movies
Why gays make terrible gangsters
Thursday, September 13th, 2012Banksy in Toronto
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010I am a huge fan of Banksy. I think his work is thought provoking and relevant to modern times. I am a little unsure of his recent works however. He is releasing a new movie called exit through the gift shop.
What concerns me is the recent spat of work in Toronto, I noticed one near the T&T by the waterfront on Cherry Street and at first I was like, “WTF?” but now I see samples everywhere and I can’t help but wonder, are they originals or just a clever marketing ploy. If they are a marketing ploy then it would be totally fitting given the subject matters of Banksy’s work, but a little disappointing since I would like to imagine him sneaking around T.O. making his mark.
Harvey Milk trailer
Thursday, September 4th, 2008If you’re gay, and you don’t know who Harvey Milk is, then you need a hard slap up-side the head. Watch and learn:
Cloverfield: Post 911 Blair Witch
Saturday, January 19th, 2008The problem with copying a stylistic feature of another film is that forever more you will be compare to that film. So the move by Cloverfield to utilize the shaky hand-held camera technique that made the Blair Witch such a hit was a gutsy move. However it wasn’t big on plot, which while more realistic made me want to know more. I hope they don’t make a sequel however, since that would ruin it.
Blair Witch Project had this crazy internet hype about this supposedly “found” video long before the movie was actually released. While Cloverfield uses the same “found tape” idea, it lacked the same crazy hype. The other big difference is in Cloverfield we actually see the monster, where in BWP it remained a mystery and that much more scarey.
I’m not even going to bother to describe the monster, except to say it was okay. I overheard someone in the theatre on the way out mention seeing it drop into the water during one of the scenes of the couple on Coney Island. So if you read this before seeing it, keep an eye out for it.
The 911 references are unmistakeable with the same billowing dust and smoke we all remember, the “it came out of nowhere” idea. The complete ineffectiveness of the military…
All in all I thought the film was good. Made me jump a few times, kept me interested and made me want more. Cloverfield isn’t so much about the story, as it is about the way the story is told.
Oh ya… It has a very Chinese ending. Think of how Chinese films usually end and you will know how this one ends.
The Wartapes
Monday, December 17th, 2007I just watched the wartapes and I must say it is a great film. It is very interesting to see how these guys react to being there. If you are hoping to watch a war film with action and explosions, this isn’t it. It is the honesty with which Spc. Mike Moriarty, Sgt. Stephen Pink, and Sergeant Zack Bazzi talk about what is going on there.
They basically drive Humvees in a convoy to protect the supply trucks owned by Halliburton and KBR, and are basically moving targets for insurgents while someone makes a lot of money. What is especially poignant is their reactions when they come home.
Bazzi seems to start out with no illusions. Out of all three he is the one that I relate to the most. He has the most brutally honest outlook, “I love being a soldier, the only bad thing is you can’t pick your war.”
Pink seems to start out gung-ho but when he returns you can see how badly it has changed him. At the beginning he is like that guy int he dorm that every likes and quick to crack a joke. At the end he is obviously suffering. He doesn’t want to talk about it, that is how badly he is hurting.
Mike Moriarty is the one I can least relate to and yet seems understandable. He is extremely patriotic, and for some reason pro-Bush/Cheney even though Cheney’s Halliburton is making money off of his getting shot at. He’s got kids, and yet he is willing to risk his life for something his macho ego thinks he should do. Thankfully he will not go back.
Watch it.
http://thewartapes.com/trailer/
