I was rewatching this 1986 classic, and I realized that there are few things in life that make me truly happy, but David Bowie’s package is one of them. Before I go into the merits of this film I would like to encourage you just to meditate a moment on how tight David Bowie’s pants always are and why the phrase ‘mandex’ only really applies to him, particularly in this movie.
Okay. Moving on. A silly and crappily animated (muppets much?) fantasy film about teenage Jennifer Connelly wandering through a maze to rescue her baby brother from goblin David Bowie, stares moodily out a window in ridiculously tight pants that are a blessing to mankind. Or womankind. Wait, he was bi, so both. Anyway, Sarah (Connelly) wanders through the maze like an idiot and continuously messes up getting past various obstacles but eventually makes it to the palace through dumb luck and friendship with the ugly brigade of muppets. And a dog. David Bowie sings some sings, poses a lot, and Sarah gets her baby brother back in the end before going home. I don’t know about you, but I would totally have stayed and become David Bowie’s love slave queen. Just saying. Just saying…
So yes. This movie is hilariously awesome, and an epic story that everyone should see, if only for David Bowie.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Evangelion
One way I value anime series is through brevity. The longer a series, the less likely it will be good. Conversely, the shorter, the more likely it will be excellent. This anime falls into the short, but excellent category.
A total of 26 episodes (plus a movie), Evangelion is a futuristic mecha anime about a fourteen year old boy who must pilot a robot to defeat space invaders while dealing with his own issues of self-esteem and depression. Reading over that summary, that is not what the anime is about. The sum of its parts creates a different feel than what the first sentence implies. Some scenes in the anime are so utterly and logically existential, it's impossible not to be drawn into this pathetic boy and his perceived inadequacy. His statements on derived meaning in life, plus plentiful Christian allusions, paint a bleak and moving picture. The character changes and develops throughout the series before coming to a final conclusion that draws all the alien attacks together into a confusion but cohesive whole. Each of the characters acts as a case study into certain psychological archetypes and how people deal with an existential reality. Without a doubt, this is not only one of the best animes ever, this is one of the greatest televised programs in existence.
A total of 26 episodes (plus a movie), Evangelion is a futuristic mecha anime about a fourteen year old boy who must pilot a robot to defeat space invaders while dealing with his own issues of self-esteem and depression. Reading over that summary, that is not what the anime is about. The sum of its parts creates a different feel than what the first sentence implies. Some scenes in the anime are so utterly and logically existential, it's impossible not to be drawn into this pathetic boy and his perceived inadequacy. His statements on derived meaning in life, plus plentiful Christian allusions, paint a bleak and moving picture. The character changes and develops throughout the series before coming to a final conclusion that draws all the alien attacks together into a confusion but cohesive whole. Each of the characters acts as a case study into certain psychological archetypes and how people deal with an existential reality. Without a doubt, this is not only one of the best animes ever, this is one of the greatest televised programs in existence.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Inglourious Basterds
So. Quentin Tarantino again. That’s right, another glorious bloodfest of delightful proportions, now with Hitler! But onto the movie.
The plot is that a group of Jewish Americans that are dropped into German occupied France in order to kick butt and take scalps. They soon plot to blow up a movie theater that Hitler will be at, and lengthy and somewhat meaningless dialogue ensues. While the Basterds are killing and plotting, a young Jewish-French girl who owns the theater Hitler is going to also plots to blow it up as revenge for her family’s death. All the while, German officer Hans Landa is subverting the girl and the Basterds' progress.
While that maybe the plot, that is not the story. Typical Tarantino, 80% of the movie is either trivial cultural dialogue or unnecessary back-story. While I usual enjoy this aspect of Tarantino, and it was fun, it seems lacking for the reason that this is France in the 1940’s the characters are not speaking English, and there is no overarching message or theme. Usually Tarantino’s violence has a point, or advances the plot in a meaningful way, but nothing feels significant. It’s amusing, but not grippingly so. There are funny moments, and interesting stories and dialogue, but the entire time you feel like you are waiting for something to happen. Finally, at the end of the movie, when Hitler is dead, you realize that this is the movie, what you were waiting for hasn’t happened.
Now, don’t take this the wrong way. I liked Inglourious Basterds, it’s just not as amazing as his past movies, with the possible exception of Death Proof. Had I gone into the theater without certain expectations, I probably would have enjoyed the movie more. That said, I absolutely adore Christoph Waltz. He played Hans Landa, who in my mind almost single-handedly made my eleven dollars well spent. He was completely in the character and as ridiculous as Landa is, Waltz not only pulls it off with style, he makes you believe and understand where the character in his evilness comes from. This actor is Austrian born, and is fluent in English, German, French, and Italian, all of which he uses in the movie. One thing I do have to say for Tarantino, is that he was more authentic with the language usage than I would have expected. French characters speak French, German characters speak German. More than what we got in Schindler’s list, or Defiance. There are other awesome moments of the film, but they all involve Landa, and I'd rather not ruin the moment.
Overall, worth seeing, but not worth paying eleven dollars for. Perhaps four dollars, and then the slow developing, fractured, but linear, storyline would be worth it.
Oh, and by the way, Brad Pitt sucks as an actor and Til Schweiger is sexy. That is all.
The plot is that a group of Jewish Americans that are dropped into German occupied France in order to kick butt and take scalps. They soon plot to blow up a movie theater that Hitler will be at, and lengthy and somewhat meaningless dialogue ensues. While the Basterds are killing and plotting, a young Jewish-French girl who owns the theater Hitler is going to also plots to blow it up as revenge for her family’s death. All the while, German officer Hans Landa is subverting the girl and the Basterds' progress.
While that maybe the plot, that is not the story. Typical Tarantino, 80% of the movie is either trivial cultural dialogue or unnecessary back-story. While I usual enjoy this aspect of Tarantino, and it was fun, it seems lacking for the reason that this is France in the 1940’s the characters are not speaking English, and there is no overarching message or theme. Usually Tarantino’s violence has a point, or advances the plot in a meaningful way, but nothing feels significant. It’s amusing, but not grippingly so. There are funny moments, and interesting stories and dialogue, but the entire time you feel like you are waiting for something to happen. Finally, at the end of the movie, when Hitler is dead, you realize that this is the movie, what you were waiting for hasn’t happened.
Now, don’t take this the wrong way. I liked Inglourious Basterds, it’s just not as amazing as his past movies, with the possible exception of Death Proof. Had I gone into the theater without certain expectations, I probably would have enjoyed the movie more. That said, I absolutely adore Christoph Waltz. He played Hans Landa, who in my mind almost single-handedly made my eleven dollars well spent. He was completely in the character and as ridiculous as Landa is, Waltz not only pulls it off with style, he makes you believe and understand where the character in his evilness comes from. This actor is Austrian born, and is fluent in English, German, French, and Italian, all of which he uses in the movie. One thing I do have to say for Tarantino, is that he was more authentic with the language usage than I would have expected. French characters speak French, German characters speak German. More than what we got in Schindler’s list, or Defiance. There are other awesome moments of the film, but they all involve Landa, and I'd rather not ruin the moment.
Overall, worth seeing, but not worth paying eleven dollars for. Perhaps four dollars, and then the slow developing, fractured, but linear, storyline would be worth it.
Oh, and by the way, Brad Pitt sucks as an actor and Til Schweiger is sexy. That is all.
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