#105. I Am Comic - Review

I Am Comic film poster

I Am Comic promised to be an insightful look into the psychologically dark world of stand-up comedy, and why comedians feel the need to make you laugh. Is it insecurity that drives them? Surely there are some self-esteem issues if you dedicate your entire life to standing up on a stage in front of a room full of strangers and try and earn their love and admiration. Well, I Am Comic does very little digging, and instead offers yet another half-assed documentary of behind-the-scenes footage of comedy clubs and a myriad of interviews with the comedians inhabiting them. I was let down by this doc, and like Darkon, I hope there is a filmmaker out there willing to take advantage of all the rich substance in the subject.

#104. The Sin of Nora Moran - Review

The Sin of Nora Moran film posterThe Sin of Nora Moran (1933) is an early American avant-garde melodrama that succeeds at experimentation, creating a bizarre and tragic experience that is as obsessed with style as its existential themes. The film tells the painfully tragic story of Nora Moran (Zita Johann), a young woman whose life has been filled with such misfortune and hurt that it is bitterly ironic she will be a martyr for true love. The movie’s nihilistic melody sings loudly throughout the picture, introducing the titular Moran mere moments before she will be put to death serves as a base for the film’s thematic goals. It within these early moments of the film that director Phil Goldstone and cinematographer Ira Morgan begin to play with both the camera and narrative structure. There is a scene early on in the film where Moran lays helplessly on her cot, staring wide-eyed into space, constructing her ill-fated life in her mind while she helplessly awaits her own death in prison. The camera creeps closer towards Moran’s face, meeting her haunting glare, desperately trying to find any hint of emotion behind the painful eyes of this doomed spirit. Suddenly the screen is washed over with a grayish tint, her eyes resembling those of someone trying to peer through a filthy screen door knowing danger lurks on the other side. The Sin of Nora Moran film posterThe film continues on a complex path of quasi-consciousness; playing with time and reality the filmmakers courageously employ flashbacks, dreams, hallucinations, and even conversations between the living and the dead, to effectively construct an uncanny existence that any fan of the The Twilight Zone (1959) can appreciate.

The Sin of Nora Moran is the quintessential B-picture all of the dark and twisted noirs of the 40’s wanted to be, invoking the same existential discontent that so many gritty American melodramas were obsessed with come mid-century. While Nora Moran seems to have been lost to history, its more famous brethren like Murder, My Sweet (1944) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) owe a lot to its surreal and gritty sensibilities. 

#103. The Client - Review

The Client film posterUgh. I don’t even want to write about this film. Everything from the generic John Grisham plot to the horrendous accent employed by Tommy Lee Jones is stale and trite. The set-up is simple: When teenager Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) unwillingly holds a deathbed confessional for the attorney of a local mafia-family, the lawyer divulges the whereabouts of the corpse of a senator his client recently killed. Sway’s world falls apart in a clichéd melodramatic shit-storm when both sides of the law try to get a hold of the young witness for their own gain. Every aspect of this film is silly and banal, strife with over acting, plot-holes, and nothing even resembling engaging twists or action. There isn’t a single likable character in the entire film. Renfro’s protagonist is annoying and bothersome; constantly making stupid decisions that should be overtly obvious to anyone, even a child. Jones’ district attorney is given the same over-the-top personality that gave his Two-Face such lasting charm, and Susan Sarandon looks as bored throughout the film as I was.  What could have been a super slick crime thriller never amounts to more than what should be a TNT drama series starring Kyra Sedgewick and Joe Don Baker.

If you actually liked this hackneyed POS than please let me know why. Like always, leave any comments on the film that you may have, and PLEASE click the “share” button below and give others the chance to be part of the conversation.

#102. Darkon - Review

Darkon film banner / poster

This is more of a glimpse than a documentary. Chronicling the many adventures of the players in the Darkon Wargaming Club, these would be warriors dabble in a little exercise called LARPing (Live Action Role Playing). Although the premise is interesting, the directors never fully dive into the psyche of the men and women dressed-up like knights and squires. Which is unfortunate considering the how (some might say delusional) invested the members of Darkon seem. Single mothers, investment bankers, teenagers, un-employed, and even grandparents leave the real world at home, pick up their Styrofoam swords and armor, and excitedly meet for battle.  The “why” is interesting but remains unexamined. Perhaps the directors were unable to ask pressing questions because they were too busy suppressing their sneers and giggles? Maybe; but either way this burgeoning hobby isn’t going anywhere, and hopefully someone with more of an interest in sociology and less of an interest in laughing at nerds can take advantage of the ripe material offered in the world of LARPing. 

Darkon film

As always, let me know what you thought of the flick in the comments section, and please click the "share" button below and give Controller Unplugged a plug so others can get in on the conversation.