Day 112: Alien 3 (1992) - Rank: 3/5

The Alien quadrilogy is a fascinating collection of films for a couple of reasons. One: if you think about the chronology of the four, you're watching about two consecutive weeks in the life of one barge worker (that span doesn't count the 500+ years between Ripley's death in this film and her being cloned in Alien:Resurrection since she essentially picks up where she left off). That's a really shitty series of events no matter how you look at it (Lemony Snickett ain't got nothing on Ripley). Two: each film in the trilogy is not only helmed by a different director, but each is an excellent director with his own sense of style. "Alien: Resurrection" maintains the basic elements of the Alien films while still looking like a Jean-Pierre Jeunet film. Same for Ridley Scott, James Cameron and, in this case, David Fincher.

The dank corridors and the contrasting sepia and pale blue hues are reminiscent of many scenes from "Se7en" or "Fight Club" (especially the leaky basement of the home that the two "protagonists" squat within). It's as if directors were selected before the script was locked into place, and it certainly behoove the films. When the Alien franchise branched into Alien vs. Predator, I lost interest simply because the studios started going with relative unknowns and the sense of cinematic style left so as not to hinder with any body counts (which, to this day, I still don't get making those films PG-13...tsk, tsk). "Alien 3" is also unique in that it takes place on a planet, not on a ship (as is the case with the other films). You're back to just one alien (sans the developing queen within Ripley), but you now have a motley crew of inmates who are not only trapped inside the prison walls, but they also lack armaments (the latter, I felt, was a fun touch).

I found it to be the weakest of the four, but it was still fun all the same. The film does crawl at times, and the multiple scenes of the computer generated alien just look silly. Granted, the film was made in the wake of the "Jurassic Park" boom when everyone held their hands up to the lord in thanks for the creation of computers capable of animating anything the mind could imagine. Sadly, along the way, many forgot that Stan Winston's crew created a ton of practical effects for the film - practical effects which would have also added a little bit of creditability with me when it came to this film (yes, I wanted more of a guy in a suit, because it's a damn good suit!). Still, I could forgive the film, because not only did it feature Charles Dance in a prominent role, but the film also read my mind. As we saw the first few shots of the prison and you realize that it's inhabited almost entirely by balding Brits (I'm sure Donald Pleasence would have played the warden had he still been alive), I muttered aloud, almost jokingly: "Where's Pete Postlethwaite?" And lo and behold, what is the next sight I'm greeted with?



That's right, the hammy character actor in question, to which I replied, "Thank you, movie." He died though. Serves him right. He deserved to be in prison for helping that damned Kaiser Souza escape incarceration again. Oh, and mad props to Charles S. Dutton, too, whose career soared to "new heights" as he chose to fight giant cockroaches in an underground labyrinth in one of his following films instead of aliens.

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Day 111: La Cravate (1957) - Rank: 3/5

Alejandro Jodorowsky's films are certainly marked with an overpowering sense of the surreal with a predominant focus on the visual. While a lot of individuals have cited "El Topo" as his best and their favorite of his works, I always vie for "The Holy Mountain" when I've got a hankering for his sense of cinema. So much so that I've never made it around to watching one of his early, experimental films until now. The tale of "La Cravate" is focused on two characters - a young girl who makes a living selling used heads, and a character that is struggling for identity who sells his head to her and finds himself adorning her mantle.

Using the phrase "himself" feels inaccurate, for it is just a head. Jodorowsky then begs the question: what really makes you, you? Once the head is separate and both the head and body are cognisant of themselves, how do you classify "the being?" Does your personality define who you are, or is it your physical person? While existential at its core, the film is never overburdening in its message. Instead, its simple a light piece of pantomime fun that feels quite innocent when compared to Jodorowsky's later works.

Day 110: The Lady from Shanghai (1947) - Rank: 4/5

I've already decided that when it comes time for another "Film Noir-a-thon" among my friends, this is the selection I'm bringing. Snappy dialog, quirky for the sake of quirky characters and more double-crosses than you can shake a stick at makes this a fun view. What really made it stand out for me though is its inaccurate title. If I had to rename it, I think I'd go for "The Everett Sloane Show." While the downside is it certainly doesn't roll off the tongue and pique the interest of the curious as "The Lady from Shanghai" does, it certainly is more appropriate.



Sloane plays a crippled, crooked lawyer who spends most of his time travelling about the world on his private yacht with his trophy wife Elsa (a blond Rita Hayworth) at his side. He gets drunk habitually and spouts off insults at anyone in close proximity and carts himself about on two canes (if an intoxicated cripple is not an entertaining element for a film noir, then you and I have nothing to talk about). Sloane's Arthur Bannister recruits Irish sailor Michael O'Hara as a strong hand on the yacht and, ultimately, as a patsy for a murder triangle. Also involved in the complex plot is Arthur's law firm partner, George Grisby, played with even hammier, drunken zeal by Glenn Anders. "When you fire the gun, just say you were doing a little tarrrrrr-get practice! That's it, just a little tarrrrrrrrrrrrr-get practice!"



By the time this duo of character actors are done chewing the scenery and drinking all the Scotch in sight, there's very little left of the movie, and thankfully so, because you still have Orson Welles. I like Welles, but the sad thing is: he cannot convey a convincing Irish brogue. His narration was like nails on a chalkboard from the get-go, and God only knows that Welles loves the sound of his voice. It's a mystery to me why he chose to go with the Irish accent, because the nationality of the character is inconsequential to the plot - I suppose it was just Welles wanting to try something new....which he shouldn't have. Still, the greater mystery that remains is this: how, in ten years, did Orson go from screen lover to bloated behemoth? He must have wrung Sloane and Anders dry, drank the booze he retrieved from their bodies, and subsequently ate them. It may sound crazy, but see his performance in "Touch of Evil" and it actually makes sense...sort of...



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Day 109: Full Metal Yakuza (1997) - Rank 3/5

To watch "Full Metal Yakuza," it's quite obvious that Takashi Miike, a Japanese director infamous for excess beyond excess when it comes to gore, sexual peversion and disturbing imagery, was testing the waters. This tongue-in-cheek tribute to Verhoeven's "Robocop" has its fair share of both violence and bizarre sexual content. But it's never outlandish as is characteristic of his later films. In fact, the overall film is presented in a manner that borders on teh cartoonish at times. As a result, i didn't find this film emblazioned upon my mind as "Audition" or "Visitor Q" were, leaving me forever wondering, "What the fuck did I just watch?" Instead, its straightforward and borderline formulaic on some levels, which earmarks it as early Miike.

Sadly, as a result of this, I found the film rather forgettable, whereas some of his other films I wish I could get out of my head. That's not to say that the film was intolerable, or even unenjoyable. It was an entertaining watch, and there were some scenes, such as the revelation that the full metal yakuza - Kensuke Hagane - possessed a robotic penis capable of pleasuring any female, that I found pretty hilarious. And the action sequences, while grisly at times, also seemed indicative that Miike had not directed many scenes of choreographed fighting prior, for I had trouble figuring out what was happening at times (unlike Ridley Scott, who has shot so many action sequences that he's learned how to cheat the audience by using quick cuts and shaky camera moves, leaving you still wondering what's happening). But, admittedly, it is hard to go back to a director's early films after he's set the bar so much higher in his later projects. I suppose had I seen this film upon its release, it would have struck me as more unique or unusual. Alas, I cannot go back in time, though. Or can I...?

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Day 108: Black Sabbath (1963) - Rank 4/5

"Black Sabbath" is one of the perfect reminders as to why Boris Karloff was an icon (and still is) in the horror genre. Sure, he achieved infamy though his depiction of Frankenstein's monster, but I appreciate him more for the roles that are often overlooked. "Comedy of Terrors" and "The Raven" are great examples of what Karloff can do with comedic material. And when it comes to serious roles with a hint of the sinister, "The Black Room" is a prime example of his acting expertise; Karloff plays twin brothers, and is always the case with twins, one is good and one is evil (his monologue regarding pears vs. apples is one I find myself uttering aloud every time I bite into the aforementioned fruit).

While a trilogy anthology, the middle tale, "The Wurdalak," is the one that stands out the most. Karloff returns home after beheading the wurdalak that had been terrorizing the 19th century Russian back country and soon, his family begins to worry that he might be turning into the flesh-eating creature as well. The tale grows darker and darker as Karloff's Grocha kidnaps his own grandson, tears his throat out with his teeth and the grandson shows up later to lure his parents out of their home into danger. The lighting is brilliantly atmospheric and the sets and production are reminiscent (appropriately so) of Roger Corman's adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe pieces. Karloff grows more and more terrifying as Grocha continues to decay on screen, accentuated by bottom lighting and proper shadowing on his makeup (see below).



The other two tales are entertaining yarns, but rarely evoke the atmosphere of the longer, plot-driven "Wurdalak." The first, "The Telephone," is a fairly predictable piece about a girl being terrified by repeat calls from a spurned lover threatening to kill her. Sadly, the ending is a little cliched. The final tale, "The Drop of Water" is a pleasantly eerie piece about a woman quietly suffering from delusions and paranoia within the confines of her apartment after stealing a priceless ring from the finger of a recently deceased medium. The film's only true downfall is ending the trilogy with Karloff out of character, breaking the fourth wall as he talks to the audience, and then ending on a lighthearted and silly note. As a result, the ominous tone of the film is lifted - a gesture that some might find pleasant, but I found highly unnecessary and slightly betraying.

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Day 107: Paprika (2006) - Rank 3.5/5

Over the years, I've watched a number of films that endeavor to catch the illogical, incoherent nature of dreams. All too often a dream in a film is used as a device to advance a plot (the entire series of "Twin Peaks" would be a prime example), but in reality, this mental sorting of subconscious issues is scarcely capable of telling individuals how to proceed in the future. Only upon rare occasion have I seen a director capture somnambular nonsense accordingly (Lynch's "Eraserhead" does a fine job). "Paprika" is one of those rarities.

The anime follows a dream researcher and psychotherapist who goes by a peppy, dream alter-ego by the name of Paprika. When a device that is capable of accessing anyone's dreams (be they in a waking state or not) falls into the wrong hands, it's up to the titular character to battle the villain in a dream world where anything is possible. The opening dream sequence is utterly surreal, as are many of the visions. To me, anime works best when it is dabbling in the realm of the exaggerated, the fantastic and the bizarre, and "Paprika" is one of those situations where the artists have the perfect medium/script to work with. The film practically feels like a dream itself from beginning to end, going beyond simple dabbling with reality within its own realm - it rises to the point of screwing with your own head and your notions of a "waking state" in the process.

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Day 106: Elephant (2003) - Rank 4.5/5

This is one of the more shocking films I've seen in some time. There are no zombies, no monsters (in the literal sense), and not that much gore, but what is quite unsettling is the climax of the film: a school shooting. While anyone who watches the preview for Gus Van Sant's terrifyingly beautiful piece of work knows that a massacre is destined to occur at some point, it still doesn't prepare you for the realistic manner in which the event is depicted.

The main reason that the massacre catches you off guard so much is due to the fact that the first two-thirds of the film depict your average, humdrum day at a high school. The drudgery of class, the banality of hallway conversations - many of these are captured with impressive 5-10 minute-long tracking shots. The camera typically stays behind the students as they quietly walk through the hallways of the school, giving us a voyeuristic view of the entire proceedings. This style lets the audience into the lives of the students in a unique way, for you begin to feel as if you attend the school. As a result, the climax is all the more unnerving.

Perhaps the darkest element of the film is just the tone of bitter cruelty that surrounds the film. Many of the students are show experiencing miserable days, due to the nastiness of bullies, the indolence of teachers or just the general sense of peer pressure to be someone or something they are not. While some students find escape (one student experiences relief through photography), others experience one defeat after another only to catch a bullet in the end. The film borders on the bleak, because there are no "heroes" that come to the rescue (only one student attempts to sneak up on a shooter and take his gun, but it shot in the head before the camera), and there's no resolution. After all, life isn't always tied into neat, little packages with happy endings. As such, "Elephant" is an unwavering look at the crueler side of life and leaves you pondering the obvious "Why?" long after completion.

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