That title makes sense - because I don't ride horses, but I do occasionally eat popcorn, and this page is about movies, so...well I only said that it made sense, not that it was funny or accurate.
It's been a long, LONG winter which has finally subsided, and I believe the time is nigh that I'll be seeing more new movies, thus giving me greater purpose to actually write something here. I have been watching a lot of older movies at home, and kept meaning to mention them here, but the semester was just too crazy to let up and I simply couldn't manage. I even saw a new movie, in a theater, before it officially opened, and absolutely intended to review it here, but...no such luck.
That movie was The Merry Gentleman, screened at the Midwest Independent Film Festival, and I like it enough to recommend it - though the film is not without its problems. A well-written script by Ron Lazzeretti, a wonderful performance by Kelly Macdonald, and a decent directing debut from co-star Michael Keaton make the film worth seeing. The pacing is too slow in spots, it doesn't quite have an ending, and large portions of some characters' motivations don't always make sense...but if you need a break from comic books, tv shows, and sequels with big explosions, it's still playing in a few theaters.
So, with that accomplished, I will be back within a week, spouting a brand new diatribe or exaltation, and maybe a new haircut. Thanks for reading!
Andy
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Southland Tales
Ever watch a movie late at night, when you're really tired, and find yourself utterly clueless what is going on in the movie because you're dozing off for several seconds every few minutes? This was my experience watching Southland Tales, except it wasn't that late, and I was wide awake every second. Yet still I kept feeling like I'd missed something.
The structure is a complete mess. It has the feel of a movie that was much longer until the studio or distributor forced some edits for a decent running time. Within the story's timeline, days seem to pass while some characters do nothing but drive from one place to another, never leaving the city...yet other characters manage to traverse citywide distances in almost no time at all, from one scene to the next. Some characters are unconscious until the plot requires them to wake up, whether it's a few minutes or several hours, while others never seem to eat or sleep or even leave their rooms. I know the movie is supposed to have an otherworldly quality to it, and the nature of our known existence may not always apply, but still...even an alternate reality has to have structural integrity - rules of its own - which is not being upheld here. It's a big ol' convoluted mess.
I am a fan of Donnie Darko, more so the director's cut, and I use that as an example of Richard Kelly's ability to set up alternate realities, with different rules from our own, and abide by them. He doesn't do that here. He's attempted something so big and so far-reaching that he can't contain it within this movie. I suppose that's why there are three graphic novels leading up to the events of the movie, but guess what - if the movie doesn't make sense on its own, it isn't a good movie. If I don't know what the movie's about after thirty-five minutes, the filmmakers have done a poor job of telling the story.
For you Southland fans out there, please don't try to tell me I wasn't paying attention, or it's a movie you have to think about, or it was just over my head - I'm a pretty smart guy, and I've seen a lot of movies. I get that it's meant to be political satire in the realm of science fiction. I get that it's a story about things that don't always make sense and therefore it's not always going to make sense. Donnie Darko did the same thing, with psychological issues instead of political issues, and that movie makes perfect sense to me. The difference is in the storytelling, and the story is not being told here as much as it is merely being referenced...as if the movie is made for people who are already fans of, and therefore familiar with, the Southland universe.
I believe it is clear to me what Richard Kelly is attempting to do - it's just not working. He's trying to make a satire, a comedy, by casting mostly comic actors and having them play their roles seriously. But the movie isn't funny. The tone is not funny, or odd, or comedic or sarcastic in any way. It's a bit full of itself, but accomplishes nothing more than making the apparently serious not so serious. The cast is diverse and interesting, including five SNL cast members, one from MADtv, and even Christopher Lambert! What purpose their characters serve in the story, however...I have no idea. I will give Seann William Scott a lot of credit, for turning in a very interesting and more dramatic performance than he usually provides, because he's typically a comic actor in a comic film, and it's nice to see that he's capable of more. Too bad the movie itself doesn't support him.
There's a voice over narration from Justin Timberlake that feels useless and tacked on, a long music video right in the middle of the movie that serves no real purpose, many sequences that go on and on and do nothing but establish mood that doesn't relate to the story in any recognizable way...no real beginning, anti-climactic ending, and two, yes TWO separate third act instances of the jesus christ pose, which is such a pretentious and cliched image to put in your movie, at least when you're so obvious about it, that all I can do is scoff at what a dumb idea it was. And they did it twice.
Hopefully this is one of those things where a writer/director makes a popular, respected movie his first time out, totally craps a big one on the second film, then gets his act together for the third. So I will be looking forward to The Box next year, though I must point out that in adapting a story by the legendary Richard Matheson, Kelly has a lot going for his third film out of the gate - less to prove, more to start with, and a better chance of being able to simply focus on making a good film instead of "doing his thing".
Southland Tales is a big stinking mess. I get it, but I don't like it. The movie isn't whole enough to be appreciated. People who like it may be fooling themselves into thinking confusing means thoughtful, that weird and different is always good and better. Not so. Just watch the director's cut of Donnie Darko again. That's what a weird movie with true depth should be like, and the more I watch it, the more I appreciate it.
Oh, and, Earth to Netflix: the film is not 1 hour 40 minutes, nor 140 minutes; it's actually longer than that. And The Rock is not is this movie. Dwayne Johnson is, but The Rock receives no credit. Get your facts straight, please.
The structure is a complete mess. It has the feel of a movie that was much longer until the studio or distributor forced some edits for a decent running time. Within the story's timeline, days seem to pass while some characters do nothing but drive from one place to another, never leaving the city...yet other characters manage to traverse citywide distances in almost no time at all, from one scene to the next. Some characters are unconscious until the plot requires them to wake up, whether it's a few minutes or several hours, while others never seem to eat or sleep or even leave their rooms. I know the movie is supposed to have an otherworldly quality to it, and the nature of our known existence may not always apply, but still...even an alternate reality has to have structural integrity - rules of its own - which is not being upheld here. It's a big ol' convoluted mess.
I am a fan of Donnie Darko, more so the director's cut, and I use that as an example of Richard Kelly's ability to set up alternate realities, with different rules from our own, and abide by them. He doesn't do that here. He's attempted something so big and so far-reaching that he can't contain it within this movie. I suppose that's why there are three graphic novels leading up to the events of the movie, but guess what - if the movie doesn't make sense on its own, it isn't a good movie. If I don't know what the movie's about after thirty-five minutes, the filmmakers have done a poor job of telling the story.
For you Southland fans out there, please don't try to tell me I wasn't paying attention, or it's a movie you have to think about, or it was just over my head - I'm a pretty smart guy, and I've seen a lot of movies. I get that it's meant to be political satire in the realm of science fiction. I get that it's a story about things that don't always make sense and therefore it's not always going to make sense. Donnie Darko did the same thing, with psychological issues instead of political issues, and that movie makes perfect sense to me. The difference is in the storytelling, and the story is not being told here as much as it is merely being referenced...as if the movie is made for people who are already fans of, and therefore familiar with, the Southland universe.
I believe it is clear to me what Richard Kelly is attempting to do - it's just not working. He's trying to make a satire, a comedy, by casting mostly comic actors and having them play their roles seriously. But the movie isn't funny. The tone is not funny, or odd, or comedic or sarcastic in any way. It's a bit full of itself, but accomplishes nothing more than making the apparently serious not so serious. The cast is diverse and interesting, including five SNL cast members, one from MADtv, and even Christopher Lambert! What purpose their characters serve in the story, however...I have no idea. I will give Seann William Scott a lot of credit, for turning in a very interesting and more dramatic performance than he usually provides, because he's typically a comic actor in a comic film, and it's nice to see that he's capable of more. Too bad the movie itself doesn't support him.
There's a voice over narration from Justin Timberlake that feels useless and tacked on, a long music video right in the middle of the movie that serves no real purpose, many sequences that go on and on and do nothing but establish mood that doesn't relate to the story in any recognizable way...no real beginning, anti-climactic ending, and two, yes TWO separate third act instances of the jesus christ pose, which is such a pretentious and cliched image to put in your movie, at least when you're so obvious about it, that all I can do is scoff at what a dumb idea it was. And they did it twice.
Hopefully this is one of those things where a writer/director makes a popular, respected movie his first time out, totally craps a big one on the second film, then gets his act together for the third. So I will be looking forward to The Box next year, though I must point out that in adapting a story by the legendary Richard Matheson, Kelly has a lot going for his third film out of the gate - less to prove, more to start with, and a better chance of being able to simply focus on making a good film instead of "doing his thing".
Southland Tales is a big stinking mess. I get it, but I don't like it. The movie isn't whole enough to be appreciated. People who like it may be fooling themselves into thinking confusing means thoughtful, that weird and different is always good and better. Not so. Just watch the director's cut of Donnie Darko again. That's what a weird movie with true depth should be like, and the more I watch it, the more I appreciate it.
Oh, and, Earth to Netflix: the film is not 1 hour 40 minutes, nor 140 minutes; it's actually longer than that. And The Rock is not is this movie. Dwayne Johnson is, but The Rock receives no credit. Get your facts straight, please.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Cult Favorites
Yes, I'm finally getting around to this. I've been busy writing and working and studying and earning A's in all my classes; that's right! And I decided it's wrong to call these classics, because none of these movies are what I'd truly term classical in any sense. But they're definitely favorites just outside the mainstream, and that gives them a certain clout - a respect, for the half-assed brilliance they exhibit. For their unique oddness, for the oddity of their uniqueness. They're different but familiar. And they're my friggin' choices, so, there's possibly some kind of theme buried within the subtext here. I tend to do that. I also tend to put things in some kind of order, so here's the chronological:
Midnight Madness
It's goofy, it's silly, it's corny, it's part of the bridge from 70's punk to 80's pop...okay not so much the latter, but come on! Co-starring Michael J. Fox as a teenager, when he actually still was one! David Naughton post-Dr. Pepper and pre-American Werewolf! Stephen Furst as a villain instead of the sap from Animal House! Eddie Deezen & Paul Reubens in the same movie!! It's been spoofed on Robot Chicken, for Leon's sake! If you were born in the 60's or 70's, check it out. It'll take you back.
A Muppet Family Christmas
Okay, so it's a t.v. special, not a movie. So what. It has two important qualities that make it a cult favorite: it's a one-shot deal that combines & crosses over previously set boundaries of fictional realms defined by its own creators, and, it's unavailable in its original form. First, Jim Henson was still alive, so the show has all the magic (and voices) that made the Muppets what they were. Second, the show has characters from different parts of the Muppet universe that had never interacted before, and I don't believe they have since, for the most part - folks from the Muppet Show & Sesame Street, all in the same place? There'd been some crossover there before, but not like this...even the Muppet Babies put in an appearance. And the Fraggles turn up! Do you have any idea how weird that is? It's freakin' awesome, okay? Fraggles rock!
It's no longer available in its original form because, I believe, they don't have the rights to some of the songs, so the current video & DVD releases are missing some scenes, and otherwise edited. Also, Disney owns Henson productions, or at least some of the distribution rights, and they're always chopping things up to suit whatever stupid crappy concept they have for it. They suck. The good news is, there are still old recordings and VHS copies of the original special, and while I'm not lucky enough to own one, I would certainly recommend tracking it down if you have the means. Or you could always buy it for me.
UHF
I'm one of the dozen or so people who actually saw this during its ludicrously brief theatrical release in the summer of 1989. And it only cost $1 - back when there were second-run theaters, this could happen! Totally worth it. It was funny then and it's funny now. It's not the most eloquent of films, and the production values are often laughable, though sometimes this is intentional...a good farcical parody (or parodic farce) is hard to find, you know? It's going to be cheesy and cheap if it's going to be good. Look at all the junk they're churning out these days - Disaster Movie, Epic Movie, Date Movie, Scary Movie 3...I think it's mainly the same group of guys (you know it's guys; women don't produce this kind of work) pooping them out, stinking up the cinematic landscape. Weird Al is a genius god next to these losers. Even Michael Richards was still talented back then - if there's an Oscar equivalent for playing a dumbass goofball, he earned it here.
Freaked
Not a very widely known film, but that's what makes it a cult favorite. If you ever wondered what happened to Alex Winter, widely recognized as Bill S Preston Esq. of Bill & Ted...well, this movie pretty much tells that story - he turned into a hideous mutated freak and moved behind the camera. It has those same qualities as UHF that make it fun - cheap and cheesy, with good comic timing. Randy Quaid as an evil madman! Keanu Reeves as an uncredited Dog-Boy! A cameo by David Bowe from UHF! Shakespeare with monsters! A movie doesn't always have to be good to be good, if you know what I mean...as long as it isn't lousy.
S.F.W.
This movie is a product of its time - I'm not sure people really get it anymore. Folks of a certain generation will recognize the discontent complacency, the desire to change one's life without making an effort...I know these are contradictory sentiments, but that's what it does. It shows how meaningless life can feel, as if all anyone could do is go along for the ride, whatever the ride is. The movie reflects this, the music reflects this, and Stephen Dorff's performance says it all. He exists, but he's not doing anything about it.
I wouldn't say anything in this movie is brilliant, exactly, but it certainly captures the essence of its own story, by making it a semi-comic satire of the world around it, and within it. Besides, it's got a young Reese Witherspoon...the "fuckin' special" version of Radiohead's first big hit 'Creep'...Jake Busey as a douchebag! You can't go wrong, if you look at it right.
I left out things like Creepshow & Killer Klowns From Outer Space because...well, I've talked about those before, and they're more widely accepted for being what they are, or more well known, or something. I just didn't want to, okay? And no promises this time regarding my next topic, or its expected date of publishment. I does what I does and we'll sees what that is. Thanks for reading!
Midnight Madness
It's goofy, it's silly, it's corny, it's part of the bridge from 70's punk to 80's pop...okay not so much the latter, but come on! Co-starring Michael J. Fox as a teenager, when he actually still was one! David Naughton post-Dr. Pepper and pre-American Werewolf! Stephen Furst as a villain instead of the sap from Animal House! Eddie Deezen & Paul Reubens in the same movie!! It's been spoofed on Robot Chicken, for Leon's sake! If you were born in the 60's or 70's, check it out. It'll take you back.
A Muppet Family Christmas
Okay, so it's a t.v. special, not a movie. So what. It has two important qualities that make it a cult favorite: it's a one-shot deal that combines & crosses over previously set boundaries of fictional realms defined by its own creators, and, it's unavailable in its original form. First, Jim Henson was still alive, so the show has all the magic (and voices) that made the Muppets what they were. Second, the show has characters from different parts of the Muppet universe that had never interacted before, and I don't believe they have since, for the most part - folks from the Muppet Show & Sesame Street, all in the same place? There'd been some crossover there before, but not like this...even the Muppet Babies put in an appearance. And the Fraggles turn up! Do you have any idea how weird that is? It's freakin' awesome, okay? Fraggles rock!
It's no longer available in its original form because, I believe, they don't have the rights to some of the songs, so the current video & DVD releases are missing some scenes, and otherwise edited. Also, Disney owns Henson productions, or at least some of the distribution rights, and they're always chopping things up to suit whatever stupid crappy concept they have for it. They suck. The good news is, there are still old recordings and VHS copies of the original special, and while I'm not lucky enough to own one, I would certainly recommend tracking it down if you have the means. Or you could always buy it for me.
UHF
I'm one of the dozen or so people who actually saw this during its ludicrously brief theatrical release in the summer of 1989. And it only cost $1 - back when there were second-run theaters, this could happen! Totally worth it. It was funny then and it's funny now. It's not the most eloquent of films, and the production values are often laughable, though sometimes this is intentional...a good farcical parody (or parodic farce) is hard to find, you know? It's going to be cheesy and cheap if it's going to be good. Look at all the junk they're churning out these days - Disaster Movie, Epic Movie, Date Movie, Scary Movie 3...I think it's mainly the same group of guys (you know it's guys; women don't produce this kind of work) pooping them out, stinking up the cinematic landscape. Weird Al is a genius god next to these losers. Even Michael Richards was still talented back then - if there's an Oscar equivalent for playing a dumbass goofball, he earned it here.
Freaked
Not a very widely known film, but that's what makes it a cult favorite. If you ever wondered what happened to Alex Winter, widely recognized as Bill S Preston Esq. of Bill & Ted...well, this movie pretty much tells that story - he turned into a hideous mutated freak and moved behind the camera. It has those same qualities as UHF that make it fun - cheap and cheesy, with good comic timing. Randy Quaid as an evil madman! Keanu Reeves as an uncredited Dog-Boy! A cameo by David Bowe from UHF! Shakespeare with monsters! A movie doesn't always have to be good to be good, if you know what I mean...as long as it isn't lousy.
S.F.W.
This movie is a product of its time - I'm not sure people really get it anymore. Folks of a certain generation will recognize the discontent complacency, the desire to change one's life without making an effort...I know these are contradictory sentiments, but that's what it does. It shows how meaningless life can feel, as if all anyone could do is go along for the ride, whatever the ride is. The movie reflects this, the music reflects this, and Stephen Dorff's performance says it all. He exists, but he's not doing anything about it.
I wouldn't say anything in this movie is brilliant, exactly, but it certainly captures the essence of its own story, by making it a semi-comic satire of the world around it, and within it. Besides, it's got a young Reese Witherspoon...the "fuckin' special" version of Radiohead's first big hit 'Creep'...Jake Busey as a douchebag! You can't go wrong, if you look at it right.
I left out things like Creepshow & Killer Klowns From Outer Space because...well, I've talked about those before, and they're more widely accepted for being what they are, or more well known, or something. I just didn't want to, okay? And no promises this time regarding my next topic, or its expected date of publishment. I does what I does and we'll sees what that is. Thanks for reading!
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