New York Stories (PG)
"Big Apple Stories"
It's a movie about NY in 3 parts by 3 different directors, so deserve to be reviewed seperately:
Life Lessons - Martin Scorsese directs one of his finest films as Nick Nolte growls and roars as Lionel Dolbey, a larger than life modern artist driving himself and his assistant crazy with his desires and need to express himself on large canvases and piles of oil paint. Look for early cameo work by Buscemi, but the camera is the real star here, zooming, irising, slowing down and isolating to the LOUD rock and roll soundtrack, its the best photography in any of Scorsese's work, and that's saying something. 5/5.
Life with Zoe - Get the fast forward button ready... Francis Coppola's piece is an indulgent look into a spoiled lifestyle seen through the eyes of an upperclass childhood (written unsurprisingly enough by his daughter, Sofia). Tries to be dream/fairytale like, instead comes across as bratty and privileged. Probably didn't mean to come across as snotty as it does, but its an unfortunate sour note and the main reason the film as a whole isn't as acclaimed as it could have been. 0/5
Oedipus Wrecks - Woody Allen at his best is a comedy scriptwriter, and the ideas here are very funny. He plays himself, a man under the constant scrutiny and humiliation of his overbearing Jewish mother who disapproves of his every decision. There are several humorous to laugh out loud moments, culminating in a great visual gag that is so absurd that it works, Woody was always a big idea man, and the paranoid fantasy of how far this mother will go to maternally bend him to her intended lifestyle really has a delightful Kafka-esque torture to it, cartoony as it is. 4/5
As a whole film? 7 Leave Zoe at home Francis' out of 10 (GOOD)
Showing posts with label 1989. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1989. Show all posts
The Blood of Heroes (1989)
The Blood of Heroes (R) - Review
"Win one for the Rutger!"
Football has long been analogized with war. What then when the world is Post-Apocalyptic, Post-The Final War? Then you have The Blood of Heroes, written directed by David Peoples.
One game still dominates the American landscape, the Game, be it crude shanty town or bombshelter metropolises. All commerce and entertainment come from it, heroes and stars are idolized, the losers are swept off to obscurity and disfigurement, the winner to fame and their next meal while their owners reap the profits. In the dusty outskirts of civilizations teams of Juggers rove from dogtown to dogtown, looking for home teams to play, to win their next meal or piece of ass. Once enough victories are attained, once enough buzz is generated, they are allowed to compete in the League in one of the submerged cities for higher prizes and fame, and more pain.
The movie follows one such team, lead by the immeasurable Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) as Sallow, a disgraced ex-Leaguer now slumming it with a hopeful band of young players (one being a young Vincent D'Onofrio) who can't wait to make it to the show. The game itself is imagined as a distorted version of football, with five players on each team with varying types of weapons, and one "quick," and swift and unarmed player whose job it is to move through enemy lines and stick a dogs skull onto a spike to signify victory while their opponents try to do the same. It is violent, aggressive, and makes complete sense in this wasteland of humanity. From the dogtown an ambitious new Quick joins the team and Sallow sees a chance to return to the League and exact revenge on those who have wronged him.
A great little flick, with solid acting and well thought out mechanics, The Blood of Heroes may owe a lot to Rollerball, but also might be more true in its aim and better understated as it goes for societies jugular.
7.5 Jock Straps out of 10 (GOOD)
"Win one for the Rutger!"
Football has long been analogized with war. What then when the world is Post-Apocalyptic, Post-The Final War? Then you have The Blood of Heroes, written directed by David Peoples.
One game still dominates the American landscape, the Game, be it crude shanty town or bombshelter metropolises. All commerce and entertainment come from it, heroes and stars are idolized, the losers are swept off to obscurity and disfigurement, the winner to fame and their next meal while their owners reap the profits. In the dusty outskirts of civilizations teams of Juggers rove from dogtown to dogtown, looking for home teams to play, to win their next meal or piece of ass. Once enough victories are attained, once enough buzz is generated, they are allowed to compete in the League in one of the submerged cities for higher prizes and fame, and more pain.
The movie follows one such team, lead by the immeasurable Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) as Sallow, a disgraced ex-Leaguer now slumming it with a hopeful band of young players (one being a young Vincent D'Onofrio) who can't wait to make it to the show. The game itself is imagined as a distorted version of football, with five players on each team with varying types of weapons, and one "quick," and swift and unarmed player whose job it is to move through enemy lines and stick a dogs skull onto a spike to signify victory while their opponents try to do the same. It is violent, aggressive, and makes complete sense in this wasteland of humanity. From the dogtown an ambitious new Quick joins the team and Sallow sees a chance to return to the League and exact revenge on those who have wronged him.
A great little flick, with solid acting and well thought out mechanics, The Blood of Heroes may owe a lot to Rollerball, but also might be more true in its aim and better understated as it goes for societies jugular.
7.5 Jock Straps out of 10 (GOOD)
Eric The Viking (1989)
Eric The Viking (PG-13) - Review
"First we're flying - now we're sinking!"
Terry Jones, member of Monty Python (and primary director of it's films) wrote and directed this slight farce about Vikings going on a quest to blow a horn and save the middle ages from Ragnarok (written for his young son and based on Norse mythology). A young Tim Robbins stars as Eric, a conflicted young man who feels uncomfortable with rape and pillage that his peers adore. After the accidental slaying of a victim, his guilt sets he and a band of jolly vikings on a quest to reawaken the gods and set the world aright (and bring her back to life). Along the way he must battle greed and capitalism (personified by the sublime deadpan of John Cleese), giant hokey plastic monsters and contend with the travails of love on an island of perfection.
Robbins is great, his men are varied and entertaining, the villains are bureaucratically brutal, the visuals of Norway and the city of Hi-Brasil well done and immersive. So why doesn't the film wholly work? Eric the Viking takes itself quite seriously for being an almost Python Film, the moments of British humor are great but either too few or too many (depending on your taste). Not a parody of the standard quest film (a fullon Python focus would have stood that convention on its head), it tries to be a magical fantasy quest with a few moments of zaniness and the mix just doesn't work. The excellent performances and comedic value of the entire cast offset the threadbare premise and some well intended missteps. Starts strong but fades quickly, Eric narrowly avoids falling on his own sword.
5 Bezerks out of 10 (MEDIOCRE)
"First we're flying - now we're sinking!"
Terry Jones, member of Monty Python (and primary director of it's films) wrote and directed this slight farce about Vikings going on a quest to blow a horn and save the middle ages from Ragnarok (written for his young son and based on Norse mythology). A young Tim Robbins stars as Eric, a conflicted young man who feels uncomfortable with rape and pillage that his peers adore. After the accidental slaying of a victim, his guilt sets he and a band of jolly vikings on a quest to reawaken the gods and set the world aright (and bring her back to life). Along the way he must battle greed and capitalism (personified by the sublime deadpan of John Cleese), giant hokey plastic monsters and contend with the travails of love on an island of perfection.
Robbins is great, his men are varied and entertaining, the villains are bureaucratically brutal, the visuals of Norway and the city of Hi-Brasil well done and immersive. So why doesn't the film wholly work? Eric the Viking takes itself quite seriously for being an almost Python Film, the moments of British humor are great but either too few or too many (depending on your taste). Not a parody of the standard quest film (a fullon Python focus would have stood that convention on its head), it tries to be a magical fantasy quest with a few moments of zaniness and the mix just doesn't work. The excellent performances and comedic value of the entire cast offset the threadbare premise and some well intended missteps. Starts strong but fades quickly, Eric narrowly avoids falling on his own sword.
5 Bezerks out of 10 (MEDIOCRE)
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About Me
- Kevin Gasaway via HardDrawn
- Turlock, California, United States
- Media and Reviews by Kevin Gasaway