Tag Archives: movie

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…

Seeing the first teaser trailer before Transformers last summer had me pumped for (at the time) an unnamed project by J.J. Abrams—the man behind LOST and Alias. The clip showed a group of young adults at a party when what appears to be an earthquake happens. You then see the Statue of Liberty’s head get ripped off and thrown through the streets of NYC while hearing people scream and shout that they saw something and “it’s alive!” or “it’s a lion!” if you still think this movie is about Voltron.

Knowing absolutely nothing about this movie or what the monster was made this movie more intriguing. As the months went on I lost interest with it and the monster theories, but after seeing this new extended clip I can’t wait until Janaury 18th. The funny thing is we still know very little about this movie, which boggles the mind when you think of how easily things leak nowadays.

This movie looks to be a cross between The Blair Witch Project, Godzilla, and the events of 9/11. If the monster turns out to be something unique and has a cool back story this movie will be amazing. Check out the extended clip after the break to see what I’m talking about.

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Well 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.