Movie Review: "Upstairs Inferno"

With a deep pool of interview subjects, and a strong sense of right and wrong, Upstairs Inferno does more in 90 minutes to elicit empathy for a community of people than the city of New Orleans did in 40 years. It's astonishing, quite frankly, the level of ignorance and vitriol that came from city and church officials in the wake of the worst gay mass murder in U.S. history. In NOLA, of all places. On the edge of the French Quarter. Amazing how lifestyles are "accepted" until they have to be publicly "acknowledged". Replace lifestyles with humans in that sentence - that's an additional tragedy.

Movie Review: "The Wolfpack"

It's been argued often that the Batman depicted in the Christopher Nolan films isn't, himself, deserving of much admiration. A wealthy playboy who beats on people of unfortunate circumstance doesn't sit well with those who dwell. Maintaining the very status quo his fans think he's against. This problem has been addressed in other comic book movies like Dredd (and beautifully so), but not so much in The Dark Knight Trilogy. This most recent incarnation of Batman wasn't really hung up on flaws in his character, but rather larger scale moral questions of right and wrong, answers to which leaned toward ambiguous and conservative.

What I'm getting at is, when you think about it, this version of the Caped Crusader isn't quite as inspirational as we like to think or would want. He's a bit more complicated and "epic" than that. But, for a group of siblings stuck in a run down New York housing project... his movie will do. And, for one of them, will undo.

Then & Now 1: Mental Diagnosis Cinema

In attempting to write something for Huffington Post submission, I came up with an idea for a blog series. With "Then & Now", I'll look at two movies, one from my childhood and one recently released, loosely or tightly connected, that have affected me for better or worse. 

Thoughts? Suggestions? Please leave a comment.

Movie Review: "Below Dreams"

Joel Potrykus' Buzzard might be the best commentary on and representation of the post #OWS generation of slackers / slacktivists. The lead character Marty scavenges and scrounges around his domain and that of others, scamming and stealing anything and everything with a misguided and misinterpreted sense of entitlement. You COULD pull some kind of conservative Republican message from the film - just blame the rich for all of your problems, why don'tcha - IF it all weren't a self criticism with a humorous and protective bent. We're self absorbed and going nowhere but DAMMIT we are who we are! Then again, that could also be taken as a depressing and dangerous self assessment of our own worth...

... not that "our" covers ALL of "us"...

Garrett Bradley's Below Dreams observes and reports on the earnest and tried and true youth, with the unfortunate misfortune to be adults in the current economic climate. Our trio of leads - a single mother, an unemployed ex convict and a drifter type - travel to and from New Orleans, looking for opportunities to improve and progress. We watch the depressed and oppressed trudge along at a slog, despite their best efforts, while their problems need immediate attention. This is the generation without degrees but with debt. Without marriage but with children. Without stability but with hope. Of course, you can't pay bills with hope...

... not that it's an intangible worth getting rid of...

Movie Review: "The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence)"

"I castrated him myself!"

"Yes sir; we're all aware."

I suppose Tom Six should feel proud for achieving what he has with the Human Centipede series. From, let's say "humble", beginnings - a simple b-movie body horror tale with a horrific (and creative) premise - Six gained obscure pop culture recognition for a gimmick that makes everyone gag just a little. Someone like myself who is grossed out by toilet bowl selfies, being sewn mouth to anus is pretty unsettling. And a little funny, too. I had a great time watching the first movie in the theater, with an audience giggling along the way.

The sequel, (Full Sequence), was a joyless affair of self commentary, pointing a finger at his audience by taking things to the next level of disturbance. If the first movie was Drive, consider this to be Only God Forgives. The follow up nobody expected or wanted; I suppose Tom Six deserves applause for that.

I suppose much about Tom Six, but, he might just suppose less of himself.