It seems to be a very hectic weekend for me. A lot of things that were beyond my control happened that caused me to act. Many people needed my help and I heeded their beck and call. I have chosen two very controversial films for this weekend's film night. Fireworks by Kenneth Anger, and A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick.
First up, Fireworks a significant film from 1947. This was directed by Kenneth Anger at the age of 20 during a weekend when his parents were out of town. It is silent save for a spoken prologue. According to sources, this film was inspired by the Zoot Suit Riots of 1944, in which flamboyantly dressed Mexicans were beaten by sailors. It plays as a reactionary dream to those events. Anger plays the dreamer, the main character in the film. He discovered his homosexuality early in life and explored in through film, what very few film makers at that time were doing. He studied film at USC, and made an indelible mark with this short. He waited a year before he made public showings of it, and it garnered much praise and support from acclaimed men of the film and stage: most notably, Jean Cocteau and Tennessee Williams. Due to this films images and subject matter, Anger was hit with obscenity charges two decades before Lenny Bruce, and it was later dropped as not obscene, but a work of art.
When I watched this for the first time, I wrote my friend and simply said, "I'm blown away!" To think that a 20 year old could make something so bold, so brave, so emotive, so impactful, so visionary, and reactionary, and with something to say boggles the mind. I even watched it again. It begins with a the prologue, and an image of a sailor holding an incapacitated dreamer. It cuts to the dreamer waking up naked to a series of photos of the sailor holding the dreamer. He gets dressed, puts the photos in the fireplace, and enters a bathroom labelled 'Gents' inside, in an almost dream-like world, the dreamer encounters a sailor at the bar, who shows off for the dreamer by flexing his muscles. The dreamer takes out a cigarette and asks for a light, at which point the sailor slaps him and beats him. It cuts to a sailor picking up a flaming bundle of sticks to help light the dreamer's cigarette. After smoking for a bit, the dreamer is confronted by a group on sailors with chains to jump the dreamer. The dreamer's chest is ripped open showing a compass inside his heart. Milk is poured on him, and suddenly he comes out of the bathroom. The sailor lights a phallic firework and it goes off like sparkling jism, as a Christmas tree is lit and is is thrown in the fireplace burning the photos and the tree. It jumps to the dreamer in bed with a sailor, and the film ends.
There is so much going on in this film. Sure there may be so framing issues, lighting issues, and maybe a few scenes should have been cut down a few seconds, but come on! Twenty years old. I've dabbled in short films and nothing even compares to this. I am very fond of many of the images contained in the film. I love the firework crotch. The witty gayisms interspersed throughout. How the sailor lights the fag (cigarette) with a fagot (bundle of sticks). The symbolism of the cigarette representing homosexuality is fantastic and the heart representing the moral compass for each individual and not for society to decide was also head of its time.. I enjoyed the placement of the camera as the sailors walked past showing only their crotches as they approached the dream to jump him. I apologize that this is disjointed, I am just speaking with bits that popped out at me. I found this film to be a revelation. It was way ahead of its time, and beautifully shot. To think, also, that this was filmed in just one weekend is baffling. A wonderful and lasting image is hand motive throughout the film. In the beginning is a broken hand, and is shown in a couple of more shots, when it is revealed that the dreamer is in bed with a sailor it shows the hand, complete and whole. The film was inspiring, saddening, even maddening. Maddening because I have not made such an impact to the world of cinema, and this film definitely make an explosion.
**** 1/2
A Clockwork Orange became the second X-rated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, and has become a cult classic since its release in 1971. This was Kubrick's follow-up to 2001, and proved that Kubrick can keep up with his own aesthetic and grandiose film making style. A lot has been written about this film, and it goes without saying that it is one of the best films of the seventies, a decade filled with momentous hits. I remember I started to watch this film for the first time with my best friend ten years ago. My best friends father was my pastor at the time, and we put it on when his parents were away. As we were watching it, we were piqued, but at the same time very nervous. The shit hit the fan, when my best friend's father came home and we stopped the film, ejected the VHS and slid the movie under his couches, and pretended to be doing something else. At the time, we thought it was just taboo to watch the film. We had heard it was a good film, after all, it's been on IMDB's list of 250 best films forever, but we were ignorant of the true aesthetic realities, and brilliant film making contained in the film.
I finally finished the movie a year later, and felt it was worth the watch. Since then, I have seen it at least a half a dozen times, and I have been remarked how good this film really is. Upon this viewing, I have come to the conclusion that 2001 is definitely better than A Clockwork Orange, but, nevertheless, has an enormous amount to say about the government, politics, religion, free will, and violence. In juxtaposition the our short film of the evening, the themes work well together. Where in Fireworks it is a man exploring his possibilities and trying to free himself, and is put down by society, A Clockwork Orange, is about a man who is exploring excess, while snuffing out life, and being controlled by society. It's interesting to note that the Orange in the title could be a reference to a synonym for orangutan, man. So, its about a man, who is predictable in his actions (under certain circumstances), choice is extinguished, and he'll not do certain things like clockwork. Of course, this is just my take.
Speaking of takes, with all Kubrick films, no doubt this film had many sequences with multiple takes. Most notably, the exhaustive takes of the "Singin' in the Rain" rape sequence was too much for the original actress and she had to be replaced, also the shot with the bodybuilder bringing the writer down the steps was shot so many times the bodybuilder, nearly passed out. The film is beautifully shot. Kubrick knew how to frame a shot, knew when to cut, knew when to utilize new and inventive camera techniques and angles. When Alex jumps through the window, Stanley Kubrick decided to drop a camera out of the window and use that footage. His use of angles is effective throughout the film. And, of course, Kubrick's use of music! The decor an art deco, mixed with a retro feel, coupled with interesting and erotic art pieces throughout. The thing that strikes me throughout the film is how frenetic everything is. The pace of the film is calm, but the performances, the furnishings and scene design, even the Beethoven songs are frenetic and add to the heightened fear and frenzy of Alex DeLarge. He starts out the film as a free hedonist, doing what he wanted to do, but became a cog in the government. A wild 180 caused by the Ludovic treatment allowed for fanciful and frenzy deco and performances. This is a outstanding piece of cinema, and stands out from other films by Kubrick. Some of the themes continued to be explored in Kubrick's latter films, most notably Eyes Wide Shut. I enjoy this film, like I enjoy most all of Kubrick's films. This stands as a testament to his genius and his sense of style.
****
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Next Set
The next two films we will be watching is Fireworks by Kenneth Anger, and A Clockwork Orange by the late great Stanley Kubrick. So, join me won't you?
Monday, May 12, 2014
Gertie the Dinosaur/ Jurassic Park
Another weekend, another movie night. Tonight's pairings are brought together by a character, if you will. That character is the extinct dinosaur. Both pieces we have for our viewing pleasure are fun and adventurous romps into the adventure/science fiction genre. However, the lightheartedness does dissipate with Jurassic Park. Let us explore both pieces.
Gertie the Dinosaur was released over one hundred years ago in 1914. It was animated by the great American animator Winsor McCay. This was a momentous milestone, and an animated benchmark for future animators including Walt Disney himself. It was also included in the US film registry for preservation. Buster Keaton was inspired by this film, as well as countless other animators and film makers. To me, this film is more of an exercise in the capabilities in animation, than a tremendous work of art. It is not without its merits, though. McCay works with humor with every frame. He apparently brought the exoskeletal imagery to mainstream America; that is to say, he allowed America to see what a dinosaur might look like with its flesh. The animation is rudimentary, save for the last scene where the narrator gets on the back of Gertie and rides her away. It is the best sequence of the movie, and is astonishingly great animation. The five minute plus running time is a tease, but the entire film is, essentially, a teaser to what great animation would become. I fancied this little short, and as we will see, makes an cheeky appearance in our full length feature presentation.
** (two stars strictly because of its pioneering position within animation)
Jurassic Park, upon its release in 1993, was a highlight of 90's cinema. It stands as a right sentinel to the left sentinel of Schindler's List in the pathway of Spielberg's oeuvre. The urban myth was that Crichton, the author of the same titled book this film is based on, was touring a film studio with Spielberg, when he talked about his possible screenplay of a man cloning a dinosaur, at which point Spielberg optioned the rights to the literature to make it into a film. In reality, Spielberg and Crichton were already working together on developing what would later become "E.R." when Crichton told Spielberg about his dinostory*. The events about the studio tour may very well have happened, but the author and director already had an existing working relationship. Needless to say, Crichton turned it into a book which was published in 1990, and Spielberg was able to acquired the rights to the material. The plot simply is this: a group of scientists including: paleontologists, paleobotonists, chaoticians, lawyers, and children get invited to an island off the coast of Costa Rica with hazy explanations as to their respective invitations. It is soon revealed that the owner of the island, eccentric billionaire Richard Hammond, had developed the technology to clone various species of dinosaurs and was going to use them as the piece de resistance for a dinosaur theme park. When, a deus ex machina causes entire species of all female dinosaurs to breed, all hell breaks loose and the amusement park of all amusement parks comes crumbling down. After many near misses, and scrapes with Cretaceous critters, as well as many deaths, and corporate espionage, the survivors flee the island thankful for their lives and with grander respect to the creatures that they have loved, respected, and studied all their lives.
Jurassic Park is one of those films that was fanciful, remarkable, gut-wrenching, and adventurous that caused moviegoers to go back again and again. It was a favorite movie of my childhood, and I adored it. It went on to becoming the highest grossing film of that year, and, ultimately, became the highest grossing film of all-time (excluding inflation) beating out Spielberg's own E.T., but was overcome by James Cameron's Titanic four and a half years later. The film is one, in which, I notice more things and come to better realizations and conclusions. Leaving aside the excised portions of the novel that would have made great scenes in the film, Jurassic Park is still an amazing film. This film, coupled with Schindler's List, are the final chapter in Spielberg's great film making days. He has since gone on to make some duds and few films that shimmer and glint like his great films Schindler's List, E.T., and Jaws. Spielberg, himself, agrees that his two best films are Schindler's List and E.T. Although, I admit, the book is better than the film, but not by much. Upon thumbing through the book, I was transported back to 1999 when I read this book for the first time. Sitting in my bathroom turning page after page, devouring the novel as a raptor would a character in the book. This is why I love this movie, and why my eyes are so bad now.
This film stands as an amazing early rendering of the capabilities of CGI. What Spielberg was soon to remark to his animatronicist while watching a scene of CGI dinosaurs running, was that with the advancements in technology that would allow this look, he was out of a job. He spoke too soon. What relying solely on the merits of CGI would do, would cause a legion of action/adventure/fantasy fans to turn their noses on CGI scenes found in late 90's and early 00's films like Star Wars and the Matrix trilogies. Spielberg was smart enough to properly meld animatronics (autoerotica) with CGI animation. Even traditional animation and a nod to Gertie the Dinosaur makes its way into the milieu of the film. With state of the art CGI and state of the art animatronics, the audience completely believes it. For example, the breathing triceratops is so detailed and life-like, it's amazing to think it was done in 1993. Even spoiled audiences of today regard this film as ahead of its time, and still really good CGI. The live action and CGI blends so well together, and we are able to relax and enjoy the ride. We are able to take in the story and actually feel shocked and even scared.
I love the subtle metaphoric image near the beginning of the film that most moviegoers miss: Dr. Grant, unable to find the male part of his seat belt in the helicopter, makes due with two female ends. This metaphor serves as a theme of the entire film, "life finds a way". Sure, we all laugh at the Nedry squeal at the Costa Rican restaurant with Dodson, or the coy sound effects such as the banana peel slip and fall sfx sprinkled throughout the film. We love Dr. Grant's reluctance with children, and his change throughout the events of the film. We become endeared to annoying characters, and we laugh when Samuel L. Jackson says "hold on to your butts." Fun drinking game: take a shot when Jackson says that line, when someone is killed, when Jurassic or park are used, and when Hammond says "spared no expense" This is a fun movie. It's quotable. It's well shot. Spielberg knows where to put the camera, even if child actresses don't know where to put the flashlight. There's humor sprinkled throughout, and good plot development. What I learned this viewing is how we don't have to wait to get an answer. Almost every time a question is raised we are immediately shown the answer in the next shot or in the next scene. The director wants us to enjoy the film so he doesn't let the questions pile up with no release. He gives us the answers, uncluttered, and unadorned, so that we can get back to watching the events unfold. There's some hacky acting in the film, and sometimes the dialogue leaves something to be desired, but it's totally made up with a cohesive whole. It's a solid movie. The quintessential popcorn flick, and prime example of a summer blockbuster. This film has taken on a life of its own. Spielberg knew this was going to be a big hit, and he capitalized on the merchandising of this film and the subsequent re-release of the film for new audiences to grow to love this film. It has spawned a swarm of inside jokes for me and my friends. And I can't even give a hundreth part of the realizations or the jokes on the details that I have noticed over the years. The scope and the the detail and the logistics that went behind just about every shot of this film is overwhelming for me to even begin to comprehend. I just--I love this movie. Spielberg has stated that he was "just trying to make Jaws on land." I think he definitely made a cup full of water on the dashboard of a modified '93 Explorer splash.
****
*word play fail
Gertie the Dinosaur was released over one hundred years ago in 1914. It was animated by the great American animator Winsor McCay. This was a momentous milestone, and an animated benchmark for future animators including Walt Disney himself. It was also included in the US film registry for preservation. Buster Keaton was inspired by this film, as well as countless other animators and film makers. To me, this film is more of an exercise in the capabilities in animation, than a tremendous work of art. It is not without its merits, though. McCay works with humor with every frame. He apparently brought the exoskeletal imagery to mainstream America; that is to say, he allowed America to see what a dinosaur might look like with its flesh. The animation is rudimentary, save for the last scene where the narrator gets on the back of Gertie and rides her away. It is the best sequence of the movie, and is astonishingly great animation. The five minute plus running time is a tease, but the entire film is, essentially, a teaser to what great animation would become. I fancied this little short, and as we will see, makes an cheeky appearance in our full length feature presentation.
** (two stars strictly because of its pioneering position within animation)
Jurassic Park, upon its release in 1993, was a highlight of 90's cinema. It stands as a right sentinel to the left sentinel of Schindler's List in the pathway of Spielberg's oeuvre. The urban myth was that Crichton, the author of the same titled book this film is based on, was touring a film studio with Spielberg, when he talked about his possible screenplay of a man cloning a dinosaur, at which point Spielberg optioned the rights to the literature to make it into a film. In reality, Spielberg and Crichton were already working together on developing what would later become "E.R." when Crichton told Spielberg about his dinostory*. The events about the studio tour may very well have happened, but the author and director already had an existing working relationship. Needless to say, Crichton turned it into a book which was published in 1990, and Spielberg was able to acquired the rights to the material. The plot simply is this: a group of scientists including: paleontologists, paleobotonists, chaoticians, lawyers, and children get invited to an island off the coast of Costa Rica with hazy explanations as to their respective invitations. It is soon revealed that the owner of the island, eccentric billionaire Richard Hammond, had developed the technology to clone various species of dinosaurs and was going to use them as the piece de resistance for a dinosaur theme park. When, a deus ex machina causes entire species of all female dinosaurs to breed, all hell breaks loose and the amusement park of all amusement parks comes crumbling down. After many near misses, and scrapes with Cretaceous critters, as well as many deaths, and corporate espionage, the survivors flee the island thankful for their lives and with grander respect to the creatures that they have loved, respected, and studied all their lives.
Jurassic Park is one of those films that was fanciful, remarkable, gut-wrenching, and adventurous that caused moviegoers to go back again and again. It was a favorite movie of my childhood, and I adored it. It went on to becoming the highest grossing film of that year, and, ultimately, became the highest grossing film of all-time (excluding inflation) beating out Spielberg's own E.T., but was overcome by James Cameron's Titanic four and a half years later. The film is one, in which, I notice more things and come to better realizations and conclusions. Leaving aside the excised portions of the novel that would have made great scenes in the film, Jurassic Park is still an amazing film. This film, coupled with Schindler's List, are the final chapter in Spielberg's great film making days. He has since gone on to make some duds and few films that shimmer and glint like his great films Schindler's List, E.T., and Jaws. Spielberg, himself, agrees that his two best films are Schindler's List and E.T. Although, I admit, the book is better than the film, but not by much. Upon thumbing through the book, I was transported back to 1999 when I read this book for the first time. Sitting in my bathroom turning page after page, devouring the novel as a raptor would a character in the book. This is why I love this movie, and why my eyes are so bad now.
This film stands as an amazing early rendering of the capabilities of CGI. What Spielberg was soon to remark to his animatronicist while watching a scene of CGI dinosaurs running, was that with the advancements in technology that would allow this look, he was out of a job. He spoke too soon. What relying solely on the merits of CGI would do, would cause a legion of action/adventure/fantasy fans to turn their noses on CGI scenes found in late 90's and early 00's films like Star Wars and the Matrix trilogies. Spielberg was smart enough to properly meld animatronics (autoerotica) with CGI animation. Even traditional animation and a nod to Gertie the Dinosaur makes its way into the milieu of the film. With state of the art CGI and state of the art animatronics, the audience completely believes it. For example, the breathing triceratops is so detailed and life-like, it's amazing to think it was done in 1993. Even spoiled audiences of today regard this film as ahead of its time, and still really good CGI. The live action and CGI blends so well together, and we are able to relax and enjoy the ride. We are able to take in the story and actually feel shocked and even scared.
I love the subtle metaphoric image near the beginning of the film that most moviegoers miss: Dr. Grant, unable to find the male part of his seat belt in the helicopter, makes due with two female ends. This metaphor serves as a theme of the entire film, "life finds a way". Sure, we all laugh at the Nedry squeal at the Costa Rican restaurant with Dodson, or the coy sound effects such as the banana peel slip and fall sfx sprinkled throughout the film. We love Dr. Grant's reluctance with children, and his change throughout the events of the film. We become endeared to annoying characters, and we laugh when Samuel L. Jackson says "hold on to your butts." Fun drinking game: take a shot when Jackson says that line, when someone is killed, when Jurassic or park are used, and when Hammond says "spared no expense" This is a fun movie. It's quotable. It's well shot. Spielberg knows where to put the camera, even if child actresses don't know where to put the flashlight. There's humor sprinkled throughout, and good plot development. What I learned this viewing is how we don't have to wait to get an answer. Almost every time a question is raised we are immediately shown the answer in the next shot or in the next scene. The director wants us to enjoy the film so he doesn't let the questions pile up with no release. He gives us the answers, uncluttered, and unadorned, so that we can get back to watching the events unfold. There's some hacky acting in the film, and sometimes the dialogue leaves something to be desired, but it's totally made up with a cohesive whole. It's a solid movie. The quintessential popcorn flick, and prime example of a summer blockbuster. This film has taken on a life of its own. Spielberg knew this was going to be a big hit, and he capitalized on the merchandising of this film and the subsequent re-release of the film for new audiences to grow to love this film. It has spawned a swarm of inside jokes for me and my friends. And I can't even give a hundreth part of the realizations or the jokes on the details that I have noticed over the years. The scope and the the detail and the logistics that went behind just about every shot of this film is overwhelming for me to even begin to comprehend. I just--I love this movie. Spielberg has stated that he was "just trying to make Jaws on land." I think he definitely made a cup full of water on the dashboard of a modified '93 Explorer splash.
****
*word play fail
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