Tomorrow is the beginning of the Big Bear Horror Film Festival 2011 and ControllerUnplugged will be there to check out the latest in what indie horror has to offer. This is my first festival since last year's trip to Pusan, South Korea, so I am excited to experience three day's worth of horror films without having to battle a wicked case of jet-lag. Keep checking the site as I will hopefully be updating often, and check the link to see for yourself what's on the line-up.
John CazaleI Knew It Was You PosterJohn Cazale deserved better than this. What amounts to nothing more than a dvd special feature, I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale is an inspired attempt at introducing the world to a forgotten master. The problem is director Richard Shepard employs silly technical choices and bi-polar editing that doesn’t quite fit the subject matter. Chronicling the life and death of one of Hollywood’s greatest actors John Cazale, for probably the first time ever, is put up on a podium. The man acted in five films, all of which were nominated for best picture, before he died of cancer in 1978. Perhaps best remembered for his performance as black sheep brother Fredo Corleone in both The Godfather and The Godfather part II, the man had such understated passion that his eyes could take you to your knees. Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep and many other notable guests appear in the documentary to give us some insight into who Cazale really was on and off screen, offering up some sincerely poignant moments. The film is bizarrely put together however, with foolish design decisions that serve no purpose other than to distract. I Knew It Was You succeeds despite itself, proving just how compelling Cazale could actually be.
Let us just bypass the puns and hyperbolic metaphors. I am not going to say that Drive is a “high octane fuel ride,” or “ Ryan Gosling puts the pedal to the metal as the Driver.” Oddly, these types of responses are what you would most likely be expecting after watching Drive’s trailer. Falsely presenting a car chase heavy action film, Drive is actually more of a kindred spirit to Le Samurai than The Transporter.
Thank God.
Drive Film PosterDrive is pure genre, pure formula, and yet, unlike anything you’re likely to see on screen, perhaps ever. While the plot is filled with overt twists and turns that you can see coming from a mile away, director Nicolas Winding Refn is fearlessly unconventional in his execution. Ryan Gosling plays the Driver, a stunt-driver by day, wheelman by night. He is a loner, either by necessity or by instinct, probably both. He is only really himself when he is behind the wheel, and if its running from the cops or escorting his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio through the streets of Los Angeles, Driver knows he is invincible when he is in a car. His boss and mentor is Shannon (Bryan Cranston), a no-luck sort that honestly believes he still has a shot at success. This impulsive optimism eventually puts both him and the Driver in bed with Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and Nino (Ron Perlman), two tough-as-nails mobsters who leave no room for error.
The film has the same destination as most films of this sort, but it is the U-turns, dead ends, and short cuts where Drive earns its distinctiveness. The ensemble is as impressive as you knew it would be, but this is Gosling’s vehicle, and with Drive he proves he is here for good. Lacking the charisma of Bullitt’s Steve McQueen, Gosling perfectly compensates with stoicism, bringing the “man with no name” trope to new heights. When the film’s Miami Vice aesthetic is replaced by South Korean fierceness halfway through the 2nd act, Drive daringly stops being an exercise in style and becomes a brutal investigation into what it actually means to be a hero. Let me put it to you this way, no prince ever saved his princess without slaying at least one villain.
Drive Film PosterI knew within the opening moments of Drive that this movie was made just for me. It is a masterful example of style with substance, and director Refn along with his cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel demonstrates their expertise in genre filmmaking. Drive tackles action film etiquette without the swagger so many other directors deem necessary. The car chases are not won by who can drive the fastest, but the smartest.
Driver is an unconventional hero, and his relationships and interactions are interesting, but unorthodox. He is inspiring in his stoicism, but also truly terrifying, as he must be to succeed. In the end perhaps Benicio was right, unfortunately, there are no good sharks.
I want to do a spoiler talk soon, so let me know how many if any of you guys have seen the film yet and if that is something you would be interested in. I should have just ignored my fight against hyperbole and started my review by saying this is without a doubt the most badass perfect film of the year, but I restrained myself. How do you feel about Drive? Please leave any comments and click the "share" button below to help get ControllerUnplugged out there!
Umberto D.Possibly the most sincere of the Italian Neorealist films, Vittorio De Sica’s Umberto D extracts many of the best qualities from the movement and in return presents audiences with an effort of rare genuineness. Taking advantage of the medium’s specific facilities, De Sica capably exhibits his character’s past by simply showing. The little exposition that is given is presented by way of mannerisms, routine, mise en scène. Using images, not words, Umberto D is a classic and a perfect example of cinematic storytelling.
And if for no other reason I love Umberto D because of Flick, the protagonist's Jack Russell terrier and best friend.
This is Flick: Umberto D. Flick
And this is my Jack Russell Buckley:
Now, can you understand why it was impossible for me not to love Umberto D.?
If you were to ask 80-year old Dr. Yoshiro Nakamats if he invented eccentricity he would undoubtedly, and without hesitation, answer with a “yes.” In fact, if there is something out there even a tad bit unconventional or unique, Nakamats either thought it up or is already thinking of a way to evolve it and make it even better. “Better” of course is subjective in this case. For instance, does having a notepad that can be used underwater in fact make it better? With over 3,357 inventions; many similar in approach and convenience as the underwater notepad, or the wig adorned with weights that females can use for self-defense by vigorously swinging their heads at would be attackers, Nakamats has made a name for himself in Japan for being an outspoken advocate of himself.
The Invention of Dr. Nakamats PosterAside from his myriad of clever and mostly ridiculous inventions, the Dr. is also a devout misogynist and a genuine egotist. He is affable to the general public, but only when they appear to be as enamored to be in his presence as he is with himself. For the most part the Japanese do seem to at least admire the prolific scientist, but that could also be a mixture of respect and intimidation. He carries a cordial demeanor that just waivers above a mild contempt, but a few choice scenes show the man in what I could only assume is his more natural, contemptible state. For example, in planning his own 80th birthday party he is in negotiations to rent out a floor in an upscale hotel, and modestly desires to have the floor renamed to the “Dr. Yoshiro Nakamats Floor.” When the owner sends one of his subordinates to inform Nakamats that this will not be possible, the Dr. can no longer restrain his true derision for the weak minded that surround him and for a brief moment let’s loose his frustration and anger on the poor helpless messenger. It is an uncomfortable scene, but also in an odd way a relief. Like exhaling a breath that had been held in for too long, Dr. Nakamats’ expulsion of ire is a wonderful look behind the mask (that I am sure he invented). His narcissism has evolved into an expectation that all should share his self-admiration.
This expectation includes director Kaspar Astrup Schroder. The film never pushes Nakamats, never attempts an investigation into the twisted psychology of the man that honestly believes he will live past 140. So many questions are raised and not answered I am surprised The Invention of Dr. Nakamats was not produced and edited by the Dr. himself. Sadly the documentary is self-serving and harmless, further placating a man that has without a doubt earned the right to be diabolically disingenuous.
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Warrior 2011 Film PosterWarrior is an amalgamate of almost every big boxing movie made in the last 30 years or so, painted over with a nice new coat of blood and viscera that only mixed martial arts (MMA) could provide. It tackles the powerful relationship between brothers similarly to last year’s The Fighter or to a lesser extent Scorsese’s Raging Bull. The down-and-out coach that comes back to train the underdog like Million Dollar Baby. The has been father that must put his marriage and body on the line to provide for his family is a major them in both Warrior and classic fight films like Cinderella Man and The Champ. Hell, they even throw in some Russian villainy to remind us all of how Ivan Drago must break anything in Rocky IV.
Originality may not be the film’s strongest asset; but Warrior was still a blast to watch. While I prefer the sweet science of boxing to the bloodlust provided by the MMA, the choreographed battles inside the octagon were thrilling to watch. The premise of two brothers unknowingly entering a tournament to prove once and for all who the “toughest man in the world is” was as engaging as any sports film can get. Couple that with emotionally fractured family dynamics that elevate the film past genre drudgery, and what is produced is a truly gripping piece of melodrama.
Like the best boxing films, the intensity found outside of the arena is even more engrossing and intense than the physical bouts themselves. I hate discussing plot on this blog, and I definitely think going into Warrior without knowing the main plot points will be a great service to your experience. Unfortunately the trailer, perhaps unavoidably, does give away much of the drama found in the film, going so far as to give you a pretty good idea on how the entire film will play out. That being said, this is a heavy film. The main performances by the brothers Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton along with their rehabilitated father played by Nick Nolte are some of the year’s best. Heartbreaking and affective without ever being sentimental, the scenes showcasing the three disconnected family members hit harder than any punch thrown in the film. I really enjoyed my time with Warrior.
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Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 1:19PM 
2011 Big Bear Horror Film Festival
