Skycrawlers (2008)

Mamoru Oshii's film utterly confounded most of the people around me at the New York screening that marked the film's East Coast US premiere. There were lots of "What the hell was that" and "I liked it up to the end"...which was really not the end. Oshii appeared in a recorded message prior to the screening welcoming us to the New York premiere, saying a few words about the film, and admonishing us to stay to the end. What he didn't specify was after the end credits another five minute sequence takes place, so half the audience was gone by the time it ran...and it alters things. The main message Oshii gave us was that the film is about children who are pilots who don't grow up.

This is the story of a world that's like our own but different. It's a place where corporations seem to control everything, and everyone is engaged in a war that is actually more like a national game. Fighting the war are the eternally young kildren, young adults who never age and who can die only if they do so in combat. Into this mix (or rather to an outpost of four planes), comes a new pilot, a nice young man who seems to feel he remembers being here before. Of course he's wrong, but everything is a blur.

I don't know how much more to tell you. The story that spins out from one of the most incredible sky-battle sequences put on film is something that really needs to be seen on its own terms to be truly appreciated. What I can say is that the flying sequences, rendered in hyper-realistic animation, are amazing. They are the reason to see the film on a movie screen, preferably a BIG movie screen, if you get the chance. They are truly amazing, utterly beautiful...and terrifying.

I have to make it clear; the sky sequences are not what the film is about. The film is about the pilots and their commander who face the day to day existence of getting by and fighting a war. The film deals with the daily grind of the people involved, and you get to feel what their lives are like. At the same time it's very deliberately paced. The film is what could be best described as slow. I didn't mind, but some people around me did, wanting to know why there wasn't more action. Actually the action is almost an afterthought, or a way of punctuating the themes and ideas Oshii has running around in his head. This is not a film of physical motion but of the intellectual.

What the people around me didn't seem to grasp was that this is a film by Mamoru Oshii. While he may have made Ghost In The Shell, he's also made some other really wild and trippy films about the nature of reality, memory, what it is to be human, and other ideas. As an intellectual work it's firing on all cylinders. Oshii has made a film that is about all of that and more, including the nature of war and the world. The action is secondary to the human story since the human story is where all of the meat is. The story of the new guy slowly morphs in several other directions, including a mystery of sorts. The solution may appear to be obvious, but it raises other more intriguing themes, like who are we really (I don't dare mention some of the others, since to fully explore them will reveal major plot points).

In my humble opinion this is a great film. When the film REALLY ended, I begand talking about it with the friend I went with, and we didn't stop talking about it until I left him on the train almost three hours later. Yes, there were other subjects discussed during that time, but we kept coming back to the film (he liked it but didn't love it; however he agreed that there is SOMETHING to the film, because it forces you to be engaged in a dialog about it). Not only does Oshii discuss big ideas, but there are so many plot points and world points that are thrown out there and never resolved that you can just keep pondering what happens at times. If you like films that you think about, and argue about, and which go their own way, you will love this movie.

Let me be honest; I doubt most people are going to like this film. I don't know if most people are going to "get" this film. I think most are going to wonder why there is not more action and why it's "so slow". I know the people around me were wondering if that was it, as if the lack of a clear resolution (especially when they didn't stay through the credits) somehow made the film something less then it was. I liked the lack of complete closure since it allowed my mind to wonder (besides you can see how the story may continue).

If you can take it on its own terms, and take it for the film of ideas it is, I think you'll like it, possibly even love it. Don't fight it. And DO stay through the end credits, since what's there is important (think of the credits as a natural break. It is one of the few films I've ever seen where the final sequence needs to be there, and needs the break of several minutes to function as it does). One of the best films of 2008.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (2010 Broadway musical)

I'm going to go off the board and for a brief instant talk about something that has almost nothing to do with movies except in a very loosely connected way.

Those of you who know me in the real world know that not only do I love movies, but I'm also a fan of theater and of comic books. So when the opportunity to see the new Broadway show Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark came up last Thursday, I took it.

The lovely Eden, one of the contributors here at Unseen Films who runs the Comicsgirl blog asked me to write up my thoughts on the show and she's posted them here. For those who are looking to know what I thought before clicking the link you can probably guess by the title — The Destruction of Spider-Man — that I didn't care for it much. (It's visually spectacular, but ultimately a betrayal of a character that has has survived 50 years in the comics, on TV and in the movies). Follow the link to see my thoughts. Actually, you should be reading Eden's blog: it's a really good look at comics that matter!

Slipstream (2007)

This week I'm giving you a half dozen of some of the best films I've seen realitively recently. On scale of 10 every one is either a 9 or 10. These are films that kick ass and take names. I can't recommend any of them highly enough. One reservation; some are trippy or violent or disturbing, so read about the films before you attempt to see them because you may go somewhere you don't want to.

First up: Slipstream

Anthony Hopkins writes, directs, scores and stars in a movie that is like the bastard child of David Lynch and Peter Greenaway. It's a film that operates on a visceral level and is akin to being trapped in someone's head (which is the point).

Nominally it's the tale of a screenwriter who is having the real and fantasy worlds of film and his head merge. Beyond that I can say no more; partly because the more adventurous of you may want to try this, and partly because I couldn't explain it if I wanted to. As Hopkins says in the commentary on the DVD about portions of it, "I can't explain it either". Characters come and go, everything refers to everything else, everyone has multiple parts, and the film doesn't end until it stops on the very last post credit frame.

This is food for thought and then some.

It means something and it means nothing. From the opening seconds you are bombarded with sounds and images that overlap. There are quick cuts, long takes, things change from shot to shot...and in some ways it's like a punch in the face.

It's a shot of some hallucinogen in the mind of someone else that's forced upon you to further mess you up. It's a mediation on the notion of reality and a puzzle.

It's a true masterpiece of cinema and the most pretentious piece of dog poo.

I am in awe of it. I have no idea who would want to watch it, but I am in awe of it.

It is one of the most personal films I've ever seen. Watching it with the commentary helps to a certain degree, and in other ways it confuses things.

What the hell is this and how the hell did it get made?

One of a kind.

I'm not even sure it goes where Hopkins thinks it goes. Yes the trajectory is kind of foreseeable but at the same time...what the hell is this?

I feel like I've been messed with in a physical manner, like a truck has hit me.

Few films have ever affected me like this.

Is it a good film? I have no idea. Should you see it? I have no idea. Will I see it again? Hell yeah.

This is an experience.

Beyond that you're on your own.

Rating of 9 out of 10 is for the technical wizardry of the film and because it does what few films do nowadays, and that is provoke a reaction of some kind in the viewer. The film forces you to react in some way, either with confusion, laughter, or to turn it off. It's not an indication of what I or you may think of it on any other level.

War, Inc. (2008)

A black comedy in the deepest, darkest shade of midnight one can imagine, War, Inc. is ultimately a story of redemption and hope. COMPLETELY overlooked upon its release in 2008, this is a wonderful fast-paced gem of a film that speaks many thruths about modern warfare, and modern relationships as well. One of the dominant themes of the film is the Western Society desire to brand EVERYTHING, as evidenced by the war in the fictional Turaqistan. Set up to be the war-torn Middle Eastern country of your choice, all of the soldiers are actually employees of an American corporation that is in the war for the money and the publicity. The uniforms all have the corporate logo on them, and tanks frequently roll by displaying advertising banners and placards. The statement serves as part of the plot (John Cusack's cover is he is working the trade show going on in the middle of the devastation, and the trade show provides the opportunity for some very black humor), as well as an intelligently humorous jab at the global conglomerate we live in.

Our hero needs a cover because he is an assassin in the employ of the same corporation, sent to perform a hit on an oil baron. Battling inner demons, along with a past that haunts him, he is severely questioning his position in life, and a lot of self-examination is rapidly thrown in. The plot and dialogue move fast, so a lot comes at you quickly. For many reasons, this is considered to be a spiritual sequel to Grosse Pointe Blank, seeing as how both films feature Cusack playing a professional killer searching for something more out of life. It may even be argued that some scenes in War, Inc. are very derivative of Grosse Pointe Blank, but I personally feel it echoes the sentiments of that wonderful film in a quasi-sequel kind of way. There are even some themes in War, Inc. that seem to be based on lines of dialogue from Grosse Pointe Blank, but that may just be me reading too much into 2 films I happen to love.

The film features a terrific ensemble cast, with some great Cusack Company regulars like his sister Joan, plus Dan Aykroyd, as well as some excellent additions to the Cusack fold, like Marisa Tomei, Ben Kingsley, Montel Williams (in a voiceover role), and in particular Hilary Duff as Yonica Babyyeah, the Middle Eastern equivalent of Britney Spears. The first time I caught this film, I stumbled across it on IFC, and had missed only about the first 5 minutes, so the opening credits were missed. Duff was so good in the role, and so immersed in it, that I had no idea it was her until the end credits ran.

A bizarre family relationship starts to build between Cusack, Tomei, and Duff, and watching the nucleus of a modern family come together in the hectic surroundings is quite the metaphor for what goes on in real life in different, but equally hectic, surroundings. There is a very poignant scene about 2/3 thru where Cusack's "monster" side of his personality is revealed to Tomei and Duff, and watching the 3 characters reacting off of one another, all thru the film, is very compelling filmmaking. Watching the characters growing, and learning to care for one another, is the driving force behind this film. It's a romance in a very non-traditional sense, but at its core, a romance is what it is.

Things may wrap up a little too neatly at the end, but that was probably due to focus group testing and other nonsense like that. The seemingly forced happy ending that we are given does nothing to diminish the wonderful political satire/romance/personal growth film that has gone on for the previous 100 minutes, and is well worth watching by an audience that doesn't like to be called cynical...we prefer to be called "disappointed with humanity", because there is so much potential for good there, and this film pulls some human goodness out of the darkest of circumstances.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Maybe a little less Unseen than most of the films that are written up on this site, but still vastly overlooked and underappreciated when compared to other major Hollywood productions. While not an independent film, it certainly has the FEEL of one, and the heart. And as far as intelligent, witty dialogue, and a thought provoking examination of what's important in life, this movie beats anything Hollywood produced that year...and most any other year as well. And to think that a beautiful romantic comedy (not a genre I'm usually fond of) has its main protagonist be a hitman by profession...

This film could alternatively be described as an action film disguised as a romantic comedy, or a romantic comedy that wants to be an action film. The healthy dose of both manages to satisfy instead of alienate. The film is filled with characters that you actually care about, and frankly wouldn't mind seeing more of. There are times in the film when the dialogue is coming out so fast and furious even romantic scenes seem almost action packed. But the heart and soul of the film is the transformation of the main character, Martin Blank (John Cusack), from a remorseless killer with a "moral ambiguity" into a person who is learning that there is more to life than just "...sports, sex, no real relationships...doing business with lead-pipe cruelty..."

A series of coincidences leads Blank back to his old hometown, and the chemistry between his abandoned-on-prom-night-10-years-ago sweetheart, Debi Newberry (Minnie Driver), is the driving force behind nearly all of Blank's actions thru the film. The screen nearly smolders during certain scenes between them, but the heat is generated by the conversations between them, as well as the obvious physical attraction.

There are plenty of good acting performances by a nice ensemble cast as well. Solid actors such as Alan Arkin, Joan Cusack, Jeremy Piven, Dan Aykroyd, and Hank Azaria, amongst others, each play vital roles well. And the film has a quasi-improvised feel to it. There are certain scenes that seem as though the actors were just given some specific lines, they knew what the jist of the scene was supposed to be, and ran with it...which in turn makes it feel much more real. The interaction between John Cusack and Piven in particular has a "best friend" quality to it.

The music also plays a very large part in this film. Most of it is from the mid-1980's, and from the time of the characters graduating from High School (Blank is in town for the 10 year reunion of the Class Of 1986...amongst other reasons...). But unlike most modern films where the music is shoved in to sell more records, here the songs are used effectively and with a purpose...Newberry is even a DJ at the local radio station, giving further reason for the prominece of the music. Songs are placed at certain moments because of their lyrical connection to the scene, or just because they feel right.

Perhaps the cleverest usage of music in the film is the transformation from the Guns N' Roses cover of Live & Let Die by Wings to a muzak version of the same song as Blank walks from outside into a convenience store located at the site of his childhood home. The editing is seamless, the song continues uninterrupted, and it's more subdued inside the store...it's so subtle you almost don't even notice it. It was several viewings of the film in before I picked up on it, but it's one of those little things that shows you how much the filmmakers cared.

I could talk endlessly of the virutes of this film, as it is one of my very favorites. Suffice to say, it is a real filmmaking gem, and deserves a much wider audience than it has garnered, although it does have a near-cult status. The biggest travesty is the fact that the readily-available DVD contains ZERO extras...so making it a Netflix choice is HIGHLY recommended.

A Few Quick Links

Because the I only just got information on The Doomsday Film Festival and Symposium which is going on this weekend in Brooklyn I thought I'd do a quick round up of other links. Informstion on the Film Festival can be found here.

A creepy Christmas short is found here

Total Film's choice forr films you might have missed is here.

The timelessness of Shoah is discussed here in print and here on the radio. The film is back in release for its 25th anniversary.

A piece on what is and is not okay for an Oscar Screener is here

Red Canvas (2009)

Possibly the best of the growing genre of mixed martial arts films, this is also a really good action film as well. I say this in high praise of this film which unfortunately is part of a genre that hasn't turned out many okay films, never mind a remotely good one.

The plot is simple. Eddie Reyes Junior is sprung by warden John Savage so that he can fight in the Red Canvas tournaments that are held by evil George Takei. Savage senses something more behind Reyes' eyes and wants to give him a chance at redeeming himself. Takei on the other hand just wants to make money and TV ratings.

To be honest, looking at an ad for the film (which listed all sorts of awards...all from a single action movie festival), I was prepared to have to sit through a really dumb "action" film with non-performances, paycheck seeking actors, and a clichéd plot that was dumbed down (the MMA genre in a nutshell). Instead I got real performances, actors who seemed to care about the film, and a clichéd plot that has been gussied up enough that you really DO care what happens.

I'm shocked.

Actually I'm really happy to have found this little movie, because it's the sort of film that I have happily recommended to friends. This is one of the better low budget action films I've seen this year.

Worth a look.

Big Man Japan (2007)

"Documentary" about a man who can grow to gigantic proportions whenever Japan is attacked by giant monsters. We watch as he tries to get along in his normal human form, where he is a poor schlub struggling to earn a living, dealing with a divorce and a kid he never sees, and the public who love and hate him and the destruction he causes.

Dry and witty comedy from the man who gave us Symbol at this year's NYAFF, turns the idea of giant superheroes (even media created heroes) and monsters (ala Ultraman and Godzilla) on their head. How mundane it all is. If you are aware of the "giant men in suits" genre this will amuse you to no end. The effects are handled well and while it's almost certainly all CGI (I haven't cracked open the second region 3 DVD) it all looks wonderfully real.

This got a token US release in 2009, which kind of surprised me, because while it's funny if you don't know what it's spoofing, it's even funnier if you do (the people I know who truly love this film love giant monster movies and their related TV shows). My saying that shouldn't put you off since this is a very, very funny movie no matter how much you know of the subject.

If there is any problem with the film it is perhaps that it's too long at just under two hours. It's almost too much of a good thing, and by the time you get to the end the film has almost worn out its welcome.

Still, in the right frame of mind this is both a hoot and a half and very clever pondering on things giant.

Worth a look for those who like clever comedy and giant monsters.

Starship Surprise (2004)

German comedy based upon a German sketch show bit about the Starship Surprise and its gay crew.(The film also references director and star Michael Herbig's earlier films)

Think gay Star Trek. Think funny, in a very wrong sort of way.

Yes, I know "Germany" and "comedy" don't spring to mind as film terms (German art film, German crime drama), but this movie actually works, and when you aren't laughing you find yourself curious enough to want to know how it's all going to come out.

Looking infinitely better than George Lucas' last three Star Wars films and made for a fraction of the budget, this is a scifi spoof that plays like a twisted version of Spaceballs, but where the jokes are not so scattershot and are tied to the plot. The plot has to do with the evil Martian Empire coming to take over or destroy Earth, depending on whether or not we want to surrender. The only hope is the crew of the Starship Surprise which the leaders of Earth want to send back in time to prevent the events at Roswell, New Mexico 300 years before. The crew isn't interested since they'd rather prepare for the Miss Waikiki Contest. Eventually they do go back, but the time machine doesn't quite work right and we end up with knights and armor and western spoofs as well.

If you're a Trek fan it's worth seeing. If you're a Star Wars fan it's worth seeing, and the same goes for all scifi junkies. Yes it's dumb, but it's funny which is all that matters.

If you can get your hands on this movie (I picked it up from Video Search Of Miami) give it a shot, it's definitely worth a bucket of popcorn and a soda.

As I said this film also references director/star Michael Herbig's earlier film Manitou's Shoe , which is a send-up of westerns like the German Shatterhand films. While it's not really necessary to see that film to appreciate Starship, I kind of wish I had seen them in the order that they were made, since there are jokes that only make sense if you see Manitou first.

Both films are on DVD overseas and can be had if you keep your eyes on Amazon e-sellers of places like Video Search. One piece of advice; try to get it subtitled and not dubbed since I've heard the dubbing is horrible.

Beach Of The War Gods (1973)

As Japanese pirates are raiding up and down the Chinese coast, a General gathers together some men and turns the local fishermen into soldiers in order to have them fight back.

Mix of Japanese samurai films and traditional Chinese Martial arts movies is pretty much a non-stop action film. Supposedly based on a real incident, this film plays like a spaghetti western version of the Seven Samurai relocated to China. (Yeah, I know how redundant that sounds but if you see the film you'll know what I mean.) After a brief set-up the film becomes a series of battles as the pirates make repeated attempts to attack the fishing village. The action is very well done, blending a variety of styles into an almost seamless whole.

It's hard to discuss beyond that because the brief film (it runs only 95 minutes) is essentially one long set piece. There are no real characters other then the General. The villagers all blend together, and the men they hire are really just their "quirk'; the guy with all the knives is just a guy with all these knives. One really wishes they had taken a couple more minutes to build some characters instead of just the action.

If you don't mind just action and want a martial arts film that isn't run of the mill, I'd definitely give this film a try.

(Reviewers at IMDB mention poor dubbing. I saw this on a DVD as part of Joy Sales Legendary Collection series where the stunning picture was matched with a poor Chinese vocal track that seems to be separate from the film. I know that all Chinese films from the period were post-dubbed and that there are often two vocal tracks [Mandarin and Cantonese], but whichever one they used here was a poor choice)

Bastards (2006)

On the box Bastards (its English title) was billed as the Russian Battle Royal (A Japanese story of a class of highschoolers dumped on an island and told they have to kill each other, with the last one left alive graduating). Actually this is closer to the Dirty Dozen with kids.

The premise of the story, which is at least based in some truth, is that during the Second World War the Soviets took the kids they arrested for Capital crimes and gave them a choice be shot or atone with blood, i.e., take on suicide missions (something the Soviets really gave their criminals). They are brought to a mountaintop facility where they are trained by military men, some of whom are in equally dire circumstances. The film follows some of the boys and some of the trainers. It's an often nasty look at the cost of war, and at the Soviets. It's clear that the boys are not afraid of anything, at least until faced with death, because of some things they've done. The fear is used to some extent by their trainers who execute anyone who doesn't do what they are supposed to, or in one case kill another boy they owe money to. The film mostly concerns the training, but in the late stages we watch as several boys are sent out on a mission and their trainers, who now view the boys as sons, wait to see if they will return.

This is a good little film. For the most part it's all about the characters and that's where the film scores. The kids are the right amount of cocky and fearful. The adults are nicely tough, loving, and bewildered. It's a good mix. The action, when it happens, is good.

If there is a flaw it's that the film is too breezy at 97 minutes, which left me wanting to see more of many scenes at the training camp. That said the film is worth a look.

I'm not sure this has a regular US release. I know this is available as an import from Amazon e-sellers and elsewhere.

Mulberry Street (2006)

A couple of quick notes concerning this film.

When I wrote this review and posted it I still hadn't seen Stake Land, the director's grand reimagining of the zombie...er, vampire genre. That film remains one of my favorites of the year. This film is good. Stake Land is great.

If you are reading this in the UK please be aware that the film has been retitled Zombie Virus On Mulberry Street. Why? I don't know. It's the same fun film with a lousy title.

One of a second group of "8 Films To Die For" this is a New York lensed tale of a zombie/28 Days Later like tale of biological horror set in New York's Lower East Side, as some disease spread by rat bite, and later people bite, turns people into hungry beasts.

Clearly filmed in New York in real locations, this film feels like New York. It lives and breathes the locations it was filmed in in ways that big budgeted films never do. The street scenes were apparently filmed on the sly and the result is a real sense of the city where things are really happening. This is New York for real (minus the zombies).

The film starts off with a great deal of character building (hey real characters in a horror movie; what a novel idea) that perhaps goes on a bit too long. Still, it sets everyone up so nicely that when the infected begin to assault the people we've come to know we are more than horrified, we are saddened by their fates. I don't know when was the last time I was choked up at a horror film.

To be honest there may be a bit too much of these building scenes since the film seems to slow down around the half hour mark. Things turn up a few notches once the infection spreads and Manhattan is sealed off. How will our heroes survive? Once things begin to heat up the film becomes a series of sequences that play very real as the infected begin to beat and bash their way into the buildings and apartments. There are many stunning images that seem to have raised the bar of films like this for their stark sense of realism and in-your-face nature. Most of the second half of the film is dynamite as everyone tries to figure out what's going on and how to survive.

I really liked this film a great deal. Granted it's not perfect; the film does take too long to start up, and it's sometimes too close to the action, as if the cinematographer didn't realize how some of the up-close fast moving images would look on a big screen, but it certainly is worth seeing.

This is out on DVD.

Christmas In August (1998)

Korean "romance" about the owner of a camera store who is diagnosed with a fatal disease. As he goes about his daily routine and prepares for the end he becomes acquainted with a young girl who is a customer. A friendship and romance grows, even though neither expresses any sort of affection for the other.

A good film which is unlikey anything you are likely to see remade in America, simply because the studios would insist that the "couple" act on their feelings. He will not say anything because he doesn't have that long to live, she won't say anything because it's not the thing that's done, and he is not responding as she thinks he should. Of course it's much more complex than I'm making it out to be and in all honesty it's the sort of thing that you should discover for yourself.

Is it a great film?

No, but it is a good one that will move you emotionally. The final lines of the film still haunts me: "I always knew that love would fade like a photograph...but you will remain in my heart as you are in my last moment. Thank you and goodbye." It may seem odd out of context, but within the context of the film it is very moving.

Leonardo's Last Supper:A Vision By Peter Greenaway

If you are in New York and can manage to find the time between now and January 6th you really should make an effort to see the installation at the Park Avenue Armory. It's a multimedia piece by film director Peter Greenaway involving a clone of the Last Supper. It is quite simply an experience you will never forget.

I had been told that the piece was set in exact replica of the building where the Last Supper is, but that isn't really the case. The wall that the painting resides on is an exact copy, but otherwise it's an frame work recreation with a long white table that is set as in the painting.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

I'm not sure where to begin.

Perhaps with the beginning.

This morning my friend Lou and I went to the armory to hear Greenaway speak. We are huge fans of his work and any chance we get to hear him speak is one we'll take. My first trip to the New York Film Festival was to see his Prospero's Books. (In a side note when I met Mr Greenaway after the talk I had him sign the copy of the DVD sleeve for that film) and his way of making films has held an evil sway over me since I first saw The Cook,The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover.

The talk was a heady mix of the history of art, architecture, history and film. It was the sort of talk that you really wish you had on tape so that it could be played back because you missed so much. Time flew by. I can't really go into what he said since I'm still processing it. Much of the talk related to the exhibit and some to his contention that film (as in movies) is dead. I understand what he is getting at, but at the same time, and he's the first to admit the paradox, he still uses film and the notion of film.*

After the talk we filed out into the hallway and Greenaway was surrounded by people wanting to talk and get signatures. I got a big smile from him when he saw the DVD cover since it was clear I had come prepared. Most people just had materials from the exhibit signed.

The man is utterly charming and willing to give and take in any conversation. He was thrilled when he got into an argument with a man over the notion of the death of film. When the man finally left Greenaway commented that he was so happy to have someone argue with him who actually could argue his point clearly.

After talking to a couple of people about where to go to get some of Greenaways's films (Diabolik has a nifty box set of 7 films and a documentary from Australia) Lou and I went off to wait until 1 Pm and our scheduled time to see the presentation.

Waiting on line to get we noticed Greenaway walking around with everyone oblivious to who he was. It was amusing and frustrating since we both saw an opportunity to talk to him for a little while uninterrupted. Had we not started to move into the exhibit just as a couple engaged him in talk we would have gotten off the line and tried to really speak with him.

As you enter the armory drill space a huge screen is in front of you on which a man danced. Doves flew. We were directed to move around the screen into a "room" where screens made up the walls, , part of the floor and hung from the ceiling. Chapel bells rang.

As everyone moved into the room, some sitting on two large benches the man danced around the room. Birds flew and some colored lines circled us.

I have to tell you flat out this is a 360 degree installation. Things are happening all around you at all times and if you really want to see it you MUST keeping looking around you. (I was annoyed by how many people just sat there and looked at only one wall- why? Things are happening all around you.)

The bells and the dancing man gave way to scenes of Italy and music. Then we began to see images from art...images moved in and around. I got a bit of vertigo and motion sick because I stood too near the floor panels and the motion of the images on the walls and floor messed with my sense of equilibrium.

We then were allowed to go into see the Last Supper. As I said the frame work of the room where it stands gives a sense of space. Down the center of the room a white table.

More and and light. This time there are projections onto the painting which suddenly becomes three dimensional. The table glows, the back wall shows hyper close ups of the wall the actual painting is on. The light shifts, portions of the painting are highlighted...and things repeat...what are we looking at? What is real?

Why are tears running down my face? Somewhere in the final moments I find I'm somewhere beyond words. I am moved beyond words. This part of the installation is done and I, and several others are just staring at the painting not moving...except to wipe away our tears.

We are moved into the first room and things continue. No longer focusing on the Last Supper Peter Greenaway is now talking about the Veronese's Wedding in Cana. Its the story of another meal and it's many characters.

It is good but not quite what we've just seen, and it is a bit of a let down. (It is more intellectual then visceral, it is that one thing Greenaway argued against a text based presentation)

When its done everyone just stands not moving just looking at the final image.

When the staff sees no one moving they gently tell us we can go.

Slowly, quietly we exit.

Some people loved it, some didn't. I catch pieces of conversations, people are trying to find words even if it is to use the words of other people.

Lou and I don't speak until we get on the street.

For me it is unlike anything I've ever seen. It is an experience. I'm not sure what I feel towards it I only know I feel. I knew I was going to have to tell people to see this, I know I think I should see it again.

It is in it's way truly amazing.

A couple of quick pieces of information.

The piece is in three parts. The Prologue is called Italy of the City and was created this year. The second part is the Last Supper and was put together in 2008. And the Epilogue is the Wedding at Cana and was done in 2009. (the info is from the hand out program).

If you go you need to be aware that for the most part you're going to be standing for the better part of say 75 minutes from your time on line to the time inside to when you walk out. Yes, there are a couple of benches inside the exhibition space but you'll want to stand so you can attempt to see all of the images.

Lastly the cost is 15 dollars and worth every penny. Its not something you'll ever see at home, or anywhere else for that matter. As Peter Greenaway said to someone who had seen some of the video images on TV, that was all well and good but seeing it on these screens was something else entirely.

If you can go see it, it will astound you.

Information on the exhibit can be found here.

*- For those who want to know what his argument against film was- he said- if I can remember this correctly- that film never achieved its full potential since it was created. Since we think and act in a certain way we do not use film as it should be used. Part of this problem is that almost all films made are text based either coming from a script or a novel. The medium is not wholly visual which is how he feels it should be. He said that his use of text in films is an effort to try and drive us away from thinking of text.

I've probably gotten that wrong on some level but you'll have enough to chase down more if you want to.

He said that what ever film was suppose to be has now fallen to TV, however I see TV as an extension of film so I'm at a loss to explain buy into what he's saying (at least as far as the death of film)

Christmas Tale (2008)

After matriarch Junon is diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness her family comes together (whether they want to or not) at Christmas in the hopes of putting things right.

I've explained that badly, which is fine since I doubt there is any way I can truly do justice to this wonderful film about families; how they make us crazy, how they help us along, and how life kind of gets in the way. I loved the way that about a half hour into the film I knew I was going to have to watch this again; not because I was missing something, but rather it was because I was simply enjoying it so much. (Thank you Criterion for putting out a super DVD edition). This is a magical movie that's worth the effort to see.

I have to say I love that in the film Catherine Deneuve, a babe if there ever was (and is) one, is married to Jean-Paul Roussillon, a small, squat, almost troll-like man. You watch the two together and there is such love and ease and magic between them that the pairing is utterly perfect. Their pairing makes absolute sense, more than most romantic pairings that the movies have ever shown us. It's brilliant, and it's just a small element of a film that gets adults and families right. To be certain it's idealized in many ways, but the film still feels wonderfully real.

It's just a great film from top to bottom, with a great script, a great look (and sound), and a cast that is as good as it gets.

See this film, it's one of the better films of the last few years. If you want to know how good it is, I can't stop talking about it for days after every viewing I have of the film.

Updates Links and other stuff

I Love You Philip Morris which I reviewed back in September has finally made it to theater screens. Its worth a seeing partly because its a good, but not great movie with a great turn by Jim Carrey. Its also a great way to signal to the studios that off beat films that are good do have an audience.

Rare Exports is beginning it's trek around the country to theaters possibly near you. This is a treat and for anyone who wants to see something less warm and fuzzy than It's a Wonderful Life.

Aftershock the Chinese film about the aftermath of an earthquake in 1976 has won the Asia Pacific Award for Best Film.

In a move that is understandable but truly annoying, the film/miniseries Carlos which played the NYFF and has one of the best performances of the year-Edgar Ramirez as the title character- is ineligible for any Oscars because it started out as a TV series. Sometimes rules should be broken since thinking about it the performance was my lock for the best actor award.

Help I'm a Fish is playing at New York's IFC Center for the next two weekends as part of their on going partnership with the New York International Children's Film Festival.

I saw London, the first of the Robinson films by Patrick Keiller. Its very good and if you, like me liked Robinson in Space you'll like this as well. (Its similar enough in tone and style that I can't justify a second review. Its not more of the same plotwise, just more of the same stylistically.

Peter Greenaway's Last Supper has opened at the Park Avenue Armory. I should have a review tomorrow night since I'm going tomorrow morning to that as well as to a talk by the man himself. Details of the presentation can be found here. As an addendum I just picked up the Umbrella Entertainments box set of 8 Greenaway films. Expect reviews as soon as I wade in.

Back in July Ken reviewed the three stand up DVDs of Dylan Moran. Four those not wanting to spend the time to see the shows as they should be seen, they have released Aim Low The Best of Dylan Moran, is highlights of the three shows. Personally I'd opt out since Moran is best when he can build a head of steam. I saw a highlight show of Monster when it was taped for BBC America and it was terrible. It was so bad it almost put me off Moran completely.

Bad table manners can save your life as witnessed here. (There are links to other films including one showing dating dos and don'ts via footage from Star Wars.)

The new movie realism.

The Grinch in ice.

And now some fun things I found at Cartoon Brew:

A wickedly funny live action coyote and road runner film is found here.

Someone is making a feature animated film in one month, And as crazy as that sounds apparently it is possible.

A trailer for what looks to be an amazing piece of animation Paths of Hate. Its a wicked airplane dogfight.

The short list of Oscar's choices for the animated short films is here.

The awards season marches on with the National Board of Reviews Awards. An article is here. The chose Social Network for the top awards. I refuse comment other than to say On Further Review...

Lastly from the current Roger Ebert's Movie Answer Man column:
Q. In all the giant monster movies I've seen ("King Kong," "Godzilla," et al.), the monsters never have the urge to urinate and/or defecate. Even after eating people. Why is that? Do you know of any movies where they do, barring "Jurassic Park?" (Eric Hodek, Itasca, IL).

A. Obviously, they must be constipated. That's why they're so short-tempered.

Cinerama Adventure (2002)

This film is included as a bonus feature in the super deluxe DVD edition of How The West Was Won. I'm not a fan of that film, but since this film was included and the commentary track on How The West was supposed to be excellent I picked up the deluxe edition for about 10 bucks from an Amazon e-seller.

Cinerama Adventure is the history of the Cinerama process, from its creation out of a military air-gunner trainer, into a huge spectacular that actually managed to be the number one film for 1952, despite being only in one theater in the entire country. The film covers briefly the rise and fall of the three strip process and how it changed into a single strip 70mm process before actually fading away. Bright and breezy, this is a very good overview of the whole Cinerama phenomenon.

In a weird way the film could have been longer and could have shown clips from more of the films, but as it stands it's a great place to get a feel for what the fuss was all about. Since it's packaged with the recent restoration of How The West Was Won, it is a perfect explanation as to why that film was one of only two dramatic films made in the process. Things may have looked great but at the same time it was very difficult to handle the cameras.

One of the treats of the film is that we get a glimpse of the reel that was shown when something would go wrong. Since Cinerama required three projectors operating in sync, things occasionally went wrong, and as such they needed something to cover. It's not something many people would have ever gotten to see, but we do see it here. I liked this film a great deal, though I'm wondering if there is another film that's similar to this, since I seem to remember seeing something recently that covered the process but had some different material.

Worth a look if you run across it.

What The Bleep: Down The Rabbit Hole Quantum Edition (2006)

What The Bleep Do We Know is a mix of documentary and fiction film. It’s a film that is stuck together as the quest of a woman, played by Marlee Matlin, to find meaning in her life. Her fictional quest is intercut with sequences where experts on science and spirituality talk about various subjects. It’s a heady mix of ideas. Several months after the film was released to theaters a second version, longer and slightly rearranged, was released to theaters. (I think that there may have even been another cut of the film but I’m not sure.)

As a movie the film is okay. It’s a great way to get a conversation started or to get you thinking about the subjects covered. It's not something that I really watch as a MOVIE movie.

However on DVD the film was released not only as a single disc DVD with the film but also as a super spectacular 3 DVD six-sided edition, which for me makes the film a must see. Using DVD technology the film expands exponentially as you now can control how you want to see the film.

Would you like to see the film as it played in theaters? You can do so, but you can also play the film so that you can control how much of the film’s fictional story you want to see. If you don’t want to see the talking heads, dial them down so it’s all Matlin's story. On the other hand, if you just want the talking heads you can play just those sections. Even better, if you want additional discussions of topics you can bump them up and have additional material not included in the theatrical cuts. The bits play randomly so you can play the material multiple times and not feel bored.

The second side of the three discs each has several hours of uninterrupted interviews with the talking heads of the film. For me the talking heads are the film. Whether you accept the scientific material's connection to the spiritual is up to you. But no matter how you feel, the material will get you thinking. Personally I find the films inclusion of JZ Knight and Ramtha as the biggest weakness, since it’s the least scientific thing in the entire film (I've heard too many questions about Knight and her Ramtha persona being a big con).

Worth a look if you want to get yourself thinking about things. I think it doesn't matter if you accept the connections or not (it can be argued that the science shouldn't be applied to spiritual matters and vice versa), since you will be forced to react, which is the point.

Teat Beat Of Sex - 15 Short Films By Signe Baumane

My copy of this collection of short films by animator Signe Baumane was signed by the lady herself at the conclusion of a nice long conversation. I had met Ms. Baumane at the MoCCA Comic Arts Festival earlier this year. She had a table of DVDs for both herself and Bill Plympton and I proceeded to buy up everything of hers that she had (I already had some of the Plympton stuff). She was shocked that I knew who she was and that I knew of her upcoming appearance with Plympton at the IFC Center in a Man vs. Woman Animation show. She graciously signed my DVDs (this one says Sex is good and sex is wise! With Good Advise Signe"), and I went off.

While I had seen some of her short films I hadn't seen any of the films in this collection and boy was I unprepared for what I saw.

Teat Beat is 15 short films about sex. Over the course of the 15 shorts, topics of almost every sort are covered in a very frank (this is not for kids) and very funny manner. I was doubled over with laughter as I watched the films.

The films go from Kirby which is about size to Barn which is about virginity. In between we have stops at places like panties, when kissing goes wrong, and a few other subjects I'm hesitant to mention. All of them are dead-on and very funny.

If there is any real problem it's that the shorts, which run roughly two minutes each, are further shortened by each film having full openings and closings which really reduce the material down. I found myself zipping through them to get to the next bit.

I loved it. I want more.

If you're an adult and would like to see some really good short films on sex you can get them from a website set up for the films which can be found here.

Requiem For A Killer: The Making Of Blast Of Silence (2007)

This is an expansion of a 1990 documentary about the making of Blast Of Silence, a late-in-the-game film noir thriller that was filmed on the streets of New York City to great effect.

The original version was made after the film was rediscovered at a German film festival and a TV film crew went and followed director and star Allen Baron around the film's locations while he talked about the film.

This expansion includes that footage, as well as a 2006 interview with Baron. This is a good but not great look at the making of the film, as well as the career of Baron. The problem is that the stories that Baron tells seem to be almost random and often spiral out in odd directions; for example he talks a great deal about a closed restaurant and how it was important to the New York theater community. It's not bad, it's just not on point. When Baron IS on point the stories are great.

The film is also great in that it shows how the city has changed over the thirty years between when the film was originally made, and when Baron revisits the locations. (I should also mention that on the Criterion DVD of Blast Of Silence, where this documentary is included as an extra, there is also a series of stills that brings the changes of the locations up to 2008.)

Baron also muses a great deal about the psychology of his character from the film. I'm not sure that it's all that necessary, since much of it seems pretty clear in the film itself.

Overall I liked this look at the making of Blast, but I didn't love it. It's too unfocused to be wholly satisfying. While I did enjoy the hour I spent watching it, I don't know if I would watch it again, not because it's bad, but I don't think I'd get much out of a second viewing. Worth a look if you've seen Blast Of Silence. If you haven't seen Blast then don't even consider watching this, partly because it's full of spoilers, but mostly what is discussed will mean nothing to you unless you've seen the film it's about.