random dvds

watching more films on dvd.


star wars: episode III - revenge of the sith

george lucas has exploited the collective memory of people who enjoyed the original star wars films. he trades on memories and recognition. he's addicted to light and sound. the only good things about the 3 prequels are the bits they use from the original films. eg: yoda, lightsabres, darth vader, c3po, r2d2... all the new stuff is crap. the spaceships are crap. the aliens are crap. the bad guys are crap. the good guys are crap. the effects wash it all away.

elizabethtown

quiz: what song is played over the closing credits of jerry maguire? i like cameron crowe films. quiz: who does the band still water meet in the hotel while penny lane is overdosing on pills? i like all cameron crowe films. quiz: what album cover features in vanilla sky? i like all cameron crowe films. except this one.

it's a mess. it has no direction. it has susan sarandon doing stand up. in her routine the punch line is boner. hmm. orlando bloom has no depth. kirsten dunst is very pretty, but has nothing to do. there is one good bit though. the bit when they're on the phone and they tall to eachother. they talk to eachother all night until the sun rises and they meet on a deserted road over looking the mountains.

masked and anonymous

look! it's john goodman hugging bob dylan! look! it's luke wilson hugging bob dylan! look! angela bassett is hugging bob dylan! look! bob dylan just pushed jeff bridges! look! larry charles can't direct. look! there's no story. look! he's playing guitar.

it has some good lines: his pen's sweating blood, these cats are addicted to light and sound, does jesus have to walk on water twice to prove a point? but it's not worth watching. i did, however, on a few occassions, before going to bed, put on the dvd (which is connected to my speakers) and switched off the tv and just listened for a while before falling asleep.

the machinist

pure cinema. great story. fantastic actors. in the commentary of revenge of the sith one of the producers praises lucas for telling a story with pictures. this is what cinema is all about. lucas does not do this. he gives the actors cheesy lines. in the machinist, director brett anderson hardly uses a word more than he has to. if good books have narrative voice then so should good films. this quiet film has voice in spades.


books

started the magic mountain by thomas mann. it's like i'm fighting for air on every page. and after every page the air breathes sweeter.

in other news

i handed in my resignation the other day. my last day is 20th june, exactly one month short of 3 years. after the 20th is a black hole called the rest of my life. i will be crushed, bloodless and bleeding.

cheers!