Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and screenplay by John Michael Hayes from a story by Charles Bennett and D.B. Wyndham-Lewis, The Man Who Knew Too Much is the story of a vacationing couple in Morocco whose son witnesses an assassination plot as he is kidnapped prompting the couple to get their son back. A remake of the 1934 film of the same name, the film is a suspense thriller that explores a couple who deals with what their son discovered as they also realize what is at stake in not just for their son but for so much more. Starring James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles, Christopher Olsen, Daniel Gelin, and Reggie Nalder. The Man Who Knew Too Much is a riveting and exhilarating film from Alfred Hitchcock.
The film revolves around a couple who go to Marrakesh during a vacation in Morocco as they meet a Frenchman whom they would later see killed in an assassination plot as their son is later kidnapped as they wonder what is going on. It’s a film that play into a doctor and his wife whose meeting with a Frenchman and then see him killed the next day who gives the doctor a message as he becomes unsure whether to tell the authorities after getting a call that his son had been kidnapped. John Michael Hayes’ screenplay, with un-credited contributions from Angus McPhall, opens the film with an orchestral performance that would be crucial to its climax in relation to what is at stake in this assassination plot. Dr. Benjamin McKenna (James Stewart) and his pop singer wife Josephine “Jo” Conway McKenna (Doris Day) were with their son Hank (Christopher Olsen) when they meet Louis Bernard (Daniel Gelin) on a bus as they would later have a dinner with him only to be cancelled as the McKennas later dine with a British couple in Edward and Lucy Drayton (Bernard Miles and Brenda de Banzie respectively).
The Draytons aren’t what they seem when they suddenly disappear as Hank was with Lucy shortly after the assassination plot they witnessed where Bernard told Dr. McKenna crucial information. The first act takes place in Marrakesh while its second act is in London where the McKennas arrive to find a person named Ambrose Chappell based on a note that Dr. McKenna wrote from what Bernard told him. Their arrival in London is met with fanfare for Jo as she still had some air of popularity during her time as a singer where some old friends of her come and visit her at the hotel she and her husband stay in. It is in London that leads to this climatic event at the Royal Albert Hall as well as who is the target of this major assassination plot as the script manages to maintain this slow build but keep investing in its approach to suspense.
Alfred Hitchcock’s direction does bear style as it just opens with this orchestral performance of Arthur Benjamin’s Storm Clouds Cantata as it would be a piece re-played for its climax. Shot in locations in Morocco and London, the film does play into a world where this couple and their young son are just pawns of as they would witness a man being killed and later be involved about a secret assassination plot. While there are some wide shots that Hitchcock would create, much of his direction is emphasized more on attention to detail in the close-ups and medium shots as it play into the drama but also certain clues that play into the mystery. Hitchcock would also infuse some stylish shots as it play into the suspense and drama as well as the air of misdirection where Hitchcock would take a character somewhere and then put that person in the wrong place.
Hitchcock’s direction also play into this world where one couldn’t trust anyone as Dr. McKenna’s believes that there are authorities who are corrupt following a meeting he and Jo had with an immigration official where Dr. McKenna gets a call that Hank had been kidnapped. One of the few figures that the McKennas do trust but never tell them what they know is Inspector Buchanan (Ralph Truman) who understands the severity of their situation but is aware of what is at stake for the McKennas. The film’s climax is set at the Royal Albert Hall during this performance as it is about where the target is at and where the assassin is at the importance of the music piece. Hitchcock’s usage of geography and timing is key to that event as it would be followed by an aftermath where music is once again key to the dramatic suspense but it is presented in a more intimate setting. Overall, Hitchcock crafts a thrilling and captivating film about a couple whose son is kidnapped after they had witnessed a murder that involves a major assassination plot.
Cinematographer Robert Burks does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography as it captures the exquisite beauty of some of the locations in Morocco and in London in its daytime exteriors as well as the usage of low-key lights for some of the nighttime interior scenes. Editor George Tomasini does excellent work with the editing as it help play into the suspense and drama with some structural fade-outs and rhythmic cuts that include the film’s climax at the Royal Albert Hall. Art directors Henry Bumstead and Hal Pereira, with set decorators Sam Comer and Arthur Krams, do fantastic work with the look of the hotel rooms and dining room in Marrakesh as well as the hotel suite they stay at in London as well as the mysterious home of Ambrose Chappell.
Costume designer Edith Head does amazing work with the costumes from the dresses that Jo wears as well as the glamorous clothes that some of the attendees at the Royal Albert Hall wear. Sound recordists Paul Franz and Gene Garvin, with sound editor Bill Wistrom, do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as in creating sound effects to help play into the suspense. The film’s music by Bernard Herrmann is incredible for its orchestral score with some lush string arrangements for the somber moments and some bombastic textures to play into the suspense while Herrmann appears in the film’s climax as the conductor for a performance of Arthur Benjamin’s Storm Clouds Cantata while the music soundtrack also features an original piece in Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be) that is written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans as it is a crucial song that is used for its final showdown.
The casting by William Cowitt, Gary Fifield, Bill Greenwald, Edward R. Morse, and Tony Regan is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from George Howe and Richard Wordsworth as two men named Ambrose Chappell, Alexis Bobrinskoy as Britain’s prime minister, Alan Mowbray and Hillary Brooke as a couple of Jo’s old friends visiting her in London, Reggie Nalder as a mysterious man that the McKennas meet early in the film, Mogens Weith as a foreign ambassador who might have some involvement with the assassination plot, and Christopher Olsen as the McKennas’ young son Hank. Daniel Gelin is terrific in his brief yet crucial performance as Louis Bernard as a French-Moroccan man whom the McKennas meet early in the film as he is an ambiguous figure yet would be killed because of some information he discovered that he would pass to Dr. McKenna.
Ralph Truman is superb as Inspector Buchanan as a police inspector in London who wants to help the McKennas but is aware of what is at stake as he stays close to them while attending to other matters that would relate to the film’s climax. Bernard Miles and Brenda de Banzie are fantastic in their respective roles as Edward and Lucy Drayton as a British couple the McKennas meet as they look at various sites in Marrakesh with the former knowing how to speak French but they’re also a couple who provide intrigue in the way they present themselves and the way they look at the McKennas the first time they’re shown. Finally, there’s the duo of James Stewart and Doris Day in incredible performances in their respective roles as Dr. Ben McKenna and Jo McKenna as this American couple who witness a murder and later deal with their son being kidnapped with Stewart being a rational man trying to understand what is going on and is aware that he can’t trust anyone while Jo is a woman that is just troubled as she would also embark on her own investigation as she makes a major discovery and play a key role in the film’s climax.
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a spectacular film from Alfred Hitchcock that features sensational performances from James Stewart and Doris Day. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, usage of geography and location, riveting screenplay, and Bernard Herrmann’s sumptuous music score. It is a film that does a lot that is expected in the world of suspense and drama while it’s also one of Hitchcock’s quintessential film in terms of emphasis on attention to detail and maintaining an atmosphere to play up the suspense. In the end, The Man Who Knew Too Much is a tremendous film from Alfred Hitchcock.
Alfred Hitchcock Films: (Number 13) - (The Pleasure Garden) - (The Blackguard) - (The Mountain Eagle) - (The Lodger) - (A Story of the London Fog) - (The Ring) - (Downhill) - (The Farmer’s Wife) - (Easy Virtue) - (Champagne) - (The Manxman) - (Blackmail) - (Juno and the Paycock) - (Murder!) - (The Skin Game) - (Mary) - (Lord Camber’s Ladies) - (Rich and Strange) - (Number Seventeen) - (Waltzes from Vienna) - (The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)) – The 39 Steps - (Secret Agent) - (Sabotage) - (Young and Innocent) – The Lady Vanishes - (Jamaica Inn) – Rebecca – (Foreign Correspondent) – (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) – Suspicion - (Saboteur) – (Shadow of a Doubt) – Lifeboat - Bon Voyage (1944 film) - (Spellbound) – (Notorious) – (The Paradine Cage) – Rope - (Under Capricorn) – (Stage Fright) – Strangers on a Train - I Confess - Dial M for Murder - Rear Window - To Catch a Thief - (The Trouble with Harry) – (The Wrong Man) – Vertigo - North by Northwest - Psycho - The Birds - Marnie - (Torn Curtain) – (Topaz) – (Frenzy) – (Family Plot)
© thevoid99 2019
For the 45th week of 2019 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We venture into the subject of scientists as it play into people trying to solve problems through science as well as create something that will help the world or destroy it. Here are my three picks:
1. The Face of Another
Hiroshi Teshigahara’s film about an engineer who is given a new face following an accident in this study of identity. The scientist in question doesn’t just create a new face but becomes concerned with his patient’s sudden growth in immorality through the mask he would wear. It’s a film that features a lot of surreal elements as well as a subplot about a scarred woman who endures her own journey dealing with her own deformity as it parallels with the main narrative.
2. The Man with Two Brains
From Carl Reiner is one of the funniest comedies of the 1980s that is the third of four collaborations with Steve Martin who plays a brain surgeon who marries a woman that is cruel and neglectful while he falls for a brain with the voice of Sissy Spacek. It’s a weird yet funny film as it includes a weird subplot about a mysterious serial killer killing people in elevators as the person who plays the killer is shocking in a funny way.
3. Ex Machina
Alex Garland’s film about a coder who is given a chance to meet his reclusive boss as well as an android whom he falls for. It’s a compelling sci-fi film that is set entirely in a house as it play into the ideas of artificial intelligence but also who is in control. Oscar Isaac plays the man who created the android as he is an odd figure yet it adds to the drama that the android is dealing with as she just wants to connect with human beings.
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Jia Zhangke, Unknown Pleasures is the story of three young people living in Datong during a new era of China as they escape through the world of pop culture and other new things in and out of China. The film is the third film in a thematic trilogy that relates to the changes emerging in China in the late 1990s and early 2000s as it play into three people who are part of a new era in China that is trying to repress its growing population. Starring Zhao Weiwei, Wu Qiong, and Zhao Tao. Unknown Pleasures is a compelling and evocative film from Jia Zhangke.
Set in the industrial city of Datong in the Shanxi province of China in 2001, the film follows the lives of three people who live in the city as they struggle to find work while being enamored with the world of western pop culture as a way to escape from their dull existence. It’s a film that doesn’t have much plot as it’s more about these three people dealing with their situations during a moment in time where China is about to emerge into a new era that includes the one-child per family rule. Jia Zhangke’s script doesn’t have much structure as it focuses on the three different directions that his protagonists as one of them in Qiao Qiao (Zhao Tao) is a singer/dancer who works as a spokesmodel for a liquor company as she’s attracted the attention of the reckless Xiao Ji (Wu Qiong) who spends much of his time riding his motorcycle and think of quick ways to make money. The third protagonist in Bin Bin (Zhao Weiwei) is struggling to find work to raise money while he lives with his mother as he tries to go to the military but faces some problems that will make his struggles even bigger.
Zhangke’s direction doesn’t bear a lot of style as it’s more emphasized on simplicity as it is shot on location in Datong as well as areas nearby. Through the usage of digital video cameras, Zhangke would allow himself to get great coverage of the locations through medium and wide shots as well as show this small town in China that is changing with a highway being built nearby. While there aren’t a lot of close-ups in the film, Zhangke does use a lot of medium shots for the character interactions and intimate moments as well as a lot of long and lingering shots that goes on for two minutes at least while there are these swift and slow camera pans that would occur or moments where the camera remains still. While it’s a simplistic style that doesn’t emphasize on action and would give the film a slow pace that not everyone is accustomed to. Yet, Zhangke does showcase a world that is changing as these three young people are dealing with the possibilities of a bleak future for this new era in China. Overall, Zhangke crafts a mesmerizing and intriguing film about three people trying to find their roles during a transitional period in China.
Cinematographer Nelson Yu Lik-Wai does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its heightened yet somewhat grainy video look in its digital presentation and how it uses available light for some exterior scenes in the daytime along with scenes set at night. Editor Chow Keung does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in the way it doesn’t aim for stylish cuts to maintain the film’s straightforward tone. Production designer Jing Dong Liang does nice work with the look of some of the places the protagonists live in as well as the design of some of the stage setting for the traditional plays that are presented. The sound of Bing Han and Yang Zhang is superb for the way it captures sound on location as well as the way TV sounds to present the news of the times and how music is presented on location.
The film’s excellent cast feature some notable small roles from writer/director Jiang Zhangke as a man singing opera, Liu Xi’an as Xiao Ji’s father who finds an American dollar thinking it would help his family, Bai Ru as Bin Bin’s mother, Wang Hongwei as a friend of Xiao Ji and Bin Bin in Xiao Wu who is a small-time crook trying to make money, Zhou Qingfeng as Bin Bin’s girlfriend Yuan Yuan as a young woman who is trying to focus on her education putting a strain on her relationship with Bin Bin, and Li Zhubin as Qiao San as Qiao Qiao’s manager/boyfriend who gets her gigs to perform yet takes advantage of her while he is also a small-time criminal that rarely gets angry. Zhao Tao is amazing as Qiao Qiao as a singer/dancer working for a liquor company as their spokesmodel as she struggles with her relationship with Qiao San just as she becomes interested in Xiao Ji. Wu Qiong is fantastic as Xiao Ji as a young reckless man trying to find ways to make easy money while falling for Qiao Qiao as they share their love of American films. Finally, there’s Zhao Weiwei in a brilliant performance as Bin Bin as a young man frustrated with his lack of prospects and his own strained relations with people in his life as his attempts to join the army is halted by reasons beyond his control.
Unknown Pleasures is a marvelous film from Jia Zhangke. Featuring a great cast, incredible visuals, and a minimalist storyline to explore China in transition and how three people cope with the changes and their role or lack thereof for this new world. It’s a film that explore an air of change that is emerging with three people at the center of it as they cope with uncertainty and frustration about their own prospects. In the end, Unknown Pleasures is a remarkable film from Jia Zhangke.
Jia Zhangke Films: (Xiao Shan Going Home) – (Xiao Wu) – (Platform (2000 film)) – (In Public (2001 film)) – The World (2004 film) – (Still Life) – (Dong) – (Useless (2007 film)) – (24 City) – (Cry Me a River (2008 short film)) – (I Wish I Knew) – (A Touch of Sin) – (Mountains May Depart) – (Ash is Purest White)
© thevoid99 2019
Based on the 1978 film by John Carpenter and screenplay by Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween is a sequel to the 1978 film that revolves around the survivor of a killing spree as she learns that the madman has escaped and is killing again with her estranged family being the target. Directed by David Gordon Green and screenplay by Green, Danny McBride, and Jeff Fradley, the film explores a woman’s trauma and her estrangement from her daughter and granddaughter while getting ready for the madman that is coming back as Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode with Nick Castle also returning as the killer Michael Myers along with James Jude Courtney in the same role. Also starring Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, and Virginia Gardner. Halloween is a gripping and terrifying film from David Gordon Green.
40 years after events in which a madman killed a bunch of people with a young woman being its sole survivor, the film is about the madman in Michael Myers being transferred to a new facility where he escapes seeking to kill once again as well as go after the young woman he was unable to kill in Laurie Strode. What he doesn’t know is that Strode is more than ready to face him once again yet she is also coping with the fact that years of paranoia has made her estranged from her daughter and granddaughter. The film’s screenplay by David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, and Jeff Fradley definitely focuses on the events of what happened in the original John Carpenter film while dismissing everything else that came between through its sequels, reboots, and remakes including rumors that Strode and Myers were siblings. Instead, it focuses on the events of a few days where Strode is aware that Myers is about to be transferred as there are those interested in his actions as well as Myers’ psychiatrist in Dr. Ranbir Sartain (Haluk Bilginer) who was a student of Myers’ previous psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis.
Much of the action takes place in the span of three days with the first act being set two days before Halloween while its second and third act is set on Halloween as they play into Myers’ arrival back into the town where he had previously killed a bunch of people. Strode rarely steps out of her home as she would get wind about a bus accident knowing that Myers was on that bus as she warns her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) about what is to happen while Karen’s daughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) is out at a Halloween school party. Its third act is about the showdown at Strode’s home between Myers and Strode along with Karen and Karen’s husband Ray (Toby Huss) with Allyson trying to get to her home after her own encounter with Myers.
Green’s direction does have elements of style including a few visual homages to the 1978 film by John Carpenter. Yet, Green does infuse his own ideas in terms of the compositions he creates as well as the atmosphere he maintains throughout the film. Shot largely on location in and around Charleston, South Carolina, Green opens the film in the prison where he uses a lot of great wide shots to get a scope of the locations including the prison atrium where two British podcasters try to contact Myers. Throughout the entirety of the film, Myers’ real face is barely shown as Green wanted to maintain his mystique and intrigue as well as the idea that Myers might not be the one lurking to create this idea of misdirection. Even in the usage of close-ups and medium shots for moments of intimacy as it help play into the suspense while Green’s approach to the violence isn’t about gore but rather the impact and its act where he wouldn’t really show what is happening.
Green also creates these intense tracking shots that includes a scene of Myers walking to other people’s houses and just killing people at random including a scene in one person’s house as he kills someone yet there’s someone else there but he just ignores it. Green also emphasizes on the aftermath of a murder as it just adds to the terror while its second act that is about Myers just killing random people with Deputy Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) pursuing Myers having been the man who arrested Myers 40 years ago with Dr. Sartain also pursuing Myers but for his own reasons. The third act is about Strode and her family confronting Myers as Strode knew what was to come but also some revelations about why Strode and her daughter became estranged as the latter realizes what she must do as well. The showdown definitely recall visual traits from the 1978 film but also in maintaining that air of horror and suspense as well as the stakes of what Strode and her family has to face. Overall, Green crafts a riveting and haunting film about a woman protecting her family from the man who tried to kill her during a killing spree 40 years ago.
Cinematographer Michael Simmonds does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of low-key and available light for some of the exterior scenes at night as well as for some eerie scenes in some of the homes at night. Editor Tim Alverson does terrific work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and terror. Production designer Richard A. Wright, with set decorator Missy Berent Ricker and art director Sean White, does fantastic work with the look of Karen’s home as well as the home that Strode lives in with all of its locks and security settings as well as the rooms of some of the characters in the film. Costume designer Emily Gunshor does nice work with the costumes including Halloween costumes that random people wear for Halloween including Allyson’s Halloween costume.
Makeup effects designers Christopher Allen Nelson and Vincent Van Dyke does brilliant work with the makeup in some of the gory effects that are presented in the aftermath as well as the ragged look of Strode. Visual effects supervisor Simon Maddison does superb work with the visual effects as it is mainly some set dressing that include a few scenes of violence in the film. Sound designers P.K. Hooker and Chris Terhune, along with co-sound editor Will Files, do amazing work with the sound in creating that tense atmosphere for the suspense and terror as well as the sounds of people outside trick-or-treating and the scenes in the film’s climax.
The film’s music by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies is incredible for its eerie and hypnotic electronic-based score that includes the original theme composed by John Carpenter while he, his son Cody, and Daniel Davies provide a lot of eerie textures into the music to build up the suspense and drama as it is a highlight of the film. Music supervisor Devoe Yates provide a decent music soundtrack that features an array of contemporary music from electronic dance music and country that is played in the background in the school party scene.
The casting by Sarah Domeier Lindo and Terri Taylor is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Jimbrail Nantambu as a young boy Allyson’s friend Vicky is babysitting for, Miles Robbins as Vicky’s boyfriend Dave, Drew Scheid as a friend of Allyson’s boyfriend in Oscar, Dylan Arnold as Allyson’s boyfriend Cameron, Omar Dorsey as the local head sheriff named Barker, Sophia Miller as a young Karen through flashbacks, Jefferson Hall and Rhian Rees in their respective roles as British true crimes podcasters Aaron Korey and Dana Haines who both try to get information about the murders 40 years ago from Myers and Strode, and Will Patton in a terrific performance as Deputy Frank Hawkins as the man who arrested Myers 40 years ago as he is eager to help Strode and stop him for good. Haluk Bilginer is superb as Dr. Ranbir Sartain as a student of Dr. Sam Loomis who has been Myers’ psychiatrist as he pursues him following Myers’ escape from a bus accident hoping to understand more of Myers’ state of mind.
Virginia Gardner is fantastic as Allyson’s friend Vicky who is aware of Allyson’s family history as she doesn’t do Halloween due to a babysitting gig yet she proves to be a kind person who knows something isn’t right. Toby Huss is excellent as Karen’s husband/Allyson’s father Ray Nelson as a man who is uneasy about his mother-in-law’s paranoia until things do become deadly as he helps her out in trying to deal with Myers. Andi Matichak is brilliant as Allyson as Strode’s granddaughter/Karen’s daughter as a teenage girl who is still trying to get to know her grandmother while would also have an encounter with Myers late in the film as she realizes what she has to do. Judy Greer is amazing as Karen Nelson as Strode’s estranged daughter who still harbors some resent towards her mother over how she was raised until she becomes aware of Myers’ presence prompting her to join her mother and take action.
In the role of Michael Myers, James Jude Courtney and Nick Castle are incredible in playing the character with the latter providing a brief appearance of Myers on a window and through his breathing while the former does much of the physical work and eerie presence that is crucial to the character as this killer who refuses to die. Finally, there’s Jamie Lee Curtis in a phenomenal performance as Laurie Strode as a survivor of Myers’ killing spree 40 years before who has become a troubled woman with PTSD and bad memories as she is aware that Myers will return as she is ready for him to come back and finish the job as it is a new layer to an iconic character that only Curtis could bring.
Halloween is a sensational film from David Gordon Green that features a great performance from Jamie Lee Curtis. Along with its ensemble cast, low-key approach to suspense and horror, study of trauma and fear, mesmerizing visuals, and a chilling music score. It’s a film that feels like a true sequel/companion piece to the 1978 film by John Carpenter as well as being a horror film that is more about atmosphere and characters rather than cheap scares and gore. In the end, Halloween is a phenomenal film from David Gordon Green.
Related: Halloween
David Gordon Green Films: George Washington - All the Real Girls - Undertow - Snow Angels - Pineapple Express - (Your Highness) – (The Sitter (2011 film)) – (Prince Avalanche) – Joe (2013 film) - (Manglehorn) – (Our Brand is Crisis) – (Stronger (2017 film)) – (Halloween Kills) – (Halloween Ends)
© thevoid99 2019
Impeachment is coming and it is kind of exciting but I’m also wary of what is to come. Still, there is a lot of things that are happening around the world as things in Britain are a mess while the idea that ISIS is done for some reason doesn’t feel right. Even as El Pendejo claims victory yet I’m always thinking that it’s not over yet as there’s some bad shit that is to come. It’s gotten weird as I’ve been focused mainly on helping my mom take care of my nephew in the day time and do other things while I’ve been able to sort of get back on board in watching films again regularly. At the same time, I’ve just started work on a big project that I will unveil in a few days as it started off as a response over comments made by a few revered filmmakers on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In the month of October, I saw a total of 31 films in 16 first-timers and 15 re-watches as it is an improvement of sorts over the past few months as I was able to see a lot of films this month as the highlight of the month has been my Blind Spot assignment in My Neighbor Totoro. Here are my top 10 first-timers that I saw for October 2019:
1. The House That Jack Built
2. Bad Times at the El Royale
3. Diego Maradona
4. Kuroneko
5. The Lighthouse
6. The 39 Steps
7. Halloween
8. The Face of Another
9. Pitfall
10. Joker
Monthly Mini-Reviews
Night School
Kevin Hart is usually a miss for me on a lot of films including this one where he spends a lot of the time whining, screaming loud, and trying to be the center of attention which is essentially a lot of what he does as a midget. Yet, the film manages to be watchable thanks in part to its ensemble cast including Rob Riggle, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Keith David, and Anne Winters. The film’s MVP is Tiffany Haddish who proves that not only is she funny but she is also a great straight woman who knows when to be funny but also knows how to be serious as the film would’ve been a disaster without her.
Happy Death Day 2U
I like sequels that don’t take themselves seriously as this film did that and more with its premise of re-living one’s death every day as it does explain how Jessica Rothe’s character was able to re-live her death day in the previous film. The sequel is emphasized more on comedy than its predecessor yet it also manages to do more with the ensemble as Phi Vu and Rachel Matthews in their respective roles with the latter as Danielle being a standout in how funny she is. It’s also got character development and moments that are playful and fun as it’s definitely worth watching and proof of how to do horror-comedy right.
Finding Dory
I had hope to see this much later but during a day where my mom and I were taking care of my nephew, we ended up watching this film in its entirety on the Disney Channel and it was really awesome. It’s a film that is an exploration of family where Dory begins to have memories about her own parents as she is eager to find them with Marlin and Nemo helping her out. It is a gorgeous film but it’s also really touching which is often expected from Pixar. My mother liked it yet my nephew was enamored with the imagery of it.
Top 10 Re-Watches:
1. In the Mood for Love
2. The Babadook
3. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
4. Hail, Caesar!
5. Nowhere Boy
6. Toy Story of Terror!
7. Happy Death Day
8. Harlem Nights
9. Addams Family Values
10. Tales from the Hood
Well, that is all for October. Next month, I will be getting back to regular movie-watching based on the never-ending DVR list including a film by Alfred Hitchcock I hadn’t had the time to watch as a late entry to the world of horror. Along with possible theatrical viewings for Parasite, Jojo Rabbit, and Knives Out, I hope to also watch films that are coming out on Netflix and other things in my laptop that I haven’t watched. I will also make an announcement of my MCU project which has already gotten started as I’ve written some stuff for the first part already. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off and hope everyone has a Happy Halloween…
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Lars von Trier from an idea by von Trier and Jenle Hallund, The House That Jack Built is the story of the life of a serial killer in the course of 12 years as he kills various people from the 1970s to the 1980s in the state of Washington. The film is a psychological horror film that explores a man’s love of killing people through five moments in his life as he sees his killings as works of art as the titular character is portrayed by Matt Dillon. Also starring Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Riley Keough, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Sofie Grabol, and Jeremy Davies. The House That Jack Built is a discomforting yet intense film from Lars von Trier.
Set in the 1970s and 1980s in the state of Washington through five events and an epilogue, the film is the simple story of the life of a failed architect who becomes a serial killer as he would kill a lot of people during the course of his life. It’s a film that explores a man’s life through the people he killed with many of the victims being women as he would talk about his exploits to another man off screen as well as view his murders as art. Lars von Trier’s screenplay is told through five chapters as it relates to life of its titular character (Matt Dillon) as he would have these off-screen conversations with a man named Verge (Bruno Ganz) such as the first time he killed someone to how his murders would get more sophisticated during the years as he becomes less compulsive and more refined. It also showcases his growing sense of disdain towards aspects of humanity as well as seeing his killings as works of art where he is determined to be more artistic. Yet, he would also cope in trying to create a house for himself as another form of artistic expression.
The direction of von Trier is stylish in its approach to telling a man’s life story yet it draws upon many ideas of artistry with inter-cut images of stock footage and such to play into Jack’s psyche and pursuit of artistic glory. Shot on various locations in Sweden and parts of Denmark including Copenhagen, the film does play into this small town world where Jack drives a shiny red-colored van as von Trier would shoot much of the film on different formats with much of the narrative presented in the 2:39:1 aspect ratio with some stock footage shot in the 1:37:1 full-frame aspect ratio. Much of von Trier’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are presented with hand-held cameras to get a sense into Jack’s own emotions as well as those he terrorizes during the course of the film. There are some wide shots as a few of them pay homage to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s film Master of the House in a sequence where Jack carries a body to his home in a darkly-comical speedy presentation. The direction also has von Trier borrow images from not just various pieces of art including footage from shorts and such along with von Trier’s own films but also paintings, sculptures, and designs of houses, churches, and other places to play into Jack’s fascination with art.
Even as it play into Jack’s obsession in creating the perfect house with the best materials he can find as his frustrations for perfection only fuels his desire to kill. The violence in the film is emphasized more on impact rather than gore and anything outrageous as von Trier shows these acts of violence to play into Jack’s obsession with its culture and how much control he can bring while becoming more sadistic in his pursuit of artistic triumphs. The film’s final incident and its epilogue play into Jack’s obsession as well as this individual he had been talking to throughout the film off-screen in Verge. The final incident would also reveal a room that Jack had been trying to get into in the ice locker he owned where he would store many of his victims as it would play into Jack’s desire of his own dream house but also a chilling epilogue that is more about Jack’s fate and the decision he makes as a man. Overall, von Trier creates a disturbing yet evocative film about the life of a serial killer and his pursuit of artistic glory.
Cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of colors and low-key lights for scenes at the night and in some of the interior scenes add to the stark visual tone of the film. Editors Molly Malene Stensgaard and Jacob Secher Schulsinger do excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts, montages, and other stylish cuts to play into Jack’s journey. Production designer Simone Grau Roney and art director Cecilia Hellner do fantastic work with the apartment that Jack lives in as well as the ice house that he owns with boxes of frozen pizzas where he would store the body while von Trier would serve as art director for the film’s final scene. Costume designer Manon Rasmussen does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward in what Jack wears with the exception of a red bathrobe he would wear late in the film.
Prosthetics makeup effects designer Love Larson does terrific work with the look of the corpses that Jack has collected in his storage ice room. Visual effects supervisors Pierre Buffin and Peter Hjorth do amazing work with the visual effects for some sequences during the epilogue that includes recreations of a few paintings. Sound designer Kristian Eidnes Andersen does superb work with the sound where it emphasizes on natural elements and sparse textures to play into the realism of the film. The film’s music by Victor Reyes is wonderful for its low-key approach to ambient music which is only used sparingly for its climatic epilogue while music supervisor Mikkel Maltha provide a music soundtrack that adds a lot of punch to Jack’s journey from classical pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and Richard Wagner as a Bach piece is performed by Glenn Gould with the rest of the soundtrack features Louis Armstrong’s rendition of St. James Infirmary Blues, a cover of Ray Charles’ Hit the Road Jack by David Johansen in his Buster Poindexter persona, and David Bowie’s Fame.
The casting by Des Hamilton, Avy Kaufman, and Lara Manwaring is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Osy Ikhile as a victim of Jack’s late in the film, David Bailie as a friend of Jack’s in S.P., Jeremy Davies as an ammunitions salesman in Al, Jack McKenzie as a blacksmith in Sonny, Emil Tholstrup as a young Jack, Marijana Jankovic and Carina Skenhede as a couple of victims of Jack’s, Rocco and Cohen Day in their respective roles as the boys Grumpy and George, and Edward Spleers as a policeman during the film’s second incident. In the performances of some of the women that Jack would encounter, Uma Thurman as the annoying hitchhiking lady, Siobhan Fallon Hogan as a widowed neighbor, Sofie Grabol as a mother of two boys, and Riley Keough as a young girlfriend of Jack’s in Simple are excellent in their roles as the women in Jack’s life who would play into his evolution as a serial killer and his growing fascination in being an artist.
Bruno Ganz is phenomenal as Verge as this mysterious man who appears off-screen for much of the film as he converses with Jack about his killings and such where he is appalled by his actions but also intrigued as his appearance in the film’s final moments reveal something much bigger as someone who observes all of Jack’s exploits. Finally, there’s Matt Dillon in an incredible performance as the titular character as this architect whose desire to create a home for himself is troubled by his desire for perfection as his frustrations with humanity leads him to killing people where he sees it as an expression of art where Dillon displays some charm but also a manic energy into his role as it is a career-defining performance for Dillon.
The House That Jack Built is a spectacular film from Lars von Trier that features a sensational performance from Matt Dillon. Along with its ensemble cast that includes a great supporting performance from Bruno Ganz as well as its ravishing visuals, offbeat music soundtrack, and study of humanity, murder, and art. It’s a film that is definitely not for the faint of heart as it shows von Trier at his most carnal but also with a level of restraint into the acts of violence as well as studying the mind of a man who kills for the pleasure of it as well as to fill the void of his own artistic satisfaction. In the end, The House That Jack Built is a tremendous film from Lars von Trier.
Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea (1988 TV film) - Europa - The Kingdom I - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dogme #2: Idioterne - Dancer in the Dark - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - Manderlay - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Dimension (2010 short) - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The Kingdom: Exodus - (Etudes)
Related: Favorite Films #3: Breaking the Waves - The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier
© thevoid99 2019
Directed by Robert Eggers and written by Robert and Max Eggers, The Lighthouse is the story of two lighthouse keepers who tend to a lighthouse in the late 19th Century as their life of solitude becomes troubled as they endure their own demons. The film is a psychological horror film that explore the world that two men live in as they deal with their own issues as well as their state of mind as they start to unravel. Starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. The Lighthouse is an intoxicating yet haunting film from Robert Eggers.
Set on an isolated island in the U.S. in the late 19th Century, the film is about two men running a lighthouse as they live and work in a solitude environment that eventually gets to them as their four-week tenure is extended further by a storm and other disturbing events. It’s a film that doesn’t have much plot as it play into two men working at a lighthouse as they deal with the job at hand amidst horrendous weather conditions and other strange things. The film’s screenplay by Robert and Max Eggers opens with the arrival of Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) and his supervisor in Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) as the latter had ran the lighthouse before as Winslow learns that Wake’s previous assistant had gone mad. Winslow accepts the job for pay as he learns to deal with Wake yet he would start to see strange things including a mermaid (Valeriia Karaman) while he also witnesses Wake behaving strangely as well. The tension between Winslow and Wake would come ahead yet would either be soothed or intensified through alcohol.
Robert Eggers’ direction definitely recall films of the past in not just its visuals and its usage of the 1:19:1 aspect ratio that is more akin to the cinematic style of 1920s/1930s cinema. Shot on location in Nova Scotia, Eggers does use some wide shots to get a scope of the locations as well as the sea to play into its air of isolation yet much of the direction is emphasized on close-ups and medium shots with some intricate camera movements throughout the film. Eggers’ usage of the close-ups doesn’t just play into some of the emotional moments of the film but also in some of the dramatic tension and suspense as it relates to the moments in and out of the lighthouse as well as what Winslow sees on the island. There are also these offbeat moments in the film as it relates to Winslow’s encounter with a seagull as Wake states that killing one would bring a curse to the island.
While there are moments of the film that do slow things down as it involve scenes of no dialogue, it does play into not just some of the tension that occur but also into the surreal moments of the film. Notably in what Winslow sees in the film as there are also these intimate yet lively moments of Winslow and Wake as they get drunk and sing sea chanteys while going into conversation about themselves and such. Even as it goes into the third act as Winslow copes with what he’s encountered as well as it play into what he is seeing is real or maybe in his head. Even as Wake becomes more upset over what Winslow had brought to the island as Eggers’ direction does intensify while he creates these gorgeous compositions that add a lot of intrigue into what Wake does at the top of the lighthouse which he always closes. Eggers’ visuals would showcase some of the mystery of that lighthouse as along with the island are characters of the film as it would play into everything Winslow and Wake have been fascinated by. Overall, Eggers crafts a terrifying yet rapturous film about two men working and living in a lighthouse on an isolated island.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does incredible work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its usage of lighting for some interior scenes at night along with the way the rocks and muddy roads look as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing as its usage of rhythmic cuts help play into the drama and suspense along with the few bits of humor as a lot of it is straightforward. Production designer Craig Lathrop, with set decorator Ian Greig and art director Matt Likely, does brilliant work with the look of the lighthouse and the houses around the lighthouse as well as the interiors in how small their bedroom is and how shambolic the home looks from inside. Costume designer Linda Muir does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely low-key into the uniforms that the men wear as well as the shambolic look it would have.
Special makeup effects artists Shane Shisheboran and Vague Vartanian do terrific work with the look of the mermaid as well as a few things that Winslow would see. Visual effects supervisors Eran Dinur, Luc Julien, Marc Massicotte, Eric Pascarelli, Vico Sharabani, and Asaf Yeger do superb work with the visual effects as it relates to some of the film’s surreal moments as well as some minimal work in the look of the seagulls flying above. Sound designers Mariusz Glabinski and Damian Volpe is amazing for the way a foghorn would sound from afar as well as the sounds of the seagulls and the sea as it helps bring in this tense and eerie atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Mark Korven is phenomenal for its ominous and chilling score that is filled with heavy bass in the strings and in some of the instrumentation as it helps with the atmospheric tone of the film while its soundtrack feature traditional sea chanteys.
The casting by Kharmel Cochrane is wonderful as it feature a few actors who make appearances from afar with Valeriia Karaman as the mermaid. The performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in their respective roles as Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow are sensational in displaying the manic energy and paranoia they both endure with Dafoe being more of an authority figure who farts a lot and tells a lot of stories while Pattinson is the one doing more of the physical duties who becomes frustrated on many levels including sexually as he would masturbate to a mermaid figurine. Dafoe and Pattinson have great rapport with one another as they deal with their own differences in age and work methods as well as be two men trapped in this island and tending to a lighthouse with mysterious things surrounding it and from within.
The Lighthouse is a spectacular film from Robert Eggers that features two great leading performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. Along with its gorgeous black-and-white visuals, evocative music score, eerie sound design, and its chilling premise. It’s a film that explore the idea of two men in an island running a lighthouse as they deal with bad weather, personalities, and all sorts of shit as they also encounter things that are hard to describe. In the end, The Lighthouse is a phenomenal film from Robert Eggers.
Robert Eggers Films: The VVitch - The Northman - Nosferatu (2024 film) - (The Auteurs #75: Robert Eggers)
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) is the story of two young girls who befriend a mysterious wood spirit during the post-war years. The film is an animated fantasy film that explore two girls who meet a creature as they discover a world of adventure and hope. Featuring the voices of Chika Sakamoto, Noriko Hada, and Hitoshi Takagi. Tonari no Totoro is a majestic and enchanting film from Hayao Miyazaki.
Set in the late 1950s in Japan, the film revolves around two young girls who move into a rural area of Japan with their father as they befriend a mysterious wood creature who can bring magic as they’re only seen by children. It’s a film that play into these two girls who are awaiting for the return of their mother who is recovering from a long-term illness as they adjust to their new surroundings but also meet this creature and the world he lives in. Hayao Miyazaki’s screenplay doesn’t have much of a plot as it’s more about these two girls who are living in their new surroundings and try to make the best of it as well as lament over their mother’s absence. The youngest in Mei (Chika Sakamoto) would see a small creature that would turn invisible but then would appear as she would follow that and a creature that’s a tad bigger into the woods with this big tree at the center of it. There she meets this gigantic creature she would call Totoro as she tells her older sister Satsuki (Noriko Hada) as she would meet the creature and be amazed by its powers.
Miyazaki’s direction is full of beauty in its presentation of not just the world of rural Japan but also this fantasy world of forests and creatures. With the aid of supervising animator Yoshiharo Sato, Miyazaki creates a world that mixes fantasy and reality as if they’re the same though it’s only seen through the eyes of these two young girls. The look of the landscapes as well as the tree in the middle of this small town add to the wondrous look of the film as it play into the mystical elements of the world that includes a cat bus that Totoro and his family would ride on sometimes. With the help of art director Kazuo Oga and cinematographer Hisao Shirai in creating certain looks into the lighting and in the landscape, Miyazaki brings a lot of attention to detail in his hand-drawn, two-dimensional animation style as showcases some of the emotions of the characters as well as the look of the creatures including soot-like creatures and Totoro himself.
Miyazaki also play into these mysterious moments as it relates to the girls’ relationship with Totoro but also coping with some growing pains as it relates to their mother’s absence and their father having to go to city university for work. The usage of the wide shots play into this growing uncertainty for the two girls while the medium shots and close-ups play into their interaction with Totoro and his family as well as other characters including Kanta Ogaki (Toshiyuki Amagasa) who seems to have a crush on Satsuki. The film’s third act does play into this air of dread and harsh realities as it would allow Satsuki to go to Totoro for help as it would play into not just this air of fantasy and intrigue but also in how it would deal with reality. Overall, Miyazaki crafts a riveting yet exhilarating film about two young girls befriending a mysterious yet whimsical forest creature.
Editor Takeshi Seyama does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward to play into the air of excitement in the world of fantasy as well as knowing where to slow things down for the dramatic moments. Sound mixer Shuji Inoue does amazing work with the sound in some of the sound effects that are created as well as the way wind and rain would sound. The film’s music by Joe Hisaishi is incredible for its soaring and majestic orchestral score that feature some low-key synthesizers in the background along with usage of woodwinds arrangements to play into the music that Totoro and his friends play while its music soundtrack features a few songs sung by Azumi Inoue.
The film’s superb voice cast feature some notable small roles from Masashi Horose and Hiroko Maruyama as Kanta’s parents, Naoki Tatsuta as cat-like purrs of the cat bus, Tanie Kitabayashi as Kanta’s grandmother who would take care of Mei whenever Satsuki would go to school, Toshiyuki Amagasa as a neighbor boy in Kanta who dislikes Satsuki though it’s really a front for the fact that he likes her, and Sumi Shimamoto as Mei and Satsuki’s mother who is recovering at a hospital. Shigesato Itoi is terrific as Mei and Satsuki’s father as a man trying to get his daughters adjust to their new home while being away for work and to check on his wife. In the voice of the titular character, Hitoshi Takagi provides some unique sounds for the character as he never speaks yet his grin and growls do provide a lot of personality to the character. Finally, there’s the duo of Noriko Hidaka and Chika Sakamoto in brilliant voice performance in their respective roles as the sisters Satsuki and Mei as two young girls who are trying to adjust to their new situation as well as befriend this mysterious creature as they have an air of energy and excitement in their voices that carry the air of innocence.
Tonari no Totoro is a magnificent film from Hayao Miyazaki. Featuring a great voice cast, gorgeous visuals, a touching story, a whimsical mix of fantasy and reality, and a soaring music score and soundtrack. It is definitely a film of wonders and magic that manages to do so much in the realm of animated films as well as provide a lot of innocence to the world of fantasy. In the end, Tonari no Totoro is an outstanding film from Hayao Miyazaki.
Hayao Miyazaki Films: (The Castle of Cagliostro) – (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind) – (Castle in the Sky) – Kiki’s Delivery Service – (Porco Rosso) – Princess Mononoke – Spirited Away - (Howl’s Moving Castle) – (Ponyo) – The Wind Rises - (The Boy and the Heron)
© thevoid99 2019
For the 43rd week of 2019 as part of Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We continue the Halloween-based theme by focusing on rituals as it play into all sorts of things whether it’s witchcraft or something involving the occult. It is among one of the finest subjects in the world of horror as it is told in many different areas and settings. Here are my three picks as it’s all based on films relating to witchcraft rituals that have been released in the past 5 years:
1. The VVitch
Robert Eggers’ debut film set in early 17th Century New England play into the mysterious world of witches though it’s about a family unraveling following the disappearance of a baby. It’s a chilling film that explores a young woman who is coming into womanhood yet is being suspected for the reason of her newborn baby brother’s disappearance as she believes that there’s witches near the woods trying to create something just as her family are clinging to beliefs that would be their undoing.
2. The Neon Demon
Nicholas Winding Refn’s 2016 film set in the world of modeling as it explores a world that is cutthroat and dangerous as a young woman is trying to make it yet her exquisite beauty becomes the envy of some. It’s a film that is very stylized in its look and tone yet it is also this study of what some will do as well as how far this young woman would go unaware that she’s become a target for others. Especially as she deals with the fact that she is growing up too fast and is unprepared for what she is about to face.
3. Suspiria
Luca Guadagnino’s remake of Dario Argento’s 1977 film is definitely one of the most polarizing films in recent years yet it is a rare remake that manages to be something of its own as it’s not just about a secret society inside this ballet studio. It’s also about a moment in time where a generation of Germans deal with the sins of the past during the late 1970s as a group of witches running the ballet studio ponder what to do next. Even as they discover the gifts of an American ballet student who is either aware or unaware of her gifts just as an old psychiatrist is learning about what is happening at this studio.
© thevoid99 2019
