Movies Viewed in 2011

Posted on by bernardovillela

This will be one of two running lists I will maintain. This list of all films seen in the year will assist in the assembly of a list of people and films to consider for my end of year awards.

Assorted Shorts and Features

1. Trevor
2. Juego de Niños
3. A Son’s Promise
4. Patrik, Age 1.5
5. Chasing 3000
6. Sin Destino
7. Thunderpants
8. Damned if You Don’t
9. Tom Brown’s School Days (1940)
10. Careful
11. Twilight of the Ice Nymphs
12. Time to Leave
13. Romulus, My Father
14. Following
15. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
16. Shiver
17. Army of Crime
18. Enter the Void
19. Alamar
20. Dogtooth
21. Hercules Against the Moon Men
22. Let Me In
23. Little Men (1935)
24. Boogeyman
25. Shutter
26. Mrs. Miniver
27. Blake of Scotland Yard (1937; theatrical cut)
28. Boys Town
29. Men of Boys Town
30. Modern Times
31. Witness for the Prosecution
32. The Champ
33. Manhattan Melodrama
34. Peck’s Bad Boy with the Circus
35. Peck’s Bad Boy
36. Frankenstein (1910; Edison)
37. Bout de Zan Steals an Elephant
38. La jetée
39. Is Anybody There?
40. Rabid Dogs
41. Kidnapped
42. Four Times That Night
43. 5 Dolls for an August Moon
44. Baron Blood
45. Bay of Blood
46. Roy Colt & Winchester Jack
47. House of Exorcism
48. Lisa and the Devil
49. The Girl Who Knew Too Much
50. Knives of the Avenger
51. Kill, Baby…Kill
52. Night of the Hunter
53. Black Sunday
54. Black Sabbath
55. Texas Chain Saw Massacre
56. Sounds Like
57. Right to Die
58. Valerie on the Stairs
59. The Washingtonians
103. My Boy Jack
104. Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
107. Boy of the Streets
108. Triumph of the Will
111. King of the Rocketmen
112. Etoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet
113. Friday the 13th: Part VII: The New Blood
114. Friday the 13th: Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan
115. Devil Fish
116. Attack of the Giant Leeches
117. B.T.K.
118. Pod People
119. The Giant Gila Monster
120. Piranha (1978)
121. Quicksilver Highway
122. Bambi
123. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
124. Jason Goes to Hell
125. Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe
126. Demented
127. Leave Her To Heaven
128. Oceans
129. Berlin: Symphony of a Great City
130. The Amazing Transparent Man
131. Basket Case
132. Blood Bath
133. Manhunt in Space
134. Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars
135. Dance of the Dead
136. Dark Floors
137. The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies
138. Demented
139. Shoot the Piano Player
143. 8 Femmes
144. The Redeemer: The Son of Satan
145. The Offspring
146. Red Zone Cuba
147. The Complete Metropolis (1927/2010)
148. What About Juvenile Delinquency
149. The Atomic Brain
150. Until the Light Takes Us
151. The Girl in Lovers’ Lane
152. Somers Town
153.Dumb & Dumber
155. Speech: Platform Position and Posture
156. Bloody Birthday
157. Posture Pals
158. Appreciating Our Parents
159. The Unearthly
160. Beginning of the End
161. The Girl in the Gold Boots
161. Tormented
162. The Indestructable Man
164. C.H.U.D.
165. Hamlet
169. Are You Ready for Marriage?
170. Charlie
171. Racket Girls
172. Sex & Breakfast
173. Milo
174. Tom and Lola
177. Martin
178. Dead Silence
179. The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
180. The Truck Farmer
181. I Accuse My Parents
182. Johnnie at the Fair
183. The Rebel Set
184. The First Spaceship to Venus
185. Die Wilden Kerle 2
187. Mad Monster
189. Earth
190. Warrior of the Lost World
191. The Beatniks
192. Mickey
193. The Crawling Eye
194. Hard Rock Zombies
196. Gunslinger
197. Easy A
198. What To Do On A Date
199. Swamp Diamonds
200. Junior Rodeo Daredevils
201. The Killer Shrews
202. Secret Agent Super Dragon
203. Circus on Ice
204. Monster A Go-Go
205. Crash of Moons
207. Monsters
209. The Nickel Children
210. The Corpse Vanishes
211. Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead
212. Phantasm IV: Oblivion
213. Child’s Play 3
214. Hellbound: Hellraiser 2
215. Echo (Ekko)
216. Teacher’s Pet
217. Saving Silverman
219. The Naked Gun
221. It’s Alive
222. Ballad of a Soldier
223. Black Orpheus
226. Bed and Board
227. Porcile
228. Knife in the Water
229. Sans Soleil
230. The Invisible Man
231. The Neverending Story
232. The Brood
235. A Dennis the Menace Christmas
236. Charcoal People
237. Robot Monster
240. Tell Your Children
250. Harpoon: Whale Watching Massacre
251. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
252. Reservoir Dogs
253. Jackie Brown
254. Pulp Fiction
255. Funhouse
263. The Box Man
264. Roads to Koktebel
265. The Howling
268. Biutiful
276. On the Shoulders of Giants
277. The Fab Five
279. Bride Wars
282. The Fugitive Kind
283. The Flyboys (aka Sky Kids)
285. Estômago
286. Cheiro de Ralo
287. Date Night
288. The Ballad of Nessie
290. Birdemic: Shock and Terror
294. Puppet Master
295. The Boogeyman (1980)
296. Demonic Toys
297. Smoke (Dym)
301. Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
302. Screamtime
303. Dolls
305. Troll 2
306. Dark Tower
307. Dolly Dearest
309. Hellraiser IV: Bloodline
311. Hellraiser V: Inferno
312. Hellraiser VI: Hellseeker
313. Logan
314. Hellraiser: Deader
315. Hellraiser: Hellworld
316. Tremors 2: Aftershocks
317. The Concert
320. The Baby’s Room
321. The Horde
322. From Within
323. Duck Soup
324. Flying Deuces
335. Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia
341. Touch of Evil
342. Frankenstein
343. Bride of Frankenstein
344. Son of Frankenstein
345. Ghost of Frankenstein
346. House of Frankenstein
348. The Lost Boys
349. Planet Terror
350. Death Proof
351. Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice
352. Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest
353. Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering
354. The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (2010; TV)
355. Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
356. Children of the Corn 666: Isaac’s Return
357. Children of the Corn: Revelation
358. Children of the Corn (2009)
359. Gamera
360. Gamera vs. Guiron
364. Creature from the Black Lagoon
365. Gamera vs. Zigra
366. Children of the Corn (1984)
367. Gamera vs. Baguron
368. Gamera vs. Gaos
374. The Thing (1982)
375. The Lion King (2011, 3D re-release)
376. The Monster Squad
377. In the Mouth of Madness
378. They Live
381. Escape From New York
385. Demons 6: De Profundis (aka The Black Cat)
388. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
390. Fantasia
391. Fantasia 2000
392. Dumbo
393. Nic and Tristan Go Mega Dega
395. Strike
396. Glumov’s Diary
397. The Cold Eyes of Fear
401. Ghoulies
402. To Let
403. Spider
404. Dorm
405. Session 9
406. Die Wilden Kerle 3: Die Attack Der Bestiegen Biester
407. Der Wilden Kerle 5: Hinter Dem Horizont
411. The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad
412. I Bury the Living
413. The Brain That Wouldn’t Die
414. Burnt Offerings
415. A Slit-Mouthed Woman a.k.a Carved
416. Trick ‘r Treat
417. Little Hercules
418. The Catman of Paris
419. Hellion: The Devil’s Playground a.k.a Cubbyhouse
420. Mad Monster Party
421. Forget Me Not
422. Videodrome
423. Return of the Living Dead
424. Audrey Rose
426. Wicked Little Things
427. The Chair
428. The Exorcist
434. Psycho
435. Final Destination
436. High Tension
437. Final Destination 2
440. Final Destination 3
441. The Final Destination
442. [REC]
443. Lake Mungo
445. Blood River
446. The Nameless
448. Boys’ Reformatory
449. [REC] 2
450. Pontypool
451. Face to Face
454. Taris
455. A Propos de Nice
456. Zéro de Conduite
457. L’Atalante
458. Pepito y La lámpara Maravillosa
459. Who Can Kill a Child?
462. The Wild Child
463. The White Ribbon
464. The Omen
465. The Fly (1986)
466. Jurassic Park
467.Berlin Alexanderplatz
468. Pit Pony (1997)
469. Burning Secret
470. Last Day of Summer
471. The Legend of Hell House
474. Out in the Silence
475. Carrie
476. Frankenhooker
477. Black Moon
478. Rare Exports
479. Rare Exports Inc.
480. Rare Exports Inc. – The Official Safety Instructions
483. Mallrats
488. Giorgio Moroder Presents Metropolis
492. Creepshow 2

Academy Award Nominated and Commended Shorts

60. Madagascar, A Journey Diary
61. Let’s Pollute
62. The Gruffalo
63. The Lost Thing
64. Day & Night
65. Urs
66. The Cow That Wanted to Be a Hamburger
67. The Confession
68. Wish 143
69. Na Wewe
70. The Crush
71. God of Love

Shorts of Jan Svankmajer

72. The Last Trick
73. Historia Naturae
74. Johann Sebastian Bach
75. Don Juan
76. The Garden
77. The Castle of Otranto
78. Darkness/Light/Darkness
80. Manly Games
81. The Ossuary

Internet Archive and Assorted Shorts

82. The Black Imp
83. Satan in Prison
84. Robinson Crusoe
85. A Trip to the Moon
86. The Kid
87. A Dog’s Life
95. Un Chien Andalou
96. Donald in Mathmagic Land
97. Six Men Getting Sick
98. The Alphabet
99. Lumière
100. The Amputee
105. The Grandmother
106. The Cowboy and the Frenchman
109. Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers
110. Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave
111. Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out
167. Displaced
270-273 Stille Nacht 1-4
288. The Ballad of Nessie
299. Anemic Cinema
447. Pardon Our Pups

Gray Area Films

88. The King’s Speech
89. True Grit
90. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 3D

Eligible Titles for BAM 2011

91. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
92. The Green Hornet
93. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D
94. The Rite
95. I Am Number Four
100. Unknown
101. Battle: Los Angeles
102. The Adjustment Bureau
140. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
141. Winter in Wartime
142. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
154. Insidious
159. Source Code
163. Hanna
166. Soul Surfer
168. The Wrong Ferrari
175. Hop
176. Scream 4
186. Win Win
188. African Cats
194. Prom
195. Fast Five
206. Thor
208. Meek’s Cutoff
218. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
220. Bridesmaids
224. Alabama Moon
225. That’s What I Am
233. The Hangover Part II
234. The First Beautiful Thing
238. X-Men: First Class
239. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
242. Super 8
241. The Human Resources Manager
243. Brotherhood
244. Even the Rain
245. I Saw the Devil
246. Black Death
247. Toast
248. In a Better World
249. The Tree of Life
256. Hobo with a Shotgun
257. Trollhunter
258. Green Lantern
259. The Art of Getting By
260. Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summmer
261. Midnight in Paris
262. The Other Woman
266. Kaboom
267. Bad Teacher
269. White Lion
270. Anneliese: The Exorcist Tapes
274. NEDs
275. The Way Back
278. Big Mama’s House: Like Father, Like Son
280. Olhos Azuis
281. As Melhores Coisas do Mundo
284. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
289. Winnie the Pooh
291. Rubber
292. Zookeeper
293. The Resident
298. The Ward
300. Heartbeats
304. Cowboys & Aliens
308. Captain America: The First Avenger
310. Crazy, Stupid, Love
318. The Suite Life Movie
319. Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure
325. 13 Assassins
326. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
327. Terri
328. The Inheritance
329. Stake Land
330. Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
331. Senna
332. Final Destination 5
333. Dream House
334. The Reef
336. Fright Flick
337. The Help
338. Fright Night
339. Conan the Barbarian
340. Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D
346. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
347. Our Idiot Brother
351. The Hole
352. Shark Night 3D
361. Creature
362. Dolphin Tale
363. The Tree
366. The Beaver
369. Super
370. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
371. Red State
372. Bereavement
373. Le Quattro Volte
379. Potiche
380. The Music Never Stopped
382. Housemaid
383. Exorcismus
384. The Colors of the Mountain
386. Drive
387. Contagion
389. Hesher
394. Abduction
398. 50/50
399. The Guard
400. Brighton Rock
408. Catching Hell
409. Renée
410. Real Steel
414. The Dotted Line
421. The Thing
425. Charismatic
429. Paranormal Activity 3
430. The Three Musketeers
431. Fireflies in the Garden
432. Martha Marcy May Marlene
433. Take Shelter
438. The Real Rocky
439. White Irish Drinkers
444. Atrocious
452. Puss in Boots
453. Unguarded
460. Turkey Bowl
461. Tower Heist
462. Anonymous
472. J. Edgar
473. 11-11-11
475. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 1
476. Into the Abyss
481. Hugo
482. The Muppets
484. Melancholia
485. Attack the Block
486. Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension
487. Game Time: Tackling the Past
489. Bill Cunningham New York
490. Beginners
491. Turtle: The Incredible Journey
493. Deadtime Stories 2 In Progress
494. Limitless
495. Take Me Home Tonight
496. Life in a Day
497. Le Havre
498. Good Neighbors
499. A Borrowed Life
500. “Master Harold”…and the Boys
501. The Arbor
502. Poetry
503. Neverland
504. Deadtime Sories: Volume 2
505. Buck
506. Snowmen
507. The Chameleon
508. A Better Life
509. The Sitter
510. New Year’s Eve
511. The Skin I Live In
512. We Bought a Zoo
513. The Sleeping Beauty
514. Gnomeo & Juliet
515. Page One: Inside the New York Times
516. Adrift

Film Thought: The Elasticity of Film

Posted on by bernardovillela

Occasionally on Twitter I’ll post a random epiphany-like encapsulation of a belief I have about film in general and hashtag it #filmthought. I have decided to write this one out here because it needs more explanation than Twitter can bear.

Today, I was sitting through my third screening of Hugo (Reviews of some sort on many of the films I’ve seen will come- apologies for being behind on new content) and the theatre I was at had some issues with the polarizer on the 3D projector. The polarizer is essentially what adds the additional D in layman’s terms. If you’re one who is physically or morally averse to 3D you do not want to see it with a polarizer on the fritz. Anyway, that got me thinking, once the issue was resolved, about 3D in very general terms. I will avoid a film if it’s post-converted or slam really poor 3D. However, when there’s an artfulness to it as there is in Hugo and Avatar the technical aspect can wow me personally. For the record, Hugo is an infinitely finer narrative than Avatar.

In watching this tale about the true birth of cinema, at least in part, and seeing such proficiency at the “latest and greatest” innovation I came to a realization. There have been an abundance of articles about how since film is younger than the other arts it always seems to be in peril in the eyes of those who love it most. Whereas 3D, alternate distribution paths and piracy are the big threats once upon a time sound and color threatened to end the seventh art and didn’t.

In a manner of speaking film has gotten somewhat experimental at least in terms of technique. Many techniques are being rolled out before they’re necessarily perfected but solely to innovate. I think a part of the fear of film critics, historians and enthusiasts in general is that they feel history repeats itself and have found cinematic trends to be cannibalistic rather than symbiotic.

That is to say new alternatives present themselves and become dominant rather than an additional option. In the annals of film history, taking all of it into account, it’s becoming one of the more well-rounded arts in terms of media employed. However, what I’d love is for such choices as 2D or 3D, color or black & white, sound or silent to be actual choices.

Think of all the options a filmmaker has in his arsenal if with the potential success of films like Hugo and The Artist.

There are more media than one realizes:

Short

Feature

Color

Black and White

Silent

Animation (Various techniques of animation as well)

3D is medium when there is thought given to it.

Motion capture

And there are even more rare instances for example: The French filmmaker Chris Marker took the still photograph montage, a wrinkle for an editorial change of pace brought in by the New Wave and created an entire film, La jetée, from it.

It is imperative that film keep its elasticity of form. That the evolution of the art creates more creatures with which this art can be expressed rather than killing them off entirely. Some of these creatures may become increasingly rare but survival of the fittest need not apply to an art especially when there are many artists out there who do not want to conform or be mainstream.

In summation, I will always welcome well done 3D and loathe it when it’s lazy and exploitative. There’s always room for more; in film the ways in which visual narratives can be constructed should not be limited. There are as many ways to tell stories as there are to tell them as long as there is an audience. In an ever diversifying world the artform needs to continue to push aesthetic boundaries not hide away in a CG 3D impermeable shell.

Hero Whipped: From Film to Comics (Part 2)

Posted on by bernardovillela

Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan in Tarzan and His Mate (MGM)

Think of my last few statements in cinematic terms. Something like Tarzan has been remade countless times and while rebooting clearly is a cinematic trend one never renumbers films without a purpose, without first having wiped the slate clean. Similarly, rarely is the question asked in film can I watch part 16 and get it. As I’ve stated prior if you can it’s probably a bad film.

There’s two ways it would seem to become a comics fan: one you’re born into it and are reading them from when you’re very young or two you find it later on in life and ask a butt-load of questions.

Cebolinha, Magali, Mônica and her rabbit Sansão, Cascão and Chico Bento (PMDS)

Now, in a way I could’ve been the former. As I mentioned I loved strips and still do. However, for all intents and purposes comics taught me to speak Portuguese. Now granted I always knew it considering my parents came to the US from Brazil, however, my mother would frequently read to me from Mauricio de Sousa’s Turma da Mônica books and it taught me to read in Portuguese and improved my vocabulary (and it does to this day). I also like many American “All Ages” titles. I grew up in an America that still had Harvey’s comics and one of the heartbreaks of my being “born again” was discovering they went under and that I’d only find those character in collections and sometimes costly back issues.

The revamped Gloria, Richie and Dollar (Ape Comics)

However, much to my delight less than a year later two of Harvey’s biggest starts, Richie Rich and Casper, have found a new home at Ape Comics and in my estimation they are thriving but I digress. The superhero realm was aside from being a majority always a daunting prospect and I never quite graduated there.

Growing up on Staten Island I took quite a few classes at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center as a kid and looking through the course offerings one day I decided I’d switch things up and I think the course was labeled Comic Book Drawing or something. I forget if there was a description but what I recall vividly was the course title was misleading. It seemed to be a lot freer than what we got. Essentially, it was a superhero drawing class. Now, I was inexperienced dealing with the human form as an artist in general at the time much less being asked to draw the overly-perfect, and let’s face it, exaggerated superhero bodies. It was a frustrating exercise in futility. While I can’t say I didn’t learn or get anything out of it (namely a character of my creation, a monster named Potroast, who was the hero fighting the evil Loumanna, based on the teacher) I did sense a bit of disdain and frustration from my instructor as well. It wasn’t my aesthetic, he knew it and resented me for it and it was a painful first encounter with comic book elitism.

Thankfully, in my sojourn as a born again thus far I have not met a Loumanna or Comic Book Guy. Allow me to state for the record: I am fine with nerdiness. I am a proud nerd on many subjects what I’m put off by is militant nerds who own the truth and can’t converse civilly or scoff at those who either don’t know or God forbid make a mistake.

So there was another comics trauma. Now one band-aid to the accessibility issue would be the return of some form of editor’s notes. Now I know what you’re thinking: they’re an eye-sore and they take you out of the moment of the story. However, much as the aesthetics of page layouts have changed so too can the dissemination of relevant back issues. It can be included on the front backstory page or at the end. Even with a simple URL. The fact of the matter is this is the Internet Age. I can look up a back issue and buy it off of New Kadia or some other site or go to Comixology or the publisher’s themselves for a digital copy. Specific back issues in most cases can be found if you want to find them.

ALF (Alien Productions)

A perfect example also comes from my journey from one who had disavowed comics to being a born again. When I was a kid, OK and to this day, I loved ALF to no end. I watched the show. I had the lunchbox (Plastic, this was the 80s after all) and I read the comics that Marvel published under its Star imprint (I’ve come to read many of these titles in my rebirth and have liked all of them- REBOOT it at least!). Anyway, whether it was me or my mother on one of her “Your closet’s too full” campaigns, I got rid of them. All of them. I regretted it many times. Suddenly, as I was getting back into comics this came back to me so I started searching the web. Sure enough they were mostly there but people were gouging you for single issues. However, that’s a common Amazon practice so I try E-Bay. Jackpot. A California comic book shop put up the whole series. Numbered and specials for what amounted to LESS than the cover price on each issue. Buy it now I said and that mistake was rectified and I am relishing the overly long re-read process.

So, yes, the internet can provide those valuable back issues. It’s the great equalizer. Similarly with films if you ask me, in college I learned that there was this 7-hour feature, Satantango, that has nothing but rave reviews from all who sat through it all. It had hit E-Bay and I saw it before it hit DVD and wouldn’t have known about it without the web. Granted this makes me sound like a geriatric fool who dances a jig at the marvel of the telephone but the fact remains it’s an incredible tool and one the film industry at the moment is utilizing to far greater effect.

Hero Whipped: From Film to Comics (Part 1)

Posted on by bernardovillela

Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class

This has been a year in films which has been replete, or perhaps over-saturated (depending on your stance), with comic book films. Now for all you fans of semantics (and believe me I am one) I won’t get into the whole “Is that really a genre in and of itself?” discussion as what I am seeking to discuss will be much broader than that one sub-topic. Never the less films based on comics have been plentiful and that is not the only way in which the two art forms have become linked.

In spite of the symbiosis that exists the two industries face very disparate overriding issues at current. While in film one of the many concerns are echoed in the recent statements of Universal Studios chief Ronald Mayer. To be stated succinctly: He said we’ve made a lot of “bad” movies. That statement is rather obvious and questions like what lead you to make project X over project Y and do you plan to change that mechanism any time soon are being largely ignored because we kind of know what that answer is.

Even with a purer decision making process film, like all the arts, is a sort of alchemy wherein the results and impact of a piece can not be guaranteed.

So that’s one of the big bugaboos the film industry is currently contending with, comics has a rather big one also and its underscored by the overwhelming (thus far) success of the New DC Universe, they’ve said don’t call it a reboot so many times they’re starting to sound like a poor excuse for LL Cool J.

While DC has just regained the market share for the first time since 2002 many, more knowledgeable than I, know that the market itself can and needs to grow and initiatives such as this one are what will do it. However, it’s not merely enough to slap a new number on the front of a book and alter the chronology somewhat to appeal to the masses.

I say that speaking as one who in comic book parlance am much closer to being the masses than I am to being an insider.

Due to the fact that I like to think I will be doubted and that I, at times, enjoy explaining things, let me tell you a little story to illustrate my noobness:

I consider myself a comics born again of sorts. It’s been a little more than a year since I started reading them anew and as such I’ve gotten more into them than I ever had before. However, it’s been a little slow. First, I do have many interests that consume time and money that I can’t necessarily dedicate all to comics.

That’s true of most and not that unique. Even avid fans need to prioritize which books to buy at a cost $3-$4 a month each, which to drop, which to trade-wait, etc. I stopped reading before the interwebs really became a part of everyday life. Had I held out I would’ve found more titles of all styles that I like much sooner. However, that was not the case so I’d peg the end of my serious reading round about 1994. Of course, there was the occasional exception but that’s a good a year as any to pick.

Part of the reason was at the time I was getting much more into film and other arts but there was also an intimidation factor with comic books. They were all, in my mind at the time, superhero books. Each book had its own history, a knowledge base was necessary to read one and it was impossible to jump in cold and if you did hard to navigate (I still struggle some there but I digress for now).

Calvin & Hobbes (Universal Press Syndicate)

Whereas a comic strip has a basic premise, some detailed knowledge of the world contained therein was a boon but not essential. They were also there all the time; daily in newspapers. However, I was reaching that age where I knew them all and all but a few fatigued me so they lost some of their luster for a time.

So in comes the hiatus and while being young and not necessarily that well-informed I wasn’t that far off from being right. You needed, and in some case still need, a lot more information going into a comic than you did an episode of a TV series and most definitely a film. There I tenuously linked this back to the point of my whole blog for a sentence, happy?

Anyway, just to give you a sense of where I started I knew there was a DC and Marvel as the two major names. I knew who the characters that pertained to each were. I had no concept of the Universes that each created.

Now before I go on I am not about to belittle the universe concept. I love it. As a long-time Constant Reader of Stephen King I love dovetailing and crossovers. However, the greatness of how King does it is that the intersections in his tales are more like Easter Eggs than vital information. You will be able to comprehend the Dark Tower series even if the revelation that The Man in Black has been referred to as Randall Flagg in other worlds and times means nothing to you. Whereas in comics at times your appreciation rests on the fact that you are familiar with previous Events or continuities or retcons.

That is friggin’ daunting for a newcomer. Putting it another way: I grew up with two very different perceptions of Batman. There was the Adam West Batman and the Michael Keaton Batman. Both I still enjoy for what they are. So I always had an understanding that different interpretations of the same character and/or stories can exist and it’s no big deal. Even with a bad experience with a Batman graphic novel as a kid (The Untold Legend of the Batman) that would seem like one of the perfect crossover titles right? Pick up Batman, get back into comics.

Only it didn’t happen that way. In the end I had to do research. Homework in essence just to find out what the hell was going on with Batman. Batman is one of the handful of origins that almost anyone can tell you. Knowing that there were several titles I figured just get plain old Batman that’s easiest, right? Only then I found that Bruce Wayne wasn’t Batman anymore and Dick Grayson wasn’t Robin. Finding that out after being away for so long, and never being entrenched to begin with, is like learning that two and two aren’t four anymore. It’s like New Math.

But I learned the New Math and now with a grasp of the current “Bat World” I can enjoy and appreciate it, however it took a while to get there.

And here’s where some of the disconnect will lie for the average fan. I did a lot of legwork to be able to pick up the kind of comic I never did in the past. I was literally just reading the occasional review Joey Esposito would post on Crave Online for months before I decided to take advantage of Free Comic Book Day and start reading again.

Granted there are issues with moviegoing these days: price, etiquette and so on but even people who walk into a theatre knowing nothing will have the gist of what they’re watching in a few minutes, no homework necessary. Of course, film can be a very different artform and at times being a blank slate is the best way to watch a film, however, the accessibility that exists in most films is what makes it such a force to be reckoned with and its that accessibility that comics at times struggles with.

I now have read enough that I get and appreciate the nuance and the interconnectivity of certain events and say nine times out of 10 can pick up any issue, of a series I know, and read it no problem. Ah, but there’s the rub again. A series I know. It takes some time to get to know a series.

Power Pack (Marvel)

And that statement while true seems so odd. For me to say “Only if I really know a movie…” usually only applies to writing a paper about it or doing some other kind of in depth analysis. Picking up a random issue shouldn’t be that involved. Since I started reading again two of the series I’ve gotten familiar with are the now defunct (but hopefully born-again someday [wink, wink, nudge, nudge] hey, Marvel this one’s for you) Power Pack and The Fantastic Four. As fate would have it I found Power Pack and many of the single issues stood on their own so I could read them randomly before getting trades and discovering the link they have to The Fantastic Four. Links again a double-edged sword interesting but I may not get both. I’m pondering if I should get the FF/X-Men issues when they trade it.

Yet even reading several issues of both I did do a little web-research to augment my knowledge. A prime example of how precarious the jumping off point would be my most recent trip to my local comic book shop. I decided I’d scour the imminently more affordable bargain bins of back issues. I was able to pick up quite a few such that I decided to search through them A to Z. Certain letters, such as Q will make you wonder what’s even in there besides the one you know, others while not littered with titles will have the one stand out. Take the letter X for example. What comes to mind first? X-Men. I attested in my review of First Class that I love the X-Men and I do. However, that was love that was built in through television and the films. I knew enough follow each of the first three films to know who the characters were on sight and in many cases gauge the casting choices made. However, in the lead up to the release of First Class I picked up an issue of Uncanny X-Men and was lost. Now while that is slightly hyperbolic it’s not far off. I eventually more of less figured the issue out but I was unimpressed and still at a loss for context.

Now do not confuse what I’m saying here with a desire for complete and total synergy. What I’m talking about is complete and total accessibility. I’m talking being able to pick out any back issue and follow along. Granted there are arcs and tie-ins and events but there also has to be some level of a hook that can draw any and all comers in. I have since found out that the X-Men family is going through quite a bit of changes which would be fascinating to examine in a trade but people newer to them than I am would likely be confused. In the end I chose an X-Men issue from a series that was a tie-in to the TV show.

Whether one arc can be read independently from all others is a series-by-series kind of a question but the fact of the matter remains there’s no renumbering in trades. Volume one of a series will collect issues 1 thru X and you can start at the very begging.

On Twitter you see writers and other creators answer questions to fans quite regularly about a “Jumping on point.” Meaning clearly that the person posing the question has yet to read the series but has always been curious to, so he wonders could I start on this issue and figure out what’s going on?

Thankful for World Cinema- La Cage aux Folles

Posted on by bernardovillela

When looking for a theme in which to select films from the start of November until Thanksgiving being literal is not the best option. Films centered around Thanksgiving tend to be overly obsessed with dysfunctional families. So in thinking about the nature of the day which was initially a celebration of survival in the New World, I thought why not focus on foreign films.

La Cage aux folles

It is impossible for me, having been exposed to The Birdcage first, to not compare the original and the remake. Almost from the word go I sensed a great disparity between the two films even though the remake ended up being and uninspired copy and paste writing job. The first thing that lends itself to creating a different tone is the music composed by Ennio Morricone. The music in The Birdcage by Mark Mothersbaugh and Jonathan Tunick is forgettable seeing as I’ve seen the remake three or four times and can’t remember a single note while I’ve seen the original once and can still remember Morricone’s score.

Ennio Morricone’s gentle music takes us into a world that we shouldn’t be afraid of. The key word to thinking about his music is sensitive. It exudes softness, tenderness which is aped by the action and the actors who are not ridiculous characterizations but with real people and real emotions. Due to the fact that all scenes include practically the same dialogue it is a huge complement to Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault that they made their characters more three-dimensional and real than Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

The American interpretation of this film is also vastly different than the French. Due to the fact that this film deals with homosexuality, which is a topic that still is tinged with taboo here Americans have to turn the film into a farce of a farce. In other words the movie has to be ridiculously over-the-top to be accepted. The pathetic part of the remake is that it perpetuates stereotypes and while the stereotypes do exist (for how do stereotypes come into being?) by merely making them more human we can see beyond a stereotype to the person portrayed. A perfect example of this is the opening scene. They are the same in both films. Renato (Armand in the American version) tries to get Albin (Albert) onto the stage to perform his act. In the American version Nathan Lane makes his character seem like a whining melodramatic pain-in-the-you-know-what because of this the scene is very funny but emotionally superficial. In the French version practically the same dialogue is spoken but because of the way Michel Serrault delivers his lines and because of the more subdued expression he has on his face the words take on weight. They have meaning they come across as real concerns for the relationship as opposed to a paranoid delusion and an excuse not to go on stage. It made me believe the affair was a possibility all over again and made me forget about the son and his impending marriage.

The deception of the possibility that Renato is having an affair is aided by the son’s appearance. In the American version he was clean-cut and Ivy League here the son in full 1970s look, long hair included.

 La Cage aux folles in 1978, even in France, was a more progressive film depicting a gay relationship, a gay couple who had raised a son and how the couple still had to pretend in certain social situations while longing to be completely honest. By 1996 in the United States homosexuality was not such a hot topic of controversy yet a slapstick-esque context is the only way the mainstream will be able to accept gay characters. Dramas about homosexuals are sole dominion of the art houses.

This is a film that does something very difficult to do. It takes a situation that is rich with comedy and imbues it with humanity and warmth. Making this a layered comedy which is something rare regardless of the country the film is made in. La Cage aux folles is a really fun film which takes a serious look at human relationships and society’s perception of people’s lifestyles without putting any one down or getting preachy. It’s a lot of fun.

10/10

Thankful for World Cinema- The Vanishing

Posted on by bernardovillela

When looking for a theme in which to select films from the start of November until Thanksgiving being literal is not the best option. Films centered around Thanksgiving tend to be overly obsessed with dysfunctional families. So in thinking about the nature of the day which was initially a celebration of survival in the New World, I thought why not focus on foreign films.

The Vanishing

Johanna ter Steege and Gene Bervoets in The Vanishing (Meteor Film Productions)

This film exemplifies many things I like to see in films but rarely get enough of. Often times in Hollywood films we get interesting concepts that never live up to their full potential. In The Vanishing we get a film that forgoes cheap thrills and pace to examine the characters involved in a very thought-provoking way and it manages to achieve a greater level of creepiness than most American films would. After having first watched this film I was looking around in all directions as I walked around and here’s why: One of the first things that strikes you is the music. There’s a deep bass and it doesn’t overly-anticipate the moment but still highlights the film with an overtone of foreboding which is just magnificent. And as this word could apply to the film as a whole it is especially significant in the antagonist; subtlety. Played by Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Raymond Lemorne is a great villain because he’s believable, well defined and most frighteningly in the end we even understand him and worse yet he seems real.

Another thing this film has going for it is the way the film isn’t told chronologically. We first see the vanishing and the desperate search in the first few hours, then we are introduced to Lemorne, peg him as the man, see his routine and see that three years have gone by. All throughout the film we will skip through time for large periods. The disappearance of Saskia will be filled in over and over again until the actual events are seen through their entirety. And the last piece only falls into place at the very end.

Amazingly, with this unusual structure the film is not hard to follow in the least and certainly much more intriguing then the conventional linear plot we’re used to seeing in the United States. The ‘reality’ of these events are set up in many way by director George Sluizer. Firstly, there was great used of subjective camera and the ‘Zero Degree Style’ common in the States is completely abandoned.

The other touches of reality come as we delve into the two main characters: Rex and Raymond. Raymond, the criminal, is first only seen in a very one-dimensional manner. We see him as a fraud who seems to be scoping out the store for possible victims. Then later in the story we see him begin to formulate his plan, to perfect it over and over again. The one scene where we see him as a biology teacher is just enough to show us that these people could be anyone and can fool you so easily. There is also the scene where Rex is waiting for him at the restaurant. Rex says he’s waiting for Mr. Montmejan and that happens to the waiter’s name. The commonness of the name adds profound statement about the plausibility of the plot.

The tension of the film is also aided by McGuffins, or botched attempts by the professor. In one scene we see him pick up a young girl, we know already that him locking the door is where he makes his move and poisons the girl but it’s his daughter. He also runs into a former student of his and tried to get her in his car and we see a chilling example of how he may have escaped justice for so long for even when someone calls him on it their content to just get away. There’s also the scene where Raymond is out of focus in the background as Rex looks around for him. This is also another great scene of anticipation.

Rex’s relationship with Lieneke and also his quest are also quite believable. He reaches a point where all he seeks to know is the truth. The Vanishing is also greatly helped by some really good dialogue. The image of the Golden Egg as related by Saskia through her dream sort of predestines the film in a way as we’ll see they both have the same fate, however, that is not a fault of the film. I firmly believe that there are only so many ways a story can end and it’s not how it ends that always matters but how you get there. The Vanishing is a toned down psychological thriller that’ll get under your skin. It’s a film that’s had my imagination captive for a week. It’s not only a prime example of a psycho-thriller but also of well-structured and executed character studies. It’s a great achievement.

8/10

Thankful for World Cinema- Bicycle Thieves

Posted on by bernardovillela

When looking for a theme in which to select films from the start of November until Thanksgiving being literal is not the best option. Films centered around Thanksgiving tend to be overly obsessed with dysfunctional families. So in thinking about the nature of the day which was initially a celebration of survival in the New World, I thought why not focus on foreign films.

Bicycle Thieves

Enzo Staiola and Lamberto Maggiorani in Bicycle Thieves (Produzioni de Sica)

Firstly, it must be said that as simple as it is a test of the greatness of Bicycle Thieves is how much can and has been written about it. This piece, however, is meant as an introductory piece to the film in hopes that more people will discover this cinematic gem. This is not an in depth examination or an in depth film theory piece. For that kind of examination I could not do better than to direct you to the companion booklet that comes with the Criterion release.

 Bicycle Thieves is all that is good about Neorealist cinema in one tidy story. It is naturalistic acting, practical locations and a simple yet utterly compelling storyline.

The film sets up its dramatic problem instantly. Antonio is assigned work but needs a bicycle or he won’t get the job. He does manage to get it out of hock but his troubles aren’t nearly over.

What is most effective in this film is that in following Antonio on his quest we become fully immersed in it. We identify with him because we know the significance of the bike and why he needs it.

What’s more is that we can see the extremes he goes through and can relate when he is pushed past his breaking point. In his failing we can see why he has reached his last resort.

In this way Bicycle Thieves becomes the perfect tragedy because our protagonist can see how far he fell and can wonder what he could’ve been thinking without ruining his entire life.

The tragedy is ultimately left for us to examine. As we know there are many more stories like it playing themselves out everyday. By making the tale small and not grandiose it’s easier to see how it could be you.

10/10

Thankful for World Cinema- The Green Room

Posted on by bernardovillela

When looking for a theme in which to select films from the start of November until Thanksgiving being literal is not the best option. Films centered around Thanksgiving tend to be overly obsessed with dysfunctional families. So in thinking about the nature of the day which was initially a celebration of survival in the New World, I thought why not focus on foreign films.

The Green Room

François Truffaut in The Green Room (Le Films du Carrosse)

Truffaut’s The Green Room may be his great over-looked gem. It is a film that I think still deserves the Criterion treatment even though it was saved from the Land of the Out of Print by the wonderful new On Demand services.

It is a film that sees Francois Truffaut make a rare trip in front of camera, not only as an actor but one playing a character unlike himself to a large extent. Unlike his turn in Day for Night in this film he is not a director but a journalist who after World War I starts to detach himself from the world lamenting all those he has lost.

The film is a fascinating examination of how to reconcile the fact that even as we live we are amidst death. It examines a character who is overly-preoccupied with those who have passed such that he forgets how to live. Perhaps what is most impressive is that it takes an noble and relatable premise, respecting and honoring the dead, and takes it to an extreme such that we se how detached from reality one can become.

It is also a refreshingly intimate piece. There aren’t many players concerned in the drama here. There is the home nucleus: Julien, Georges and Mme Rambaud. Then Julien also interacts with his boss on a few occasions and Cecilia most of all. This allows the drama to be very focused on the protagonist and his obsession.

This film is a sparkling example of Truffaut’s simplicity shining through. It’s an examination of character and theme where all is very apparent and he wants you to delve deeper and search for more within the film. It is often hypnotic, always fascinating and a must see no matter how you manage to obtain it.

9/10

Thankful for World Cinema- The Annunciation

Posted on by bernardovillela

When looking for a theme in which to select films from the start of November until Thanksgiving being literal is not the best option. Films centered around Thanksgiving tend to be overly obsessed with dysfunctional families. So in thinking about the nature of the day which was initially a celebration of survival in the New World, I thought why not focus on foreign films.

The Annunciation

Péter Bocsor and Júlia Mérö in The Annunciation (Hungarofilm)

If you’re ready for a mind-bending account that is likely to be one of the most bizarre film-watching experiences you’ve ever had then The Annunciation is for you. One thing that shows you almost off the bat that this is a challenging film is that as the story changes location the subtitles include location cards, which are not dictated by the film itself.

However, owing that the shift in locations and time period are due to the fact that it is a dream should make it an easier watch. This existential tale of Adam and Eve is still ripe with multiple meanings and answers that can be gleaned from the text of it.

Another thing that should be noted that all the characters, save for circus performers near the end, are played by children. If you have a problem with child actors I feel sorry for you but I also then do not recommend this film to you because they are dealing with very real material, extraordinarily challenging material that they dive headlong into and perform spectacularly.

The things that can be observed as Lucifer sends Adam and Eve through time in similarly dystopian plots are truly fascinating. However, though the film may seem like it’s hellbent on nihilism it ends on a wondrous of hope and sardonic comedy.

It’s a classic of absurdism and dreamlike cinema, cinema in general, which deserves a wider audience.

10/10

Thankful for World Cinema- Son Frère

Posted on by bernardovillela

When looking for a theme in which to select films from the start of November until Thanksgiving being literal is not the best option. Films centered around Thanksgiving tend to be overly obsessed with dysfunctional families. So in thinking about the nature of the day which was initially a celebration of survival in the New World, I thought why not focus on foreign films.

Son Frère

Bruno Todeschini and Eric Caravaca in Son Frère

This is quite an interesting French drama about the difficult relationship that two brothers have. One of whom is gay and receives his brother one night as learns he is fighting a mysterious and seemingly incurable disease.

One thing that is interesting about this film is that while it does deal a lot with treatment of this illness it goes out of its way to say that the disease even has a name but never says what it is. It insists on being about the patient and the care-taking brother and not the disease itself.

Aside from being a relationship film that doesn’t take the traditional route of dealing incessantly with whatever relationship it addresses. It also deals with death obviously, but moreover with being a patient. In examining those with chronic illnesses it casts an eye on the hopelessness of it all and the fear of surgery.

In that vain there is an amazing one-scene performance by Robinson Stévenin in which the brother witnesses the fear very sharply by seeing someone else in pain.

The film works very sure-handedly and keeps its pace steady but don’t let it fool you in that regard because there is a climax coming and it might even fool you in that regard. You may miss it or its impact immediately but it is one that leaves you thinking.

It is a very intimate and taut drama that is worth looking up.

8/10