Revisiting Midnight Movies.

Japanese director Nobuhiko Obayashi's film House (1977) is going to be distributed to different theatres in the nation throughout the year. House has been compared to a cross between Dario Argento, John Hughes, and Scooby Doo. I personally have not yet had the privilege of having my mind warped by this work of subversive art. Unfortunately, the film will not be showing anywhere near to me and I will have to find a way to check it out on my own time. This is disappointing, since I was hoping on having a midnight movie experience in a theatre as opposed to at home. Alas, though I am at the mercy of the cultural Bermudas’ triangle that I live in. Nevertheless, this has made me think back to the midnight movies that left me either perplexed at the oddity or in admiration at the audacity. Here is a list of a few essential midnight movies you have to witness at least once with a group of select friends (preferably during the after hours).

Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) - It’s almost seems like a cliché to put this at the top of the list, but it is the definitive midnight movie. Sure maybe pretentious drama students have ruined the “Time Warp” for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy “Science Fiction Double Feature.” However, I digress; this film is only for those of a certain sense of humor. Others are warned; you will be in for a strange, taboo breaking, trip with Brad and Janet. If you get the chance, check this one out at a theatre. They sometimes do event showings. All the fans come out and it makes it an immersive experience (Caution: You will be very uncomfortable if you’re expecting a quite night at this movie.)

El Topo (1970) – Ok, I don’t know where to start with this one. It is an acid western and has philosophical undertones. This film was directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, who is a master of surrealistic metaphors. Now, if you are one of those people who enjoy simple plots and characters of mainstream cinema (I don’t know why you’re reading this list in the first place?) you will not find this here. All you will be left with is a headache and more questions than answers. What is El Topo’s quest all about? What’s with the dwarfs? Why is he a Buddhist monk? What is going on? Oh and this film was financed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, so that should tell you something.

Pink Floyd The Wall (1970) – When Syd Barret left Pink Floyd, they went down a more dark and brooding route with their music. The Wall is probably their darkest work to date and this film serves as a companion piece to the album. Pink Floyd The Wall is basically a troubled musician locked in his hotel room, slowly losing what is left of his mind. Sounds like fun, no? Well it gets better; he becomes so alienated from everyone around him that he becomes a sadistic dictator who destroys everything in his path. Afterwards, he is exposed to a jury of his peers. Now this is all presented in fragmented segments of avant-garde animation and bizarre day dreams. So, The Wall is more for those nights, when you’re feeling down and you want a good soundtrack of madness to help you through your own malaise.

Dawn of the Dead (1978) – Now, I was split between this and Night of the Living Dead, but this one is much more fun. It’s "splatterific," if I might be so bold as to use the phrase. Also, it’s a vicious comment about consumerism in America. Let’s recap: Zombies, check…campy gore effects, check…modern commentary on society, check. Looks like we have everything we need to have a good night in Romero land.

Eraserhead (1977) - I have already talked about Eraserhead enough on a previous blog entry. It still one of the only films to make me feel uneasy throughout it’s running time. Anything David Lynch has the ability to make your subconscious crawl.

The Warriors (1975) – “Can you dig it?” I don’t know about you, but there are two things I like in this film: the absurd costumes and the chase. Also, the whole story is a modern revisionist take on the Greek story Anabasis by Xenophon. Did I mention it ends with the song “In the City” by John Walsh? What more do you want? “Warriors come out and play.”

Harold and Muade (1971) – This is a dark comedy about a suicidal boy who learns to enjoy life from a much older woman. Now this is an oversimplification and might not seem to catch your attention at first. If Harold’s amusing morbid sensibility doesn’t attract you, then Maude’s free-thinking renegade attitude will. Harold and Muade also has one of the best edited endings ever constructed. “Trouble” by Cat Stevens is masterly used as the ending song that will stick to your soul.

Freaks (1932) – This is an old film that still has the ability to shock. Now I won’t say much about this gem of early exploitation cinema. It is dark, twisted, misanthropic and ends on a dreadful note of poetic justice.

Donnie Darko (2001) – This is a modern one among the midnight crowd. It was most poignant when I was an angsty teenager and it is still resonant. If you pull away all the science fiction, you get the story of a person trying to transcend the materialistic world around him. Throw in a demented bunny, an unusual tone, a striking 80’s soundtrack and you get this time travelling spin down the rabbit hole of suburbia.

Rock n’ Roll High School (1979) – Thought I’d put in a positive note. The Ramones invade a school and punk anarchy breaks loose. Basically it is every teenage high school fantasy brought to fruition.

Army of Darkness (1992) - I consider this more of a cult classic, then a midnight movie. However, as Ash would say, it’s all “groovy.”

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) – Rock n’ Roll Phantom of the Opera and Brain De Palma, I think I just woke up in a pleasant fever dream of ambitious proportions.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) – Clowns from outer space use cotton candy ray guns, need I say more?

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) – “There's no earthly way of knowing.. which direction we are going! There's no knowing where we are going! Or which way the wind is BLOW-OW-ING!!"

Avatar Review

James Cameron makes his return to feature films with his magnum opus: Avatar. He wrote the script back in the 90s and has been working on the film for 4 years. After his success with Titanic, it makes sense that Cameron would do a project like this. Nevertheless, is it worth all the hype and the wait? Well, the answer is complicated, at least from my perspective.


Avatar is one of those films that I left with mixed reactions. It is, without a doubt, visually stunning and every dollar of it’s $230 million budget is displayed on screen. The 3D format enhances the visceral level of the visual world that Cameron has created. This is the reason that you should experience the film in a digital 3D theater at least once. There is an impressive sense of detail in every aspect of the planet Pandora and it's ecosystem.

However, for all of Avatar’s technical excellence, it lacks interesting characters and storyline. It seems that Cameron forgot to polish up his script after he took it off the shelf. The characters and plot of Avatar are too 2 dimensional and are not compatible with the 3 dimensional world that they inhabit. Now, I am not saying that this type of film should have a complicated plot, but it should not feel overtly clichéd and familiar. Sometimes you have to take a simple plot structure and find new things to make it singular. Unfortunately, I do not feel like Avatar did that, it was too familiar and not inventive in the way that the aesthetics of the film were. The characters are a little better off, but they lack depth and charisma. The culture of the Na’vi itself is interesting and detailed; conversely, each character fits rigidly into a boring archetype. Nonetheless, for all of Avatar’s flaws, it is still an entertaining ride. For a 2 hour and half running time, it moves at a quick and steady pace.

So, where do I stand on Avatar? Well I like the film for it’s virtues and have come to terms with it’s flaws. I think it accomplishes so much, in spite of itself. Maybe, it is because it represents it’s inspiration from B science fiction stories of paperback novels in such an operatic style. I will say that it has provided me with a new catch phrase to add to my lexicon, “freaking daisy cutters.”

Disaster or Disastrously Amusing?

Well, 2012 arrives in theaters this weekend and I'm sure that while I write this there is a line at the multiplex for the next showtime. However, I am not in the category of those eager to have 2 hours and half of their life sucked away by an over the top disaster film, but I will anyway eventually. It is just hard to resist the temptation of chessy disaster films; they provide us with a comfortable way to enjoy our morbid curiosity. It doesn't matter that 2012 probably has a minimal plot and superficial characters; as an audience, we just want to sit there and have stuff blow up and look cool, while doing so. Who said a disaster can't be fun? Here is my list of my top five "chesse-tastic" disaster films, sure to make you "ohh" and "ahh," while laughing your butt off at the pure stupidity of Hollywood logic.

1. Twister (1996) Now why would I put this at the top of the list? Two reasons, One: flying cow, two: surviving a twister via a belt. I think those two reasons are enough to justify this film as a semi-comedy. This 1996 blockbuster was my first real disaster experience in theaters and even as a kid I was confused about the logic of it all. I didn't know it was so easy to chase, out run and survive a twister, as long as you have a truck and a trusty belt ready to be strapped to a pipe. Ah, Twister, how many times have you saved my life during my visits to tornado alley, there are too many to count.

2. Volcano (1997) So, it appears that according to this film, concrete barriers can hold back lava and detonated charges can stop a volcanic fault line. Also, Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Hache make one heck of a volcano fighting team. Now of course, there are plenty moments of great fiery performances to go around in this epic fight against molten rock. Oh yes, the character who sacrifices himself, the people who learn to tolerate each other in the face of adversity and of course the slow motion running scene are all there.

3. Armageddon (1998) Micheal Bay, you have given us so many giant explosive fire balls of sub-par excellence; it was only natural that you take it to the next level: explosions in SPACE. Hence, why NASA, helmed by Billy Bob Thorten (this already brings up the believability factor of the film), decides to send an oil-drilling team on a space mission to blow an asteroid in two pieces before it reaches Earth. That almost sounds like it might work, but not before Bruce Willis must sacrifice himself in one of the most moving scenes I have ever witnessed. The only thing to move me more than that scene was the amazing song "Don't want to miss a Thing" by Aerosmith, which is on the soundtrack. It left me in utter shambles. Why must Bruce Willis die, while we all live? A deep question that we all must ask ourselves.

4. Dante's Peak (1997) Another volcano type movie, only this time it is Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton who must battle an exploding mountain of death. OK, this film gets some "cool" points because an entire town gets blown up by a giant pryroclastic cloud and a grandma gets burned by an acid lake. I dare you to find any other film that can deliver you both a better exploding town sequence and elderly death scene than this one. Of course, everything the kids do is mind numbingly stupid and once the town blows up, who cares what happens, the good part is over. We all know it's just going to be a happy ending where only minor characters die in slightly heroically humiliating ways.

5. Deep Impact (1998) A comet is heading towards Earth, the president of the U.S. is Morgan Freeman and Elijah Wood will do anything to save Leele Sobieski, I would too. There are other events that transpire as well, but I don't quite remember them all to clearly. All I can recall is New York and other cities being wiped out by tidal waves. Poor Morgan Freeman, his first time as president and he lets a piece of a comet hit Earth.

Honorable mentions:
The Day After Tomorrow (2004) How do you survive the next ice age? You run away from it as fast as you can.

Independence Day (1996) These aliens must have crappy computer programmers because their security system has as many holes as Windows Vista.

The Core (2003) The core has stopped spinning and the Earth will destroy itself. How will you stop this from happening? By using implausible junk science of course.

Pearl Jam's Backspacer

The early 90s were a radical time in music. The sonic landscape was changing for the better. Eventually, the underground came above ground and a wave of alternative rock bands were given their opportunity to bring back music from the edge. Many of these bands were grown in the urban clubs of Seattle, Washington. It is quite impressive to think that at one time a lonely teenager out in downtown Seattle could hear Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam in the same night with almost no cash in his pocket.

Both Nirvana and Pearl Jam were the front runners of the 90s grunge era. Nirvana's Nevermind brought Alternative Grunge music to the masses and Pearl Jam's Ten quickly followed. It goes without saying that had Kurt Cobain not taken his life, Nirvana could have been as prolific as The Beatles were in their time. However, it was not meant to be and their catalogue is strong as it stands. Pearl Jam, on the other hand, has been making music ever since they formed. Even when grunge became post-grunge and eventually became a fad, Pearl Jam was always and is still around.

Now in their 19th year as a band, Pearl Jam has released their ninth studio album Backspacer. Earlier this year, the band also released another version of Ten, which included unreleased tracks. However, that was an incentive to fans and Backspacer is more of an effort in comparison. The album is a layered reminder of why Pearl Jam has endured as along as they have. Even though many of the members are older than they where in their Seattle heyday, they still have the same veracity and energy. Every single bit of that comes through in Backspacer. It is one of the more well-rounded albums that Pearl Jam has produced over the years. Each track has it's own noisy resonance that calls back to the nostalgia of pre and early 90s alternative rock. Tracks listed on the album:

1. Gonna See my Friend
2. Got Some
3. The Fixer
4. Johnny Guitar
5. Just Breathe
6. Amoungst the Waves
7. Unthought Uknown
8. Supersonic
9. Speed of Sound
10. Force of Nature
11. The End

My personal favorite tracks include: The Fixer, The End and Unthought Uknown. The Fixer is the first single off the album and I'm sure many will hear it on the radio or somewhere else. The first time I heard it, it got under my skin and I found it spinning in my head even after it had left the airwaves. It has an anthemic sensibility to it and it is easily accessible. The End is one of the more somber tunes on the album. Most of Backspacer is occupied by more noisy fare and The End is the closure to that. It ends everything on melancholic note, which gives it a long lasting feel, even after it is over. It somewhat reminds me of the songs that Eddie Vedder composed for the Into the Wild soundtrack. Unthought Uknown just builds up and envelopes in an apex of sound and I have always been a fan of songs that build up intensity. Nevertheless, I don't think Backspacer can be enjoyed without the sum of it's parts all working together. When you get the chance, close the door, drown out the outside world, put on your headphones and get caught in the waves of sound.

Empire Records - The Gen-X Guilty Pleasure

There are certain movies, that lack in various departments but have a sort of redeeming quality to them. For example, Empire Records (1995), the Generation-X comedy that came out at the peak of the Grunge era. Now, Empire Records is far from a great movie; it is, in an opinion, a shallow pop version of Clerks (1994). Nevertheless, there is something about it that makes it a somewhat enjoyable experience. Maybe it's the idea that we might one day want to work at a place like Empire Records, an idealized version of a record store, where life problems are solved within the lapse of a day.

Empire Records is occupied by stock characters, who all basically seem to fit into their respective stereotypical 90's archetype. They all play their part within the story and follow their own predictable re-awakening. This is what makes the it feel very superficial, even if it tries to strive for a message against non-commercialism and individuality. At the end, everything is too neatly resolved and put together, especially after one day. However, I have to say, maybe that is the appeal of it. We all fantasize about resolving our inner and outer conflicts in the matter of about 24 hours or less, so Empire Records gives us what we want, as opposed to what we need. I think it is important to stand back and view the movie not as something that strives for realism but for formalism. Empire Records is, in a sense, a fantasy film that tries to ground it's self in reality.

Probably the only great thing about Empire Records is the soundtrack. The array of music that pulsates through the movie is it's ultimate redeeming factor. Every song is not placed in an ad-hoc fashion, but is instead placed in the right scene at the right time. I think this is the reason it succeeds, even in the wake of it's faults. It is pure entertainment filled with great songs; it is a 90's pop artifact. If you dis-like the film, then you at least have the soundtrack to make up for the lost time. This is the track listing:

1. Til I Hear it from You - Gin Blossoms
2. Lair - Cranberries
3. Girl like you - Edwyn Collins
4. Free - The Martinis
5. Crazy Life - Toad and the Wet Sprocket
6. Bright as Yellow - The Innocence Mission
7. Circle of Friends - Better Than Ezra
8. I Don't want to Live Today - Ape Hangers
9. Whole Lotta Trouble - Cracker
10. Ready, Steady, Go - Meices
11. What You Are - Drill
12. Nice Overalls - Lustre
13. Here it Comes Again - Please, Please
14. Ballad of El Gordo - Evan Dando
15. Sugarhigh - Coyote Shivers

Plus there are the songs that are played in the movie but are not on the soundtrack, which include but are not limited to: Plowed - Sponge, Hey Joe -Jimi Hendrix, Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla, Romeo and Juliet - Dire Straits, Daniel Johnston - Rock 'n' Roll/ EGA, so forth and so on...

(500) Days Of Summer Review

(500) Days of Summer is a fresh breeze in the stale summer air. I have to say personally it is on my top ten list for this year, so far. It has more honesty and relativity in one frame than most films this year have been able to achieve in their full running time. Now it goes without saying that this film is not for everyone; the film techniques and the non-linear format might turn those off who are more comfortable with regular narrative structures. Nevertheless, the creative approach that the film-makers take to tell the story is what gives the film another layer of nuance. For it's introspection into how we think about relationships in our minds, as scattered fragments of time instead of chronological moments, is what makes the film personally relevant, at least in my opinion.

In a similar way as Annie Hall, High Fidelity, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, (500) Days of Summer takes a male perspective on a romantic relationship. Actually it is more like a relationship built on unrequited love. Although, there are moments where Tom Hanson does share a connection with Summer Finn, she never truly reciprocates his love for her. We never get a full reason for Summer's actions as a character, since we mostly view her through Tom's perspective. However, that is the point, Summer seems undecided about her emotions and her actions because that is how Tom remembers her. She will always be kind of a mystery to him and us the audience.

The film takes different creative techniques to show us Tom's emotional ups and downs. These give us an open window into his mind throughout his 500 day journey. There are too many to highlight, but I will make note of 3 different occasions that I thought were poignant. The first is the dance sequence that occurs after Tom leaves Summer's apartment. I think this dance sequence is a near perfect metaphor for the emotional high a person feels when they fall in love with someone. Of course, it's followed by the depressive downturn many days later. The second is when Tom is sitting in the cinema and is watching himself inserted into different French films. For example for The Seventh Seal homage, Tom plays chess with cupid, instead of death. The third and the one that resonated with me the most was the Reality vs. Expectation sequence. I think we all go through situations expecting an outcome but end up dealing with the reality, which is usually the opposite of what we expected.

(500) Days of Summer is a film that connects with it's audience on a personal level. It delves into the range of feelings that can occur in unrequited love. It takes an authentic introspection into it's themes of heartbreak and hope. Tom is a hopeless romantic and Summer is skeptical about the very notion of romance; these characters both fundamentally represent different sides of the spectrum. However, both are able to reach a middle ground about their varied perspectives. In the end, we are all just waiting for an Autumn after every Summer.

Transformers Rise of the Fallen Review

Transformers: Rise of the Fallen is all noise and no fun. I would go as far to say that it is the worst movie of the summer season so far and that is saying a lot compared to what audiences have had to contend with this summer. Transformers (2007) was big dumb fun, it lacked in a lot of departments but it was an enjoyable movie. In contrast, Transformers: Rise of the Fallen is just big and dumb.

I don't think any movie is a better example of everything that is wrong with current American mainstream cinema. It seems that Hollywood keeps churning out these shallow action movies that are all style and no substance. I concede that certain action movies do get by with being shallow fun, but only if they have a certain respect for the audience's intelligence.

Transformers: Rise of the Fallen basically hits the audience over the head for 3 excruciating hours. It's really hard sit through the awkwardly unfunny comedy this movies tries to accomplish. It's almost like Micheal Bay is sitting behind you, poking your shoulder every five-minutes, screaming in your ear, "Isn't that hilarious, ha ha, ethnic stereotypes and sexual innuendos. Oh, I'm such a visionary."

In terms of plot, well there isn't any. Any semblance of plot is nothing but a contrived line of events that are linked by mediocre action scenes. Every sub-plot that is set up goes nowhere fast. The plot is paper thin and is as deep as the inside of a Coke can. The characters in Transformers Revenge of the Fallen have as much depth as the plot. Every character is nothing but a disposable piece used to thrust the action along.

The human characters are all uninteresting and lack any emotional connection with the audience, so why should I care if Sam or Mikaela almost die? Is it because they are the leads in the story? is that the only reason you have to give me? Oh, by the way, Megan Fox might be extremely attractive but she has the acting skills of a disabled mime. Shai LaBeouf is basically playing the one note character of Sam with as much grace as Fox plays her character. In all honesty, I'm being unfair to the actors, it's not their fault that the script is a muddled mess or that their director is not very deft on plot or characters. Now when it comes to the Transformers, they are actually way more interesting than their human counterparts. It's too bad that great characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron are reduced to meandering parts. Also, who ever had the idea of making two Autobots into over the top stereotypes, one of which who sports a gold tooth, should be fired from production and should be sent to racial sensitivity school.

The special effects and action sequences should be the redeeming factor in movie, right? Nevertheless, I think the effects and the action in this movie weren't as great as the first, in my opinion at least. It's very sad, when I start to get bored during an action scene. Maybe it's because when you have no interest in the characters or the situations on screen there is no suspense to keep you hooked in. The CGI and the effects quickly loose their gleam as the movie progressively gets more disconnected. Now, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is going to make it's millions at the Box Office, that is a given. Although, I hope that bad of word of mouth hurts it in the end. Truthfully, though, I know that the masses will flock to it and that it will make its money, procuring a pointless sequel.