Yellow Submarine (6/9/12)

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In Yellow Submarine, after Pepperland comes under attack by the music-hating Blue Meanies, Captain Fred takes the submarine to find The Beatles to help restore order.

Pepperland is a peaceful place full of love and music and Sargeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, who protect the land. The Blue Meanies then attack Pepperland because they hate music and also seal away the band. The mayor sends Fred to find help and Fred takes off in a Yellow Submarine to find the Beatles.

It’s really difficult to dissect the story behind the basic premise because calling it “trippy” would be almost an understatement and the plot really isn’t the reason the watch this animated film. The star of the film, aside from the soundtrack, is really the animation itself. Many of the techniques used in Yellow Submarine were groundbreaking and it is still quite the visual treat. As with many (all?) musicals the plot is loosely tied to what songs come next but considering the quality of the songs that is not a negative point.

I had never seen Yellow Submarine from start to finish and was a bit shocked that it runs a full 90 minutes and after a while it really feels like it’s that long. Great animation and music can only get you so far before you just want to destroy the Blue Meanies and for the whole thing to be over with. One thing I was also shocked to learn is that The Beatles themselves do not voice their characters, they are all impersonations, though the group does appear in a live-action sequence at the very end.

As far as musicals go, I am not usually a fan, but Yellow Submarine is different. The quality and care taken with making Yellow Submarine is remarkable. Fans of The Beatles, the film, or animation should take note of the recently released Blu-Ray, which is how my wife and I viewed this. The set is incredibly well-made and the visuals and sound in Yellow Submarine are simply stunning as a result. While I can’t say I will be watching the film again any time soon, I’m very glad I finally took the time to watch it.

I give it 4 When I’m Sixty Fours out of 5.

The Blob [1958] (6/9/12)

Movie One Hundred Forty

When a mysterious space rock crashes into Earth, the creature inside terrorizes a small town as it grows immensely in The Blob.

Almost two genres in one, The Blob is part teenage drama and part sci-fi/horror film. Steve (Steve McQueen) and his girlfriend, Jane are out at a make-out point as they see a meteorite crash into a nearby field. When they go to investigate it, they find the meteorite, the meteorite with the blob, and an elderly farmer. The blob then attacks the farmer and attaches itself to his arm and the two teens take him to the doctor. Before the doctor can help the man, the blob consumes him and begins to grow. Soon, the blob is out of control eating everything (and everyone) it can, growing to immense proportions.

Side note, it’s really hard to write “blob” and not “blog”.

Growing up I was more aware of the 1988 version of The Blob which is a remake of this version, albeit a violent remake. The original has a special charm that only 50s sci-fi flicks can really muster and even though it is cheesy and the acting is met with many an eye-roll, I was charmed by The Blob. As a monster, the blob itself is fairly terrifying. It’s unrelenting and it’s only goal is to eat and grow.  Being smothered to death by a giant ball of autonomous pink goo is pretty high on my list of “ways I’d rather not die”.

Still, even though I was taken with the setting of The Blob, as well as Steve McQueen before being THE Steve McQueen, it’s not a great movie. As I touched on before, the acting is especially horrendous for some of the townsfolk and watching the film 50+ years later it’s easy to call out all of its faults. The story seems to want to depart and become a teenage drama more than once, which is kind of odd and makes the pacing difficult. One thing I was impressed with was the blob creature, which looks exactly as a pink outer space blob monster should look. While I wouldn’t recommend The Blob outright, there is a lot of entertainment to be had if you’re like me and have a soft spot for movies like this. The 80s version, while violent, doesn’t have the same charm.

I give it 3 how did Steve McQueen pull off being a teenager looking like this? out of 5.

Brief Encounter (6/8/12)

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Brief Encounter is the story of two complete strangers that briefly meet at a train station but develop a strong relationship for one another despite their own lives back home.

The film begins inside the train station cafe, where a couple is seen talking in the background while a station officer talks with the owner. Eventually the camera makes its way over to the couple as a chatty woman recognizes the woman and butts into their obviously important conversation. Soon the man’s train arrives and he has to go, obviously distraught. The two women continue talking, but the first woman’s mind is obviously still lingering on the conversation she was having with the man. The story then becomes narrated by the woman, Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson), in a letter to her husband and tells her tale of a sordid love connection with Dr. Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard) after the two met by chance in the same station.

Brief Encounter is a movie I was expecting to enjoy since it comes from director David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge on the River Kwai) but I was not expecting to be so completely absorbed by the film from the opening sequence.  We know that Laura and Alec’s relationship ends as he gets on a train but we know nothing else until the film guides us. In my head I was almost expecting a Casablanca-like plot and the two films share some similarities but Brief Encounter is much more straightforward, strictly focusing on the relationship between two people that are living comfortable but unsatisfying lives at home.

The films two stars both shine bright in their roles here and the direction and camera-work are all incredibly well done. For being from the 40s and taking place in the 30s, Brief Encounter is not quite as rigid as I was anticipating though the dialogue can be a bit too proper at times.

Criterion has once again given new life to a film that likely hasn’t had nearly enough publicity since it’s opening. The film comes from the David Lean Directs Noel Coward box set and the Blu-Ray is exactly what we have come to expect from Criterion. While this was the first film of four I have watched, I am greatly looking forward to the rest if they are treated with the same care, which I’m sure they have been.

Brief Encounter is one of the best films about a romance I have seen and I would almost shy away from calling it a romance film. While obviously surrounding a relationship, Brief Encounter is really about the people in the relationship rather than the relationship itself, which I think is a fair distinction. I would recommend this film to everyone that doesn’t mind the possibility of an unhappy ending.

I give it 5 Flames of Passions out of 5.

The Invention of Dr. Nakamats (6/6/12)

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The Invention of Dr. Nakamats serves as a brief biography about the world’s most prolific inventor that you’ve never heard of.

Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu (aka Dr. Nakamats) is a brilliant mind and an eccentric fellow that currently holds the world record for having the most patents. While The Invention of Dr. Nakamats is about the man himself, it is not always the most flattering of him. While Dr. Nakamats holds many patents and invents many things, their usefulness is debatable and Dr. Nakamats’ opinion of himself may be his greatest invention.

The film centers around Dr. Nakamats’ 80th birthday but he gives an oral account of his life story and clips are shown of various awards and ideas of his over the years. In preparation of his birthday party, there are several scenes with a hotel manager fighting over changing the name of the ballroom to incorporate the name “Nakamats”. When the hotel manager is unbending in the ability to do this, it’s a great blow to Dr. Nakamats and his fragile pride.

At a very lean 58 minute runtime, The Invention of Dr. Nakamats is almost too short but perhaps it is long enough to not overstay its welcome. The documentary had me laughing, both with and at the subjects, and I was glad I watched it. While Dr. Nakamats is not quite the level of infomercial inventors like Ron Popeil, there are some inventions that are so ludicrous you’ll be left scratching your head. His method of inventing is also one of the most bizarre things ever.

The Invention of Dr. Nakamats is an interesting documentary that I would recommend to everyone. Whether or not you like Dr. Nakamats himself becomes almost irrelevant by the end because you don’t need to like him to enjoy watching. The Invention of Dr. Nakamats is a bit weird and irregular as a documentary, but that’s OK, so is Dr. Nakamats.

I give it 4 self-defense wig patents out of 5.

The Emperor’s New Groove (6/4/12)

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In Walt Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove, a young Peruvian emperor has to learn how to be a better person after being turned into a llama.

Kuzco (David Spade) is the spoiled bratty emperor of ancient Peru that wants to build his summer house on the hill that Pacha (John Goodman) lives on. Soon after, Kuzco’s advisor Yzma (Eartha Kitt) decides to poison him with the help of her assistant, Kronk (Patrick Warburton), to control the empire. Instead of poison, the two use a potion that turns Kuzco into a llama and Kuzco is disposed of. He then has to make his way back to defeat Yzma, right his former wrongdoings, and also turn back into a human.

Say what you will of the quality of Disney’s animated films from the past 15 years, but for me, The Emperor’s New Groove is one of my favorite Disney animated features ever. If you’re wondering why, I would assume that means you haven’t seen it and I can’t say I blame you. Even Hercules and The Hunchback of Notre Dame got more marketing and sustainability while poor Emperor’s New Groove was released and quickly forgotten. I’m sure its troubled development is largely to blame. It’s a simple film that I find pretty hilarious that also has a great artistic style and soundtrack.

While the film is not up to the level of quality of say, Lion King or Aladdin, but The Emperor’s New Groove doesn’t seem to try to be those films. It is unique enough that it’s almost surprising it’s Disney. Even as an almost-thirty year old that has seen it several times, I laugh out loud during multiple scenes. Most of the credit belongs to the amazing cast assembled. David Spade is the obvious weak link, especially since he is in the lead, but his personality and mannerisms transfer perfectly to the character, even if you aren’t a fan of his.

I love proselytizing in the case of The Emperor’s New Groove mostly because no one else seems to. Very few people I know are even familiar with this lost gem of the Disney catalog so I feel it’s my duty to recommend it. There are few films quite like it, even if the story is taken from the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes, the spin put on The Emperor’s New Groove is fresh.

I give it 4 multi-linguistic “Boom, baby!”s out of 5.

Until the Light Takes Us (6/4/12)

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Until the Light Takes Us is a documentary about the black metal scene the emerged from Norway in the early 90s.

This is normally where I lend a paragraph to summarize the plot or subject of the film, but in the case of Until the Light Takes Us I am having difficulty doing this. While the film intends to be a bit of a history lesson about Norwegian black metal, it’s meandering and at least 15 years too late to be shocking. Even Wikipedia doesn’t have an entry for what the film is about.

While black metal has made headlines for the past 20 years, it is mostly for church burning, self-mutilation and even several murders. All of this is discussed through interviews with band members and people involved in the scene. Some of the tales have been embellished or exaggerated, most are true to some extent, which makes the subject itself interesting, at least.

As I said before, Until the Light Takes Us is at least 15 years too late to be shocking or, apparently, interesting. I have limited knowledge of the metal sub-genre and learned very little by the film. In fact, in studying for this review, I actually learned more on Wikipedia’s pages for some of the artists interviewed. If you aren’t a fan of black metal you will not only be totally disgusted by some of the things shown, but also likely bored and annoyed by the film. As far as documentaries go I found Until the Light Takes Us  a bit directionless but at least I was partially entertained.

I give it 2 Varg Vikernes Wikipedia pages (seriously more insightful and informative than the film) out of 5.

Goin’ South (6/1/12)

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Goin’ South is a pseudo-Western about a fugitive that gets saved from the gallows by marrying a woman in town.

As Henry Moon (Jack Nicholson) is running from the law, he thinks that crossing the border to Mexico is going to save him. That is, until his pursuers cross the border right behind him and drag him back to the States. Moon finds himself in a small town in Texas where the sheriff (Christopher Lloyd) wants to see him hanged. Before he is about to be hanged, Moon finds out about an ordinance that allows a woman to save a man from his death for his hand in marriage. Moon winds up married to Julia Tate (Mary Steenburgen), who only wants Moon’s help mining, but their rocky relationship ends up turning into more than they expected.

Goin’ South is a weird movie. It’s part Western, part comedy, part romance, but even the comedy is uneven. Nicholson actually directed this too, but his best work is done in front of the camera (both here and in general). One thing that I found quite distracting his Nicholson’s speech in this. I couldn’t tell if his Texas accent is just weird sounding or if he spent the entire production doing cocaine. I would believe both.

There is a lot to like about Goin’ South, especially if you’re like me and love watching Nicholson on screen. While Nicholson’s role in this one is not one of my favorites it’s worthwhile. The best recommendation I could give for this would be as part of some amazing Nicholson marathon, which I think I should do sometime. Goin’ South is mostly forgettable but at times is genuinely funny and for the most part, is entertaining.

I give it 3 “How’s about a little desert?”s out of 5.