Kong: Skull Island

The Newest Monster Movie

Tonight I visited one of my local theaters to catch Kong: Skull Island. We spent the extra cash to watch it in 3D and it was worth it. The filmmakers utilized the additional depth of vision to take the monsters to the next level and I wasn't the only one jumping in my seat. It is a fun movie if monsters or action adventure is your thing. Definitely an NFK for young ones, but for the more adventurous teens it will probably be a hit. Please note there is a great loss of life, human and otherwise.

For the older audience you will recognize many shots from films such as Apocalypse Now, including the one where the helicopter blades are nearly in perfect synch and in slow motion, and other films about the Vietnam War. The trick is accomplished differently now, but the effect is similar. Throughout, you are also listening to popular tunes of the day and from those selfsame Vietnam War era films. Unfortunately, those famous tunes and shots don't lend the expected gravitas to the film as a whole.

The use of still photographs throughout does give a sense of time and place not unlike the pages of National Geographic. It forces the audience to really take in the relationships among the comrades while creating a unique separation only available with the stillness of a snapshot. Each moment frozen in time just like the Vietnam War we read about in history books. They capture something that tugs the heartstrings unlike film or TV footage of the same events. It also forges a very different view from the film which is focused on the typography and ecosystem of the island.

It has the conventional storyline of military personnel shooting anything they don't understand opposed by scientists and an ex-special forces 'tracker.' The costumes and art design, especially the island natives, is spectacular. Take the time to notice the tattoos and colors denoting status within the tribe. The dialogue is wonderful, a perfect mix of anger, awe, and humor. Samuel L. Jackson used some lines from his past roles to great effect and sparked laughter from those that recognized them. It was also one of the more enjoyable performances from John C. Reilly in my opinion.

The insects practically leap off the screen, some good and others not so much but monsters much more familiar to us than Kong himself. We had a blast, but I wouldn't say that this is an award winner except for the art direction, costume, and makeup. A solid 'B' for those who need ratings. I recommend watching in 3D and do watch all the way through the credits, for me. 

Spending the Weekend at the Movies - Part 4

Fourth Film: Assassin's Creed

I truly hope you haven’t missed this film. It was very interesting and, from what I’m told, stayed true to the stories within the game franchise. The Creed is the arch enemy of the Templar Knights and in this film science is allied with the Templars. I can’t recall another film in which science is aligned so closely with a religious group, usually it's the opposite. The feud between the Templars and the Creed dates back to the Crusades and possibly well before that. The object they are fighting over is the apple of knowledge from the Garden of Eden.

Like all ancient objects bestowed with great power, the apple has been lost over time and even the descendants of the Creed don’t know what happened to it. This is where the science comes in. A Templar novice, daughter of a respected knight, has created a device to retrieve genetic memory and force the possessor of the memory to relieve those experiences. It is a painful process and clearly demonstrates the division between the two groups.

The filmmakers force the audience and Cal to experience an almost solitary existence within the lab/prison. We only interact with the machine and the two knights, one who is pushing for faster results and the other arguing for the ‘safety’ of their subject, for most of the film. The push and pull between the knights creates a genuine concern for the younger’s idealism and hope. You can see in Cal's interaction with his captors and his environment how a person wrestles with his beliefs and world view in the face of such a disheartening and claustrophobic existence.

The art design drives home the stark cold reality of living within a Templar Lab versus the texture and warmth of Cal’s memories. Even the space given to the failed experiments conjures up the physical division between the lab and the real world. They are contained within the lab but have a garden terrace that allows some of the sun’s warmth to slip inside to touch their physical bodies. These visual elements also manage to showcase the divide between religious doctrine and those who practice in their everyday lives. Further delineating Templar from the Creed.

I genuinely enjoyed how the regressions visually overlapped Cal’s real world experiences. He reaches for and fights the warmth of the memories. At one point he completely believes that he is going crazy. The film is very personal with the focus staying with Cal throughout, but it shies away from fully putting the audience in his place. There is a disconnect that forces the audience to be the observer, a bystander as this forced experimentation continues.

It is almost a commentary on how many of us would rather ignore what is happening under our noses than chose to take a side. I say almost because this film is clearly on the Creed’s side in this equation. However, the science and the religious right is softened by the woman who invented the machine and appears to care for Cal’s wellbeing, despite the evidence of the failed experiments down the hall. The film is not anti-religion but rather a debate about on the practice and precepts of religion and what God wants his children to do.

It is worth seeing and if you don’t want to dive into motivations of the characters it can be taken as a basic adventure film and simple mystery. NFK for children under 14 and any you don’t wish exposed to human experimentation or bad language.

Spending the Weekend at the Movies - Part 3

Third Film: Lego Batman

To begin with, Lego Batman is nothing like the Lego Movie, with the exception of the occasional building of transportation and the general brick build look of the animation. The first five minutes and the end credits are the best parts of the entire 1hr and 46 minutes of the film. The rest is a slow slog through a legoman’s loss of importance. The film is very heavy in the morals department with very little character development, especially for Batman at whom the morals are aimed at.

The film did have a few moments in which the filmmakers reference every other Batman movie and television show created prior to Lego’s attempt. These were cute and definitely inspired a chuckle or two. It was not enough to distract from the fact that Batman was a complete tool throughout. Even at the conclusion, when you’d have expected some character growth you’re left with the sense that Batman is putting on an act to avoid the deal he made earlier.

This could be an ok kids movie if you’re ok with your child watching a film about a character with an ego to rival Trump’s. Batman even sounds like Trump, except that he can frame complete and coherent sentences (Points to the writers!). For me, this was a complete bomb and a definite wait until it hits Netflix before watching. There is no foul language to worried about for your children, but again, I’d classify this as an NFK (Not For Kids) purely because of Batman’s arrogance and attitude throughout.

Spending the Weekend at the Movies - Part 2

Second Film: The Great Wall

The Great Wall has been under fire because Matt Damon is the lead in this Asian story. This is a fair issue being addressed, however, without Damon being attached to the film I doubt it would have garnered the funding necessary to be made. Having said that, the film is a lot of fun. There is the expected clash between east and west with a larger story about the fate of the world. My husband described it as a combination of Beowulf and most zombie stories.

Matt Damon plays William, a mercenary seeking the mythical Chinese black powder along with his friend, Tovar (Pablo Pascal). They are attacked on their journey by something they can’t describe and run into the Great Wall where they meet Commander Lin Mae (Tian Jong). You might expect a romantic triangle to arise, but Tovar is preoccupied with escaping and William is fascinated with what and how the Chinese are fighting. We were entranced by the female only Crane unit of flying women who use a variation of the bungee cord to fly over the wall.

Tovar

The costuming is wonderful and clearly differentiates between units and Identifies the westerners. The Chinese army uses brilliant color to identify each fighting unit. The capes appear to be a bit over dramatic, but for the flying Cranes, it actually serves a purpose like the tail on a kite. During the monsters’ first attack William and his friend break loose with the help of a third westerner only to save the life of a young foot soldier, identified by his black uniform, left to guard them.

I especially enjoyed the way the stories of the characters intertwined and added more depth to what could have been a quick action flick about monsters in which the western hero wins the day. It is more complex than that because of the complex friendship between two people who, on the surface, are more different than they are similar. There was also a greater emphasis on the sacrifices made by the Chinese soldiers and their commanders than on William’s actions.

Flying Crane

It seems unlikely that some of the themes or story elements could have played out without the presence of the westerners. There are moments in this film that would be spectacular in IMAX or 3D, especially the first time you see the Cranes fly into battle. You will feel every moment that you’re in an exotic place with the wall, costumes, and subtitles, because not all of the Chinese characters speak English. We get to enjoy their snarkiness because those that can translate don’t translate everything accurately. Recommended for anyone who loves monster movies or action adventure stories. Not recommended for children who may develop nightmares about the monsters or the inevitable deaths of the soldiers defending the wall and the rest of the world.

Spending the Weekend at the Movies

Last weekend my husband and I visited 3 theaters and watched four movies for our Valentine's Date. It was a great idea that I must attribute to my husband after we opted not to do anything on the day or go in for the usual Valentine's Day festivities. I did send him a video card and posted it to his Facebook account so that his friends and our family could enjoy it too.

Of the films we watched one is a candidate for Best Film at the Oscars, another was a dud, one released last week and the other didn't appear to do very well at the box office. We had a good time eating too much popcorn and drinking too much cherry coke.

First film: Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures is a truly spectacular look at history that hasn’t been shared with a mass audience before. I sincerely hope the work these ladies did inspires the next generation of space explorers. The filmmakers told the stories of three friends, all working moms, who were brilliant in their respective fields. They addressed the fight for civil rights through the women’s relationships with the respective men in their personal lives and through television footage. Mary says it best when she tells her husband that there are many paths to the same goals and not all have to be violent. They did a great deal for black women and did even more for all women and should be recognized as the heroes that they are.

From the very beginning of the film we are taken back to the 1960’s. The writers took the edge off with Mary Jackson’s commentary about three black women chasing a white police officer. As the story continued, I wondered if it was as hard for the white actors in the film to say ‘colored’ and the other racist comments as it was for the black actors to hear them. There is a moment when Dorothy and Vivian, the white supervisor, meet in the bathroom. Vivian says that she has nothing against Dorothy’s people to which Dorothy responds, “I’m sure you believe that.” This was particularly poignant for me because so many white people also believe that they aren’t racist and have nothing against minorities even today despite statistical evidence to the contrary.

Hidden Figures is very much about the black women who gave much of their lives in the pursuit of reaching the stars, but it is also about the larger story of women being accepted in STEM fields because they have brilliant minds too. Notice how the ‘computers’ are all women with degrees who have been relegated to being glorified secretaries for their male counterparts. Katherine Johnson pushes her direct supervisor, Paul Stanford to even get her name on the reports that included her work as a major component. Mary Jackson’s path was a little different in that her supervisor, the Polish engineer Karl Zielinski, encourages her to apply to the NASA engineering program by reminding her that he escaped the Nazis and is now working on a spacecraft. From the beginning of the film when Dorothy Vaughn informs the cop that ‘there are quite a few women working at NASA,’ the audience is reminded again and again that the film is about this larger story.

My favorite character was Mrs. Dorothy Vaughn, played by the indomitable Octavia Spencer. Despite not being recognized for her supervisory work, Dorothy makes every effort to encourage her friends to chase their opportunities. She always has an eye to the future and fights for herself and her ‘girls,’ the women who make up the West Computer Group. She saw the threat and opportunity presented by the new machine, the IBM, and takes the initiative to read up on coding and the IBM manuals when no one else is watching. Her forethought saved the jobs of all of her ‘girls’ and made her an incredibly valuable asset for NASA for the remainder of her career.

No matter who you are, you need to see this film. It is a wonderful opportunity to show your daughters and nieces that they too can be mathematicians, engineers, and computer coders. These ladies deserved to be honored for their contributions to space explorations, their various fields, and most especially for furthering civil rights in their quiet way. Recommended for children old enough to sit quietly and ready to welcome some rediscovered national heroes.

Talking about 'Sing'

Just got back from our favorite theater after watching 'Sing!' This was a really fun movie, perfect for children of all ages and anyone who was a fan of American Idol or X Factor. Many music genres were on display with the exceptions of Country and Bluegrass. The theme of the film is facing your fears and doing what you love for yourself instead of for reward.

Please stay for the film credits because you will treated to a modern take on the Busby Berkeley musical circular dance number. It is so enjoyable from start to finish that you will be disappointed that it is over. They set it up beautifully for sequel, which I hope they do.

My husband and I did watch the film in 3D and it was worth the additional cost. If you're looking for a fun, upbeat, family friendly flick this is the one for you. Have fun!

Understanding How Film Impacts the Real World:

Using The Birth of a Nation as an Example

This aired in CA @11p last night so I recorded it. Very glad I did so. Film students are aware of Griffith's additions to film language, but I don't think as many are fully aware of what he did to elevate film to consideration as an art form or his fight in Boston for protection of the first amendment for 'Birth of a Nation.' He did much for film but his crowning achievement did far more harm to o...ur nation.

Unfortunately, many film history classes can't spend anywhere near enough time on the social and political impact of this film on our culture, the rebirth of the KKK, or even its overt racism. This is incredibly difficult for any person of color in those classes because they are told not to see that aspect and to focus only on the film language. I believe it is easier for white people to view the film with the understanding that it was created in a different time, that is part of our privilege.

'Birth of a Movement' takes us through those missed discussions. They set up a protagonist in the newspaper man, William Trotter, with the antagonist, D.W. Griffith and his film 'Birth of a Nation.' Trotter laid ground work that Civil Rights Movement would use fifty years later. The message I heard loudest is that the men in this story were children of the reconstruction with very different views of that period of our history.

I think if we look at our government right now, you will see that most of our leaders are children of the Civil Rights Movement. Some are truly afraid of equality just as their predecessors were afraid of civil rights. Trump will be judged by his racist and misogynistic views just as Wilson was for bring segregation to the federal government.

I really think that avoiding the social, political, and economic ramifications of 'Birth of a Nation' is a disservice to all film students. It doesn't address the very real effects of how film impacts our world. We have the opportunity to use this 1 hour discussion to begin a new conversation in film schools and amongst ourselves. As filmmakers we have incredible power to change perceptions.

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/birth-of-a-movement/