Self with Shoes On As I understand it, this was concieved in the breakup of a marriage. The voice and most of the script is by the disappointed wife, and the surrounding framing by the presumably inadequate husband. The actual events had some videos posted to YouTube, leading to enough fame to carry the film.… Continue reading Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)
Category: New Comments
Comments made since the IMBD era, for here
Liar Liar (1997)
Anti Vax Sometimes a film is just a wrapper for a broken person, who when unconstrained amuses us. Robin Williams, Peter Sellers, Jerry Lewis are examples. These are souls we accept because we find an endearing core around which the outrageous behaviour orbits. So far as we could see, Robin, Peter, and Jerry were good… Continue reading Liar Liar (1997)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Chapter and Verse Lest I sound overly critical below, let me say up front that this is an important film if only because it extends the vocabulary. I’m excited by it and what we may expect. However, I recently commented on ‘Fast X’ and noted that these sorts of films have three relatively independent components:… Continue reading Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Fast X (2023)
Neonoir Reversed There are three components to these kinds of products. Action scenes of some kind, a cosmology, and a story to weave them together. Characters and drama are irrelevant. For me, sometimes the cosmology was enough, like the middle ‘Wick’ projects. Sometimes it blows me away, but more often these days I end up… Continue reading Fast X (2023)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
Little Men The story is frippery. The tone light, but not as light as advertised. Action and effects are as expected and no more. What was remarkable to this viewer were a few of the character backstories. Our hero’s story was ordinary. A petty theft got his wife killed. He tries to get a resurrection… Continue reading Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
F9 (2021)
Blended Family, Family Secrets I can say that I witnessed an appreciative audience as my ten and eleven year old whooped and hollered at the stunts, oblivious to the surrounding machinery. For them, and I suppose many viewers, the movie other than the action sequences is there only to support those segments. So the less… Continue reading F9 (2021)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Glorious Absinthe Prostitution This film is crafted of many common narrative elements: The rich cad versus the poor lad for the girl (with the conceit that love is unavailable to the wealthy ‘unreal’ class) The girl who must renounce her love to save her lover (only to lose her own life) The notion of players… Continue reading Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Storm Boy (1976)
Mockingbird I’ve had the advantage of being old, and living in both the US and Australia and raising kids in each. That gives me a perspective on the book before seeing the film. Every so often, a young adult book hits a sweet spot in the national heart. I believe it is because we yearn… Continue reading Storm Boy (1976)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Experiments On my side, it is all about affordances. Usually I choose a film and allocate the time because I seek affordances for better living in my life. Narrative is all about affordance: what changes in the story, with mysteries and power that I can be tricked into (or trick myself into) — folded into… Continue reading Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
One of My Wives is Missing (1976)
Switched Narratives There are spoilers here for this filmed stage play that in the end is not worth it. The basic idea is appealing. We are presented with a man who seems to be the target of a massive scam involving a switched wife. We sit through the scam as it tortures the guy with… Continue reading One of My Wives is Missing (1976)