Happy Furry Puppy Story Time with Norbizness

Where's My Boo-Boo Kitty?

Who needs love like that?

Don't worry, you won't find any contemporary controversies about new movies here!

(1) Ugetsu (Criterion #309, d. Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953): Along with Rashomon, the film that brought Japanese cinema to the West. The story concerns two peasant/farmer couples who are driven to the big city by dreams of grandeur and by civil war. There's a lot of breath-taking scenes and numerous twists packed into this 90-minute film; it's part tragedy, part ghost story, part social criticism, and even has comedic elements. The ghost story element and the ending (no spoilers!) are truly chilling because of the superior performances of the main actors, two of whom had previously starred in Rashomon. Unfortunately, the two-disc set was split into two parts for rental, and I only got the movie; the second disc containing a documentary on the director was not rented (the only other movie of his I had seen was The 47 Ronin, Part I on IFC's Samurai Saturday). His career, according to the commentary, spanned the early period of Japanese cinema (1925-1955); there wasn't much overlap with Kurosawa, although Mizoguchi was only ten years older. Essential viewing, especially with the Mizoguchi biographer who gives key commentary. 8.5/10.

(2) The Dreamers (d. Bernardo Bertolucci, 2003): A uniquely bad film from a classic director, telling of the weird triangle that develops between three film buffs in 1968: an American student living in Paris, and incestuous twins. Apart from the insufferable pretension and bad nods to classic films, it's basically high-brow pornography; if you will, a more boring Last Tango in Paris. The "dreaming" is kind of an allegory about self-obsessed young people who are completely consumed by their own lives while social revolution is going on outside their doors. I'd much rather see The Conformist or 1900 get a DVD release, but I haven't found them yet. P.S. Really terrible use of period music. 2/10.

(3) The Wages of Fear (Criterion #36, d. Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953): I finally got the extended Criterion 2-DVD set after having seen the bare movie several times. The extras include several interviews with his assistant director, biographer, and a 1988 sit-down with star Yves Montand. It also includes a video essay on things Clouzot had to cut out of the American release (40 minutes total) because of what was perceived as left-leaning or anti-corporate messages, as well as a 60-minute French TV documentary on the career of the troubled director. The film itself is fantastic; like The Grand Illusion, it features an international cast (French, German, Italian, American) that blends seamlessly together to tell the story of down-on-their-luck expatriates whose desperation is taking advantage of by an American oil company in South America to make a risky delivery of nitroglycerine. There are no fewer than 6-8 extremely suspenseful and realistically staged scenes, and very good performances, especially from the veteran character actor Charles Vanel as Mr. Jo, the poseur whose layers of arrogance and bravery are peeled away as the story progresses. A must-see in any format; I still need to check out William Friedkin's Sorcerer, a similarly troubled 1977 re-telling of the source material that basically killed his career. 9/10.

(4) The Mirror (d. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1974): Well, if you're familiar with this Russian director's work (Solaris, Stalker, Andrei Rublev), this movie won't come as any surprise. Sparse, airy dialogue, slow camera movements, beautiful cinematography and visuals, and multiple viewings required to tie it all together. This movie, blending the past and the present of a dying man, tries to blend the personal with the societal as archival film clips show Russia at war, but mainly with mixed effects. It's not as interminably slow and obtuse as Stalker, or as Bergman-influenced as The Sacrifice, but it definitely requires you to re-adjust your cinematic expectations. Could have used a good commentary track; the movie itself may be a bit impenetrable. 6/10.

(5) Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Vol. 3 (1997): Let's just say that if you've never seen Charlton Heston lecture a has-been Hanna Barbera superhero from the 60s on the merits of Shakespeare, you haven't lived. Or Bob Odenkirk becoming addicted to blasts from a power-band. Or Zorak, the Lone Mantis of the Apocalypse, accusing Jon Stewart of being hungover for the interview. Or "Macho Man" Randy Savage, playing Space Ghost's grandfather, interviewing a bewildered young Raven-Symone. Or Zorak asking if he can snack on Steve Allen's head. Hit and miss (especially with the terrible commentary), but mostly hilarious. I need to get high more. 11/10.

On the "too see" list: anything by Cassavetes, Fanny and Alexander, In the Mood for Love, Ivan the Terrible (parts 1 and 2).

Posted by Norbizness at December 7, 2005 10:19 PM