Category Archives: Film
It has come to my attention that I have been writing film reviews for this site for over a year. During that time I have demonstrated a certain tone towards what I think I can write effectively. My history is filled with cult-gems, foreign films, and things that might go under “genre’ films. My Frankenstein’s Monster of a tongue provides an equally different and generally rounded appreciation for film which has continuously accounted for the flippancy that plasters this site. Yet I am always looking for something new, which might mean looking into film that occupies a completely different county then that of my wheelhouse. So tonight I decided to review a film with a cavalcade of awards around its neck and the word “biopic” often used in describing its content. It is an adaption of a famed American writer’s biography; truly so odd compared to my usual selection that it humorously turns 2005’s Capote into the odd-fellow at the cocktail party.
Capote was directed by Bennette Miller, director of the documentary The Cruise and of the recent film “about sports but about sports in an abstract way/setting instead of actually about playing the sport itself” Moneyball. Dan Flutterman adapted the screenplay from author Gerald Clarke’s original biogeography on writer Truman Capote entitled Capote.
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1 comment | tags: 2005, Bennette Miller, Biopic, Capote, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Dan Flutterman, Drama, Gerald Clarke, Mark Pellegrino, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Truman Capote | posted in Film
Certain horror films live and die by the recognizability of their creatures and visuals, basing the elements in a distinct reality. Peter Jackson’s fantastic Dead Alive is known for the lively and innovated depiction of truly posing the human body by way of infection and a little bit of mysticism. Stuart Gordon’s Reanimator is known for basing its grey-skinned reanimations in science and logic, like maybe this could just be possible. Wes Craven’s Nightmare On Elm Street is known for bringing nightmares to life and making a distinct separation from what is real and what is a dream. But what about a horror film where its phantasmal creatures and visuals are never set in stone, if they exist or not, and if the “real” world the characters live in is just as undefined. Thus leading us to 1990’s Jacob’s Ladder, where I needed to fight to figure out what is real.
Jacob’s Ladder was directed by Adrian Lyne, whose subject for films is typically about the disparage and division between married couples, seen through film’s history with things like Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal, and Unfaithful. Basic fair “Romance Drama’s” is something that I usually stay far away from to protect my sanity. It is almost a blessing that he decided to mix the bottle of Drama with then substitute Horror in Jacob’s Ladder because it almost seems like a fluke. A fluke created by writer Bruce Joel Rubin, known for making the ghost story popular again in the often parodied but will never watch again film Ghost. Bruce Joel Rubin certainly plays heavily on what makes this film different.
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1 comment | tags: 1990, Adrian Lyne, Bruce Joel Rubin, Danny Aiello, Drama, Elizabeth Peña, Film, Horror, Jacob's Ladder, Tim Robbins | posted in Film
During the time between Star Wars’ initial release in 1977 through the early eighties, there have been countless movies whose creation seemed to only try to cash in on the Star Wars’ success. Every one of these films would borrow/steal elements from Star Wars in ever increasing chunks. We have countless examples: like Disney’s attempt at live action science fiction in The Black Hole (which is genuinely awesome); Japan’s production Uchū kara no Messēji (Message From Space, which I have heard remakes certain scenes mimicking Star Wars (which should be awesome because of costume design and Sonny Chiba); and then there is Turkey’s Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam, who unabashedly used footage from Star Wars itself (which I doubt is anywhere near awesome). Star Wars changed the face of not only Science Fiction, but film itself; 1979 saw the release of a film that fits into the Message From Space category, that film, known as Star Crash is my focus tonight.
Originally a U.S. and Italian co-production, Star Crash was directed by Luigi Cozzi. Luigi Cozzi’s other works include Alien on a budget, Contamination, the Nosferatu the Vampyre sequel to Vampire in Venice, and Hercules (keeping up with the trend of Italy being home for all Sword and Sandal style fantasy films to be made). He has also written various films including Sinbad and the Seven Seas and Star Crash itself.
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Leave a comment | tags: 1979, Armando Valcauda, Caroline Munroe, Christopher Plummer, David Hasselhoff, John Berry, Luigi Cozzi, Mayjoe Gortner, Star Crash, Star Wars like work | posted in Film
As my taste in film develops with age, I find myself drifting ever closer to works with a French origin, yet always from a unique source. My knowledge of director Christophe Gans’ efforts like Silent Hill and Brotherhood of The Wolf can be tied back to my years of video games and love for Mark Decascos respectively. Being an animation fan has led me towards the works of Sylvain Chomet like The Illusionist and The Triplets of Belleville. While I was writing this, I found out that director Luc Besson was the writer behind many American films that I enjoy like Taken and The Transporter series. Which constituted my experience with French film before watching tonight’s review of 1995’s La Cité Des Enfants Perdus (The City of Lost Children), I do hope that this will be enough to do this film justice.
The City of Lost Children was directed by both Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who previously joined forces to create Delicatessen back in 1991. Since then, Marc Caro directed Dante 01 and not much else; where Jean-Pierre Jeunet went and took charge of Alien Resurrection, Amélie, and recently MicMacs. They both tend to frequently cast actor Dominque Pinon anytime post Delicatessen.
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1 comment | tags: 1995, Comedy, Daniel Emilfork, Drama, French Film, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro, Ron Perlman, The City of Lost Children | posted in Film
Lions Gate is known as a top-tier independent production house in the West. They may not be as reaching as say MGM or Warner Bros., but even the average movie goer should be able to list off a title or two after they remember seeing the interconnecting clock-work mechanism lock of the preverbal “Lions Gate” before a film. Lions Gate as a company fascinates me for its ability to capitalize revenue for its productions. Whenever I bring up Lions Gate I usually reference their slew of adult focused Hard “R” action films or their very unsuccessful outings like Punisher: War Zone and Fido that suffer in theaters; whose existence is thanked solely to the cash cow that is Saw. Tonight I decided to flip through the Lions Gate catalog and select a film that fits under the second category, 2008’s The Midnight Meat Train, for even films brought out by main stream distributers can have a unique or eccentric air about them.
Midnight Meat Train is directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, who is known for both Versus and the Godzilla fan disputed powerhouse Godzilla: Final Wars. The story is based on one of Clive Barker’s earliest short stories released in the first, Books of Blood collection. It is interesting to note that Clive Barker also contributed self-made paintings for certain shoots.
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Leave a comment | tags: 2008, Bradley Cooper, Clive Barker, Erika Sakaki, Horror, Leslie Bibb, Lions Gate, Ryuhei Kitamura, Suspense, The Midnight Meat Train, Vinnie Jones | posted in Film
The early nineties dawn the true start of films based originally on video games. Some people believe that the Super Mario Bros. adaption was what started this movement, a belief that I will uphold for history’s sake. Films based off video games have drawn the ire of critics and fans alike during this timeframe, with directors like Uwe Boll and Paul W.S. Anderson being considered blight on the medium. Many of these American adaptions are considered train-wrecks of film at worst and enjoyable but still terrible at best. I bring this all up because the news that Capcom’s Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright) series of games would be getting a film adaption, directed by the multifaceted and extremely productive Takashi Miike, got me thinking. This is not the first time Miike has directed a video game based film, for he directed tonight’s review, the 2007 film Yakuza (Based on the SEGA series Like A Dragon) years before starting this escapade.
I will now attempt to do something that I know is not in my best judgment, that is listing Takaski Miike’s other works that do not include his most known titles (those of you who have at least heard of him know what I am addressing). Takashi Miike filmography during the nineties could be summed up in the single word “Yakuza”. To bring up a regular comparison of mine, Miike was Japan’s John Woo during this time, but switch the Triad with the Yakuza. But during the 2000’s, Miike started to branch out with outlandish entries like Visitor Q, Zebraman, and the “somehow less invertally complex” T.V. adaption of the M.P.D. Psycho manga. Yakuza is what I would describe as a blending of these two decades. So this film does have a pedigree.
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Leave a comment | tags: 2007, Film, Like A Dragon, Media Blasters, SEGA, Takashi Miike, Yakuza | posted in Film
Vincent Price was considered one of horror’s greatest actors. With a career lasting almost sixty years (1935-1993), Vincent Price became an American icon. In the seventies, long after success in the fifties (House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, and House of Wax); yet predating true mainstream iconographic glory in the eighties (Tim Burton’s Vincent and his voice in Thriller), there was his dynamic role in two British films. The role was of Dr. Anton Phibes, lead of 1971’s The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and 1972’s Dr. Phibes Rises Again!. This clay faced, theatrical loving, gramophone communicating mastermind strikes fear into the hearts of men. Since Dr. Phibes Rises Again! deserves its own look, tonight I will only focus on the original.
Both films in the Dr. Phibes series were headed by Thriller director and screenwriter, Robert Fuest. Fuest’s other works include The Final Programme (known in the U.S. as The Last Days of Man on Earth), his critically successful And Soon the Darkness, and the “cult” film The Devil’s Rain (reading William Shatner’s biography gave me some hilarious insight into this Anton LaVey associated train wreck), as well as directing Dr. Phibes Rises Again!.
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Leave a comment | tags: 1971, British Film, Horror, Joseph Cotten, MGM Studios, Peter Jeffery, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Vincent Price | posted in Film
What makes us as film consumers care about a work? Does it have to do with the various buzz-words marketers employ? Does the title in question have a favored director or main lead in it to draw the consumers’ eye? Does the name alone allow this title to stand apart from its less cool sounding competition? Tonight that last question will be answered, after I review a movie that could be picked up by name alone, 2010′s own Psycho Gothic Lolita.
Psycho Gothic Lolita was directed by Go Ohara, who has only directed a film called Geisha vs Ninja. He seems to work more as an action coordinator, having worked on such titles as Oneechanbara: The Movie and Devil May Cry 3. Cult special effects master and director Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police and Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl) took part in this film as well, providing talent and adding a special touch to Psycho Gothic Lolita.
The year is 20XX in what oddly still looks like modern-day Tokyo. A sign for The Tokyo Gothic shines brightly with its succubus looking logo. The film cuts to a bouncer eating spaghetti and smoking at the same time (for what I feel to have been an almost fetish like long four minutes). We see the inhabitants partaking in various acts of inflicting pain. A woman by the name of The Gambler is shown working a game with opposing gangs. But her time is up when a figure in a black dress shows up to confront her. A fight breaks out and The Gambler is killed.
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Leave a comment | tags: Go Ohara, Gory Action, Japanese Film, Media Blasters, Psycho Gothic Lolita, Rina Akiyama, Yoshihiro Nishimura | posted in Film
Premiering in 1990, Darkman, written and directed by Sam Raimi (Spider Man Series, The Evil Dead Series) is about Peyton Westlake (played by Liam Neeson) your average scientist dedicated to his research on making synthetic skin to help burn victims. An explosion in his lab launches him into the river where he becomes maimed for life. Now as Darkman he seeks to take revenge on the people who scarred him as well as try to be with his beloved Julie.
Peyton’s girlfriend Julie Hastins (played by Frances McDormand) steals a secret document that could potentially incriminate her boss. Once Louis Strack (played by Colin Friels) discovers the piece of paper has been stolen, he proceeds to send out lackeys to recover it. While rummaging through Peyton’s lab trying to find the document, a fight breaks out between the lackeys and our protagonist. The gang beats Peyton up and leaves him there to die as they set the place ablaze. Most heroes’ origins are tragic in their own right and Darkman’s is no exception. Peyton tries with all his might but ends up getting blasted out of a window into a river.
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Leave a comment | tags: 1990, Action, Cult Classic, Danny Elfman, Darkman, Frances McDormand, Liam Neeson, Noir, Sam Raimi, Super Hero | posted in Film
Black Death opens during the spread of the black plague. A team of ruffians follow a monk to a rumored land free of plague and pestilence. Enter Osmund; a young monk torn between his love for God and his love for his childhood friend and love interest, Averill (played by Kimberly Nixon). Osmund is chosen to lead this band of marauders into the wilderness chasing a legend. During the journey to come, they encounter all manner of misfortune and witchcraft as they combat the forces of evil throughout their land. Starring Eddie Redmayne, John Lynch, Tim McInnery, Kimberly Nixon, Andy Nyman, and Lord of the Rings’ Sean Bean.
First off, to alleviate several misconceptions: Black Death is neither an action film nor a gore-ridden horror movie. The film contains several gross-out scenes, none of which are severely graphic. Second, the film does star Sean Bean, even though he does not have a lead role. His character Ulric serves as the distant leader of the group and mentor to Osmund who instead plays the lead. Strangely, the film still tends to advertise Bean as the film’s center because of the actor’s considerable Hollywood fame. This has brought considerable attention to the film which can only be described as a B movie. Even though not in the lead role, Sean Bean still manages to often take center stage and is the one character who everyone will remember the most for his interpretation of the classic action hero: gruff, wise, and perfectly capable of being a badass every time he is on screen.
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Leave a comment | tags: Black Death, Christopher Smith, Eddie Redmayne, Horror, Kimberly Nixon, Magnet, Magnolia Pictures, Sean Bean | posted in Film
