The Screening Room

Tideland

2007-06-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

Location: Home
Format: DVD

Once again I find myself giving 5 stars to a movie most people hated. Yes, this film is over the top, but so are all fairy tales, aren't they? We tell kids stories of witches who capture little children and bake them in the oven, but since stories like that happen "a long time ago in a kingdom far, far away" we don't find them as unsettling as this modern-day fairy tale. To those who thought the events were too horrific for a child actor to depict, I ask exactly what did you see that was so horrible? No one was murdered; the deaths were accidental or caused by the characters' own negligence. No one had sex with a child, although many seem to be interpreting a couple of kissing scenes with the retarded Dickens as pedophilia. I found Pan's Labyrinth (which I also loved) to be way more violent and disturbing, yet most folks raved about that one.

In fact, rather than being about death and violence, I found the main theme of Tideland to be all the ways that humans attempt to *escape* the reality of death, whether through heroin vacations or chocolate or taxidermy or vivid imaginary worlds. The real violence in Tideland doesn't occur until the very end of the film, when Gilliam visually depicts the end of the child's innocence the moment she sees that the wailing character in the darkness is not the triumphant dance of her friend but the agonized stagger of a stranger blinded by her friend's actions.

I think viewers expected a film like Pan's Labyrinth in which the lines between harsh reality and imaginary escape are clearly delineated. But in Tideland, the whole world is a freakish fairy tale, and Terry Gilliam is the perfect guy to tell it.

Oh, and one more thing. To all those who were bothered that the little girl was obviously *acting*, isn't that the point? From personal experience, as a child who had a vivid imagination, the only times I wasn't acting were when I was asleep.

The Fountain

2007-05-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

Location: Home
Format: DVD (Oh how I wish I'd seen this on the big screen when it was first released.)

I can't remember ever having such a purely visceral experience watching a movie. From the first stunning image I began to cry and by the end of the film, my body was wracked with sobs. It wasn't sadness that brought on the crying, but an almost unbearable elation! My point is that this movie is not something to figure out with the logical mind. Like the practice of meditation, it's not a concept to be grasped intellectually, but an experience to be felt by letting go. Letting go. Letting go. Each moment, letting go. Which is ultimately the point of this gorgeous masterpiece, is it not?

Protagonist

2007-04-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Location: Kabuki Theater
Format: Big screen

I just saw this film at the San Francisco International Film Festival. It left me glowing. At first, this documentary reminded me a little of Errol Morris's Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control, in that it tells 4 seemingly different stories. But the charisma and sincerity of the four subjects as they relate the dramas of their lives, combined with gorgeous puppetry and elements of Euripides plays create a delicious, warm stew of human motives and emotions. I left the theater thoroughly satisfied.

Golden Door

2007-04-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Location: Castro Theater
Format: big screen

Beautifully shot, leisurely paced, short on dialogue and unnecessary exposition, combining meticulously researched realism with profoundly surreal images, this film was the glorious opener to the 2007 San Francisco Film International Festival. Don't expect quick answers or lots of action. Instead, relax into this film, allow yourself to savor each moment, let the images penetrate your unconscious, and you will be roundly rewarded.

Phantom of the Opera (1925)

2006-11-01T23:05:00.000-08:00

Location: Home
Format: DVD

After a day of watching classic horror films, this silent movie left me breathless. Like a moving painting, a story told in shadows on the wall, beautifully-timed orchestration, a heroine like a porcelain doll you don't know whether to protect or smash, a hero (villain?) with as much pathos as the elephant man, humor and terror and opera and ballet and a grand chandelier falling from the ceiling.

Such a poignant image: the deformed face of the unmasked phantom juxtaposed against a statue of Apollo on the roof of the opera house as he overhears the woman he loves plotting her escape from him.

It's a beauty and the beast story gone tragically wrong, which is just right for a cold, gray November day.

The Mummy (1932) , Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Invisible Man (1933)

2006-11-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

Location: Home
Format: VHS & DVD

What could be better than watching The Mummy with friends on Halloween night, a log crackling in the fireplace, hot mulled cider on the stove, popcorn and candy, and a pizza on the way? How about recuperating the next day with 4 more* classic horror films? It's gray outside and all I want to do is curl up in my chair with the remote and be afraid.

Count Dracula: To die, to be *really* dead, that must be glorious!
Mina Seward: Why, Count Dracula!
Count Dracula: There are far worse things awaiting man than death.

Henry Frankenstein: Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's alive... IT'S ALIVE!

*The 4th film is Phantom of the Opera, a masterpiece which deserves its own separate entry.

The Constant Gardener

2006-03-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

Location: Home
Format: DVD

Based on the previews, I wasn't looking forward to this film but felt compelled to see it before the Academy Awards. I'm so glad I did. I think Meirelles fell in love with Kenya, and his vibrant, thrilling palette invites us to fall in love too. A gorgeous film. I think the studio did it SUCH a disservice to promote it as a fast-paced thriller. The trailers I saw use mainly the slick-looking blue/gray London scenes, which are a small part of the film, rather than the gorgeous super-saturated Kenyan scenes. Based on those trailers, it looks to be just the usual cold-blooded spy thriller. It is no such thing, and I think the audiences that went to see it or rented it based on the trailers were the WRONG AUDIENCES for the film! WHY OH WHY DO STUDIOS MAKE THIS MISTAKE???

Rent (2005)

2005-11-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

Location: Lowe's Metreon with Mark
and Friday, December 2, 2005 at United Artists Metro Theatre with Sonia and Anna
and Monday, December 19, 2005 at AMC 1000 Van Ness with Michael
and many more times on DVD

WOW! I’ve seen "Rent" on stage 4 times and listened to the cast album over and over. But the movie blew me away! The director used the medium of film well to highlight things in ways that can't be done on stage. “Tango: Maureen” was brilliant. “Santa Fe” done in the subway was a hoot. "Today 4 U" and "La Vie Boheme" were exciting, and Tom's reprise of "I'll Cover You" had everyone in the theater in tears.

To me, skipping "Contact" was a blessing. It's my least favorite part of the show. In fact, I’ve always found the last half of the show to be thin and unfinished somehow. In the film, plot points are fleshed out in ways that give the relationships more meaning. I LOVE the additional details of Joanne’s and Maureen’s relationship. And unlike a previous reviewer, I thought the use of montages were effective.

A problem of the stage show is too much explication and not enough action. The film adheres to that old saying, "Show; don't tell." In the movie, quite a bit of the sung explication is replaced with visual sequences. We don't need to hear Roger sing clunky lyrics about how Mark lives for his work and detaches from feeling alive because we can see it for ourselves. And still, all but a handful of songs remain fantastically intact.

I did miss "Goodbye Love." On the other hand, I didn't realize I missed it until I came home and played the album. The film also replaces quite a bit of the sung dialogue with spoken dialogue. It was weird at first, but after a while I realized how much more effective this technique is for a wider audience. The first time people see "Rent" on stage, they miss quite a bit of important information because the words are sung so fast and the performers’ diction is not always great. Speaking the words eliminates this problem. The story is not "dumbed down." The delivery of the story is simply more accessible. Not everyone has the patience of a Renthead to go back time after time and pick up what they missed.

Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)

2003-11-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

Location: Home
Format: DVD

School of Rock (2003)

2003-11-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

Location: AMC 1000 Van Ness

28 Days Later (2002)

2003-10-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

Location: Red's house on Halloween
Format: DVD

More Halloween horror. This one really freaked Michael out!

From Hell (2001)

2003-10-31T22:03:00.000-08:00

Location: Red's house on Halloween night
Format: DVD

The Vanishing (1988)

2003-10-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

Location: Home, with Michael
Format: DVD

Scary movie #2 this week. Yeah, chilling, creepy, logical, all that. But I guess I had heard so much hype about this movie that the terrifying ending was just not as awful as I thought it would be. Maybe because it was so inevitable. The sociopath is relentlessly cold and calculating in his crimes while warm with his family. I found the film to be more depressing than gripping.

The Ring (2002)

2003-10-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Location: Home, with Michael
Format: DVD

Halloween is coming. It's scary movie time. "The Ring" is Scary Movie #1. Except it wasn't that scary. And it wasn't that good, despite Naomi Watts. Too many broken links and bits of illogic. And Naomi Watts wasn't that good. She could have been any blonde-haired scary movie actress. Too bad. Now I see on IMDB that The Ring 2 is in production, also starring Naomi Watts. Maybe some things will be explained. But maybe no one will care anymore.

Julien, Donkey-Boy (1999)

2003-10-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

Location: Home
Format: DVD

Disturbing, raw, difficult. Normally, I would write off this kind of movie as pretentious (or "artsy fartsy," as Julien's father would call it.) Certainly exploitive - of people with disabilities. But then, what films don't exploit people, and why shouldn't disabled people get their few moments of fame? Anyway, this morning I can't get the images out of my head. There is something really compelling about the absolute raw honesty of this movie. And speaking of Julien's father, I found him to be even MORE disturbing than the Dennis Hopper character in Blue Velvet. Because of the naturalness of Werner Herzog's performance, I didn't feel like I was watching a performance at all, but a deranged guy being secretly filmed in his bedroom. Creepy.

Down With Love (2003)

2003-10-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Location: Home, with Michael
Format: DVD

Cute, frothy, retro fun. Great colors. A mere wisp of a story.

The Quiet American (2002)

2003-10-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

Location: Home, with Michael
Format: DVD

One of the WORST examples of VOICEOVER NARRATION!! Why oh why do they do it?!? Don't tell us how we should feel! Make us feel it! Generally, voiceover narration should be used sparingly. There are brilliant examples of effective voiceovers: "About A Boy," "Adaptation," "Fight Club," "The Opposite of Sex." In these movies, the narration doesn't explain what the audience can clearly see for itself on the screen. Instead, it provides a counterpoint to what's on screen or reveals the inner workings and obsessions of the narrator's mind.

Anyway, suffice it to say, this Academy Award nominated film is NOT RECOMMENDED, despite Michael Caine.

Dopamine (2003)

2003-10-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Location: (Metreon. Snuck in w/ Michael after previous movie. Don't tell!)

Lost in Translation (2003)

2003-10-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Location: The Metreon with Michael

Kids (1995)

2003-09-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

Location: Home
Format: DVD

Swimming (2000)

2003-09-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Location: Michael's house
Format: VHS

XX/XY (2002)

2003-08-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

Location: Home, with Michael
Format: DVD

25th Hour (2002

2003-08-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

Location:With Michael & Jan at Jan's house
Format: DVD

The Unbearable Lightness Of Being (1988)

2003-08-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Location: Home
Format: DVD

Holes (2003)

2003-08-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

Location:United Airlines Flight 64 to San Francisco

Wow! I never thought I'd enjoy so many Disney movies. And especially not in the same year. This movie is funny and clever and suspenseful. The plot is a little confusing at times, but the characters are great. Sigourney Weaver is truly evil as the detention camp warden. Jon Voigt is hysterical as her assisant, Mr. Sir. Henry Winkler plays the main character's schlumpy dad; Eartha Kitt plays the mysterious Madame Zeroni; Patricia Arquette (who I love because her teeth are like mine) is the vengeful Kate Barlow. But the character I loved the most is Zero, played by newcomer, Khleo Thomas. My only regret is that I missed the first part of the movie and parts of the dialogue whenever our pilot decided to make announcements. And, of course, the picture quality was pretty crappy on the plane. I'd love to see this again in a decent theater.