3 Concerts in 3 Nights (6 Throw-away Films)
I am still coming down from another incredible week this summer. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I went to concerts here in town. Tuesday night, I caught Jason Isbell (formerly of Drive-By Truckers). He and his band (the 400 Unit, which includes his wife, Amanda Shires on fiddle- who coincidentally opened the show with her own brand of sad, acoustic songs) played at Port City Music Hall. A friend of mine had posted a month or so ago that he was catching him in Pittsburgh and I saw that Isbell was playing in Portland, so I asked if it would be worth checking out (I've always valued his musical opinion). He had "of course" and another friend of mine, who lives in Portland, as well (and whose musical opinion I appreciate as well) caught wind of my question and told me I'd have to be stupid to miss the show. And, holy shit, were they both right. The show was only $12 and it was beyond worth it. He put on one of the best shows I've been to. He's like a modern day, alt-country-rock version of Bruce Springsteen (like when the Boss was in his 20s and 30s). He is an unbelievable storyteller. His songs ring of working-class stories in his songs. They are sad but hopeful decrees. In this day and age, his songs are absolutely relatable. After seeing him in concert, I've become a fan. He won me over simply with his live show. This isn't exactly his setlist from the night I saw him, but I think it's pretty close. You have to check him out, if you don't know him already.
On Wednesday, I turned 32 years old. The past year of my life seemed to start off really shitty. I was living with my (now ex-)girlfriend in a house we rented in Freeport, which turned into quite a disaster really fucking fast. We'd started dating in December and by March, we were living together. Retrospectively, it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life (and a rather costly one, at that, both mentally and financially). I don't really know what prompted me to think living together was such the great idea that I thought it was. I mean, we'd only known each other for 3 months. I think I was in a hurry to just be with someone that I cared about (yes, loved) every day. I thought it would be this amazing thing, you know, that missing piece to the puzzle in my life. It was an awful experience for the entire 5 months we lived together. I tried so hard to make things work, to the point where, trying too hard create the problems and the divide between us. We ended up breaking up just about one year ago this coming week. But, that's not the worst of it. We tried living together, as roommates, for about 3-4 weeks, until she decided she didn't want to do that either, which left us really fucked, financially, because we were stuck in a lease agreement. We found our way out of it, though, after 4 months of negotiations (which finally ended at the beginning of December) and we've never spoken again (thankfully). I moved back to Portland, my old landlady rented me an awesome place, and I cannot imagine my personal life being any better than it has been since moving back in late September. I've dated a couple of girls, short-term, since moving back to the city. For the most part, I've just been enjoying being single and doing anything I want, whenever I want.
At the beginning of the school year, I was teaching 4th grade (after getting rifted and shifted to another school in my district). Then, by the end of November, I was back at my old school teaching 1st grade for a teacher that resigned. Professionally, I couldn't imagine a better situation for myself. I work with one of the most amazing groups of people/teachers. I was able to finish my Master's Degree in May, as well. Another step in a professional direction. I cannot wait to see what this next school year brings me, as I will find myself back in Kindergarten, with the teachers who hired me in the first place.
I've made some incredible connections and friends since moving back to Portland. I've found myself being much more of an extrovert (still on my terms, though, like an introvert, I suppose), because I'm making more of an effort to put myself out there. I've even gotten a part time job at a yoga clothing store in the Old Port, in order to have more interactions with adults and also make some extra money. I just bought myself a brand new car, last month. I've spent my money mostly on concerts, not wanting to miss out on any experiences that I'd regret later. This has been one of the best summers I can remember in a long time. So, on my birthday, I had a lot to celebrate from this past year. It was certainly a year of growth, filled with learning experiences and times of self-doubt and renewal. On my birthday, I went to see an amazing band, Beach House, play at the State Theatre, just down the road from me.
Here's their setlist from the night:
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Film 210
"Wild Target"
starring: Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt
"Wild Target" shoots and misses its target, slightly. I've really come to appreciate Emily Blunt's acting talents as of late, but even she cannot save this film. It also stars Bill Nighy (whom I've really only "seen" playing Davy Jones in full unrecognizable makeup in "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies), who is all dressed up as a killer-for-hire, who is apparently one of the best at what he does. Nighy plays Victor Maybard with poise and an ease that any veteran actor can do.
Emily Blunt plays a young, vibrant art forger who ends up ripping off the wrong guy at the wrong time to start the film. The wrong guy is played by Rupert Everett. He hires Victor to "whack" (even that mob term for assassination seems completely out of place for this film, which tries its hand at more of a slapstick approach than anything else, because let's face it, whacking off some young girl should be humorous). Even a grown up Rupert Grint (you may know him better for his part in the "Harry Potter" series as the redheaded boy) playing a gas station attendant who ends up getting mixed in with this combination of no-good-doers doesn't really work, other than for a few laughs. By the end of the film, his character has taken on more of a protege assassin than anything else. Oh, and the weirdest, but to be expected twist in the film (which I guess isn't necessarily a twist) is that Blunt and Nighy's characters fall for each other, which makes the film more of a bizarre romantic-comedy (in the sense that he's originally hired to kill her, but he can't because he falls in love with her). Perhaps because it's a British comedy is the reason why I didn't get it. Either way, I think "Wild Target" missed its mark.
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Film 211
"Land of the Dead"
starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Asia Argento, Dennis Hopper
written and directed by: George A. Romero
Here is another zombie film in George A. Romero's bag of tricks, for the genre he helped create, which more often than not actually has a social/political message behind it, if you look deeper than the surface of just zombies, the apocalypse, blowing shit up, etc. Romero has used his zombie films as a social satire. Here's a look at his zombie filmography:
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Day of the Dead (1985)
Then he took a 20-year hiatus.....
Land of the Dead (2005) His comeback film, so to speak
Diary of the Dead (2007)
Survival of the Dead (2009)
So, what's the messaged received in one of his most recent films? Well, here the zombies and humans have both evolved. Zombies are not simply shuffling around and eating humans. The zombies have learned to communicate with each other in a very rudimentary level (grunts and almost kind of sign language I guess). They can somehow make plans. And are no longer afraid of water (their stepping stone to getting across to the other part of the city is making it through a river, quite a scene). There is a zombie called Big Daddy, who grabs a machine gun from a motorcyclist riding by, and from that point, you know the humans are in trouble. How the zombies learn to use the weapons is sort of a mystery, but it's a zombie flick, so you really don't care. It's entertaining to see the zombies kind of level the playing field a bit, against the humans, who've also had the upperhand with technology and brains.
And the humans' evolution? Well, they've evolved in a sense that they've developed a class system (relevant to us). Those who have survived and have money live in "Fiddler's Green"- and they apparently make all the decisions. Dennis Hopper's character is at the forefront of this class system and it was good seeing him take on such a scumbag-of-a-role before his death a few years later. "Fiddler's Green" is a luxury high-rise/skyscraper of a building where all the wealthy folks live. It can be found right in the heart of the city, with a barricade around it to keep out all the common folk, who reside on the outskirts of town or fumble around the city just outside the barricade. There is a safe zone, what the military would call a Green Zone, where the mercenaries stage uprisings and it also houses a giant armored truck called Dead Reckoning. The social satire is very clearly a shoot at the class system that has developed in our own country with such a large divide or gap between the extremely wealthy and the poor. I've seen a middle class sort of disappear over my 32 years of existence as this gap has just been allowed to get bigger and bigger. The residents of "Fiddler's Green" and the zombies have a similar relationship like those of rich nations, even, and starving orphans (you know, the ones you see on those depressing TV spot commercials asking for money) and/or refugees.
The plot of the film is sort of irrelevant, but here it is in a nutshell, with the cast of actors included. Cholo (John Leguizamo) is the head of the mercenary group that is planning and staging an uprising against "Fiddler's Green" residents, but more specifically Dennis Hopper's character. His is a case of biting the hand that feeds him, I suppose. He gets too big for his britches and goes rogue. Cholo is a hothead. He is an off-the-wall loose canyon and Leguizamo does an excellent job playing this type of character. Riley is the balance between bad and good. Riley (played by a rather stoic Simon Baker) is the hero, sent out to find Cholo and take back the Dead Reckoning for Hopper's Kaufman. Riley usually follows orders and that's why he's the good guy, but he also saves those around him and makes those people better. He has a sidekick, whom and saved from a fire years prior. Riley also saves a hooker from a cage-fight with zombies and then jail, where they both were. Her name is Slack (played by a often-sought-after Asia Argento, who is better known as a famous Italian actress who most famously got her start thanks to her famous Italian filmmaking father. She's finally crossed over into American cinema with several films under her belt, but she doesn't really get to show her acting chops in this film, since she has a rather secondary role as another sidekick- but she is heroic and beautiful.).
Anyway, I won't ruin any more of the plot because the film is entertaining enough for you to watch on your own. Be prepared for gruesome zombie deaths and good enough yet cheesy graphics since Romero seems to be the King of Zombie Films and he knows how to do it best. The zombies are just scary enough.
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Film 212
"Crazy Eyes"
starring: Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima
This might be the hardest film to get through during my project. It took me a couple of days to watch it, even though it's only about an hour and a half. It's very self-indulgent, with good reason, since it is rather autobiographical for Adam Sherman. It's about his "struggle" or existential crises while being an alcoholic and trying to bed an unwilling (to a degree) tease of a girl(friend?) whom Zack (Haas) dubs "Crazy Eyes" (hence the title). Sleeping with, well, to be more crass, having sex with "crazy eyes" is Zack's ultimate goal. One he cannot seem to achieve no matter how close he gets or how drunk they both are, she always seems to stop him in the split moment right before he's about to do anything. It's a wonder he can hold himself back, especially since they are both so drunk throughout the entire film. Zack comes very close several times to a near-rape-scenario, but it's almost like his conscience gets the best of him (it's amazing that he actually has a conscience or even a soul, for that matter, after watching him basically destroy himself- although, I guess that's the one redeeming quality about Zack- he cares enough for the few people that have continued to stand by his side through all of his shit, including his young son, his best friend and bartender, and the plethora of girls that are willing participates in his bedroom antics, when he's not spending useless nights in bed with "crazy eyes"). "Crazy Eyes" is actually a girl named Rebecca (played perhaps far too well by Madeline Zima, a young and beautiful actress with, yes, stunning blue eyes that could have a song or at least a poem written about them- I know her better for her role in "Californication" on Showtime).
Rebecca (Zima) pretty much sums up the entire film towards the end, after Zack has finally completed his conquest and they've slept together, which means he's no longer interested in her- when she tells him "You're a rich asshole with no feelings." True statement.
So, the trouble that the film has is exactly that. He is one of the most unsympathetic characters to ever be on screen- and not in a good way. You don't feel bad for him at all, for the decisions he's made, which have just led to a downward spiral in his life. There is no sentimentalizing of Zack. The film is just an endless cycle of drunken debauchery and self-destructive behavior with pseudo-sexual tension between the two main characters which finally leads to a climax that you can see coming miles away. It's a shame they don't stay together, because these two people deserve each other (and I know a few people like this who also deserve each other). Zack is not an interesting character or one you feel a vested interest in at all.
I would skip this film and instead maybe go down to a local bar and just sit there on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night and just watch the local drunks and listen to them spew their own self-indulgent speeches. You'll get your own, far more entertaining movie out of the experience.
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Film 213
"Rid of Me"
starring: Katy O'Grady
written and directed by: James Westby
I'll give James Westby (writer and director) credit, his film is certainly original- at times alarming, others awkward and just weird enough. It's slow and hangs on certain moments, which might lead to its awkwardness.
It begins with a risky move (the lead character is dressed in goth clothes and walks around, stalking a Stepford Wife-looking lady in a grocery store and then it happens...she smears period blood on the blonde lady's face. Now that's risky business! Why is it risky? Other than the obvious gross factor...We hope there is a reason for her actions, but because it's at the very beginning of the film, we wonder if this woman is just severely screwed up (and why). It's a flash-forward moment, that is revisited towards the end of the film and the remainder of the film explains how and why this lady got to this point in her life. We are left to decide if we feel sorry for her or not. And the film works to an indie film degree as you watch her transformation.
The woman in question is Meris (played by Katie O'Grady, with a toned down Kristen Wiig approach to the character, slightly). She is a newlywed who has moved to her new husband's old hometown. She feels out of place, disconnected, and lost in this new place. But, her husband is right at home. He falls in with his old high school crew of people (including his old high school flame, who happens to still hold up a candle for him), who really have not grown up or matured much since those times. It's rather pathetic to watch and that's how Meris starts to garner our sympathy. It doesn't help that his old friends don't take kindly to Meris' obvious outsider-ness. She's not like them, so they don't accept her. Mitch is clearly a step-down for Meris. Mitch's friends clearly think he can do a whole lot better than Meris (because she's just weird to them). In fact, they want him to get back with his high school flame and almost orchestrate that happening.
You can tell that Mitch and Meris will not stay together. In fact, the couple's split helps move the story along because we see the point better- "It's not living well that is the best revenge, it's just sticking around." That's exactly what Meris does (maybe because she has no other options. She works at a candy shop, where she befriends a Gothic chick who shows her that it's just best to "not give a fuck." Katie O'Grady makes her character, Meris, a tall figure of pity, horror, revulsion, and a slight embarrassment (to herself and to everyone around her). The contrast of her character against her husband and his band of friends is interesting. She's a small woman, they tower over her. They are intimidating and loud, she's quiet by nature. One of the best scenes happens in a karaoke bar where Meris croons a terrible rendition of a love song which could induce cringes even from the comfort of your own home, because you just feel bad for her, but you can't wait for her to exact her revenge on this band of idiots.
I enjoyed this film for its awkwardness and attitude, which could only come from an indie filmmaker.
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Film 214
"X: Night of Vengeance"
starring: Viva Bianca, Hanna Mangan Lawrence
written and directed by: Jon Hewitt
Where "Wild Target" severely over- or under-shot its mark as a farcical killer-for-hire love story genre film, "X" not only marks the spot for a decent erotic thriller, but it allows you to dig for the treasure hidden within it.
"Just when you think you're done and on your way out, they pull you back in." The film is a look into one night in the life of a high-class call girl, named Holly (and played by the beautiful Viva Bianca, whom I've never seen before). She is quitting the lucrative business to disappear and relocate to Paris with her overly obsessive client, who happens to be a detective, as well. Little does she know what is in store for her on this last night on duty.
Holly finds a teenage runaway on the streets, after abandoning a ride and a job with a creepy old man. The teenage runaway is played by Hanna Mangan-Lawrence. Holly wants this nubile streetwalker, Shay (Lawrence) to join her for some easy money- a gig in a fancy hotel performing sexual duties for a drug dealer. They end up witnessing his murder and go on the run from the killer (who is a crooked cop looking to leave no witnesses).
While on the run from this killer, Holly almost sees this as an opportunity to show Shay the ropes and teach her some survival skills if she's going to be a true streetwalker. But, you almost get the sense that this night is one of many that can/will happen to Shay if she continues down this path and Holly wants her to use it as a cautionary tale against the dangerous lifestyle, even in a place where prostitution is legal.
The film takes place in Sydney's Kings Cross red-light district. We get a decent tour of the city's underbelly in this atmospherically dark film that only seems to drag for a little while in the middle of the film, but for the most part it moves along well and tells a decent story with some edginess.
I enjoyed this brief film surprisingly enough, since I don't even remember what drew me to put it in my Netflix Queue. Check it out.
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Film 215
"The Decoy Bride"
starring: Alice Eve and Kelly Macdonald
This is a film that is total, full-on "chick flick" and romantic comedy, and it follows that formula to a TEE, which makes it all too familiar and predictable, even though Kelly Macdonald is adorable, it doesn't help that you see everything coming a mile away. It's an "updated" sort of "Notting Hill" (remember that one, with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts? At least those people were endearing characters who deserved each other and who you felt comfortable rooting for).
Can you fault a film for being filled with cliches? What if that film is a romantic comedy? Does that excuse it? Or make it worse? There are only a handful of romantic comedies that do not fill the entire film with cliches and don't follow the typical formula, therefore making it an exciting journey for both the characters and the viewer. Unfortunately, "The Decoy Bride" doesn't attempt anything new.
It is set in the fictional Scottish island of Hegg, where a very popular American actress (Alice Eve) is set to marry her odd, book-writing boyfriend. The catch- in order to throw off the paparazzi, the actress' team sets out to hire a "decoy bride" which they find in Kelly Macdonald's character (who is working on a Traveler's Guide to the island where she and her ill/wheelchair-bound mother live). Being a writer is one of the connections she has to the hapless man set to marry the actress. Of course, they fall for each other, even though they fight and mix words with each other throughout the entire film. You know they are going to end up together. It's the frustrating inevitability.
It does have moments of showing a little bit of heart and soul. It does have moments of being slightly amusing (thanks to the adorable nature of Kelly Macdonald). But, then again, don't all romantic comedies get you in certain moments of the film. It seems to always be those slightly funny moments where some high-jinx ensue that are the funny moments; and it helps to have decent comic timing (which these actors and the screenplay does). But, the parts do not equal the sum.
It's an enjoyable film for what it is: Exactly what it sets out to be. A romantic comedy, amusing at times with a predictable storyline.
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(Drive-By Truckers cover)
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(Drive-By Truckers cover)
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(Drive-By Truckers cover)
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(Drive-By Truckers cover)
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- Encore:
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(Drive-By Truckers cover)
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(The Rolling Stones cover)
On Wednesday, I turned 32 years old. The past year of my life seemed to start off really shitty. I was living with my (now ex-)girlfriend in a house we rented in Freeport, which turned into quite a disaster really fucking fast. We'd started dating in December and by March, we were living together. Retrospectively, it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life (and a rather costly one, at that, both mentally and financially). I don't really know what prompted me to think living together was such the great idea that I thought it was. I mean, we'd only known each other for 3 months. I think I was in a hurry to just be with someone that I cared about (yes, loved) every day. I thought it would be this amazing thing, you know, that missing piece to the puzzle in my life. It was an awful experience for the entire 5 months we lived together. I tried so hard to make things work, to the point where, trying too hard create the problems and the divide between us. We ended up breaking up just about one year ago this coming week. But, that's not the worst of it. We tried living together, as roommates, for about 3-4 weeks, until she decided she didn't want to do that either, which left us really fucked, financially, because we were stuck in a lease agreement. We found our way out of it, though, after 4 months of negotiations (which finally ended at the beginning of December) and we've never spoken again (thankfully). I moved back to Portland, my old landlady rented me an awesome place, and I cannot imagine my personal life being any better than it has been since moving back in late September. I've dated a couple of girls, short-term, since moving back to the city. For the most part, I've just been enjoying being single and doing anything I want, whenever I want.
At the beginning of the school year, I was teaching 4th grade (after getting rifted and shifted to another school in my district). Then, by the end of November, I was back at my old school teaching 1st grade for a teacher that resigned. Professionally, I couldn't imagine a better situation for myself. I work with one of the most amazing groups of people/teachers. I was able to finish my Master's Degree in May, as well. Another step in a professional direction. I cannot wait to see what this next school year brings me, as I will find myself back in Kindergarten, with the teachers who hired me in the first place.
I've made some incredible connections and friends since moving back to Portland. I've found myself being much more of an extrovert (still on my terms, though, like an introvert, I suppose), because I'm making more of an effort to put myself out there. I've even gotten a part time job at a yoga clothing store in the Old Port, in order to have more interactions with adults and also make some extra money. I just bought myself a brand new car, last month. I've spent my money mostly on concerts, not wanting to miss out on any experiences that I'd regret later. This has been one of the best summers I can remember in a long time. So, on my birthday, I had a lot to celebrate from this past year. It was certainly a year of growth, filled with learning experiences and times of self-doubt and renewal. On my birthday, I went to see an amazing band, Beach House, play at the State Theatre, just down the road from me.
Here's their setlist from the night:
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- Encore:
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But, really, it is Thursday night's show that was the most anticipated one. I had bought tickets for myself and Vanessa and John (her husband, my friend) back in March for this one. A sold out gig. Beck was playing Portland, Maine! I knew this was something I could not miss. I mean, it's friggin' Beck! His album "Mellow Gold" was one of my favorite back in high school. It came out in 1994 and I've loved his stuff and enjoyed his evolution (musically speaking) ever since. His acoustic album, "Sea Change" is still one of my favorites (and coincidentally, I perfect break-up album to listen to). Anyway, his show sold out in a matter of minutes when they went on-sale. I was lucky enough to get a code for presale tickets the night before (thanks to Vanessa), and so our night August 1, was all set. It was bound to be a great night and exceed expectations. He's one performer I've never seen, and I've seen a lot. He was playing the entire night alone, plus his full electric band. As you can see from his setlist, he played for about an hour, all acoustic songs, with his band. Then, he took about a 15 minute break and came out, rocked the house with another hour and a half with an electric set that just blew me away. It was unbelievable and I am so proud to be living in a city (re: Portland) that appreciates music and goes wild for live concerts. It was an amazing crowd, filled with energy, which I think Beck (and other performers for that matter) feed off of and in turn give some of their best live shows. Check out his setlist and know that I was part of history! His harmonica-playing and "rap" song titled "One Foot in the Grave" was probably the highlight of the show, for me. Check out an old performance of the song and just know it got better with age. But then, there was also his medley at the end of the show with "Sissyneck" became a great version of "Billie Jean" (complete with Jackson-esque dancing).
- Full band acoustic set
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(ukulele song)
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(Solo harmonica)
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- Electric set
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(Tainted Love snippet)
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(I Feel Love jam)
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- Encore:
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(Billie Jean snippet)
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Film 210
"Wild Target"
starring: Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt
"Wild Target" shoots and misses its target, slightly. I've really come to appreciate Emily Blunt's acting talents as of late, but even she cannot save this film. It also stars Bill Nighy (whom I've really only "seen" playing Davy Jones in full unrecognizable makeup in "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies), who is all dressed up as a killer-for-hire, who is apparently one of the best at what he does. Nighy plays Victor Maybard with poise and an ease that any veteran actor can do.
Emily Blunt plays a young, vibrant art forger who ends up ripping off the wrong guy at the wrong time to start the film. The wrong guy is played by Rupert Everett. He hires Victor to "whack" (even that mob term for assassination seems completely out of place for this film, which tries its hand at more of a slapstick approach than anything else, because let's face it, whacking off some young girl should be humorous). Even a grown up Rupert Grint (you may know him better for his part in the "Harry Potter" series as the redheaded boy) playing a gas station attendant who ends up getting mixed in with this combination of no-good-doers doesn't really work, other than for a few laughs. By the end of the film, his character has taken on more of a protege assassin than anything else. Oh, and the weirdest, but to be expected twist in the film (which I guess isn't necessarily a twist) is that Blunt and Nighy's characters fall for each other, which makes the film more of a bizarre romantic-comedy (in the sense that he's originally hired to kill her, but he can't because he falls in love with her). Perhaps because it's a British comedy is the reason why I didn't get it. Either way, I think "Wild Target" missed its mark.
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Film 211
"Land of the Dead"
starring: Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Asia Argento, Dennis Hopper
written and directed by: George A. Romero
Here is another zombie film in George A. Romero's bag of tricks, for the genre he helped create, which more often than not actually has a social/political message behind it, if you look deeper than the surface of just zombies, the apocalypse, blowing shit up, etc. Romero has used his zombie films as a social satire. Here's a look at his zombie filmography:
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Day of the Dead (1985)
Then he took a 20-year hiatus.....
Land of the Dead (2005) His comeback film, so to speak
Diary of the Dead (2007)
Survival of the Dead (2009)
So, what's the messaged received in one of his most recent films? Well, here the zombies and humans have both evolved. Zombies are not simply shuffling around and eating humans. The zombies have learned to communicate with each other in a very rudimentary level (grunts and almost kind of sign language I guess). They can somehow make plans. And are no longer afraid of water (their stepping stone to getting across to the other part of the city is making it through a river, quite a scene). There is a zombie called Big Daddy, who grabs a machine gun from a motorcyclist riding by, and from that point, you know the humans are in trouble. How the zombies learn to use the weapons is sort of a mystery, but it's a zombie flick, so you really don't care. It's entertaining to see the zombies kind of level the playing field a bit, against the humans, who've also had the upperhand with technology and brains.
And the humans' evolution? Well, they've evolved in a sense that they've developed a class system (relevant to us). Those who have survived and have money live in "Fiddler's Green"- and they apparently make all the decisions. Dennis Hopper's character is at the forefront of this class system and it was good seeing him take on such a scumbag-of-a-role before his death a few years later. "Fiddler's Green" is a luxury high-rise/skyscraper of a building where all the wealthy folks live. It can be found right in the heart of the city, with a barricade around it to keep out all the common folk, who reside on the outskirts of town or fumble around the city just outside the barricade. There is a safe zone, what the military would call a Green Zone, where the mercenaries stage uprisings and it also houses a giant armored truck called Dead Reckoning. The social satire is very clearly a shoot at the class system that has developed in our own country with such a large divide or gap between the extremely wealthy and the poor. I've seen a middle class sort of disappear over my 32 years of existence as this gap has just been allowed to get bigger and bigger. The residents of "Fiddler's Green" and the zombies have a similar relationship like those of rich nations, even, and starving orphans (you know, the ones you see on those depressing TV spot commercials asking for money) and/or refugees.
The plot of the film is sort of irrelevant, but here it is in a nutshell, with the cast of actors included. Cholo (John Leguizamo) is the head of the mercenary group that is planning and staging an uprising against "Fiddler's Green" residents, but more specifically Dennis Hopper's character. His is a case of biting the hand that feeds him, I suppose. He gets too big for his britches and goes rogue. Cholo is a hothead. He is an off-the-wall loose canyon and Leguizamo does an excellent job playing this type of character. Riley is the balance between bad and good. Riley (played by a rather stoic Simon Baker) is the hero, sent out to find Cholo and take back the Dead Reckoning for Hopper's Kaufman. Riley usually follows orders and that's why he's the good guy, but he also saves those around him and makes those people better. He has a sidekick, whom and saved from a fire years prior. Riley also saves a hooker from a cage-fight with zombies and then jail, where they both were. Her name is Slack (played by a often-sought-after Asia Argento, who is better known as a famous Italian actress who most famously got her start thanks to her famous Italian filmmaking father. She's finally crossed over into American cinema with several films under her belt, but she doesn't really get to show her acting chops in this film, since she has a rather secondary role as another sidekick- but she is heroic and beautiful.).
Anyway, I won't ruin any more of the plot because the film is entertaining enough for you to watch on your own. Be prepared for gruesome zombie deaths and good enough yet cheesy graphics since Romero seems to be the King of Zombie Films and he knows how to do it best. The zombies are just scary enough.
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Film 212
"Crazy Eyes"
starring: Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima
This might be the hardest film to get through during my project. It took me a couple of days to watch it, even though it's only about an hour and a half. It's very self-indulgent, with good reason, since it is rather autobiographical for Adam Sherman. It's about his "struggle" or existential crises while being an alcoholic and trying to bed an unwilling (to a degree) tease of a girl(friend?) whom Zack (Haas) dubs "Crazy Eyes" (hence the title). Sleeping with, well, to be more crass, having sex with "crazy eyes" is Zack's ultimate goal. One he cannot seem to achieve no matter how close he gets or how drunk they both are, she always seems to stop him in the split moment right before he's about to do anything. It's a wonder he can hold himself back, especially since they are both so drunk throughout the entire film. Zack comes very close several times to a near-rape-scenario, but it's almost like his conscience gets the best of him (it's amazing that he actually has a conscience or even a soul, for that matter, after watching him basically destroy himself- although, I guess that's the one redeeming quality about Zack- he cares enough for the few people that have continued to stand by his side through all of his shit, including his young son, his best friend and bartender, and the plethora of girls that are willing participates in his bedroom antics, when he's not spending useless nights in bed with "crazy eyes"). "Crazy Eyes" is actually a girl named Rebecca (played perhaps far too well by Madeline Zima, a young and beautiful actress with, yes, stunning blue eyes that could have a song or at least a poem written about them- I know her better for her role in "Californication" on Showtime).
Rebecca (Zima) pretty much sums up the entire film towards the end, after Zack has finally completed his conquest and they've slept together, which means he's no longer interested in her- when she tells him "You're a rich asshole with no feelings." True statement.
So, the trouble that the film has is exactly that. He is one of the most unsympathetic characters to ever be on screen- and not in a good way. You don't feel bad for him at all, for the decisions he's made, which have just led to a downward spiral in his life. There is no sentimentalizing of Zack. The film is just an endless cycle of drunken debauchery and self-destructive behavior with pseudo-sexual tension between the two main characters which finally leads to a climax that you can see coming miles away. It's a shame they don't stay together, because these two people deserve each other (and I know a few people like this who also deserve each other). Zack is not an interesting character or one you feel a vested interest in at all.
I would skip this film and instead maybe go down to a local bar and just sit there on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night and just watch the local drunks and listen to them spew their own self-indulgent speeches. You'll get your own, far more entertaining movie out of the experience.
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Film 213
"Rid of Me"
starring: Katy O'Grady
written and directed by: James Westby
I'll give James Westby (writer and director) credit, his film is certainly original- at times alarming, others awkward and just weird enough. It's slow and hangs on certain moments, which might lead to its awkwardness.
It begins with a risky move (the lead character is dressed in goth clothes and walks around, stalking a Stepford Wife-looking lady in a grocery store and then it happens...she smears period blood on the blonde lady's face. Now that's risky business! Why is it risky? Other than the obvious gross factor...We hope there is a reason for her actions, but because it's at the very beginning of the film, we wonder if this woman is just severely screwed up (and why). It's a flash-forward moment, that is revisited towards the end of the film and the remainder of the film explains how and why this lady got to this point in her life. We are left to decide if we feel sorry for her or not. And the film works to an indie film degree as you watch her transformation.
The woman in question is Meris (played by Katie O'Grady, with a toned down Kristen Wiig approach to the character, slightly). She is a newlywed who has moved to her new husband's old hometown. She feels out of place, disconnected, and lost in this new place. But, her husband is right at home. He falls in with his old high school crew of people (including his old high school flame, who happens to still hold up a candle for him), who really have not grown up or matured much since those times. It's rather pathetic to watch and that's how Meris starts to garner our sympathy. It doesn't help that his old friends don't take kindly to Meris' obvious outsider-ness. She's not like them, so they don't accept her. Mitch is clearly a step-down for Meris. Mitch's friends clearly think he can do a whole lot better than Meris (because she's just weird to them). In fact, they want him to get back with his high school flame and almost orchestrate that happening.
You can tell that Mitch and Meris will not stay together. In fact, the couple's split helps move the story along because we see the point better- "It's not living well that is the best revenge, it's just sticking around." That's exactly what Meris does (maybe because she has no other options. She works at a candy shop, where she befriends a Gothic chick who shows her that it's just best to "not give a fuck." Katie O'Grady makes her character, Meris, a tall figure of pity, horror, revulsion, and a slight embarrassment (to herself and to everyone around her). The contrast of her character against her husband and his band of friends is interesting. She's a small woman, they tower over her. They are intimidating and loud, she's quiet by nature. One of the best scenes happens in a karaoke bar where Meris croons a terrible rendition of a love song which could induce cringes even from the comfort of your own home, because you just feel bad for her, but you can't wait for her to exact her revenge on this band of idiots.
I enjoyed this film for its awkwardness and attitude, which could only come from an indie filmmaker.
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Film 214
"X: Night of Vengeance"
starring: Viva Bianca, Hanna Mangan Lawrence
written and directed by: Jon Hewitt
Where "Wild Target" severely over- or under-shot its mark as a farcical killer-for-hire love story genre film, "X" not only marks the spot for a decent erotic thriller, but it allows you to dig for the treasure hidden within it.
"Just when you think you're done and on your way out, they pull you back in." The film is a look into one night in the life of a high-class call girl, named Holly (and played by the beautiful Viva Bianca, whom I've never seen before). She is quitting the lucrative business to disappear and relocate to Paris with her overly obsessive client, who happens to be a detective, as well. Little does she know what is in store for her on this last night on duty.
Holly finds a teenage runaway on the streets, after abandoning a ride and a job with a creepy old man. The teenage runaway is played by Hanna Mangan-Lawrence. Holly wants this nubile streetwalker, Shay (Lawrence) to join her for some easy money- a gig in a fancy hotel performing sexual duties for a drug dealer. They end up witnessing his murder and go on the run from the killer (who is a crooked cop looking to leave no witnesses).
While on the run from this killer, Holly almost sees this as an opportunity to show Shay the ropes and teach her some survival skills if she's going to be a true streetwalker. But, you almost get the sense that this night is one of many that can/will happen to Shay if she continues down this path and Holly wants her to use it as a cautionary tale against the dangerous lifestyle, even in a place where prostitution is legal.
The film takes place in Sydney's Kings Cross red-light district. We get a decent tour of the city's underbelly in this atmospherically dark film that only seems to drag for a little while in the middle of the film, but for the most part it moves along well and tells a decent story with some edginess.
I enjoyed this brief film surprisingly enough, since I don't even remember what drew me to put it in my Netflix Queue. Check it out.
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Film 215
"The Decoy Bride"
starring: Alice Eve and Kelly Macdonald
This is a film that is total, full-on "chick flick" and romantic comedy, and it follows that formula to a TEE, which makes it all too familiar and predictable, even though Kelly Macdonald is adorable, it doesn't help that you see everything coming a mile away. It's an "updated" sort of "Notting Hill" (remember that one, with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts? At least those people were endearing characters who deserved each other and who you felt comfortable rooting for).
Can you fault a film for being filled with cliches? What if that film is a romantic comedy? Does that excuse it? Or make it worse? There are only a handful of romantic comedies that do not fill the entire film with cliches and don't follow the typical formula, therefore making it an exciting journey for both the characters and the viewer. Unfortunately, "The Decoy Bride" doesn't attempt anything new.
It is set in the fictional Scottish island of Hegg, where a very popular American actress (Alice Eve) is set to marry her odd, book-writing boyfriend. The catch- in order to throw off the paparazzi, the actress' team sets out to hire a "decoy bride" which they find in Kelly Macdonald's character (who is working on a Traveler's Guide to the island where she and her ill/wheelchair-bound mother live). Being a writer is one of the connections she has to the hapless man set to marry the actress. Of course, they fall for each other, even though they fight and mix words with each other throughout the entire film. You know they are going to end up together. It's the frustrating inevitability.
It does have moments of showing a little bit of heart and soul. It does have moments of being slightly amusing (thanks to the adorable nature of Kelly Macdonald). But, then again, don't all romantic comedies get you in certain moments of the film. It seems to always be those slightly funny moments where some high-jinx ensue that are the funny moments; and it helps to have decent comic timing (which these actors and the screenplay does). But, the parts do not equal the sum.
It's an enjoyable film for what it is: Exactly what it sets out to be. A romantic comedy, amusing at times with a predictable storyline.
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