Dorm Room Trifles I saw this at the Melbourne International Film Festival. It was fantastic in large part because it was new. I saw it paired with “Theater of War,”, whose idea was that little people enable unhealthy societies. That film presumed that structure in film and theater was what powered narrative in individuals and… Continue reading Action Boys (2008)
A Night of Terror (1937)
Talking while Leaving Theater When I heard that 3D would be going mainstream a few years ago, I hoped for a revolution in what we think films are. I believe we are seeing some radical rethinking, because with 3D and CGI, we get a less encumbered camera, one whose normal stance is eye height of… Continue reading A Night of Terror (1937)
Kramer vs Kramer (1979)
Split Decision This drama is considered successful. I think it is not because it tells us anything special, or that the characters are particularly worthy. I believe it is because of the way the narrative is constructed. It has two arcs. One of these has the husband establishing the world. We follow only him, spending… Continue reading Kramer vs Kramer (1979)
Last Man Standing (1996)
Kurosawa on Kurosawa Students of film have great fun with situations like this. Here we have three films (‘Yojimbo,’ ‘Fistful,’ and ‘Last Man’) with the same script but entirely different cinematic philosophies. All do well at what they attempt. Kurosawa is one of the great innovators of film, developing the notion of the disembodied eye… Continue reading Last Man Standing (1996)
Killer Fish (1979)
The Show It is a real experience for me when a film’s being is inadvertently echoed in its story. That makes the film a good experience in some respect even though it stinks on all other grounds. In this case, you have a lovely woman (Hemingway) who is brought to Brazil for the purposes of… Continue reading Killer Fish (1979)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
God Gets Cut The title of the comment is from the ersatz master who makes a new sword for our avenger. This denotes what is wrong about this film, indeed why Tarantino is to film as Brittany Spears is to music. Martial arts are about generational wisdom, about the rigidity of the masters all the… Continue reading Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Kick-Ass (2012)
Drawing One’s Self I saw this fellow’s last movie. “Stardust.” It was an idea full of potential but lacked coherence, soul. It took you a world (two worlds) that were puddles created by each craft. This is less incoherent, but still has no intent, no imperative in the world. Imagine a world in which imagination… Continue reading Kick-Ass (2012)
Killing Zoe (1993)
Soulless For a film to matter to me, it has to exist. It has to have been born and to the extent and in the way that you believe things have purpose and effect, it has to have that. I don’t care if the beingness is accidental or borrowed or poorly copied. It can be… Continue reading Killing Zoe (1993)
Memories of Murder (2003)
Watchers Excepting Snowpiercer, this filmmaker has a distinct style. He surveys watchers and watching by creating and weaving layers. So far as I know, this is his masterwork. This filmmaker sees differently. He sees people seeing, weaves stories around this to keep us engaged, then simply shows watching. The story here is superficially a murder… Continue reading Memories of Murder (2003)
Kung Fu Chefs (2009)
Cabbage Soup Some time ago, I watched a mainstream trifle called “Kung Fu Panda.” The only appeal it had was the idea of discipline in ordinary things. The involvement of food was incidental and comic but it mattered. Food is not easy to film. But it is inherently cinematic stuff, and as powerful in my… Continue reading Kung Fu Chefs (2009)