Top 10 Of The 70s

In order from 1-10:

Snow, snow go away come again on a really sunny day

Hey that rhymed. Anyways, its 2 am right now and I already looked out my window to catch the first actual snowfall of the winter season. I guess I should consider myself lucky that it took until January 12th for actual snowfall, but really this makes me grumble instead and wonder why there had to be any kind of snow at all. For those who are currently unlikely enough to be driving at this hour, its also blowing snow, which makes visibility rather difficult, not to mention quite low. White powder flying around and covering up your windshield apparently causes driving to become quite dangerous, for some reason. But of course you need to be able to see where you are going while operating a rather large vehicle composed of plastic, metal, and glass.

According to the weatherman (or woman, but usually it is a man) the expected level of snowfall for tomorrow is supposed to be 4.4 inches. Wonderful. At this stage of the year 2.0 inches would be enough to for at least a school delay, so I imagine that schools will be canceled or let out early for Thursday. I am pretty sure that 4.4 inches is enough for sledding, a snowball fight, and of course a snowman. Since I will have to go outside and shovel today, I'm skeptical that sleep is even required, or will be necessary. You can always just accomplish the job and then take a nap, I suppose, unless you have to go to work that same day. Since I am unemployed at the moment, I do not.

What a really boring blog post this has turned out to be, but that's okay since no one reads this and I could practically post whatever the hell I want. Alright not anything and everything, but still my point remains the same. There is something to be said for not ranting, however the snow always brings out the worst in me. Especially since people in this town seem to lack the ability to drive in it for some reason or another. I imagine in six and a half hours I will be trying to dig my car out, since I foolishly left it in the parking lot across the street and the snowplow crew will have buried it completely. Grumble grumble.

Three Thieves Plotted and Schemed

Despite having viewed two of his other movies, Le samouraï, and Le Doulos, I decided to discuss Melville's 1970 crime drama/gangster movie not only because I own it, but because its become a new favorite of mine. Despite being better than Le Doulos but not as good as Le samouraï, it is still a great film, made in a similar vein. Only instead of one man living by a strict code of honor, its three men from different backgrounds brought together by the common goal of a grand heist. Say what you what you will about the men, but the film makes it rather clear that not only this is the life they've chosen, but forces beyond their control and society having already decided their lives results in them having no choice but to break the law.

If the thought of thieves and murders have a code of honor which they obey, and that no one else understands sounds familiar, then perhaps you are already thinking of John Woo's movies in the 80s and 90s. In fact, Woo wrote an essay for the film's Criterion release, and after reading it I further understand the movie's themes, and the impact it and other Melville works have had on Woo's career. Just like Meville I've only viewed three of Woo's movies, but The Killer and Hard Boiled both bear the same stamp that Le samouraï, Le cercle rouge, and Le Doulos made on Woo's films. Although I think that Le Doulos is in some ways quite different from the other two Meville films. I wish I had more to go on concerning Melville, so this review could get an update in the next couple of years.

What's even more fascinating about Le cercle rouge, and why it takes its place among top tier crime movies, is how Melville lets us examine and judge his characters. We find them to be less than moral, and yet instead of the police they abide by their code of conduct. I wouldn't say that the police are portrayed in a negative light, but rather they are seen as the opposing force set against the band of anti-heroes. If Melvillle could be accused of backing a group with a murder, a burnt out ex-cop turning to crime, and a career thief, and perhaps even painting them as "Cool," then he suffers from the same charges that have been leveled at Woo as well. I don't think they are fair, really, especially considering how these types of movies turn out. The heist scene alone is perfect, combining suspense with a level of timing, yet its barely takes up most of the film and really doesn't have the same level of importance.

Oh and on a further note, I did like how Melville gave the cops pursuing the gang a face with the aging, old detective. Although by now something of a cliche, the dogged policeman endlessly chasing people is something that was still a tad fresh even in the early 1970s. Not sure we needed scenes of him at his home, though-I felt those were the weakest elements in the film.

Nope, instead the group's attempts to constantly avoid capture and to profit from their success usually is the more entertaining, and captivating, part of this film, although that's not true of all heist movies. Yet Melville's sad portrayal of destiny and an inability to escape one's fate in life makes the final act more film noir than gangster movie. Its a quality that he has in his crime films that make them more engaging and real than any average crime drama or movie about criminals. What a welcomed addition to my movie collection, and really a film that I think could be discussed a little bit more.

PS: I've noticed that I like to buy crime movies on Criterion a lot. The genre endlessly fascinates me, and many of the movies they have in the collection are ones I've never even heard of before. Although this review stems from a second viewing-I rented it from my local library before I ended up purchasing it at Barnes and Noble.

Journey To the Center of the Caucus

Four years ago, I decided to support Barack Obama over John McCain in the 2008 Iowa caucuses, thus resulting in me voting for Obama for president. I wish I could say that in my regret over supporting him that I was at least foolish enough to buy into the whole "Hope and Change" slogan, but being usually skeptical of all politicians I merely thought he was a decent enough politician worthy of my vote, unlike the others running for office at the time. Things change, however, and by this year I had decided that Obama not being reelected was not a bad thing, provided the GOP field had some halfway decent candidates. After doing some heavy research over the span of a year, I decided to caucus for Ron Paul.

Mostly I was attracted to his stances on civil liberties, and the fact that he advocated cutting both taxes and spending, something that this country needs to do to emerge from a rather bad period of low economic growth, a higher deficit, and less optimistic outlooks on the future. While Mitt Romney appears as a merely decent/sub-standard option (the rest of the GOP field being rather laughable, unfortunately), I will admit that him rather conveniently changing his positions on some issues to be off putting, to say the least. Yet, when compared with President Obama I would probably consider voting for Mitt Romney instead if he is the nominee for president, or just writing in Ron Paul. Although one can argue that doing such a thing is "Wasting One's Vote," I have always been under the mindset that the only way someone "Wastes" their vote is by not voting.

Now the Republican caucus turned out to be rather different from the Democratic caucus in some regards. Regular party business was discussed, and from my memory I do not think the Democratic caucus in 2008 had planks (issues that people could choose to support via their signatures), although I could be wrong. Unlike the Democratic way of choosing candidates, which involved people forming into different groups, with the process ending with the top three groups who got the most candidates, the GOP caucus was a bit less chaotic. People were actually invited to stand up at the podium and speak in favor of their candidates, and then after more party business was discussed everyone in the audience was given a piece of paper and told to vote for their candidate, which is more of a secret ballot process.

Both styles of caucus are rather interesting, although I must say that the GOP process is a lot faster although less entertaining. Since I am usually a registered Independent, there is a decent chance I might be participating in either caucus depending on the candidates each election cycle, although maybe I'll finally choose a party in the next 10 years and stick with it.

Most Anticipated 2012

This is a premature list, and it will be subject to edit as the year goes on, especially since IMDB.com did not have any listenings past November. New Note: Anticipating of Films Will Shift Based on Trailers/Interest. Also * indicates that I have already seen a trailer/teaser for the movie.

1. Moonrise Kingdom*-93
2. Django Unchained*-100
3. The Dark Knight Rises*-95
4. Skyfall*-95
5. Prometheus*-92
6. The Hobbit Part 1*-88
7. The Hunger Games*
8. The Avengers*-87
9. Brave*
10. Cosmopolis*
11. The Woman In Black*
12. Lawless*
13. Dark Shadows*
14. Gangster Squad*
15. Total Recall*
16. The Amazing Spider-Man*
17. The Expandables 2*-80
18. Looper*
19. Killing Them Softly-92
20. Safety Not Guaranteed*-91

HMs:

1. Looking For A Friend For The End Of The World*
2. The Watch*
3. The Hunter*
4. Lockout*
5. Men In Black III*
6. The Campaign*
7. Argo-94
8. Taken 2
9. Gravity
10. American Reunion*-80

You're Not Really Paranoid If They're Really After You

Considered part of an unofficial "Apartment" trilogy consisting also of Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Tenant (1976), each of these movies not only features paranoia, but also focus on how close quarters can led to claustrophobic feelings, possibly ending in madness. Polanski is rather negative in Repulsion (1965), inferring in this trilogy that you cannot trust your neighbors or even close friends and family. He repeated this idea of "Trust No One" in some of his other movies, too, such as Chinatown (1974) and his latest, The Ghost Writer (2010).

The main underlying force in this film is sex-after all, the rather fragile and delicate female protagonist, Carole (played by Catherine Deneuve) has a truly warped view of reality. Her nightmares are disturbingly real, and therefore Polanski begins to slowly but surely blending fantasy and reality to accelerate the decaying of this girl's mind. She slowly descends into insanity, as the film never stops being terrifying or really lets up after this poor girl is left alone in the apartment she shares with her sister. Withdrawing into herself even further is just the final straw, as further exemplified by her failure to realize a potential suitor is not trying to murder her.

In a rather clever fashion, Polanski masks the true reasons for her behavior, never stating what ends up being rather obvious. The final act is fairly outlandish by necessity, signaling Carole's final break with what is true and what is false. It also includes a moment that is cruelly ironic, especially considering what previously transpired. In some ways her fears were justified, yet really they reflected a twisted version of feminist paranoia, where women must be on their guard against wolves in men's clothing.

Considering that the 1960s was the decade of Cold War fears of communist invasion and infiltration, plus nuclear annihilation, Polanski's films fit in quite well, which is a tad unnerving since they reflect a bleaker view of humanity. The fact that 1960s horror and suspense fixated on fear of the other, and mistrust of strangers is fascinating, perhaps reflective of that era and building on the previous decade's mistrust of anything different. 95

This Neighborhood Watch Doesn't Screw Around

In some ways a homage to other similar sci-fi, horror, and action movies, yet also offering its own twist on such material, Attack the Block is pretty good. Even a tad unique, perhaps, and the film never really lets up once it gets going. Although there are some racial and economic politics lurking underneath, the movie really doesn’t take any time to explore them, which is probably its greatest weakness. Still it’s really entertaining and a lot of great fun to watch. The largely unknown cast plus Nick Frost is pretty good, and the film has oddly sympathetic main characters despite them being lower-class criminals.

The head of the group, Moses, makes the mistake of killing an alien along with the rest of the group. They beat it to death, thinking that’s the end of it, yet this action only starts a small war between the gang members and a hostile race of animalistic aliens. The film has a surprising amount of gore-violence is merely expected since the movie features thieves and gangsters. Frost’s role is a tad small, and he’s merely present for comedic relief only in a movie where aliens with glowing eyes are killing people and threatening others. Since the group does not have access to guns, it makes things even more suspenseful, as they have to use simple, home made weapons to battle back the menace threatening their lives.

Taking grace notes from Aliens, Tremors, Assault On Precinct 13, and others, Attack the Block is a good addition to the sci-fi and action genres. Considering its tight budget restraints, the FX looks great, and despite it being tightly paced the movie oddly manages to develop its characters enough that the audience actually has a reaction to them. Joe Cornish clearly has a sense of style, pacing, and economy, and thus he will hopefully go on to make bigger and even better movies. Oh and yes I would like a sequel, despite how the film actually turned out. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen. 90

Troubles Lying Underneath the Surface

One of Nicholas Ray’s earlier, more well known films, this one is as much a romantic drama as it is a film noir. The main character, Jim, portrayed by Robert Ryan, is a brute, a violent detective working in a bleak urban jungle. In one scene, he mercilessly beats up a suspect, uttering “Why do you do it? Why do they all do it? You know I’m gonna make you talk. I make all your punks talk.” It’s a rather chilling moment, and it only illustrates how close to the edge this man really is.

Rebuked for this disturbing act, he’s shipped out to the countryside to solve a murder. There, he finds a father bent on taking justice into his own hands, and thus Jim experiences a role reversal. Jim goes from being the aggressor to advocating restraint, which begins his transformation into a more civilized man. Even though he too wants to see the killer caught, this time he opts for by the book. No loose cannon, rule breaking or bending this time. The father, in criticizing Jim’s notions of justice as being that of the city, only underlines Ryan’s slow realization that his previous ways were wrong, or at the very least gross overreacting.

Ida Lupino’s blind woman, who ends up actually being the killer’s sister, throws a wrench into all of this. Here the film switches from noir to love story, as she melts Jim’s cold heart and dents his gruff exterior. Either she will be the key to his salvation, or damn him to loneliness. How that plays out must be viewed, and I really found the film’s conclusion to be a bit unsatisfying. Ray’s original’s ending was scrapped in favor of what the studio wanted, which is a shame.

Boasting incredible, expansive cinematography that captures the lonely and empty landscape covered in snow, On Dangerous Ground is a really good film. The score by famous composer Bernard Herrmann also adds to the proceedings, and Ryan turns in another fine performance. Ray has made better movies than this one, but once again he his themes of alienation and lonely souls seeking companionship in a harsh world, shines through. 85

MadMan's Totally Awesome DVR List

Ah the magic and wonder of DVR. Its a good thing to have, especially since it doesn't require a VCR or having to endlessly buy blank tapes. Here's a list of movies I have to view and delete so I can have space for more movies and TV shows:

*Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
*Equinox (1970)-85
*Limelight (1952)-95
*Night and the City (1950)
*The Devil's Bride aka The Devil Rides Out (1968)-84
*The Lusty Men (1952)-90
*They Drive By Night (1940)-80
*This Gun For Hire (1942)-92
*The Films of Georges Melies (1890s-1910s) 
*Quick Change (1990)

The Disjointed Angry Ramblings of the Disenfranchised

Some of you are already familiar with the whole "Occupy Wall Street" movement, which has emerged out of nowhere and has captured attention, both negative and positive. They are the ones behind that catchy slogan "We are the 99%!" and have also been known for taking over parks and streets while engaging in "Mic Checks" and waving signs. Really its a rather loose collection of people who became angry enough to exercise their First Amendment rights in a rather epic and outlandish fashion, and that's fine so long as they do not cause violence. What's rather curious about how everything has gone up to this point is that there have only been isolated incidents of violence committed by protesters, where as police brutality and negative reports of police overreacting have become fairly widespread.

Now I do not actually condone the movement, even if I can possibly understand their frustration. Its great that people still care enough to try to fight the powers that be and engage in freedom of assembly and protest. Wonderful. But you won't seem me joining them because I do not believe they will achieve anything with this. Now if they all had a million dollars, it would be different, because then they could get into all those wonderful meetings with Congresspeople that the rich so seem to enjoy. Wall Street however is not solely to blame for the current economic recession/depression/malaise. After all, the politicians decided to deregulate, to completely gut the protections this country previously had against the big firms such as Fannie Mac from going under and requiring bailout money with no strings attached.

Such deals were utterly terrible, especially since most of the bailouts also involved the corporations getting these bailouts not having to fully pay back the money loaned to them. I could go on and on about the 2008 mess, but it is not doing us any good so we'll look to the present. There are those who say that the OWS movement does not need one voice, that it should be unwilling to form a cohesive message. Yes they are afraid of being taken over by a Democratic party that is just as responsible for the mess we are in as the Republican party is, since after all both parties cater to the rich at the expense of the middle and lower classes. Sooner or later all this anger about income inequality and the fact that the richest people in this country hold most of the wealth is going to boil over. God help us if it ends up doing so.

Violence is really the last thing I want to see happen, and its disgusting that a woman was actually maced in the face. Such nasty tactics should not occur, however in the interest of fairness there are more accounts of the police just watching the crowds and leaving them to their own devices, provided the crowds do not turn violent or angry in any way. Another issue with the movement is that it has attracted crazies and even racists, but as The Tea Party can attest to once a group is started you are bound to get some loonies who jump onto the bandwagon, often looking to cause trouble. Its funny that I dislike both the OWS and Tea Party movements, when to a certain extent both groups are looking for a common solution while debating different aims to accomplish that and bring America out of its current economic crisis.

The American Dream is not dead, last time I checked.