Marketa Lazarova Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Marketa Lazarova
Year: 1967
Director: Frantisek Vlacil
Country: Czechoslovakia
Language(s): Czech, German

An American company known as The Criterion Collection has been dedicated to restoring and distributing impressive classic and contemporary films from all over the world. Many of their releases are rarities that may have not seen the light of day as a region 1 home video release if it had not been for Criterion. One of those "rarities" is a little known Czechoslovakian film called Marketa Lazarova, which is hailed by critics as the greatest piece of Czech Cinema even made.

The plot of the film involves Mikolás and his brother Adam, who rob travelers for their tyrannical father Kozlík. During one of their "jobs" they end up with a young German hostage whose father escapes to return news of the kidnapping and robbery to the King. Kozlik prepares for the wrath of the King, and sends Mikolás to pressure his neighbor Lazar to join him in war. Persuasion fails, and in vengeance Mikolás abducts Lazar's daughter Marketa.

It's almost impossible to prepare yourself for Vlacil's Czech epic, even if you go into the film knowing every little detail you will find yourself quite surprised. Vlacil doesn't conform to any linear narrative, the plot jumps back and forth through time and space. It's unfortunately very easy to get lost in the film, which is why even the most educated of film scholars need more than one viewing to fully understand the story being told. However, don't let that detract you from watching this great picture, it's quite an emotional and powerful piece.

Watching Marketa Lazarova for the first time is like experiencing the events of 9/11 unfold before your eyes. In both you are overwhelmed with images and sounds that evoke great emotion from you. Even though you aren't exactly sure what's going on, you do know that the events are incredibly important. Vlacil's film is impressively constructed, resurrecting the look and atmosphere of the Middle Ages. While most directors fall in love with the time period they recreate and exploit a false reality, Vlacil tries his best to show an accurate representation of the tumultuous time period that was the change from Paganism to Christianity.

In conclusion, Marketa Lazarova is one of the deepest films you will ever see. It is loaded with complex themes about the nature of humanity, love, religion and patriarchy. Unfortunately I have not seen the film enough times to go into too much detail about these themes, however from what I have viewed I can confirm that this is quite a breathtaking picture. Praise it! 4.5/5

Is It a Wonderful Life? The Myth of George Bailey and the American Dream

 Is It a Wonderful Life? The Myth of George Bailey and the American Dream
Year: 2013
Writers: Michael Carlisle & Ehren C Clarke
Editor: Ehren C Clarke

 The film “Sullivan’s Travels” makes a compelling yet hollow case on the state of moral affairs in 1942 America. The assertion, after the lead character, a Hollywood director, goes through a series of misadventures for the sake of the “art film,” is put to a harsh reality check by prisoners, not an ideal test group, that America doesn’t want realism, substance and meaning, they want to laugh. The “art film” is thus derided and the comedy and the lighter side of life applauded as the formulaic cinema to cure the aching ills of an ailing America. Here the message is clear, but groundless. Four years later, Frank Capra’s 1946 “It’s A Wonderful Life,” conveys a message that is like in meaning yet cryptically hidden in a story meant to warm and please the heart of America hearkening back through nostalgia and looking ahead through the “American dream.” We, the audience, the same one given to the brighter side of things as seen in “Sullivan’s Travels,” are easily passed off as convinced of George Bailey’s idealism and all that he stands for that is patriotic in the “small guy” making the happy life for his family and that there really can be a happy ending as, “the angel gets its wings.” But the reality we see greet Bailey is nothing like he intended. It is more the case that frankly, all of his dreams are shut out, squashed, by this “American dream.” Is the “American dream” then some playing second fiddle to the actual hoped for manifest destiny of those countless many who dreamed a dream? According to George Bailey, apparently so. Just who is this dubious character who has done such a magnanimous job in stealing the hearts of viewers, typically each Christmas when the sentiments flow most readily, and the heart strings are pulled with more naiveté.

Considering that “It's a Wonderful Life” did not hold water in Post War British Cinema, understandably, the British were recovering from the same brutal war, but one in which they lost many more citizens and had cities still left in rubble- the British public was in the mood for a darker kind of film. This is the time when Ealing comedies like “Kind Hearts and Coronets” and “Ladykillers” were at their peak. Considering anti-heroes were all the rage, here is a time when a character like George Bailey, with naive American sensibilities, would not have fit in at all. In fact American characters in the UK were either portrayed as fools or villains; the following are two very popular examples. “Night and the City's” Harry Fabian is the only American in Jules Dassin's classic film noir. He has big dreams, the same "American dream” and he wishes to cash it all in, during post WWII UK. Unfortunately, his youthful optimism gets him nowhere. Often he steals from his wife's purse just to pay off the money he owes. Eventually Fabians finds living the "American dream" means screwing everyone over & then dying in the gutter like a rat. In the UK, would have Capra's film ended so blissfully? Certainly not. The British were angry and needed a cinema that expressed their outrage. Their George Bailey would have shot himself and then died in the river!

Another anti-hero is found in Carol Reed's “The Third Man.” Joseph Cotton plays Holly Marins, an American who has come to search for his best friend. He writes pulp westerns and acts like the many heroes he writes about. However time and time again he is proven to be a fool by a UK detective. He eventually finds his friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), but learns that life is not all fine and dandy. Lime uses his ideal of the “American dream” to make money by poisoning children. In the end, friend is forced to kill friend. A community is shattered. Post WWII British cinema was not a community, it was anarchy. It was destruction, gritty and grimy reality. “It's a Wonderful Life” had no place with that audience because it relied too heavily on following rules that the UK knew were completely shattered by the war.

The rules for the American public rested on the realization of a dream, or so Capra intended, and purportedly, George Bailey should exemplify this. The character of George Bailey played by James Stewart was the ideological measure upon which the entire film rests. For post WWII institutionalized American core principles and weighty moral issues the film intended to propagate, the character of George Bailey must likewise possess such traits and manifest them as a source for their perpetuation in the film, galvanizing those around him to that which is this high standard set. Unfortunately, Capra creates a character in Bailey that is hollow and not like the one found in Gary Cooper’s character of Alvin C. York in 1941 and “Sergeant York” whose attributes were sustainable enough to support the morality and ideology of the entire film, as he would do again in his role in 1952 and “High Noon.” Here are fully realized, fully dimensional characters of gravitas. This is not the case for George Bailey. The character is elementally obtuse amounting to very little other than a banner for the ideals that Capra pins to Bailey’s lapels. The character may represent ideals, wearing them like the latest fashion, but is of itself of an almost arbitrary figure that might be substituted for or whom one might see substituting for another, such as the entomologist played by Eija Okada in Hiroshi Teshigahara’s 1964 Woman in the Dunes, an ideal match of an ineffectual subject. In short, Stewart’s portrayal of Bailey was enough to “wear” the signature characteristics of the post-WWII idealism of the day: duty, honesty, long-suffering, dependability, but emanating these qualities from within, in a role that demonstrated the kind of singularity to be the post WWII American role model required; he was simply inadequate and might have been any “shade” in “Hell,” “Purgatory” or “Paradise,” any in this, Dante’s “Divine Comedy” just as he, as empty as was the dream that was to be his sole motivation throughout the entire film, never to be realized, was a character too insignificant to be believed.

To Be Continued...

Note: Every week we will add a new section to this article, exposing even more of Capra's beloved film.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Year: 2008
Director: David Fincher
Country: US
Language: English

In the 21st Century, it becomes almost customary to blame Hollywood for its lack of originality and innovation. In some ways this critique holds some water; we can only tolerate so many White-Guilt and "Superhero is Jesus" metaphor movies. In some ways this critique is a vague generalization. Films like Life of Pi, Argo and 127 Hours prove that there is some saving grace in Hollywood cinema. A unique modern Hollywood film that comes to mind is David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

In the film on the day that Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, elderly Daisy Williams (nee Fuller) is on her deathbed in a New Orleans hospital. At her side is her adult daughter, Caroline. Daisy asks Caroline to read to her aloud the diary of Daisy's lifelong friend, Benjamin Button. Benjamin is a unique man who ages backwards; as he gets older his body gets younger and he will die an embryo. Benjamin's diary recounts his entire extraordinary life,

Perhaps I jumped the gun when I said The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a unique Hollywood film; it certainly is a unique short story by the great F.Scott Fitzgerald, but as a movie much of it is reminiscent of Forrest Gump. Eric Roth wrote the screenplay for both picture, so I suppose it isn't exactly plagiarism. At almost three hours long Fincher's film is an epic but it could have been cut by an hour; much of Benjamin Button seems tedious and becomes so boring that it's sleep inducing. Another critique I have is that Fincher wastes far too much time on the romance aspect of Benjamin Button and not enough on the supernatural aspect that everybody paid to see. The main character has a disease which causes him to age backwards and the Screenwriter isn't going to capitalize on it and let his imagination run wild? A film about the tragedy of aging backwards is MUCH more intriguing than two forty year olds having a fling. If I wanted that I would have seen Sex and the City 2. Even when we see Benjamin's age progression we can't quite comprehend exactly what the character is going through, because we see it from an outside perspective. Much of the aging is physical, which makes for great comedy, but a great film would show Button's mental struggles. Forrest Gump was great because we saw life as he did; we understood how his condition affected him, how he came to terms with his condition and how he persevered despite great odds.

Technically speaking, the film is very well made. The heartbreaking score brings some depth to the film, while the cinematography and lighting are top notch, as they are in everything David Fincher creates. The makeup and CGI are used incredibly well, aside from some obvious moments in the movie (Old baby Benjamin Button) it's really hard to tell the technology apart from reality. Cate Blanchette is wonderful in her role, playing Benjamin's complex girlfriend with ease and great charisma. Brad Pitt's acting fades in and out throughout the film; it's never bad, but at times it ceases to be good.

In conclusion, while The Curious Case of Benjamin Button impresses me on a technical level; it lacks any real imagination or depth. It leaves me with many questions, and not in a good way. Was there any point to this movie? Certainly it was a huge mistake to ignore their unique creative character disability in favor of romance. For a movie about time, seeing Fincher's film is time wasted. Piss on it! 2/5

Pulp Fiction Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Pulp Fiction
Year: 1994
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Country: US
Language: English 

 " What ain't no country I've ever heard of. They speak English in What?"

The well known American Director Quentin Tarantino is a rather polarizing character. He is either loved or hated by individual critics and film-goers. Great debates spark from his pictures, which contain homage over homage of Classic Westerns and film noir. Frankly, I think he has become a fraction of what he once was. In making films like Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained for a big production company, he has sold his artistic soul. Still Tarantino was great at some point, his best work was of course Pulp Fiction.

In this movie  Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackdon) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta)  are two hitmen who are out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer, mob boss Marsellus Wallace. (Ving Rhames)  Wallace has also asked Vincent to take his wife Mia (Uma Thurman) out a few days later when Wallace himself will be out of town. Butch  Coolidge (Bruce Willis) is an aging boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are woven together comprising of a series of funny, bizarre and uncalled-for incidents.

In many people's eyes, even the ones who have lost faith in Tarantino, Pulp Fiction is Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece. It's a bad-ass film with a non linear plot that takes us through the gritty underworld of Hitmen and Gangsters. Tarantino takes stories that have been told over and over, such as the boxer who is paid to take a dive, and re-invents them with his own unique style. In this film, blending classic Hollywood Cinema with the modern era of Cinema works quite well.

The dialogue in Pulp Fiction is crisp and believable, it's enjoyable to listen to somewhat complicated characters talk about things completely unrelated to the plot, such as ordering food in France. Tarantino loads the movie with great humor, mostly built by incredible tension and anxiety, such as the scene where Mia overdoses. The Director gives us incredible shots with his camera, there are at least a dozen moments of great cinematography in Pulp Fiction. The score is unforgettable; right from the start we hear a tune that becomes etched in our minds. However, the film is not perfect; like most Tarantino films Pulp Fiction is very entertaining, but has no thought provoking themes or messages. What is the point of this film? What is Tarantino trying to teach us? It's use of violence is careless. Tarantino has never been the type of director to use violence in an intelligent way, but rather to glorify how cool it is.

In conclusion, though Quentin Taratino's Pulp Fiction is hailed as a masterpiece by many people, I would have to disagree. It's a bit too superficial and full of shock violence, the gun store rape scene for example, to be considered that. While it is incredibly entertaining and very technically well made, it lacks the depth that a typical "masterpiece" needs. This film did inspire many American movies to be made, and I thank it for that, but it's contribution to World Cinema as a whole is not so big. 3.5/5

Snow Flurry Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Snow Flurry
Year: 1959
Director: Keisuke Kinoshita
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

Every once in a while I stumble across a film that is intriguing in plot but very obscure, so obscure in fact that there are almost no reviews on the internet for the film and it doesn't seem to be on any "greatest" films list, despite being a truly "great" film. German filmmaker Dorris Dorrie's Nobody Loves Me certainly falls under this category; describe the film to any cinephile and about 90% will not have heard of it. Another film that lands in the category is Kinoshita's incredible Snow Flurry. 

In this film a woman gives birth to a child, after surviving the double suicide pact she made with her lover. We watch this child and his mother grow older, but seemingly unable to escape the tragedies of his mother's past.

Kinoshita's great picture is an enormous puzzle; its non linear plot can prove to be a little bit confusing, but once you find out where you are in the story, it can be quite simple. Snow Flurry is quite a tearjerker; a great tragedy about a shamed family that struggles to get through their daily lives because of a seedy past. The boy's own name is a guilty reminder of the incident, which will haunt him for the rest of his life despite having nothing to do with it.

Snow Flurry examines cruelty of all kinds; the cruel nature of love, the cruel nature of Japanese tradition and the cruel nature of suicide. It transforms a simple idea into a complex narrative, filled with complicated characters who wish to be free from shame and humiliation. Each of dialogue is necessary to create the tense and gloomy atmosphere of the film, each shot is more heartbreaking than the last. While I found the situation a bit difficult to comprehend, because I am far removed from that culture, I still found it quite powerful.

In conclusion, Kinoshita's masterpiece is not for the weak of heart. It is one of the most sad yet sincere films I have ever seen. Perhaps at times it can seem a little too melodramatic, but you will be so entranced by the story unfolding before your eyes that you may not notice. It is a film that should be watched many times, if you can sustain your tears until the end. Praise it! 4.5/5

Profound Desires of the Gods Review-By Michael Carlisle

Title: Profound Desires of the Gods
Year: 1968
Director: Shohei Imamura
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese 

From Akira Kurosawa to Yasujiro Ozu, Japanese Cinema has had a staggering amount of influential Directors and films. Pictures like Rashomon and Tokyo Story have become highly regarded as masterpieces by critics and cinephiles alike. The country's cinema has helped in influencing almost every prolific North American Director, including Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese. Shohei Imamura is also a much beloved Japanese director; perhaps his greatest work is Profound Desires of the Gods.

In this film, Tokyo engineer Kariya arrives on a primitive tropical island to drill a well to provide water for the sugar mill. He is assisted on the island by Kametaro, from the inbred Futori family. Nekichi Futori is chained in a pit that he has to dig, in order to appease the gods for breaking island customs. Nekichi is in love with his sister Uma, who is a shaman priestess at the sacred shrine, that contains the only good water close to the mill. She is also the mistress of Ryu, the manager of the mill. The patriarch of the Futori family tries to get the engineer to marry his retarded daughter Toriko.

Profound Desire of the Gods is one of Japan's most overlooked epics. Running at a somewhat long 173 minutes, it is an incredibly ambitious film that is filled with strange images that create a mythical atmosphere. Imamura spares no detail in portraying the odd Futori family and their desire to regain social status that they seemingly lost long ago. Unlike Kurosawa's epics, Imamura's film is far detached from Western Influence. To understand the motives of the characters in this film and their reactions to some social situations, one might want to read about Japanese Culture. 

Unfortunately this film wasn't a hit at the box office and it was filled with production problems from day one. It's quite lavish, but went wildly over budget and was considered a great failure at the time of its release. Imamura's production company Nikkatsu would refuse to make such an epic for a long time. Though that being said, Profound Desire of the Gods is a thoroughly engaging film which has themes that run quite deep. Imamura uses the film to explore Japan's relationship with the outside world, tradition vs modernism, the nature of man and religious hypocrisy. The film's cinematography is quite breathtaking, often showing us great landscapes. The score can be quite haunting and powerful.

In conclusion, Profound Desires of the Gods is a bizarre yet mythical film that has very few flaws, if any. Imamura's leisurely pace allow us to explore his strange world while still being entranced by the plot. While some epics feel like they are too long, this feels just right.  It's a very complex picture that demands multiple viewings, but the more one views it, the better it will get. Praise it! 5/5

Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell
Year: 1968
Director: Hajime Sato
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

B-Horror films will always have a special place in the North American's heart. Pictures like Sam Raimi's Evil Dead and George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead both thrill and excite while leaving a profound impact on our imaginations. Japanese horror films do this even greater with more fantasy and surrealism, Nubuhiko Obayashi's House is not easily dismissed. From Criterion's Eclipse line comes an intriguing box set called When Horror Came To Shochiku, within it an interesting gem that will be reviewed today.

The plot of the film consists of a plane crashing in a remote area of Japan. While the survivors are out looking for help they become under attack by blob-like alien creatures that turn their victims into blood thirsty vampire-like beings.

Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell is a unique horror film, though the plot always feels somewhat familiar. It is scary, even terrifying, without relying too much on extreme gore and annoying screams. It is very atmospheric, every technical aspect of the film lends itself to creating an intense feeling of helplessness and anxiety. The blood red skies and eerie music are a good example of this. Sato also hosts a variety of startling images, like pigeons committing suicide via smashing into the plane, to build up tension.

Unfortunately Sato's film is not perfect; while it's abundant in chilling atmosphere, it lacks in script and characters with depth. We care for the heroes, but we don't know much about them and they are a little bit cliched. The acting is a bit hammy and overall the film is poorly paced. Perhaps it's also a bit too long for the subject, because it can be a bit tedious. Still this film is a little bit more than your average B- horror film.

In conclusion, Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell is a very fun film that I would certainly watch again. It has some great qualities that a fantastic horror film should have, but many other aspects hold it back from being something truly amazing. Don't expect anything highly of it, but do expect an enjoyable flick. 3/5

The Double Life of Veronique Review- By Michael Carlisle

 Title: The Double Life of Veronique
Year: 1991
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Country(s): France/Poland
Languages(s): French/Polish

If I were to make a list of my favorite directors then Krzysztof Kieslowski would certainly make the top five. His films are well made and quite a spiritual experience. I became enamored over the Director after I watch his wonderful Three Colors Trilogy (Blue, White and Red)  which was extraordinarily well made and was filled with historical intrigue and exquisite themes. Lately I've re-watched The Double Life of Veronique and I find myself amazed once more.

The film involves two doppelgangers played by Irene Jacob; Weronika who lives in Poland and Véronique who lives in Paris. They don't know each other in the slightest. Weronika gets a place in a music school, works hard, but collapses and dies on her first performance. At this point, Véronique's life seems to take a turn and she seems to be greatly affected by the death of somebody she never knew.

Kiewslowski's film is a strange and poetic journey through the lives of two strangers. Themes of duality, synchronicity, and fate are filmed in utmost sincerity and seriousness, while maintaining an enchanting dream-like atmosphere. It's a film that needs to be re-watched many times because it is not straightforward. which may not please some viewers, but I don't think it suffers from that quality. The Director makes a seemingly complex film that makes us want to understand more about each character.

Visually the film is stunning. The striking cinematography gives us many beautiful shots while drawing us into Veronique's wondrous world. The camera gets us lost in the surreal quality of the film, while exposing a number of motifs present. The score plays a significant role in understanding both characters and can help in revealing the connection between both characters. Interestingly enough Kieslowski gives The Double Life of Veronique enough ambiguity to let the audience come up with their own interpretation of the film, while not frustrating us.

In conclusion, though I have not seen every film Krzyszstof Kieslowski has made, I intend on seeing them all very shortly. He has tremendous talent which is very present in The Double Life of Veronique. Though I don't recommend it as an introduction to his work, see Three Colors first, it certainly is a surprising film that will make you smarter about Cinema. Praise it! 5/5

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Symbiopsychotaxiplasm
Year: 1968
Director: William Greaves
Country: US
Language: English

The 1960's was a time of great change and great Cinema. With African Americans like Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, the civil rights movement became a forefront in American culture. The space wars ignited and the first American astronauts were sent to the moon. Intriguing documentaries like Medium Cool and Montery Pop were made to show the wondrous changes that were being made. Society was getting rebellious and as a result, cinema would shift in a unique way. One of the results of this shift is a unique film called Symbiopsychotaxiplasm.

The plot of this picture consists of filmmaker William Greaves shooting a series of screen tests in New York City's Central Park for the two leads of a feature length movie, with the working title of Over the Cliff. Simultaneously, he has a documentary filmmaking crew filming the behind the scenes making of the movie. In addition to seeing these two sets of footage (the film and the film of the film), the viewer also sees footage of a third film crew filming the these two in relation to what is happening overall as they film in the park while real life goes on around them, which in Bill's mind is part of the realism of the movie.

Director William Greaves is making a movie in this movie called Over The Cliff. That film has no plot and not script, just a theme of sexuality and a few samples of scripted dialogue. It is incredibly frustrating for the crew; we can see their anxiety as they critique the director's motives in a brainstorming session. While watching Symbiopsychotaxiplasm one wonders if the crew had any idea about what the documentary about the movie was going to be about (Can any reviewer write about Greaves' film without confusing the reader?) Symbiopsychotaxiplasm is a unique film that might give you a headache if you think about it too much.

Greaves' film is intelligent and thought-provoking, perfectly capturing the essence of the 60's while still running on madness. It's very well edited and thoroughly engaging, each conversation is as exciting as the last. Symbiosychotaxiplasm is a search for truth and meaning, a wild ride of uncertainty and possibly disaster that will take you through multiple realities. Can we define this film as a documentary? Maybe everything is scripted and nothing is real. Maybe everything is real and nothing is scripted.

In conclusion, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm is one of the most unique film experiences you will ever have. There is no picture in the world that even comes close to similarity. A grand manipulation of reality, this film forces us to think outside the box and confront everything we thought we knew about movies. Praise it! 5/5

Amarcord Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Amarcord 
Year: 1973
Director: Federico Fellini
Country: Italy
Language: Italian  

Italian Cinema has a vast history of great directors. Directors like Roberto Rosselini (Rome: Open City) and Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves) brought the Cinema of Italy to the mainstream with their popular Neo-Realist style of film-making. Afterwards geniuses like Pier Palo Pasolini (Arabian Nights) and Federico Fellini (8 1/2) emerged onto the scene and blew audiences away. Fellini is perhaps the most beloved of Italian Film-makers, often winning Academy Awards for his impressive work. American Directors like Martin Scorsese have been greatly influenced by him. One work that usually stands out as his "best" is Amarcord.

The film is essentially a year in the life of a small Italian coastal town in the nineteen-thirties. The town in the film is based on Rimini, where Mr. Fellini grew up. Yet there is now something magical, larger-than-life about the town, its citizens and many of the things that happen to them.

Amarcord is a collection of memories from a life's journey. It is carnivalesque and surrealistic yet at the same time grounded in some reality. This is said to be Fellini's most accessible film, his superstar-like budget could afford pretty much anything he wanted to have included. Fellini's film is sincere and sentimental, handled with great care. The director seems to be at his most optimistic when dealing with crowds rather than individuals as there is a big difference in mood between this and La Strada/ 8 1/2

Initially, a few hours after I watched the film I didn't like it, but after a lot of reflection I realize that it is quite a treasure. The structure of the film is marvelous, mainly because there is not real plot. Amarcord doesn't try to be a phony story, but rather a remarkable experience. The characters are incredibly human and complex, as an audience member you feel like you belong to that community. Only one character is unlikeable, but even he has his pitiful moments. A few people critique Fellini for not being too hard on the fascism in this film, indeed each character falls for the evil regime. However that is realistic, in reality very few Italians opposed the Regime; the ones who did were either shot or kept it to themselves. There is one scene that shows the destructive force of Fascism and I think one scene is enough, Amarcord is not supposed to be a grand political message.

In conclusion, Amarcord is a rarity in Cinema. I have tried to think of any modern films that embrace community in such an honest and heartfelt way and I couldn't. Fellini is what Frank Capra (It's a Wonderful Life) couldn't be. Capra's films were cheesy (Capra-corn) and too pro-American to be considered great art. Fellini is truly a master of Cinema. Praise it! 5/5

Le Bonheur Review- By Michael Carlisle

 Title: Le Bonheur
Year: 1965
Director: Agnes Varda
 Country: France
Language: French 

The French New Wave was a blanket term which was coined by critics to describe a group of French Filmmakers in the 50's and 60's. Though these people were never formally organized, their films projected very similar attitudes. They had self-conscious rejection of the literary period, a youthful spirit, and were more willing to discuss sociopolitical issues onscreen than the generation before then. Agnes Varda is an iconic female french new wave Director who has made a great variety of films, but perhaps is best known for Le Bonheur. 

In the film, the main character/Seth Hader lookalike Francois (Jean-Claude Drouot) is a young carpenter married with Therese (Claire Drouot). They have two little children. All goes well, life is beautiful, the sun shines and the birds sing. One day, Francois meets a woman named Emilie (Marie France Boyer) , they fall in love and become lovers. He still loves his wife and wants to share his new greater happiness with her.

In English Le Bonheur means "Happiness" and though at first sight the picture may seem like the conventional film, where everything is too perfect, it is anything but. Varda attempts to show the dangers of trying to be happy at the expense of other people's happiness. Francois seems oblivious to his wife's pain and actually thinks he is justifying his infidelity when he says "but I'm happy, and if I'm happy then the entire family is happy!" He feels that happiness never subtracts, but always adds up. This is not true, in Varda's words happiness is "a beautiful fruit that tastes of cruelty".

Agnes Varda takes great pleasure in making films that make people think and deeply question their lives. She is a technical master, always including small details that enhance the quality of each film. For the score she uses  the music of Mozart, specifically the Clarinet Quintet,which is incredibly cheerful yet at the same time has a melancholy undertone. Her bold use of colours - bright reds, pastel blues and greens, sunny yellows -also contributes to the happy yet melancholic tone. Her cinematography is perfect, always using framing to her advantage.

In conclusion, Le Bonheur is an extraordinary picture; never have I seen a film so beautiful yet so shocking and subversive. While in most modern movies shallow characters are rewarded, in Varda's world they are punished. Francois replaces one woman with another and continues his life without reflection, guilt, or self-doubt; his blind desire for happiness will never truly work out. Praise it! 5/5

The Emperor Jones Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: The Emperor Jones
Year: 1933
Director: Dudley Murphey
Country: US
Language: English

 Ever since D.W Griffith's Birth of A Nation (1915) caused an outcry from the African American population, which caused the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) to be born, there has been a great cinematic need to portray black men and women in a positive non-racist light. Hundreds of white guilt movies like Avatar (2010), The Help (2011) and Driving Miss Daisy (1989) have been made in attempt to right the racial wrongs of the past. The Emperor Jones was one of the rare 30's movies which had an almost all black cast, but would it be sufficient?

At a Baptist prayer meeting, the preacher leads a prayer for Brutus Jones (Paul Robeson), who is leaving to become a railway porter. Jones joins the congregation in a spiritual. Once on the train he stabs a man over a crabs game. Now doing hard time he kills a white prison guard and escapes on a boat headed to the Caribbean. Eventually he takes control of an Island and declares himself "Emperor Jones". However his power comes at a price.

The film, which is based on a play with the same name, is quite polarizing. Some critics love it and some critics absolutely despise it because they feel it's blatantly racist. The film company United Artists was worried that some of the language would offend black people, so they removed the word "nigger" from all prints that would be shown in negro theaters, still the United Negro Improvement Association condemned the film. W.E.B. DuBois defended the play and film, stating "The Negro today fears any attempt of the artist to paint Negroes. He is not satisfied unless everything is perfect and proper and beautiful and joyful. He is afraid to be painted as he is, lest his human foibles and shortcomings be seized by his enemies for the purposes of the ancient and hateful propaganda."

The Emperor Jones  presents an essential moral lesson to Mankind; one should not pretend to be who they are not. Denying racial background and heritage is a dangerous game that has serious repercussions. Throughout the film it is clear that Jones is a scary and delusional man who falsely thinks he's a powerful white man. He lines a bunch of black slaves in a row, calls them "niggers" and orders for them to be whipped. The way he uses the word "nigger" very clearly shows how he thinks he's superior and different compared to his own race. However as time goes by Jones slowly begins to realize the terrifying errors of his ways.

In conclusion, The Emperor Jones is a powerful film with very thought provoking themes. The legendary Paul Robeson acts his part perfectly; the cinematography and score are at times very unsettling which is good for this film.Though it's not as good as the play, only 45 minutes of it are in Murphey's screen adaptation, it certainly stands out as a great work of art. Praise it! 4/5

The Man Who Could Work Miracles Review- By Michael Carlisle

 Title: The Man Who Could Work Miracles
Year: 1936
Director: Lothar Mendes
Country: UK
Language: English

About two months ago I cancelled my Netflix subscription because I was bored and wanted to watch a variety of truly GREAT films that the streaming site just couldn't offer. This led me to Hulu+ and while I was there I found hundreds of hidden gems just waiting for me to discover them. Ingmar Bergman's  Summer With Monika,  Orson Welles' The Immortal Story and Luchino Visconti's Senso were just a few of these gems. Among them was an intriguing film called The Man Who Could Work Miracles. Since it was based on a book by the brilliant H.G Wells, I decided to check it out.

The film starts the heavens where some Greek God like creatures are roaming among the stars. They discuss the happenings on planet earth where a group of puny humans dominate, but who might start getting into their realm in the heavens in a few generations. The Gods are curious to what would happen if one of these humans were given great powers, so with the point of a celestial finger one common man is granted supernatural abilities to do anything at anytime.

Suddenly a mousy store clerk named George Fotheringay (Roland Young) is given unlimited power to do anything he wants; except change the human heart, as he is humiliated when he commands his beautiful co-worker to fall in love with him and nothing happens. The Man Who Works Miracles is a wonderful mix of fantasy and science fiction; a neat "what if" film that explores the light and dark side of human nature. Can even the nicest of men turn inexplicably corrupt when given ultimate power?

H.G Welles' fascinating work shows how power without wisdom or control is never a safe commodity Fotheringay is a harmless man, but he really doesn't know what he wishes to do with the power. He wants to please everybody, but ultimately ends up pleasing nobody and making himself an enemy of sorts. Out of carelessness he almost completely destroys the Earth. Though The Man Who Could Work Miracles feels very much like an old Twilight Zone episode, keeping mind that The Twilight Zone aired more than a decade after this film's theatrical release, it is certainly much more thought provoking.

In conclusion, author H.G Welles and director Lothar Mendes have given us an inciting look into the heart of human nature. Every human dreams of having unlimited power, but how many of us would actually be able to control it and not make the world go topsy turvey? This is a very spiritual film in a sense, certainly it is a film that can be experienced again and again. Praise it! 4.5/5

Blazing Saddles Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Blazing Saddles 
Year: 1974
Director: Mel Brooks
Country: US
Language: English 

"What in the wide, world of sports is going on here?" - Taggart 

Once upon a time in the Old West, a black sheriff came to town and all the citizens (who were all related to each other) were in an uproar. Satire is one of the most useful forms of comedy when deciding to make a mockery out of old customs and beloved genres/people. In 1940 Charles Chaplin made The Great Dictator, a well known satire that wasn't afraid to laugh at the tyranny of fascism and make our fears grow dimmer each minute. The majority of Mel Brooks' movies do the same thing, que "the Spanish inquisition" song. Blazing Saddles is a remarkable comedy that makes light out of all the serious Westerns being made around that time.

 Blazing Saddles is set in a Western town where everyone seems to be named Johnson is in the way of the railroad. In order to grab their land, Hedley Lemar (Harvey Korman), a politically connected nasty person, sends in his henchmen to make the town unlivable. After the sheriff is killed, the town demands a new sheriff from the Governor. Hedley convinces him to send the town the first Black sheriff (Cleavon Little) in the west.

Blazing Saddles is the ultimate Western Spoof, but filled to the brim with words like "nigger" it would face great controversy. Actually most of the controversy arose from the farting scenes as Saddles is the first time farting has ever been recorded on film. Brooks  came up with the idea after watching numerous old westerns where cowboys only consume black coffee and plates of beans, thus concluding that such a food combination would inevitably lead to farting. It was a moment of brilliance, but the Warner Brothers executives considered it very offensive subject matter. Brooks agreed that it should be removed from the final cut, but had no intention of doing so since his contract gave him final decision.

Mel Brook's film is perhaps the best work he has ever done, though some might argue for Young Frankenstein. Blazing Saddles makes fun of institutional racism, showing that the racist white men are actually the butt of the jokes and that black men are quite competent and courageous. One could claim that this is a civil rights picture and that Cleavon Little is somewhat of a comedic Sidney Poitier (In the Heat of the Night). However, the film never comes off as preachy. You'll be laughing your head off at the absurdity that ensues throughout Brook's picture, especially near the end.

 In conclusion, the fact that Blazing Saddles was even made shows that Brook's has tremendous courage, especially when he chose to ignore the Warner Brothers' executives' pleas to completely change the film. It is a perfect mix of Civil Rights and Western Satire. Definitely not one of your typical "white guilt" movies. Praise it! 5/5

The Big Lebowski Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: The Big Lebowski
Year: 1998
Director(s): Joel and Ethan Coen 
Country: US
Language: English 

"That's right, Dude, they peed on your fucking rug." -Walter

This is like, just my opinion man, but I feel that The Big Lebowski is one the greatest comedies of all time. Motion picture comedy began with a simple comic situation; in the Lumiere Brothers' L'Arroseur Arrose (The Watering Gardener, 1895) in which a young boy steps on a garden hose as a gardener waters a lawn, cutting off the water, only to step off just as the gardener looks into the nozzle and thus is sprayed with the water that is restored. Since then comedy has become much more complicated and reached fantastic heights, but rarely has it gone past the "dude" level.

In this fantastic Cohen Brothers film "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski (David Huddleston) and two thugs urinate on his rug to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to gain recompense for the ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, he accepts a one-time job with high pay-off. However, it seems that everyone from nihilist to porn tycoons want something from "The Dude"

It is widely known that The Dude was inspired by a real man named Jeff Dowd; a freelance publicist who was essential in launching the first Coen Brothers film, Blood Simple, into the mainstream. The Dude is a calm collected and cool man who just wants to relax, smoke some weed, lay on his rug and drink some white Russians. The character's worldview is so popular that a religion called Dudeism was invented and now has 150,000+ followers and more than a thousand dude-ist priests (though it is really easy to become one). A serious book was also made about The Dude called The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers  by Cathleeen Falsani and has become a tremendous success in the literary world.

Though there is a great deal of plot and surrealism, the Gutterballs dream/dance sequence is strange yet funny, the real emphasis is on the attitude of the character. No matter how much life gets The Dude down, he always gets up & tries to be as relaxed as possible. The Big Lebowski is essentially just a film about not taking life too seriously like Vietnam maniac Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) and just relaxing. In many ways the film is quite spiritual. The Coens visual style in this film also really stands out; there is great architecture detail, lonely vistas, looming cityscapes and incredibly realistic settings.

In conclusion, While I'm not as much a fan of The Big Lebowski as the many dude-ist priests in the world, I do think that this is one of the greatest comedies of all time. Its relaxed and fun nature allow for multiple viewings and a new worldview that just says "relax man". Jeff Bridges has never acted better, and even the supporting characters are absolutely hilarious. The Critic Abides! 5/5

Weekend Review- By Michael Carlisle

 Title: Weekend
Year: 2011
Director: Andrew Haigh
Country: UK
Language: English

While LGBT themed films have been largely ignored in Cinematic history (name ONE film from Hollywood's Golden era with a gay main character) there seems to be great development in more modern movies. However, as many people will point out, the newer LGBT films are somewhat offensive because they usually stick to one specific formula: gay person overcomes straight establishment and then dies. Frankly you aren't going to find any depth to gay characters in Hollywood; this is why you need to look outside the box towards international independent film. Weekend is a great example of an independent film that takes its LGBT themes very seriously.

On a Friday night after a drunken house party with his straight mates, Russell  (Tom Cullen) heads out to a gay club, alone and on the pull. Just before closing time he picks up Glen (Chris New) but what's expected to be just a one-night stand becomes something else, something special. That weekend, in bars and in bedrooms, getting drunk and taking drugs, telling stories and having sex, the two men get to know each other. It is a brief encounter that will resonate throughout their lives.

Weekend is perhaps the most accurate film about two men falling in love in cinematic history. While there are countless films about falling in love, many of them are tripe romantic comedies, this is very sincere. Director Andrew Haigh makes no attempt to be cute, overly sentimental or use cheap emotional tactics. There is no silly dialogue about how "the world won't let us be", nor are any of the men secretly dying of a fatal illness. It's absolutely refreshing because it does not stick to typical formula and it is not made the way every other LGBT film seems to be made. It is quite unique in every aspect.

Weekend is not about exceptional and outstanding gay men, it is about two average guys who start a conversation and found that they have lighting in a bottle. Gay issues are touched upon and some good political points are made about society, but the film never feels like it's trying to send a great political message. The dialogue is free flowing and completely natural, nothing in this film feels forced. The chemistry between the two actors, Tom Cullen and Chris new, is remarkable; it makes you wonder if they are partner in real life.

In conclusion, Weekend is a definite must see. It is what all LGBT films...all films about relationships in general should be. Trust, honesty, communication; Andrew Haigh has loads to teach us about how relationships should work and we should listen. The Criterion Collection has a great edition of this film on dvd/blu ray, unfortunately that is probably the only way you can see it in the US since America tends to limit distribution on non-lesbian LGBT films. Praise it! 4.5/5

Return of the Living Dead Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Return of the Living Dead
Year: 1985
Director: Dan O' Bannon 
Country: US
Language: English  

In 1929 Time claimed a book called The Magic Island by William Seabrook "introduced zombie into the U.S speech". By 1932, the first legitimate zombie film was made; it was called White Zombie and starred the great Bela Lugosi. Over the next few decades even more fantastic zombie films would emerge, most notably George A. Romero's The Night of the Living Dead. This film, Return of the Living Dead  has become one of my favorites over recent years.

In this film a bumbling pair of employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to re-animate as they go on a rampage through Louisville, Kentucky seeking their favorite food: brains.

First off, this film is not a sequel to Romero's The Night of the Living Dead. Infact  Richard P. Rubinstein of Laurel Entertainment got an injunction to stop the producers from using the words  "living dead" in the title, but the MPAA ruled in favor of the producers. Return of the Living Dead is a remarkably fresh film that combines horror, comedy and gore quite perfectly. The dialogue is quite witty and some of the character's actions seem to come straight out of slapstick comedy. Return is a brilliant mix of absurdity and tension, similar to how Tarantino's Pulp Fiction gets its humour.

One remarkable advantage Return of the Living Dead has over many similar films, is its treatment towards the characters. The teenagers are not faceless and ironically brainless victims; they are punks and outsiders. Nihilistic teens who you want to see survive until the end of the film. Unfortunately they can be a little predictable at times, but there is also a great deal of depth to them. Director Dan O' Bannon uses his creative mind quite well in this film, often coming up with scenes that have never been thought of for a zombie movie. Surely the circumstance in which the dead re-animate is incredibly inventive.

In conclusion, Return of the Living Dead is definitely one of the greatest zombie films ever made (if not the best) It is quite entertaining, as well as thought provoking. Return also deserves credit for being one of the first films with "fast" zombies, long before 28 Days Later. Praise it! 5/5

3:10 to Yuma Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: 3:10 to Yuma
Year: 1957
Director: Delmer Daves
Country: US
Language: English 

From The Great Train Robbery (1903) to Django Unchained (2012), everybody has a favourite Western. Early Westerns inspired international filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa to make films like Yojimbo (1961) which would inspire a whole new sub-genre known as the Spaghetti Western, which eventually intrigued more generations of filmmakers, like Quentin Tarantino, to get in the mix. 3:10 to Yuma premiered in 1957 and has become a staple in the genre.

After outlaw leader Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) is captured in a small town, his gang continue to threaten. Small-time rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin) has never stood up against evil all his life, always playing the role of a bystander, however now he is persuaded to take Wade in secret to the nearest town with a railway station to await the 3:10 train to Yuma. Once the two are holed up in the hotel to wait it becomes apparent the secret is out, and a battle of wills starts.

Just to warn, this version of 3:10 to Yuma is only alike to the remake in plot only. The 2007 film starring Russell Crowe is complete garbage and will likely make you fall asleep. Daves' vision is a psychological Western; though it has a decent amount of action scenes, the real suspense is in the dialogue and the verbal confrontations between Wade and Evans. The acting by both men is superb, I have never seen better acting by the charismatic Glenn Ford. The editing is fantastic and the score sets the tone, but the really impressive feat is the cinematography. At times it is claustrophobic, revealing doubt and panic in our heroes' mind, and at other times it can show the great isolation of the West.

The themes of 3:10 to Yuma are quite apparent and intriguing. The film is about morality and temptation, it's a tale that could have come straight from the bible. Dan Evans is a regular Joe who has come on hard times and desperately needs some money. Ben Wade has money, a lot of it, and he will give it to Dan if the man goes against his morals. This proves to be a tremendous temptation, it will take all of Dan's mental energy to refuse. However, throughout the film we see that Wade is a smooth talker and often lies to get his way, so perhaps he has no money after-all. A great quality to this film is that it is very open-ended, doom and doubt are around every corner, it's hard to guess how this film will end.

In conclusion, 3:10 to Yuma is perhaps the most entertaining Western ever made. It certainly packs a great punch and will have you mulling over what you've seen for weeks to come. My only critique is that I think perhaps the ending is a bit out of the blue, however the more I think about it, the more I like it. Buy the wonderful Criterion Collection Edition. Praise it! 4,5/5