Upstream Color (NR) - Review
"Each drink is better than the last"
A woman forced to take a parasitic worm finds herself under the physical and mental control of a robber who takes her for all she is worth. Years later, after surviving the ordeal she still finds her life in pieces, but upon meeting a mutual survivor a relationship is created with him that both contributes to and solves the mystery of what they have lived through in this year's most devestatingly enrapting yet intellectually difficult film.
Written, Directed and Starring Shane Carruth, the creator of the even more challenging and diamond in the rough film "Primer (2004), Upstream Color is engrossing in its sounds, visuals and philosophies. It does not shy from human compassion, human violence, Earthly beauty and natural savageness. There are flavors of Terrance Mallick here, of Croenenberg or Lynch, yet with a scientifically analytical mind so present in his films and yet with a clarity of structure that was lacking in Primer which made that film both more mysterious and harder to follow for lay people.
But make no mistake, Color is also mind dredging, with its musical and sonic landscapes milking your psyche for moods and superbly lowbudget use of a short field of focus cinematography creating a dreamscape and juxtoposition of both our natural lives and proclivities and the ones that society has yoked us with. Luckily the film is highly subjective, and an enriching experience can be had by all viewers. Perhaps the more you think about UC the more you get out of it, much like Primer before it; except without the dry science fiction, but real human (and inter species) relationships.
8.5 Huggable Pigs out of 10 (GREAT)
Showing posts with label NR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NR. Show all posts
The Act of Killing (2012)
The Act of Killing (NR)
"When In Jakarta"
Chilling documentary that doubles as surreal window into the cold blooded heart of humanity. Peeking into the ramifications of the wholesale murder of a half million minorities and political in 1960-65 Indonesia, an act that is still celebrated to this day. Their leaders, the executors and their children dance in the streets as their military dictatorship upholds them as heroes and legends. When a director and film crew begin to peel back the layers and ask the propagators of violence to document their heroic deeds, one among them begins to emerge as a man possessed of tremendous guilt.
The reenactments are beautiful, outsider-art affairs, shot with delicate beauty and supreme craftsmanship. This is in stark contrast to the words, their descriptions of the massacres are in the spirit of the winners make the rules. However talking on camera is Anwar, one of those revered heroes, is obviously filled with deep seated regret and horror at his supposed accomplishments. He breaks down as he simulates how the murders took place, becomes distraught as he puts himself in the literal shoes of his victims. This is a man of such extreme guilt in the face of nationwide praise that his struggle towards confession is remarkable. Partnered with the phantasmic cross-dressing musical-dance troupe recreations, this trek down the dark alleys of human psyche is a shadowed one way street.
If the Nazis had triumphed in World War II, and if a film crew had asked an elderly Eichmann to discuss the "wonderous" slaying of 6 millions Jews and recreate the victories using musical theater, and who then began to have pangs of conscience about the blood on his hands on camera, this is that documentary, giving us a one-in-a-kind opportunity into the mind of a ennobled mass-killer.
7.5 Glorious Rallies out of 10 (GOOD)
"When In Jakarta"
Chilling documentary that doubles as surreal window into the cold blooded heart of humanity. Peeking into the ramifications of the wholesale murder of a half million minorities and political in 1960-65 Indonesia, an act that is still celebrated to this day. Their leaders, the executors and their children dance in the streets as their military dictatorship upholds them as heroes and legends. When a director and film crew begin to peel back the layers and ask the propagators of violence to document their heroic deeds, one among them begins to emerge as a man possessed of tremendous guilt.
The reenactments are beautiful, outsider-art affairs, shot with delicate beauty and supreme craftsmanship. This is in stark contrast to the words, their descriptions of the massacres are in the spirit of the winners make the rules. However talking on camera is Anwar, one of those revered heroes, is obviously filled with deep seated regret and horror at his supposed accomplishments. He breaks down as he simulates how the murders took place, becomes distraught as he puts himself in the literal shoes of his victims. This is a man of such extreme guilt in the face of nationwide praise that his struggle towards confession is remarkable. Partnered with the phantasmic cross-dressing musical-dance troupe recreations, this trek down the dark alleys of human psyche is a shadowed one way street.
If the Nazis had triumphed in World War II, and if a film crew had asked an elderly Eichmann to discuss the "wonderous" slaying of 6 millions Jews and recreate the victories using musical theater, and who then began to have pangs of conscience about the blood on his hands on camera, this is that documentary, giving us a one-in-a-kind opportunity into the mind of a ennobled mass-killer.
7.5 Glorious Rallies out of 10 (GOOD)
Holy Motors (2012)
Holy Motors (NR) - Review
"Holy *#@$&"
A chameleon like man must keep 9 bizarre appointments in and around Paris ranging from sexualized motion capture performing and sewer trolling for fashion models. You'll never know what will happen next, and you won't know if you care about it or not. The make up is impressive and the camera shows an unblinking love of France. When a filmmaker sets out to make a weird, strange flick like this, the only review I can offer is that it was worth the effort of making it. The pleasure of experiencing the oddity unfettered by spoilers or impressions is a must. The pretentions may over analyze and dissect, and director may have higher pretentions for his work beyond a simple freak show. Perhaps it all has some deeper meaning about life and the act of acting your role. Or it's just a bearded lady who'll take your two-bits for a peek.
7 Full Grown Leprechauns out of 10 (GOOD)
"Holy *#@$&"
A chameleon like man must keep 9 bizarre appointments in and around Paris ranging from sexualized motion capture performing and sewer trolling for fashion models. You'll never know what will happen next, and you won't know if you care about it or not. The make up is impressive and the camera shows an unblinking love of France. When a filmmaker sets out to make a weird, strange flick like this, the only review I can offer is that it was worth the effort of making it. The pleasure of experiencing the oddity unfettered by spoilers or impressions is a must. The pretentions may over analyze and dissect, and director may have higher pretentions for his work beyond a simple freak show. Perhaps it all has some deeper meaning about life and the act of acting your role. Or it's just a bearded lady who'll take your two-bits for a peek.
7 Full Grown Leprechauns out of 10 (GOOD)
Gasland (2011)
Gasland (NR) - Review
"The Water Down Below"
This documentary came at just the apex of the National "fracking" debate, an argument between the Oil & Gas Industries and their US opponents; that the act of pressurizing the lower strata of the Earth in order to fracture the shale underneath thereby releasing natural gas to the surface may or may not be environmentally safe. A folksie small town appeal infused throughout, filmmaker (and banjoist) Josh Fox riled the huge OnG corps and started America talking with his aloof observations, as noble a pursuit as any filmmaker could hope for.
7 "Where's Erin Brockovich when you need her?" out of 10 (GOOD)
"The Water Down Below"
This documentary came at just the apex of the National "fracking" debate, an argument between the Oil & Gas Industries and their US opponents; that the act of pressurizing the lower strata of the Earth in order to fracture the shale underneath thereby releasing natural gas to the surface may or may not be environmentally safe. A folksie small town appeal infused throughout, filmmaker (and banjoist) Josh Fox riled the huge OnG corps and started America talking with his aloof observations, as noble a pursuit as any filmmaker could hope for.
7 "Where's Erin Brockovich when you need her?" out of 10 (GOOD)
Manborg (2011)
Manborg (NR) - Review
"Death by Green Screen"
General Draculon of Hell has invaded Earth and decimated humanities ranks. Sometime later a slain soldier reawakens; he is cybernetically modified, and with a group of multi-cultural freedom fighters attempts to revenge the death of his brother, who once said:
"It's not about the killing, it's about family"
It's actually about the aping of popculture sci fi, anime and video games by super-lowballing the budget and shooting everything on a greenscreen found in your grandmother's basement. While some of the costume and makeup effects are ingeniously inventive with those inside them cheesy yet likeable, the majority of the film is student grade hokum with very few real laughs. The good quality stop motion animation and sometimes quick witted dialogue cannot overcome its short lived humor and simple rehashing of well known plots where ideas and creativity could have saved it. The team's short film that followed, BIO-COP, proved how great Manborg itself could have been if it were just a 5 minute joke trailer instead of a 60 minute quasi-feature.
4.5 Overdubbed Australians out of 10 (MEDIOCRE)
"Death by Green Screen"
General Draculon of Hell has invaded Earth and decimated humanities ranks. Sometime later a slain soldier reawakens; he is cybernetically modified, and with a group of multi-cultural freedom fighters attempts to revenge the death of his brother, who once said:
"It's not about the killing, it's about family"
It's actually about the aping of popculture sci fi, anime and video games by super-lowballing the budget and shooting everything on a greenscreen found in your grandmother's basement. While some of the costume and makeup effects are ingeniously inventive with those inside them cheesy yet likeable, the majority of the film is student grade hokum with very few real laughs. The good quality stop motion animation and sometimes quick witted dialogue cannot overcome its short lived humor and simple rehashing of well known plots where ideas and creativity could have saved it. The team's short film that followed, BIO-COP, proved how great Manborg itself could have been if it were just a 5 minute joke trailer instead of a 60 minute quasi-feature.
4.5 Overdubbed Australians out of 10 (MEDIOCRE)
Juan of the Dead (2011)
Juan of the Dead (NR) - Review
"Embargo Couldn't stop this?"
A spanish language rip off of Shawn of the Dead, both in plot and title, Juan is a middle aged slacker in Cuba. When the undead begin to rip apart his not-quite-beloved society, Juan and his slacker cohorts band together to exploit the situation and keep his young daughter safe. Using zombie-ology as a pastiche for the wrongs of communism is a good idea, but all the zany humor, gaffing at the camera, absolute no brainer script and iffy special effects makes this one hard to swallow, even with a pile of salt.
2.5 Floatillas out of 10 (AWFUL)
"Embargo Couldn't stop this?"
A spanish language rip off of Shawn of the Dead, both in plot and title, Juan is a middle aged slacker in Cuba. When the undead begin to rip apart his not-quite-beloved society, Juan and his slacker cohorts band together to exploit the situation and keep his young daughter safe. Using zombie-ology as a pastiche for the wrongs of communism is a good idea, but all the zany humor, gaffing at the camera, absolute no brainer script and iffy special effects makes this one hard to swallow, even with a pile of salt.
2.5 Floatillas out of 10 (AWFUL)
Submarine (2010)
Submarine (NR)
"Turn the lights down low"
Kubrikian in certain ways, a Welsh Rushmore perhaps? Cute, quirky,
very colorful but not exactly original but hey, all 6 billion of us
gotta come of age sometime right? Good music and acting, recommended.
8 awkward youths out of 10 (GREAT)
Red Riding (2009)
Red Riding (NR)
"You're everything a big bad wolf could want"
Set in 1974, 1980 and 1983, these 3 films intertwine to tell the story of Serial Killing and the police corruption that burgeons it in Yorkshire, Northern England. Its 3 movies, over 5 hours long, but worth it. Each movie has it's own style and mood, the first and third being the most gripping. Recommended.
8 Retro Brits out of 10 (GREAT)
Redline (2009)
Redline (R) - Review
"Go Speed Racer!"
A stylish well-designed anime that blows a tire over cliched characters, sexism and trying to be too cool. Moments of exhilarating animation are vastly overshadowed by lame attempts of characterization and plot using played out genre devices; the anti hero JP must race in the universe's most dangerous race, a contest featuring a rogues gallery of aliens, exgirlfriends and sinister forces trying to reach a finish line because it's there.
Overloaded and overhyped, Redline crashes under its own weight way before the checkered flag waves. All that detail and wax buffs and chrome and burning nitro can't outrace the eyerolling script, the writing being stuck in first gear, grinding around at an 8th grade level with no idea where the clutch is.
5 Hand Cramps out of 10 (MEDIOCRE)
"Go Speed Racer!"
A stylish well-designed anime that blows a tire over cliched characters, sexism and trying to be too cool. Moments of exhilarating animation are vastly overshadowed by lame attempts of characterization and plot using played out genre devices; the anti hero JP must race in the universe's most dangerous race, a contest featuring a rogues gallery of aliens, exgirlfriends and sinister forces trying to reach a finish line because it's there.
Overloaded and overhyped, Redline crashes under its own weight way before the checkered flag waves. All that detail and wax buffs and chrome and burning nitro can't outrace the eyerolling script, the writing being stuck in first gear, grinding around at an 8th grade level with no idea where the clutch is.
5 Hand Cramps out of 10 (MEDIOCRE)
Amer (2009)
Amer (NR) - Review
"Threw the Looking Glass"
In the tradition of classical giallo films comes Amer, a french retro throwback to the violent psychological Italian thrillers of the 1970s. A young girl is traumatized and the memory haunts and shapes the rest of her life as she attempts to avoid the jagged edges of her subconscious mind.
Trippy visuals combined with a lack of dialogue and LCD laced music cues create a deliciously heavy mood as our heroine moves from erotic fantasy to estranged reality in the wink of an eye. Don't expect a rational story, don't demand a narrative or plot and just let your mind's eye absorb. This is a film for watching, experience and experiment, to attempt to answer your own questions when the smoking caterpillar offers you the pipe.
7.5 Eyeball Closeups out of 10 (GOOD)
"Threw the Looking Glass"
In the tradition of classical giallo films comes Amer, a french retro throwback to the violent psychological Italian thrillers of the 1970s. A young girl is traumatized and the memory haunts and shapes the rest of her life as she attempts to avoid the jagged edges of her subconscious mind.
Trippy visuals combined with a lack of dialogue and LCD laced music cues create a deliciously heavy mood as our heroine moves from erotic fantasy to estranged reality in the wink of an eye. Don't expect a rational story, don't demand a narrative or plot and just let your mind's eye absorb. This is a film for watching, experience and experiment, to attempt to answer your own questions when the smoking caterpillar offers you the pipe.
7.5 Eyeball Closeups out of 10 (GOOD)
Trash Humpers (2009)
Trash Humpers (NR) - Review
"Yes, they do."
Never has the title of a movie been so accurate. Harmony Korine, strange filmologist extraordinaire, brings us this mockumentary about strange elderly creatures who patrol the night looking for Trash to, yes... hump. Depravity amidst shaky handheld homevideo is the motif and it will go beyond your appetite for bizarre buffet. It is presented and intended to be like a found VHS tape you discovered in the gutter of a thrift store. You gather your friends, pop it in dad's VCR and experience the unknown. Only for the interested and the experienced, Trash Humpers has too few of the expected genuinely odd Korine moments that might lead to a recommendation, the film is made to outtrash Jack Ass (boy does it ever) and is as memorable as a stumbled upon crime scene. Sometimes its ok to look away.
3.5 Rubber Masks out of 10 (BAD)
"Yes, they do."
Never has the title of a movie been so accurate. Harmony Korine, strange filmologist extraordinaire, brings us this mockumentary about strange elderly creatures who patrol the night looking for Trash to, yes... hump. Depravity amidst shaky handheld homevideo is the motif and it will go beyond your appetite for bizarre buffet. It is presented and intended to be like a found VHS tape you discovered in the gutter of a thrift store. You gather your friends, pop it in dad's VCR and experience the unknown. Only for the interested and the experienced, Trash Humpers has too few of the expected genuinely odd Korine moments that might lead to a recommendation, the film is made to outtrash Jack Ass (boy does it ever) and is as memorable as a stumbled upon crime scene. Sometimes its ok to look away.
3.5 Rubber Masks out of 10 (BAD)
Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2008)
Birdemic: Shock and Terror (NR) Review
"The Turds"
Billed (ha ha) by its director as a new entry into his personally conceived genre of the Horror Romance movie, Birdemic is not the kind of bad you can sit around with your friends on a friday night and laugh about. Birdemic is such an utter embarrassment on every conceivable level (Editing, Sound, Writing, Special Effects, Acting) that its only success was how it got so famous. Much like William Hung's American Idol success was a pop culture phenomenon that centered on exploitating a terrible dreamer, so is James Nguyen's film about a couple finding new love amidst killer birds. It was self financed, self filmed and self promoted at Sundance by driving around in his family car plastered with fake birds. He bought a midnight showing and filled it up with indy movie producers and schlock fans, people knew a cash cow when they saw one and it was bought for one million dollars and then excreted into our lives.
Indy films like this I try to give some leeway and crow about their positive points, but Birdemic is only an excuse to laugh at Nguyen and his inept filmmaking skills. The first time the shoddy birds appeared on screen (shockingly late in the film) they squeezed a hearty laugh out of me. An hour later and the same shoddy birds in the same awkward poses made me squirm in my seat, the wooden acting and terribly recorded audio made me want to plug my ears and hug my wallet in thanks that I hadn't spent any single dime on watching it. The ham-fisted slapped on "environmental message" will set back the green movement for years, and I can't imagine anyone with half an IQ point not being redfaced over its lousy... well, everything! Shame on the films distributors for giving Bay Area Businessman/Crappy Film Director/Exploited Outsider Artist James Nguyen the ability to kill (cgi birds) ever again, I hear a sequel is in the works for 2013. A man who can produce such a piece of work and feel good about charging someone to watch it deserves to have his taxes audited and his drivers license revoked, his morals are suspect.
This is the kind of film you make but only show a handful of friends every couple years, projected on a white sheet in someone's basement, secure in the fact that the shame is all yours and the fake-grins on their friendly faces will tell no one of what they've seen or who is to blame.
Never has a subtitle been so accurate about its content.
1 Exploding Hawks out of 10 (AWFUL)
"The Turds"
Billed (ha ha) by its director as a new entry into his personally conceived genre of the Horror Romance movie, Birdemic is not the kind of bad you can sit around with your friends on a friday night and laugh about. Birdemic is such an utter embarrassment on every conceivable level (Editing, Sound, Writing, Special Effects, Acting) that its only success was how it got so famous. Much like William Hung's American Idol success was a pop culture phenomenon that centered on exploitating a terrible dreamer, so is James Nguyen's film about a couple finding new love amidst killer birds. It was self financed, self filmed and self promoted at Sundance by driving around in his family car plastered with fake birds. He bought a midnight showing and filled it up with indy movie producers and schlock fans, people knew a cash cow when they saw one and it was bought for one million dollars and then excreted into our lives.
Indy films like this I try to give some leeway and crow about their positive points, but Birdemic is only an excuse to laugh at Nguyen and his inept filmmaking skills. The first time the shoddy birds appeared on screen (shockingly late in the film) they squeezed a hearty laugh out of me. An hour later and the same shoddy birds in the same awkward poses made me squirm in my seat, the wooden acting and terribly recorded audio made me want to plug my ears and hug my wallet in thanks that I hadn't spent any single dime on watching it. The ham-fisted slapped on "environmental message" will set back the green movement for years, and I can't imagine anyone with half an IQ point not being redfaced over its lousy... well, everything! Shame on the films distributors for giving Bay Area Businessman/Crappy Film Director/Exploited Outsider Artist James Nguyen the ability to kill (cgi birds) ever again, I hear a sequel is in the works for 2013. A man who can produce such a piece of work and feel good about charging someone to watch it deserves to have his taxes audited and his drivers license revoked, his morals are suspect.
This is the kind of film you make but only show a handful of friends every couple years, projected on a white sheet in someone's basement, secure in the fact that the shame is all yours and the fake-grins on their friendly faces will tell no one of what they've seen or who is to blame.
Never has a subtitle been so accurate about its content.
1 Exploding Hawks out of 10 (AWFUL)
Mister Lonely (2007)
Mister Lonely (NR)
"A few Eggs short of a dozen"
Not as hard edged or shocking as most of Harmony Korine's films (Gummo, Julien Donkey Boy), it also is less surreal and less entertaining. The story of a Micheal Jackson impersonator finding kindred spirits while Werner Herzog and his miracle flying nuns seek sainthood, which somehow just isn't strange enough and is eclipsed by the films beautiful cinematography. Surprises abound, unfortunately they are just not deep seated enough to fully recommend for non believers.
6 Painted Eggs out of 10 (GOOD)
The Rug Cop (2006)
The Rug Cop - (NR)
"Toupee or not toupee"
Strange-film director Minoru Kawasaki, creator of such classics as Calamari Wrestler and Executive Koala, sets his sights on Japanese Cop Dramas with The Rug Cop. The story of a man who uses his advanced toupee as a secret weapon to fight crime, who is a newly recruited member of a team of cliche-on-purpose detectives on the streets of Tokyo. Wacky tropes are skewered, but only true lovers of Japanese dramas will get all the jokes. A step down in the special effects driven insanity of his previous films is a bit of a let down, but still wrings some chuckles of delight as the Rug Cop meets his estranged daughter and the Nuclear bomb the Terrorists are blackmailing the city with. An odd sense of humor and joy of cheapskate entertainment will certainly be necessary for enjoyment, but the Rug Cop, who is played by a straight faced Moto Fuyuki, makes it all work with his entertaining portrayal (even during the 5 minutes Karaoke interlude).
6 Giant Static Afros out of 10 (GOOD)
"Toupee or not toupee"
Strange-film director Minoru Kawasaki, creator of such classics as Calamari Wrestler and Executive Koala, sets his sights on Japanese Cop Dramas with The Rug Cop. The story of a man who uses his advanced toupee as a secret weapon to fight crime, who is a newly recruited member of a team of cliche-on-purpose detectives on the streets of Tokyo. Wacky tropes are skewered, but only true lovers of Japanese dramas will get all the jokes. A step down in the special effects driven insanity of his previous films is a bit of a let down, but still wrings some chuckles of delight as the Rug Cop meets his estranged daughter and the Nuclear bomb the Terrorists are blackmailing the city with. An odd sense of humor and joy of cheapskate entertainment will certainly be necessary for enjoyment, but the Rug Cop, who is played by a straight faced Moto Fuyuki, makes it all work with his entertaining portrayal (even during the 5 minutes Karaoke interlude).
6 Giant Static Afros out of 10 (GOOD)
Executive Koala (2005)
Executive Koala - (NR) - Review
"Fab and Furry"
From the minds that brought us The Calamari Wrestler comes The Executive Koala. A spoof on overdramatic soap operas starring a fuzzy humansized Koala in a suit, Director Kawasaki keeps his modus operandi intact by putting bizarre characters in zany situations that everyone in the cast treats as perfectly normal. Kooky to the extreme, E.K. is embroiled in a murder mystery with a completly off the wall, out of left field mind bending ending. Entertainment galore, good animal/man costumes and a splash of violence, Executive Koala may not be everyone's cup of tea. The humor is straight faced and the strangeness knows no bounds. For those who revel in that kind of thing, this is almost as good as it gets.
7 Anthropomorphic Suits out of 10
"Fab and Furry"
From the minds that brought us The Calamari Wrestler comes The Executive Koala. A spoof on overdramatic soap operas starring a fuzzy humansized Koala in a suit, Director Kawasaki keeps his modus operandi intact by putting bizarre characters in zany situations that everyone in the cast treats as perfectly normal. Kooky to the extreme, E.K. is embroiled in a murder mystery with a completly off the wall, out of left field mind bending ending. Entertainment galore, good animal/man costumes and a splash of violence, Executive Koala may not be everyone's cup of tea. The humor is straight faced and the strangeness knows no bounds. For those who revel in that kind of thing, this is almost as good as it gets.
7 Anthropomorphic Suits out of 10
The Calimari Wrestler (2005)
The Calamari Wrestler (NR) - Review
"8 Tentacles, 1 Heart"
Strange Japanese cinema is alive and squirming. This buffet of the bizarre serves up deliciously zany costumes, plot points and characterizations. It's all played extremely straight faced which is most of the fun. Where else can you see a 8 foot tall squid pro wrestle and then explain his personal problems dramatically to his beautiful girlfriend? What is the mystery of the Calamari, and who are all these outlandish opponents that our hero must defeat? One joke movie that works the whole way through, just don't expect anything beyond deep fried junk and you'll be satisfied.
6 Squid Kisses out of 10 (GOOD)
"8 Tentacles, 1 Heart"
Strange Japanese cinema is alive and squirming. This buffet of the bizarre serves up deliciously zany costumes, plot points and characterizations. It's all played extremely straight faced which is most of the fun. Where else can you see a 8 foot tall squid pro wrestle and then explain his personal problems dramatically to his beautiful girlfriend? What is the mystery of the Calamari, and who are all these outlandish opponents that our hero must defeat? One joke movie that works the whole way through, just don't expect anything beyond deep fried junk and you'll be satisfied.
6 Squid Kisses out of 10 (GOOD)
Interstella 5555 (2003)
Interstella 5555 (NR) - Review
"Around the World"
Daft Punk, those Euro-robo-techno pioneers, gather legendary Japanese cartoon director Leiji Matsumoto to create a movie out of their album "Discovery". The result? Old fashioned looking anime with repetitive animation cycles shown over the band's hypnotic beats. The result is a feature length music video with no dialogue and no energy, a throw away tale of blue humanoid aliens held on earth against their will by an evil record executive. Coherent but not much else, fans of the band will of course enjoy the music but the visuals add almost nothing to experience.
4 Anime Eyes out of 10 (BAD)
"Around the World"
Daft Punk, those Euro-robo-techno pioneers, gather legendary Japanese cartoon director Leiji Matsumoto to create a movie out of their album "Discovery". The result? Old fashioned looking anime with repetitive animation cycles shown over the band's hypnotic beats. The result is a feature length music video with no dialogue and no energy, a throw away tale of blue humanoid aliens held on earth against their will by an evil record executive. Coherent but not much else, fans of the band will of course enjoy the music but the visuals add almost nothing to experience.
4 Anime Eyes out of 10 (BAD)
Ichi The Killer (2001)
Ichi The Killer (NR) - Review
"Laughs out the other side of his face"
When a Japanese mob boss goes missing, his Yakuza associates go looking for him. Unbeknownst to them, he's been slaughtered by the titular Ichi, a perverted and mind-controlled teenager with razor shoes. Through it all, tracking his master's death, is the real star and poster boy of the film, Yakuza enforcer Kakihara. He is pierced, dressed to the nines, and has holes in his cheeks he can smoke through, and has enough sadomasochistic love in him to embrace Ichi's violence while he laments the loss of his boss and dominatrix.
Exceptionally grotesque and outlandish even for a Japanese sleaze fest, Ichi the Killer is hampered by unwesternized story telling and too-early computer graphics. Despite that, director Miike wins by focusing on the bugnut insane Kakihara's quest to reestablish a BSDM relationship, severing his own body parts and scrogging through the overly complicated plot and skin crawling "super hero" Ichi. In need of drastic editing and a diaper change, its a movie you'd never take home to meet your mother. It's more of a 2am and you can't see straight hotel room fling that you regret in the morning.
4.5 Severed Pinkies out of 10 (BAD)
"Laughs out the other side of his face"
When a Japanese mob boss goes missing, his Yakuza associates go looking for him. Unbeknownst to them, he's been slaughtered by the titular Ichi, a perverted and mind-controlled teenager with razor shoes. Through it all, tracking his master's death, is the real star and poster boy of the film, Yakuza enforcer Kakihara. He is pierced, dressed to the nines, and has holes in his cheeks he can smoke through, and has enough sadomasochistic love in him to embrace Ichi's violence while he laments the loss of his boss and dominatrix.
Exceptionally grotesque and outlandish even for a Japanese sleaze fest, Ichi the Killer is hampered by unwesternized story telling and too-early computer graphics. Despite that, director Miike wins by focusing on the bugnut insane Kakihara's quest to reestablish a BSDM relationship, severing his own body parts and scrogging through the overly complicated plot and skin crawling "super hero" Ichi. In need of drastic editing and a diaper change, its a movie you'd never take home to meet your mother. It's more of a 2am and you can't see straight hotel room fling that you regret in the morning.
4.5 Severed Pinkies out of 10 (BAD)
Bad Boy Bubby (1993)
Bad Boy Bubby (NR) - Review
"If You See Kay"
A 35 year old man with mental issues, trapped his whole life in a single room by his sexually abusive mother, breaks free and enters into modern Australia with a suitcase and a knack for immitation. He finds murder, love, jail, atheisim and rock n' roll in this exceptionally experimental film from director/screenwriter Rolf De Heer.
Bubby is brought to life by Aussie actor Nicholas Hope, and what starts off so offputting and strange miraculously becomes welcome and charming. Bubby is basically a kid at heart (and in brain), and as he starts to adjust to his environs and finds friends we can root for him and his adventures in our adult world (stick with it cat lovers). It's a world brought to life by over 30 individual cinematographers, who scene by scene and completely without input from each other depict Bubby's mercurial emotions (it's not as jarring as it sounds). Speaking of sounds, those were recorded to give insight into Bubby's world view too (the mics were worn by the actor over each ear and are played back in stereo from his perspective only). Both of these experimental (and highly professional) audio/video tricks are not glaringly obvious to viewers but lend an unique presence to the film by allowing the A/V to protray the moods and emotions of Bubby that he himself, stunted as he is, is unable to show.
Bad Boy Bubby is a fascinating character study which goes happily into the dark corners of religion, euthenasia, sub cultures and the handicapped that most films would be too scared to touch with a 100 foot Shrimp boat. An authentic and purely Australian Art film, BBB deserves more attention than it's current Weirdo Film Cult status, but due to that same status is safely off the radar from censors and when watched Bubby is a pleasant surprise-shock to the bored old system.
7.5 Rolls of Shrink Wrap out of 10 (GOOD)
"If You See Kay"
A 35 year old man with mental issues, trapped his whole life in a single room by his sexually abusive mother, breaks free and enters into modern Australia with a suitcase and a knack for immitation. He finds murder, love, jail, atheisim and rock n' roll in this exceptionally experimental film from director/screenwriter Rolf De Heer.
Bubby is brought to life by Aussie actor Nicholas Hope, and what starts off so offputting and strange miraculously becomes welcome and charming. Bubby is basically a kid at heart (and in brain), and as he starts to adjust to his environs and finds friends we can root for him and his adventures in our adult world (stick with it cat lovers). It's a world brought to life by over 30 individual cinematographers, who scene by scene and completely without input from each other depict Bubby's mercurial emotions (it's not as jarring as it sounds). Speaking of sounds, those were recorded to give insight into Bubby's world view too (the mics were worn by the actor over each ear and are played back in stereo from his perspective only). Both of these experimental (and highly professional) audio/video tricks are not glaringly obvious to viewers but lend an unique presence to the film by allowing the A/V to protray the moods and emotions of Bubby that he himself, stunted as he is, is unable to show.
Bad Boy Bubby is a fascinating character study which goes happily into the dark corners of religion, euthenasia, sub cultures and the handicapped that most films would be too scared to touch with a 100 foot Shrimp boat. An authentic and purely Australian Art film, BBB deserves more attention than it's current Weirdo Film Cult status, but due to that same status is safely off the radar from censors and when watched Bubby is a pleasant surprise-shock to the bored old system.
7.5 Rolls of Shrink Wrap out of 10 (GOOD)
Brain Damage (1988)
Brain Damage (NR) - Review
"DARE to Stay Off Parasites"
From the Midnight Movie madness of Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case) comes Brain Damage, the simple story of a boy (Brian) who has a cartoonish parasite symbiotically attached to the back of his neck that feeds Brian's brain addictive hallucinogenics in order to keep itself well fed on fresh human brains. Alymer is the little creature and star of the film. It talks, it sings, it tells jokes and it feeds the protagonist enough drugs to blow his mind and keep it blown. Dark humor and icky gore abounds, it can almost be seen as a gonzo "horror of drugs"after school special, though most kids will enjoy it too much for it to succeed. As low browed as it is low budgeted, Brain Damage might cause you to lose some braincells as you wonder what were the filmmakers smokin' when they thought this up (and subsequently thank them for it).
6.5 Hokey GoodOld Fashioned Special Effects out of 10 (GOOD)
"DARE to Stay Off Parasites"
From the Midnight Movie madness of Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case) comes Brain Damage, the simple story of a boy (Brian) who has a cartoonish parasite symbiotically attached to the back of his neck that feeds Brian's brain addictive hallucinogenics in order to keep itself well fed on fresh human brains. Alymer is the little creature and star of the film. It talks, it sings, it tells jokes and it feeds the protagonist enough drugs to blow his mind and keep it blown. Dark humor and icky gore abounds, it can almost be seen as a gonzo "horror of drugs"after school special, though most kids will enjoy it too much for it to succeed. As low browed as it is low budgeted, Brain Damage might cause you to lose some braincells as you wonder what were the filmmakers smokin' when they thought this up (and subsequently thank them for it).
6.5 Hokey GoodOld Fashioned Special Effects out of 10 (GOOD)
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About Me
- Kevin Gasaway via HardDrawn
- Turlock, California, United States
- Media and Reviews by Kevin Gasaway