Fallen Angels (1995) Review

Title: Fallen Angels
Year: 1995
Director: Wong Kar Wai
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese

Fallen Angels was originally conceived as the third story in Wong's 1994 abstract Chungking Express, but thematically never quite fit into that movie and it took on a life of its own. In retrospect, Fallen Angels' darker tone and visual palette seem like the wrong fit for Chungking Express. There's plenty of crossover between the two, including references to expired cans of pineapple, but if combined the one film would be not as great as seperated. 

Fallen Angels follows the lives of a hitman, hoping to get out of the business, and his elusive female partner.

Wong Kar Wai dives headfirst into cultural alienation and the dread of living in Modern day Hong Kong. The small, busy Orient becomes a breeding ground for obsession and infatuation. Its eccentric, unnatural, and unorthodox direction and storyline proves to be onscreen poetry; Wai's visual style, thanks to cinematographer Christopher Doyle, gives us a steady supply of unsual and seductive images throughout the film's runtime. 

There's really nothing more or less at stake in Fallen Angels than matters of the heart, but in a Wai film love isn't a light thing to consider. His characters throughout his filmography have a heightened awareness in regards to love and loneliness. A pop song played on the jukebox might minor in any other film, but for his characters they mean the world. The soundtrack of Fallen Angels amplifies the film's unhealthy lovelorn theme and proves to provide a thrilling time.

Fallen Angels, while it can't be the masterpiece In the Mood For Love & Chungking Express are, is a pretty fantastic memorable picture that is worth re-watching again and again. Wong Kar Wai's filmography is remarkable. I can't wait to watch the rest of his films. 

2046 (2004) Review

Title: 2046
Year: 2004
Director: Wong Kar Wai
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese

After having seen Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express (1994) and In The Mood For Love (2000) I knew that 2046 (2004) might not be as big of a masterpiece- and it wasn't- but I can't say I was let down by it either. While it probably won't be considered a "classic", 2046 is still a remarkable picture that dissects themes of love, loss, loneliness and lust. 

Several women enter a science fiction author's life over the course of a few years, after the author (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) has lost the woman he considers his one true love.

The movie jumps back and forth from the present (1960’s) to the future (2046) where his fictional story is centered. The futuristic story of 2046 is Chow’s way of expressing pain, by turning women he knows into fictional characters where he can view their relationships more regrettably and in impersonal ways. It's a coping method that makes him more human and vulnerable. 

Its slow pace and tonal shifts may test the audience's patients, but ultimately proves rewarding. This fascinating existential drama blends romantic pain with science fiction fantasy. Its full of an autumn-like colour pallette that is elevated by a haunting score. Emotions burst through the screen and move Wai's audience in ways that many films fail to capture. 

2046 may be confusing for a first time viewing, but its technical and emotional achievement is worth repeat viewings. You owe it to yourself not only to see this film, but to look at all of Wong Kar Wai's work. I'm currently going through the rest of his filmography and finding myself more and more impressed. 

Kung Fu Hustle (2004) Review

Title: Kung Fu Hustle
Year: 2003
Director: Stephen Chow
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese

Kung Fu Hustle arrived during a time of decline in Chinese cinema. In 2003 the countries' SARS outbreak shut down film production for months and left many movie theatres vacant. Only 54 movies were made, compared to the 200+ made at the height of the 90's. Even with greater use of Hollywood-style mass marketing, Chinese films were not well-regarded internationally. Stephen Chow's picture was an exception. 

In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.

Kung Fu Hustle's main inspiration is from wuxia (martial arts) films, the genre that put Hong Kong on the map of brand-name cinemas.  He dips into the lo-tech Cantonese films of the Fifties and Sixties, striking a balance between cynicism and sentimental nostalgia, making a picture that is both hilarious and complex. This film is simultaneously inspiring and bizarre. 

Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill was made around the same time & also attempts to dissect the same modern sources, but unlike Kung Fu Hustle Tarantino's picture is far less fun and seemingly only serves these references to flatter his audience. Chow references the past to shed light on social roles and to disasemble our expectations. 

Kung Fu Hustle will make you feel like you're on drugs, It is a goofy mix of slapstick humour, hilarous gags and weird non-sequitors. Chow's picture has a great charm to it; the film is unlike most pictures you have seen. Must see. 

A Canterbury Tale (1944) Review

Title: A Canterbury Tale
Year: 1944
Director(s): Powell & Pressburger
Country: UK
Language: English

Most of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's pictures are bonifide classics; fairytales for adults in the purest sense. Shot in 1943, while the Second World War was raging in the allies favour, A Canterbury Tale proves to be quite splendid. The whimsical tale echoes the pride in ancestral knowledge, which makes the villain's motives almost admirable. 

A 'Land Girl', an American GI, and a British soldier find themselves together in a small Kent town on the road to Canterbury. The town is being plagued by a mysterious "glue-man", who pours glue on the hair of girls dating soldiers after dark. The three attempt to track him down.

It would be hard to find a kinder, more loving, and more tender picture about England, and particularly Kent, than A Canterbury Tale. Its beautifies nature, romanticizes myth and history, and admires the customs and traditions of the England of old. It connects big sweeping themes about life and love to the intimate and everyday. 

A Canterbury Tale is charming, a love letter to history that can be seen in every little camera movement. A "war" film, from the view of civillians, has never felt so peaceful. Shots of the English countryside revel in the true glory that is England. The plot, while important, is secondary to gorgeous black and white photography which displays the beautiful countryside with ample shots of wide sky and billowing fields.

A Canterbury Tale makes me want to fight for England...and I'm not English and there's not even a  war going on! While its story is not as enthralling as Black Narcissus & A Matter of Life and Death I must admit I've fallen head over heels for this picture. 

Wien Retour (1983) Review

Title: Wein Retour
Year: 1983
Director: Ruth Beckermann
Country: Vienna
Language: German

When it comes to the rise of socialism, its collapse, and the rise of fascism in the post World War I period we mostly get movies, fictional or otherwise, from a German perspective. This makes sense, as Germany was the main villain, the cause of most of Europe's problems,  during World War Two. Wien Retour gives us a unique perspective from the capital of Austria. 

In 1924, 14-year-old Franz Weintraub and his parents--along with some 60,000 other Jews--moved to the Jewish area of Leopoldstadt in Vienna, Austria. A journalist and gifted storyteller, Weintraub recalls his experiences as a young Jew in inter-war Austria from 1924 to 1934.

During the 1920's-1930's Austria's capital was known as "Red Vienna"due to its internationally acclaimed social democratic government.  Radical changes in the revenue and spending policies of the city took place, which resulted in a revolutionary welfare sector. This and more is told in Wien Retour, which is part talking head interview and part archive footage. 

Franz Weintraub is a well spoken, intelligent, charismatic individual who gives a pretty comprehensive account of events that took place while he was a young adult. Considering he is in his 70's during the production of the film, he has an impressive memory. The archival footage is equally impressive. The images shown are powerful and do an incredible job at giving us a glimpse into history. 

Wein Retour is a film that needed to be made to preserve a time in history that should not be forgotten. I must admit, previous to this picture I had not known much about Vienna during this time, but I was glad to learn a great amount today. 

No Rating (This history is too valuable to rate)

Mata Hari (1931) Review

Title: Mata Hari
Year: 1931
Director: George Fitzmaurice
Country: US
Language: English

Margareta Geertrudia MacLeoud (1876 - 1917), better known as Mata Hari, was a seductive erotic dancer and courtesan who was executed by firing squad due to being convicted by France as a spy for the German army during World War One. Promiscuous, flirtatious, and openly flaunting her body, Mata Hari captivated her audiences. She was the ultimate femme fatale. 

During World War I, Mata Hari is a German spy, working in Paris. She has already seduced the Russian general Shubin, and has now set her eyes on lieutenant Rosanov, a young up-and-coming officer. The secret police are on to her however, and its only a matter of time until they gather enough evidence to convict her. 

The stunning Greta Garbo delivers a brilliant portrayal of a seductive mistress, even if the truth was that by 1917 the 41 year old dancer had lost quite a bit of her sexual prowess. We get a fairly deep and complex character study that proves to be grandiose with its remarkable costumes and fascinating set design. 

There are other Mata Hari pictures, as there will be for quite some time, but Garbo's version is, and always will be, the best. The exciting melodrama, combined with a booming score and Garbo's frenetic onscreen energy make for an enoyable time. The plot is decent and the dialogue does its job, even though the writing does play second banana to the other great technical aspects of this picture. 

Mata Hari is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination; but it is a worthwhile viewing that deserves repeat viewings. My only dissapointment with the picture is that considering it was pre-code Hollywood I thought it could have pushed the envelope farther when it came to sexuality. Oh well, I recommend it either way. 

The Man With the Golden Arm (1955) Review

Title: The Man With the Golden Arm 
Year: 1955
Director: Otto Preminger
Country: US
Language: English

Filmstruck, Criterion/TCM's streaming channel, met an untimely face on Nov 29th as it ceased to continue offering services. Thankfully, before its demise Criterion announced that they will have their own channel with similar content out by Spring 2019. I thoroughly enjoyed having Filmstruck, and as a final farewell I decided to watch Man With the Golden Arm (1955). 

A strung-out junkie (Frank Sinatra) deals with a demoralizing drug addiction while his crippled wife and card sharks pull him down.

I was quite surprised that the strict Hays Code of the 1950's would allow a film this risque about drugs to be made. Indeed the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) originally refused to issue a seal for this movie, but the following year the code was adjusted to include drugs, kidnapping, abortion and prostitution. Frank Sinatra, who was nominated for an Oscar for his acting in this picture, does a terrific job in his role. Any other actor might ham it up, while Sinatra plays drug addiction with utmost sincerity. 

The jazzy score by Elmer Bernstein perfectly captures the tone of the film & the desperation of our main character. It gives us an insight into Frankie's fragile mind and effectly captures the tension created in every frame. Jazz in 50's film is a delight, especially when it fits with the theme.

While Man with the Golden Arm might not accurately capture the throes of drug addiction in a clinical sense, the film goes farther than most films of the era would with the sincerity of its subject matter. I appreciate its honesty. Also, this is a given, but Saul Bass' intro design is top notch as always. 

The Two Horses of Genghis Khan (2009) Review

Title: The Two Horses of Genghis Khan
Year: 2009
Director: Byambasuren Davaa
Country: Mongolia
Language: Mongolian

Byambasuren Davaa is a Mongolian director that I'd bet most people are fairly unfamiliar with. I certainly didn't know about her until MUBI. Her feature films The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003) and The Cave of the Yellow Dog (2005) were well recieved on the film festival circuit and have earned the acclaim of critics world-wide. Two Horses of Gengis Khan proved equally alluring,

Urna returns to her home country of Mongolia to find her grandmother's horse head violin, which holds the missing verses of an ancient melody. 

Two Horses of Genghis Khan is an odd hybrid of fiction and reality. It's considered a documentary, but defies traditional aspects of it, feeling full of imagination. I truley have never seen a film made this way. It's both intimate and epic; being both a familial detective story and a sweeping picture about the legacy of the Mongolian peoples. 

Davaa highlights a culture that is largely forgotten about by the West. When is the last time you've heard a news story from Mongolia? She shows her people as proud, their music as mesmerizing and their landscape as awe-inspiring. Three Horses of Genghis Khan is a tremendous achievement in recording the beauty of Mongola. 

A remarkable picture, I can't wait to view Davaa's previous work and possibly see her next feature as soon as it is completed. Musician Urna Chahar-Tugchi’s journey across Mongolia proves really enticing for foreigners who would like to visit that part of the world.

Wild Guitar (1962) Review

Title: Wild Guitar
Year: 1962
Director: Ray Steckler
Country: US
Language: English

I've reviewed every Elvis Presley feature film on this site; from his debut Love Me Tender (1956) to his final Change of Habit (1969). I've also seen The Beatles A Hard Day's Night and Yellow Submarine. Pink Floyd's The Wall, Phantom of the Paradise and Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause among others. I thought I saw every cool rock n' roll film there is, but I obviously overlooked the strange Wild Guitar (1962).

A young Budd Eagle (Arch Hall Jr.) is given a shot at the big time by the unscrupulous owner of a small record company (Arch Hall Sr.) 

Crafting a story that feels very much like Elvis' own real-life story of ethics vs. showbiz, we see the highs and lows of stardom through the eyes of the all american goodey two shoes Budd Eagle. The character's crisis never feels too overwhelming, since the point of the film is not to drag its audience through dramatic tumoil, but to let them experience pure joy. 

Wild Guitar, though clearly sticking to an established Hollywood formula in regards to story, is a gas. It's a lighthearted tale about a boy, his babes and his music. The singing, while not exactly Sinatra, is upbeat. The shots, cinematography and editing are very unique. The director's film inexperience (he's not exactly known for very much) likely helped in creating a unique feel to the picture. 

I had fun with Wild Guitar. It pulled me out of a slump and made me realize how imaginative & full of potential cinema really is. It deserves far more than a 3/10 on IMDB. This picture is a bonified cult classic. 

House on Bare Mountain (1962) Review

Title: House on Bare Mountain
Year: 1962
Director: Lee Frost
Country: US
Language: English

On Black Friday I bought a year subscription of MUBI for $60. It always has 30 curated movies to stream at a time, with one film being removed everyday and one film being added. MUBI has very obscure strange films that you wouldn't know existed before the service. It's far better than Netflix, which has just about every movie you can find in a Walmart bargain bin. I watched House on Bare Mountain today on MUBI out of curiousity. 

Granny Good (Bob Cresse) runs a school located in a "creepy" house where women are always topless. The school is really a front for an illegal booze distillery which she runs in the basement with the help of a wolfman named "Krakow". 

Nicholas Winding Refn, director of Drive, lovingly restored this nearly forgotten work of weird (and I mean WEIRD) cinema. It's a self described "nudie cutie", which has as much bums, boobs and babes as one can handle. Though its bare bones plot is an excuse to show a tremendous amount of full frontal nudity, I must admit it's quite a trip. 

House on Bare Mountain is hilarious, mainly because of how random it is. Why does a werewolf belong to a union? Why does the one girl constatly read from the dictionary?  It's Monty Python-lite, which is still pretty decent. Don't get me wrong, the acting is BAD, but if you watch for mindless entertainment this film delivers. 

The film gets a 4/10 on IMDB, which...it might deserve? It's hard to rate a film like this. I thought the punch-line at the end certainly made it an above passing grade. Movies nowadays ought to strive to be as fun as this. 

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) Review

Title: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Year: 2018
Director: Coen Brothers
Country: US
Language: English

Brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have made a wide variety of great pictures that encapsulate many genres. No Country For Old Men is a grim thriller, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou is a comedy western, Fargo is a delightful mix of both the grim and the funny. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was developed for Netflix as an anthology picture that tells six stories, each with a varying degree of dark humour. It proves to knock its audience over with tears of laugher and sorrow. 

This is a film comprised of six stories, each detailing events set in the Old West. 

Throughout the anthology the Coen Brothers pay tribute to the likes of John Ford and other classical Western progenitors. They also pay homage to more modern cinema. All Gold Canyon reminded me of Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Revenant. The Girl Who Got Rattled made me think of Meek's Cutoff and the Coen's own True Grit. The last short is obviously influenced by The Hateful Eight. It's a great film to watch for cinephiles who love other Western films. 

Aside from the abundance of references, Ballad of Buster Scruggs is brilliantly shot. The cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel is rich and vibrant in detail. Each segment has a distinctive look, but they also remain similar enough to be cohesive. The breathtaking natural beauty, which often clashes with the dark tone of the story, makes the Western Myth come alive. The storybook motif adds to the film's tall tale feel. 

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs works both as popcorn entertainment and as serious reflective melancholy about the meaningless of people's ambitions in the Old West. For me a Western is either a hit or a miss. This is certainly a hit. 

Incredibles 2 (2018) Review

Title: Incredibles 2
Year: 2018
Director: Brad Bird
Country: US
Language: English

Pixar sequels are pretty much a guarantee, even if nobody asked for it. Monsters Inc. has Monsters University, Finding Nemo has Finding Dora, Cars has Cars 2 etc. With exception of the Toy Story Franchise, those sequels tend to be lackluster and draw less praise than the originals. Brad Bird, a self declared auteur, has been quite restrained. He spent 14 years deciding whether or not to make a sequel to the beloved original Incredibles. 

Supers are illegal, and the "Incredible" Parr family are hiding out from the law. The wealthy Mr.Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) seeks to improve their public image. Thus Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) is left to take care of his super kids, which include the unpredictable Jack-Jack, while his wife (Holly Hunter) is out saving the world. 

Bird's vision immerses us in a retro world of black-and-white televisions, vintage colors, and nuclear family tropes, contrasted with a tech futurist vibe out of science fiction. Incredibles 2 is simultaneously of the present and of the past. Michael Giacchino’s score evokes a nostalgic past, albeit younger audiences likely won't catch on. The score improves the fast-paced emotion of the picture. 

The character design is remarkable; we've advanced greatly in technology since 1999's Toy Story. The film's animation is fluid, immersive and atmoshperic. Incredibles 2 looks more realistic than most CGI heavy Hollywood Blockbusters. The characters are more human than Disney's own live-action remakes of past cartoons

Incredibles 2 is a beautiful picture that, although it isn't better than the original, is an astounding entertaining movie that will appeal to kids and adults alike. This will win "Best Animated Feature" at the Academy Awards, I guarantee it. 

BlacKKKlansman (2018) Review

Title: BlacKKKlansman
Year: 2018
Director: Spike Lee
Country: US
Language: English

Spike Lee's BlacKKKlansman is a return to form for the outspoken director known for making powerful pictures about influential African Americans. By no coincidence this picture arrived during a timultuous time in America; where white supremacist rallies show up in Charlottesville & President Donald Trump refuses to disavow his racist following, saying (I'm paraphrasing here) "Well, both sides are equally bad"

Ron Stallworth (John Washington), an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate (Adam Driver) who eventually becomes its leader.

Spike Leeee and cinematographer Chayse Irvin shot on 35mm film stock and gave the image a grainy, ’70s-style color palette, making the picture feel like a gritty police drama. Through editing, split-screens, and sometimes tongue-in-cheek asides, Lee also gives his picture a more modern flair. It is both arthouse and mainstream, both an intellectual think-piece as will as popcorn entertainment. 

Winning the Grand Prix at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, BlacKKKlansman has an incredible balance of humour and gritty drama, which pack a remarkably powerful punch. If you didn't "get" why white nationalism is a big deal, then this picture will help you understand. While Lee seeks to tell the story of Stallworth, I appreciate that he takes his time and allows us to soak in grand speeches about people who are tired of being oppressed by white Americans. 

BlacKKKlansman is one of my favourite films of 2018 and I definitley recommend it to all sides of the political spectrum. Hopefully it will englighten intolerant minds and/or give a voice to those who need it most. 

Ugetsu (1953) Review

Title: Ugetsu
Year: 1953
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

Kenji Mizoguchi began his film career in the silent era (with 1923's Ai Ni Yomigaeru Hi) and made a staggering number of films for Japanese Cinema until his greatest work of art; the lyrical, poetic and haunting Ugetsu. This, like Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon, greatly boosted the interest of Japanese Cinema onto an International Audience. Kenji Mizoguchi, who died shortly after in 1956, saw his films rise to a prominence then unheard of in Japan. 

Family man farmer and craftsman Genjurô travels to Nagahama to sell his wares and intends to make a small fortune. His neighbor Tobei that is a fool man dreams on becoming a samurai. Together their greed and ambition blind them. 

Mizoguchi's Ugetsu came about during a great time; the West was having a booming economic post-war period and they had an unquenchable thirst for the more exotic and "traditional" Japan. He did not make Ugetsu to appeal purely to the United States however; his engagement with the past was not to drum up nostalgia about better times, but rather do the opposite and expose war for the horror that it truley is. 

Mizoguchi blends the realistic and the macabre in an almost seamless fashion by varying the direction between documentary-like views of destruction and bizarre set pieces (such as the phantom boat). Bolerolike music underscores the eerie feelings of dread and chaos that we feel throughout the film. Even scenes of love have an undercurrent of madness wading beneath them. 

Ugetsu is a remarkable "they don't make these anymore!" picture that transends entertainment to create a beautiful work of art. Its as close as one can get to a visual representation of poetry. A memorable experience that trumps every other "ghost" story made before and after. 

Chungking Express (1994) Review

Title: Chungking Express
Year: 1994
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Language: Cantonese
Country: Hong Kong

Chungking Express is a perfect mix of pop & arthouse. It is everything Quenten Tarantino wishes his films were. Cool, yet intelligent. Deliberately paced, yet vibrant and full of manic energy. I saw In The Mood For Love (2000) and within a few days fell in love with it. This picture made me fall head over heels as soon as the run-time ended. I did not know there were living film-makers this great. 

Chungking Express tells two stories; one about a lonely policeman who falls for a mysterious underworld figure, the other about another lonely policeman who falls for a late night server at a restaurant he frequents. 

Originally intended as a money-generating quickie for the director’s Jet Tone company, Chungking Express proves an awe-inspiring work of art that has nods to gangster thriller and screwball romance genres. I love the second story most, which stars a Hong Kong pop star named Faye Wong. It is impossible not to have a crush on her as she innocently dances to The Mama and the Papa's California Dreamin. She gives a giddy vibrant feel to the film that resonates quite well. 

The policeman and Faye have a chemistry not seen since Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey in the 40's. Their brief scenes together light up the screen. We feel like we are expriencing an authentic love that is blossoming in front of our eyes. Few pictures show such bliss so well. I can't wait to experience this picture again and again. It brightens my mood like no other films has. 

Wong-Kar Wai's Chungking Express (and his In the Mood for Love) have made my top 10. If I was to introduce someone to Asian and/or Arthouse cinema I would show them Chungking before any other. I cannot wait to see the rest of this master's filmography. 

The Lost World (1925) Review

Title: The Lost World
Year: 1925
Director: Harry O' Hoyt
Country: US
Language: N/A

By 1925, now-acclaimed animator William O' Brian had completed several short subjects using stop-motion technology, including The Dinosaur and the Missing Link: A Prehistoric Tragedy (1915) and The Ghost of Slumber Mountain (1918). His overall goal was to combine stop-motion and live action with more realism and drama than ever before. This goal would lead him to the impressive film The Lost World (1925)

This is the first film adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic novel about a land where prehistoric creatures still roam.

Concerning an expedition by a group of men with differing goals. Their shared destination is a plateau of rock, hidden deep in the Amazon jungle, upon which live creatures forgotten by time. Later Lost World would be the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park. We are shown many sketches drawn by the main character, which builds up great suspense. We know the animals are “tremendous in size and ferocity,”, but the doodles enforce the point and offer us a taste of things to come. 

Unfortunately the technical limitations of 1925 meant that O'Brian's stop motion didn't really work. The obvious rubber models moved stiffly and had very little speed. Most importantly it didn't feel like the animated dinosaurs and live action humans were part of the same universe. When the humans say they are in danger, we don't feel like they actually are in danger. This is a shame because the film had great potential and was building up to something quite great before the dinosaurs showed up. 

The Lost World makes a poor picture, but it is a nice case-study of special effects development. We see bits and pieces of King Kong (1933), O'Brian's masterpiece, but know that the technique isn't quite ready yet. Worthy of a glance for curiosity's sake. 

Castle in the Sky (1986) Review

Title: Castle in the Sky

Year: 1986

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Country: Japan

Language: Japanese

Hayao Miyazaki wanted his third feature-length animated picture, Castle in the Sky, to be simple and entertaining enough to please "elementary school age" children. As a result, Miyazaki created self-imposed limitations in regards to scope and style of animation and the film compares to more classic forms of anime. With this picture he sought to “help resurrect traditionally entertaining manga- or cartoon-style films.” 

A young boy (James Van Der Beek)  and a girl (Anna Paquin) with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.

Miyazaki avoids clear signifiers of time and setting, despite designing his film’s pseudo-Celtic culture from the mining culture of Wales. He juxtaposes varied clothing styles and technologies as non-indicators representative of an alternate world. The castle itself derives its shape from an inspired mixture of M.C. Esher, classic fairy tale imagery, and the ruins of ancient civilizations all wrapped up into a single construct.  The castle represents the ideologies of the past and the potential dangers of the future

The intended ease of Castle in the Sky presents a Miyazaki work that doesn't tread far beyond shallow water. Granted, this is still a greater picture than anything Disney had released in the 1980's. Often Miyazaki's pictures appeal to adults and children somewhat equally, but this picture is the exception in regards to tipping the scale too far towards children. 

Minor environmentalist and anti-technology themes reveal a little bit of depth, but the picture is mainly comprised of exciting chases and remarkable imagery. At heart its an escapist picture meant to make its audience lose itself in the feeling of adventure. Certainly a fine viewing. 

Ready Player One (2018) Review

Title: Ready Player One
Year: 2018
Director: Steven Spielberg
Country: US
Language: English

At the age of 71, Steven Spielberg's willingness to continue challenging himself has resulted in one of his best works in over a decade. His lost glory from lackluster pictures like Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull (2007) has been slightly rejuvenated in the eyes of many fans. His adaptation of Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel, a text already inspired by Spielberg tropes, was a smart move to show on the silver screen. 

When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune. Our protagonist Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) tries his hardest to do so. 

A mix of Tron and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Cline's novel embraces 80's nostalgia with no shame. Cline co-wrote the screenplay with Zak Penn, deviating from the source material but keeping the overall structure of the novel intact. If anything, the film's screenplay is better than the book as the film has a greater focus on real world consequences rather than long scenes of playing video games. 

Spielberg alternates between a grimy, grayed-out reality and the intentionally cartoony CGI wonderland of the Oasis, where Wade resembles a Final Fantasy character. He claimed the production was an "anxiety attack" due to the tremendous amount of CGI involved, but thankfully his special effects team came through. The material works far better as a film primarily because of the visuals. It's one thing to read about Godzilla vs. Gundam Knight, it's another thing to see it. 

The sheer volume of references is exhausting; one wonders how good the film would be without the cheap pops. Overall it's a fun film, but neither book or film ventured too far out of shallow waters. Ideally I don't want movies to be made like Ready Player One (2018), mainly due to its over-reliance on CGI, but I can't deny it's worth at least one viewing. 

Kanal (1956) Review

Title: Kanal

Year: 1956

Director: Andrzej Wajda

Country: Poland

Language: Polish

The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War Two event that happened in the Polish capital during the Summer of 1944. The Polish Resistance, led by the Home Army, attempted to liberate their city from German Occupation. The timing of the uprising was meant to coincide with the Russian Red Army advance into German territory, but unfortunately plans became quite distorted. Kanal is the first film to be made about this event. 

In 1944, during the Warsaw uprising against the Nazis, Polish Lieutenant Zadra (Wienczyslaw Glinski) and his resistance fighters use Warsaw's sewer system to escape the German encirclement.

With Kanal, Andrzej Wajda  shows a monumental battle between despair and determination that is inflicted on the emotional and psychological stability of the resistance fighters which proves quite haunting as time goes by. The claustrophobic nature of the sewer canal, wherein the majority of the film takes place, takes on an eerie atmosphere, which makes this film feel like a horror picture. World War Two is horror and Wajda does not hesitate to show us this. 

We observe the result of war via the dilapidated condition of once proud Warsaw, the depression and anger in the eyes of many members of the resistance, and the physical price many victims of war must pay. The omnipresence of death and decay, which in turns shatters the spirit of many of our heroes, is what truly attacks the protagonists on all fronts. Of all the World War Two films I've seen, Kanal tries its hardest not to glorify the war. 

Wajda, who experienced this chaos as a civilian, does a tremendous job at making his audience empathize with the Polish people. Teresa Izewska does a standout job being the exact opposite of what Nazis thought Polish women could/would/should be. She's a strong and smart woman, who ends up being stronger than the men in this film! Kanal, though depressing, is a remarkable picture. 

Jeanne d'Arc (1899) Review

Title: Jeanne D'Arc
Year: 1899
Director: Georges Melies
Country: France
Language: N/A

The silent era, which started in 1878 and ended in 1927, was a 40+ year period of artistic growth in regards to technological and artistic advancements. In 1899 film was still in its infancy; looking more like live theater. The actors in Jeanne d’Arc appear to us as they would have on-stage: small, with out-sized gestures and elaborate costumes to confirm their roles and actions.

In the village of Domrémy, the young Joan is visited by Saint Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret, who exhort her to fight for her country. She is captured by the enemy and burned at the stake.

The effect of the actors' exaggerated pantomime can be seen as quite goofy to 21st Century audiences. In addition the lack of plot can be seen as a bit awkward, because we are not used to how films used to be. Pioneer special effect filmmaker Georges Meilies doesn't structure Jeanne d'Arc like a typical movie; rather he cherry-picks key scenes from the Joan of Arc legend and presents each as a standalone piece.

The result is fun film that, while not exactly 100% faithful to the original story, would have blown 1899 audiences away with its special effects, costuming and set design. The running time, a solid 10 minutes, was also fairly unique for the time. Believe it or not, Jeanne d'Arc was actually considered a long movie once upon a time.

Though its steeped in theatre, Melies manages to give his audience an experience that they couldn't find live. There are quite a few close-ups and camera angles that are at a proximity no stage show could ever reproduce. Jeanne d'Arc was and remains quite a treat.

One Week (1920) Review

Title: One Week
Year: 1920
Director: Edward F. Cline
Country: US
Language: N/A

One Week was Buster Keaton’s first starring vehicle—a 19-minute short that kicked off a decade of artistic achievement matched by few people afterward, including Buster Keaton. Though this was his humble beginning, we can see seeds of great films like The General (1927) within this picture. His love for gags, both spectacular and subtle, can be seen here. 

A newly wedded couple attempts to build a house with a prefabricated kit, unaware that a rival sabotaged the kit's component numbering.

The story is basic, but the jokes certainly make up for it. The newlywed couple  find that their house is a DIY project in the most literal sense. They mis-assemble the house to comic effect, establishing funny elements destined to appear again and again in Keaton’s work. We also see Keaton's desire for potentially deadly stunts as, in one scene, he climbs from one car into another at high speed. 

One week is a brisk, charming and, most importantly, funny Buster Keaton picture that proves captivating almost a century after it was made. Armed with an incredible visual imagination, One Week is just one of many great pictures by this silent clown. The most amusing scene may be when Keaton gets into a fight with a cop that has a very familiar toothbrush mustache. A jab at Chaplin perhaps? Watch to find out! 

Blackmail (1929) Review

Title: Blackmail
Year: 1929
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Country: US
Language: English

Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock directed ten silent films at the beginning of his career, nine of which survive. They are little known today- mainly due to being silent, but also because their video quality was absolutely dreadful. In 2012 the British Film Institute completed restorations of of all nine and, from what I've seen with Lodger & Blackmail, they look absolutely breathtaking. To have those pictures in such quality is a miracle. 

After killing a man in self-defense, a young woman (Anna Ondry) is blackmailed by a witness to the killing.

Filmed at the close of the silent era in the West, Blackmail exists in both a silent and sound version, with the silent version being considered the superior by the majority of Hitchcock enthusiasts. Though The Lodger is seen as the most Hitchcock-like of the silents, there is much to be said about Blackmail in regards to his signature touches. We get the blonde femme fatale, exaggerated stair heights (similar to Vertigo) and a climatic finale in an iconic set (similar to North by Northwest) among others. 

Spinning a familiar web of murder and intrigue in metropolitan London, Alfred Hitchcock employs a remarkable expressionist style of set design and cinematography to heighten the eerie atmosphere and keep his audience on his toes. Though the film was made in 1929, very little of it feels dated. The acting is fairly exaggerated, as was desired in the silent era, but otherwise Blackmail makes for a good late night flick nowadays. 

Is it Hitchcock's most iconic film? No. I'd argue that it wouldn't make the top ten, but considering the amount of masterpieces Hitch has made one can hardly fault this picture. It's a good work of art that only improves with age. 

Yes Man (2008) Review

Title: Yes Man
Year: 2008
Director: Peyton Reed
Country: US
Language: English

By 2008 Jim Carrey had risen to great fame with comedic films like Liar Liar and had managed to find some success in more dramatic roles like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Despite his films sometimes being panned by critics, there was no doubt he was a box office draw as his mediocre pictures made over $200 million. After having made a cartoon (Horton Hears a Who)  and thriller (The Number 23) in 2008, Carrey returned to comedy.

Jim Carrey is Carl, a man challenges himself to say "yes" to everything for an entire year.

First and foremost; Yes Man has the stupidest moral lesson I've seen in a Jim Carrey movie. Basically saying "no" to everything is bad & saying "yes" to everything is bad, so it's good to have a balance of "yes" and "no". Really!? Is that a lesson ANYBODY needed to learn? I'm pretty sure babies who were just born understand that concept. Boy, this movie is a real thinker ain't it? Brilliant! 

It's so sad that the man who starred in such complex pictures like Eternal Sunshine and Truman Show looked at this script and thought "Yes, this is acceptable". Granted, Yes Man does have a cute romance sub-plot and there are some legitimately funny moments like when Carrey sings "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind. I suppose as far as pop-corn munching movies go this just inches towards passable. 

If not for Zooey Deschanel, I don't know if I could give this film any credit. Her chemistry with Carrey gives Yes Man at least a little bit of heart. Yes Man has decent moments, but overall it's a bit of a wash. "Meh". 

Bruce Almighty (2003) Review

Title: Bruce Almighty
Year: 2003
Director: Tom Shadyac
Country: US 
Language: English

Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ (2004) showed fundamentalist Christians that Christianity could be sold to mainstream audiences in cinematic form. Since that film an entire slew of preachy no-nonsense religious films have hit the market; the majority of them being utter crap. War Room (2015) might be the worst film I've ever seen. When my christian friends want me to suggest a "family friendly" religious movie I send them to Bruce Almighty. 

Jim Carrey plays Bruce Nolan, a guy who complains about God too often, that is given almighty powers to teach him how difficult it is to run the world.

Its main inspiration is Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, and like that film Bruce Almighty has a great charm about it. Despite being classified as a "comedy", Jim Carrey is remarkably restrained (this is the same guy who starred in Ace Ventura!?) as the "ha-ha" takes a back seat to the character's romantic personal problems. At times Bruce Almighty goes too far with the sentimentality, bordering on cheese, but sometimes it works.

Though the character does go through a crisis with his powers (lasso-ing the moon brings tidal waves) this is very briefly mentioned & the "moral" of the story doesn't feel earned. Even at its darkest times, Bruce Almighty is full of pop music and eerie cheerfulness. Sure, it's a fun movie, but it's far too light to be taken seriously when the movie wants you to take it seriously. 

Bruce Almighty is an inoffensive popcorn muncher. The type of film you'll watch when nothing else is on. While it borders between "decent" and "forgetful", it's still a MUCH MUCH MUCH greater picture than the majority of Christian propaganda out there. 

The Jerk (1979) Review

Title: The Jerk
Year: 1979
Director: Carl Reiner
Country: US
Language: English

The difficulty of transitioning from stage to screen has often been a great burden to many talented comedians, even though one would think the silver screen ought to be an easy transition.  George Carlin, one of the most interesting on-stage personalities, has a fairly poor filmography. His most notable cinematic role was a small part in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Steve Martin's film career has been a mixed bag, but at least he has The Jerk on his resume.

Navin (Steve Martin) is an idiot. He grew up in Mississippi as adopted son of a black family but on his 18th birthday he feels he wants to discover the rest of the world and sets out to St. Louis. There everyone exploits his naivety, but then a simple invention brings him a fortune

A classic rags to riches story - except with the physical comedy styling of Buster Keaton mixed with the crude humour of the Farley Brothers (There's Something About Mary). When Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias were writing the screenplay for The Jerk, their stated goal was to include at least one joke on every page and it's fairly safe to say they succeeded. 

Even though some jokes are dated and will make you roll your eyes, others manage to stand the test of time and even become funnier with time. I particularly liked the joke about Steve Martin excited to work for MUCH less than 1979 minimum wage. For all its silliness, The Jerk has great heart as well. The romance between Navin and his sweetheart feels genuine and when the characters hit hard times it's fairly easy to empathize. 

The Jerk  is a decent comedy, but often the plots meanders for too long in order to set up a joke that doesn't add anything to the film. Its beloved by many moviegoers, but for me it's a few steps short from being "great". Still, there's a good time to be had.