Tag Archives: Dipson Theatres

Funny Games Part Deux

March 26, 2008 – 7:56 pm

Funny Games 1997 Title

Last Saturday afternoon I went to the Dipson Theatre at the Eastern Hills Mall to see Michael Haneke’s 2007 version of Funny Games. Really the only thing I can say about this film is—you’ll either love it or hate it. Most of the people in the theatre probably hated it since they practically ran out of as soon as the credits rolled and the death metal song started back up. I thought it was amazing!

With most remakes I generally like to see the original so I can compare them and see how bad they fudge it up. The weird thing with Funny Games is the writer/director of the original 1997 German version also directed this newer version specifically for U.S. audiences. What is interesting to note is, Haneke shot the film scene for scene. So it ended up looking identical to the original minus the subtitles and with new actors of course.

After seeing both versions I think the newer Funny Games is far superior. The casting is better, the performances more intense, and the tension and dread just come off more believable in the hands of Michael Pitt, Naomi Watts, and Tim Roth.

The 1997 version does have a nice interview with Michael Haneke on the DVD that sheds some light on the motivations for the film. I thought he had some interesting ideas on how the viewer becomes an accomplice in violent films by witnessing the atrocities. He also talked about how he isn’t concerned with just telling a story and having it end simply because it should or has to. But is more interested in developing intelligent villains which tend to make for a better stories. A great concept I wish more screenplays and films followed, since I often find myself cheering on the bad guy.

After seeing Funny Games twice now I really want to go back and watch some of his other films. Years ago I saw The Piano Teacher and don’t really remember much about it, other than it being awkward and weird. Just the sorta film I tend to enjoy. He also wrote and directed Caché, which is a more conventional suspense/thriller about a couple who receive strange packages from a voyeur.

I sure do love me some Netflix…

By Michael Rose | Posted in Blog | Comments (0)

Two Movies in Three Days

October 23, 2007 – 1:17 pm

The Darjeeling Limited posterWell I couldn’t wait any longer for The Darjeeling Limited to play in Buffalo. It ended up opening this past weekend in Rochester, so Kayta and myself made the hour long drive to the Little Theatre. At first we were the only people there, but that quickly changed when middle aged folks who I’d never expect to see at a Wes Anderson movie consumed the theatre.

The film was what you’ve come to expect from Wes Anderson; Jason Schwartzman, one of the Wilson brothers, quirky characters, humorous situations, and an amazing soundtrack. I would probably rank it just behind The Royal Tenebaums or Rushmore—sorry The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou…I wanted to love you but felt like something was missing. =(

Prior to seeing The Darjeeling Limited I had heard various reviews about the second half taking a drastic turn in plot and structure. I have no idea what they were talking about because it felt like the same movie to me. At first I thought it was going to turn into one big flashback or maybe they’d go on an expedition to find the tiger who would then turn out to be their reincarnated father. Neither happened.

Also, make sure you view the short companion piece Hotel Chevalier (iTunes and several other online sites have it available for free) prior to seeing The Darjeeling Limited. You don’t have to, but you’ll get a few insights into Schwartzman’s character while he is in France and is visited by his ex played by Natalie Portman. I’m sure it was only meant to be a short film, but I’d really like to see it developed into a feature.

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On Monday I followed up The Darjeeling Limited with Across The Universe—that movie whose narrative is told through Beatles’ songs. I’m not one for song and dance numbers, but this was alright. My only problem with it was how forced all the scenes and characters felt. Every time someone new was introduced and they spoke their name, you could just guess what song would be used next to explain the story.

For the most part the songs and characters worked and served the story. Let’s be honest here, this is a movie for Beatles fans and if you love their music you’ll love this movie. I enjoyed it enough to justify the movie ticket even if the characters were cliche. My least favorite parts were the psychedelic hippie dream like scenes. I’m all for weird and goofy stuff, but I don’t know if it’s just my hatred of this era of music or what, but I could have done without them. Seeing how it was a movie about the war and all that it sort of had to be included, so I’ll forgive it this time.

The big question now is… “what will I see this weekend?” Do I want to continue down the indie art house road with Into The Wild? Or should I go all Halloween horror with 30 Days of Night. Hmmmmm.

By Michael Rose | Posted in Blog | Comments (0)

Love Shouldn’t Be ‘Rocket Science”

August 31, 2007 – 11:00 pm

Rocket Science bus scene

The mystery that is the Dipson Theatre in the Eastern Hills Mall still eludes me. They could screen pornos on a Friday night and I would still end up being me in a theatre filled with grandparents. I will never understand why the seniors gravitate to these theatres to see films that they have nothing in common with. What possible reason could they have for wanting to see a movie about a stuttering boy who tries out for his high school debate team? Hell Dipson doesn’t even offer a senior citizens discount nor are they any cheaper than the Regal Cinemas. What the heck?

So there you have it. I went to see Rocket Science tonight after waiting a few weeks for it to finally be released here. I’m a sucker for these indie flicks…you know the kind I’m talking about right? Quirky comedies about dorks falling in and out of love, to the tune of a decent soundtrack (in this case Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide and some Violent Femmes tracks), while an omniscient narrator clues us into life’s little nuisances and learned lessons.

I really was hoping for something special with this one. If you saw the trailer, you pretty much got all of this flicks offerings. Sure the story is elaborated on with a few extra laughs, but I thought there would have been something more to it. Perhaps something like The Squid and the Whale, with the alcoholic boy who does some ‘nonsense’ in the library. While not bad I couldn’t really tell you anything amazing about Rocket Science—which should be evident from my shoty movie review.

The actors are great, the story decent, but in the end it failed to really make an impression on me. Thumbsucker, The Chumbscrubber, or any Wes Anderson movie it is not. C+

By Michael Rose | Posted in Blog | Comments (0)

An Afternoon with Rescue Dawn

August 4, 2007 – 5:32 pm

Rescue Dawn (2006) Starring Chrisitan Bale

With temperatures hitting close to 90ºF here in Buffalo I decided I needed to hit up some place air conditioned. No better hideout than a movie theatre, for sure. Other than the Bourne Ultimatum nothing really pique my interest this week. Decided to check out Dipson’s offering and saw that the new Werner Herzog film Rescue Dawn was playing on Main Street.

The last Herzog film I saw was Grizzly Man and since he did a good job filming nature and all that, figured he couldn’t go wrong with the jungle settings of Vietnam. Add to the mix that Christian Bale was starring in Rescue Dawn and I was sold. I’ve loved him in all his roles; whether he’s playing a serial killer in American Psycho, a dragon slayer in Reign of Fire, a cleric in the future Utopian world of Equilibrium, a man who can’t sleep in The Machinist, a great magician in The Prestige, or the Dark Knight himself in Batman Begins.

So back to Rescue Dawn. It’s a film about Dieter Dengler, a US fighter pilot who gets shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War and then taken prisoner. Dieter ends up at a camp with some other American’s who have been there for over two years. Judging by Dieter’s facial hair growth, I’d estimate he was captive for a few months, depending on how accurate the filmmakers were with his appearance.

While captive, Dieter shows the other POW’s how to pick locks and gather left over rice in secret as he devises a plan for escape. The other prisoners are reluctant to leave their only source of food and water at the camp. If they leave they’d have to survive the jungle and probably just die there instead, since that is the real prison. Eventually driven to escape they kill their captors and flee to the jungle where we see Dieter picking leeches off his body and eating snakes for food.

The film is rated PG-13, so the scenes of torture are fairly mild and sparse. I don’t think that was the real goal of this film. In fact I couldn’t really tell you what the goal was. Sure it’s a movie about war, and we see some of the horrors of it. It’s also a movie about survival and the human condition, but everything is so understated as to really make up it’s mind as to what the major theme is.

Inspired by the true events of Dieter Dengler, I give Rescue Dawn a B- for excellent acting and a few moments of on screen brilliance.

By Michael Rose | Posted in Blog | Comments (0)

Once. A Film That Reminds You That Love Is Subtle

July 23, 2007 – 10:30 pm

Believe every good review you’ve heard or read about Once. It’s a short but sweet film about music and two souls who craft it. I was hesitant to see it when I read the following synopsis on the Dipson Theatres website:

A modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.

What did you just say? Musical? Umm no thanks. Reading that had me prepared to sit through a Rent, Grease, Chicago, or any of their brothers choke full of dance numbers or show-tunes. Upon watching a trailer for the film my impression of it quickly changed and I decided to go see it by myself tonight. Which was really awkward at first, seeing how I was the only single guy in a theatre filled with couples.

Once - Movie PosterThe music in this film was simply amazing and fit everything I was seeing perfectly. I left the film wondering where I had heard Glen Hansard’s voice before or what band sounded like him. Well when previewing the Once soundtrack on iTunes I discovered that he’s in The Frames (a band that I really enjoy). Guess if I had peeked at the official Once website I would have learned all those details earlier. Oopses.

Not much more I can really say about this. There was something really real about Glen and Marketa Irglova’s onscreen relationship. It was orchestrated in a way that just related to me, and I think with everyone whose seen it. Their conversations are brief and really the only interaction they have is when they are writing and performing music. The story is nothing original, but the way it is told…is. If given to Hollywood you’d have your typical drama-fest going on when a torn man falls for a younger girl who just happens to be married followed by kiss scenes, nude scenes, screaming matches, and happy endings.

Instead we are only given glimpses at a complicated and intertwined relationship, that resonates perfectly compared to explaining it all through dialogue. The ending just sort of trails off, causing you to plug in your own personal love story into this narrative. Maybe even leaving you to ponder the idea of—how often do you find the right person? Once?

I’d like to see this again. So any single ladies out there looking for a date hit me up. Haha. I kid I kid. In other news it appears that Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, a science fiction film starring Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Batman Begins, Red Eye), is finally coming to Buffalo this Friday!

By Michael Rose | Posted in Blog | Comments (1)