Hell in the Pacific
(John Boorman, 1968)
Marooned enemies face off.
Something of a character study. Nearly impossible to like Lee Marvin's character. Low amt of spoken word. WHICH IS SWEET. A bit of compassion shines thru the pre-established enemy-ship. Fairly rad about how little teamwork is needed to survive. It is quite clear that Mifune's character had things under control. Marvin is totally the loud asshole american. Choice scenery. Much in the way of stylization I'd say, but not a turn off. The intent of each moment is clearly shown and appropriately. Dug the colors. Dug the lack of subtitles. Two endings if you get the right DVD. I saw the theatrical release for the US. From what my real tyte homeboi tells me the other ending was released in other markets. Good luck! If you care. I didn't. Still don't.
Recommended
Friday, August 8, 2008
My hero!
Purple Rain
(Albert Magnoli, 1984)
Talented prick comes of age.
And then there was Purple Rain. OMG. Part way thru this film I realized this is about me! I like motorcylces. I am a temperamental, sensitive, highly talented, and highly misunderstood artist. I have a sweet hair cut. I look gooooood naked (maybe 30% of the film Prince is shirtless). But yeah, killer OST. Killer costuming. TOTAL BOOB SHOT. Geez, that Apollonia chick is my-tee-fyne. Can't really get enough of that, nossiree bob. Acting is uh... spotty. I get the feeling many of the actors were really musicians? OH MAN, love the stage sequences. The domestic disputes! Prince all being hella badass "Come out here mother fucker!" THE DRAMA! Highly entertaining. One of the few what I shall consider "rock" movies that is worth viewing. Just tons and tons of fun.
Recommended most definitely
(Albert Magnoli, 1984)
Talented prick comes of age.
And then there was Purple Rain. OMG. Part way thru this film I realized this is about me! I like motorcylces. I am a temperamental, sensitive, highly talented, and highly misunderstood artist. I have a sweet hair cut. I look gooooood naked (maybe 30% of the film Prince is shirtless). But yeah, killer OST. Killer costuming. TOTAL BOOB SHOT. Geez, that Apollonia chick is my-tee-fyne. Can't really get enough of that, nossiree bob. Acting is uh... spotty. I get the feeling many of the actors were really musicians? OH MAN, love the stage sequences. The domestic disputes! Prince all being hella badass "Come out here mother fucker!" THE DRAMA! Highly entertaining. One of the few what I shall consider "rock" movies that is worth viewing. Just tons and tons of fun.
Recommended most definitely
subtly hardcore
The Last Man on Earth
(Ubaldo Ragona, 1964)
Aging Everyday Man fights off hordes of zombies.
100% w/o a doubt the best use and portrayal of zombies. Second part of four part study concerning the book I am Legend. Nearly completely lacking in soundtrack. Wife character was pretty hot. Little girl character was pretty much the reason why I do not want children. Nice desolate atmosphere, but perhaps a bit trim for the apocalypse. LOVE the voice over commentary/monologue of the main character all like narrating what he's doing. Not entirely sure what to call it. Total cheese, but still pretty BA. Big fan of the lathe in the living room. All makin' heck of stakes. All spending the daylight hours driving them thru the hearts of zombies. SO LEGIT. Also legit was the lady from the group. I have no idea where they found her, but holy cow... brutally attractive. Sure do not see em like that anymore.
Recommended as a sit around w/ friends and beer movie night
(Ubaldo Ragona, 1964)
Aging Everyday Man fights off hordes of zombies.
100% w/o a doubt the best use and portrayal of zombies. Second part of four part study concerning the book I am Legend. Nearly completely lacking in soundtrack. Wife character was pretty hot. Little girl character was pretty much the reason why I do not want children. Nice desolate atmosphere, but perhaps a bit trim for the apocalypse. LOVE the voice over commentary/monologue of the main character all like narrating what he's doing. Not entirely sure what to call it. Total cheese, but still pretty BA. Big fan of the lathe in the living room. All makin' heck of stakes. All spending the daylight hours driving them thru the hearts of zombies. SO LEGIT. Also legit was the lady from the group. I have no idea where they found her, but holy cow... brutally attractive. Sure do not see em like that anymore.
Recommended as a sit around w/ friends and beer movie night
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Of course no one in jail is guilty!
Down by Law
(1986, Jim Jarmusch)
Losers get a bit more than they deserve.
A bit fantastic in the second sense of the definition. Lots of panning, mostly to good effect, but somewhat old or ho-hum in execution at parts. Acting wavers betwixt believable and teleprompt. Little middle ground in this film. Any given scene is either "on" or "off." Which makes the film intensely satisfying and "wow I should just turn this off now" at the same time which then of course therefore by extension hurts the piece overall. Very much a rough draft in filmmage centering around character study, yet not entirely sure this particular piece could ever be brought to full polish. A bit too art student in the undercurrents of flavor.
I would never recommend this film, but I would not discourage it either.
(1986, Jim Jarmusch)
Losers get a bit more than they deserve.
A bit fantastic in the second sense of the definition. Lots of panning, mostly to good effect, but somewhat old or ho-hum in execution at parts. Acting wavers betwixt believable and teleprompt. Little middle ground in this film. Any given scene is either "on" or "off." Which makes the film intensely satisfying and "wow I should just turn this off now" at the same time which then of course therefore by extension hurts the piece overall. Very much a rough draft in filmmage centering around character study, yet not entirely sure this particular piece could ever be brought to full polish. A bit too art student in the undercurrents of flavor.
I would never recommend this film, but I would not discourage it either.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
satchel foot
The Third Man
(1949, Carol Reed)
Broke a** writer gets ear deep.
One heckuva film. Way legit on the opening creds popping up over tingling zither strings. Sure, bit on the illegible side, but radder than others you'll agree (unless you = communist). Quite deep on the compelling side, dare I say even peggin out the meter? No I don't, not that compelling (for real compelling see "Straw Dogs"). Plenty of little twists and turns, certainly a longer feeling production, but not in the boring sense. All bits are of purpose and therefore give a whole buncha bang for the buck (or in this case walk. thank you library system!). Fairly certain the zither was the only component comprising the soundtrack, which is a fine fine thing. Plenty of atmosphere and mood. Quite understatedly tense at times. Oh! and what wonders are there when the THING the actors are looking at is not shown! Oh! old Hollywood making us use the imagination! How dare you make our brains work and make your productions better! Totally recommended by the illustrious Npod. Completely spot on. MURDER MYSTERY.
A fantastic anytime film that requires no special mood... Recommended Heartily
(1949, Carol Reed)
Broke a** writer gets ear deep.
One heckuva film. Way legit on the opening creds popping up over tingling zither strings. Sure, bit on the illegible side, but radder than others you'll agree (unless you = communist). Quite deep on the compelling side, dare I say even peggin out the meter? No I don't, not that compelling (for real compelling see "Straw Dogs"). Plenty of little twists and turns, certainly a longer feeling production, but not in the boring sense. All bits are of purpose and therefore give a whole buncha bang for the buck (or in this case walk. thank you library system!). Fairly certain the zither was the only component comprising the soundtrack, which is a fine fine thing. Plenty of atmosphere and mood. Quite understatedly tense at times. Oh! and what wonders are there when the THING the actors are looking at is not shown! Oh! old Hollywood making us use the imagination! How dare you make our brains work and make your productions better! Totally recommended by the illustrious Npod. Completely spot on. MURDER MYSTERY.
A fantastic anytime film that requires no special mood... Recommended Heartily
Once a whore, always a whore
Ba wang bie ji
Farewell My Concubine
(1993, Kaige Chen)
Woman destroys perfect male relationship.
Edging dangerously close to trippy if not crossing the line more than once. A stitch of gender bending, but in a natural sort of way (not like the over-the-top annoying Hedwig manner). Took the better part of the films early stages to scheme the gender of the other leading role. Colors straight from Capt Insane-o's swatch book, wild wild wild costumes; emulates the real Beijing Opera I'm sure (if there was one, did not fact check, but so ornate gotta be a real thing eh? Hold up... ok appears to be a totally real thing. Some bits of this existance cannot be simply procured just for 172min of epic mayhem). Ok, so definitely epic, definitely not a "musical," definitely a romp thru the ages (which yeah ok fine is another way of saying "epic"). Forgot that Gong Li is kinduva a babe. Convincing acting on her part and really all around. HENCE best film of Sundance or something like that, Golden Globes? I can't recall. Alls I know is that some fancy pants full of em selves types deemed this as good and I conquer! Here's an oddity... what's w/ actors early in the film "looking" Chinese and then later appearing generic or Western? Perhaps some sort of commentary?
If you're feeling like an epic then this one comes Recommended a bit higher than just 'recommended'
Farewell My Concubine
(1993, Kaige Chen)
Woman destroys perfect male relationship.
Edging dangerously close to trippy if not crossing the line more than once. A stitch of gender bending, but in a natural sort of way (not like the over-the-top annoying Hedwig manner). Took the better part of the films early stages to scheme the gender of the other leading role. Colors straight from Capt Insane-o's swatch book, wild wild wild costumes; emulates the real Beijing Opera I'm sure (if there was one, did not fact check, but so ornate gotta be a real thing eh? Hold up... ok appears to be a totally real thing. Some bits of this existance cannot be simply procured just for 172min of epic mayhem). Ok, so definitely epic, definitely not a "musical," definitely a romp thru the ages (which yeah ok fine is another way of saying "epic"). Forgot that Gong Li is kinduva a babe. Convincing acting on her part and really all around. HENCE best film of Sundance or something like that, Golden Globes? I can't recall. Alls I know is that some fancy pants full of em selves types deemed this as good and I conquer! Here's an oddity... what's w/ actors early in the film "looking" Chinese and then later appearing generic or Western? Perhaps some sort of commentary?
If you're feeling like an epic then this one comes Recommended a bit higher than just 'recommended'
Friday, July 18, 2008
Payphone phreaking? What is this, 1995?
I am waaaaaaay too lazy to build myself a Skype payphone (much less reverse-engineer a SIM card), but this is the sort of thing that makes me wish I were a better electrician.
Citizen Engineer via Boing Boing
Citizen Engineer via Boing Boing
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
blemish
White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
(2007, Steven Okazaki)
Memories of the survivors. Memories of those who dropped.
Powerful, but not overwhelming. Comes across as a documentary more than other contemporary documentaries I've seen whereupon it's obvious they are not trying to document, but rather persuade. Using all manner of trumped up emotional appeal, visual stimulation, tense music. Rather this was simply a string of interviews and period media shown as is w/ no soft lens. There is a bit of 'no nukes' in the film, but coming from people who have been nuked makes such message not the point of the film. Though, in all manner of speaking, it is like a product that sells itself in that way.
Recommended
(2007, Steven Okazaki)
Memories of the survivors. Memories of those who dropped.
Powerful, but not overwhelming. Comes across as a documentary more than other contemporary documentaries I've seen whereupon it's obvious they are not trying to document, but rather persuade. Using all manner of trumped up emotional appeal, visual stimulation, tense music. Rather this was simply a string of interviews and period media shown as is w/ no soft lens. There is a bit of 'no nukes' in the film, but coming from people who have been nuked makes such message not the point of the film. Though, in all manner of speaking, it is like a product that sells itself in that way.
Recommended
Monday, July 14, 2008
All manner of interesting new folks
Less Than Zero
(1987, Marek Kanievska)
A rather quick decline.
Mostly convincing portrayals all around. Music always spot on w/ solid choices of commercial release and original score. Lovely ambiance. Sluggish for a bit evolving into the lowest level of gripping. In a manner of speaking plenty of little cliffhangers keep things interesting w/o being too predictable throughout the viewing experience. The leading lady was oddly attractive.
Hovering around the neighborhood of 'good' though to be clear no lower than good, but certainly not as high as great
(1987, Marek Kanievska)
A rather quick decline.
Mostly convincing portrayals all around. Music always spot on w/ solid choices of commercial release and original score. Lovely ambiance. Sluggish for a bit evolving into the lowest level of gripping. In a manner of speaking plenty of little cliffhangers keep things interesting w/o being too predictable throughout the viewing experience. The leading lady was oddly attractive.
Hovering around the neighborhood of 'good' though to be clear no lower than good, but certainly not as high as great
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Oats are there to be Sown
Romance & Cigarettes
(2005, John Turturro)
The Beast barely contained.
Though range of emotions is clipped, the few focused upon are attacked in such a variety of manner that the subject matter does not become stale. This is most certainly in part due to the musical nature of the work. Thankfully not 'show tuny' at all whereupon all songs sound the same w/ expected turn arounds. Perhaps, and most certainly due to the majority if not the entire catalog consists of quote real songs end quote. Thrilling in a just above reality way so as to bring emotional satisfaction where the disconnect w/ reality via choreographed portions disallows a more cathartic sensation. Well cast. Well shot. Well directed. Cannot find any negatives. Surely the overly picky and the boring will pick at the dead limbs and flaked skin.
Nearly Highly Recommended, but certainly Recommended
(2005, John Turturro)
The Beast barely contained.
Though range of emotions is clipped, the few focused upon are attacked in such a variety of manner that the subject matter does not become stale. This is most certainly in part due to the musical nature of the work. Thankfully not 'show tuny' at all whereupon all songs sound the same w/ expected turn arounds. Perhaps, and most certainly due to the majority if not the entire catalog consists of quote real songs end quote. Thrilling in a just above reality way so as to bring emotional satisfaction where the disconnect w/ reality via choreographed portions disallows a more cathartic sensation. Well cast. Well shot. Well directed. Cannot find any negatives. Surely the overly picky and the boring will pick at the dead limbs and flaked skin.
Nearly Highly Recommended, but certainly Recommended
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