Suicide Club (2002) and why it just furthers proves that Japan is weird

Has it really been nine months since I updated this thing? Oh, well I've been busy and it's not like people were anxiously awaiting a new post. Anyway, I recently watched an import from the ever popular country of Japan. 2002's Suicide Club has got to win the award for most all over the place film. David Lynch would probably get confused while viewing this.
Basic background on the story is that all over Japan people are committing suicide for no apparent reason. The disturbing part is that it seems to mainly be people of high school age and in groups. The beginning scene is a bunch of happy school girls making their way to the subway platform. They are all smiling and chatting until they hear the train approach. They all take a step towards the edge of the platform and hold hands. 1...2...3... they all jump onto the tracks and blood is splattered everywhere. The best part is that the image is coupled with generic elevator music. Their is no heightened feeling of doom felt, just the shock of seeing random commuters being sprayed with blood.  I have to admit that choice was a great one. Too often films go for the easy "surprise" by the usual scary music with a character walking around alone. With that you kind of expect something to happen. In Suicide Club, not so much. In fact there are similar scenes through out that are just as puzzling. Of course the big question is Why? So the police are brought in to find out.
Now. On to the mind fuck part of this movie. At each public spectacle a bag is left. What is in the bag? Something pretty rancid, because even seasoned homicide detectives can't hold their stomachs. The audience eventually get to see what contents is and all I'm going to tell you is that you should not eat anything during viewing. Now the most "what the fuck" moment comes during the point where we think we have it all figured out. Basically some guy claims he's responsible for the fad of suicide, but he's dressed like Marc Bolan. To top it all off he bursts out into song. In an abandoned bowling alley. You have to see for yourself.  I think it was a poor choice on the part of the film makers, because it throws everything off and I ended up harping on it through out the end.

All in all, Suicide Club was okay. It was worth the 99cent rental fee, but I have no desire to see it again and wouldn't really recommend it for something other than laughs. It did have its moments, but it was mostly just a showcase of Japan being odd.

Tura Satana and the new woman

This week, Tura Satana passed away. She was most famous for her work in the 1965 underground cult hit, Faster, Pussycat! Kill, Kill!. The film is a wonderfully campy ride about three gogo dancers killing and kidnapping during their off hours. Her character was iconic in that a woman could be just as deadly as she was beautiful Directed by Russ Meyers, the film gives a first impression of being nothing more than a excuse to show busty women driving fast cars. Although the film can definitely be argued as sexploitation it is backed up by all the wrong reasons. I personally feel that the sexism comes from the actions of the women rather than the image. Here are three independent women. They drive fast cars, drink, smoke, and have foul mouths. They own their sexuality by being able to make the first move. As far as their clothing goes, the most you see is one of them with her midriff showing. So in being that they are owning themselves they are portrayed as amoral and therefore must be destroyed. Conversely, the girl who is kidnapped and is supposed to be the good is introduced wearing nothing but her bikini. She is referred to as a girl rather than a woman, and is very much defined by her relationships with men. In fact she really doesn't do anything except act perky until her boyfriend is bumped off and then she just sits their silently waiting for an other gut to save her. Of course in the end the gogo dancers are killed off and thus saving everybody, for me that is the real disappointment of the movie. I would have liked to see those continue with their reign of terror. The real sexism is in the fact there seems to be a message that women who own themselves should be punished, but I wonder if that was really Russ Meyers' view. Most of Meyers' film do deal with women as sexual beings and while this one does have that element, I believe that Meyers thinks that women should embrace themselves as such. In the beginning of the film a voice over talks, in almost a mocking tone, about the a new kind of woman. One who claims power for themselves and could be anybody you know. Are they talking about women wanting more autonomy ? Faster, Faster was made at beginning of the women's liberation movement and the women are very much unapologetic. Sometimes it almost seems that this film is mockery of all the old spy films. Was Meyers' showing the audience how vacuous  James Bond really is?  I don't know if the film is really that deep, but I think there is more to it than its surface.

Scott Pilgrim vs. My opinion

I recently just rented the latest movie adapted from an underground graphic novel, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Before seeing it, the people I talked to about it either loved it or thought it was complete garbage. I expected it to be an other geek boy fantasy about some schmuck who gets a hot chick. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a little more deep than that. First of all it was nice to see a guy lusting after the quirky chick with multi colored hair rather than the shallow blonde. It was also nice to see that quirky girl could be attractive to a multiple number of men. Ramona Flowers' (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) exes were not all carbon copies of each other. In fact most of the women in the movie were strong in character. They said was on their minds, wore modest clothing and didn't come across as anti- social bitches. Another surprise was the moral in the end. All throughout the movie we think that Scott Problem ( Michael Cera) is fighting for the love of Ramona, but it instead it is a statement about self-respect. Here he is still brooding from a break-up trying to find someway to feel a bit better about himself. Ramona comes along and we think all he was missing is love, but it turns out Ramona also helps him discover that he is a worthy person all along.
Now for some criticisms. I must admit that I am not completely in love with Michael Cera. To me has that certain quality that makes you want to just roll your eyes and gag every time he appears on screen. Maybe it's because he plays the same type of character over and over. GET SOME RANGE! But, I do think he was not a completely bad pick. He delivered some of his lines quite wonderfully and you could imagine him as the character. I don't think he was the best choice, personally I would have gone with Patrick Fugit or Paul Dano. They have better range and are much better looking. I did like casting of the supporting characters. They made the film for me with their interaction and offbeat jabs. There did need a bit more of Aubrey Plaza and Kieran Culkin. Especially Aubrey. She is so funny, but I don't think directoe, Edgar Wright, used her to a full advantage.

As far as the whole look of the film. I loved it. It was whimsical and truly styled the way a comic book adaptation should be. The video game references did give it an extra edge. I know the film was a box office flop, but that seemed to be because it appealed to the indie loving hipster crowd. Most of them seem to go to midnight showings of Evil Dead than pay 11 bucks for an average cinematic experience. Also, the film is set in Canada and that can turn some people off. Mainly those who preferred The Expendables. I wouldn't count it though, I think maybe in few years it will make the midnight screening.

The Tin Man Never Looked So Good.

Here is  Death to the Tin Man, a short film looking at  the origins of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. I heard that this was actually someone's senior thesis and it is truly an amazing piece. Enjoy!

Kristoffer Joner: My Dreamboat and Probably the Best Actor You Have Never Heard Of

Most American women think that Johnny Depp is the most versatile and the most beautiful actor in cinema today. I am going to challenge that idea by introducing you all to a gorgeous Scandinavian. Unless you watch an unhealthy amount of foreign cinema ( like me) then you probably don't know who the hell Kristoffer Joner is. Well, YOU SHOULD! Born on September 19, 1972 in Stravanger, Norway, this guy can make you laugh until you start choking on your salty snack, cry when really don't want to, and shock you into mild paranoia. Plus, he has that certain je ne sais quoi that is really sexy ( kind of like Willem Dafoe).
All of his films are in Norwegian, so you are going to have to read subtitles, but it is worth it. Before I get into some of my favorite performances of his I just want to say that depending on what movie you watch first, Kris might take some getting used to. When I first saw him in Next Door (2005) I was a little weary because the constant confusion of his character was done really well. I really thought he was that character. Of course like every good actor that was what he supposed to do as I learned by watching him  in Tomme tonner (2010), a comedic crime film. The scene involving him having a conversation with a bird is genius. The role that really sealed my admiration for this Norse beauty was his role as Kai in 2005's Kissed by Winter. His character is trying to deal with responsibility and guilt as well the accepting good fortune after journeying through a traumatic event. You will absolutely melt after seeing him in this film. He panders to the desire to heal the emotionally wounded good looking guy crowd. Even if you don't think you are part of that crowd in the end you will be. He somewhat goes with that thought in a different direction in Hidden (2009). He comes off as a victim who can't deal with his past, we find out there is more to the story than we had originally thought. The movie isn't the best, but he is worth the rental fee. I This list is really only the stem of his career. I go on and on about how much I adore him, but I want you to see for yourselves. After watching some of theses you will saying "Johnny who?" I'll keep trying to introduce more new faces for y'all as this blog continues. Until here's more Norwegian eye candy for you.

Yummy!

That's some sexy bedhead.

Ain't he a good lookin' boy?

First Post or The Ballerina is Always Doomed

In honor of the hype that Black Swan has generated I have decided to dedicate my first post to films that deal with the harsh realities of being in the ballet business. Have you ever noticed that films with this theme always deal with some sort of tragic downfall of a beautiful dancer? She work hard to be the best and the pay off is usually her  faced with a difficult decision and deals with it by throwing herself off a ledge either literally or figuratively.

Let's start the examination with probably the best film dealing with the life of a dancer 1948's The Red Shoes. This film features on of the most beautiful dance scene ever to appear on screen. Moira Shearer dances off the stage and into colorful universe. Mixing stage and cinematic magic makes this one of the greatest pieces of eye candy. It seems that the movie would go in to a positive direction after this. She finally gains the coveted position as star ballerina. She receives large amounts of praise and adoration from her fans and peers. Well that lasts about 10 minutes before things get rather ugly. And by rather ugly I mean that the prima ballerina falls in love with the composer/ musical director of the ballet much to the chagrin of the company director. Apparently that is taboo. So what happens? The pissed company director fires the young composer making his principal dancer upset. She then up and quits to go off and marry her beau. Of course the honeymoon wears off after a while and with hubby back to composing she has the urge to dance again. While running into the jilted company director she is invited to dance her famed part once again. All might have ended well if  she had told her spouse before running off to Monte Carlo the night before his big concert. Now the shit starts to hit the fan as she is faced with choosing between her two loves, her husband and dancing. Thoroughly conflicted in her dressing room she runs up to balcony and pulls an Anna Karenina. It just so happens that the theater neighbors a train station. Why? Couldn't she have both a career and successful marriage? Why the hell does the company director but in to people's private lives? The movie makes a point to show the grueling lifestyle of a dancer. The endless rehearsals, the early nights, and restricted diets. She is literally a slave to her art. However, this is beautiful piece of cinema and if you haven't seen it then you are missing out.

The next film I want to focus on does not have anybody committing suicide, but does deal with regret. The Turning Point (1977) has a little bit of a more positive ending, but there is a cat fight scene between Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft. The plot is that MacLaine gave up dancing after becoming pregnant. 20 years later she still can not let go because old Bancroft is a star. So like any other resentful parent she leads her eldest down the road she has left. So while her daughter is off to fame Bancroft is about to go off into retirement (she was in her mid forties by then). Tensions arise to the surface as Bancroft becomes mentor to the young gun. MacLaine gets even more pissed off and confronts her and slap fight worthy of Dynasty ensues (See Above). Of course this movie would not be complete without a romantic subplot. Daughter dearest (Leslie Browne) hooks up with horny Russian male dancer, Mikhail Baryshnikov. He turns out to have a wandering eye so her heart gets broken and she turns back to dancing. Meanwhile the two bickering broads make up and accept their lives the way they are. It seems happy, but Shirley MacLaine constantly has look of despair throughout the whole two hours. I just wanted to slap her and tell to deal with it. She has a doting husband and three obedient kids, as well as ballet school. It's not like she's living alone in a rundown apartment with 25 cats.

I was in the seventh grade when Hollywood crapped out Center Stage (2000). With a cast of nobodies and the whole rival  ending up in a close friendship cliche, this was just nothing more than WB series  condensed in to an hour and a half. This film has some negative sub plots, scorned lover triangle, bulimic ballerina, and career threatening. But that all raps up nicely in a little bow at the end. It would have been way better if some body had thrown themselves under a train. That would have made up for the unhealthy amounts of saccharine forced down the audiences throats.

Finally, I will now give my two cents in on the latest dancer drama. Black Swan was a pretty good film. I literally had nightmares about Barbara Hershey for days. Her performance as a domineering stage mom is worth the ticket price. As a straight woman I could have  done without the lesbian sex scene and with more of a less clothed Vincent Cassel, but that is just me. One warning about the film: it is a definite mind fuck. You have to digest the film afterwards, but that is why it so powerful. Also, the ending and some of the dance sequences are very much reminiscent of The Red Shoes. Now go see the damn movie!