Saw it in the theater, saw it again now because I want more 70s/80s nostalgia like Stranger Things. I was also curious why I didn't like the movie the first time, and I was reminded quickly and often that this movie has no soul. It is a well made automaton, much like J.J. Abrams reboots of Star Wars and Star Trek, but likewise feels hollow.
Lost was good, and it had soul, even though it increasingly ran off the rails, but since then, the magic is gone. If Abrams is following in the footsteps of Spielberg, he seems to be following the later sentimental and useless period (from The Color Purple and on), not the early stuff that was interesting (Jaws, Close Encounters, Raiders, E.T.).
Its actually kind of impressive how well produced Super 8 is, and how close it is to E.T., and yet is as life-like as a mannequin. There are so many people, in front of and behind the camera, trying so hard, and you can't help but root for them, and want them to succeed. Unfortunately by the end its like being the senior medical technician looking down at your rookie partner, tirelessly doing CPR on a corpse, and you almost don't have the heart to tap them on the shoulder and say, OK kid, you did good, but you can stop now.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
I want to rate the movie, but there's no good rating scale. Its not enough to just say how much I liked it, but also whether or not its worth seeing. It is worth seeing, but it is also good. This rating scale, or scales, needs work.
J.J. Abrams, like his idol/mentor/whatever-you-call-it Spielberg, is now a name brand unto himself. That's probably been the case for years and I'm late to the party, but I'm understanding this now. Whether you like his work or not, you're getting a certain quality level, and some values, and you know that going in.
[edit 2016.09.22 Abrams produced, but others wrote and directed]
The movie keeps feels like its going to go too long, but it doesn't. Your patience is rewarded with plot advances great and small.
I remember the initial hype, thinking who needs a Cloverfield sequel, or a one-room play, but I kept hearing good things from various sources. I'm glad I avoided spoilers. If you haven't seen it, and are going to, go see it and come back. OK?
Spoilers.
I like how the movie commits. As we approach the end, I'm ready for some bullshit non-commitment level, where we never get to find out who was right, and whether it was safe to go topside or not.
Sometimes you want that ambiguity, that mystery, because that's art. And sometimes you just want someone to draw a line in the dirt and say I'm on this side of the line, and I'm fighting to the death over it. I am most impressed that this movie commits to one actual story at the end, and not only that, it goes all the way. Whatever most of the movie is, the ending is all Aliens. Our hero is not only in control at the end, she actively seeks the fight. Humanity is already gaining ground, and you know she's going to help turn the tide. Its quite a nice positive message to roll credits on.
I watched all the featurettes. I can't believe how much work goes into movies like this. Its like a moon mission. They're clearly proud of their work, and they deserve to be. The net effect is curiously humbling. There are so many talents and disciplines giving their all, and they all know they are but part of the whole. A good piece of art should stand for itself, letting you know all about its authors. Yet the featurettes about the effects, music, editing, etc. do communicate a little extra dimensionality to the art, and that's worth hearing too.
J.J. Abrams, like his idol/mentor/whatever-you-call-it Spielberg, is now a name brand unto himself. That's probably been the case for years and I'm late to the party, but I'm understanding this now. Whether you like his work or not, you're getting a certain quality level, and some values, and you know that going in.
[edit 2016.09.22 Abrams produced, but others wrote and directed]
The movie keeps feels like its going to go too long, but it doesn't. Your patience is rewarded with plot advances great and small.
I remember the initial hype, thinking who needs a Cloverfield sequel, or a one-room play, but I kept hearing good things from various sources. I'm glad I avoided spoilers. If you haven't seen it, and are going to, go see it and come back. OK?
Spoilers.
I like how the movie commits. As we approach the end, I'm ready for some bullshit non-commitment level, where we never get to find out who was right, and whether it was safe to go topside or not.
Sometimes you want that ambiguity, that mystery, because that's art. And sometimes you just want someone to draw a line in the dirt and say I'm on this side of the line, and I'm fighting to the death over it. I am most impressed that this movie commits to one actual story at the end, and not only that, it goes all the way. Whatever most of the movie is, the ending is all Aliens. Our hero is not only in control at the end, she actively seeks the fight. Humanity is already gaining ground, and you know she's going to help turn the tide. Its quite a nice positive message to roll credits on.
I watched all the featurettes. I can't believe how much work goes into movies like this. Its like a moon mission. They're clearly proud of their work, and they deserve to be. The net effect is curiously humbling. There are so many talents and disciplines giving their all, and they all know they are but part of the whole. A good piece of art should stand for itself, letting you know all about its authors. Yet the featurettes about the effects, music, editing, etc. do communicate a little extra dimensionality to the art, and that's worth hearing too.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Midnight Special (2016)
As far as I can tell the title has nothing to do with anything.
Its another child with powers story, with all the memes you know and love, but its less like E.T. and Stranger Things, and more like Firestarter. In other words, there's not a lot of humor or nostalgia, and a lot more weirdness, creepiness, and violence. Being on the run for the duration seems to be a common denominator in this type of story.
It's a long slow movie, heavy with mood and atmosphere, punctuated with occasional extreme action. Kind of like a Coen movie (like No Country For Old Men).
Spoiler: the coolest thing about the movie is the way our dimension overlaps with another dimension, and you can suddenly see all their buildings and cities all around, as if they were always there, but just hidden. Even cooler, its not just our heroes who get to see this - everyone in the southeastern USA sees this, meaning that even after E.T. goes home, our world is changed forever.
Even better, that's all left to your imagination. There's not a lot of handholding or spoonfeeding in this movie, and after a steady diet of Hollywood tropes, its kind of refreshing. Is the hero (and the people he is going home to) a human or an alien? Is that the future or the present in that other dimension? Are we even asking the right questions, there are so many possibilities. And then the movie is over, and you get to take all these mysteries with you.
Its another child with powers story, with all the memes you know and love, but its less like E.T. and Stranger Things, and more like Firestarter. In other words, there's not a lot of humor or nostalgia, and a lot more weirdness, creepiness, and violence. Being on the run for the duration seems to be a common denominator in this type of story.
It's a long slow movie, heavy with mood and atmosphere, punctuated with occasional extreme action. Kind of like a Coen movie (like No Country For Old Men).
Spoiler: the coolest thing about the movie is the way our dimension overlaps with another dimension, and you can suddenly see all their buildings and cities all around, as if they were always there, but just hidden. Even cooler, its not just our heroes who get to see this - everyone in the southeastern USA sees this, meaning that even after E.T. goes home, our world is changed forever.
Even better, that's all left to your imagination. There's not a lot of handholding or spoonfeeding in this movie, and after a steady diet of Hollywood tropes, its kind of refreshing. Is the hero (and the people he is going home to) a human or an alien? Is that the future or the present in that other dimension? Are we even asking the right questions, there are so many possibilities. And then the movie is over, and you get to take all these mysteries with you.
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