Submarine

Film: Submarine
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Richard Ayoade
Year: 2010
Starring: Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, & Noah Taylor





For most of us being a teenager is awkward and confusing. Movies have been expressing this kind of feeling for a long time, making itself really known in the 80's, via the work of John Hughes, but these kinds of film have existed before the era of bright colors and bad haircuts. On top of that, this film is about the adolescence of a young British (Welsh to be more specific) man, dealing with his life in his own way.

The film is based on a novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne, and is the coming-of-age story of a young Welshman named Oliver Tate(Roberts). Like most teens, Oliver isn't the most popular kid in school, but he also isn't the most outcast or spat upon, he seems to remain more in the middle. He has a crush on a girl in his class named Jordana(Paige), and uses his imagination and general teen urges to get him to fall for him, even though it requires him to throw the class outcast into a pond. Along with his romantic desires, he deals with the apparently failing marriage between his parents, which only gets worse when his mother's old flame moves in next door.

As with many teenagers, Oliver is far more clever and charismatic in his head than he is in reality. His narration of events is well constructed and preformed with great poise and grace, while his actual speech is often quiet and slightly-bumbling. There is a scene where he gives his girlfriend a stack of books which he wants her to read, thinking the books will make him appear more cultured and sophisticated than in reality. Even his physical movements are of that young and awkward age, he stands stiffly, rarely looking relax about anything.

Overall, the film is very good. It has the same feel as one of Wes Anderson's films, though it's much less colorful, perhaps as a way of responding to the Welsh environment that Oliver lives in, and has to deal with. Though in general the film lacks color, there are a few colors which are brought out, primarily blue(Oliver's room is blue, compared to his parents and the rest of the house, which are all beige), and the red of Jordana's jacket which makes her stand out whenever she appears on screen. Also, the film itself can be very funny, despite its subject matter, much like Anderson's films, with cleverly written lines sprinkled throughout, keeping with its more dramatic tone.

Memorable Moments:
• In the prologue Oliver mentions the fact that he sometimes daydreams about what would happen if he died. The following fantasy of thousands of people mourning his death, despite him not being well known, or even liked that much.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Film: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Genre: Drama
Director: Thomas Alfredson
Year: 2011
Starring: Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, & Colin Firth



Plenty of films have been made about the Cold War, and about espionage, from when they actually took place, and up until the modern day. Though for the most part people seem to think of spy movies to be more along the lines of series such as James Bond, which who is more a secret agent than a spy. Especially with all of those things blowing up and high tech gadgetry. So, the actuality of what spies really do is often overlooked, in favor for the more glamorous explosions. Which frankly, American audiences seem to enjoy more than talking.

The film is based upon a 1974 novel of the same name written by John le Carré, and subsequently a television series based upon the novel released in 1979, starring Alec Guinness as George Smiley, a British intelligence agent who was forcefully retired then brought back to help uncover a mole in the agency. The man brought in to carry out the investigation is as previously said: George Smiley. Who had been forcibly retried a year before, following a botched mission concerning an agent who was trying to obtain some sensitive information in Budapest. Though he does not have a lot to work with, he knows that the mole in the British intelligence agency AKA "The Circus" is all the way at the very top. Because of this Smiley is the best man for the job, as he was once at the top and he is able to look upon his history with those men responsible for the leak, and his original banishment.

Story wise, the film doesn't follow the normal narrative format, which is an interesting change when it comes to recent films. Instead of simply having everything play out in the order in which it happened, or in the order which best suits the audience, development is revealed in the same order that Smiley learns about it all. So, much like real espionage, or even life for that matter, you learn things in an order that you will have to rearrange yourself, as to see the bigger picture. Several people I have talked to complained that the move was confusing, but most of those people were my age or younger, and likely expected everything to be laid out in the order in which would make the most sense. But, life doesn't always happen that way, and nor should stories.

Overall I rather enjoyed the feel, and look of the film. Though I wasn't alive in the seventies, this film made me feel as though I was actually there, with fantastic set design, and cinematography. Every shot in the film feels like an old photograph you find in a box hidden away for years. It's warn, and colors have faded, much like the memories you might have about what is in the photo, so that's an interesting sensation coming from a film.

Along with the superb cinematography comes a fantastic cast: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, and Tom Hardy; some of England's most highly renowned actors, all of whom make you believe in their roles. Also, the inclusion of actual Russian actor Konstantin Khabenskiy took me my surprise. He plays a Russian diplomat suspected to be involved in the leak, though it is not a large role, and has few lines (even fewer in English), the fact that they got an actual Russian actor is another surprise for me. Even more so, the fact that they could have just as easily have gotten an English actor to do the job, they got one of Russia's most famous actors to play the bit minor role. Well done.



Memorable Moments:

• Smiley's introduction. He is present and introduced early in the film, but remains silent for the first several minutes of the film. Allowing for the audience to get a feel for him emotionally, rather than though exposition.

• The inclusion of the French version of the song "Beyond the Sea" which plays at the end of the film. I was unable to recognize the song while watching, but it finally came to me once I left the theater and was in the parking lot.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Film: Captain America: The First Avenger
Genre: Action/War/Adventure
Director: Joe Johnson
Year: 2011
Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, & Hayley Atwell




Summer is a time for blockbusters, a time for action and adventure, and the lifting of one's spirit, making them feel alive again after a cold winter. Captain America: The First Avenger is one such blockbuster, and by golly it's a good one. The third of this year's Marvel movies, of which none have been a miss, or sub-par like Electra. The film's made by Marvel studios have all been very well made, films such as the Iron Man series, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and now Captain America. Perhaps the studio knows that to make good products they need to put in as much passion into their films as they do their comics, as well they should.

Captain America has been around since 1944, making his debut as a comic book, and eventually moved to many other mediums, including film serials, cartoons, toys, and so on. Steve Rogers(Evans) is a skinny liberal arts student from Brooklyn, who has tried to enlist in the American armed forces several times, only to be rejected due to health reasons. But hope comes in the form of a defected German scientist who is working with the US government to develop a new "super-soldier" to help fight in the war in Europe. Rogers is given the treatment, allowing him to become the only super-soldier following an incident after the procedure. Eventually he goes to Europe to battle Hydra, a deep science division of the Nazis, that had made itself independent following the leadership of Johann Schmitt(Weaving). Schmitt also took the serum that made Rogers stronger, only before it was perfected, causing some side effects.

The majority of the film takes place in 1942, and boy does it pull it off with precision. The sets look like everything you would imagine things in World War II would appear like. I believe the only other semi-recent film that made me believe it was actually in the forties, was Saving Private Ryan, so there is a benchmark. Even the sets in the film that are of Schmitt's technological advancements still look like they are made with the state of art materials at the time. Technically the effects of the film look very good, especially Schmitt's Red Skull make up, he appears just as you would expect him to following years of comics.

The only problem I had with the film was some of the CGI, which at times is a bit noticeable. Before receiving the serum he is small and skinny, which Chris Evans is not. So, they used a body double, and inserting Evan's head in afterwards, though for most of the time it looks good, but at times it doesn't. In a few shots Evan's eyes are enlarged making him appear more like a bush-baby than a person, but the rest of the film makes up for any of these short comings.


Memorable Moments:

• Stan Lee's brief cameo, as an elderly military officer.

• The first meeting of Cap and Red Skull. The location, and tension are fantastical, it should go down as one of the best complete reveal of a villain in cinema history.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Film: Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Genre: Comedy/Teen Drama
Director: Amy Heckerling
Year: 1982
Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Lee, & Judge Reinhold



Every generation has its own slew of high-school centric films and television shows. With todays being such trip as Beverly Hills: 90210, whatever Selena Gomez is on, and so forth. Today's media puts its focus on the more popular, and good looking of the teenagers, most likely in a marketing scheme. WELL BACK IN MY DAY, shows were normally about the regular kids, who weren't the center of attention, but were like many of the viewers: just regular kids.

Comedy classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High is one of the said tales of a generation of American teenagers, specifically for those who came of age in the late seventies, and early eighties. Many people hold this to be the quintessential high-school film, and sets the bar for any films that followed in that genre. It is my believe that it deserves such a distinction, and it still holds up today, perhaps even better than high school movies made more in recent years. The film has a grittier feel to it that today's polished, and happy-go lucky attitudes like in the High School Musical franchise, and films like Disney's Prom.

The film revolves around several different students who go to the titular Ridgemont high, and their lives though out the autumn semester. Instead focusing on one particular character, it jumps around between a group of students, following their actions across the season. Though there is no particular main character, there is a list of some whom the story rotates around more often. Brad Hamilton(Reinhold), and his sister Stacy(Lee), with the iconic surfer-stoner Spioli(Penn) appearing every now and again to lighten up the tone.

I enjoyed this film, for its subtle humor, and apparently gritty realism. Unlike films today were everything is polished and cleaned up as to not poison the mushy minds of today's youth, this film doesn't hold back. It shows teens as what they really are: people. Often media's portrayal of teens is that of a pimply faced socially awkward introvert, or as a super good looking idol who's standards are so high the general public can meet. Teenagers make mistakes, try and do the right thing, and even at times act like, dare I say it: humans. Brad and Stacy are especially synthetic characters, you can easily see yourself in their position, and deal with their personal issues, and there is just something more compelling about that, rather than having them singing and dancing about going to lunch.


Memorable Moments:

• Any of a young Nick Cage (credited as Nicolas Coppala) brief appearances.

• Whenever people mention this film the always mention Sean Penn as Spicoli, though I was surprised to find he was far from the main emphasis of the plot. But I guess he looks good on the posters.

• After years of watching Clerks: The Animated Series I understand this joke:

Super 8

Film: Super 8
Genre: Sci-Fi/Adventure
Director: J.J. Abrams
Year: 2011
Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, & Kyle Chandler






Alright, before I get to discussing the film itself, I want to gets some facts out there first. I enjoy the work of J.J. Abrams; I in no way go gaga over his name appearing on a project. Star Trek(2009) was great, LOST was good, but I would hardly call it one of the greatest television shows of all time. Are you still reading at this point? I have nothing against the guy (except maybe for the fact that he is credited for writing the screenplay for Armageddon,) but he just isn't something I would needlessly crap my pants about. Anyhow, I rather liked this movie, and it continues my like for Mr. Abrams, but it doesn't not make me want to kill someone just for a glimpse at his next project.

In the summer of 1979, a boy named Joe (Courtney) and his friends are making a movie for his friend Charles to enter into the Ohio super 8 film festival. Their film is a cheesy zombie film, but in the process of making it, great events happen. During the middle of the night, the boys and a girl named Allison (Fanning) film at a train station, while performing a scene a military train is derailed by a pick-up truck. Following a fantastic crash, something mysterious is released from the crashed train, and threatens the town of Lillian where the kids all live. After the crash many strange phenomenon happen, like power surges, and all of the dogs running out of the county. The sheriff goes missing, which leaves Joe's father: Deputy Lamb (Chandler) in charge of finding out what happened at the train crash, and what suspicious actions the military is taking.

Let me say that I love films like this, an adventure following a group of kids who have an adventure. These were popular in the eighties, and early nineties, but seem to have lost their place in the last decade. This film follows in the footsteps of films such as Stand By Me, The Goonies, The Sandlot, Stephen King's It, and even more recent films such as Monster House. These film resonate with me, for as I watch them, it makes me wish that my childhood was adventurous as these kids'. But, the innovation of video games, and the ever ominous presence of the fear of being murdered kept my generation inside for the most part.

The acting in his film is superb, without a single blemish on the face of Super 8's face. All of the young actors bring a great sense of wonderment, and essentially the mindset of yearly teens to the screen. With some movies the dialogue written for younger actors isn't particularly like how people of that age speak. But, this movie does justice to how boys in their pubescent years actually speak, so it's a nice change to see them not speak like businessmen. Along with the great young actors, Kyle Chandler gives a great performance as Deputy Lamb. Chandler is keen at playing strong characters, who don't have an incredibly strong voice. Though despite this, he is a great presence in this, juggling both the fate of the town in his hands, but also his relationship with his son.


Memorable moments:

• During the scene before the train crash, the kids are rehearsing their film. One boy, Preston acts as an extra talking on a phone in the background. His hammy acting is enough to make me chuckle at a moment.

• The surprising appearance by my voice acting hero Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson) as Izzy the car salesman.

• During the credits you see "The Case," which is the film that the kids were making throughout the movie.

Poltergeist

Film: Poltergeist
Genre: Horror
Director: Tobe Hooper
Year: 1982
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight, & JoBeth Williams





Spielberg does more than direct movies about an action seeking-archeologist, and a small lumpy alien who has a taste for Reese's Pieces. He also produces a truckload of other films, he has production credits on more than twice as many films that contain his label as a director. Poltergeist is one of those films; it's director is Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame, but it is also believed that Spielberg did ghost direct parts of the movie.

Californian suburbia seems to be the mainstay of American normality in the eighties, but something uneasy lurks in the Freeling house. During the last week, the family's youngest member, Carol Anne has been getting out of bed in the middle of the night, and speaking to the television. While the patriarch of the household Steven(Nelson) is at work selling houses in the neighborhood his wife Diane (Williams) stays at home when great occurrences of strange happenings are afoot. Though the occurrences start small (like objects moving across the kitchen floor), leading to the taking of Carol Anne to the "other side" where the spirits are emerging from. The family then enlists the help of Dr. Lesh (Straight) and her colleagues in an attempt to solve the mystery.

This film is considered to be a classic in the horror genre, and credit were credits due, it's pretty fantastic. Nothing particularly scary happens in the first forty minutes of the film, but it finds a way of setting the tone of the film, without losing the audience's interest. While watching you get a feel for the characters, and start to identify yourself with them, so when the crazy starts to happen, you really worry for those involved.

Unlike the majority of horror films made today, this one does not rely on blood, and torture scenes to send shivers down your spine. The only part that features any kind of blood is in the famous scene where one of the scientist looks in the mirror and his face falls off. Even then, it is downplayed, and there are only a few drops of blood seen splashing in the water. Instead, this movie uses a seemingly "visual unknown" to try and scare you. The effects focus on making household items move under the own power, as to make you give a second thought as to what you might have seen out of the corner of your eye while you are trying to go to sleep, and that makes it pretty damn cool.

Memorable moments:
• As noted above, the famous scene with the face that just seems to fall apart at the slightest touch.

• The monologue given by Tangina, a clairvoyant to attempts to cleanse the house. In her speech she gives an explanation as to what is happening to Carol Anne, and despite the fact that it's a movie, you honestly believe what she is saying.

X-Men First Class

Film: X-Men: First Class
Genre: Sci-Fi/Action
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Year: 2011
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, & Kevin Bacon



When it comes to superhero teams, the X-Men have always been my favorite. Whether they be Uncanny, Astonishing, or adjetivelss, I love them all, Something about being society's outcasts, yet still fighting to protect it strikes a chord in me. Started in 1963, the series has had its ups and downs, the films of which reflect this very pattern.

In 1962, the powerful and secretive Hellfire Club have their fingers in a lot of pies, greatly influencing the turn of political events, and possibly changing the course of mankind. Mutants Charles Xavier(McAvoy), and Erik Lehnsherr (Fassbender) are recruited by the CIA to battle the Hellfire club led by Sebastian Shaw (Bacon.) In the process Xavier and Lehnsherr recruit young mutants (people with super-powers) like themselves to help aid in the fight against Shaw and his team. The battle ends up to its apex which might start a nuclear war between the United States, and Soviet Union.

This film is a prequel to the other four X-Men films made by FOX, and it finds a way to work itself around many of the already established characters, and plots seen in previous films. The only major conflict deals with Wolverine: Origins, but we can simply ignore that one if need be. What few problems I have with the film, may only effect those who are big fans of the comic series. These complaints are as follows:
1. Moria McTaggart is a Scottish geneticist, NOT an American CIA agent.
2. Banshee is a middle-aged Irishman. (I can forgive the age, seeing as everyone is supposed to be young.)
3. Sebastian Shaw's powers were tweaked slightly, but if anything this makes the character work better in the film.
4. Havok is Cyclops' younger brother, but according to the film's logic, Havok would be a full grown man when Cyclops is born.

Aside from my few fan boy complaints, this film is fantastic. It is a great introduction to the series, with fantastic writing and performances. While McAvoy is the main protagonist, Fassbender as Lehnsherr is the film's true star, on par, if not better than Sir Ian McKellen's portrayal of the same character. One more blemish is the inclusion of some seemingly needless characters, but this has become a staple of the series, as it feels the need to include as many characters as possible.



The effects in the film are also superb, both the practical and computer generated. Following in the footsteps of the previous films the practical make-up is beyond good, making you believe that these people really look this way. Namely the make-up of the characters of Mystique, and Azazel are top-notch.




Memorable moments:

• The montage showing Xavier training his X-Men. Primarily Banshee learning how to fly using his supersonic screams with gilding wings on his suit.

• Wolverine's unaccredited cameo.

The Man With The Screaming Brain

Film: The Man With The Screaming Brain
Genre: Sci-Fi/Comedy
Director: Bruce Campbell
Year: 2005
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Stacy Keach, and Ted Raimi



Bruce Campbell is one of the coolest cats of all time, and there is no denying that (it's a scientific fact.) But, can a man known for being a mainstay in B-movies keep one from being a stinker? Only time will tell... or perhaps watching some of his lesser known works might as well. The Man With The Screaming Brain is a film made for the Sci-Fi channel (before it's mutation into Sy-Fy), and was directed by Campbell, and shot on location in Bulgaria.

Rich medical industrialist William Cole (Campbell) and his wife travel to Bulgaria to complete a business deal, when tragedy strikes. After arriving in Bulgaria Cole, his wife, and a former KGB agent turned taxi driver are killed by an insane gypsy woman. Meanwhile a scientist (Keach) and his assistant (Raimi) have developed a process in which two halves of separate brains can inhabit the same cranium, allowing for knowledge from one to be passed on. Following their demise Cole and the taxi driver end up stuck in Cole's head, and Cole's wife is eventually placed in a robot body. With the body mix, Cole sets out to get the woman who killed him and his wife, thinking revenge is the way to mental peace.

This movie is a modern day B-movie, with a low budget, few actors, absurd plot, and use of cheesy and simple effects. The sets are fairly minimalistic, with Keach's laboratory being the most elaborate, but then again how many of those old black and white sci-fi films had fantastic production design? The acting is extremely hammy, mainly with Ted Raimi's performance leaving no scenery without a chewed quality. Along with all this silliness the use of stock sound effects makes it all seem rather cartoonish, the cheesy sound of many people gasping left me snickering every time.

I've gone on about the absurdity of the film, but in all actuality it does not take itself seriously at all. Had it been made by people who believed this to be their masterpiece, and felt it as a work of art it would be something completely bad, and an example of naive camp. But this is really more a loving tribute to those b-movies of old, giving a loving homage to the underdog film maker who just wanted to tell their stories, entertain, and make some money as a side-note.


Memorable moments:
• After a chase taking place on a pink Vespa Cole falls off of the scooter and it slams into a car. In an anti-climax it only makes a wee-spark instead of an explosion.


(As the Cool Scale uses Bruce Campbell as a benchmark for maximum coolness, I have decided that in the case of a Bruce Campbell movie being reviewed, Steve Buscemi will represent the apex of coolality.)

Prince of Darkness

Film: Price of Darkness
Genre: Horror
Director: John Carpenter
Year: 1987
Starring: Donald Pleasance, Victor Wong, & Jameson Parker




As I stated in my Vampires review, John Carpenter is one of the film autuers who's heyday was in the late seventies and early eighties. Sometimes autuers would try and attempt different genres in each of their films, or different subgenres of one specific field. For the most part, Carpenter is known for his horror films, or horror sci-fi works. Prince of Darkness is Carpenter's "haunted house" film, in a similar vein as House on Haunted Hill, and House of Wax (not the one with a certain hotel heir.)

In Los Angeles in 1987, a priest who lives in an abandoned church dies protecting a horrible secret that had been held for two-thousand years. Upon the discovery of a key the dead priest kept with him, another priest (Donald Pleasance) takes a professor of metaphysics (Victor Wong) to investigate a strange canister that resides in the old church. Wong brings in a team consisting of his students, and a group of scientists to properly research the over-sized lava lamp. Over the course of the night the liquid within the canister starts to react, and brings about a world of evil upon the church, turning people into zombies, mirrors into portals, and a rather large amount of creepy crawlies.

With this being made in the latter half of the eighties, it was made by Carpenter past his prime. But, the film still has a creepy atmosphere like The Fog and The Thing, where Carpenter is king, and brings to the table whenever possible. Along with his signature long shots, the film also contains those practice effects similar to those in Big Trouble in Little China, and The Thing, but at a much smaller scale. With the more subtle effects, the audience can focus more on the characters, rather than the blood splats and body effects.

Though the atmosphere is great, the writing and acting can be lacking. You get the feeling that the old church is supposed to be creepy, you are not exactly sure why it is there. However you do understand what is in the canister, but was a whole the idea of what it is doing is left largely unanswered. There is where many critics found fault in the film, but let us think about this for a bit. Isn't that the point? To be left in dark, not knowing what it is that is trying to kill you and use your body as a vessel of evil, and marmalade. Also, the bugs in this film are actual insects, unlike today where they are just slapped on the film with Photoshop or a migrant worker. With actual crawlies, audiences are far more likely to be creeped out with real things, than with digital things (scientific terms, these are.)

Memorable moments:

• A zombie played by rocker Alice Cooper kills a scientist by stabbing him with half of a bicycle. (a murder unseen in any other movie. (to my knowledge anyways.))

• The shot where someone first goes though a mirror into the alternate world, where the absolute evil is held. Though the effects are simple, the basic image of two fingers appearing in shinning darkness is striking, and truly gives an other-worldly feel.

Squirm

Film: Squirm
Genre: Horror
Director: Jeff Lieberman
Year: 1976
Starring: Don Scardino & some Georgians.




Creature features have been a staple of the horror genre for decades, taking ordinary animals and multiplying the numbers, suddenly they become "horrifying," or at least they try. Usually these films center on creatures that seem threatening to humans in some aspects, like snakes, ants, leeches, or giant frogs. But this film takes a bold step and uses worms as their beast of brutality. Yes, the worm; scourge of mankind!

During an large and violent thunderstorm a power line is knocked down, and the excess electricity goes into the ground, diverting it from the city of Fly Creek, GA. Fly Creek is the home to the Hee-Haw inspired family consisting of two sisters, Gerri and >Alma, and their overtly insane mother, who constantly employs the son of their worm farming neighbor: Roger. Eventually a northerner named Mick(Scardino) is invited down to Fly Creek by Gerri to look at some antiques (a true patron of testosterone, this man.) Hark! Remember all that excess electricity? It feeding into the ground has led to all the worms in the area to become rather grumpy, and decide the attack the town. In the process of attacking the town the worms attack the citizens, killing them by the sheer power of their numbers. In their mayhem they attack Roger, but instead of killing him they for some reason turn him into an angry mutant near worm-man.

The film's protagonist is Mick, who is played by Don Scardino. Who you would think would have disappeared into the depths of B-Movie hell after this piece of fantastic ham and genius. But, as I discovered after watching my 30 Rock DVD set, he is actually a fairly prominent TV director, who has won awards for his work, including two prime-time Emmys. In one of the commentaries he is asked if he misses his acting career, after chuckling to himself, he gives a reserved no. After discovering what he had become I rather enjoy his performance in this film, I see it as a stepping stone for him, leading to him working on one of my favorite television programs.

Despite the film being about worms, the villains are not really worms per-say. They vaguely look like worms, but act more like militant centipedes that have been coated in gasoline. Director Jeff Lieberman things he is able to make them look scary by providing many macro shots of the creepy-crawlies and making them roar. The result makes it seem more like a nature documentary more than a horror film.

So, should you see this film? If you like cheesy 70's era horror flicks, then go right ahead. It has an acquired taste that goes with people who enjoy grainy horror films, that aren't necessary. If you aren't into this kind of film, then just watch the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode that lampoons the movie. If you watch this version, you will also be treated to a short film explaining the fantastical greatness of springs, and why you should never wish them away...

Memorable moments:

• Roger's line: "You're gonna be the worm face!" He then seems to stumble off screen.

• The shouting of "Mr. Beardsly!" (This is due largely to the MST3K episode, where it became a running joke.)

La Haine

Film: La Haine (Hate)
Genre: Drama
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Year: 1995
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Kounde, & Saïd Taghmaoui





"Heard about the guy who fell off a skyscraper? On his way down past each floor, he kept saying to reassure himself: So far so good... so far so good... so far so good. How you fall doesn't matter. It's how you land!" -Hubert

Without a shadow of a doubt, I can firmly say that La Haine is the greatest French film that I have ever seen. I first saw this film in my perspectives on film class, and it has left a great impact on me, and how I look at films. It's stark images, are fantastic, it's characters are compelling, and the plot moves along at a good pace, never dull, and gritty beyond normality.

The story of three young men, on the morning after Parisian riots against police brutality, you learn about each of them, and see what happens following a day of great violence. The protagonists are Vinz a Jew, Saïd an Arab, and Hubert an African, all of whom live in the projects outside of Paris. As the previous nights were plagued with riots, the three guys send much of their time walking around talking about what happened, Hubert is distraught because the rioters destroyed his gym, and Vinz is obsessively certain that he saw a cow wondering the streets during the mayhem. Though out the day, they see the effect the riots had on everyone's perspective, and the "hate" between classes, particularly between the lower-class and authority figures like the police.

Each of the three characters represents a different mindset. Vinz embraces his position in society, feeling that even though he is looked down upon by others, he is going to make the best of it, and try to make himself as credible on the street as possible. Hubert has the opposite opinion, he wishes to escape the projects, and make his life much better than what has been handed to him. Said is innocent in comparison to his two friends, he is largely ignorant to what is truly happening around him, and is always curious about everything.

Visually the film is fan-tabulous. To me, there is not a single dull looking shot, or something that feels out of place. The film's use of black and white makes it reminiscent of French New Wave films like The 400 Blows, or Breathless, but the subject matter is much darker. Shadows galore give this film a stark contrast, and allow the images to stick-out from the screen, and almost become a piece of art.

The film essentially is a character study. Though the three protagonists are young men, they are also little more than boys, in that they really do not have any control over their lives, and have never really known any truly serious situations, before the events of the film anyways. They go about talking smack about things they supposedly did, and you can just see them as a trio of twelve year-olds on the playground. In any case, I highly recommend this film, in the United States it is only available in the Criterion Collection, so it can be quite pricy, but Netflix carries it as well. Perhaps you should move this to the top of your list, and let Transformers 2 wait another week.

Memorable moments:

• While stuck inside inner-Paris the guys walk down a back street discussing who would win in fights between classic cartoon characters. Eventually it is noted that Jerry Mouse is a "brother," for everything he did to Tom.

• The guys crash a posh art gallery, taking more than their share of free food and drinks. Also, they critic the art, which is nothing more than random household objects glued to canvases.

• This monologue:

John Carpenter's Vampries

Film: Vampires
Genre: Action/Horror
Director: John Carpenter
Year: 1998
Starring: James Woods & Daniel Baldwin






With the slew of vampire movies out today, it is refreshing to sometimes go back and look at films with the mythical creatures, wherein they don't sparkle and run about the woods. And, what a better way to look at these modern vampire films that pre-date the current craze, than with a film by my favorite director John Carpenter? The vampires in this film are dirty, vengeful, apparently have rancid breath, and are flat out brutal.

The story is about a professional vampire slayer named Jack Crow(Woods), who has been tracking down and eradicating vampires in the American southwest. Following an investigation of a house nested with vampires, Crow and his team are attacked by the head-vampire who kills everyone but Crow, his teammate Montoya(Baldwin), and a prostitute. Eventually they learn that the head-vampire is the original vampire, who has come to the United States searching for a relic that will allow him to walk in the daytime. Hasn't this happened to us all?

Visually, Carpenter's look well employed. His use of wide shots, and static camera movements has become a signature look in his film, and has essentially become his trademark. The cinematography works well in constructing the film's atmosphere, you truly feel as though you are in the southwest. The use of a pink filter on the sky gives an illusion of the romanticized west, and how you would imagine it after looking at endless hotel room painting.

As this was a film made by Carpenter in the 90's, it usually gets grouped in a category of lackluster films that aren't worth seeing. Noted, his films have been in a slow decline since his release of John Carpenter's The Thing in 1982, but that doesn't mean this film isn't worth watch. If you like gritty action movies, then watch this one. But, unfortunately, the film seems to lose momentum in the third act. Most of the antagonists just run away, Crow's character seems to go back and forth between attitudes, so it becomes almost impossible to attach yourself to him.


Memorable Moments:
• When the main characters enter the village of Sandiego for the final battle. The use of shadows, and lighting makes you feel as though this town is truly empty, but it also gave me a sense of waking. Like when to take a nap in the afternoon, and wake up at dusk.


• While looking for a car to steal Baldwin looks down a road, and due to the angle of his face, he looks like he is slowly transforming into someone else.

Memento

Film: Memento
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Christopher Nolan
Year: 2000
Starring: Guy Pierce, Carrie-Anne Moss, & Joe Pantoliano




When it comes to modern film auteurs, Christopher Nolan is ranked up near the very top of the pyramid. With the help of his co-writing brother, he has found new and intriguing ways of storytelling in the medium of film. Memento was his first widely released film, and it set the standard for the rest of his body of work.


Memento is the out-of-order story of a man named Lenard (Guy Pierce) who suffers from a condition where he is incapable of producing short term memoires. He received his condition following an incident where his wife was killed by a man he labeled as "John G." As he is unable to remember anything since the accident, he keeps track of his life though a series of Polaroid photos, notes, and tattoos. The fact that Lenard does not remember anything for longer than several minutes makes his character kind of hard to get a grasp on. You feel sympathy for him, but you also don't really knows who he is, or what he has done, as does he.

Christopher Nolan has been known for tamper-tinkering with the way in which a plot is unveiled, and how the perspective of the viewer. Having seen the majority of Nolan's features (save his remake of Insomnia) I have come to expect different ways of having a story revealed to me. Memento can be seen as a transition period between his first film Following and his blockbusters. He even uses the idea of black and white, possibly as a way of paying homage to his first feature, but it also acts as a device to take the viewer out of the disoriented stream of events, and place them into the only part of the story that takes place in a forward chronological order.

This film has been cited as one of the best ever made (seems to be a theme Nolan has going) and at the date of me writing this is placed at #29 on IMDB.com's top 250. Personally, I do not enjoy it quite as much as his other works. Perhaps because I did not see Nolan's films in the order that they came out, but this one simply did not impress me as much as say The Dark Knight or The Prestige. But, that does not make it any less of a great film, which it is, without a doubt. Perhaps if I saw this before his other reality altering stories, I would have been more impressed, but as I had experienced his other films first, it seems less shocking in its first viewing.

Memorable Moments:

• Any of the scenes featuring Lenard on the telephone. These are some of the scenes shot in black and white, and just as Lenard, you are not sure who is on the other line.


• In a flashback to a man named Sammy (who suffered from the same memory condition as Lenard) he is going through a series of tests conducted by Reno 911's Thomas Lennon.



• While trying to find a drug dealer who apparently beat up Carrie-Anne Moss' character, he busts into a hotel room, rendering a man unconscious. Only after the fact does he realize that he was reading the room number upside down, and has knocked an innocent man out. He quietly says "sorry" and closes the door quietly.

So, where does the film go on the Cool Scale? (Bruce Campbell marking the epitome of coolness, while Nickleback marks the negative coolness)