The first few scenes of this film make it clear that this movie is going to take no prisoners. Within the first 10 minutes we see a long drawn out death of a little boy being dragged underwater, that rivals Jaws in style and ingenuity, followed by a golden retriever getting killed by one of these Humanoids from the Deep. Humanoids From The Deep is about a small, seaside town that is attacked by these crazy looking mutant fish monsters. The monsters kill the men in brutal ways, while taking away the young teenage woman of the town for mating purposes. They are essentially a scientific creation gone awry, with this small town facing the consequences. The film definitely borrows elements of the story from Jaws, but it's much more gruesome, violent and cheesy in tone. Many of the death scenes are well executed, featuring a nice amount of style, even when having some pretty bad production values. The acting is probably the worst aspect of the film and the primary reason it could be considered part of the "Good Bad Movie" genre. The finale sequence is good fun and the film shows some poetic nuance by spending the time to show the destruction and violence which took place in the aftermath of the invasion of sorts. 7.25/10
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Haruji and his older brother Natsuhisa are off to the beach for the summer. Haruji is the intellectual of the family and is very innocent when it comes to anything involving women. First at the train station on there arrival, and again at the beach, Haruji coincidentally runs into a pretty girl, Eri, who he instantly falls in love with. Without giving much away, the film begins very much like a love story but a sinister undercurrent begins to emerge near the end. This is really a story about innocence and the lost of it, relying very heavily on the story of these two different brothers. Natshuisa is the much cooler, ladies-man who teases Haruji a lot about his dorky ways. Even still, you could say they have a good loving younger-older brother relationship. This young generation is only interested in carnal pleasures, but Haruji is different. In once scene, Haruji complains to Nat and a bunch of his friends, about their collective generation not being innovators or thinkers, but just simply lazy. The direction reestablishes this view about the lazyiness of youth culture later in the film, showing the generational gap between the youth and their mentors, teachers and parents, etc- who complain about their laziness and rowdiness. Told by Haruji's point of view, we see him incredibly happy and in love with Eri, who reciprocates this notion. Eri isn't innocent by any means, but she does appear to love Haruji. Nat always being the lady's man grows jealous setting off a diabolical chain of events. The way this brother-brother relationship unfolds, and the transformation which Haruji goes through, having what he loves snatched away by his own blood, out of jealously more than anything is incredibly effective. Haruji's character is played perfectly, and it's bone-chilling to see what happens at the end. Visually the film is shot in a very subtle yet affective way. The sequences between Haruji and Eri are adorable, and perfectly create the innocence, nervousness, Haruji is experiencing especially the jubilation. We see their legs slowly moving closer as they sit together, their hands touching and we feel it from Haruji's point-of-view. It's pretty incredible how affective this film is at capturing the sexual urges of these characters, particularly cause they could barely show anything, all of the above aiding in a fantastically crafted finale. 9/10 Michael Caine stars as Mickey King, a writer who makes his living cranking out cheap paperback detective novels, usually as a ghost writer. King is approached to ghost write an autobiographical novel for a famous movie star, in which he is offered a large sum of money. King agrees and is shipped off to meet Preston, a one-time movie star known for his gangster roles, who so happens to hang out with the real thing is in spare time. After Preston is murdered at a party, Mickey begins to investigate and ending to his story, similar to one of the heroes in his books. The re-teaming of Get Carter collaborators Mike Hodges and Michael Caine, Pulp is comedy-drama that is fun, but ultimately a let down considering their previous effort. The film has a very playful tone, as Caine's character narrates the story, often chiming in with wise-cracks about what is being shown on screen. The most interesting aspect of this film is how descriptive the narration is, being very true to the character- a novelist who describes things in extreme detail. The film pokes fun at the genre conventions, yet ultimately becomes the type of pulpy detective story it spends so much time making fun of. Ultimately, the film falters because the second half almost completely abandons the playfulness of the first half entirely, opting to focus much more on the crime story which isn't terribly interesting. Pulp does contain a great fun performance by Mickey Rooney, as the asshole actor Preston Gilbert, but ultimately its pacing and bland detective story take over, making it far less interesting than it could have been. 6.5/10 Hugo, a hedonistic young man, meets Miriam in a subway station in Paris, instantly being drawn to her undeniable sexuality. After some heavy touching and teasing through-out the Paris Subway, Miriam takes Hugo back to her apartment with the promise of sex on the horizon. After Hugo enters her apartment, it becomes clear that Hugo is in for more than he every imagined. Walerian Borowczyk's final film begins as a typical film of the romance genre only to transform into a subversive horror film commenting on the nature of masculine and feminine sexuality in our society and really in our universe as well. Anyone familiar with Walerian Browczyk's work should have an understanding of what to expect from a thematic standpoint. The dialogue through most of the film has more in common with poetry than a narrative screenplay as Miram and Hugo have philosophical conversations about life, nature and gender classifications. Visually, the film features some rather obtuse compositions throughout the film, aiding in creating this unique subversive experience. I particularly loved the use of a butterfly as a symbolic tactic of capturing the elegance and grace of the female form. Throughout the film, Hugo's sexual headstrong nature is very subtle but prevalent as he routinely forces himself on Mariam, aching to fulfill his carnal desires. The female form is a work of art, though Hugo's intentions align more with defiling or corrupting the female form with his sexual appetite. In the end of the film, it is Hugo who is emasculated, as he wanders the streets dazed and unaware of what has just transpired. Love Rites is a fascinating experience and while it isn't perfect, it is full of interesting ideals. 8.25/10 Yoko, a freelance writer/researcher, lives in Tokyo alone. When she discovers that she pregnant, she is determined to raise the baby alone, even if this is a major social taboo in her culture. Hsiao-hsien Hou's Cafe Lumiere is a meditative tribute to Yasujiro Ozu, where a strong-willed woman is determined to raise her unborn son by herself, finding little sympathy from her family who doesn't exactly support her decision. The cinematography has the Ozu trademark static shots, with framing that can only be described as a cinematic window of everyday life. Much like Ozu, Hou's ability to evoke poetry from the ordinary everyday life is both refreshing and fascinating. Trains are a major focus of the poetry in this film as we see countless trains, coming and going with little explanation or understanding of where. They serve a purpose, showing the fast-paced nature of modern Japanese life, while also being symbolic of what Yoko is going through herself in her decision to go against tradition. In the end, I found this film to be a rather minor work of Hou's largerly do to the fact that I never found myself emotionally invested in the material. Although I did find Hajime's character, a bookstore owner who befriends Yoko, to be moderately affecting. He clearly likes Yoko a great deal, yet cannot find the way to express how he feels. 7/10 While on a business trip, Margo meets Daniel, a man she is instantly attracted too. The two have instant chemistry, but Margot must suppress her attraction, as she is a happily married to her husband, Lou. Sarah Polley's directorial follow-up to her feature debut, Away from Her, proves that she is no one hit wonder. With Take This Waltz, Polley has crafted an incredibly intimate portrait of a woman whose at odds with herself after having an instant attraction to a man that is not her husband. Every character in this film feels very real, not a characterizations, as it's clear that the film respects these characters. I particularly loved the how the relationship between Margo and Lou is presented as being loving and intimate, yet we see small glimpses of unease from Margo throughout the film. At times the film plays more like a thriller as the sexual tension is unbearable when Margo and Daniel are together. I've heard criticism that the film is uneven, but I merely question whether anything involving so much emotion should be. This is a film that is directly from Margo's point-of-view, as she wrestles back and forth trying to decide between the man she viewed as the love of her life and this new man, who she can't seem to resist. The visuals are very expressive, aiding in capturing Margo's mindset, as well as delivering some beautiful compositions. While I was leaving the theater I heard a lot of people confused as to the point of the film, as it doesn't give us definitive answers or a clear resolution. To me it's a film about how love isn't easy, rather that it is hard work and in the end this void which Margo feels is not because of Lou but about her inability to understand herself. 8.75/10 Zach appears to be living the American dream as far as most men are concerned - he's a millionaire with a house on the Hollywood hills where he spends most nights with partying hard with countless beautiful women. He meets "Crazy Eyes", a woman he becomes obsessed with, particularly because he can't seem to have sex with her. Crazy Eyes is a unique character study examining a character who so hopelessly alone even though he never truly realizes it, entranced by sex and alcohol. While the film definitely explores the "money can't buy you happiness" theme, it goes much further in exploring a character whose only real love is alcohol. A divorcee father, Zach doesn't come off as a terrible person, but he clearly neglects his son, choosing the bottle time and time again. In a way Crazy Eyes criticizes the superficial nature of Los Angeles culture, showing how Zach's wealth is both his crux and his liberator. It's a film that is not particularly flattering towards woman, as they are mostly shown as creatures whole only desire is money - sadly a concept that isn't far from the truth, particularly for these types of crowds in the City of Angels. The film has some of the most realistic sequences of debauchery I have seen, from the alcohol soaked nights to the morning-after haze which engulfs Zac on a daily basis. There are some great visual compositions, from the way light is routinely hazy yet poignant to a series of visual distortions using shot glasses, beer mugs, etc. which are used through-out the film to great affect. The difference between a film like Coppola's Somewhere and 'Crazy Eyes' is that while there are glimpses of sadness, Zach is never someone we are supposed to pity or feel particularly sad for. The film argues that characters such as Zach would never be nearly as aware of their loneliness, simply because of the solace and comfort they find in their alcoholism. This is a film that is far from perfect, but the overall negative reviews I have read are baffling to me. Another example of people hating a film just because they don't like the main character, which I find to be a pathetic notion when it comes to film criticism. This is a dark comedic film about a man whose only true love is alcohol, being both an entertaining and baffling character study. 7.75/10 Anna Karina stars as Angela, an exotic dancer who has come to the conclusion that it is time for her to conceive a child. Her lover isn't nearly as excited about the idea and when he refuses to commit, Angela begins to consider her best friend as a potential love interest. One could argue that Jean-Luc Godard's 'A Woman is a Woman' is the perfect entry point for people who have never experienced one of his films. The movie is loaded with his Anti-cinema techniques such as characters addressing the audience, jump cuts, a stylized color palette, and sporadic use of musical numbers that help aid in creating a whimsical, playful tone. Loaded with style, A Woman is a Woman never feels pretentious like some of his other films simply because the style adds to the concept and execution of the tone instead of the mental masturbation which takes place in some of his films. Essentially the film is a "Battle of the Sexes" piece, with character's lambasting one and other with the stereotypes of the opposite sex. It is incredibly playful and charming with Anna Karina perfectly cast as the incredibly adorable Angelina. It has a lot to say about a woman's role in society, the contradictions and social implications which are endured by living in a male dominated world - much of which still rings very true today. 8.75/10 Elias Koteas stars as Noah, an insurance adjuster who helps people who have lost their homes due to tragedy. Going above and beyond his duties, he takes after these individuals with great concern. Part of a loveless marriage, Noah routinely has intimate relations with his clients. His wife, Hera, makes a living as a censor regulator for the government, lonely and detached from her marriage. Honestly, describing the plot of this film is kinda stupid as it is far more about emotion and feeling then narrative- visual poetry if you will. The tone of the film is very mystical and foreboding, creating this atmospheric tension that carries throughout the entire film. Atom Egoyan's 'The Adjuster' is a tough film to quantify as it raises more questions than it actually answers. Some may find this frustrating, but Egoyan's theme of renewal and change is very clear. Perhaps Egoyan is making a statement about a dysfunctional marriage, the bareness and detachment which these individuals live. Even the location of their house, a single home in a vacant landscape suggests the loneliness and desire for renewal in the characters. Atom Egoyan's films are often hard to define with 'The Adjuster' being no different, but if willing, I highly recommend this particular film to David Lynch fans. 8.25/10 Much like Julie Taymor's Titus and Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet updates, Fiennes' Coriolanus is a modern retelling of a Shakespeare play in which the setting is updated, leaving the plot and dialogue pretty much untouched. A lesser known Shakespeare play, Coriolanus is about a roman general whose war record and accomplishments speak for himself. Unapologetic about his wealth and accolades, he despises the people who he views as parasites. Manipulated by the politicians, the people turn against Coriolanus, banishing him from Rome. Losing all that he stood for, Coriolanus offers his services to his sworn enemy Aufidius, who intends on conquering Rome. Coriolanus is an interesting story that is definitely still prevalent today in its exploration of politics, corruption and war. Being that this is Ralph Fiennes directorial debut, I found that the direction often left something to be desired. For example, the gritty war sequences are decent but hardly measure up to most war films and honestly I wasn't fond of some of his decisions - particularly in how some of the sequences felt too staged. Ralph Fiennes and Venessa Redgrave are definitely the standouts from an acting standpoint, though as is typical for Shakespearean adaptions, I found there to be an overabundance of overacting, particularly from Fiennes. Coriolanus is a decent film that has some good ideas, but visually I didn't find it interesting enough unlike Taymor's Titus. 6.5/10 |
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June 2023
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