Thoughts

          I had a dream about writing this post. Isn't that super creepy? And super sad? I should be dreaming about buildings tumbling over and Matt Smith and Loki and shite. Blogging's taking over my life, AND I DON'T EVEN BLOG MUCH!! Anyways, here are my thoughts.

1) So District 9's Sharlto Copley is the man on everybody's mind right now. He is going to be the villain in the American remake of Oldboy and also star alongside Angelina Jolie in Maleficient. Now Ji-tae Yu as Woo-jin has become one of my most favourite villains ever. I love them diabolical like that. So he has big shoes to fill. But he seems like a very interesting choice. Josh Brolin of course will be the protagonist, called Joe Douchette in this version, directed by Spike Lee. In Maleficient, he'll be King Stefan who I'm guessing will be Sleeping Beauty's father. If he is the one who battles, per se, Jolie's Maleficient, it will be a much smarter option than giving such duties to some "teenage" actor who will definitely be overshadowed in every way. Having said that, I'm still rooting for Logan Lerman to get this part.

2) DJANGO UNCHAINED!!! These pictures were released at some point last week and OHMIGOD, I cannot wait!! Leo will be playing a man called Calvin Candie (another magnificent name by QT). He's holding a hammer. Looking at just the recent cinematic usage of hammers, we have Dae-su in Oldboy and the Driver in Drive. There will be beautiful ultraviolence my friends :D Also Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz as Django and Dr. King Schutlz(!!) respectively, look pretty cool. I love the look and the costumes. I'm guessing and hoping that the film will be a serious awards contender.

3) Speaking of Leo, I had started watching Romeo + Juliet last night (which I will finish after posting this), and his introduction as Romeo has to be one of the best character intros ever. Accompanied by, what is in my opinion the sexiest Radiohead song ever, "Talk Show Host", the beautiful and broody Leo speaks in old Shakespearean terms, and oh what bliss! I think, well no I'm pretty sure that whatever age I may be, I will still fall in love with him then and there. My most favourite intro of all time is of course Josh Hartnett as Trip Fontaine in The Virgin Suicides, with Heart's "Magic Man" playing in the background. Only Juliet had Romeo, but all girls have had a Trip Fontaine at some point in their lives. And they always will, making him timeless and magical.

4) Trailers- Remember the time when there was only one trailer per film? Me too, because that was TWO YEARS AGO. Gah. I refuse to watch any and all featurettes. Including those of the much anticipated Prometheus, which has another trailer out. It gives us a little more clues to what we are to expect and also a look into Charlize Theron's character. I'm already pumped about it, so the trailer is a tad unnecessary for me. Next we have Beasts of the Southern Wild, which won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year. It looks absolutely beautiful, and in a way reminds me of Pan's Labyrinth because they're both about children escaping the problems of their surroundings by creating and entering magical realms of their own. Next we have the "sort-of sequel to Knocked Up" This is 40. As much as I love the cast, especially Paul Rudd, I really don't want to watch it. I think there are some secret life-lessons involved, most probably about forty-year-olds, but I will start worrying about them in spite of not being even twenty yet. Then there is the really weird trailer of 2 Days in New York, which follows the idea of 2 Days in Paris, both made by the wonderful Julie Delpy. It just looks like a clip, but I liked the first film, so I'll watch it. The forgotten superhero movie of the summer, The Amazing Spiderman has another and slightly painful trailer out. I will watch this because of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone and maybe the humour, but poor Spidey. Then we have the slightly crazy A Fantastic Fear of Everything starring Simon Pegg. All I can say is, get Nick Frost and all will be made right :) Lastly, the king of the trailers is obviously The Dark Knight Rises. It just looks bloody incredible and I want to watch it right now and I love destruction of planes and bridges and so much JGL and Catwoman is awesome and Bane is scary and GAHHHH! MIND FRIGGIN' BLOWN!!!

5) Poster-wise, everyone needs to see and worship and somehow send me a copy of Charlize Theron's Snow White and the Huntsmen poster. Just look at it!!!!! Marvelous.

6) Finally, I started Game of Thrones last week and am now up to date with it. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you will know of my overwhelming and kind of irrational hatred towards one character in particular-

Off with your head, Joffrey!!!

Bronn knows best. Bye.

Mini Reviews- Edward Scissorhands, Straw Dogs and Oldboy

             After a female-themed mini reviews post back when, I think it is time to do a "men, men, men, manly men" one. Don't ask me where I get these ideas from- I am highly jobless and my brain is dying. Also I am like high on Ron Swanson.

Edward Scissorhands (Dir: Tim Burton, 1990)

Basic plot- Edward was created by a scientist who gave him scissors for hands. He lived alone in the creepy-looking Gothic mansion until a kind-hearted make-up saleswoman, Peg Booths, decides to take him in. Her little colour-coordinated town with the gossiping housewives is swept with curiosity at this strange, yet meek man and try to use him best to their advantage. In all this Edward starts to develop feelings for Peg's teenage daughter Kim. But the fickle town soon begins to create trouble for the scissor-handed man.

             I have loved this film for a very, very long time for which there are a number of reasons. The story combines many tales that we have all read or heard or seen before such as a need for love and acceptance, a beauty and a beast falling for each other, society exploiting those who are different and then crippling their genius and so on, but in a most singularly magical way. We feel for this strange man who could be very dangerous, but remains gentle and helpful throughout the film. It is only when he gets blamed for the wrong things do we see his carefully controlled anger, for being created in such a way, come out. Still, Edward is a beast of love and art and the film depicts that beautifully in all of his creations. His feelings towards Kim are pure as a child which make some of the most heart-wrenching moments in the film, like when he cannot seem to hold her lest he hurt her. That one tiny scene reveals the true heart of the film and the man- someone who should not love because he wasn't designed that way, but he does. The film has some really amusing moments too, provided by the residents of their town, especially in the form of the original Edie Britt, Joyce played by Kathy Baker.

              Even though I disapprove of his career choices at present, Johnny Depp still is my favourite actor and this was the film that introduced me to him, and also to the quirky and dark film maker Tim Burton. I am quite a huge Winona Ryder fan too, who plays Kim. Depp of course is Edward, a role that was as custom-made for him as his costume in the film. This film is the prime example of what the Burton-Depp team was capable of. They were absolutely unique here; there may have been various influences but they weren't remaking or adapting anything, and it worked wonders. This film was the true brainchild of Burton, who has on many occasions called it the epitome of his style of work. It is a fantastic looking film too- the dark is perfectly matched with the colourful.  It majorly influenced the Goth culture, but I think it is so romantic. I even wrote about it as a modern example of romanticism in today's world, where the idea of snow represents eternal love to an old lady. One of my favourite endings.

Rating- 10/10

Straw Dogs (Dir: Sam Peckinpah, 1971)

Basic Plot- A seemingly docile mathematician and his wife move into her old house in a quaint British village where they have a bit of trouble with the unruly locals, including the wife's ex. When things go too far, the mathematician decides to fight back.

              I love films in which the darker side of people comes out. I think that is precisely the reason why Batman is so famous. We are inherently violent and only because of that peace-loving icons like Gandhi are revered. The attraction to violence is in our nature but we try have to control it in order to live in a civilised society, just like Dustin Hoffman's character David Summer. We are shown how this "pacifist" has moved to this remote village in a different country because he did not want to take part in anti-war protests. He tries to avert conflicts as most of us do, but when one is constantly ridiculed, the facade of civility and even sanity may start to slip. Which is exactly what happens with him. The best part of the film is when this happens, but that is only in the last half hour or so of the film. But we see the build up to it, and quite perversely, we champion the violence when it takes place. That is precisely what the film maker wants us to do, and through the character of David, mirror our own secret savage desires.

              The film has been wrapped in controversy for a reason ever since its release, and that is my biggest problem with the film- the portrayal of women in it. They are represented in this promiscuous, nagging, needy, childlike way who have no problem being slapped around. Many people have tried to explain it by showing David's Humbert Humbert-esque tastes, but the only two women in the film are exactly his dirty fantasy type, which was a little hard to swallow for me. Apart from that, I was very impressed by Hoffman's acting in it. It is a fascinating character study. The film is all about him, and it's a crucial part of the 70s anti-hero boom. Hoffman and the final act make the film for me.

Rating- 9/10

Oldboy (Dir: Chan-wook Park, 2003)

Basic Plot- Oh Dae-su is kidnapped and imprisoned in a hotel room for fifteen years. When he is released, he starts the search for his captor and the reasons behind his captivity. He becomes involved with a young sushi chef Mi-do during his quest for vengeance, but the truth waiting for him is far more terrifying than anyone can ever imagine.


        Oh what a mind-fuck! In my lost podcast where I spoke about another Chan-Wook Park film, I talked about how I wouldn't be as shocked going into this because I would be mentally prepared for it. Boy was I wrong... It starts out almost innocently. Yes it is violent as hell, but nothing I couldn't handle after so many years of Fincher and Tarantino devotion. It is very stylized and all sorts of awesome (that hallway scene- swoon!). One starts to love the crazy Oh Dae-su as he seeks the truth, with his hammer. But then the film takes a very grim turn and all hell breaks loose, at least for me. 


            However, I love intricate films like this. The story is a truly twisted yet brilliant one. All the three main actors, Min-sik Choi as Oh Dae-su, Hye-jeong Kang as Mido and my personal favourite now, Ji-tae Yu as the diabolical Woo-jin are incredible. I don't want to give anything away because the film has more impact if you don't know anything about it at all. And you bloody well need to be shaken like that. There are things in it no one approves of, but it is presented to us in such an enigmatic way, that we are all blown away. I mean I really wanted to hate this film because that is how much I loathe the final truth of the film, but I just couldn't. The look, the feel, the dialogue, the music, and the acting have made me a fan.


Rating- 10/10