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Reviews
Djúpið (2012)
Excellent film
This is an outstanding film. If you enjoyed "into the wild".. you're gonna like this one. It's not a long film yet clearly packs a punch. Powerful, succinct, insightful. I enjoyed how it makes a mockery of science and religion - not so subtle there. For me, the cog or center of this film happens when gulli is visited by a priest and they have a little chat.. but it isn't until later on we realize (I realized rather) that gulli is everything the priest is not and should be - a human being. That is, a human in the state of being, complete with flaws and all. As Gulli allows himself to "be" this puts him in a position to allow others to be. Put otherwise, we don't see gulli proselytizing or spewing out external beliefs and philosophies on others the way that, say, all priests of all cults and religions must do, if they know what's good for them.
So its the juxtaposition (gotta love them big words) of these two characters (gulli and the priest)that really drives home two very clear messages. 1) that there are people out there who are still awake.. still alive.. and that's a good thing. 2) We live in a society where according to its own definition of what constitutes mental sanity (namely the DMV-IV) society itself is utterly insane. Truly. When you considering the wildly disproportionate distribution of wealth in society.. what other conclusion is possible? Let me give you a hint.. there is no other conclusion. Considering any billionaire (we wont mention narcs or athletes) will make more money in the time it takes to use the commode than the rest of us clucks will make in several lifetimes.. in my book cause for alarm. And as if that were not enough to blow your freakin' brains out with a hand grenade... men and women are "STILL" to this day going to nightclubs as a way to meet each other.. truly astonishing!
Getting back to gulli, from a transactional analysis (psychological) standpoint, I guess you could say gulli somehow managed to shut down his inner parent and is humming or cruising thru life as an adult child. Where the child has taken over the adult and which in my book may be the only way to remain sane in an insane society. Assuming gulli were a real person how could you not be preoccupied about his future. Reasoning: in an insane society the sane cannot but be considered insane. In a society ruled by lunatics and indentured slaves.. those who are autonomous or who even attempt autonomy must be considered dangerous and feared. As gulli's inner parent might put it.. "its a fine mess you gotten us into this time gulli"
And so, my response to this movie is "read you loud and clear" or "got it! thanks for the reminder". Finally, though this film does make fun of science.. it is important to remember that the scientific method (if applied properly) contains mankind's only hope to achieve anything resembling sanity or even a future.. but that's just me I guess. And while I can appreciate that others might get a radically different take on this film.. I wonder what the fat wallet boys would make of it and while you're at it.. how bout lending me a mil or two.
Here's my proposal for a sequel to 'the deep': Gulli finds oil off the coast of Iceland and becomes a billionaire. He knocks up a prostitute and has a son. Gulli sues the prostitute for custody and wins - just like in real life. One day Gulli's son goes to Gulli (who by now is saturated with greed and corruption)and says...
Son: hey dad.. I wanna be just like you.. filthy stinking rich. I want to exploit my slaves (I mean employees) and pay them minimum wage and watch them swelter. I like watching them squirm dad.. is that wrong? it sure does feel wrong. Heck.. the other day I asked one of my bodyguards to take off his clothes and he did.. I wonder what else he'll do for money? Gulli: they'll do anything son.. you know that. Son: "hey dad.. do you think I can have my own congressman for Christmas? I'll settle for a district court judge.. you got truck loads of those. Henry at school's got one and I got to have one too.. Gulli: you're only 5 years old son.. think you can handle it? Son: If Henry I can Gulli: OK son, sure.. ill talk to the lawyers Son: gee thanks dad.. when I turn 18 can I have my own US president. I promise I won't tell anyone Gulli: Its OK son.. no one will believe you anyway... and besides we make the law and feed the media and you know what that means. Son: yes Dad Gulli: That's right.. you're learning. Are you sure you want a US president son? they're kind've cheap these days.. and we do have a reputation. How about your own pharmaceutical company? Son: Nah.. that's boring Gulli: You sure about that? Hey Son.. how about we make a movie about race cars? we'll call it fast and furious. It'll keep the latinos happy Son: oh really .. can we dad? I like Lincoln kills zombies? I tried and couldn't think of anything more ridiculous.. I know the minion will love it Gulli: you're a genius son.. even I couldn't have thought that one up. Son: thanks dad Gulli: now go play with your anti-matter gun Son: Can I try it out on my bodyguards? Gulli: sure son.. they wont mind. Son: Hey bodyguards.. come and get it (laughter) Gulli: whats our motto son? Son: keep 'em nice and stupid. (laughter) son runs off down the hall chasing the bodyguards.
- coming soon to a theater near you -
Predator (1987)
One of the best films of our time
I watched this movie when it came out. It held me in suspense then and it still does now (i just watched it again) - hence this review. An excellent outstanding movie.. that sneaks up on you. Outstanding cinematography, continuity. This movie succeeds despite lackluster acting. This movie is a strange event film-wise.. the movie itself supersedes the actors! Now that is rare. And here is another rarity this movie keeps getting better as I watch it over the years. When you keep going back to a movie every now and then as the years traipse by, that in itself says something. So yeah.. definitely a teetering 10 but a 10 nonetheless. I have to concede that as I learn more about the Vietnam war (a.k.a. the Vietnam/china/Russia war) u.s. lrss and sog recon units - adds a unique dimension to this movie. This movie shares the company of 'apocalypse now' and 'platoon'. I hope somebody, someday tops this movie.
Piggy (2012)
Excellence.
This is a good movie. I know its a good movie because it was (for me anyway) very disturbing. Bringing back painful scenes of youth I would sooner forget it was an interesting experience to relive those seens from the safe distance that movies can and do offer.
In real life and from a psychological perspective in terms of the role's people can play out as by-product of any given environment (ref: Healing the shame that binds you: John Bradshaw). That it could be possible that when Joe's brother is killed, Joe could fill in the slot is absolutely possible. There is an odd tendency in life to take on the form of that which we fear most.. hence Joe turns into "not a" but "the very self-same" killer that killed his brother.
So, there is interesting stuff here. A vivisection of the human psyche pitted against the question of what would you do if...? Or other questions like.. what master do you serve? Is your life mediocre? If so, whats your excuse? Whatever the case and whatever the questions the movie works. It does the job. As well, the acting in this movie is (ALL THE WAY AROUND) absolutely top notch. So you got excellent acting, photography, subject matter.. what more could you ask for? A movie about love? Now there's a scary topic for ya - if for no other reason than that love has always and will always win and will always get the last word - no exceptions.
PS: Cheer up... Hollywood has yet to successfully put a monkey on film.
Monsters (2010)
In Context
Given the context of a very low budget and the limitations this imposes - yes absolutely a 9.5 overall. To evaluate a movie of this kind out of context is just ridiculous.
1) Casting Excellent!-10 2) Acting Excellent!-10 3) Sound Excellent!-10 4) Continuity Excellent!-10 5) Photography beyond Excellent!-10 6) Cinematography Excellent!-10 7) Subject matter Excellent!-10
8) Digital effects -7- There's no excuse for poor effects. Surfaces on the tankers and tanks do not match background - period. Some effects were very good.. but ALL effects could have been better) 9) Storyline-8.5- Mushy ending: could have been better) This killed a 10 rating.
Identity (2003)
A Superb Movie
In order to establish a point of reference for this movie, here are some movies I consider excellent. Right off the top...
Recently: Identity, Thin Red Line, Little Miss Sunshine, When Trumpets Fade, Charlie Wilsons War (revealing), Inside John Malkovich, The village, Inception (a good movie owing to the subject matter but not for the film itself or the acting).. and many more not mentioned here.
Older movies: Hell in the Pacific (a must see), Dangerous Liasons, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, And Justice for All, Dog day in the afternoon, Serpico, The killing fields, etc.
Anyway, about this movie "Identity", I've seen it many times. At times I shut off the video to listen to the soundtrack in the background while I work on other stuff to try and find "the" connection between whats happening in the movie and what's happening underneath my conscious reality - as I perceive it. Am I inferring I might have MPD and am unaware of it? No. In that there is no loss of time rules that out. Still, that is not to say there are distinct "other" personalities lurking within that have a logic all their own: Because They are there. Freuds very relevant work in the field of psychology (not psychiatry) which was later made accessible in the book "Im OK you're OK" by Dr. Thomas Harris - makes this fact amply clear.
Still, going a bit beyond Freuds precepts or those made evident thru Transactional Analysis there is this other exceptionally neat idea (reality more like) of roles assigned to us by society or as Jung would put "the collective consciousness" by a guy John Bradshaw in his book "healing the shame that binds you". But why bring this up? What do the principles or ideas in these books have to do with movie "identity" - Everything! There is a key here - a key to a door. A Door that leads to maybe, just maybe, a truer self? The movie identity forces me to ask questions like these and in doing its function is fulfilled.
Assuming we are all acting at all times (like so-called normal people do and will continue to do) and living out these roles assigned to us by the mass consciousness, what does that say about us? Does the fact that we are all questionably "LIVING" out these assembled roles and identities not lead to a higher question of our validity? Are we real or not... Doggoneit? More to point are we even alive or Yikes! manifestations of Virtual Reality? Could that be called life? Still, whether it is it's intention or not, the co-efficient of 'identity' is one big looming question; Are YOU really YOU? If you are not you.. are you not then in reality a FRankenstein? Yes! Absolutely Yes! So I have a look at 'identity' now and then because (with the innocence of a child) it hands me a mirror and says "wanna have a look?".
Hell in the Pacific (1968)
Excellent
Its Difficult with a capital "F" to write a review of this movie. You think "F" stands for frustrating.. guess again. Allow me to explain why this is a a TREMENDOUSLY good movie. Because in its haunting simplicity are revealed the summed up characters of "AWKWARDLY LOOMING NATIONS". Got that? Your character "versus" my character.. YOU AND ME.. right up there on the silver screen. And my my.. ain't we just a lot alike you and me. In this movie we find our daily bread.. my battle with you, whom I have to put up with and tolerate. WHY WONT YOU DO WHAT I WANT YOU TO??? FOR GODS SAKES! What is at stake here is Satre's principle (people are hell). You are my hell. Even when you do what I want you to.. you are my hell. Does man really enjoy suffering? Do YOU... ENJOY.. SUFFERING? Are you ever really satisfied with what you have? Oh yeah? for how long. I see in this movie gobs of really powerful principles at work. LOVE Isn't ENOUGH! I hate to, and am unable to admit I really need you! GOOD GOD MAN! This movie is an exploration into SELF via these two vessel SELVES -> Marvin and the jap guy. I mean I want to scream at the jap and tell him GET REAL WILL YOU? STOP PLAY ACTING! CANT YOU ACT NORMAL! I want to scream at the religious fanatic clowns of this world and tell them the same. GET REAL! STOP PLAY ACTING! Cant you see you're living a role assigned to you by some very rich people that are making a living off of your sweat? and I hate you because you don't see it!!! But how do I wake you up? We live in a society where the people who do the least work make the most money. NO! I Don't NEED SCHOOLING TO KNOW WHAT INSANITY IS. And then as George Carlin put it so aptly "my god has a bigger stick than your god".. which translates to.. Im right you're wrong therefore kindly do what i want you to. But these are power plays.. and roles assigned to US by others like cheap clothes. Yeah.. those clothes you're wearing right now. Oh Mister King.. your "erpidermus" is showing. The king who wore no clothes. YEAH.. I SPELL EPIDERMIS-- ERPIDERMUS.
Question is.. what do to about it? And so men go to war for a wealthy few who can pay there way out of war. A long time ago.. you could bribe a priest, rabbi, guru whatever... to give you holy passage clear to the next life.. AND problem is YOU STILL CAN TODAY!!!! Its called a democracy, a monarchy, a 3rd world.. its all the same. POWER PLAYS. I power play you because I don't want to face the self in me that id rather not see. This is what is written in invisible ink here my friends.. right here in this movie. "Its here.. it really is" ring a bell? This is what is written between the lines.. the words that are not spoken and yet.. are spoken here.
Here we see our relationship with our self and our relationship with our other self.. YOU. PEOPLE. You who are a part of me.. (you who read this) and from whom I cannot escape nor would I want to. Sooner or later, in this life or the next, we will be here again on this island. You and me.. and we will war.. you and I.
So.. what do two men do, who find themselves ""alone"" on an island? do? See those quotation marks.. take a good look at that. So there you are, you're with yourself and with your "inevitable" other self... other people. HELL IN THE PACIFIC IS EVERYDAY LIFE.. IT IS HAPPENING NOW. YOU ARE ON THAT ISLAND M'FRIEND.. AND IM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU JUST WAITING TO MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL OR YOU MINE. But wait.. little lord Bush.. and he's really gonna make our lifes hell.. oh gee I just love to suffer! WHATS THAT?? oH M'GOD.. Our Lord King George Bush (who by fraudelent means stole the presidency from al gore.. yeah him) has now transmorphed into Lord King Obama! (a.k.a. oh hell they won't mind my fake birth cerificate obama baby) hmm interesting trick! Great THEATRICS. HOW DO THEY DO THAT?