Bog Man's Talk

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Pixar movies are by and far in front, but they need competition. And the writers for this and the Sony software for this movie should be a good runner-up to keep them honest. I can even admit I liked this more than a couple of Pixar movies. It may have a bit more juvenile humor than your standard Pixar fare, but it still has the right tone and stand-up pacing to hit you with enough to not care about the misses.

But there are two things that really take this movie to the next level. One, the story is well thought out for going against the developed idea of the book, but I can't hold that against it. Kid's books need to be fleshed out, and while the relationship plot is hokey, it does keep it moving, The father-son relationship is better with the working-class/high-tech dichotomy. And that may actually be the problem, too many plotlines. But it's okay for the older audience. And there is the Aladdin tradition of jokes that keep that crowd entertained (the monkey with the snowballs was witty) with plenty for the kids.

The other winner is the look. The animation went the opposite of the other movies with the sense that it makes it very cartoonish for the people and "acting", but keeping the environment real - even in the surreal world of food from the sky. They make this movie colorful and use all of the cheesy 80s gimmicks to full 3-D effect. It takes it to a dazzling vegas type level in stead of just making it gawkingly realistic. Right down to the food, that looked amazingly real.

And, of course, Bruce Campbell was awesome.

Them!

Yep, had to go to the way-back machine. It?s good to watch some of the old classics like this. And I had never seen it before, so it was refreshing. And it is very innovative in its story telling, which may be very-much ahead of its time. It goes from procedural cop movie to sci-fi blockbuster. Of course, we all know its about giant ants, but everything from the out of nowhere ?scares? to scientific background to panic in the streets to expendable main character (not really much of a spoiler), I didn?t think that such an old movie could mash it all in. It is fun, and that?s all anyone can ask of a movie.

Monster movies haven?t changed much, but it seems like some stray too far from this concept and just aren?t very good anymore (remember the US Godzilla?). But movies like this have a certain charm to them. When old movies are good (old for me being pre 62), they just jump higher on my charts. Partly because I love movies and have slight links to filmmaking through family and experience, but it?s a nice homage to the ancestors I try to extol. This is one of those.

9

The first caveat: If i liked the steampunk style, this would definitely be a 3.5 star and potentially 4.

Now some training for cinen00bs:
Repeat to yourself in mantra style until you have properly remembered it: "Shane Acker wrote and directed this, not Tim Burton. Tim Burton produced." OR shortened, "Shane Acker's 9". Got it? Okay now say aloud Timur Bekmambetov's name until you got it down (Tee-mur Beck-mum-beh-toff) because if you didn't know about him already, he's one of the top directors in the world, specializing in flawless action and monumental visual flair; for this film, he also produced. Okay we go that out the way, and you know this isn't a "Tim Burton's _____" film and that Bekmambetov is quite entrenched in Hollywood now.

Onto actual review:
The story of 9 is a simple and interesting take on the post-human landscape where robots rose to destroy society. The focus of the film is on a handful of sentient puppets who seem to be among the few creatures left alive in a desolate landscape. The detailed design of these puppet characters is amazing and beautiful. They have simple character traits and are one-dimensional cutout characters (and the story tries to justify this with its ultimate revelation about these creatures' sentience). The animation is amazing and presents equally over-the-top action with gargantuan mechanical creations and emotional exchange between the tiny characters.

It's great if you like action, but I found the action segments to be numbing to my senses. Some of the interpersonal exchanges are quite convincing, but sometimes the cutout nature of these characters intervenes and makes a give-and-take too predictable. Still, the simple animations of the numbers' eyes and mouths was enough to keep my mind engaged.

The end was not satisfying for me, but the moments of questing for that truth were quite cool. The thought that went into these designs (and the fictional origin of these designs) is immense and unbelievably executed. When I couldn't care about the simple plot or immense action scenes, there were always novel design details to absorb.

I don't understand the PG-13 rating, except that I know that rating has grown immensely in the past few years as PG becomes far more tame. To me, this is a very PG movie, and actually the people (age-wise) who will gain the most from this are in the 6-12 range. There are too many scary images for small children, but any child who has acquired any sophistication re:"real vs. fake" and the magic of cinema will be utterly enthralled by this story. For me, it didn't have enough emotional resonance because I have been exposed to far too many stories in my short lifespan. To a green mind, this is an intriguing and possibly standout parable with a sharp message of 'The human spirit can and will overcome the "inevitable" robot apocalypse.'

Ultimately, visuals over storytelling (who didn't expect that), but a veritable heaven for lovers of the steampunk aesthetic.

Chemical Wedding

The Hurt Locker

This is a very different but incredible movie. Before I get on to the recommendation part, I have to just put out there that this movie is being described as two things, a new type of action movie and a story of real character emotions in the midst of war. For anyone who likes war action movies or things like Jarhead where it is more a character piece in a war setting, this will be a tough movie to swallow. If you can get over that, it is a superb movie.

Watching Generation Kill first helped me, because this is a war movie about modern warfare techniques. They're not pretty, and they're not flashy, but that's probably how war is these days. People trying to trick people into dying. Even the greatest or rogues or by the book soldiers can die. Then, there are very, very graphic scenes that will make you squirm. That eliminates the pleasure for those two groups.

Once you get over that, and that the movie will not spell anything out for you, you can revel in the beauty of its realism, suspense and acting. These are real people that are forced to change their demeanor, then have it changed in other ways by force. The main character is someone that acts the way he does, but can't really explain why, he just needs to do it. He has the best of intentions, but he needs to do what he does. He needs this transposition and will find surrogates for the things he really needs in life, but in the end, his life is better lived through war.

It is a "fun" ride following him, and it is about as tense as a movie can get. There are great cameos by actors, and superb sets and cinematography for it's documentary style of filming, but it's really the performances of the main three that make this movie so great. The only real knock is the purposeful cryptic conversations and the slight predictability.

Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street

It's not hard for this film to be brilliant. The camera just has to be running on these people, and then it is up to the makers to dig through the three years of footage to compile a coherent story.

All of them are young, introspective, resourceful, friendly, and full of potential. But they are also all very filled with sadness, in great despair, in ill health, in dangerous situations, and rarely happy because they are all addicted to heroin. It would not be surprising if a followup done today would reveal all the participants, or at least a majority, to now be dead of a drug-related cause. At the conclusion, two main subjects have AIDS and are not receiving treatment, and one of them is still prostituting despite a looming charge of attempted murder if charged again with prostitution.

Of course when dealing with this topic, the content will be saddening, but the factor that determines whether or not the film is good is if it is revealing. And this film does reveal in horrific detail the reality of junkie living. We see their battered bodies, bruises and burst blood vessels spotting their skin from frequent injection and dramatic weight losses from neglecting eating for fixing. We see them in the throes of withdrawal and, more rarely, doped to the point of complete loss of awareness with their only spoken sentiments being about their specific despairs and missing loved ones. We see them lurking on street corners to advertise for dates, visiting public restrooms to shoot up, using pay phones to contact dealers, and running small dealing operations out of temporary and deteriorating living spaces. We see them attempting relationships with other addicts, but it seems that what draws these people together is their addiction and mutual need for supporting their addiction. We see them attempting to regain their lives when jail or death looms, but we also witness them inevitably falling back into the deadly grip of addiction.

Great documentaries reveal stark reality, and this film certainly accomplishes that.

5 Sides of a Coin

This is a great documentary about hip-hop culture. Really, it?s about the ?five? elements (beatboxing included) and how they are perceived by insiders and how these insiders reflect on how the mainstream sees it. It is really just a good documentary about the scenes and how many try to keep them true to their origins while it was bound to be polluted by others.

There is a great collection of interviews by many luminaries and an interesting tangent with C. Delores Tucker?s blind opposition to the music. It doesn?t get really preachy and gives a lot of historical background while still keeping a good pace with some good music and never dwelling too long on a point that didn?t need the extra time. A textbook kind of documentary that?s just fine a neat little summary of it all with some POVs. In the meantime, download Del?s new LP for free from his site. Even in Apple Lossless. http://delthefunkyhomosapien.bandcamp.com/

Sorry for the shameless plug - but it's great music.

Tales from the Crypt

So, 5 stories with a wrap around. I?ve seen a lot of the TV show. And I was surprised that the stories were repeats from this same movie. I thought they?d mine the comic source for new stuff. But 3 of the 5 here have value. 1, 3, 5. Or maybe half of part 5. The wrap around is corny, but probably pretty fresh back then.

1 has Joan Collins as I?ve never seen her, young. I?ve never seen any of her early work. However, she was in line behind me at a grocery store in westwood. The cashier knew her. I looked back and only saw a small lady in big head wrap and glasses. 2 didn?t do anything for me. 3 was a nice return from the grave story ? nice in that it?s messed up and you can?t wait for the inevitable. 4 was a predictable take on the same wish story we all know. 5 had an interesting take on the whole thing that kind of kept me interested. Horror fans can give it a spin. No value for the casual viewer.

Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes)

A puzzle movie that treads on the PKD Time Out of Joint realm that brings back thoughts of Primer, but definitely darker. And better. While some seem to go out with the intention of just wanting to confuse, this movie actually seems like it wants you to relate to the journey into the darkness of the unfortunate situation. It definitely has a great tone, or should I say, morbid tone that lends itself to either a ride of impending doom or amazing resolution from the brink. Or, that great unexpected.

The minimalist production is very good and except for the role the director acts in, all is very good. It is very enjoyable in the building of its atmosphere, though a bit predictable, it doesn?t disappoint. Great entertainment, go see it.

The Wackness

This movie may have a soft spot with me since this is when I graduated high school and was really into this era of hip-hop (still am), but I really liked this movie. I was far beyond the protagonist in terms of social development, which led to my first inevitable breakdown before I even graduated high school, but I had a good friend that was really following this path until he made the wrong choice with a girl (a bit different than this movie?s scenario). And it wasn?t just the plight of the kid, but the doctor character too. I?m now an old guy who has to play the professional, but I think back at my younger years and am glad that I lived enough of a life to not have that mid-life crisis point. With that said (to reassure myself), this movie picks those perfect small points and plays them out in a really sincere way. And those small points are really what makes the movie. From the drugged out easies we all knew to the need to just do something bad for the sake of living, it?s all there.

Now, this movie could have been like other movies that pander to sentimentality and play those dream ?re-live it? scenarios ? but this was a path that has been taken by many and isn?t glamorous or heroic, but just?.is. Right up to how the main guy steps out/ends it for the movie ? that?s how it is. Things happen this way and you just need to take it as life.

This movie is a nice little escape that I am not sure how people who weren?t in this scene or a similar current scene for the current kiddies, but it?s a story of a kid at the top edge of the middle who really is the leader of the next group ? and how that kind of leader is formed.

Home Movie

The Last Man on Earth

I am a huge fan of the novel I Am Legend. It actually did not start with the latest movie I Am Legend. I was still one of the drones that watched it the opening weekend, but it was more out of curiosity to see how they mangled the story ? which doesn?t mean it would be a bad movie, but it wasn?t good. And it didn?t start with the Omega Man. Charleston Heston movies generally mean they are bad. Omega man needs to be erased from any connection to I Am Legend like Guess Who needs to erase any connection to Guess Who?s Coming To Dinner.

I have to start this middle (?) by saying that this is by and far the best adaptation of the novel. And, as a movie, is a great movie. It seems a lot older than it is in terms of Vincent Price and the real look of it, but it is a far leap from movies of its time. I know the book inspired George Romero, but the movie has to do the same if not more. It is very liberal in its interpretation of the novel, but still, it is the truest of the 3. And Price gives a great performance. And if you get through the old movie water down scenarios through your head, it is a great moral and psychological movie with genuine scenes that terrify on an emotional level.

This is a must see for any horror movie fans that appreciate the history. And the DVD had a little bomus interview with Richard Matheson ? one of my literary heroes, and he removed his name from this movie because he didn?t like the adaptation and didn?t think it was faithful. I can?t mage what he thinks of the Will Smith I Am Legend, let alone Omega Man, both of which have his name on it.

The System Within

Låt den Rätte Komma In (Let the Right One in)

There is nothing bad I can say about this movie, except maybe that it wasn't in enough theaters. From the opening scenes, the tone is set, and it rolls through a timid love story with brutal horror movie aspects.

The kids are great and the subtle use of CG is perfect, as there is a genuine realism to the movie because it shows how it is a hard wrought of emotions just to live as is - and not as a drawn out tale like Interview and I barely know what Twilight is all about. But this is a perfect vampire movie. From the play on relationships to the gore of it all. The tension filled build ups to situations and great atmosphere just bring it all higher with a brilliant climax. My only complaints are that the climax is expected and that (I'll keep it cryptic) the guy figured it out fairly easily.

On a final note, this movie is filmed and edited wonderfully with great atmospheric music. The camera often floats life the grace of Eli and frames only what needs to be scene, keeping it all subtle and not forcing it. GO SEE IT!

Martyrs

Tentative rating of 4 on first screening. This is a movie that has to sink in and I need to watch again before I can give an accurate rating.

Two things can definitely be said: this film scores huge points for originality, and the second sequence is just the coolest "fuck off!" to Michael Haneke's Funny Games.
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March 17, 2009: Rating revised 4 to 4.5.

Now my full breakdown, including many SPOILERS will commence. If you have yet to see this movie, DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER.

Laugier gives us not one, but two astonishing and amazing films. The film has a definite divide, with the first segment being a revenge tale wherein former victim becomes murderer plagued by psychological demons and assisted by a best friend who has been by her side throughout both her victimization and realization of revenge. The second segment is a "torture porn", except it's not so much of the "porn" variety but of the Salo school of torture film as it does have a driving philosophical point.

The makeup and gore are beyond astonishing. This sets new levels of achievement for the genre and proves that the studio chose wisely when they signed Laugier to do the Hellraiser remake. This film is certainly this year's A L'Interieur. Both the imagined demon girl and the actual tortured girl are incredibly frightening and left me shivering.

The high tech basement room instantly reminded me of the setting for the climax in Laugier's previous horror outing Saint Ange.

An interesting thing I noted in the version I saw: once the controlling financiers of the Martyrs project are revealed, the head woman often refers to what the subtitles translate as Anna's "transformation". Using my rough ear for French, I am sure that what she is really saying is transfiguration, which ole wikipedia tells you is "a momentary transformation of a man or woman into someone having the aspect of the divine". This better fits the context and explanation of what the financiers are trying to achieve, and hopefully it's corrected in the DVD english release and I just downloaded a crap subtitle.

Kaleldo

I need to separate my friends list so I can have the horror movie fans separate from indie fans from B-movie fans from big budget action fans, etc. So I apologize for sending this to all. I watch everything, so it?s a big mix under my profile. With that, here is a foreign movie that?s director is making some noise.


This movie is going to be dismissed by some as soap opera fodder and the beginning is a bit hard to overcome visually because of the up and down angles the director stages and uses too often. But when you get through it, it is great subtle progression of a story of simple family evolution in 3rd world countries. Of the 4 real chapters, 3 have direct symbolism that is told out and out. Then there is the main idea of the recovery from a volcanic eruption. You build on/near something volatile and when it erupts, you build up again. Although this movie is in the Philippines, it can be any religiously oppressed 3rd world country.


I, of course, have a personal interest in this movie because my wife is from the area this is film and when I visited where she is from, I toured some of the buried cities and they are amazing, even more so that people just built on top of it and kept on going. With that, this is a real piece of life that doesn?t unfold in a Hollywood way. It does have strained lighting, which may have been on purpose but makes for strange visuals, hard to read subtitles in the copy I have and a very forced artsy sex scene for the lesbian sister after realistic portrayals of hetero sex with the first sisters, but this movie is a great portrait piece and I hope this movie is a first step movie like how Aronofsky went from Pi to Requiem and others. The director is getting a lot of buzz around festivals (Cannes included) with his latest movie Serbis about a movie theatre that is a haven for male prostitution and how the family is torn about this ? so we?ll see if he?s moving up.

Vals Im Bashir (Waltz with Bashir)

Overall, it is an amazing movie with the emphasis on the visuals. The use of color is a real delight in this movie. It sets scenes with a minimal aspect and palette but feels as detailed as anime movies. And what it shows in its action works well with the story. It really brings it all to life in a surreal other worldliness that gives an expected but rightful ending. I was in Tel Aviv last year and it was funny that the bland constructed landscape of Israel against the bright blue water (I stayed entirely on the coast for my few days) was perfect in this movie as they morph from colors with mood.

The only criticism I had was matched by my cousin who saw it with me. I said that it was stuck between documentary and bio piece and if it stuck with how it wanted to tell the story it should have done with less of his searching situations told first person and had the omnipotent narrator that most documentaries of retelling have. It would have kept it tighter. Or else do away with the interviews with the reporter and what not and just tell through flashback and make it a bio piece. My cousin said each person in the movie spoke subdued and monotone, which wouldn?t push the conversational scenes enough to have impact in what they were saying.

Still, good movie and worthy of the praise.