One Movie A Day Remix

Day 222: December 8th, 2010

Chain Letter



People die from a chain letter......A CHAIN LETTER.

A chain letter is forwarded to a one kid online, he decides to forward it to some of his friends. Those who forward the chain letter live, those who don't die.

The film Chain Letter went wrong in many places, so many that it pains me to write this review because that would mean I have to remember parts of the movie. Here is a film so boring, unimaginative and down right stupid that it almost doesn't qualify as a horror film. The one and only thing the film has going for it are some gruesome death scenes, yet even those aren't that great. So now that I have that one and only positive out in the open, let me address the numerous issues this film has.

For starters, the script. You should always start with the script, or in this case, lack there of. Chain Letter has a simple premise. People are dying because they don't forward a chain letter. Now, the direction the film could have taken and if they did, would have made it a hundred times more interesting, is a supernatural route. Instead, they went with some cult route that has a killer, deemed The Chain Man, tracking these kids down through technology and killing them with his chains. I had a good laugh seeing this monster type on a laptop.

The story had some interesting bits to it that are only mentioned and never explored. The cult of people who hate technology, is shown to us at the last minute and we never get the chance to go deeper than that. This part could have helped the film if they would actually pursue it, but they thought it would be more interesting to bore the audience to death. Both Keith David and Brad Dourif seem to be trying in their poorly written and underused roles, but even they seem to know they are in a stinker of a movie.

We never got the opportunity to like, or even hate the characters. I would hope that the film would at least make some characters clichéd enough to hate, but not here. These characters were so one dimensional I was surprised they got actors at all. I don't remember a single character from this movie, other than the detective and the teacher (David and Dourif). Sadly the film is too boring to even remember characters enough to hate.

There is no climax. The film has no rising action, it goes from one kill to the next. There isn't even a main character. Once you think it's the female, but then we end up spending more time with the detective. The movie doesn't know who's who or where it wants to go. It's a confusing mess, so much that we get to see the title sequence TWICE. We literally get to see the title of the movie pop up in the exact same manner twice. For what purpose? You either start with the title, or end with the title and go to black. Don't do both, then have a few minutes of random images afterwards. It makes no sense.

The writers, directors and producers have no idea what they were doing. The movie is competently done, but what good is that? The only people who seemed to know what they were doing were the special effects guys, dishing out the blood. The Chain Man is forgettable, this movie is a complete mess and I wouldn't even consider calling it a horror film. Delete this Chain Letter and move on with your life.

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

As for the Harry Potter films, I would rank them as follows:

Prisoner of Azkaban
Deathly Hallows
Half Blood Prince
Goblet of Fire
Philosopher's Stone
Order of the Phoenix
Chamber of Secrets

Yeah, I'd actually rate them about the same. Good reviews, by the way.

I've only seen the first four movies but could you say something more about Chamber of Secrets? It's easily up there with Azkaban for me. I thought the effects and cinematography and the whole visualization of hogwarts were just fantastic. I like the plot of that and Azkaban the best too.

I cannot blame the guy, though. I cannot blame him. This scene shocked the hell out of me, yet it displays so much brutal honesty -- of course you'd masturbate to your brother's sex tape if your brother is Jake Gyllenhaal. Hell, I would have called that Criterion Collection company and had them transfer it to a nice Blu-ray for me and everyone else.

Dobbie the house elf is to the Harry Potter series as Jar Jar Binks was to the Star Wars prequels.

The special effects were hit or miss for me. I think the car sequence is some of the worst I've seen from the series and the acting from the kids wasn't any better than it was from the first film. They certainly are better now.

The running time is a factor against it as well, being the longest Harry Potter film it drags in a lot of places. I find it funny that the longest book (Order of the Phoenix) is the shortest film.

Day 223: December 9th, 2010

Blackmail



Silent, no more.

Alfred Hitchcock, a master of the craft, gives us a tale about a woman who kills a man with a knife in self defense. This man tried to rape her you see, so the only logical way to get him to stop was to kill him. A witness to the murder decides to blackmail (get it?) the young woman, played by Anny Ondra.

The film was made in 1929 and sync sound became possible, therefore there were really two versions of the film shot. One with sound, one without. The studio wanted the ending to have sound, mainly because of the success of The Jazz Singer. Hitchcock filmed more than just the ending with sound, which means that this film is generally received as the first British talkie.

Hitchcock used sound to his advantage, emphasizing certain key words such as knife. Different voices wereused for the actors in the scenes because some of them, Anny Ondra, had thick accents. This was parodied in the film about the transition from silent to talkies Singing in the Rain.

The film is not only suspenseful, as most Hitchcock films are, but it asks the viewer some intelligent questions. Alice, the main character, feels guilty about killing the man, but should she? He did try to rape her. I also found the use of sound to be particularly brilliant (even if it's completely amateur). Important plot points are expressed with the aid of sound and since this wasn't used beforehand, it marks quite a distinctive jump in film, for me at least.

Despite all the greatness, the film does drag in a lot of places. It's one of his more ambitious films, integrating sound, but he still hadn't mastered the craft of film making yet. If there were only a few Hitchcock films I could tell you to see, this one wouldn't be near the top of the list.

Day 224: December 10th, 2010

Triumph of the Will



In the words of Hitler himself..."incomparable glorification of the power and beauty of our Movement".

With the recommendation from mark f, Triumph of the Will found it's way into my dvd player. Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will is a propaganda/documentary film about the Nazi rallies upon the arrival of Hitler.

Unlike a lot of other directors, Riefenstahl had final cut on the film; no interference from authorities. Along with the fact that she was one of the first female directors makes this an astonishing accomplishment.

The opening sequences, which is arguably the most famous part of the film, "Arrival of the Saviour", depicts Hitler arriving from a plane. Many people who were not rich had never been in a plane at the time and this experience was new and exciting. This scene is meant to mystify the audience in glorious awe. Here is a man so powerful he flies above the clouds.

There are numerous shots of Hitler from lower angles, thus giving him the stature of power. These things are done in dozens of films today. The scene in which he stands outside a window is shot from below, showing that he is above everyone else and the people below continue to praise him.

Whether or not I agree with the content being shown, I admire how it is presented. The themes present in the film are power and unity. Hitler uses his power to try and unite a nation to see and pursue his goals.

Day 225: December 11th, 2010

The Grapes of Wrath



It's an older film, so I have to like it, right?

John Ford's The Grapes of Wrath is based on the book by John Steinbeck and is regarded as one of the greatest American films ever made. The film deals with a poor family who are forced off their land and travel to California suffering from the Great Depression.

The main themes within the film centre on depression. This one family depicted in the film speaks for thousands of others with the same problems. The film has some great cinematography, look at the scene in which the entire place is dark, with only one light source being a candle. The entire scene is shot with close-ups, so the audience doesn't get the chance to see what's going to happen. Clearly we aren't suppose to, and this is the director showing control.

The scene with the caterpillar tractors heading towards the farm is a powerful one. We have this one little man standing up to a machine, sadly it fails. The screen itself has the tractor trails super-imposed on it, hitting the audience with the message that nothing is going to stop these men and their machines.

I personally thought the scenes in this film were beautifully shot and powerful. Every character feels real and you connect with them, their poverty. We feel what they feel, we are powerless to stop the caterpillar tractors, just like the characters.

Who told you to start watching good movies and why didn't they tell you sooner?

Everyone....and they all tried.

I can once again state how great The Grapes of Wrath is

Day 226: December 12th, 2010

Little Caesar



Hey look guys, a film from 1930.

Mervyn Leroy's film Little Caesar is a depression theme film that centres around crime and moving up the ladder within the mob. Along with Scarface (1932) and Public Enemy (1931) it was one of the first influential gangster films and starred Edward G. Robinson.

Fitting in with the gangster film formula, Little Caesar has the characters overdressed with overcoats and broad-brimmed hats. Along with many other gangster related films, Little Caesar is about wanting power...and more of it.

Rico, is an ambitious and power hungry character. He climbs up the corporate ladder and wants to be somebody. He's willing to kill anybody that gets in his way. Of course, with everything that goes up, i must come down. The final scene shows the inevitable downfall of Rico.

It's clearly easy to see the influences to the films we see today. Little Caesar had a huge impact on the world of cinema. Without it, we wouldn't have films like Goodfellas or The Godfather. The film, even though looking and sounding very dated, still managed to draw me in, showing me an interesting insight on how the gangster genre got it's jump start.

The performances from Edward G. Robinson is very believable and Glenda Farrell does an admirable job as the sexual ornament between characters. The film still sits in many people's minds, mainly from the memorable line. "Mother of mercy, is this the end of Rico?

I can still remember the first time I saw Little Caesar. I completely agree with your rating, TUS.

Day 227: December 13th, 2010

City of Gold



Compelling documentary.

City of Gold is an interesting film for the simple fact that the entire film is still images. These still images still manage to tell a story, not in the conventional way that La Jetee does though. Then again, calling La Jetee conventional is a weird statement.

City of Gold, which was nominated for an Oscar and is narrated by Pierce Berton, parallels the universal immigrant experience, focusing mainly on the experiences of the men. It is constructed like a silent film, using visual elements to tell a story with music and narration. The viewer never sees the edges of the still photos, giving the feeling that it goes on forever. As if there are no restrictions, the world they are presenting to us goes beyond the frame of the camera.

This was done with extremely careful framing and composition so the viewer would know what the meaning of the shot was when something is zoomed in on and focused. A documentary doesn't need moving pictures to tell a story, City of Gold is proof of this. The bare essentials of telling a story is there, that's all that is needed.

I found that the fact that they were able to tell a compelling story, only in images, was very innovative. We are so use to seeing moving images and when something like this comes along we are blown away by the simplicity of it all. The simplicity that takes very careful care and extreme attention to detail to make something like this work.

Day 228: December 14th, 2010

La Jetee



Wasn't this called 12 Monkeys?


Speaking of La Jetee, I watched La Jetee. Another film that is told in still images. The difference is that this one is a dramatic fictional story, set in the future when man is driven underground after a nuclear holocaust. The film is very short, but has enough depth and detail to keep the viewer engaged. This makes it feel grander than one would imagine.

The images are in black & white, giving the feeling of wartime journalism. Humans are sent underground, we are sent back in time. Suspense and drama can be made with the amount of time each shot was held. For thrills, the shot would go by at a faster pace. For suspense it might go a little slower, stalling on some images.

Despite the fact that the film is presented to us with the use of still images, it doesn't feel restricted by it. The film is free to tell the story that it wants to. This film heavily inspired the science fiction films we see today, look at Blade Runner and The Matrix. None more so than 12 Monkeys. Along with the same plot lines, the films final scene is almost a shot for shot re-imaging of La Jetee.

I really enjoyed this short film, it was suspenseful and fresh. It sent chills down my spine to think that this could be our potential future, is we are continuing down the road we are on.

Day 229: December 15th, 2010

12 Monkeys



Wasn't this called La Jetee?

12 Monkeys is a science fiction film set in the future, when humans are run underground after a virus breaks out on the surface. Hmm, sounds like La Jattee, only with a different reasoning behind the driving force to send the humans underneath. A man must go into the past to learn more about the virus in order to stop it, but is sent back too far and is committed to a mental institution.

The final scene screams La Jatee and you can't deny the heavy inspiration it was to this one. In the last scene you see young Cole, he sees his death as a man. His entire life if a circle, continuing on and on. The final scene is in slow motion, not only to emphasize the emotion, but because this is the first time both the younger and the older Cole are present together in one scene. We see flashes of this scene throughout the entire film presented in normal speed because it's all in Cole's head. Now we see it actually happening and we see time slow down. It's the part in Cole's life when he ends his adult life and begins his new life, as a child.

I personally enjoyed this film and it ranks as one of my favourite science fiction film to date. Both Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis give career defining performances and the unique vision of Terry Gilliam adds more bizarre depths than any other filmmaker could have done. I still enjoy the film on repeated viewings.

Great review! I remember watching La Jetee on youtube after discovering that Gilliam's 12 monkeys was inspired by it.

I'm liking this run of films you watched in December, Suspect.

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

I'm still no Twelve Monkeys fan. There are many films made in the last dozen or so years which people who are in their 20s or so (and Holden ) seem to love which leave me as cold as ice.

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