Hyper-edgy Movies

I recently watched two really hyper-edgy movies on Netfilx. You might like them if you’re into radical, cutting edge filmmaking. The first was Child of God.

Child of God is based on Cormak McCarthy’s novel of the same name and was directed by James Franco. Child of God revolves around degenerating Appalachian character Lester, played by Scott Haze, who loses everything but his rifle. Lester is not a sympathetic character. He squats in a backwoods shack and things rapidly go downhill from there. Actors Tim Blake Nelson and Jim Parrack add color and chemistry to the film. This film is dark and backwoods, one hundred percent.

You will see a lot of Scott Haze in the future. Guaranteed.

James Franco is maligned to a degree as a director. I believe he’s a great talent, reveres literature and strives toward art.

Check out Child of God here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951095/?ref_=nv_sr_1

The second was Snow on Tha Bluff. Radically different from Child of God but pushes the edge of filmmaking.

Snow on Tha Bluff revolves around real life armed robber and crack dealer Curtis Snow who stars in the movie. He steals a video camera from college kids looking to score a dope deal and gives the camera to one of his homies to documents his life; dope deals, robbery, gunfights and hanging on the street. The hyper-documentary style film is shot on location in “The Bluff”, one of Atlanta’s most poverty ridden and violent neighborhoods.

What’s interesting about Snow on tha Bluff is that it’s impossible to differentiate between what’s scripted and what’s not. It’s the most realistic film that’s come out in years.

Another interesting fact about Snow on the Bluff is how it was marketed. Chris Knittel, the producer, copied scenes on a few hundred blank VHS tapes. He then kicked the tapes around in the dirt and smeared blood on them. He then sent them without a return address to politicians, police stations and media outlets to get a buzz going. He called it “Operation Stir Up Shit.”

This film is loaded with ghetto warfare and is fascinating to watch.

Check out Snow on Tha Bluff here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1719634/

Godzilla

…in 1954 we awakened something…

I just watched the trailer for the new Godzilla movie and it’s really good. Brian Cranston plays a feature role (looking  nothing like Walter White) and adds quality acting to an otherwise SFX based flick. The trailer is full of cool cliches, such as the obligatory, trumpeting BWAAAAS in the back ground and it’s the first I’ve heard  Gyorgy Ligeti’s Requiem and Lux Eternal in a movie since the apes were running up and touching the monolith in 2001 – A Space Odyssey.

It took me forever to connect to the Godzilla website (consistent mySQL connect failure) which isn’t a surprise. I’m sure it will be  swamped for awhile. Godzilla is directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters) and written by Max Borenstein.

Check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc

I bet it’s a hit.

The Wall (Die Wand)

The Wall (Die Wand) is a German film about a woman (played by Martina Gedeck) who goes to a hunting lodge with friends and winds up alone, trapped in the mountains by an invisible wall. Sure, you’re thinking, just like Under the Dome. Well, it isn’t. The Wall is a visually stunning movie about the unnamed woman who slowly accepts her situation and eventually harmonizes and integrates with nature.

Every scene in this film is well thought out and incredibly well shot. Based on the novel by Marlen Haushofer, The Wall was written for the screen and directed by Julain Polsler.

The woman spreads out from the hunting lodge, looking for a means to escape and tried to locate other people. She sees a few, in particular an elderly couple that live in a simple cabin, but they appear to be frozen in time.  They and others cannot see her.

Her steady companion is a dog named Lynx. If you like dogs (like I do), this movie also explores the deep, unique and complex relationship between canines and humans.

This is not a plot-driven movie and non-formula to a huge extent. The Wall revolves around overcoming loneliness, self-acceptance, self-reliance and the grit and determination it takes to survive living off the land. Don’t expect a big climax in the third act (if you can tell when it begins- I can’t).  I watched The Wall on Netflix.

You can check out more here: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-wall-2013

and here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1745686/

The Wall is a movie I look forward to watching again.

Grade: A

 

Starlet

Came across a really, really good movie while scanning through Netfix earlier this week- Starlet. It’s worth watching for the sensitivity and subtlety of the acting, cinematography and story.

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Starlet is about a 21 year old adult film actress, Jane, who goes to yard sales to find items to decorate her room. Jane buys a thermos to use as a vase from 83 year old Sadie for five dollars. Once she’s home Jane finds rolls of hundred dollar bills stuffed in the thermos. She goes back to give the woman back the thermos (and money) but is cut short by “NO REFUNDS”. Sadie slams the door on her. It turns out that Sadie’s deceased husband was a professional gambler.

Jane becomes obsessed with starting a relationship with Sadie and the story moves along from there. All in all to me this is a story about the onion skin layers of relationships. The film depicts mundane daily life in the San Fernando Valley and provides a brief glimpse into the mechanical, indifferent, soulless porn industry.

Starlet is Jane’s pet chihuahua and the namesake of the film. Through all of the rocky relationships in the film, Starlet is always present and is a catalyst to move the story forward.

Starlet was written Sean S. Baker and Chris Bergoch, and was directed by Baker.

Dree Hemingway plays Jane and carries the movie singlehandedly. Hemingway is Mariel Hemingway’s daughter and the great granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. This is Hemingway’s screen debut and she is literally stunning in her performance.
Starlet was first shown at SXSW in March 2012 and won the Special Jury Prize, Young Americans Selection from AFI Fest and Dree Hemingway was the winner of Variety’s Actor to Watch in 2012.
If you run across Starlet take the time to watch it. There’s a short, very explicit adult scene so be warned if that puts you off.

Here’s a link to the movie page: http://www.musicboxfilms.com/starlet-movies-44.php

Grade: A

 

The Frankenstein Theory

What makes a good low budget movie? Like any other film, story, characters and acting. I was scanning through Netflix and watched The Frankenstein Theory and even though this film received negative reviews it pulled me in from the start. Yes, it could have been about twenty minutes shorter, but all in all it’s a good independent horror film.

The story revolves around Professor Jonathan Venkenheim. One of his ancestors was the real-life Dr. Frankenstein who created the Frankenstein monster as an experiment in longevity. Venkenheim is convinced that the monster is still alive in the Arctic, so he takes a film crew with him to prove it exists. That’s all I’ll say, not to spoil it for you.

The shooting took place in LA and Alaska. According to Wikipedia, the scenes shot in Alaska involved forty five minute walks through the snow and cold to set up scenes. The film is shot in “found footage” format.

The Frankenstein Theory was released in March, 2013 to a few theaters, video on demand and  DVD. If you like well made independent films, t’s worth your time to watch it. Check out the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2646378/

 

 

Breaking Bad

Getting caught up on Breaking Bad, with the finale tonight. We’re just starting Season 5, so as much as we’re tempted to spend the next few hours catching up we’re not going to. We’re watching it on Netflix, who, according to creator Vince Gilligan, helped save the series. Breaking Bad is so good on so many levels, the writing, acting, production and photography. As soon as we’re done I’m going to go back and study the cinematography, which has impressed me the most.

I really like the notion of Breaking Bad going out on top. From a revenue standpoint, I read that AMC is asking for, and getting, $300,000 to $400,000 for thirty second commercial spots on tonight’s finale. That’s up from $130,000 to $140,000 for previous episodes. I’m happy AMC isn’t milking this cash cow to death.

What’s also interesting is when they approached HBO about the series, Gilligan said, “They wouldn’t even grace us with a ‘no’. They were basically like, ‘Just get out of the office, please.’”

So this is the end for Breaking Bad, or is it? In a sense, no. A new series is being produced about the criminal lawyer (heavy on criminal) Saul Goodman, named “Better Call Saul.” I’ll keep my expectations medium, but my hopes high.

Great job and good luck to the cast and crew of Breaking Bad.