...continued from some time ago.
6. A perfect soundtrack.
7. Wacko crazy cool editing.
8. A perfect sense of irony
9. It's funny funny (and maybe just a little bit violent)
10. And last but not least, I will stop blogging about Kill Bill once someone else sees it and I can talk about it instead.
4/29/2004
4/27/2004
Where did your volume go?
At school we're putting on a production of
the musical "Fiddler on the Roof."
The 5th grade student playing our lead
normally has a booming voice, but
today he was a bit quiet.
The director asked him, "Where did your volume go?"
He replied, "My mom left it at home."
the musical "Fiddler on the Roof."
The 5th grade student playing our lead
normally has a booming voice, but
today he was a bit quiet.
The director asked him, "Where did your volume go?"
He replied, "My mom left it at home."
Top Ten Reasons you should see Kill Bill :Volume One
1. Anything the media hates SO much, has to have something of value.
2. Sonny Chiba - "Very GOOoood!"
3. Otherwise, you won't have a clue what is going on in Kill Bill II. Duh!
4. It's pop culture friendly, and what's more 'merican than "POP!"
5. The "Crazy 88's"
..to be continued
2. Sonny Chiba - "Very GOOoood!"
3. Otherwise, you won't have a clue what is going on in Kill Bill II. Duh!
4. It's pop culture friendly, and what's more 'merican than "POP!"
5. The "Crazy 88's"
..to be continued
4/23/2004
You Must Drop All Your Democracy....D.H. Lawrence
"You must not believe in 'the people'. One class is no better than another. It must be a case of Wisdom or Truth. Let the working classes be working classes. That is the truth. There must be an aristocracy of people who have wisdom, and there must be a ruler: a Kaiser:no Presidents and democracies."
from a letter to Bertrand Russell, July 1915
It seems interesting that Lawrence turns the normal argument for democracy on its head.
He goes on..."The more I see of democracy the more I dislike it. It just brings everything down to the mere vulger level of wages and prices, electric light and water closets, and nothing else."
from a letter to Bertrand Russell, July 1915
It seems interesting that Lawrence turns the normal argument for democracy on its head.
He goes on..."The more I see of democracy the more I dislike it. It just brings everything down to the mere vulger level of wages and prices, electric light and water closets, and nothing else."
Dogville
Overly complicated. Too many themes. A drudgery to watch.
And, at the same time, the universalism is too simplistic.
Summing it up -- Power is evil...grace gets used and abused. People are like dogs and don't deserve to live. Power and tyranny win out in the end. Nothing means anything.
Even according to the movie's own narrator, spending three hours watching Dogville is a waste of time.
And, at the same time, the universalism is too simplistic.
Summing it up -- Power is evil...grace gets used and abused. People are like dogs and don't deserve to live. Power and tyranny win out in the end. Nothing means anything.
Even according to the movie's own narrator, spending three hours watching Dogville is a waste of time.
4/22/2004
4/19/2004
Kill Bill II
Uma Thurman...too skinny, but pretty darn tough.
Michael Madson....funny funny. ; )
Gordon Liu...his eyebrows ROck!
Black Mamba....one heck of a scary snake.
Hitori Hansu swords...wowee.
David Carradine...he's the new Yoda...but evil.
Quentin Tarantino...he da man...., man.
Favorite semi-remembered line: Bill: "I'm a monster, and you have to realize, that when you break the heart of a monster, there are going to be consequences."
If you like Kung Fu Spaghetti Westerns, Kill Bill I and II is for you. (It really should be one movie, not two.)
Michael Madson....funny funny. ; )
Gordon Liu...his eyebrows ROck!
Black Mamba....one heck of a scary snake.
Hitori Hansu swords...wowee.
David Carradine...he's the new Yoda...but evil.
Quentin Tarantino...he da man...., man.
Favorite semi-remembered line: Bill: "I'm a monster, and you have to realize, that when you break the heart of a monster, there are going to be consequences."
If you like Kung Fu Spaghetti Westerns, Kill Bill I and II is for you. (It really should be one movie, not two.)
4/15/2004
Saw *Secret Window* last night. Had to. Johnny Depp and John Torturro come way before Starsky and Hutch which will probably be seen tonight or tomorrow. *Secret Window* was off the wall wierd though. Thriller with a twisted ending. Not at all a "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" type deal. It was more a "Ya'all better stay off my laaannd cause this is private property!" type deal, with a puff on a Pall Mall and a good double shot of Johnny Walker. Don't eat the corn!!!
4/13/2004
4/02/2004
3/31/2004
So, last night I finally plunked down the now-significant chunkachange to see the Passion. I'm glad I did. "The Passion of the Christ" is just that - a focused retelling of the Passion. I am so used to cringing anytime Christianity is portrayed on tv or in the movies. And during this movie, I didn't cringe once. Squirm, yes. It's not a movie to see lightly.
But, for the first time in my recent memory, I have seen a clear presentation of the Gospel message on the big screen, without having to weed through some alternative secondary agenda.
I have to commend and thank Mr. Gibson for doing this work. He suffered his own cross in the form of a barage from the media of uncritical negative attacks during the last year prior to the release of the film. I admire his courage and dedication.
There are some finer points which deserve some consideration. The movie has a clear Roman catholic slant. Apart from the obvious focus on the violence of Christ's suffering, many of the non-violent images remind me of the pictures that were in my illustrated bible as a kid - the smiling Jesus with the rays of light kind of thing.
But, they weren't saccharine sweet.
All in all, I felt that the characters throughout the movie were portrayed with humanity and depth. The violence was pretty brutal, especially the scourging (was it really that awful?). So, I am hesitant to jump right in and see it again. But, I might consider watching this movie again when it comes out on DVD. As a 20 century image drenched person, the movie helped soften my hardened heart, and that doesn't happen very easily.
But, for the first time in my recent memory, I have seen a clear presentation of the Gospel message on the big screen, without having to weed through some alternative secondary agenda.
I have to commend and thank Mr. Gibson for doing this work. He suffered his own cross in the form of a barage from the media of uncritical negative attacks during the last year prior to the release of the film. I admire his courage and dedication.
There are some finer points which deserve some consideration. The movie has a clear Roman catholic slant. Apart from the obvious focus on the violence of Christ's suffering, many of the non-violent images remind me of the pictures that were in my illustrated bible as a kid - the smiling Jesus with the rays of light kind of thing.
But, they weren't saccharine sweet.
All in all, I felt that the characters throughout the movie were portrayed with humanity and depth. The violence was pretty brutal, especially the scourging (was it really that awful?). So, I am hesitant to jump right in and see it again. But, I might consider watching this movie again when it comes out on DVD. As a 20 century image drenched person, the movie helped soften my hardened heart, and that doesn't happen very easily.
3/30/2004
There are lots of things I want to do with this blog. I am going to begin with just one -- my favorite quotes, courtesy of my new favorite pass-the-time just pick up and peruse book *The New Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations" compiled by Robert Andrews and apparently published by some well read Antarctic natives.
"There is nothing the matter with Americans except their ideals. The real American is all right; it is the ideal American who is all wrong." -G.K. Chesterton
I'm not sure I agree with G.K., but I like his quote as a starting place. What is an American these days? I'm not sure I know the answer to that one, either.
I tend to ask more questions than come up with snazzy answers, but hopefully making a record of the questions will help keep a focus, and maybe answers will come.
In the future, I plan to write about the movies I'm watching. Maybe books, too. We'll see.
"There is nothing the matter with Americans except their ideals. The real American is all right; it is the ideal American who is all wrong." -G.K. Chesterton
I'm not sure I agree with G.K., but I like his quote as a starting place. What is an American these days? I'm not sure I know the answer to that one, either.
I tend to ask more questions than come up with snazzy answers, but hopefully making a record of the questions will help keep a focus, and maybe answers will come.
In the future, I plan to write about the movies I'm watching. Maybe books, too. We'll see.
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