SEVEN SHADOWS IS COMING!

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March 2012 Recap

Starting today in the monthly recaps I'm going to try and mention for each movie it's percentage chance of making it into the TOP 20 list. Could make this more interesting and could be a good reference point for me when it comes down to list making time. Here we go...

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die - As seen in March 2012-
1) Magnolia (1999 - P.T. Anderson) 8.5/10 - Rating stands about the same. Call it about a 90% chance of making the TOP 20.
2) Persona (1966 - Ingmar Bergman) 7/10 - I'm not sure if this will make it or not. The intrigue is still there, but I really think this one falls under the category of "needs to be seen again". Call it 50%.
3) Shame (1968 - Ingmar Bergman) 6/10 - Call it 20%. Don't even see this one making the "Ten Worth Mentioning".
4) Hour of the Wolf (1968 - Ingmar Bergman) 6/10 - 20% chance. Again, not even appealing enough for "Ten Worth Mentioning".
5) Cries and Whispers (1972 - Ingmar Begman) 7/10 - 45% chance. Yes, it's a '7' which is usually strong, but this one is just too good for a '6.5' and I dont do quarters. If it's lucky it hits a "Ten Worth Mentioning" spot.
6) Lantana (2001 - Ray Lawrence) 7.5/10 - 65% chance. I could actually see this one hitting the "Ten Worth Mentioning" list, maybe the TOP 20, but I highly doubt it.
7) Fanny and Alexander (1982 - Ingmar Bergman) 8/10 - 75% chance. Again, yes it's an '8', but it's a low '8'. As of now, I have it pegged for a "Ten Worth Mentioning" spot or maybe, a #20 or #19 on the TOP 20 list.
8) Sullivan's Travels (1941 - Preston Sturges) 5.5/10 - 10% chance. Virtually no shot, but never say never.
9) The Lives of Others (2006 - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck) 9/10 - 100% chance. I don't like to deal in definites, but this one is pretty much a shoo-in for the main list.
10) El Topo (1970 - Alejandro Jodorowsky) 5/10 - A '5' would probably make you think a 50% chance right? Nah. Call this one a 15% chance of actually making my list. Didn't do much for me, but it did make my eyes pop.
11) Spirited Away (2001 - Hayao Miyazaki) 8/10 - 80% chance. This would actually be a great one for the "Ten Worth Mentioning" or, like "Fanny..." a high spot.

Well there it is folks. Remember, I'm currently away watching the movies that will comprise "Seven Shadows Week". I currently have three of the seven films watched and reviewed. Keep your eyes to the blog for reviews here and there, as I weave them in between my "Seven Shadows" movies and for a date of when "Seven Shadows" will actually begin. See 'ya soon!

April 4, 2012 5:03pm

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956. MEMENTO (2000)

Running Time: 113 minutes
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Written By: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan
Main Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior, Jorja Fox
Click here to view the trailer

STILL NOLAN'S BEST!

Forget the Batman movies, forget the magicians and forget about dreaming, if you want to take a look at Christopher Nolan's best film, then all you need to do is see the one about the guy who has amnesia....except it's not amnesia - "Memento".

Leonard Shelby (Pearce) WAS a normal man. He had a normal life, living with his wife (Fox) and making a decent living as an insurance investigator. Leonard Shelby HAD a normal life. That all changed when two men broke into their home, raped & murdered Leonard's wife and gave him a crack on the back of the head. The incident left Leonard with a condition called anterograde amnesia - the inability to make new memories. Leonard can remember everything clearly up until the night of the attack, but beyond that he has no short term memory. Now, Leonard is committed to finding his wife's killer and with certain facts that he knows to be true, Leonard follows leads using tattoos, Polaroids and notes to "make his life possible" and find the man that killed his wife - a John (or James), last initial "G". Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the film is told in reverse chronological order, as we're fed the movie in spoonfuls. There are also black & white segments, where Leonard talks to a man on the phone, that are used to segue into each part of the main story, told in color.

SPOILER ALERT!

Perhaps it's because I've seen this film so many times or that it has been with me for so long, but this is a fantastic film. I can remember all the hullabaloo surrounding it when it first came out. I can remember everyone thinking how "cool" it was that the story was told backwards. I can remember watching this for the first time, sitting in the bedroom that I shared with my brother and deciding that I wanted to see the film that everyone was talking about. It took some rewinding and a massive amount of pondering on my part, but at the age of fifteen, I finally understood the film...and loved it. Sure it wasn't the first film told in reverse chronology, nor was it the last. In fact, it isn't even the first film I've reviewed here that was told in reverse chronology, as "Irreversible" also used the same tactic to get it's story across. However, in my opinion, "Memento" used it in the smartest way. See, Leonard has a type of amnesia where he can't make new memories, therefore he never knows what has happened more than a few minutes prior to the present. The film puts us, the viewer, in Leonard's shoes and gives us our information backwards, so that we always feel a little like Leonard; never knowing what just happened.

Perhaps that's why the character of Leonard is so relateable and likeable, because in the time frame that this film occurs in, we know nothing more or less than Leonard. When he's confused, so are we. When he's trying to sort out a problem, so are we. Add to that the use of narration by Guy Pearce that allows us to hear Leonard's thoughts throughout the film and we've got a guy that we can completely sympathize with and understand. And speaking of those thoughts, what thoughts they are, as the Nolan's flaunt their writing talent and have some excellent pieces falling from Pearce's lips. A few favorites:

I don't even know how long she's been gone. It's like I've woken up in bed and she's not here... because she's gone to the bathroom or something. But somehow, I know she's never gonna come back to bed. If I could just... reach over and touch... her side of the bed, I would know that it was cold, but I can't. I know I can't have her back... but I don't want to wake up in the morning, thinking she's still here. I lie here not knowing... how long I've been alone. So how... how can I heal? How am I supposed to heal if I can't... feel time?

Probably burned truck loads of your stuff before. Can't remember to forget you.

Now with all this intact, we're also given a really good story about a man seeking vengeance for his dead wife. The genius thing about that is the twist at the end, when we learn that the man who killed Leonard's wife has already been killed...by Leonard! He just doesn't remember and if he does, he'll cease to have a reason for existence. Without the hunt for revenge, Leonard slips into a nursing home somewhere, where he'll sit for the rest of his days. Leonard's life will forever be the hunting of a man named John (or James) G., he'll be forever changing his clothes and sporting new rides, meeting new Teddy's and Natalie's and remembering his dead wife. A heartbreaking story, but it makes for a damn good film!

RATING: 10/10 So yeah, it's a really great movie and one that I'd easily recommend. Like THE BOOK says, it requires a strict amount of patience and attention from it's audience, but I think you'll be satisfied in the end. If you want more great Nolan films, I'd still recommend forgetting the films I mentioned at the beginning and checking out "Following" and "Insomnia", as both are very good. And, oh yeah, this IS the #1 spot of my next TOP 20...so far.

MOVIES WATCHED: 421
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 580

April 3, 2012 2:49pm

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962. Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi/Spirited Away (2001)

Running Time: 125 minutes
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
Written By: Hayao Miyazaki
Main Cast: (voices): Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers
Click here to view the trailer

ON MY JOURNEY I MET MIYAZAKI SAN

I haven't had too many brushes with animation since I started my journey, so to be honest I was a little skeptical about checking out a work of Japanese animation, especially one that had so much fantastical elements to it. Add to that the fact that I'd never seen a Miyazaki film and you could say I was really dreading movie night, last night.

Our film revolves around Chihiro, a little girl who, along with her parents, is movie away from the town she grew up in. Chihiro isn't happy about the relocation and she makes her thoughts known through whiny complaints on the car ride to her new home. Her parents try to ease her mind, but she isn't hearing any of it. When the family is nearing their new home, Chihiro's father sees what he thinks is a shortcut and decides to take it. Eventually the trio end up at the mouth of a tunnel, within eyesight of their new home. Chihiro's parents, curious about where the tunnel leads, decide to do a little investigating. Chihiro is afraid of what the tunnel might lead to and tries her best to get her parents back in the car. They forge on, however, with Chihiro clinging to her mother's side, still skeptical about the excursion. At the other end of the tunnel, Chihiro's father identifies what he finds as an abandoned amusement park and nearly dismisses going further. That is until his nostrils get a whiff of some good eatin' and the parents decide that they must taste what they're smelling. When the family finds the source of the food, the parents sit down and begin to chow down, with Chihiro still urging them to return to the car, still afraid of her unknown surroundings. When Chihiro wanders off, she comes across a boy, Haku, who tells her that nighttime is near and she must get out of here. When Chihiro returns to her parents, she finds that they've gorged themselves so much that they've turned into pigs. Now, Chihiro finds herself in a whole new world, like Alice down the rabbit hole and it's up to her to save her parents and survive in this spirit world.

You see, this has never really been the type of movie for me. I've always enjoyed a healthy dose of reality with my movies. So when a film starts exploring mystical, fantastical and supernatural elements, my brain starts to shut it out. I'm just not your guy if your topic of choice is dragons, spirits, witches, talking frogs, six armed boiler dwellers, etc. Well, that is unless the movie with the dragons, witches and spirits is really good, then I can take it. You see, I think I'm quite open minded when it comes to film. If you give me something that's really well done, I can enjoy it. With that being said, I actually really liked "Spirited Away". I'm not sure how it's going to fair in the long run (my opinion could rise or lower), but for now, chalk up a victory for Japanese animation in the battle it waged on my personal tastes. First and foremost, I'd have to say the victory came through Miyazaki's use of glamorous animation. Whether it was an impending rainfall or Chihiro and her pal "No Face" riding a bus through a city of lights, it was breath taking to watch the colors and realize that it all started as a blank computer screen, the 21st century's equivalent to a piece of canvas.

Beyond that, Miyazaki forced you to care about his character Chihiro and threw us into such an imaginative world, that you couldn't help but feel like a child again, at least for the duration of the movie. See that was another problem of mine: I went into "Spirited Away" with the mindset that animated films just weren't for me anymore and as a 27 year old man, I just wasn't going to be able to lose myself in a child's world. What rubbish! That was my closed minded side rearing it's ugly head and thankfully Miyazaki restored my faith in animation and makes me excited to see more of his films and made me realize that just because something is aimed toward children, doesn't mean adults can't take something away, something totally different perhaps. "Spirited Away" more than likely won't be landing a top five spot on my next TOP 20, but I really did enjoy it...a lot more than I thought I would.

RATING: 7.5/10 For now an '8' seems a smidgen too high, but perhaps in time it will grow on me.

MOVIES WATCHED: 420
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 581

Note: I'm sure by now regular visitors of my blog have noticed the banner in the upper right hand corner advertising "Seven Shadows Week". Soon you will know all the details, but for now I may be away from the blog while I watch the seven movies that will make up the "Seven Shadows Week" festivities. I'll be watching the films and writing the reviews, but the reviews will not be posted until all of my reviews are written. That way, we'll be able to keep the entire week contained to just that - a week. So if my posts slow down now, you'll know why. I'm sure as I await the arrival of the movies from Netflix, I'll pop in here and there to review some other movies, but over the course of the next week or so, I may be scarce.

March 30, 2012 10:46pm

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510. EL TOPO (1970)

Running Time: 125 minutes
Directed By: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Written By: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Main Cast: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, Jose Legarreta, Man Alfonso Arau, Jose Luis Fernandez
Click here to view the trailer

NO, IT'S NOT FOR ME

When flipping through the book, prior to my last hiatus, I came across the entry for "El Topo" and just by looking at the picture of Alejandro Jodorowsky in his El Topo gear, I wanted to see this film. I took a break before I could get to it, but when I restarted my Netflix account this month, I made sure that I'd receive it in my first batch so that I could check it out.

The film starts with El Topo (A. Jodorowsky) riding across the desert, dressed in all black, riding a black horse. A child is with him, whom we can assume is his son. He instructs the child that since he is now seven years old, he is now a man and must bury a photograph of his mother and his favorite toy. Once the boy buries his possessions, the two continue riding through the desert and eventually come upon a town. There they find the residents massacred, the animals massacred (including horses with their entrails falling out) and in the buildings they find people hanging from the ceilings by their necks. They find one man still breathing and able to speak, who tells them that the perpetrators have fled to a nearby monastery. El Topo hunts them down and kills them and their leader, a Colonel. It is here that El Topo leaves the boy in the hands of a group of monks and takes with him a woman, whom he names Mara. From here, El Topo is told that he there are four master gunslingers living in the desert and that he must find and defeat all of them to become the greatest gunman of all. El Topo accepts his mission. The four gunslingers each represent SOMETHING (a religion, I suspect) and together with Mara he rides to duel with each of them. This is really only half of the film, but to even try to get into anymore would be too much of a headache for me...and you.

I'm not going to sit here and say that "El Topo" was a garbage film, filled with sex, violence and sacrilegious imagery and something that I really regret having to watch to continue my journey. I won't say that because it isn't true and in fact, I've watched worse for this journey. Take "Salo" for instance, which was far more gruesome in it's imagery. Actually, "El Topo", at times, reminded me of Fellini's "Satyricon", a film that I didn't hail when writing about it, but one that has since grown on me and one that I look back on as an utterly fascinating experience. However, did I like "El Topo"? No, I didn't. Honestly, it falls under that often used category of "not for me" movies. The film, above all else, is about religion (or at least that's my perspective), as Jodorowsky's El Topo character is forced to duel with four men, each representing a different belief. Yes, I believe in God, but I really don't like a lot of religion in my movies (see my Ingmar Bergman reviews). In the trailer for "El Topo", the narrator claims that "El Topo is not about religion, for it contains all religions". Well then that would make it an apex film on the subject of religion, wouldn't it?

By the time this movie was over, I honestly couldn't tell if Jodorowsky was a religious man and his film was meant to justify his beliefs or if he was an atheist and his film was meant to mock other people's beliefs. And on top of all the religious talk there was an awful lot of symbolism, something that got much more thick in the second half. On top of the symbolism and religion, the film was very surreal and I feel like if I had brought a bag full of marijuana with me to watch this movie, then we'd be talking about the #1 film of my next TOP 20. I can say, however, that I was never bored. I watched the screen intently, soaking up the images, listening to the actors and trying to put together the Rubik's cube that was "El Topo". The images actually were quite mesmerizing at times. A scene where one woman splits open a cactus plant and licks through the inside, to symbolize her sexual desire for another woman was quite...intense? (not sure if that's the word I'm looking for). If you want a one sentence explanation of what "El Topo" is all about, chew on this: "El Topo" is what would happen if Federico Fellini made a spaghetti western. Now, I actually like Fellini and my dabbling with spaghetti westerns several months ago was a highly positive one. However, I can't say that the two mix very well. We'll leave it at that.

RATING: 5/10 Let's just call it right down the middle. I have a hard time saying that this was a bad movie, because there was obviously SOMETHING there that had appeal. However, in the end it just wasn't my cup of tea.

MOVIES WATCHED: 419
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 582

March 29, 2012 3:49pm

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992. Das Leben der Anderen/The Lives of Others (2006)

Running Time: 138 minutes
Directed By: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Written By: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Main Cast: Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme
Click here to view the trailer

"NO, IT'S FOR ME"

As I mentioned in an earlier, "update" post, this 100 films will be thick with films from the 1940s, as well as movies from the 21st century. Today I take a look at the winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 79th Academy Awards - "The Lives of Others".

The film is set in 1984 in East German or the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It revolves around the group of Stasi officers, who are hundreds of thousands strong and who's goal it is to "know everything". The Stasi officer that the film focuses on is Captain Gerd Weisler (Muhe), an expressionless, emotionless and very cold man, who follows orders and does his job well, interrogating suspects and using any means necessary to "know everything". When Weisler's superior, Anton Grubitz (Tukur) invites him out to a play, Weisler accepts. Grubitz points out the playwright, Georg Dreyman (Koch), stating that he is a socialist sympathizer and a standout citizen of the GDR. Weisler doesn't buy it and notes that Dreyman looks suspicious and should be watched. After conferencing with his superior, Grubitz is ordered to bug Dreyman's apartment and find out what he can about him. Dreyman's girlfriend is the actress, Christa-Maria Sieland (Gedeck), who also lives in the apartment and who will also be under surveillance watch, which will be headed up by Weisler. However, after weeks of listening to phone calls, watching cameras and observing his subjects, Weisler begins to form some sort of bond with Dreyman and Sieland.

All I really have to say is that the film was quite brilliant. When I started it last night, I was feeling a little under the weather and unsure if I'd be able to finish it before I succumbed to my pillow and a good night's sleep. Well, my suspicions were correct and wanting to give every film in the book my full attention, I too a respite from it. This morning, when I awoke and got ready to finish the film, I still wasn't sure of my exact thoughts on it. I definitely wasn't feeling the "must see" vibe and I assumed that when it was all said and done, I would give it an average rating. Boy, was I wrong! The film continued this morning and I watched intently, first laying down, then to my elbow to get closer to screen, as the suspense was turned up and I really started to grow attached to these characters, not unlike Weisler's attachment to his surveillance subjects.

SPOILER ALERT!

My biggest attachment was to Weisler himself, who grew from a cold, emotionless man into someone who was ultimately punished for caring. What a wicked world where someone is punished for showing basic, human characteristics. I'll jump to the end and announce that I was nearly in tears, as Weisler (now a mail carrier) walks into a bookstore to find a novel by Georg Dreyman, opening the first few pages and finding that it's dedicated to him. In fact, the entire final hour was just so gripping. The entire time I assumed that the end would see Weisler and Dreyman finally meet and at first, I thought that would be the logical ending. Again, I was wrong, as the ending that was in place was actually perfect and in a way, I feel like the two did meet. They knew about one another, Dreyman realized that Weisler helped him and Weisler knew that Dreyman appreciated his help.

I really don't know what else to say. I've just finished the film and perhaps I didn't give myself ample time to let it all sink in. What I do know is that the film is great and I'd recommend it to anyone. For anyone out there who "doesn't watch foreign movies", I feel sorry for you, because this is the type of greatness that you're missing out on. Sure there's a healthy dose of politics involved and a heaping side of history lesson, but that's simply the backdrop to a film about genuine, human emotion trying it's best to thrive in a cruel world. This is a gem of a movie and deserves all the accolades that it's received. In fact, I see one final accolade in it's future - a spot on my next TOP 20.

RATING: 9.5/10 I can't go '10' because I'm just not feeling it, but nevertheless, this is a great movie, '10' or no '10'.

MOVIES WATCHED: 418
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 583

March 28, 2012 12:31pm

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148. Sullivan's Travels (1941)

Running Time: 90 minutes
Directed By: Preston Sturges
Written By: Preston Sturges
Main Cast: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, Robert Warwick, William Demarest, Franklin Pangborn
Click here to view the trailer

THE KING OF COMEDIES?

With "Bergman Week" behind me, I decided to go back to the days of black & white pictures, around the time period (within a few decades anyway) of where my journey began and take a look at yet another Preston Sturges comedy - "Sullivan's Travels".

Joel McCrea is John L. Sullivan, one of the hottest picture director's in town, a man who has dedicated his life to making comedies (films like Ants In Your Pants, for example). However, up until now, his life's work has been more about making money, rather than making poignant pictures. Sully decides that it's time to make a statement with one of his films and announces his decision to make a film called O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a film that explores the misfortunes of the poor. He figures that people want to watch something that they can relate to and since times are so tough, it's perfect timing. Sully's studio boss reminds him that he doesn't know anything about being on the streets or what it's like to be someone who's less fortunate. Sully agrees and decides to take to the streets and find out, first hand, what it's like to be a tramp. Along the way he meets a girl (Lake), because, let's face it - "There's always a girl in the picture!". The girl becomes so attached to him (in record time actually) that she insists on following him around like a lost puppy dog and participating in the experiment with him.

Me and this movie just didn't click. I think my main problem with it, is that I was expecting something different. In fact, I shouldn't have known what to expect. Of the two Preston Sturges films I've watched for the book, one I thought was brilliant ("The Palm Beach Story") and the other...not so much ("The Lady Eve"). However, I had heard the basic plot synopsis for this film (I need to stop reading those) and thought it sounded like something that I'd really take to. Actually, to me it kinda' sounded like "It Happened One Night" (which I loved), where we'd have a guy and a girl go from strangers to lovers and along the way, treat us to a good road comedy. That's not really what I got at all. I had some problems with the script, to be honest. The basic structure sounded like gold - a rich man sets out with ragged clothes and a dime in his pocket to learn about the plight of the downtrodden. However, every time the film got going, the plot had a wrench thrown into it and I never really got that road comedy I was looking for. In fact, when Sully and the girl finally do get out on the road, their entire trip is told through a montage, that lasts no more than five minutes.

SPOILER ALERT!

With that all being said, let me say that everything past Sully handing the one thousand dollars in $5 bills out to his former, fellow tramps was really great. Sully handing out the $5's, being beaten over the head and robbed for his money, waking up on a train car, viciously assaulting a train station employee with a rock and getting sentenced to six years of hard labor in a prison camp, where he realizes that comedies are essential and plotting to get out of prison so that he can make more. Not to mention, being pronounced dead and having his wife (whom he hates and who won't grant him a divorce) re-marry under the circumstances and opening the door wide for him to marry Veronica (or whatever her name was - "the girl"). That right there is an ENTIRE 'freaking movie, in itself!! That sounds amazing to me and everything I just wrote up there literally takes up about the final twenty minutes of the film. For my money, that's way too much gold to cram into twenty minutes. And the beginning wasn't good enough to warrant such a fabulous ending.

The reason I suggest that this movie may be the "King of Comedies" is, obviously, because of its message - comedies are essential and provide more of an escape. It's a nice message, really. Let's face it, comedies aren't usually on the top of a film snobs list of favorite genres, they never receive Oscar nominations (at least not the LOL comedies, the ones that really make you howl) and the ones that do make you howl are usually written off as nothing but garbage (usually by yours truly). But Sturges takes a stand for all comedies, for all-times to come - they're essential and as long as they keep the busting the gut's of the audience, they will always have a place in the American cinema scene.

RATING: 5.5./10 I know, I know, that seems really harsh, but all in all, I just wasn't crazy about it. They're were script issues, as far as I'm concerned and had it been a little more polished (at least for my tastes) it could've gone a lot further.

MOVIES WATCHED: 417
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 584

March 26, 2012 8:39pm

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