Matt’s Weeks in Dork! (7/13/14-7/19/14 & 7/20/14-7/26/14)

    Due to a technical difficulty, I present two weeks…


(7/13/14-7/19/14)

    On Sunday, my lady and I headed in to DC to see the National Building Museum and its human sized maze.  An informative tour and a nice exhibit on House & Home.  But darn it, that maze was cool.  Mazes have always been a fascination, and getting to go into one was a treat.  Part of me would love to do one much, much larger.  From there we went to The Hamilton (where I felt distinctly under dressed) for a nice brunch, and then to E Street, where we saw Life Itself.  A good day in DC.

Life Itself:  This portrait of the famous populist movie critic Roger Ebert does a fine job of showing the man behind the face.  Not all one thing or another, a character, and a great ambassador of film.  His story feels like one of those old time movies, where a plucky young kid gets a dream job and has a meteoric rise, with the usual pitfalls of wine and women, and the eventual triumph.  But there’s more to it than that, as there always is.  And telling his life story, intercut with the story of his death, the ravaging cancer that would claim him, bit by bit, until it finished him off, was poignant and heartbreaking, but also uplifting and dare I say it, a bit inspiring.  A colorful character with an interesting life.  And a documentary well worth seeking out, especially (but not exclusively) for movie buffs.

The Lego Movie:  This cute CGI film is a lot of fun, occasionally very clever, and perfectly enjoyable.  It’s not amazing.  But it’s good.  I like the story, I like the voice work, and though heavy handed, I like the message.  If you have kids, this is a good one, as there’s plenty for an adult to enjoy, too.

    Friday night we met for the graphic novel club, where we discussed Aya: Life in Yop City.  I think only one person hated it, nobody seemed to love it, but a few enjoyed it enough to want to read on.  I didn’t hate it, but certainly have no plans to read any more.

    On Saturday evening, Brad and I headed over to Wolf Trap to see 2001 with live music.  This was my second time to the venue, which I’m not in love with.  But it was certainly better than I remembered.  I suppose I can see the charm of sitting on the lawn, though I don’t think I would be well suited for it, with my gimpy legs.

2001:  Just a darned amazing film.  I’ve written about it many times before.  What I’ll say this time is that seeing it, projected on a big screen, with live orchestral accompaniment was a whole new experience.  Because so little dialog happens, and when it does, it’s not with music, this movie is sort of like a silent film, witch lends itself to live music.  When I saw Casablanca with live music, there were issues because of the constant score and the original mono recording.  This was much better.  And seeing it with a thousand or so people…really something.  People nervously or knowingly laughing when Hal starts to crack.  Kinda amazing.

(7/20/14-7/26/14)

    So, on Sunday, my computer had some rather profound technical difficulties, taking me not just offline, but off writing in any serious way.  I got some more reading done, and some more movie watching, but I also had kind of a busy week.

In the Mood for Love:  Gorgeously shot, wonderfully dreamy, this romance doesn’t play the way one would expect.  It feels like you’re constantly watching surreptitiously, voyeuristically as two people come together, expressed in brief moments, looks, and seemingly innocent encounters.  Where some of Wonk Kar Wai’s films have a frantic, hand-held feel to their cinematography, this is shot wonderfully still and painting-like.

Under the Skin:  Upon second viewing, my problems with the film’s finale abated somewhat.  I think I get the idea more, so it doesn’t bug me as much.  Whatever the case, this is a fascinating film, a science fiction/horror movie with no exposition.  At no point does the script give you any information.  You just watch as things happen and are forced to make up your own mind.  There are some beautiful moments, some haunting scenes, some surreal and some wonderful things.  It’s not going to be for everyone.  But I really like it.  The closest thing I can compare it to is the rather obvious The Man Who Fell to Earth, but I was reminded of recent weirdly quiet films like Only God Forgives, too.

Fanfan La Tulipe:  France’s answer to Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood, this light hearted swashbuckling adventure film is charming and fun.  Nothing too serious.  Nothing too heavy.  Pretty women, handsome men, daring-do, and some humor for color.  Good times.

    I read the second volume of Prophet, which continues to amp up the Dune-type insanity.  I’m really loving how crazy this book is.  Can’t wait to see where it all ends up.

How to Train Your Dragon 2:  There are some bits near the end that I wasn’t enamored of, but overall, this is a pretty good sequel to the surprisingly good How to Train Your Dragon.  I like the cast of characters and the setting created.  The animation is quite good.  And they do a fantastic job of giving the dragons, particularly Toothless, a great deal of personality.  These are the kinds of fantasy films I’d have gone absolutely mad for as a lad (and still dig as an old man).  And the comic relief doesn’t suck.

The Innocents:  A well shot and creepy horror film that adds little to the genre, The Innocents is perfectly watchable.  If you’re in the mood for something like The Haunting, this is a good option.  The performances are good and the mood is thick.  The story is a bit blah, but what do you expect.  Ghost stories, especially haunted house stories, all pretty much play out the same way.

Bluebeard:  If it wasn’t for the totally exploitative use of hunting footage, where we’re shown real animals of various types really getting shot and killed, I would be singing this film’s praises.  Excepting that, it’s campy fun of the highest order.  Richard Burton is so far over the top you have to wonder if he even knew there was a top.  The women are pretty, the clothes are optional, and the comedy is weirdly good.  Again, if it wasn’t for the real animal killing footage, I think I’d have run right out and bought a copy.

    On Friday afternoon, I read the new humorous book, Fun with Kirk and Spock, a parody of the old Dick and Jane books.  It's very cute and funny.  I love me some classic Trek.

The Golden Goose:  Not one of the better German folk tale adaptations I’ve seen, this one is more annoying than good.  There are some good bits, and it teaches (as fairy tales do) some valuable lessons.  But the songs kind of suck, and the constant laughing gets creepy quick.

Elena and Her Men:  I’ve liked several Jean Renoir films, and I love Ingrid Bergman.  But this movie never got my attention.  I didn’t connect.  I suppose it’s cute, and there are some good scenes.  However, I never became invested in the characters or the story.  And honestly, I didn’t really like Bergman in it.

Demetrius and the Gladiators:  Possibly more ham-fisted than The Robe, and sadly lacking in Richard Burton, this OK sequel does feature a good performance from William Marshall and some gladiator fighting.  Not much else, sadly.

    Co-Dork Brad is at the San Diego Comic Con, sending reports back.  So far, the two most interesting tidbits to come out of the con are about the Godzilla sequel that’s going to feature Mothra, Rodan, and my favorite all time kaiju, King Ghidorah, and that there are plans to do a Skull Island film.  My hope is that this is a return adventure to the birthplace of King Kong, and not some kind of prequel or reboot.  There’s no reason the story shouldn’t be a straight-up sequel to 2005’s Kong.  And one of my complaints about that movie (which I love) was that they didn’t spend nearly enough time exploring the island and its history/mythology.  Fingers crossed.

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla:  I like the story of the disgraced soldier who redeems herself through piloting Mechagodzilla.  And this one has some pretty cool fighting.  But anyone who’s survived trashy 80s sci-fi/horror films knows, you don’t use the body parts of killers when you make your killing machines.  Don’t do it.

    I didn’t finish it, as it’s kind of like reading the Bible (or worse, 1960s Marvel comics), but I’ve plowed through a good deal the first volume of Jack Katz’s First Kingdom.  I like it a lot.  There’s something magical about it, like golden age science fiction, classic myth, and some nameless something.  Very cool.

-Matthew J. Constantine

Matt’s Week in Dork! (7/24-7/30)

     A strange, disjointed Week in Dork for this guy.  Got a lot of movie watching done, but not a lot else.  To say the least, I was a bit off.  Anyway, here we go...

Resident Evil: Afterlife:  Once again, Milla Jovovich faces off against hoards of monsters and the evil Umbrella Corporation in this action paced, often silly movie.  I love this franchise.  It’s just so danged goofy, with everything, including the kitchen sink, thrown in.  The giant with the axe?  What’s the deal?  I don’t know, but it’s awesome.  The zombies and such are pretty good, the completely gratuitous amounts of slow-mo fights are fun, and the music is actually pretty good.  I have a few complaints, such as the underused army of Alice.  But overall, another fun timewaster. 

The Dark Crystal:  A fantastic, original fantasy film from the mind of Jim Henson.  The late 70s and early 80s were such a great time for fantasy and science fiction in film.  So much creativity and experimentation.  The Dark Crystal is a rich feast visually, and a great adventure story.  The creature design and effects are amazing.  Not a single human appears in this whole film.  Truly a beautiful movie of a type all its own. 

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights:  I liked this a lot.  For me, the Green Lantern is best when handled as a ‘cosmic’ character, not a guy who puts on a mask and solves Earthbound crime.  And with this, they really crank up the crazy, and explore the Corps.  They stay in space and deal with some pretty grand ideas.  And we get to see a little background on a few of the other lanterns.  This is what I’d like to see from DC’s animated films.  We’ve had enough of Batman and Superman for a while.  Let’s look around at the rest of the DC universe. 

Humanoids From the Deep:  Cormantastic!  Everything you want and expect from Roger Corman.  Directed by Barbara Peeters, this delightful bit of trash is full of beautiful young women taking their clothes off and fish men taking people’s heads off.  It quickly builds to a crazy, violent finish.  Why do creatures from the deep always attack during a small town’s special festival?  Great stuff. 

The Terror:  Some wacky, Gothic horror from cheapo maestro Roger Corman, this features a young, not so talented Jack Nicholson and the cool tough-guy Dick Miller, facing off against the mad old Boris Karloff.  There are some pretty cool moments, and the end is completely insane.  Worth checking out if you enjoy this sort of thing.

2001:  Getting beyond the admittedly amazing soundtrack of great classical music, and the amazing visuals, 2001 stands as a hopeful message of human advancement.  Showing the rise from apes to space and beyond (with a little help from our friends), it almost feels like three short films.  First, the dawn of Man.  Then humanity reaching for the stars.  And finally, transcendence.  When I first saw the film, I really didn’t get the last bit, where Dave goes through the stargate.  But, after reading the book, and seeing it a few more times, I really like its execution.  It’s crazy, but beautiful. 

The Spy Who Came In From the Cold:  John Le Carre’s novel of the same name gets a solid adaptation, with Richard Burton in the title role.  Burton plays a sad, kind of pathetic man, not at all the smooth and debonair spy one usually expects in this sort of thing.  The paranoia and hypocrisy of the Cold War permeate the whole picture, with spies and their masters doing what’s expedient, not what is ideologically correct.  It’s not really an amazing film, but if you’re in the mood for some early Cold War espionage, it’s well worth checking out.

Doctor Who: Seeds of Doom:  A cool story with one of my favorite locations for mystery, Antarctica.  Killer plants from outer space!  The cast is good, and there are some pretty cool sequences.  I especially love when the plant business really gets out of hand.  For the most part, it’s pretty standard alien invasion stuff from the good Doctor. 

Robinson Crusoe on Mars:  In spite of the kind of silly title, this is really a classic science fiction adventure film in the grandest tradition.  The first hour is excellent, with lone astronaut Chris learning how to live on a hostile world.  The third act kind of loses me, where the story sort of opens up to include another character and some aliens.  But then, most of these sort of films eventually throw in something, be it pirates in Swiss Family Robinson or what have you. 

Captain America: The First Avenger:  The first two thirds of this film are fantastic.  Unfortunately, in the last third it becomes painfully clear that the movie is being used as a glorified flashback/pre-credit intro for next Summer’s Avengers movie.  It’s really too bad.  Unlike Thor and the Iron Man movies, this doesn’t feel like it stands on its own, and doesn’t have a satisfying conclusion, because it’s setting up for the next movie.  Don’t get me wrong, all the pieces are in play.  The actors are great, the story very cool, the visuals excellent, and the pulp sensibilities I hungered for are all here.  But the end is weak.  I’d have much rather see two or three movies with the good Captain battling Nazis (where are the Nazis, by the way?), than simply gloss over much of his WWII career so we can get him up to speed with Nick Fury and the crew.  There is so much potential here, and for much of the film, it absolutely embraces and lives up to it.  It just gets wishy-washy at the end. 

Black Dynamite:  Solid!  This comic homage to the Blaxploitation genre is smart, funny, and just darned cool.  Michael Jai White busts some jive turkeys and does some crazy kung fu as he follows corruption all the way to the top (ALL the way).  It’s chock full of tons of references for fans of the genre.  And the nice thing is that while it’s certainly a comedy, it’s respectful in its own way of the movies that inspired it.  If you’re a fan, this is a must.   

The High Commissioner:  Rod Taylor is one Aussie cop you don’t mess with in this fisticuffs filled political thriller.  When he comes to find Christopher Plummer, who is wanted back home for the murder of his first wife, he stumbles into an unexpected situation.  Murder, plots within plots, spies, and glass after glass of Fosters is all it takes to get Taylor’s fists flying.  In spite of having seen Taylor in several films, this is the first time I think I’ve heard him really let loose with the accent, too, which was fun.  Check this one out.  It’s unexpectedly fun. 

Doctor X:  Fay Wray is the rather cute damsel in distress in this silly, but extremely fun squeaky door-bump in the night murder mystery of Science!  If there had never been another movie like it, this could probably have single-handedly inspired Scooby-Doo.  The supposed hero is a bumbling prankster of a reporter.  The rogues gallery of potential villains are all wonderful caricatures (the entire science department is staffed by freaks!).   Very campy fun. 

The Return of Doctor X:   Thank goodness every possible clue was featured as the headline of a newspaper at one time or another.  While Humphrey Bogart is fun to watch as a shifty-eyed doctor, this sequel is mostly forgettable.  The rest of the cast seems totally disposable and twenty minutes after watching it, I’m already forgetting much of what happened.  A Bogart fan should see it for him, absolutely.  Otherwise, there’s little to see.  Move along.  Move along. 

    I spent much of this week living in the den of my fellow Dork, while he and his wife were on the other side of the country, having an amazing week in Dork.  But, it allowed me to do to pretty fun things, including watching a ton of blu-rays.  I’m quite sure Brad will have some cool stuff for us in the next few days.  I’ve seen pictures, and it looks like a great time. 

    While busing back and forth to work, I got to read Christa Faust’s new book, Coyote’s Kiss, a tie-in to the Supernatural TV series.  I’ve only seen the first season of that show, which I did enjoy.  But, though there are a couple odd things tied into later seasons, you can read it without seeing the show.  I love Faust’s quick style.  She is very much a modern pulp writer, moving the story along with speed, while still telling a good story.  I like the taste of Mesoamerican (if I'm using the term right)  mythology, and all the fun little movie and music references.  Dean’s favorite movie?  I’m not telling, but it’s awesome. 

    I didn’t get around to finishing volume 8 of Conan, because I didn’t take it with me.  And I picked up the new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, 1969, but didn’t get a chance to start it.  Hopefully in the next week. 

    And, on the last night of the week, I got to see Casablanca at Wolf Trap.  Now, this was my first time at Wolf Trap, and man, is that place weird.  First off, wow, there were a ton of people.  And it was a bit unexpected to see so many people on a hot night, sitting on the lawn, dressed like they were going to a dinner party.  Then there’s the structure itself, which looks like something out of Star Trek, made of wood, with walkways all over the place.  The screen, which was claimed to be ‘giant,’ but was actually quite small, was then suspended above the National Symphony Orchestra.  It was pretty cool to hear all the music played live, while the movie played.  This did sometimes obscure the dialog, especially because I think the audio was a touch rough because of having the music track removed.  But I’ve seen the movie enough times to not have any trouble.  What an amazing movie. 

-Matt