joncheskin Reviews

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Brilliant Depraved Movie

[8/10 · 18 December 2023]

My son came home from college for Christmas break and told me that he wanted to watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I asked if he was out of his mind, I remembered seeing it about 20 years ago and walking out of the theater shaken to the core. He was a big horror fan and heard it was an important movie in the genre, so I decided to do the rewatch.

What surprised me the second time around was how good the movie actually was. The cinematography, musical score, acting, and unpredictable plot all work seamlessly to produce a horror movie that is truly horrifying, difficult to watch but at times simultaneously repulsive and riveting. Furthermore, I always got the impression that what I was watching was actually believable, that there actually are people in the world this depraved and that they would act more or less like what was depicted in the movie.

Viewers should be warned that this movie is no joke--it is actually quite difficult to maintain your safe audience distance when watching, you get drawn in quite effectively just like the poor victims in the film. If you can stand it, however, a very well constructed symphony of sadism will unfold before you and provoke equal measures of disgust, fear and admiration.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Deceptively bad--historically inaccurate

[3/10 · 17 September 2023]

I know that I am going against the critical grain with this review, but this movie unfortunately is not nearly as good as everyone thinks. I decided to rewatch it after not seeing it for about 30 years, and was completely surprised to find that this movie engaged in numerous awkward instances of stereotyping and historical inaccuracy. It was not the way I remembered it. I made it about half-way through before I could not watch the rest.

The movie begins with several hundred British prisoners being marched to a Japanese prison camp to build a bridge over the River Kwai, a plot line based on a real historical event. The first main conflict involves the Japanese trying to get the British officers to do forced labor with the enlisted men, they refuse because it is beneath their rank. The Japanese stick the officers in solitary confinement.

All well and good, except that it is well known that the Japanese treated officers more leniently than enlisted men. Sanitized in the movie is the brutal treatment of the enlisted, which mainly featured beatings, sometimes to death. The movie is rated PG, no chance that real life would be with respect to the violence inflicted.

The Japanese in this movie are also displayed as incompetent at bridge building and at managing their slave labor, the bridge does not get done. There is no historical evidence for this, brutal tactics by the Japanese were by all counts highly effective at producing productive work. The British are also shown in a collaborationist mode with the Japanese, there is no evidence for this either. Survivors attest that Colonel Philip Tousey, who was the inspiration for Alec Guinness's character, never collaborated with the Japanese in the manner depicted in the movie.

Survivors of the actual event attested that both the movie and the novel upon which it was based were wildly inaccurate. They were not happy about it. Fine to make an entertaining movie, but if it is based on a real event, the history deserves to be remembered accurately, so that the event can really be put in proper perspective. This movie does not do that.

Skyfall (2012)

Bleak, boring bond

[5/10 · 2 September 2023]

Was really excited to see this film with the 96% on the Rotten Tomatoes. The first scene blew me away, definitely one of the best I have ever seen, and then Adele came on with a luscious theme song.

And then, unfortunately, the rest of the movie happened. Skyfall, admittedly, is an attempt to do something new with a franchise that all too often has lapsed into parody of itself. Skyfall is a basically a dark, atmospheric action thriller, very much like the Dark Knight meets 007. In that sense, I give it props for a conception.

Problem is that ultimately it makes the movie less fun than some of the classic Bond. Daniel Craig is bleak and unfathomable, the villian is weak and overdone. The movie is long and has a lot of filler. The best aspects of the movie are the action scenes and the locations, but that ultimately is not quite enough to make a good Bond film.

I know that I am swimming against the tide with the critical acclaim that this movie has gotten, but if you are a lover especially of traditional Bond, I predict you might not like where this is going. Prepare to be annoyed.

I Am a Killer (2018–2022)

Interesting Psychological Study

[7/10 · 2 January 2023]

I Am a Killer is an interesting documentary Netflix series in which convicted murderers describe the circumstances leading up to and the execution of their crime. The killers also generally describe their upbringing and other contributing factors. Friends, relatives, law enforcement and victims families are also interviewed to give alternate perspectives. Questions of guilt and innocence are often left ambiguous as a result of the multi-valent examination of the crime.

I generally do not like shows like this because they often glorify criminals, or at least profit off of their actions, but I Am a Killer does give something significant in return. Like few other shows, this show gives you a very realistic eye into the psychology and contributing factors that give rise to murderers, and is indeed very enlightening in that regard. In most cases, child abuse and substance abuse play substantial roles. Often the murderers seem to be expert liars and manipulators, it is impressive when watching this show to see how fragile the truth can be. Also interesting is the colossal bad judgement displayed by many of these people.

This show is a hard watch, in every case the murders, victims, families have their lives completely shattered. It is worth it, however, if you are interested in shattering many of the misconceptions and myths you may have about violent criminals.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Excellent Holiday Classic, More Subtle than it Seems

[9/10 · 27 December 2022]

Just rewatched this movie with my two teenage sons. They had never seen it before, and they were doing a pretty good Bah Humbug about some antiquated Hallmark card movie that they thought was going to be outdated Hollywood slop. I can report that they were completely riveted to the screen from beginning to end laughing hysterically at all the jokes, and I myself was a bit stunned at how good and clever this movie was after not seeing it for many years.

Other reviews have spoken at length about the plot, so I won't rehash this but what I was noticing were all of the nice subtleties. The film beautifully sets up all of its characters and setting, showing the plight of a divorcee single mom in the 1940s, the era of post-war cutthroat caplitalism (which it nicely satirizes), the growingly materialistic and cynical view of Christmas, and even the subtle machinations of political corruption underlying the shiny New York veneer. The movie has wonderful comedy scenes that have laugh-out-loud character, acting performances are all exceptional topped by Edmund Gwenn's fantastic Santa Claus. The interesting thing about this movie is that if Santa Claus really did exist and suddenly found himself in 1947 New York, he would probably act exactly as portrayed. Since my 21st century teenagers loved it, I don't think it would be possible to argue against it. It would be like arguing that Santa Claus did not exist.

Rashomon (1950)

Life-changing experience

[10/10 · 15 November 2022]

Rashomon is the movie that made Akira Kurosawa famous in the United States, and is certainly one of the best movies I have ever seen. The premise is simple--a bandit encounters a man and his wife traveling, rapes the wife, and murders her husband. Or does he? We get to see the same event from three different points of view, plus that of a by-stander who arguably has an objective viewpoint. We're then left to decide--who is right? Who is reliable and under what circumstances?

It seems a little dry in concept, except for the fact that the different versions of the story seem to reveal more and more about human nature as they go along. The bandit, after all, we do not expect to be honest--he lies for a living. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the other versions are just as unreliable, just as encumbered with personal baggage. As a result, the tension grows by leaps and bounds, not just because we start to wonder about what really happened in the movie, but also because we wonder if our own perceptions of anything can be accurate.

I rarely give 10 stars to any movie, but this one is unusual because you may not be the same person after you watch it. Some other movies have that quality, but not many, and credit is due where credit is due.

Night Song (1947)

Cheesy Romantic Movie--If you like that kind of thing, go for it!

[7/10 · 18 October 2022]

My journey to seeing the movie Night Song is a bit unusual. I was driving down the road one day listening to the local classical music station and they played this piano concerto by some guy I never heard of before, Leith Stevens. Since I am a classical musician and I was rather favorably struck by the piece, a sort of combo in style between Ravel and Rachmaninoff, I was curious when I found out that the piece was featured in a romantic Hollywood flick, Night Song. I then looked up the film on YouTube and was flabbergasted to find a high-quality video of Artur Rubenstein, Eugene Ormandy and the NY Phil playing the piece--pure gold! Still, what kind of movie was this?

I soon found out that schlock was a reasonable one word assessment. Apparently the movie was about a pianist/composer who was blinded in an accident. A rich socialite hears him playing piano in a club one night, and falls in love at first sight. Problem is, he is embittered, and the only way that she can crack his hard exterior is to pretend that she is also blind. Gradually she thaws the exterior and convinces him to get back to composing to enter a contest to make enough money for an eye operation, etc.

I watched the movie out of some morbid curiousity, and am happy to report that it is A) completely ridiculous and melodramatic in its plotting and B) really very likable in terms of its execution, especially if you are into cheesy romantic movies. Good performances all around from Dana Andrews, Merle Oberon and their support actors Hoagy Charmichael and Ethel Barrymore. Great art it ain't (except for the spectacular performance of the concerto) but anyone into this sort of old-fashioned romantic stuff will love it. So dive in if you are so inclined.

Sexy Beasts (2021)

Not Bad as Satire

[6/10 · 7 September 2022]

Sexy Beasts is one of many dating reality shows to recently come out of Netflix. The premise is a new twist on an old premise--contestants come on the show and are transformed by Hollywood makeup artists into either cartoon characters or animals so that their physical looks are completely obscured. They go on dates to see whether they become attracted to each other without knowing their date's physical appearance, one contestant usually chooses among three candidates who vie for the title "Sexy Beast". Then there is a reveal so that the contestant can see if he/she made a good choice.

Sexy Beasts is definitely trashy entertainment, and I must admit that I tend to watch these shows only for that purpose. In level of quality, it is about equal to other Netflix entries like Love is Blind and Too Hot to Handle, but I want to give a small positive shout-out to this show for one specific reason: Sexy Beasts attempts to satirize this genre a bit, first with the ridiculous costumes and also with an especially snarky and sarcastic narrator who is actually pretty funny. Since there is so much to make fun of in these shows, I heartily approve this effort. Thus, I find this show more entertaining than most in the genre, and if you do not make the mistake of taking the show at all seriously, you might as well. This is a silly show, redeemed by the fact that it is actually a bit funny.

Unforgiven (1992)

Anti-Violence Western

[7/10 · 7 September 2022]

Unforgiven is a Western about an old gunfighter, William Munny (Clint Eastwood) who hears about a $1000 bounty on a man who mutilated a prostitute in a small town. Munny is retired from his earlier violent past and has settled down with two kids as a pig farmer, but is having trouble making ends meet. He decides to go after the bounty, assisted by his old partner and a young fortune-seeker, but clearly fears that his descent back into violent activities might ruin him, dragging his soul back into his violent past.

Unforgiven is a magnum opus for Clint Eastwood, who directed and starred in the movie, and represents something of a personal atonement for past movies that glorified violence. The violence in this movie is intentionally gritty and brutal in a very late 20th-century sort of way (think Saving Private Ryan). And intentionally delivered to arouse disgust in the viewer. The movie piles on Eastwood's descent into a Heart of Darkness by introducing as an antagonist a brutal, psychopathic sheriff played brilliantly by Gene Hackman, who protects the mutilator, and is further heightens the atmosphere of cinematic brutality.

Unforgiven works well as a Heart of Darkness western, and does indeed deconstruct a film genre that is often filled with casual brutality. I watched this only a few days after watching the Searchers, and while this is not a perfect movie it is SO much better than this supposed classic of the genre, which reeks of horrible acting and unrealistic silliness. Eastwood gives a really good account of what a true lawless society might be like and how humans might act in one, and it is not a pretty picture. It will however, make you think of the demons that often haunt humans in a place where it might be too easy to hurt someone.

The Searchers (1956)

Wildly Overrated Western is Just Too Tacky

[3/10 · 24 August 2022]

I first saw The Searchers about 20 years ago, and decided to do a re-watch because I remembered it as an interesting character study I wanted to get reacquainted with. I asked my college-age son to join me, as he is a fan of thoughtful movies and sometimes appreciates the classics.

I was completely startled by how bad this movie was, and not because of the criticisms sometimes leveled at it. People who dislike this movie usually have problems with the racism of Ethan, the main character, but actually the question of race is rather complex in this movie. The big problem with this movie is that there are a bunch of scenes that are patently ridiculous and unbelievable, executed in a cringeworthy manner, and this fact overwhelms the attempt that the film makes to be a serious drama.

I can bring out various examples, start with the fact that it was supposedly set in Texas but shot in Monument Valley in Arizona, there really is no terrain in Texas that looks like this. Settings in the movie rather abruptly shift from scorching desert to a landscape that looks like North Dakota, complete with two feet of snow, with scarce context. Battle scenes in this movie are bizarre--in several situations Comanche cavalry do frontal assaults on well armed parties of our protagonists and get mowed down, none of it is believable.

Some of the dramatic situations are silly. In one cantina scene, John Wayne needs a dramatic punctuation to a pronouncement he is making and throws a glass of tequila into a fire, igniting a huge inferno that nobody seems to notice or care about. In another scene, Wayne and his sidekick accidentally walk in on the wedding of the sidekick's girlfriend, which triggers a fight that has substantial slapstick potential. I should also point out the the acting of the girlfriend, the main love interest in the movie, is hideous throughout. Also, the villain of the piece, the Native chief "Scar" has goofy bits of characterization, like when he hears a dog barking in his camp and decides on a whim to throw a rock at it.

I could actually go on for a while, but I think you get the picture. This movie has an interesting premise and undeniably beautiful locations, but there are huge distractions in the execution. The fire in the cantina provoked a bunch of laughter from my son and I more appropriate to viewings of unintentionally hilarious movies like Plan Nine from Outer Space. I was left feeling hollow inside, like a tremendous opportunity had been blown. I am glad other people enjoy the movie so much.

Married at First Sight (2014– )

Decent Trash Entertainment

[6/10 · 20 April 2022]

When watching a dating reality show, it is important to realize that you should not be seeking an artistically edifying experience. The measure of the show comes in two aspects--first, is the premise interesting, and second, is the cast and the resulting drama compelling.

In the season that I watched (season 10) I would have to say the answer was basically yes to both questions. The premise is definitely interesting, if not a bit horrifying--10 singles are matched by dating experts into five couples and made to get married while never having met each other. They do a ceremony, honeymoon, and move into a neutral apartment for eight weeks, after which they get to decide whether they want to stay married.

Any sane person would see definite problems with this. Although matchmaking is an age old process, it is usually reserved for societies where the purpose is to join two families, not two individuals. The ceremony and honeymoon (in this case a week in a resort in Panama) become like an extended blind date, and the eight weeks a cohabitation period, with the real commitment declaration coming on "Decision Day" when the couples need to move out of their show-sponsored apartment. The whole thing is really a bit perverse.

Nonetheless, as an experiment, it is pretty interesting, and what we find is relatively predictable--the singles have widely divergent views of marriage that cause all sorts of trouble in the emerging relationships. Some of the cast, especially the men, have serious psychological issues that render them clearly unfit for marriage, such as Zach, who appears to have no empathy, Brandon, with serious anger management issues, and Michael, whose childhood traumas have left him incapable of telling the truth to his spouse.

All of these traumas lead to dramas, and I guess that is the point. The show claims that they fielded thousands of applicants for the season, you would think they would be able to find 10 people slightly better suited to try out marriage. Likely they threw in the wildcards for fun, and they definitely got the chaotic result they were hoping for. If you are into this sort of thing, and I do confess I consumed it as a guilty pleasure, then it is what it is and you will probably like it.

The Sopranos: University (2001) Season 3, Episode 6

Brilliant, sad and profound

[8/10 · 22 March 2022]

The Sopranos is a show equally at home with stark drama and hilarious black comedy. This episode is definitely on the dramatic side, telling parallel stories of Tracee, a stripper at the Bada Bing who has a very troubled relationship with Ralph, the show's newest arch-psychopath, and the charmed but also troubled relationship of Meadow and Noah at Columbia. The show does an amazing job intertwining the stories, with the creepy subtext that Meadow's education is in fact being paid for by the disturbing plight of Tracee and other strippers at the club. Meadow's college roommate plays something of a comic relief role in the episode, but her plight as a manic-depressive does not really lighten the mood much.

As this episode progressed, I got a feeling of impending doom. I won't say more because spoilers would need to follow, but suffice it to say the parallel endings are fascinating in the way that they play out. University, like many Sopranos episodes, is a profound and very thoughtful piece of art, something so unusual for TV. Watch and admire, your 50 minutes will be well spent.

Dating Around (2019–2020)

Reality dating show with a semblance of reality

[7/10 · 7 February 2022]

Dating Around is a reality show that tries to do something truly novel--imitate and capture reality. In the show, a random person goes on five blind dates in the same locations, and gets to choose one at the end to go on a second date. The dates are spliced together for the audience into a montage, so we literally get to see all five dates happen more or less simultaneously, and suspense builds as we wonder who the person will choose. The final scene is the person meeting up with their choice for the second date.

The premise is pretty simple, and seems even a bit old-fashioned, harkening back to shows like the Dating Game, where contestants get to spend a little time with multiple potential matches and then select their favorite. I like it better than "reality" shows that seem to exist in completely unreal situations--like Too Hot to Handle or Love is Blind--it actually feels like we are watching a real date. Contestants have claimed that the show is not scripted, that beyond choosing the potential matches the producers did not really know what they would end up with. I have often wondered what an artful reality show would be like, and this strikes me as a good possibility--a show that actually tries to capture real situations for the purpose of entertainment or general interest. This show does exactly that, and it is indeed very satisfying when the contestants do sometimes find real connections.

Too Hot to Handle (2020– )

Tacky, but effective

[5/10 · 21 January 2022]

Too Hot to Handle is a British dating show in which 10 extremely hot singles get sent to a retreat thinking they are going to party (have sex) all summer, only to find out that they are co-opted for an competition in self improvement. The singles are forced to abstain from all sexual behavior, including even kissing and self-gratification, in the process getting to know one another on a supposedly deeper level. Any violation of the rules results in a graduated deduction from the group's $100,000 prize money. The group also partakes of workshops in self-discovery from various gurus, and their progress is monitored by an artificial intelligence character (Lana) who is able to see all of their movements in the resort. The person or couple that moves closest to developing a serious relationship and experiences the most growth gets the prize.

I want to say straightaway that even though I only gave the show five stars, this does not mean that I disliked it. If you decided to tune into something like this, you are not expecting a work of artistic genius or anything, so frankly I would feel guilty giving the show anything higher even after liking it. The premise is actually rather clever, and clearly is aimed at giving the audience a chuckle as the hot singles struggle to keep their hands off of each other. Of course they fail in various instances, and we get treated to some very cheeky comedy as a result. The relationships I suppose are real and therefore compelling, we really hope that the singles make genuine and deep connections.

Thus, this show does fine at fulfilling its obhective--being a tacky but entertaining reality show. I would give it more stars, but it is simply too tacky to handle.

The Sopranos (1999–2007)

Mafia Show Mixed with Domestic Drama

[8/10 · 10 January 2022]

For all of its cache as the definitive TV show about the mafia in the late 20th century, the Sopranos is actually something of a domestic drama--show follows not just the criminal mob activities but also the family life of Tony, it's main character. The main conflict in the series is Tony's battle with his own sanity, vividly recounted in his many therapy sessions with Jennifer, his therapist.

Although I have only seen the first half of the first season, I wanted to write a review regarding one particular aspect. With regard to the domestic drama, the series is amazingly true to life to me. I grew up in New Jersey and even used to drive the stretch of New Jersey Turnpike pictured in the title sequence, the show from the get-go made me feel like home. The characters seemed like many relatives and friends I knew growing up. That said, I cannot really evaluate the mafia part-- my family had no ties to the mob--so for that part you will have to get a separate evaluation. If you want to see an entertaining and insightful TV show about a New Jersey family, however, this is the best one I have ever seen.

Lenox Hill (2020)

A Real Reality TV Show

[7/10 · 10 January 2022]

Lenox Hill is a reality documentary series following the daily lives of four physicians-- an ER doctor, an Ob/Gyn and two neurosurgeons, at the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. The show gives you a great sense of the day-to-day for these professionals, which include both long hours and highly stressful and emotional situations. The ER doctor and the Ob/Gyn have an added storyline in that they are both pregnant through the span of the series and get to experience the system as patients themselves. The last episode is something of a bonus as the show revisits three of the doctors as they cope with the initial stages of the Covid pandemic in New York.

This show is real life and then some. We get to witness several live births, a whole bunch of harrowing brain cancer surgery, and an incredibly unpredictable parade of patients through an urban ER. Some of the scenes are heartbreaking, especially those when one of the neurosurgeons has to explain to a cancer patient and their family that they have exhausted all options. Some scenes are triumphant, as especially two neurosurgeons are cutting edge practitioners who do miraculous things to save their patients. Everything is fascinating, as you get a really good sense of what life would be like for you if you had followed your parents' advice and become a doctor. I feel actually rather lucky that these professionals have invited everyone into their world to see what their lives are like.

Squid Game (2021– )

Social Commentary Meets Substantial Violence

[7/10 · 6 January 2022]

Squid Game is an interesting and rather gruesome show about a group of financially troubled Korean adults who agree to play a sequestered group a children's games in order to compete for a large cash prize. Little do they know that there is a substantial price for losing, and they soon find themsevles in a sort of Korean style Hunger Games. The main characters engage in a protracted struggle for survival--once the players agree to play, they are not allowed to leave unless a majority of the players agree to end the game. Spurred on by greed (the prize is over 20 million US dollars) most agree to play on to the finish.

This series is quite entertaining, but thematically owes much to other recent last-person-standing movies like Battle Royale and Hunger Games. This show is interesting because the characters are trapped not so much by their social class as in the Hunger Games, but rather by their bad decisions that result in their financial desperation. In that sense, the show seems to hold up a mirror to what society tends to do to people--set them in competition with each other and then severely punish the losers. The games are conceptually very ingenious and produce both suspense and interesting moral dilemmas. There's also a number of interesting subplots that I won't give away as spoilers.

Squid Game is a pretty entertaining and addictive watch, but beware, it is really violent. There is plenty of suspense and some good characters, so much to enjoy if you are into this genre.

Squid Game: Kkanbu (2021) Season 1, Episode 6

Instant Classic

[10/10 · 6 January 2022]

It is pretty rare that a TV show rises to the level of great art, but this episode is right there. It is tough to describe in any fashion that would not trip the spoiler alert, but suffice it to say that the premise is so diabolical and terrifying that you simply can't believe it. Also beautifully acted by the whole cast. Kudos to the makers of the show who here went from very good to absolutely sublime.

The End of the F***ing World (2017–2019)

Very Good Dark Comedy

[8/10 · 3 January 2022]

The End of the ----------- World is a very good and clever dark comedy series about two teenagers with serious emotional difficulties who fall in love. James is a troubled teen who likes to kill and torture animals with a deceased mom and an inept dad; he thinks he might be a psychopath. He decides he would like to kill a human to see what it would be like. Alyssa is a smimlarly troubled teen abandoned by her father and neglected by her mom who has to deal with a stepfather who would love it if she were gone. She runs away from home and meets up with James to go in search of her biological father, and James steals his father's car and helps her while mulling over whether she might be his logical murder victim.

This show is interesting because the extreme dysfunction in the lives of James and Alyssa serve as a lens to see our own less extreme versions. The comedy emerges from them getting into more and more outlandish and desperate situations in the process of their runaway, and the show is truly insightful as the lens is focused in various ways. There is also plenty of suspense and a bunch of interesting secondary characters, the plot often goes into delightfully unexpected directions. Acting performances by the two leads are excellent.

My only quibble is that the show is at its best early on when the tension exists regarding whether James is going to kill Alyssa or fall in love with her, but as his character arc progresses the writers ease off of his psychopathic tendencies. I think they would have done better to maintain these, which is always one of the central ideas of the show. The psychopathy returns nicely however, with the character Bonnie in season 2, and the triangle with the mains returns to the formula that worked so well in the first episode. All in all a great watch.

The End of the F***ing World: Episode #2.7 (2019) Season 2, Episode 7

Dont read the reviews of this episode before watching it

[10/10 · 3 January 2022]

I am going to make this short and to the point. This is an absolutely brilliant television episode. However--if you read the reviews of the episode before watching it, even the ones that do not trip the spoiler alert, you may end up ruining it for yourself. Watch and enjoy, you willl not regret it.

Alexander Nevsky (1938)

Does Not Live Up to Its Reputation

[5/10 · 28 December 2021]

Alexander Nevsky is the story of Russian resistance to.a 13th-century German invasion, also a propaganda allegory for the coming conflict in World War II. The teutonic knights are on the march and have sacked Pskov with horrible atrocities. It is up to Prince Alexander to amass the forces that will stop the invasion and save Mother Russia. The film was directed by Sergei Eistenstein, one of the most pre-eminent pre-World War II filmmakers.

I first became acquainted with this movie playing in a live orchestra performance of the film score as the movie was being shown--our University orchestra took on the project. The score is famous because it was written by the great composer Sergei Prokofiev, and is an integral part of the movie. I decided to rewatch the movie after many years to see if it fit my memory--I was also hoping for an entertaining classic and re-experience of a fond memory.

Sadly, I was really disappointed. My 19-year old son, with whom I was watching, got bored after a half hour and complained of the movie's slow pace and predictability (both accurate assumptions I am afraid). Much of the dialogue is stilted and badly acted. The Germans are cartoonishly evil, throwing babies into fires and such, it seems a bit over the top and more germane for tacky propaganda. The battle scenes are admittedly impressive with hundreds of extras (both humans and horses), although not especially realistic with respect to blood and gore--after Saving Private Ryan, we are accustomed to special effects that can tell the horrific story, so much of the battle materials seems quaint. Even Prokofiev's score, which has brilliant moments, is a bit uneven. The main battle material sounds more like goofy circus music, and seems strangely out of place.

Ultimately, I think this movie gets its reputation first from its patriotic and historical position. In a fresh view it is strangely quaint and awkward, with spectacular moments and some real silly stuff in between.

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

Amazing Genius and Disturbing World View

[7/10 · 28 December 2021]

The Birth of a Nation has pretty much established itself as perhaps the most frustrating movie ever made. I won't cover what has already been said--that this is a landmark film of astounding genius that is sadly wrecked by its racist pro-KKK ideology. I agree with the assessment and find the experience of the film very jarring.

I would rather focus on what might be useful to a potential viewer of this movie. The real question regarding this movie is whether, as a viewer, it is possible to separate out these two aspects and still have a useful experience from the film. I think the answer really varies from viewer to viewer. On the plus side, there is no question that there is some amazing genius at work here--the photography, cinematic techniques, acting, and scope were all revolutionary and very influential, the viewing of the movie is well-paced and in fact riveting. You will be fascinated for sure.

Can this fact be separated out when it becomes clear that the main protagonists of the movie are the KKK? That's the real question. In this sense, the movie becomes more instructive than entertaining. We learn a number of things--first, some important aspects of the history of technical filmmaking, which Birth of a Nation pioneered. Second, that movies always project a world-view, which can be significantly different from yours as a viewer, althuogh I think it is reasonable to point out that many people still sadly hold on to the world-view of this movie. Third, that movies will try to persuade you toward that world-view; in that sense, Birth of a Nation is a dangerous movie and had some truly bad consequences (it helped the revival of the KKK). Fourth, that the lens to the repugnant world view can actually be beneficial, a gateway to perceiving and understanding the past.

Thus, I cannot really tell you whether you personally will enjoy this movie. If you are a white supremacist, no problem. If not, you will have to compartmentalize for sure.

Casablanca (1942)

Completely badass romantic drama fit for the 21st century

[10/10 · 22 December 2021]

My 19 year old son and I had nothing to watch on TV one night and I suggested that he dive into this as an entertaining watch and an iconic piece of filmmaking. I had not seen the movie for many years and was wondering how it would hold up versus my previous viewings.

I can't add much to what people have already said about this movie--I was completely transfixed by the dazzling acting, writing and directing, the compelling story, the tense background of North Africa during World War II. It was an absolutely fantastic 100 minutes that I am honestly grateful for.

What was a bit surprising to me however, was that my son felt exactly the same way, and he is not a big fan of romantic movies. Casablanca proves that good storytelling and acting is timeless, that an 80-year-old movie can be perfectly fit for the 21st-century on that basis. This movie about love, honor, duty, intrigue simply has it all, and is also a lesson to anyone who does not think that the world can again spin out of control. Anyone who loves movies needs to see it.

Are You the One? (2014– )

Trashy, weirdly interesting reality dating show

[4/10 · 5 December 2021]

Are You the One is a trashy but weirdly interesting reality dating show. 10 male and 10 female eligible singles are brought to a resort in Hawaii where they live together and attempt to determine, by any means, who is their "perfect match" The matches are preselected by means of a matchmaking process. In each episode the contestants engage in Survivor-style challenges to determine who go on "dates". The other contenstants can then send one of the couples into the "truth booth" to see if they are a perfect match and if they are they get to vacation in the "honeymoon suite". At the end of each episode, the contestants each select a potential match and if the group guesses all 10 correctly, they win a million dollar prize. Usually over a process of elimination (and sometimes soap-opera style romances) the contestants are able to narrow down their perfect matches, but must guess all 10 by the 10th episode to win the prize.

This show has several fatal flaws, the most obvious of which is whether it is possible to have accurate matchmaking at all. Often contestants go into the truth booth thinking they have found their match only to discover that their read was false; at that point they are forced to abandon their love interest in order to continue playing the game. The eventual matches are sometimes rather dubious, and usually by the later episodes the contestants are forced to engage in a complex process of elimination to figure out the matches.

That said, the main entertainment, and it can be entertaining, is watching people fumble around trying to find their match, stumbling from one superficial relationship to another. If they end up having sex with the wrong person, or get caught up in a love triangle, the relations inside the resort can get pretty heated. You can also keep yourself interested by keeping track of the match making, attempting to make your own guesses as to who should be with whom. All in all this is completely mindless television, probably best described a good exemplar of the decay of our modern culture.

Alone (2015– )

Society of Creative Masochists

[7/10 · 20 November 2021]

Alone is a survivalist reality TV show. It is clearly indebted to Survivor, the model for all such shows, but unlike Survivor the focus is on actual wilderness survival as opposed to social politics. In Alone, a number of contestants are transported to a harsh wilderness environment with no food and minimal equipment. They are completely by themselves and even operate all of the film equipment themselves. They have to build a shelter, find food, and brave the elements, whoever lasts longest wins a large cash prize. At any moment they may opt to "tap out"--conclude that the experience is too much, but if they do, they are out of the competition.

Alone produces plenty of drama as the contestants face battles with starvation, illness, psychological trauma and wild animals. The environments are deliberately very challenging: the two seasons I watched were set in a rainforst on Vancouver Island in British Columbia and on the shores of Great Slave Lake in the Arctic, both in the Autumn season where weather progressed from bad to intolerable. The contestants generally displayed a combination of love for the wilderness and willingness to test their own toughness and psychological strength, a society of creative masochists. The wilderness information that they convey is actually very interesting. Their personal stories, combined with the narration of their struggles and strategies to survive is compelling and we do root for them as they experience their respective journeys.

Alone is worthwhile TV. I am glad these people are doing this so I do not have to.