TV Review: South Park, "You're Getting Old, Part 1"
Stan turns 10.
There's a lot of talk now about what the fate of South Park will be. It's been an unorthodox show, and it's no stretch to suggest it will have an unorthodox ending. "You're Getting Old" wasn't a particularly good episode in a string of not particularly good episodes with occasional spikes of genius, and if listening to the DVD commentary on many of their episodes is any indication, it's clear that Trey Parker and Matt Stone know a bad episode when they've made one; it's unlikely the decline in quality has gone unnoticed. Some might call that perspective "cynical." But this doesn't feel like a response to critics - Stan is a poor choice for an avatar of the audience when he's so clearly the common avatar of Trey Parker - and could well be a response to their own reactions, as they, like most, have probably come down with an occasional case of being a cynical asshole themselves. And if this is a damning response to a judgmental audience, then what are we to make of the final conversation between Sharon and Randy?
It's been fifteen years and Parker and Stone have now broken forty. While I don't believe that getting old means talent is necessarily lost I do believe it's necessarily changed. No one has the same outlook they had fifteen years ago, and maybe what seemed like a stupid waste of time then appears more worthwhile now, and vice versa. Their most successful contemporaries are now habitually producing season after season of trash, and there may be concern over becoming another Simpsons or Family Guy: achieving great things, and then going into a steady decline that leaves a sour taste in the mouths of fans that lasts for years and even decades. When I watch any modern episode of either of those shows, I wish that someone had had the force of will and foresight to pull the plug long ago. Trey and Matt can't want the same thing for South Park.
Maybe it's premature to be saying things like this, but my hope is that this is the final season, and "You're Getting Old" actually makes me more excited for what could be the series' final episodes.
June 12, 2011
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Movie Review: X-Men: First Class
Charles Xavier attempts to befriend and educate fellow mutants as he charts their emergence across 1960s America until he discovers another powerful mutant with a more malevolent agenda: Sebastian Shaw. Stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, and January Jones. Directed by Matthew Vaughn and written by Vaughn and like four other people. 2011.
At a fairly early point in the film, First Class presents itself as a stupid movie, and never surpasses that expectation. However, it does have some moments of clarity. McAvoy and Fassbender enjoy a great on-screen chemistry. Their relationship is touching and well-portrayed; a scene in which Charles experiences one of Erik's fondest memories is a particular highlight of the movie. This is a well cast film, and cameos were handled sensibly. That said, my list of complaints is long. At no point does this ever feel like the sixties. Aesthetically and dialectically, these are modern people. Havok looks like a guy from One Tree Hill. Setting it amidst the Cuban Missile Crisis feels like a minor effort that doesn't sell the era at all. The support cast are essentially warm-body roles with the possible exception of Raven and Hank, whose relationship is rushed and illogical. Moira McTaggart's rethinking into an American CIA agent begged a few questions. The effects are surprisingly bad, and the movie is glaringly bloodless. I'm bewildered that this is reviewing so well. A pothole in Matthew Vaughn's mediocre track record.
Charles Xavier attempts to befriend and educate fellow mutants as he charts their emergence across 1960s America until he discovers another powerful mutant with a more malevolent agenda: Sebastian Shaw. Stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, and January Jones. Directed by Matthew Vaughn and written by Vaughn and like four other people. 2011.
At a fairly early point in the film, First Class presents itself as a stupid movie, and never surpasses that expectation. However, it does have some moments of clarity. McAvoy and Fassbender enjoy a great on-screen chemistry. Their relationship is touching and well-portrayed; a scene in which Charles experiences one of Erik's fondest memories is a particular highlight of the movie. This is a well cast film, and cameos were handled sensibly. That said, my list of complaints is long. At no point does this ever feel like the sixties. Aesthetically and dialectically, these are modern people. Havok looks like a guy from One Tree Hill. Setting it amidst the Cuban Missile Crisis feels like a minor effort that doesn't sell the era at all. The support cast are essentially warm-body roles with the possible exception of Raven and Hank, whose relationship is rushed and illogical. Moira McTaggart's rethinking into an American CIA agent begged a few questions. The effects are surprisingly bad, and the movie is glaringly bloodless. I'm bewildered that this is reviewing so well. A pothole in Matthew Vaughn's mediocre track record.
June 6, 2011
Magicians Do Not Exist
Movie Review: The Illusionist
Looking for work in 1959 Scotland, a Parisian illusionist encounters a young woman who, after he performs several feats for her, believes him to possess magical powers of conjuration and follows him to Edinburgh. Stars the voice talents of Jean-Claude Donda and Eilidh Rankin. Based on a screenplay originally written by Jacques Tati, adapted and directed by Sylvain Chomet. 2010.
After Don Bluth in the 80s, the Disney Renaissance of the 90s, and now Pixar's instant classic after instant classic, I feel like animation isn't really something I have to defend anymore. Generally, it's taken for granted at this point that an animated movie can achieve great cinematic heights comparable to a live-action one. But the next time I encounter someone of a different opinion, I'm going to recommend The Illusionist, and then I'll have to specify that I don't mean the 2006 Ed Norton movie. This is Sylvain Chomet's second feature film, his first being The Triplets of Belleville, and I would've been satisfied with something equally zany and off-the-wall, however The Illusionist is a much more subdued story with a considerably greater emotional depth that came as a surprise but not an unwelcome one. There's no dialogue to speak of in the film, what lines we hear are indecipherable. This is a good way to highlight the language barrier between the two main characters, but also showcases the talent of the director and the film's animators, who are able to convey a range of emotions and atmospheres without being able to rely on dialogue. Chomet's landscapes are breathtaking, his array of even minor characters memorable and the film on the whole is heartfelt and sincere. The most recurring criticism I've seen is that it's occasionally oversentimental, and I guess that's true in places, but it's a movie about an old man trying to keep on doing what he loves in a world growing only more indifferent to his craft. Sentimental, perhaps, but it's not happy-go-lucky by any means. An exclusively mature animated film.
Looking for work in 1959 Scotland, a Parisian illusionist encounters a young woman who, after he performs several feats for her, believes him to possess magical powers of conjuration and follows him to Edinburgh. Stars the voice talents of Jean-Claude Donda and Eilidh Rankin. Based on a screenplay originally written by Jacques Tati, adapted and directed by Sylvain Chomet. 2010.
After Don Bluth in the 80s, the Disney Renaissance of the 90s, and now Pixar's instant classic after instant classic, I feel like animation isn't really something I have to defend anymore. Generally, it's taken for granted at this point that an animated movie can achieve great cinematic heights comparable to a live-action one. But the next time I encounter someone of a different opinion, I'm going to recommend The Illusionist, and then I'll have to specify that I don't mean the 2006 Ed Norton movie. This is Sylvain Chomet's second feature film, his first being The Triplets of Belleville, and I would've been satisfied with something equally zany and off-the-wall, however The Illusionist is a much more subdued story with a considerably greater emotional depth that came as a surprise but not an unwelcome one. There's no dialogue to speak of in the film, what lines we hear are indecipherable. This is a good way to highlight the language barrier between the two main characters, but also showcases the talent of the director and the film's animators, who are able to convey a range of emotions and atmospheres without being able to rely on dialogue. Chomet's landscapes are breathtaking, his array of even minor characters memorable and the film on the whole is heartfelt and sincere. The most recurring criticism I've seen is that it's occasionally oversentimental, and I guess that's true in places, but it's a movie about an old man trying to keep on doing what he loves in a world growing only more indifferent to his craft. Sentimental, perhaps, but it's not happy-go-lucky by any means. An exclusively mature animated film.
To See the Frontier
Movie Review: Dances With Wolves
John Dunbar is stationed at the American frontier, where he serves alone - save a loyal horse and a curious wolf - until he begins encountering his Sioux neighbours. A dialogue is begun, and he befriends them. Stars Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, and Wes Studi. Adapted by Michael Blake from his novel published in 1988, and directed by Kevin Costner. Released in 1990.
As a child of the nineties, I equate Kevin Costner with pretty much Waterworld and baseball movies, and after movies with questionable plot philosophies like Avatar or The Last Samurai, I had it in my head that Dances With Wolves was another long-winded half-patriotic diatribe about a white guy getting in with the natives and then leading them to victory against his own people. But Dances With Wolves is a story that avoids heroics and grandstanding, and just tells an exciting and dramatic tale that never seems far-fetched. John Dunbar is a character for whom duty is first but an appreciation of the land a close second, and Costner himself probably has similar philosophies, as pretty much every location is a beautiful sweeping vista that seem to laments the loss of what America once was. Dunbar's relationships with the Sioux characters as well as his animal friends all develop uniquely and never feel taken for granted. The film feels fair-handed in regards to what I'm sure was and remains a delicate subject, showing nobility and cruelty in both peoples, and a pragmatism of inevitability; the characters are reflective, but never bark of injustice and unfairness because they needn't. Considering the big-league fumbles Costner would go on to make, Dances With Wolves is a surprise that is worth the time it demands.
John Dunbar is stationed at the American frontier, where he serves alone - save a loyal horse and a curious wolf - until he begins encountering his Sioux neighbours. A dialogue is begun, and he befriends them. Stars Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, and Wes Studi. Adapted by Michael Blake from his novel published in 1988, and directed by Kevin Costner. Released in 1990.
As a child of the nineties, I equate Kevin Costner with pretty much Waterworld and baseball movies, and after movies with questionable plot philosophies like Avatar or The Last Samurai, I had it in my head that Dances With Wolves was another long-winded half-patriotic diatribe about a white guy getting in with the natives and then leading them to victory against his own people. But Dances With Wolves is a story that avoids heroics and grandstanding, and just tells an exciting and dramatic tale that never seems far-fetched. John Dunbar is a character for whom duty is first but an appreciation of the land a close second, and Costner himself probably has similar philosophies, as pretty much every location is a beautiful sweeping vista that seem to laments the loss of what America once was. Dunbar's relationships with the Sioux characters as well as his animal friends all develop uniquely and never feel taken for granted. The film feels fair-handed in regards to what I'm sure was and remains a delicate subject, showing nobility and cruelty in both peoples, and a pragmatism of inevitability; the characters are reflective, but never bark of injustice and unfairness because they needn't. Considering the big-league fumbles Costner would go on to make, Dances With Wolves is a surprise that is worth the time it demands.
June 5, 2011
Live Dogs and Dead Lions
Movie Review: Something Wild
On-the-rails Charlie meets out of control Lulu, and after she offers him a ride, she kidnaps him. Stars Melanie Griffiths, Jeff Daniels, Ray Liotta, and Jack Gilpin. Written by E. Max Frye, directed by Jonathan Demme, released in 1986.
I guess you can't really review Something Wild without giving away the big spoiler, which I was unfortunately aware of before going into it. So I will say that this was a cool all over the place movie and was a good watch. If you're worried about spoilers, stop reading here and go see the movie.
To everyone else: Something Wild starts as a happy-go-lucky whimsical romp, with maniacal Lulu having the time of her life just trying to get a rise out of suppressed yuppie douchebag Charlie. I've never thought Melanie Griffiths was that good an actor, and Something Wild doesn't alleviate that but Lulu's disaffected nonchalance isn't a demanding role and Griffiths sells her. Jeff Daniels, who is a good actor, handles Charlie well, transitioning the character from rube to accomplice at a very gradual and believable pace. Ray Liotta plays a psychopath again. Oh yeah, this movie has a psychopath in it, and well into the film the story becomes a fairly tense thriller. It's difficult to say whether or not the genre shift was successful, as I knew it was coming and kept expecting a sudden turn, but the movie didn't suffer from it, and all the characters felt like they were acting naturally. The ending seemed tacked on, like it was scrambling to finish the romantic comedy it started, but doesn't debase the whole piece.
On-the-rails Charlie meets out of control Lulu, and after she offers him a ride, she kidnaps him. Stars Melanie Griffiths, Jeff Daniels, Ray Liotta, and Jack Gilpin. Written by E. Max Frye, directed by Jonathan Demme, released in 1986.
I guess you can't really review Something Wild without giving away the big spoiler, which I was unfortunately aware of before going into it. So I will say that this was a cool all over the place movie and was a good watch. If you're worried about spoilers, stop reading here and go see the movie.
To everyone else: Something Wild starts as a happy-go-lucky whimsical romp, with maniacal Lulu having the time of her life just trying to get a rise out of suppressed yuppie douchebag Charlie. I've never thought Melanie Griffiths was that good an actor, and Something Wild doesn't alleviate that but Lulu's disaffected nonchalance isn't a demanding role and Griffiths sells her. Jeff Daniels, who is a good actor, handles Charlie well, transitioning the character from rube to accomplice at a very gradual and believable pace. Ray Liotta plays a psychopath again. Oh yeah, this movie has a psychopath in it, and well into the film the story becomes a fairly tense thriller. It's difficult to say whether or not the genre shift was successful, as I knew it was coming and kept expecting a sudden turn, but the movie didn't suffer from it, and all the characters felt like they were acting naturally. The ending seemed tacked on, like it was scrambling to finish the romantic comedy it started, but doesn't debase the whole piece.
May 27, 2011
Should've Had A Better Home Town
Movie Review: The Last Picture Show
America Lost & Found: The BBS Story
Sonny and his friends come of age in Anarene, a small Texas town, in the early 1950s. Over the course of several years, their lives intersect with the rest of their town as it slowly crumbles around them. Stars Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybil Shepherd, and Ellen Burstyn. Written by Larry McMurty and Peter Bogadanovich, and directed by Bogadanovich. 1971.
I've been noticing a common thread amongst the BBS movies I've seen so far, and it's that the plots aren't really about any one thing, and tend to be observational pieces revolving around a character over a certain period of time. The Last Picture Show is a contemplation of friendship, growing up, and life in a dying community. It's one of those movies that reads like a book. Shot in the style of a fifties teen romp, it undercuts the fluff and happy-go-lucky rebellion characteristic of those films by showing teens growing up and facing realistic problems that the people around them can't recognize nor resolve. The Last Picture Show never tells or shows us what is driving this town to ruin, and ultimately it's unimportant, because the characters don't try to save it, and occasionally beg the question if it deserves saving at all. An all round exemplary cast never overdoes it, playing scenes in a very organic and conversational manner. Touching, bittersweet, full of a very human aimlessness.
America Lost & Found: The BBS Story
Sonny and his friends come of age in Anarene, a small Texas town, in the early 1950s. Over the course of several years, their lives intersect with the rest of their town as it slowly crumbles around them. Stars Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybil Shepherd, and Ellen Burstyn. Written by Larry McMurty and Peter Bogadanovich, and directed by Bogadanovich. 1971.
I've been noticing a common thread amongst the BBS movies I've seen so far, and it's that the plots aren't really about any one thing, and tend to be observational pieces revolving around a character over a certain period of time. The Last Picture Show is a contemplation of friendship, growing up, and life in a dying community. It's one of those movies that reads like a book. Shot in the style of a fifties teen romp, it undercuts the fluff and happy-go-lucky rebellion characteristic of those films by showing teens growing up and facing realistic problems that the people around them can't recognize nor resolve. The Last Picture Show never tells or shows us what is driving this town to ruin, and ultimately it's unimportant, because the characters don't try to save it, and occasionally beg the question if it deserves saving at all. An all round exemplary cast never overdoes it, playing scenes in a very organic and conversational manner. Touching, bittersweet, full of a very human aimlessness.
May 26, 2011
Just Some Old Hood
Movie Review: Hard Eight
Professional gambler Sydney recruits transient John outside a diner and teaches him how to make a living cheating casinos. Two years later, Sydney becomes wary of John's new friend Jimmy. Stars Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Samuel L. Jackson. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and released in 1997.
Movies with older protagonists aren't as common as you might think, and it sometimes feels like every time I see one, it's possessed of an immediately distinct atmosphere. Hard Eight isn't a movie about getting old, but only an old man could be the main character of this film. Plus, it's Philip Baker Hall, who I'm beginning to think would read the phone book with depth and subdued passion. Hard Eight is the feature debut of writer/director Anderson, but it doesn't miss a single beat. It's another movie that has too much going on in it to be about any one thing, and it's plodding, low-key delivery makes every scene seem very thoughtful and methodical. Anderson's trademark tenderness for his characters is really the spotlight here, and the film is stronger for it. A fascinating first entry that is clearly his own without ever trying too hard.
Professional gambler Sydney recruits transient John outside a diner and teaches him how to make a living cheating casinos. Two years later, Sydney becomes wary of John's new friend Jimmy. Stars Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Samuel L. Jackson. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and released in 1997.
Movies with older protagonists aren't as common as you might think, and it sometimes feels like every time I see one, it's possessed of an immediately distinct atmosphere. Hard Eight isn't a movie about getting old, but only an old man could be the main character of this film. Plus, it's Philip Baker Hall, who I'm beginning to think would read the phone book with depth and subdued passion. Hard Eight is the feature debut of writer/director Anderson, but it doesn't miss a single beat. It's another movie that has too much going on in it to be about any one thing, and it's plodding, low-key delivery makes every scene seem very thoughtful and methodical. Anderson's trademark tenderness for his characters is really the spotlight here, and the film is stronger for it. A fascinating first entry that is clearly his own without ever trying too hard.
May 22, 2011
I Try So Hard to be Good
Movie Review: The Elephant Man
John Merrick suffers from such severe genetic disfigurements that he cannot go out in public without being met with horror. He is displayed as a carnival freak until he is met by Doctor Frederick Treves, who attempts to diagnose him and offer him a more dignified existence. Stars John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Freddie Jones, and Anne Bancroft. Adapted from the 1923 novel The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences by Sir Frederick Treves and the 1971 book The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity by Ashley Montagu. Directed by David Lynch and released in 1980.
To say that The Elephant Man is a movie about humanity is vague, and I guess all movies are (except The Bear), but this movie in particular shows the heights of kindness, forgiveness, and dignity while simultaneously showing humanity as a psychotic creature of fear and hatred. John tries so hard to be good in an effort to make up for his deformity, and is humbly silent even when confronted with great cruelty. He's so used to being a terrifying oddity that he is limitlessly grateful for the most basic of human courtesy. It's absolutely heartbreaking. David Lynch's direction coats the whole film with a viscous atmosphere of dread, and his habit of including quietly horrifying abstract dream sequences is put to especially good use here, perhaps exemplified by the Victorian setting, which seems both ancient and modern at the same time. There's a lot to take away from The Elephant Man, and a lot has to do with how unforgiving the world can be to people who are a little different. But on the other hand, it also showcases how sometimes being a little nice can make the most important difference.
John Merrick suffers from such severe genetic disfigurements that he cannot go out in public without being met with horror. He is displayed as a carnival freak until he is met by Doctor Frederick Treves, who attempts to diagnose him and offer him a more dignified existence. Stars John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Freddie Jones, and Anne Bancroft. Adapted from the 1923 novel The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences by Sir Frederick Treves and the 1971 book The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity by Ashley Montagu. Directed by David Lynch and released in 1980.
To say that The Elephant Man is a movie about humanity is vague, and I guess all movies are (except The Bear), but this movie in particular shows the heights of kindness, forgiveness, and dignity while simultaneously showing humanity as a psychotic creature of fear and hatred. John tries so hard to be good in an effort to make up for his deformity, and is humbly silent even when confronted with great cruelty. He's so used to being a terrifying oddity that he is limitlessly grateful for the most basic of human courtesy. It's absolutely heartbreaking. David Lynch's direction coats the whole film with a viscous atmosphere of dread, and his habit of including quietly horrifying abstract dream sequences is put to especially good use here, perhaps exemplified by the Victorian setting, which seems both ancient and modern at the same time. There's a lot to take away from The Elephant Man, and a lot has to do with how unforgiving the world can be to people who are a little different. But on the other hand, it also showcases how sometimes being a little nice can make the most important difference.
Things That Get Bad
Movie Review: Five Easy Pieces
America Lost and Found: The BBS Story
Bobby Dupea is kind of an asshole, works on an oil field, and treats his not-too-bright girlfriend like shit. When his sister tells him that their father has fallen ill, he returns home for a final visit. Stars Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Billy Green Bush, and Lois Smith. Written by Adrien Joyce and Bob Rafelson, and directed by Rafelson. 1970.
Very sombre, plodding, disenchanted. Five Easy Pieces could be described as an unforgiving character study of an asshole. The film moves at a very staggered pace with plenty of memorable scenes, delivering short episodes of conflict before Bobby, and the film with him, simply moves away from these. It's not a movie that's about any one thing, except for I guess Bobby himself, and it doesn't really deliver a moral, a theme or idea that we're supposed to take away, and it becomes fitting the more the audience gets to know Bobby. The movie spends a lot of time building Bobby into a person we don't really like, and then shows us what made him into the man he is and can't help but sympathize. You can't call him a hero or a rebel, but a guy who's just trying to move away from the intolerable and finds nowhere else to go. Jack Nicholson brings his talent to bear here in one of his earliest lead roles, showing us a man who simply goes through the motions of everything, until it becomes too much trouble and he flees. The social dissatisfaction and desperation presented in the film seems aimed in particular at the western culture of the time, but it doesn't matter because it feels like nothing's changed.
America Lost and Found: The BBS Story
Bobby Dupea is kind of an asshole, works on an oil field, and treats his not-too-bright girlfriend like shit. When his sister tells him that their father has fallen ill, he returns home for a final visit. Stars Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Billy Green Bush, and Lois Smith. Written by Adrien Joyce and Bob Rafelson, and directed by Rafelson. 1970.
Very sombre, plodding, disenchanted. Five Easy Pieces could be described as an unforgiving character study of an asshole. The film moves at a very staggered pace with plenty of memorable scenes, delivering short episodes of conflict before Bobby, and the film with him, simply moves away from these. It's not a movie that's about any one thing, except for I guess Bobby himself, and it doesn't really deliver a moral, a theme or idea that we're supposed to take away, and it becomes fitting the more the audience gets to know Bobby. The movie spends a lot of time building Bobby into a person we don't really like, and then shows us what made him into the man he is and can't help but sympathize. You can't call him a hero or a rebel, but a guy who's just trying to move away from the intolerable and finds nowhere else to go. Jack Nicholson brings his talent to bear here in one of his earliest lead roles, showing us a man who simply goes through the motions of everything, until it becomes too much trouble and he flees. The social dissatisfaction and desperation presented in the film seems aimed in particular at the western culture of the time, but it doesn't matter because it feels like nothing's changed.
May 17, 2011
I like it! More!
Movie Review: Thor
On the eve of being proclaimed King of Asgard, Norse god Thor defies his father's edict by declaring war on Jotunheim, and is exiled to Earth in the hopes that he will learn to be worthy of the title. Stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård, and Tom Hiddleston. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and released a few weeks ago (2011).
I never got into Thor the comic at all. My interest in Marvel comics really centred around the X-Men and Spider-Man animated shows of the nineties, and the idea of a high fantasy superhero existing among them never really appealed to me, so I can't speak to Thor the film as a faithful adaptation (though I hear it kind of isn't), so strictly experiencing it as a superhero action movie, it is a stupid one, but it's a fun kind of stupid and I enjoyed myself pretty much start to finish, but I'm not going to call this a masterpiece, and in the scheme of Marvel movies, I'll say it's not as good as Iron Man, but it's a lot better than Iron Man 2. Thor kind of meanders around Earth in a comedy of errors (which is funny) while all the real drama is still going on in Asgard (which is dramatic). The story keeps moving and once the two plotlines catch up with each other, it's an action spectacular. It's worth it for the great cast, of whom the standout is the underused Idris Elba as Heimdall, and Chris Hemsworth is a charming hottie who handles the lead well even amongst such a crowd of much bigger names. Definitely a worthwhile addition to Marvel Studios' lineup, and I continue to be cautiously enthusiastic about their current schemes.
On the eve of being proclaimed King of Asgard, Norse god Thor defies his father's edict by declaring war on Jotunheim, and is exiled to Earth in the hopes that he will learn to be worthy of the title. Stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård, and Tom Hiddleston. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and released a few weeks ago (2011).
I never got into Thor the comic at all. My interest in Marvel comics really centred around the X-Men and Spider-Man animated shows of the nineties, and the idea of a high fantasy superhero existing among them never really appealed to me, so I can't speak to Thor the film as a faithful adaptation (though I hear it kind of isn't), so strictly experiencing it as a superhero action movie, it is a stupid one, but it's a fun kind of stupid and I enjoyed myself pretty much start to finish, but I'm not going to call this a masterpiece, and in the scheme of Marvel movies, I'll say it's not as good as Iron Man, but it's a lot better than Iron Man 2. Thor kind of meanders around Earth in a comedy of errors (which is funny) while all the real drama is still going on in Asgard (which is dramatic). The story keeps moving and once the two plotlines catch up with each other, it's an action spectacular. It's worth it for the great cast, of whom the standout is the underused Idris Elba as Heimdall, and Chris Hemsworth is a charming hottie who handles the lead well even amongst such a crowd of much bigger names. Definitely a worthwhile addition to Marvel Studios' lineup, and I continue to be cautiously enthusiastic about their current schemes.
With Apologies to Lord Xenu
Game Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns
A volcanic eruption looses an army of animated, hypnotic tiki masks who enslave the inhabitants of Donkey Kong Island and steal all of Donkey Kong's bananas. Donkey and Diddy Kong team up once again to free the animals and reclaim their bananas. Stars the voice talents of Takashi Nagasako and Katsumi Suzuke, directed by Bryan Walker, art led by Ryan Powell. Released for the Wii in 2010.
Another great and incredibly difficult platform game, great design and innovative if extreme challenges. The only real criticism I have for DKCR is that its gameplay can be incredibly unforgiving, and you sometimes feel like you're playing a game devised by a team of sadists. One-hit kills that cost two lives just seems like a little much, but extreme penalties for the tiniest mistakes encourage very precise gameplay, so it's truly an accomplishment, sometimes, just beating a level. But there's also the occasional ragequit. And has anyone picked up on the strange parallels this plot has to the myths of Scientology? Evil spirits erupt from volcanos and make everyone do things they don't want to do. I'm surprised Nintendo hasn't been sued. Also, wicked music.
A volcanic eruption looses an army of animated, hypnotic tiki masks who enslave the inhabitants of Donkey Kong Island and steal all of Donkey Kong's bananas. Donkey and Diddy Kong team up once again to free the animals and reclaim their bananas. Stars the voice talents of Takashi Nagasako and Katsumi Suzuke, directed by Bryan Walker, art led by Ryan Powell. Released for the Wii in 2010.
Another great and incredibly difficult platform game, great design and innovative if extreme challenges. The only real criticism I have for DKCR is that its gameplay can be incredibly unforgiving, and you sometimes feel like you're playing a game devised by a team of sadists. One-hit kills that cost two lives just seems like a little much, but extreme penalties for the tiniest mistakes encourage very precise gameplay, so it's truly an accomplishment, sometimes, just beating a level. But there's also the occasional ragequit. And has anyone picked up on the strange parallels this plot has to the myths of Scientology? Evil spirits erupt from volcanos and make everyone do things they don't want to do. I'm surprised Nintendo hasn't been sued. Also, wicked music.
May 16, 2011
Every Town Is The Same
Webseries Review: The Adventures of Ledo and Ix
Ledo and Ix are characters in an 8-bit fantasy roleplaying game, who, in their travels together, notice that there is something different about everyone around them. Written and animated by Emily Carmichael, and released on PATV from 2008-2009. The series can be streamed here.
I never got into the old Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda games until, like, recently. So there's not a whole lot of nostalgic factor for me and I suspected that the success of Ledo and Ix was going to rely on fond memories I don't have. But creator Emily Carmichael has tapped into something about these games that is touching and at times verges on profound. Ledo and Ix are both very engaging characters, frustrated and confused by the limitations of the world they live in, and it's impressive how much emotion Carmichael is able to convey with no voice actors and very simple animation. Of course it's not all metafictional existentialism; it's also really funny most of the time, and the gags don't get stale in the way they could. But when it's not being a comedy, it's strangely forlorn and haunting. It's really great stuff, and it makes me more excited about the potential of web-based creative media.
Ledo and Ix are characters in an 8-bit fantasy roleplaying game, who, in their travels together, notice that there is something different about everyone around them. Written and animated by Emily Carmichael, and released on PATV from 2008-2009. The series can be streamed here.
I never got into the old Final Fantasy or Legend of Zelda games until, like, recently. So there's not a whole lot of nostalgic factor for me and I suspected that the success of Ledo and Ix was going to rely on fond memories I don't have. But creator Emily Carmichael has tapped into something about these games that is touching and at times verges on profound. Ledo and Ix are both very engaging characters, frustrated and confused by the limitations of the world they live in, and it's impressive how much emotion Carmichael is able to convey with no voice actors and very simple animation. Of course it's not all metafictional existentialism; it's also really funny most of the time, and the gags don't get stale in the way they could. But when it's not being a comedy, it's strangely forlorn and haunting. It's really great stuff, and it makes me more excited about the potential of web-based creative media.
May 2, 2011
The City That Care Forgot
Why aren't you watching Treme?
I started to write a review of the second season premiere of Treme and a couple of things occurred to me: first, that virtually no one I know seems to be watching Treme and only a handful even know what I'm talking about when I bring it up, and second, that this is a very circuitous show with a pretty pitch-perfect first season from guys who have clearly demonstrated they know how to put together an HBO show, so it's likely that any episode review I post will be a well-deserved gush.
Instead, I've decided to try and help get people watching Treme, so I've found download links that work (at least at the time of this posting) for every episode aired so far, including the two from second season. Treme is a show following intersecting lives in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina. It's funny, tragic, intriguing, and has done its homework.
Season I
Episode 1 - "Do You Know What It Means"
Episode 2 - "Meet De Boys on the Battlefront"
Episode 3 - "Right Time, Wrong Place"
Episode 4 - "At the Foot of Canal Street"
Episode 5 - "Shame, Shame, Shame"
Episode 6 - "Shallow Water, Oh Mama"
Episode 7 - "Smoke My Peace Pipe"
Episode 8 - "All on a Mardi Gras Day"
Episode 9 - "Wish Someone Would Care"
Episode 10 - "I'll Fly Away"
Season II
Episode 1 - "Accentuate the Positive"
Episode 2 - "Everything I Do Guhn Be Funky"
Hopefully these links stay working long enough to get a few people started; I'll try to keep an eye on them. Enjoy.
Instead, I've decided to try and help get people watching Treme, so I've found download links that work (at least at the time of this posting) for every episode aired so far, including the two from second season. Treme is a show following intersecting lives in New Orleans six months after Hurricane Katrina. It's funny, tragic, intriguing, and has done its homework.
Season I
Episode 1 - "Do You Know What It Means"
Episode 2 - "Meet De Boys on the Battlefront"
Episode 3 - "Right Time, Wrong Place"
Episode 4 - "At the Foot of Canal Street"
Episode 5 - "Shame, Shame, Shame"
Episode 6 - "Shallow Water, Oh Mama"
Episode 7 - "Smoke My Peace Pipe"
Episode 8 - "All on a Mardi Gras Day"
Episode 9 - "Wish Someone Would Care"
Episode 10 - "I'll Fly Away"
Season II
Episode 1 - "Accentuate the Positive"
Episode 2 - "Everything I Do Guhn Be Funky"
Hopefully these links stay working long enough to get a few people started; I'll try to keep an eye on them. Enjoy.
April 30, 2011
Your Hope is an Illusion, Old Fool
Game Review: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
Jim Raynor and his rebel forces attempt to capture ancient alien artifacts to sell on the black market and fund their revolution to destabilize Arcturus Mengsk' tyrannical stranglehold on the Koprulu Sector, but soon finds himself at the centre of a scheme to return Kerrigan's humanity and remove the leadership of the Zerg. Meanwhile, Zeratul warns from the shadows that an apocalyptic threat is on the horizon. Stars the voice talents of Robert Clotworthy, Tricia Helfer, Frank Tatasciore, Neil Kaplan, and Brian Bloom. Technical design by Dustin Browder, artistic design led by Samwise Didier, and written by Chris Metzen. Released for PC in 2010.
There's a lot to like about Starcraft II. The position has been taken that the gameplay formula and rock-paper-scissors strategies of the original are good enough and don't need to be messed with. The game looks beautiful, plays fluidly, and rewards experimentation, ingenuity, and unpredictability. Even as a guy who's not very good at it, I know I'm playing a great game. However, Starcraft II fails to surpass its predecessor in pretty much every field but technology. Does it need to be surpassed? I suppose that's a whole other discussion. The single-player campaign is my major complaint. It's very fun to play, don't get me wrong. It's challenging and has a lot of replay value, and is a unique experience from the multiplayer. That's about it. The new characters are very shallow and one-dimensional, and the veteran characters ring false more often than true. The dialogue is atrocious, and while the original's briefings were admittedly limited in scope, at least they had a little talent behind them. This feels spread very thin. All that aside, there are some glaring story elements that just don't make any sense. Its saving grace is a series of side missions involving Zeratul, but they only last so long and fail to make up for the absence of a full protoss campaign. I really hope that the negative response to the campaign will result in some improvement in the expansions to come, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Starcraft II's gameplay is enough to make it a success, but it's not a work of art. I think a legacy has ended.
Jim Raynor and his rebel forces attempt to capture ancient alien artifacts to sell on the black market and fund their revolution to destabilize Arcturus Mengsk' tyrannical stranglehold on the Koprulu Sector, but soon finds himself at the centre of a scheme to return Kerrigan's humanity and remove the leadership of the Zerg. Meanwhile, Zeratul warns from the shadows that an apocalyptic threat is on the horizon. Stars the voice talents of Robert Clotworthy, Tricia Helfer, Frank Tatasciore, Neil Kaplan, and Brian Bloom. Technical design by Dustin Browder, artistic design led by Samwise Didier, and written by Chris Metzen. Released for PC in 2010.
There's a lot to like about Starcraft II. The position has been taken that the gameplay formula and rock-paper-scissors strategies of the original are good enough and don't need to be messed with. The game looks beautiful, plays fluidly, and rewards experimentation, ingenuity, and unpredictability. Even as a guy who's not very good at it, I know I'm playing a great game. However, Starcraft II fails to surpass its predecessor in pretty much every field but technology. Does it need to be surpassed? I suppose that's a whole other discussion. The single-player campaign is my major complaint. It's very fun to play, don't get me wrong. It's challenging and has a lot of replay value, and is a unique experience from the multiplayer. That's about it. The new characters are very shallow and one-dimensional, and the veteran characters ring false more often than true. The dialogue is atrocious, and while the original's briefings were admittedly limited in scope, at least they had a little talent behind them. This feels spread very thin. All that aside, there are some glaring story elements that just don't make any sense. Its saving grace is a series of side missions involving Zeratul, but they only last so long and fail to make up for the absence of a full protoss campaign. I really hope that the negative response to the campaign will result in some improvement in the expansions to come, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Starcraft II's gameplay is enough to make it a success, but it's not a work of art. I think a legacy has ended.
You're Gonna Miss This Ass
Game Review: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Nathan Drake and his partners in crime begin a globe-trotting search for the missing fleet of Marco Polo, but soon find themselves in a desperate race to Shambhala against a power-crazed maniac. Stars the voice talents of Nolan North, Claudia Black, Emily Rose, Steve Valentine, and Graham McTavish. Directed by Amy Hennig and Bruce Straley, game design led by Neil Druckmann and Richard Lemarchand. Released for Playstation 3 in 2009.
Generally with video games you have to apply a few blinders. Dialogue is only ever rarely going to be masterful, voice acting is going to be, best case scenario, at par. Obviously as the industry has expanded some of these have been ironed out or improved, but Uncharted 2 leapt ahead, and gave us a game that was spectacularly cinematic and gave blockbuster movies a run for their money. Uncharted 2 is written better than many films, and while the gameplay is fun and the graphics are gorgeous and lifelike, it's the strength of that script that carries the player along, and it's a desire to see what happens next that propels you. The characters are exceptionally well-drawn, the voice acting is top notch, and whole sequences of the playable game involve good lines and great cinematography. The world is incredibly immersive and detailed, and the story itself is exciting and tense, with a degree of supernatural restraint not often seen in games. Uncharted 2 is a masterpiece of its genre.
Nathan Drake and his partners in crime begin a globe-trotting search for the missing fleet of Marco Polo, but soon find themselves in a desperate race to Shambhala against a power-crazed maniac. Stars the voice talents of Nolan North, Claudia Black, Emily Rose, Steve Valentine, and Graham McTavish. Directed by Amy Hennig and Bruce Straley, game design led by Neil Druckmann and Richard Lemarchand. Released for Playstation 3 in 2009.
Generally with video games you have to apply a few blinders. Dialogue is only ever rarely going to be masterful, voice acting is going to be, best case scenario, at par. Obviously as the industry has expanded some of these have been ironed out or improved, but Uncharted 2 leapt ahead, and gave us a game that was spectacularly cinematic and gave blockbuster movies a run for their money. Uncharted 2 is written better than many films, and while the gameplay is fun and the graphics are gorgeous and lifelike, it's the strength of that script that carries the player along, and it's a desire to see what happens next that propels you. The characters are exceptionally well-drawn, the voice acting is top notch, and whole sequences of the playable game involve good lines and great cinematography. The world is incredibly immersive and detailed, and the story itself is exciting and tense, with a degree of supernatural restraint not often seen in games. Uncharted 2 is a masterpiece of its genre.
April 29, 2011
Blood Orgy!
Game Review: Mortal Kombat
Seconds from death at the hour of Armageddon and the hands of Shao Kahn, Raiden sends a message back through time to his earlier self: "He must win." What follows is a retelling of the first three titles on a potentially different timeline. If this sounds familiar it's because you've seen 2009's Star Trek. Stars the voice talents of Richard Epcar, Garret T. Sato, Megan Hollingshead, and Bob Carter. Directed by series co-creator Ed Boon with design led by John Edwards and Paulo Garcia. Released for XBox 360 and Playstation 3.
An explosive, detailed, and careful return to form. The fighting engine is fantastic, the graphics are impressive, and the game is, by a fairly wide margin, the most violent of the series. The inclusion of the Challenge Tower and multiple modes of play allow for greater replayability in both single and multiplayer. My only complaints are trifling: I feel like the alternate costumes could look more distinctive, in most cases they could easily have been the primary; some of the fatalities are pretty much shot-for-shot remakes from earlier games; and the Krypt has an arbitrary and illogical navigation. Nevertheless, a lot of fun, and a welcome addition for veteran fans of the series and enthusiasts of fighting games in general. The Story Mode is spectacular, and such a straightforward idea I'm amazed this is the first fighter to do it. While the story itself tends towards the cheeseball, there are still some moments of what I'm willing to call stirring beauty.
Seconds from death at the hour of Armageddon and the hands of Shao Kahn, Raiden sends a message back through time to his earlier self: "He must win." What follows is a retelling of the first three titles on a potentially different timeline. If this sounds familiar it's because you've seen 2009's Star Trek. Stars the voice talents of Richard Epcar, Garret T. Sato, Megan Hollingshead, and Bob Carter. Directed by series co-creator Ed Boon with design led by John Edwards and Paulo Garcia. Released for XBox 360 and Playstation 3.
An explosive, detailed, and careful return to form. The fighting engine is fantastic, the graphics are impressive, and the game is, by a fairly wide margin, the most violent of the series. The inclusion of the Challenge Tower and multiple modes of play allow for greater replayability in both single and multiplayer. My only complaints are trifling: I feel like the alternate costumes could look more distinctive, in most cases they could easily have been the primary; some of the fatalities are pretty much shot-for-shot remakes from earlier games; and the Krypt has an arbitrary and illogical navigation. Nevertheless, a lot of fun, and a welcome addition for veteran fans of the series and enthusiasts of fighting games in general. The Story Mode is spectacular, and such a straightforward idea I'm amazed this is the first fighter to do it. While the story itself tends towards the cheeseball, there are still some moments of what I'm willing to call stirring beauty.
April 25, 2011
How to Get Excommunicated
A Maximum Orange Easter Special
After all the necromancy, Norse runes, Halloween parties, Dungeons & Dragons, eating meat on Fridays, living in air-conditioned homes, sleeping on a bed whose head points east, and gay sex, I know at this point I'm not exactly Catholic in the eyes of God, which is a good start, but what about God's insidious army, the Catholic Church? Legally, they still own my soul, which might sound like no big thing, but the prospect of transubstantial possession just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe I've just seen one too many episodes of Quantum Leap.
So you want to get excommunicated? It's surprisingly difficult. I know, "It's the Catholic Church, shouldn't they hate me?" On paper, though, they hate what you do, believe in, live for, and will fight to defend, but they don't hate you specifically. Or, like, they don't hate your physical body. The numbers of people who are raised Catholic and then mature into sin are difficult to come by, and the Church is probably content to leave it that way, so that the religiously confused can feel even more alone and ostracized. The Church is banking on passionate changes of heart, and so are hesitant to sever ties with even the most wayward of lost souls. Reviewing Catechistic precedent, automatic excommunication becomes easier the higher up the Catholic hierarchy you get. Priests and bishops get the express aisle. For the rest of us, three major options are available.
Heresy - Speak up and let everyone know about your dark and various gods. Promote your blasphemy in a public forum and an official capacity, and according to Catholic law, you're out. But you can't just be joking, so atheists are out of luck. If in fact you have joined a cult, though, you're all set.
Desecration - If you have access to the Eucharist, consider it an in. Throw it in the garbage, feed it to ducks, serve it on a cheese platter, and if enough people see you, you are automatically excommunicated. Unfortunately you can't just steal the unsanctified wafers; those are just crackers. You have to wait until the crackers are imbued with the sweet essence of Christ, which would probably entail attending a mass. This is actually one of the easier methods, but you gotta be pretty fucking brazen.
Papal Harassment - Physically assaulting the Pope is by far the most secure way to get excommunicated, and sounds the funnest, but is inevitably the most difficult these days - thank you very much Mehmet Ali Agca - and may get you shot, or impaled on a Swiss Guard halberd.
The Australian Atheist Foundation advises those seeking excommunication to write letters to their local priests. This yields no results; priests lack the power to excommunicate and will not refer you to someone who can. They will instead reply that if you seek to be excommunicated, then you must recognize a power to the Church, and if you do, shouldn't you stay in it? And if you don't, then why bother excommunicating? They will hope you are guilty of the sin of sloth and appeal to your lethargy. You instead have to write your local bishop, probably several times. Your correspondence must verify your Catholicism with details of your baptism, demonstrate that you know what excommunication is and that you totally want it, as well as give an example of your apostasy, in both intent and action. You have to mean it, and something has to have happened, otherwise you're just a bad churchgoer. Fail on any of these grounds and your pleas will be ignored. Be polite. It's recommended you avoid getting into why you want to be excommunicated, as this can lead to appeals to your sensibilities, which even if they fail draw the process out longer and threatens to prey on your indifference. But persevere, and you will hopefully, eventually, be a free agent soon enough.
Mormons have it slightly easier. They just have to make sexy calendars. Which I don't endorse, but I do enjoy.
So you want to get excommunicated? It's surprisingly difficult. I know, "It's the Catholic Church, shouldn't they hate me?" On paper, though, they hate what you do, believe in, live for, and will fight to defend, but they don't hate you specifically. Or, like, they don't hate your physical body. The numbers of people who are raised Catholic and then mature into sin are difficult to come by, and the Church is probably content to leave it that way, so that the religiously confused can feel even more alone and ostracized. The Church is banking on passionate changes of heart, and so are hesitant to sever ties with even the most wayward of lost souls. Reviewing Catechistic precedent, automatic excommunication becomes easier the higher up the Catholic hierarchy you get. Priests and bishops get the express aisle. For the rest of us, three major options are available.
Heresy - Speak up and let everyone know about your dark and various gods. Promote your blasphemy in a public forum and an official capacity, and according to Catholic law, you're out. But you can't just be joking, so atheists are out of luck. If in fact you have joined a cult, though, you're all set.
Desecration - If you have access to the Eucharist, consider it an in. Throw it in the garbage, feed it to ducks, serve it on a cheese platter, and if enough people see you, you are automatically excommunicated. Unfortunately you can't just steal the unsanctified wafers; those are just crackers. You have to wait until the crackers are imbued with the sweet essence of Christ, which would probably entail attending a mass. This is actually one of the easier methods, but you gotta be pretty fucking brazen.
Papal Harassment - Physically assaulting the Pope is by far the most secure way to get excommunicated, and sounds the funnest, but is inevitably the most difficult these days - thank you very much Mehmet Ali Agca - and may get you shot, or impaled on a Swiss Guard halberd.
The Australian Atheist Foundation advises those seeking excommunication to write letters to their local priests. This yields no results; priests lack the power to excommunicate and will not refer you to someone who can. They will instead reply that if you seek to be excommunicated, then you must recognize a power to the Church, and if you do, shouldn't you stay in it? And if you don't, then why bother excommunicating? They will hope you are guilty of the sin of sloth and appeal to your lethargy. You instead have to write your local bishop, probably several times. Your correspondence must verify your Catholicism with details of your baptism, demonstrate that you know what excommunication is and that you totally want it, as well as give an example of your apostasy, in both intent and action. You have to mean it, and something has to have happened, otherwise you're just a bad churchgoer. Fail on any of these grounds and your pleas will be ignored. Be polite. It's recommended you avoid getting into why you want to be excommunicated, as this can lead to appeals to your sensibilities, which even if they fail draw the process out longer and threatens to prey on your indifference. But persevere, and you will hopefully, eventually, be a free agent soon enough.
Mormons have it slightly easier. They just have to make sexy calendars. Which I don't endorse, but I do enjoy.
April 19, 2011
Skunk
Movie Review: Half Baked
Thurgood, Brian, Scarface, and Kenny are best friends connected largely by their love of getting stoned. On a snack run, Kenny accidentally kills a diabetic police horse and ends up in prison, where the threat of being anally raped constantly looms. His friends resort to stealing and selling pot to raise bail money. Stars Dave Chappelle, Jim Beurer, Harland Williams, and Guillermo Diaz. Written by Chappelle and Neal Brennan, and directed by Tamra Davis, fairly prolific and generic comedy director whose credits include Crossroads. 1998.
As they were produced in the same year, Half Baked and The Big Lebowski can't really help but invite comparison, and especially in that light, Half Baked is a fucking disaster. It's not funny, its characters are unsympathetic caricatures of do-nothing idiot stoners, and it seems to have a low opinion of the people for whom it was ostensibly made. Now fine, Lebowski is maybe more high brow, but whatever, Half Baked wasn't even low brow funny. And what kind of stoner comedy ends with the main character giving up pot for a girl whose only real attraction is that she will have sex with him? Unstimulating, insulting, and who the hell shoots a scene in front of Sam the Record Man when you're trying to disguise Toronto as New York? I mean, christ, at least pretend to make an effort.
Thurgood, Brian, Scarface, and Kenny are best friends connected largely by their love of getting stoned. On a snack run, Kenny accidentally kills a diabetic police horse and ends up in prison, where the threat of being anally raped constantly looms. His friends resort to stealing and selling pot to raise bail money. Stars Dave Chappelle, Jim Beurer, Harland Williams, and Guillermo Diaz. Written by Chappelle and Neal Brennan, and directed by Tamra Davis, fairly prolific and generic comedy director whose credits include Crossroads. 1998.
As they were produced in the same year, Half Baked and The Big Lebowski can't really help but invite comparison, and especially in that light, Half Baked is a fucking disaster. It's not funny, its characters are unsympathetic caricatures of do-nothing idiot stoners, and it seems to have a low opinion of the people for whom it was ostensibly made. Now fine, Lebowski is maybe more high brow, but whatever, Half Baked wasn't even low brow funny. And what kind of stoner comedy ends with the main character giving up pot for a girl whose only real attraction is that she will have sex with him? Unstimulating, insulting, and who the hell shoots a scene in front of Sam the Record Man when you're trying to disguise Toronto as New York? I mean, christ, at least pretend to make an effort.
Fun, Rich, Always in Trouble
Movie Review: The People vs. Larry Flynt
A chronicle of the rise to power of Hustler founder Larry Flynt, and his excruciatingly long legal battle over the limits of the first amendment. Stars Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Ed Norton, and Brett Harrelson. Directed by Miloš Forman. 1996.
Even as your watching it, The People vs Larry Flynt seems charitable to Larry Flynt, but really, he could use a fucking break, and the film doesn't pretend to be a beat-by-beat life story, omitting such details as Flynt's other wives and second lawyer (the one who actually got shot). Even so, the story of Larry Flynt is an important one to tell, and it is told well here. Harrelson plays Larry Flynt the infamous douche with a heart of gold, and also sells his disability. And seriously, who better to cast as skanky junkie Althea than Courtney Love, the modern queen of the skanks? This is a great movie for enthusiasts of both pornography and civil liberties. It turns out I've seen a few other films by director Forman, but hadn't been paying him any formal attention. If anyone can recommend any of his Czech films I'd like to give them a try.
A chronicle of the rise to power of Hustler founder Larry Flynt, and his excruciatingly long legal battle over the limits of the first amendment. Stars Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Ed Norton, and Brett Harrelson. Directed by Miloš Forman. 1996.
Even as your watching it, The People vs Larry Flynt seems charitable to Larry Flynt, but really, he could use a fucking break, and the film doesn't pretend to be a beat-by-beat life story, omitting such details as Flynt's other wives and second lawyer (the one who actually got shot). Even so, the story of Larry Flynt is an important one to tell, and it is told well here. Harrelson plays Larry Flynt the infamous douche with a heart of gold, and also sells his disability. And seriously, who better to cast as skanky junkie Althea than Courtney Love, the modern queen of the skanks? This is a great movie for enthusiasts of both pornography and civil liberties. It turns out I've seen a few other films by director Forman, but hadn't been paying him any formal attention. If anyone can recommend any of his Czech films I'd like to give them a try.
Big Trees & Pissy Little Bugs
Movie Review: Animal Kingdom
After the death of his mother, teenager Joshua moves in with the family from which his mother was estranged, a notorious crime family in Melbourne, in which he quickly becomes assimilated and complicit. Stars James Frencheville, Ben Mendehlsohn, Guy Pearce, and Jacki Weaver. Written and directed by David Michôd, and released last year.
A surprisingly compelling crime drama, Animal Kingdom hinged largely upon the depth of newcomer James Frencheville's talent, and he delivers a performance that seems at first fairly simple but becomes a much more demanding role as the film progresses. An added benefit is a very well-written and believable character, who acts like a regular teenager in extraordinary circumstances. The rest of the ensemble cast is exemplary, each member of the family very well-drawn and organic. Mendehlsohn's Andrew is an especially terrifying presence, at once quiet, unassuming, and psychotic, and Weaver's sinister/motherly grandmother is superb. A couple of false endings damage the pace of the film, but the viewer is never disappointed that they stuck around. One of the best films of 2010 I've seen.
After the death of his mother, teenager Joshua moves in with the family from which his mother was estranged, a notorious crime family in Melbourne, in which he quickly becomes assimilated and complicit. Stars James Frencheville, Ben Mendehlsohn, Guy Pearce, and Jacki Weaver. Written and directed by David Michôd, and released last year.
A surprisingly compelling crime drama, Animal Kingdom hinged largely upon the depth of newcomer James Frencheville's talent, and he delivers a performance that seems at first fairly simple but becomes a much more demanding role as the film progresses. An added benefit is a very well-written and believable character, who acts like a regular teenager in extraordinary circumstances. The rest of the ensemble cast is exemplary, each member of the family very well-drawn and organic. Mendehlsohn's Andrew is an especially terrifying presence, at once quiet, unassuming, and psychotic, and Weaver's sinister/motherly grandmother is superb. A couple of false endings damage the pace of the film, but the viewer is never disappointed that they stuck around. One of the best films of 2010 I've seen.
April 18, 2011
Who Would Have Thought a Small Amount of Liquid Would Ever Fall On Me?
Movie Review: Signs
Widowed ex-reverend Graham Hess at first shrugs off the crop circles in his cornfield as kids playing pranks, but it soon becomes apparent that they are tied to a large-scale global invasion by aliens. Stars Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and released in 2002.
I don't mind Signs as much as I probably should. There's a lot of religious overtones and a plot of interconnection that seems to be a half-hearted answer to "why does God let bad things happen to good people?" Its aliens have too many magical powers, and it has a twist - that water is toxic to the aliens - which is pretty stupid. Aliens invade a planet mostly covered by water, populated by creatures largely composed of water, where it is prone to rain, and devise or use no means of protecting themselves even though they're clearly technologically advanced? Signs was a film that would've really benefited from the loss of its twist and its insistence on trying to be clever. Narrowing the focus of an alien invasion to a single isolated family is a cool idea that came very close to working. It's got a pretty good cast (I still think Gibson's a good actor in spite, or perhaps because, of his very obvious psychosis), it has moments of high tension, and offers what is at first an interesting take on a classic premise.
Widowed ex-reverend Graham Hess at first shrugs off the crop circles in his cornfield as kids playing pranks, but it soon becomes apparent that they are tied to a large-scale global invasion by aliens. Stars Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, and Abigail Breslin. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and released in 2002.
I don't mind Signs as much as I probably should. There's a lot of religious overtones and a plot of interconnection that seems to be a half-hearted answer to "why does God let bad things happen to good people?" Its aliens have too many magical powers, and it has a twist - that water is toxic to the aliens - which is pretty stupid. Aliens invade a planet mostly covered by water, populated by creatures largely composed of water, where it is prone to rain, and devise or use no means of protecting themselves even though they're clearly technologically advanced? Signs was a film that would've really benefited from the loss of its twist and its insistence on trying to be clever. Narrowing the focus of an alien invasion to a single isolated family is a cool idea that came very close to working. It's got a pretty good cast (I still think Gibson's a good actor in spite, or perhaps because, of his very obvious psychosis), it has moments of high tension, and offers what is at first an interesting take on a classic premise.
April 16, 2011
The Superego Problem
TV Review: Fringe, "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide"
With Bell's consciousness at risk of destroying Olivia's, Walter and Peter become more frantic in their efforts to separate them. Walter and Bell devise a scheme to enter Olivia's mind and attempt to free her. Guest stars the voice of Leonard Nimoy, directed by Joe Chappelle.
This episode promised to be another focus of Bell-possesses-Olivia again, which I was already getting tired of. Then when the dream sequence began, it felt like a very derivative and tacky imitation of Inception and I was getting used to the idea of hating it, despite liberal use of LSD, which I wish I would see more of on TV. From there, however, it quickly became a very stylistic and unique milestone for the series, and it made me glad that this is a show I watch. The animation was pretty awesome, reminded me a lot of Waltz With Bashir, and was put to good effect for what had otherwise been a rather banal interpretation of Olivia's subconscious. And not only did the episode serve as a fond farewell (though I hope it's the last) to William Bell, but also possibly introduced what the show has lately been lacking: a new villain. The episode also benefited from the extra attention paid to Broyles, who generally goes unnoticed. But poor Astrid never got to do any acid.
This episode promised to be another focus of Bell-possesses-Olivia again, which I was already getting tired of. Then when the dream sequence began, it felt like a very derivative and tacky imitation of Inception and I was getting used to the idea of hating it, despite liberal use of LSD, which I wish I would see more of on TV. From there, however, it quickly became a very stylistic and unique milestone for the series, and it made me glad that this is a show I watch. The animation was pretty awesome, reminded me a lot of Waltz With Bashir, and was put to good effect for what had otherwise been a rather banal interpretation of Olivia's subconscious. And not only did the episode serve as a fond farewell (though I hope it's the last) to William Bell, but also possibly introduced what the show has lately been lacking: a new villain. The episode also benefited from the extra attention paid to Broyles, who generally goes unnoticed. But poor Astrid never got to do any acid.
April 14, 2011
Great Artists Steal
Comic Review: House of Mystery, "The Conception"
The House of Mystery departs the Goblin Market with Fig and Cain inside, leaving them to face the Conception alone. Elsewhere, the newly resurrected Keele boys reunite with Harry in an attempt to find Fig. Now seemingly free from the House, the other regulars toy with the idea of going back to the lives they left behind. Written by Matthew Sturges, art by Werther Dell'edera for most of it with Luca Rossi returning on the last part, as well as different guest authors and artists on virtually every issue. Issues 31-35 of the ongoing series.
So I've been reading House of Mystery since it came out, and I'll say off the bat it is an occasionally frustrating series to follow. It's got a cool, wacky premise, a high fantasy setting of absolutely limitless possibility, and it's possessed of a modern self-conceit that allows it to liberally mock itself. The problems are unfortunately many: protagonist Fig has virtually no motivation, is emotionally fickle, and manages to be a pretty boring person. The rest of the cast isn't much better. The plot itself is at times excessively convoluted, and the answers when we get them tend to be half-assed and poorly explained. While there was a lot of cool atmosphere in the early arcs, now most of those elements have been done away with and there's just not a lot going on that anyone seems invested in.
"The Conception" story arc doesn't really fix anything but at least rolls the ball a little further than any arc before it has. Nevertheless, everything here feels a lot like treading water for issues at a time, and then a climax followed quickly by a cliffhanger. Fig is still pretty intolerable, the Keeles + Harry spend three issues walking nonchalantly through doors, and the rest of the characters are content to wait and see what happens next. A few of the shorts were all right, but are woefully short, and their connection to the plot is usually a stretch. The short "Great Artists Steal" (Sturges' postmodern apology to Neil Gaiman?) while one of the better features is told as a parable to Fig by Cain which is (for one, out of character, and for two:) fairly unrelated to the matter at hand, and has Cain just explain the moral afterward to try and draw it back. There's a lot of just going through the motions, and I can't shake the feeling that Sturges doesn't actually have a plan at all. The strength of the series when it began is absent, and while I hope it finds a good pace again, if I see no signs of improvement soon, I'll have to reconsider it among my monthlies.
The House of Mystery departs the Goblin Market with Fig and Cain inside, leaving them to face the Conception alone. Elsewhere, the newly resurrected Keele boys reunite with Harry in an attempt to find Fig. Now seemingly free from the House, the other regulars toy with the idea of going back to the lives they left behind. Written by Matthew Sturges, art by Werther Dell'edera for most of it with Luca Rossi returning on the last part, as well as different guest authors and artists on virtually every issue. Issues 31-35 of the ongoing series.
So I've been reading House of Mystery since it came out, and I'll say off the bat it is an occasionally frustrating series to follow. It's got a cool, wacky premise, a high fantasy setting of absolutely limitless possibility, and it's possessed of a modern self-conceit that allows it to liberally mock itself. The problems are unfortunately many: protagonist Fig has virtually no motivation, is emotionally fickle, and manages to be a pretty boring person. The rest of the cast isn't much better. The plot itself is at times excessively convoluted, and the answers when we get them tend to be half-assed and poorly explained. While there was a lot of cool atmosphere in the early arcs, now most of those elements have been done away with and there's just not a lot going on that anyone seems invested in.
"The Conception" story arc doesn't really fix anything but at least rolls the ball a little further than any arc before it has. Nevertheless, everything here feels a lot like treading water for issues at a time, and then a climax followed quickly by a cliffhanger. Fig is still pretty intolerable, the Keeles + Harry spend three issues walking nonchalantly through doors, and the rest of the characters are content to wait and see what happens next. A few of the shorts were all right, but are woefully short, and their connection to the plot is usually a stretch. The short "Great Artists Steal" (Sturges' postmodern apology to Neil Gaiman?) while one of the better features is told as a parable to Fig by Cain which is (for one, out of character, and for two:) fairly unrelated to the matter at hand, and has Cain just explain the moral afterward to try and draw it back. There's a lot of just going through the motions, and I can't shake the feeling that Sturges doesn't actually have a plan at all. The strength of the series when it began is absent, and while I hope it finds a good pace again, if I see no signs of improvement soon, I'll have to reconsider it among my monthlies.
My Mind Has Changed My Body's Frame
Comic Review: World of Warcraft, "Curse of the Worgen"
The human nation of Gilneas has been isolated for decades and now is being overrun with savage wolf-creatures. Celebrated detective Halford Ramsey investigates brutal murders and finds himself at the heart of a burgeoning conflict. Written by James Waugh and Micky Neilson, both Blizzard story guys, art by Ludo Lullabi and Tony Washington. A standalone miniseries of five issues.
For those who haven't had that conversation with me yet, I've read the whole of the World of Warcraft comic series, and found it disappointing for most of its run. That's another discussion. "Curse of the Worgen" isn't a mind-blowing comic by any means, but it's a good comic and complements the game. It serves as a parallel companion piece to the worgen starting narrative, and though it has the same problem the original comic series had - filling in blanks in the story that shouldn't really be there in the first place - it's mostly dealing with side issues and not the main plot, and the worgen starting experience has a fairly strong storyline despite what's missing. "Curse of the Worgen" elaborates heavily on the initial attack on Gilneas City, the character Belrysa who is really just a walk-on quest-giver in the game, as well as the somewhat inexplicable relationship between Gilneas and Darnassus. It still suffers from some unanswered questions, and Lullabi's more muscular races still look way too exaggerated, but this is probably the strongest Warcraft comic yet released, and I'm cautiously excited to see what they do next, which has been a while.
The human nation of Gilneas has been isolated for decades and now is being overrun with savage wolf-creatures. Celebrated detective Halford Ramsey investigates brutal murders and finds himself at the heart of a burgeoning conflict. Written by James Waugh and Micky Neilson, both Blizzard story guys, art by Ludo Lullabi and Tony Washington. A standalone miniseries of five issues.
For those who haven't had that conversation with me yet, I've read the whole of the World of Warcraft comic series, and found it disappointing for most of its run. That's another discussion. "Curse of the Worgen" isn't a mind-blowing comic by any means, but it's a good comic and complements the game. It serves as a parallel companion piece to the worgen starting narrative, and though it has the same problem the original comic series had - filling in blanks in the story that shouldn't really be there in the first place - it's mostly dealing with side issues and not the main plot, and the worgen starting experience has a fairly strong storyline despite what's missing. "Curse of the Worgen" elaborates heavily on the initial attack on Gilneas City, the character Belrysa who is really just a walk-on quest-giver in the game, as well as the somewhat inexplicable relationship between Gilneas and Darnassus. It still suffers from some unanswered questions, and Lullabi's more muscular races still look way too exaggerated, but this is probably the strongest Warcraft comic yet released, and I'm cautiously excited to see what they do next, which has been a while.
April 12, 2011
Wherein the Hero Digs His Own Grave
Movie Review: Lady in the Water
Cleveland Heep, the superintendent of a Philadelphia apartment complex, comes across a mysterious woman who calls herself Story and is revealed to be some sort of supernatural water-nymph. She has come to this place with a specific purpose, but is harried by attacks of monstrous wolf-like creatures. As Story's presence ignites something not only within Cleveland but the rest of the complex's residents, he resolves to help Story fulfill her mission and return safely home. Stars Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, M. Night Shyamalan, and Jeffrey Wright. Directed and written by Shyamalan and released in 2006.
Lady in the Water came at a pivotal time in Shyamalan's career. He had backed himself into a very specific corner and because he was now so widely known as the guy who puts giant plot twists in his movies, it got to a point where everyone saw them coming a mile away. Lady in the Water was to be his first movie without a twist, of course it turned out to have one anyway, and Shyamalan claimed it was the movie which was closest to him emotionally. I think he may have meant: the movie in which he most liberally indulged himself. He plays, in the movie he wrote, a writer whose work is world-changing, but incendiary enough to result ultimately in his assassination. There is also, in something of a preemptive strike, an asshole film critic who gets everything wrong and is the movie's sole fatality. The central myth is overcomplicated, overexplained, and relies too heavily on straight-up exposition. Paul Giamatti is well cast and performs admirably with the limited resources the script allows, but Bryce Dallas Howard doesn't really sell her role, and while some of the kooky residents are fun, the characterizations are shallow and come across as silly at times we're meant to take them seriously. It is well-shot and the creatures are cool, but are too little too late. The lesson: it's alright to fantasize about being an artistic revolutionary and martyr - I mean, who doesn't? - but to expect an audience to enjoy you indulging those fantasies is asking too much.
Cleveland Heep, the superintendent of a Philadelphia apartment complex, comes across a mysterious woman who calls herself Story and is revealed to be some sort of supernatural water-nymph. She has come to this place with a specific purpose, but is harried by attacks of monstrous wolf-like creatures. As Story's presence ignites something not only within Cleveland but the rest of the complex's residents, he resolves to help Story fulfill her mission and return safely home. Stars Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, M. Night Shyamalan, and Jeffrey Wright. Directed and written by Shyamalan and released in 2006.
Lady in the Water came at a pivotal time in Shyamalan's career. He had backed himself into a very specific corner and because he was now so widely known as the guy who puts giant plot twists in his movies, it got to a point where everyone saw them coming a mile away. Lady in the Water was to be his first movie without a twist, of course it turned out to have one anyway, and Shyamalan claimed it was the movie which was closest to him emotionally. I think he may have meant: the movie in which he most liberally indulged himself. He plays, in the movie he wrote, a writer whose work is world-changing, but incendiary enough to result ultimately in his assassination. There is also, in something of a preemptive strike, an asshole film critic who gets everything wrong and is the movie's sole fatality. The central myth is overcomplicated, overexplained, and relies too heavily on straight-up exposition. Paul Giamatti is well cast and performs admirably with the limited resources the script allows, but Bryce Dallas Howard doesn't really sell her role, and while some of the kooky residents are fun, the characterizations are shallow and come across as silly at times we're meant to take them seriously. It is well-shot and the creatures are cool, but are too little too late. The lesson: it's alright to fantasize about being an artistic revolutionary and martyr - I mean, who doesn't? - but to expect an audience to enjoy you indulging those fantasies is asking too much.
April 10, 2011
Everyone Loses
Movie Review: Ghosts... of the Civil Dead
In the events leading up to a lockdown that lasted for over a month, both inmates and guards at a privately run maximum security prison in the middle of the Australian outback find themselves being pushed into an altercation with each other. Stars David Field, Mike Bishop, Chris DeRose, and Dave Mason. Directed and written in part by John Hillcoat. Music by Nick Cave, also credited as a writer and plays a secondary role in the film. 1988.
Great performances, bloodily violent, and a fairly thought-provoking and disturbing examination on the use of fear by the media and government to control the masses with a subtle hand. There's a ring of almost sci/fi through the use of its computer screen narration and sensationalist newscasts (I might just be mistaking actual 80s style as the 80s trying to predict the future), but by the time the tension builds to its crescendo, it all comes off as very plausible and terrifying. Nick Cave's music is sparsely used - most of Ghosts has no ambient music - and very creepy.
In the events leading up to a lockdown that lasted for over a month, both inmates and guards at a privately run maximum security prison in the middle of the Australian outback find themselves being pushed into an altercation with each other. Stars David Field, Mike Bishop, Chris DeRose, and Dave Mason. Directed and written in part by John Hillcoat. Music by Nick Cave, also credited as a writer and plays a secondary role in the film. 1988.
Great performances, bloodily violent, and a fairly thought-provoking and disturbing examination on the use of fear by the media and government to control the masses with a subtle hand. There's a ring of almost sci/fi through the use of its computer screen narration and sensationalist newscasts (I might just be mistaking actual 80s style as the 80s trying to predict the future), but by the time the tension builds to its crescendo, it all comes off as very plausible and terrifying. Nick Cave's music is sparsely used - most of Ghosts has no ambient music - and very creepy.
Doppelgänger
Movie Review: Black Swan
Nina is a tightly wound ballerina at a high profile New York ballet company. Already pretty unhinged, she is pushed to the edge when she wins the lead in a production of Swan Lake, and her world begins to unravel. Stars Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey and Mila Kunis. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.
Black Swan examines the madness and self-destruction inherent in success in ballet similar to the fashion that The Wrestler looked at wrestling in 2008, and Aronofsky apparently considers them companion pieces to each other. Nina's delusions are their whole own thing, but after seeing the strains endured by the bodies of the dancers as highlighted by the film, mustn't they all be at least a bit crazy? Nina's mother Erica, director Tomas, and predecessor Beth are all severely unbalanced but their madness presents itself in more functional (I guess) capacities. Very entertaining, moments of incredible tension and creepiness, and pretty solid effects put to great use.
Nina is a tightly wound ballerina at a high profile New York ballet company. Already pretty unhinged, she is pushed to the edge when she wins the lead in a production of Swan Lake, and her world begins to unravel. Stars Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey and Mila Kunis. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.
Black Swan examines the madness and self-destruction inherent in success in ballet similar to the fashion that The Wrestler looked at wrestling in 2008, and Aronofsky apparently considers them companion pieces to each other. Nina's delusions are their whole own thing, but after seeing the strains endured by the bodies of the dancers as highlighted by the film, mustn't they all be at least a bit crazy? Nina's mother Erica, director Tomas, and predecessor Beth are all severely unbalanced but their madness presents itself in more functional (I guess) capacities. Very entertaining, moments of incredible tension and creepiness, and pretty solid effects put to great use.
At Least It Wasn't All Just a Dream
Movie Review: The Village
A 1900s-era community in Pennsylvania lives in a land surrounded by a forest inhabited by mysterious, dangerous creatures who are kept at bay by elaborate rituals and an ancient truce with the village elders; the villagers stay out of the forest, and the creatures stay out of the village. But when Ivy Walker's close friend is brought to the brink of death, she volunteers to save him by traversing the forest and getting medecines from the surrounding towns. Stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, and Adrien Brody. Directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan in 2004.
Critically, The Village was generally viewed as Shyamalan losing his touch. The twist (that the community, despite its turn-of-the-century trappings, actually exists in modern isolation and that the creatures are a myth to keep the young villagers from leaving) didn't creep up on audiences in the same way it did in his earlier films, with many guessing it based off the trailer alone, robbing it of much of its gravitas when the veil was lifted in the movie itself. This is coupled with Shyamalan's cameo which pretty much serves as an unnecessary exposition that lays out all the details of how the twist "could work," which only serves to suggest that it wouldn't. The Village was a film that would have benefited by another writer's temperance, and suffered from Shyamalan's attempt to essentially fool his audience. But the movie is nevertheless well-acted, still scary, and the characters have a depth and emotional weight to them that makes it an ostensibly good watch. The cast is flush with skill, with many of the supporting cast played by talented character actors, and it also has a good twist of plot (subverting Lucius with Ivy as the protagonist) which gets quickly overtaken by a looming twist of premise.
A 1900s-era community in Pennsylvania lives in a land surrounded by a forest inhabited by mysterious, dangerous creatures who are kept at bay by elaborate rituals and an ancient truce with the village elders; the villagers stay out of the forest, and the creatures stay out of the village. But when Ivy Walker's close friend is brought to the brink of death, she volunteers to save him by traversing the forest and getting medecines from the surrounding towns. Stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, and Adrien Brody. Directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan in 2004.
Critically, The Village was generally viewed as Shyamalan losing his touch. The twist (that the community, despite its turn-of-the-century trappings, actually exists in modern isolation and that the creatures are a myth to keep the young villagers from leaving) didn't creep up on audiences in the same way it did in his earlier films, with many guessing it based off the trailer alone, robbing it of much of its gravitas when the veil was lifted in the movie itself. This is coupled with Shyamalan's cameo which pretty much serves as an unnecessary exposition that lays out all the details of how the twist "could work," which only serves to suggest that it wouldn't. The Village was a film that would have benefited by another writer's temperance, and suffered from Shyamalan's attempt to essentially fool his audience. But the movie is nevertheless well-acted, still scary, and the characters have a depth and emotional weight to them that makes it an ostensibly good watch. The cast is flush with skill, with many of the supporting cast played by talented character actors, and it also has a good twist of plot (subverting Lucius with Ivy as the protagonist) which gets quickly overtaken by a looming twist of premise.
Wackiest Elseworlds Ever
Part 8 of a Mortal Kombat Retrospective
Armageddon was treated as the last game in that era of Mortal Kombat, and after its release Ed Boon promised fans that the next game would be much grittier, darker, and serious. There was a lot of talk of a reboot, which was becoming a popular strategy for many other franchises, and independent concept art of re-imagined characters began surfacing. Really, though, everyone was guessing wildly and didn't know what to expect. Eventually, the announcement came that the next fighting game in the series would be Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, and everyone turned to Ed Boon and asked in unison: "dark and gritty?"
Now, best of times, I'm personally not a fan of crossovers. Theoretically, the two franchises are suited to the possibility as they are both universes that purport the existence of multiple realms or realities, but it nevertheless seemed like a perplexing marketing ploy, and a ten-years-late answer to Marvel vs Capcom that it failed to live up to in virtually every capacity. The fighting engine did away with the style-based fighting of the last three titles and returned to a 2D fighting plane, standardizing most of the basic moves and supplementing them with special moves unique to each character - essentially an elaboration on the original three games. New elements were added in the form of in-round mini-games: free-fall kombat, where fighters were knocked out of the ring and battled as they fell into a new arena; close quarters kombat, which was essentially an involved grapple; and kombat rage, which would allow fighters to ignore interruption from damage.
Making a crossover meant that half the cast had to be used on DC characters, and so only the more mainline kombatants made appearances. The MK cast was composed of Raiden, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Liu Kang, Sonya, Kano, Shang Tsung, Jax, Kitana, Baraka, and Shao Kahn as the boss character. Appearing from the DC universe were Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, the Joker, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Captain Marvel, Catwoman, the Flash (Barry Allen), Deathstroke, and for their boss, Darkseid. Then, there's a fusion of both Darkseid and Kahn, creatively named Dark Kahn. The story took place after Mortal Kombat 3, giving it something of an anomalous status in Mortal Kombat continuity, but as a release, it was and is still considered Mortal Kombat 8. The story presented in the game's Konquest mode was as good as it could be, but was perhaps over-concerned with creating a reality this game could take place in and evening out the relative power base of all characters so that the prospect of Superman or Wonder Woman losing fistfights with humans wouldn't seem quite so ridiculous. The arcade endings, meanwhile, were almost universally stupid or inane.
Despite critical success, the game didn't sell too well, with most players opting to rent as opposed to buy it, and with little in the way of unlockable content and thus not much replay value, I'm not losing sleep wondering why. The game was a disappointment to fans on several fronts, but most notably, one of the concessions made to WB for the use of the DC license was to tone down the violence considerably so that it could get a Teen rating from the ESRB. DC heroes didn't have Fatalities but rather "Heroic Brutalities" which didn't actually kill the opponent, and what Fatalities were left for the MK characters and DC villains were the tamest to ever appear, going so far as to occasionally avert the screen to avoid kill shots. The game didn't end up garnering enough interest to merit any downloadable content (although this was blamed on the impending bankruptcy), and Midway allegedly scrapped plans to release a bundle adding Quan Chi (which made sense as he was heavily involved in the plot) and Harley Quinn, and a second adding Kung Lao and Doomsday.
As a fan of the DCU it was fun to play as a bunch of characters from the comics, but if anything this suggests that Warner Bros. should just invest in a DC fighting game, as their cast suffered from the same small size and thus notable omissions. I did think it particularly unusual that Deathstoke, of all people, was included, when characters like Nightwing, Two-Face, Sinestro, Circe, Hawkgirl, or Martian Manhunter were left out. Decisions like that wouldn't be a problem if the universe was treated to a full cast. No talk of a sequel.
In 2010, only a few months before the announcement of the latest game, a short film of a reimagined Mortal Kombat universe appeared on the Internet. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen and starring Michael Jai White and Jeri Ryan, the trailer showed a Mortal Kombat considerably more grounded in reality; Baraka was a failed cosmetic surgeon who made himself into a bladed monster; Reptile was a freak of nature; Shang Tsung was a crime boss. Proposed as a treatment for a reboot of the film series, it was later announced that it would be developed as a web series, Mortal Kombat Legacy, tied into the release of the new game. Taking a radically different approach to a franchise with a large fanbase is always risky, but at the very least, Tancharoen demonstrates he's a fan of the series who knows his stuff, and the series looks like it'll be the first adaptation that at least tries to be as gory and violent as the game.
What prompted this lengthy retrospective was of course the upcoming release of the ninth installment of the series, simply titled Mortal Kombat. Like the latest Star Trek movie, Mortal Kombat aims to have its cake and eat it to, being a sequel, prequel, and series reboot at the same time. Raiden, on the verge of defeat, sends a message back in time to himself, and the game is supposedly a second treatment of the storyline for the first three games.
Based on the demo and all the promotional material I've seen, the design team is doing everything right. The fighting engine is a mixture of the best elements from both the major eras of the franchise, the player animations are entirely unique (a series first) and it's gruesomely violent; probably the bloodiest game in the series. It looks fantastic, and there's a presence of detail in virtually all aspects of the game's style that I think will make it enduring, and hopefully make it relevant in a genre dominated by good but unfortunately tame titles. At the very very least, Mortal Kombat promises to be a total fucking gorefest. Slaughter on.
Armageddon was treated as the last game in that era of Mortal Kombat, and after its release Ed Boon promised fans that the next game would be much grittier, darker, and serious. There was a lot of talk of a reboot, which was becoming a popular strategy for many other franchises, and independent concept art of re-imagined characters began surfacing. Really, though, everyone was guessing wildly and didn't know what to expect. Eventually, the announcement came that the next fighting game in the series would be Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe, and everyone turned to Ed Boon and asked in unison: "dark and gritty?"
Now, best of times, I'm personally not a fan of crossovers. Theoretically, the two franchises are suited to the possibility as they are both universes that purport the existence of multiple realms or realities, but it nevertheless seemed like a perplexing marketing ploy, and a ten-years-late answer to Marvel vs Capcom that it failed to live up to in virtually every capacity. The fighting engine did away with the style-based fighting of the last three titles and returned to a 2D fighting plane, standardizing most of the basic moves and supplementing them with special moves unique to each character - essentially an elaboration on the original three games. New elements were added in the form of in-round mini-games: free-fall kombat, where fighters were knocked out of the ring and battled as they fell into a new arena; close quarters kombat, which was essentially an involved grapple; and kombat rage, which would allow fighters to ignore interruption from damage.
Despite critical success, the game didn't sell too well, with most players opting to rent as opposed to buy it, and with little in the way of unlockable content and thus not much replay value, I'm not losing sleep wondering why. The game was a disappointment to fans on several fronts, but most notably, one of the concessions made to WB for the use of the DC license was to tone down the violence considerably so that it could get a Teen rating from the ESRB. DC heroes didn't have Fatalities but rather "Heroic Brutalities" which didn't actually kill the opponent, and what Fatalities were left for the MK characters and DC villains were the tamest to ever appear, going so far as to occasionally avert the screen to avoid kill shots. The game didn't end up garnering enough interest to merit any downloadable content (although this was blamed on the impending bankruptcy), and Midway allegedly scrapped plans to release a bundle adding Quan Chi (which made sense as he was heavily involved in the plot) and Harley Quinn, and a second adding Kung Lao and Doomsday.
As a fan of the DCU it was fun to play as a bunch of characters from the comics, but if anything this suggests that Warner Bros. should just invest in a DC fighting game, as their cast suffered from the same small size and thus notable omissions. I did think it particularly unusual that Deathstoke, of all people, was included, when characters like Nightwing, Two-Face, Sinestro, Circe, Hawkgirl, or Martian Manhunter were left out. Decisions like that wouldn't be a problem if the universe was treated to a full cast. No talk of a sequel.
Based on the demo and all the promotional material I've seen, the design team is doing everything right. The fighting engine is a mixture of the best elements from both the major eras of the franchise, the player animations are entirely unique (a series first) and it's gruesomely violent; probably the bloodiest game in the series. It looks fantastic, and there's a presence of detail in virtually all aspects of the game's style that I think will make it enduring, and hopefully make it relevant in a genre dominated by good but unfortunately tame titles. At the very very least, Mortal Kombat promises to be a total fucking gorefest. Slaughter on.
April 7, 2011
One For All
Part 7 of a Mortal Kombat Retrospective
After the popularity of Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, Midway announced that they hoped to be producing a new title in the franchise every year, and the seventh fighting game of the series, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, was released in the fall of 2006.
One of the earliest boasts of Armageddon was that it would have every fighter ever featured in Mortal Kombat, which gave it a bloated roster of sixty-three fighters. It was also the first game to allow players to create their own fighters, and their own finishing moves. The fighting engine was largely duplicated from Deception and Deadly Alliance, but added the ability to parry attacks, and had a larger focus on combat in the air, something the previous two games had virtually none of. The Konquest mode used the engine from Shaolin Monks, and told the story of ancient Edenian prince Taven and his battle against his evil brother Daegon, the sole new kombatants introduced in the game, and set the stage for the conflict at the heart of Armageddon. It also featured "Motor Kombat," an MK-style cart-racing minigame.
Unfortunately, Armageddon failed to live up to its hype and quickly fell under criticism for a number of glaring drawbacks. Perhaps most noticeable was the fact that any character who had been in Deadly Alliance and/or Deception simply had their models from those games recycled (with the exception of Reptile, who used instead the costume featured in Shaolin Monks). This meant that the only characters who had any work done on them were Kintaro, Stryker, Rain, Sheeva, Motaro, Fujin, Reiko, Jarek, Kai, Meat, Chameleon, Sektor, and Sareena. Plus, the addition of the player-created fatalities took the place of standard fatalities and hara-kiris, and the fatality system was generic, hard to pull off well, and didn't look very good even if you did. Each character had only one unarmed style (down from two) and one weapon style. Also missing from the game were character biographies, and the arcade mode endings were just the victor doing katas atop a giant pyramid while their ending was narrated. I'm not going to claim that every ending in previous games were good, but the endings of Armageddon have to be the worst and most thoughtless in the series. To remedy the lack of biographies, Midway started posting ones for individual characters on their website, and though they did post a bunch, they stopped doing it probably a third of the way in, leaving a ton of characters with no real reason for being there. So for fans of the obscure one shot characters (like say, Sheeva or Reiko) who were looking forward to seeing their favourite fighters finally get the attention they deserved (or at least, some attention), the game failed entirely to live up to that expectation.
Meanwhile, the story itself was kind of stupid. Evidently having so many magical fighters will lead to the end of all realms (for some reason), and as a failsale, Taven's father Argus implemented the elemental, Blaze, to test Taven and Daegon in Mortal Kombat. The winner would be made into a god, and if Daegon wins, everyone dies, but if Taven wins, everyone just loses their powers. Then, when the bad guys find out about Blaze, they all battle for the right to fight him in the hopes of becoming gods themselves, and all the good guys rally together to stop them by claiming it first. So I guess it's as good an excuse as any for a battle royale, but in an effort to make it epic it became fairly artless. That said, the Konquest mode was fun, if short, and tied into a lot of pre-existing elements such as the Red Dragon, Lin Kuei temple, and Tekunin. But failing to account for the presence of all the other characters was, for me at least, a real letdown.
After the popularity of Mortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, Midway announced that they hoped to be producing a new title in the franchise every year, and the seventh fighting game of the series, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, was released in the fall of 2006.
Unfortunately, Armageddon failed to live up to its hype and quickly fell under criticism for a number of glaring drawbacks. Perhaps most noticeable was the fact that any character who had been in Deadly Alliance and/or Deception simply had their models from those games recycled (with the exception of Reptile, who used instead the costume featured in Shaolin Monks). This meant that the only characters who had any work done on them were Kintaro, Stryker, Rain, Sheeva, Motaro, Fujin, Reiko, Jarek, Kai, Meat, Chameleon, Sektor, and Sareena. Plus, the addition of the player-created fatalities took the place of standard fatalities and hara-kiris, and the fatality system was generic, hard to pull off well, and didn't look very good even if you did. Each character had only one unarmed style (down from two) and one weapon style. Also missing from the game were character biographies, and the arcade mode endings were just the victor doing katas atop a giant pyramid while their ending was narrated. I'm not going to claim that every ending in previous games were good, but the endings of Armageddon have to be the worst and most thoughtless in the series. To remedy the lack of biographies, Midway started posting ones for individual characters on their website, and though they did post a bunch, they stopped doing it probably a third of the way in, leaving a ton of characters with no real reason for being there. So for fans of the obscure one shot characters (like say, Sheeva or Reiko) who were looking forward to seeing their favourite fighters finally get the attention they deserved (or at least, some attention), the game failed entirely to live up to that expectation.
Meanwhile, the story itself was kind of stupid. Evidently having so many magical fighters will lead to the end of all realms (for some reason), and as a failsale, Taven's father Argus implemented the elemental, Blaze, to test Taven and Daegon in Mortal Kombat. The winner would be made into a god, and if Daegon wins, everyone dies, but if Taven wins, everyone just loses their powers. Then, when the bad guys find out about Blaze, they all battle for the right to fight him in the hopes of becoming gods themselves, and all the good guys rally together to stop them by claiming it first. So I guess it's as good an excuse as any for a battle royale, but in an effort to make it epic it became fairly artless. That said, the Konquest mode was fun, if short, and tied into a lot of pre-existing elements such as the Red Dragon, Lin Kuei temple, and Tekunin. But failing to account for the presence of all the other characters was, for me at least, a real letdown.
April 5, 2011
Not Quite Wrapped In Plastic
TV Review: The Killing, "Pilot" & "The Cage"
The murder of a Seattle teenager named Rosie Larsen devastates her family, threatens to disrupt a mayoral election and delays homicide cop Sarah Linden from moving to Los Angeles with her fiance. Stars Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Michelle Forbes, and Billy Campbell. The pilot was directed by Ed Bianchi, who has a lot of TV credits, including several episodes of The Wire and Deadwood. The series is being headed by Veena Sud, who has produced like a third of Cold Case and also wrote the pilot, and it is based on a Danish series called Forbrydelsen, which first aired in 2007 and is technically ongoing.
Last year, the conversation about AMC was much different. Mad Men and Breaking Bad are probably the best shows on TV, so that's a track record I can get behind, and it's that track record that encouraged me to endure a thirteen-episode season of Rubicon. But in April 2011, Rubicon has come and gone, and there's also been the very short first season of what looks like it will be a tolerable but nowhere near as good adaptation of The Walking Dead. And have you ever watched anything on AMC? It's one of the most annoying channels to watch on TV. I approached The Killing with trepidation. The two hour pilot didn't blow me away. But pilots can be tricky business and a strong series can have a mediocre pilot, or have strong pilots and be a mediocre series (see The Walking Dead). This is a big cast, and introducing them all at once was daunting. Of the ensemble, there are several standouts, including Mireille Enos' lead, as well as a few clear weak links, mostly the teenagers. Some moments of inspiration, some impressive performances, maybe enough to make this a worthwhile show, maybe only enough to fool us into thinking it is (see Rubicon). I'll give it the season.
The murder of a Seattle teenager named Rosie Larsen devastates her family, threatens to disrupt a mayoral election and delays homicide cop Sarah Linden from moving to Los Angeles with her fiance. Stars Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Michelle Forbes, and Billy Campbell. The pilot was directed by Ed Bianchi, who has a lot of TV credits, including several episodes of The Wire and Deadwood. The series is being headed by Veena Sud, who has produced like a third of Cold Case and also wrote the pilot, and it is based on a Danish series called Forbrydelsen, which first aired in 2007 and is technically ongoing.
Last year, the conversation about AMC was much different. Mad Men and Breaking Bad are probably the best shows on TV, so that's a track record I can get behind, and it's that track record that encouraged me to endure a thirteen-episode season of Rubicon. But in April 2011, Rubicon has come and gone, and there's also been the very short first season of what looks like it will be a tolerable but nowhere near as good adaptation of The Walking Dead. And have you ever watched anything on AMC? It's one of the most annoying channels to watch on TV. I approached The Killing with trepidation. The two hour pilot didn't blow me away. But pilots can be tricky business and a strong series can have a mediocre pilot, or have strong pilots and be a mediocre series (see The Walking Dead). This is a big cast, and introducing them all at once was daunting. Of the ensemble, there are several standouts, including Mireille Enos' lead, as well as a few clear weak links, mostly the teenagers. Some moments of inspiration, some impressive performances, maybe enough to make this a worthwhile show, maybe only enough to fool us into thinking it is (see Rubicon). I'll give it the season.
Cry of the Fishmongers
Movie Review: Barton Fink
After his first Broadway play has him heralded as a visionary, Barton Fink takes a job for a film studio in Los Angeles. Tasked with writing a wrestling film, Fink finds himself crippled by writer's block, and taunted by a lone mosquito. Stars John Tuturro, John Goodman, John Mahoney, and Tony Shaloub. Directed and written by the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, and released in 1991.
Barton Fink starts out as a fairly straightforward film with a lot of elements that can be mistaken as autobiographical, but those suspicions are quickly dispelled when the movie starts getting weird and surreal in the second act. While I suppose it is a statement on the corrupting nature of Hollywood and the perils of working in a town where reality isn't all it seems to be, it's also an examination of the hypocrisy of artists who claim to speak for the "common man." Tuturro's Fink is inspired by an idea of the common man yet is all but entirely repulsed by the reality them. The movie is filled with characters only the Coens could produce, reads like some sort of historical fantasy, and is simultaneously chilling and funny. This was an excellent period in a series of excellent periods for the Coen Brothers.
After his first Broadway play has him heralded as a visionary, Barton Fink takes a job for a film studio in Los Angeles. Tasked with writing a wrestling film, Fink finds himself crippled by writer's block, and taunted by a lone mosquito. Stars John Tuturro, John Goodman, John Mahoney, and Tony Shaloub. Directed and written by the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan, and released in 1991.
Barton Fink starts out as a fairly straightforward film with a lot of elements that can be mistaken as autobiographical, but those suspicions are quickly dispelled when the movie starts getting weird and surreal in the second act. While I suppose it is a statement on the corrupting nature of Hollywood and the perils of working in a town where reality isn't all it seems to be, it's also an examination of the hypocrisy of artists who claim to speak for the "common man." Tuturro's Fink is inspired by an idea of the common man yet is all but entirely repulsed by the reality them. The movie is filled with characters only the Coens could produce, reads like some sort of historical fantasy, and is simultaneously chilling and funny. This was an excellent period in a series of excellent periods for the Coen Brothers.
The Two Women in You
Movie Review: The Last Metro
Occupied Paris. Stage actress Marion Steiner hides her Jewish director husband Lucas in the cellar of the theatre they run together, where he directs in secret the play Marion is attempting to stage with her oddball band of thespians, all the while attempting to reconcile the attraction she has for newcomer and leading man Bernard Granger. Directed by Francois Truffault in 1981.
Romantic, witty, beautifully shot. Catherine Deneuve is uncompromisingly elegant; burly Gerard Depardieu is clumsily charming. Virtually any story told in Nazi-occupied anywhere benefits from the added element of tension, danger, and paranoia, and The Last Metro's just-trying-to-get-by Paris plays host to a number of varying attitudes in the face of occupation and defeat. An odd pacing makes it a bit hard to predict when it's going to end, but that might have something to do with the language barrier. Still, a great watch start to finish.
Occupied Paris. Stage actress Marion Steiner hides her Jewish director husband Lucas in the cellar of the theatre they run together, where he directs in secret the play Marion is attempting to stage with her oddball band of thespians, all the while attempting to reconcile the attraction she has for newcomer and leading man Bernard Granger. Directed by Francois Truffault in 1981.
Romantic, witty, beautifully shot. Catherine Deneuve is uncompromisingly elegant; burly Gerard Depardieu is clumsily charming. Virtually any story told in Nazi-occupied anywhere benefits from the added element of tension, danger, and paranoia, and The Last Metro's just-trying-to-get-by Paris plays host to a number of varying attitudes in the face of occupation and defeat. An odd pacing makes it a bit hard to predict when it's going to end, but that might have something to do with the language barrier. Still, a great watch start to finish.
April 4, 2011
Chaos Reigns
Movie Review: Antichrist
After his wife is crippled with grief following the death of their son, a therapist takes her on as his patient and retreats to a remote cabin in the woods, but his treatment soon becomes overshadowed by a mounting fear and insanity in both of them. Stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Directed by Lars von Trier and released in 2009.
Antichrist is at first a two-man performance piece and a portrait of staggering grief, and Charlotte Gainsbourg in particular brings her talent to bear in a very complicated and demanding role. The film is beautifully shot and is peppered with surrealistic imagery that tends to start in wonder and slowly mutate into quiet horror. It's also shockingly graphic, with very explicit scenes of both sex and sexual violence making it easy to see why it was so upsetting to so many people. Though I applaud the efforts, though, I think that Antichrist is ultimately a failure; a failure by a master director, which lends it something worth seeing, but a failure. The film is a portrait of shared madness between lovers, which I think is a really meaty idea, and the film borrows thematically from Hour of the Wolf, Ingmar Bergman's movie on the same subject. But Antichrist becomes lost within itself, and suffers from being heavy-handed in its somewhat confused tone of feminism, which points the finger (or seems to) at women as its modern perpetrators. This isn't an argument without any merit, but it's difficult particularly for a man to make it without being labelled a misogynist (and this wouldn't be the first time he has been), and Antichrist tries to be too many things at once to pay due attention to any one of them. Thematically, it's clear that Lars von Trier has a lot to say about humanity, humanity's relationship with nature, humanity's relationship with itself, but while his insights may be worthwhile, the supernatural sheen he lends the film ultimately overshadows any message he conveys.
After his wife is crippled with grief following the death of their son, a therapist takes her on as his patient and retreats to a remote cabin in the woods, but his treatment soon becomes overshadowed by a mounting fear and insanity in both of them. Stars Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Directed by Lars von Trier and released in 2009.
Antichrist is at first a two-man performance piece and a portrait of staggering grief, and Charlotte Gainsbourg in particular brings her talent to bear in a very complicated and demanding role. The film is beautifully shot and is peppered with surrealistic imagery that tends to start in wonder and slowly mutate into quiet horror. It's also shockingly graphic, with very explicit scenes of both sex and sexual violence making it easy to see why it was so upsetting to so many people. Though I applaud the efforts, though, I think that Antichrist is ultimately a failure; a failure by a master director, which lends it something worth seeing, but a failure. The film is a portrait of shared madness between lovers, which I think is a really meaty idea, and the film borrows thematically from Hour of the Wolf, Ingmar Bergman's movie on the same subject. But Antichrist becomes lost within itself, and suffers from being heavy-handed in its somewhat confused tone of feminism, which points the finger (or seems to) at women as its modern perpetrators. This isn't an argument without any merit, but it's difficult particularly for a man to make it without being labelled a misogynist (and this wouldn't be the first time he has been), and Antichrist tries to be too many things at once to pay due attention to any one of them. Thematically, it's clear that Lars von Trier has a lot to say about humanity, humanity's relationship with nature, humanity's relationship with itself, but while his insights may be worthwhile, the supernatural sheen he lends the film ultimately overshadows any message he conveys.
April 3, 2011
You Wanted a Hit
Movie Review: The Happening
America's plant life decides, in unison, to combat human development and expansion by releasing toxins that cause people to freeze, spout gibberish, and then commit suicide. High school teacher Elliot Moore and his wife Alma attempt to flee until the catastrophe passes. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Zoey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, and Ashlyn Sanchez. Directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan, and released in 2008.
Boring and stupid, The Happening suffers from a lot of problems that present themselves early and persist for the duration. It lacks a villain, for one, and even in terms of natural disaster movies, wind blowing through grass isn't ever going to look terrifying or even ominous. For another, its premise claims that plants are releasing a toxin that removes humanity's self-preservation instinct. Now, this presumes that once the instinct to preserve oneself is gone, one immediately tries to destroy itself, which is perhaps profound in one sense but is mostly just illogical, and again, not very scary or thrilling. The ecological overtone seems misguided and suffers from a confused philosophy, relying too heavily on human terms. If we don't curb our assault on nature, nature will assault us? That's not how it works. Nature simply continues on with indifference, and it is man who is the architect of his own demise. The message here, if anything, is that nature is out to get us. Not to mention, poor performances from actors who should know better playing characters we are not made to care about, absolutely no thrills or tension, and despite an R rating, was mild in virtually every aspect, particularly for a movie about mass suicide. Worst Shyamalan movie I've ever seen.
America's plant life decides, in unison, to combat human development and expansion by releasing toxins that cause people to freeze, spout gibberish, and then commit suicide. High school teacher Elliot Moore and his wife Alma attempt to flee until the catastrophe passes. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Zoey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, and Ashlyn Sanchez. Directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan, and released in 2008.
Boring and stupid, The Happening suffers from a lot of problems that present themselves early and persist for the duration. It lacks a villain, for one, and even in terms of natural disaster movies, wind blowing through grass isn't ever going to look terrifying or even ominous. For another, its premise claims that plants are releasing a toxin that removes humanity's self-preservation instinct. Now, this presumes that once the instinct to preserve oneself is gone, one immediately tries to destroy itself, which is perhaps profound in one sense but is mostly just illogical, and again, not very scary or thrilling. The ecological overtone seems misguided and suffers from a confused philosophy, relying too heavily on human terms. If we don't curb our assault on nature, nature will assault us? That's not how it works. Nature simply continues on with indifference, and it is man who is the architect of his own demise. The message here, if anything, is that nature is out to get us. Not to mention, poor performances from actors who should know better playing characters we are not made to care about, absolutely no thrills or tension, and despite an R rating, was mild in virtually every aspect, particularly for a movie about mass suicide. Worst Shyamalan movie I've ever seen.
April 2, 2011
Best Friends Forever
Movie Review: High Tension (aka Switchblade Romance)
Marie joins the family of her friend Alexa in the French countryside during a break between semesters. Their vacation takes a horrific turn when the house is suddenly attacked by a man who brutally murders Alexa's family while Marie hides. The killer kidnaps Alexa and Marie must attempt to free her.
When High Tension first came out in 2003, director Alexander Aja was talked about like he was the next Christoph Gans. Eight years later, he has in the meantime directed the remake of The Hills Have Eyes, Mirrors, and Pirahna 3D, all ostensibly horror movies that are at best only okay. High Tension is at first a very straightforward story that benefits from its simple premise. It doesn't matter why this guy has killed everyone, but it's clear that he's seriously dangerous and Cecile de France as Marie the heroine is a great character. There's little talking, the action is uncompromisingly violent, and every scene just gets more and more intense. Then, for no goddamn reason and with like fifteen minutes left, there's a ridiculous twist that makes no fucking sense at all, and ruins the rest of the movie. Immediately thinking back on it, there are a bunch of scenes which couldn't have actually happened. So what, were these abstract flights of fancy? Daydreams of a second personality? And where the hell did this rape-o-truck come from in the first place? High Tension is a movie that sucked and didn't have to. To Aja, I say this: you had here a great film that distinguished itself from its genre, and then you tried to attach a zany premise which you overexplained. Four years after Fight Club, it's not going to blow anyone's mind.
Marie joins the family of her friend Alexa in the French countryside during a break between semesters. Their vacation takes a horrific turn when the house is suddenly attacked by a man who brutally murders Alexa's family while Marie hides. The killer kidnaps Alexa and Marie must attempt to free her.
When High Tension first came out in 2003, director Alexander Aja was talked about like he was the next Christoph Gans. Eight years later, he has in the meantime directed the remake of The Hills Have Eyes, Mirrors, and Pirahna 3D, all ostensibly horror movies that are at best only okay. High Tension is at first a very straightforward story that benefits from its simple premise. It doesn't matter why this guy has killed everyone, but it's clear that he's seriously dangerous and Cecile de France as Marie the heroine is a great character. There's little talking, the action is uncompromisingly violent, and every scene just gets more and more intense. Then, for no goddamn reason and with like fifteen minutes left, there's a ridiculous twist that makes no fucking sense at all, and ruins the rest of the movie. Immediately thinking back on it, there are a bunch of scenes which couldn't have actually happened. So what, were these abstract flights of fancy? Daydreams of a second personality? And where the hell did this rape-o-truck come from in the first place? High Tension is a movie that sucked and didn't have to. To Aja, I say this: you had here a great film that distinguished itself from its genre, and then you tried to attach a zany premise which you overexplained. Four years after Fight Club, it's not going to blow anyone's mind.
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