What if I told you that Europe has its own Conan the Barbarian series? What if I told you this series was mildly successful enough that it warranted three additional sequels to its name? What if I also told you that each of the films in the series were also as ridiculous and cheesy as the original Ator? Well folks, thanks to the Italians and the success of Conan the Barbarian that one faithful month in 1982, the Italians decided they needed to cash in on the who swords and sorcery game with their answer Conan. What we got is nothing short of terrible, but truly amazing z-movie knock-offs.
This is one of my favorite documentaries I have seen this year. As most of you know, I collect Mondo posters, actually just posters in general. They are the art that adorns my walls, the things I covet and the stuff I love to show and acquire. For me there is nothing better than scoring a limited edition print of a favorite movie of mine or the latest creation from some of the best movie and concert poster artists out there. Lo and behold my excitement when this movie came across Netflix instant for my viewing pleasure, a movie that premiered at SXSW and finally have an opportunity to see the evolution of my poster obsession.
If you are expecting to read about the atrocious remake with Sam Worthington, you should be ashamed. I am talking about the “classic” (relative to whom you talk to about this movie) mythical adventure film that gave us one last fan fare send off by dynamation creator (a form of stop-motion animation) Ray Harryhausen. I remember watching this when I was little and being floored by seeing these fanciful creatures coming to life on screen. A winged horse, a mechanical robot, fucking Medusa and the Kraken all coming to life on screen. Sure, looking back on the movie now, the effects are cheesy and look downright comical at times. You have to understand and appreciate the old school techniques that Harryhausen pioneered to give us this creature fest and memorable film. Yeah it doesn’t hold up very well to time, but it’s cemented in history for the effects and story telling (again my opinion).
I was a victim of bullying. Shocking I know that a nerd like myself was the target for bullying with my glasses, portly disposition and general intelligence level above those that I attended school with. It stings being bullied and teased in school for no other reason than to be the target of some ridicule so others can feel good about themselves. I take comfort in the fact that my life has turned out immensely better than theirs, with a career (currently in between jobs) and not currently siring several children and working for slightly above minimum wage. Take that fuckers!
Anyways, now that I have openly vented about my past, bullying is still some morbid national past time that happens even decades after I exited the education system. We see it in the news about teens killing themselves from incessant bullying and the backlash of violence from those that just can’t take it anymore. Everyone knows why but they can never seem to get to the heart of the issue. Young kids deciding that the teasing and bullying becomes almost too much for them and end of taking their lives or those around them. It’s a tragedy that has to be addressed and it hopefully a documentary like Bully will bring to light the issues of bullying in schools in the most direct way possible.
Today I am pulling up an older review, again still busy at the film festival, but I want to at least have some content back on the site while I get to watch some killer movies tonight and intro Miami Connection again…for the 4th time in front of an audience. I am really enjoying this new festival in KC and hope that it continues into next year as the line up of films is stellar and I will have reviews for the following movies; History of Future Folk, Save The Date, Greetings from Tim Buckley, A Band Called Death and I Declare War. Give them a look up and see what I will be talking about.
Anyways, today’s post is bringing back the often conflicting film Prometheus. I remember in my initial review, which will be linked, that I ended up giving this a 4 out of 5, even despite the waning of enjoyment upon a second viewing. But I still come back to that movie again and again for the visual spectacle that unfolds and what could have been achieved once that initial awe of seeing a Ridley Scott sci-fi movie once again. I still think that the movie is still great from an overall presentation and technical aspect. The characters are what sink the movie a bit along with some plot issues that make you think “what the hell” instead of being immersed in the story and world.
It’s still an original property, something new that didn’t get the usual remake or re-imagined treatment that Hollywood is in love with, but Prometheus isn’t without its faults and the performance and Noomi and Fassbender are the crowning points on this flick. The visuals are stellar and frankly, look amazing in 3D as well. But I will still hold true to my initial review with some caveats and I still enjoy watching this movie from time to time. So below is an excerpt of my review and the link to the full item. Enjoy!
But all is not lost, as Rapace and Fassbender deliver the most compelling and intriguing acting in the film. Rapace, who most people will know as the original Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, turns in a performance that is reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. The marketing for the film downplays her involvement in the film, but she is truly the star of the show along with Fassbender. Rapace plays the naive Dr. Shaw with a doe-eyed love for finding the truth in their existence, only to see it all stripped of humanity and knowing that all is lost. Rapace is leading lady material, overshadowing her contemporaries in the film with an unbelievable chaotic energy. Micahel Fassbender plays the robot David, an eerie, life-like human robot who is both calm stoic, but deftly capable of outsmarting everyone. His motive are masked behind the expressionless veneer his character has. Plotting and staying one step ahead of the crew, his plans for the discovery are slowly revealed through his manipulation and calm actions. I could watch an entire film about David and his attempts to humanize himself further. From his care taking of the crew, to his robotic, autonomic functions, Fassbender gave a bit of soul to a soulless robot.
I have been on a time crunch the past several days now, mainly because the summer movie season is fast approaching and the work at the Alamo Drafthouse is picking up, so I have been splitting time between that, my full time job and more outside venue writing. I am currently in the middle of our Middle of the Map Film Fest, which has me seeing some amazing films that I will be doing a few reviews on for my site and another site I work for. So for now, more so the next few days, I will be on autopilot while I watch a lot of sweet movies and get some reviews out.
Today’s Movie of the Day will be The Dark Knight Rises. So hit the link for the original review and enjoy folks!
Nolan, over the course of his previous two films in the series, does grow immensely in terms of thematic development and grandiose set pieces. His action directing is phenomenal, with better fight framing and editing along with his ability to push the boundary of practical effects that don’t cheapen the thrill of the action. The bigger is better motif certainly took hold as the films explosions and action grew by leaps and bounds. It’s the most bombastic of his films, amping up the destruction and chaos, but still grounds the film in a strong reality that his universe has cultivated.
Thematically, Nolan explores the idea of pain, much like his exploration of Chaos and Fear in the previous two films. The pain of loss, physical, mental and spiritual pain is the centerpiece of the film. We witness society devolve into madness while Bane promises to show Batman/Bruce true pain in terms of watching the city he fought for be torn apart in front of his eyes. It’s a cruel tactic, ebbing away what Bruce has worked hard for, but it is the understanding that pain is also what drives us to do what we must to survive.
This is a movie I have been waiting awhile to talk about, mainly because it didn’t get a release in theaters other than the festival circuit. It kind of sucks talking about a movie that a lot of people won’t be able to see unless they get the VOD treatment or some form of streaming. Natural Selection was a movie I was back in November 2011 at a local film festival in Kansas City. I have to admit, even rewatching it makes me realize how much I loved this movie and the subject matter presented. A fantastic flick with a knockout performance from Rachel Harris, Natural Selection wowed me with a deep, character drama with some dark hints of humor.
So it was a relief to track this down on dvd and give it another watch. With an amazing performance from the two leads, Harris being the standout of the pack. The movie certainly is indie at heart, with a strong character driven script that propels the interesting story and filled with moments of earnest, heartfelt discussions about the issue at heart.
