Mamma Roma (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1962)

Woman enters a life of ill repute. She gives up her son and promises to resume here life with him and give up her past indiscretions when he is 16. She picks up her boy and takes him off to Rome to start their new life. He is a symbol of her salvation – but she is already tarnished and cannot escape. She cannot escape her pimp--who refuses his own escape into a life of marriage and work in the sticks. She also cannot give up her "friends" from the street. This is who she turns to for aid. As for her son, he c cannot assimilate. He is not the bright, neer-de-well child she had hoped he might be. In the end he bares her cross; but she is not saved through his death. The closing shot: Mamma Roma stairing out her window at the Vatican and the only true source of salvation? Pasolini again weaves an undercurrent of religion, politics and philosophy under the surface of his filmic parable. Beautifully scripted and shot.

Kingdom of Heaven (Ridley Scott, 2005)

I know I have reviewed this before, but had picked it up the other night to watch once again. There is a bitter irony to the title of this film, as the Crusades did anything but bring about the Kingdom of Heaven. In a pluralistic sense, something this film pushes towards, that is the beauty of Jerusalem. There's an Alpha Blondy song where he sings, "Christians, Jews, Muslims we can all be free. To live together and pray. Amen. Let’s give thanks and praises.” That is what this film is about in many ways. Praying together--and fighting together for a mutual cause. The cause of a pluralistic Jerusalem, shared by the people of the book. As-Salaam-Alaikum. A greeting which itself feels the bitter sting of irony as we witness the next round of Crusaders from France heading toward Jerusalem at the end of the film. Off to disrupt any semblance of peace. I'll get off my horse for now.

Caracas: Love Unto Death (Gustavo Balza, 2000)

There are lots of subtleties in this Venezuelan film and first effort from Gustavo Balza. We get a sense of the terrain: street violence, Catholicism, corrupt police, music, large apartment complexes, family dynamics, absent fathers and very present priests. We enter a family where unplanned pregnancies are a pattern and now a new generation of unplanned children is about to begin through the pregnancy of Aixa. Her grandmother, who has raised her, is encouraging abortion and confers with her doctor who is contemplating whether he will do this. Her priest fights against it. The father of the child is a street thug and murderer. He and his partner are always at the outskirts of this film, and yet it is their actions that have brought the family, the doctor, and the priest to deal with much deeper issues. The film gives us clues relating to the past lives of central characters, but does not fully flesh those out, and that is fine. There is no time to fully dwell on the past in this world where the present is demanding the attention of all. Balza presents a rich tapestry of interwoven story lines all building to an unexpected end.

Anthem (Bill Viola, 1983)

A US Flag. A low hum. Woods. Lamp in a dark room. Factory. Man in white shirt. Eyeball. Girl in train station. Woods. Sap on tree. Several Shots. Snake crawling up tree. Girl in train station. Hum. Microscope shot. Cityscapes. Girl in train station. Smoke stacks. Bridges. Veins in arm. Rifinery. Flame. Howl in slow mo. Girl in train station. Steam. Fog. Lights in fog. Flashing lights on vehicles. Night light. Light on stove. Soft lit living room. Pillow. Woman’s eye. Lamp. Bread. Girl in train station. Cantaloupe and knife. Girl in train station. Melon seeds. Hand by leg. Cat scan. Oil rig by bridge. Different tones of slow screen. Semi. Workers. Rig. Machine. Fire. X-Ray. Vent. Surgery. Bird. Hall. Girl stoops over and picks up glass of water and drinks. Blade. Man working with machines. More intense scream. Surgery. Heart beating. Dialysis machines. Eyeball propped open. Body part. Chest sewed together. Eye surgery shots. Medical shots. Skull. Black. Girl in train station. Screaming. Howl in slow mo. Stays on girl in train station for extended period of time. Abandoned spaces. Oil rig. Girl in train station. Safeway. Phone booths. People on the street. Beach shots. Necklace. Girl in train station. Black. [Anthem=chorus sung repetitively between each verse of a psalm]

Die Fälscher/The Counterfeiters (Stefan Ruzowitzky, 2007)

Still digesting this movie after a viewing last night. It is a different kind of war film. At times "Hogan's Heroes" came to mind--in terms of the relationship between "Sally" and Herzog being akin to that of Klink and Hogan. At other times Renoir's "Grand Illusion" came to mind. Especially the scene where they have a festival celebration with several of the inmates dancing in drag. Sally is our tragic figure and our hero. He is a Russian Jew living a counterfit life. In other words it is not the life he intended. But that life was robbed of him long ago. And then again his life as a counterfitter in Germany was robbed of him. And in a way his life as a counterfitter for the Third Reich was also robbed of him through the allied victory. Many ways to play on the title. It is a World War II film; it is a concentration camp film; it is a film about the treatment of Jews and yet it is different. As a viewer of this film one brings their own cinematic experience of the war and the holocaust with them into the viewing of this film. This Academy Award winner--Best Foreign Language Film--is worth a gander and will likely stir up some interesting conversation.

The Goebbels Experiment (Lutz Hachmeister/Michael Kloft, 2004)

This is an amazing documentary with narration consisting of excerpts from Goebbels diaries, read by Kenneth Branagh, and meticulously integrated with archival footage. This is a film about a man's serious undertaking to achieve the utmost for his highest (Hitler). Goebbels takes the art of propaganda very seriously--both how their efforts are received amongst their own people; and how the rest of the world is reacting to their propagandistic efforts. We get into the war within Goebbel's head, which wavers and meandors, never quite knowing who is friend or foe. And we get some insights into Goebbel's the film critic as he pans and scans theatrical releases from within the walls of the Third Reich.

40 films | 40 years

Having just turned 40 I thought I'd look back at the last 40 years and some key films released each of those 40 years that have shaped my appreciation for cinema in some way, shape or form. And so...here you have it..."40 films 40 years."

1968: George Dunning, Yellow Submarine

1969: Jean-Pierre Melville, L’ Armée des ombres/Army of Shadows

1970: Robert Altman, M*A*S*H

1971: Sam Peckinpah, Straw Dogs

1972: Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather

1973: William Friedkin, The Exorcist

1974: Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Ali: Fear Eats The Soul

1975: Milos Forman, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

1976: Sidney Lumet, Network

1977: George Lucas, Star Wars

1978: Alan Parker, Midnight Express

1979: Francis Ford Coppola: Apocalypse Now

1980: Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull

1981: Stephen Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark

1982: Richard Attenborough, Ghandi

1983: David Cronenberg, Videodrome

1984: Jim Jarmusch, Stranger Than Paradise

1985: Terry Gilliam, Brazil

1986: Brothers Quay, Street of Crocodiles

1987: Barbet Schroeder, Barfly

1988: Mira Nair, Salaam Bombay!

1989: Denys Arcand, Jesus of Montreal

1990: Luc Besson, La Femme Nikita

1991: Jonathan Demme, Silence of the Lambs

1992: Neil Jordan, The Crying Game

1993: Jim Sheridan, In The Name of the Father

1994: Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction

1995: Michael Radford, Il Postino (The Postman)

1996: Joel Coen, Fargo

1997: Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful

1998: Wes Anderson, Rushmore

1999: Andy & Larry Wachowski, The Matrix

2000: Steven Soderbergh, Traffic

2001: Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind

2002: Fernando Meirelles, Cidade de Deus/City of God

2003: Mikael Håfström, Ondscan/Evil

2004: Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2005: Fernando Meirelles, The Constant Gardener

2006: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel

2007: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

2008: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

Heaven (Tom Tykwer, 2002)

I don't know why The Pixies rendition of "Heaven" comes into my head when I think of this movie. That song, of course, extracted from David Lynch's "Eraserhead" in which the lady in the radiator sings, "In Heaven everything is fine. You've got your good things and I've got mine." The song does work in light of the Tykwer/Kieslowski collaborative film. Phillipa (Cate Blanchett), ultimately hopes to achieve some good when she sets out to blow up the office of a drug dealer who has been targeting the children she teaches. Filippo (Giovanni Ribisi) also seeks to do a good thing in releasing Phillipa from her situation of incarceration. There is a moment of bliss, of Heaven in their flight. And there is ultimate release as they zoom up to Heaven. But is that all that Heaven is? A moment of escape. A place in the sky. There are certainly plenty of thought provoking questions (philosophical and religious) boiling under the surface of this film; questions which Tykwer and Kieslowski are known for bringing up in their films. They both like to paint moral, ethical dilemmas that force characters (and the audience) to choose between God and man, between good and evil, and they often blur of lines between sacred and secular worldviews. A simple film on the surface that will shake up deeper thoughts in your head for days that follow.

Leon:The Professional (Luc Besson, 1994)

Interesting film. In many ways made me think of Scoresese's "Taxi Driver," especially the relationship between Travis (Robert DeNiro) and Iris (Jodi Foster)--in which you have an older, introverted man playing savior to younger (want to be a woman) girl. In both there is a certain sexual tension played out by circumstance. In "Leon" it is between Leon (Jean Reno) and Mathilda (Natalie Portman)--characters thrust together after unfortunate circumstance. In both films sexual release is ultimately gained through violence. And in both films violence is justified in the minds of the violator--for Travis Bickle he is on a mission to cleanse the city; for Leon, he is a "cleaner" as well, it is his job, his profession; and as a killer he is the consumate "professional." In "Leon" it is ultimately Mathilda who plays savior to Leon, releasing him from his robotic existence and helping him to regain humanness. Gary Oldman and Danny Aiello do well in support roles in this film which has it's share of unexpected twists and foils.

Ondskan ["Evil"] (Mikael Håfström, 2003)

A coming of age film with a twist Ondskan (Evil) is not scary monster dark; it's scary people dark. The story of Erik, a teenage boy whose home life is a wreck--his mother despondent, his stepfather physically abusive. Erik internalizes at home, but takes out his aggression out on his schoolmates. He is expelled. His mother sends him to a high-priced boarding school where he hopes to kick his violent habits. However, the upper class men of the school will make this difficult. In Erik one finds hope for redemption and recovery despite all the goes on to thwart his efforts. The evil of the school boys in this film is vicious. The abuses on campuses are believable and easy to relate to; though certainly most only have experienced lighter shades of the abuses portrayed in this film. Acted well. Shot well. An engrossing film worthy of viewing.

We Jam Econo (Tim Irwin, 2005)

I needed to watch this film.  It opens up with these three guys sitting in a non-descript front lawn in Pedro telling the story of how it all began with the Minutemen: D. Boon, Mike Watt, George Hurley.  So Boon's mom, wanting to keep the boys out of trouble, picks up some instruments and tells them they've got to learn to play.  At some point they move from Deep Purple and Creedence covers to something unique with funk, punk, rock and country elements all jammed together.  These were real guys.  Best friends...and at times worst enemies....who just wanted to make music.  And the scene that embraced them (and scoffed and spit at them as well) was the California punk scene.  So littered throughout this film are interviews by those who they encountered and influenced along the way from Black Flag and The Descendents to Sonic Youth and Slovenly to R.E.M. and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  The Minutement were the real deal.  Real guys who didn't really want to be rock stars.  Guys who did not abide by standard record making procedures.  This is a nice after school special kind of story about boys who met when the big kid fell out of the tree on the other kid.  It's also a story about the punk scene that emerged in the late 70's and early 80's.  It's also a tragedy, about a band that loses it's voice tragically just as they reach the pinnacle of any mainstream success.  It's about guys who stuck to their guns and stayed real.

Adaptation (Spike Jonze, 2002)

Charlie Kaufman has written some fascinating screenplays including "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Being John Malkovich."  Now we get "Adaptation" which is like Pirandellos "Six Characters..." in reverse.  Rather than characters being abandoned by there author; we have an author who decides to join his characters.  Nick Cage is brought on to play Kaufman and his slightly askew twin.  Tilda Swinton and Meryl Streep are our other A listers who are on board for this otherwise "B" feeling movie.  Never a dull moment though with Jonze visually delivering the goods on Kaufman's script; and Cage playing two variations of Kaufman's written character.  The story moves from the world of the frustrated writer to the world of his dull subject matter, which turns out to be not so dull at all; but rather filled with murder, intrigue, mystery and spy-thriller style action as the nosy writer uncovers the secrets of his subject.  I had seen this film when it was initially released, and it was nice to see it again.

Thunderball (Terence Young, 1965)

What is it about Bond and boyhood?  I think I was probably 10 or 11 when I was first introduced to Bond via "Goldfinger" and "Dr. No" as weekend matinees at the local movie house or on television.  Now my son is at that age where Bond is a big deal.  Probably something to do with girls and guns.  We just watched "Thunderball," which won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1966.  Couple interesting twists to this Bond flick of the Sean Connery variety.  First, if you scan the cast it was quite ethnically diverse pulling actors from a number of different countries.  Second, there were lots of interesting special effects between 007's gadgetry (including a rocket pack) and quite a few underwater scenes--the biggest being this massive underwater fight sequence towards the end of the film.  I admit I am still a sucker for a good Bond film, and we have worked through many of them in the past months.  So what is it about Bond?  It's definitely not the sappy love scenes that are gratuitously thrown in every 15-20 minutes. Probably more the elements of intrigue and suspense as we try to navigate which of the women he's sleeping with are pawns and which are his enemies.  And you always expect someone to be lurking in the corners of any room 007 enters.  It's about excitement that we would normally never encounter in real life.  It is then an escape.  A fantasy.  A moment of movie magic.  And we finish the film happy to know that Bond worked everything out in the nick of time (did we ever doubt him). 

Smart People (Noam Murro, 2008)

I wanted to like this film, but that was really hard to do. First off, very hard to relate to anyone in the film: Denis Quaid as the washed out widower professor. It's like you want to tell his character to "get over it all ready." He's grumpy and does not undergo any transformation. Next, Sarah Jessica Parker, feeling like she just stepped out of "Sex and the City" and donned a Doctors robe. Not feeling it. Ellen Page carries over her "Juno" style acting as the doted on daughter. And Thomas Haden Church is the loser brother. Not a lot of chemistry. Quite depressing really. Poorly acted. Not much joy in any of these lives.

The Assassination of Richard Nixon (Niels Mueller, 2004)

Don Cheadle and Naomi Watts, set up a solid foundation for Sean Penn’s character study of Samuel J. Bicke—a classic “loser” whose marriage is floundering and who just can’t quite connect with the expectations of the culture surrounding him. We step into Bicke’s life just as it’s looking like he might buck the trend of screw ups. He’s working as a salesman and doing well; the this false security net soon is pulled out from under him and we watch as his job, his marriage, his dreams are eaten up until there’s no one left to blame but Richard Nixon. There’s no doubt of Penn’s abilities to conjure up complex characters like Bicke. The film is cleverly written, well crafted cinematically, but the subject matter is rather dour and there’s not much hope at all for the characters you meet in this film. While this is a technically excellent film, there is not much in the line of its characters with which we connect with. It’s hard to have sympathy for anyone in this film other than the ill-fated passengers on the plane that Bicke boards at the close of the film. Bottom line, worth seeing for Penn’s portrayal, clever writing, interesting cinematography; an uplifting or inspiring film, however, this is not.

Celebrating Bird (Gary Giddens, 1987)

Great insight into the life of the legendary sax man from Kansas City. This documentary features a lot of archival footage along with rate interviews w/Parker's first wife, Rebecca Davis Parker, along with bandleader Jay McShann, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Hanes, Leonard Feather, Roy Porter, Frank Morgan and Bird's New York companion, Chan Parker. Understanding the life lends much to understanding the emotion behind the music. If your a jazz fan, this is a documentary you will want to see.

Brute Force (Jules Dassin, 1947)

Sometimes you stumble upon a great film just spinning through the dial at 10 PM on a Saturday night. Such was the case when I stumbled upon Jules Dassin's prison breakout flick "Brute Force." The ensemble in cell R117 were pretty amazing. While Burt Lancaster was a key player, there was plenty of room to breathed for the rest of the cast. Hume Cronyn plays the sadistic, if not Hitler-esque, jailer who runs the place more like a Nazi prisoner of war camp than U.S. prison. The men in cell R117 are in lock-up for...robberies and gambling. But on the inside murder is not our of the question as a means of revenge. The payback scene in this film is particularly dark and grusome (a man attacked by acetylene torches and then smashed by heavy machinery). It is also interesting how the pin-up girl (acctually just this very hauntingly beautiful face) spawns the fantasies of these men which we see as visual side-bars giving us insights into their past situations, their crimes and the true nature of their hearts. The final scene revolves around an escape plan that is bound to fail...and yet the prisoners ultimately succeed in achieving what was necessary. Certainly for some escape from this hell on earth IS
finally achieved through death. If you should watch this film, I'd recommend that you not approach this as a jail-break film. I think it is a film that reflects back on the horrors of war, of "brute force," and it's impact on the psyche of men.

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Andrew Adamson, 2008)

I was pleasantly surprised by this latest installment of the Narnia series. I definitely helped having see the first (or having read the book) as you pretty much dive right into the action in this serial edition. Definitely more action and adventure to be found here. The four children seem rightly out of place in Narnia several hundreds of years later. The Gospel message is once again very clear in this movie. I think the premise of this film rides well with 2 Peter 3 which says: "remember the words spoken of old...that in these final days mockers will come with their mockery, people who go the way of their own desires, who will say: Where is the promise of his coming?" Just as King Miraz and his followers have forgotten the Narnians and even the Narnians have given up on the promise that the kings and queens of old would return. The 2 Peter passage continues: "For since our fathers were laid to rest, all things remain as they have been since the original creation. But they are unaware, as they wish to be, that the skies existed from of old, and the earth formed from water and standing in the water, but the word of God." Likewise at Cair Paravel they have forgotten the orginal creatures of Narnia and life as it used to be. Furthermore if we follow this passage we read: "Do no forget this one thing, dear friends, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day." So it was with the Pevensie children and with Aslan. And as it is with God so is it with Aslan for "he is patient with you, because he does no want any to be destroyed, but all to come to repentence."
C.S. Lewis' nicely painted allegory translates well to the screen for this adventurous romp that is friendly for the eyes of children of all ages.

X: The Unheard Music (WT Morgan, 1986)

I first saw this film at the Majestic Theatre in Madison in 1986. It is a great film that gives insight into this seminal punkabilly band who ended up in the hands of former Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek. X is one of those bands that was cool to be into in part because they were "X." So many of their lyrics still echo in my head. Songs with interesting titles, "Your phones off the hook but you're not," "Johnny hit and run Paulene," "White Girl" are all cleverly crafted rock classics. Think Johnny Cash/June Carter gone punkabilly and you've got X. Today the band tours as The Knitters doing, ironically, music that is very much in the Johnny/June vein. This film captures a classic band in their heyday leaving no doubt as to their place in punk and rock history.

Rope (Alfred Hitchcock, 1948)

It has been probably ten years since I last sat down and watched Hitchcock's "Rope" starring Jimmy Steward, Farley Granger and John Dall. This film is an interesting experiment. Other than the establishing shot for the opening titles, the entire film takes place inside of one apartment in what seems to be one continuous shot. The film occurs in near real time--the film characters live out just over 2 hours in this 80 minute film. The film begs numerous questions about human superiority, and the rights of those who own intelligence over those who may not be so inclined. Who decides who is intelligent and who is not; who is superior or inferior; who should live and who should die? Is this a realm for man to even step into? What happens when man decides to play with natural order? Brandon (John Dall) "The good Americans usually die young on the battlefield, don't they? Well, the Davids of this world merely occupy space, which is why he was the perfect victim for the perfect murder. Course he, uh, he was a Harvard undergraduate. That might make it justifiable homicide." Brandon see murder as an art: "I've always wished for more artistic talent. Well, murder can be an art, too. The power to kill can be just as satisfying as the power to create. " The dialogue in this film is sharp. Keep your ears peeled because so many one liners worthy of discussion fly past. This short film about an upper crust dinner party has plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting in a way only Hitch could do.

X-Men: The Last Stand (Brett Ratner, 2006)

I was a huge X-Men comic book fan back in the day when Wolverine and Kitty Pride first came on the scene. It is interesting to see how Dr. Xavier's band of mutant heroes translates to the world of film. Patrick Stewart actually makes a good Xavier. In this installment the Kelsey Grammer appearance was a bit odd. On the other had with Famke Janssen as Jean Grey/Phoenix it is as if she leapt out of the comic book. There's a lot of drama in this episode with limited spurts of "adrenaline-fueled fun" (as the New York Daily News quote appears on the box). I was actually surprised at how much having read the comics, albeit 20 years ago, came in handy. I wonder if the average movie viewer would have enough of the back story to know about Rogue, Kitty Pride and others who make more brief appearances in the hallways of Xaviers school. I think it's time now to introduce The New Mutants.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Tim Story, 2007)

This one was fair. It's rated PG for some of the violence evoked from superheroes fighting their arch nemesis. Other than that it is fairly tame and probably fine for older kids. The movie brings back the fantastic foursome who have become paparazzi-chased stars as well as world-saving heroes. This time the threat to the world comes from a force out there in the universe that could readily devour planet earth. Not only do you get the Fantastic Four but you get the Silver Surfer and Doom as well. There's this whole wedding drama that weaves in and out of the movie that gets a bit sappy at times. Not as good as the first, but did feature some good action sequences; and some interesting effects with the Silver Surfer.

Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)

"In space no one can hear you scream." Ridley Scott's original Alien film was not the balls to the wall horror thriller that later films in this series came to be. I'd actually place this film more in the category of 2001: A Space Odyssey or Solaris (take your pick of the 1972 Tarkovsky version--which is excellent--or the 2002 Steven Soderbergh version--which was good). The cinematrography of Alien is tremendous. The architecture of the ship is amazing. H.R. Giger's design of the alien is really incredible and the ability to transfer that to the screen. Such very powerful patterning and us of textures. Such a melding of metallic with organic features. The cast is great: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerrit, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt. One worth revisiting nearly 30 years later.

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour 3D (Bruce Hendricks, 2008)

This one is for those of you who might read this blog and have daughters who are fans of the illustrious Hannah. I got up early this morning and reserved tickets through "Fandango" for a morning showing of this highly-hyped Disney concert movie event. The tickets for the movie, while a fraction of actual concert ticket/parking/t-shirts/snacks cost, were still nearly that of what I paid to see the Police in 1985--of course the police today are about 10-20x what I paid back then so I'm not sure where I'm going with that remark. Anyhow, a few notes... First on the 3-D. Wow! 3-D is not the 3-D of the days when you had one red lens and one blue. The glasses actually look more like Jake and Elwood Blues sunglasses. And the process is pretty amazing. The 3-D did work for the concert video and there were several previews for other movies coming out using the same technology. As far as concert moves go. My favorite is still the Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense" which I remember going to and having everyone on their fee dancing. This was not the case with little girls and their dad's at 10:50 in the morning. It reminded me a bit of Madonna's "Truth or Dare" (1991) concert film except Madonna is a better singer, dancer, actress whose entourage and band were much better as well. But, to make a daughter happy, I can recommend this one and let you know it's mildly entertaining and the band is pretty rockin'

The Bridge (Joris Ivens , 1927-28, 11 Min, Silent)

Ivens presents every facet of one bridge in Rotterdam.Bridge ultra wide. Bridge wide. Bridge medium. Camera man (various angles). Tracks on bridge. Front view from train entering and traveling through bridge. Side view from train. Looking down from train onto water. Looking down at pilings. View of train from tracks. View of bolts on top of bridge and the steam that emits from the train and floats up. Looking up while riding on train.. View of steel beams coming together. Another view moving through bridge looking up through the “X” beams. Med wide shot, side view from a distance train crossing bridge moving left to right. Wide shot looking through steam stacks on boar towards bridge. Cable car passing. Top of bridge peeking out behind. Pilings from below. Bottom beams from below to pilings to water. Shots of beams to support brackets. Train passing tilt up to towler. Guide wides. Bolts. Man ascending ladders and walkways. Shot looking down from up in tower.

Castro Street (Bruce Baillie, 1966)

Blue swirling and industrial noise. Lamplights. Smoke from a refinery or factory. Sound of industrial machinery. Passing wires. Piping from a commerce city. Train moving. Chicks. Train sounds. “Rail Road” crossing sign. Train. Person walking. “3463” Steam release. Movement right to left. Smokestack in red while something is passing. Sound is such a major component of this film. Certainly not a film that is easy to. Southern Pacific 3463 out in a field. Negative image of the conductor. An orchestral loop. Yard. Riveting (literally). Swirls of smoke. Pipes. And constant movement. Layers of textures. Words from the sides of trains. Most movement is side to side. One shot about 2/3 way through is long tracking shot moving up. Followed by distorted blue and then cemebt. Man with hat. Rig. Flute sounds. Blue sky and workers, distorted as if through a spoon. Bell ringing. More layers of trains. What stands out is not the subject. “Good loving” Shapes. (Did Quay Brothers borrow from this look?) Man walking in inverse. Sign for “Castro Street.”

Ringu (Hideo Nakata, 1998) & Jisatsu saakuru/Suicide Club (Sion Sono, 2002)

I recently watched a pair of Japanese horror/suspense films (Suicide Club, Ringu) and found it interesting at how many characteristics in common. For example, the VICTIMS in both movies were school aged girls and boys. In both films there was a CURSE (though not necessarily labeled as such) which is channeled through electronic media: in Suicide Club a pop band sends messages subliminally through the TV, PCs, and CDs - the mysterious originator of the curse communicates through cell phones; in Ringu the curse is transmitted through TV via VHS – the mysterious originator of the curse also communicates through a phone. There is an originator of the CURSE in both films who is/was a child or children. Adults are ultimately drawn into the curse because their own children or relatives are victims. In both films there is an apparent resolution which turns out to be false. A solution is found in the real world that is false; why - because the issue is truly a spiritual one. SPIRITUALITY does come into play in both films but is not played up. There is a sense that there is a dark or otherly realm where these curses, if you will, stem from. EVIL is not the term that is used in either film. Actually there seems to be some sympathy for whatever deity might be causing the curse - definitely this is so in Ringu. SUPERSTITION does come into play. Each film opens with children telling superstitious tales which turn out to be true. Curses, boogie men and secret societies seem to exist because the children first, and later the adults, start to believe. What I am left wondering is... What is the deeper spiritual fuel (in Japanese culture) for these superstitious tales? How do Japanese look at technology in spiritual terms? Both of these films portray the channeling of spirits through technology. While no direct references to Buddhism are made in either film there is certainly and underpinning of spiritual unrest which leads to a break in the peace. Any insights you have are welcome. What is also interesting with Ringu is that it was later adapted by Hollywood and has enjoyed an immense cult following. I have not seen this version. I assume it has all the accutraments of recent American horror films. Ironically, the Japanese film Ringu has no blood and gore to speak of; in fact most of the suspense scenes are reliant on music and lighting.

Mitt liv som hund (My Life As A Dog)(Lasse Hallström,1985)

This is a films about the need for nurturing and comfort in our lives. It is a film which revolves around the life of a boy; but the focus comes back to the women in his lives. The common symbol that ties all women together is breasts. Breasts represent womanhood with the young tom girl; sexuality with the woman at the glass blowing plant; nurture with the mom; comfort from the aunt and the old woman. The boys mother hides her breasts under layers of clothing and blankets as she gets sicker and removes herself more and more from her boys’ lives and thus no longer offering food (the boys in fact prepare her meals); companionship (she only reads to herself); comfort (she cannot take the time to listen without going into a coughing fit). Breasts come up in odd places: a milk pitcher made at the plant has two breasts on it; a local artists fashions a sculpture that is supposed to represent motherhood but is ultimately banned from the town square because it shows the woman’s…breasts; the old man is titillated (no pun intended) when the boy reads ads for brassieres from a department store catalog. The other symbol that is subtler in this film is that of the dog. The boy is actually forced to part with his dog when he goes to live with his uncle and aunt. He then takes on some qualities of the dog he has lost: loyalty, love, companionship. There are two realms in the movie. The realm of “death” represented by the dying mother; the social workers; the older brother with his toy gun; the boy’s girlfriend who seeks connection in all the wrong ways. This realm represents a dysfunctional approach to living. It is a realm where dogs offer comfort – not breasts. The other realm is that of “life” in the village with the uncle and aunt where work stops in the town to watch a man ride a unicycle on a tight rope; it’s a realm where people get caught up in soccer games and where imaginations of children and adults are allowed to soar. It is also a land of breasts – but no dogs.

GNN Battle Ground: 21 Days On Empires Edge (Stephen Marshall, 2004)

This documentary produced by the Guerilla News Network proved to be very insightful and well balanced. I really expected something heavy with violence and language and leaning heavily to the left. Instead I found a documentary which wove together several compelling stories out of Iraq in such a way that both my 12-year-old and I could find several points of discussion. I think it’s important that we discuss this war with our children and this movie offers a great place to start.

Forbidden Planet (Fred M. Wilcox, 1956)

Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Prospero’s Books (Peter Greenaway, 1988) Walter Pidgeon as Dr. Edward Morbeus (aka Prospero). Leslie Nielsen as Commander John J. Adams.