All of the following were dutifully reviewed by my collaborators during their theatrical run.
Transformers – Original review: here. Never boring, usually entertaining, dumb fun from Michael Bay, who has never seen an inanimate object he couldn’t smash. Shia Labeouf continues to amaze moving through one ridiculous situation after another with dexterity, plausibility, and conviction. Tough to see John Turturro slumming for a paycheck though, Jon Voight – I’m used to. B-
The Hoax – Original review: here. A well-made, well-acted movie about lying womanizers with no redeeming qualities. Yet another interesting episode about the remarkable Howard Hughes is sent to the big screen - this time by the second best Swedish director ever: Lasse Hallstrom. But shouldn’t we feel bad glorifying those who only exist to be glorified? B
Friday, October 19, 2007
Recent DVD Releases
28 Weeks Later – Original review: here. Tons of blood and gore are not my thing. But I do like the randomness of the victims - where no one is safe. It’s effective enough with plenty of jolts for those who enjoy this type of thing. Still, it’s tough to watch the American military-as-villains become the vogue this year. Made by a bunch of libs who insist they support the troops. If it sounds like BS, looks like BS, and smells like BS, you don’t need to taste it. C+
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5 comments:
while i agree with your assessment that the u.s. military is a punching bag at the moment, i think it's worth noting that 28 weeks later was directed by Juan Carlso Fresnadillo, a spaniard, who makes no pretense (that i know of) of either being a u.s. patriot or supportive of our troops. that would go doubly for The Host director Joon-ho Bong. and this is what bothers me quite a bit more than american directors. by-and-large i think they are using the cinema to air their constitutionally-protected opinions of u.s. policy, and, in so doing, painting with a ridiculously broad brush. but the move in the foreign films to use the american military and americans in general as stock "bad guy" characters is more problematic for me. they are using american soldiers the way Nazi soldiers are used in the first and third Indiana Jones' pics. In the u.s., we can assume that movie-goers are aware that they are watching one view of american military. for many foreigners, there is no competing view.
I suppose I knew something like that was coming since I felt 28 Weeks was most likely a British production and I didn't research the non-Anglo origin of the director's name. And I didn't clarify that it was an overall feeling - not specific for that movie (although I did post it as specific.)
Take Transformers: Bay and executive producer Spielberg have no problem killing dozens of American soldiers in one of the first scenes. I'm sure everyone in the Eastern hemisphere cheered. I run across Iraq War vets from time to time in the hospital and the guys need to be left alone. They have enough problems without being maliciously attacked from those who claim to support them.
i agree with your overall point. i was only pointing out that, in someways, 28 weeks later illustrates (to me) a more disturbing theme in foreign films of portraying americans as stock "bad guy" characters. while i think the u.s. has made some mistakes in iraq (primarily going there in the first place), we're still much, much better than the insurgents and iraqis we're fighting. i think the portrayal of the american soldier is way out of line in many of the american films. in the valley of elah, for instance, implies that our troops, when they return from battle, have had their moral compasses so screwed up by our policies that they could kill a fellow GI, hack him to pieces, then go out for a big dinner before coming back on base. it's the ultimate cheapshot, followed up by a cheesy song and boistered by a misrepresentation and secularization of the david and goliath story and the insinuation that people that incorporated biblical stories into their life are naive at best. a good insight about the transformers.
There's still hope with yet another Middle East film critical of the US (Rendition) tanking at the box office this weekend. But (as with the Transformers scene), it seems Hollywood is making some of these scenes/films for the foreign market - and famous Oscar winners are signing up.
Are you aware Paul Haggis is a Scientologist?
i was not aware of that. but then again, the only thing i've really liked by him is casino royale. i have a hard time with scientologists. i just can't take their ideas seriously, because they've flunked the basic "i can understand the difference between ideas and systems that makes logical sense and those that don't"
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