I cannot wait to talk about this film! Its a movie I have seen at least a dozen times, and my wife is reading a David Mamet play so I made her sit down and watch GlenGarry Glen Ross. I am going to write my reaction tomorrow, but I want to post this Alec Baldwin monologue from the movie... Its one of my favorite monologues in one of my favorite movies ever! Even if you don't read anything I write, watch this clip!
Throne of BloodLast night I watched Akira Kurosawa's film Throne of Blood for the first time. The film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, but Kurosawa only uses the original play as a stepping-off point to weave his own tale of murderous ambition in ancient Japan. It is always an odd feeling just having finished a "classic" film for the first time. I am always suspicious of my reactions to a film like Throne of Blood because I feel as though I have a responsibility to enjoy it. Critics and audiences alike have been praising this film for close to 50 years, so of course I have to love it, right? Even worse, what does it say about me if I didn't get it? If, God help me, I didn't just fall in love with the movie does that mean I am not smart enough? That I am not cut out to analyze film? I guess the best I can do is just come on here and give my honest reaction... It was pretty good. At first I really thought I hated it, but throughout my entire day I couldn't stop thinking about the samurai Washizu, and his inevitable and unavoidable downfall, having been shown his own future. Would things have turned out as tragically as they did if he had not known his own fate? Should a man's ambition also be his wife's, or is it the other way around? I am a married man, and I confess it is very easy to mix and confuse our dreams and goals. Of course, my wife doesn't look like Asaji (Isuzu Yamada): This woman is frightening! The way she moves across the frame is terrifying; eerily resembling both an apparition and a snake slithering in for an easy kill. I am sure many comparisons to Adam and Eve have been made in the past. Lady Asaji scaring the shit out of me!
The theme of man's ambition is what I found most interesting in Throne of Blood. Throughout the film, Washizu proves the extremes he is willing to go in an effort to reach his goal of being emperor. But, was that his goal before the evil woman in the woods told him it would be so? I would argue, Washizu had very little ambition. This was a content man before the women in his life pushed him to murder, I imagine Washizu would be very happy just leading a group of soldiers on a battlefield, or perhaps having charge over a military fort. He didn't need to be emperor, and yet, he still died as one.
After 24 hours to think about it, I think the critics had it right these past 50 years. This is a "classic" film, filled withstartling and chilling imagery, thoughtful and patient storytelling, and a rapid, almost hectic editing style rarely seen in a Kurosawa film. This is a film I will buy very soon, if for no other reason than to watch it every time my wife pisses me off... 20 minutes with Lady Asaji will remind quickly how good I have it!
Ok.. so I got a request for Paranormal Entity, and I have already seen the film and talked about it on an old blog, so i will just post what I wrote over there over here... got it?
Paranormal Entity PosterParanormal Entity is the most recent addition in an ever-evolving list of movies (if you would call them that) whose main goal is to as closely emulate other, more successful films, without being sued. They are currently being called "Mockbusters." For example: Transformers and its rip-off Transmorphers PosterTransmorphers, or Land of the Lost compared to The Land That Time Forgot. As I am sure you have already figured out, Paranormal Entity tries its hardest to trick unsuspecting viewers into believing they are watching last year's hit Paranormal Activity. Well, all I can say is don't fall for it. This film, shot completely with handheld cameras, makes no sense and never takes advantage of its chosen style, utilized better in films like The Blair Witch Project, and yes, Paranormal Activity. Unless your interested in a hackneyed horror movie with bizarre incestuous undertones, I suggest you watch something... anything else.
Mother Blu-Ray CoverThe 1st of 500! I started out my movie pilgrimage in South Korea, within the mind of the deliriously brilliant director Bong Joon-Ho and his newest film Mother. Unfortunately I am not so sure that was a smart move, because I find it hard to believe I will watch another movie this perfect in the next year, even if I decided to watch 1000 films. With a plot that may sound straightforward, the mother of a simpleminded man must prove her son's innocence when he is accused of a local high school girl's murder, it will not take long for you to realize this movie is not going to be familiar formulaic American fare. Not even close. Instead what Joon-Ho delivers is a mesmerizing look into the love and devotion of a woman who's entire existence is centered on protecting her boy. What she finds within the depths of her small Korean town is horrifying if nothing else. Mother (she is never given another name) will stop at nothing to uncover the truth, but what is so frightening is the woman's fanatical drive to reach her goal, perhaps becoming a monster far greater than anything she hopes to find.
The Host South Korean Poster
What I found most compelling about this film was Joon-Ho's patience with his storytelling, and the courage to trust his film and his lead actress (Kim Hye-Ja) to venture as far as they needed to go. If you are expecting a film like the director's 2006 monster movie The Host than you might feel slightly disappointed. What very little comedy there is in Mother is not as black as The Host, and the quirkiness that the family in his earlier film shared is no where to be found in Mother. Still, this film is a must-see, a must-own, and must-love film. Bong Joon-Ho is clearly stepping above his peers like Chan-Wook Park and achieving the heights of his obvious influences, who among others must be Hitchcock. Mother is candid where Rear Window could not be, and far darker than Psycho or even Lifeboat.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life as they say, but sadly it is the last day for all of my old video game systems. Is this really the last time I am going to play a video game for the next year? What should I play? Go with a couple of classics or play something totally new? The only game I have that I should finish is the DLC they released for Alan Wake... But I think I will start with something a little bit older and challenging.
AAAHH! I don't know why I do this to myself! This game is so damn hard... I got all the way to the sewers with all four turtles with near-full health and I STILL died! You know, I have heard stories of gamers getting all the way to the technodrome, but I am pretty sure they are all full of crap!
Ok I am just going to finish Alan Wake. I beat the main game about 2 months ago, and to be honest with you I have precisely a 4-year-old's understanding of what the Hell happened. The ending of this game takes a Volkswagen sized JJ Abrams crap right on your tv and leaves you with about a thousand questions and exactly NO answers. I am hoping the DLC they just released a couple weeks ago will at least make some sense of what exactly I spent 12 hours playing. It should be said I really liked Alan Wake. The first 2 episodes are super formulaic and hard to get into, but once Alan starts crawling deeper into the rabbit's butthole that is Bright Falls, the insanity meter revs up to about %200 and you can actually feel your reasoning abilities begin to die. I love horror... this is horror... so I love Alan Wake.
AAAHH! Alan what are you doing?!?! I can't help you if everything you do is a dream... or an illusion... or a brainfart or whatever the hell is going on in Bright Falls. I just finished the DLC, and I am no better off then when I started. I never read any of the transcripts I found and that probably could have helped, but really how much? And if I have read 100 pages worth of exposition just to understand your game, than there might be a probably (and hopefully its not me).
Well I need something nice and dumb to help me recover from the Alan Wake mind-raping I just fell victim to, and only Road Rash for the Nintendo 64 can supply the proverbial cold shower. This game is ugly, glitchy, impossible to control, and really fun. There is nothing like slamming a boxy-headed cop with a bat while riding a rectangle that if I squint hard enough somewhat resembles a motorcycle.
Here is some video I shot of my wife Brynn after she ripped the controller out of my hand to play a little Road Rash. I swear, before I turned the camera on she was very enthusiastic in her commentary for the game.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 11:49PM 
