Inside Out (No, Not The Pixar Movie)

Inside Out (2011)

Runtime: 93 minutes

Directed by: Artie Mandelberg

Starring: Triple H!, Michael Rapaport, Parker Posey, Bruce Dern, Julie White

From: WWE Studios!

This movie is leaving Netflix Instant after Thursday; it's not something I'd recommend people see but this isn't a crap pile either. I explain it all in my Letterboxd reviews below:

No, I did not see the acclaimed Pixar movie last night; rather, I saw what I think is one of the more obscure WWE Studios productions; it involves a recently released from prison Triple H (currently the WWE Champion-if you can believe it-although that will likely change with Wrestlemania coming up this Sunday) playing someone named Arlo Jayne who is so obsessed with PICKLES that he wants his post-prison life to be devoted to making pickles and how things go wrong when he hangs out with his old criminal friends and things go sour...

You can say that Arlo is in a pickle of a situation, as he experiences the jarring feeling of temporarily living with his pal and his wife... and the three were part of a love triangle in high school and his pal (Michael Rapaport) is the one who is F'ing everything up. Would you believe that the wife is played by Parker Posey, or that the ringleader is Bruce Dern and his illegal operation currently is not trafficking coke or pot but rather untaxed cigarettes? I swear that it's all true. Heck, the daughter of Rapaport and Posey is known as Pepper, and once I realized the goofy reason why the screenwriters used such a name... that is “WWE humor”, believe me.

The movie is definitely uneven in tone and for a melodrama where some serious things happen, there are plenty of goofy moments and five minutes after a character does something bad to someone else, that someone else forgives the person rather easily. Yet, I can't say I wasn't entertained by this Louisiana-set and filmed production, where you are reminded of the setting by seeing several people wear New Orleans Saints t-shirts. The movie is not great but I did not find it to be awful either; the cast (even Triple H) is fine, Dern gets to be his usual Grumpy Old Man persona in this stage of his career, and whether intentional or not I certainly got laughs from its wacky tale it told.

While it's not something that I'd recommend-even if Triple H talking about the act of making pickles is incredible-at least it is not something that I regret seeing as it was thankfully not a waste of time.

New World

New World (Sinsegye) (2013)

Runtime: 134 minutes

Directed by: Hoon-Jung Park

Starring: Jung-Jae Lee, Min-Sik Choi, Jeong-Min Hwang, Seong-Woong Park, Ji-Hyo Song

From: Sanai Pictures

I returned to the world of South Korean films, and a good time was had by me. Read about it in my Letterboxd review below:

Yesterday I was thinking of which foreign film to watch and I realized that I've been saying for awhile now I should see more from South Korea and that's a mantra that I have repeated to myself a countless number of times but I've never actually done it. April, I'll try to see a few more from there. Anyhow, I selected this particular motion picture as it was on Instant and both here and elsewhere I saw high praise. Turns out, the praise was warranted.

The plot isn't too complicated on the surface: a cop is undercover in a crime syndicate and has been doing this for years; the leader suddenly dies and there's chaos. The cop wants out but his boss refuses and wants him to influence the election of the new leader, for the benefit of law enforcement. Yes, I have heard it compared to Infernal Affairs, and as I shamefully haven't seen that-yet-I'll take everyone's word for it. From there, there is a lot of intrigue as you don't know who to trust or whom will turn on someone else. It's more crime drama than action, although what action we do see was quality stuff. Yeah there are some rough and gruesome moments, but it's nothing excessively gross like, say, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.

I was always intrigued with this story and all the twists & turns it took. As it's not a Hollywood product that means it doesn't wallow in cliché and you can't always predict what will happen. Of course I won't be mentioning any spoilers. It was nicely directed (by Hoon-Jung Park), nicely scored (by Yeong-Wook Jo) and nicely acted by the cast, some of whom I recognized from other films I have seen. I have to note that as the lead, Jung-Jae Lee did a fantastic job. Also, while there are plenty of scummy characters to be seen-it is a “Shades of Grey” sort of thing-all of them are entertaining to watch and are intriguing... even the over the top A-hole.

Like I said, I need to watch more movies from this country, as I typically really enjoy what I see from there.

Safety Last!

Safety Last! (1923)

Runtime: 72 minutes

Directed by: Fred Newmeyer/Sam Taylor

Starring: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother, Noah Young, Westcott B. Clarke

From: Hal Roach Studios

Last night I saw this great silent again-the first viewing was years ago. I was happy to see it again as it's a classic silent for a reason. I explain it in my Letterboxd review below:

A long time ago I had seen some Harold Lloyd movies-including this one-and as I liked what I saw, I couldn't turn down the chance to see this classic again when it showed on TCM late last night. This was a wise decision on my part.

Of course, everyone knows the famous final act where Lloyd actually hanged from a giant clock in Los Angeles-something that has been homaged even in modern times-but this is a lot more than that; he plays an everyman named Harold Lloyd who goes to the big city and works at a department store. He's a victim of circumstance and bad things happen to him, although part of the problem is on him as he's not only a heel at times but he and his friend LIMPY BILL pretend to be more wealthy than they actually are, which is an issue for Harold as he tells his girl-she's still in a rural area-he is doing well and giving her gifts he can't really afford. Then she comes to the city...

The movie is pretty darn funny from beginning to end. There are sight gags, jokes in the intertitles, and other things to go along with the physical humor, which Lloyd was always great at. There are plenty of memorable moments which I won't spoil here but I have to mention that the final act climb up the building is still impressive today; it's not just the insane feat of an actual building being climbed and he actually did hang from that clock (part of it was film trickery but in long shots you see Bill Strother-the guy who played Limpy Bill-actually scale a tall building, and not in a single bound) but it's the humor sprinkled throughout and the participation of other characters in that act which make it stand out almost 100 years later... and of course a few years prior he lost his thumb and forefinger in an accident so doing those stunts while wearing a glove on one hand which hid this makes the feat all the more impressive.

I definitely want to see more Lloyd and do so at least once in awhile.

Alice

Alice (Neco Z Alenky) (1988)

Runtime: 86 minutes

Directed by: Jan Svankmajer

Starring: Kristyna Kohoutova

From: Several European Companies

Here is a movie from the Czech area of Europe and it's a rather strange mix of live action and stop-motion animation. I explain it all in my Letterboxd review below: 

Last night I decided to Czech myself before I wreck myself; I looked at my Netflix Instant queue and saw that this would leave the service at the end of the month so it made the most sense to see it immediately. I hadn't seen any other works from director Jan Svankmajer but I have heard he specializes in rather odd creations, so between that and the general weirdness of the original Alice Through the Looking Glass story (which I've never been a fan of; personal preferences is the main reason why), it's no surprise that he wanted to do his version for years and finally was able to do so in the late 80's.

The plot generally follows the classic tale but there are plenty of points where Svankmajer inserts his sensibilities and this turns out to be rather strange; the film itself states that it's “made for children... perhaps.” I can tell you that it's not! I definitely would not have wanted to see it as a kid, as there are many weird and nightmarish images which I won't spoil here; this is not even taking into consideration how I couldn't possibly accurately give a recap of the plot anyhow due to all the random crap and weird non-sequiturs that happen.

Of course, if you love Alice in Wonderland then you may rate this differently... you could love the unique spin on this, or you could hate it and prefer the animated film or... well, not a lot of people like the Tim Burton-Johnny Depp version, but if you do... I viewed it as a daffy acid-drenched adventure where live-action is mixed with stop-motion animation perfectly and you got plenty of surreal landscapes and dream-like moments. I was certainly entertained even if I didn't always have clue one as to what in the hell was going on.

I have mentioned on Letterboxd and elsewhere that there are plenty of examples of weird media being produced behind the Iron Curtain; I don't know how much a factor the stifling influence of Communism had but whether the Soviets, the Czech or others, you definitely got unique products from them, this being a definite example.

Who Killed Captain Alex?

Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)

Runtime: 64 minutes

Directed by: Nabwana I.G.G. (yes that's his billed name)

Starring: Kakule William, Kakule Wilson, Sserunya Ernest, G. Puffs, Kavubu Muhammed

From: Ramon Film Productions

Here is a movie that came out a few years ago but went viral last year when it was legally released online. It is a no-budget movie from Uganda that is technically pretty bad but boy is it a blast to watch as the people involved really did try their best w/ limited resources to create an entertaining action picture, which they ended up doing in their own way. My Letterboxd review is below: 

As I have mentioned before, when I do this deal each year where for one month me and others devote much of our time to watching foreign movies, it is nice to see both the countries I am familiar with (Italy, South Korea, etc.) along with more obscure ones... this is now the 4th one I have done and in that span the figurative backwaters of the filmmaking world I have visited included NORTH Korea, Tajikistan, Bahrain, and Kazakhstan. This being from Uganda definitely fits in that category. What a backstory this has...

On a messageboard recently a trailer was posted to something known as Ugandan Expendables. It was totally gonzo with amazingly bad CGI yet the action did look legit entertaining. I looked it up and saw that it was from the director of this movie, which I discovered thanks to Letterboxd but had never seen until today. Note that the director calls himself Nabwana I.G.G. Nabwana and his buddies have made a bunch of no-budget films (allegedly, this one cost only the equivalent of 200 American dollars!) in the small village of Wakaliga, which I understand is a part of the capital city of Kampala.

This movie is barely an hour long but boy, does it stand out for being different. The general plot revolves around the titular Captain Alex, who is a member of law enforcement looking to stop a gang known as TIGER MAFIA, led by a dude named Richard. The law takes Richard's brother, which makes Richard really angry. The two sides do battle more than once, and a mysterious person kills Captain Alex. I won't say who it was... as the movie doesn't even tell you who did it! They admit at the end that they don't answer this question. Are they leaving it for a sequel that may never happen? I don't know... but I say it doesn't really matter. Let me address a few things:

* This movie has a “Video Joker”; that is a narrator known as “VJ Emmie” who frequently makes comments about the film in English... even though this has subtitles that translate the Swahili language to English. He makes pithy remarks about the movie and sometimes even clowns on it. It's all very weird, yet I can't say I was not entertained by this... that goes for the Video Joker thing and the entire motion picture in general.

* The special effects: I don't even know if I could say it's “as good as Birdemic” but they're so goofy they are infinitely charming, and these fine fellows really do try their best with limited resources to create a fun action movie like the ones they have seen and loved before, and like I said I enjoyed this for what it was.

* They “borrowed” music from other places rather than create it themselves. This includes a piano cover of the ABBA song Mamma Mia by a French musician known as Richard Clayderman and a panpipes version of Seal's Kiss from a Rose, which you hear a few times. I can't explain why either were used even in the context of the movie.

* The translated dialogue has some rather unique phrases, including calling someone a "diarrhea squirt".

I am glad that a group of Ugandans came together to create movies for the people of Uganda and provide a special sort of entertainment that they can relate to. There are various articles online about the movement known as “Wakalikawood” and I'll eagerly anticipate the Ugandan Expendables.

At Berkeley

At Berkeley (2013)

Runtime: 244 minutes (not a misprint)

Directed by: Frederick Wiseman

Starring: This is a documentary about the University of California at Berkeley

From: Zipporah Films

I explain below in my Letterboxd review why I was glad I saw a 4 hour long documentary in one sitting, and why I wish I could track down more Frederick Wiseman movies... you can get them directly from his production company but it'd be pricey to get even a few of them: 

While it was years ago that I first heard of the once-banned documentary Titicut Follies, it wasn't until a few years ago that I learned about its director-Frederick Wiseman-and how he is not only prolific but he still does documentaries today and he's in his mid 80's. I understand why low-budget filmmakers would prefer to sell their work personally on their website rather than have it streamed (especially if they do this sort of work) but I still wish there was that option, as I feel documentaries should be more accessible due to the potential impact they could have. Anyhow, I was able to find a copy of this so I watched all 244 minutes in one setting; Wiseman typically does lengthy movies so this isn't too excessive compared to his norm.

Berkeley refers to the University of California at Berkeley, a public school that is world-renowned for its extremely high standard of education. It covers several aspects:

* Many different classrooms or workshops are attended, and you see a wide variety of different subjects taught. The workshops include a device that helps a paralyzed person walk. The talks in class sometimes revolve around such subjects as race relations, stereotyping how good a student is just based on appearance & the color of their skin, and economic inequality.

* The higher-ups of the school are seen discussing the subject of fiscal trouble. I know that the people who follow me scan literally across the world, and I know that in many places higher education is paid for by the government. Not in the United States. Even compared to when I went to a university in Illinois back over a decade ago, the cost of tuition and room & board has skyrocketed. That is mainly due to a decrease in funding from state governments; I don't want to get political here as I don't want any giant arguments but that is sadly a fact, and even a prestigious school like Cal has to deal with such issues.

* Maintenance is shown, from the sweeping of stairs to the mowing of lawns.

* Various activities are presented on campus, from violin concerts and Greek rush to hippie festivals and the ROTC.

* Oh, and public protests also. That has to be noted as in this sprawling documentary, the one big event is a huge student protest against the high cost of going to Cal Berkeley. This is shown from both the students and the faculty.

There's a wide variety of opinions heard here and just from listening to those people talk about their lives and social issues while in the context of discussion during class or talk by faculty about the school, you get to learn a lot about how America is currently, inequality, and how difficult it can be to live or just go to school in this society. This goes along with just how engrossing and vibrant a college campus can be; that's what I remember from my days and with this particular institution, you get to see that the student body is quite diverse. This has plenty of people speaking for lengthy amounts of time but even if it's about topics I wasn't too interested in, I still listened to what they had to say and I certainly did learn new things.

The documentary has such a large scope that it really could have been even longer than it was, but in those 4 hours you still get a great sense of what a college campus is like and all the different things that can take place in a short amount of time. I presume it is a Director Trope that none of the people were ID'ed with any sort of graphics (only the few main people at the school were credited at the end) but I can it could also be because it fits into the “fly on the wall” nature of this, where the director lets everyone speak for themselves and it is up to the viewer to decide what they think about everyone... or, it shows that the experiences at Berkeley could happen at any campus of higher learning all across the country.

After viewing this, I definitely will try to track down more Wiseman to watch in the future.

The Ring (No, Not That One)

The Ring (1927)

Runtime: The version I saw was 86 minutes long

Directed by: This is one of the earliest films of Hitchcock

Starring: Carl Brisson, Lillian Hall-Davis, Ian Hunter, Forrester Harvey, Harry Terry

From: British International Pictures

Simply, I saw this earlier today and while it's not one of the best of Hitchcock by any means, it's not bad either. I explain it in my Letterboxd review below: 

Earlier today I was struck by the thought of not knowing what to watch. Suddenly out of nowhere I got the idea to see some Hitchcock; then, came the idea to see what was available on YouTube; I found this and figured I should give it a whirl, as it fills the March Around the World 2016, Silent and Hitchcock lists I have; this motion picture has nothing to do with any creepy ghosts crawling out of a television (or given the date this was made, a phonograph player). Instead, the ring refers to a boxing ring, although the main focus is on a standard love triangle deal w/ a boxer that fights in carnivals, his lady and an actual boxer in the pro ranks.

I should clarify that in the old days (in England, this happened until relatively recently) there were challenges where a boxer or wrestler would face off against anyone in the crowd and if they could last a certain amount of time, they would win a cash prize. As the boxer or wrestler would be extremely tough and be able to handle himself, the cash prize was rarely won. Well, the actual boxer fights against the carnival guy (One-Round Jack, as he is known) so One-Round Jack has to enter the legit boxing world.

The movie I would only call average if it wasn't for the talent that Hitch already showed this early in his career. It is put together well and the theme of circular objects (such as a literal ring or a bass drum) is presented throughout. Intertitles weren't used often so it is the image that conveys the story more and you have no trouble figuring out what is going on. Unfortunately, one of those intertitles refers to a black fighter by the N-word and that was unfortunate, although I knew about that beforehand so it did not come as a surprise. Also, early on you see a rather strange carnival game where it looks like eggs are being tossed at a black man... I can't explain it past that but I probably don't want to know the details anyway. At least it was not all bad: one of Jack's cornermen is black and he's treated normally.

Like I said this would only be an average tale if not for Hitchcock's influence; he doesn't actually make one of his famous cameos here but his presence can be felt, and I do have to give him credit for getting away with a middle finger gag in the middle of a gag about a buffoon character picking his nose.