Nineflick

Cidade de Deus (City of God)

Posted in Movies on December 12, 2008 by gveers

2002, Brazil cityofgod
Director: Kátia Lund, Fernando Meirelles
Screenplay: Bráulio Mantovani
Novel: Paulo Lins

What is it about organized crime that it’s spawned so many great movies? The Godfathers and Goodfellas are considered classics, and more recently films like American Gangster and City of God have continued the gangster tradition of excellence. Perhaps the power is in the narrative; it’s a genre full of desperate characters and intrigue, of cops and robbers and people somewhere in between. If City of God does not have the masterfully constructed story of the Godfathers, or the fantastically sustained drama of American Gangster, it at least compensates with a fresh directorial style and a splendidly realized sense of location.

The story is told by Rocket, a budding photographer growing up in the slums of Rio De Janeiro, which are euphemistically termed The City of God. His private experiences make up a portion of the film but never really take on a life of their own, and the greater focus is on the people he encounters. Growing up alongside the destitute but ambitious, he provides a unique perspective of the City’s insular culture – its heroes and villains, its geography, its daily pulse. This is perhaps the film’s most impressive achievement…the City and the events that take place within feel very real. Mantovani accomplishes this using a camera that is not afraid to jump around, and juggles images and moments as effectively as places and perspectives.

The most interesting character is Li’l Zé, a youthful criminal mastermind that grasps for greater things. It almost tempting to say it is his story, for he looms largest in the narrative and everyone else is affected by his existence. The truth is that this film is a story about the City itself; the fact that Li’l Zé dominates feels like more coincidence than necessity. The result is somewhat Chaucerian – stories emerge and fade, and characters play their parts before being assimilated back into obscurity. I think this is simultaneously this film’s strength and weakness. Though it produces a nice ambient feel for the time and place, it wastes some time on lesser characters and falls a little short of a central, dramatic build.

Style: 8
Mantovani keeps the eye interested, particularly in the first half of the film, with washed out colors, time lapses, and interesting camera angles. The opening “chicken chase” sequence is remarkably coherent for all its quick cuts. The second half seemed to tone down the in-your-face directing and let the story speak for itself, a decision I really can’t argue with.

Substance: 7
There is some poignancy to be found here, including the note on which the movie ends. The overall feel of the movie is of a photographer taking snapshots, which is interesting and effective – to a point. Though we are swept forward by the characters and events, I wouldn’t have minded slowing things down a bit and letting the characters react a little more. As a result of the whirlwind pace, there are few interesting exchanges of dialogue.

Overall: 8
City of God is a remarkable movie in many ways. The first half is very entertaining and effectively immerses us in the City’s culture. As the focus shifts to Li’l Zé, all the elements are in place for an epic build up and satisfying conclusion. Though there is still a lot to like moving towards the final act, I feel that some of the energy and tension of the first half is lost. For example, the film takes on a incongruously lighthearted tone just when more darkness could have put it over the top (gangsters posing for photographs?) I heartily recommend this film, but I can’t quite call it a masterpiece.

Breathe, Breathe in the Air

Posted in Politics on December 10, 2008 by gveers

We are living in an era that most of us have never experienced directly. It is an era of spirit, a spirit of freshness and uniqueness. It is a draught of optimism after sweltering through a desert of frustration. It is the roaring 20s, the boundless optimism of the 50s, it is Seattle in the 90s. It’s the age of fucking Aqaurius, if you’d like.

What I’d like to say is: breathe it in. Take it in, and recognize its magic. To a Red Sox fan, the 2004 World Series might have felt a little like this, engendering that same consciousness of history. But that was baseball, and too passing a thing to hold on to; this is more fundamental, and less transient. Let it sink in and put a smile on your face, because you deserve it.

I’ll admit, I’m worse than your typical Cosmopolitan woman when it comes to Barack Obama. I follow him like a Britney Spears pregnancy. I’m a fiend for his cabinet appointments, his interviews, his history and family. I read the story about how he gave Joe Biden birthday cupcakes several times, just because I enjoyed it so much. If George W. Bush sparked a certain passion for our government, Obama has stirred it to a blaze. But it’s a blaze of pride, of genuine interest in how a good leader can make a difference in a rudderless culture.

Obama is a relative novelty in recent U.S. history: a leader with vision andenergy. How refreshing it is to have a president that says he is reading Lincoln, and actually has you believing it (he certainly quotes him enough). How amazing it is to have a president that understands the power of the internet, or the importance of leveraging the collective knowledge of Washington. What an example it sets to have a president that thinks global warming is a serious issue, or that energy independence is something worth working towards.

Just recently I was particularly heartened by the way Obama talked about his economic stimulus plans. He emphasized that any stimulus should improve things, whether it be the country’s infrastructure or internet access or degree of energy dependence. This is, to borrow one of the president-elect’s favorite expressions, a fundamental difference between him and many recent U.S. presidents. It reflects a mature approach to taking on debt in a country that has, for too long, ignored the price tag of how we do business. (The most frightening thing about the national debt is not that it is so huge, but that we have so little to show for it. For the debt we have, shouldn’t we be doing much better in terms of health and education standards for civilized nations? We failed to use that money to build anything, and we’re going to pay the piper in more ways than one.)

In Obama, I feel like we finally have a guy who gets it, and it comes none too soon. To corrupt one of FDR’s phrases, in right now our country has little to hope for but hope itself. Barack Obama is the nexus of hope. And you know what? Altogether, it’s really not such a bad place to be.

Body Heat

Posted in Movies on December 2, 2008 by gveers

1981, United States Body Heat
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Writer: Lawrence Kasdan

There was a time when I indelibly associated film noir with detective stories, but I’m starting to get a feel for the broader genre – the entanglement of passion, the tension of a criminal existence, the backdrop of cultural estrangement. Body Heat was one of the first successful examples of neo-noir, updating the themes established in the 50s with modern characters and settings. Taking place in an unseasonably hot Florida and effectively employing knowledge of the modern legal system, it’s a film that generates strong viewer interest from start to end.

Though peripheral characters come and go, the film is completely centered on Ned Racine (William Hurt) and Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner), who maintain an uneasy existence between themselves and the rest of the world. The film does an excellent job of capturing their desperation and their irresistible desires. Early on, Racine’s helplessness against his passion is given form in a physical act, making for a unique and memorable scene. As the plot evolves, the urgency shifts to Walker, as we learn more about her past and her nuanced personality. When they are thus both revealed to the audience, their relationship is consummated in a single, terrible desire. This singular need is also embodied in their mutual, purely physical lust.

Nonetheless, the film is not nearly as simple as it may at times appear. There are ever-evolving complications, and there is a final trick that Kasdan will leave to play in the final act. I debate the effectiveness of this trump card, which becomes particularly problematic in an unnecessary final shot. If Kasdan had allowed his crime of passion to speak for itself, and allowed mysteries to linger in the mind, he might have created some degree of masterpiece; as it is, he squanders a powerful emotional build-up on an ending that leaves us a little too satisfied. That said, the final revelations make it possible to watch the film a second time with a completely different perspective, a feat few films achieve.

Style: 7
The most stylistic aspect of Body Heat is the constant reference to the temperature. Sweat is visible in nearly every scene. Though I appreciate the attempt to establish atmosphere, I did not get a fantastic sense of this supposedly unbearable climate. Part of this, I think, is because so many shots are done in the evening, with the subdued colors cooling the environments. I do like how Kasdan effects a certain claustrophobic quality in many shots, particularly in a tense scene taking place in fog.

Substance: 7
Borderline 8, but I felt it necessary to deduct a point for a sort of cop-out and artistically inadequate ending. I think much of the dialogue is well-written and compelling, and Kasdan’s script maintains a fantastic degree of tension.

Overall: 7
Like many reviews, I am caught between two scores. I could justify an 8 based on the wonderfully dramatic, grandiose fatalism that crescendos somewhere around the hour and a half mark. All the elements are in place for a powerful and lingering finale, but Kasdan falls a little short, and it hurts the movie’s overall effect.

2 Comments »

Chinese Democracy

Posted in Music on December 1, 2008 by gveers

chinese_democracy I’m starting to think of 2008 as the year that the United States struck back. We elected a president almost everyone is proud of. It was a good year for movies, including the two (indisputably) best superhero movies ever made. And hey, how about it – even the left-for-dead Axl Rose decided to chip in to the resurgence of culture and optimism, finally releasing Chinese Democracy after nearly two decades of relative obscurity.

Now granted, those three things are nowhere near being on the same level. Barack Obama’s election is really the game-changer, while a few legitimately good blockbuster movies are just icing on the America-shaped cake. And Chinese Democracy? Maybe it’s a dab of icing. But it’s still emblematic of this country’s spirit right now, and while Democracy is not a profoundly great album, it’s quite good, and handily the best G’n'R album since Appetite For Destruction.

Chinese Democracy is not what I expected in a couple good ways. It’s not overly produced or absurdly layered – the buzzsaw guitar riff of the title track makes it clear that this is going to be an album with bite. Nor does it continue some of the bad habits of the Use Your Illusions, most notably those albums’ collective lack of quality hooks – a problem that was only exacerbated by inflated song lengths. The tracks are tighter on Chinese Democracy, and when they run long it tends to be justified. Gone, too, are some of the cheesy vocalizations, like the over-use of bass vocals (see Back Off Bitch or You Could Be Mine, just to name two) or the flat choruses of otherwise decent tunes (see Breakdown or Locomotive).

Most of the tracks have a solid hook at their center. The best of these is the third track (and second single) Better, with a driving guitar rhythm and some excellent vocal work by Axl. Better is the nucleus to a strong opening set – the first six tracks all have something appealing about them, with Better and the grinding (not to mention instrumentally diverse) If The World being my favorites. The album takes a slight step backward with the rather straightforward Catcher in the Rye, and another step back for the next two tracks. Still, I’m sure people could make their cases for these songs – they aren’t total dogs, they just aren’t my thing.

The album closes on a note somewhere between its strong opening and slight midsection lapse. Despite some inescapably bad lyrics in the next two tracks (never Axl’s strong suit), I like the ethereal guitar work in Sorry, and I.R.S. has a pretty solid hook. Madagascar lapses back into some of those Illusion bad habits, interrupting an interesting song structure with an irritating series of sound bites, even making use of a Cool Hand Luke quote as Axl did in Civil War. Mercifully, this is the only track where the spoken word interrupts the music to any significant degree. The album is closed out by the catchy and affecting This I Love (a sort of improved November Rain) and the somewhat inscrutable Prostitute (doubtless a nod to the Appetite closer Rocket Queen).

I think this album is probably better than most reviewers are giving it credit. At 71 minutes, it offers a lot of music with surprisingly little pure fluff. And the first half is a very strong and diverse set of tracks. So rejoice, music fans…Axl is back, for now anyway. Axl Rose and America…have two resurgences ever gone together better?

25 Comments »

Gates of Heaven

Posted in Movies on November 20, 2008 by gveers

1978, United States gates
Director: Errol Morris

In Gates of Heaven Errol Morris created one of the more unique films, and certainly more unique documentaries, ever made. It’s a study of the rollicking pet cemetery business, built around interviews of faithful pet owners, entrepreneurs, and at least one person that, as far as I could tell, had no relationship whatsoever to the subject. There’s a level of sarcasm to most of these interviews that is faintly to highly amusing; there are also some genuinely touching moments towards the end, but the majority of the screen time is devoted to pretty boring people with pretty pedestrian views on life, death, and the insurance business.

The ongoing debate concerning Gates of Heaven is whether director Morris is playing the concept for comedy, or playing it straight. Roger Ebert, a film critic I greatly admire, has high views on the movie in part due to this apparent ambiguity. In his review he describes how he often screens the film for discussion purposes, and how the audience inevitably grapples with its intended tone. Perhaps the fact that it’s a documentary is throwing people off, but why can’t Gates of Heaven be both funny and serious? Most of the first half is played for laughs and towards the end Morris starts playing it straight. Does that make this a layered, deep movie? With due respects to Ebert, I don’t think so. I’m all for ambiguity, for interpretation, but I don’t see much of that in this film.

Perhaps part of my problem here – the problem that prevents me from feeling about this movie too strongly in one direction or another – is that I really don’t find the pet cemetery business to be all that inherently funny. Even parts that are clearly played up for laughs, such as an old woman crooning at her dog to make it whine in response, have me caught halfway between amusement and annoyance. The funniest part in the movie is also the part that best testifies the film is at least partially sarcastic – a newspaper whirls towards the screen in “breaking news” fashion only to reveal the rather banal announcement that some pet graves are being relocated.

Style: 7
Gates of Heaven has a directorial deftness. Much of its charm derives from the way it intercuts different viewpoints, passing from the success-minded ex-insurance guy to his brother’s rendition of Honky Tonk Women, to a woman choking up over her departed dog. Note, too, the pet paraphernalia in prominent view behind the two squabbling old women, establishing their characters to the audience on an almost subconscious level. In spite of his efforts there’s only so much Morris can do with his material, working within a documentary format.

Substance: 6
You can choose to celebrate the rather quaint philosophical ideas of the people involved in this film; you could also laugh at their queer obsessions and failed business ventures. Personally I have no interest in the former, and not a whole lot for the latter. You could build this film up to be quite a bit deeper or more biting than it actually is, but I see the bulk of it as a succession of disinteresting people expounding on disinteresting ideas. It’s nothing I couldn’t get at a family reunion.

Overall: 6
This is an above-average film due to a few funny and touching moments, but to call it any more than that is a stretch. I like the way Morris brings out the truth of his principals, but I don’t think it compensates for their inherent dullness, or the novel but ultimately unremarkable subject matter.

16 Comments »

The Best 2D Game of All Time?

Posted in Gaming on November 18, 2008 by gveers

A review of any great 2D video game inevitably invokes a phrase like this: “the greatest platformer since [insert name of older great platformer],” or “the best platformer of the [cartridge size] era.” Taking these myriad reviews in totality, I think it’s possible to converge on a few definitive contenders to the throne of the greatest 2D video game ever made. So let me indulge myself with this post and break them down for y’all. And just to be clear, I’m referring to action and adventure side-scrollers in this list…if I allowed a game like SimCity into the list, I’d have to consider many more, and would probably be out of my depth, anyway.

Super Mario Bros. – 1985
smb The case: Super Mario Bros. is the Citizen Kane of video games: great because of its lasting impact on the industry as a whole. Consider the fundamental absurdity of Super Mario Bros. – here is a world where jumping is one of your primary activities. When’s the last time you’ve ever jumped in real life? I probably jump more than the average individual, enjoying getting onto higher places, and yet I can safely say it’s been a few months since I last jumped (well, jumping rope notwithstanding).

And yet Super Mario Bros. made the concept of jumping in a video game seem like a perfectly logical activity, and for years to come to boot. Got an enemy coming your way? Why not jump over him!? This is a vaunted technique in the martial arts – trust me, I’ve got a yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do (two stripes). Super Mario Bros. defined the sidescroller and defined Nintendo. And, if you can reach back into your memory far enough, you’ll recall it was pretty fun and revolutionary in its day.

Bionic Commando – 1988
bioniccommando The case: Bionic Commando is the anti-Mario, the game that said “why the hell is everyone jumping all over the place?” The bionic arm was fresh and fun, and to this day it remains one of the more unique video games ever conceived. It also featured a typically great score by Capcom and the kind of plot that could only take place in a 1980s Nintendo game (involving predominantly the resurrection and subsequent head-destruction of Hitler).

On the negative side of the ledger, I’d argue Bionic Commando has somewhat weak level design. The challenge is also inconsistent as you advance through the game…Area 6, for example, probably should have been one of the last levels, but instead it’s right in the middle.

Mega Man 2 – 1988
megaman2 The case: Mega Man 2 is the most colorful video game of all time. It’s like the technicolor dream coat of video games. You’ve got the icy Flash Man stage, the greens and browns of Wood Man, the techno-yellow of Crash Man…you get the idea. It’s just got some of the most stunning visuals of any video game, for its time. This was complemented by an outstanding score, headlined by the faux guitar of the magnificent Wily stage music. (See also: this version.)

The gameplay was also off the charts. Sure, no one ever used the crappy “Bubble Lead” (by the way, what the hell does that mean?) And the Metal Blades were unbalancingly powerful. But the very idea of accumulating this arsenal was extremely satisfying. Mega Man 2 remains the best in the series and deservedly vies for the title of one of the best 2D games ever made.

Prince of Persia – 1989
prince_of_persia The case: I’ve never played this game, so I can’t ramble on and on about it too much. But this game clearly made its mark in the 2D arena. Unprecedentedly smooth animation was its calling card, and supplemented by thoughtful level design and challenging gameplay it helped computer gaming strike back against the console revolution.

Super Mario Bros. 3 – 1990
smb3 The case: Super Mario 3 took everything about the first game and expanded it in every possible way. The game is much bigger, the level design more varied (not to mention near flawless), there are lots more powerups, and an interactive map took the Mushroom Kingdom to new heights. Oh yeah, and Mario could fly. Let me say that again. Mario. Could fucking. Fly. To me, Mario 3 is every inch the influential game that the first Mario Bros. was, a mega blockbuster that continues to testify to the peak of Nintendo’s powers.

Sonic the Hedgehog – 1991
sonic The case: I’ll admit, I never understood the Sonic the Hedgehog craze, and I’m mostly including this entry for completeness. Maybe I never got far enough in the game, but I didn’t understand the appeal of going really, really fast…then abruptly hitting a wall. Where’s the fun in finding out where you can keep going really fast and where you can’t? I will give this game credit for the Green Hill Zone music, though. Does anything beat that tune? In a word: absolutely not.

Super Metroid – 1994
kraid The case: I’d like to submit that Super Metroid cemented the concept of the “big” boss fight. Big bosses could be found in lots of games prior, but Super Metroid put the onus on developers to make everything impressively, take-up-more-than-your-TV-screen huge. But that’s not why Super Metroid is one of the great 2D platformers. Super Metroid took an idea that started with the first Zelda game – being able to see locations without knowing how to immediately get to them – and translated it masterfully into a side-scroller. That brilliant sense of exploration was only heightened by the atmospheric, high quality graphics. Throw in some incredibly cool and unique power-ups like the Speed Booster and the mighty Screw Attack (which just sounds vicious) and it’s easy to see why this game is an all-time great.

Super Mario World 2 – Yoshi’s Island – 1996
yoshisisland The case: When you move into the late 90’s, it becomes obligatory in these discussions to throw in sentences like “even though everyone was moving on to 3D gaming…” Yeah, Yoshi’s Island was probably passed over more than most games because everyone was rushing to the next generation. And yeah, they all missed the boat. So consider this to be another voice in the wilderness advocating for one of Nintendo’s finest forgotten masterpieces. Yoshi’s Island has truly outstanding level design, perhaps just a notch below SMB 3 and significantly improved over its rather overrated predecessor. Most impressively, practically every level introduces some clever new platforming element, constantly engaging the player. And like all of the entries on this list, Yoshi’s Island features some pretty addictive music.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – 1997
The case: It’s looking increasingly likely that Symphony of the Night will go down as the greatest game in the Castlevania series, and perhaps the last great side-scroller. I make that claim with apologies to the likes of Viewtiful Joe, a modern side-scroller that looks like it might be kind of fun, but probably does not come anywhere close to the upper echelons of gaming.

Symphony of the Night was clearly heavily influenced by Super Metroid, right down to details like a high jump power-up opening new areas and the huge creature heads leading to different levels. There are even enemies (“ectoplasm”) that strongly suggest Metroids. All of this works strongly in its favor, of course. The biggest complaint I had as I played through this game is that it’s too easy, but it actually gets significantly harder once you advance to the reverse castle. Like Super Metroid, Symphony of the Night relies on a compelling sense of exploration, appealing to the gamer to plumb the depths of a huge and multifaceted castle. It also features an impressive array of weapons and unique RPG elements that only serve to enhance the experience.

2 Comments »

Blade Runner, The Final Cut

Posted in Movies on November 9, 2008 by gveers

1982 – 2007, United States unicorn
Director: Ridley Scott
Screenplay: Hampton Fancher, David Webb Peoples
Story: Philip K. Dick

In the world of Blade Runner, the Voight-Kampff Test determines whether a person is real or artificial through a sequence of up to a hundred questions. I love this concept for a couple reasons. First of all, it has one of the best pseudo-scientific names I’ve ever heard. If I went into my doctor’s office and he said he had to run some Voight-Kampff tests on me, I’d just smile and nod my head. I also like the very notion that humanity designs these potentially dangerous artificial creatures with no easy way to recognize them. Roger Ebert, with his typical insightfulness, anticipates my criticism and raises the possibility that the powerful Tyrell Corporation has ulterior motives for their legions of mechanical look-alikes.

Blade Runner opens with a Voight-Kampff Test on an artificial human, or replicant, that probably shouldn’t need to be tested. Isn’t it fairly obvious that this wide-eyed, emotionless fellow is not “one of us?” The trained professional administering the test apparently doesn’t think so, and thus sets off a sequence of events that follows Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) in his quest to eliminate four, or possibly five, rogue replicants. The story is fairly straightforward, but the movie does a good job of raising questions about ethics and self-identity without becoming too heavy-handed. In this regard The Final Cut is a noticeable improvement over the original theatrical release, which featured a voice-over by Ford. The voice-over may have made the film more consistent with its noir origins, but the story works better when the viewer is left to draw his or her own conclusions.

It could easily be argued that the story doesn’t even matter, because Blade Runner is best known for its influential and enduring art direction. Blade Runner’s special effects are more of a mood than a sequence of specific ideas – contrast it with other great sci-fi movies like Star Wars or Terminator, where individual effects and visual concepts tend to dominate particular scenes. In Blade Runner the effects all kind of bleed together, with the consequence that nothing is particularly amazing, but the overall vision is extremely tight and well-realized.

Style: 9
A layup. Blade Runner splendidly brings the concept of the sprawl to life. As usual, the futurists were most incorrect about the advancement of computers, and Deckard’s primitive photo enhancer is the one concept in the film that has aged poorly. The buildings, streets and cars all remain convincingly dystopian.

Substance: 7
Blade Runner is a fairly simple story that raises some classic science-fiction questions about artificial intelligence. The deepest aspect to the film involves Deckard’s identity, which in The Final Cut is open to a variety of interpretations. I find it interesting that Ford and director Ridley Scott each have their own answers to this debate, suggesting that either interpretation can be readily supported.

Overall: 8
I’ll admit I think Blade Runner’s special effects are just a touch overrated, because there’s no truly great individual visuals. But taken altogether, Blade Runner is an excellent mood piece, whose dark backgrounds work in harmony with a patient and thoughtful story. Its lack of original ideas – intellectual or visual – holds it back from a higher score, but the texture of the film hangs with the best of them.

3 Comments »

The Big Sleep

Posted in Movies on November 6, 2008 by gveers

1946, United States bigsleep
Director: Howark Hawks
Screenplay: Leigh Brackett, William Faulkner (!), Jules Furthman
Novel: Raymond Chandler

About fifteen minutes into this movie I had the unsettling, and somewhat familiar, feeling that I’m just not smart enough to follow complex plots. After all, I’m a guy that was hopelessly confused an hour into the first Mission Impossible (the only certainty was that if you put the green half of the gum with the red half, it would explode). Fortunately an internet consultation confirmed that the Big Sleep is considered to be one of the most baffling movies in history.

Thus reassured, I watched the movie not once but twice, the second time with a pen and paper to keep track of the numerous characters and their connections. Midway through the film I concluded that, ultimately, there are plot points that really do not hang together in this complex detective story. Humphrey Bogart’s character, Phillip Marlowe, is possessed with at least two superhuman powers – his irresistibility to every woman he encounters, and an absolutely impossible gift for linking ostensibly unrelated things. Some of the questions I wrote down as I watched the movie the second time:

“How does Marlowe suspect Brody killed Geiger?”
“How does he guess who Eddie Mars is when he first meets him?”
“How does he see through Vivian and Mars’ ruse at the club?”
“How does he figure Sean Regan is in any way connected to Geiger?”

Marlowe not only figures these things out, but figures them out with an absolute authority and certainty. Sherlock Holmes has nothing on Bogie! These questions leave out the most famous and hilarious plot hole in the film, which was, according to one account, pointed out by Bogart himself on set: no one knows who killed the chauffeur, Owen Taylor. Even the novelist didn’t know.

Fortunately, the Big Sleep’s convoluted plot is easily ignored. Where the movie shines is in its incredibly witty dialogue, the sort that could only compound the Bogart character and legend. Bogart is just sublimely sarcastic in this movie, and a joy to watch. The Big Sleep also captures the legendary actor during a critical moment in his life. He was going through an unhappy marriage and struggling with feelings for his co-star and future love of his life Lauren Bacall. The chemistry between Bogart and the 20-year old Bacall in The Big Sleep is fascinating, and provides the film with a great side story about one of the 20th century’s most larger-than-life individuals.

Style: 7
The Big Sleep is rather straightforward film noir. The style in this film is almost entirely supplied by Bogart himself – his delivery, his sarcasm, his perfect street-smart demeanour. I get the impression that Bogart’s persistent and distinct character was a joy to writers, who continued to gift him with some of the greatest dialogue ever penned.

Substance: 8
The plot is hopelessly complex and ultimately based around tenuous suppositions and convenient plot twists. It doesn’t matter much, though, because Phillip Marlowe is a very fun character to watch. Bogart and Bacall’s real-life romance captures one of the all-time great actors at a critical period in his life.

Overall: 8
The Big Sleep would rate a 9 in dialogue alone. It would also probably deserve a 9 for historical significance, since it is one of the marquee examples of film noir and Bogart’s career. But I have to deduct a point for a plot that would be nigh impossible to unravel in a single viewing, and wouldn’t leave you with much satisfaction even if you did.

5 Comments »

More on Ebert’s Great Movies

Posted in Movies on November 3, 2008 by gveers

I just added a link on the sidebar that contains all of Roger Ebert’s Great Movies as well as whether I’ve seen or reviewed them. It may be a little overzealous to say I’m aiming to review every last movie on his list, but it’s the vague direction in which I’m headed. It’s going to take a matter of years to even get through the list, considering there are 292 entries and it’s being constantly expanded.

Anyway, I added this page should you want to track my progress.

Recent Gaming

Posted in Gaming on November 3, 2008 by gveers

Well, I’m way, waaay behind on my Roger Ebert Great Movie reviews – in the hole by 5, in fact. What better time to do a post on video games!! These little gems are what kept me going during my biannual personal hell, i.e. sitting for an actuarial exam (yes, these things are, in fact, endless).

Bionic Commando Rearmed: I’m a big fan of the original Bionic Commando for the NES (1988, baby), and it’s clear that the creators of this excellent remake are as well. All the levels have been faithfully recreated, and there are lots of humorous references to the game’s infamous Engrish. More importantly, they took a good, long look at what didn’t work in original and made organic improvements that are in the same spirit as the Capcom classic. To whit:

- The weapons have been revamped. The Rocket Launcher was significantly nerfed (good call), the useless “3-way” was replaced with the much niftier Vector Cannon, and Joe’s Machine Gun got a face lift. All the weapons now have special upgrades and can be switched to at any time, thus eliminating one of the more annoying aspects of the original. Oh, and that goes for the various communicators as well.

- They added several secrets to each level, as well as an encyclopedia of sorts for which you collect entries as you encounter stuff. There are two new mini-levels replacing the secret passageways of the original, and they’re pretty tough. Several “challenge rooms” were also added to further test your swinging skills.

- The boss battles have been massively redesigned, generally for the better. I say generally because I found myself missing the classic boss battles a little. They were definitely a part of BC’s charm. But from a purely gameplay standpoint, this is definitely an improvement, and some of the battles take particularly clever advantage of the bionic arm mechanic. Oh, and the Albatross is now its own level!

- They improved the graphics and remixed the soundtrack. I liked the graphics upgrades, but missed the less techno-y tunes of the original. That Area 2 music was just the best.

Overall it’s a really thoughtful remake. My biggest single complaint is that they left the overhead stages in, which continue to be a huge hassle as you navigate the map. This is sort of like making a Star Wars Special Edition and changing everything EXCEPT the blatant mistake of not coloring the lightsabers in certain shots. You know what scenes I’m talking about. “Ben!?!?!! NOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Mega Man 9: It’s pretty amazing that Capcom made this game. Mega Man 9 is a fully-formed, brand new NES-style Mega Man game, complete with 8-bit graphics. It follows the gameplay mechanics of the best entry in the series, Mega Man 2 – and that means no slide, although you do get Rush instead of the various adapters.

I’ve played all the original Mega Man games without regret, to the extent that you can play video games without regretting doing more productive things, and if you’ve liked all the previous Mega Mans you’ll like 9 as well. Mega Man is kinda like the Rocky of the video game world, or Friday the 13th - they just keep on comin’. With Mega Man, though, the core concept is really that good, and I think the endless sequels are pretty well justified.

Mega Man 9 is a bit of a rally for the franchise in some departments. The Robot Masters were taking a serious turn for the lame towards the end of the NES run, and that has been somewhat rectified here, including the first female Robot Master (Splash Woman). The music is actually quite good, as well…not quite MM2 standards, but definitely more enjoyable than anything in 5 and 6. The level design is thoughtful, although murderously difficult at points (Tornado Man’s stage is just ridiculous). A slight drawback to this game is that it’s shorter than the Mega Mans past 3 – there’s only the first 8 stages and 4 stages after that. I’m not going to tell you where those final 4 stages take place, but I bet you can make a good guess.

Symphony of the Night: My latest foray into classic gaming, I’m really only a half hour into the game at this point. But it is totally awesome, justifying its frequent appearances on top game lists. Basically this game is Super Metroid in Castlevania, and that’s enough to make me a very content person right now.

19 Comments »