Gray Matters

My appreciation for director James Gray is no secret. While there are those who heave allegations of artistic similarity between Gray and Scorsese, they are worlds apart as far as mood and tone of film is concerned. It's unfair that the term "Scorsese-lite" is used as a denigration against Gray and even more unfair that so many people are rallying against "We Own the Night" as a cheap knock-off of last year's "The Departed", choosing to single out the performance of Mark Whalburg as a stale carbon-copy of that previous effort. The fact is, Gray is no Scorsese and his films are elegant and stately examples of New York 'crime films'. Scorsese is doing his thing and Gray obviously has an affinity (and eye, and ear) for the outer boroughs of New York and the seedy underbelly of Russian gangsters who threaten community and familial harmony. "We Own the Night" is a solid progression in his career and just as moody, atmospheric and brilliantly filmed as his two previous works that mine the same intense territory.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Whalburg (two actors who collided in Gray's 2001 film "The Yards"), "We Own the Night" places them in New York in the late 80's. As brothers, Phoenix runs a profitable night club and cozies up to Russian mobsters while Whalburg is a fast-rising police lieutenant targeting the very clientel that Phoenix caters towards. Caught between both worlds, Phoenix ultimately has to make a choice as to which side his loyalties lie with. In the mix is also Robert Duvall, as the police chief and father to both as well as Phoneix's girlfriend, played with sexiness and understanding by Eva Mendes in a role that could have easily spiraled into mawkish sentiments, but she instead turns it into something honest and believable.

As far as a plot synopsis goes, "We Own the Night" sounds wooden on paper (just as I'm sure his previous two narratives did) but its in the execution that his films come alive. Gray understands the texture that's missing from so many films, the powerful impact that lighting imbues on a production as well as the energy of ambient sound. For example, there are two highly intense set pieces that take ordinary genre settings and elevate them to something more. The first is when Phoenix enters a covert drug manufacturing apartment and the camera slinks along the dimly lit hallways with modulated dread. The quiet is deafening, which makes this scene all the more explosive. The second, a car chase in the pounding rain, virtually eliminating the usual cliches of such a scene, remaining fixed inside the car as Phoenix and Mendes are oblivious to the sounds outside and the soundtrack blurs out all sound except for the muffled sound of the windshield wipers. There are also two or three slow dissolves between scenes that hark back to the days of quiet 70's filmmaking that feel almost revolutionary in their classicism. In fact, that's the perfect word for "We Own the Night", a film that constantly rebukes modern styles for restrained and muted tones and culls the same rhythms from its acting. This is genre filmmaking at its best and it re-affirms my faith that director James Gray is an auteur in every sense of the word.

To Punctuate the Moment

This post is part of the Close Up Blogathon hosted by The House Next Door.

The close-up shot utilized in the visual medium can do three things:

1) they can shock your senses into identifying, on a very personal level, with the character within a given moment.
2) they can project emotions, good or bad, with harrowing accuracy- how can you look away?
3) they can provide relief.

For example:




In between these quick cut images of carnage in Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde", there's a quick second reaction shot when Warren Beatty begins to put two and two together and accepts the idea that a host of lawmen are the cause of the bushes rustling in the near distance. The close-up of Beatty is an understated editing choice that makes the death of these outlaws a little more poignant in what it reflects rather than what it says- a man identifying and accepting that fate has finally caught up with him. The close-up is regretful.

Example 2:


In Andrew Dominik's masterful "The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford", he alternates between languid long shots of pristine country and intense, somber close-ups that scrutinize so many emotions boiling beneath the surface. In one unflinching scene, the camera holds on Casey Affleck (as Bob Ford) as Jesse James belittles him in front of his family over the dinner table. The shot feels like it goes on forever, intent on framing Affleck's face in the center of the frame as his expression fades from hero-worship to disdain. In that single close-up, motivation and betrayal and character depth are given heavy emphasis. There's more exposition in that one scene than many films strive for during 2 hours. The close-up is confessional.

Example 3:

Comedy. It can be verbal or it can be visual. More often than not, the quick cutaway close-up is of something unmentionable, so its probably better that's its visual. The most recent examples in "Knocked Up" (the "I shouldn't of gone in there..." preceding image) or "There's Something About Mary" (think Franks and Beans....)represent the close-up shot as cathartic laughter. Though often condemned as dirty or crude, these are close-ups that add a dimension to the written word. They don't always work, but when they do, they reach comedy gold. The close-up as relief.

An Appreciation: Abel Ferrara Part 2

Crime and Punishment

It started quickly for Ferrara in 1990. The script entitled "King of New York", written by himself and longtime collaborator Nicholas St. John was given a modest release around the country, largely thanks to the screen presence of Christopher Walken. It began to gather steam with the New York Critics and Film Comment crowd (who are always ready to embrace a new vision of New York) and gradually grew. Not everyone fell in love with Ferrara's effort though- including Roger Ebert who quoted that Ferrara can't go much further on pure style, instead needing a sound script*. But if anything, "King of New York" opened up several viable options for Ferrara. Even if his films weren't for all tastes, there was a genuine cult base to his scruffy compilations of crime and punishment in the big apple. His next movie, "Bad Lieutenant", felt like a major "fuck off" to anyone who dared to go along with its vile outlook on religion, cops and salvation. The film is a litmus test, that's for sure. There are invariably those who walk out on it the minute Ferrara frames Keitel's genitals just outside the screen as he masturbates and makes two teenage girls pantomime sexual gratifications. And then if one makes it that far, they have to endure Keitel drunk and screaming bloody murder at the image of Jesus coming down off the cross. It's not an easy film to love (or for that matter even admire), but I somehow feel like it was meant as a purge for Ferrara. His pessimistic worldview often spews off the screen, whether he's dealing with racism, sexual aggression or personal interaction. In "Bad Lieutenant", Keitel explores all of these as the title character. But he also experiences slight salvation in a final gesture. Yes, there are plenty of images and words to combat against in "Bad Lieutenant", but there's also a deep understanding of subliminal emotions and cathartic release. There is a method to his madness.

And madness is what seemed to propel Ferrara for the next four years, producing a film a year. Even though his work was getting very little commercial recognition (though "Bad Lieutenant" received an Independent Spirit award nomination for best feature as well as Keitel winning for best actor), there were enough responses to his work that studios continued to finance his films. His one attempt at mainstream acclaim happened in 1993 with his remake of Jack Finney's novel, "Body Snatchers". It's probably Ferrara's most ordinary film, both in style and construction. There is some fun to be had by the way Ferrara back lights almost everyone except Gabrielle Anwar, providing featureless shadows that generate a sense of anonymity among the alien-or-not population. It didn't perform well at the box office and received middling reviews, shuffling Ferrara back behind Nicholas St. John scripts and meagerly financed independent pictures. This is probably the smartest thing he could have done.

1994 saw Ferrara churning out two wildy different films. First, there was the black and white vampire flick starring Lili Taylor entitled "The Addiction", which dealt more with the philosophical meanderings of its literate bloodsuckers rather than bloodletting. Stylish and cool, it's a film that feels joined-at-the-hip with other low budget independent features such as Michael Almereyda's "Nadja" and Larry Fesenden's "Habit". It's tempting to say this was the "in" type of film to produce during this time, but its also indicative of a certain state of low-budget filmmaking in the mid 90's. One has to place 1994 within the confines of a heavily mutating style of filmmaking that was beginning to see its virtual end-of-life after just 5 years of Sundance glory and studio manipulation. Neo-noir was played out and filmmakers were searching for new ways to digest old genres in fashionable and ultra-cool manners (see Jarmusch's treatment of the western in "Dead Man" just 1 year later). The vampire film was certainly due for a re-visualization and Ferrara's attraction to characters dealing with pent-up frustration seemed like the perfect substitute for closeted New York vampires. Helped by the murky black and white photography (by long-time DP Ken Kelsch), "The Addiction" is a film that gets better on repeat viewings. Once one gets over the fact that this is not a horror film, but simply another workmanlike exercise for Ferrara to analyze sex, violence, sin and redemption in the big apple, it goes down a lot easier. And this is not a bad thing- to me anyway. Images are often obscured to the point of abstraction and the voice-over (in monotone) lends an eerie mood to the film. It's also one of the more emotionally charged works in Ferrara's oeuvre, dispensing with his usual clinical attitude towards motivation and giving us a character in Lili Taylor who we sympathize with.

This underlying sadness of "The Addiction" is not lost in translation. This was coming from somewhere very specific. Around this same time, writer Nicholas St. John dealt with the death of his young son. This script and the even more emotionally volatile "The Funeral" (filmed two years later) evolved directly from that mournful period of his life**.


The next film in '94 was "Dangerous Game" aka "Snake Eyes" starring, yes, Madonna. Routinely dismissed as a minor or even bad work from Ferrara, I find it to be one of the more elative pieces of his career. Detailing the production shoot of a film-within-the-film, Harvey Keitel plays the director, managing the on-screen disintegration of his actors played by Madonna and James Russo. The insanity on the imaginary film soon spills over into real life as the drugs, booze and territorial sexual transgressions bleeds into real life. "Dangerous Game" is a hall of mirrors, literally, and we're never sure when Ferrara is playing with us. For example, throughout the film-within-the-film, we're given quick glimpses of the clapboard and with the film's title (called "Hall of Mirrors"). Halfway through the film, one clapboard reads with Abel Ferrara's name. Innocent continuity error or something more self-reflexive? With Ferrara, one gets the sense he's not a man who fucks around. I can imagine "Dangerous Game" being the closest we ever come to a documentary about the curt artist. But even if the misogyny seeps through the screen, Madonna and James Russo, as the on-screen married couple hurtling towards certified disaster, they're bold creations in Ferrara' body of work. How often can one say that about Madonna?

It was 1996 before Ferrara returned behind the camera with the aforementioned "The Funeral". Littered with his largest cast yet, its a searing chamber piece about the intertwined lives of 3 brothers in 1930's New York. When their mob lifestyle catches up with them, the morbid humor dries up and "The Funeral" becomes a somber period piece that's articulately acted and carefully photographed. Starring Christopher Walken, Chris Penn and Vincent Gallo as the tightly wound mafioso clan, "The Funeral" continues something he started in "Dangerous Game"- the illumination of some fearless performances by women, this time in the visage of Annabelle Sciorra and Isabella Rossellini as the wives. "The Funeral" erupts into shattering scenes of sadness and despair as the brothers mourn the death of their youngest, and again, its clearly a representation of the despairing situation of the film's writer. The moment that Chris Penn's anger and sadness explode on the screen, its not hard to imagine him acting as a syphon for the flood of emotions locked inside Nicholas St. John. This film, as well as "The Addiction", deserve the light of day on DVD.

Ferrara wasn't working in anonymity during this time. He reached some of the highest peaks of critical acclaim from 1990-1996. Besides the already noted awards of "Bad Lieutenant", Ferrara's mid-90's work was also graced with a Golden Bear from the Berlin Film Festival (for "The Addiction") and the runner up prize at the Venice Film Festival the next year for "The Funeral". Add to that the growing reputation amongst the New York film critics, and it would seem Ferrara was on a crash course for devising his masterpiece. Instead, he would not see another film released theatrically in the United States and become dependent on foreign finance and relegated to the film festival circuit for the next 10 years.

*Chicago Sun Times, 10-07-1990
**Time Out Guide, '07 ed.


Read Part 1 here.

What's In the Netflix Queue #10

Another round:

1. Nip Tuck Season 4 (HD DVD, 4 discs)- You know, this really is one big male soap opera. Transgenders, lurid sex, preposterous story lines with serial killers- but its all so damn fun and I've been with it since episode 1.
2. House of Voices- I've seen so many horror films, its kinda ridiculous so I have to find my scares in smaller, hidden affairs. This 2004 French film concerns a housekeeper (Virginie Ledoye, remember this beauty from "The Beach"?) who gets involved with a haunted house.
3. Serpico- With Lumet's brilliant "Prince of the City" finally on DVD, I felt the urge to go back and re-watch this Pacino classic. I've said it before, but nobody does New York crime like Lumet. Here's hoping his latest film is half as electrifying as the two above mentioned flicks.
4. Room 666- Wim Wenders film where he sets up a camera in a room and interviews various directors during the Cannes film fest one year.
5. The Fifth Horseman Is Near- Straight from the capsule review on Netflix: After being barred from practicing medicine in Prague, a Jewish doctor takes a job in a Nazi-operated warehouse. But when a political fugitive is critically injured, he risks everything to ease the man's pain. Zbynek Brynych directs this nuanced political allegory that's much more than a historical drama; it's also a finely wrought study of the pitfalls of contemporary communist Czechoslovakia.
6. Battle Royale- Originally saw this about 3 years ago, and its time for another viewing. I remember it being balls-out fun!
7. Vanishing Point- After all the talk about this film when Tarantino's "Death Proof" was released, I figured it was time to see what I was missing.
8. Entrails of a Beautiful Woman- Again, only the capsule can do this any justice: The Japanese Yakuza have stepped up their reign of terror, amping up the brutality of their crimes. After they drug and assault a young woman, she winds up killing herself in front of her doctor (Kazuo Komizo), who decides to seek revenge in her patients name by taking on the mob herself. The punishment she metes out is worse than anything concocted by the criminals, who are rendered helpless by her endless quest for justice. This is one of those left-over Asian cult cinema picks from an earlier list.
9. The Bridge- Controversial documentary released last year about the Golden Gate Bridge. Director Eric Steele placed his camera, motionless, for over a year at the bridge and captured numerous suicide jumps.
10. The Burmese Harp- Criterion finally released two of Kon Ichikawa's greatest films earlier this year and this is part 1 them. I can't wait to pair it with "Fires On the Plain", two searing anti-war dramas.

That 10 Word Title Movie

Cinematic events always seem to circle each other. Whenever there's a certain genre that makes a re-entrance, they strike in twos. And, more often than not, they're opposite mirror images of themselves. There was the disaster movie trend in the late 90's where "Dante's Peak" went against "Volcano" and "Deep Impact" situated itself against the more frenetic "Armageddon" (ok, so these two examples aren't that opposite!) Then, in 1998 you had the epic World War 2 drama make a splash with modern audiences in the likes of Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" and Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line"- two films that take dramatic verges from each other in tone and outlook. And even further back than that, in 1994, the first real push towards re-imagining the western genre was completed by competitive studios when they released "Tombstone" and "Wyatt Earp". Even though "Tombstone" was the more commercially accepted enterprise, I've always held a fondness for Kevin Costner's more lengthy and detailed portrait of the gunslinger as ensemble epic. Now, in 2007, the western has again made a concerted effort to reclaim its position in cinema as a viable commodity on-screen. While "3:10 To Yuma" is the grittier, more socially-conscious effort, I've just witnessed its evil doppelganger in the form of Andrew Dominik's "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford". At just under 3 hours, Dominik's film is an uncompromising and lyrical addition to the western genre that feels soul-cleansing in the way he allows images to linger and mood to drown out the ordinary tempo of filmmaking. This is a stunning work.


Dominik wisely lets the cat out of the bag in his 10 word title. There's no mystery here as to how this tale will end. By knowing that Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) will shoot Jesse James (Brad Pitt) in the back on a date given in the film's first 5 minutes, Dominik has exorcised the means of fashioning a whodunit. Instead, we're allowed to translate the various conversations, underlying motives and nervous energy with a jaundiced eye. Casey Affleck, as Bob Ford, is nothing short of a revelation in this performance. Just watch how (in one pivotal dinner scene) the camera holds on his facial gestures in an uncomfortably long single take as Jesse James talks. You could write that, but its perfection in how Affleck translates that on-screen. "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is also part psychological horror. Since the film begins at the last robbery committed by the gang, the remainder of the film's 2 hour and 30 minute running time concerns the fissures that grow in the increasingly paranoid mind of Jesse James. He begins to visit each of his old gang in their various hideouts, assessing whether they'll give him up or not. Likewise, crime is put on the back burner by his gang as they roll through ordinary events post-robbery. There's the way Dick Liddle (played incredibly by Paul Schneider) continues with his sexual exploits. There's Charley Ford (Sam Rockwell), older brother to Bob who plays the middle ground whenever he's caught between the charismatic presence of Jesse and his young brother. And there's the violence that erupts between Liddle and Wood Height (Jeremy Renner) over a girl. These events may feel like unnecessary languors, padding in a film that could have been wrapped up in 105 minutes, but Dominik is after something else here. This is a deep character study of two opposing forces mounted against a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop of land and snow and trees. Something of that magnitude takes time, and Dominik allows the characters to breath.

Even after the famous event in the title has happened, Dominik's film carries on a little longer to play out the (mis) fortunes of Bob Ford. And it's here that Bob Ford's true character arch presents itself. Even though the title bears both men's names, this is really Ford's story. And after the film's many gunshots (which literally often come out of nowhere and made me jump in my seat several times) the way Dominik frames and edits the film's conclusion feels like a magnificent attempt to fittingly apply the novelistic nature of his tale. "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is a masterpiece.

News and Noteworthy

Sounds like my all time favorite band,Radiohead, are trying something experimental. We'll see how this works out.

Secondly, news has been trickling out since yesterday morning about more local corruption in Dallas. Sixteen people now have been indicted, a mixture of current and former City Hall employees, construction companies and land developers. Details are complex, but it involves bribery, real estate fraud and illegal kickbacks. This comes just 12 months after a pretty widespread investigation of numerous Dallas police officers and officials who were found to be tampering with evidence and accepting pay-offs. Sounds like New Jersey huh? Maybe Sidney Lumet could make one helluva film here.

Lastly, Ed Hardy over at Shoot the Projectionist is hosting an October list-a-thon in which he's inviting everyone to submit their list of their 31 favorite scary movies. From that, we've had much discourse from Neil at his Bleeding Tree blog as well as Piper at his place concerning what definitions of horror really 'give them the willies'. I don't know if I can go into that much theorizing about matters, but I certainly appreciate mood and atmosphere over blood, gore and jumps. Which is probably why films like "Don't Look Now", "The Others", Kiyoshi Kurosawa's original "Pulse", "The Shining" and "Rosemary's Baby" will win out anyday over more touted horror fare. The best horror movies get inside your head and roll around for days, causing you to see things out of the corner of your eye or have nightmares a week later. That's what atmosphere and mood do for me, and that's my kinda willies.

The War At Home

It's been suggested that there are upwards of 15 movies either in production or slated for release this fall that deal with the vagaries of America's presence in Iraq. These can be ground level documentaries or creative visualizations, and they can certainly straddle the moral line as they each have something very specific to say about our current occupation there. One of these, Paul Haggis' "In the Valley Of Elah" tracks the implications of war on the home front with staunch restraint and a perfect attention to characterization.

Starring Tommy Lee Jones as Hank Deerfield (the epitome of an American sounding name), "In the Valley of Elah" is essentially a police procedural draped against a military backdrop. After returning from a tour in Iraq, Hank's son goes AWOL. He travels up to the small town close to the military base and is met with indifference by the local police as well as tight-lipness by the military. When a body turns up, mutilated and set on fire in the desert, it turns out to be the body of his son. But finding justice feels like the last thing anyone wants. There are battles over jurisdiction, seemingly stemming from the fact that the government can then cover-up any black marks and the local police won't suffer another unsolved homicide. Eventually, due to Hank's persistence, he wins the trust and affection of female detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron). Spurred on by her own lack of trust by her largely male staff (that includes wonderful supporting turns by Josh Brolin and Brent Briscoe), Theron portrays Sanders as a wholly believable presence, dressing away her good looks and withering seamlessly into a performance that could have felt pedestrian. Due to his background in the military CID, Hank and Sanders chip away at all sides of the puzzle, eventually realizing some ugly truths in the process.


It's easy to dismiss writer/director Haggis. While I greatly appreciated his script to Clint Eastwood's Oscar winning "Million Dollar Baby", his concurrent Best Picture winner, 2005's "Crash" was a cliched disaster that felt strained and manipulative. With "In the Valley of Elah", Haggis' script could've easily veered into the same territory, but it avoids any of those previous pitfalls and rings immediately true. The acting and delivery of Haggis script is natural and real. Part of this goes to the outstanding cast who resist the basic urge to grandstand, but it's also reflected in Haggis' gentle direction and traditional framing. There are certain scenes that are held for the just the right amount of time (such as a walk down a hospital corridor and several phone conversations between Tommy Lee Jones and wife Susan Sarandon). Jones and Theron (as well as the already mentioned Brolin and Briscoe, but also Jason Patric and James Franco) bounce off each other nicely and Haggis also realizes the importance of reaction shots. Again, everything is understated, punctuating the moral motivations of the film's characters by never allowing dramatics to overtake the progressive flow.

I saw this film after seeing Peter Berg's "The Kingdom" and while that film is certainly more jingoistic, it falls way short of producing honest sentiments about our place in the international arena. Different purposes, granted, but its hard to take a film like that seriously after witnessing the potent structure of "In the Valley of Elah". There are some hard truths put under the microscope here, but "In the Valley of Elah" is not a sternly pro or anti-war picture. It places its ambiguous emotions at the center of a very confusing time in our world's history and presents us with an individual investigation that calls into question not only our actions around the world, but our inability to deal with emotional stability here at home. There's a wonderful subplot that pops up in the beginning of the film that results in disastrous ways towards the end. It seemingly has very little to do with the dead-body plot, but it speaks greatly to the messiness and unpredictability of human life. In small, nuanced ways, Haggis has gotten at much greater truths in fifteen minutes of "In the Valley of Elah" then the entire running time of "Crash".

This review and other theatrical releases can be read at Talking Moviezzz.

HD DVD Reviews x 3

Black Rain

Released in 1989, Ridley Scott's "Black Rain" is certainly one of the action movies parodied in "Hott Fuzz". You have an exotic setting, a male police friendship that borders on the homosexual, and a climactic fist fight in the rain that culminates the 2 hour and 5 minute running time. But seriously, as for the movie itself, I can't remember why I liked it so much. Maybe because when I first saw it, I was 13? I wonder how this film holds up on VHS or standard DVD because this is a very dark (literally, low-lit) muddled looking film even on HD. Part of the success of HD is the way it deepens the color black so one doesn't get that murky, pixillated feel. That feature pretty much saves "Black Rain". As usual, Ridley lights the entire film through lenses, fog machines, fluorescent lights and neon lights. The HD transfer is very good as it illuminates some of the murky images and allows the shadows of the film to become their own character while giving texture to the neon sets of Hong Kong (which feels like remnants of his "BladeRunner" sets). As for the movie, ehh. But it looks damn good.

Blades of Glory

That same logic goes for "Blades of Glory". I'm sure everyone knows my disdain for Will Ferrell comedies by now,but I will say this is a magical looking transfer. This is probably the crispest and most eye-popping HD DVD film I've seen yet. Too bad there's not much going on as far as entertainment value. You get Ferrell, Will Arnett and Amy Poehler doing their same tired sch tick. Still, the print is gorgeous, detailing individual faces in the backgrounds of the various scenes and really exposing the film's vibrant colors.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

I'm still waiting for the perfectly rendered take on my high school days. The "Dazed and Confused" crowd has their own; the 60's have "Diner" and "American Graffiti". For the 80's not only do you have Judd Apatow's incredibly loving "Freaks and Geeks" saga, but "Fast Times At Ridgemont High". Believe it or not, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" got its own HD DVD transfer. It's been a while since I've seen this, but I can't imagine it looking any better. As with the transfer of most 80's flicks to HD, there's very little upgrade the company can perform on the image itself. HD quality, once again, crispens the background and textures the colors. "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" performs well on the HD format. The detail of the mall is brought out in vivid depictions and it heightens the colors of the characters' wardrobes. But honestly, the one reason to see this is the Phoebe Cates pool scene in HD.

An Appreciation: Abel Ferrara Part 1

Humble Beginnings

My introduction to Abel Ferrara, filmmaker, came in the early 90's. While flipping through a pay movie channel, I came across the images of Harvey Keitel doing various cop things. Since Keitel usually did cop things pretty well, I stuck with the movie, not knowing its title or any background information on anyone except Keitel. By the time "Bad Lieutenant" ended, I was subsequently unnerved, fascinated and energized by the preceeding 80 minutes of framed lunacy. This was obviously a film venturing into dark territory- quasi art, part exploitation but mostly galvanizing. My interest in Abel Ferrara was born and he still remains one of my very favorite artists working in cinema today. He probably plays up his bad boy image a little too much (i.e. all those late 90's pictures of him wearing shades against a beat up leather jacket), but his films often step into the abyss... and that's not always a terrible thing. The poet laurete of the grubby New York film scene, it's no surprise that he evolved into filmmaking through the late 70's exploitation/grindhouse system. Almost all of his films portray a workmanlike empathy, sparse on budget and full on mood. Basically, he's still making grindhouse features today, but they're more polished and invert the genre beautifully. From 1930's era depression chamber piece to the detailed world of drug mixers and female avengers, Ferrara is certainly not a movie-maker for everyone; but there are those of us who choose to plunge into the abyss with him. And that's not a terrible thing either.

Ferrara's first two adventures in filmmaking, "The Driller Killer" (1979) and "Ms .45" (1981) evolved directly from the New York exploitation scene, now beginning to wan due to (insert whatever you wish.. the Hollywood blockbuster, disco). But, like so many previous directors, not only did this genre of film give creative people relatively easy access into movie-making, but they set the standard for a host of Ferrara main-stays. There was the contribution by writer Nicholas St. John, a collaborator with Ferrara for years to come. And there was the simplistic photography of Ken Kelsch. Then there was the seedy urban milieu that Ferrara rarely left (and probably infused every film with more New York than even Scorsese). And there was his style, or anti-style, of filmmaking. Ferrara has never been a flashy director, and never one to call attention to his filmmaking. A majority of his films simply observe (whether we really want to or not) the emotional and psychological parade on-screen, and the early efforts of "The Driller Killer" and "Ms .45" offer no surprises in this category. So much of both films feel like hidden camera footage on the streets of New York, showing all the city's ugliness and deception. Frankly, this very well may've been the case since so many exploitation films were forced to resort to shot making on-the-fly to avoid permit and extraneous fees. The main characters of both films show just as much human ugliness and deception. In "The Driller Killer", which Ferrara began in 1977 after grinding his cinematic teeth in the 70's porn industry, observes the malaise that engulfs the main character (played by Abel himself) when he fails to sell any of his paintings. And more disconcerting than that, his latest piece of a giant buffalo, seems to be the fire-starter of the main character's homicidal impulses. He buys a drill and begins to ply his new found trade on homeless men around the city. And while the main selling point of the film is certainly attuned to the brutal and bloody killings, there's a second side to "The Driller Killer" that's equally fascinating. Ferrara himself stated he made the film mostly "just to stand next to" co-star Baybi Day, who appears just as strung out and disoriented as her character. Mingled amongst the various night time murders, Ferrara tracks the 'hanging out' of his two female roomates (played by Day and Carolyn Marz) as they visit their punk band neighbors and party at Max's (yes, the actual Max's). As stated by Ferrara, "The Driller Killer" was filmed in the shadows of Any Warhol and his factory, and it captures the same melancholy attitude of passing time as many of Warhol's documentaries. Both "The Driller KiIller" and "Ms. 45" are time capsules of a New York city in the late 70's. Even though he produced both films as slasher/female avenger pics respectively, they also exist as contributions that frame specific people in a very specific time. And, whether you agree with their themes or not, they both present New York as a violent and seedy melting pot... a reference that Ferrara would eventually return to in the future.



It would be three years before Ferrara returned behind the camera of a budgeted film. 1984's "Fear City", starring Melanie Griffith and Tom Berenger, certainly upped his "A" list status, but the film is a disappointment. It's narrative about a New York serial killer lacks both originality and flare. This normally isn't a bad thing, but for Ferrara, it definitely felt like slumming. From there, Ferrara found comfort in the confines of the small screen, jumping from project to project such as music videos for Schooly D and the odd directing gig on series such as Michael Mann's produced "Miami Vice" as well as "Crime Story". Perhaps this was the easiest thing Ferrara could do at the time. It was during the mid-80's that he reportedly began shopping his scripts for two films that would later gain momentum, and if settling within the mundane realm of the small screen helped keep him financially self-sufficient, his creative prospects could grow. Next came an Elmore Leonard TV adaptation of "Cat Chaser" in 1988 with Peter Weller that stands as one of the more involving Leonard creations. It's musty, humid feel seeped off the screen and Kelly McGillis is especially good.

If it feels like I'm rushing through a decade here, there's good reason. It wasn't until 1989 that Ferrara would burst from the background with an array of films that reconfigured the independent film movement and firmly established himself as the anti-Scorsese. While the 80's were spent toiling away in exploitative and cheap small screen excursions, Ferrara was about to re-establish some firm connections (with writer Nicholas St. John specifically) in the film industry and unleash two violent, cathartic pictures onto the American public that would simultaneously announce his arrival as well as repulse a large majority of the film-going community.

Trailers I Love

Whether it's the inclusion of Damien Rice's "Grey Room" on the soundtrack (whose music just lends itself beautifully to suburban drama like no one else), or the idea of Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly, Mira Sorvino and Joaquim Phoenix paired together in a dense moral drama, this trailer is incredible. I hope it doesn't convey too much plot.

Reviews

Finally, nine months into '07 and 70+ films later, I've witnessed a crop of great movies:

Eastern Promises

David Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises" is a subtle genre piece that shuffles along in hushed dialogue and somber tones. Of course, there's his flair for brutal violence (2 throat slashings and a pretty harsh knife fight) and chameleon-like reversals of fortune amongst the lead characters, but "Eastern Promises" is something different from his previous genre foray, "A History of Violence". While that film certainly reveled in its graphic novel source material, "Eastern Promises" stays fairly straight and plays out Steve Knight's script in orthodox yet intriguing ways. Part of the pleasure with all of Cronenberg's films (but especially his post 1999 work) is the cold, calculated manner in which one interacts with his films. Even though this isn't "Videodrome" or "The Brood", his films tend to stir up tense emotions and one finds themselves carefully studying each and every frame for some deception. In "Eastern Promises", honestly, very few things of startling drama happen. The plot shifts in slow, methodical ways and though these shifts aren't shattering, they continually shed light on an earlier line of dialogue or small gesture which illuminates the shadings of its characters depth. Mortenson's character, especially, goes through an interesting metamorphisis as "Eastern Promises" winds down. And that's probably the most shattering realization of them all. The punch of a Cronenberg film is how cleverly he peels away the surface of the film's drama to reveal something entirely different. It worked wonderfully in "A History of Violence" and it works in "Eastern Promises" as well. This is another strong addition to his body of work.

The Hunting Party

Richard Shepard's "The Hunting Party" is one of those rare cinematic events that I yearn for each time I enter a movie theater. Picture this: you see a trailer for a movie a couple months ago and one of its stars (in this case, the extraordinary Terrence Howard) is a magnetic draw for you. So, the movie opens and very little advance word of mouth has preceeded it, much less have you read any reviews so there's no hyperbole surrounding things. Then you actually see the movie and it's such an energetic, lively, and thrilling experience that your minor expectations are dramatically achieved. Well, my friends, "The Hunting Party" is all that.

Reminiscient of David O' Russell's "Three Kings", "The Hunting Party" is a wildly irreverent trip through a not-so-long-ago part of international warfare known as the Bosnian War. Simon Hunt (Richard Gere, elevating each performance as he grays in life) and Ducky (Howard) are two war-time correspondants charged with covering the war. Their history together, full of being thrown in the middle of hot spots all over the world, consists of bullet dodging and international acclaim. Then, Hunt self destructs during a live interview one day and folds away into the background while Ducky earns his promotion out of the war zones and into the posh lifestyle of filming Senate debates and Presdential campaigns. Six years after the war, Ducky returns to Serbia with his new boss (a consistently humorous James Brolin) and the network's son, played with charm by Jesse Eisenberg. From out of nowhere comes Hunt, full of raging ideas that he knows where to locate the war criminal known as The Fox (Ljubomir Kerekes). Ducky, who's always unable to resist Hunt's insatiable appetite for the dangerous, joins him on his quest with network son in tow. From there, "The Hunting Party" tramples on genre, zig-zagging between political essay, thriller, comedy and melodrama without an ounce of pretension. Director Shepard, who also wrote the screenplay based on an Esquire article, knows no boundaries and not only does each genre work, but he hits natural notes in casting, dialogue delivery and character interaction. It's amazing to watch the small details that Gere and Howard insinuate into their performances, such as their parlance of "fuck" (used liberally in this movie, which propogated several walk-outs during my screening) and the way Howard plays a guitar in the backseat. Also, like Russell in "Three Kings", Shepard uses a dark period in international history to blend comedy and drama in realistic and unflinching ways. Everything in this film works. It's funny when it wants to be funny and it's a bit touching in the revelation of some character's motivations. Its declaration in the opening credits that "only the most ridiculous parts of this story are true" presents its tongue-in-cheek attitude right away, but it also a film that grounds itself in phenominal performances and a sobering narrative that doesn't let us ignore the atrocities caused during this forgotten war fought on another continent. And for those of us wondering, Shepard's playful, Godardian-like style tells us during the end credits which parts of the story where exaggerated and which parts were true. "The Huting Party" is one of the very best films of the year.

Red Road

Andrea Arnold's "Red Road" was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, and its no surprise her digitized/modernized update of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" is as equally fascinating. Kate Dickie is Jackie, a Glasgow surveillance worker whose overnight work includes the monotonous monitoring of the city's many Closed Circuit Television cameras. Initially watching for crimes, her interest denigrates into people watching, such as a nice older man with a sick dog and a cleaning lady in one of the highrise buildings. But then, her focus becomes transfixed on a man she spots in a dark field fucking a woman. His image dredges back old wounds and she embarks on a mission to confirm or deny her thoughts on who this person really is. It all sounds rather sinister, and Arnold's film is a revelation of intense control and slow-burn tension. Realized and created under a Lars vonTrier Dogma pretense that 3 different directors will coordinate three different films, "Red Road" certainly isn't a film stunt. It's emotions and narrative drive are real, and it also burrows deep into something complex as Jackie carries out her exacting plan for..... something. Go into this film cold, and it'll surprise you. Great stuff.

Triad Election

The second film of 3 released this year on American shores, Johnny To's "Triad Election" carries on his manic attention to style and yakuza violence. Much more subdued, though, is this tale of two men each vying for the hallowed "chairman" seat of the yakuza Society. At times, To's linear story gets lost in his sumptuous visual palette and detailed framing (which continues towards spaghetti western more and more) but there's plenty to enjoy in "Triad Election". I've been shouting to the heavens about To since stumbling across his 2005 masterpiece, "Throwdown", and I'm glad he's finally getting some proper recognition outside of Hong Kong.


Full reviews of theatrical releases can be read at Talking Moviezzz

On Halloween Past and Present

Oh the wrath that bears down upon the head of a filmmaker when he dares to remake a hallowed classic. That's the current situation with Rob Zombie and his re-visualized version of John Carpenter's "Halloween". This is an interesting position- you've got the Carpenter enthusiasts, such as Piper at Lazy Eye Theater, rallying (sight unseen) at the mere presence of Zombie's movie and then you have those who just wanna go see a bloody, gory horror movie, regardless of the creative eye behind the camera or even the film's trampling of an American classic. Granted, I've seen Zombie's "Halloween" now and even I find myself in some discussions over the merits (or lack thereof) with friend and horror-buff Chris at his blog . This movie has sparked more debate in me than any other in the last couple months. Is that good or bad? And do I like "Halloween" or not?

Let's put it this way- I was not averse to Zombie's remake when I first heard about it. I've seen the original "Halloween" a couple times and can appreciate the standards it set and broke in its day, but it's not the epitome of horror films for me. It falls in that mediocre category that I appreciate more than favor. I much prefer Carpenter's "Prince of Darkness" and "In the Mouth of Madness", films I witnessed without an ounce of pre-conceived hyperbole attached to them. My first viewing of "Halloween" when I was 15 or 16, was already heralded as the standard slasher flick, produced on a shoe-string and manufactured with an intense lack of exposition surrounding its main character. Not knowing why or how Michael Myers became the hulking killer certainly provided Carpenter's flick with an added sense of psychological superiority, but didn't register with me as anything more. It followed the same slasher rules, provided the same slick scares, and honestly, provided me with very little except a theme song that I hummed for days.

Compare that with the feature debut of Rob Zombie entitled "House of 1,000 Corpses"- dumped into theaters in October '03 after numerous production closings, financial backing issues, and a ratings board fiasco. No one, even myself, gave it much thought. It felt like a nice diversion during October of that year so a few of us went to see it. Not only did I love it, but was a bit shocked at how far the film rolls down the rabbit hole. Zombie isn't a master of the subtle, like Carpenter, but "House of 1,000 Corpses" tapped into something primal and exploitative. I've mentioned before, but the film's final 30 minutes diverge into something very dark and morbid and no one expected that type of cinematic manipulation from Zombie. It's one of the finest exploitation films of the last few years.



So, in my personal universe, the stars were aligned to make Rob Zombie's "Halloween" a smashing success. How did this all go so wrong? Zombie's "Halloween" is a shrill, empty failure. I don't care that he gives Myers a backstory... I don't care that the film failed to keep me interested.. and I certainly don't care that it features such gaping plot holes that one could drive an 18 wheeler through. My main concern with the film, and Rob Zombie himself, is that he's shrinking any talents he revealed in his feature debut. He's made this movie before... we've seen these characters before... and if he uses the term "skullfuck" in one more scene, I think I might walk out. Not only does he (again) use his wife, Moon Zombie, and actors such as Sid Haig, William Forsyth, Bill Moseley, but they act in the same manner as they have in every Zombie movie. Repeating oneself, whether its in a new genre, new year or new voice, is still repeating oneself.

This really should be no surprise, I suppose. The shortcomings were already evident in Zombie's second film, "The Devil's Rejects", but the massive tone of the film's loud, obnoxious narrative supplied it with some breathing room. In"Halloween", Zombie's complete dis-regard for character development and natural speech patterns are thrown out the window. If this is meant as an exercise in parody of the horror genre, then we're getting somewhere, but the way Zombie films the murder scenes, makes me think otherwise. The first kill of Myers as a young boy is shot in long distance, through a few branches away from the scene as if someone was watching the murder take place. It lends itself that exploitative feel. That's the essence of true exploitative filmmaking- it makes the viewer complicit in its ugliness. If Zombie wanted to play everything for laughs, then it would've been visualized in less personal terms. Instead, no... "Halloween" definitely wants us to take it seriously. Even more disconcerting is Zombie's awkward use of music in his films. In "The Devil's Rejects" we're treated to an ultra-serious finale in which the death-gasp of its characters is timed to Lynryd Skynyrd's "Free Bird". I hated that scene when I first saw it and hate it even more now. In "Halloween", Zombie attempts to affix surface emotions to the young Michael Myers and his stripper mom by juxtaposing their empty night lives against the theme of Nazareth's "Love Hurts". It's yet another inept move in a completely inept film experience. So, for those of you who worship the original, I don't think this one will be around long enough to cause you much pain. The one good part of seeing this film? I was in Springfield, Missouri on business and instead of sleeping away the time in my banal hotel room, I decided to venture out into the thriving college town and experience some local flavor. The theater, something called The Springfield 8, looks to be the oldest damn theater in Missouri. Not only is it one of those rare single floor theaters, full of gold curtains right out of the 70's, but a place that houses those short, plush chairs that no one makes anymore. If only the film lived up to the theater-going experience.

HD DVD Review- Out of Sight and 12 Monkeys

Out of Sight

We start with the better transfer of the two titles mentioned. Steven Soderbergh's nouvelle-vague like noir, released in 1998, became an instant favorite of mine. I loved the sexy performance of Jennifer Lopez (than a relative unknown outside of "Selena" fans) and her chemistry with George Clooney, I loved the little freeze-frames that Soderbergh used to Godardian proportions, and I loved the film's shifts between humor and violence. It all felt so vivid. And the HD transfer enhances that experience. While "Out of Sight" isn't the absolute best HD print I've seen so far, it does convey a sense of picture upgrade that's interesting. Perhaps Soderbergh's style- that desaturated, hand held look that feels passe by now- limits some of its upgrade potential, but the warm colors of Miami juxtaposed against the whites of winter Detroit do feel much more expressed in this HD-DVD. But perhaps the strength of the transfer lies in the finale, when the shades of light, dark and color really impress. For those who know, the film's denouement takes place during a robbery of a large mansion (owned by an almost unrecognizable Albert Brooks). The warm interiors of the house jump out with clarity. I certainly don't remember noticing this in the original version. The film's lost none of its initial charm, and the high defness only reminds me how great of a movie this is.

12 Monkeys

I wrote earlier on this blog that it'd been awhile since I'd seen "12 Monkeys" and remember 'flipping for it'. I'm not sure why I flipped so much, because this was a chore to get through. Perhaps I hadn't seen Chris Marker's "La Jetee" yet, which is why I found something special and mind-blowing in Terry Gilliam's post modern make-over of Marker's sublime sci-fi classic. Well, I've seen the original and while that film holds so much beauty and emotion (in still images, no less), Gilliam's film is...maddening. Gilliam is a director I never understood. His films profit in cluttered settings, obnoxious characters, and a stream-of-conscious dialogue that makes me nauseous. I've yet to make it through "Brazil" (and tried about 3-4 times), couldn't finish "Tideland" and almost walked out of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". His films just don't appeal to me. Then you have "12 Monkeys", a film that features all of the characteristics above and makes me even hate Madeline Stowe for inhabiting a character who yells almost every one of her lines. Then there's Brad Pitt, playing a mental patient who almost drove me nuts by his blathering and showy performance. Honestly, I usually have a good barometer on the films I see, and how I once praised "12 Monkeys" is beyond me. Now, for the HD transfer itself? Equally as shitty. There's very little upgrade in the picture quality, at times looking worn and smudged. I wondered if there was something wrong with my player until I went online and read some HD DVD excerpts on this film. It's not my player, but just a generally lazy transfer that has no redeeming HD qualities. Skip this one for that (and so many other) reasons.

Bloody Good Time

Showtime appears to be giving HBO a run for its money in the adult drama category. I just finished up the first season of Showtime's "Dexter". While not quite on par with some HBO fare, this is still one very good television series. Starring Michael C. Hall (David from "Six Feet Under"), "Dexter" follows the very dark story of a Miami forensics lab expert who nighthawks as a serial killer, dispensing his own brand of vigilante justice while at the same time cooling the internal clickings that drive him to commit murder. It's an odd choice for a protagonist, but once America falls under the charms of an overweight hit man and his jovial bunch in the guise of Tony Soprano, I guess the sky's the limit for conflicted anti-heroes. And, honestly, while "Dexter" takes a couple of episodes to process its uneven tone and bleak Bret Easton Ellis style of empty voice-over, the show really begins to grow on one. Not only does it illuminate itself as a wrenching and funny black comedy, but its a police drama that works as well. Just when you feel the series is drawing itself into a corner, there a plausible side alley that opens up and fits neatly into the story. What at first appears like a plot hole, soon evolves into an intelligently constructed exit device. But there's more than one character at work here. The supporting characters (like in all great series) are just as fleshed out as Dexter himself. There's his police sister (a character played with exuberance and sensitivity by Jennifer Carpenter, mrs. "Exorcism of Emily Rose" herself, I role I didn't even pick up on until checking out IMDB) and girlfriend (Julie Benz), both important and influential figures in Dexter's life. Not only does he constantly worry about controlling his homicidal impulses, but forces himself to lead a normal life and tuck away his dark side. If that wasn't enough, a majority of the first season details his cat-and-mouse relationship with a fellow serial killer who drains his victim's blood and leaves neatly severed pieces in unique figures around Miami. This killer opens up a game with Dexter, challenging him as each new victim turns up. This all sounds very CSI-induced, but there's an extreme charm to the morbid affairs. Hall plays Dexter perfectly, eventually inviting us to sympathize with a character forced to manipulate his world and cover up an unnatural side. Anyone who's ever smiled when they didn't feel like it or forced to conform in a room where they certainly don't want to be can identify (partially) with the show's theme of Jekyll and Hyde emotions. "Dexter" is now out on DVD and for the more adventurous (beware, the blood in this show is quite shocking), I think you won't be disappointed in Showtime's attempt to expand the character driven series into new realms.

Short Films I Love

Check out this very good short film from a young and upcoming director. I won't give away any more than that. Thanks to Atom films, a site that I could easily lose 6 hours a day to.

What's In the Netflix Queue #9

Here are a few more titles in the queue. It feels like it took me forever to shuffle through the previous ten. And fyi.. I have a few ideas in the works for future posts. Not only will I continue hot and heavy with HD-DVD reviews, but I'm anxious to get back to some director appreciation posts. So, after reading this story about the intent to re-visualize Bad Lieutenant as well as Ferrera's minor success at this years Cannes fest with his latest film, it got me re-thinking about how much I've always loved his work. Ferrera is a filmmaker who divides audiences, and his films have routinely popped up on my favorites lists each year (even the much maligned and seemingly forgotten "Dangerous Game" with Madonna in 1994.... a searing experience that deserves yet another view). So, not just 1 post, but I intend on writing a three part series on his career later this month. Enough self promotion. Here's what slated to be in my mailbox soon.

1. Like It Never Was Before- I just saw Susanne Bier's "After the Wedding" and found it to be an extremely moving film, one of my favs of the year so far. With that one and "Things We Lost In the Fire, due up later this fall, she's on track to have a stellar year. "Like It Never Was Before" is one of her early films. If you've seen her work, its hard to expect anything but an honest examination of wayward relationships and deep seated emotions.
2. Crime Story Season 1 (5 discs)-Michael Mann produced mid-80's cop series that I've never seen. Bonus points that Abel Ferrera directs several episodes.
3. 12 Monkeys (HD DVD)-I can only say I've seen this once, several years ago, but remember flipping for it. I'm trying to pick out assorted HD DVD films that I've only seen once or twice.
4. Zhmurki- Russian gangster film from acclaimed director Aleksei Balbanov ("Brother" and "Of Freaks and Men").
5. Out of Sight HD DVD- Ok. So I know I just said I'm trying to rent HD DVD titles I've only seen once or twice, but I've seen "Out of Sight" countless times and can't wait to see Jennifer Lopez sparkle in hi-def glory. Confession accepted?
6. Fall Guy- Yet another insanely kinetic gangster film from Kenji Fukasaku.
7. Heading South- French director Laurent Cantent turned all kinds of critical heads with his first two films, "Human Resources" and "Time Out". Then last year he released this film about 3 women who go on a trip and lust over a younger man. Is it bad or was it just met with indifference?
8. Wrong Move- Being a huge Wim Wenders fan, I jumped when I saw this available on DVD. I assume its part of the recent box set that was released. I may have seen an old VHS copy of this years ago, but honestly cannot remember a single frame so its worth re-visiting.
9. Tokyo Trash Baby- Still working my through the available titles of Japanese filmmaker Ryuichi Hiroki ("Vibrator"), this one is next. Sounds intriguing (in that nasty Japanese sorta way): Instead of acting on her feelings for the scruffy musician (Kazuma Suzuki) who lives next door, Miyuki (Mami Nakamura), a shy and lonely Tokyo waitress, settles for sifting through his trash, in hopes that she can get to know him better by the things he throws away. Like "Vibrator", Hiroki seems fascinated by the disconnections of couples in modern day Japan.
10. True Confessions- Ulu Grosbard's attempt to reconfigure the Black Dahlia story got tremendously positive word-of-mouth when it was newly released to DVD earlier this year. I have no excuse for never seeing it. Quasi film noir, Robert DeNiro, Catholicism... I'm there.

HD-DVD Review: Bullitt and Army of Darkness

Bullitt

Peter Yates' 1968 crime classic is a personal attempt to define the limitations of HD. I was curious as to how a classic print would stand up in the Hi-Def format. It's been over 10 years since I'd seen "Bullitt" (on a crappy VHS copy no less) so my initial impressions of how this film compares on HD are probably highly overstated. Still, this is a beautiful looking print. The clearest examples of this version's sharpness come in the many exterior shots of San Francisco, which makes the superbly crafted and largely lauded car chase sequence especially exciting. The buildings in the background are given definition, the cars that dart in and out of the frame look sparkling, and the various gaudy colors of people's Sunday best really jump out at you. Once again, as in "The 40 Year Old Virgin", Hi-Def visualizes the film's color more than ever. Watching "Bullitt" in HD reminded me of the old, exaggerated colors of "Duel In the Sun", a film full of images that feels like they're burning off the edges. And I mean that in a good way. The disappointment of "Bullitt's" Hi-Defness comes in the interior scenes. I didn't notice any real definition when the film turns to set and studio. Also, some of the nigh time scenes in the beginning of the film fail to register on anything more than DVD quality. As in other HD features, the deep blacks and shadows of the film are heightened. In "Bullit", they feel grainy and worn. Perhaps this is the overwhelming deficit of bringing older films into the HD format.

A quick word about the film itself.... I'd forgotten how modern the story feels, right down the climactic airport chase that surely influenced Michael Mann's runway finale in "Heat". Also, this is a brilliantly conceived take on violence in the movies, sporting a complex realization of cops and their guns. When McQueen finally does pull his gun in the last five minutes of the film, it's quite startling. The film cues that extraordinary moment with a tense cut to the gun and a blast of music across the soundtrack. Expecting somewhat of a relief in the film's final minute as McQueen returns home, instead, director Yates closes in on McQueen washing his face in the sink, visibly regretting the bloodletting. A slow zoom into McQueen's gun as it rests in its holster on the table closes out the film. "Bullitt" makes clear that this is something very heavy for bad ass cop McQueen, and it inverts the confident attitude of its protagonist. Bullitt is dealing with something real now, and its quite a refreshingly poignant way to close out a film much praised for its car chases and brutish posing.

Army of Darkness

Sam Raimi's "Army of Darkness" is the next HD challenger. No disappointments here. Picture quality is impressive and, unlike "Bullitt", the night time scenes pop off the screen. Really, if you're a fan of the Evil Dead trilogy, then you gotta have this on HD-DVD. Nevermind that it's probably the third most quotable film of the 90's (tailing behind "The Big Lebowski" and "Swingers" of course), but in HD, the Harryhausen-style animation still impresses and you get to see Bruce Campbell flail about in vivid picture quality. The drawback to this DVD (and "Bullitt") though is the extreme lack of extra features. No commentary, no deleted scenes... just the bare-bones movie. If one can live with that, then buy away.

Caged Fury: The Dynamic Nicholas Cage

This post is part of the Bizarro Blog-a-thon sponsored by Lazy Eye Theater.

Alongside Marlon Brando, there's one actor who defines his generation through intensity. He burrows deep into each and every role, creating an indelible impression of wit, honesty and emotion. That actor is Nicholas Cage. What began due to favored kindness (as the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola), soon evolved into a career far beyond those generous acts of charity. Cage soon emerged as an actor who deserved (and still deserves) to be heard, felt, and experienced. He's the greatest actor currently on the horizon of American motion pictures.

After receiving bit parts in "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", "Rumble Fish" and "The Cotton Club", Cage burst onto the American psyche with his supporting role in Coppola's "Peggy Sue Got Married". This is where I first experienced the fury of Cage. His performance, basically upstaging every one else on screen, resembles that of Brando squirming with intensity in "A Streetcar Named Desire". Cage's performance shifted from leisurely explosive youth to world-weary husband in the blink of an eye. It was then he re-invented himself and portrayed the role of Ronny opposite Cher in "Moonstruck", showing that he can also invade persona of hard-edged Italian lover. Still more invention, when in 1987, he shifted genres effortlessly again, landing himself in the lead role of the Coen Brothers' "Raising Arizona". Even though this is probably his most generic role to date, the film survives the onslaught of sophomore camera tricks and the Coen Brothers usual flat humor due to Cage's wily performance. From there, the sky seemed to open up and lay out the limit. Cage continually invested each upcoming role with bravado. While a majority of the mid-90's were spent in a slight decline, he still made the best of every role. There was his perverse and fine-tuned performance in David Lynch's exotic spectacle "Wild At Heart" (a film that, like "Raising Arizona", survived the masturbatory impulses of its lazy autuer director due to Cage's magnificent grounding). Then there was Cage's manifestation of a down and out loser in John Dahl's "Red Rock West". It was clear that Cage was having fun even when his director and crew seemed to have no idea what they were doing. Didn't they know the neo-noir wave in American cinema began and ended with "Pulp Fiction"??? The only real highlights of Cage during this time period happened in the supremely funny and ground-breaking comedy "Guarding Tess" and the fairy tale New York story "It Could Happen To You", a film so light and generous that it feels like Ernst Lubitsch was hovering over the production. There was also his role in Christopher Coppola's "Deadfall", a film that feels literally dead on arrival, saved only by Cage's gleeful and revolutionary supporting character role. This is the performance that supporting Oscar awards are made for, but sadly he was overlooked. The performance he did eventually win an Oscar for, 1995's "Leaving Las Vegas" feels more like a lifetime achivement award than anything else. But still, it only confirmed Cage's explosive temperament was finally washing over modern audiences after 11 years of stoic abilities.

The crowning achievement came in 1996 though, when actor Cage met producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Their marriage, resulting in the slam-bam coupling of the two greatest American action films since Buster Keaton, still resonates to this day. I'm referring to "The Rock" and "Con Air". Not only did these two films represent a shift in modern filmmaking (spearheading the magnificent idea that no film can be digested without 12,345 edits per 200 feet of film) but they transformed Nicholas Cage from American actor to AMERICAN ACTOR. Just look at those pecks in "Con Air", or the twirly blonde hair he sports. Even in "The Rock", he grandstands an aging Sean Connery and a spineless Ed Harris. Nicholas Cage was now the new American icon.

But the defining of Cage as actor didn't end there. After 1997, Cage entered a golden age of acting, embodying stellar performance after stellar performance. There was his re-admission into the heart throb category opposite Meg Ryan in the beautifully nuanced "City of Angels", a film that said so much with so little. The same could be said for his 2004 masterpiece, "Captain Corelli's Mandolin". And there was "Gone In Sixty Seconds", a throwback to 70's two-lane blacktop cinema that still holds up today, perhaps even more than the original 70's motor fests. And who could forget Cage's bid as the modern Jimmy Stewart with 2001's "The Family Man".

Even today, Cage is still choosing roles carefully. After twenty years in front of American audiences, he continues to fascinate and enthrall. Think back to the succession of films that Jack Nicholson churned out between 1969 and 1975. For the last six years, Cage duplicated that feat: "Windtalkers", "Sonny", "National Treasure" (probably the most entertaining film of the last 50 years!), The Wicker Man", "Ghost Rider" and "Next". Not only does this series of films prove that Cage is still burning the candles at both ends, but he's transformed himself into a cypher of modern emotions and characters. He is everyman, and he's no one. But I could go on all day. I'll simply let the images above speak louder than my feeble words. If Brando doesn't come to mind, then you're fuckin' crazy....

Trailers I Love

This fall looks to be a smashingly good year for the western. James Mangold's "3:10 To Yuma" looks to kick all kinds of ass (just like "Open Range" did a few years back). Compare that with the contemplative images and mood of Andrew Dominik's upcoming Jesse James film (which is reportedly a 3 hour meditation on the Old West, sparing not a single dreamy image) and I think we're in for a treat. Plus, let's not forget Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" which very well may qualify as a time period piece that gives the western a run for its money. This trailer was just released today. Now that I've gotten my "post video" problems worked out on You Tube, I intend to include more trailers periodically.

HD DVD review: The 40 Year Old Virgin

This is probably an underrated choice to test my new-found limits of HD DVD, but what better way to determine the parameters of new technology than with a film that shouldn't pop on screen. Well, even in HD, "The 40 Year Old Virgin" is a complete visual surprise. I'm learning that HD creates stunning clarity in the background of films. Judd Apatow's comic masterpiece only benefits from the crisp colors of HD, drawing out the cluttered sets of action figures and busy backdrops of the electronics store or speed dating locale. Two of the most impressive scenes in this film (due not only to the sharp writing, of course) include the following: 1) the scene when Paul Rudd and his buddies take Andy (Steve Carell) to a night club towards the beginning of the film. I'm not sure if I just never looked for the blend of colors before or if Hi Def 'heightens' my sense of picture quality, but the way the neon lights illuminates the screen feels intoxicating, like we're watching a Shaw Brothers picture. It was probably meant to be campy, but in HD, it becomes something altogether different, adding to the giddiness of the scene. 2) the Elizabeth Banks seduction scene. I mean, really, we don't need much more than Elizabeth Banks tearing up the scenery in this succession of images to create a memorable moment, but in HD, the campy backdrop of her apartment come bustling towards you. There's the fluorescent fish tank, the multi-colored pillows on her bed, the green light emanating from her bathroom- it all feels as carefully constructed and as painstakingly lit as a Stanley Kubrick film. Okay, maybe I'm waaay off base here, using first the Shaw Brothers and now Kubrick in my description for a Judd Apatow comedy, but the bottom line is that colors of movies have never felt so vivid. Hi Def leaves nothing non-descript in the background, opening us up to 3-D worlds on screen. That, so far, is the biggest win of this technology.

Enough gushing about that. The disc itself is loaded, but nothing different from the standard disc. The one advantage to HD-DVD is it's easy pop up menu function. Unlike standard DVD's, you don't have to exit out of the film to access the menu. It also features a great round table commentary track with the film's stars, and if you expect the "in this scene I used an anamorphic lens to frame everything...", think again. It's commentary just as loose, nasty, and anecdotal as the film.

Not Always the Best Medicine

I've been writing alot about comedy lately. First, there was my previous post ranking the Top 50 comedies of all time and now this. Is it because I'm growing more and more wearied at the increasingly violent quagmire we've gotten ourselves into in Iraq? Nah, I'm not that politically minded. I just don't usually fall hard for comedies. While all of my friends eagerly anticipate the next served laugh, I've always been the one anticipating something else. Comedies rarely get me to the theater. The recent exception, of course, being "Hot Fuzz". And fyi.. you have to hear the commentary on this one- did you know that Cate Blanchett was the mask-covered woman who breaks up with Simon Pegg in the beginning, or the 1 second clip of a Santa Clause shanking Pegg was Peter Jackson? The entire commentary is simply movie-drunk and a fascinating listen.

So, what got me out to see the new comedy, "Hot Rod", was it's slightly amusing trailer and amiable word of mouth on Aint It Cool News. What got me out to see "The Simpsons Movie" was its seventeen year history of generating enormous laughs through visual puns and carefully constructed situations. These two films couldn't be further apart as far as comedies go- one is the granddaddy of animated art, still emanating a heartbeat after all these years and reflecting laughs off current events and pop culture iconography, and the other is a mildly diverting comedy featuring Saturday Night Live alum Adam Samberg and espousing that oh-so hip manner of dead pan filmmaking combined with non-sequiter humor. Both of these films represent modern comedy, although they score wildly different results.



"Hot Rod", in and of itself, is not a terrible movie. I laughed a few times. But it's the manner in which it goes about its laughs that's disturbing. It belongs in that camp of comedy that I'm guessing originated with the films of Will Ferrell; or perhaps even further back with other Saturday Night Live spin-offs such as "A Night At the Roxbury" and "The Ladies Man", or dare I say "The Coneheads". Then again, I could be wrong and the blame lies at the feet of David Zucker with his 1980 "Airplane" (which is a great comedy by the way). Simply put, these are sketch comedy films, stretched out to feature length proportion through odd, humorous tangents. When you watch a film such as "Hot Rod", or "Talledega Nights", or "Dodgeball", or most certainly "Anchorman", it feels like an insider's club; you can imagine the cast and crew sitting around thinking up improvisational bits to levy the unsubstantial structure of the script. Think of the cameos that come flying at you in "Anchorman", or the prolonged riot that breaks out, or the scenes that carry on long after they should end as a character laughs or suffers (specifically the images of Ferrell running around the racetrack in his undies). In "Hot Rod", there are so many I lost count, including the scene where our hero trips and rolls.... and rolls... and rolls down the side of a mountain for what feels like 3 minutes. There's another moment when Rod Kimble, stuntman extraordinaire, summons the spirits of a dolphin, a wolf, and a house cat before he proceeds to jump. If that bit of outer space humor fails to register with the audience, we're given quick insets with pictures of the mentioned animals circling his head. Or there's the character who desperately wants to help Rod and his crew, and anytime he's on screen, he breaks into an 80's type thrust dance (you have to see it to believe it). And if that's not enough, when Rod visits heaven briefly, we're entertained by the images of a stuffed taco and grilled cheese sandwich fighting (don't even ask, it'd take waaay to long to explain). Yes, it's all there along with the kitchen sink. Where did this type of humor come from? Why does it often stop a comedy dead in its tracks when I see such an out-of-body comedy moment? In "Hot Rod", that's all the film has going for it. You watch because you just can't believe what writer Pam Brady may throw at you next. This may work in films such as "Napolean Dynamite", which I consider a personal favorite and the film that "Hot Rod" has been unjustly coupled with, but only because writer-director Jared Hess earns my respect for his characters. It's also probably unfair to mention the comedic canon of Judd Apatow at this point, but if one wants to see how comedy should be done right, then go watch "Knocked Up" or, even better, his 1999 television series "Freaks and Geeks". Not only do his characters make us laugh at them, but certainly laugh with them. His films (and writing) surface something human in their comedy which Will Ferrell, Adam Samberg and Adam Sandler don't understand.


Then you temper that with "The Simpsons Movie". This, in all essence, shouldn't work. It shouldn't garner the amount of laughs it ultimately draws from the audience. Alot of its success depends on its zeitgeist cult following (a following that Fox's "The Family Guy" is slowly eroding with much more tawdry humor). The amazing thing about "The Simpsons Movie" is that, after 17 years, it still packs a humorous wallop. Maybe even more so due to the fact that we've grown up with these characters. We feel for them in a way. And, like the best of the Simpsons episodes, it begins in one place and ends a world apart, defying our expectations in glorious ways. Like "Hot Rod", it relies on tangential laughs- Homer and a pig, Homer whipping a pack of dogs, even the cut to a picture inside Homer's head as a monkey plays while Marge talks. This is not far removed from the sense of humor that received a resounding "thud" in a similar scene in "Hot Rod". Does the animation, illicitly reminding us this not the 'real world', make excuses for laughs found in "The Simpsons Movie"? I'd wager that "Hot Rod" feels less 'real world' than The Simpsons. The humor there feels forced upon us while in "The Simpsons Movie", it settles into a routine that feels familiar. I'm not sure how much of a slam that is to "Hot Rod", but its never good when you take away more emotive connection from an animated film than with a flesh and bone acted movie. Both films intend to make us laugh, but only one really succeeds.


So what does this tell us about the comedy genre itself? Nothing. This is a genre that will always succeed and continually make money. I'm not sure if I care to see Adam Samberg in another comedy, but the next big breakthrough will be supported by Saturday Night Live and more comedy 'thuds' will be heard in theaters. As long as we have plenty of Judd Apatow films and "The Simpsons" to curb those moments, we'll probably be ok.

Welcome to the New Generation

So I went ahead and did it. I purchased the Toshiba HD DVD player today. It was a measured decision- I know HD and Blu ray are still fighting it out for format supremacy, but for $299, its an investment I decided to make. Pretty much everything I've read (and boy have I read alot over the past 6 months) seems to feel that no clear cut winner will emerge for the next year or two. If I can get the most out of this player for 2 years, then that'll suit me. This player makes standard DVD's look INCREDIBLE. I popped in Malick's "The New World" and Michael Mann's "Miami Vice". This is the way movies were intended to be watched. You can see when someone blushes or the color goes out of their face. You can pick up little signs on bus stops, read street signs and differentiate the color patterns in clothes. My eyes were continually darting around the edges of the screen trying to decipher images that I hadn't noticed before. Amazing. And like I said, that's just for standard DVD's. Upconvert is ok, but even if this format loses out, it still crispens my old DVDs like never before.

I did purchase 1 HD-DVD movie, "Goodfellas". My old copy is one of the first generation DVD's and it was time to upgrade. Holy shit.... this is a Scorsese film like you've never seen, full of deep blacks and shadows that cascade around the characters faces. Honestly, HD opens up the world beyond the characters on screen, fulfilling the setting around them with vivid clarity. I'm not trying to talk anyone into a rash decision (like I may have done), but HD quality is the way to go. Do the research for yourself and if $299 is affordable, then I recommend it.

Stay tuned for HD DVD reviews and thoughts.

Will the Real Nuke LaLoosh Please Stand Up?

This is an amazing story for the major leagues.

I doubt many will remember pitcher Rick Ankiel from the late 90's and early 00's. A pitching phenom in every sense of the word, Ankiel finally got his start in the bigs with the St. Louis Cardinals. After a great season of 11-7 and a strikeout percentage of almost 10 batters per 9 ininngs, he pitched the first game of the 2000 NLDS and the wheels came off. He threw numerous wild pitches and walked several batters. Even though they still won the game (thanks to a 6 run first couple of innings), Ankiel didn't look like a major league pitcher. In his second outing during the NLCS, he didn't make it out of the second inning, throwing 20 total pitches, walking two and throwing 2 wild pitches. The Cards lost that series to the Amazing Mets. After being sent down to the minors, his troubles continued. In one game he walked 24 batters in only 4 innings, settling with an ERA of over 20. Ankiel then had season ending Tommy Johns surgery in 2003. So, what does a down and out pitcher suffering from surgery do? He switches to the outfield, comes back to the majors 4 years later and smacks a 3 run homer in his first game with the Cardinals this week. The Cardinals have had a tremendously tough year and even though I'm not a Cards fan, it's stories like these that continue to fuel my enduring passion for our greatest sport.

UPDATE: Just watched Baseball Tonight and learned that Ankiel went 3-4 today with 2 more home runs. Plus, he made an incredible over the shoulder catch. They stated it best, saying, "This guy is the natural."

Posters I Love

Along with a new trailer, James Gray's fall release "We Own The Night" also gets a fresh poster. It's not the fairly average placement of Phoenix and Whalburg within the poster that creates its aura, but the black and white facade of the image. It fits Gray's sense of classicism perfectly. As pointed out in an earlier post, I'm a huge fan of Gray. He makes crime films that feel out of place in today's modern market. They're slower, more disciplined, and certainly more textured than other crime films. I'm hoping "We Own the Night" follows suit. Still, it's one helluva poster.

What's In the Netflix Queue #8

There actually is a trend in this queue. Not only am I going back and re-watching every film of the splendid Arthur Penn, but I'm digging into a certain type of cinema that often divides viewing audiences. I'm not quite sure how to define these films, but perhaps this review will give you some insight. Cult Japanese cinema, maybe? Anyway, read some of the synopsis of films within this queue selection and you'll get the idea. I'm either about to explore some intense examples of cult cinema or pure trash. Either way, half the fun is finding out. And, back to the esteemed Mr. Penn, I'm pissed off that the only film of his not available on DVD is "Mickey One" starring Warren Beatty. This movie played incessantly on Bravo back in the day, but I can't stand watching a movie edited for TV, so never gave it a shot.

1. Four Friends- One of Penn's later efforts, a shift in tone from his more intense films, this charts the relationship between 3 men and the woman they're all attracted to in the late 60's.
2. Organ- Taken directly from the synopsis: Tokyo cops investigate the black market in human organs, only to find themselves on the wrong end of the surgeon's knife! Director Kei Fujiwara's disturbing horror film ignited a wave of controversy in its native Japan. Organ -- which may feature the most graphic depictions of vivisection in cinematic history -- was subsequently censored, though the full version has been restored for release on DVD.
3. House On the Edge of the Park- Director Ruggero Deodoto (the "Cannibal Holocaust" films!) directs this early 80's splatterfest that has received some acclaim. "Sleazoid Express" writers highly enjoyed this one.
4. Dead of Winter- Mary Steenburgen and Roddy McDowall chew up the scenery in Arthur Penn's 1987 film. I remember seeing this one as a kid. It'll be interesting to see how it holds up with a more mature eye and by assessing it within the confines of Penn's ouevre.
5. Vibrator- Director Ryuichi Hiroki earned some critical favor with this 2003 road drama that moves at its own pace. Three other Hiroki films are on this list.
6. Alice's Restaurant- How can one not love the film that the TV show "Alice" was based on? Yes, Arthur Penn was there.
7. I Am An S&M Writer- More Hiroki.
8. Evil Dead Trap- In this Japanese cult horror film, talk show hostess Nami (Miyuki Ono) receives an anonymous videotape in the mail. When she plays it, she's shocked to view what looks like a murder -- that is, a snuff film. With the help of her faithful crew, she discovers that the tape originated in an abandoned ex-military base in the middle of nowhere. As the team splits up to investigate, they're drawn deeper into a deadly nightmare.
9. Bullet Ballet- Director Shinya Tsukamoto is largely responsible for this crop of Japanese cult films after he released the highly influential "Tetsuo" movies in the late 80's. "Bullet Ballet" is more of the same and I'm looking forward to stepping back into Tsukamoto's extremely fucked up vision of our world.
10. Mouchette- Wow. This one's outta left field after the above selections, huh? If nothing, you can't say I'm not eclectic.