First Squad: The Moment of Truth (Fāsuto sukuwaddo) (2009)

It's amazing to me that the whole soviet imagery wasn't exploited by anime sooner. The socialist realist aesthetic and the bright red propaganda posters that the USSR is known for, coupled with their uniformed "pioneers" reminiscent of the favourite school uniform motif so common in anime, make for great anime visuals. The plot is some standard anime fare, complete with undead medieval knights, machine-gun wielding young communists and samurai-sword wielding schoolgirl. From my understanding this was supposed to be a series, but for now only the OAV is out. The anime sequences are separated by live-action faux-cumentary talking heads (with titles such as 'Historian' or 'War veteran' for authenticity) although I also saw a shortened, live-action-less version in which the talking heads aren't there, which makes for a more compact, distraction-less experience, depending on which version you see. Overall great Studio 4°C animation with great Russian voice acting. I'd like for this to become a series, as the OAV felt short and I think there is so much more they could do with this than the OAV format allows.

Avatar (2009)

I'm not about to criticize a film that has Duke Nukem in an exoskeleton in a knife fight with a 12 foot blue alien, that by itself makes it worthwhile. That it's in 3D and that the plot didn't completely suck was just icing on the cake. It must say something about the time we live in, when anti-imperialist/anti-colonialist/treehugger propaganda needs to be wrapped in a whole lot of CG videogame shell for us to give a shit anymore, but alas, I don't think I would have had it any other way. Thankfully the 3D isn't too distracting, although the art direction did make it seem like I was at a blacklit glow-in-the-dark rave most of the time. Blue alien sex and the hair-bird-rape did have its merits, and weaver was as charming as ever. Plot was basically Pocahontas on steroids, and the themes were blatantly borrowing from colonialism (civilizing the natives) to 9/11 (that falling, burning tree looked an awful lot like the twin towers) to environmental issues (saving the forest, which on Pandora seems to still be green, despite everything else being neon glow). I can't hate this movie, and despite identifying with most of its political message, I can't help but notice it and wonder if that's what's really needed for us to enjoy mindless entertainment these days. Maybe it satisfies some guilt by having a 'message' that makes it O.K. for us to enjoy some pretty pictures. Again, Cameron's fingerprints are all over this one, from the dual rotor helicopters from Terminator 2, to the exoskeleton suit from Aliens, but more importantly, in his ability to take a very male-oriented subject and inject it with themes that can appeal to both genders. Overall very enjoyable, especially on the visual side, but ultimately more dependent on form and technology than on plot and meaning. Like I said, I can't really judge this alongside everything else for it is something unique among everything that's out these days.

The Road (2009)

A hobo dad and his son prance around dodging cannibals in post apocalyptic america. They meet blind hobo Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore from Apocalypse now and give him some fruit but he vomits it out. Hobo dad gets sick and dies and son gets adopted by the guy from Memento with bad teeth and his wife, kids and dog. Overall great feelgood Christmas movie, especially with all that ash that makes everything look like snow. Burned landscapes are great to look at and the ambiance and the "message" and the "answer" (about humanity, our own destruction and what happens to human feces when you disembowel someone) are all things that make this one a definite maybe.

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) (2009)

The second installment in the Millennium trilogy enjoys the same benefits and handicaps as the first part. The plot again seems rushed, but the performances are solid and cinematography on par. The second novel introduced significantly more central characters than the first one, so it would have been understandably difficult to stuff them all into one film, but I think in the end it managed to be on target and focus on the major ones that are essential to the plot. Of course, not nearly enough character development as in the book, but that was to be expected. Overall, great sequel to an already great adaptation of the first part.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)

It's amazing to me that Cage is still allowed making movies, but alas, if anyone can find that diamond in the rough that used to be Cage, it must be Herzog. Hypnotic and dream-like, this should really not be taken as another standard police flick (in which case it would fail miserably) but rather as a hallucinatory journey down one man's painful way of life, his phantasmagoric redemption from thereof and his (and our) eventual realization that some things will never change because we never really wanted them to. Overall great, in a way only Herzog can pull off.

2012 (2009)

yay for destruction! It's good to see that they managed to get some real actors up in this thing. Totally worth the big screen for the effects. so what if michaelangelo's the creation of adam isn't really in St. Peter's Basilica, it cracks right in between their fingers and it's totally awesome! Also Stephen McHattie as the captain of the arks is spot on, including his cute little battlestar galactica/babylon 5 uniform.

overall awesome disaster flick.

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

Billed as a quirky con-man piece, I was really afraid that this would be yet another piece of Wes Andersonian drivel, especially with Brody having just starred in The Darjeeling Limited (which I did not entirely hate). Thankfully though, Rian Johnson put his special charm in this second feature, creating a mix of adventure, drama and (to my delight) a pseudo-steampunk period piece. Sure this, much like Johnsons's first feature, Brick, seems to happen in the present time, but the characters insist on wearing vests, fedoras and travel on steam boats and trains. It is odd but it works in a charming kind of way. The film is not without flaws, notably the many twists and turns which desensitize us to anything which might happen next, but broadly, its heart is at the right place. With notably bigger cast, locations and budget, the film looks like it went through a good amount of post production, at least in comparison to Brick, but it somehow works. Overall I enjoyed it tremendously, and the ending didn't disappoint too much, despite getting the feeling that Jonson tried having his cake and eating it too, essentially creating a film with both a sad and happy ending at once, dare I say, for lack of a replacement for 'bittersweet' (which wouldn't entirely be accurate). Rinko Kikuchi was a delight too, despite the lack of dialogue, but what she lacked in dialogue she made up in Karaoke and blowing up dolls with C4.

Antichrist (2009)

Genius! Definitely my favourite von Trier yet! In this masterpiece he seamlessly blends aesthetic, atmosphere, plot and sound (of primary importance) to create something like never before seen yet which has von Trier's fingerprints all over it. From the creepy forest sex, to talking biblical animals, witchcraft astrology, slow-mo black and white baby suicide opera and the blood ejaculating penis to the full frontal female circumcision, this is definitely one of the better films of 2009. Of course, Dafoe and Gainsbourg are amazing with brave performances, despite the "porno doubles" prosthetics. I could have done without the whole handheld camera jumpcut Dogme stuff, but the amazing tableaus more than make up for it. Very well von Trier!

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009)

Somehow this opened #1 at the box office and I used to watch the original series so despite 'worst movie of all times' review, and lacking anything better or will to watch anything intellectually challenging, I figured I'd see this. And oh what an experience it was. I won't go into all the logic flaws, for that and other hilarious bits, read Ebert's review, I believe he said something to the effect of 'sure to be enjoyed by those whose movie appreciation is defined by the ability to discern that moving pictures and sound are being employed to depict violence', though he did mention it was better than Transformers 2 (though it mainly had to do with the loud explosions having more bass and less hurtful to his elderly ears than TF2). Other than that, this had that distinct Mummy cheapness that Sommers is so known for. Sure, it's not sand that eats up buildings and weapons, it's nanomites, and sure Arnold Vosloo is Zartan and not some Egyptian high priest, and Brendan Fraser has only a cameo, but honestly, who is he kidding, this is basically 'Mummy in space' or whatever. If I had to pick one thing that bothered me, it wasn't the fact that they picked that 3rd Rock from the Sun kid to do Cobra Commander, it's that they didn't give the little bastard a better helmet (the one they gave him looked like a silver S&M mask with little fans) - much of the original's appeal was that flat, expressionless mirror-like face and StarScream's voice. I would much rather have seen something similar to what Pitof had in Vidocq. Also, the Baroness' lack of a Romanian accent sucked too. In the end, at least there was Dennis Quaid, like a friend said 'that guy's allright'. Yes. Yes he is. I just wish I didn't have to resort to Quaid as the up side of a movie, you just know there's something seriously messed with it if that's the case. Oh well, hopefully better Cobra commander helmet in the sequel, and maybe, you know, the actual cobra terrorists would be nice, not this whole Baron de Cobray bullshit.

Surrogates (2009)

2.5 meh's on the heh scale. Coulda used more mannequin sex. Creepy Bruce Willisequin still looks like he's just dying to yippie kai yay motherfucker all over thems puppet's asses. Also the hot blonde that ends up being a fat unshaved duded with 'his dick in his hand' was priceless.

Memories (2004)

This collection of shorts from writer Katsuhiro Otomo, of Akira fame, is widely considered uneven, with the first part, 'Magnetic Rose' generally considered the best out of the three. With a script by Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika), it is easy to understand why Magnetic Rose would be considered the strongest part. It has all the characteristics of a Studio 4°C / Satoshi Kon work, complete with descent into madness and confusion towards the end. While I liked Magnetic Rose, I also enjoyed the 2 other parts, finding them a good balance to the somber oneirism of the first part. Stink Bomb, which can only be described as a whimsical holocaust ride across Japan, is eerily political and light-hearted at once, while Canon Fodder, an Orwellian 1984esque piece that is designed to look like 1 long take, makes for some great steampunk material. So while Magnetic Rose and Stink Bomb work well at their current lengths, I find I would have enjoyed a full length feature of Canon Fodder, especially since there is so little plot that is revealed in the short, and since I enjoyed the animation style (which is distinct than the other two works) so much. Overall another great Studio 4°C work.

Arīte Hime (Princess Arete) (2001)

Princess Arete starts off as a pretty standard princess-in-a-tower-waiting-for-suitors-type story, but promptly delves into a non-classical plot, involving the economics and political balance of keeping her in the tower, the psychological effects this has on her and her ways of dealing with it and ultimately, the feminist aspects of her captivity as she is being released from the tower only to be put in a dungeon. Overall the film is imbued with meaning, and while it might not be the most entertaining work (on the surface it seems like a lesser Miyazaki immitation), it certainly is successful in making some well aimed comments about society's treatment and perception of women. The 'princess-in-a-tower' framework gives it a familiar feel that can appeal to young and adult audiences, and the ultimately optimistic outcome without a traditional 'defeat of evil' ending (but rather a 'compassion with evil and understanding of their situation') serves to make it a work that makes us think about the stereotypical boilerplate stories that we've grown with. As always, the Studio 4°C animation fits well with the subject matter, and nicely integrates aesthetic with idea to create one cohesive whole.

Spriggan (1998)

A relatively early work from Studio 4°C but nevertheless one that shows off their skill in adapting the source material to the screen. Overall a rather standard anime plot that develops into a supernatural/metaphysical/(religious?) ordeal. The animation is gorgeous, with exciting action/chase scenes through the streets of Istanbul and the Ararat mountainside which give it a sense of a fast paced Hollywood work in the vein of the Borne movies, especially with the good amount of blood and casualties. Overall enjoyable although at times it seemed the ending was a bit forced, crossing over into the realm of fantasy and abstract whereas for the most part the film was more of an action/adventure fare. Still some good early work from Studio 4°C.

Southland Tales (2006)

Wow! What a FUCK-IN' MESS! You gotta admire Richard Kelly for having the balls to shove this onto some producer's desk and actually getting them to greenlight it! Then again, I guess if your first feature was Donnie Darko they'll pretty much greenlight any crazy thing you do next. Where to begin... Justin Timberlake as the introspective Iraq vet drug pushing sniper? Buffy as pornstar-turned-social-issues-reality-show-host/pop-star/movie director? The abundance of SNL/Mad Tv graduates? Stifler as an interdimensional apocalyptic medium? The rock as an amnesiac prophet with a bleeding jesus-head tattoo on his back and a David-star on his belly button? The abundance of Linchyesque elements including... hum.. midgets, spiritual gibberish, spotlights and oh, Timberlake's musical number with sexy Marilyn Monroe nurses... and do not forget about the 1930's german Zeppelin powered by (quote) "Liquid Karma". This is way way WAY beyond over the top. And I'm not even talking about the constant quoting of Revelations (yes, the crazy bible book featuring the "great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns"), incessant political drivel (L.A. is at some point is overrun with "neo-Marxist" rioters) and ofcourse nonsensical pseudo-science about the fourth dimension ripping a hole in spacetime (yes, this is what actually happens). Well worth the 2:35 running time, if only for the cheap-CG of hummers doing it doggy style complete with chrome penis/vagina (look it up on youtube under "Treer Saltair"). If there is one redeeming element about this movie, it is the music, from such names as Muse, The Killers, Blur, Radiohead, Moby, Louis Armstrong and Beethoven. There is no doubt this is not a good movie, not as "good" as Donnie Darko anyway, but it is a wonderful mess with a respectable budget and stars, and if you're in possession of some good narcotics this might just make your night more interesting.

My Blueberry Nights (2007)

Despite the growing pains into the Hollywood system, Kar Wai Wong still manages to display his special brand of cinema through the neon-lit windows of the little bakery. Yes, this is not In the Mood for Love or Chungking Express, and yes, it is chock full of gorgeous-looking Hollywood stars, but so what. Ultimately it flows over you like the sweet sounds of Jones' voice. Definitely need to be in the right mood for this one, as the first time I watched it felt tiresome, but with the 2nd watching I welcomed it like a hot cup of cocoa on cold day.

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Kaufman's directorial début epic feels strangely hollow when compared with his other work as writer. Perhaps it is just Seymour Hoffman's fault, being inherently damaging to any protagonist we might wish to identify with. Ultimately though, this is a Kaufman film after all, and I can't help but be attracted to it. There is imagination and there is insanity, and both of those are a bonus, but at the end of the day, I would not consider this Kaufman's best.

Let the Right One In (2008)

brilliant! Nordic child vampires are totally the way to go! This is like a Ginger Snaps except much more subtle, with less of that pesky teenager stuffs in the way (although it did work wonderfully in Ginger Snaps), allowing the innocence of childhood to be mixed with the horror of bloodsucking in an unusually disturbing yet masterfully crafted way.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

If only for the visuals I must say I enjoyed Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The story is your usual comic-book fare, complete with a few dashes of fantasy here and there (there are elves and goblins and a secret underground Troll market under the Brooklyn bridge). The visuals and the whole feel of the thing more than make up for the comic-book reality. Del Torro added steampunk to his repertoire of fantasy visuals that he showed off in Pan's Labyrinth and continues to show off here, with amped up action and fight scenes, which blend in nicely with the fantasy setting. Overall it was a very fun movie, one that is worth seeing on a big screen, without too many expectations and with an open mind for the kind of comic-book reality that Hellboy inhabits.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Overall faithful to the book, although at times feels like it zips through the plot in order to keep this faithfulness. There are some shortcuts that the film takes to visualize the lengthy source material from the book, and even though it clocks in at 2.5 hours (initially intended as two 90 minute TV features) it still feels as though it goes at a slightly rushed pace. The performances are great, and accurately portray the characters in the book, relying a lot on character actors and taking great benefit from the two leads' screen presence. It is hard for me to say if I would have liked this less had I not read the novel, I can only say that I did not find it detrimental to have done so before watching (despite it no longer being a mystery at that point). I will definitely be waiting for the two sequels as they emerge, having finished the remaining books by then. I can't imagine what the Hollywood adaptation of this will be, I am just glad that there at least was a Swedish adaptation that I could get a hold of, as the cultural nuances of the book seem to be preserved (as best can be done in such a compressed format) when viewed in the original Swedish. The cinematography is gorgeous and at no point did I think this was anything less than cinema-worthy material, despite originally being intended for TV. Overall enjoyable and a good companion to the book.

Orphan (2009)

Brilliant! Collet-Serra finally got his hands on a decent cast (lets forget that he made House of Wax with a certain Paris Hilton) and a compelling script. The evil-children motif shows that it still got some juice left in it after all these years. Without resorting to fantastic or paranormal, this little gem shows that you can still accomplish quality horror (dare I say 'thriller') with a mere simple dose of psychology. This is not to say that it lacks any action, and by the end the crowd was cheering with each hit and gasping at every scare. Overall, Collet-Serra playfully riffs off on all the familiar horror tricks yet makes it fresh enough to enjoy. This one's a definite little gem of a film.

Dead Snow (Død snø) (2008)

Exactly what it sounds like - Undead Nazis! Carefully mixes horror and comedy à la Evil Dead with a Nordic twist. The soundtrack seems to alternate between a typical horror score and a Norwegian death metal soundtrack that, paired with the various snowmobile extreme-sports style sequences, give it an odd (perhaps unexpected) edge. The effects managed to be of high enough quality to not be dismissed, and the action (especially in the final Nazi assault scene) was bloody and fun. The undead Nazis looked alright, although seemed more organized and coherent than normal zombies (their commander even wields a pair of binoculars and commands his troops). Not amazing, but overall nice little flick.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Oh the joys! Transformer testicles or "enemy scrotum", the wonderfully racist "black" transformers with golden tooth grill who can't read. Megan fox in a hijab. Crossing the legendary Egypt-Jordan land border (guarded by an Indian Oompa Loompa of course). Driving back and forth between Petra and the Giza pyramids in the same day and Jordanian airforce coming to the rescue at the Giza pyramids. Jetfire as a bearded geriatric SR-71 Blackbird with a walking cane. Optimus' and Sam's death and resurrection thanks to pixie-dust which actually is shiny dust actually is referred to as 'pixie dust'. Chick decepticon transforming into human chick with extra long tongue and tail. Megan Fox running in slo-mo? always. Toy car robot humping Fox's leg. And of course, the signature Bay sunset? ahh, magic!

Moon (2009)

A gem. Great start from first timer Duncan Jones. It really evokes 2001 but manages to be both original and referential while cleverly playing with our expectations. Spacey is great in his voice-only role, providing that pitch perfect ambiguity between a HAL 9000 and something new. Overall great sci-fi, the kind they rarely make these days.

Ring of the Nibelungs (Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King)(Sword of Xanten) (2004)

Like a lesser, made-for-tv Lord of the Rings, with german cast and lower budget. The lead Fürmann reminds me of a cross between Kevin Sorbo and young arnold, with a weird tan. He is barely digestible after the first 2 hours. It feels like the (not-really) original material by Wagner was passed through the Jackson filter, minus the budget. Overall worthy effort for TV-land, but ultimately a failing one. Oh well, at least there's the lovely Alicia Witt and a marginal effort by the terminatrix herslef, Kristanna Loken.

Europa (Zentropa) (1991)

Maybe the most traditional of the trilogy. It explores some interesting aspects of the post-occupation and the nature of Nazi guilt, but eventually reaches the only conclusion that the 2 other parts of the trilogy manage to reach - that is, europe is, was and will be, going though trauma that is in turn mappable to everyone and to humanity in general.

Epidemic (1987)

"Epidemic - We All Fall Down" - perhaps the lightest of the trilogy, despite the grim subject and the hilariously horrific ending. I enjoyed it as much as you can enjoy a von Trier. Did not have all the desperation most of his other work has, but he's nicely setting the mood and delivering on his promise.

The Wrestler (2008)

I hope that fat fuck plastic surgery nightmare gets the Oscar to prove once and for all that being typecast as the washout that you really are in real life can still be deemed 'acting' and that between Aronofsky's return to his roots after that stinker of a Fountain and Tomei's 'still-has-a-nice-rack-even-at-44' performance, it really is Rourke that drives this baby home and shamelessly points out the lyrical beauty of hasbeendom, making a Jesus out of a wrestler, Passion of the Christ style, and ending it in the only way that it really could have ended - in mid air - above the rest - falling to your death.

Inugami (2001)

Lovely and weird - a very 'zen' j-horror, even though it wasn't really j-horror. Very 'Japanese' in nature in many aspects, but also works as a comment on human relationships, modernity vs. tradition and society vs. the individual. Had more than one surprise ending, though neither was really too surprising, and was uneven in parts, especially with the inclusion of 'Predator'-like FX and the (too obvious) allusion to classic Japanese cinema. Overall I liked it, and would recommend it if you get your hands on a copy.

Secret Sunshine (2007)

stunning. Korean Christians are not paraded as an oddity to the west but rather presented in something that's at once believable and as surreal as it would be in Smalltown, USA. While there are some issues with tone, ultimately it works towards a lyrical journey of mourning, salvation, rebellion and, once both extremes are exhausted, the eventual descent into emotional atrophy. Jeon Do-yeon is amazing, delivering a strong performance through everything that her role hurls at her. While it's easy to label it as anti-religious, its strength lies in the fact that it shows how people deal with grief, their emotional strengths and weaknesses, and does not hope to deliver a message for one side or the other. Despite our (natural?) tendency to identify with Shin-ae's view because of sympathy, her actions are ultimately driven by her personal emotional state and not by some overarching anti-religious absolute truth. Overall well worth it through to the end. Glad I was able to see a 35mm print, as it is the way it should be experienced.

Transsiberian (2008)

Another tour de force from brilliant yet underappreciated Brad Anderson, of The Machinist fame. Kingsley shines, as does Mortimer and even Harrelson, which for once uses his naïve dumb American persona to full effect. Kingsley works marvelously as the Russian detective with the double agenda, and the whole thing unravels to almost pitch-perfect thriller that works wonders against the cold, gray landscape of Siberia and the interiors of the famous trans-Siberian train. Story takes a nice twist and it's all nicely wrapped up in the end, complete with the requisite wildcard ending. Overall an entertaining and enjoyable ride - they rarely make these anymore.

W. (2008)

mediocre enough to make it passable but not great yet leftist enough to fail at being balanced. Would have liked them to keep the Saddam scenes, maybe during the credits or on the DVD deleted scenes. Has many of the bush favourites, though not always uttered at the original circumstances. Cast was great too, including Dreyfuss as a somehow less scary Cheney in a scene where he explains, with visual aids involving little US flags all over the world, how they'll build an empire of oil. Overall a good flick and worth a chuckle.

Tōkyō Zankoku Keisatsu (Tokyo Gore Police) (2008)

A cult gore-fest and Nishimura's directorial debut following his 'raise to fame' in the makeup and special effects for Suicide Club, Strange Circus, Meatball Machine and Machine girl. It stars Eihi Shiina (of Ôdishon fame) as a super cop of future Tokyo, where police has been privatized into a videogame-like task force sporting samurai swords, costumes, and glowing red one-eye goggle. The semblance of a story was a caricature police revenge and betrayal story (which in fact is at some point explained through animated storyboards by one of the characters) and is just a pretext for having the pretty Eihi run around in miniskirts and fuckme boots and slashing limbs with her samurai sword (or chainsaws). Overall not as shocking as you'd think. There is the obligatory golden shower scene in the S&M club, and various other mutants running around which reminded me of Cronenberg's various creations. There are also Verhoevenesque police propaganda commercials which are hilarious, and in a way I think this what pushes this one slightly above other cult-gore flicks, in that it tries to have some sort of message, albeit one buried deep under the 4 tons of blood that were supposedly used for this (the director and cast answered some questions for us after the screening and 4 tons was his answer when asked how much blood was used). Overall a nice example of the genre. Had a good chuckle and I think that's pretty much what I was going for. Hopefully Nishimura has more to come.

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)

Miike's remake of Corbucci's 'Django' seems to be made solely for the cult crowd. Heavy in references and kitsch, it seems to incite a constant searching for 'which original does this scene reference?' The phonetic-English-speaking Japanese cast was a novelty at start, with each line evoking laughter in the crowd, but eventually it wore off and it just became odd and distancing. Tarantino's inclusion was also a nice chuckle, and I'm wondering if he had any input in it other than acting. It is weird to see this trend of movies designed from the get-go for the cult-film crowd. It's like the director saw a need among his hordes of genre-movie followers and decided to fill it. In that respect this does its job, though I am not sure how much it can stand on its own, but then again, does it really need to?