Luc Jaquet
2005
Harshest shit EVER.
Review by Adam Leier
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Monday, August 08, 2005
Last Days
Gus Van Sant
2005
While 'Elephant' was a spectacular triumph I think Gus Van Sant has finally reached the point where he needs someone to keep his extreme overindulgence in check. Van Sant and DP Harris Savides have managed to churn out another visually incredible yet contestable (and even sometimes reprehensible) topical film dealing with iconic pop events and figures.
'Last Days' is a fictional account of Kurt Cobain's final days of seclusion in rural Seattle before suiciding. Cobain, named Blake here, stumbles around a run down mansion, mumbling, eating junk food, tinkering with instruments, and avoiding human contact.
While Van Sant treated the Columbine massacre with an appropriate degree of gravity it seems that the death of Kurt Cobain, an event just as catastrophic to many, is treated with an awkwardly inappropriate amount of humor. Given, elements of 'Last Days' are justifiably humorous and deserve to be funny, but it seems the tragic implications are given a back seat in an effort to make things quirky and entertaining.
Michael Pitt's physical representation of Kurt Cobain is as good as any actor's transformation for a biopic. Will Smith's Mohammed Ali and Charlize Theron's Aileen Wuornos both come to mind. However Pitt imbues the role with a certain quality of embarrassing exaggeration that will spark denouncement from many a die hard Nirvana fan (though its hard to imagine a true Nirvana fan completely enjoying 'Last Days' in any capacity).
Van Sant made 'Elephant' as somber dirge for the pain of teenage tragedy but failed to treat 'Last Days' with the same amount amount of pathos and sincerity. The visual poetry of the Van Sant / Savides team is consequently cheapened a little and becomes a high quality version of David LaChapelle's work. Regardless, 'Last Days' does retain a good degree of raw cinematic beauty. The opening scenes of the film remain as solid and touching as anything Van Sant and Savides have made before.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
2005
While 'Elephant' was a spectacular triumph I think Gus Van Sant has finally reached the point where he needs someone to keep his extreme overindulgence in check. Van Sant and DP Harris Savides have managed to churn out another visually incredible yet contestable (and even sometimes reprehensible) topical film dealing with iconic pop events and figures.
'Last Days' is a fictional account of Kurt Cobain's final days of seclusion in rural Seattle before suiciding. Cobain, named Blake here, stumbles around a run down mansion, mumbling, eating junk food, tinkering with instruments, and avoiding human contact.
While Van Sant treated the Columbine massacre with an appropriate degree of gravity it seems that the death of Kurt Cobain, an event just as catastrophic to many, is treated with an awkwardly inappropriate amount of humor. Given, elements of 'Last Days' are justifiably humorous and deserve to be funny, but it seems the tragic implications are given a back seat in an effort to make things quirky and entertaining.
Michael Pitt's physical representation of Kurt Cobain is as good as any actor's transformation for a biopic. Will Smith's Mohammed Ali and Charlize Theron's Aileen Wuornos both come to mind. However Pitt imbues the role with a certain quality of embarrassing exaggeration that will spark denouncement from many a die hard Nirvana fan (though its hard to imagine a true Nirvana fan completely enjoying 'Last Days' in any capacity).
Van Sant made 'Elephant' as somber dirge for the pain of teenage tragedy but failed to treat 'Last Days' with the same amount amount of pathos and sincerity. The visual poetry of the Van Sant / Savides team is consequently cheapened a little and becomes a high quality version of David LaChapelle's work. Regardless, 'Last Days' does retain a good degree of raw cinematic beauty. The opening scenes of the film remain as solid and touching as anything Van Sant and Savides have made before.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
Flying Leathernecks
John Wayne at his leanest and meanest in this military glorifying, "war is hell" Guadalcanal narrative of marine flyers. Tough talk, cliche lines, and corny jabber all go down like comfort food in a good ole' boy classic like this, which is as good for the old folks as it is for the youngsters. Wayne is really a tough as nails, hell spitting, son of a bitch while giving orders in the air, but down on earth he's kitten sweet to his wife and kid, and sober as a Turk while writing letters to the families of fallen marines.
This picture is good fun all in all with some great aerial photography funded by Mr. Howard Hughes (who gets the conspicuous "Howard Hughes Presents" credit at the film's opening). The only catch is that there's an enormous amount of stock footage spliced into a picture that doesn't seem to need it. The grainy, rough footage doesn't quite gel with the crystal clear antiseptic Hollywood look. Considering Hughes' fat bank wad and a few extravagantly filmed scenes it would appear that the stock footage is an intentional stylistic misstep by director Ray.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
This picture is good fun all in all with some great aerial photography funded by Mr. Howard Hughes (who gets the conspicuous "Howard Hughes Presents" credit at the film's opening). The only catch is that there's an enormous amount of stock footage spliced into a picture that doesn't seem to need it. The grainy, rough footage doesn't quite gel with the crystal clear antiseptic Hollywood look. Considering Hughes' fat bank wad and a few extravagantly filmed scenes it would appear that the stock footage is an intentional stylistic misstep by director Ray.
Review by Brett A. Scieszka
The Creature Walks Among Us
Arthur A. Ross
1956
This one's a winner purely for the bizarre factor. The third and final installment of the ' Creature of the Black Lagoon' series finds the gill-man land bound and decked out in a suit.
Another fishing party of scientists manages to capture the creature, but only after horribly disfiguring it with a match and gasoline facial. Studying the monster at its sickbed geneticist William Barton and maniacal mad scientist Tom Morgan find out that the beast has developed lungs and can mutate and evolve at an incredibly fast rate.
Of course a whole slew of debates about scientific advancement and human nature are schlepped in the ring to go a few rounds. Glittering eyed, wife beating sociopath Tom Morgan believes the creatures unique makeup could be harnessed to "send man into space." Cheesecake pinup Leigh Snowden can't get a break: when hubby Morgan's not taking swings at her, a barrel chested swabbie from the boat is constantly trying to rape her. With all this going on its no surprise that all the creature really wants is to go back to the briny deep.
A nice highlight is the creature manhandling a ferocious mountain lion Andre the Giant style. The makeup they use on the creature and the suit the put him in really have to be seen to be believed.
Review By Brett A. Scieszka
1956
This one's a winner purely for the bizarre factor. The third and final installment of the ' Creature of the Black Lagoon' series finds the gill-man land bound and decked out in a suit.
Another fishing party of scientists manages to capture the creature, but only after horribly disfiguring it with a match and gasoline facial. Studying the monster at its sickbed geneticist William Barton and maniacal mad scientist Tom Morgan find out that the beast has developed lungs and can mutate and evolve at an incredibly fast rate.
Of course a whole slew of debates about scientific advancement and human nature are schlepped in the ring to go a few rounds. Glittering eyed, wife beating sociopath Tom Morgan believes the creatures unique makeup could be harnessed to "send man into space." Cheesecake pinup Leigh Snowden can't get a break: when hubby Morgan's not taking swings at her, a barrel chested swabbie from the boat is constantly trying to rape her. With all this going on its no surprise that all the creature really wants is to go back to the briny deep.
A nice highlight is the creature manhandling a ferocious mountain lion Andre the Giant style. The makeup they use on the creature and the suit the put him in really have to be seen to be believed.
Review By Brett A. Scieszka
Angels With Dirty Faces
Michael Curtiz
1938
A lot of great elements are at play in this early Warner's gangster pic. Cagney plays a real hero gangster: a character who you can comfortably root for through the film's entirety, which seems pretty unlikely during a time when there was immense pressure on Hollywood by watchdog groups to make the talkies socially responsible.
Cagney's fresh out of jail and moves back to the old neighborhood where he meets his childhood friend, and now priest Jerry Connelly (Pat O' Brien). Throw in a dame and a pack of gangster-worshipping hoodlum children, then mix it with Father Connelly's mission to end the city's rampant corruption and you've got a great picture focusing on the depth of friendship and human nobility.
Its a little difficult to buy that Cagney never once raises his fist in anger towards the preacher man, a guy who constantly asks favors and ultimately takes part in the gangster's death (not to mention his subsequent stripped manhood). The film ends with a beautiful sacrifice by the rough and tumble gangster. While Father Jerry's initials may be J.C so are James Cagney's, and ultimately its him who dies for the hope and salvation of humanity. The kid actors are a great touch and there's a lot of great performances there. I'm also always amazed with the youths they get to play the young Cagney in these gangster pictures. Finally, there's a good amount of gunplay in this film which is often surprisingly absent from these old Warner Bros films.
Review By Brett A. Scieszka
1938
A lot of great elements are at play in this early Warner's gangster pic. Cagney plays a real hero gangster: a character who you can comfortably root for through the film's entirety, which seems pretty unlikely during a time when there was immense pressure on Hollywood by watchdog groups to make the talkies socially responsible.
Cagney's fresh out of jail and moves back to the old neighborhood where he meets his childhood friend, and now priest Jerry Connelly (Pat O' Brien). Throw in a dame and a pack of gangster-worshipping hoodlum children, then mix it with Father Connelly's mission to end the city's rampant corruption and you've got a great picture focusing on the depth of friendship and human nobility.
Its a little difficult to buy that Cagney never once raises his fist in anger towards the preacher man, a guy who constantly asks favors and ultimately takes part in the gangster's death (not to mention his subsequent stripped manhood). The film ends with a beautiful sacrifice by the rough and tumble gangster. While Father Jerry's initials may be J.C so are James Cagney's, and ultimately its him who dies for the hope and salvation of humanity. The kid actors are a great touch and there's a lot of great performances there. I'm also always amazed with the youths they get to play the young Cagney in these gangster pictures. Finally, there's a good amount of gunplay in this film which is often surprisingly absent from these old Warner Bros films.
Review By Brett A. Scieszka
Team America: World Police
Trey Parker
2004
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are hands down the most frustrating team in Hollywood today. While half of their output is genius the other half is of an immature sixth grade jackass caliber, and unfortunately the sixth grader seems to win out. 'Team America's' puppets and setpieces are so visually creative, quirky, and technically brilliant that they are nothing short of jaw dropping. The action film parody is very clever and thoughtfully done at parts, but is cheapened significantly by focusing too closely on the war on terror. It comes off as overly topical, and therefore easily forgettable a few years down the road.
Once the great puppets and solid parody are comfortably in place Parker/Stone then do their very best to fuck it up royally by making it an immature farce of any quality the picture had. Take for example the obligatory puppet sex scene, a stupid attempt at cheap laughs that ruins the achievement and illusion created by the marionettes. "Ha ha, when your actors are genitalia-less puppets you can get away with ludicrous sex positions and practices that you would not work with live actors, that's rich." The same applies to the drunk vomiting scene...
Let's also keep in mind Parker/Stone's rampant right wing leanings. To say that "Team America" is a highly ironic denouncement of post 9/11 policies is a lame duck of a crutch. Parker/Stone have been hiding under these mamma's skirts for too long to be credible anymore. It is also glaringly apparent that while Parker/Stone take great relish in slamming real life liberal actors and public figures, there is a complete absence of lampooned conservatives of any kind.
Politics aside, the real failure of 'Team America' is its relentlessly base sense of humor. I'm all for crudity and lowbrow, but this is really more like the may an elementary school kid would joke, repeatedly saying "poop" or Andy Milonakis' rendition of 'The Superbowl is Gay.' The introduction of the musical "lease" is genuinely hilarious until the relentless repetition of the word AIDS, becomes boring and tiresome.
Matt Stone himself played a prominent role in Michael Moore's "Bowling For Columbine" with his feeble 'cooler than thou' pose and shitty animated sequence. Why then would he go out of his way to trash Moore in the most preposterous manner possible? From what I've been told Hollywood protects its own. I really wish there was a schoolyard bully who could step up and thrash the living bejesus out of that snot-nosed little sixth grader so that Parker/Stone's better qualities could flourish in a more fruitful and fully realized manner.
Review By Brett A. Scieszka
2004
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are hands down the most frustrating team in Hollywood today. While half of their output is genius the other half is of an immature sixth grade jackass caliber, and unfortunately the sixth grader seems to win out. 'Team America's' puppets and setpieces are so visually creative, quirky, and technically brilliant that they are nothing short of jaw dropping. The action film parody is very clever and thoughtfully done at parts, but is cheapened significantly by focusing too closely on the war on terror. It comes off as overly topical, and therefore easily forgettable a few years down the road.
Once the great puppets and solid parody are comfortably in place Parker/Stone then do their very best to fuck it up royally by making it an immature farce of any quality the picture had. Take for example the obligatory puppet sex scene, a stupid attempt at cheap laughs that ruins the achievement and illusion created by the marionettes. "Ha ha, when your actors are genitalia-less puppets you can get away with ludicrous sex positions and practices that you would not work with live actors, that's rich." The same applies to the drunk vomiting scene...
Let's also keep in mind Parker/Stone's rampant right wing leanings. To say that "Team America" is a highly ironic denouncement of post 9/11 policies is a lame duck of a crutch. Parker/Stone have been hiding under these mamma's skirts for too long to be credible anymore. It is also glaringly apparent that while Parker/Stone take great relish in slamming real life liberal actors and public figures, there is a complete absence of lampooned conservatives of any kind.
Politics aside, the real failure of 'Team America' is its relentlessly base sense of humor. I'm all for crudity and lowbrow, but this is really more like the may an elementary school kid would joke, repeatedly saying "poop" or Andy Milonakis' rendition of 'The Superbowl is Gay.' The introduction of the musical "lease" is genuinely hilarious until the relentless repetition of the word AIDS, becomes boring and tiresome.
Matt Stone himself played a prominent role in Michael Moore's "Bowling For Columbine" with his feeble 'cooler than thou' pose and shitty animated sequence. Why then would he go out of his way to trash Moore in the most preposterous manner possible? From what I've been told Hollywood protects its own. I really wish there was a schoolyard bully who could step up and thrash the living bejesus out of that snot-nosed little sixth grader so that Parker/Stone's better qualities could flourish in a more fruitful and fully realized manner.
Review By Brett A. Scieszka
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)