Re-Encounter (2010)- The first film in the Korean Cultral Service's Independent Film series

This is the first of four independent Korean films that are running as part of the Korean Cultural Service's series at the Tribeca Cinemas. Re-encountered will be screening tomorrow night at 7PM and it's worth making the trek down to the cinema to see it.

Hyehwa is living a quiet life as a veterinarian's assistant. She shuttles between home, taking care of the local strays and her office. One day while setting a trap to catch a dog in need of care she is confronted by her high school boyfriend. He tells her rather unceremoniously that the baby they thought had died five years earlier was, in fact, still alive. To say that this bombshell upsets her life is an understatement.

This is a quietly powerful film the story spins out as we see how our past has a habit of sneaking up on us and how lies and misunderstanding can shatter our existence. It's a film that is very much un-Hollywood in that there are no simple answers, there is just life.

I think part of the reason that it works as well as it does because the film is not full of big stars. For me, someone who has seen a large number of Korean films, the faces and places of the film seemed to be completely new.(Think of how you react to a small independent film as opposed to one with Brad Pitt) I don't really recall seeing anyone before, though I'm sure I probably have. For me everyone seemed to be real people I was meeting for the first time. It was like spying on the lives of all of the characters.

I liked how there is also a naturalness to how the layers of the story are peeled away. The film jumps back and forth through time shows as bit by bit the true nature of what is going on. There are no grand Hollywood swings between now and then, just a simple moving through time much in the same way out brains shift through what is happening now and what happened a while back. The result is an emotional state that is very much awkward and odd,a state that is a mirror of what our heroine is feeling. It helps to put a nice kick in the tail of the film. (It will move you when its all said and done)

I don't want to over sell this film. It's not a big splashy drama, it's a small gem of a movie. It's the sort of thing that needs a special showcase like since I don't think it would be seen in the US otherwise. I say this because as good as the film is, it's the sort of thing that probably can't get a US release since it's not a film with free flowing blood and bullets. Basically its the sort of film that Unseen Films was started to highlight.

If you're in the mood for a small scale drama that will engage you and make you feel something; and you happen to be in New York City tomorrow night, get yourself down to the Tribeca Cinemas and see this little gem. It won't change your life but it will entertain you and leave you feeling like you've actually seen something of substance.

Doors open at 630 and the film starts at 7PM. Just walk in and tell them you're there for the free film.

Re-thinking Bleeding House (2011)- I've partly changed my mind

Back on April 27th I ran a short review of Bleeding House and I called it a minor movie worth viewing only on a slow night. However over time my opinion changed in regard to the film at least in some respects, or rather in one respect: I think you should see the film the film for Patrick Breen's performance as Nick.

For those who don't remember the earlier review I'll give you a brief explanation of the plot. Just outside of Cleveland live the Smiths. They are a shut away family cut off from society. The reason for their living off to themselves lies in a tragedy years before where Mrs Smith burned down the house of the Bells, killing the whole family. She was spared prison thanks to the legal maneuvering of Mr Smith. As a result they are not wanted parts of the community. It's also left a deep scar on Gloria their daughter who collects insects which she tacks to the wall. Quentin, the son is looking to get out and is planning on running away with his girlfriend at the first opportunity. Into their lives comes Nick. he's a kind southern gentleman who is looking for aid because his car broke down. He's called for help but can't get any until the morning. reluctantly the Smiths let him in. they are hoping word of their good deed will help open doors to their community. Sadly even though Nick seems to be a nice guy and wins the affection of everyone, he does in fact do what he jokes about doing, "I carve people up". He says it's because he's a surgeon. Actually it's because he's a religious psycho who takes out people he perceives to be morally corrupt. He feels that by killing them he is freeing their souls.

I'm going to reveal a spoiler here so if you don't want to know skip to the next paragraph. The crux of the final third of the film comes with the revelation, one you pretty much know from minute one, that the death of the Bells had nothing to do with the mother, but was in fact the work of Gloria, who is a psychotic as they come, complete with a love of killing animals. The battle in the final third is the question of whether Gloria will listen to Nick and join him on his rampage or if she will battle him to the end. It's no where near as clever as it sounds so everything flounders.

As I said before the film isn't all that special. It's extremely well made and well acted but the film has enough plot for maybe just more than an a single episode of a show like Tales From The Darkside or Monsters. The film is also filled with logic gaps and plot holes (You can't store paper in the woods under leaves and have it look fresh, people's ages are wildly wrong for the time frame inferred) that collapse the whole house of cards much to easily. It's a well meaning film that isn't bad, but really isn't worth the time except in passing...

...or would be if it wasn't for Patrick Breen as Nick. Breen is the whole movie. If the film were any better as a whole this would be the role to shoot him to the top of the heap. It's a quiet mannered performance that is just the right amount of creepy...and you can't help but like him and trust him even as he's draining the blood from your veins. Breen's performance is horror classic. It's one of those performances you can't forget.

Think about it.

I saw this film over a month a go at a screening, I wrote up a dismissive review to appear when the film premiered and yet here I am, writing it up in a full review as the first film in a series of highlighting the best of Tribeca just over a week after my negative review.

Why?

Because despite a month of movies, despite everything else, when I finally sat down to really think about the films I wanted to write about I couldn't get Nick out of my head. It's a brilliant performance. It's wonderfully written. It's clear that writer director Philip Gelatt loved his character and he gave him some of the best lines a villain could wish for. (I do have to say that Gelatt's dialog is wonderful across the board, it's just his plotting and pacing that don't really work).

If you are a horror fan you need to see this performance. It's a new gold standard for screen villainy.

The film currently on VOD on cable and satellite as part of the pay per view Tribeca package. It's due for a limited theatrical lease starting Friday. Personally I'd go for the VOD and get a bunch of friends.

to Helldriver and back: Helldriver edition!

With all of the exciting distractions surrounding the recent screening of Helldriver at Japan Society, it’s possible to overlook…Helldriver! We shouldn’t do that. It is a wild ride of a movie that finds Nishimura breaking out of the mold of great ‘fringe director’ and achieving acknowledgment as a great director, period. It is his best work yet, ideally experienced in a theater, as evidenced by the audience cheering raucously throughout.

It is the story of a young woman, Kika. She is on a road to revenge against her serial-killing psychopath mother (played by Eihi Shiina of Audition and Tokyo Gore Police fame)and uncle. And by the way, Japan is a zombie wasteland.

Yes, Helldriver finds Nishimura taking on the zombie genre. But naturally, instead of merely making another entry into the genre, the special effects maven has created his own unique take on the undead. According to Nishimura’s vision, the affliction is the result of a meteoric object colliding with earth. The zombies have a distinguishing feature in the form of gnarled fleshy antennae protruding from their foreheads. The mental capacity of these zombies seems to shift throughout the movie. At times, they are the drooling, mindless, hungry beasts we are accustomed to. At others, we get hedonistic zombies, who subject their un-undead human victims to fiendish forms of torture and molestation. Since the movie works as much as a comedy as it does a horror or action film, we’ll hold no grudge over the inconsistency.

When referring to the movie as a comedy, I should make it clear that Helldriver stands up to the most well known movies that have taken humorous stabs at the zombie genre. Bad Taste, Shawn of the Dead…it doesn’t take a back seat to any of them. Nishimura’s great comedic sense comes by way of inserting hilarious scenes at just the right moments, throwing the audience for a loop right when the tone seems to be leaning towards suspense or drama. The laughs are also hard-earned because, rather than just go for gross-out humor, they involve some serious political satire. The way in which the main characters are “assigned” their mission to track down the evil Zombie Queen (also Kika's mother, portrayed with gleeful savagery by Shiina) takes a hilarious shot at prison complexes and the notions of reform and correction.

Yes, there are the larger than life gore-effect spectacles that fans of this new wave of Japanese splatter film come to expect. Before the end credits roll, you will see more than one moving vehicle that is made out of teeming hordes of zombies. A large scale battle scene shifting between 3 simultaneous duels to the death involves creatures with multiple limbs, a zombie infant that is wielded as a weapon (which Nishimura lovingly embraced after the screening), and a car that fights with Mortal Kombat-like video game proficiency.

The most interesting parts of the movie for me, however, show a dystopian vision of Japan after being rocked by this national crisis (which may hit a little close to home; Nishimura, during the Q & A, acknowledged the unsettling parallels between the film and recent situations after Japan’s recent earthquake disaster, although he finished the movie before it occurred). Much time is spent delving into the hell that the zombie-infected communities have fallen into, showing the divisive campaigns of politicians and religious figures in reaction to the catastrophe, and how none of them adequately handle the everyday citizens’ needs. Other societal questions are explored, like what occupation do people turn to for a living in a world turned upside down by a zombie plague, and how are illicit activities, such as the drug trade, affected? Both of these questions are answered as Kika encounters those who would become her allies in her enormous quest.

Certain moments of the film show a clear influence by director Sono Sion, in particular his movie Love Exposure. There are scenes of unsettling abusive behavior set to sweeping classical scores and also an explosive title sequence that doesn’t appear on the screen until a full hour into the movie – both reminiscent of that epic movie. Before anyone cries foul, let’s remember that Nishimura was involved in Love Exposure’s success, bringing his splatter expertise to designing the gore effects of that movie. It is exciting to see Japan’s bold and provocative directors having a positive influence on one another.

Helldriver is an overwhelmingly satisfying film that leaves the question, what‘s next for Nishimura? at the forefront of fans’ minds. For a glimpse of a possible answer to that question, be sure to stick around ‘til after the credits!

Free Korean Films, good movies and other things

A few random things here and there.

First up the Korean Cultural Service screenings at the Tribeca Cinemas continue Tuesday with the first of four independent films. Most films in Korea are not made independently, but there are a few every now and again and they usually break the mold and shake things up about what you think is a Korean film.

The first film is Re-Encounter. It's the story a young woman who is confronted by the boy who got her prgnant when they were 18. He informs her that they child they believed had died is actually still alive. Its a shattering bit of information that changes both of their lives. I've seen the film and it's very good. A review will run here tomorrow night. However in all honesty you shouldn't wait to read it, just make plans to go see the film because it's worth the effort.

Re-Encounter will be followed every two weeks by another film, Missing Person on the 24th, Vegetarian June 7th and Cafe Noir on the 21st. We’ll be putting up coverage and reviews of each film. Don’t worry we’ll remind you as each screening approaches.

A few Random links and notes:

What it's like to premiere your film at Tribeca can be found here.

Friend of Unseen Films Rob K Elder talks about his book "Movies That Changed My Life" here.

Apparently Blackthorn which failed to impress me at the just finished Tribeca Film Festival, has been picked up by Magnolia for a fall theatrical release.

Another note from Tribeca is that Talihina Sky, the messy film about the Kings of Leon was only screened as a work in progress. I hope this means that the film will be recut and reordered so that the great film locked in the mess that it is now is released.

Magnolia is sending one of this years best films 13 Assassins to DVD on July 5th. Thats also the same day as Hobo With a Shot Gun.

City of Life and Death which we reviewed back in May of last years has finally hit US theaters with a run at NYC's Film Forum. Its a must see that will knock your socks off.

The Museum of the Moving Image is doing an exhibition dedicated to Jim Henson starting in July. The few details announced can be found here.

I should also mention that Lincoln Center is running a couple of series, Norman Jewison, Elizabeth Taylor and Taiwanese Cinema that are worth checking out.

If you haven't checked out the first press release concerning the New York Asian FIlm Festival I suggest you do so. There are some real winners coming, including Reign of Assassins, which was on my best of 2010 list, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (A film so good we've reviewed it twice), plus a Tsui Hark series and a Wu Xia series. Destils can be found here. The full line up comes May 26th so keep reading.

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An aside about what Unseen Films is all about...

I was talking to someone from my day job who started reading this blog several weeks before Tribeca and they commented how they were shocked at how we at Unseen Films tend to like everything. ’Other than some of the Tribeca films, every film you review you are pretty much are recommending “

I kind of shrugged and wasn't sure what to say. I thought pointing out good films was what this blog was all about (that is the mandate in the header). I thought it was clear that other than the occasional On Further Review, special series or something we see at an event (Tribeca) we were trying to stay away from the bad films. We are not trying to review everything good bad or indifferent- rather we’re just trying to shine a light on things you might have missed and may want to see. I mean some films should remain unseen, so why talk about them?.

Bright Future (2003)

Bright Future is a film most people I know remember because of the image of a jellyfish in an aquarium. It’s the image that made me curious about the movie; I wanted to know what was the movie that went with that image.

The film by Kiyoski Kurosawa concerns two friends working at a low level seemingly dead end job. One of them is slowly acclimating a jellyfish from salt water to fresh. He hopes to release it into the wild. When a burst of rage causes one of the pair to murder their boss, the remaining friend is left to pick up the pieces and try and work out the whats and whys of it all.

This is a change-of-pace of sorts from Kurosawa who had been making more or less genre films (Pulse, Sweet Home, the Revenge films). While the director’s films grew more and more thoughtful over time, I think this was kind of the moment where he broke the shackles of having to work within some sort of genre designation. I think this when he said to the world "I’m going to do what ever I want to do."

I’m a fan of Kurosawa’s. I’ve seen a good number of his films, and he always manages to surprise me in some way. His storytelling style is such that his films don’t do what you think they are going to do. They also seem to be much heavier than you expect them to be. Rarely is he simply telling you a story; he’s always throwing something in the mix to make you go hmmmm...(The Revenge films, or the second one, being the exception)

Here in Bright Future it’s the same thing. Nominally the story of two friends and the aftermath of a murder that one commits, the film spirals out into an examination of life, our place in it, and how just knowing someone will influence what we do after that point. It’s a heady mix that gives us pause.

I’m not sure it’s entirely successful. I think that the lack of genre structure kind of allows the film to get away from the director, with some bits seeming to wander all over the place. However at the same time the film covers ground that isn’t well worn and is surprising in its landscape.

I like the film a great deal, but its lack of a genre designation (it’s neither a crime film nor a horror film) makes it a tough sell for those expecting something along the lines of what went before. That really shouldn't matter to anyone just looking for a good film.

Currently out on DVD this film is highly recommended

Pulse (2001)

This weekend we're taking a break from Eden's Moebius series to take a look at two films by Kiyoski Kurosawa. Kurasowa recently had an art house hit with Tokyo Sonata. He also directed one of the first films I reviewed here at Unseen, Sweet Home. The films today are from the last decade and are two of his best. (More Moebius films will return next weekend)

I don't know how to describe this with out making it sound like something its not, but I have to say that this is one of the creepiest and most disturbing films I've seen in quite some time. Its not perfect, even if I gave it a 10 out of 10 at IMDB, simply because few films have left me that uneasy.

Operating well with a sense that I can only describe as dream logic this concerns the really weird events surrounding several people who notice something is wrong when a friend goes missing. The friend is not the trigger, but the event that they notice making them suspect that all is not right in their world.

Everything about how this story is calculated to send slowly building shivers up and down your spine. There are no real moments of shock, just ever growing horror and unease. I hated the way that this movie made me feel but couldn't stop watching.

If there are any flaws is that the film is a bit long at just under two hours. The pacing wears and the logic, while frightening gets stretched almost to the breaking point.

If you can stand slow calculating horror films that freak you out with images and implications then see this movie. Its one of the best I've seen in a while.

I should point out that the film was remade for American audiences (and even spawned sequels) however what works in the remake is directly lifted from this film.

Tribeca- The wrap up post

Its over and done.

For me Tribeca was not an 11 day festival but essential the month of April and beyond.

It’s time to look back and wax poetically, and probably a bit jaggedly, at the festival that was.

Wow.

That’s not meant to be a declaration of anything other than simply statement that the enormity of what I just went through.

It was big. It was huge. It was actually a great deal of tiring fun.

The statement that I had fun will probably come as a surprise to anyone who was reading this blog last year where I bitched and moaned and complained. I still have complaints but the major ones from last year are gone.

From the end of March to the start of May I saw 54 feature films and 23 short films. I attended numerous press screenings and a hand full of paid regular screenings. I met a good number of people, talked about way too many films and learned a great deal about myself, the festival and the world.

The learning about the world is easy enough to explain, look at all the documentaries I saw and you’ll see how much there is to know about truth, justice and hope.

About myself I learned that my limit is five screenings in one day. I also learned that being a movie reviewer is really hard work. Yea, you get to see lots of movies but then you have to write them up quickly and clearly before you see the next one. It’s incredibly hard and more tiring then simply running to and from the movies.

About the Festival…

Yea… there is a lot to say about the festival.

First off I have to say that Tribeca works simply because the people working on it make it a pleasure to go. I had such a huge joy talking to everyone. No one bitched and moaned at stupid questions. Everyone was nice and helpful. The ONLY reason I considered coming back this year was the fact that the volunteers were such a pleasure last year. They are a large reason I hope to go back next year.

Looking back and comparing this year to last year I have to say the festival is still too big. There is simply too many movies, and too many events and to much everything. If I didn’t attend the press screenings I could never attend as many films as I did. Its simply not physically possible. As it is I had to pass on several interviews because to talk to a filmmaker or attend a party or go to a talk meant that I would lose multiple films. Since this is a primarily a film website I made the decision that they came first.

I know why the festival is big; the answer seems to be two fold. First if its big then people will keep striving to do more. How many movies can we see? How much can we take in of this beast called Tribeca.

The other reason is the film is a launching pad and marketing tool. By showing a lot of films all these filmmakers can say they were at Tribeca as if it’s a badge of honor. They can use it to try to get a release to a wider audience.

The trouble is by being so f-ing huge the number of good films, or at least exciting or meaning full films is small. I saw 54 features and while I liked most, very few made much of an impression. I saw them, I made notes, I wrote them up and then they were gone. Most were washed from my brain.

Personally those making the choices need to cut down the number of films they are screening. Yea it’s nice to help the inde movement but at the same time I want to feel that what I’m seeing is special going in instead of feeling that well, maybe I’ll remember this in two days.

This year I got the sense that maybe they got it right. Many of the complaints that I and others had about going in past years seemed to be gone.(I’m not talking about the press screenings, rather the public screenings). This year from my small world seemed to be better. We didn't seem to treated as cattle, and the audience seemed to come first. Things didn't seem delayed by endless red carpet stuff.

I know that this year over last year there were more winning films, with several announcing they were special from the opening frames instead of being great in retrospect.(My list of the most and least favorites are at the bottom)

Ultimately I had a blast.

This year I went to Tribeca and I saw some films, made some friends and possibly got a paying gig or two.

I hope that I’m allowed to go back next year since I’m just a big kid and seeing this many movies makes me go all fanboy.

Over all a grand time was had at this years Tribeca Film Festival.

For those who are interested the Heineken Audience Award was Give Up Tomorrow. There are other Jury awards but ultimately what matters is what the people who pay says. A full list of their choices can be found here (you’ll notice I also loved some of the same films)

My favorite films of the festival were as follows:

Semper Fi-a Moving documentary about keeping our soldiers safe from our government
Give Up Tomorrow- Exposing a gross miscarriage of justice
Grave Encounters- A great horror film that transcends its flaw.
The Assault- A Procedural about an anti terrorist raid
Turn me On God Dammit- wonderfully frank coming of age tale
Romantics Anonymous-What romantic comedies should be
Like Water- A great, exciting sport documentary
The Guard- A modern western in the West of Ireland with wickedly funny dialog
Gnarr- Funny film about making politics work
Troll Hunter- Its all about the trolls.

My least favorite films were:

Grey Matter- Well made but poorly written allegory about genocide looks to have been cobbled together to get a release. Pretentious doesn't begin to describe it.
Bombay Beach- Unfocused film on people by the Salton Sea begins nowhere and goes nowhere,stopping instead of ending.
White White World- This film only works if you read all the promotional material and use it to make fill in the blanks. As a stand alone film it's two hours of your life that feels like the loss of ten.
Talihina Sky- a good documentary about the Kings of Leon ruined by piss poor editing. Moments work and it starts to come together at the very end but by that time its too late and the end credits roll.
The Kite- Messy unfocused ADD filmed story of a man going home for a kite festival and what happens when he gets there. I think since after an hour of nothing really happening I left.

(There were three others that were on an earlier draft of this list but I've come to realize they aren't as bad as these films.)

(I should add that the various Jury’s awarded several of these films awards which kind of makes me wonder if we saw the same films)

And with that Unseen Films ends its real time coverage of Tribeca for 2011. I do want to say that next week we’ll be starting 7 days of fuller reviews of some of the best films, so keep reading.

Distance (2001)

Three years after an apocalyptic cult released a biological weapon that killed hundreds and wounded thousands four relatives of people killed in the attack attempt to come to terms with what happened. While the nation mourns the deaths of the victims these four try to come to terms with the deaths of some of the cult members. When their car is stolen they are stranded in the woods where the cult had lived and where their relatives ashes were scattered. With no where to go they are forced to spend the night with one of the few survivors of the cult. There is much talk and reflection as the quartet attempt to find out what drove their loved ones to take part in such a terrible act.

This is a film that will enthrall some and drive others to pull their hair out as conversations seem to trail off and people seem to speak haltingly. We catch glimpses of the past in flashback as each person reflects on when their loved ones were still alive and we see the events filtered with the knowledge of what came after. Things are not always spelled out and its not always clear who is who or what is going on. (it takes a while before you realize that the people are relatives of the cult members)

It's a film you have to work with. Personally I'm not sure what I make of this film. I like the realness of it, but there are times when I feel as though it's more than a bit contrived, never to the point of being bad, but just so its slightly disappointing (that something that gets so much right can be so lumpy at times).

Still it makes you feel and makes you think about things more than most films these days. The best ting I can say is that it's been years since I first saw this and I find that I haven't not thought about it at least once a week since I first saw it.

Worth seeing, especially if you're interested in seeing a film that deals with subjects that are pressing in today's world.

Braid (2011)

Before I get to the review I want to tell you a story, and its a good one with a great pay off, so bare with this long winded opening.

Back on April 27th I posted my daily report on the films from Tribeca and it included by review of several of the films that appeared in the collection Take as Directed.I had walked out of the collection before the end because there was only one film I had actually liked and I wanted to cut my losses.

Not long after the post went up I got an email from Chun-Yi Hsieh who directed one of the films I missed asking me to please try and see his short film Braid. He said that he wanted to hear what I had to say about it. I said I would if we could come up with a way to see it without having to go through the shorts that preceded. He then let me know that the film was in the press library and that I could see it there. Since I had the on-line access I checked to see if it was there as well and found it was, except that it was one of two shorts I tried that didn't work.

After a couple of days where the film wasn't working, I emailed Mr Hsieh to say I still wasn't able to see the film and I asked was there any other way I could see the film? He was kind enough to get me access to the film via other means.

Let me begin by saying that I think Chun-Yi Hsieh will like what I have to say, since his insistance I see Braid has led me to a wonderful little film and hopefully allowed me to get in on the ground floor on the career of a very talented filmmaker.

This film is a small little gem of cinema that, hopefully, heralds the entry of a masterful new filmmaker into the world filmmaking community. Braid knocked my socks off and was one of the finds of the Tribeca Film Festival.Its a film to make you WOW.

I don't say this lightly, or because the director contacted me, since if you've been reading all of my Tribeca coverage, you know that after 54 features and 23 other shorts I saw a great many things I didn't like andsaid so. If I didn't truly like it I wouldn't have given it it's own review, I would have lumped it in Sunday's long piece on shorts.

The plot is simple: An unemployed father is grieving the death of his wife. Unsure of what to do he comes up with a plan that will affect his life and that of his daughter. Unfortunately, or fortunately, dad doesn't figure the cutest kitten you'll ever want to see, into his plan. How it plays out is the film.

This is a great looking and fantastically acted film that reminds me of some of the best recent dramas coming out of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Actually that's selling the film short since the film simply looks like some of the best films coming out anywhere at any length.

The joy of the film is that even though the film is only 15 minutes long it never feels rushed. The film unfolds at it's own pace. This is important since there were several films I saw at Tribeca that looked good or had a good story, but had no sense of pacing. The film Bunny for example, was a great looking little film with a good story but moved along at such a clip that the film felt like it was on speed. With Braid the story plays out in perfect order. If you want more proof consider I would have sat and watched this film for as long as it took with out moving, where as several of the other shorts, many shorter than this had me getting up in the middle to get a drink or jumping to the end.

I love how Hsieh chooses how to tell his story. There are all these little details that say volumes about what is going on (watch how we get filled in on the relationship between the father and deceased mother in a few carefully chosen photos). What you think is a random shot or action actually has meaning later on. I love to watch a director at work who trusts his audience enough not to explain everything and to let us do some work and piece things togeher.

I'm not going to really say much more. You have to understand that the pain of writing about is short films is that they are hard to do so with out taking away all of the suspense. While they can have a great complexity, revealing too many details can spoil them. I'd like to explain a few more things that happen in Braid in detail but the film is too short, I don't want to take away all of the surprises and "Ah Ha!" moments.

It's a beautifully constructed film that really rocks.

I want to state again that I believe that Braid, assuming my instincts are correct, is going to be the early work of a director who is going to be dazzling us for years to come. I know it's hard to tell from one short film but Chun-Yi Hsieh seems to be the real deal. I wasn't certain until I took a look at another short film that he did called Toy Man . It's a four minute black and white film that kicks you in the gut and shows that he is a man who is only improving.

If you can keep an eye out for Braid, it's a really good film that promises us great things in the future...and entertains and moves us in the present.

NYAFF's Press Release announcement of what's coming

New York, NY, May 5, 2011 - The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Subway Cinema announce fourteen official selections today for the 2011 New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) which will screen July 1 -14. Presented in partnership between the two organizations with programming support from the Japan Society, the popular film festival previewed its 10th outing with choices from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

In 2001, the NYAFF held the first major retrospective of Hong Kong directing legend, Tsui Hark, and so it’s with great pride that the festival will host Tsui Hark himself, ten years later to headline the programming section, Wu Xia: Hong Kong’s Flying Swordsmen. Presented with the support of the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office New York, NYAFF will screen new and old classics of the wu xia genre. Swordplay films with a touch of fantasy, Wu xia films are visual marvels, teeming with flying swordsmen, magical blades and glowering female steel-slingers. The line-up will include Tsui Hark’s mega-hit, DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME (an Indomina release), and several retrospective titles like Tsui’s astonishing, feral masterpiece, THE BLADE.

From Korea comes Sea of Revenge: New Korean Thrillers, presented in association with the Korean Cultural Service in New York. The series will feature the new school of hardcore action movies that have been setting the Korean box office, and Cannes, on fire. Special guest, director Ryoo Seung-wan (CITY OF VIOLENCE), will be here to present his film, THE UNJUST, a sprawling epic corruption saga. Also screening will be THE YELLOW SEA from director Na Hong-Jin whose previous thriller, THE CHASER, was Korea's word-of-mouth box office smash of 2008. THE YELLOW SEA will be screening at the NYAFF fresh off of its Cannes screening as part of Un Certain Regard. THE YELLOW SEA is a 20th Century Fox release.

The first selections announced to feature Japan include pink film director Takahisa Zeze’s HEAVEN’S STORY. The four-and-a-half-hour epic follows the grief, pain and redemption that spills out over the decades from two random acts of violence. In addition, Tak Sakaguchi, Japan’s number one stuntman/actor /director and all-around two-fisted renaissance man will attend the film fest with his new film, YAKUZA WEAPON. Also screening will be Noboru Iguchi’s biggest-budgeted movie to date, KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR, a tongue-in-cheek feature film based on a popular 70’s series about a robot that can turn into a motorcycle…and do karate.

Exploitation cinema from the Philippines will get its due with a screening of Mark Hartley’s documentary MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED. Following his similar entertaining treatment of Ozploitation (NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD), the film will be paired with Edward D. Murphy’s jaw-dropping 1980’s Filipino exploitation mind-blower, RAW FORCE.

There’ll be a special focus on Taiwan’s great genre director, writer and producer, Su Chao-pin, presented with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York. NYAFF will screen his new movie, the wu xia blockbuster, REIGN OF ASSASSINS, starring Michelle Yeoh and Korean star Jung Woo-Sung, and co-directed by John Woo. Also screening will be Su Chao-pin classics like BETTER THAN SEX (2002) an adrenaline-propelled comedy about first love, hand amputations and addictions to porn.

Additional titles announced include movies about punk rock Buddhist monks (Yuji Sadai’s ABRAXAS), bone-breaking, stuntman destroying Thai action extravaganzas (Panna Rittikrai’s BANGKOK KNOCKOUT) and brain-frying Japanese whatzits (Yoshimasa Ishibashi’s MILOCRORZE: A LOVE STORY) – all promising to give this tenth anniversary edition of the New York Asian Film Festival enough marvels to turn your mind into a blazing inferno of fun.

The full line-up and Star Asia Awards recipients will be announced May 26.

Empire Of Silver (2009)

Beautiful to look at epic from China that is sort of the cinematic equivalent to a trashy summer read by way of a Russian novel.

Told in flashback, the film concerns a wealthy banking family many centuries old. There are four brothers. One is a kind deaf mute, another is a cruel master, the third is artistic and hated by the father, and the fourth is out to get control of the banks. Through circumstances best left to the soap opera, the hated third son is forced to choose between the life he wants and taking over the family business. Oh yeah, his step-mom is an ex-girlfriend and it's all coming to boil about the time of the Boxer Rebellion.

If you think I completely understood what happened you're mad. There are lots of plot lines, many of which seem to appear and disappear randomly. And with many plot lines comes many characters and somewhere along the way I got really lost. As I said at the opening it's like a trashy Russian novel.

I've seen this film twice now and I like it but I don't love it. There is so much going on that I'm feeling this great looking mess of a movie should have been longer or remained a novel. The ending left me going that's it? both times I saw it.

Then again I was never much for soap operas on a grand scale so I was probably the wrong audience for this. In all honesty the reason I watched it a second time is that it's a film that is getting a US release and I really wanted to give the film a fair shake and help it find its audience.

For me the best way to describe the audience for the film is those who really love soap operas or want to see a film that visually is a complete and total work of art.

Moebius Redux: A Life in Pictures (2007)

In honor of Eden's Moebius series I'm reviewing a wonderful documentary on the life of the man himself. Its a loving, but very much warts and all look at the work and life of Jean Giraud also known as Moebius.

The film is effectively the life of Moebius as told by Moebius. His telling of the story of his life is cut together from several interviews and it's what drives the film. His story is inter-cut with the the commentary of the men who knew and worked with him including Philippe Druillet, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Mike Mignola, Dan O'Bannon, HR Giger, and Stand Lee among others. The film is filled from start to finish with his art and some of it is brought wonderfully to life.

As he film begins we see how Giraud goes from young man interested in art and watch as he is altereded by a visit to his mother and stepfather in Mexico. There is something about the desert that opens up his mind and changes his art and his person. Its the change that will set him on a course to expand his brain and which will change the world of comic art. (And which will get him into a bit of trouble when he got hooked up with a so called "cult").

The film mostly concentrates on his life and art. We see his work on the original Heavy Metal, His creation of Azarak, the Silver Surfer and of course his film work.

Moebius says that getting a call to work in Hollywood is like getting a call from mount Olympus. We see bits of his work for The Fifth Element, Tron, and Alien. The most amount of time is spent talking about Alejandro Jodorowsky's attempt at making Dune. As fan of that book and the people involved with that film I've always been curious as to what happened with that film, and now I know (I finally learned the failure of the film was simply due to not being able to get US distribution).

I really loved this film more than I thought I would. Its great film that told me a great deal not only about Moebius but about other things, about the history of comic art, of how films are designed and how one man can influence so much.

Now the tough part, this film is going to be a real pain in the ass to find. The film was produced in Germany and it's full version is available on a German 2 disc DVD (which is worth it for all the extras), the trick is that you're going to have to have region coded machine and your going to have to try and track it down cheaply over seas. Amazon Germany has it but it's not quite as cheap as In and Out Records from Austria (I got it from In and Out with another DVD for about the price I was going to get it from Amazon Germany).

There is a 48 minute version called Moebius A Life in Pictures. It was run by the BBC and was for a brief time was available to viewing on their website. I don't know what the difference between the two versions, though one thing I've read is that Moebius is less of a jerk in the short version. I didn't think he came off as a jerk in the long version so I can't say.(I can't imagine what was cut from it and if you can try and find the full version)

If you can get your hands on this do so, its something I cam say rarely about a DVD it's something you'll watch repeatedly.

Take Off (2009)

I saw this back in January but I'm only getting around to writing the film up. Blame me and my being lazy about finishing up some long started posts and my not having a slot for it until now.

This is the story of the Korean ski jump team. They are five guys brought together because the organizers of the Seoul Olympics wanted another shot by hosting the games , though this time they were going for the Winter Olympics. The problem is that the Koreans have a reputation for not liking winter sports. So they brought together five guys, well four and one's brother who is just hanging around to be the team. As the town builds the ski jump, the team trains as best they can, using a variety of methods including a water slide. There are complications such as the coach's high maintenance daughter, a lack of proper facilities, family issues and some hidden agendas. How it plays out is the film.

I'm going to be completely honest and say that what happens is not what you expect. This doesn't mean you should go out and look up the story, rather it means that you should make some effort to try and track this film down and expect to be surprised. This film doesn't go where you think it will, nor is it about what you think it should be about. I would explain that in more detail except that to do so might give something away. I don't want to say too much since one of the joys of the film is how it raises your expectations and then messes with them.

This isn't to say that the film isn't funny and charming and uplifting; it is but not for the reasons you think it is. This film will bring a tear to your eyes whether you want it too or not. (Me and the two old ladies sitting in the back of the Tribeca Cinemas were exchanging tissues at the end.)
I really liked this film a great deal.

As I said back when I wrote up the screening in January, I came home and tried to find it on DVD. I found it ,I bought and I treasure it.

Is it the best film in the world? No, but it is a great deal of fun to watch.

Keep an eye out for it or track down a copy from Yes Asia.

The Message (2009)

The Message is rapidly becoming one of my favorite films I’ve seen in 2011.

When I initially wrote the film up for IMDB I really liked the film but I didn’t go crazy for it. But watching the film a second time, something clicked. Little bits that I missed the first time around became clearer and the narrative threads (hey, there is a clue to the plot in that comment) come together to form a really great war film.

Actually this isn’t so much a war film as an espionage film. There are no real war scenes, mostly it’s just cat and mouse games as the two sides try to win out over the other.

The story is set in Nanking after the Japanese take over. The puppet government is being pressured by the Japanese to pacify the populace and to stop the resistance which is killing both the Japanese overlords and those collaborating with them. The messages for action are being sent through various means hidden in posters, newspapers and fliers that look completely harmless unless you know the code. As games increase the game of cat and mouse intensifies especially after the Japanese begin rounding up suspects.

A tense, often graphically violent film, this is a war story that doesn’t shy away from the real cost of war. Sure we are rooting for our small group of heroes but at the same time it’s very clear that what they are doing and the dangers they are facing will affect the entire country of China. Since they are gambling for truly big stakes they are willing to put themselves in great danger and it occasionally heartbreakingly backfires.

On the second go through I found myself even more invested what happened than the first time and as the film wound toward it’s conclusion I found myself tearing up.

As gripping as the story is the film is also a technical marvel. The title of the film is spelled out in a river; the coded messages flit and fly across the screen making us a knowing participant in the misdirection. It also drives the film from location to location much like the messages send the characters. The look of the film rivals anything that Hollywood ever produced during it’s glamorous heyday. The music perfectly accents the action adding the right kick to events.

I really love this film. It's still early but I'm going to bet it ends up on my best/favorite films of 2011.

If you want to see a great tense thriller this is for you. Actually if you just want to see a great film see this.

two from Tribeca: Beyond the Black Rainbow & Detachment

On Friday and Saturday, I wrapped up my short, but memorable, time at the Tribeca Film Festival with two very different films: a late night screening of Cinemania entry Beyond the Black Rainbow, and a special screening of Tony Kaye’s latest film Detachment. The festival had world premiered the film a few days earlier. Here is a brief account of both.

Beyond the Black Rainbow
This was an odd blending of cerebral science fiction and experimentalism – leaning more towards the latter. I absolutely loved the way the movie looked and sounded. Before you take that as an absolute endorsement, know that the aesthetic has a very specific reference point: science fiction of the late 70s and early 80s. For me, it specifically brings to mind some of my favorite early films by Canadian director David Cronenberg. The sense of coldness and melancholy, which has long made me a fan of his work, was captured perfectly by new director Panos Cosmatos. The music, credited to Sinoia Caves, not only adds to the movie’s retro feel, but stands on its own. It will appeal to fans of 70s synthesizer and Krautrock pioneers, such as Klaus Schulze and Kraftwerk, and more recently, creators of melancholy electronic soundscapes like Boards of Canada.
While these elements make for some out of this world moments, the story, merely hinted at, does not hold up under the abstractions. Had there been no narrative to follow, I might’ve been able to appreciate the barrage of psychedelic images as an accompaniment to the mesmerizing music. Instead there is initial promise of a story: Talk of a cultish organization developing an experimental mood altering drug. Plus, a few moments of insight into the mind of the unsettling Dr. Nyle, played by Michael Rogers channeling a cross between David Carradine and a Videodrome (re: Cronenberg) era James Woods. But this story is not satisfactorily delivered. I could imagine the movie being more enjoyable after repeat viewings. Perhaps, most appropriately, on VHS?

Detachment
This was a huge surprise for me. Emotionally overwhelming and innovatively conceived, Detachment is the latest feature film from esoteric director Tony Kaye, who made American History X and the documentary Lake of Fire. He shows no signs, here, of easing up on his interest in social issues. In fact, this moving, at times difficult to take in, look at the state of the education system in America provides a more harrowing look at the subject than any other film I can think of. Despite essentially being a fictional narrative, it is laden with confrontational truths that bear the mark of thorough research.
My full attention is focused on the status of this film, which is maddeningly up in the air. No definite, or even approximate, release date is available as of this writing. I can imagine its fate taking shape in different ways. It might be heralded as an important dissection of an American institution that has long been in decline and just might be on the brink of disaster. On the other hand, it might be marginalized and criminally underexposed, as is often the fate with works of art that threaten to make people uncomfortable.
Kaye was at the screening, and introduced the film enigmatically with a brief song and some words of caution about the color red. After the film, he discussed some of the very real life inspirations behind the project, at some point comparing teachers favorably to Harry Potter. Look out for this one.
Below are some clips of his introduction and the Q & A following the film.

Villon's Wife

Set after the Second World War the film tells the story of Sachi, who is woken up late one night by her husband who staggers in. He is followed in close order by some barkeep who say he stole some money. She talks him out of trouble and in order to keep him that way she begins working for the bar owners. Things become complicated as people from their pasts and the feelings of jealousy comes in.

A deliberately paced (slow for some) film that really surprised me.

First off the films twists and turns are not what I expected. Cliches? Not this time out. In a weird way some of the twists and turns play closer to reality than most "real films". I was expecting gloom and doom and blood everywhere, it has the feel of that sort of tragedy, but it's not.

I liked that while on a certain level you kind of know the characters early on as time goes on and the film reveals more and more in flashbacks you get nice bit of shading that in a weird way explains so much about the characters. Its also the sort of film that grows deeper with later viewings since the late in the film revelations change how you see the early bits.

Its a film that nicely confounds expectations in a good way. Best of all by the time I reached the end of the film I was so deeply invested in the characters that when the final image came I found it to be the utterly perfect and the sort of thing that brought a tear to these jaded eyes.



In a way it's a simple story beautifully told and acted.

A nice surprise.



This was one of the films I was suppose to see around the time of last years New York Asian Film Festival and the related Japan Cuts. I had picked up a copy on DVD at the time of the Festival but didn't watch it until recently. Currently out as an import DVD

to Helldriver and back 2: the festivities

Helldriver director Nishimura Yoshihiro and lead actress Eihi Shiina brought the sort of enthusiasm to the screening Thursday that shows they appreciate their fans as much as the fans appreciate them. They cheerfully introduced this unedited director's cut of the film, which evoked thunderous bursts of applause and laughter from the crowd throughout.

When the movie ended, things took a familiar turn towards the debauched, as Nishimura and Sushi Typhoon co-conspirator Marc Walkow took the stage wearing only fundoshi (traditional Japanese underwater). Along the way, Nishimura flanked members of the audience with a zombified baby swinging on an umbillical cord, one of his twisted creations featured in the film.



Shiina, while the most reserved of the crew, was not too shy to please the crowd. When fans asked about her famous "acupuncture" scene in Audition, she gladly performed the gleeful sounds she made ('kiri kiri kiri') which made the scene chilling.



As the screening room emptied, the lobby and main hall of the Japan Society became a bizzare carnival ground. In the center, Shiina and Nishimura helped sell a special tenegui, made just for the event to raise money for earthquake recovery efforts. They also signed autographs and posed for photos.

Towards the back of the hall, the band Vaura laid down a heavy, brooding soundtrack while fans of Japanese horror and underground cinema cavorted around the place; many of whom paraded around with Nishimura's grotesque special effect creations, which were also auctioned off for charity. Amongst the revelers, I spotted Sawa Masaki, lead actress from the recently shown at Tribeca film, Underwater Love.

Below are a few visuals from this very special evening.

Tribeca On Line: The Shorts

This is a few brief words on the shorts I saw on line. I didn't watch everything, but what I felt in the mood for and what I could see before the access disappeared(Though I did manage to see Braid which seemed not to be functioning, thanks to a link provided by Chun-Yi Hsieh the director. That film is just too damn good to be relegated to a slot here and will have it's own review going up in a day or so.)

Beaufort Diaries
Animated tale of a polar bear in the big city. Nicely done.

Bye Bye Super 8
Tribute to the end of Super 8 Kodachrome film via images captured over the years. I was moved since it kicked up feelings in the long time filmmaker in me.

Current (Reprise)
Haunting documentary of the paper and streamers left in the wake of NYC's first ticker tape parade after 911. I really wish I had seen this on the big screen.

Dungeon Master
Hip guys decide to play Dungeons and Dragons only they need a Dungeon Master and end up getting more than they bargained for. Amusing tale is lessened by a style that made the film look and feel like an extended commercial for something.

Filmpiece for Bartlett
Abstract images is the least of any of the similar films from this years crop.

Garden Roll Bounce Parking Lot
Documentary of the garden that was paved over for a parking spot. Okay.

Green Wave
Visually arresting film of an ocean wave turned on its head. I loved the images but hated the strobing effects.

Guru
Amazing self help guru has deep depression. And I should care? Sorry, that's snide but the film is just too long and too conventional for me to care for 25 minutes.

Harmonium Mountain
Philip Glass music accompanies the manipulation of an image of Mount Soporis in Colorado. That will will either excite you or scare you. I thought it was neat and regret not seeing this on a big screen.

A Lost and Found Box of Human Sensation
Animated tale set to a poem read by Ian McKellan about a boy dealing with loss. Its a film that has moments that wonderfully charts their own territory in the Tim Burton Edward Gorey territory. Other moments are more conventional and less exciting which lessens the over all effect. Worth a look for the moments when it soars.

Not Over Easy
Goofy in the wrong sort of way about a woman seeing her wonky relationship played out by eggs. Not all that clever or amusing.

One Day I Forgot and Used My Hands
Trippy collection of images from a camera with no lens. Neat.

Preferably Blue
Yet another pissed off Easter Bunny tale. The story doesn't match the wonderful animation.

Sleep
Gorgeous black and white animated film about people sleeping...its like watching someones dream. Wow.

Strips
Strips of a burlesque strip tease films rearranged for effect. I got up and got a glass of water in the middle of this...not a good sign.

Year Zero
Overlong animated tale of a zombie take over of the world. It hits too many cliches for it to be worth seeing if you've seen a lot of similar movies.

Tribeca on Line: 11 features in three days

When things settled down and I stopped moving I decided to try out the at home portion of the Tribeca Film Festival. This meant looking at the pay per view choices, which I ignored for now since the two I hadn't seen Last Night and NEDS would be up for several more months (yes months). I then logged into the on line press library and found a whole lot of goodies. Most of the shorts are there as well as about 20 feature films, of which I hadn't seen 11. With nothing to do for three days I decided to dive right in and see what I could before it all went away.

I'm going to begin with a look at the feature films. (A review of the short films will follow shortly.)

She Monkeys
Winner of the Jury Award for Narrative Feature left me scratching my head. There is nothing really wrong with it, rather it's simply not all that remarkable a film. The story concerns a young woman who is training for an acrobatic equestrian team, her relationship with one of the other girls and her sister. Its a nice contemplative film, but there isn't anything all that special about the film. (The sexually charged nature of the film made me wonder why the jury voted for it since that is the only amped up thing in it)

When The Drum is Beating
Audience favorite about the Haitian jazz band Septentrional and the history of Haiti. The band has been around for six decades and has survived and thrived when so much else in the country hasn't. I loved the music which kept me bouncing, but the history seemed academic and the talking heads intrusive. If you're curious give the film a try, though odds are you'll be like me checking out Amazon for some of the groups albums in lieu of ever seeing this film again.

Neon Flesh
I was supposed to see this at a press screening but I over slept. What a loss. This film is a winner. Its the story of a young man who lives on the street and survives by hustling and committing small time crimes. When his mom is due to be released from prison he sets up a brothel so she won't have to work the streets. It gets complicated from there. Think Tarantino melded with Guy Ritchie but with a unique spin on the whole deal. The best praise I can pay it is I can't wait to see it again with my Dad.

Cairo Exit
Earnest film about a young woman looking to get out from her life in Cairo and not repeat past mistakes. Her sister was pregnant and forced to get married. Her husband is gone and now she has a son she ignores. Her best friend needs to get married so she'll have support but needs to have an operation to look like she is a virgin. Her boyfriend wants to get out of his house and go to Europe where he is sure to make a fortune but isn't sure she should go with him. What happens is the film. I liked the film and admire that it even got made (The producer speaking at the talk after Grandma 1000 Times related the struggle to complete it)but at the same time I didn't love it, partly because the script is uneven, mostly because the performances are uneven. There were scenes where everyone seemed to be in a different version of the same film. Worth a look on cable.

Artificial Paradise
A beautiful young woman trying to beat drug addiction spends time at a resort community. Beautiful but a tad slow film won the Jury award for cinematography, which kind of says it all since the look of the film is more interesting than the story which just meanders along. Worth a look if you're in the right mood.

Donor Unknown
This is the other sure fire winner in this group of films. It concerns the search by a young woman to find the man who was the sperm donor for her mom and the related quest to find the brothers and sisters she never knew she had. The film is a masterpiece of construction by eliminating all of the typical suspense (we meet dad early on) the film is free to take us on a ride of it's own choosing. This is good time with good people and we're happy to go where ever they want to take us. This film was just wonderful. I can't wait to see it again.

Flowers of Evil
I started this movie about a French man romancing an Iranian girl two or three times and each time I got to this point just after the opening credits where our hero dances down the road I ended up turning the film off. I turned it off simply because I just couldn't connect to it and had the feeling that I was exactly the wrong audience. I tried. It's not bad, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Love Always, Carolyn
The life and times of Carolyn Cassady, wife of Neal and lover of Jack Kerouac. She is intent on setting the record straight and crawling out of their shadow. I liked the film but I didn't love it. I think the problem was I really didn't care about the subject. Don't get me wrong I like the Beats, but the relationship between the Cassadys and Kerouac really never interested me, and this film couldn't make me care.

Love During Wartime
The story of the relationship between a Palestinian man and his wife an Israeli. Described in the press material as a Romeo and Juliet, they are really just a nice couple caught up in a political mess that forces them to move to Germany so they can be together. Solid but rather unremarkable. I would have liked this more had I not seen it in a mass of 54 films.

Loving Story
HBO film about an inter-racial couple that spawned the Supreme Court case that struck down the laws against miscegenation. Its a solid little film, as most HBO films are. Worth seeing when it finally runs on HBO.

My Last Round
This is the love story between a young man and a gruff boxer. This is a nice little film that is the sort of film that were it a conventional heterosexual would be enjoyable but completely forgettable. As it is it's still enjoyable, only slightly less forgettable.

And with that the feature portion of the Festival is done...coming soon the short subjects.

The Movies of Moebius: Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)

This is a mess.

It's a mess that's not without its charms, but Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is still pulling in several directions at once. It doesn't even feel like a movie made by committee -- a "committee" at least implies some kind of coherency of vision, however mediocre the end result may be. This movie has no focus.

Nominally based on Winsor McCay's comic strip Little Nemo in Sumberland, this went through several producers, writers and directors before eventually getting made -- including Gary Kurtz, Hayao Miyazaki (who reportedly said it was one of the worst professional experiences), Ray Bradbury, Brad Bird, Brian Froud and Chris Columbus. Moebius wrote one version of the script (he ended up with a story credit) and created some concept art.

Not surprisingly, the aesthetic here is all over the place. The character design veers from cutesy to strange to scary, often all in one scene. The pacing is odd, with punchlines and reactions either coming a beat too late or a beat too soon. The plot feels cobbled together, almost as if someone vaguely described the formula of Disney movies ("there's a princess, a hero, an animal sidekick, some songs, and a bad guy!") and this was the best everyone could come up with based on that.

Still, there's some fantastic segments -- the opening where Nemo is trying to escape a runaway train on his bed is remarkable, and there are a few nightmarish sequences as Nemo's house floods or as he and his friends try to escape demon-like creatures. Slumberland is rendered in beautifully cheerful pastels. The final battle with the Nightmare King seems like the only time Moebius' work on this movie seems to show through, but it also feels a bit out of place.

But then again, most elements of this movie feel out of place when viewed next to each other, so maybe in another way, that part does fit right in.

I want to like Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland and despite myself, part of me does admire it, even though I spent most of the movie either marveling at how odd it was and waiting for it to be over. There is something kind of fun about it, but with all the talent the movie went through in its long production history, it's too bad it didn't end up as something better.