Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Anniversary: Directors & Directions

In less than one month on March 27th, this blog will be celebrating two years of existence. As a means to celebrate we are going to have another one of our legendary polls! This time around we're aiming to generate a pantheon of directors who the readers of and contributors to this here blog think are the absolute bee's knees.

So how do you participate?

Well that's simple. All you have to do is come up with your own personal list of 10 favorite directors and get it to us by 10pm PST on Sunday, March 24th. You can submit your list as a comment on this post, as a comment on the Facebook posting that lead you hear, as a private message on Facebook, or even as an e-mail!

We know the 2nd anniversary is supposed to be the cotton anniversary, but we'd rather say it with directors. Can't wait to see what wonderful lists you all come up with!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Side By Side (2012)

As a film-lover and as an opinionated nerd who loves a good debate/discussion/argument, I was greatly looking forward to watching Side By Side. A film where Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Robert Rodriguez, David Lynch and countless others weigh in on the pros and cons of digital filmmaking versus the classic celluloid approach? Sounds like catnip for cinephiles! I went into this film expecting multiple interviews on the subjects of digital cameras and shooting on film, but what this film offers is so much more than that.

Couched within this central debate is a chronicle of the digital filmmaking movement, from the hesitantly-received early days of Chuck & Buck and 28 Days Later, to its wider and wider acceptance via films directed by the likes of David Fincher and James Cameron. This film was a nice stroll down memory lane, reminding me of what an exciting and frustrating time the 2000s were. How far we had come in such a short time. In the span of just a few years we went from a few indie films being shot on grainy camcorders to “Did you hear? Digital cameras are going to take over! Film is dead. George Lucas said so!” Almost a decade later we know that wasn't exactly the case, but scary times they were nonetheless.

This film also covers more than just the advent of digital cameras. It focuses on all the different aspects of moviemaking that went digital over the last decade ie: editing, on-set playback, digital color grading and digital projectors. You are able to get a sense of how it affected not just directors of photography, but also how editors and visual effects artists had to adapt (whether they wanted to or not) to the new challenges of this new technology. Suddenly, directors were able to keep the camera rolling longer (thus allowing more creativity with their actors) and theatrically trained actors were reveling in the lack of standing around time. No longer having to worry about the dollars being spent every time a film was running through that camera resulted in new relaxed moods on set, and cinematographers were given greater control than ever thanks to digital color timing. So what if you didn't hear, "Cut!" as much?

Though much is touted about all the varied directors who contribute their thoughts in this film, it's the thoughts of the cinematographers that I found most interesting. Certainly detractors of the digital wave get their share of screen time, but I was immensely fascinated by the well-reasoned advantages that were pointed out regarding various digital production details. While I may not be the biggest fan of the way early digital films look, I understand the appeal of how much easier certain aspects of shooting became. For example: being freed from cumbersome film magazines and camera equipment made Steven Soderberg's jungle-based shoot for Che much easier. Like I said, you might watch this expecting just a debate about whether film is dead or not, but you’ll be getting SO much more.

My personal stance on the subject (one that thankfully is shared in the documentary) is this: Why does there have to be a debate? Why can’t they both be an option? It should simply be a filmmaker’s choice which way to go. The dynamic range of the image, the ease or cost of production, how much imagery you’ll be handling with digital effects, etc. There are benefits on both sides. This film’s information on the history of film and the explanation of various aspects of digital technology is very accessible and well laid out, so whether you’re an informed film nerd or casual viewer with no knowledge of filmmaking, you’ll totally understand what’s being discussed at all times. So sit down with a few friends, watch this film, then grab some coffee after and debate the night away.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Pink Flamingos (1972)

Upon hearing that Divine (Divine) has been declared, "the filthiest person alive" by a local tabloid, Connie and Raymond Marble (Mink Stole and David Lochary) become intent on stealing her title. What follows must be seen to be believed.

*      *      *

The 1970s was an era full of shocking and controversial cinema. The old guard was dying/dead and the younger generation took this as an opportunity to shake things up with violence, swearing, nudity and narrative ambiguity. But as daring as many of these films were/are, they have nothing on Pink Flamingos. John Waters' second feature-film was and still is truly dangerous. It wasn't made by coked up film school brats in Hollywood, nor by fancy pants New York artists. This film was made by suburban kids and shot in the actual suburbs. This was every parent's worst nightmare made flesh. The revolution had come home in the form of dyed pubic hair, shoplifting drag queens, kinky sex, singing sphincters, coprophagia, animal slaughter, etc. This film even advocated releasing Manson Family member Tex Watson via giant wall-sized graffiti letters. The front-line was now your front door! When John Waters and his Dreamlanders set out to make this film, their goal was nothing less than the absolute destruction of good taste. Judging by the fact that the films is still able to shock more than forty years later, I think they were successful.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Oscars 2013


I just love awards season, don't you? The buzz, the gowns, the speculation, all leading up to the big night! Every year my in-laws host an Oscar party and our friends go and there's food and spontaneous sing-a-longs and griping and laughing...it's a good time! So, let's get to it!

Highlights:
*The intro was all over the place (Captain Kirk? What??) but I loved adorable Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Daniel Radcliffe tapdancing, and Charlize Theron looked like a goddess in that dance number.
*Shirley Bassey. Holy crap. She was giving me LIFE. I hope I look that fabulous at 76!
*Barbra's still got it too, doesn't she?
*That Sound of Music joke killed me! I love that there was a guy whose only job was to run out wearing a Nazi uniform and yell "They're gone!"
*Christoph Waltz winning his second Oscar!
*Jennifer Lawrence tripping on her way up to receive her Oscar and being able to laugh at herself.
*Quvenzhané Wallis was so cute with her puppy purse, showing off her guns, haha!
*Ben Affleck getting his due with Best Picture after getting snubbed for the nominee for Best Director. And I found his rambly speech really sweet!

Wah Wahhhh:
*That Ted bear was so creepy. Maybe I'm alone on that one.
*Seth MacFarlane was just OK. But that's what we say about all the hosts, isn't it?
*Michelle Obama presenting Best Picture was kinda weird. I love her, but she doesn't have anything to do with the film industry.
*What is wrong with Kristen Stewart? I mean, I know she stepped on glass and was on crutches and all that, but what is WRONG with her?

Here's to winning Oscar bets, (*clinks glass with Craig*) crazy sequins, and all of people who created these great nominated films! I guess I need to see Life of Pi, don't I? And congrats, Argo!





Double-Bill: Fake Titles, Turned Reel

O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Argo

Friday, February 22, 2013

Friday Quote: The Oscar Edition


"I want to thank anyone who spends a part of their day creating. I don't care if it's a book, a film, a painting, a dance, a piece of theater, a piece of music. Anybody who spends part of their day sharing their experience with us. I think this world would be unlivable without art."

-Steven Soderbergh, winning Best Director for Traffic (2000)




The Academy Awards are this Sunday! Who are you betting on?

Peter Pan (1953)


I have a confession: I am a slave to the Disney vault! I am one of those people who knows the exact date when Disney will release a beloved film from my childhood, and then I go snatch it up before it disappears again. I was super excited at the prospect of finally owning Peter Pan, so I thought I'd sing its praises here.  I'm not telling you the plot. If you don't know the plot of Peter Pan, I pity you.

My favorite thing about this film is Captain Hook vs The Crocodile. I will never not find Captain Hook bellowing "SMEEEEEEEEEEE!" hilarious. Add a drunk Smee, a murderous Tinkerbell, kids dressed as animals and the bitchiest mermaids EVER, and you've got yourself a pretty awesome cast of characters. I guess Peter Pan and the kids aren't terrible either, haha. And yes, there's that cringeworthy "What Makes The Red Man Red" sequence, but I guess you can't exactly rip that scene out of history.

Mad props, as usual, go to the artists (especially Mary Blair!)...it's so colorful and magical. The kids soaring over the clouds with the city beneath them, the golden ship lifting off into the air with a trail of pixie dust behind it, the children's parents at the end of the film gazing into the sky at the cloud-ship providing whispers of the childhood they left behind long ago...it all gives you that memory of being a kid and the wonderful mysteries that only the child's imagination can wonder and dream about. There may not be a real Neverland (or is there?) but this film definitely captures a slice of that magic for future generations to enjoy.

But seriously, Tinkerbell tried to have Wendy killed. I don't think she ever felt sorry for it, and she's the Disney mascot. That's kinda awesome.



Thursday, February 21, 2013

Goodfellas (1990)


The 1970s was a pretty crazy decade for Martin Scorsese. After the success of Mean Streets in 1972, the world was his. But as we have all learned from watching countless episodes of "Behind the Music", the good times don't always last. By the end of 1978, Scorsese was divorced for the second time and  had to be hospitalized for internal bleeding stemming from his intense drug use and hard partying. Luckily for us film lovers, he was able to sober up and channel all his unhealthy impulses into making some of the greatest films this world has ever seen. In numerous interviews you can find Scorsese justifiably looking back on those wild years with shame and disgust, yet a closer look at one of his most beloved films seems to cast a slightly different palor on things...

Growing up, I never used to really think about what Goodfellas was ABOUT. Like young Henry Hill, I was too busy enjoying the music, the camera angles, the drugs, the dialogue and of course the violence. But now, as a man in his late 20s with some significant regret in his rearview mirror, things are starting to make a bit more sense. Today I find myself sympathizing with the older Henry from the end of the film.
See the hardest thing for me was leaving the life. I still love the life. I mean we were treated like movie-stars with muscle. We had it all just for the asking. Our wives, mothers, kids, everybody rode along. I had paper bags filled with jewelry stashed in the kitchen. I had a sugar bowl filled with coke next to the bed. Anything I wanted was a phone call away. Free cars. The keys to a dozen hideout flats all over the city. I'd bet twenty, thirty grand over a weekend and then I'd either blow the winnings in a week or go to the sharks to pay back the bookies. Didn't matter. It didn't mean anything. When I was broke, I would go out and rob some more. We ran everything. We paid off cops. We paid off lawyers. We paid off judges. Everybody had their hands out. Everything was for the taking. And now it's all over. And that's the hardest part. Today everything is different; there's no action... have to wait around like everyone else. Can't even get decent food - right after I got here, I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce, and I got egg noodles and ketchup. I'm an average nobody... get to live the rest of my life like a schnook. 
Just because it was dangerous, doesn't mean it wasn't fun!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Document This! - Part II: Electric Boogaloo


Long time no see, kids and cadets. I know it's been a while since my last foray into the world of obscure documentaries but here's the best bit of news you'll hear all day; I'm back and ready to share some documentaries with you all. Now that the introductions have been made once again, let's dive right on in. 

Best Worst Movie (2009) My love for bad cinema knows no bounds, just ask my fiancé. Growing up on a steady stream of 1950s and 1960s B-cinema as well as the hijinks of Joel, Mike and the Bots on Mystery Science Theater 3000, has infused me with a love for some of the strangest and worst Hollywood has to offer. If you've never seen Troll 2, I can only feel sorry for you. The 1990 horror film, Troll 2 is without a doubt, one of the worst movies ever made. This film, much like The Room, defies belief. Many a scientist has sat down with complex scientific equipment to try and understand what makes Troll 2 so lovably bad, only to never be seen again. Best Worst Movie is a loving look at not only the rabid fans of this cult film, but at the actors who helped to bring this epic story to the big screen. Directed by Michael Stephenson, the young star of Troll 2, we follow George Hardy, a dentist turned actor (and another of film's stars) as he and others involved with the film come to terms with the movie's cult status and rising popularity. This film is both hilarious and touching. I suggest you try watching Troll 2 before watching this documentary and then maybe watching Troll 2 again afterwards, if you can handle that much Nilbog.

The People Vs. George Lucas (2010) Alexandre O. Philippe is a bold, bold man for provoking the ire of Star Wars fans the world over. In this documentary, he dares to pit George Lucas, godfather of the Star Wars Saga against his fans and those who grew up with his iconic films. Passions flare as nerds (not unlike myself) duke it out when it comes to the Prequels, Special Editions, and all the other decisions Lucas has made in his one-man attempt to ruin something so beloved by so many around the world. Just as the film's title implies, this is truly the fans against the man who gave them their very reason for geeking-out in the first place. The love/hate relationship of the fans is what truly drives this film. You can argue about the artist's rights to continue to change their work until the Banthas come home, but you cannot deny the passion of a Wookie scorned.

The Atomic Café (1982) This collection of propaganda and safety films from the 1940s to 1960s is a fascinating and very often, creepy look at America's fear of a nuclear holocaust during the height of the Cold War. Presented without narration, this film quite literally speaks for itself. If you take anything away from watching this documentary, it's this; duck and cover and you'll be a-okay when the a-bombs start to drop.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) This film follows the life and career of one of the most prolific singer/songwriters in recent musical history and you've probably never heard of him. Musician and artist, Daniel Johnston is a genius and manically-depressed. At the height of his popularity, even Kurt Cobain, wore a shirt featuring one of Johnston's most iconic drawings. Never has a film so strongly reaffirmed the notion that genius and madness are two sides of the same coin. This film can be hard to watch at times, but observing Johnston's slow decent into madness collide with his steady rise to stardom, is like watching a train wreck you can't turn away from. This is a film worth looking into, just be sure to keep a box of tissues on hand.

I think that about wraps it up. There will be more documentaries soon, so keep your chins up and keep watching the screens.

- Colin (the Devourer of Worlds)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)


I woke up early this morning to watch RuPaul's Drag Race (like every Tuesday morning) and I remembered that I needed to write a post in here, but what about? Why the best drag queen movie ever, of course! The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is about drag queens Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) and Felicia (Guy Pearce) and transsexual Bernadette (Terence Stamp) who are contracted to appear in a cabaret gig in the middle of the Australian desert. They start their road trip in a purple (oh excuse me, lavender) bus named Priscilla, and that is where the adventure begins!

I love this movie. It has spice, it has bite, and it's visual eye candy all over the place. It took home the Oscar for costuming, and it's easy to see why. There's a dress made entirely from flip flops! I love the contrast of the artifice and glamour of drag against the harsh and beautiful Australian outback. The harshness of the desert helps the girls tell their stories, or at least come to terms with themselves in their own way. They meet a colorful cast of characters (including a dog named Herpes!), create a fabulous show, and reconnect with themselves and other loved ones. All in all it's a fun movie with great acting, great visuals, and great music. ABBA, anyone?

Enjoy!

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Rainmaker (1997)

Ambitious young attorney Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon) finds himself representing the family of a dead young man against the insurance company that denied them a bone marrow transplant.

*      *      *

Though it's definitely not included in the regular Francis Ford Coppola pantheon, I seriously love The Rainmaker. I know it's not epic like Apocalypse Now or The Godfather, and I know it's not personal like Rumble Fish or Tucker: The Man And His Dream, but who cares? This is a personal blog. No fancy film school terms are necessary to express my love. I just know that if I were to come across The Rainmaker on TV some night, I would inevitably stick around to the end of it. This is absolutely pop corn cinema. You know how it's going to end from the moment it begins. I mean it's based on a John Grisham novel for Christ's sake! But there's a reason those books do so well and why they are so often adapted into films. Some times you just want to be told a great story. A story where good triumphs over evil. It doesn't all have to be high art filled with subtext and deep meaning. Oh and having an amazing cast helps a bit too. Had Coppola not returned to filmmaking in 2007, I would have been fine with this being his final film.

Double-Bill: Look Closer

Blue Velvet and Little Children

Friday, February 15, 2013

Friday Quote: The Wedding Singer



The video edition! From The Wedding Singer (1998)
Happy Day After Valentine's Day.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Point Break (1991)

FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) must go undercover in order to take down a gang of bank robbing surfers lead by the charismatic Bodhi (Patick Swayze).

*      *      *

When you're a kid, pretty much any film or TV show is good. If it's bright and loud you're in it to win it. Gradually over time you develop taste. No longer is everything awesome. Some things suck. This happened for me somewhere between The Lion King and Pocahontas. It's a sad time but as they say: All things must pass. Even worse is when you return to something you liked as a child, only to find out it no longer speaks to you. Point Break is not one of those experiences. As dumb as the idea of bank robbing surfers is, I am 100% on...board. Kathryn Bigelow directed the shit out of this movie! And as much as I love Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker, this film might be the greater display of directorial prowess. On top of ably directing some truly astounding action sequences, Bigelow also somehow manages to make you to ignore Keanu Reeves' ludicrous line readings. Any filmmaker who can get an audience to accept a line like, "You're saying the FBI's gonna teach me to surf?" truly has the gift.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

RoboCop (1987)


Seeing this film as a child was my first exposure to satire in an action film. The commercials in the film trivialize real threats, while at the same time televised entertainment successfully distracts the working-class from the horrors right outside their doors. Private enterprise pulling the strings of government institutions in order to exert control over people’s lives for the sake of profit? My 9 year-old mind was BLOWN! Sci-fi films exploring such themes were a dime a dozen back then (it was the 80’s after all, and Greed was good) but few films of the decade were able to make those ideas so damn entertaining! With over-the-top violence, a triumphant score, and tons of blood and gore, you hardly notice the subversive message. But In the end, the real reason I dig this film is because Robocop is simply a great hero. Not just because he upholds the law and protects the innocent, but because he does so with a really cool gun. I dare you to watch it and not have fun.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Best Dressed Animated Disney Characters


This post was inspired by a list I saw on another website. Their 10 Best Dressed Disney Characters list left a lot to be desired, in my opinion, so I decided to make my own! So here they are, in no particular order.

Basil of Baker Street, The Great Mouse Detective

Easily the best dressed male character on this list, he showed us that he knows how to lounge, solve cases, AND hit up bars, all in style!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Double-Bill: Intelligent Discourse

Slacker and Waking Life

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

An FBI trainee (Jodie Foster) must consult a cannibalistic serial-killer (Anthony Hopkins) for insight into a new killer (Ted Levine) on the loose.

*      *      *

God I love it when a true artist is handed a commercial property. Of course it's great to see great genre filmmakers do their thing (ie: George Romero doing zombies or John Carpenter doing horror) but it's an extra-special treat when a filmmaker you've followed for years is suddenly able to apply their style and passions to the type of movie that attracts a big advertising budget and huge opening weekend business. It's like an amazing two-for-one: a well-made film that speaks to your soul - FILLED WITH AWESOME STUFF! In The Silence Of The Lambs you get all of Jonathan Demme's acute, subtextual observations about America's violent soul, alongside grad gugnol-esque set-pieces like the "snapshot from hell" sequence where Lecter escapes. This is precisely how you get a film The Academy can feel secure honoring with awards-o-plenty that is also fun to watch with your friends! I honestly don't know why Hollywood doesn't do this more often because I'll take Robert Wise's The Haunting over Jan De Bont's The Haunting any day of the week.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

As Good As It Gets (1997)

A gay artist (Greg Kinnear), a single mother (Helen Hunt) and an obsessive compulsive author (Jack Nicholson) find themselves together on a road trip.

*      *      *

I'm pretty sure that Romantic Comedy is the most reviled genre among cineastes. Countless Gary Marshall films have helped to hammer this knee-jerk reaction into our collective unconscious. The mere mention of the term can call up horrific thoughts of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey like you're a 'nam vet with a bad case of PTSD. But let us not forget that Harold & Maude is a romantic comedy. Annie Hall and Punch-Drunk Love are too. Oh and of course there are the countless classic comedies of Hollywood's Golden Age like His Girl Friday, Ninotchka and The Apartment. In the hands of the right creative team, romantic comedy can be a marvelous thing. Back in 1997 while everyone else was gorging themselves on Titanic, I saw As Good As It Gets three times in a theater. Films like this are the reason Wes Anderson and Cameron Crowe speak of James L. Brooks in such reverent tones. This film can rightfully stand shoulder to shoulder with all of the aforementioned classics because it's funny, it's romantic, it's well made, it's well acted and boy is it charming. To this day I am still in love with Helen Hunt. What can I say? She makes me want to be a better man.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Top-10: Ones & Zeroes

When movies started to be shot digitally in the late 90s, I was very resistant. They didn't look like movies. They were grainy/too clear, the colors were weird and often the frame-rate caused them to look like bad television. Sometimes this was able to work. If the filmmaker needed a "rough"/faux-documentary look or if it was a movie about the media, this new aesthetic became somewhat acceptable. But these were exceptions, right? Digital could never replace film! Could it?

What a difference a decade makes. Today, many of the world's greatest filmmakers have embraced the new technology with arms wide open. Film is now the exception held on to by a few loyal "fetishists" like Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson. Back in July I even wrote an editorial addressing my conflicted feelings on the matter. But as they say: The Only Constant Is Change. And so as an act of good faith, here is a personal list of the photographically greatest digitally-shot movies and the artists who shot them. You might even notice a few names in common with the list of black and white films from last week...

Zodiac - Harris Savides

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Sister Act (1992) / Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)


I will defend these films TO THE DEATH! I love them, I've watched them a billion times, and they always cheer me up. In the first film, failing lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) accidentally witnesses her mobster boyfriend bumping somebody off, so she goes into hiding in a convent until she can testify. During her stay she becomes Sister Mary Clarence and takes over lead of the choir, teaching those tired old nuns to work it and sound fabulous!

In the sequel, Deloris is back to lounge singing more successfully when her new nun friends surprise her to plead for her help. They're all high school teachers now and the school is in danger of closing. They need her to get back in the habit (aaaahahahaha see what I did there??) and become a music teacher in hopes that she will be able to breathe life back into the school. And of course she turns her slacker students into an amazing choir! Bam!

I love the music in these films. The nuns are oh-so-cute, especially when they start rocking out gospel-style. I give the edge to the second film though, because there are some seriously talented singers in the bunch, including stand-out soloist Lauryn Hill. There's a small scene where she and a friend are sitting at a piano in an empty church, singing in harmony...it's beautiful.

So if you want something light and feel-good, I recommend you revisit these. If nothing else, you can ponder this great mystery of the universe: When will that red-haired nun ever become a REAL nun? Enjoy, and remember: "If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention!"

Monday, February 4, 2013

Deconstructing Harry (1997)


Harry Block (Woody Allen) is a writer whose life is falling apart. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he alienates all of his friends and family by putting their drama into his work.

*      *      *

The Woody Allen Style is a very distinct one. During his first decade, Allen's cinema evolved at a fairly rapid rate. But by the time Annie Hall hit in 1977, everything was pretty much set in stone. From the moment those white Windsor opening credits begin, you have a pretty good idea of what lies ahead. It's kind of comforting in a way. But sometimes there can be surprises, and that's when things get exciting! Deconstructing Harry is one such surprise...

Of the 38 Woody Allen features I've seen, I can easily say that Harry is his most filthy. Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex * But Were Afraid To Ask and Mighty Aphrodite have nothing on this film because not only is it dirty, it's vicious. They even use the dreaded "C-word" multiple times in this one! And while I'm sure this appalled the blue-hairs who regularly show up for Allen's films, it plastered a big ol' smile across my face that remained for the full run-time. And it's not just shock value either. I recently watched this film for the first time in well over a decade and found myself still greatly amused. This film features some of the most eloquent filth you will hear outside of David Mamet and I defy you to find anyone who can rattle it off with as much aplomb as Ms. Judy Davis. I could listen to her insult me all day long. And Woody is no slouch either.

After Celebrity completed his impromptu "trilogy of filth" that began with Mighty Aphrodite, Allen returned to a more chaste cinema, but its nice to know that he has that quiver in his arsenal. Louis C.K. and Andrew Dice Clay are in his next movie after all...

Double-Bill: The Delinquents

The Wild One and Rebel Without A Cause

Friday, February 1, 2013

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)


Forget Aladdin! Okay not really, that movie is awesome, but if you're looking for a visually stimulating film based on "The Arabian Nights," this one is for you. I remember seeing this on TV all the time as a kid, and it was pure magic to me: flying horses, flying carpets, a murderous multi-armed mechanical woman, blue roses, a thief-turned-dog, a HUGE genie, two soulmates, and gorrrrrgeous color.

Prince Ahmad (John Justin) has been stripped of his rightful place of king and blinded by the evil Jaffar (Conrad Veidt, whose penetrating stare alone could kill you). Ahmad teams up with the scrappy young thief Abu (played by Sabu...that's funny, right?) to reclaim his place on the throne, win the heart of the beautiful princess (June Duprez), and have awesome adventures!

This is pure fantasy at its finest. Sabu is really charismatic, the whole film is colorful and beautiful, and it's a real treat for anyone used to the Disney treatment of the story. Criterion released this film a few years ago and they did a fantastic job (as usual). Let this film take you over sideways and under on a magic carpet ride, a whole new wooooooorld....oh damn.


Friday Quote: Never Been Kissed


"All of you people, there is a big world out there...bigger than prom, bigger than high school and it won't matter if you were the prom queen, the quarterback of the football team, or the biggest nerd in school. Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it."
Never Been Kissed (1999)