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Nine Inch Nails Live: And All That Could Have Been (2002)
Perfect for any NIN fan.
NIN: And All That Could Have Been Sure I have all of the songs in their original and or remixed form. But as a DVD release, NIN's And All That Could Have Been is a Live project that will be in my disc player for months, even years to come. Having gone to the tour back in 2000 at the Arrowhead Pont, I was treated to the best concert experience of my life. I may be blinded by the fact that this is my favorite band, but the Fragility tour reflected NIN at its most sure state. Even if sales didn't soar for the 99' Fragile album, everything came together for the band at this point in time. It wasn't all nihilistic anger and it wasn't all soft, sell out tunes, it seemed just right. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to learn that NIN --a band that just loves remix or eps; they release each album with a Halo and a number and I am almost up to seventeen-- and this DVD (and the subsequent CD release) almost perfectly captured the concert experience from two years ago.
I would have been pleased had the concert or the new live recording just contained songs from The Fragile album (because that was easily my favorite album of the 90's, well, next to Radiohead's OK Computer of course). But And All that Could Have Been is like a greatest hits album, and this is the first NIN release that could be considered accessible to just about everyone. Trent Reznor opens up his repertoire and revises all of his songs in a way that pleasantly adjusts for the live experience. The live version of "Head Like A Hole" is even better than the album release, and songs like "Closer" (you know, the "I want to f*** you like an animal" song), "Wish," "Starfuc****, Inc." "Terrible Lie" and "Hurt" are such sturdy rock classics that it's a sin not to at least hear this album once.
Sure maybe Trent and his Nothing records are capitalizing on those die hard fans who will gladly buy just about anything they put out, but expect to spend about fifty dollars on all three new NIN releases. I resent having to buy so many Microsoft Windows products too, but they're incredibly effective and get the job done line no other, so what the hell. This DVD is great for two reasons: 1) those who are fans and went to the concert can relive the experience with a crisp transfer and sharp resolution (darkness has never looked so good, providing you have the right setup), but also, the sound is so clear and intense that the closing song, "Hurt," will do any Dolby Digital setup proud. Or reason number 2) those who are fans and couldn't get out to their last concert will be able to see it for the first time in a way that almost rivals the live experience. The editing (also done by director Rob Sheridan) is quite impressive too. The DVD show is neither sluggish nor overly kinetic. We don't always get clear-cut and static shots of the singer but the camera placement wisely reflects the best mood and tempo from just about each moment of every song. When Trent mellifluously belts out, "and doesn't it make you feel better..." the camera keeps its distance as the singer stretches his arms out wide and looks towards the heavens. Pretentious, yes, but an astatically great shot.
I'd buy this DVD alone for the moving song "The Great Below" where three giant screens give us vivid images of an ocean calm, the sky, red flowers and some other things unbecoming of the band. The combo and visuals of the smooth song "La Mer," the slightly turbulent "The Great Below," and the chaotic "The Mark Has Been Made," half way through, felt like the apex of the concert and they still had "Closer" to play. I was blown away. If I had to relay my favorite fictional interpretation of some sort of afterlife, my choice would not be the crap movie "What Dreams May Come" (although that sounds like a fitting NIN title), I would have to say the NIN Fragile CD is the most intriguing to me. Could the lyrics, "ocean pulls me close\and whispers in my ear\the destiny I've chose\all becoming clear\the currents have their say\ the time is drawing near\ it washes me away\makes me disappear...' mean anything else? The album and the crisp DVD concert that represents it, is rich in conflict.
Thinking along those same lines, I was a bit disappointed the song "Into the Void" didn't make the cut on And All that Could Have Been." We were treated to a perfect remix of that on the bands last great remix album (the song is called "Slipping Away" and its on the Things Falling Apart album) but I never get tired of that song in any form. I was surprised Trent didn't play it live. It seemed like an apt choice, but was as strangely absent from the set list as Beck's "Sexx Laws" was when he toured that same year. And for that matter, the moving track "Were in this Together," NIN's most optimistic song ever ("You and me, were in this together now, nothings going to stop us now, we will make it through somehow," how's that for positive) wasn't included either. The absence of these two recent songs in the somewhat damaged And All That Could Have Been, is the only major shortcoming. I guess some songs that work well in the studio, don't always gel in a live setting; let alone a moody Nine Inch Nails setting. But alas, this wouldn't be a NIN product if you didn't have to go through some pain to uncover all that was on the disc. This edition packs an impressive amount of hidden extras; one of which is something I was hoping would be on the CD, and that's the version of "Starfuc****, Inc" with Marilyn Manson. If you own the DVD, to access it, rapidly press the enter button on the remote towards the end of that song and you'll be rewarded to the live version of "Starfuc****, Inc." and "Beautiful People" that Trent performed with his newly reconciled friend, Manson. A memorable event that, as Rollingstone put it, made "Goths wept openly, although they always do." I'm not a Goth but I too got misty eyed when the two destroy the stage together.
Other than those confusing Easter eggs, the edition is fairly straightforward. We get to see the selected songs from different concerts but also, the DVD edition has a few nifty tidbits: the ability to change angels during the concert is cool, but the one that I really got off on was the commentary by director/artist Bill Viola, who designed the unforgettable visuals from the concert. He talks about, among other things, the method behind the transition of serene water, to a heavy undertow, to fire. Very cool stuff. Viola also gets into the reason behind the title "La Mer" in conjunction with a woman that appears on the screen and her ties to Greek myth. He goes on to describe the screen, "This crowd of people, who, a moment before had been revved up with maximum intensity, when the images started to appear, they went into this viewing mode. The whole energy shifted and calmed down." And that beautifully captures what it felt like.
Like all music, all three releases are intended for the dedicated fan base and short of the band coming out with a new album (which is rare occurrence because they only release one ever five or so years, though I hear one is coming this summer) this kind of treatment is the next best thing. I figure, after this well produced tri-part collection of music, fans will have something to chew on for a long while. In closing, I would like to state again that the ten year evolution of Nine Inch Nails has been nicely documented and capsulated with the stellar And All That Could Have Been package. And now is hopefully the time for the one man band to concentrate on what is and what will be. As a fan... And All That Could Have Been (CD): A+ And All That Could have Been (DVD): A+ Still (bonus CD): A
An American Rhapsody (2001)
A sporadically touching film with third act problems.
Director Eva Gardos has made a film about what its like to be a person that doesn't belong to any culture. "An American Rhapsody" is set in the 1950's through the 60's, and goes from the turbulent laden Hungary to the prosperous but cold America. As the story usually goes: the characters in this film come to America to find a better life, and end up finding that to some extent. Although, adapting to the American culture is not always automatic.
At the screening I attended, the director told the audience that this is a personal film, and she basically wrote it (between her freelance editing jobs) from her own experience. This is a story worth telling.
Both in the film and in real life, Eva's parents left Hungry fearing the harsh communist government (the exact details are murky), but they had to leave Eva (called Susie in the film) behind with her grandmother, who, before being jailed, handed her off to a kindly peasant couple. In the film, young Susie grew up in a modest but warm environment, a bond forms between Susie and her foster parents. Eventually Susie's well off American parents enlist the aid of Red Cross to help her come back to the states. Once there, the film centers around this mal-complacent girl and her struggle for identity. Parents Peter and Margit, well played by Tony Goldwin and Nastassja Kinski, are nice people too, but the connection was not the same. The film jumps ten years later to a teenage Susie (this time played by a precautious Scarlett Johansson) who inevitably becomes a rebel. Susie is a child of a different kind of revolution, and by doing usual adolescent stuff like drinking, smoking, shooting up her room with a shotgun, and making out with local boys; her strict mother is displeased by Susie's indifference. Mother feels she should respect her newfound freedom and Susie just wants a sense of home. Margit doesn't quite know how to handle her daughter, and apparently Peter is working too hard to be around. It is then that Susie makes the life changing decision to go back to Budapest Hungary in effort to find a sense of actualization. The longwinded synopsis I just gave takes around 130 minutes screen time, the third act is a brief and unsatisfying fifteen.
It is obvious that this was a personal film for Gardos, and the basic storytelling skills are present. But in the end we are never invited into the characters hearts and minds. For the simple reason that Susie goes back to Hungary, she undergoes a this pivotal transformation, but this means nothing because all the film does is tell us that she changed. Susie may understand the transformation but we don't, and the film doesn't earn its sappy and abrupt conclusion. The sentiments in this film are nice and all, but after recently seeing a comprehensive and heartfelt film called `Sunshine,' I was spoiled by that films prolonged storytelling magic and rich gimmickry. That similarly themed tale of doom and family in communist Hungary didn't just pay off for one generation of fully developed characters, but three! I was lost in Sunshine's complex web of duty, love, and inevitable failure. By raising some worthwhile family related themes, "An American Rhapsody" started off quite well, and the acting (especially by Johansson) is first rate, but unlike "Sunshine," the film cant pay off with any resonating emotional cadence. By asking us to fill in the blanks as to why character arcs in this film go from point A to point B, the director/writer Eva Gardos is essentially forcing the audience to do her homework for her.
Grade: C
Along Came a Spider (2001)
Freeman is over-qualified for this movie.
Morgan Freeman is too skilled to be doing generic crime thrillers. He sleepwalks through `Along Came a Spider' like Mr. Magoo in a construction zone. The man's eyes do more acting than the whole ensemble of this film, and his lackadaisical approach is skilled, but belongs to worthy projects similar to last years masterful "Nurse Betty." SPOILER ALERT `Along Came a Spider' is another one of those James Patterson film adaptations that involves a senators daughter being kidnapped, and Alex Cross being called out of his slump to solve the case. The term cat and mouse will invariable come up in this review, I hated that term. I gave `Kiss the Girls' a C+, but after seeing `Along Came a Spider,' I appreciate that stories atmosphere and semi plausible storyline to the comic book logic in "Along Came a Spider." Morgan Freeman who was good in both Alex Cross detective films, the man still needs a workable script, with an ounce of edginess, intrigue and or plausibility to make this series work. Monica Potter (the wife from `Con Air') plays Cross' new partner, who's a neophyte secret service agent tagging along with Cross to learn the tricks of the trade. I liked Potter as his partner, she fits well into the lame storyline and has a cute naiveté, although I can't imagine how she's going to learn to be a physic detective. Every time Freeman sits down and looks at a computer screen, he manages to inexplicably find a clue within seconds. I guess it's the eyes. There's a scene that involves yet another showdown between Alex Cross and the criminal mastermind of this elaborate kidnapping, who's more into playing that cat and mouse game with Cross than getting the ransom. What's with serial killers these days? Ever since `Se7en' they all want to play fricken games like they're the Joker in Gothaem city. The heavy in `Along Came a Spider' is so obtuse that he puts on a fake face (A la `Mission Impossible') for two whole years, then he becomes a great teacher that just happens to get his mark in his class. And all of this so he simply kidnap the senators girl, just to call Alex Cross up on the phone so he can be his adversary. And all of that work was just to get to the Russian Presidents child who is a totally different kid than the one he has. I'm scratching my head, but I'm not making this crap up. What's going on here, did anyone read this script, or was everybody too eager to make a sequel (or prequel) to the successful `Kiss the Girls?' Get the money, then play games you dumb s***. Where was I? Oh yea, the standoff. The hero and villain are face to face and the Joker says: `That's transparent and clumsy' to Cross, referring to his fairly obvious deductions regarding the where about of the senators missing daughter. Yup, that about sums up my feelings regarding `Along Came a Spider,' careless and clumsy, but its got Morgan so its not a total loss. Oh, by the way, the killer is so obsessed with playing some sort of homoerotic mind game with Cross, that this little kidnapped girl dupes him through acting like a Spy Kid, and throwing a battery into his teapot, which in turn causes one of these lavish movie fires.
Character actors Jay o Sanders,(in a cameo)and Dylan Baker fill in the casting gaps with their consistency reliable performances. In fact, the movies only real distinction is the character arc of Carl Monroe played by that guy from `Happiness.' Dylan Baker luckily is in every other movie these days, finally the industry has taken notice of this man. Maybe Nicky Katt will be next. There's a general consensus in cop movies, that there always be that one guy who is totally clueless and his this austere approach to debunk the protagonist mission even though there both on the same side. I call it the Sergeant Dwayne T, Robinson factor, named after that cop in `Die Hard' who ALWAYS managed to condescend Al Powell by barking orders like; "If there's terrorists in there, where's their list of demands? All we know is that whoever shot your car up is probably the same silly sonofabitch you've been talking to on that radio," even though it was painfully obvious that Bruce Willis was the good guy. `Along Came a Spider' starts with Dylan Baker being that prick of a cop by insulting Cross. Then, a few minutes later a miracle happens, the guy actually apologizes to Cross for being such an asshole, and they become friends the rest of the movie. Ha, great, wonderful, than you director Lee Tamhori for surprising me, once. The reason so much space is dedicated to that innocuous aspect of the film is because the rest is so boring its' not worth dissecting.
I give it a 5 out of 10.
Dropping Out (2000)
An amusing but not perfect black comedy
Kent Osborne stars in this unusual film about suicide and a corrupt Hollywood industry. Academy award nominee and brother of Kent, Mark Osborne, insightfully directs this dark comedy. While Mark harbors a unique vision and has a strong visual flair his directing may be a bit sophomoric and unpolished in the last half. Dropping out never takes its self too seriously and that's what saves it in the end. Consider an early scene where a chipmunk eats a branch which falls on Emile's TV wire killing the picture. Emile then proceeds to slit his wrist in a bloody but humorous scene. Believe me it worked. I had the pleasure of meeting the director and star in my film class at Cal State Long Beach and they said is the same Kent's character Emile was the same from "School Ties" just grown up and a lot more troubled. Emile, at the beginning is on the verge of committing suicide when he gets a call from a slow hotel owner, Adam Arkin who offers Emile a night time job. While on the job Emile befriends a fellow colleague and gets him to agree to delivering a suicide tape to his ex girlfriend. This simple act for various reasons escalate and soon this little tape becomes a full on Hollywood production.
The goal of the movie, I think, was to show a dark and complex world of Emile in the early scenes. The colors are darker in these early scenes and they are juxtaposed with vibrant dream sequences where the look remarkable. Then as his death wish becomes more and more publicized and the crew for his documentary becomes exponentially larger the feel of the picture is purposefully that of a rushed and insincere Hollywood picture. There are some great cameos from John Stamos who plays a porno editor looking to make it big, and Katie Segal as a promiscuous barfly. The supporting cast from Second City vet David Koechner, and Vince Vieluf find a nice comic tone. The final product of "Dropping Out" lands somewhere in between Capra's Meet John Doe and Robert Altman's "The Player," but never manages to gel into a great picture, it held back its political criticisms. The message "Dropping Out" could have been a much more sharp and merciless satire, which could have made its impact better. I would still give "Dropping Out" a hearty recommendation despite its minor shortcomings. I'd give this film an 8 out of 10. This would make a decent rental if it comes out any time soon.
The Closer You Get (2000)
Well meaning but oh so trite.
I saw "The Closer You Get" at a school screening recently and I must say that it didn't surprise or challenge me. I wasn't expecting "Citizen Cane" in Ireland but I was hoping for some genuine moments of humanity and of course some silly banter. But the comic moments seemed perfunctory and forced and the dramatic moments didn't quite have the gravity that they needed. The story takes place in a small sea side town in Ireland where the male inhabitants decide to invite beautiful women from America over to their town so they can get some foreign variety in their lives. The women get a hold of this news and cleverly play off the men's futile effort.
Sadly "The Closer You Get" only a few minutes to introduce the plot then we have to sit through over an hour and a half for the bland execution. I really wanted to get to know these colorful characters better in the first act so that I could follow them through this silly plot.
It's official now. We have this Irish small town comedy genre on our hands and there's no end in sight. It was fresh at first but come on people we need some variety in plot structure by now. I guess these Irish films are more sincere and have their hearts in all the right places, which is more than I can say for those pesky teen flicks. But when you've watched "The Commitments," "The Matchmaker," "The Full Monty," and "Waking Ned Divine," there innocuous charm quickly becomes annoying. I give "The Closer You Get" a six out of ten.
Three Kings (1999)
A soon to be classic
Three Kings took my breath away. This film balances comedy, action and drama perfectly. Great visuals a well-rounded script and some top notch performances by George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. This is no typical action movie; there's a real message behind the madness. Thankfully the films morals aren't shoved down the viewers throat. The moments of levity left me speechless, then just as quickly I'm laughing at a scene of political satire. I was amazed that a mainstream film like Three Kings has the guts not to offer a clear villain. Just as in real life each side has its own motives for fighting things are a lot more complicated than they seem. This movie is in the vein of Natural Borne Killers and Pulp Fiction as a risqué masterpiece. One of the best of the 90's.
8MM (1999)
Positive comments on the dark film "8 mm"
Great cinematography, great screenplay from the writer of `Seven' Nicholas Cage proves that his Oscar was not a fluke. I also liked `Fargos' Peter Stodmaire, who plays a sleazy s&m producer. I liked the moody lighting, it added to the effect of this dark tale. The subject matter was outrageous by typical `R' standards, but I figure if the movie works then the content doesn't matter. Maybe a more moody director should have been chosen like David Fincher (Seven, The Game), or Alex Proyas (Dark City, The Crow), rather than Batman And Robin director Joel Schumacher. Still a solid thriller, go see it.