Change Your Image
sirdouglas46
Reviews
Tou tiao hao han (1971)
Bad editing creates decent sight gags
I bought this movie unseen at Best Buy. They had a section of martial arts movies, about 30 in all. I actually let the IMDb fan review (on the back of the box) sway me- I should have known better. This film is pretty boring with a few exceptions. There is a quick scene towards the end where a man using lion technique ( I know that because he had silly lion claw gloves and ridiculous blonde hair that was supposed to resemble a lion's mane) gets taken care of in an amusing way.
I was looking for a good 70's supernatural kung fu joint like this one I saw that was totally creative- of course, I cannot remember the title. In it there is this scene where the local prefect receives an urn as a gift from the emperor. Instead of food inside, there is a clown type of guy. He looks silly yet proceeds to put up a good fight as he rolls underneath his opponent. At one point he breaks his arms through the sides of the urn and presents a simple paper sword from his mouth. You're like... what the $%&^? Yeah, well this movie didn't have enough of that kind of creative mayhem.
Stay (2005)
Wanna know how to make sense out of nonsense? Try Stay.
I liked it.
The feelings I walked away with: All the big movies, for me, these days try to talk about things beyond our ability to know. Can you tell the difference between reality and something else? What is the difference? I was really engaged in this film even though I could see a little of where things were going. We all know we are going to die but that doesn't ruin the story of our lives does it? I think the film puts together some experiences we all have and says if that is true and this is true then together this must be true. Its a sort of algebra of undefinable life experiences. For instance, if we are all both good and bad and can imagine how life decisions could have sent us into a different world than we are in; then, how hard is it to imagine that we truly do soak up the experiences of the people and world around us in a way that really makes the differences between us rather irrelevant in the big picture? When we look in the mirror we see a real time image of ourselves but we are comfortable with thinking that we see our true self there. Everything is an illusion, its just that sometimes we can't accept that.
The Acting: All the acting kept me involved. B.D. Wong seemed to be different than I've seen him before. I liked how he played his character of a psychiatrist friend of Sam Foster (played by Ewan McGregor) as a robot with feelings who must be exceptional at handling experiences that would freeze the rest of us. Bob Hoskins is another psych/peer of Sam's who is blind. His strong fearful reactions to events makes the danger seem very real. Janeane Garofalo plays Dr. Beth Levy who dumps her patient onto Sam Foster in hopes that he can help Henry Letham. Janeane seemed to be saying what was written sometimes instead of the better times when she shocked us with hurtful things she said through her drugged deadness. Naomi Watts is Sam's girlfriend, Lila Culpepper, who is familiar in this role of a professional who has had to deal with some heavy damage to her life like when we saw her in _The Ring_.
The Story: I feel the strength of this story comes from the fact that we've been pushing the envelope in this (what exists beyond this reality territory) as seen in _The Matrix_, _The Sixth Sense_. I say we because I believe the true unique power of movies is to get us all in the same frame of reference at the same time; while, books can connect us with a similar perspective throughout the ages. When I watch a film like this I can't help but be conscious that I'm sharing the experience with the rest of the audience. As I left the theater, I took notice of a cute young curly blonde girl as I waited for her and her friend to pass my row. I believe we took second notice of each other because the film just said that stranger is not really a stranger.
The feel of the film: New York City as a showcase of elite professionals that actually do what the rest of us read about in magazines.
deja vu that affects not only the characters but you, the audience.
This film is for you: If you like a mystery that delves into the ultimate fear brought to us by the unknown psychology of our mortal selves.
If you want to be made uneasy by quiet surroundings broken by life changing events.
If you think that art needs to be paid attention to because it is a reflection of what we are afraid to become conscious of.
If you like Ewan McGregor's past performances.
If you like rain.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Don't let the trailer keep you away
I didn't want to see this movie because of the trailer. I thought it looked exactly like the original and thought Johnny Depp seemed like Michael Jackson and that he couldn't come close to the lovable weird character Gene Wilder brought us with that great scene where he does a somersault pretending to fall as he meets his young visitors. I was wrong or the trailer is wrong. The movie is pretty much an improvement on the original. The beginning sequence is a computer animated roller coaster trip through the production process of Wonka bars- great stoner fare. If I'm not able to find a Wonka bar at my local candy section the marketing for this movie is terrible.I always thought the old people that are Charlie's grandparents were too gross. Now, they are much more likable, yet still destitute. Grandpa Jo, played by David Kelly, gets more screen time than I remember because of scenes that explain how he used to work for Wonka before he closed his doors and replaced the workers with Oompa Loompas.I like the whole commentary about our post industrial fears. There is a scene that explains why Charlie's family is so poor. His dad, Mr Bucket- played by Noah Tayler who played the system designer that helps Tom Cruise's character realize that his life is not real in Vanilla Sky, works in a toothpaste factory. All he does all day is put tops on toothpaste tubes. So, as in real life he is replaced with a robot that puts his skills to shame: which is what the Oompa Loompas did to Grandpa Jo. I like the solution presented to this question of retiring skilled workers.
The real improvement, in terms of story is that you understand Willy's motivation to become a chocolateer better and why he is so weird. In the original the movie ends with Charlie and Willy flying in the magic elevator celebrating Charlie's role as the heir to Willy's work. A lot more of that backstory is put on the screen this time. The oompa loompas are better. Its actually just one guy- he played the evil lustful Princess Aura's pet Fellini in Flash Gordon back in 1980. Sorry for that reference it was the first and one of the few movies I've seen so much that I memorized it. He does the musical numbers chiding the bratty kids just like in the original but now he does it to different popular dance themes like disco and hair rock. The best part of this update is that I walked out of the theater with a clear understanding of the moral that its OK to integrate your post modern self back into the traditional family unit for the good of society. Even though, a lot of the film is frame by frame like the original, Johnny Depp saves the day by expressing a logic in his dislike for society that makes you chuckle time and time again. You may remember the character Mike TV? He is the violent kid whose real parent is technology. He aggressively questions the worth of everything and wants to take over because he thinks he's smarter than everyone else. Every time he says some snotty remark Willy asks him to stop mumbling, (which Mike isn't). I can't wait to try that trick out to bring some kid down a notch. The point is that you are going to get a rare treat when you celebrate your hate for mankind and feel like you are being conservative, as well, by accepting your weaknesses in order to reintegrate the family unit.