sjohntucson's Reviews

Rabbit's Moon (1950)

8/10

10 May 2008

One thing I've noticed while shuffling through IMDBland is that there are a number of people for whom Plot is King. If a movie doesn't have an engaging plot, then it is of no use for such people. I'm not saying that's a bad thing necessarily, although it does seem to limit appreciation of a big chunk of what's out there. But that's the criteria that a lot of people apparently use to judge films.

These people should avoid this film (and probably Kenneth Anger's other works, and, well, a whole lot more besides). This film is about images and poetry, and, while there is sort of a plot, it's pretty minor and doesn't really contribute a lot to the proceedings. If you are the type of person who enjoys the visual aspect of film, and don't really care so much about whether there is a traditional story being told, then I think you will love this little confection. I did. It has a gorgeous look, with the monochromatic blues pulling it all together, and the use of the Commedia Della Arte (sp?) characters gave it an exotic yet familiar feel.

Oh yeah, and the bunny is cute!

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Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969)

8/10

Deeply creepy, esp. knowing about Bobby Beausoleil

10 May 2008

I watched this last night for the first time, on the "Films of Kenneth Anger Vol. 2" DVD, and to me this was probably the most intense of the set. Between the droning, obnoxious score (by Mick Jagger, of all things), and the changing film speeds, this film really did invoke feelings of, if not really a nightmare, then definitely an altered state, and not a real fun one at that.

But the capper for me was the use of Bobby Beausoleil (sp?), who was one of Manson's killers. This footage was apparently shot only a couple of years before Bobby (sorry, not trying to imply too much familiarity, but I'm really sick of typing his last name, it hurts my brain) murdered Gary Hinman. The footage of Bobby, combined with the knowledge of what he's gonna do in a couple of years, just creeped the f**k right out of me.

So, I did like this, and I'd recommend it to folks interested in Anger, or in weird sixties head trips & the dark side of psychedelia, but I'm really glad I didn't watch it under the influence. It probably would have wound up occupying a "special" place in my brain, and I don't mean a good happy place.

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Paper Moon (1973)

10/10

A Childhood Favorite!

17 March 2007

I haven't seen this in decades, but recalled it while looking through Madeline Kahn's filmography. This movie, along with "What's Up Doc?" (also featuring Ryan O'Neil & Madeline Kahn, & also directed by Bogdanovich) were my absolute favorite movies when I was a kid. In the years since, I've learned to loathe Ryan O'Neil, but he was in fine form in this movie. His daughter Tatum steals the show, though. It was just so, I dunno, liberating? shocking? I can't say, but it had a huge effect one me, this little girl who swore and smoked and ran cons with this man who may or may not have been her father. This was also one of the earliest appearances on film of Madeline Kahn, and like in so many other movies, her character just steals every scene she's in. It's a lot of fun contrasting the stuffy, repressed neurotic Eunice she played in "What's Up Doc?" the previous year to her character Trixie Delight in this movie, who is, well, anything but repressed.

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200 Motels (1971)

9/10

Jeff's imagination has gone beyond the fringe of audience comprehension!

4 February 2006

I guess most people would probably absolutely loathe this movie, but I'm not most people. If you're looking for plot, intricately drawn characters, thoughtful shot composition, look elsewhere.

Now, if you like to have the video and audio input channels into your cerebrum overloaded from the start, you'll definitely love it. This movie does not relent. I guarantee, if you drop acid first, your brain will be bleeding by the end of it.

I never thought the Flo & Eddie version of the Mothers was the best, but I do think they translated pretty well to the super-color-saturated multi-layered shot-and-mixed-entirely-on-videotape visual paradigm here. Kaylan & Volman are such atypical-looking pop stars (and yes, children, they were indeed pop stars once upon a time, in a band called The Turtles), the sets so purposefully fake & cheesy, the dada knob turned up so far past eleven, that any aficionado of TOO MUCH! really owes it to themselves to let this movie burn a hole in their brain.

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Brokeback Mountain (2005)

10/10

You got to stand it

19 December 2005

I drove to Scottsdale to see this today, about a 120 mile drive. That's right, you guessed it, I had some pretty high expectations.

Turns out they were pretty reasonable expectations, too. The reviews praising Heath Ledger's and Michelle Williams performances, the cinematography, the source material, McMurtry's & Ossana's screenplay, and Lee's direction, were all pretty much on the money. And although I've read a lot of reviews that say Jake G's performance didn't, couldn't compare to Ledger's, I disagree. Jake's performance was just as perfect, although his character isn't the focus so much as Ledger's.

I am pretty devastated still, though I got home many hours ago. The story keeps playing in my head, and, like many great works of art, the movie seems to keep taking "different shapes" in my head in the aftermath. Honestly, I couldn't even tell you at this point whether the overall effect is particularly gay-positive without arguing against myself in an hour.

I'm not even convinced that the climactic event isn't a little ambiguous (I got the same sense when I read the short story, too). But while it seems to cause (to me) the meaning of the movie to kind of flicker between two different messages, the final effect is the same either way. Like I said, devastating. I didn't see a single dry eye coming out of the theater when it was over. I can't really explain what I mean without revealing too much, but you'll know what I mean when you see it.

And, boy howdy, you have to see this. To be honest, I don't know if the straight folk are gonna dig this as much as I did; a lot of the story could have come from my own life, and the lives of my friends. But even if it doesn't resonate as powerfully with you as with me, it'll surely give you a sense of how toxic a closeted life can be, while simultaneously pointing out the stakes of not being closeted.

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Pink Narcissus (1971)

8/10

Oooooo, Pretty!

31 October 2004

Beautiful cinematography, beautiful subject, dreamy homoerotic confection. Makes me almost wish I still did drugs so I could watch it on acid. Given the wonderfully weird & underground feeling, it would have fit in well in the midnight movie scene in the 70's (maybe it did, but I was in Oklahoma at the time & I'm pretty sure it never played there).

This is basically just a set of wonderfully choreographed narcissistic fantasies, with lots of searlingly saturated color, glittery, cartoony, piss-elegant sets & props, and a stunning boy who you don't get to see quite enough of, if you know what I mean and I'm sure you do. But you do get to see more than you probably thought you would in a pre-Stonewall movie (OK, technically it's not pre-Stonewall, but it definitely reflects that era more than the post- era).

Fundies should probably stay away, as should those looking for plot, action (yeah, I know, but you know what I mean), or dialog; kids whose parents might react violently; guys looking for high-octane boner fuel (this is more like smoldering scented oil than gasoline); and hyper-butch queers who are embarrassed by things like gilded telephones and paste-jeweled goblets. But if you're looking for a gay erotic dream-romp through the senses, get this puppy before it goes out of print!

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Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

10/10

Powerful

25 June 2004

Not that I'm an arbiter of tastes, to be sure, but I just got back from Farenheit 9/11, and I am holding back the tears.

Is it slanted against Bush? Duh. By that, do I mean that it makes a compelling & hard-to-dismiss argument that Bush has used fear for political purposes while doing nothing to make America (or the world) safer? Yep. Lots of other subsidiary arguments of a similarly liberal bent? Uh-huh.

Are the facts played with fast & loose? Well, the specific examples that I have heard so far from the right-hand side of the aisle turn out to be straw men or total bulls**t. As far as I can tell, MM has pretty much stuck to the facts, except where he's obviously offering up his own opinions. I'm sure the Hannitys & Coulters of the world will torture out something they think will invalidate the whole thing, though. It's how they make their money, and, God bless them, this is America & all that.

Is it an MM ego-fest, like you've been told? A little. If you hate the man, you'll hate about 5% of the film. But for the most part he's done a pretty good job of getting out of the way and letting the footage explain itself (full disclosure forces me to disclose that I actually like his little political theater stunts, but just cause I wish I'd thought of them first. Especially the wallet exchange from a few years ago).

Why the hell am I telling you this? Because I am stunned at the power of the film, and want to share that with you. I expected to like it, but I honestly didn't expect it to be this good.

That's all. You've already made up your mind if you're gonna go see it or not, and I'm stupid enough to think I can change your mind. Just saying that, even though I'm part of the choir it's preaching to, it's, in my mind, a fine movie. I'll be seeing it again.

But I will have nightmares tonight.

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Spun (2002)

7/10

Disturbingly Accurate (in a weird way) (small spoiler)

21 September 2003

Warning: Spoilers

This flick isn't for everyone, and judging by some of the posts, isn't for many people at all. I can't really decide if I liked it or not, to tell the truth. But, for me, it was symbolically accurate in a big way. I am a recovering speed freak (five years clean today, as a matter of fact), and this film brought back a flood of bad memories.

The near-universal (on this board) comparisons with "Requiem for a Dream" are fair, I guess, but I don't see it as a rip-off so much as a recognition that "RfaD" came up with a really good & emotionally realistic way of describing what happens when the drug hits your brain, which, when you snort, smoke, or shoot speed, happens with frightening, uh, well, speed. The little filmatic cliche that both films used to indicate this was pretty powerful and, to me, pretty on the mark.

The whole cartoony, seedy, porn-like atmosphere isn't really that far from the true experience, either. And that grinding-you-down feeling that really wears on you by the end of the film is, unfortunately, probably intentional. That was what life used to feel like for me, right up to the point of (here's that spoiler) crashing so hard that even an explosion won't wake you up.

The person who posted that he couldn't accept that a drop-dead gorgeous stripper would sleep with these drugged-up losers is, I think, not really familiar with any addicted strippers. Folks in the grip of a serious drug problem will do most anything to get their dope, including sleeping with creepy unattractive losers like The Cook or Spider Mike. Addicts do that (1) to get more dope, and (2) because speed makes you really really uncontrollably horny. Emphasis on "uncontrollably", and (listen up you sweet young things of either gender) is a really good reason to stay off that path. People do stuff that they'd never think themselves even capable of, when they're addicted, and, sad as that is, that's the way it is.

There's so much more of the movie that rang true for me, cartoonish as it is, and I really don't wanna go any further with that. I don't really think that this is a recommendation for the film, frankly. It probably doesn't do much for you if you never had a speed problem, and if you did, what it does do for you isn't necessarily a good thing.

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Requiem for a Dream (2000)

10/10

Hard to watch, hard to stop watching

21 September 2003

I seem to be on a drug movie binge tonight. I just posted some comments about "Spun," which has some obvious similarities with this movie. I think this movie has more universal appeal, though, and for good reasons. To me, this is simply a fantastic film, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

The four main characters are each likable, or at least very sympathetic, and we become very drawn in to their situations. And so, when things start to go horribly, horribly wrong, it does become painful to watch. Yet, one can't turn away, and I don't think it's just the "auto-wreck you gotta look at" effect.

Here's my theory: I have a good friend whose life has been, for several years, tragedy after tragedy, stupid mistake after stupid mistake, and unbelievably (literally!) bad luck after unbelievably bad luck. I keep thinking (as does he) that things can't get any worse. And then, they get worse. And I keep waiting for that point where his life finally turns around and good things start happening, but they don't. I can't turn my back on him, because he is in fact a good friend, has been there for me when I needed him, and I care for him very much. That's exactly the feeling I have for the characters in this movie. I want so badly for things to turn around for them, but things don't turn around, but I can't give up on them because I've become attached. And things do get truly awful for them.

A lot has been said for the style and, in particular, the fast-edits and the symbolic shorthand sequences indicating that a character is taking his/her particular drug. Some think they are gimmicky; I on the other hand feel that they are integral to the story, and are a pretty good way of describing the immediate effects of the drug and the emotional undercurrents (as distinct from the drug effects) that one feels when one is taking a drug (been there, done that, ruined my life thank you very much).

I give this movie 10/10. Admittedly I have an agenda here, but I really want all the kids in my life to see this movie before they encounter drugs for real. I don't know if it would stop them, but at least I'd feel like they knew what the worst-case scenarios were, and that they were making semi-informed decisions.

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Escape from L.A. (1996)

9/10

A Pleasant Surprise!

2 May 2003

I've been a sort of a John Carpenter fan since I was a teenager (been a while), and always regarded his movies as guilty pleasures, with the emphasis on pleasures. These days, I really have to ration my movie trips for reasons related to time & $$$, so I hadn't seen this till tonight. I figured this would be a nice little follow-on to Escape From New York, which I really liked, but have to admit I didn't expect a lot more than just a thrill ride.

Got the thrill ride to be sure, but so much extra brain candy! Loved Peter Fonda's apocalyptic surfer, Steve Buscemi's slimeball entepreneur, Georges Correface's Che clone, Pam Grier's tranny, and especially Cliff Robertson's Son Of A Bush! I have to admit, my worst nightmare scenarios about W's reign are fully realized in this movie, and Cliff Robertson played the antiamerican to perfection. The ending was surprising and, I found, surprisingly satisfying. I now love John Carpenter just a little bit more than before.

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Life of Brian (1979)

10/10

All you need to know about religion!

27 February 2003

Brian was born in the manger next door to that OTHER manger. In his thirties, he gets mixed up in a gang of terrorists / freedom fighters to impress a girl. This leads, through a slapstick set of coincidences, to his being taken as a messiah. THE messiah. As the multitude stalks him, we see how random individuals' bizarre perceptions turn into dogma.

OK, sorry. It's really really funny, and brilliantly satirizes not only the birth of Christianity, but also nationalism, authority, mindless conformity, sterile tradition ("Why can't women go to the stoning, Mum?" "Because it is WRITTEN, that's why!"), political correctness, Star Wars, speech impediments, joke names, and the inevitability of missing the point ("I think he said, 'Blessed are the cheesemakers!'"). Whereas MP's Holy Grail was superbly silly, this movie is stunningly subversive.

One of my fondest teenage memories is gleefully crossing the picket lines the Fundamentalists staged in front of the Tulsa theater where my friends and I first saw this movie, then saw it again every week for four weeks in a row. The distinction between the movie and real life blurred to the extent that we didn't even bother dropping acid after the first viewing. The poor drug never stood a chance against the surrealness of it all.

My favorite sequence: Brian: "You're all individuals!" Multitude (in unison): "Yes, we're all individuals!" Brian: "You're all different!" Multitude: "Yes, we're all different" Single member of the multitude (sheepishly): "I'm not."

Ten out of five stars! My favorite movie ever!

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A Clockwork Orange (1971)

10/10

I was back all right!

3 November 2002

I saw this again last night on BBC America. I'd forgotten just how visually fascinating this was. I saw Clockwork Orange for the first time in about 78-79, tripping my brains out. Needless to say, it burned itself into my brain immediately, and watching it now, almost a quarter century later, it still feels as fresh and shocking as it did then.

Just commenting on the surface aspects here, there's plenty that's been said here about the story itself (plot, characters, morals, etc), but for me the real treat has always been just the look of the movie, the cinematography and the soundtrack. Some of my favorite scenes from this perspective are: The montage when Alex is in his bedroom listening to Beethoven, with the chorus-line of crucified Jesuses; the scene where he kills the "cat woman;" and of course the opening scene in the milk bar, with Alex staring down the camera.

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