Like most red-blooded Americans, I read Where the Wild Things Are as a kid. I don't remember much about it, because as far as I remember, there's not a whole lot to remember - some kid running around with some beasts. I was worried that there wasn't going to be a lot of substance to its big screen adaptation, and in a sense I was right, but in the hands of the very capable director Spike Jonze, there was really nothing to worry about.
The film follows the story of Max, a young boy who finds himself in a world filled with huge, wild beasts. His emerging relationship with them and how it reflects on his actual life at home is the core of this film, just as I thought it would be.
One troubling and unexpected aspect of this film is the fact that it left me deeply disturbed. Max runs the whole gamut of childhood emotion, and he is unpredictable and, dare I say, wild - just like the beasts in this new world. The characters all act in rash, erratic ways and for the first half of the movie I was uncomfortable and on edge. But then, finally, it hit me - this is the brilliance of this film.
Where the While Things Are is not a film for children, because it's too dark and violent. What it is, though, is a film that is intended to make adults feel like children again. It's like Spike Jonze went back in time and kidnapped the 10-year-old version of himself and made him direct this film - the camera angles, characterization and movements all feel overwhelmingly juvenile. The characters behave irrationally because they're either children or the result of a child's imagination - it makes perfect sense. Once I realized this and willingly let myself take this film on as if I was a child again, I loved it. I didn't understand everything - and that's how children are - but I still took every scene and made what I wanted with it.
If you didn't like this film, try taking your adulthood blinders off and see if that made a difference. It did for me.
Steve also reviewed this movie a couple months ago; click here to read it.
I thought that for this weekend's Weekend Entertainment segment we'd take a trip down memory lane. At E3 2006, developer Quantic Dream showed this Heavy Rain "casting call" trailer and floored the gaming world with its realism. I think we can all stand to spend 4 minutes watching it again, and realize that even to this day very few games can convey this sort of emotion so effectively. It's still really impressive.
But truth be told, Quantic Dream's lip-syncing could still use some work.
Yep, I'm definitely a Wes Anderson fan. Rushmore is probably on my top 10 films of all time, and his other films are damn fine flicks, too. I was a little hesitant when I heard that he was making a stop-motion adaptation of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, written by Roald Dahl in 1970. I was afraid that an animated film wouldn't accurately portray the tension and distance that Anderson's films so brilliantly capture. Turns out that I had nothing to fear, because once again we're treated to a film that has overwhelmingly more good qualities than bad.
The film follows a fox (voiced by George Clooney) who has given up his trade of chicken stealing to become a family man. It has all the great features of a Wes Anders0n film - an ensemble cast, a flawed protagonist, and charming set pieces - and it's perfectly paced. Don't let the fact that it's an animated film, or that it's based on a Roald Dahl book, lead you to think that this is a children's film; it deals with identity, honesty, and Wes Anderson's favorite theme, existentialism. Choosing Clooney to voice the protagonist was a perfect choice, since there are few actors that can accurately capture that "sly" essence of a fox.
The film itself is beautifully animated in a vintage style, and the 1960s soundtrack really helps it to feel like a period piece. Overall, The Fantastic Mr. Fox is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable film.
The Informant! is the latest film from Steven Soderbergh (director of Ocean's 11-13, not sure who did the first 10). It is getting a bit of buzz for Matt Damon's performance, which was pretty freaking awesome. He plays the VP of a huge agriculture firm, as he becomes a whistle-blower for the FBI during a price-fixing investigation.
I tend to shy away from most corporate films, or anything with a vague conspiracy notion. Goes all the way back to the time that some girl convinced me to take her to see The Pelican Brief when I was 13. Imagine my dissatisfaction when my parents drove us to see a film that had neither birds nor underwear in it. That being said, I thought that The Informant! would be lighthearted enough for me to overlook its premise. I mean, it has a damned exclamation point! FUNNY.
The film is amusing, but ultimately sad and disturbing. Much like the film Observe and Report, this movie shows what should be a miserable existence in a comedic light, to startling effect. A few days after seeing it, it finally sank in and I can really understand this film. It's a film that tries to show how the guy sitting next to you could be totally fucking nuts and you may not realize it. Matter of fact, you could spend every day with that guy and never know it. The film doesn't try to explain this occurrence, or justify anything. It's just there. Ultimately, this is a film that has a sweet candy shell but is a bitter pill to swallow. You initially chuckle at the fashion of the time period, but its content left me thinking for several days afterwards. It was great.
Lawd, I hate this kind of comedy. You know, those movies where we're supposed to think it's funny to place the protagonist in a series of unfortunate events that spin out of control and make the him look like an asshole. Maybe it's because I unknowingly project myself into every leading character, but this shit just drives me up the wall. It's the reason I couldn't ever watch What About Bob? or Meet the Parents more than once. Sure, I get it; the protagonist makes some sort of stupid initial decision and the rest of the film is "punishment" for acting out against social or cultural norms. I've taken a film class or two. But goddamn if I don't get irked by these downward-spiral films.
Extract is the latest Mike Judge movie (you know, Office Space!) and it stars that guy from Teen Wolf Too and some other shit. He owns an extract factory, he's going through some sexual dysfunction with his wife, and he's friends with Ben Affleck (who's a bartender). These three factors drive the film into my previous-bitched-about subplot, in which things go haywire for our hero. But unlike the few films that get this "downward spiral" mechanic right (see: just about every Coen Brothers film), this slow descent into unhappiness is neither graceful nor deserved, and it never feels like it ends satisfactorily for the characters, and the viewer.
Granted, this film may be the deepest thing associated with Mike Judge ever (we are talking about the guy that made Beavis and Butthead and Idiocracy after all). It deals with death, dismemberment and a failing marriage; but in the end, I can't help but feel that Mr. Judge should stick to shallow and mildly vulgar comedies. Those were at least entertaining.
Best line: "I'd be the laughing stock of the grindcore community!"
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Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!