While Shark Week seems to have become a media institution, there is more to horror-at-sea than fish with big teeth. Maritime folklore is filled with ghost ships and superstitions that are less wildlife related. These two smaller films take advantage of the situation of isolation that the ocean provides.
Below (2002)
Directed by David Twohy (Pitch Black) and co-written by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream), Below is a ghost story in the classical sense. Set on a WWII submarine, the story is less about a ghost antagonist that needs to bested and more about the mystery surrounding the death of the sub's captain. The supernatural events occur in order to right a wrong, rather than kill everyone in sight. Twohy takes the opportunity to add some creepy visuals here and there, but resists making the climax effects-laden. The performances and writing are perhaps a little too modern, but the claustrophobic nature of submarine life is fairly well portrayed.
Triangle (2009)
(This trailer is spoilery.)
Triangle is a UK/Australian production (with no accents) that only had a DVD release in the US. Without giving away much more than the above, the plot of this movie involves a time loop (much like another semi-obscure movie, Timecrimes (2007)). Such a conceit requires very careful plotting and performances, and Triangle doesn't quite succeed in this. It cheats in an obvious way on re-watch. Given one watch though, Triangle presents some jarring moments and an ending that was truly surprising to me. Melissa George (30 Day of Night and quite a bit of television) gives a very good performance though the way the movie cheats undermines it somewhat.
Both movies are available on DVD and on Netflix instant view. Triangle is also available on Blu-ray.
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Short Movie: Heartless (Whitestone Motion Pictures)
Every week or two, my husband and I have a conversation about the publishing industry in relation to electronic texts and ebook readers. Every other conversation leads to Eric making the following point: movies are continually becoming easier to make and distribute. Historically, television and the movies haven't "killed" the written word, but what if instead of writing the story you want to tell, you could make the movie instead?
Tor and SF Signal have been showcasing a plethora of well-made independent short films. I'm not saying that movie-making isn't hard work or as cheap as writing, but I'm happy that services like YouTube and Vimeo are allowing film makers to distribute their work. A particular standout is Whitestone Motion Pictures' Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man, posted at Tor in early May.
This is film well done. The look is great, the performances are pretty good, and it's worth twenty minutes of your time when you're looking for a steampunky fairy-tale escape. All of Whitestone's projects have this lightly magical (and musical) sensibility to them. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on them.
Personally, I never worry about whether one method of storytelling will supercede another. As long as tales continue to be told, I'm happy.
Tor and SF Signal have been showcasing a plethora of well-made independent short films. I'm not saying that movie-making isn't hard work or as cheap as writing, but I'm happy that services like YouTube and Vimeo are allowing film makers to distribute their work. A particular standout is Whitestone Motion Pictures' Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man, posted at Tor in early May.
This is film well done. The look is great, the performances are pretty good, and it's worth twenty minutes of your time when you're looking for a steampunky fairy-tale escape. All of Whitestone's projects have this lightly magical (and musical) sensibility to them. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on them.
Personally, I never worry about whether one method of storytelling will supercede another. As long as tales continue to be told, I'm happy.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Movie: Trick 'r Treat
This is the second of two posts about movies that were not given a theatrical release, but are still managing to find an audience.
With smaller, experimental movies (like last week's Ink), it's not hard to understand why a film was not picked up for distribution. The movie business is a *business* after all and investment is weighed against risk. A film by a new director, featuring unknown actors, and questionable plot accessibility is quite a risk.
Horror films are regarded as easy money. Their budgets are reasonable, as are their returns. Fear, it would seem, is the ultimate in accessible. When a horror film like Trick 'r Treat with a known director (Michael Dougherty, X2, Superman Returns) and name actors (Anna Paquin (the X-Men movies, True Blood) and Brian Cox (Deadwood, the first two Bourne movies)), is shelved, it's curious.
Trick 'r Treat is a homage to horror comics, and the horror anthology movies (Creepshow) and TV shows (Tales from the Crypt, Fear Itself) they spawned. The film is a collection of four stories mildly interwoven and containing a loose wrap-around. As horror movies go, it's mildly gory, fairly suspenseful, and full of "fun" scares. So, why wasn't it released theatrically?
Trick 'r Treat's R rating might have been some of the problem. While the target demographic for horror films is teenagers and films such the Saw franchise and Rob Zombie's recent movies haven't suffered from the rating, Trick 'r Treat doesn't look like R-rated horror. It's not torture porn and there are no grungy psycho-killers. Instead, Trick 'r Treat filled with wicked little stories with twist endings. Again, it's scary, somewhat gory, fun. It just happened to be in the R category according to the MPAA and may not have been available to what was perceived to be its target audience.
The hardcore horror competition, especially in October, probably also contributed to Trick 'r Treat's shelving. The film was originally slated for release in October of 2007. This release date would have put it against Saw IV and Rob Zombie's Halloween remake, as well as 30 Days of Night. Tough competition for the over age-17 dollar. A 2008 release would have had a similar problem: a Saw film and an R-rated remake (Quarantine). Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures finally released the film on DVD in October of 2009. It is available through all major retailers and rental services. And I don't think you need to wait until October to give it a look.
With smaller, experimental movies (like last week's Ink), it's not hard to understand why a film was not picked up for distribution. The movie business is a *business* after all and investment is weighed against risk. A film by a new director, featuring unknown actors, and questionable plot accessibility is quite a risk.
Horror films are regarded as easy money. Their budgets are reasonable, as are their returns. Fear, it would seem, is the ultimate in accessible. When a horror film like Trick 'r Treat with a known director (Michael Dougherty, X2, Superman Returns) and name actors (Anna Paquin (the X-Men movies, True Blood) and Brian Cox (Deadwood, the first two Bourne movies)), is shelved, it's curious.
Trick 'r Treat is a homage to horror comics, and the horror anthology movies (Creepshow) and TV shows (Tales from the Crypt, Fear Itself) they spawned. The film is a collection of four stories mildly interwoven and containing a loose wrap-around. As horror movies go, it's mildly gory, fairly suspenseful, and full of "fun" scares. So, why wasn't it released theatrically?
Trick 'r Treat's R rating might have been some of the problem. While the target demographic for horror films is teenagers and films such the Saw franchise and Rob Zombie's recent movies haven't suffered from the rating, Trick 'r Treat doesn't look like R-rated horror. It's not torture porn and there are no grungy psycho-killers. Instead, Trick 'r Treat filled with wicked little stories with twist endings. Again, it's scary, somewhat gory, fun. It just happened to be in the R category according to the MPAA and may not have been available to what was perceived to be its target audience.
The hardcore horror competition, especially in October, probably also contributed to Trick 'r Treat's shelving. The film was originally slated for release in October of 2007. This release date would have put it against Saw IV and Rob Zombie's Halloween remake, as well as 30 Days of Night. Tough competition for the over age-17 dollar. A 2008 release would have had a similar problem: a Saw film and an R-rated remake (Quarantine). Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures finally released the film on DVD in October of 2009. It is available through all major retailers and rental services. And I don't think you need to wait until October to give it a look.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Movie: Ink
This is the first of two posts about movies that did not receive theatrical release, but are still managing to find audiences.
The first movie is Ink.
Ink is a very nice example of a modern fairly tale. This is not an old tale re-envisioned, but instead it has its own mythos, or at least relies on fairly obscure folklore. It is unafraid to mix some vaguely technological elements (like the creepy TV screened incubi) with more traditional fairy tale tropes (the child stealing ogre and the blind fool). It presents its concept of how the world works with little initial exposition. I could present a succinct and non-end-spoiling plot summary, but I think that would do the film injustice. Ink is at its most charming when its not working too hard to tell an exact story.
Unfortunately, the most prevalent problem with fairly tales is that, they're pretty simple. The title character of Ink goes on his journey and, as he is accompanied and pursued, he learns about himself as a character along with the audience. While the movie is not preachy, it does end in an inevitable moral lesson.
The film-making is very good if taken within a certain context. Ink has several very distinct looks for its different worlds. The effects are cheaply done, but not necessarily cheap looking. I would not wish for this movie to have better effects, but I also can't see that it could have ever been a "big screen" movie. I'm not sure if it comes down to lack of polish exactly, but for me, Ink is a very fine TV movie. Not more than that.
Still, Ink has a certain Terry Gilliam aspects to it, and is a better use of an hour and forty-five minutes than the likes of Gilliam's Brothers Grimm.
Ink was not picked up for theatrical distribution. Instead Double Edge Films went truly independent, releasing the film on DVD and Blu-Ray and marketing for sale directly from their website and for rent from various retailers. They've also embraced the "give-it-away" strategy. The video is currently available on Hulu, and Double Edge's website urges free viewer (whether through Hulu or other means) to contribute.
The first movie is Ink.
Ink is a very nice example of a modern fairly tale. This is not an old tale re-envisioned, but instead it has its own mythos, or at least relies on fairly obscure folklore. It is unafraid to mix some vaguely technological elements (like the creepy TV screened incubi) with more traditional fairy tale tropes (the child stealing ogre and the blind fool). It presents its concept of how the world works with little initial exposition. I could present a succinct and non-end-spoiling plot summary, but I think that would do the film injustice. Ink is at its most charming when its not working too hard to tell an exact story.
Unfortunately, the most prevalent problem with fairly tales is that, they're pretty simple. The title character of Ink goes on his journey and, as he is accompanied and pursued, he learns about himself as a character along with the audience. While the movie is not preachy, it does end in an inevitable moral lesson.
The film-making is very good if taken within a certain context. Ink has several very distinct looks for its different worlds. The effects are cheaply done, but not necessarily cheap looking. I would not wish for this movie to have better effects, but I also can't see that it could have ever been a "big screen" movie. I'm not sure if it comes down to lack of polish exactly, but for me, Ink is a very fine TV movie. Not more than that.
Still, Ink has a certain Terry Gilliam aspects to it, and is a better use of an hour and forty-five minutes than the likes of Gilliam's Brothers Grimm.
Ink was not picked up for theatrical distribution. Instead Double Edge Films went truly independent, releasing the film on DVD and Blu-Ray and marketing for sale directly from their website and for rent from various retailers. They've also embraced the "give-it-away" strategy. The video is currently available on Hulu, and Double Edge's website urges free viewer (whether through Hulu or other means) to contribute.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Movie: Strange Days
With a certain Kathryn Bigelow movie coming out on DVD on Jan. 12th and a rather prominent James Cameron movie in the theaters, I felt it apropos to visit a little-seen collaboration of the two: Strange Days.
Released in 1995, Strange Days is set on the day before and the day of New Year's Eve 1999. As a near-future cyberpunk film, the technological advances are modest. The highlighted technology are SQUID decks and clips. SQUID is the ultimate in immersion entertainment. Not only does "playback" visually put you in the action, it sends feedback to your body to make you feel like you are there. Since the inevitable application of playback involves porn and vicarious crime sprees, SQUID devices are extralegal. Sleazy ex-cop Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes, The English Patient) deals in decks and clips, buying from the questionable and selling to the uptight. When a mysterious playback is left for Nero and his contacts end up dead, Nero has to unravel the truth before a race war erupts at turn of the millennium.
Strange Days pulls no punches. It is rated R and deservedly so. It is also a well-told mystery that puts its small amount of sci-fi tech to good use. The writing, provided by Cameron and Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York), is good. While the technology isn't as integrated or ubiquitous as it should be, the fictional 1999 martial-law Los Angeles is well made. Realizing that hand-held cameras would be too shaky and steady cams too bulky to capture true 1st person point of view, Bigelow and Lightstorm Entertainment innovated a new sort of wearable camera.
Despite the action and acting pedigree (the film also features Angela Basset, Juliette Lewis, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Tom Sizemore), it received mixed reviews and a cool audience reception, making only $7.9 million during its short theatrical run. It is currently available on DVD.
Released in 1995, Strange Days is set on the day before and the day of New Year's Eve 1999. As a near-future cyberpunk film, the technological advances are modest. The highlighted technology are SQUID decks and clips. SQUID is the ultimate in immersion entertainment. Not only does "playback" visually put you in the action, it sends feedback to your body to make you feel like you are there. Since the inevitable application of playback involves porn and vicarious crime sprees, SQUID devices are extralegal. Sleazy ex-cop Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes, The English Patient) deals in decks and clips, buying from the questionable and selling to the uptight. When a mysterious playback is left for Nero and his contacts end up dead, Nero has to unravel the truth before a race war erupts at turn of the millennium.
Strange Days pulls no punches. It is rated R and deservedly so. It is also a well-told mystery that puts its small amount of sci-fi tech to good use. The writing, provided by Cameron and Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York), is good. While the technology isn't as integrated or ubiquitous as it should be, the fictional 1999 martial-law Los Angeles is well made. Realizing that hand-held cameras would be too shaky and steady cams too bulky to capture true 1st person point of view, Bigelow and Lightstorm Entertainment innovated a new sort of wearable camera.
Despite the action and acting pedigree (the film also features Angela Basset, Juliette Lewis, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Tom Sizemore), it received mixed reviews and a cool audience reception, making only $7.9 million during its short theatrical run. It is currently available on DVD.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Movies You Probably Haven't Seen
At my regular journal I reviewed a slew of recently watched movies, but kept it in the realm of more widely released flicks. Here are four others that were seen on 500 screens or less:
The Merry Gentleman (2008) - Michael Keaton (Batman) directs and stars in this character drama about a depressed hit man befriended by a woman on the run from domestic violence. The film is quirky and slow in parts, but contains great performances.
25th hour (2002) - This was Spike Lee's first full-length film post-9/11 and it is a strange sort of love story to the city of New York. Edward Norton (The Illusionist) plays a convicted drug dealer that has one day of freedom before being sent to jail for seven years. The character's love of NYC is balanced against his impending lack of freedom and the option to avoid incarceration.
Bottle Shock (2008) - Simply put, Bottle Shock is a sports movie...but with wine. This movie is the underdog story of California wines versus wine "snob" Steven Spurrier at the Judgment of Paris in 1976. It's an amusing movie with a cast including Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping) and Chris Pine (Star Trek).
Population 436 (2006) - Jeremy Sisto (Waitress) is a census taker that discovers a disturbing trend in population of Rockwell Falls. This is a fairly decent horror movie in the vein of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" or The Wicker Man. Not high art, not flawless, but a good addition to the creepy-small-town genre.
The Merry Gentleman (2008) - Michael Keaton (Batman) directs and stars in this character drama about a depressed hit man befriended by a woman on the run from domestic violence. The film is quirky and slow in parts, but contains great performances.
25th hour (2002) - This was Spike Lee's first full-length film post-9/11 and it is a strange sort of love story to the city of New York. Edward Norton (The Illusionist) plays a convicted drug dealer that has one day of freedom before being sent to jail for seven years. The character's love of NYC is balanced against his impending lack of freedom and the option to avoid incarceration.
Bottle Shock (2008) - Simply put, Bottle Shock is a sports movie...but with wine. This movie is the underdog story of California wines versus wine "snob" Steven Spurrier at the Judgment of Paris in 1976. It's an amusing movie with a cast including Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping) and Chris Pine (Star Trek).
Population 436 (2006) - Jeremy Sisto (Waitress) is a census taker that discovers a disturbing trend in population of Rockwell Falls. This is a fairly decent horror movie in the vein of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" or The Wicker Man. Not high art, not flawless, but a good addition to the creepy-small-town genre.
Monday, November 30, 2009
OMM Anniversary & Updates
Obscure Media Monday celebrated its anniversary somewhere in the haze of November. There were around 32 entries of content in that year, slightly better than an every-other week average. To kick off year two, here are some updates on previously featured artists:
Abney Park has a new album, Aether Shanties, coming out Dec. 1st. Captain Robert has posted a two of the tracks for download.
Tapping the Vein's second album, Another Day Down, is available from Amazon.com and is as solid as their first.
Die Warzau's excellent, Convenience, is currently available from Pulseback Records.
Nouvelle Vague's third album, Nouvelle Vague 3, was released in June in Europe and is now available in the States via Amazon.com.
Finally, if you missed it during its short theater run, The Hurt Locker will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Jan. 2nd. OMM will cover another Kathryn Bigelow movie, Strange Days, in the near future.
Abney Park has a new album, Aether Shanties, coming out Dec. 1st. Captain Robert has posted a two of the tracks for download.
Tapping the Vein's second album, Another Day Down, is available from Amazon.com and is as solid as their first.Die Warzau's excellent, Convenience, is currently available from Pulseback Records.
Nouvelle Vague's third album, Nouvelle Vague 3, was released in June in Europe and is now available in the States via Amazon.com.
Finally, if you missed it during its short theater run, The Hurt Locker will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Jan. 2nd. OMM will cover another Kathryn Bigelow movie, Strange Days, in the near future.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Movie: Mr. Brooks
Somewhere in mid-90s, Kevin Costner lost clout with audiences. Maybe it was the bloated Waterwolrd (1995) or over-wrought The Postman (1997), but Kevin Costner was somewhat abandoned; given up on as being too...well, too Kevin Costner. By 2007, the concept of the former Robin Hood starring as a serial killer was slightly laughable. Mr. Books was the pet project of Costner and one of its writers Raynold Gideon due to studios being equally dubious. But, part of what makes the movie entertaining is seeing Costner's acting prowess once again.
Some plot aspects of Mr. Brooks might be familiar to fans of the "civilized serial killer" genre, especially in light of Showtime's Dexter (2006) TV series (based on Jeff Lindsay's series of books). While Dexter Morgan's inner "dark passenger" is never personified, Earl Brooks' psychotic alter ego is presented to the viewer in the form of Marshall, played by William Hurt (The Village, The Accidental Tourist). While Costner gives a icy and reserved performance, Hurt embodies gleeful, manic fervor. The direction and superb camera work make the two characters uncannily similar in many scenes.
Mr. Brooks also attends a 12-step program in an effort to control his activities. This concept is probably not entirely original to the genre, but its use here most likely predates the writing of season 2 of Dexter. Despite these similarities, Mr. Books still offers surprises. (Not the least of which is a solid performance by comedian Dane Cook.) Earl Brooks is, after all, a family man and what wouldn't he do for his family?
Some plot aspects of Mr. Brooks might be familiar to fans of the "civilized serial killer" genre, especially in light of Showtime's Dexter (2006) TV series (based on Jeff Lindsay's series of books). While Dexter Morgan's inner "dark passenger" is never personified, Earl Brooks' psychotic alter ego is presented to the viewer in the form of Marshall, played by William Hurt (The Village, The Accidental Tourist). While Costner gives a icy and reserved performance, Hurt embodies gleeful, manic fervor. The direction and superb camera work make the two characters uncannily similar in many scenes.
Mr. Brooks also attends a 12-step program in an effort to control his activities. This concept is probably not entirely original to the genre, but its use here most likely predates the writing of season 2 of Dexter. Despite these similarities, Mr. Books still offers surprises. (Not the least of which is a solid performance by comedian Dane Cook.) Earl Brooks is, after all, a family man and what wouldn't he do for his family?
Monday, August 3, 2009
Preemptive Strike: The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker has been trickling out in limited release ever since its impressive debut at the Venice Film Festival in 2008. Stripped to a bare plot, the movie follows a group of three bomb disposal experts during the last 38 days of their rotation.
Films about the Iraq war, a conflict that is still on-going, have not done well. Therefore, it's not surprising that The Hurt Locker has received tentative distribution. That doesn't make the limited ability to see this film any less unfortunate. On a budget of $11 million, Bigelow puts together a film that is at times slick, at times as gritty at its setting. The main cast are little-knowns (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty) that do an excellent job. My one problem is that some of the dialogue comes off a little canned, but these moments are never suffered for long. The film moves at a brisk pace in the only direction there is: day zero of Bravo Company's rotation.
The Hurt Locker is by no means a perfect film, as some critics have claimed, but it is the film that's been the most deserving of my $7 this summer. If it's playing in your area, go see it. I'd rather it didn't belong among the ranks of the obscure.
Films about the Iraq war, a conflict that is still on-going, have not done well. Therefore, it's not surprising that The Hurt Locker has received tentative distribution. That doesn't make the limited ability to see this film any less unfortunate. On a budget of $11 million, Bigelow puts together a film that is at times slick, at times as gritty at its setting. The main cast are little-knowns (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty) that do an excellent job. My one problem is that some of the dialogue comes off a little canned, but these moments are never suffered for long. The film moves at a brisk pace in the only direction there is: day zero of Bravo Company's rotation.
The Hurt Locker is by no means a perfect film, as some critics have claimed, but it is the film that's been the most deserving of my $7 this summer. If it's playing in your area, go see it. I'd rather it didn't belong among the ranks of the obscure.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Obscure MOVIE Monday -- Plunkett & Macleane
The plot is fairly simple: In 18th century England, a down-on-his-luck apothecary (Robert Carlyle) and minor aristocrat known for drinking his money away (Jonny Lee Miller) team up to rob from the rich as The Gentlemen Highwaymen with the law at their heels. Despite the meager storyline, much sets Plunkett & Macleane apart from the standard Merchant Ivory fare. Most notable is the music.
Like A Knight's Tale, released two years after Plunkett & MacLeane (1999), director Jake Scott forwent the use of period music for more modern pieces. The main score was written by Craig Armstrong and, while mostly orchestral, contains techno music overlaying the ball scene and a cover of Talking Heads "Houses in Motion" for the end titles. (The track "Escape" has become famous in its own right as the soundtrack for many movie trailers.) In addition, the movie also includes songs by The Tiger Lilies, an accordion-driven Squirrel Nut Zippers-esque band. If a viewer can accept the anachronisms, the music works well within the movie.
The worst that can be said of Plunkett & MacLeane is that it has a split tone. On one hand, soaring operatic score. On the other, wheezy Gypsy accordions. In addition to the title leads, Alan Cumming plays a purple-clad cheeky fop, while Ken Scott's character of Mr. Chance is jarringly sociopathic. There is a reoccurring joke about the pox, as well as numerous hangings in Tyburn. The split was even felt in the marketing of the movie The New York Times hosts the "Americanized" version, while a more true-to-form and less work-safe "British" version can be found on YouTube. Overall, the acting is superb as is the visual style. The contrasts keep this film interesting and true. Life, after all, is never only an orchestral score.
Currently, Plunkett & Macleane is available for free viewing on Hulu.com, but only until April 1, 2009. The DVD can be found with some effort, for purchase or rent. The soundtrack is much more widely available.
Like A Knight's Tale, released two years after Plunkett & MacLeane (1999), director Jake Scott forwent the use of period music for more modern pieces. The main score was written by Craig Armstrong and, while mostly orchestral, contains techno music overlaying the ball scene and a cover of Talking Heads "Houses in Motion" for the end titles. (The track "Escape" has become famous in its own right as the soundtrack for many movie trailers.) In addition, the movie also includes songs by The Tiger Lilies, an accordion-driven Squirrel Nut Zippers-esque band. If a viewer can accept the anachronisms, the music works well within the movie.
The worst that can be said of Plunkett & MacLeane is that it has a split tone. On one hand, soaring operatic score. On the other, wheezy Gypsy accordions. In addition to the title leads, Alan Cumming plays a purple-clad cheeky fop, while Ken Scott's character of Mr. Chance is jarringly sociopathic. There is a reoccurring joke about the pox, as well as numerous hangings in Tyburn. The split was even felt in the marketing of the movie The New York Times hosts the "Americanized" version, while a more true-to-form and less work-safe "British" version can be found on YouTube. Overall, the acting is superb as is the visual style. The contrasts keep this film interesting and true. Life, after all, is never only an orchestral score.
Currently, Plunkett & Macleane is available for free viewing on Hulu.com, but only until April 1, 2009. The DVD can be found with some effort, for purchase or rent. The soundtrack is much more widely available.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Obscure MOVIE Monday -- The Fall
Every couple months I plan to deviate from music to post about some other bit of obscure media. Considering that many best-of-08 list are coming out, I figured I'd blog about a film that's been mentioned on several of them.
The Fall debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006 and received "wide" release in 2008. Wide is defined here as slightly over 100 screens. Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell, R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion"), The Fall is quite possibly the most beautiful piece of film-making I have witnessed.
Set in 1920s Los Angeles, the plot revolves around an injured stuntman, Roy (Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies), and Alexandria, a young immigrant worker who broke her arm while picking oranges. In an effort to gain Alexandria's help and trust, Roy tells her an epic tale.
The interplay between the story that Roy tells and the way the the audience sees it--through Alexandria's imagination--is interesting. Objects and people from her life are interwoven into Roy's story. When Roy speaks of an Indian, Alexandria doesn't imagine a Native American, but a man from India, a fellow orange-picker. By the end of both the movie and the story, the narrative is as much Alexandria's as Roy's.
This is not a mainstream film. It is slow in parts and meanders here and there. It avoids sentimentality in favor of harsher mettle. In that way, it shares common ground with Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone. It is also very beautiful. The Fall was shot entirely on location and contains very few non-practical effects. While the fairy-tale settings of Roy's story are breath-taking, as much care was taken with the 'real' setting of the hospital where the characters are laid-up.
By sheer virtue of movie-making, it is phenomenal.
The Fall is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
The Fall debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006 and received "wide" release in 2008. Wide is defined here as slightly over 100 screens. Directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell, R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion"), The Fall is quite possibly the most beautiful piece of film-making I have witnessed.
Set in 1920s Los Angeles, the plot revolves around an injured stuntman, Roy (Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies), and Alexandria, a young immigrant worker who broke her arm while picking oranges. In an effort to gain Alexandria's help and trust, Roy tells her an epic tale.
The interplay between the story that Roy tells and the way the the audience sees it--through Alexandria's imagination--is interesting. Objects and people from her life are interwoven into Roy's story. When Roy speaks of an Indian, Alexandria doesn't imagine a Native American, but a man from India, a fellow orange-picker. By the end of both the movie and the story, the narrative is as much Alexandria's as Roy's.
This is not a mainstream film. It is slow in parts and meanders here and there. It avoids sentimentality in favor of harsher mettle. In that way, it shares common ground with Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone. It is also very beautiful. The Fall was shot entirely on location and contains very few non-practical effects. While the fairy-tale settings of Roy's story are breath-taking, as much care was taken with the 'real' setting of the hospital where the characters are laid-up.
By sheer virtue of movie-making, it is phenomenal.
The Fall is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
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