Oh, hello! I'm suddenly knee-deep in scholarly reading for grad school so my art-making time has certainly taken a hit. I will continue to do my best to create awesome things, we'll just see if I can keep up the weekly pace. I have some neat things planned though.
Luckily this week I do have something! You may or may not recall the etsy customer who commissioned me to make Harry Potter and Charmed designs, well we sort of took an unexpected break but now I'm back working on some other prints for her! Next up was a design for Practical Magic, which I just watched this week for the first time. I like what I made for it and she does too, so everyone is happy.
Other things available in my etsy shopppppp, they're all awesome.
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Seen: On dvd on my tv, rented from the Tisch Library at Tufts.
You may recall last Friday I put up three posters I'd made recently for an etsy commission. One of them was for Annie Hall, a film I hadn't seen in a while and re-watched for design ideas. Often considered one of Woody Allen's greatest successes, the film flits into and around the relationship of neurotic (duh) comedian Alvy (Allen) and scatterbrained singer Annie (Diane Keaton). Narrating with self-aware assurance and nervous jokes, Alvy relates the story of his romance with Annie, and in turn we learn of his two failed marriages and various other memories and side-stories. Everyone learns the important lesson that LA is for wackos.
Essentially composing a portrait of a man through his experiences with women- past and present- Annie Hall is notable more for its clever nonlinear storytelling techniques and funny dialogue than for its actual narrative. I love the fourth-wall-breaking moments as Alvy complains to the audience about pretentious filmgoers and not getting enough sex. Allen's easygoing, off the cuff comedic style is well-suited to such a loose story, with a number of hilarious conversations between various characters that feel silly but natural. Keaton is a great foil for Allen, filling in his quick, not-as-smart-as-he-thinks-he-is quips with goofy lingo and brash observations. Plus, her style is rad as we all know (no need for a costumer when your own wardrobe is already that cool).
There are still some of the typical Woody Alleny things that I have never much like about his movies, mainly his depiction of women. Alvy is typically shown as smarter or more likable than most of the women in this movie, yet I usually wonder why any of them are dating him since he's so self-centered. But I like that Annie eventually stops putting up with his bullshit and chooses a path for herself, and that Alvy comes to appreciate her as a person by the end.
And just as a side note, I have so much fun with the shit ton of famous people who pop up in this movie, even a few small roles for not-yet-known actors. Carol Kane, Christopher Walken, Shelley Duvall, John Glover, Paul Simon, Jeff Goldblum (!), and an impossible-to-identify Sigourney Weaver!
4/5
Pair This Movie With: Well, I'm thinking Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for another nonlinear look into a doomed relationship. But 8 1/2 was also suggested by Nuts4r2.
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Seen: At the Kendall Square Landmark Cinema in Cambridge.
Knowing internally who she is and what she wants, 17-year-old Alike aka Lee (Adepero Oduye) feels comfortable dressing in masculine clothing at her high school and openly looking for a girlfriend as her friend Laura (Pernell Walker) drags her to a lesbian strip club, but knows to hide her homosexuality from her overprotective religious mother (Kim Wayans) and clueless father (Charles Parnell). She thinks she may have found the perfect partner in new friend Bina (Aasha Davis), but Lee's own romantic inexperience leads to misplaced feelings.
It seemed I spent a good chunk of 2011 hearing about how phenomenal Pariah is, but its distribution took its sweet time reaching Boston. Turns out all of the hype was exactly correct, and this would have made my Favorites of 2011 List for sure. Newcomer Dee Rees weaves together a story of acute emotion that feels altogether fresh in its style and outlook and familiar in its coming-of-age trappings. Here is a film that so perfectly captures the general agony and ecstasy of being a teenage girl, it is both a joy and sorrow to watch. The script is smart and realistic, never slipping into overwrought melodrama or knee-slapper comedy but maintaining subtle elements of both, working in the thrill of first love, the disappointments of friendship, and the disillusionment with parental guidance that affects so many kids. Rees' camera is up-close and personal, creating an intimate atmosphere with darkened domestic spaces and soft-glow lighting.
This is in many ways an "actor's movie", and my does the cast deliver. Adepero Oduye is absolutely fantastic in the lead role, exuding an eagerness and charismatic likability that I immediately latched on to. Here is a woman who should win every award (well, I would say that about the whole movie, really). She even makes readings of teen angst poetry less mockable than I would expect, a tricky feat in my book. I also loved everyone in the supporting cast, from Pernell Walker's tough-talking but soft-hearted portrayal of Laura to Kim Wayans' hard-edged mother misguided by religious principle. The Christian angle isn't overplayed, but does make up a key point. Lee's mother isn't some sermonizing religious zealot, but she quietly and emphatically believes what she believes, and doesn't allow anything to change that. It's scary how true that is for so many people, but I didn't feel Rees was being judgmental. She's showing things the way they are.
Lee's character embodies the title in several ways as a black lesbian who doesn't fit in comfortably at school, in her tight-lipped Christian family, or even in her local gay community. Pariah is committed to portraying multidimensional characters and non-stereotypical glimpses into multiple lifestyles and experiences, and I absolutely loved it for that. Walking out of the theater all I could think was, "Damn. What a good movie."
4.5/5
Pair This Movie With: For a more satirical, comedic look at teenage homosexuality in a religious setting, I am a fan of But I'm a Cheerleader.
Further Reading:
A much more insightful review can be found at Cannonball by my friend IRL Harry Waksberg.
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Seen: On dvd on my laptop, rented from Hollywood Express in Cambridge.
When Sasha described a musical from the 1980s with David Bowie that somehow I hadn't heard of, I knew it would be an Important Movie for me to see. So we had a live-tweet session as we watched it in honor of Bowie's 65th birthday this month! Goooood tiiiimes. Based loosely on the novel by Colin MacInnes, Absolute Beginners is a candy-colored peek into 1950s London subculture, following a naive young photographer (Eddie O'Connell) and his aspiring model girlfriend (Patsy Kensit) as they sell out and then fight against the adult mainstream. Also there are race riots because of NAZI GENTRIFICATION but it's not really a thing until the last 20 minutes.
On paper this movie sounds absolutely amazing: David Bowie, Ray Davies, pretty colors, punks vs mods, "Youth Culture", musical numbers, fashion shows; it's a goddamn beautiful thing. And in many ways it totally delivers. David Bowie's introductory musical sequence made me utterly, inescapably gleeful, and Ray Davies' song is a well-choreographed chunk of Kinksy beats. The costumes are gorgeous, as are the sets, and the neon color schemes and big hair makes everything feel like it's in the 80s even though it's set in the late 50s. Not that I have a problem with that. The songs are fun, the cinematography is stylish, and the cast is nothing if not enthusiastic. Eddie O'Connell is even a bit of a Bowie look-a-like, but less... alien. And less interesting.
Unfortunately, as with so many high-concept, awesome-sounding musicals, the script is really bad and the characters are mostly boring so it doesn't quite make the hype. I didn't care at all about the protagonist as he narrates with a misplaced smugness and looks around wide-eyed at everything like a big dope. The romance is dumb, the racial tension drama is stuck in at the end and handled really haphazardly, and there isn't much character delineation. Plus it's too long.
HOWEVER despite its drawbacks it has some truly incredible moments (a few Bowie-related), and I would totally watch it again for those times. It's a frivolous, ridiculous movie and I do appreciate that- it's at its weakest when it tries to be serious or sincere.
3.5/5
Pair This Movie With: My first thought is Hairspray for another colorful musical that clumsily deals with racial injustice. Or if you just want to see David Bowie dancing around and singing some more, I'd go with Labyrinth.
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Seen: On dvd on my tv, rented from netflix.
91/100 on the Sci-Fi List.
Knowing the ending to this movie from popular knowledge and specifically a scene in Drop Dead Gorgeous, I wasn't sure if Soylent Green would be as interesting a film than if I'd gone in cold. Turns out, it's sort of a mixed bag. Charlton Heston stars as Thorn, a hardworking police detective living in a dystopic future city riddled with overpopulation and all the problems it brings- cramped living space, food shortages, drained resources, and an over-controlling governmental system. The Soylent company enters as a savior when they develop cheap and nutritious foodstuffs, but when a member of their board is found murdered Thorn finds himself embroiled in a mystery surrounding their supposedly plankton-based Soylent Green food tablets.
There's a lot of positive things I can say about this movie. It's exciting, for one, with a strong mystery at its core and a couple of cool action sequences. I liked the crumbling vision of the future, especially the quick-cut time-lapse opening that shows the world going to shit. The best cast member is easily Edward G Robinson, who plays Thorn's researcher and best buddy Sol. An older man, he is funny and sympathetic as he remembers what life was like before- green fields, fresh fruit, the works. The actor was secretly dying of cancer as he filmed his role, and there is a truly tender scene between him and Heston (who knew) towards the end, definitely the strongest moment in the film.
Heston to me comes off as a larger-than-life figure, yelling most of his lines and taking control of every situation he can. And I think I don't really like him in general. He just seems like an asshole and I don't care what happens to his characters. Everyone else kind of sucks too, with a weepy lady (Leigh Taylor-Young) who somehow falls for Thorn's dickhead schtick, thus leading to a pointless and sexist romantic subplot, one of my least favorite things. Joseph Cotton is there for a few minutes though, so that's cool.
Soylent Green is a fairly solid sci-fi mystery. Though I have personal drawbacks regarding some of the characters, I think really its biggest failing is that the final reveal... doesn't actually seem that bad. I knew "Soylent Green Is People" so I was ready for it, but I thought the company would be slaughtering innocents to get its meat supply or something. Turns out it's old people who are ready to die, and commit themselves to be euthanized with a beautiful send-off of classical music and pretty imagery? Honestly, I don't think it's that big of a deal. Maybe if I hadn't known the ending it would be more of a shock. As my friend Muffin put it, "The moral seems to be that comfortable, state-sponsored mercy killing and recycling are evil. That movie takes place in Utopia."
3.5/5
Pair This Movie With: I do enjoy Jeunet's dystopia with human food, Delicatessen.
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Seen: On dvd on my tv, rented from netflix.
A lady at work recommended this to me and I'm so glad she did! Setting the typical girl-coming-of-age story in a small rural town in Novia Scotia, New Waterford Girl is a quietly funny glimpse into one over-intelligent outcast's teenage experience. Moonie Pottie (Liane Balaban) is a clever high schooler who dreams of escaping her somewhat gloomy hometown, with a supportive but deadbeat English teacher (Andrew McCarthy, with sideburns) who sends her writing to programs in faraway cities with the hope she'll be able to transfer. Her parents worry she isn't "normal" enough like her social sisters and peers, and force her to see a psychiatrist. She devises a plan to establish a reputation as a "loose" woman, hoping it will make her seem more conventional, and eventually befriends new neighbor Lou (Tara Spencer-Nairn), a tough New York transplant who soon gains a reputation of her own as a vigilante hired to punch asshole ex-boyfriends.
Combining humorously disdainful narration and a likable cast, New Waterford Girl is down-to-earth and appropriately understated, though the plotting is a bit scattered. It doesn't have much of a focused narrative thread, taking a slightly episodic approach and only incorporating certain characters at spaced-out intervals, to the point of under-using them. I was happy to see Cathy Moriarty as Lou's mom, but she's only in two scenes, and Andrew McCarthy, loath as I am to say it since usually I am against him in anything, could have been in it a bit more since his washed-up teacher was interesting but not very fleshed-out, despite having a defining moment in the story towards the end.
Minor encumbrances aside, I really enjoyed this movie. Liane Balaban looks exactly like if Natalie Portman had played Winona Ryder's role in Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, and I adored her loose-fitting sweaters and long black skirts and dour expressions, it's totally the kind of late 20th century teen angst I love. She is funny but also a bit tragic as her control over her fate slips away, and Balaban is aptly carries the film. Her cohort Lou is played with gusto by Tara Spencer-Nairn, embodying the tough-talking, lonely girl with exactly the kind moxie I appreciate: punching moxie. Seriously, by the end there's like a Girlfight situation happening and I was so happy.
While story-wise it isn't the strongest, the script is funny and the central characters are very well delineated, as is the small town environment of the title. In many ways the community is a character itself, with aspects of religion, insularity, and loyalty coming together in various interactions with townspeople, especially other young women. And everything/one looks so wonderfully 1990s, which we all know is probably my favorite thing.
4/5
Pair This Movie With: There are a few coming-of-age movies that came to mind. The fake sex thing reminded me of Easy A, while the super 90s-outcast thing reminded me of the aforementioned Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael. Also, Me Without You is an interesting study of a female friendship that might pair well, though it's more dismal.
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Seen: On dvd on our big screen/projector set-up, from our personal collection.
Just before astronauts Brubaker (James Brolin), Willis (Sam Waterston), and Walker (OJ Simpson) take off for a highly-anticipated mission to Mars, they are unceremoniously pulled from the flight and enclosed in an isolated military complex. Turns out the life-support system is faulty, and in order to save face and keep the space program from losing funding, they have to fake the landing on camera on a soundstage dolled up like Mars. But as the months-long hoax continues, the risk of discovery increases, and NASA goes to great lengths to keep its secret. The astronauts doubt their decision to fool the nation, and a nosy journalist (Elliott Gould) finds his life endangered as he comes closer to the shocking truth.
Capricorn One came as a true surprise. I vaguely remembered reading about it at Snarky's Machine, and from her review I expected something campier I think. But actually, I un-ironically really liked it! Yes, it is chock-full of plot holes and unrealistic narrative leaps, and the fake Mars looked really bad, but it's got a series of killer action sequences and a strong cast, plus the premise is original (or felt so to me, anyway). I loved seeing James "My Son Looks Exactly Like Me" Brolin as the stereotypical All-American astronaut, a dude everyone listens to without question because he's gruff and stoic and badass. OJ Simpson and Sam Waterston are under-used, though the latter gets a really good scene towards the end. Of course, Elliott Gould is the real star with his goofy face and crazy collars and adorable eagerness.
It's a ridiculous movie, no doubt about it- there's a chase scene between monstrous military helicopters and a crop-dusting plane through sheer canyons, for goodness sake. And it's AWESOME. Also Elliott Gould drives his car off a bridge! WOW! James Brolin kills a snake and eats it raw! EW! It's basically a super-great film, even if it has so many plot problems I can't even get into it. And one of the hokiest, totally-spoiling-the-effects-of-the-previous-two-hours endings I have ever seen. Seriously, there are times for slow-motion and then there are times to figure out a better way to end your damn movie.
4/5
Pair This Movie With: I didn't realize it until afterward but this is a film by Peter Hyams, who also did Outland, which I think would work as a double feature about space-related crimes. Or maybe Titan AE? I feel like that movie needs more love.
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Seen: On our big screen/projector set-up, streamed on netflix instant.
Harry Moseby (Gene Hackman) is your standard hard-boiled detective, caught up in finding the missing daughter of a washed-up actress. His search leads him from an action movie set in LA to a seaside home in Florida, but even after finding the girl he realizes the real mystery runs much deeper. His crime-solving obsession distances his wife, whom he discovers is having an affair, but he can't let go until he gets to the bottom of things.
With a story that starts off as one thing but then totally derails to be about a bigger, unexpected thing, Night Moves is a smart mystery with a strong cast and satirical edge. Hackman is serious and determined, with awful shit constantly befalling him because that is what happens when you're a detective (so I've learned from the movies). I also dug Paula, a straight-talking, well-tanned lady played by Jennifer Warren. But the best thing about the cast is seeing some young people who later became pretty famous, like James Woods and Melanie Griffith! She totally shows her boobs too, like a lot, and maybe she was only 16? Anyway. Nudity.
While I appreciated how the story shifted about two thirds of the way through and the complexities of Harry's case deepened, it did mean that the middle of the film dragged as he hangs out in Florida with a whiny teenager and there isn't really anything moving forward. Still, the close attention to character and undercurrent of Hollywood indecencies, plus an exciting climax at sea, make Night Moves an enjoyable noir-esque mystery that showcases Hackman's charisma and fortitude.
4/5
Pair This Movie With: Another 70s private detective noir I dig is The Long Goodbye and that would be a nice double feature. The movie this most reminded me of was Harper, another good pairing.
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Seen: On dvd on my tv, rented from the Tisch Library at Tufts.
90/100 on the Sci-Fi List.
GIANT KILLER ANTS OH MY GOOOOOOOD. Thus, a problem surfaces in Them! after nuclear testing mutates an ant colony in the New Mexico desert. The military does its best to hide them from the public while they work on a way to poison their nest, but when two queens escape and fly towards Lost Angeles they need to enforce martial law. There's also a lady insect specialist (A LADY SCIENTIST?) and some kidnapped kids.
With so-so special effects and an overt anti-bomb (and anti-ants) message, Them! is certainly a product of its time. Not that I mind, of course. The hokey acting and extremely poor pacing were expected, and I must say that high-pitched screeching noise that accompanied the ants' movements was legitimately creepy. Giant bugs are a terrifying thought no matter what, and the reality of nuclear testing creating scary monsters and super creeps is easily felt in 1954.
My biggest issue with Them! is the narrative structure. The film has a decent premise, but can't seem to maintain focus, introducing new characters and subplots and locations every 20 minutes. Almost no one in the cast stood out to me and I found myself unable to really care about what was happening. The climax with the kidnapped children didn't mean all that much since I had never even seen these kids before, and had only just met their mother five minutes ago. The best part was Fess Parker as a pilot with an awesome robe, a 5-minute role that managed to be more dynamic than most of the entire film. (He went on to be Davy Crockett, so his charisma obviously paid off.)
3/5
Pair This Movie With: Another big bug movie, perhaps! Yeah! I recommend the MST3K version of "The Deadly Mantis". I've got a mantis in my pantis...
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Seen: On our big screen/projector set-up, streamed from my boyfriend's hard drive.
Well, we're psyched for the sequel and Miles had never seen the first one, so a viewing of Ghost Rider has been looming on the horizon for some time now. Based on the Marvel comic series that I've been meaning to read forever, the film inexplicably stars Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, a profession daredevil who made a deal with the devil (Peter Fonda) in his youth and finally pays for it later on. The devil's son Blackheart (Wes Bentley) is waging a war with his father, attempting to secure a mythical soul contract hidden on earth that would give him the power to bring Hell to earth. Johnny is forced to become the titular superbeing, using his fire powers and "Penance Stare" to take out Blackheart and his gang of fallen angels. Also he has to convince his newly found long-lost love Roxanne (Eva Mendes) that he's not a crazy person.
Incorporating piss-poor special effects, a clumsy screenplay, and hammy acting, Ghost Rider was doomed to fail from the beginning. It's too bad, really, since I think the premise is actually really interesting, and some of the flaming motorcycle scenes are pretty cool. Plus it's got Sam Elliott (Sam Elliott!) and he is perfectly cast as a mysterious "Caretaker" who spouts age-old wisdom and wears a cowboy hat. But Cage is a weird choice for the lead and his hairpiece is distracting, and Eva Mendes is boring, and Peter Fonda seems confused, and Donal Logue does his best as the wisecracking best friend.
The good ideas are there, just poorly executed by writer/director Mark Steven Johnson, and of course the shoddy CGI isn't helping anything. But I know there is material here for a genuinely cool movie, and I'm actually pretty confident that those wackos Neveldine and Taylor will figure out how to make Ghost Rider 2 oddly, insanely awesome.
2/5
Pair This Movie With: There are a lot of movies in this ilk that I dig, actually, so you have a few choices. Constantine and Hellboy have more heaven/hell comic book fun times, Blade sports some similar anti-hero themes, and Drive Angry also has Nicolas Cage fighting against a hell-on-earth situation (and is a seriously fun movie).
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Seen: At the Kendall Square Landmark Cinema in Cambridge.
These were two of the films I felt I should see before I made my Favorites of 2011 list, though neither made it. It was more of a just in case thing. Both come from directors whom I admire (though I've only seen one of Alfredson's other films so far) and both feature impressive, super-white casts of people with primarily British accents. So: A good pairing! Unfortunately we went on a weekend, which meant we were reminded that no one in the world knows how to behave like a human being. Like, maybe no one has ever gone to a movie before? Nobody ever taught these people how to handle it? It's too bad, really, when everyone sucks but me.
Based on the famed John le Carré novel that I haven't read (as usual), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy centers on George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a high-ranking member of the British secret service who is forced into retirement. He is convinced by a government official to privately investigate a potential mole, researching the close-lipped inner circle of the service and their agents' actions in the Soviet Union. Of course, the closer he gets, the more intricate and threatening the conspiracy becomes.
Taking a very quiet, gradual approach in its storytelling and preferring to ambiguously imply rather than tell, Tinker Tailor is certainly different than the high-octane thrillers I tend to associate with the spy genre. It takes its time (it really takes its time) to establish characters and their relationships, and rarely wears its emotions on its sleeve, much like Smiley himself. The story itself is too sparse, I think, with not enough time spent on the potential moles for me to care which one it was. Plus Cold War movies set in the 70s or 80s are always sort of hard to take completely seriously, since I know the USSR is secretly unraveling.
The strong cast and thoughtful cinematography make up for my reservations with the script, though. Oldman is able to communicate so much through a look or terse comment, while supporters Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Svetlana Khodchenkova, and Mark Strong offer intriguing performances themselves. Of course I was most excited to see the adorable Benedict Cumberbatch out of his Sherlock role, with an indie band blonde haircut and very sharp blue tie he was looking good. He was also probably the most emotional of the characters, and there is one moment in particular that had me tearing up a bit.
4/5
I feel like the past year has been a time of finally realizing that David Cronenberg is one the coolest directors, as I caught up with a lot of his 80s offerings. I know he flipped some switch and turned away from his crazy body horror-type stuff for more realistic, Viggo Mortensen-based films in the past decade, and that's ok too, just a little less exciting. Based on a play that was based on a book, A Dangerous Method seeks to highlight the relationship between psychoanalyst pioneers Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Sigmund Freud (Mortensen) through their connections with a brilliant but troubled young woman, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley). As Jung helps her to better understand her sexual masochism, he finds his own beliefs (based on Freud's work) shifting, causing a rift in their intellectual partnership.
With a trio of fantastic performances and truly interesting subject matter, A Dangerous Method should have been more easy to like. I enjoyed the stimulating conversations and sexy encounters, but the haphazard pacing (so many years would pass without much warning) and lack of driving force, it's not as engrossing as it could be. I think it should have been either wholly about Jung's relationship with Sabina or with Freud, not both. Still, it's worth a watch for Fassbender's sad eyes and Knightley's truly impressive characterization. Normally I hate her performances but here I think she was quite strong. Also Mortensen's attempt at an Austrian accent is kind of funny, it's mostly just British. At least Fassbender knew he couldn't do it and stayed English.
Beautiful costumes, lovely settings, sado-masochism, and high-falutin' psychological discussions: A Dangerous Method has many things to like, but it doesn't all fit together seamlessly. And it kind of felt like anyone could have directed it- I wanted that Cronenberg grittiness. I really want to learn more about Sabina Spielrein though. Sadly it seems like there aren't many good biographies in print? I'm checking out my new school's library when I get a chance.
3.5/5
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Howdy fellas, I've been working hard on the ol' art-making, trying to get as much in as I can before I get too embroiled in classes and such (I start next week). I'm very excited about a commission I'm working on for a supercool etsy customer, a series of three posters for her favorite classic romantic comedies. So far I've made one for The Apartment and hope to have the other two done by the end of the month. I'll probably do a post just for them when I'm done, to show them all together will be nice.
ANYWAY I wanted to take a break from poster design for a bit and draw one of my favorite badasses, Sarah MOTHERFUCKING Connor. You all know I'm really into the Terminator movies, and I've been meaning to do something for her for a while because we need some Terminator art that isn't just Arnold. I started with a pencil/pen drawing that I edited in photoshop with color, text, and texture. I dig it. BEHOLD.
It's for sale and everything.
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Oh, hello! I'm suddenly knee-deep in scholarly reading for grad school so my art-making time has certainly taken a hit. I will continue to do my best to create awesome things, we'll just see if I can keep up the weekly pace. I have some neat things planned though.
