Monday, February 28 : Bye bye Sci-fi

February is just about over, so I now bring to a close what became "Sci-fi month". Well, maybe it's over. I'm getting a new TV this week, so I'll probably end up indulging in some sort of fattening futuristic eye candy.

Tonight I enjoyed the long-awaited DVD release of writer-actor-composer-director Cory McAbee's The American Astronaut (2001). This is my kind of film! It's low-tech sci-fi shot in grainy black & white with a crazy story and a great sense of humor. Oh, and it's a musical. Try picturing early work by David Lynch if he were a little less art school and a lot more rock n' roll and you'll get the general idea.

The DVD I bought came with a postcard to send in to get a copy of the new CD, "Rabbit" from McAbee's band The Billy Nayer Show. At least $12.50 value! The band also does the music for the film.

The American Astronaut is a must-see. If you don't like it, I don't ever want to see your face around here again. Got it? Good. Now go see this movie!

 

Thursday, February 24 : More Crimes -- The Devil in Mr. Reeves

All of my friends told me that Constantine (2005) was absolutely terrible, so I went to see it today with some pretty low expectations. It wasn't absolutely terrible.

Ti's film, The Roost (2004) will be showing at midnight at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema as part of the South by Southwest Film Festival on the following dates:

Monday, March 14th
Wednesday, March 16th
Friday, March 18th

Are you going?
Want to help promote the screenings?
Click on the image to the left to download a printable version of one of THE ROOST SxSW Flyers!

 

Prog: 2.17. 2005 AD: Crimes Against Comics

In the year 1995 AD, the studios were still trying to cash in the popularity of comic books generated by Tim Burton's rickety big-budget set pieces, Batman (1989) & Batman Returns (1992). While producers fought over the rights to household funny book names like Spider-man, lesser-known four-color properties, like The Mask (1994) and The Crow (1994), got the fast track to the big screen. Tonight I re-viewed two of these films, ten years after their release.

The only real crime involving the film version of Tank Girl (1995), is that it doesn't get the appreciation that it deserves. It's really a fun, dynamic film with a great soundtrack that really captures the anarchic tone of the comic. I say the "tone" because like most film versions of comics, it strays pretty far from the source. The script is actually the weakness of the movie, as it tries to tell a very traditional sci-fi story at the expense of some very non-traditional characters and situations. Fortunately, good editing, direction, and performances save the movie from its script and make for a fun, mindless ride. And thankfully none of the American cast members; Lori Petty, Ice-T (the modern Laurence Olivier), nor punk rock icon Iggy Pop attempt the Australian accents or dialogue of their comic book counterparts. The comic's Aussie element is all but abandoned here (which may further irritate the strip's hard core fans) but really, is that such a bad thing?

Like Tank Girl, the next film I watched tonight sports a cameo by an aging proto-punk rocker. Former Blockhead, Ian Dury (who, a year later, would appear along side Tank Girl's Iggy in another comic book inspired film, The Crow: City of Angels), plays Geiger in Judge Dredd (1995). Many people consider this movie to be the beginning of the end of Sylvester Stallone's career as a Hollywood heavyweight. That may or may not be true. I couldn't care less. What I do care about is Judge Dredd, a comic book character whose exploits I continued to follow even after high school, when I thought I had outgrown comics. Be warned: it's about to get really nerdy in here.

THE DEFENSE: Overall, I really like this oft-maligned film. Here's why:

- It's just a good, mindless, Stallone-driven, futuristic, action film. I mean it's no Demolition Man (1993), but what is?

- Stallone as Dredd is perfect casting. Let's face it; Dredd is pretty much a one-dimensional caricature, even in the world of comic books. He has all of the qualities of a stock Stallone character. He's also a New Yorker, same as old Sly.

- The films has a great cast, including one of my favorite actors of all time, Max von Sydow, as well as "the most beautiful woman in Twin Peaks", Joan Chen. Diane Lane looks super-hot in her Judge Hershey uniform -- with the helmet on, of course.

- All of the characters from the comics are here: Judge Rico, Mean Machine, Chief Justice Fargo, Judge Griffin, The Angel Gang, Judge McGruder...

- Mega-City One looks awesome! Just like I always imagined it! All of the Judge and guard uniforms looked perfect. The movie really feels like the world of the comic.

- The ABC Warrior robot is one of the coolest and best-realized film robots I've ever seen! That's saying a lot, coming from me. I think a lot about robots... a real lot. The film version of Mean Machine is also great.

- The first 16 minutes of this film is absolutely wonderful. It's true Judge Dredd through-and-through. Even if die-hard fans of the comic don't like this movie, they should at least own the DVD for this amazing quarter-of-an-hour.

THE CRIMES: I'll admit that the movie is far from perfect.

- That magical 16 minutes that I speak of has one major flaw: the producers felt the need to give Dredd/Stallone a catch phase along the lines of "I'll be back" or "Make my day". Here it's, "I knew you'd say that" and it's crammed down the viewers' throat over and over again. The resulting effect is less "mega-tough" and more future-Fonzie.

- Rob Schneider. Actually, I'm kidding. He's pretty enjoyable here.

- The movie feels like a sequel. We barely get to know Dredd before he is launched out of his element and given more character development than he's had in over 25 years in the comic books. I would have preferred to have had an action-packed classic-styled Dredd story, rather than one where he's stripped of his rank and cast out of the city mere minutes after we've met him.

- THE ULTIMATE & UNFORGIVABLE CRIME: Immediately after those wonderful first 16 minutes, Judge Dredd/Stallone does the unthinkable:

He removes his helmet.

Not only that, but he pretty much keeps it off for the entire rest of the film. In over a quarter of century of weekly, monthly and annual adventures, we have NEVER seen Dredd without his helmet. He even bathes with it on!!! It's the defining symbol of his blind dedication to the Law!!! I know they felt they had to show the star's face at some point during the film, but for practically the whole movie!?!?!? It really sucks the fun out of what is otherwise a very enjoyable film.

Why am I still going on about this ten years after the movie was released? Because I'm guilty -- guilty of being a genuine nerd.
Oh well, next week I get to drown my sorrows in the long-delayed US release of the Judge Dredd: Dredd vs Death video game. Sad, but true.

JUDGEMENT: A Life Sentence in Nerd World (for me).

 

Wednesday, February 16 : Wetting the bed...

I caught Lars von Trier's first feature, The Element of Crime (1984), on cable tonight, as sci-fi month continues. Okay, the film isn't completely sci-fi, but it does take place in some sort of post-apocalyptic version of Europe. It's hard to tell in this movie, told from the point of view of a man under hypnosis, which images depict the "actual" decaying future-Europe, and which are tricks of the narrator's imagination. The film is a dingy, uncomfortable dream with a visual style that wouldn't come into vogue for another ten years. Also ahead of its time is the criminal profiler plot, which wasn't the old hat back in 1984 that it is now. Von Trier has a small part in the film as a scrawny little skinhead.

 

Tuesday, February 15 : Kill the Jox

I guess I'm on sort of a sci-fi jag this month as I felt the need to watch robots beat the crap out of each other in Stuart Gordon's Robot Jox (1990). I'd seen this years ago on cable and enjoyed it almost as much now as I did then. Many will disagree with me on this, but I think it's one of Full Moon's more entertaining efforts. The nerds on imdb and amazon.com seem to think this movie is either the worst film ever made or some sort of classic. It's neither. The movie is just a little fun, mindless trash.

It's the cowboys vs. the commies in the world of the future where international disputes are settled in the robo-ring, rather than on the battlefield. Gary Graham plays that guy he always plays, but this time he's an American Gladiator driving a giant killing machine. Genre hero and Stuart Gordon regular Jeffrey Combs has a miniscule cameo as a spectator. The real star of the film is the old-time stop-motion effects as the giant robots clash. The effects are used sparingly, as this is a low-budget effort. But when they do appear, it does warm the heart.

 

Monday, February 14 : Mankind Sucks

Science FIction, Comic Books & CGI, Part 2: I have been curious about the big-budget Japanese science fiction movie, Casshern (2004), since my last birthday when Dave gave me the action figure for my Micronaut / Microman collection.

My Valentine is in Vegas on "business", so I had a date with the DVD player and this film based on a Japanese cartoon character. Like Immortel (2004), the film combines live-action with CGI to create a stunning futuristic world. The film looks absolutely amazing. I wish I could se it on the big screen. Those of you in Britain will get that opportunity this Friday when Casshern opens there. I'm jealous.

On the downside, the action sequences are a bit too few and far between for those seeking all-out action and the story becomes a bit slow and conviluded about 2/3 of the way through the film's 141-minute running time. On the other hand, the movie does have a lot to say.


I was rooting for the robots...

The tone of the film is surprisingly dark, as it addresses humanity's selfishness and tendencies toward greed and conflict. War, violence and human suffering are central themes here and the results aren't pretty. I found it very easy to sympathize with the film's "villains" as they attempt to wipe out the conquest-obsessed human government. So does our anti-hero Casshern and the other less war-like characters who just want to live their lives in peace. The final message is pretty bleak and unfortunately right on the money, as far as I'm concerned. We are stupid, selfish and violent creatures who are incapable of enjoying life and sharing it with others. Instead we have to have it all and crush anyone else in our way who doesn't agree with us. There's a great line in the film: "No one is ever always right and no one is always wrong". Such a simple sentiment seems lost on the current social climate where everything is black or white. Our loss.

 

Saturday, February 12 : Science FIction, Comic Books & CGI, Part 1


Immortel (ad vitam) (2004) is one of the new wave of films, like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), where the world is entirely created in the computer and the actors do all of their work in front of a green screen. What makes this film a bit different from the others is that the handful of human actors interact with dozens of CGI characters. Many of these virtual characters are normal-looking people that could have been played by real actors, but the director made a choice to animate them instead. The effect can be quite jarring at times, as the CGI characters are not fully realized the way some of the aliens are in the new Star Wars movies are. Instead, they look more like characters from video games or from Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001). But, if you're able to get yourself around this, the film is quite enjoyable.

The dreamlike comic book setting makes the film's technical quirks much easier to swallow. The movie is based on director Enki Bilal's graphic novel series, The Nikopol Trilogy. It's European Science Fiction in the tradition of the comics of Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jean 'Moebius' Giraud, more for the Metal Hurlant crowd and not for those who read Starlog. If you're not familiar with this stuff, think of The Fifth Element (1997), without the action sequences. Immortel is not the Matrix, it's a slower, more thoughtful ride. I really enjoyed it.

 

Thursday, February 10 : Regurgitate, Exterminate.

Note to self: If you're already feeling a bit queasy and under the weather, DON'T watch Japanese art-trash gore films. Organ (1996) is one of those movies where everyone is dirty, in pain, bleeding or oozing some sort of puss. Truly revolting. What is the deal with the Japanese obsession with bodily fluids? Anyway, Director Kei Fujiwara puts her Organ Theatre troupe to good use in this deeply disturbing film. I have to admit that I had a hard time following the story here, but I think that this film is meant to be more of a collage of uniquely disturbing images than a plot-driven piece. Watch with a strong belly.

Despite an unanticipated mourning sickness scene, Snaker (2001) was a bit easier to stomach. I've been fascinated by the DVD cover for years, but never picked it up, thinking that the Medusa head on the cover couldn't possibly be in the film itself. I was wrong. The main character DOES have snakes for hair. Pretty cool. Then again, I like any movie that has a gigantic snake shooting lasers from its eyes within the first minute.

Finally, I watched the re-issue of the documentary Dalekmania (1995), which is included in Anchor Bay's The Doctor Who Collection DVD set. The title is a bit of a misnomer, as the film is not about the popularity of BBC TV's evil creations, but a very well put together behind the scenes look at the two Doctor Who feature films starring Peter Cushing. I found this selection very easy on the system.

 

Saturday, February 5 : Wonder Women

Thanks to insomnia, I managed to watch the entire 2-season run of the TV series "Spaced" AND get three movies in between late Friday night and early Sunday morning.

I was feeling sort of down today, so I popped in a $3 VCD that I bought in Chinatown of Protégé de la Rose Noire (2004). I had been curious about this movie for a while, mainly due to the posters I had been seeing around featuring Ekin Cheng (who I'm a fan of) in a Robin costume. The film is another pairing (tripling?) of Chen with the cute-as-buttons pop duo, Twins, Charlene Choi & Gillian Chung. The film is a stylish super hero comedy that is actually funny. There are some pretty good action scenes and a musical number sung to the tune of "Silent Night, Holy Night" that comes out of nowhere.

Trying to stay in the spirit, I watched a DVD The Princess Blade (2001). It's based on a Japanese comic book, but has a much more serious and darker tone than I was in the mood for. Still, it's a pretty good film.

Also based on a comic book is Cutie Honey (2004), created by manga & anime god Go Nagai. This is more like it! The movie is a blast! It's silly, campy, cheesy, bright and loud! This garish production combines old-school in camera effects with cell and cgi animation.

Anime nerds may complain that actress Eriko Sato doesn't really resemble the cartoon character all that much, but she certainly is cute and energetic. The hysterical supporting cast are all pretty appealing as well. But it's really the insane costumes, sets and over-the-top battle sequences that make the movie fun. This new favorite has made my night!


Friday, February 4

 

Ossie Davis
1917 - 2005

 

 

Tuesday, February 1 : Spook vs. Spook

With a far greater monster content than the deceptively-named The Hundred Monsters (1968), the second Yokai Monsters film, Spook Warfare (1968), was a treat to watch today. National pride is the issue here as a Babylonian demon threatens the good name of the monsters of Japan. Lots of crazy monster-on-monster action in this film.

It's a new month, so you'll see a new list of films under Coffin Joe on the left. I probably won't be watching these five films this month, but they are favorites of mine, so I think you should. Actually, now that I look at the wording up there, I'm telling you that you WILL watch them. Please do so.

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) is a modern classic and arguably Don Coscarelli's best film. It also features what many consider Bruce Campbell's greatest performance, as well as some fine work by Mr. Hot-As-Love himself, Reggie Bannister. If you haven't seen this film by now, I don't know what you're doing at this web site.

The Mask (1961) is a great 3-D cheapy. They couldn't afford to do the whole thing in 3-D, so you just get these great dream sequences whenever a character says the phrase "put on the mask" (or rather, your 3-D specs). The film is perhaps best known as the source of the image on the cover of the book, Re-Search No 10: Incredibly Strange Films.

Begotten (1991) is a true horror film. I don't quite know how to describe the indescribable. It's a classic and required viewing, but not for the squeamish.

Legend of the Sacred Stone (2000) was all the rage a few years back. It's a full-on fantasy effects Kung Fu film, starring puppets. Some people find it a little confusing and hard to sit through, but just the fact that this exists makes me happy.

Barjo (1992) is a personal favorite. It's based on a Phillip K. Dick story and is directed by Jérôme Boivin. Boivin is probably best known for his cold-blooded dog movie, Baxter (1989). Neither film is currently available on DVD in the US and Boivin pretty much just does TV these days. It's a shame really, I don't know why this wonderful director hasn't had more of a career and doesn't get more appreciation. See both of his films, please.

 

 

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