Better Off Dead

John Cusack.

I had to see this movie - I loved it when it came out in the 80's and I love it now. (Wait a minute - I just wrote that in my blog post for Cinema Paradiso . . . oh well, it's true for both)

While the clothing does appear dated (definitely 80's) but the themes are not - teenage years, obsessive crush on girl, school bully, terrifying newspaper boy.

In fact, there is no such thing as a paper boy any more. That's a rather sad commentary on our culture. Regardless, though, perhaps this movie could be seen as a period piece, of the intrisically bizarre alternative universe of the ReaganEighties . . .

whatever - it's funny. It's funny in a deadpan funny. It's John Cusack funny. It's littered with oddball characters who simply enhance the hapless anti-hero, who can't seem to kill himself in any halfway decent fashion . . . even his parents and his little brother (who is a supergenius who never speaks) augment the insanity of his world. In fact, what makes it so funny is that he IS the only sane one in this world, and he's trying to kill himself OUT of it.

And what I have to tell everybody about the premise an the title is that it is nowhere near as morbid as any explanation would make it seem to be. It IS indeed a movie that you really should watch.

Even if just for the tentacle trying to climb its way out of his mom's cooking pot.

Just remember the tag line "TWOOOOO DOLLLLARS!!!"

Once you see this movie, that will become two of the most terrifying words you'll ever hear!

VG

Cloverfield

Loved it like I loved Blair Witch Project, precisely because of the way the story was told. Story unfold through a handheld video camera that starts off with somebody taping his friends' going away party, and the perspective changes when Manhattan starts being taken apart, piece by piece.

Interestingly enough, this method of storytelling does allow some leeway into some minor diversions in the movie, such as in the subway tunnel, when our "heroes" (for lack of a better term) come face to face with miniature monsters, who, if they don't tear you to shreds right away, inject you with a poison that makes you explode about twenty minutes later (which reduces our heroes from four to three).

In a regularly told movie, they would have to account for that . . . answer the questions, how did the little monsters get here? Are they offspring of the big monster that ripped of Lady Liberty's head and sent it flying through the streets of Greenwich Village? (Were they in the Village? I can't remember . . . not being much of a New Yorker, I can't differentiate all the neighbourhoods)

Regardless, this type of handheld camera is both effective and allows the makers the leeway simply to show the action without having to clarify with a lot of rationalizations.

Makes it very effective. Truth be told, if this were told in a standard format, it would have been just another monster movie.

I mentioned Blair Witch before, and this movie also begs another comparison, to a monster movie that is spectacular on all fronts . . . The Host. (Korean movie, I've blogged it before - check it out . . . I'm sure the makers of this movie studied that one in and out.)

VG

Cinema Paradiso

Finally showed it to my wife, this movie was beautiful when I first saw it in '89 and it still makes me cry twenty years later! What an absolutely beautiful, touching, tender, movie. Lord, the Europeans make coming-of-age movies better than any other continent.

My wife, however, fell asleep halfway through.

Maybe there weren't enough car chases and action heroes!

(heh heh heh!)

VG