I wish The Great Gatsby a very pleasant public domain.
The Golem (1920) 100th Anniversary
In 16th Century Prague, The Golem(1920) follows Rabbi Loew as he senses troubled times for the jewish people and prepares a way to protect them. The Roman Emperor soon declares for all the jewish people to leave the city. Due to the constellations, he is able to summon help from Astaroth, The Great Duke of Hell, and give life to a humanoid figure that Loew created out of clay, a strange creature named, “The Golem”. Upon being invited to The Rose Festival at The Emperor’s palace, Loew sees it as an opportunity to unveil The Golem and the power it possesses. At the festival, the palace begins to shake and causes the roof to collapse. The Golem uses its strength to hold up the roof and save everyone. The Emperor apologizes to Loew and allows the jewish people to stay. Though The Golem serves its purpose, it soon begins acting out and Loew discovers that Astaroth, who granted the Golem life, can take control of him and uses it to carry out it’s malicious deeds.
The Golem of Prague is folklore, jewish folklore as it takes elements from real history. Rabbi Loew was a real person, Judah Loew ben Bezalel, who was a scholar and a philosopher and even studied jewish mysticism, which probably cemented him in legend. During the festival scenes, Loew uses his powers to show The Emperor and his guest the history of the jewish people in an effort to educate them and in turn educate us, the audience. Just like in folklore, there is a moral, The Golem represents power as Loew’s intent is to protect his people, but afterwards, he boasts, shows off, and just uses him for menial tasks. It isn’t until The Golem begins acting out that Loew realizes the consequences that come with his creation and how it affects his people and his own daughter, Miriam.
The movie was directed by Paul Wegener and also starred Wegener as the titular creature. Wegener started as an actor before he got into directing and it was while he was working on the 1913 film, The Student of Prague, where he first heard of the golem story and it caught his imagination. He teamed up with Screenwriter Henrik Galeen and the two made the movie in 1915. Wagner wasn’t entirely pleased with the first film, so he remade it and incorporated an origin to The Golem and more history. This makes the 1920 more of a prequel. Good thing too, as the first film is now lost. By the way, Henrik would later write Nosferatu in 1922. Another notable name on the film is Karl Freund, who was the cinematographer. He would go on to film other monumental movies like F.W. Murnau’s The Last Laugh(1924), Fritz Lang’s Metropolis(1927), and Tod Browning’s Dracula(1931). Universal was so impressed with his work, they promoted him to director on The Mummy(1932).
The Golem: How He Came into the World beautifully illustrates jewish history with grand sets, warped images and great direction, making it a staple of German Expressionism, going off to inspire more films in the movement, including Frankenstein(1931). The film is in public domain and can be seen anywhere, I couldn’t recommend it enough.
-Jose Barr (10-29-2020)
Darkman 30th Anniversary
Before Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man, he brought his own comic book creation to the big screen with Darkman. Liam Neeson plays Peyton Westlake, a scientist who is working on synthetic skin. After achieving a breakthrough, his lab is invaded and ransacked by mobsters who beat him up, blow up his lab, and leave him for dead. He regains consciousness, but is left horribly disfigured. Now, with the ability to imitate skin, he dons different appearances and seeks revenge against the mobsters.
Sam Raimi originally tried to make a movie based on The Shadow, 1930’s radio series, but was unable to get the rights, so he created his own character, Darkman. The movie is in the vein of a comic book, but instead of dispensing justice, Peyton is just out for his revenge and specifically targets the men responsible for his accident, all led by a man named Durant. He stalks and photographs them, later using his synthetic skin to reconstruct their faces into masks for him to wear. He impersonates them in order to dismantle their schemes and takes them out one by one. The skin is sensitive to light and only lasts for about 90 minutes before it melts away. This makes for great suspense as now, Peyton has a limited amount of time to make sure his plan works.
Throughout all this, Peyton is also trying to reconnect with his girlfriend, Julie, played by Frances McDormand. He makes a mask of his face and is able to pick up where he left off with her. They’re truly in love and Julie wants to be with him, but he keeps her at bay because of his situation. In one scene, they are at a carnival and while Julie is enjoying her self, spending time with her man, Peyton is consistently bothered by the sideshow freaks and his ticking watch. He eventually snaps and makes a scene, terrifying Julie. He tearfully apologizes and runs off. Its heartbreaking as both are forced to realize that their relationship has changed and they may never be able to be together again.
While Darkman takes influence from characters like The Shadow and Batman, it also takes inspiration from the Universal horror movies like Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, and The Phantom of the Opera. You have science experiments going wrong, like in Frankenstein and The Invisible Man, The main character turning monstrous, like The Wolf Man or Phantom of the Opera, and the monster yearning to be with a beautiful woman, like in…well, all of them. There are many shots that resemble the classic monster movies like him brooding on a rooftop with gargoyles and Peyton’s new appearance looks like a cross between the Invisible Man and the Phantom of the Opera. Even the idea of Darkman is creepy, the fact that he can wear anyone’s face, blend in and do terrible things from the shadows.
Though there is an overall fun tone, with its action set pieces, crazy camera shots, zany score, and one-liners, the movie has a rather depressing theme, of a man becoming a monster, the loss of humanity. There is a scene where Peyton’s hand catches fire, but he has no reaction to it, as if he’s lost all feeling. By the end, Peyton’s quest for vengeance leaves him forever changed and can’t go back to his old life, turning him into an outcast. Though maybe not a superhero movie, Darkman has the all the elements of an entertaining comic book movie.
-Jose Barr (8-24-2020)
Last night, Adrien and I went to Cinequest 2020 and saw Bleeding Audio. A documentary about the band, The Matches, looking at their early days in ‘97 all the way to their 2014 reunion. We knew absolutely nothing about the movie going in and felt overwhelmed by the crowds, who so obviously big fans. Watching the movie with that audience was like being at a concert. We laughed, we cheered, we applauded. After the movie, I was surprised to see that the band was actually in the audience. They got up on stage, played a song, had a quick Q&A with Director Chelsea Christer, and took pictures with audience. As we were exiting the theater, Adrien and I were able to express our joy and appreciation to Chelsea. The band also invited everybody to a show at a nearby bar. We tagged along, but unfortunately couldn’t stay long. Still, it was great Music Pilgrimage through downtown. The news of Cinequest being cut short is saddening, but I’m very grateful for this movie and this experience. (3/8/20) #bleedingaudio #thematches #shawnharris #jondevoto #mattwhalen #justinsansouci #chelseachrister #documentary #poppunk #cinequest #2020 (at Hammer Theatre Center)
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Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 20th Anniversary
Happy 20th Anniversary to The Phantom Menace. Even though it’s no one’s favorite, I must say, I love this movie. Thats right, Episode I is probably my favorite Star Wars movie. I’m not gonna stand by and say its a perfect movie or its the best of the series, no, I know it’s not that good, however, it was the first Star Wars movie I saw. A long time ago, I was visiting my cousin for a few days. He asked me if I’ve ever seen Star Wars. I’ve heard of that name and the name “Skywalker”, but I actually didn’t know anything about it. He showed me his VHS tape of Episode I and put it in the VCR. I’d never seen anything like it before and it blew my mind. Once I got home, I told my mom, almost word for word, scene by scene, the entire movie.
Since I hadn’t seen the originals, I didn’t have any frame of reference to judge it on. I didn’t have any hype or theories. I didn’t know Anakin Skywalker was suppose to be Darth Vader or the importance of R2-D2 meeting C-3PO. All I knew was that I enjoyed it. Though, even as a kid, I felt Jar Jar was too over the top and unnecessary. As I got older, I would hear how people really felt about this movie and I was able to see the problems. There are plenty of movies we see and love as kids, but as adults, we realize that they aren’t as great. Do we hate them, not really, we just don’t champion them as much, but we always have some soft spots for them. I still love The Phantom Menace because it was what introduced me to Star Wars and every time I watch it, I’m reminded of being a kid.
In all honesty, it just wasn’t directed well. Maybe the script could’ve also got through a rewrite, but if a true visionary, someone who can direct action and drama, had stepped in, things wouldn’t have come off so wooden. In 2011, Lucasfilms announced that all Star Wars movies would be theatrically re-released in 3D, but after Disney bought them, the plans were canceled. The only one that managed to get released was Episode I and you better believe I was going to go see it. It was actually the first Star Wars movie I had ever seen in the theater and I had a blast. Watching the pod race and the Darth Maul duel in 3D is what made it all worth it. Even the audience I saw it with got into it. With all these new Star Wars movies coming out, I think it’d be fair to remake this one, but just this one, not any of the other prequels. Rewrite some characters and dialogue, fix the effects and there you go, a more competent movie to start your trilogy.
-Jose Barr (5-19-1999)
Godzilla 2014 5th Anniversary
What I love about Gareth Edward’s Godzilla(2014) is that it went back to being serious and realistic. I love it when Godzilla is being a bad ass and fighting off other monsters and befriending all children, but for his new American Reboot, he went back to being a destructive force of nature.
Godzilla 1954 was like a horror disaster movie in how Godzilla would attack cities and leave so much carnage. The Black and White made the disaster look all the more frightening and real. Not to mention the fact that this was all commentary after the Atomic Bomb. Even though Godzilla isn’t a villain in the 2014 film, his power is still portrayed as leaving people in awe.
With the new Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters(2019) and Legendary Picture’s MonsterVerse, it seems we’ll be seeing Godzilla and Company in a more familiar light, much like the later Godzilla sequels such as Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster(1964), Destroy All Monsters(1968), or even Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim(2013).
-Jose Barr (5-16-2019)
P.S. Just a side tangent, couldn’t you have named Godzilla 2 something else to separate it from the American release of the original Godzilla 1954? I mean come on, at least add a 2 at the end of it. I know that in other countries it is Godzilla 2, but in North America, it isn’t. I still stand by Godzilla: Return of the King. That would’ve been awesome.
WATCHMEN 10 Year Anniversary
Now, I didn’t want to write a review for this movie, there’s just way too much to cover and it would take me several days to narrow it all down. I just wanted to commemorate the occasion because this movie was a big deal when it was coming out. When I first saw the trailer, I was astonished and I wanted to know everything about it, especially after discovering it was written by Alan Moore( I was a fan of V for Vendetta). Anytime I was at the bookstore, I would start reading it and would pick up where I left off the next time. I would cut out newspaper articles and ads and pin them on my wall. I saved up money to buy any merchandise I could get my hands on, pins, keychains, dog tags, you name it.
I was almost able to convince my mom to take me to see it. I was so close, standing right inferno too the theater, and then, she saw the rating. She immediately turned around and we left. I was so close, yet so far. Later that fall, I finally had the chance to watch it from beginning to end and it lived up to my expectations. It was the most graphic movie id seen up to that point and I loved everything about. 10 years later, it comes off as cheesy. Not to knock the film, but its embarrassingly campy in how it tries to be faithful to its literary counterpart. Still, this was an important movie for its time. Following Batman(1989), this may be the biggest comic book phenomenon. As popular as The Dark Knight Rises(2012), and Infinity War(2018) are, they’re not as big as Watchmen was. With the new HBO show coming this year, we can expect to see a new future for Watchmen, hopefully something better.
-Jose Barr (03/06/2019)
Mute (2018) Movie Review
Following years of anticipation and hard work, Duncan Jones finally made his dream project, Mute. And, a full year later, I finally got around to seeing. Set in Berlin during the 2050’s, we follow Leo, played by Alexander Skarsgard, who is mute. Following a childhood accident and because of his family’s strict amish beliefs, he was unable to receive the proper treatment and grew up unable to speak. Despite living in the future, he still lives a simpler live and stays away from all technology. Leo works as a bartender in the same club as his girlfriend, Naadirah(Seyneb Saleh). However, things get a little rattled when he wakes up one morning and finds Naadirah missing. She isn’t at work either, she is nowhere to be found. Leo must now embark through the cyberpunk mob world to find her.
Even though he never speaks, Skarsgard’s physical performance is what helps cement him. In a futuristic world like this one, so many things are required to work through interactions, but without the ability to talk, Leo often finds himself stuck. He is forced to interact with a world that he doesn’t know, nor wants to know, and the struggle of that gets to him. Skarsgard is able to express all that weight through his body and face. Despite the toll it takes on him, he solders on in order to find the woman he loves.
While the movie is mainly about Leo, we also have another storyline, one revolving around the characters of Cactus Bill and Duck. Cactus and Duck are two American surgeons who are hiding out in Berlin and working for some mobsters. These two are in their own movie. Paul Rudd plays Cactus, a stubborn and hostile man who reluctantly works for the mob in order to get him and his daughter back to America. Justin Theroux plays Duck, who is old friends with Cactus, even though he is the complete opposite, enjoying his work and always cracking jokes and teasing people, but equally guilty of having his own perversions.
The movie splits its time between Leo and Cactus. Since there isn’t much dialogue with Leo, everything quiet and may appear uninteresting. With Cactus and Duck, everything’s always fast and more colorful. The two never stop talking and you become more interested in them with how funny and charismatic they are. This sometimes takes focus away from Leo and the mystery, but there is a reason for that. With Cactus and Duck, we learn more about the world they’re all in and the rules everyone must follow to make it out. With Leo, we get to see all of that in effect. This helps the story by expanding the world, even if it comes off as non-linear at times. It sometimes feels like you are watching two different movies, but It isn’t until the third act when things come together.
There is one subplot that truly feels out of place. It’s almost presented as a twist, but you can see it coming a mile away and there is no reason to have it in the movie. It doesn’t have much of a payoff and what little it did, you could easily replace it with any other altercation. Once you see it, you’ll know what it is and it does take you out of the movie for awhile.
Another problem is with the casting. I don’t mean that the acting is bad, everyone’s performance is great, but you have everyone acting and then you have Paul Rudd, the most charming person you may ever meet. Even though Cactus is arguably a villainous character, he is entertaining to watch. Whether he’s trash talking to his superiors or threatening an old lady for calling a cookie a “biscuit”, Cactus Bill steals the fucking show.
There are other well-known actors who make appearances such as Noel Clarke, Robert Kazinsky, and a bizarre cameo by Dominic Monaghan. There’s even a small cameo from Sam Rockwell as his character from Moon(2009). That’s right, Mute is connected to Duncan Jones’s first movie. It doesn’t play into the story in anyway, but it was a clever nod to the events in that movie.
As for visuals, the world it creates is mesmerizing. With everything drenched in neon, you can get lost by staring off into the background. In most science fiction movies, the CGI sticks out and takes over an entire scene, but every effect here feels authentic and is appealing. Mixing it with Clint Mansell’s beautiful score gives you a visual feast. The film’s problems really come from its approach to story. It can be disorienting and underwhelming, but it is unique in it’s portrayal. As long as you stick with, it does manage to shine not only as a science fiction film that also as a true film noir.
-Jose Barr (2-23-2019)
FUN Fact: Dedicated to Duncan Jones’s father, David Bowie
Damn, they got Shaft to fight La Llorona!!! I know this is just some mix up, but Shaft is from the 70’s and The Curse of La Llorona is suppose to take place in the 70’s, so let’s play make-believe for awhile. How would this go? Linda Cardellini’s kids are kidnapped by La Llorona, but nobody believes her, so she turns to the private investigator for his help. Upon looking into the case, Shaft becomes familiar with the legend and vows to return the kids and save the innocent souls of all the children who have been kidnapped over the decades. Now that’s the first half, BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Since La Llorona drowned her own children, Shaft can not allow her to roam free(despite being a ghost). Shaft must assemble a league of spiritualists and police officers to bring her to justice! (02/19/19) #lallorona #shaft #samuelljackson #thecurseoflallorona #michaelchaves #lindacardellini #shaftvslallorona
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