Lew Lander's Mask of Dijon is a a fun, albeit unexceptional horror film that features a fantastic turn by Erich Von Stroheim, who played the titled character Mr. Dijon. Intentional or not, much of the film's strength lies in Von Stroheim's ability to chew up up the scenery with his patented cold stone gaze, as a Magician, who is out for revenge after a performance ends in humiliation. The character of Diijon isn't the most likely of characters, being a very selfish and conceited individual who basically looks at the world around him and sees people drowning in their own stupidity, viewing most as inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Dijon's revenge involves hypnotizing people to commit acts of murder, or suicide, and the whole film is a lot of fun, mainly due to the combination of Stroheim's off-kilter performance which almost comes off as comedic, in a good way, and Lander's assured direction that elevates the creepy, borderline comedic effectiveness of Von Stroheim's performance. There is one scene in particularly where I swear Von Strohim uncontrollably laughs, breaking characer for a moment, though if one was to blink, they'd be sure to miss it. Outside of Stroheim's entertaining performance, the ending of Mask of Dijon is definitely the best part of this film, featuring a pretty fun coincidence which quite frankly confirms that Lew Landers was never taking this odd story too seriously, "winking and nodding" at the audience most of the way.
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Set in 1930s Germany, Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Despair tells the story of Hermann Hermann, a Russian exile, who runs an established chocolate manufacturing company in Weimar, Germany. Cuturally and politically disconnected from everyone and everything around him, Hermann Hermann begins to plot his escape from his everyday life. Hermann decides that the only way to escape his bankrupt business, vapid wife, and increasingly racist German society due to the rising Nazi party, is through faking his own death. Finding a man of lower class who bears a striking resemblance to himself, Hermann begins to strike the plan, seeking a way out of the madness of the world around him. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Despair is a bizarre, surreal mix of influences and styles that pulsates with passion and melodrama, though never quite reaching the levels of some of Fassibinders best films. Fassinbinder's style is on overdrive with Despair, using a bombastic sea of glass and mirrors to reflect on the beautiful mise-en-scene that is compartimentalized in every sequence. While visually the film is stunning, with Fassbinder's use of mirrors, compositions, stellar camera movements, the melodrama comes off surprisingly dull. I had a real hard time getting invested into the characters in this film, with Fassbinder distoring perception throughout, creating a barrier that at times makes the viewer question what exactly is real and what is being imagined by Hermann Hermann, a man who feels like he is being driving to madess. I understand this is intentional but it didn't feel so all the time, thogh I loved how Hermann routinely sees himself outside himself, with the desire so strong to be free that it is beginning to warp his perceptions. What I found most interesting about Despair is how Fassbinder seems to be commenting on the positive qualities of suicide, showing how death can serve as a way of escape from the cruelty's of life, saving oneself from utter mental destruction. Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Despair is can be an unpleasant experience at times, being far from one of the filmmakers best films, though Despair is an intelligent and provocative psychological drama with a whirlwhind of style that keeps it interesting. All of Jean Rollin's films that I have seen bring this dream-like atmosphere to the table but none stand out quite like The Night of the Hunted's intoxicating atmosphere. Jean Rollin's The Night of the Hunted is essentially a horrific meditation on memory and the utter isolation and loneliness which one would encounter without it. Though the plot isn't particularly necessary, the film centers around a group of individuals, who due to accidental radiation exposure, are slowly losing all of their brain cells. They are quarantined in a ominous building referred to as "the Black Tower". Consisting of a synth score reminiscent of John Carpenter, The Night of the Hunted builds a atmosphere that is downbeat by horror conventions but incredibly effective at giving off this quiet sense of dread and mystery. Rollin's film taps into the deep recesses of true horror, exploring memory and identity, offering a devastating portrait of the importance of these two attribute in defining our individuality. I loved Rollin's use of composition and lighting while in the 'Black Tower', subtlely showing how these various individuals seek some type of solace or connection by being physically close to one and other, as if physical contact is the only way they can feel connected without memory. When Elizabeth is freed from the "Black Tower" Rollin film's Elizabeth and her new lover in much more open compositions, instilling a sense of comfort and freedom in these characters who have become intimate. The ending of The Night of the Hunted is fantastic, with Rollin commenting on the transformative power of love as if to suggest that love is all one needs in this world, doing so in a way that only Jean Rollin could. Taking place in the near future, Neill Blomkamp's Chappie is set in Johannesburg where mechanized machines known as scouts have systematically taken control of the police force, being used in overally oppressive ways against the citizens. Deon Wilson, the man responsible for designing the scout machines has had a recent breakthrough, designing a program that he believes will give the machines a state of higher consciousness. When Deon is kidnapped by a bunch of hooligans intent on getting a scout to program for their benefit, Deon installs his new program giving a single scout the ability to think and feel for himself. Neill Blomkamp's Chappie is the work of a filmmaker that continues to show a strong ability to create unique and interesting worlds, but Chappie ultimately struggles thematically and narratively. Chappie as a character is well designed, a child who is thrown into a dangerous situation and has to grow as a human being. Why the film really struggles has nothing to do with Chappie, and more so do with the antagonist, Vincent Moore, a rival engineer whose vehemently against robots having any type of consciouness. Vincent is a very poorly written character who is terribly uninteresting, simply there to provide the conflict at the end of the film. Chappie doesnt' really raise any thematic questions about the idea of sentenient life having a "soul", simply satisfied with its muddled story. Chappie misses opportunities to explore the surveillance state and how freedom is lost for the perceived benefit of security, delivering clunky dialogue that only makes the film feel goofy, struggling to register any form of an emotional response. While Chappie has its moments due to a very strong virtual performance, the film is a disappointing effort with a lackluster script and weak antagonist, never having much to say in general. Robert Kenner's Merchants of Doubt exposes the intricate political practices involved in Marketing spin. The film chronicles the early days of political spin, most notably in the Tobacco industry, where "scientists" were paid extrodinary amounts of money by the tobacco industry to manipulate research and cast doubt around the hard science that showed cigarettes were addictive and harmful. This of course was only the beginning of the lobbyst and spin doctor problems in American Captialist soceity, with the Tobacco industries success in deception becoming the blueprint for deceiving the American public by casting doubt on highly regarded scientists research. Merchants of Doubt's is an infuriating experience that single-handily exposes the highly secretive group of charismatic pundits-for-hire who deceive the american public and the media by championing themselves as scientific experts. These men simply are slaves to the all-mighty dollar, getting in bed with the large conglomerate companies who spend countless amounts of money in Washington D.C. to make legislation go their way. While Merchants of Doubt covers a host of issues where these tactics of confusion and doubt have succesfully manipulated what was very conclusive science into being perceived as debateable by the general public, the Global Warming issue is by far the primary focus of this doc. Global Warming is widely considered to be a major problem in the scientific community yet thanks to data manipulation, being done by lawyers not scientists who are being paid lucrative amounts of money by fossil fuel-based companies, a large percentage of the American public still believes it's a debateable issue. This is a film that exposes the greater truth and problem with our two party political system in showcasing how people believe what they want to believe and that the major issues like Global Warming become more so about politics than the science that is conclusive. This two-party system creates a group think mentality among the red state individuals who simply view the threat of Global Warming as some political attempt to grow big government, a short sighted and incredibly naive mentality that is deeply problematic considering the threats. Considering the subject matter, Merchants of Doubt is satirical and quite funny, almost presenting its point in a way that says, this whole situation is so absurd that all you can do is laugh. Gabriel London's The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest tells the incredible disheartening true story of Mark DeFriest who was once known in Florida as the Houdini of convicts, for his ability to break out of multiple facilities in Florida. After being declared sane by a psychiatrist, Mark finds himself sent to Florida State Prison, the most notorious prison in the state. The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest is a seering portrait of the correctional system, exposing how a mentally disabled individual was abused due to negligence on recognizing his potential psychosis. The same pschiatrist becomes Mark's ally against a gigantic beaucractic systlem that desperately needs an overhaul. The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest shows how the correctional facilities way of punishment clashed with Mark's psychosis, creating a perfect storm of conflict that saw Mark escaple multiple times by producting weapons out of pipes and spare parts. What makes this film so remarkable is simply how interesting Mark Defriest is as a man, an incredibly intelligent individual who made mistakes but certainly didn't deserve the treatment he received. Mark Defiest is such a fascinating man, and the film really begs the question of what he could have achieved if his life whent a different way. Using interviews and some beautifully rendered animation to depict Mark's struggles in Prison, the film is a haunting and emotionally poigant experience. Exposing the failures of the correction system and parole commsion, The Life and Mind of Mark Defriest is a constant reminder that we still have a long way to go in this country when it comes to mental illness. Ansel Roth, one of the world's foremost experts on mind control and cults, has hit rough times after a bitter divorce. Living off of pennies aftter his wife took almost everything, Ansel works small hotel conference rooms where he desperately tries to sell his new book. After his most recent seminar, Ansel is approached a middle aged couple who desperately plead for Ansel to help their daughter, Claire, who has recently joined the mysterious cult known as Faults. Desperately in need of money, Ansel agrees to help Claire by taking her forcefully from the cult and putting her through a rigourous mental detox program of sorts. Riley Steam's Faults is one of the more unique narratives to come out in recent years, a quietly disturbing psychological thriller that builds towards its climax with uncertainty and confidence. The film is really a systematic deconstruction of how cults can take hold, subtlely exposing the weak minded emotional state necessary for this type of mind control to take place. The film is well photographed, using over-exposed lighting throughout the film that creates a supernatural feel, almost as if something out there is lurking. Faults shows how the loss of free will, in the ability for a viewer to take control of their lives and their decisions, is a primary fault in letting this type of thing happen, do so in a way that appeals to both intellectual and escapist-fueled viewers. While I would argue that the film doesn't quite pull off its finale, Faults is intentional ambiguous and uses it to great effect, being a well-crafted, extremely well acted slice of fresh filmmaking. Maria Enders, a world renowned actress at the peak of her international career, is approaced by a young, acclaimed director interested in her performing in a revival of the stage play she made famous nearly twenty years ago. Too old to play the young, sexier role of Sigrid, Maria is asked to take up the role of the older Helena, a woman who is slowly weakened by the alluring Sigrid, eventually being driven to suicide. Reluctant at first, Maria eventually accepts the role and heads to Sils Maria, a remote region of the Alps, where along with her assistant, she can rehearse in peace. Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria is a multi-layed psychological drama of a woman coming to terns with her own fragility. Using the youth-centric nature of modern culture, specifically as it pertains to the entertainment industry, Assayas displays in Maria a woman whose lost the allure she once demanded as a younger actress, with the character in the play, Helena, being a direct mirror into Maria's current situation. Maria is in a state of weakness due to her increasing insecurities, and the film takes on a very Persona-esque psychology study during rehearsals between Maria and her assistant. Assayas intentionally blurs the lines between the play and real life, with Maria's assistant representing this inner-struggle and reflection facing Maria, as she attempts to find a new source of strength and confidence. In that sense, Clouds of Sils Maria offers one of the most unique films about the artistic process of acting, touching on the relationships shared between the performer and character they are attempting to portray. What I found most fasicnating about Clouds of Sils Maria is what is has to say about perspective, showing how it is constantly evolving in each and every one of us, with Maria's performance as the older character, Helena, eventually bringing her a new perspective on life, not viewing Helena, and really herself, as weak and disposable any longer. Conjuring up aspects reminiscient of All About Eve and Persona, Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria is well-crfated, complex psychologocial character with lots to digest. Ken Loach's Family Life is a harrowing film which examines the Generational gap which exists between the older and the younger generations pertaining to morals, ambitions, and pretty much just culture in general. Somewhere in between a documentary and fiction, Loach's realist style really aids the film in delivering a frighteningly real, honest depiction of how a young woman's slow mental deterioration due in large part to her authoritative parents. Being that the film was released in 1971, I imagine this is Loach's commentary on the 60's, but all of it is equally profound and valid in today's society. While Family Life is very much in Loach's typical lowkey style, this is a film that is bound to frustrate the viewer, even to the point of physical disgust at times, forced to witness the unwillingness of this girl's parents to put themselves in their daughter's shoes and view the world outside of their preconceived notions of the world around them. Loach clearly identifies much more with the daughter in the film, and while the parents are shown in a rather vile way, it never becomes unnatural or overbearing, they really are just trying to do what is best for their daughter. With strong characterizations and Loach's naturalistic style, Family Life explores the fine line between in parenting between controlling and nurturing, arguing that elder's are not always wiser due to their inability to adapt to changing times. William Wellman's The Public Enemy is a landmark gangster film of the time period that alongside Mervyn Leroy's Little Caesar is credited as a major contributor to the shift in public opiinion as it relates to prohibition. The film traces the rise and fall of mobster Tom Powers, who along with his longtime pal, Matt Doyle, become the top enforcers for a prohibition-era mob boss who is controlling all alcohol sales in the region. While the film is very honest about not sugar coating the type of man that Tom was, The Public Enemy does make sure to trace this man from the very beginning, showing Tom and Matt from an early age. Even at this early age the two are not well natured, but that's not really the point, as Public Enemy exposes how censorship and restriction only breeds evil enterprises, something that is a very relevant to this day as it pertains to the drug war. Public Enemy showcases how there are now happy ending in this lifestyle, witth he early feeling of invincibility being a hollow shield. Credited as the film that launched James Cagney into the strastophere, The Public Enemy just allows this great actor to work. Cagney is so dynamic as Tom that it never matters that he isn't likeable, as his demise still sparks empathy in the viewer. The entire cast is fantastic but this is the James Cagney show, with William Wellman once again reminding me why hie is one of the greatest American filmmakers ever. For a film shot in 1931 Wellman brings it to life, with some tricky camerawork for the time period and great composition, especially as it pertains to duality of its characters. The Public Enemy is a well crafted film in every respect, being a film that tries to inflict change with its powerful tale. |
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June 2023
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