Archive for the ‘Movie’ Category
October 27th, 2009 | 
Author: This is the $20,000 indie flick that could.
The premise is simple: A young day trader buys a video camera to try and record “paranormal activity” that is graduate student girlfriend has been telling him about. He zealously records conversations about these events, taking the whole thing as a bit of light adventure. His girlfriend is more serious about it as these events scare her and she ultimate just wants them to stop. The main story takes place in these video clips, as well as the very stirring and effective nighttime shots where the camera is left on overnight to monitor them while they sleep… and the activities predominantly occur. As the couple give more attention to the activities, they intensify into oppression.
Comparisons to The Blair Witch Project are apt, in that the film reports to be video evidence that was found by authorities after the fact of the events. The entire film is presented as an archive of real recordings, and for the most part…does a good job in maintaining that level of immersion. While watching the film, I never think of script, direction or acting. It’s very organic and I think most people would view it as if it were made live and with real people who are experiencing he plot, not re-enacting it.
The movie starts out slow, but once we begin with the “Activity”…it becomes engrossing. This is a movie that uses sound… and the absence of sound, most effectively. I found the film to be quite chilling…literally, hair raising. The bedroom scenes are absolutely immersive… you really get into the vulnerability of sleeping people…especially with an unknown menace lurking in the darkness.
Regardless of the chills, Paranormal Activity is not a perfect film. A very regrettable scene with a Ouija board was an odd man out. When you see it, you will know what I mean. The beginning is slower than I think warranted, and the whole feels slightly out of pace. The male lead comes off as kind of a douche-bag… but I think the role called for it. Even so, he was at times unpleasant to watch. The ending was acceptable and even appropriate… but somehow I am not satisfied with it. I do admit it is a better ending than Blair Witch.
I think this is a great flick to see with the significant other… it is scary and leaves you unsettle, much like the end of The Ring. I was most definitely aware of every sound my house made that night… that has to count for something.
On Saturday my wife and I had a night out at the theatre. I knew her choice of movie would be down to two of the new releases this weekend. When she gave me that blood crazed look, I knew which tickets to buy. At the 7:40 showing Saturday night, we sat in the upper right corner of a crowded large viewing room and watched Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Colm Meaney (two to beam up Mr. O’Brien), and others in the action packed Law Abiding Citizen.
The movie was just the right length (108 min) and right from the opening sequence it draws you in and holds your attention. It is hard, fast, edgy, thoughtful, and action packed. It only slows down to set-up the next punch. It is pulse pounding psychological joy ride that has you (and a large mixed crowd) cheering for the film’s title character: Clyde Shelton.
The film has abysmal ratings on Rotten Tomatoes (24% at the time of this writing, 22% when I checked 24hrs prior), but that is understandably so. The film is in many ways “red meat” and “candy” but those things are just so mmm, mmm good. Look, without giving anything of substance away, the film has 1) high tech killing, 2) low tech killing, 3) self centered “justice” officials getting what they deserve, 4) a hot chick in a pantsuit, 5) a naked Gerard Butler, 6)Jamie Foxx, and 7) von Clausewitz quotes. I could go on, but I think you get the point. Did I mention the film has high tech AND low tech killing? Yeah. It’s true.
But to be fair to the reviewers, the abysmal ratings are due in large to the few plot holes (yes there are a few), and the movies ambiguity of message. In fact I will go so far as to say the movies ratings are a commentary on the larger society as a whole. And not for the reasons the statists, government is right types want to imagine. No in my view people agree with the title characters point of view, possibly not with his actions, but certainly with his point of view. Arguably what the writer of this film missed is the simple fact that when a comedian suggests that 50,000 dead lawyers is a good start the audience almost always laughs and agrees.
If you are looking for “red meat”, “candy”, or just some good ol’ fashioned “a man vs. The Man”, then Law Abiding Citizen is for you.
**Trailer below the fold** Read the rest of this entry »
District 9 Poster from Filmofilia.com
Neil Blomkamp’s debut feature film is a smashing success. At a cost $30 Million to make, the film earned more on its first weekend ($37 Million) and to date has earned over $115 Million world-wide. The movie stands as s testament to the quality of “undiscovered” talent that exists in the film industry and speaks directly to the reality that a “megastar” is not needed to tell or sell a feature film.
Blomkamp’s tale is a serious look at Apartheid and the plight of refugees as seen through the lens of cricket-men from outer space. The “Prawns”, as the aliens are called, are a mirror of a majority modern human society. The millions of aliens who come on the mother-ship are sickly, starving, malnourished lot; they are largely devoid of the intelligence that has them cast across the stars. Humanity takes a stand for these visitors and provides them with food and shelter on the ground beneath their hovering ship. This ground is a slum in Johannesburg known as District 9 (a most direct reference to the actual District 6 of Apartheid infamy).
What follows is a steady moving story that speaks to the problems of encampment and segregation; governmental mistakes, multi-national corporate greed, and the age old human fear of the unfamiliar. It is masterfully put together and beautifully layered. A more perfect and gritty sci-fi film has not been produced in years. Does the story pull punches? Yes. Does this story have plausibility holes? Certainly. Does the story have pieces that don’t quite fit snug? Absolutely. But what sci-fi set in a “current day” scenario doesn’t? If you can see past the flaws (and what geek can’t) you should find a thoughtful and introspective story that asks a serious question about man’s inhumanity to man.
*** More, with spoilers, below the fold. ***
Read the rest of this entry »
By the late 1970’s the Anarchist movement in the United States had matured. After two centuries of debate and hard fought reality, the movement had strengthened its core beliefs and dispelled most of the it fallacies it had at inception. While Anarcho-Collectivists still exist, the rift between Bakunin and Marx is filled with the spilled blood patriots. The ghosts of the Russian Revolution and Spanish Civil War will whisper their truth as long as we remember them.
The 1983 documentary, Anarhism in America, is now available on Google videos uninterrupted. 74 minutes in length, the documentary shows footage of several of the turn of century anarchists and has interviews with several of the movements thought leaders. The spirit of anarchism is the spirit that built America. Let us never forget what the Founders were declaring independence from!
Happy Independence Day my friends. May God bless and keep you all.
I know what you are thinking…
“Gan, why the hell did you see this tween-pron flick?”
I’m asking myself the same thing. I had downloaded it for my babysitter, who has nothing but the hard crush on “Edward! (*Sigh*)”. So, weeks later it is still on my harddrive looking oh so delete-worthy. But, never wanting to throw out junkfood without a little taste, I decided to keep it until a particularly entertainment free night.
That night came… and I cannot believe I actually watched the entire thing.
Tags: My thoughts on Star Trek…
First let me say that it was easily one of the most entertaining movies I’ve seen in a long time. I drank the whole thing in and had a smile on my face thoughout the viewing experience. I very much enjoyed the new cast and found myself shifting my mythic view of Jim Kirk from the bloated but beloved Shatner to this more appropriate young rebel of a Star Fleet Officer. This was easily the best Star Trek Film to Date.
But it was not The Dark Knight of Trek films, itself called The Godfather of Comic Book films. Star Trek was both Wildly entertaining and deeply imperfect.
The problems with the film can be found mostly in looking at the following:
*SPOILERS*
The Villain: Boring, lackluster and with no personality. Not even a shadow of other notable Trek Villains. And really… “Nero”?
The Villain’s ship: Mmmm…Nice and pointy, for no other reason than to be bad ass. This heavily armed…mining vessel? (or as Chekov says… vwessel)
The Villain’s motivation: See… he’s all crazy because his loved one died, right? So he’s going to destroy the federation. Cuz his wife died. In an event totally unrelated to the Federation. Oh, and his crew of “miners” as generally okay with that. And he’s really pissed at Old Spock…cuz he tried to save everyone. How bout that?
Old Spock. *sigh* Nimoy has forgotten how to play Spock. There was absolutely nothing Spocklike in his performance. Hell, Sylar was more Spockish than Nimoy, and he was getting Jungle Fever Action. Oh, and WTF was Spock doing with the Red Matter thing? No other currently practicing Scientists in the universe to say…”Dude! That’s my specialty! Go back to the Ambassador stuff before you hurt someone!”
Now, all that being said… there was far more fun, action and goodness than bad… which is a testament to just how good those other things are to override the utter crap of the above.
*spoilers below the fold*
"God help us all."
After viewing the film last week, and experiencing a rush of conflicting visions and portents, I came to the conclusion that I needed to Drink from The Well once again… to re-experience the Moment of Faith under a more analytical eye, before I could… with conviction… proselytize.
Thus, dear readers… my conclusion: The Watchmen is a damn good, if not brilliant, adaptation of the second finest Graphic Novel ever writ and sketched (the first being, IMHO…Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. Deal with it.) and it is a very good movie on it’s own strengths. It is not, however… the best “Superhero genre” movie ever made… and I don’t even consider it in the top 5. (In case you are wondering: The Dark Knight, Spiderman 2, X-men 2, Spiderman 1 and Batman Begins)
2008 brought us several blockbuster movies. Immediately the three comic book titans and Pixar’s latest achievement come into mind. And while WALL-E was perhaps Pixar’s greatest achievement to date and The Dark Knight was a box office juggernaut, Danny Boyle’s late comer, Slumdog Millionaire, cannot be overlooked.
Terrible terrible terrible.
The Happening was a better film. I. Shit. You. Not.
It is not even good for a “popcorn” flick. It’s the worst movie I’ve seen in years.
The script, direction, performances, characters, plot and viewing experience were wretched on levels that genuinely angered me. The story was intriguing in rough concept, but it’s implementation was so horrifyingly bad, that I prayed to Almighty God that everyone in the movie would die midway through the film… sacrificed on the alter of “Cutting our losses”.
A note to Will Smith: We don’t want to see your son in another movie ever again. He has no talent. He is not cute. We don’t want to pay to watch him do anything.
A note to Jennifer Connely: Eat.
A note to Keanu Reeves: Go….just…go.
A final note to any Aliens who are looking for a reason to save humanity from our Just extinction: Please don’t watch this movie.
In 2007 a Biographical Western was debuted at a film festival at 4 hours in length before being cut down to the “marketable” 2 hours and 40 minutes. The movie is the drawn out tail of the last days of the James-Younger Gang and (as the title says) the murder of Jesse James by Bob Ford.
By the monetary measure this film was a box office failure costing $30 Million to produce and earning a scant $4 MIlion at the box office. But all movie fans know that bad marketing or timing will doom a film at the box office before it ever gets off the ground. But when Brad Pitt agreed to co-produce this film, he knew it was the story that was important. It was the story that needed to be told. If this film is judged by that metric, than The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a complete success.
This movie was genius, even if it did drag from time to time…
