Summer is coming to an end and thank goodness. Honestly, I thought this summer sucked on a personal level as I struggled to maintain finances as I was unable to see films in the theaters or really go anywhere. At the same time, I’ve been overwhelmed with a lot of things around me which prevented me from watching films as it relates to what is happening at home. That is why I haven’t been watching a lot of films as of late and many projects that I’ve been doing have taken longer than I thought. Most notably my Twin Peaks marathon which I will expand into the fall which will coincide with a project related to the marathon.
With election year coming up, it is clear that things are getting crazy as everyone wants to be the new president of the United States. I don’t consider myself political as I don’t like politics as there’s too many assholes claiming they’ll do this and they’ll do that and never do what they say. I may lean towards liberalist views, I refuse to define myself as a Democrat or as a Republican. I’m an independent and I haven’t voted since the 2000 election as anyone who follows history knows exactly what happened. I stayed away out of pure disdain for the electoral process and all of the messiness that goes on. Now, there’s one person that is bringing me back and the reasons are much bigger than myself. I won’t say that person’s name because I think he’s a Fascist asshole so let’s just call him the Fascist Asshole. He talks a lot of bullshit and he says very disgusting things about pretty much everyone. Yet, it astounds me that he has his supporters as this incident is the kicker.
As someone who is Hispanic and whose parents are from Honduras that came to this country legally. Having the Fascist Asshole say these horrific things like “anchor babies” and such really pissed me off. It becomes clear that if he becomes president, America is fucked. While I was born in the U.S. and my parents have lived here for more then 30 years and maintained their residency. If Fascist Asshole wins, it’s likely that I’ll be kicked out of this country and so will my parents and people in their family because of who we are. I ain’t going to stand for that and you can make damn sure if he’s running. He will not get my vote and I hope that fucking pendejo gets his ass out of the country and for good.
In the month of August, I saw a total of 31 films in 20 first-timers and 11 re-watches. Kind of surprising in a way though much of it was short films relating to Gaspar Noe. The highlight of the month was definitely my Blind Spot assignment in The Human Condition Trilogy. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for August 2015:
1. Hiroshima mon Amour
I’m a sucker for HBO sports documentaries as they’re just well-crafted docs that keep things engaging for someone who isn’t into sports. This one was no exception as it plays into the life and career of one of the greatest divers ever. It’s a film where Louganis would talk about his post-Olympic career and how he struggled with prejudice early in his career for being gay and how he became HIV-positive. It’s a very compelling doc that showcases one of the finest icons in sports who is now becoming a mentor to new divers while showing that he still can deliver on the diving board.
Veronica Mars
I haven’t seen the series though I have heard some good things about it. Yet, I saw the film as it had been playing on HBO for months as I thought it was really damn good. Notably Kristen Bell as the titular character who returns to her hometown as she tries to help an old friend who has been accused of murder. It’s a film that isn’t just an intriguing suspense-thriller but also with some humor as Bell is really the star of this film as she makes Mars a very fun and enjoyable character which is probably key to the success of the show. Plus, it’s got a very fun supporting cast that includes Gaby Hoffman, Krysten Ritter, Enrico Colantoni, Tina Majorino, and Jason Dohring.
Playing It Cool
I thought this was a pretty clever rom-com that plays into the world of a writer who falls in love with an engaged woman as he gets to know her but has trouble reconciling with his own ideas of love. With Chris Evans in the lead role and Michelle Monaghan as the love interest, it’s a film that deviates from conventions of sorts where there are moments that are very funny as well as blur the lines between reality and fiction. Add a strong supporting cast in Topher Grace, Martin Starr, Aubrey Plaza, Luke Wilson, and Philip Baker Hall. The result is a very solid and enjoyable romantic comedy.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
This was a pretty funny family film about a family who experiences probably one of the worst days ever and on the 12th birthday of their son who made a wish for his family to experience all of the bad days he had been through. Helmed by Miguel Arteta, the result is a family movie that is pretty crazy as it throws everything and the kitchen sink where it is a film with some slapstick comedy. Led by Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner as the parents, this film had a lot where Carell nearly burns his clothes, Garner talks about penises, and a mini-van getting destroyed. Oh, and there’s a hilarious scene where the eldest son’s junior prom is a disaster as his date is forced to listen to his family making music with their mouths because the radio died.
Top 10 Re-Watches:
1. Foxcatcher
Directed by Kyle Newman and screenplay by Ernest Cline and Adam F. Goldberg from a story by Cline and Dan Pulick, Fanboys is the story of a group of friends who go on a road trip from Ohio to California to try and watch a rough version of The Phantom Menace to fulfill a dying friend’s wish. The film is an exploration into the world of geek culture in the late 1990s where friends who are Star Wars fans try to break into Skywalker Ranch as they would contend with all sorts of people including Trekkies. Starring Sam Huntington, Dan Fogler, Christopher Marquette, Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, and Seth Rogen. Fanboys is a silly but fun film from Kyle Newman.
Set in late 1998, the film revolves a group of friends who go on a road trip to see a rough cut of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace for a friend who is dying of a terminal illness. Though it is a simple story involving four guys who love Star Wars, it is a film where these guys decide to embark on an adventure for their friend while they cope with the expectations of growing up as one of them is trying to mend fences with his ailing friend. The film’s script does play into a traditional structure where its first act is about the motivations for this road trip and its planning as its second act is about the trip where hilarity ensues where the gang decide to upset a group of Star Trek fans that nearly goes out of control. The trip would also involve numerous references to the world of geek culture and other things as it plays into a world that is just about to be on the cusp of the mainstream. Though some aspects of the script involving some of its characters aren’t that great as well as some lame jokes. The story is still engaging and does get it point across where it is thoroughly entertaining.
Kyle Newman’s direction is quite simple where he pays tribute to not just the Star Wars franchise but also the world of geek culture from comic book stores to sci-fi conventions. Shot on various locations, the film does have the feel of a road comedy fused in with some low-brow humor as Newman keeps many of the compositions simple while putting in as many references to Star Wars just as a tongue-in-cheek tribute that fans of the franchise will know. Newman’s usage of wide shots are evident in many of the road scenes as well a few location spots while he would create framing devices that are similar to what is evident in Star Wars with some moments that includes a Mexican standoff involving memorabilia of films created by George Lucas. All of which plays into how much these geeks have a love for not just this franchise but also what it means to them as friends where they would help a dying friend fulfill a final wish. Overall, Newman creates a very funny and witty comedy about a group of geeks trying to go see a rough cut of The Phantom Menace and piss off some Trekkies.
Cinematographer Lukas Ettin does nice work with the cinematography from the interior look of some of the places such as a bar the guys go to as well as the interiors of Skywalker Ranch. Editors James Thomas and Seth Flaun do excellent work with the editing as it features some transition wipes as well as some rhythmic cutting for the action and comedic moments. Production designer Cory Lorenzen and set decorator Kimberly Wannop do fantastic work with the look of some of the places the characters go to including the Skywalker Ranch where the gang sees all of the film memorabilia. Costume designer Johanna Argan does terrific work with the costumes as most of it is casual with the exception of the Star Wars and Star Trek costumes.
Visual effects supervisors David A. Davidson and Kevin O’Neill do superb work with the visual effects for a sequence where one of the characters get stoned as well as moments that serve as a homage to Star Wars. Sound designer David Acord, with sound editors Michael Kirschberger and Matthew Wood, does brilliant work with the sound in the sound effects for some of the objects the characters have as well as effects that pay homage to Star Wars. The film’s music by Mark Mothersbaugh is wonderful as it‘s a mixture of kitsch jazz with some orchestral bombast to play into the world of sci-fi while music supervisor Michelle Kuznetsky creates a soundtrack filled with music from the late 90s such as Spacehog, the Presidents of the United States of America, Tag Team, Chumbawumba, Black Sheep, Liz Phair, Remy Zero, the Smashing Pumpkins, and the Dandy Warhols plus cuts from John Williams, Menudo, and Rush.
The casting by Anne McCarthy and Jay Scully is amazing as it’s filled with many cameo appearances from such character actors, sci-fi icons, and indie stars like Lou Taylor Pucci and Noah Segan as a couple of Boba Fett fans, Jaime King and Pell James as a couple of escorts, Joe Lo Truglio as a jailhouse cop, Danny Trejo as a mysterious man known as the Chief, Will Forte and Craig Robinson as a couple of Skywalker ranch security guards, and Ray Park as another Skywalker ranch security guard who says a line in reference to a Star Wars character he plays. Other notable small roles include Ethan Suplee as the famed film buff Harry Knowles, David Denham as Eric’s older brother Chaz, and Christopher McDonald as Eric’s father Big Chuck. In a trio of roles, Seth Rogen plays an alien in a surreal scene, a nerdy Trekkie who calls Han Solo a bitch, and a pimp named Roach who is a Star Wars fan.
Kristen Bell is fantastic as Zoe as a friend of the gang who later joins them on the trip as she is lone girl who is quite tough and just as geeky in her love of comics and sci-fi. Jay Baruchel is excellent as Windows as a nerd who has fallen for a mysterious person online as he is clueless about women. Dan Fogler is superb as Hutch as a brash fan who likes to be perverse and crass in everything he does. Christopher Marquette is brilliant as Linus as the guy suffering from cancer as he deals with his illness as he is eager to see The Phantom Menace before its release. Finally, there’s Sam Huntington in a remarkable performance as Eric as the mature one of the group who tries to mend his friendship with Linus after a falling out as he copes with his own attempts to grow up despite his talent in creating his own comic figures.
Fanboys is a pretty good film from Kyle Newman. With an excellent cast and an engaging premise, the film is definitely something sci-fi geeks will definitely relate to as well as get a chance to laugh at how ridiculous fan boy obsessions are. In the end, Fanboys is a superb film from Kyle Newman.
Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Last Jedi - The Rise of Skywalker Related: The Star Wars Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage - The Battle for Endor - The Clone Wars - The People vs. George Lucas
Directed by Dave Filoni and written by Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching, and Scott Murphy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars revolves a conflict between the Galactic Republic and a Separatist movement where the Jedi aid the Republic unaware of who is behind everything. Told in 3-D computer animation, the film plays into Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi leading a troop of clone Stormtroopers to fight against an army of robots as the former has to retrieve the son of Jabba the Hutt from the clutches of the Seperatists. Featuring the voices of Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor, Tom Kane, Dee Bradley Baker, Christopher Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson. Star Wars: The Clones Wars is just a very badly-animated and clunky film from Dave Filoni.
Set between the events in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the film revolves around the conflict between the Galactic Republic and a Separatist faction as the latter led by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) has conspired to capture the infant son of Jabba the Hutt (Kevin Michael Richardson) in an attempt to make a deal with the Hutts over the usage of space routes that the Republic wants. Upon learning what had happened, the Jedi council appoints Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) to retrieve Jabba’s son with the aid of his new Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) as Anakin is reluctant to take her in for the mission. While it has a simple story, it’s a film that has a lot that is going as the result is very messy as there’s a subplot that relates to Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) trying to deal with Jabba and fight off some robots with his clone army.
The screenplay tries to do so much as the main story involving Anakin, Ahsoka, and this baby Hutt gets lost in favor of these conflicts that are happening all over the film. Even as it features some very atrocious dialogue which often has Ahsoka annoying the crap out of Anakin. Other aspects of the script that is very confusing is the conspiracy tactics of Count Dooku and his apprentice Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) where they will do this and then change things where it would be confusing for younger viewers. At the same time, there are these other subplots which relates to Padme Amidala (Catherine Taber) who would later learn what is happening as she would try to appeal to Jabba’s uncle Ziro (Corey Burton) where she would be the one to uncover the conspiracy.
Dave Filoni’s direction does have a few interesting moments in the way he composes some of the battle scenes and lightsaber duels but the presentation as a whole is just horrible. With the aid of animation directors Kevin Jong and Jesse Yeh and visual effects supervisor Matthew Gidney, the look of the characters and spaceships all look wooden and very clunky where it does become a major distraction. With the messy script, Filoni isn’t able to keep things steady as the direction is often bogged down by a lot that happens and whenever there is time to slow things down. It only happens very briefly so it can go for another major sequence with conflicts and such where it becomes repetitive and loses steam. Especially as Filoni is obviously a work-for-hire guy who is doing what producer George Lucas wants as it is more about bringing something for kids to sell merchandise rather than make something decent. Overall, Filoni creates a very chaotic and un-engaging film about a Jedi warrior and his Padawan trying to save a baby Hutt in a bargain during a war.
Editor Jason Tucker does OK work with the editing in terms of the transition wipes but succumbs to the fast-cutting style that makes the film very incoherent to watch at times. Sound designer David Acord and sound editor Matthew Wood do some fine work with the sound in the sound effects of the droids and in the action scenes. The film’s music by Kevin Kiner has its moments in terms of its string-based orchestra and bombastic themes though it’s really just generic variations of what John Williams has done.
The film’s voice cast does have their moments with Matthew Wood providing many of the voices of the droids as there’s some small contributions from Kevin Michael Richardson as Jabba the Hutt, Corey Burton as Jabba’s uncle Ziro, Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine, Dee Bradley Baker in multiple voice roles as clone soldiers, Tom Kane as Yoda and narrates early sections of the film, and Catherine Taber as Padme Amidala. Other notable voice roles include Christopher Lee as Count Dooku, Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO as they’re merely just cameo appearances.
Nika Futterman is alright as Dooku’s apprentice Asajj Ventress who tries to battle the Jedi in the plan for the Separatists while James Arnold Taylor has his moments as Obi-Wan Kenobi though both of them are hampered by the horrific dialogue they’re given. Finally, there’s the duo of Matt Lanter and Ashley Eckstein in their respective roles as Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano as neither of them really do anything to flesh out their characters as they spend half of the time bickering or showing off to each other.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a terrible film from Dave Filoni and Lucasfilms. It’s an animated film that had the chance to be something as an accompanying piece for Star Wars fans but it is extremely messy and has some horrible animation that kids wouldn’t even enjoy. In the end, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a shitty film from Dave Filoni.
Star Wars Films: Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Last Jedi - The Rise of Skywalker Related: The Star Wars Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage
- The Battle for Endor - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas
Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, Ansiktet (The Magician) is the story of a traveling magician who arrives into a small town where he and his troupe are asked to perform a sample of their tricks to disprove suspicions of the supernatural. The film is an exploration into a man who wants to perform magic as he copes with those who believe that he’s up to no good. Starring Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Naima Wifstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Bibi Andersson, and Erland Josephson. Ansiktet is a whimsical and mesmerizing film from Ingmar Bergman.
Set in the mid-19th Century in Sweden, the film revolves a traveling magician and his troupe who arrive in a small town where they have to contend with a group of town officials who want to prove that their so-called magic is nothing but a ruse. It’s a film that plays into the idea of what is real against what is fantasy as it is told in the span of an entire day where this magician has to prove to these men of science and facts to see that he is not a fraud as he is given a night to prepare for what he does. It’s a film with a simple plot where it is about the people living in this lavish townhouse in the middle of this small town as this magician named Albert Vogler (Max von Sydow) observes a lot of what is around him as he remains silent despite the attempts of intellectual doctors who think he’s faking it.
Much of the film’s two acts revolves around the preparation of the act as a preview while members of the troupe socialize with maids and cooks along with the people in the house. Its third act isn’t just about the performance but also the aftermath where it plays into this reality vs. fantasy idea and how science sometimes can’t prove what is real. Ingmar Bergman’s script also plays into the characters and the roles they play as Vogler is a very ambiguous character whose assistant Mr. Aman (Ingrid Thulin) is really a woman in disguise while those who want to discredit them include the house’s host Consul Egerman (Erland Josephson) and Dr. Vergarus (Gunnar Bjornstrand). All of which are playing into this game of who can outwit who.
Bergman’s direction is quite simple in terms of his compositions yet manages to find ways to inject elements of humor, drama, and horror into an entire film. Notably as he maintains something intimate for scenes set at the carriage or inside the house where there is a lot of things that are going on. Even as some of the comical moments involve one of the troupe members in Tubal (Ake Fridell) who spends his time flirting with women or somber moment where Egerman’s wife (Gertrud Fridh) is trying to seduce Vogler. Bergman’s usage of medium shots do play into Vogler’s stage performance as well as the approach to comedy and intrigue while horror would come later in the film to play into the idea of fantasy vs. reality. Overall, Bergman crafts a very delightful and mesmerizing film about a magician going into a battle of wits against a group of intellectual scientist and town leaders.
Based on the novel series by Junpei Gomikawa, The Human Condition is a film trilogy that explores the life of a young man with socialist and pacifist views of the world who endures oppression and terror during the era of World War II Japan. Directed by Masaki Kobayashi and screenplay by Kobayahi and Zenzo Matsuyama, the film is set into three parts that plays into the journey of a young man who goes from labor camp supervisor to serving as part of the Imperial army in World War II and becoming a POW for the Soviet Union as he questions the journey of his life. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Iseko Ariama, Chikage Awashima, Keiji Sada, Taketoshi Naito, Minoru Chiaki, Yusuke Kawazu, Tamao Nakamura, Chishu Ryu, and Hideko Takamine. The Human Condition is an astonishing and tremendous study of humanity in the era of war from Masaki Kobayashi.
The film is a three-part story told in the span of nearly three years from 1943 Japan to early 1946 as a man named Kaji (Tatsuya Nakadai) would endure a series of events and moments that would shape his view of humanity as he tries to hold on to his views of socialism and pacifism thinking that there’s some good in the world of war. Since it is a three-part movie with a total running time of 574-minutes (nine-hours and forty-seven minutes without intermission), it is a film that plays into Kaji’s view on the world from trying to change things and then be pushed to the edge over how the world works. In the first film, he starts out serving as labor camp supervisor in Japanese-occupied Manchuria in China where he is challenged by corrupt men who want to punish and rule over the Chinese. Due to his actions in trying to maintain some peace and civility, he would be punished into becoming a soldier in the second film where he endures brutality in his training and later tension with soldiers as he tries to train older recruits.
The third film would have Kaji trying to survive once his platoon has been overwhelmed where he is eventually captured by Soviet forces as he contends with everything he endures and encounters. The screenplays by Masaki Kobayashi and Zenzo Matsuyama explore not just Kaji’s evolution as a man trying to find some kind of hope and humanity during a horrific period of war. In the first film, Kaji starts out as a man of great intelligence as he is exempted from military service where he would take a job in Manchuria as a labor camp supervisor where he brings his new bride Michiko (Michiyo Aratama) as she tries to understand the work that Kaji is trying to do in his work where he has to deal with corrupt officials despite the support of a camp officer in Okishima (So Yamamura) and a young Chinese officer in Chen (Akira Ishihama). While he tries to appease prisoners including a few troublesome Chinese prisoners like Kao (Shinji Nanbara) as well as offering prostitutes to ease their troubles.
Things don’t go right because of the way the Japanese wants to control things and to ensure the increase production in ore as trouble would ensue where Kaji’s actions into helping the Chinese and ensure that they’re treated humanly would lead to his path in the second film. By being forced to serve in the military as punishment where there are those watching over him, Kaji would survive training though he longs to be with his wife. Yet, some of the tactics of veteran soldiers and such would create trouble and tragedy where Kaji tries to make things right as his actions would get the attention of his old friend Kageyama (Keiji Sada) who would have Kaji train older recruits during the final moments of war. Yet, his attempts to make things easier and deal with things behind the scenes only trouble him as Soviet forces would arrive. The third film would be about Kaji’s attempt to survive with the few allies he has left as he would encounter a group of lost refugees, soldiers without leaders, and eventual capture by the Soviets. All of which leads to him trying to comprehend the idea of war and what it means to live.
It’s not just the development of Kaji that is important but also in the environment and people he encounter in his journey from being this idealist pacifist with socialist views on the world to a soldier who saw a world that is very troubled and dark in the days of war. In some ways, it is an anti-war film that is being told but one that plays into a man trying to hold into the idea that there is good in the world of war as he ponders if the enemy are just as humane as he is. While there are those who are baffled by his idealism and determination, they would admire him for sticking to his beliefs as he would be tested. Even in moments where Kaji would be forced to see people who are good be harmed either by their own selfishness or by some event as it add to Kaji questioning his own ideals as his capture by the Soviet would only create more confusion from within.
Kobayashi’s direction is nothing short of grand in terms of its visuals as well as the length to tell the story with such ambition. For the first film entitled No Greater Love and its subsequent films, Kobayashi does maintain compositions and images that do play into Kaji’s struggle with the world that often include slanted camera angles as if Kaji is either walking up or down a hill or a mountain. Shot on location in northern Japan (due to strained Chinese-Japanese relations at the time), Kobayashi’s usage of mountains and barren landscapes play into the world of the labor camps where the Chinese are imprisoned along with these intricate usage of tracking shots that would become a prominent factor for much of trilogy. Notably for scenes in the second film Road to Eternity where Kobayashi would use these intricate tracking shots to play into the sense of tension that emerges in the training camps and at the barracks where soldiers sleep as it makes things uneasy.
The direction also Kobayashi maintain a sense of intimacy through his usage of close-ups and medium shots for scenes at the camp and brothels in No Greater Love and at the camps in Road to Eternity. Much of it would play into not just Kaji’s sense of longing but also his struggle to hold on to his beliefs and the semblance of humanity around him. The close-ups wouldn’t just play into Kaji’s own state of mind but also in the characters who would become attached to him as the final days of the war is emerging. In the second half of Road to Eternity where Kaji and his platoon would have to battle it out with the Soviets. It does become a very different film where Kaji is in the middle of a battlefield knowing that he might die but manages to survive but its aftermath would play into a growing sense of disillusionment. It then leads to the third and final film of the trilogy in A Soldier’s Prayer where Kaji and a few soldiers he had befriend are fighting to survive where they would encounter refugees and others on their way back to Manchuria. The third film does become much broader in terms of its visuals and in its suspense as well as the sense of drama where Kaji is trying to maintain some dignity despite the fact that he knows that Japan has been defeated.
Kaji’s encounter with different types of refugees would play into his own resolve where Kobayashi’s direction is quite vast in its compositions that include some very wide shots of the farmland where Chinese militia farmers are taking watch. By the time the film moves into the Soviet camps, it does become more grim where Kaji would endure labor work as punishment but also a sense of disillusionment in the way he sees the Soviet as who they really are from their view of socialism. It’s in these moments where Kobayashi would definitely heighten the tension and drama for an ending where Kaji and everything he had encountered would force him to make a decision for what is right in the world. Overall, Kobayashi creates what is truly an astronomical and gripping trilogy of films about a humanist dealing with war and inhumanity during one of the most horrific periods in world history.
