April 2012 Recap

It's recap time again folks. For the interested, I've decided to drop the whole assigning each movie a percentage thing, because, honestly, it shouldn't be that hard to calculate the percentage chances a given movie has of making the next TOP 20. 8.5 = 85% chance, 3.5 = 35% chance - simple as that. So it's back to the old format...here we go.


1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die - As seen in April 2012
1) Memento (2000 - Christopher Nolan) 10/10 - One of the current front-runners for the next TOP 20.
2) Monsieur Verdoux (1947 - Charles Chaplin) 8.5/10 - I went a little overboard giving this a '10/10' last month, but it IS good.
3) Dumbo (1941 - Ben Sharpsteen) 4.5/10
4) The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003 - Peter Jackson) 10/10 - 'nuff said.
5) Once (2006 - John Carney) 7/10
6) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946 - William Wyler) 6.5/10
7) Spring in a Small Town (1948 - Fei Mu) 4.5/10 - I have a feeling this one is going to become one of the most forgettable films I'll see from THE BOOK.
8) Yi Yi (2000 - Edward Yang) 8.5/10 - This one actually grew on me quite a bit since I saw it. I could definitely see this one getting, at least, a Ten Worth Mentioning nod.
9) No Man's Land (2001 - Danis Tanovic) 6/10
10) On the Town (1949 - Kelly, Donen) 5/10 - Fun, a few catchy tunes, but nothing worth writing home about.
11) Oldboy (2003 - Park Chan-wook) 8/10 - I think I went high because I was familiar with it and I thought it had already earned a high rating. Very good, but not '9' good.
12) Atonement (2007 - Joe Wright) 6.5/10 - I knew I should've just gone with the '6.5' to begin with. I'm such a pushover sometimes.
13) Fires Were Started (1943 - Humphrey Jennings) 3.5/10 - Inspirational, but again, no need to get out the stationery for this one either.
14) La Vie en rose (2007 - Olivier Dahan) 6.5/10 - I appreciated the education more than the actual film.

Aaaaand I saw nothing else this month. Expect me to start steamrolling through THE BOOK in May as we reach the halfway mark of this 100. I'll have a "City of God" review ready for you guys by tomorrow night. See ya then!

May 5, 2012  9:53pm

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198. Out of the Past (1947)

Running Time: 97 minutes

Directed By: Jacques Tourneur

Written By: Daniel Mainwaring, from his novel Build My Gallows High

Main Cast: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Paul Valentine

SEVEN SHADOWS WEEK: DAY 5

This is the only one of the “Seven Shadows” films that I had seen prior to this week. The only thing I remember about the last time I watched it was that I didn’t care for it. When finishing it this time around, I had only one question for myself – “What’s not to like?”.

Jeff Bailey a.k.a. Jeff Markham (Mitchum) is the proprietor of a small town gas station, where he makes enough to buy groceries. He’s in love with town sweetheart Ann Miller and for the most part he leads a contented life. That is, until Joe Stephanos (Valentine) rolls into town one afternoon and informs Jeff that his boss, Whit Sterling (Douglas), would like to have a word with Jeff. From there, we roll into our classic film noir flashback where we learn that Jeff used to be a private detective. One evening, long ago, he and his partner were called to meet wealthy gambler Whit Sterling. Sterling informs the two that his girl, Kathie Moffat (Greer) put four bullets into him and scrammed with $40,000. However, it’s the girl that Whit wants back, not necessarily the dough. When Whit offers Jeff a healthy sum for finding her, he’s on the case. Jeff travels to Mexico City and eventually to Acapulco, where he finds Kathie. The only hitch is that he falls in love with her himself and ultimately the two decide to flee to San Francisco and build a life for themselves, away from Sterling. They’re tailed everywhere they go and soon realize that their relationship will never be allowed to survive. It turns out that Jeff’s old detective partner was hired by Whit to track down Jeff and Kathie and when he finally finds them, Kathie puts holes in him and leaves him for dead, splitting town and abandoning Jeff. We snap back to the present as Jeff is being called to meet Whit again after years of being away.

Yeah, that’s all just the flashback and the flashback doesn’t even take up the majority of the movie. They manage to cram even more great stuff into these ninety minutes. Have you ever watched a film where the performance of one actor/actress was enough to make you forget everything else and embrace the film? That was my attitude toward this and actor Robert Mitchum. He was just so good and I’m not ashamed to admit that over the course of the movie I developed a very healthy man crush on him. He was just so damned cool and he played both sides of the fence so well. At the beginning, he was believable as this everyman type who liked to go fishing with his best girl and who ran a gas station to make ends meet and then later, when he dons the fedora and trench coat to become a hard ass gumshoe, he’s just perfect! On the other hand, I didn’t like Jane Greer here. It’s nothing against her acting skills or anything, I just thought she looked way too sweet and innocent to play a dirty dame. I realize that she was always going to be the leading female, but in a perfect world I would have switched her and Rhonda Fleming’s roles. Rhonda had that look of a femme fatale who would stoop to new lows get the right villainous reaction. She wasn’t quite as pretty as Greer though and maybe it wouldn’t have been believable that Jeff would turn his life upside down for her. The chemistry between Greer and Mitchum was right, I just didn’t like her playing that character.

And hey, the confusion in this noir is kept to a minimum, as the plot flows along very nicely and we’re not getting in over our heads trying to keep characters and their motivations in order. Everything is kept fairly simple and there aren’t any ridiculous sidetracks in the plot. Great cinematography is also present. The particular shot that I included above, of Jeff standing at the door to Sterling’s gated property says so much. It shows a man who wants to be free, a man who tried to be free, preparing to delve back into the underworld and become someone who he doesn’t necessarily want to become. Also, I have to mention the dialogue, as it was also quite great. Here’s just a taste of it and one of my favorite lines from the film:

Kathie: Love me?

(Jeff nods)

Kathie: Poco?

Jeff: What’s that?

Kathie: Little

Jeff: Mucho!

Just a great exchange between the two. Now I have to get some dough of my own and pick up “Baby, I Don’t Care” by Lee Server and find out more about Robert Mitchum.

RATING: 8/10  It didn’t give me that “so good it’s a 10” feeling, but it is damn good! Fans of the film and Mitchum might want to hop on over to YouTube and check out this video. It highlights Mitchum’s Saturday Night Live appearance in the 80s and has a parody of “Out of the Past” called “Out of Gas” and also features Jane Greer. Next up: “Gun Crazy”. 

MOVIES WATCHED: 441
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 560

April 7, 2012  12:52pm

PUBLISHED: May 5, 2012  12:00pm

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Seven Shadows: DAY 4 - The Killers

Today’s Seven Shadows film is The Killers, starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner (pop over to my site, Shadows and Satin, to read Andrew’s review of this classic feature). This picture starts out with the murder of a gas station attendant known as “The Swede,” and spends the rest of its time showing us the hows, whys, and wherefores of the crime. There’s a lot to love about The Killers – it features fast-paced direction, an awesome Miklos Rozsa score, a painterly use of lights and shadows, and an opening scene so good that I could put ice cream on top of it and eat it with a spoon. Best of all, for me, the film also serves up a mélange of fascinating, well-drawn characters. Here’s a look at some of the many standout personas in The Killers:

Al and Max (Charles McGraw and William Conrad)

We first see Al and Max – the “Killers” of the film’s title – underneath the opening credits. It’s a really distinctive entrance, especially since they don’t appear until about 35 seconds after the credits begin. If you’re not looking carefully, you may not even notice at first that they have entered the screen and are walking toward you. We don’t really find out a lot about these two, beyond the fact that they are stone-cold killers and are quick with a salty quip, which we learn when they visit the small-town diner that is frequented by a fellow by the name of Pete Lund, also known as The Swede. Demonstrating demeanors that are the very epitome of cool, Al and Max quietly take over the diner, beginning with the moment that they step inside (interestingly, they each enter from a different door and join each other at the counter. I don’t know why I find that particularly interesting – I just do! It somehow adds to their aura of bad-assery.).

Al (Charles McGraw) and Max (William Conrad) terrorize a diner owner in the film's opening scene.

The Swede (Burt Lancaster)

We are introduced to The Swede when a customer from the diner, Nick Adams (Phil Brown), arrives at his boarding house room with a warning about the killers who are on his path. The Swede submissively receives the news, conceding that he “did something wrong – once.” He doesn’t even bother to get out of his bed, let alone attempt to escape his impending demise. But why?

Through a series of unrelated flashbacks, we learn more about The Swede – not the least of which that his real name was not Pete Lund, but Ole Andreson, and that he was a former and once-promising prize-fighter whose career ended when he broke his hand. We also learn that he loved not too wisely, but too well – in the final analysis, it was his devotion to a gorgeous dame by the name of Kitty Collins that turned out to be his undoing, in more ways than one.

Jim Riordan (Edmond O’Brien)

An insurance investigator, Riordan was like a dog with a bone – he was determined to unearth the story behind The Swede’s murder, and he didn’t give up or give in; even getting kicked in the head – literally – didn’t scare him away.  I read in a review on another website that the film doesn’t make clear why Riordan is so passionate about the case, which, I suppose, is true. But it doesn’t really matter. He’s crafty, intelligent, and relentless, putting together the pieces of The Swede’s life and death like a puzzle master. He’s certainly not the most flashy character in the film, but he’s always interesting to watch.

Edmond O'Brien was bound and determined to ferret out the truth.

Lt. Sam Lubinsky (Sam Levene)

Lubinsky was Ole’s childhood friend – Ole went into boxing, Lubinsky joined the police force; he was at Ole’s first fight and his last. He was obviously devoted to his longtime friend, but on the surface, that might not be so evident. It was Lubinsky, for instance, who was responsible for sending Ole to jail for a three-year stretch for burglary (a crime he didn’t commit, incidentally – he was, instead, covering for a certain dame). Lubinsky also wound up marrying Ole’s former girlfriend, Lilly (Virginia Christine) – but they were such good friends that Ole served as best man. And when Lubinsky learned of his old friend’s murder, he sent for his body and, along with his wife, held a small service.

Lubinsky was no dummy, that’s for sure. The Swede himself described him as “one smart copper.” In an early scene, he easily nabs Kitty for some stolen jewelry, despite the fact that she cunningly (she thinks) stashes it in a bowl of leftover stew. Lubinsky teams up with Riordan and, together, this dynamic duo finally tracks down all of the principal players involved – whether directly or indirectly – in the murder of The Swede.

Big Jim Colfax (Albert Dekker)

Gang leader Jim was smooth, understated, and deadly. From the first time we see him, it’s apparent that he’s not the kind of guy you want to cross. We’re briefly introduced to Big Jim when he arrives at the gas station in Brentwood, California, where The Swede works. Although he doesn’t do more than make curt requests for car service, Big Jim’s piercing, unblinking stare makes his menace more than apparent. He demonstrates this trait again in a later scene, when he asks a member of his gang, Dum Dum (Jack Lambert) if he’d like to play a game of Blackjack. Dum Dum declines: “Not with you, I don’t. I know your reputation.” Big Jim barely reacts, except to give a rather humorless titter – he just continues smoking and playing with the cards. But a few minutes later, he calmly tells Dum Dum: “A minute ago, we were talking about reputations. Well, you’ve got quite a reputation yourself. You’re supposed to be a trouble-maker.” Jim then removes his cigarette from his mouth, practically impaling Dum Dum with his deadly gaze. “Okay,” he says. “Make some.” (Zing!)

Charleston (Vince Barnett)

Charleston (we don’t know whether that is his first name or his last) shared a cell with Ole during his stretch in prison – he’s a, shall we say “seasoned” ex-con with a love for astronomy (“I don’t guess there’s a better place in the whole world for learning about stars than stir,” he tells Ole.). After the two are released, they meet with Big Jim and his gang about a planned payroll heist. Unlike the others, however, Charleston turns it down. “If it’s as big as you claim, it’s not going to be any easy pickings – nothing that big ever is,” he explains. “And that’s what I want from here on in. Easy pickings.” He also attempts to share his wisdom with Ole, cryptically warning him against getting involved again with Kitty – but, unfortunately, Ole fails to catch the drift.

Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner)

Last, but positively not least – not if she has anything to say about it. Beautiful, raven-haired Kitty was passionate and fearless, duplicitous and self-centered – a femme fatale through and through. She may have been soft on the outside, but she was like steel on the inside, a fact that she shows in a scene where Big Jim threatens to slap her and Ole springs to her defense. “Mind your own business, Swede. I can take care of myself,” Kitty says. Then she turns to Jim. “You touch me and you won’t live ‘til morning.” And that’s the end of thatconversation. Memorably, Kitty also shows what she’s made of near the end of the film, when we learn that she will do anything – and I do mean anything – to save her own skin. 

I love this shot - it clearly shows Lily's longing for Ole, who only has eyes for Kitty, who is wearing the heck out of that dress

From The Swede to Kitty, Big Jim to Charleston, The Killers is truly rich with characterization. It’s like a treasure trove of fascinating personalities, brought to life by a series of superb performances. And I didn’t even expound on Dum Dum, so named because of the unique bullets he likes to use; Blinky Franklin (Jeff Corey), an ex-drug addict with an almost child-like demeanor; and Lily, Lt. Lubinsky’s wife and Ole’s ex, who lost Ole’s affection the second he laid eyes on Kitty (and that gorgeous one-strap black gown). If you’ve never seen this first-rate film and had the pleasure of meeting these unforgettable characters, be sure to check it out! And if you have, see it again!

You only owe it to yourself.

May 4, 2012  12:00pm

by Karen Burroughs Hannsberry

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COMING SOON

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954. TRAFFIC (2000)

Running Time: 147 minutes
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Written By: Stephen Gaghan, from miniseries Traffik by Simon Moore
Main Cast: Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro, Catherine Zeta Jones, Don Cheadle, Erika Christensen
Click here to view the trailer

A DOUBLE SHOT OF SODERBERGH: 2 of 2

 Two nights ago, I took a look at Soderbergh's debut feature, "Sex, Lies, and Videotape"; tonight I take a look at the movie that earned him his first and only Academy Award for Best Director - "Traffic".

The film follows several different plots, utilizing an all-star cast and interconnected plot lines to tell it's story of drug trafficking. We start out in Tijuana, Mexico where Javier Rodriguez (del Toro), a member of the state police, is fighting the drug problem in his own, underhanded way, accompanied by his partner, Manolo (Jacob Vargas). Later, Rodriguez falls in with some bad company, in the form of General Salazar, a Mexican authority of high rank. In Washington, D.C., Robert Wakefield (Douglas) is taking a new position as head of the Office of National Drug Control, where he'll lead the fight in the "war on drugs". However, Wakefield may not be prepared for the new position, as he can't even tackle the drug problem in his own home, in Cincinnati, where his teenage daughter, Caroline (Christensen) is addicted to cocaine and various other substances. Meanwhile, in a San Diego suburb, a housewife, Helena (Zeta Jones) copes with the arrest of her husband, a big time drug smuggler, who is heading to trial. Helena is also an expectant mother and is harassed on a daily basis by drug lords who are owed money by her jailed husband. The San Diego story also follows two DEA agents, Montel (Cheadle) and Ray (Luis Guzman), as they nab Carlos Ayala, another big time drug lord and put him under witness protection until he can testify against Helena's husband.

On paper, "Traffic" looks like a home run. An all-star cast consisting of a total of 130 actors and actresses honing their craft, 110 locations, filming with handheld cameras, using original editing techniques (different color hues on the lens to separate the varying story arcs). All this done to tell a powerful story and using three different plot lines and a documentary style to really hammer home the full effects that drug trafficking has on the public.  But, in the end, "Traffic" just wasn't the film for me. I think "Traffic" reminded me why I don't take politics and real life events, like drug trafficking, with my movies. Because when you start to tie in things of this nature, movies stop becoming an escape and start becoming a reminder. There's that classic scene in "The Purple Rose of Cairo" where Cecilia goes to the movies, after having her heart broken and the film ends with her smiling, because the film provided for her an escape from the perils of day to day life. "Traffic" and other movies that implement politics and our troubled world into their plots, don't allow us to escape, but more resemble a CNN program. I'm not saying it's ALWAYS bad to implement real world issues into your plot, I'm just saying that "Traffic" did it in such a realistic way that it turned me off - perhaps that's a credit to the picture.

I didn't like much about "Traffic", so to highlight the positives would be very difficult. I did like the Erika Christensen storyline, or at least, it was the most interesting storyline to me. Of course, it wasn't all that original - teenage girl gets hooked on drugs, daddy swoops into try and help - perhaps one of the most overused plot lines in modern cinema and television. None of the actors really struck me as standout. The book makes note of Catherine Zeta Jones' performance and how it's probably her best. I, on the other hand, realized what a overrated actress she is when I watched this. I'll even go bolder and say the same thing for Michael Douglas. He just did not impress me here and when I thought about it, he has never really impressed me in anything he's done. I'll give some props to Don Cheadle and Benicio del Toro, they did fine jobs, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that the latter deserved an Academy Award for his skills. As far as the editing and camerawork are concerned, I'll give credit there too, as the film did use some imaginative to heighten their story, but when the story isn't up your alley, it really doesn't matter if they have pink dolphins dancing in all four corners of the screen, nothing's going to wow you. Let's just suffice it to say that I've had better times at the movies than the time I had with "Traffic".

RATING: 3.5/10  Perhaps the worst film I've watched this 100 so far. However, that's not really saying much, because I haven't seen too many stinkers yet, during this batch.

MOVIES WATCHED: 440
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 561

May 3, 2012  8:54pm

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185. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

Running Time: 113 minutes

Directed By: Tay Garnett

Written By: Harry Ruskin, from novel by James M. Cain

Main Cast: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames

Click here to view the trailer

SEVEN SHADOWS WEEK: DAY 3

Moving right along with “Seven Shadows”, we come to “The Postman Always Rings Twice”, one that I was really looking forward to, but one that actually ended up disappointing me, just a little bit.

Frank (Garfield) is a drifter, sticking up his thumb and bumming rides from town to town, blaming his hitchhiking behavior on his “itchy feet” and resistance to settle down. When the film opens, he’s coming to the end of his free ride with District Attorney Sackett (Ames), who has taken him as far as Twin Oaks, a small roadside diner. Coincidentally when they get there, there’s a “MAN WANTED” sign hanging out front and Frank takes the job, at the insistence of the owner, Nick (Kellaway). It doesn’t take long for Frank to meet the lady of the house, Cora (Turner), a vivacious blonde who married the much older Nick to get out of poverty. Frank has an immediate attraction to her, but she sees him as nothing more than a hired hand and isn’t shy about throwing her weight around. Frank keeps up, trying his best to win her over, possibly steal a kiss or even get an admiring glance. Before too long, Cora does warm up to Frank – in fact, she warms up to him so much that she confesses her love for him. The two leave a note in Nick’s cash register, stating that they’re running away together, but after a few hours on the road, they change their mind – Cora citing that she’s not willing to return to a life of poverty. Later, as the two return to the Twin Oaks, they concoct a scheme to murder Nick, not necessarily for money, but so their love can flourish without Nick in the way. Of course, the fact that Cora will inherit the Twin Oaks and everything Nick owns doesn’t hurt to support their motive.

Let’s tackle the good first and then I’ll talk about my disappointment. You just can’t talk about the good features of this film without mentioning Lana Turner. This was my first time encountering Turner on the silver screen, but what a sexy woman – one who grabbed your attention simply with her presence on the screen. John Garfield wasn’t bad either, but my other pick for best member of the cast has got to be Hume Cronyn as the sleazy lawyer Arthur Keats. Maybe sleazy isn’t the best word to describe Keats, but this was a guy that could make your skin crawl and Cronyn played him to perfection. The basic plot was also key in my enjoyment of the picture, as a drifter falls in love with a man’s wife and the two scheme to try and get the husband out of the way. That just sounds like a good movie to me, no matter what elements are put into play. In the case of “The Postman Always Rings Twice”, however, I think there are too many elements put into play.

SPOILER ALERT!

Now far be it from me to attack the writing of James M. Cain, but please allow me to voice my opinions on where this movie veered for me. For my money, it should have been kept as simple as possible. Everything just got underway too fast. It isn’t even thirty-five minutes before Frank and Cora are professing their love for each other and scheming to kill Nick, when just ten minutes prior, Cora wanted nothing to do with this glorified maintenance man. Perhaps, Cora, at first, was afraid to let herself fall in love with Frank, knowing the trouble that would come about if she did. Knowing that she’d either be back to living in poverty or knowing that Nick would have to be gotten rid of. Perhaps, they could’ve examined this more thoroughly, using some dialogue to express Cora’s resistance. Then you slowly build the love affair to the point that Cora just can’t resist anymore and she’s forced to give in to her temptations of Frank. The affair continues for weeks before the two plot anything, escaping to the beach day after day and night after night to be alone, without Nick. They think nothing of trying to bump him off until they realize that they can’t hide their love in the shadows anymore and they must let it flourish. Then they kill Nick and we get scene after scene of suspense, as Sackett and the cops investigate, snooping around the Twin Oaks and trying to uncover a plot. That would have been a better movie, for my money. As it is, we get everything established too early and spend the rest of the film examining, what sometimes turn out to be, ridiculous plot lines. For instance, they plot to kill him the first time and he ends up living, then Frank runs away, then he comes back, then they Frank and Cora hate each other, then they love each other, then they hate each other again…it’s just a big, jumbled mess, at times. I’m not saying I didn’t like it, on the contrary actually. I did like it, but I saw a lot more potential, as I normally do with films that I like, but that don’t go the way I want. I’m just like a child who doesn’t get his way and this is my venue for complaining about it. Let’s just call that a review and I’ll start the process of letting this one stew in my head until TOP 20 time rolls around.

RATING: 7/10  Very good, but it was a potential ‘10’ that just didn’t pan out. Next up: “The Killers”. 

MOVIES WATCHED: 439
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 562

April 4, 2012  11:56am

PUBLISHED: May 3, 2012  12:00pm

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995. Gwoemul/The Host (2006)

Running Time: 120 minutes
Directed By: Bong Joon-ho
Written By: Baek Chul-hyun, Bong Joon-ho, Ha Won-jun
Main Cast: Song Kang-ho, Byeon Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, Ko Ah-seong
Click here to view the trailer

THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE WATER!

As Seven Shadows trucks along, I take the opportunity to pull myself one film closer to my short-term goal of 501 movies watched and the halfway mark. Today, I turn to the streaming portion of Netflix and a Korean monster movie, in the vein of "Godzilla" - "The Host".

The film starts out in 1998, as a Korean lab technician working at a U.S. military base is ordered to pour hundreds of bottles of toxic chemicals down the drain. Though the lab technician warns his superior that, if poured down the drain, the chemicals will go directly to the Han River. The superior doesn't care and the lab technician does as instructed. Four years later, two men fishing in the Han River, spot a mysterious creature swimming along. They point it out to each other and watch as it swims away, wondering how many tails it has. Years later, we reach present day and our story picks up steam as we settle on a snack bar, owned by Hee-bong (Byeon Hee-bong), an elderly gentleman who loves his family. In addition to Hee-bong, his son, Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) also helps his father operate the snack bar, usually falling asleep on the counter and stealing a squid leg when no one's looking. Gang-du is irresponsible, but looks forward to his daughter's arrival home from school each day. He loves his daughter, Hyun-seo (Ko Ah-seong) and they do everything together, including drink beer (although she is underage). However, all that seems well, isn't. When Gang-du and a group of onlookers spot a very large, mysterious creature swimming around the Han River, they initially write it off as an Amazonian dolphin. However, they're sadly mistaken as the giant creature leaps from the water, chasing down the group of gatherers, killing many and swooping up Gang-du's daughter in the anarchy. When Hyun-seo is thought dead, her family mourns her loss, but their mourning is cut short when the government steps in and quarantines anyone who came into contact with the monster. While awaiting tests in a hospital, Gang-du receives a cell phone call from Hyun-seo, revealing that she isn't dead. Now, Gang-du, along with his father, brother and sister must escape the hospital and go looking for Hyun-seo.

Horror films have always been hit and miss with me. When I sit down to watch one, I'm either going to praise it for being well-made and like it, praise it for being lots of fun and like it or just hate it altogether. There are a lot of horror films that, while not technically anything to write home about, are a lot of fun when you're watching them with a significant other or a group of friends and you can give them a free pass for, at least, giving you a good time at the movies. "The Host" falls under both categories, as it is technically very well made and on top of that, is a lot of fun, especially as I watched it with my wife, on our day off, in our dark bedroom, this afternoon. The first thing that struck me about "The Host" is how well it looked, aesthetically. An early shot of a man committing suicide by jumping off a bridge is quite striking, as we watch his limp body fall into the river below, as streaks of rain cross the screen and a dark sky looms in the background.

  
SPOILER ALERT!

Fast forward to the ending and we get even more beautiful imagery, as a checmical, "agent yellow", is used as a way to destroy the monster and anyone carrying the non-existent virus. The release of the chemical dusts the entire climax in a smoky, dusty, ashen look and makes our everyday people, in a chase to find their loved one, look like superheroes. Speaking of the ending and everyday people becoming superheroes, that's exactly how the end of this film made me feel, as I watched Hyun-seo's father, aunt and uncle use various weapons to bring this monster to his knees, to avenge the death of their little Hyun-seo.

In the negative column for this film, I'd add the aspect of the film being both a horror and a comedy. It just didn't mix as well as in films like "Shaun of the Dead (which the book cites as being like this one), where the comedy was prevalent and the horror was real, but not as important. Here, the horror is prevalent and the comedy is just there and it's an odd mixture that didn't work as well. Although, I'll have to admit, I did laugh out loud numerous times, so I have to give them some credit there.

I guess the bottom line here is give this one a shot. The next time you're in the mood to curl up with your girlfriend or boyfriend, under the covers on a dark, rainy, Saturday night, don't hesitate to turn on this fantastic South Korean monster flick and let the good times roll.

RATING: 7.5/10  By the way, when the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" was updated last year, this one was kicked to the curb. I won't protest that as much as others that were kicked out, but I'm just glad it was in my edition, because otherwise I probably wouldn't have given it a second look.

MOVIES WATCHED: 438
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 563

May 2, 2012  6:02pm

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