to drive my car home. After that much beauty it is really challenging to get on the 405 southbound. After seeing the picture for the second time today. I can hardly breathe.
Swinton plays Emma Recchi who is one unique character. The Recchi's are an Italian family which has flourished as a fashion empire. For many Americans it is difficult to understand how rich Emma is. She is cut from the gilded age and even though the film takes place in 1999 her family exists in a world of aristocracy that is similar to the late nineteenth century. There are a full team of servants and cooks. There are servants who dress Emma and open sliding doors for the dining room. Antiquities and priceless art fill the Recchi home. At the beginning of the film Swinton is helping the servants polish the brass and she gets black grime all over her thumb. This grime foreshadows the course the Recchi family is headed for. In the beginning it is snowing in Milan and Swinton is helping coordinate a Christmas banquet and birthday party for her father in-law. Swinton looks robotic and cold. In big bright neon letters the word trophy wife screams from her eyes. She looks like a ghost and a shell of someone who was once great. The dinner and the looks that are exchanged by the family all symbolize status and protocol.
Later in the film Emma is seduced by a family cook named Antonio. The propane blowtorch cooking instrument is held by Emma and Antonio together and it is the first time they touch.
I refuse to spoil anymore of the experience for potential viewers. Let's just say Swinton becomes another character completely and get's in touch with her Russian roots. Her Russian name is Kitesh. Russian symbols are the key to understanding the chameleon performance of Swinton. One reviewer of the film said it was like going to a whole film festival all in one film. I couldn't agree more! MILAN SAN REMO LONDON NICE all seem like different worlds..................................................................................................................
Swinton plays Emma Recchi who is one unique character. The Recchi's are an Italian family which has flourished as a fashion empire. For many Americans it is difficult to understand how rich Emma is. She is cut from the gilded age and even though the film takes place in 1999 her family exists in a world of aristocracy that is similar to the late nineteenth century. There are a full team of servants and cooks. There are servants who dress Emma and open sliding doors for the dining room. Antiquities and priceless art fill the Recchi home. At the beginning of the film Swinton is helping the servants polish the brass and she gets black grime all over her thumb. This grime foreshadows the course the Recchi family is headed for. In the beginning it is snowing in Milan and Swinton is helping coordinate a Christmas banquet and birthday party for her father in-law. Swinton looks robotic and cold. In big bright neon letters the word trophy wife screams from her eyes. She looks like a ghost and a shell of someone who was once great. The dinner and the looks that are exchanged by the family all symbolize status and protocol.
Later in the film Emma is seduced by a family cook named Antonio. The propane blowtorch cooking instrument is held by Emma and Antonio together and it is the first time they touch.
I refuse to spoil anymore of the experience for potential viewers. Let's just say Swinton becomes another character completely and get's in touch with her Russian roots. Her Russian name is Kitesh. Russian symbols are the key to understanding the chameleon performance of Swinton. One reviewer of the film said it was like going to a whole film festival all in one film. I couldn't agree more! MILAN SAN REMO LONDON NICE all seem like different worlds..................................................................................................................
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Kill Bill !!!
The past week I have rediscovered the magic of Kill Bill. The film is a masterpiece which could only be achieved by the virtuoso Mr. Tarantino. The visual components of the film were amazing. When the director chose to shoot certain scenes in black and white it took the film into another artistic dimension. For example, the wedding chapel in El Paso, Texas, and a section of the House of Leaves in Tokyo, Japan are shot flawlessly in both volumes in black and white. The use of black and white turns the film into a saga and an epic. When Beatrix Kido is learning from Pai Mei the art of kung-fu and fighting the Crazy 88's at the House of Leaves, Tarantino in both scenes shoots Uma as a black silhouette as she fights and studies the art of kung-fu. The shadow scenes create a mysterious quality and make the film seem more international. A great use of the shadow samurai was achieved recently by the Hughes brothers. Under a concrete bridge in The Book of Eli, Denzel Washington slices roadside gangsters with his sword and only his shadow appears to achieve this goal. Creating shadow scenes and utilizing black and white film are vital contributions to create Tarantino's visual cinematic arsenal. The split screen during the hospital sequence with Elle Driver as the naughty nurse was a great technique at creating tension. When Elle and Beatrix meet in Bud's trailer the split screen returns during the fight sequence.
Having just watched both volumes in the last couple of days it all seems so clear. I watched Volume 2 first. Watching the second film first was a conscious decision. Kill Bill Volume 2 is markedly superior to Volume 1. Both films are great, but as a cinefile and lover of Tarantino dialouge I have to go for Vol 2. Michael Madsen is the greatest actor of all time. In Vol 2 as Bill's brother Bud he is a tour de force. From his trailer in El Paso, Texas he speaks with Bill about Beatrix's right for revenge. Bud is the bouncer at a strip bar and one tough customer. Out of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad he is by far the most difficult to scratch off the list. He shoots Uma with rock salt and buries her. The burial scene is like a classic Western. The burial scene reminds me of when Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood at the graveyard in The Good The Bad and the Ugly. In Kill Bill Volume 2 the burial scene is a cinematic triumph. The use of creating a cube screen with four black bars around it was fascinating. Black and white is again utilized during the burial. I remember being in the theater during this scene and it is very rare at the cinema for the screen to go completely black for a long period of time and hearing only the sound of Madsen's truck departing the cemetery was stellar. The dialouge between Bill and Beatrix at the end of Vol 2 is fantastic, in the final sequence Bill discusses super heroes and say's how Superman is always Superman and to blend in with society he becomes Clark Kent. Bill say's that Beatrix is like Superman because she can never blend into society and become an employee at her husband's record store in El Paso, Texas.
Volume 2 sets up and creates the world and the characters of both films through the use of dialogue. Vol 1 is a great movie, but there is not a great deal of dialogue. There is dialogue from Uma like wiggle your big toe and Lucy Liu states to the Crazy 88's Tear the Bitch Apart! One of my favorite parts of Vol 1 is when Sonny Chiba creates a Haturi Hanzo sword for Beatrix. This scene in Okinowa has the most dialouge of any scene in Vol 1 and that is why the creation of the sword becomes the primary reason for Vol 1.
Having just watched both volumes in the last couple of days it all seems so clear. I watched Volume 2 first. Watching the second film first was a conscious decision. Kill Bill Volume 2 is markedly superior to Volume 1. Both films are great, but as a cinefile and lover of Tarantino dialouge I have to go for Vol 2. Michael Madsen is the greatest actor of all time. In Vol 2 as Bill's brother Bud he is a tour de force. From his trailer in El Paso, Texas he speaks with Bill about Beatrix's right for revenge. Bud is the bouncer at a strip bar and one tough customer. Out of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad he is by far the most difficult to scratch off the list. He shoots Uma with rock salt and buries her. The burial scene is like a classic Western. The burial scene reminds me of when Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood at the graveyard in The Good The Bad and the Ugly. In Kill Bill Volume 2 the burial scene is a cinematic triumph. The use of creating a cube screen with four black bars around it was fascinating. Black and white is again utilized during the burial. I remember being in the theater during this scene and it is very rare at the cinema for the screen to go completely black for a long period of time and hearing only the sound of Madsen's truck departing the cemetery was stellar. The dialouge between Bill and Beatrix at the end of Vol 2 is fantastic, in the final sequence Bill discusses super heroes and say's how Superman is always Superman and to blend in with society he becomes Clark Kent. Bill say's that Beatrix is like Superman because she can never blend into society and become an employee at her husband's record store in El Paso, Texas.
Volume 2 sets up and creates the world and the characters of both films through the use of dialogue. Vol 1 is a great movie, but there is not a great deal of dialogue. There is dialogue from Uma like wiggle your big toe and Lucy Liu states to the Crazy 88's Tear the Bitch Apart! One of my favorite parts of Vol 1 is when Sonny Chiba creates a Haturi Hanzo sword for Beatrix. This scene in Okinowa has the most dialouge of any scene in Vol 1 and that is why the creation of the sword becomes the primary reason for Vol 1.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The City of your Final Destination: Review
When a film can transport a viewer to another world is a great experience. James Ivory's "The City of your Final Destination", did that just for me yesterday. I had an intense week and I almost didn't go to the theater, but sometimes I have to. The film was screened at my favorite theatre in Los Angeles at the Laemlle Royal Theater on Santa Monica Blvd. A theater that is a single and has a gigantic double sided marquee of the feature. There are twinkling lights that enunciate the Royal. Last night the crowd was older and mostly over sixty. The best part was everyone stayed completely quiet during the feature.
James Ivory is a fantastic director. The film "The City of your Final Destination", takes the viewer on an artistic journey of an academic going to South America to write a biography about a deceased writer. From the opening sound of the leaves rustling with the wind into a shot of huge eucalyptus trees lining the road to the compound the film is visually arresting. Filmed in the federal district of Buenos Aires, Argentina it was gorgeous. The viewer feels the director is showing them a location of an area that is so far away and never before been seen. The story is intriguing, but becomes meaningless when I am compounded with that much beauty. When Wong Kar Wai films America in "My Blue Berry Nights" I have never seen a noir subway in New York with a lime green pigment like that. Or when Terrence Mallick captures the forests of Roanoke Virginia with natural light that look like a painting it moves me. Ivory is in the same company with these colossal directors in terms of creating a visual pleasure cake. If a film becomes that good visually the director can hold me by the ankle upside down and shake out my money.
In this oasis of South America he captures a compound of reclusive characters. Sir Anthony Hopkins portrays the brother of a deceased writer and is in top form. Charlotte Gainsbourg prior to her artistic base jump as the lead for Von Trier's "Antichrist" plays the former mistress of the writer. She is a naive woman who seems bored with her environment and is looking for erotic excitement. However, the show stopper of film is Ms. Laura Linney who plays the widow. Linney is a reclusive powerhouse who is obsessed with control in a cut off world. For the other characters and the academic writer who intrudes on their estate, they seem to be entranced in this utopia. Linney from the beginning feels like she is trapped in a South American dungeon of oppressive torture. She does not whine, but lashes out at the weaker characters like a hydra.
Linney's hair is gelled back and her wardrobe could impress any fashionista. One of the early images we see of her is she is obsessively trying to match a necklace to her shirt. She paints and drinks in excess to escape her predicament. In every scene she is driven to control every action of the others. For example, she commands Alexandra Maria Lara to sit down. Lara asks to move a painting to get the chair. Linney responds with a yes. Lara moves the painting and goes to sit down. Linney then asks her to move the painting just a little bit more to the left. Linney's character is fascinating she is a fusion of Ann Margaret in "Great Expectations", Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard", Jackie O and Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct." She is a power broking woman who is caught in an unbearable situation.
In reviewing films plot is often times boring because the main thing that interests me is how did the movie make me feel. After viewing "The City of your Final Destination" I was transported back to Earth and reminded of Coppola's recent artistic features "Tetro" also in Argentina and "Youth Without Youth" also starred Alexandra Maria Lara. I realized that with art it is so important to take risks even if they fail. A line directly from the film and that academia can sometimes lead people to tunnel vision and completely distort their reality. Interpersonal communication can be crushed by a pure academic drive. Thanks to Ivory I could go to sleep knowing that someone out there is still shooting for the stars and not afraid to fall.
James Ivory is a fantastic director. The film "The City of your Final Destination", takes the viewer on an artistic journey of an academic going to South America to write a biography about a deceased writer. From the opening sound of the leaves rustling with the wind into a shot of huge eucalyptus trees lining the road to the compound the film is visually arresting. Filmed in the federal district of Buenos Aires, Argentina it was gorgeous. The viewer feels the director is showing them a location of an area that is so far away and never before been seen. The story is intriguing, but becomes meaningless when I am compounded with that much beauty. When Wong Kar Wai films America in "My Blue Berry Nights" I have never seen a noir subway in New York with a lime green pigment like that. Or when Terrence Mallick captures the forests of Roanoke Virginia with natural light that look like a painting it moves me. Ivory is in the same company with these colossal directors in terms of creating a visual pleasure cake. If a film becomes that good visually the director can hold me by the ankle upside down and shake out my money.
In this oasis of South America he captures a compound of reclusive characters. Sir Anthony Hopkins portrays the brother of a deceased writer and is in top form. Charlotte Gainsbourg prior to her artistic base jump as the lead for Von Trier's "Antichrist" plays the former mistress of the writer. She is a naive woman who seems bored with her environment and is looking for erotic excitement. However, the show stopper of film is Ms. Laura Linney who plays the widow. Linney is a reclusive powerhouse who is obsessed with control in a cut off world. For the other characters and the academic writer who intrudes on their estate, they seem to be entranced in this utopia. Linney from the beginning feels like she is trapped in a South American dungeon of oppressive torture. She does not whine, but lashes out at the weaker characters like a hydra.
Linney's hair is gelled back and her wardrobe could impress any fashionista. One of the early images we see of her is she is obsessively trying to match a necklace to her shirt. She paints and drinks in excess to escape her predicament. In every scene she is driven to control every action of the others. For example, she commands Alexandra Maria Lara to sit down. Lara asks to move a painting to get the chair. Linney responds with a yes. Lara moves the painting and goes to sit down. Linney then asks her to move the painting just a little bit more to the left. Linney's character is fascinating she is a fusion of Ann Margaret in "Great Expectations", Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard", Jackie O and Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct." She is a power broking woman who is caught in an unbearable situation.
In reviewing films plot is often times boring because the main thing that interests me is how did the movie make me feel. After viewing "The City of your Final Destination" I was transported back to Earth and reminded of Coppola's recent artistic features "Tetro" also in Argentina and "Youth Without Youth" also starred Alexandra Maria Lara. I realized that with art it is so important to take risks even if they fail. A line directly from the film and that academia can sometimes lead people to tunnel vision and completely distort their reality. Interpersonal communication can be crushed by a pure academic drive. Thanks to Ivory I could go to sleep knowing that someone out there is still shooting for the stars and not afraid to fall.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
John Ford's Landscapes
Orson Welles when asked who he believed was the best director of all time responded that he was fond of older pictures and that John Ford was his man. Yesterday I watched "My Darling Clementine" by Ford and throughout the picture it was apparent that the man behind the camera was a master. The story of "My Darling Clementine" was a standard tale of the old West. The film was created in 1946 and stars Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp. The movie was fascinating in how Ford chose to approach the story in Tombstone, Arizona. As a director he chose the story to be focused on two warring families. The Clantons Vs. Earps. Much like the Hatfields Vs. McCoys. From the opening shot of the Earps rounding up cattle to the ending of Wyatt riding off into the distance the film is seamless.
John Ford westerns take on a new meaning to the Western genre. Currently westerns are the most difficult genre film to get financed. Many production companies believe that all westerns have been done and that there are no stories left to be told. Of course this makes absolutely no sense and studios are notoriously cheap. However, the reason I am bringing this up is when one views a Ford picture it becomes apparent that he never cheaped out on production costs. The town of Tombstone Arizona looks unbelievably authentic. From the wooden walk ways to the signs for the casinos. The town looks completely real. The bars are long and wooden and cast a reflection with the light and the saloons are always filled with laughter and yelling. Lanterns are utilized perfectly when Doc Holiday uses them for a medical procedure. The stage coach wheels kick up dirt throughout the movie. The image of stage wheels that keep bringing up dirt like a motorcyle sticks to a Ford picture.
Walter Brennan plays the patriarch of the Clanton family. He whips his sons who are grown men and wears a buffalo coat. As a villian he is unprecedented. Mostly it is the look he gives off more than the words he says that let the viewer know he is in charge. His character's evil is established right from the beginning when the Clantons meet the Earps. He offers to buy Wyatt's cattle and he tries to low ball him.
Last summer I went to Tombstone, Arizona with my father. We drove out there from Los Angeles on our Southwest tour. We went to the Birdcage theater and stood outside of the OK Corral. There is a placard in front of the OK Corral that shows exactly whereIke Clanton was shot. Ford was on top of his game when he made the movie Ike died in the exact same place.
John Ford westerns take on a new meaning to the Western genre. Currently westerns are the most difficult genre film to get financed. Many production companies believe that all westerns have been done and that there are no stories left to be told. Of course this makes absolutely no sense and studios are notoriously cheap. However, the reason I am bringing this up is when one views a Ford picture it becomes apparent that he never cheaped out on production costs. The town of Tombstone Arizona looks unbelievably authentic. From the wooden walk ways to the signs for the casinos. The town looks completely real. The bars are long and wooden and cast a reflection with the light and the saloons are always filled with laughter and yelling. Lanterns are utilized perfectly when Doc Holiday uses them for a medical procedure. The stage coach wheels kick up dirt throughout the movie. The image of stage wheels that keep bringing up dirt like a motorcyle sticks to a Ford picture.
Walter Brennan plays the patriarch of the Clanton family. He whips his sons who are grown men and wears a buffalo coat. As a villian he is unprecedented. Mostly it is the look he gives off more than the words he says that let the viewer know he is in charge. His character's evil is established right from the beginning when the Clantons meet the Earps. He offers to buy Wyatt's cattle and he tries to low ball him.
Last summer I went to Tombstone, Arizona with my father. We drove out there from Los Angeles on our Southwest tour. We went to the Birdcage theater and stood outside of the OK Corral. There is a placard in front of the OK Corral that shows exactly whereIke Clanton was shot. Ford was on top of his game when he made the movie Ike died in the exact same place.
The Future of the Russian Gangster Movie?
When looking at the future of movies it is important to remember the historic year of 2007, it was a bell weather year for adult violent dramas. "No Country for Old Men", by the Cohen brothers, "There Will Be Blood", by P.T. Anderson, and "Eastern Promises" by David Cronenberg. While I enjoyed viewing all three films immensely that year, the one that stuck with me and seemed the most unique was Eastern Promises.
I welcome writers to disagree with this theory, but please mention any other English speaking Russian gangster picture to be on point with Eastern Promises. From the opening shot of London rain outside of the barber shop to the closing shot of Mortensen sitting at the table the film is mesmerizing. The viewer has the feeling of looking from a nuclear periscope at a clear view of the violent and dangerous subculture of the Russian mafia.
In looking at Soviet history it becomes apparent that from Stalin's purge to Prime Minister Putin's slogans Russian politicians are very much like gangsters. When Mortensen is being tattooed to become a member of the Vorev Zorkonia, the panel of Russian gangsters inspecting him look ominous and create a medieval component to the Russian gangster movie. When Mortensen responds that he had solitary confinement in Siberia it speaks volumes to all the Russian people who were sent in box cars to the Gulag. The idea of family in this movie is portrayed similar to the "Godfather." The patriarch of the Russian mafia has striking similarities to Brando. The dinners and the music in both films are rich in tradition.
"Eastern Promises" is unique in the sense that it is a gangster movie that has no guns. Cronenberg uses knives to be more menacing and the film is brilliant at creating tension. The most talked about scene by most viewers is the Turkish bathhouse bloodbath. The scene is executed like an opera and the sound of the scene is even more terrifying than anything that is seen by the viewer. The fact that it is the first time in the feature that the tattoo of St. Basil's Cathedral on the back of Mortensen is exposed publicly also reveals how deep this character is into what he is doing.
The two scenes that were the best in the feature were not violent at all. The scene where Mortensen tries to help Watts kick start her motorcycle is fascinating. The scene is very erotic. Watt's hair is wet and she is wincing to kick start the bike. Mortensen pretends to help and then leads her into his car. She is afraid and intrigued by this character's world. He jokes in the car, while she is serious and they seem like two passing ships.
When I first heard that "Eastern Promises 2" was coming I was excited beyond belief. I would like the story to take one of two paths. Either Mortensen continues to work for Scotland Yard and is forced to rescue Watts from some horrific situation in the Russian underworld or for him to become the don for the Russian mafia and sink into the abyss. I would like for part of the film to actually be filmed in Moscow, just how Italy was utilized in the "Godfather". Unfortunately most Russian representation in American cinema consists of Drago in "Rocky IV". I can only hope that Cronenberg takes the helm and steers the future of the Russian gangster movie to the limit.
I welcome writers to disagree with this theory, but please mention any other English speaking Russian gangster picture to be on point with Eastern Promises. From the opening shot of London rain outside of the barber shop to the closing shot of Mortensen sitting at the table the film is mesmerizing. The viewer has the feeling of looking from a nuclear periscope at a clear view of the violent and dangerous subculture of the Russian mafia.
In looking at Soviet history it becomes apparent that from Stalin's purge to Prime Minister Putin's slogans Russian politicians are very much like gangsters. When Mortensen is being tattooed to become a member of the Vorev Zorkonia, the panel of Russian gangsters inspecting him look ominous and create a medieval component to the Russian gangster movie. When Mortensen responds that he had solitary confinement in Siberia it speaks volumes to all the Russian people who were sent in box cars to the Gulag. The idea of family in this movie is portrayed similar to the "Godfather." The patriarch of the Russian mafia has striking similarities to Brando. The dinners and the music in both films are rich in tradition.
"Eastern Promises" is unique in the sense that it is a gangster movie that has no guns. Cronenberg uses knives to be more menacing and the film is brilliant at creating tension. The most talked about scene by most viewers is the Turkish bathhouse bloodbath. The scene is executed like an opera and the sound of the scene is even more terrifying than anything that is seen by the viewer. The fact that it is the first time in the feature that the tattoo of St. Basil's Cathedral on the back of Mortensen is exposed publicly also reveals how deep this character is into what he is doing.
The two scenes that were the best in the feature were not violent at all. The scene where Mortensen tries to help Watts kick start her motorcycle is fascinating. The scene is very erotic. Watt's hair is wet and she is wincing to kick start the bike. Mortensen pretends to help and then leads her into his car. She is afraid and intrigued by this character's world. He jokes in the car, while she is serious and they seem like two passing ships.
When I first heard that "Eastern Promises 2" was coming I was excited beyond belief. I would like the story to take one of two paths. Either Mortensen continues to work for Scotland Yard and is forced to rescue Watts from some horrific situation in the Russian underworld or for him to become the don for the Russian mafia and sink into the abyss. I would like for part of the film to actually be filmed in Moscow, just how Italy was utilized in the "Godfather". Unfortunately most Russian representation in American cinema consists of Drago in "Rocky IV". I can only hope that Cronenberg takes the helm and steers the future of the Russian gangster movie to the limit.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Shepard's Cowboy Wisdom
In looking at an American writer who is cut from another cloth. Cowboy playwright Sam Shepard has such a unique artistic voice. Last summer I had just written my historical thesis on buffalo hunting in the Great Plains. As a result of my studies I had to travel by car across the great state of Texas from Los Angeles. I went with my father through the Southwest and accompanying me on my journey through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas was Sam Shepard's "Cruising Paradise." The collection of short stories by Shepard was the perfect type of book for a road trip. At the end of each story is the date and the strange location of where Sam has driven to pen this story. Places like Kadoka, South Dakota/ Langtry, Texas/ Tucson, Arizona. Stories of a writer who never uses a plane to travel, but instead drives endlessly across the country. Women who collide into his life leaving only glass shards. Jobs that he possessed like catching hay bales on a moving truck to collecting money in a tiny booth in New York City. As a reader the most striking thing about Shepard's stories are his attention to detail and the visuals he paints.
For example, here is an excerpt from a story called "See You In My Dreams": "On the little table in front of the rocker were opened cans of half eaten tuna fish and a crusty bowl of Esteban's black bean soup. Stacks of National Geographic, Look, and Life, all barricading the table, with a narrow alleyway leading out toward the sink. A peanut butter jar on the floor, half filled with brown water and soggy cigarette butts."
These visuals put the reader directly into the house of the reclusive character. One of the best choices a writer can make is to never make the reader feel rushed. Every detail and object begins to take on a life of it's own. There is no money shot in a Sam Shepard story. The entire story is described seamlessly.
One of my favorite screenplays by Shepard that was adapted for the screen and directed by German auteur Wim Wenders was "Paris Texas." In the creation of Travis, Shepard formulates a character who is haunted by his past. A man who hasn't spoken in four years and walks around endlessly on the Plains of Texas. All a viewer has to do is look into the eyes of Harry Dean Stanton in the opening shot and they know everything they need to know about the character. In the climax of the film, Travis speaks to Jane on the other side of the glass of a peepshow for 10 minutes straight. In this uninterrupted conversation, Travis poetically fills in the gaps of what exactly happened to his lost love. Jane has to turn off the light inside the peepshow room and Travis uses a lamp to illuminate his profile. Shepard's writing for this scene reaches a summit that only he could climb to. The location of Paris Texas is where lost love is found.
For example, here is an excerpt from a story called "See You In My Dreams": "On the little table in front of the rocker were opened cans of half eaten tuna fish and a crusty bowl of Esteban's black bean soup. Stacks of National Geographic, Look, and Life, all barricading the table, with a narrow alleyway leading out toward the sink. A peanut butter jar on the floor, half filled with brown water and soggy cigarette butts."
These visuals put the reader directly into the house of the reclusive character. One of the best choices a writer can make is to never make the reader feel rushed. Every detail and object begins to take on a life of it's own. There is no money shot in a Sam Shepard story. The entire story is described seamlessly.
One of my favorite screenplays by Shepard that was adapted for the screen and directed by German auteur Wim Wenders was "Paris Texas." In the creation of Travis, Shepard formulates a character who is haunted by his past. A man who hasn't spoken in four years and walks around endlessly on the Plains of Texas. All a viewer has to do is look into the eyes of Harry Dean Stanton in the opening shot and they know everything they need to know about the character. In the climax of the film, Travis speaks to Jane on the other side of the glass of a peepshow for 10 minutes straight. In this uninterrupted conversation, Travis poetically fills in the gaps of what exactly happened to his lost love. Jane has to turn off the light inside the peepshow room and Travis uses a lamp to illuminate his profile. Shepard's writing for this scene reaches a summit that only he could climb to. The location of Paris Texas is where lost love is found.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Future of David Lynch's Surreal Dimensions
In looking at the use of surrealism by most contemporary filmakers the doorways to these dimensions are usually choppy and filled with poor choices. For Example, M.Night Shylaman with "Lady in the Water", has Paul Giamitti as a super looking for paranomal behavior from the pool he overseas. Shylaman tries so hard for the film to be groundbreaking, but he fails to make the viewer care about any of the characters in the world he creates. Another talented filmaker Richard Kelly utilized water for The Box to be symbolic of a supernatural corridor into another dimension. Although The Box had some fantastic ideas the picture never seemed to crystallize.
I invite readers to argue with my points made about Shylaman and Kelly. The overarching theme with both directors is they could not establish a concrete sense of place to launch of into their surreal enviornments. Geographic place for any feature film is of gargantuan importance, especially if the director attempts to coral ideas that are very other wordly. Without a sense of location the viewer is lost along with the characters, the script, and the point of why are they watching this film?
In sticking with the topic of surrealism I am going to bring up a director who is a cinematic heavyweight in establishing a sense of place. The greatest champion of cinema coming out of the red room of Twin Peaks is none other than Mr. David Lynch. He creates a sense of place in Twin Peaks in the state of Washington that is unparralled to any cinematic town. Using locations like diners, the woods, and the sherrifs station he creates a breathing world. In order to create the Red Room with jagged black lines on a white floor, red curtains, inhabited by a midget who speaks backwards it is pivotal to establish a clear sense of space for the town of Twin Peaks.
In the view of the American Highway that is inhabited by Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune in Lynch's Wild At Heart, every stop on there road tour is anchored with a sense of place. For example the couple is in New Orleans for a very brief period in the film. However with one shot of a cast iron building with toilet paper whipping in the wind off a stucture. The viewer is automatically grounded in Louisiania.
In looking at both Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire both extremely surreal features are grounded in Los Angeles just simply by using unique shots of the Hollywood sign. In Mullholand Drive there is what appears to be a helicopter shot of the summit of the sign. In Inland Empire to switch locations from the winter of Poland the sign is shown backwards and the viewer is instantly back in Los Angeles after just having been to Eastern Europe.
One of the most common techniques utlized by directors for New York city is a yellow taxi cab. And for Europe the tool of the sound of European ambulances. With either image or sound a viewer can be teleported back to a particular place.
And that leads me to my last comments today on the Future of David Lynch's Surreal Dimensions. At the water cooler the rumor mill has started that there quite possibly could be a Mulholland Drive 2. In reading what most of the ADD hacks have been writing on IMDB they are all concerned on how could the characters portrayed by Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring be resurected because many writers seem to think they died in Mulholland Drive.
Many writers are looking for the ending of Inland Empire in which Laura Elena Harring is blowing kisses at the viewer as an indicator for Mulholland Drive 2. Cinefiles have also cleverly pointed out that the rabbits in Inland Empire were both Laura Elena Harring and Naomi Watts.
Not to take any of the thunder out of these lovers of film lightning rods, but I think you guys are missing the point on the possibilities for Mulholland Drive 2.
We are taking about a man who could bring a cowboy to Beachwood Canyon and come of as perfectly logical because the location of Los Angeles is established flawlessly. A director who can sum up the heart of Hollywood by shooting a bungalow and a bird of paradise. I trust David Lynch can navigate the subconcious world of Los Angeles and continue the surreal dreamscape of Mulholland Drive.
The main issue in talking with fellow cinefiles was they argued whether Inland Empire was a linear or a non-linear script. The issue is not this!!! The film is art and does not have to be solved like a riddle. All Laura Elena Harring has to do is look into the dark undertow of the blue cube or for the image of her red satin pillow to fade to black. Lynch will instantly create a second phase to the story from these concrete locations. As a viewer I can't wait for the wild ride Mullholand Drive 2.
I invite readers to argue with my points made about Shylaman and Kelly. The overarching theme with both directors is they could not establish a concrete sense of place to launch of into their surreal enviornments. Geographic place for any feature film is of gargantuan importance, especially if the director attempts to coral ideas that are very other wordly. Without a sense of location the viewer is lost along with the characters, the script, and the point of why are they watching this film?
In sticking with the topic of surrealism I am going to bring up a director who is a cinematic heavyweight in establishing a sense of place. The greatest champion of cinema coming out of the red room of Twin Peaks is none other than Mr. David Lynch. He creates a sense of place in Twin Peaks in the state of Washington that is unparralled to any cinematic town. Using locations like diners, the woods, and the sherrifs station he creates a breathing world. In order to create the Red Room with jagged black lines on a white floor, red curtains, inhabited by a midget who speaks backwards it is pivotal to establish a clear sense of space for the town of Twin Peaks.
In the view of the American Highway that is inhabited by Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune in Lynch's Wild At Heart, every stop on there road tour is anchored with a sense of place. For example the couple is in New Orleans for a very brief period in the film. However with one shot of a cast iron building with toilet paper whipping in the wind off a stucture. The viewer is automatically grounded in Louisiania.
In looking at both Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire both extremely surreal features are grounded in Los Angeles just simply by using unique shots of the Hollywood sign. In Mullholand Drive there is what appears to be a helicopter shot of the summit of the sign. In Inland Empire to switch locations from the winter of Poland the sign is shown backwards and the viewer is instantly back in Los Angeles after just having been to Eastern Europe.
One of the most common techniques utlized by directors for New York city is a yellow taxi cab. And for Europe the tool of the sound of European ambulances. With either image or sound a viewer can be teleported back to a particular place.
And that leads me to my last comments today on the Future of David Lynch's Surreal Dimensions. At the water cooler the rumor mill has started that there quite possibly could be a Mulholland Drive 2. In reading what most of the ADD hacks have been writing on IMDB they are all concerned on how could the characters portrayed by Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harring be resurected because many writers seem to think they died in Mulholland Drive.
Many writers are looking for the ending of Inland Empire in which Laura Elena Harring is blowing kisses at the viewer as an indicator for Mulholland Drive 2. Cinefiles have also cleverly pointed out that the rabbits in Inland Empire were both Laura Elena Harring and Naomi Watts.
Not to take any of the thunder out of these lovers of film lightning rods, but I think you guys are missing the point on the possibilities for Mulholland Drive 2.
We are taking about a man who could bring a cowboy to Beachwood Canyon and come of as perfectly logical because the location of Los Angeles is established flawlessly. A director who can sum up the heart of Hollywood by shooting a bungalow and a bird of paradise. I trust David Lynch can navigate the subconcious world of Los Angeles and continue the surreal dreamscape of Mulholland Drive.
The main issue in talking with fellow cinefiles was they argued whether Inland Empire was a linear or a non-linear script. The issue is not this!!! The film is art and does not have to be solved like a riddle. All Laura Elena Harring has to do is look into the dark undertow of the blue cube or for the image of her red satin pillow to fade to black. Lynch will instantly create a second phase to the story from these concrete locations. As a viewer I can't wait for the wild ride Mullholand Drive 2.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Future of the Russian Gangster Movie?
When looking at the future of movies it is important to remember the historic year of 2007 it was a bell weather year for adult violent dramas. "No Country for Old Men", by the Cohen brothers, "There Will Be Blood" by P.T. Anderson, and "Eastern Promises" by David Cronenberg.
While I enjoyed viewing all three features immensely that year. The one that stuck with me and seemed most unique was Eastern Promises.
I welcome writers to disagree with this theory, but please mention any other English speaking Russian ganster picture to be on point with Eastern Promises. From the opening shot of London rain outside of the barber shop to the closing shot of Mortensen sitting at the table the film is mesmerizing. The viewer has the feeling of looking from a nuclear submarine periscope at a clear view of the violent and dangerous subculture of the Russian Mafia.
In looking at Soviet history it becomes apparent that from Stalin's purge to Prime Minister Putin's slogans Russian politicians are very much like gangsters. When Mortensen is being tatooed to become a member of the Vorev Zorkonia, the panel of Russian gangsters inspecting him look ominous and create a medieval component to the Russian Gangster movie. When Mortensen responds that he had solitary confinement in Siberia it speaks volumes of all the Russian people who were sent in box cars to the Gulag. The idea of family in this movie portrayed in this film is similar to the Godfather. The Patriach of the Russian mafia has stiking similarities to Brando. The dinners and the music in both films are rich in tradition.
Eastern Promises is unique in the sense that it is a ganster movie that has no guns. Cronenberg uses knives to be more menacing and the film is brilliant at creating tension. The most talked about scene by most viewers is the Turkish bathhouse bloodbath. The scene is executed like an opera and the sound of the scene is even more terrifying than anything that is seen by the viewer. The fact that it is the first time in the feature that the tatoo of St.Basil's Cathedral on the back of Mortensen also reveals how deep this character is in to what he is doing.
The two scenes that were the best in the feature were not violent at all. The scene where Mortensen tries to help Watts kick start her motorcyle is fascinating. The scene is very erotic. Watt's hair is wet and she is wincing to kick start the bike. Mortensen pretends to help and then leads her into his car. She is afraid and intrigued by this characters world. He jokes in the car, while she is serious and they seem to be like two passing ships.
When I first heard that Eastern Promises 2 was coming I was excited beyond belief. I would like the story to take one of two paths. Either Mortensen contiues to work for Scotland Yard and rescue Watts from some horrific situation in the Russian underworld or for him to become the don for the Russian mafia and sink into the abyss. I would for part of the film to actually be filmed in Moscow, just how Italy was utilized in the Godfather. Unfortunately most Russian representation in American cinema consists of Drago in Rocky V. I can only hope that Cronenberg takes the helm and steers the future of the Russian gangster movie to the limit.
While I enjoyed viewing all three features immensely that year. The one that stuck with me and seemed most unique was Eastern Promises.
I welcome writers to disagree with this theory, but please mention any other English speaking Russian ganster picture to be on point with Eastern Promises. From the opening shot of London rain outside of the barber shop to the closing shot of Mortensen sitting at the table the film is mesmerizing. The viewer has the feeling of looking from a nuclear submarine periscope at a clear view of the violent and dangerous subculture of the Russian Mafia.
In looking at Soviet history it becomes apparent that from Stalin's purge to Prime Minister Putin's slogans Russian politicians are very much like gangsters. When Mortensen is being tatooed to become a member of the Vorev Zorkonia, the panel of Russian gangsters inspecting him look ominous and create a medieval component to the Russian Gangster movie. When Mortensen responds that he had solitary confinement in Siberia it speaks volumes of all the Russian people who were sent in box cars to the Gulag. The idea of family in this movie portrayed in this film is similar to the Godfather. The Patriach of the Russian mafia has stiking similarities to Brando. The dinners and the music in both films are rich in tradition.
Eastern Promises is unique in the sense that it is a ganster movie that has no guns. Cronenberg uses knives to be more menacing and the film is brilliant at creating tension. The most talked about scene by most viewers is the Turkish bathhouse bloodbath. The scene is executed like an opera and the sound of the scene is even more terrifying than anything that is seen by the viewer. The fact that it is the first time in the feature that the tatoo of St.Basil's Cathedral on the back of Mortensen also reveals how deep this character is in to what he is doing.
The two scenes that were the best in the feature were not violent at all. The scene where Mortensen tries to help Watts kick start her motorcyle is fascinating. The scene is very erotic. Watt's hair is wet and she is wincing to kick start the bike. Mortensen pretends to help and then leads her into his car. She is afraid and intrigued by this characters world. He jokes in the car, while she is serious and they seem to be like two passing ships.
When I first heard that Eastern Promises 2 was coming I was excited beyond belief. I would like the story to take one of two paths. Either Mortensen contiues to work for Scotland Yard and rescue Watts from some horrific situation in the Russian underworld or for him to become the don for the Russian mafia and sink into the abyss. I would for part of the film to actually be filmed in Moscow, just how Italy was utilized in the Godfather. Unfortunately most Russian representation in American cinema consists of Drago in Rocky V. I can only hope that Cronenberg takes the helm and steers the future of the Russian gangster movie to the limit.
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