Bad Times In The Great White North

I always love it when filmmakers I admire and respect go outside their comfort zone and try new things.  The movie Tusk is a great example of that.  I remember seeing this film in theaters, and being in complete awe of the fact that Kevin Smith, who is mostly known for doing raunchy comedies, had crafted a solid horror flick.

Tusk is the story of a podcaster who mysteriously goes missing in Manitoba, Canada.  This film reminds me of the horror movies from the 1970's and 80's.  There is so much tension, and you are genuinely creeped out by the films' antagonist so much that you will be looking over your shoulder to see if he is there.  I also love that, right off the bat, we are not only introduced to Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) and Teddy Craft (Haley Joel Osment), but we also see what they do for a living and how quirky their sense of humor is.  That quirkiness is echoed by the horrors that Wallace endures throughout the film.  I also enjoy the fact that there is very little music in the film, and that when you do hear it, it is more ambient noise than actual music.  This adds to the genuine fear that you feel while watching this film.

While Kevin Smith does show that he can make a solid horror film, there are a few problems I have with the film.  At one point in the film, Wallace calls his girlfriend Ally Leon (Genesis Rodriguez) and Teddy from inside Howard Howes' home to let them know what has happened to him.  Later, we see Ally and Teddy looking for Wallace on the side of the road with a flashlight.  This seems silly to me.  It is clear that Wallace is trapped in Howes' home, so why would he be on the side of the road??  Also, some of the flashback sequences have different dialogue from when they actually happened in the film.  I am sorry, but this is Continuity 101 that you learn in film school!!  I also feel that Wallace turns "Full Walrus" a tad too quickly for my taste.  I feel that there needed to be more character development for this to be believable.  Other than these issues, Kevin Smith shows that he knows how to breathe new life into a genre that has gotten far too generic.

Michael Parks is truly disturbing as Howard Howe.  Howe is such a layered character, and it is because of these layers that you believe he has gone completely insane.  At first, it seems like Howe is out to punish people for things that they take for granted.  However, we later learn that when he was rescued by the walrus, it had a profound effect on him and he needs that character back in his life no matter what the stakes are.  Parks' greatest moments are in his two monologue scenes.  The way he delivers his lines keeps you glued to the screen because you are just not sure whether he is going to pounce on Wallace mid-speech or just keep talking.  Parks is absolutely horrifying, and will have you looking over your shoulder throughout the film.

Justin Long plays Wallace Bryton.  Bryton represents the kind of person who has let success go their head, which makes what happens to him all the more satisfying.  Bryton loves being successful, and even shows contempt for the person he once was.  The scene where Bryton is bragging about his success to Ally is where you realize that you hate this character not only because of the fresh dialogue, but because of the way Justin Long plays the character.  He is brilliant in the role, and also displays wonderful comedic chops at the expense of Canada.

Haley Joel Osment and Genesis Rodriguez play Teddy Craft and Ally Leon, respectively.  Under typical circumstances, these would be the characters that attempt to find out what happened to the main character, and see if he is still alive.  However, Kevin Smith wrote a beautiful angle between these characters that adds something to, not only their relationship, but their relationship with Wallace as well.  The banter between Osment and Rodriguez is genuine and hilarious, and you ultimately see how the relationship their characters have is affected by what happens to Wallace.  These are good performances, particularly by Osment, that help carry the film.

Kevin Smith is the director of Tusk.  As I mentioned before, this film hearkens back to the glory days of horror movies.  I have been openly critical about the current generation of horror films because I feel that they rely to heavily on gore and jump scares.  There is gore, and there are jump scares in this film, but it is used sparingly and in places that you would not expect, much like the horror films of old.  I also love that Smith uses classical music in the torture scenes.  Howe is someone who sees what he is doing as art, and having beautiful music play in the background adds something to both his character and the film as a whole.  Also, I am sick and twisted and I find something glorious about body torture in horror films.  I personally find that classical music adds to the glorification of blood splattering all over the walls.  One of the other issues I have with this film has to do with the final sequence of the film.  The issue I have with it has to do with how film fans interpret the movie.  The final scene takes place at an exotic animal shelter where Wallace is staying.  If you look at this film as a horror movie, which is the way I look at it, this sequence feels entirely out of place and it does not match the tone of the rest of the film.  However, if you look at this film as a dark comedy, this sequence will make you chuckle.  It is all in how you interpret the movie.

It is nice to see Kevin Smith continually think outside the box, and make films that are outside of his comfort zone.  I think horror filmmakers today could learn much from watching this film.  If you are in the mood for something fresh and original from one of the industrys'  top independent directors, look no further than Tusk.

They Are Alive!!!! -- Part 1

Toy Story was the first computer-animated feature film, and the crowning achievement of Pixar Animation Studios.  It has become a classic among children and adults, and is one of Pixars' best films.  It is one of those films that, even after more than twenty years, reminds you what it is like to be a kid.

Toy Story is the story of how a cowboy doll and a spaceman figure compete for the affection of a young boy.  I have always loved that this is not an origin story of how the toys are able to come alive.  Within the first few minutes of the movie, it is understood that they have come alive for a long time, possibly even before Andy owned them.  I also love the fact that, for a majority of the film, Buzz Lightyear thinks that he is real.  Woody is always attempting to convince him that he is a toy, but Buzz always dismisses him, which makes Buzzs' realization later in the film that he actually is a toy so much more heartbreaking.  This also begs the question: Did Woody and all of the other toys have a moment like this as well, or did they always know they were toys?  I also like the fact that this movie does not look down upon children owning toys.  There is a moment in the film where Woody is telling Buzz how awesome it is to be a toy that is owned by a child.  I love this moment so much because it puts emphasis on how special and important toys are to children.  Toy Story was a landmark in the history of film and, in my opinion, it is cinematic perfection.

John Lasseter is the director of Toy Story.  The key aspect of the movie is the fact that this is a family/comedy film.  When you hear about a film where the toys come alive, you automatically think that it is going to be a horror film.  However, thanks to Lasseters' directing and shaping of the tone, we see that the toys function as any normal family would.  They laugh together, fight together and even have romantic relationships.  As a matter of fact, these romantic relationships are actually part of a laundry list of adult-themed jokes throughout the film.  I have always praised the Pixar films for having adult themes in them.    These themes and jokes happen throughout this, and the other, Pixar films, and are vague enough for children not to understand them, but they always get a good laugh from the adult viewers.  I also love the fact that Andy feels conflicted about his toys once Buzz Lightyear enters the picture.  He does not know who to spend more time with: Woody or Buzz.  This is how all children feel when they get a new toy.  The new toy is shiny, has blinking lights and electronic sounds.  The older toy has fabric that is frayed and the pull-string is worn out.  It always makes me smile that Andy realizes that both Woody and Buzz are important to him, just in different ways.  Every toy is special to a child, and I am glad Lasseter included this aspect in the film.  As a child and as an adult, I have always loved the character of Sid.  His bedroom is the stuff of childrens' nightmares because he blows them apart, and then puts them back together in twisted new ways.  This comes back to haunt him forever when the toys come alive in his backyard.  I also feel like Lasseter put the character of Sid in the movie in order to represent what would happen if a toy actually came alive in front a persons' eyes.  It is horrifying, yes, but I also love that it is treated in a humorous way in this film.  This entire film showcases the brilliance in John Lasseter as a director.

Toy Story is such a magical film that is filled with great characters and a wonderful story.  It is also the first film in what would become a long line of computer-animated films that would make Pixar the gold standard of storytelling.  If you have not seen the original Toy Story film, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Fathers and Sons: Part IV

On May 25th in 1977, the art of cinema changed forever.  The original Star Wars film affected the whole world, and nobody who has seen the film can deny its impact or its cultural significance.  After nearly forty years, in my opinion it is still the greatest movie ever made.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is the fourth film in the Star Wars saga, and is the story of a young farmer who joins forces with an old Jedi Knight to save the galaxy from the evil Galactic Empire.  As so many great films do, this film takes the time to set up the characters.  We find out who Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) are, what they do and what their intentions are.  The forces of good and evil are so clearly defined in the film.  The Empire seeks out to destroy those who do not submit to their rule, and the Rebellion fights them in an attempt to prevent them from doing so.  You also get a sense early in the film of how powerful Darth Vader is, and because of this you are either scared of him or thrilled by him throughout the film.  You can also dig into the psychology of Vader a bit with this film.  I have heard people question why Vader does not go down to Tatooine himself to attempt to retrieve the escape pod in the beginning of the film.  I would say that he does not want to go anywhere near the planet where he lost his mother.  This is a location that causes him extreme emotional pain, and he wants to avoid that as much as possible.  I also like that you get the sense that Luke and Obi-Wan are familiar with each other even before their meeting in this film.  This adds more weight to their relationship.  Moving on, I love the way the creatures communicate in the film.  While we may not understand what R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) or Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) are saying, their companions C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels) and Han Solo, respectively, respond in a way that we can assume what the other was saying.  When I watched this movie for the first time many years ago, I realized even then that I was a science fiction junkie.  Even as a teenager, the words "navicomputer" and "lightspeed" did not seem foreign to me.  I understood what they meant.  The language in this movie is one of the principal reasons Star Wars feels other-worldly.  A good portion of the film takes place on the desert planet Tatooine.  One would think that watching characters trudge through a desert in a movie with the word "Wars" in the title would be boring, however because of the interactions with all of the different characters and the dialogue between them, you truly get invested with the characters and care about what happens to them.  All of the action sequences are some of the most exciting ever filmed, especially the final act when the Rebellion is attacking the Death Star.  The explosion of Alderaan is still one of the most awe-inspiring moments I have ever seen in a film.  I have always pictured in my head that the duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi was not so much a fight so much as it was meant to be a distraction so Vader would not find out that the rebels were escaping.  One of the concepts that this film introduced was the idea of a "used future".  Instead of everything being shiny and glossy, the world that Star Wars inhabits looks like people have lived there for a long time.  This is a concept that has influenced countless films, and is one of the major reasons Star Wars resonates with its fans.

There are only a few minor flaws I have with the film.  Early in the film, Aunt Beru (Shelagh Fraser) tells Luke to tell Uncle Owen (Phil Brown) to make sure the translator droid speaks Bocce, but Luke never does this.  Now, I can forgive this because Owen actually asks C-3P0 this himself without being reminded.  The glaring problem I have with this movie is near the end. After the rebels destroy the TIE Fighters near the climax of the film, they head to the rebel base to prepare for the coming battle.  The only problem is that we are never told that this is where they are headed.  We must assume that Princess Leia knows where it is, but because we never see a scene where she tells them to head there, we do not know what that place is until the crew actually get there.  Also, how the hell did Luke become a pilot in the Rebellion so quickly??  Did he go through some kind of training that we did not see??  It just seems to me that the film rushes a bit to get to the climactic final act.

Other than these issues, this film is flawless in every single way.  Unlike the previous three films, it is not the visual effects that you remember most about Star Wars.  While they are spectacular, it is the characters that you truly fall in love with and are what bring you back to watch the film over and over again endlessly.

Mark Hamill plays Luke Skywalker.  The key characteristic about Luke is that he wants a better life for himself.  He wants to get away from moisture farming and join the Rebellion to fight the Empire.  Yes, he is reluctant at first, as every hero is, but when the opportunity ultimately presents itself he is determined to achieve his goal.  It is because of all of this that you cheer for Luke throughout the film.  He wants to escape his surroundings and better himself, and that is what it means to be human.  This is what makes the character so identifiable, and Hamill gives a truly authentic performance.

Carrie Fisher plays Princess Leia Organa.  When it comes to strong female characters, Leia was the one who started it all.  While Leia in this film is certainly a "damsel in distress", she is also quite intelligent and knows how to hold her own in battle.  Watching her lead the Rebellion in the fight against the Empire is incredibly inspiring.  The key thing is that Leia does not kick ass because she was written that way.  Instead, Leia kicks ass because Carrie Fisher played her that way.  I am still deeply saddened by her death.  Every world has their princess, and Carrie Fisher was ours.  The world loved her, and she will be forever missed.

Harrison Ford plays Han Solo.  Solo is the smart-ass of the group, motivated by greed and caring only about himself.  Ford taps into something special playing the part because even though Solo is helping the others on their journey, he is not a likeable character at all until the final minutes of the movie.  When he shows up to save Luke his true colors are shown.  It takes a great actor to play a character like this, and Fords' understanding of the character makes for an indelible performance.

Alec Guinness plays Obi-Wan Kenobi.  This is my personal favorite performance in the film.  Guinness plays the role with such gravitas that he immediately grabs your attention the first time you see him.  The way he delivers his lines gives such an emotional weight to the character.  The scene where he is telling Luke about his father is wonderful because you can see in Guinness' eyes that he is remembering everything that happened.  Also, because Obi-Wan is helping Luke train to become a Jedi, you care about what happens to him as well.  His death scene is nothing short of emotional.  I have heard many people criticize the fact that Obi-Wan lies to Luke about who his father really is and that his father wanted him to have his lightsaber.  My response to that is that he lies to Luke to motivate him.  He wants Luke to become a Jedi, and bring peace to the galaxy.  Lying to Luke shows how desperate the Jedi Order is.  Guinness' performance gives the film such a degree of credibility, and truly makes you believe in the story.  This is an excellent performance by a great screen actor, and it is indeed worthy of the Best Supporting Actor nomination that he received.

George Lucas is the director of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.  As I mentioned before, this film takes the time to set up the world and the characters inhabiting it, which is a credit to Lucas' writing as well.  What I have always found extraordinary about this film is that Lucas made the most important character a non-human.  R2-D2 is the one who is carrying the technical readouts of the Death Star, and without him the rebels do not win.  It is because of this that you arguably care about R2 the most throughout the movie.  This film also borrows from legendary mythological tales when it comes to the characters.  You have the dashing young hero, the damsel in distress, the anti-hero, and the old wizard.  From a storytelling perspective, I love the fact that Luke's journey is mirrored by the Empire coming closer to their goal, and that this ultimately leads to the two intercepting when the Millenium Falcon gets captured.  The final act of the film is edited brilliantly, and the stakes increase greatly every second.  This film marks the beginning of a wonderful morality tale about a man who seeks to escape his environment and achieve a personal goal, and you cannot help but cheer the whole way through.  Luke Skywalkers' journey in this particular film echoes George Lucas' journey as a filmmaker, and that is probably why this movie has a personal feeling to it.  What Lucas captured with this film is truly magical, and will never be duplicated.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is one of cinemas' most influential films.  It has a great story, wonderful characters, and spectacular visual effects.  If you have not seen this film by now, I highly recommend that you do so, especially for the 40th anniversary!

One Film Trilogy To Bind Them: Part II

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is my favorite film in The Hobbit trilogy.  I find it endlessly entertaining, and extremely emotional to watch.  I personally feel that everything from An Unexpected Journey is ramped up, and kicked into high gear with The Desolation of Smaug.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the second film in The Hobbit trilogy, and continues the adventures of the dwarves, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf seeking to reclaim Erebor.  There is so much to love about this film.   I love all the different characters that we are introduced to, and the different worlds that they inhabit.  The scope of the film is truly epic in nature, and the entire film slowly builds to the final act that takes place in Erebor.  There is also a love story between Kili (Aidan Turner) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) that is quite beautiful to witness.  There is romance, but there is also nothing physical that happens between the two of them.  Seeing this play out is lovely to watch.  It is also great to see Orlando Bloom return as Legolas.  As much as I love this film, I do have some minor qualms about it.  At one point in the film, it is said that Gandalf (Ian McKellen) called Radagast (Sylvester McCoy) to the High Fells of Rhudaur.  When did Gandalf actually do this??  At another point in the film, Bilbo (Martin Freeman) says that he knows Bards' (Luke Evans) name because he asked him.  When did this happen??  Finally, when Gandalf is rescuing Thrain (Antony Sher) in Dol Guldur, it seems like Thrain is leading him into a trap with the orcs, but then the two of them are escaping together after Gandalf blinds Azog (Manu Bennett).  It just seems to me that Thrains' motives are never quite clear.  Other than these extremely minor flaws, I find this film to be visually breathtaking and ripe with emotions that will tug at your heartstrings.

Evangeline Lilly plays Tauriel.  Personally, I do not mind that Tauriel is a character that was created specifically for this film and Battle of the Five Armies because I think she adds something special to the film, and her motives are quite clear.  I love the way Lilly portrays the character because she is just as lethal as Legolas, and yet she has a softer side to her.  What makes this so important is that she does not let her emotions get the better of her.  In fact, her emotions make her stronger.  The scene where she is healing Kili with athelas is quite moving.  Tauriel is a great example of a strong female character that never loses her femininity.  Evangeline Lilly gives an excellent performance as the "Daughter of the Forest".

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Smaug.  What I do not think many people realize is that Cumberbatch did not just do the voice of Smaug.  He also donned a motion-capture suit, and crawled around on the ground so the camera could pick up his movements.  Doing this adds to the portrayal of the character, and you can also see the wide range of emotions on Smaugs' face.  Cumberbatchs' voice is menacing, and it is breathtaking to hear it echo throughout the walls of Erebor.  Cumberbatchs' performance gives me goosebumps every single time I watch this film.

Peter Jackson returns as director of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  I love that Jackson added in a scene with Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) at the beginning of the film.  This scene shows how they initially met, and how Gandalf was the one who urged the dwarves to reclaim their homeland.  This scene, while small, adds more weight to the relationship between these characters.  I also love the way Jackson uses the camera during the scene with the spiders in Mirkwood Forest.  This scene is so tense, and keeps you on the edge of your seat because you are genuinely frightened.  The spiders looks incredibly realistic, so much so that it almost makes you physically uncomfortable to look at them.  I also love the look of Lake-town, and the way it is designed.  Lake-town is one of my favorite parts of the book, and I loved seeing it come to life on film.  Also, from an editing standpoint, I love the fact that the joy and happiness of the dwarves climbing the stair to the door into Erebor is mirrored by the dark events that happen in Dol Guldur.  We are shown that even in Middle Earths' darkest hour, there are people in the world who experience great joy and happiness.  Of course, I am always in complete awe of the sequences that occur in Erebor.  Again, the way Jackson uses the camera, he truly conveys the size of the dwarf kingdom.  When the dwarves split up, and Smaug is chasing all of them, your heart beats with excitement.  I also love that the film cuts to black right after Bilbo says, "What have we done?".  It chills me to the core every time.  From a directorial standpoint, I personally think this film is on par with Return of the King.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is one of those films for me that I could watch over and over again.  It is a film that delivers in every way.  If you enjoyed An Unexpected Journey, you will LOVE The Desolation of Smaug!!!