Shutter Island (2010) Review

Emerging through a darkened fog, a lone boat carrying a pair of tough talking U.S. Marshals are en route to the Ashecliffe Instutition for the criminally insane, located on the enigmatic Shutter Island off the coast of Massachusetts. Suffering from a nasty case of sea-sickness, young investigator, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) meets his new west-based partner, Chuck Aule(Mark Ruffalo), and venture into the isolated complex, on the trail of a child-murdering patient who has strangely gone missing. The newly teamed pair are greeted, and assisted by one of the facility's top psychiatrists, Dr. John Cawley (Ben Kingsley), who's practices are considered cutting edge for 1954, a time where behavioral studies & treatment were slowly creeping out of a near-barbaric age of surgical treatment. Cawley's benevolent manner doesn't help the easily agitated Daniels who cannot see why so many hurdles are laid out for what could easily be seen as a routine hunt for an escapee. That is until soon into their journey, the detectives discover that this may very well not be the case at all. Patients & staff seem to be in on it, suspicion is abound, and paranoia envelops the storm-ridden island like a shroud.

It all seems terribly familiar, but in the hands of the thriller-untested Scorsese, it is often a wonder to behold.

Based on Dennis Lehane's 2004 novel, Martin Scorsese's entry into psycho-thriller noir is one of those pieces that rewards the devoted, and serves as an engrossing study of both the psychological and atmospheric. And a lot of this is due to both the film legend's treatment of Laeta Kalogridis' labyrinthine script, as well as an often gut-tightening performance by DiCaprio. From the moment we are introduced to our protagonist, we are quickly aware of the baggage he brings to this case, as well as his lack of understanding of a burgeoning new era of care for those whom the world hath considered monsters. His tortured past concerning his lost love (Played by Michelle Williams), and haunting memories of liberating Dacchau in late WWII give us the portent that not all is well within this man, not unlike the near typhoon-like winds closing in on the island. And the last thing on his mind, is how the poor souls on this rock could have any future beyond this existence. It's a remarkable feat that DiCaprio achieves, and it doesn't come without amazing support by Ruffalo, Kingsley, Williams, Max Von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Ted Levine, Jackie Earl Haley(in another scene that proves Rorschach was the best thing in Snyder's WATCHMEN), and more. It's an at times breathtaking play on noir film cliches, and yet it becomes a newly formed creature of its own.

The foreboding atmosphere practically creeps off of the frame, as if the viewer itself is meant to take in the clues, reassess them, and perhaps even question their own findings. It's something that Polanski's made a career out of, and it certainly feels as if Scorsese is having a great deal of fun playing with an entirely new palette of colors. Everything from the darkened skies, to the beautifully dank remnants of the once Civil War compound, we are in an alien space, where nothing, and noone is to be trusted.


More than a mere paen to thrillers of the past, Scorsese plays up the clockworks of the script in a manner that applies modern technical sleight of hand that wouldn't have passed in the heyday of the noir thriller. Keeping the viewer as unbalanced as Teddy & Chuck is the goal, and Shutter Island goes so far as to play with our sense of what we saw versus what could really be happening. It also features some of the most inventively cinematic moments I've had the luck to see in a theatrical release in quite some time. Part LSD-laced Hitchcock, part dichotomy exploration, the film isn't above taking expectations and shredding them with the confidence of a master.

Also punctuating the ever deepening mysteries is the stunning soundtrack, arranged by the always reliable Robbie Robertson who uses found minimalist compositions to haunting effect. From aping Kubrick's use of Penderecki, and Ligeti, and even delving into Morton Feldman, the sounds of the film offer a more than fitting mental landscape. Perfectly dreamlike in every respect, the choices made here are an essential part of the story, further inviting viewers to become emeshed in the minds of our leads.Stay through the credits for further proof of this film's aural prowess.

And yet there are definitely some places where all this style comes up short. There are several speedbumps along the path that prevent the film from delivering what could have been a staggering emotional gut punch. Now whether this was due to the script tipping its hand a little too early, or if it was the editing choices. But it stands to reason that the viewer is given enough clues early on to see what kind of story they are being told. And in this world of Shymalan-weariness, it becomes pretty clear by the first hour where all of this is going. And even as the revelations drop from the sky in satellite-precise landings courtesy of Kalogridis' scripting magic, we are essentially relying on DiCaprio's performance to make up for what isn't happening elsewhere on screen. A missed opportunity in what plays mostly like a terrific greatest hits collection.

House Of Memories

Alas, The New Beverly run of Nobuhiko Obayashi's horror ride, HAUSU has come to an end, and I have to say that it was a fantastic turnout deserving of such a unique piece of work. The experience of seeing it in a crowd exceeded expectations in numerous ways as it was clear fe knew what to expect from this. And the reactions ranged from occasional gasps, and large waves of laughter from a film unafraid to ignore conventions, and just run wild with ideas like a tie-splitting rally in the fourth quarter. Moments that had long made me worry for their public exhibition went over beautifully, as even the most bizarre gags were welcomed with open arms.



Even had a chance to bring some friends, visiting from my home area of Palm Springs to see the film for the first time. And their reactions alone made the evening. This is how we experience films like this, no matter how much I enjoy surprising friends with weird titles at home. HAUSU is what could easily have been a midnight movie classic alongside ERASERHEAD, Il Topo, Rocky Horror, and so on. Its been a long time coming, and still deserves late night audiences all over.

The movie house itself was beautiful in its intimacy. Very small, welcoming crew made it truly feel like a person's little abode, and not some atypical venue for cinema fans. An even smaller theater than the ART theater in Long Beach, this is an ideal place for works of this ilk, and I can't wait to stop by again.

The Pluralism Of Summer Wars

A week later, and I still am hard-pressed to be convinced that Mamoru Hosoda's Summer Wars isn't a bold socio-techno allegory. The film has had me thinking about it quite a bit since my first viewing. And since my review was posted on Anime Diet, it never felt as if I could completely examine its effects in a mere review format, so what we'll have here are hopefully some near-cohesive thoughts that arise to mind, even as I've seen it a second time already. The effects remain similar, SW is a funny and thrilling feature film that while an expanded, revised version of the second Dejimon movie, thrives off of notions of cyberpunk, but implements them in the most seemingly mundane of settings, within the confines of a domestic comedy. It also intelligently places multiple generations of thought center stage for a battle of mind & will against a technologically superior threat.

The setting of the film, which is mostly within the countryside of Ueda has implications that this film is instantly meant to take us away from the often-overused sprawl of a concrete jungle as symbol for a dystopically overpopulated ubernet that plagues most virtual world laden storylines. Up until now, the operative emotion placed towards the interweaving globalization of electronic networks have been that of largely fear. The most commonplace concern being that of the ensuing disconnect that comes from thousands to millions logging on and possibly tuning out the very social nature that has led us toward this road. Any film that often centers on the proliferation of networks such as these tends to approach them with a balance of true to life observation.


While it is true that the baby steps of a mainstream internet has in fact brought out some less than flattering aspects of ourselves. (as a matter of fact, this sad story just came up this morning that functions well as further proof) It seems all too overwhelming to many that we've come to such a strange sociological branching point. Naturally, some growing pains would appear and persist. And as much as I love the films of Miyazaki, and even understand and agree with the notions Kiyoshi Kurosawa shared in Kairo (2001), it also does stand to reason that there are indeed some positive points to the advent of an interconnected world. Whether it be the breakout of Twitter posts during the Iranian election, and ensuing uprising of students, as well as the growing ability to create from multiple locations in real time. But where we can see such disconnection fears as valid, can we also see the possibilities inherent in a world where multiple generations utilize multiple methods of communication in order to sustain balance in life matters. In Summer Wars' immense virtual network of OZ, not only are participants able to meet and mingle with others across all nations, but are completely able to run businesses, pay taxes, and shop in what looks to be a very real destination point. It also cautiously proposes the problems that naturally come with such an intricate system. The more the abilities, the higher the stakes are in regards to personal well being and security. As eyepopping, and impressive as OZ feels, it also presents the natural hazards in a very convincing fashion.


And yet, we spend most of our time with the Jinnouchi clan as their matriarch's 90th birthday approaches. We are thrust into what can ostensibly be nothing more than a family comedy as Kenji is put upon to play boyfriend by his classmate, Natsuki, who's concerns are clearly and simply immature. So his current identity as a successful student from a rich family and heir to be flaunted around the already prestigious clan, the ruse is clumsily laid out as the family welcomes him with open arms, only to come crashing down when he is implicated for a network hacking of immensely damaging proportions. His identity revealed, all poor Kenji can do is watch as not merely Japan, but the world is thrown into a panic as network-dependent services and machinations are thrown into disarray by Love Machine, a rogue AI with nothing but information and damage as its goals. Placing our attentions on the humanity of these diverse and funny characters makes for not only a relatable moviegoing experience, but also gives us a solid visual take on just how distant we really are in contrast to whatever deus ex machina thinking would like us to believe. With the grandmother's stern test of Kenji's faithfulness at the start of the film, it is simplicity defined. These fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, aunts and uncles, are our first true network. And it is a feeling of community surging throughout the entire piece, Hosoda's film grants us a vision where not only we are more connected than we had ever imagined, we are granted a great deal more responsibility & personality with it.

Culminating with the extended "mission" climax of the film, we are also granted some encouraging notions regarding a move beyond the technophobia we see so often in other films. One very notable one being the assistance of the thirtysomething year-old firefigher brothers who have grown up playing video games cooperating together in order to stop the digital menace. For me, the implications of this are profound in that it isn't so much that the technology is to be feared, but rather our collective upbringing with it around leads to inevitably missteps and stumbles. And somehow, all aspects of growing up around evolving technology is to be seen with a much more critical eye, as there are both benefits and hazards to be met with each new step. It is an optimistic view to be honest, but it does stand to reason that we are now able to grasp concepts that would otherwise have been unfathomable twenty years ago.


So many films outright decrying computerization tend to omit the very elements of resilience and adaptibility from the mix, as if organic thought processes would up and stop someday. Even as the world seems to be in crisis over the stopping of the gargantuan cyberwheel, the notion of just up and talking with another to work things through is seen as a still all powerful option. While the threat of this is always an extreme possibility, one of Summer Wars's greatest assets is that it embraces the community, rather than merely the neo, which is quite encouraging. The idea that everyone has a stake, as well as talent to contribute is something to be cherished, and it's great to see an animated film grasp this.

Belated HAUSU (1977) Review

It's actually been about a year-plus since I first (finally) experienced Nobuhiko Obayashi's HAUSU via an imported dvd, and will come clean by admitting that this has easily been one of the more dreaded reviews I've ever had to write. Well, is this film bad? Goodness in the universe, NO. In fact, the complete opposite reaction is apt to even remotely describing my views on this much overlooked, underseen manic masterwork. The core reasons why this writeup has so long eluded me is something a little tougher to elucidate, because in its most simplistic of answers, HAUSU is defiant in nearly every respect to description. Defiant in regards to what it truly is, defiant in regards to how the masses, no matter the generation would ever be viewing it. It is simply in a category all its own, and dares anyone in its path to sum it up in any simple. label-ready manner. And considering the international success of latter films such as RINGU, JU-On, and others, it will go down in the history of hidden shame that the world didn't embrace this film, even as some kind of bizarre curio centerpiece for gonzo cinema. HAUSU is truly that unique, and then some.




The framework (rather than simple story) is that the lovely young Oshare(Ikegami Kimiko) upon news that her widowed father would soon be remarrying, decides to take a trip to the hills to spend some time with her aunt(Minamida Yuko), who's wealth, and reclusive tendencies have had her living within a lonely old house, far from prying eyes. Along for the trip are her classmates whom have names that singularly describe their respective personalities. There's Maku (Sato Mieko), who loves eating, Suiito (Sweet), the requisite "moe" element, Melody(Tanaka Eriko) , the musician, and yes, Kung-Fu (Jinbo Miki) & Fanta (Ohba Kumiko). When upon finding grandmother's country home, we are already host to a surreal, cartoon world that clearly is meant to imply the universal nature of these simple characters. Because when we realize that the house in question is in fact possessed by a malevolent force, matters of simple horror are exaggerated to levels of absurd that the film teeters beyond simple parody, and into a heightened art level that is sheer audio-visual hyperbole, out to devour all who stand to survive the night.

Whether it be via the inanimate, home animals, and even those once thought to be trusted, nothing is as initially presented, and comes with a menace unrivaled in film anywhere else. Where most genre films decide to hit the brakes, HAUSU pushes past, goes for broke, and leaves one dizzily wanting more.

Using all the means at his disposal, commercial director, Obayashi sees his debut film as a chance to let loose in the most literal sense of the expression. And in an astonishing reminder of the times in which it was made, the TOHO studios actually accommodated these desires.(That , or just didn't notice until release. Can only imagine what that must've been like.) His aggressive use of animation, bleeding pastels, experimental filming, editing, and analog weirdness is enforced as if at war with the very notion of film itself. Punk-horror at its most definitive. And even this seemingly random barrage of assaults does not gloss up the almost fetishistic idolization of his heroines, who are clearly the film's true focus. Pre-dating the heyday of Japanese idols, the film also serves as a celebration of young femininity at odds with the then-all-consuming notions of marital bliss, and the ostracism that comes without it. It almost carries a sort of double-edged logic that on one side praises the status-quo, but within the horror lies a seething sense that Post-War Japan had indeed created a land of domestic monsters residing within the very comforts of westernization.



Easily, many will compare the frenzied energy of this piece to films such as Evil Dead II(1987), and even Braindead (1992), but what is witnessed here is a delirious shotgun blast of a horror film that has a lot more on its mind than mere crowd-pleasing schlock. And even if Obayashi's latter films never reached the heights of this late 70s masterpiece (his movie version of Umezu's classic manga,The Drifting Classroom is a legendary misstep), it is clear that his immense talent is in full, unchained bloom here. It's like a fever dream brought on by one too many Yoo-Hoo's, cough medicine, laced with some of that famous punch everyone keeps talking about.



Now to even go further into what makes HAUSU so special would be to take away from the entire experience. Which is exactly as it should remain, a movie experience like no other that deserves multiple viewings to be fully appreciated.



This review was finally completed after news came that Janus films announced their showings of HAUSU in L.A. at the New Beverly, starting Friday, March 12th-the 16th before Criterion finally brings the film home to DVD. Either way, one can't lose, but I'll definitely will be in the crowd come March 12th, so I hope to see you there!

Vengeance (2009) Review

It's far from anything remote to say that the artistic arc of one Johnnie To has been one of HK cinema's great hard lefts to greatness. Starting up within good 'ol Tsui Hark's camp of madmen in the 90s with the camp-soaked Heroic Trio, and inevitably becoming one of Asia's foremost cinema stylists has been something of cult legend. His journeys into a noir vision of the east's criminal element, and beyond have had the kind of artful eye that is capable of rising above even middling material. Which is perfect for Vengeance, which could have easily been a lesser film in another's hands.

French rock legend, Johnny Hallyday plays Costello, a restaurant owner who's rarely seen daughter is the survivor of a savage home attack upon her husband and children in Macau. New to the geography, but bristling with rage, employs the aid of a cadre of professional hit-men, led by the ever-great Anthony Wong. But in the hunt for those responsible, the lines between Costello and his killer charges soon resemble one anothers, leading everyone to question, just who is this mysterious chef anyway?

Again, with a synopsis like that, it's easy to dismiss this as late night movie-time fodder, but with To at the helm, we are host to some stunning imagery & mood as both camps of killers lock horns in a game that has some oft-unbreakable rules. It is the life of those who take them that are the main focus of the piece, and the sacrifices to self that it entails hovers over the cast like a shroud. And as the film's larger scope than is normal for a To film, it is rife with gorgeous action, cityscapes, and interiors that invoke a kind of ghost world aura that these men inhabit. To, Hallyday, and Wong are fully aware of the kind of film that is at play here, and milk it for everything it's worth. Also in on the wild proceedings are Simon Yam as a criminal boss, and Ip Man's Lam Ka-Tung as one of Wong's crew.

Also of note are the blistering shootout scenes that are amped to absurd levels with a terrific combo of no incidental scoring in these scenes, and a powerful sound mix, creating a tension that is truly nerve-busting.


And yet even as all of this sounds great at the offset, it is still clearly To's precision-based direction that is at front and center with this film as the story takes some unexpected turns in the third act. Even when some of the decisions don't work altogther, it's the attention to Hallyday and his journey toward the final showdown that make it work. Taken for what it is, Vengeance is a beautiful noir actioner that lives and breathes atmosphere if not effective drama.

Playing On Old Directives

Blame Mouthmaster Murf & the rest of The Anomalies because I've been on a late 80s kick since last weekend as I dug out my old copy of Paul Verhoeven's dystopian masterwork , Robocop. As much as I'd love to heap more praise upon this, a longtime favorite of mine, I'd rather just spend a few moments on just what kind of impact this very R-rated film had on a twelve-year-old me.


5. It exposed me to the true definition of forbidden fruit.

Confession: RoboCop was the first R-rated film I repetitiously sneaked in to see, and reigns supreme as the one film I've seen the most times in a theater. (Seven times!)My father took me the first time, and it was like something akin to that first score, just irresistible.

4. It reawakened my love of mecha.

Since I was very small, it was a little too clear that I had a grand love of all things cybernetic. From military-issue, to superhero, to hard-suit, I was always crazy for machines living alongside humankind. And Robo's particular stylings added a dimension most reminiscent of certain manga and video-games.



3. It offered me a grand mistrust of corporations.

Let's just face it. Murphy's fate at the hands of the folks of OCP is not only questionable, but downright tragic. Whether Dan O' Herilhy's Old Man was truly evil, or just a dreaming fool, undermined by cutthroats and opportunists is beside the point. The line at which these men stop at clawing for their own gain is nonexistent to the point that they would sacrifice semblance of order for a mere profit share. If there were any true villains in this film, there they were in their towers, hovering around the edges of the narrative as Detroit descends into hell.

2. It made me a fan of brashy, no-holds-barred cinema.

As much as I watched some pretty wild fare growing up, this was the film that opened my eyes to the possibility of using film to push the envelope in regards to not only subject matter, but of the content. Who else witnessed crowds of people shriek, and cringe at the violence meter in this film? It was unprecedented at the time, and still has impact today, despite being able to realize anything now with CG, proving it isn't so much what one says, but in how one says it. And RoboCop does so in a particularly aggressive, memorable fashion.

1. It enhanced my love of thoughtful science fiction.

Seriously. Outside of films like 2001, Terminator, and books like War Of The Worlds, Dune, and others, I was still very much a child of Star Wars/Star Trek, and could only really make noise about the more action-based elements of these. As brainy as I saw myself, I never at that time saw films carrying deeper ideas that I could instantly read into until this sly little piece of work came out. Even as the film storms its way in as a summertime popcorn-chomper, I very surprisingly also found it to be savagely funny in how it seemed to deliver a bruising sucker-punch to a decade drowning in excess, at the expense of the working class. I didn't need an adult to explain to me the concerns bubbling through the fire and smoke. Something was indeed coming through loud and clear upon witnessing Murphy's transformation from dutiful working man, into a blank-staring, sharp-shooting product.


And just happy to say that after nearly 25 years later, it's still an addiction that requires lapses every now and then.

In The Pipe 5 X 5!

Been listening to this track since Monday, and I can say without reservation that this is a most accurate fan representation of how I felt upon first watching the 1986 Jim Cameron masterpiece ALIENS. Originally popular for their Amazing Robocop & Predator raps, The Anomalies & pals have served up above and beyond (apparently the story of the making of this video was almost as heart-stopping as the films they were paying tribute to as the hardware hiccups almost lost the project to time immemorial.) to deliver the perfect 10 -minute summation of one of the most intense pieces of pop cinema ever made.