Oh Boy...

Millenium Mambo(dir. Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
Poetic and much less detached than the last film I've seen by him. A Woman Under the Influence done by a Taiwanese director.
**** out of ****
Licensed to Kill(dir. Arthur Dong)
Watch this in my English class. Interesting interviews make this bearable. Lack of direction and stupid decisions make this a pretty average documentary with interviews and subject matter that could have done alot better.
** out of ****
Hearts of Darkness(dir. ?)
Listening to Francis Ford Coppola flip out on the phone is pretty entertaining. I didn't really learn much from this film, but it flowed very nicely. It also has behind the scenes footage of one of my favorite films. This might even be better than Apocalypse Now.
**** out of ****
Band of Outsiders(dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
People say this is a good starting point for Godard, but I don't think so. Thats not to say its not accessible because it certainly is, but it feels like all style and no substance. His other films I've seen, the style is the substance, but this one was still enjoyable. Definately not as good as Masculin Feminin.
*** out of ****
Titicut Follies(dir. Frederick Wiseman)
This could possibly be my favorite documentary. It certainly is disturbing since its footage the director caught of inmates in a asylum. There pretty much is no story to this film, but simply raw moments of inmates that helps create a human picture to insanity and asylum life. Simply amazing.
**** out of ****

The Verdicts

The Sacrifice(dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
It achieved a dream-like feel better than probably any movie I have ever seen. The story is kind of vaguely told which helps create this feel. The way the lines were delivered were very soothing almost like music. They say this is his most Bergmanesque film which I kind of understand since the characters feel like they baring their souls and are very venerable. I however actually loved this film unlike any of the Bergman films I have seen.
**** out of ****
Little Miss Sunshine(dir. ?)
I think I realize now that I am a sucker for films about "dysfunctional" families. The Royal Tenenbaums is probably my favorite movie and thats all about a "dysfunctional" family. This film is amazingly funny, but in a way that is both intelligent and emotional. It shows a family coming together on a vacation through hardships and bad situations and plays it for laughs. It seems very honest and I loved it.
Night on Earth(dir. Jim Jarmusch)
Taxi Cab Confessions as done by Jim Jarmusch. This is my second favorite by him because the stories are interesting and funny. It is most like Mystery Train in the sense it is a collection of stories. This however has a constitent quality to it compared to Mystery Train where the first story was the best one and the others were lacking.
**** out of ****
The Long Goodbye(dir. Robert Altman)
This could be considered an anti-noir just like McCabe & Mrs. Miller is considered an anti-western. I have very similar feelings to this as I do for McCabe & Mrs. Miller. I thought it was really good, but its not as good as some of his other work. Elliot Gould is still the man so that makes it even better than McCabe.
**** out of ****
Choose Me(dir. Alan Rudolph)
Alan Rudolph was Robert Altman's assistant director on the film above. I thought that was interesting since it was unintentional that I would watch this movie after I've seen the film above. It feels like Altman made a romantic film and this is the product. It was definately alot better than his other film I saw called The Secret Life of Dentists. I loved it.
**** out of ****

Oh Simplicity...

Games have become needlessly complex. Companies now believe the more features you put into a game creates a better game. I personally don't think so. I'm sick of annual sequels that are just basically minor upgrades. I'm sick of games cashing on the success of another game. Back in the day of 8-bit and 16-bit games, everything seemed simpler. Games were simple to get into, but difficult to master. Today, its basically the opposite. Controllers with 10 buttons, 2 joysticks, and a d-pad don't seem very user friendly. What happened to when games where made to be fun? I can't even stand to play my PS2 anymore. If I do, its usually me playing a PS1 game or a compilation of classic games. Things seemed to become needless complex and not as innovative as they once were. I'm supporting Nintendo for what they are doing with the DS and Wii. It seems innovative and fairly user friendly. Nintendo seems to know what games should be and thats FUN.

Oh Reviews...

Masculin, Feminin(dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
I've seen Breathless and I was impressed with that and I saw the Rialto trailer for this and it got me hyped up to see this. Chantal Goya is beautiful. Thats the first thing I thought of after seeing the trailer. The movie however is just as beautiful(?) as her. I don't know if I should use the word beautiful, but whatever. The story could basically be summed by this is an examination of French youth in the 60s, but in all honesty, the story doesn't really mean anything. The story uses titles constantly and the youth recite intellectual sayings from literature and other art forms from the top of their head. Some incidents happen spontaneously like a man pulling a knife on Jean-Pierre Leaud and wife shooting her husband in public. I can't really explain anything and how I like it, but I liked it alot.
**** out of ****
Orpheus(dir. Jean Cocteau)
Blood of a Poet was a borefest. I didn't even want Blockbuster to send this movie, but its basically been on shuffle lately. Cocteau uses some of the tricks he showed off in Blood of a Poet in a film with an actual narrative. Its based on a myth. I believe a Greek one. The film has a very mystical feel to it that made you feel like anything was possible of happening in the film. Hell of a lot better than Blood of Poet.
**** out of ****
Telledaga Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby(dir. Adam McKay)
Disappointed? I guess. I saw the commercials and I found nothing particularly funny about them. It was still a fun movie to watch. The ending really did it for me. Anchorman was miles better. It seemed to suit Will Ferrell better since it had a very over the top feel to it. It was pretty good.
*** out of ****
Inside Man(dir. Spike Lee)
The story in this film just basically took over and not in a very good way. I don't get what the point of having this Nazi backstory and all that to make us sympathize with the criminals? It should have just been Denzel and Clive trying to one up each other or something. Jodie Foster's character just bugged the shit out of me and really had no purpose, but push along this Nazi backstory that I could honestly care less about. They should have just made a typical heist movie, but made in a Spike Lee way. This could have been directed by anyone. It was decent.
*** out of ****

Movie Reviews...

My Darling Clementine(dir. John Ford)
I've seen Grapes of Wrath before, but I'm pretty surpised I like this. Of the classic Hollywood westerns I've seen, I can't honestly say I was in love with the whole thing. I can't say it for this either, but it pretty much comes close. Probably my biggest issue is that its a genre. A genre in which subtlity is not very common and this was in an age of unsubtlity which makes it even more unsubtle. The fact of the matter has moments are subtle and beautiful which means alot in this genre. I don't watch much classic Hollywood films, but I would probably say this and Grapes of Wrath are my favorites so far.
**** out of ****
Rushmore(dir. Wes Anderson)[rewatch]
I wasn't sure if I've actually seen the whole thing before so I watched it again. I didn't realize I've seen basically in the movie, but whatever. I looked more into the character of Max Fischer while watching this time and why he acts the way he does. One scene between Max and Ms. Cross probably tells you the whole reason or at least a possible reason why he is in "love" with her when she confronts him about whether having sex with him would put an end to this. I also rewatched this to see if I like more than The Royal Tenenbaums. Tenenbaums is better, but this is still awesome stuff.
**** out of ****
Shrek 2(dir. NO clue)
Intelligent animated films are hard to find. This is pretty intelligent and imaginative. I enjoyed the references to other fairy tale stories and Starbucks and other pop culture nonsense. I didn't think it had as good of a story as the first however.
*** out of ****
Goodbye, South Goodbye(dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien)
First Taiwan movie I've ever seen. I can't say this film was a very emotional experience probably because I had the feeling that I was lost throughout the whole thing. It didn't have a difficult story to follow, it was just the way it was told which is probably what amazed me the most about the film. There was some scenes that blew my mind like a scene where the three main characters are driving on a moped and a motorcycle. I will probably rewatch this or try to find a better copy of it online since this version had pretty lousy video. The film had a sort of Asian Tarkovsky feel to it.
*** out of ****
The Night Listener(dir. No CLUE)
The storytelling is pretty good, but the actual story is pretty bad. Only one scene was very poorly handled which was kind of a combination between a slapstick chase and some horror movie like The Ring. Robin Williams was good. Milks the inspired by true events alittle too much.
*** out of ****
Wedding Crashers(dir. No Clue)
My two biggest complaints are it wasn't that funny and it was very stereotypical. It somehow works with those two complaints against it. The whole thing kind of felt like Rachael McAdams's speech in it. It tries to make you laugh and has good intentions, but it fails.
*** out of ****
Forty Guns(dir. Samuel Fuller)
I have the same feelings about Johnny Guitar. These films are supposed to be films that "independent" minded filmmakers of the classic era twisting a genre to something that suits their needs. However, these films are not as subtle as My Darling Clementine which is categorized as a very Hollywood western. I don't get it. They're somewhat enjoyable, but I've seen better from Fuller and Ray.
*** out of ****

Maps of the Lord: Facing Worlds

This map kicks serious ass. It is probably the greatest CTF map of all time for sheer simplicity and brilliance. It has two opposing towers on a comet. The towers have a sort of Amazonian ruin thing going. Each tower contains three locations to teleport too. A place in the middle with a sniper rifle, a place with a redeemer, and the top of the tower with a sniper rifle. The one thing worth mentioning is the redeemer which makes the map so entertaining. Games have been going crazy on map design. Maps have gotten so huge that theres really no way to know every little detail about them and know where the hell to go. Battlefield 2 which is a game I plan to play alittle bit more of is alittle extravagant with the map design. Gulf of Oman which is probably the best map that I've played in the game is in fact probably the simplest map in the game. Coincidence? I think not. I don't even try to play the large versions of the maps cuz I would get lost for about a half hour. I played two maps today that basically blew. That game has pretty bad map design, but so did Battlefield 1942 except for El Alamein. Enough of Battlefield 2, this map is godlike.

Week and a Half? Review #1?

1. The Royal Tenenbaums (dir. Wes Anderson)
This is my favorite movie now. It is everything I dreamed of in a movie except not knowing it. Some people feel it is painfully controlled, but the instances of emotion are almost crippling because of this control. The characters also do things that seem irrational and spontanteous while the style and the world is controlled by the film-makers. One scene that I think is perfect is when Richie sees Margot the first time in the movie when he is an adult. The music and everything creates the perfect feeling in me that I can't help, but love this movie. I know the rest of the movie isn't perfect, but it comes quite close.
Sidenote: It is quite interesting to compare this Paul Thomas Anderson's third film, Magnolia. They both have a father in it that attempts to reach out to his family by saying he is dying. Phillip Baker Hall's character might be dying while Royal is not dying at all. Hall's character however might have did far worse things to his family than Royal. Narration in both films is surpisingly similar. They both don't have narration in the middle of the picture, but bookend the film. There is alot more narration in Wes's film though. Both films seem to be controlled very elaborately compared to each film-maker's work before this. Rushmore showed Wes's signature style alot while Bottle Rocket just showed little bits like the jumpsuits. Paul's Boogie Nights showed the direction he would be heading with Magnolia, but hasn't made a film like it since. I also believe both those films are the best of their respective director.
**** out of ****
2. Dead Man (dir. Jim Jarmusch)
This movie is my favorite Jarmusch film. I cared for the characters and it felt surpisingly focused compared to his earlier work and even his later work (Broken Flowers). Thats not to say his other films I've seen are worth watching, but they fail to create a mood and a universe like this movie. The soundtrack is amazing and Gary Farmer's performance as Nobody is particularly noteworthy. The film felt like a spiritual western. I dig it.
3. California Split (dir. Robert Altman)
Elliot Gould is the man.
**** out of ****
4. Close-Up (dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
Kind of funny. Not the movie, the situation I watched the movie. I watched it right after the post below. It even says Based on a True Story in the beginning, but the film has documentary footage implemented of it. Some of the people in the documentary footage were willing to re-enact instances talked about in the documentary footage. The ending makes you wonder if the events actually happened or not so it isn't completely abusing its Based on a True Story. Most Hollywood pictures would have put no effort at all into the movie since the audience already has a sense of "Oh this really happened" even though they should be trying harder. Kiarostami is one of my favorite film-makers now.
**** out of ****

Based on a True Story or Events

Thats a line I never liked to see before a movie. It already gives you the impression that you will not be caught off-guard or surprised throughout the next hour or so. It already tells you that the director and crew take this film so seriously that they believe they are showing the audience some form of truth. Truth in cinema? Is that possible? I don't believe in truth in cinema thats not to say that cinema shouldn't make people feel what they are seeing is realistic. Cinema verite was a whole film movement based on trying to make the films as realistic as possible by using documentary film techniques even though whats on screen is usually written down in a script. Some of my favorite films are a part of this sort of idea of cinema like Battle of Algiers and John Cassavetes's films. Werner Herzog used documentary techniques on some of his films, but they are often bizarre like a dream. Thats what I believe films should be like. They should be like dreams. They feel frighteningly realistic, but you see things before that aren't possible in real-life. Truth has no purpose in films even if the film is autobiographical. Those type of films are usually based on fuzzy memories. Films should be based on dreams, fuzzy memories, and other images and ideas that are floating around in the director's skull. Why would I care about truth? Can't I just live my life and see truth through my eyes? I don't need a movie to show me truth. I want the director to show me his interpretation of truth. This post was based on a idea and an interpretation of truth like everything else is and should be.

PC RPGS?

Oh I love acronyms lol. I have never been a huge fan of rpgs even though I own alot of Final Fantasy games, but I have only beaten one. RPGs done right can be addicting as hell like Final Fantasy Tactics. I have never been big on PC RPGs since they mainly consist of clicking of the mouse constantly to kill something. I'll go over some RPGs that basically blew chunks or that I love for the PC.

Diablo series
I don't like it at all. It is so boring and mundane that I don't understand how it has such a large following. The beginning video on the first one is very moody and creepy and the music is too, but actual gameplay is as primitive as Gauntlet with a mouse and keyboard. I guess the online is where the real action is at and I might change my mind when I try that out, but in all honesty, I can't picture myself playing this game a bunch online. The only thing I like by Blizzard is StarCraft and thats the best RTS I have ever played.

Neverwinter Nights
Felt the same as the game above, but seemed more interesting. Alot more reading which I don't like that much especially when it feels like a generic fantasy game. I only played the demo and maybe these games are better online, but yeah. For now, I am not that impressed.

Deus Ex
I love first-person shooters. Well, I don't love everyone and this is a definate case. I might be pushing it by calling it a RPG, but it feels like one and it has alot of talking and text trees. It also has skill menu where you can upgrade skills. I never got past the first level of this game and I can honestly say that some of the things in the games are pretty revolutionary like the fact that you can basically pick up everything. It felt too stealthy and I honestly can't stand that when it feels like a trial and error fest like Splinter Cell. I should enjoy it, but I can't. It is in the category of games that are so hyped up that I don't understand like Final Fantasy VIII and the whole Resident Evil series except 4.

System Shock 2
I haven't played much, but I remember alot of reading and not much playing. If I did play, it would be for a few seconds until I died. It seemed interesting enough to give another try.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The whole reason for this little blog of bullshit. I got this game last Wednesday and I've played it for 19 hours in the past 7 days. I love this game. It feels so immersive even the generic feel of the races and such feel wholly original and fleshed out. This game is a work of art and has so much shit to do even if you get stuck on a quest, you can just do something else. I can't imagine beating this game anytime soon, but its alot of fun.

I need to try Bioware's other PC titles like Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale and maybe even play some Ultimas, but for now, PC RPGs haven't impressed me that much. I might try Guild Wars or some MMORPGs or something. I'll stick to FPSs for now and I should probably play more RTSs, but whatever.

Week in Review #4 or Day in Review?

I only watched one movie this week and thats basically it. I've decided I'm gonna write more blogs about videogames since I've been playing more and more of them lately or have I? I am currently in the process of watching Satantango which is directed by Bela Tarr. IT is a whopping 7 and half hours long. The beginning, I was impressed as hell, but now it feels like a chore just like Werckmeister Harmonies. He just seems to go overboard with some of the stuff that slows down the film's pace and basically hurts the film. Some scenes are so beautiful that I almost feel I should give it 4 stars, but I don't know. We'll see after I watched the whole thing. I've only seen 2 hours so this might be my movie of this week.
L'Argent(directed by Robert Bresson)
This is the first film of his that I can honestly say I enjoyed. Nothing felt distracting. The acting usually distracted me, but it didn't here. It felt soothing and mediative(?) in a way. I read a interview with Bresson and he says he wants to stimulate the eyes and the ears to create a truly audio visual experience. You often hear cars during this film and sound is usually used to change the setting. You usually cars whizzing by or the sound of a person walking before the setting changes. The story's themes are very old fashion, but not told in a very original way. A man's life basically crumbles after receiving counterfeit money. It causes him to lose his job and the respect of everybody. He can't get a job because of the incident and ends up turning to crime. He gets more jail time and his daughter dies and his wife leaves him. His life is basically shit just because of counterfeit money. His life takes a violent turn and yeah. Music was used minimal in this film and maybe thats what was distracting me in his other films since he used music in a very distracting way by basically blarring it. I never paid attention to sound that much in his other films. That might have been my problem. I dug it.
**** out of ****

Week in Review #3

Only watched a whopping two movies this week and beat a game. I finished a book today.
Book Review:
The Stranger by Albert Camus
It was a short and easy read that confronts you with the question what if there is no meaning in life and in this world? The book seemed to glide and have an amazing pace to it. The protagonist was relatable yet immensely flawed. This is a book that Camus used to push his philosophy of absurdism, but never feels like he shoving his message down your throat which takes alot of skill. A great book.
**** out of ****
Movie Reviews:
1. Tokyo Drifter Directed by Seijun Suzuki
I've always wanted to see a film by Suzuki. Some say they are hard to understand, but I don't get how they are or at least this one. It seems very surrealistic especially during a brawl in a saloon. Very stylized to the point I would call him the Japanese Jean-Pierre Melville even though Melville never had enough money to make a film like this, used insane sets or would use color in the way this film does, but it just screams COOL like Melville's films. I want to see more of this director's work.
**** out of ****
2. Point Blank Directed by John Boorman
This film is very similar to the first one in the sense that it is COOL. A man seeking revenge yet doesn't get it. It seems very unrealistic, but in a way it is portrayed in a very realistic fashion which makes it very good. Lee Marvin is in it so thats another bonus. Very stylish just like the film above, but not as bizarre and brilliant.
**** out of ****
Game Review:
Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
This is one of the best first person stealth shooters I have ever played. I've played Deus Ex and hated it. I hate Splinter Cell. Thief: Deadly Shadows seemed interesting. This just seems to do it absolutely right. There is alittle RPG flavor to it with the increasing health bar and the interaction between inmates which leads to optional quests. The last part of it just seemed to fall into genre cliches with the action-packed shootouts and the use of a giant mech-like vehicle. The last boss seems fairly anticlimatic as well. Everything before it was amazing with the use scalpels and screwdrivers to take down enemies. There was some parts that seemed to drag like the dwellers and those funky creatures that explode when shot, but those sections didn't last too long. It is one of the few FPS's I have completed which means alot.
**** out of ****

Week in Review #2

I watched two movies a day this week to make up for not reading a full novel. I started reading For Whom The Bell Tolls, but couldn't really get into it so I read The Metamorphosis instead.
Book:
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
This could have easily been turned into a horror story, but it was more a domestic drama. A man turns into a vermin and causes his family great grief and problems. When he finally dies, his sister is allowed to metamorposize into a beautiful young women. Christ symbolism with cockroaches is good in my book.
**** out of ****
Movies:
1. A Generation directed by Andzrej Wajda
This is considered the weakest of his so-called War Trilogy. However, I enjoyed it more than Kanal. Kanal felt uneven with its depiction of war and their journey through the sewers. Both films are clearly anti-war. The only thing that doesn't work in A Generation is the ending. Sure, it makes its anti-war clear, it just feels out of place. I thought it was amazing.
**** out of ***8
2. Belle De Jour directed by Luis Bunuel
I'm surprised that I waited so long to see any Bunuel. His films are very normal. He is kind of like Franz Kafka of film. He presents bizarre situations in such a realistic fashion that it never becomes uncomfortable or even bizarre. This film however does not have a very bizarre situation. The ending I believe is pretty much the same as Discreet Charm, but I can't help, but this film is less surrealistic. I enjoyed it immensely.
**** out of ****
3. The Player directed by Robert(o) Altman
Robert Altman is one of my favorite directors. His films have a sense of humor that works very well with me. This could be considered his Breakfast of Champions. He criticizes film-making as Vonnegut criticizes writing, but it is what it criticizes. The film is made in a Hollywood fashion, but has a higher degree of artistry. One of its targets is how Hollywood have to end happily. The film ends happily even though it is unrealistic. The film is uncriticizable since it criticizes itself which makes it so great. The first time I saw it I didn't like it. I had a headache or something because I don't understand why I didn't like it.
**** out of ****
4. Naked directed by Mike Leigh
I haven't really watched that many British films which would make sense. Are they considered foreign films? I am not sure. This film has been often called bleak and it is. It is pretty uncomfortable watching it. It kind of reminds of a not as stylish A Clockwork Orange, but it seems more moral. I didn't really get the character of Jeremy or Sebastion. He seems to be an example of how Johnny could be. Johnny is the lesser of two evils. It presents the situation as it is unflinchingly and that is probably its greatest thing. A great film.
**** out of ****
5. Mystery Train directed by Jim Jarmusch
I've seen Stranger than Paradise and feel I should reassess it because I love the style of the film, but the reason I gave for not giving it four stars was lack of emotional involvement, but is that really a problem? There is some emotion to his films, but it doesn't go overboard like Hollywood films. I loved the first story in this film and the other two I liked. I digged it.
**** out of ****
6. The Naked Spur directed by Anthony Mann
I felt the need to get into classic Hollywood westerns. This film is alot alike his other western that I have seen by Anthony Mann called Winchester '73 in the sense the shootout is almost done in a similar fashion. This one is better since it has Jimmy Stewart throwing a spur at the villain's face and it got stuck in there until his partner shot him. Yeah...
**** out of ****
7. Winchester '73 directed by Anthony Mann
The situation is not as interesting, but the film feels more epic with its sprawling narrative about a stolen rifle. The narrative structure was very interesting and the action was grand.
**** out of ****
8. High Plains Drifter directed by Clint Eastwood
The film has a wierd feel to it. It can be considered a continuation of Clint's character in the Man with No Name Trilogy, but lacks their sense of humor. This film isn't very campy or as aware of its old-fashionness. It seemed bleaker, but not as artisitc as say Once Upon a Time in the West. The biggest fault is it takes itself too seriously. The supernatural aspect made it very interesting.
*** out of ****
9. Syriana directed by ?
The plot wasn't as confusing as people make it out to be, but I don't get how the stories relate to each other. I understand alittle bit, but not that much. The biggest problem for me was the editing. It was edited in a very Hollywood fashion which shows me its techniques and makes the thing easy to see where its going. The plot was interesting. More interesting than Crash. It didn't have a real message to it either that corporations are greedy and people die for oil which seems very true. What makes a effective movie is one that you don't understand how it has an effect on you. Directors are basically liars so what they need to do is cover up their lie. If they do this well and are original how they do it then they are a good director. There was one scene with a suicide bomber that had a typical scene of silence with the score going. This is done in alot of films today. It was still a good film.
*** out of ****
10. She's Gotta Have It directed by Spike Lee
This was Spike Lee's debut. It has modest production values and he doesn't take up very heavy handed subject matter. Race doesn't really come into play in this film as much as his others. The acting was not very good. Spike and his sister Joie probably give the best performances of the film. The pseudo-documentary film made it interesting.
*** out of ****
11. Johnny Guitar directed by Nicholas Ray
A western with women? Is this The Quick and the Dead? The women seem like total bitches in the movie even Vienna who is the protagonist of the movie. She is played like a bitch out for blood, but she somehow never wants to fire a weapon and kill anybody which doesn't make sense since how she is acted by Joan Crawford leads me to believe something else. Emma is played as a bigger bitch which makes you sympathize with Vienna more just because shes the lesser of two evils. It dragged alot, but when action happened it was entertaining. Not as good as a western as Anthony Mann's, but had a more interesting situation.
*** out of ****
12. On the Waterfront directed by Elia Kazan
This film is an allegory for the blacklist and the director ratting out people that were commies. Personally, I was bored with this film. The only thing I found interesting was the cinematography. I might need to rewatch this, but for now...
** out of ****

TV:
Coach Season 1
I love Coach. It has a feel like Cheers of warmth and familarity. It is a comforting feeling. I'm surpised by how much I care about Hayden and his friends. Hayden is not very likeable yet you care immensely for him. I love this show.
**** out of ****

Week in Review #1

I'm gonna watch a movie a day except Sundays and read a book a week. I am then gonna review all of it on here.
Book:

Breakfast of Champions By Kurt Vonnegut
The book was interesting, but I was never stirred up emotionally. This book however is beyond criticism since it realizes this in the book itself. Kurt Vonnegut wrote himself in the book and talked about books that explain everything are stupid. This book describes everything about everyone in it from past to their measurements. It was pretty entertaining and better than Cat's Cradle, but definately worse than Slaughterhouse-five.
*** out of ****
Movies:
I'm gonna rank the ones from best to worst of this week.
1. Landscape in the Mist

I love these types of movies that seemed grounded in realism, but have surreal events and images that occur in them. One particular scene deals with a hand coming out of the water which was eerie yet brilliant. It reminded me of La Dolce Vita when the helicopter took it away. It was the longest movie I saw this week, but seemed to go by fast. This was my first film by Theo Angelopoulos and I hope to see more by him.
**** out of ****
2. Kanal

Andrjez Wajda directed one of my favorite films, Ashes and Diamonds. This film is considered one of his masterpieces and some prefer this to Ashes and Diamonds. I prefer Ashes and Diamonds still, but I can easily understand people's preferences. This is one of the grimmest depictions of war I've ever seen which seems rather odd with the lack of violence compared to modern films. It showed war as dehumanizing and degrading. A group of resistance fighters have to take to the sewers or they die. They all die anyways which makes it even worse. It was amazing.
**** out of ****
3. The Virgin Suicides

Sofia Coppola is one of my favorite modern directors just because of Lost in Translation. Some thought it was boring, but I loved the style and atmoshphere the film had. I expected more out of this film, but I wasn't too disappointed. The style and atmosphere was almost as enjoyable, but from the previews and pictures, I was just expecting more. The soundtrack was pretty bitching. It was really good and I was glad I bought it.
**** out of ****
4. Punch-Drunk Love

Paul Thomas Anderson failed me on this one. He seemed more interested in his style than actually presenting a story. There was some scenes I cracked a smile, but I think this just went over my head. I'll probably rewatch in a couple of weeks because a reviewer at DVDEmpire said he didn't like it the first time so I'll give it another try later. For now its....
** out of ****
5?. Mirror

This film is directed by Andrei Tarkovsky who directed Andrei Rublev. This film just seemed way too difficult for me. It didn't seem indulgent just too difficult. It was a new type of cinematic language that I have never seen before. There is a plot somewhat built off of his memories and so on. I definately need to rewatch it.
**? out of ****

Killer of Sheep Review

This can be considered my "holy grail" movie. I wanted to see it for awhile and it was on the top of my want to watch list. It is directed by a man named Charles Burnett. He is often compared to Spike Lee because he is a black director that tries to portray problems that are faced by the black community through his films. This was his first film and it was in response to all the blaxploitation films that came out during the 70's. This film is basically alot of little conversations and incidents. There is alot of children playing and other things. The incidents show more of the characters, but doesn't progress a real plot. The plot is basically life and about the characters. The sound quality isn't that good probably due to funding. The acting isn't also not that top-notch, but its the spirit that matters. I almost view this film like hardcore punk because the production values aren't stupendous, but the film somehow transcends that and became something amazing. It could be viewed as a real motivator for independent and upcoming directors. Children are shown playing throughout contrasted with Stan's family and friends and how they endure through the hardships of life. The children probably don't think they'll end up like Stan, but they will probably will. The title is somewhat a metaphor to life and also a reference to Stan's job. Sheep are viewed as innocence and the longer you live, the more innocence is drawned away. It can also be viewed as dreams since you count sheep in order to go to sleep. Stan probably dream of the life he has, but like the final image of the sheep pressing thru, he will endure and make the best out of it. It could be viewed as motivating, but not in a typical Hollywood way. They aren't gonna win a million dollars or be better people. They'll simply be who they are and thats all that matters. The last song you hear in the movie is called "Unforgettable" and thats exactly I feel about the whole film.
**** out of ****

Hard Eight (Sydney) Review

Paul Thomas Anderson is probably my favorite director that came out of the 90's. He has a dark side to his films, but he doesn't dwell on it to be edgy. It just seems like reality. Sure, a reality that he wants to show us, but all directors are like that. All good directors are like that. This was his first. It stars many actors that he would reuse for later films which are John C. Reily, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and of course Phillip Baker Hall. This film was influenced by Jean-Pierre Melville's Bob le Flambeur which is understandable with its gambling themes and Phillip Baker Haller playing a character that is almost exactly like Bob. Hell even Gwyneth Paltrow's and John C. Reily's characters seemed lifted from that film. This film is definately not PTA's best in terms of screenwriting. It is filled with episodes that don't really add much. The whole episode with Sydney and Jimmy seems like it was lifted from a soap opera. The performances were relatively strong, but there was some instances that just didn't seem very natural. This is a very good feature debut from a director, but does not compare to the two films that followed this. While watching this, I came up with some connections between PTA and another director with the same last name that came out of the 90's, Wes Anderson. PTA's films deal with family. Wes's mainly deal with the father figure. Some of PTA's films have heavy themes dealing with fathers. This film does and so does Magnolia. Other than that, there really is no connection between the two filmmakers, but it is interesting how they deal with the themes. Paul seems more concerned with the father's perspective while Wes's films seem to come from the child's perspective except for maybe Life Aquatic and I'm not sure with Royal Tenenbaums. I enjoyed this film and some scenes that I thought were very good like the motel hostage scene. My feelings probably would have been different if the ending didn't feel so unsatisfying.
*** out of ****

Fight Club Review

Three people told me this was their favorite movie. So I wanted to see it because everybody gives this film praise. This is the first film that I have seen directed by David Fincher(Seven, The Game, and etc.). It started out with alot of energy and really had me interested until probably 90 minutes into it. The movie's biggest problem was the length. If it was only 90 minutes, I would probably be giving it 4 stars, but I'm not. I think alot of people probably enjoy it because of the "twist." That doesn't make the movie that great. The signs are easy to identify if you knew the "twist" beforehand so it might be a cool rewatch, but after that, I would probably get sick of it. It definately isn't the masterpiece as everybody says it is. It just felt like a film that was edgy to mainstream audiences. The whole thing with Bob with tits was pretty pathetic because it just felt it was trying to be edgy, but I should probably blame the book for that. There was alot of things that Tyler Durden says that probably gets endlessly quoted by fans, but his whole anti-consumerism slant seems rather hypocritical since he wears designer clothes that are nicer than anything Edward Norton's character wears. I don't know. It was pretty good.
*** out of ****

Persona Review

The beginning title cards and everything before was pretty impressive, but the rest of the film tries so hard to be artsy. It was interesting to say the least, but it tried too hard. All the Bergman I have seen has not convinced me that he is a master, but I could understand his appeal. Wild Strawberries was probably the worst film I've seen of his, but alot of people herald it as a masterpiece just like this. I thought Saraband was the best I seen of him and have to say that film was pretty good. Yeah...
** out of ****

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Review

This film is grimy, gritty, and feels suprisingly realistic. It is about a man seeking justice. Sure that description is off-putting, but theres alot more to it. The film centers on a man who befriends a Mexican that he works with on a ranch and does normal argiculture duties. His friend gets shot by a border patrol officer who mistakenly thinks he is getting shot at by him. The movie is edited in a very unique way. We get scenes from the past with Tommy Lee Jones spending time with Melquiades Estrada. These scenes are in actual Spanish instead of the unrealistic Hollywood fashion of having Spanish just be English but with Spanish accents. The characters inhabit a world that is grimy and pretty much morally depraved, but like most good film noirs theres a moral center. Tommy Lee Jones is the hero of this story, but probably the moral center is Estrada. One scene has Tommy Lee Jones and Estrada go to a hotel room with two married women to sleep with. Estrada does not sleep with the woman. They just sit on the hotel bed and watch tv and listen to music. The character is played with a suprising amount of innocence which makes his death more harrowing. One scene that makes this film a masterpiece occurs in Mexico. Tommy Lee Jones is in a bar drinking a beer and basically just sitting on stool. A little girl plays an out of tune piano and there is Christmas lights hanging down from the bar. It has such a surreal and beautiful effect on me that I think it is one of the greatest scenes I've ever seen. This is a stunning debut from a very talented director (Tommy Lee Jones).
**** out ****

Taste of Cherry Review and Analysis

Original review:
Taste of Cherry(dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
I'm borderline whether this film is actually good or bad. It was interesting and different. It was not as good as The Wind Will Carry Us which had conversations that felt natural and pointless yet meaningful. The whole film really doesn't engage the viewer but there is something bold about it that I have to respect.
*** out of ****
Rewatch Review:
I've never done this. I have never done a rewatch review on here, but I feel I need to. In all honesty, my first time watching the film was one of extreme boredom. I did not like it that much. The ending was interesting, but that was it. I thought the whole stages of life dealing with the passengers just seemed dull and pretentious. It was too self-conscious, but now I think about it, it goes well with the ending which is basically a giant self reflection of movie making. The film is much more intellectual stimulating on this viewing. Kiarostami constantly gives hints throughout the film that I never picked up on on my first viewing. The characters constantly refer to the earth and dirt. One conversation between an Afghani security guard and Mr. Badii reveals that Mr. Badii loves the earth. His form of suicide deals with earth. He has dug a hole to lay down after taking all his sleeping pills and he must have someone bury him if he dies. Why does he try to kill himself? I don't know for sure, but I'll get into that right now.
Analysis(SPOILERS):
All of this is purely opinion, but I feel it could make some sense. Earth is constantly referenced. Mr. Badii loves the earth. We constantly see the earth being shaped and manipulated which leads me to believe that Mr. Badii hates what human beings are doing to it. He constantly drives with his Range Rover on roads that were made by the manipulation of earth. I now see this as a metaphor for Kiarostami's style of film-making. He does not want to manipulate audiences or hijack them emotional. This film is emotional, but not to the extent a Hollywood film would be. It is much more intellectual. This is how Kiarostami makes his films. You could view Mr. Badii killing himself as a form of sacrifice for the earth. Kiarostami's films could be seen as "suicides" where he sacrifices his artistic control for his audience. He cares about them too much just like Mr. Badii cares for the earth. He wants the audience to defer from the film and be intellectually stimulated. He wants them to breath life into the film, not him breath life into the film for the audience. The ending however is a tricky bastard. It is self-reflexive as hell and does not correlate with the rest of the film. I realize now maybe I figured out something. The last time we see of Mr. Badii is sitting in that hole waiting to see if he dies or not. Obviously, Kiarostami wanting to have his audience intellectually stimulated and moved by thought would not give us an indication of whether he dies or not. We never find out, but after that scene we see Kiarostami directing a group of soldiers. Mr. Badii talks about his days serving in the army. He states that it was the best time of his life. The whole ending reminds us of earlier scenes in the film. There is a tree with probably mulberries on it since the Turkish passenger did not kill himself because of mulberries. The whole ending is however kind of reminscent of the scene that came right before it. Sure, Kiarostami is not lying down in a hole wondering if he will wake up tomorrow, but him film-making is the equivalent of that. He has no idea whether this film will be liked or disliked. Just like Mr. Badii's death is, its up to fate and the viewer. Kiarostami has sacrificed himself in this film for all cinema fans to enjoy. I love it and I feel I am now Sherlock Holmes and have solved some sort of mystery. This is a modern masterpiece and I take back every bad thing I said about this film.

**** out of ****

Quick Reviews

Walk the Line (dir. ?)
It is a by the numbers Hollywood biopic, but done really well. I thought it was really good and felt pretty honest in the way it portrayed him. I don't really know anything about Johnny Cash, but I know one thing he is not a very good singer. He kind of reminds me of the spirit of punk. Most punk bands are shitty musicians, but its the spirit that wins you over. It could have been grittier to me and could have got rid of the whole childhood segment of his life. Overall, a really good film.
**** out of ****

Swingers (dir. ?)
This is a guys hanging out sort of comedy. They don't really talk about anything that is really important except about themselves and each other. It was a nice little film I guess you would say. It is about a man's dealing with leaving the woman he loves back home and how he gets back on his feet again. Vince Vaughn was in it and he suprisingly not annoying. I thought it was pretty good.
*** out of ****