The Kids Aren't Alright...
I've been consistently questioned about why I consider Larry Clark, the director of
Kids and
Bully, a crucial, genius, important filmmaker. Most of the time I don't bother responding, because people mainly see what they want to see, or believe what they want to believe. When things get hard, or require a little brainwork, it's easier to just disregard something as "trash" and avoid putting the energy in.
Filmmaking is a lot more than showing you what you want to see, or showing you what you already know. Sometimes it's about showing you what you don't see, or don't believe...or don't
want to believe.
Larry Clark shows a side of youth that we, as middle-class sheltered suburbanites, don't normally see. We are lucky for that. But there is a dirty underlining to youth desperation, and Clark's films are able to dig in and show us, not as perversion or sadism, but as a warning.
His films, while detestable, perverse, and wildly outrageous, have an energy that so much of the film industry does not. They are real, either based on true stories, or cast regular people who are very much involved in the projected lifestyle. While Clark's subjects may be nihilistic, Clark himself is not. He very much believes himself to be a moralist, who doesn't just show the bad news in the newspapers, but shows how they begin, and why.
Bully showed a youth culture that was driven by instant gratification and group mentality, while the parents naively looked the other way. Never have I seen such a simple, perfect metaphor of the state of our society before. When it comes to Clark's films, many people would probably choose to look the other way as well. It is their right, but as Clark stringently professes, there are consequences for every choice.
Here's a
good article on Clark from the New York magazine if you want to read more about him.
Black Hawk Down
I finally got around to seeing "Black Hawk Down" today, even though its been out for somewhere around three years now. I have to admit that I was never in a hurry to see it, but it was a film that had always intrigued me. I thoroughly enjoy well done war movies, movies that take their time and really make you feel a part of the situation; part of the danger. "Saving Private Ryan" did this well, and I think it's more than safe to say that "Black Hawk Down" does as well.
I watched a making-of about the movie and I think Josh Hartnett (surprisingly) explained it very well. The Somalian conflict is something that most Americans don't know much about, beyond that it was a civil war in a country in Africa and lots of people were starving. In fact, most of you reading this probably learned everything you know about it (myself included) from Channel One. As far as the specific event captured in the movie, I probably could have only guessed that a Black Hawk goes down.
To say that this movie was well-made is an understatement. There are no single heroes or villians in it, only throngs of both. But you're also never made to hate the Somalis shooting at the Americans, indeed, there are very few scenes that show any of them in any detail, they're just shooting at the troops. I think that it does a VERY thorough job of showing us exactly what was happening on that day in early October, 1993. We see them briefing the troops and the original plan makes sense, and then we see the plans go wrong but we still understand their new objectives and have a general sense of where everyone is. That helps a lot when you're trying to depict urban warfare.
Although the film is obviously highlighting the American side of things, it certainly doesn't glamorize like it could have. We see the ineptness of intelligence and maybe some of the foolish pride in some of the treasured military traditions (Leave no man behind!). But as far as accomplishing its goal of education, I can say with certainty that I'm not likely to forget what happened that day in Mogadishu anytime soon...
Will Star Wars be redeemed by the Revenge of the Sith?
For those of you who haven't seen the new trailer (released a couple of weeks ago) for
Star Wars: Episode III,
GO AND WATCH IT IMMEDIATELY before reading any further!!!
If you've seen it, read on...
Now, I know practically everyone was disappointed by the first two movies. And as I've said in the past, while I enjoyed Episodes I and II, even I (a once obsessive Star Wars fan) didn't find the same thrill and awe that came with the original trilogy, despite George's special effects galore.
Yet I must also admit that I enjoyed Episode II much more than Episode I (did everyone else feel the same?). Is this a hopeful sign that Episode III will show further improvement?
Personally, based upon the storyline alone, I think III has the
potential to be one of the best Star Wars films yet. It will assuredly be a dark movie (like
Empire), this time revolving around a theme that all men can relate to in some way or another: a falling away from the Good. Indeed, everything seems to be there for a good tale, but as we all know, many things can go wrong. In fact, the more I think about it, one particular thing (or person) concerns me more than any other:
Will Hayden Christensen be able to pull off such a dramatic and powerful role? Can this boy convincingly transform into the villainous Darth Vader we know and love from the past? Honestly, it is on this string more than any other that I believe the success of the movie hangs.
Of course, regardless of what happens, I still look forward to seeing how George ties everything together. And who can't get excited over duels between Anakin and Obi Wan, Palpatine and Yoda, and an assortment of other Jedi?
So, I want to know what you think of the upcoming movie, as well as any scenes in the trailer that caught your eye.
And as a teaser for all of you Star Wars aficionados out there, here's a snapshot I found of one of the "surprise" cast members (guy on the right) in the upcoming film:
Sin City
One of my most anticipated films, "Sin City," is coming up next Friday. Reviews so far as been good, so if it's anywhere as good as the comic books, it should be pretty good. Robert Rodriguez is a terrible director, bringing us the putrid "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," and I didn't have much faith that he could successfully pull this one off.
Expect a full review of this film next weekend...
I got an honorable mention for this one. Finally...
SWAT
OK, I watched SWAT over the weekend when there wasn't basketball on, and for the most part, I enjoyed it on the level that I was supposed to enjoy it on... that of your typical mindless summer action movie.
I had a major problem though with the major plot point:
As the villian is being transported to jail, he shouts to a camera that he will pay $100 million to anyone who springs him free. Now, first of all, I do understand that since this guy is such a major international criminal that news cameras would be following him around, trying to get a statement, but would they be doing it live? CNN rarely shows live footage of a prisoner just being transported to a car, but anyways, that's not the major issue.
What I think is off is that the television news stations continually report his offer, as if trying to make sure that all the ne'er-do-wells hear it. It's like filming that Zacarias guy as he goes into court and he turns to a camera and says "I'll pay $100 million to the first person that blows up this courtroom!" So I can't get around the thought that why would you actually want to ADVERTISE this, unless it somehow gets better ratings?
Which brings me to my last part of the problem. Now, granted, I'm no gangster hood with my gat loaded ready to stir up trouble, but I have this strange feeling that, unlike the scenes from the movies, that these thugs and hooligans sit around in their hideouts watching the news just looking for crimes to commit. I think its more likely they're on the streets dealing heroin or pimpin hoes, but not sitting around watching the local 6 o'clock news. Apparently, these LA gangs were though.
Anyhoo, I did enjoy the movie for the most part, and as Ebert accurately points out, everything shown on the action side of things is at least feasible, albeit exaggerated. I think the characters also act much more like real people than most action movie characters, but I just don't think the news editors in the film did.
...Blood in horror films has changed over the years from a bright, watery red into a dark, nearly black syrup...unless it's alien blood, where it'll usually be radioactive green.
Ring 2
What a bore. Between laughing at scenes of violent CGI deer, and wondering how local newspaper reporters could afford large, lushly designed homes, I forgot about how much better a film like this could be...if it didn't try so hard to be a great film.
The project might as well have been doomed. Naomi Watts, a good actress, not a great actress, but still incredibly likeable, is said to have requested a complete script rewrite after rejecting the first draft. It's less on horror, and more on drama, with random bits of unexplained paranormal events that plagiarism ineffectively from the first film. We saw the same thing in the incredibly horrid Exorcist II. Horror sequels seem to have two options: double the gore, or just convolute the story into a psycho drama. Here we have the ladder.
That's what makes Ring II better suited for video than the big screen. It's an intimate piece, and perhaps watching it alone at night in your bedroom would help to provide the chills the film seems to lack on the big screen with ten teenage girls screaming and laughing behind you.
Casino Follow-Up
To me, the movie is basically about three characters who want power and control. Each believe, in their own way, that they have control, but the power struggle ultimately causes the collapse of the casino empire. The egocentric nature of the characters causes them to love nothing but power...the money, the spouses, and the sex are all just tools to help them achieve it.
Brad's "Casino" review
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!
From the very beginning of the film, we see the underlying problem: money. In a shot that is beautiful enough to make a grown man drool, two guys stand at a table counting stacks of bills whose denomination is so large that I have never even held one. Meanwhile a machine is counting change and packaging it into rolls. Truly, money is the root of most, if not all, of the evil in this film.
The most obvious example of this is Ginger (played by a magnificent Sharon Stone). In fact, she goes as far as marrying the main character, Ace (Robert de Niro), and has a child with him not because of his promise to love her forever, but his promise to financially take care of her forever. And, believe me, she reminds him of that promise frequently throughout the movie. Admittedly, in the voice-over, Ace admits that he made a mistake by trusting her completely, and I think he's right. But if he is at fault for trusting, its only because he trusted in human nature a bit too much, maybe placed a little too much trust in optimism too, and he almost gets killed for it.
Ace has more than one problem though. He has to report to mob bosses that are thousands of miles away (who are always expecting a cut), and when his relationship with Ginger turns sour, we see the exposure of man's other great weakness: women. Ginger, through her usage of herself, plants the seeds into the mind of Ace's best friend Nicky (Joe Pesci) to kill Ace. Needless to say that the movie has a violent end for both Nicky and Ace.
I thought this movie was very fascinating for several reasons. On a surface level, it is a mobster movie of sorts that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how a casino is run. But, on a grander scale, we get to see in three hours a man who gets paradise, and has the three things that always lead to a man's downfall: money, desire and trust. In the end, those three things spell disaster for most of the characters in the film.
Tickets Please
What's up everyone. Steve and I decided that it would be nice to have a new home where we could sound off our (often differing) views on movies. I mean, what could possibly be better than hearing about all of the reasons why Vin Diesel just may or may not be the greatest action hero of our generation?
Well, you're gonna get to learn all about that and any other movies that Steve and/or Brad have to see, and this is what's going to bring it to you! It's more free opinions right on your computer screen, man, does it get any better than this?
So sit back and enjoy a movie experience that only the Partners in Crime can bring you.
Is the popcorn ready?
