Post by Cristo on Sept 19, 2008 19:11:42 GMT -5
Casablanca and the Movies
Episode #6
casablanca3491 - Casablanca
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello, MR Directors and patrons, and welcome to the sixth episode of “Casablanca and the Movies”. I am quite pleased to announce that, finally, we have somewhat of a special episode tonight. As many of you know, today was the release of Cristo’s newest film “Mills of God”, and after seeing Science of Evil and City of Dragons, I was quite anxious. We’ll start, of course, be covering that, seeing if my expectations were met, then we’ll move into Trailer Analysis, sort of tone things down a little, then an interview, in fact two interviews, so we’ll try and spread them out, so only one of them will go here. After, I will turn back to reviews, where I will look at two more older films, slowly working my way to seeing them all, then I’ll have a neat little event, where I’ll post my five favorite films on Movie Reels so far, and afterwards, discuss my choices, in which afterwards, that second interview followed by coverage on all the updates on the show, news, details and other such information.
We’ll, that’s seems to be about it, so let’s get started. First let’s take a look at “Mills of God”, something I think we’ve all been waiting for, for quite a while too.
The Mills of God
**** out of ****
If I could only give you one piece of advice, one clue to how to watch Mills of God, it would be, most definitely, this: “Do not take it at a face value”. Mills of God is a dream, an anarchic nightmare, it as a statement, a fable, a warning, and, most frightening, a message, a message from a seemingly real future, that promises death and destruction, all done in a way which turns out to be a mature masterwork, a deep philosophy, and one of the finest films I’ve read on Movie Reels, deserving to be placed with the spectacular Wolf Man.
Mills of God is not for everybody though, and not meant as a traditional film. It is a dreary masterpiece, a dark work that forces the rethinking of how themes are handled in the medium. Take, for instance, the death of the brother of a retired man. Everywhere, death and sadness lurks, and the film bathes itself in these emotions, using the few light moments as a pretense so we drop our paranoia, let loose our worries, only to be drastically effected with the next tragedy. Hearing about the man’s wife who burned alive, recollecting stories of the deceased brother, but then there is a sense of courage. Even with his brother gone, one man still has the thought, the ideas to carry on. He recommends that everyone moves out of Washington D.C. Such is the story we are going to follow, the path we will take, but bravery is not contained in one person. There is a Malformed who is helping the people, those without powers, and that is what this film is about, what people will do in the face of death.
The writing is spectacular, it borderlines the astounding on how well it crafts, and tells a story. There are so many lines I love, so many exchanges which have a power behind them, but for the sake of time, let me post two:
One is a very small scene, simply small talk, only it is written in a way where it matches the rest of the film in tone, attitude, and the aura it has created around itself:
Mason: It’s a habit, I guess. Have you read this book?
(Amanda walks out to take a quick look at the book)
Amanda: No.
(Amanda walks back into the bathroom)
Mason: It’s pretty good. You should read it.
Amanda VO: I don’t have time. I have to pick up the cake tomorrow.
Mason: Well, I don’t mean you should read it right this minute…but maybe sometime in the foreseeable future?
I love it. The next one is probably my favorite, and is a little of a humorous moment:
Billy: Can you survive a shotgun blast?
Atlas: At a close range like this? Probably not.
(Billy lowers the shotgun)
Billy: Too bad.
(Billy suddenly raises the shotgun and fires)
(Mr. Cormand and Drake jump back)
(The ceiling above Atlas’ head explodes)
(Pieces fall down on Atlas’ head)
Billy: You didn’t even flinch. You can survive it.
See how well it is written, it is crafted and thought of. Like, Wolf Man the script isn’t simply “good”, it is intelligent, clever, uses devices as literature does, to from an adult appearance, and make the viewer enthralled at an almost playful script, as dark as it is.
In talking of terms of how related this is to Cristo’s other work, it belongs perfectly. It has the adventurous, fantastical theme from City of dragons, meets the dark, deep side of Science of Evil, however this goes deeper then that. This film seems like a psychological study, a novel of emotions and people’s actions, and sometimes, for a second, it actually feels like a religion. The message it portrays is moral, without preaching, dark without being over the top and as well done as any story on MR so far.
There are scenes of tension, of true suspense and thrills. The opening, on of my favorite on a Movie Reels film, and also when a man gets stuck in a suit which shows the range of the suspense:
Otis: What is it? What’s the matter?
(Nathaniel screams in pain)
Nathaniel: Something must’ve gone wrong with the fuel levels! If I’m in here for another fifteen minutes, it’ll be like a super-heated oven. I’ll die! Find somebody to get me out of this thing! Quickly!
(Otis runs off down the hallway)
(Cut to Nathaniel in the suit of armor on a table)
(He’s surrounded by Adalyn, Billy, Otis, and a few men)
(They’re trying to cut off the suit)
Nathaniel: Nothing works. I must’ve made a miscalculation! I made the armor too strong. The fuel got messed up.
Billy: Just hang in there, Nathaniel. You’ll be all right.
Nathaniel: No, no, I gotta get out of this thing! Please somebody get out of this thing! Please, for God’s sake, get me out of this thing!
While it is no revolution in terms of the story, such a small scene, and suspense is used subtly, to perfection. It may sound like I am harping on the little scenes, the small effects, but more so then anything else, this is a film about detail, about careful planning, and clever trickery, trickery in the way it is written and the force it presents. (There is a latter scene where we learn what really happened to the suit, which is another beautiful scene of tragedy).
Another thing you will hear me ranting and raving about is the end. The most stunning and beautiful ending in all the films so far. And not just the ending idea, the last scene. It is incredibly moving, devastatingly poetic, and all around astounding! How I would love to freeze that frame and examine it, study it, and re-encounter the joy of coming across it for the first time. I won’t even post it here, just so it will be as fresh and new to you as it was to me.
Overall, the film is a treasure, one I hope gets saved on this site, so I’ll have it for years and years, and one which both places itself in the front runners of the films I’ve seen, and solidifies Cristo as, possibly, the very best of all writers, without a less then masterpiece film yet. I ask everyone, please see this film, it has an amazing intellect, a nice structure, and a large heart, however, it is the most dark film I have seen, and is done so breath takingly.
Well, there it is, and with that done, its time to move on to the usual, starting with Trailer Analysis. For our first trailer, we have a special one, a trailer to “g”, a film by Blaggers, which is definitely one of the more expected films on here, as it is quite a neat idea, and sure to draw in a nice load at the box office, so I’m treading through dangerous waters with this, as any bad news is bound to upset quite a bit of people, however, I’m sure it’ll be fine, and just to ease my worries, let’s take a look.
SPOILER WARNING
[/b]Episode #6
casablanca3491 - Casablanca
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello, MR Directors and patrons, and welcome to the sixth episode of “Casablanca and the Movies”. I am quite pleased to announce that, finally, we have somewhat of a special episode tonight. As many of you know, today was the release of Cristo’s newest film “Mills of God”, and after seeing Science of Evil and City of Dragons, I was quite anxious. We’ll start, of course, be covering that, seeing if my expectations were met, then we’ll move into Trailer Analysis, sort of tone things down a little, then an interview, in fact two interviews, so we’ll try and spread them out, so only one of them will go here. After, I will turn back to reviews, where I will look at two more older films, slowly working my way to seeing them all, then I’ll have a neat little event, where I’ll post my five favorite films on Movie Reels so far, and afterwards, discuss my choices, in which afterwards, that second interview followed by coverage on all the updates on the show, news, details and other such information.
We’ll, that’s seems to be about it, so let’s get started. First let’s take a look at “Mills of God”, something I think we’ve all been waiting for, for quite a while too.
The Mills of God
**** out of ****
If I could only give you one piece of advice, one clue to how to watch Mills of God, it would be, most definitely, this: “Do not take it at a face value”. Mills of God is a dream, an anarchic nightmare, it as a statement, a fable, a warning, and, most frightening, a message, a message from a seemingly real future, that promises death and destruction, all done in a way which turns out to be a mature masterwork, a deep philosophy, and one of the finest films I’ve read on Movie Reels, deserving to be placed with the spectacular Wolf Man.
Mills of God is not for everybody though, and not meant as a traditional film. It is a dreary masterpiece, a dark work that forces the rethinking of how themes are handled in the medium. Take, for instance, the death of the brother of a retired man. Everywhere, death and sadness lurks, and the film bathes itself in these emotions, using the few light moments as a pretense so we drop our paranoia, let loose our worries, only to be drastically effected with the next tragedy. Hearing about the man’s wife who burned alive, recollecting stories of the deceased brother, but then there is a sense of courage. Even with his brother gone, one man still has the thought, the ideas to carry on. He recommends that everyone moves out of Washington D.C. Such is the story we are going to follow, the path we will take, but bravery is not contained in one person. There is a Malformed who is helping the people, those without powers, and that is what this film is about, what people will do in the face of death.
The writing is spectacular, it borderlines the astounding on how well it crafts, and tells a story. There are so many lines I love, so many exchanges which have a power behind them, but for the sake of time, let me post two:
One is a very small scene, simply small talk, only it is written in a way where it matches the rest of the film in tone, attitude, and the aura it has created around itself:
Mason: It’s a habit, I guess. Have you read this book?
(Amanda walks out to take a quick look at the book)
Amanda: No.
(Amanda walks back into the bathroom)
Mason: It’s pretty good. You should read it.
Amanda VO: I don’t have time. I have to pick up the cake tomorrow.
Mason: Well, I don’t mean you should read it right this minute…but maybe sometime in the foreseeable future?
I love it. The next one is probably my favorite, and is a little of a humorous moment:
Billy: Can you survive a shotgun blast?
Atlas: At a close range like this? Probably not.
(Billy lowers the shotgun)
Billy: Too bad.
(Billy suddenly raises the shotgun and fires)
(Mr. Cormand and Drake jump back)
(The ceiling above Atlas’ head explodes)
(Pieces fall down on Atlas’ head)
Billy: You didn’t even flinch. You can survive it.
See how well it is written, it is crafted and thought of. Like, Wolf Man the script isn’t simply “good”, it is intelligent, clever, uses devices as literature does, to from an adult appearance, and make the viewer enthralled at an almost playful script, as dark as it is.
In talking of terms of how related this is to Cristo’s other work, it belongs perfectly. It has the adventurous, fantastical theme from City of dragons, meets the dark, deep side of Science of Evil, however this goes deeper then that. This film seems like a psychological study, a novel of emotions and people’s actions, and sometimes, for a second, it actually feels like a religion. The message it portrays is moral, without preaching, dark without being over the top and as well done as any story on MR so far.
There are scenes of tension, of true suspense and thrills. The opening, on of my favorite on a Movie Reels film, and also when a man gets stuck in a suit which shows the range of the suspense:
Otis: What is it? What’s the matter?
(Nathaniel screams in pain)
Nathaniel: Something must’ve gone wrong with the fuel levels! If I’m in here for another fifteen minutes, it’ll be like a super-heated oven. I’ll die! Find somebody to get me out of this thing! Quickly!
(Otis runs off down the hallway)
(Cut to Nathaniel in the suit of armor on a table)
(He’s surrounded by Adalyn, Billy, Otis, and a few men)
(They’re trying to cut off the suit)
Nathaniel: Nothing works. I must’ve made a miscalculation! I made the armor too strong. The fuel got messed up.
Billy: Just hang in there, Nathaniel. You’ll be all right.
Nathaniel: No, no, I gotta get out of this thing! Please somebody get out of this thing! Please, for God’s sake, get me out of this thing!
While it is no revolution in terms of the story, such a small scene, and suspense is used subtly, to perfection. It may sound like I am harping on the little scenes, the small effects, but more so then anything else, this is a film about detail, about careful planning, and clever trickery, trickery in the way it is written and the force it presents. (There is a latter scene where we learn what really happened to the suit, which is another beautiful scene of tragedy).
Another thing you will hear me ranting and raving about is the end. The most stunning and beautiful ending in all the films so far. And not just the ending idea, the last scene. It is incredibly moving, devastatingly poetic, and all around astounding! How I would love to freeze that frame and examine it, study it, and re-encounter the joy of coming across it for the first time. I won’t even post it here, just so it will be as fresh and new to you as it was to me.
Overall, the film is a treasure, one I hope gets saved on this site, so I’ll have it for years and years, and one which both places itself in the front runners of the films I’ve seen, and solidifies Cristo as, possibly, the very best of all writers, without a less then masterpiece film yet. I ask everyone, please see this film, it has an amazing intellect, a nice structure, and a large heart, however, it is the most dark film I have seen, and is done so breath takingly.
Well, there it is, and with that done, its time to move on to the usual, starting with Trailer Analysis. For our first trailer, we have a special one, a trailer to “g”, a film by Blaggers, which is definitely one of the more expected films on here, as it is quite a neat idea, and sure to draw in a nice load at the box office, so I’m treading through dangerous waters with this, as any bad news is bound to upset quite a bit of people, however, I’m sure it’ll be fine, and just to ease my worries, let’s take a look.
SPOILER WARNING
It starts:
Cut to Blaggers, sitting in the control booth of the London Eye (which is visible behind him on the other side of the Thames) and sipping periodically from a coke. A radio on his control desk plays.
RADIO ANNOUNCER
(Over radio)
And now, we're going to find out the winner of our twenty grand give-away! Whoever we call using a random phone number generator will be awarded the grand prize of twenty-thousand pounds. And I think we're calling now...
Well, I suppose it isn’t an IQ test to ask who wins the money, and also what the main part of the story will be. I am assuming Blaggers wins, and I am assuming that this will be a film that is sort of like a road trip movie, without the road, where Blaggers meets different characters on the way, and both humorous and maybe some thrilling interactions take place. But, as of right now, I picture a fun film, an easy read, and a delightful comedy. Then:
We cut to the same scene a few moments later. The London Eye begins collapsing behind Blaggers with a horrific metallic roar. His eyes widen, and he slowly turns to see the landmark crashing into the Thames. Blaggers slowly turns back to face in our direction, clearly disturbed.
FREEZE FRAME
MUSIC: Move Your Feet - Junior Senior 0.08 - 0.38
CAPTION: Blaggers
Well, I’m the first one to admit I’m wrong, and while I was a little, I was still basically on track. It seems like there will not be one central character, but a few and they will all interact in a manner which makes it like a road trip movie with many different cars. Now, the song provided is itch perfect and one of the joys of the trailer, as it fit the images quite well. It also provides me with a belief that this film will be more humorous then anything else, which is what my initial reaction was. But, let’s continue on and see who comes in next:
We cut to an angry Legend on a golf course, standing behind a Rich Snob with a golf club.
LEGEND
(Angrily)
I'll show you iron!
Legend lightly hits Rich Snob in the back of the head with the club. The music suddenly stops as the club head goes through his skull and out through his face, followed by two feet of shaft. Blood sprays out as Rich Snob falls forwards, the club head digging into the ground and preventing Rich Snob from actually falling to the floor. A ridiculous amount of blood continues to spray from the wound, much of it hitting Legend in the face, who stands gasping in absolute shock - he can't believe how much damage he caused with such a small hit.
LEGEND
...What.
FREEZE FRAME
CAPTION: Legend
Already we are hit with some comic goodness, which impresses me more then anything I’ve seen so far, besides the song usage, and shows me that this really could be a great comedy. I like the way the introduction are done, I like the narrative, which seems somewhat unconventional, for comedies, at least, and I adore the joyous, fun-loving atmosphere provided, it all adds up to this light, easy going film. Next, though, is wehre the story comes out:
Cut to a dark house. Legend and Blaggers walk into each other, grabbing onto each other for dear life.
BLAGGERS
What the hell are you doing here?
LEGEND
I'm hiding out from the police.
A beat passes.
LEGEND
...I think we can stop hugging now.
First, that last line is one of the funniest things I’ve heard on MR yet, and the comedy is really like a goldmine here, and I think Blaggers is striking it rich. But moreso then that, the story seems simple, it seems easy to understand, and for a comedy, that’s a good thing, as I don’t want to get mixed up in a comedy, I want a nice easy read, and that is what it appears to be here. Take the next part:
LEGEND (V.O.)
We have no money, an abandoned drug lab, and a twenty year prison sentence worth of weed. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Cut to Blaggers and Legend lying awkwardly in a bed together.
BLAGGERS
I think I am!
LEGEND
We get rich by dealing drugs!
How fun the story is, how enthralling I can picture it being, and how impressed I am by the sheer comic wit of Blaggers to invent these wonderfully awkward scenarios, subtly without loud, obnoxious hints. It is almost like a film which takes itself for nothing and just let’s itself flow. Now, something you all wanted to hear me mention are the MR references, and those are done amazingly, not too over done like I expected, but they are not important in the least. The characters could have named Bill, Bob and Buck and the film would still succeed, for this is a film ruled by its screenplay, a flawless screenplay which, so far, I have ceased to find fault in. Now, for some thrills:
We cut to the exterior of the Joint Joint, the drug dealership Blaggers and Legend have set up. They and their crew (Stapleton, Taylortot and Pedro) stand outside proudly.
INDY (V.O.)
You're peddling your wares on OUR turf, to OUR customers. I work for the biggest pimp in town, friend, and he's very angry with you.
Cut to the Joint Joint office, where Legend is talking to Indy.
LEGEND
Who?
INDY
Mr. Vincent.
LEGEND
M Veezey? But he's the biggest pimp in town!
The music stops.
INDY
...I just said that.
After a nice song addition, we are shown what could be a conflict. I suspect indy may be an antagonist and Vincent the main “bad guy”, for lack of a better word. This makes the plot have meaning, something I was wondering about until now. There is going to be a conflict between two drug clans. The naïve Legend and Blaggers and the rough and tough M Veezey and indy, which is bound to add up to some absurd interactions, which I can’t wait to see. M Veezey by the way, is an astounding name which shows that a lot of care went into this film, to get laughs from names and everything and that pleases me, to see that someone spent so much time and care on a comedy. If hard work pays off, then Blaggers will be rich with this film! And finally:
MUSIC: Everlong - Foo Fighters 4.16 - 4.43
Cut to Blaggers and Legend running into a massive house with machine guns.
Cut to an army of thugs shooting at Blaggers and Legend as they drive away in their Pimpmobile.
Cut to Stapleton running around in a Batman costume.
Cut to Legend accidentally firing a gun and breaking his finger.
Cut to SCF and a wheelchair-bound Cristo staring menacingly at each other across a street.
Cut to the whole crew sitting in the Pimpmobile as Pedro drives.
Cut to Blaggers and Legend walking into a park, past a sign reading 'Driveby Park - Days without a driveby:'. The rest of the sign is too full of bullet holes to read.
BLAGGERS
So why do they call it Driveby Park?
Legend sighs. The music fades away.
What a way to end a trailer. This really is one of the best, and important trailers I have seen. It is an example of how a trailer should be made. Great music, great images, and great scenes, it really teased you! Overall, I cannot wait! I didn’t really care much for the film earlier, but now I am hooked. My hopes have been raised, and I can predict that this will be a sensation, so see it while you have the chance, as people will be talking about this film for along time.
So, I assume it will be a hit and by the looks of it, it will make a nice profit, but now lets turn to a film which is a little more obscure, “Mad as Rabbits”, a new film by T-Mac, which, I assume, has some connection to the quote on his profile. That’s beside the point however, let’s take a look at the start:
EXT. RABBITS MAGAZINE - MORNING
Establishing shot. Several people walking in and out of the complex.
Well, since this seems to be an odd film, going on how bizarre the quote is, I assume that Rabbits is a magazine company that the main character works at. I can picture this being a bit of a thriller, but based on T-Mac’s other works, I can see more of a romantic comedy here, but maybe we’ll have a mix of both. I’m always for genre mixing! It continues:
DEREK JONES, the boss of Rabbits Magazine sees Smith sleeping on the job.
JONES
Ahem. Smith!
Ryan is awoken straight away. As he lifts his head, a sticky note that was on his desk stays attached to his forehead.
JONES (CONT'D)
Get back to work, you f*cking chimp.
I’m now willing to go with my second option, that this will be a comedy, and by the sounds of it, will involve a character who really is sick of daily life, of the routine work, and that tells us something about the character. He may have an “I don’t care” personality, and that seems pretty common in T-Mac’s films, so I expect that here pretty confidently. One question this brings up though, is what type of humor this film will utilize, and that is answered in the next part:
BRANDON
Jesus. Doesn't anybody here know how to interview someone? I'll have to make some shit up. Question: "So, Miss Anderson? What is it like being a hypocrite? You know, saying how you support PETA but you still eat KFC like a bitch?"
Brandon takes a beat to read over.
BRANDON (CONT'D)
Yeah, that ought to work.
I can automatically see office type humor, a sort of satiric, humorous take on daily business life, and while there is none in it yet, I still sense a love story, but there is still some left in the trailer, so let’s look on:
JONES
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present you Rabbits Magazine's mission for 2009. Come hell or high water, we will pass.
Jones motions to Joel, who moves to the power switch and turns it on. On the projector screen appears JESSICA ALBA.
JONES (CONT'D)
By the end of 2009, the world will have seen Jessica Alba in all her naked, Latino glory - thanks to Rabbits Mag.
Well, this isn’t particularly informative, I thought it would just be nice to show everyone the basic plot, and that, obviously is that Rabbits magazine is a sleazy magazine, that takes its pride in showing different women naked. So, here is the thing that will progress the story, and will ultimately drive the main character, who I can picture being against it. Now, the trailer doesn’t show much more, but I’m going to take a risk, go out on a limb and guess the story. I’m guessing the main character falls in love with a girl who is against sex exploitation, and he turns against the company. Again, it’s a long shot, but give me points for trying. And finally, the end:
Jones is at his desk, talking to several workers.
JONES
So, Poindexter blew that. Who else's titties do you guys wanna see?
This basically shows the plot I mentioned above, and I think I am safe in assuming that Jones will be the antagonist, while Brandon will be the main character, and the one we connect with. Overall, I’m expecting a fine film by T-Mac, maybe even his best. It certainly looks like his ultimate films, anyway!
Let’s take a temporary relief from films for a second and turn to our first interview, with Blacksuit_Crimeboss, in favor of his new film coming out “An Amazing Spiderman”. Let’s take a peak at what he had to say, and then a peak at his career and future.
Q: Hello Blacksuit, and I’d like to welcome you, as well as thank you for the chance to see “An Amazing Spiderman”, as I will center this review around that, maybe bring some information out to the public. As I was reading it, I noticed that you had a very thrilling tone to it, and this made it ceaselessly entertaining. Is this one of the effects you were trying to achieve?
A: Of course, it was probably the biggest thing on my mind while writing. I was interested to see how dark I could go with it, as I've never seen any truly dark elements in the other films. I always thought the character of Venom and the symbiote would bring a more mysterious, suspenseful aspect, and I think it did.
Q: On top of this entertaining value, I saw a certain level of darkness in it, especially in the latter half. Now, while the entire movie was very great, the first half was my preferred section due to that thrilling entertainment I mentioned. Do you feel that one segment was better then the other? Did you work harder on any one part?
A: I don't like either segment better, and I try to view them as a whole. I can't say I worked harder on either one, although the second half was (is) harder to write, which surprised me. I new basically in my head how I wanted the movie to go down, but I never really put much thought into how I would use Venom. I figured that when I introduced him, It would be easy, because of how dynamic a villain he is, I was oh so wrong.
Q: It seems to me that you put a lot into the character of Peter Parker. Do you feel you added some of your own personal additions into the role, or did you try to keep him close to the comic books?
A: I'm not an avid reader of the comic books, and most of my knowledge comes from Video Games, the cartoon, and the movies. But I knew what kind of Peter I wanted to write. When you look at the character, he is just a teenager. His name is 'Spider-man", but he isn't a Man, he's a boy. A boy who gets thrown into situations he might not want to be in because of an accident with a spider-bite.
Q: Have you seen many of the superhero movies out there? After hearing about them, and reading reviews to them, what is it about your film which makes it excel and rise above those? Or don’t you expect it to?
A: Movie reels has always had many films in the superhero genre, and yes, Ive seen a few. Will it rise above the others? I'm not that big headed, so I'll just say I don't know. I hope it's just good enough to be considered with the better films in the genre.
Q: Also, do you have any favorite types of films or any films on Movie Reels which really impressed you. Perhaps give me a few of your favorite titles.
A: I have a very varied taste, so I can't give you a specific type. So far my favorite film has been Eleanor Rigby(spelling?). I just loved how sweet the story was, and how different it was.
Q: Two more questions. First, what do you feel advertising does for a film. How vital is it? Have you used too little of it, or is this your preferred amount?
A: I think advertising can be a great tool for your movie, but it can't make your movie better. I've never been an extreme advertiser for my films, because to be honest, I'm not very good at it. Trailers, to me, don't work as well in text form, and I feel I'm giving away too much information(when I'm really not). I prefer the visualization of a Poster to a trailer.
Q: And finally, what do you think about “Casablanca and the Movies”? Is there anything missing? Anything you’d like to see added in?
A: It's pretty much perfect.
Thanks for the interview!
Well, that was a nice, informative interview and I hope that many of you will go to see Spiderman, as I have seen a pre-screening, and say that it is worth it. Now, I haven’t seen much of Blacksuit’s films that I know of, but I really wanted to take this time to look at Spiderman, besides his career in general, however, I will look at his future. Spiderman, like I said earlier, is a nice mix of thrills and entertainment, and that seems to be a style Blacksuit likes, so I can picture more films of the type from him. Superhero films seem to be his strong point, as he knows what it takes. So many films in the genre use too much action, or too much comedy, but this was a nice balance, not just off genres, but of lightness and darkness, and, unlike “Gambit Origins”, I don’t think that this film couldn’t decide what to be, it had its mind set, and it played out towards its goal perfectly. Again, everyone should see this, Blacksuit has a nice, easy to read style, and it great at letting the story pull you in, besides surrounding it with a lot of fluff and nonsense, which doesn’t work for this type of film.
Now, let’s return back to film reviews after that nice, short break, with my customary two reviews, please excuse me if the reviews are a little shorter, but time is an issue, starting with “Laughing Matter”, a film by Blacksuit. Let’s see if his style is evident.
Laughing Matter
*** .25 out of ****
What surprised me in this film was how well it was written and how seriously it took its dramatic undertones. It was really a thriller, but there were so many moments of a dramatic impact that I can’t classify it anywhere. Suspense, thriller, a little horror, drama, it fits everywhere!
Blacksuit’s style can be seen in this as he mixes dark, in depth themes, with a lighter thrilling tone which adds up to a nice suspense film. However, the main point I want to mention is that this film really knew how to play its drama, to use it in just the right moments, to place it carefully in scenes where it feels like it belongs.
Also, the thrills are nice. We care about the characters and about the story really, so we are exited to see what happens. The only noticeable flaw is in the scope, which feels limited. The film doesn’t fly anywhere, it doesn’t push itself to be remembered or to live on, which it hasn’t, and it has no ambition expect to be a fine film while you are reading it. Even now, while I am typing out this review, many of the scenes, much of the impact have left me, and I am left trying to remember a film which has no meaning to me anymore, except a fine example of how to do a thriller with a bit of drama. Thus, besides serving as a template, it is just a neat little film.
Next, I looked at “Crippled Heart: The Chris Benoit Story”, a film by Dark Chicago Films (who?).
Crippled Heart: The Chris Benoit Story
* .75 out of ****
This film is pointless drivel which tries to serve as some artistic picture, or some entertainment, or something! In fact, I have no clue what this film is trying to do, or where it is trying to go, except in the obscure achieves of trashy MR films.
It is neat sometimes, but only for a second, in which afterwards the narrative feels immature and timid, afraid that it might go to far and actually become a decent film. We see what the narrator says, and the whole film could have been told in five minutes with one paragraph of writing, but no, the director insists on showing us everything, no matter how tedious after hearing it laid out for us.
The script wasn’t that good, and I was hoping for him to kill her just to get the screaming and typical blabber over with. The images weren’t inspired, as it played out like a detective non-fiction, something from a text book on murders or human drama.
The main slaughtering point is the level of intrigue. I was so uninterested in this film that I skimmed through the latter half of it. There is no reason to be pulled in, no reason to be excited or to be even slightly curious of anything, simply because it is all done so poorly that you just want it to be over, I did anyway, and when it came to an end, it felt like mercy from a high lord, the lord of trashy films.
Well, finally ending the reviews for the night, but not the episode, let’s go to that second interview, an interview with Daz.
Q: Hello Daz, welcome, and thanks for agreeing for an interview. First off, I’d like to mention the fact that you seem to be less productive then most members here, and now I heard that you are re-editing Gambit, perhaps even for a re-release. Do you have many ideas, but not the time, or would you rather spend your time perfecting a film, until you feel you did all you can for it?
A: I have quite a few ideas but I am quite obsessive about the project I’m working on. I’m also lazy as hell so I’d say it’s a combination of all of them. After yours and Shawshank’s reviews on Gambit, I felt inspired and went back to it. So I would say I prefer to spend my time trying to perfect a film instead of finishing it and moving onto the next one as soon as possible. If anything I regret releasing Gambit so soon instead of making sure I was 100% happy with it. I’m obsessing over “Brunch” in a similar way, which is why only 10 pages have been written in a month lol.
Q: In Gambit, I sensed a dark tone to it, and you agreed, in fact, I believe I pointed out that one of the films flaws was in how it traded some charm for a dark structure, and this was quite risky, as it required a certain, quite deep, level of depth. Are you afraid that you didn’t dive deep enough, or do you feel that this will be made up for in the longer version? Will we see more of your dark ambition, or will more charm balance things out?
A: I didn’t start out, aiming to create a “super-hero” film with a dark tone. I wanted to write something that would match Gambit’s personality. On the surface he is charming and fun. But his origins are fairly dark; he’s not exactly a good guy. He’s a thief, he’s killed and he’s constantly conflicted and tries to hide it. I didn’t dive deep enough, instead opting to keep a lighter side. The extended/director’s cut will dive a little deeper into the morale conflict with Gambit, and the dynamic between the Marauders group will be enhanced. The combination of the two of them will ultimately sway Gambit’s choices one way or another and make the ending a little stronger.
Q: One part of the film I praised though was its ability to tackle the origins of the hero with nice detail and a carefulness that shows craft. In the re-release, will many scenes revolve around this origin, or is more added in latter on in the film?
A: The new content will make origin related stuff more important. In the original the origins gives the viewer the chance to see where Gambit came from and give them a slight understanding to the choices he makes. The stuff added later on is more to do with the Sinister character, who was a lot of fun to write for.
Q: Now, I hate to harp over and over on Gambit, however, with the new extended version being worked on, I find it necessary to analyze what worked and what didn’t in the original. Something else you agreed with, for example, was when I ended my review with saying that here was a film which was “caught in an endless struggle of categorizing itself”. Where would you place this new edition?
A: I’m still not too sure on that. The stuff I’ve added all plays into Gambit’s moral dilemma and Sinister’s scheme to break any sense of morality Gambit has. So it’s definitely leaning closer to the darker side of things. I’m not entirely sure it solves the identity crisis, just yet anyway. But I’m working on it, play you cards right and you might get a preview.
Q: Now, let’s mention some of your past or future projects. Will we expect an easier to categorize film, or do you usually write in a dark/light manner, where you play around and try to make your own mood?
A: I think, with Gambit I found it hard to really write just one side of the dark/light coin. Gambit has a lot of different sides to his personality, and I tried to capture as many of them as possible. Future projects should be easier to categorize. With “The 18th Road” the tone is pretty much light all the way through even when there is drama. “Brunch” on the other hand, is pretty consistently dark. I do prefer to play around and create a unique tone, just because it’s more interesting to write than the “standard”.
Q: Two more questions. First, when viewing films by others, what do you look for? You seemed pretty intelligent in making film, you knew how to work darkness and hit on nice themes, and is this what you look at in the other Movie Reels films? Are there any specifics that you thought were exceptional?
A: I’m not sure I look for anything in movies here on MR, other than interesting characters. I thought SCF’s take on The Wolf Man was tremendous. I’m not too good at picking out good points, better at picking out flaws ... it’s easier hehe.
Q: And finally, what do you think about the show “Casablanca and the Movies”? Is there anything you see missing, or anything you would like added in?
A: More talk of anything Daz related, apart from that everything’s fine.
Thanks for the interview; it was good to have you here.
That was another nice interview and quite insightful in learning about the future role of Gambit. It seems like we are looking forward to an impressive film, which will benefit from all the uncovered turf we didn’t see in the original. Daz has a nice style of going for deepness, but where he fell short last time it seems like he will fix it now. Personally, I am excited to se the ending results and hope that he focuses on this film for a while, as it reeks with potential. All it takes is the right touch to tap into these benefits.
Now time for a special event, which will only be featured in this episode, as if it isn’t special (or long) enough. I am now going to post my five favorite films on Movie Reels and will afterwards discuss them briefly and why they are on here.
1. The Wolf Man (SCF Production)
2. The Science of Evil/Mills of God [tie] (Cristo)
3. The Most Dangerous Game (Movie Lord Productions)
4. The Long Coats (Psycho Bunny Productions)
5. Justice (Legend)
Now, The Wolf Man will be a pretty popular choice, as the dialogue, the mood, and the tone all set the stage for a perfect film, and it plays so well between horror and dramatic tragedy that it is not only the bet but the most astounding films ever.
After that, I have the least popular choice on my list, The Science of Evil. Yes, it is unique, however, it, for me, is one of the most important films on Movie Reels. The complex narrative which seemingly gets lost in its own complexity is a great enigma of a film. A wonder for its deepness and ambition, and while I am alone in my raving of it (even Cristo, the director, prefers City of Dragons). Yes, City of Dragons may be better in terms of how it is done, but I was amazed when I saw what Science of Evil tried to do. Also tied is Mills of God, which is the most breath taking film I have seen on this site yet.
Next, The Most Dangerous Game, a film which wouldn’t be as popular a choice as Wolf Man, however, how fun it is, how easily it was written, and how loosely it takes itself adds to B-Film perfection. “Dumb Fun” was never smarter and intelligently written.
Then The Long Coats, the most cinematic and ambitious film I’ve seen. The acting is amazing, how well it keeps its length up is amazing, and it really is astounding in showing us what we can do on this site.
And finally, Justice, a film which exceeded my expectations by miles and was endlessly compelling, careful and entertaining. A fine read and a very well done film.
Well there they are, my five favorite films so far. Thus ends the list and the episode.
I’d like to thank you all for reading, this was quite an episode! However, we got a lot covered, and many insights uncovered, and I feel it was a successful episode. As usual, please comment after you read.
Thanks you for watching tonight’s episode of “Casablanca and the Mvoies” and I hope to see you next time![/center]
