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Death Wish (1974)
Herbie Hancock/Revengematics
Tarantino correctly places this film in the erstwhile 'revengematics' sub-genre, popularized during the social upheaval of the 1970s. Death Wish stands in stark contrast to other features like Taxi Driver. Bronson exercised a more even, moralistic tone in his features compared to Scorsese's and Schrader's nihilistic dystopia.
The best feature of Death Wish is the soundtrack. Those are elements of Hancock's 1974 album THRUST. One hears motifs from Spank-a-Lee, Actual Proof and Palm Grease. It's Hancock proper not the Headhunters album that preceded this release.
Bronson eventually fell into the Reaganomics exploitation flicks of the 80s, which featured such execrable elements like Chuck Norris blasting entire Vietnamese villages waist deep in water, Lee Marvin's obnoxiously untrimmed eyebrows, Clint Eastwood performing the part of a gunnery sergeant, which, considering his very limited, non combat military experience in the navy (or merchant marine) is an insult.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Significance will be felt for years to come
It's not at all an overstatement to suggest Kwan's film will be seen as the emotional encapsulation of a strange time in history. The primary narrative of a family's fight and the quotidian impact of the fractures within, are simple foundations for a poignant introspection of social undoing. This film tries to pull us all back from the brink; the fear, the hate, the spite, we all engorge upon. The intersectional personal stories are meant both as sincere examinations of the contemporary moment and also points reifying the brinksmanship we all engage in. Reviews will tank the movie simply because of its LGBTQ pointing sup-plot, others will lionize this content and ignore other nuances, perhaps of heteronormative qualities. None of this matters...Nothing matters. We really all are insignificant pieces of crap. Or desperately lost people who suffer the conceit of consciousness, abetted by time and history. But if all of that makes you feel alone, maybe you aren't But unity doesn't arrive through magnifying the grief of our struggles. Peace might come in letting go, and maybe being kind. We're all so convinced fighting defines your value. Sure, it does to a degree. But we might want to constantly evaluate that.
Star Trek: The Cloud Minders (1969)
Star Trek is best at Social Critique
This is arguably the last significant commentary episodes of the original series. We have so much to unpack here:
1. Hot for Vulcan
2. Troglytes or Fremen?
3. The OG Cloud City (eat it Star Wars!)
4. Labor, Marxism, Slavery, the upheaval of 1968-1969!
Firstly, we see Spock in full mac mode. Those familiar with Herbert's masterpiece can see how Dune starts to matriculate through contemporary Sci-Fi. We know Dr Who extensively borrowed from Dune, but we see two things at work here: A lower earthen class of warriors/resistors and contemplative overlays that are the exact same used by David Lynch in his interpretation of Herbert's work. We also see George Lucas once again ripping off other, more creative writers for his own, not at all original concepts.
But we must contextualize this episode in the middle of the massive social upheaval of the late 60s. Europe was ablaze in labor and student protests. Students were beaten up, literally, by police in Chicago during the DNC. Robert Kennedy was just assassinated.
The power of this episode is its timeless application to those social conflicts of any era. That's the true power of Sci-Fi as commentary! We are disabused the names and places of nations and leaders, leaving the simple hierarchies of power that dictate oppression.
Brewster's Millions (1985)
Solid Pryor Effort at the Twilight of his Career
Modern remake of long-19th century writer George McCutcheon's eponymous novel. Pryor provides an even, mostly unremarkable performance in an inconsistent film. Walter Hill wastes some opportunities to really exploit the cast's talents, preferring a subtle, if not totally nuanced endeavor. One could compare this to Critical Condition, with Pryor delivering similar tones and introspection. John Candy and Lonette Mckee stand out with the latter fitting in somewhat oddly to the film's rather forced love story subplot. McKee had an exceptional mid-80s run and Hill squanders her natural force and charisma. Overall, Millions represent's a type of swan-song to Pryor's wild successes after abandoning Las Vegas for feature films. Somewhat bittersweet, just like the man's life. Watch it in that regard and you'll enjoy!
Star Trek: The Naked Time (1966)
One of the MOST IMPORTANT EPS FOR THE CANON
This episode introduces several narrative devices, recurring throughout the canon. Most importantly involves the brilliance behind one of the most novel exploitations of E=MC2 in early sci-fi. Unknown at the time, but the timewarp ending not only utilizes the best portrayal of spacetime in tv to that moment, but sets up scores of similar plots in a multitude of series. It's also a stunningly modern plot turn for a show that underwhelmed with critics. It signals Star Trek's linkage with hard sci fi, reaching its ostensible apotheosis with the Asimov scripted The Motion Picture. Still stands the test of time as one of the coolest endings to any episode.
Friday Foster (1975)
Blaxploitation was more than exhibitionist blackness
It's a problem with audiences, certainly white ones, who only access the sub-genre through tropes. Unfortunately, these stereotypes are fetishized constructions of blackness in America. Sex, violence, hyper-masculinity, vice. Friday Foster enjoys defying the traditions of its filmic context.
There are two types of Pam Grier fans: those who want to see her breasts and shoot a gun, and others who appreciate her adroit delivery, acumen and presence. In a way, she embodies the very polarity of blaxploitation, which builds a dichotomy of black caricatures as well as authentic depictions of blackness.
This film is remarkable for not only its gender fluidity and subtle feminist undertones, but also for the bevy of massive black talent. It's also funny as hell, winking a constant satirical eye at the audience. This type of self-consciousness separates FF from other films of the genre. It also should remind viewers of the complexity, nuance and importance of post-soul black media and performances as vital to our broader understanding of American culture.
Running on Empty (1988)
Asks hard questions of Democracy
Though i was only 13 when this film debuted, I specifically recall discussions around the repatriation of former 'underground' members and refugees of resistance to the Vietnam War.
This film succeeds in ways others fail. A set of filmmakers, Stone, De Palma, sought to confront the subject matter directly. In so doing, they reapplied those bigoted and misogynist visualities used as counter-discursive mechanisms since the early silent, pre-code era: Orientalism, Racial Objectification, Othering of Asians, etc. These specific points wouldn't become resolved until documentary work explicating the massive losses of Vietnamese civilians and soldiers.
253 student governments resisted the general draft during the Vietnam War. Thousands protested the war as some sought violence as a solution. Over 3000 fled to Canada and others remained in America, living lives 'underground' as they fled federal law enforcement agencies.
This remains the unspoken legacy of Vietnam.
We choose to access this time of strife and bloodshed by lionizing the violence of period war films. But the stories of survivors and those who stood up to a fundamentally undemocratic government are still understated.
A broader discourse emerges from these films and questions the role of a citizen in a democracy. What happens when you resist the political class and the carceral apparatus built to protect it? What occurs when identity, politics, resistance and violence collide?
Can the citizen ever self-determine within the mechanisms of a nation when its political direction and the path of the individual diverge irrevocably?
The Gauntlet (1977)
Clint the erstwhile womanizer
Gauntlet represents both a progression and departure in Eastwood's oeuvre. Often dedicated to deliberate, sometimes languorous scenes such as those in previous films the Beguiled, Clint dives headfirst into the action/road-movie subgenre. Gauntlet probably has the most violence per frame count in his entire catalogue, as ge would soon slip back into his plodding attention to suspense and derail in features like Firefox and Pale Rider. One gets a sense that this film marks an attempt to revivify a failing relationship between Locke and Eastwood, but it somehow succeeds. We benefit from any inter-relationship tension between the actors as Clint seems unusually fragile and less overtly misogynistic. An overall enjoyable feature and departure from cowboys, orangutans and gothic horror.
The Killer Elite (1975)
Cocaine makes for bad movies
Aside some intriguing plot lines and set action bits, Elite reeks of drug-induced lunacy. From the shoddy and miscalculated editing to purely bizarre musical treatments, this film screams 'under the influence'. Think of Stephen King's directorial efforts. James Caan tries his best to elevate a sloppy script with his natural and muscular charm. Duvall seems completely checked out and everyone seems at constant threat by a perpetually, and disconcertingly sweaty Gig Young. Characters drift in and out through a desultory plot, and everything seems not quite on the level. I abhor remakes, but there was enough content to deem one worthy.
Icons Unearthed: Icons Unearthed: Star Wars - The Phantom Menace (2022)
Excellent if not overly concise review
The only fault of this piece is skipping over the deep, deep problems with caricature and race in Lucas' work. If anything, it quickly absolves him of his mistakes. But this film will forever be marred by absolutely accurate and deserved accusations of race depictions.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Meh
Better off simply rewatching old interviews whilst listening to the band's catalogue. This movie is indicative of the soporific reduction nostalgia permits. This film speaks to the erroneous mantra that dictates the primacy of aesthetics and mood over anything substantial. Like its doctrine, the characters look tantalizingly spectacular, but in the same way one is inundated with bunting, and flash Christmas decorations, which signal the onslaught of hedonistic consumerism in lieu of true world unity. Unfortunate, since Freddie was the brightest star in the rock n roll galaxy. But, if any redemption awaits Singer for his stultifying work , it lies in the nature of Mercury's irreproducible greatness. This film kills the sanguine brilliance of the real items performances, all credit to Rami Malek, who avails himself well of an impossible role.
The X Files: First Person Shooter (2000)
Study in 2K Misogyny and Pre-Gamer Gate Culture
One of those Gen X era projects that are seemingly inclusive, but just rampantly gazing and objectifying. As a cultural study, it's proof that so-called 'wokeness' has actually worked, and those who bemoan its rule are as moronic looking as the dated special effects in the episode.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The Greatest Action Movie...Ever!
As a lecturer in a Film and Media program at a major university, I can tell you all the young students want to make the same movie, over and over and over.... They lack the fundamental creative spark that initiated the American New Cinema, of which Spielberg carried the torch as arguably its most gifted talent. Kids now see the latest trending streaming series and want to make the same thing. The only know the technical aspects of film production, but quite literally have no grasp of motivation, theory and meaning. This is indicative of the industry as a whole which seems bereft of those paradigm shifting films that cane quickly in succession in the 70s and 80s. Raiders shows how some of the most iconic cinema comes from the mind of humans and not from a stack of algorithms and processors.
Two for the Road (1967)
Simply Adore this Film!
I first watched this movie at the tender age of 18. I was far too young to appreciate it's significant worldliness. Later, I revisited the picture in the heat of my first relationship, which would last as long as the one in the film itself. Yet, still in my 20s, though I could identify with most of its elements, this is the type of film suited most to the sophistication of age and, poignantly, the bittersweet pain of life. In a sense, one is fortunate to live all the experiences and emotions detailed by the cast. There are very few films that show marriage in such sober, often whimsical, always vibrant vignettes. The film never sags under its contemporaneous flourishes, and remains quite timeless. This is because Donen strips the narrative down to the most essential human qualities of a dyad. Arguably Hepburn's and Finney's most balanced performances.
Tigerland (2000)
Important, Accurate and Better than most Era Movies
What's most appreciated of Schumacher's effort here is the lack of in situ melodrama and stereotypes. Wherein every previous director debased the Vietnam era movie to orientalism, misogyny and absurdity (Stone), this film shows the destruction of the war, at home. CF still stands as one of the most underrated and brilliant actors of our time. The grit, lofi and desaturated look of the film drives the exegesis with painful clarity. Stone, De Palma and Kubrick decided to turn Vietnam into a playground of biases, hyper-masculinity and degradation whereas JS helps us locate the hardships of the era. This is what A Soldier's Story did for WW2 and race relations in the South. Though this film isn't a proxy civil rights piece, it sits in the hearts of the characters without relying on the tired tropes of the genre.
Cosmopolis (2012)
Not pretentious, arcane and vacant
Some reviewers miss the point here. One can claim any piece of art to be artifacts of elitism, just like morons accuse any sociological theory to be marxist. It's like saying everything is Newtonian in physics...The dogma of ignorance is true oppression. Cronenberg, already with a firmly established oeuvre for the outlier and arcane, has no need to impress with intellectual parlor tricks. The film explicates the position of god-like wealth and the unbridled access it provides as an insular trap. The director inverts our perceptions of things we covet, and everything from speech to mise-en-scene reinforces this polemic. Some of the dialogue in Cosmopolis shows the detachment of people who resist those quotidian matters which define us as human, because they inhabit a completely different realm. An interesting study in the Canadian's second phase.
The Twilight Zone: Nick of Time (1960)
A Timeless Warning
Serling, a stalwart progressive and loather of political conformity and bias, provides (unwittingly?) an early lesson in media literacy. The statement on the mechanic's wall in the first 3 minutes of the episode acts as an ostensible guide to skepticism, something no one seems to understand in 2022. Faith is never everything, and confirmation bias offers perpetual damnation.
Drive (2011)
Spatial, Well Done Exercise on Distance, Pacing
The very attributes the luddites on this board lament actually make this film a solid study in suspense. The greatest merit of this film is Refn's ability to invert the typecasting of each prominent actor in his project. For anyone who admonishes Gosling for his looks and 'kind eyes' should notice how the director turns benevolence into malice. Likewise, every other character goes against their traditional roles. The framing and cinematography only compliment the expert direction. Again, direction means getting your actors to emote, not live inside an effects processor in a cpu.
Ambulance (2022)
For those who enjoy the smell of their own farts
The movie equivalent of a Mountain Dew Spark. We can use the terms popcorn-eater in regards a taut, well constructed suspense vehicle, but this director thinks suspense is holding in one's iwn excrement. He would serve the public well to actually title his subsequent films exactly that, 'Excrement', with a capital 'E'. Unfortunately, the tall 'E' in his oeuvre stands for Ego. Shame on Jake for collected a paycheck and mistaking this effort as a resume builder. Stars only make this type of film if 1. They're career needs a rebuild or 2. They are soon for the has-beens category. I'm surprised, since Nightcrawler and Source-code are two excellent efforts from the erstwhile thespian, but Jake is capable of more than masquerading in some soporific pseudo-blockbuster with all the panache of a mid-afternoon white wine binger. But that's sort of where we all stand as a culture relating to film now. A movie is only as good as the bloated budget afforded the special explosions and ooooo, gotcha moments. Diegetical and plot renderings are meaningless anymore for a bunch of luddites raised to expect the very lowest denominator. Speaking of farts, America literally is a nation that has a celebrity who bottles and sells her own 'windage' to eager clients online. Does this review contain spoilers? I mean, isn't it the movie itself though?
Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
Hit it Dude!
Rat turds are more prescient than this execrable artifact of ego and absurdity. Having to hear Sir Sean utter the words 'hit it dude' as he and Lambert are subsequently tenderized by hundreds of bullets is the lowest point in my personal film history. At some point one invites the notion that having their hair individually pulled from their scalp would be less painful than enduring the dialogue. Bless Michael Ironside though, who has habit of appearing in the most inscrutable movies.
Patton (1970)
One of the Greatest War Films, Because:
It is a human story. Unlike other directors, whose appetite for scope only meant a bunch of vapid special effects, Patton provides a face to war. The central diegetic treatment centers anachronism against modernity, serving as a potent refrain on the political consequences of the War's dubious allegiances. But George C. Scott's tour de force reminds us, though war consumes the world, it's purveyors are besotted with dreams.
Star Trek: The Lights of Zetar (1969)
How do you work this SCREEN SAVER?!
Enterprise is attacked by a sentient screen saver from Windows 2000. Some silly color overlay and dubbing effects follow. Ridiculous miming ensues as well. I guess the budget prevented actual props. Zetar lost all its life, apparently no intelligent life made it into the writer's office for this one.
Black Rain (1989)
Solid but Flawed
Ridley Scott's (yawn) attempt at Nikkatsu Noir/Cop procedural hybrid. Competent yet churlish and laddish neo-noir. Some orientalism, fair amount of gazing. But the worst bit involves the anti-climactic fight in the vineyard, which operates like a sallow caricature of a sloppy Sunday afternoon martial arts b flick. Odd sub-plot of corruption that goes nowhere.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
What is Justice?
Curtis Hanson punches above his weight on his finest film. Study in pacing, above-average neo-noir. Time may qualify this movie as a classic of a bygone time when film concerned itself with grit over glamour, story over effects. Peak Russell Crowe method, proving he was unable to transition out of his aggressive, hyper-masculine roles leading to much gossip copy...ironically imitating this film's lascivious under-belly.
Kaubôi bibappu: Cowboy Bebop: Ballad of Fallen Angels (1998)
An Anime Apotheosis
CB is the gold standard of adult-themed anime. Episode 5 is one of the best. Bebop captured a moment in time, and it's fortitude in the genre comes from this intangible quality.