I like stories. Sure songs, novels, poetry, paintings, conversation, a smattering of television are okay. But when at all possible, that walk into big dark room where the illusion of being drawn into the bigger-than-life story being laid out on that huge screen is just about as good as it gets for me.
Yes, I have been accused of "liking everything." WRONG! Did you see BATTLESHIP? Oy. But, I DO like the movie-going process. I enjoy checking out how a movie was made, what I would've changed to make it better. I had to see INCEPTION three times in the theater to have any idea of what was really going on. But each time I was stunned by the artistic achievement of the visual and sonic aspects of the film. I bought the DVD and get some new insight every time I see it. I have seen ERASERHEAD two dozen times at least and 1/3 of those on the big screen. No idea what the hell is going on but I can't stop watching and I haven't MISS a David Lynch film since.
Direct focused interaction with the transportational artistic devices in film present demonstrative elements that allow one's own imagination, interpretive skills, emotional moods and perspectives to contextualize life in ways the overwhelming speed and roar of the real world blur in our daily lives. Leaving a theater with new perspectives on human relations, individual achievements, empathetic experiences as well as the distinct possibility of just leaving life's pressures and intrusions behind for a couple of hours is well-needed in these stress-filled times.
It is not an accident or even a product of marketing that has long made movies popular in times of economic, emotional and societal depression. Escapism is not just for hiding out from reality's travails. It fosters perspective, needed distance or at times the neglected focus about our place in this universe that helps us to deal with our everyday issues.
But, really, in spite of all the high fallutin' rationale, I primarily just like stories. Stories about people, places, things. Stories with laughs, suspense, thrills, horrors, sexiness. Stories I don't have to live through in real life. Other people's stories but stories that in some way foster some glimmers of being part of something bigger than my own little worries, my own ego-centric world view. They let me get a sense of some kind of shared humanity, some kind of hopefulness, of poignant pain, unrealistic or improbable futures, or different, distant pasts that allows us a better chance of living a more considered, thoughtful and observant life. Movies help me see that my world is just a small fragment of a much larger existence out there where the chances that anything can and does happen, a world of limitless possibility, untapped imagination and breathless humanity. Bring it on.
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1999 photo from the Will Viner collection
I mourn the passing of the Village Theater in Big Bear Lake. It closed on August 14. Rumors that another theater company is interested in opening up with second run films, i.e. films you may have missed in the theaters in the recent past, (generally movies are about 4 months old). The hard part these days is that 35mm movie grade prints are rarely produced other than for first run films. I do see films at the Academy in Pasadena which was a beautiful old theater when I was young and now is a multi-plex of 5-6 screens (?). Their prints are generally pretty good so it can be done. Hopefully, that will come to fruition here. But for now, these are only rumors and the "FOR SALE OR LEASE" sign is still out front.
What I would love to see is a resurgence of what used to be called "repertory cinema" houses. This town may not be the place, but who knows. College towns are good for this. The great Ken Cinema in the North Park section of San Diego was a treasure. Programming ws eclectic and exhilarating and I spent many nights a week there while in college when I should have been studying but how could I resist? They changed the programming 3-4 times a week and always featured double bills. Mon-Tues might be two Woody Allen films of fairly recent vintage. I recall a double bill of Bananas and Take The Money & Run while Sleeper was in the first run theaters across town. I first dug the films of the great director Stanley Kubrick when on a Wed-Thurs they showed a dbl. feature of Dr. Strangelove and Paths of Glory. There might be a Bogart night or a couple of days of films by the legendary surrealist Luis Bunuel. More popular fare hit on the weekends and every Friday at midnight was, of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Always double bills and always good prices and always lots of butts in seats.
Whatever goes into the building, Bear Valley movie fans will miss the familiar faces of the long-time staff (most of them will move down the street to the Village Theater on Pine Knot) and young Big Bear students who often held their first jobs behind the candy counter in this classic old theater will have to count on their memories from now on to conjure up their own nostalgic moments. For movie buffs, losing two screens in town would be a real shame. While my mom was a movie buff and Dad had a cheap drive-in movie pass when were were growing up, we also drove to Hollywood for big name releases once and awhile, did the Universal tour, met a few movie stars and have only missed one Oscars broadcast since I was 10. While I have my favorite stars (Depp, DeNiro, Cruz, Johansson...), directors (Woody Allen, Pedro Almodovar, Christopher Nolan...) and genres (foreign, epics, psychological thrillers...)
Village Theaters business owner Will Viner posted the following thank you to long-time patrons here: www.villagetheaters.com
I personally will miss the old theater. In spite of the roller coaster rise and fall of the sloping rows of seats which sometimes puts your line of vision below the shoulders of the people directly in front of you (I have learned which rows NOT to sit in), the projectors and sound in the old theater were the best on the mountain and as with all of the theaters in the E&W theater chain, the prices are unbeatable and I'm told will continue at the Pine Knot Avenue location. Having a neighborhood theater where you see folks you know every week and you can share the movie-going experience helps create a sense of community that you can never get in the big suburban or inner city multi-plexes and in this day and age where every mall and street in the country features the same cookie-cutter chain stores and marquees, it is nice to have a place that feels your own. Like a good neighborhood bar, a favorite local band or a breakfast joint that knows your order before you walk in the door. Memories are built like this. I wish nothing but the best of luck to Will and Bruce and my good friend Koley who I met when she was just a teenager behind the glass in the ticket booth so many years ago. They and their staff have created a friendly and smiling environment where, in this small mountain burg, the locals and tourists alike can enjoy a quality night out on the town.
Regarding my personal tastes, in addition to the 2-3 movies a week at the Village Theaters, I still head down the hill driving two hours each way a couple of times a month for a day or two and camp out in the Laemmele Theaters in Pasadena or the Landmark Theaters in Hollywood to see that latest independent, foreign and art-house flicks. And Lord knows the bargain bins at K-Mart and Big Bear's indie owned Blockbuster have provided a recent plethora of B-pictures, old classics and the odd essential addition to my DVD collection for next to nothing. Nothing like batch of "sale" priced movies to cheer me up. I won't even get into my NetFlix habit which has blown up exponentially since I gave up my exhaustively expensive cable bill two years ago. Too many films, not enough time.
The profusion of Hollywood blockbusters is generally what we get on our 5 screens in the little town, lots of kids movies, horror and teen-aged fare which is needed to keep the theaters afloat. Once and awhile the wonderful folks who run the theaters respond to the requests of their more discerning crowd and bring a spectacular, more critically favored film (i.e. indie or less of a box-office smash) to town and we love them for it. Recently, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (not the greatest title for a film) played for a week and I heard not one bad thing from anyone lucky enough to catch it. It was delightfully written, compellingly acted and a visual feast. Coming soon to town will be the surprise romantic all-star hit of the summer, MOONRISE KINGDOM and the Lee Hirsch documentary BULLY. Both sound like must-see films for those looking outside the general car chase and animated summer fare.
Well, all of this by way of introduction to this new more regular movie review column. I will try to keep the reviews weekly and brief from now on and my mix up some DVD and NetFlix fare along with theatrical releases in the future but primarily I'll be giving my own, highly opinionated capsule reviews of recently viewed films.
This week in theaters:
TOTAL RECALL
Colin Farrell, Bookeem Woodbine, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bill Nighy
****1/2
Directed by Len Wiseman
Remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzeneggger vehicle of the same name (originally directed by Paul Verhoeven). This one was light year's better, in my humble opinion. Not only was the acting predictably not as stiff and formulaic but the visual sensibility was up there with BLADE RUNNER and A.I. as a stunning glimpse at a futuristic world not so far from our quickly changing, present day timeline. This world is bleaker and grittier than either of the scenario's shown in the above SciFi classics but as compellingly created by the filmmakers. Based on Philip K. Dick's short story, "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"...this new version stays firmly planted on Earth while the book and original had sub-plot set on Mars. Dick also wrote the books/stories that were the basis for the films "BLADE RUNNER", "MINORITY REPORT", "ADJUSTMENT BUREAU", "SCREAMERS", "IMPOSTER" "PAYCHECK", "KING OF ELVES", "A SCANNER DARKLY", "NEXT", "CONFESSIONS D'UN BARJO"...PKD is my all-time favorite sci-fi writer and was a unique and odd and compelling human being...read him. Some of his most popular work are "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" (aka Blade Runner); "The Cosmic Puppets", "Martian Time-Slip", "A Scanner Darkly" and my own personal fave "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch." Buy them all!!! www.philipkdick.com
THE CAMPAIGN
Will Ferrell, Zach Ganifikanis, John Lithgow, Dan Ackroyd, Dylan McDermott***1/2
Directed by Jay Roach
Not the hilarity fest I had hoped but lots of fun, off-color and ridiculous moments as is to be expected from these guys. Ferrell was much more low-key than usual playing an unlikeable dolt and Zach the big scene-stealer playing a delightful dweeb who challenges the incumbent Ferrell in a last minute bid for a seat in Congress. The ensuing cutthroat campaign nearly destroys them both. And no, I don't limit my reviews to movies staring people named Farrell/Ferrell. I'd review a new movie by the Farrelly Brothers as well, if there was one out now. In the meantime, here are some others...
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt
****1/2
Directed by Christopher Nolan
I rarely see films twice in a theater (getting to be a habit with Chris Nolan's films), but I wanted to see the final showing at the Village Theater and I was quite taken with this third in Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. While a bit long and convoluted plot wise (takes a LONG time before we ever see the Batman cowled and hittin' it), I loved the look of this film. Nolan is a stunningly visual director and the cast here was A-list good though Anne Hathaway while fine and gorgeous lacked the stylized cattiness of previous Catwomen, Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry. Tom Hardy, another favorite actor in Nolan's films (as is co-star Marion Cotillard) is intense and practically unrecognizable as the villain, Bane. Nolan's trio of films is so much darker and more adult oriented than the Spiderman series.
Last week or two:
THE WATCH
Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughan, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, R. James Ermey***
Directed by Akiva Shaffer
A fun comedy though not great but some laughs and a nice diversion. Vaughn's dry delivery and Stiller's befuddled but persistent hero save the pic from just silly, nothingness. There are good lines throughout but not a lot of super, great lines as four bumbling wanna be hero's form a Neighborhood Watch when aliens invade the solitude of their suburban town.
SAVAGES
Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, John Travolta, Benecio del Toro, Salma Hayek
****1/2
Directed by Oliver Stone
Well acted by the incredible cast, this is one of my favorite movies of the year. Travolta and Del Toro are sublime. This is the story of two local pot growers servicing the medical marijuana stores who get involved in an ill advised involvement with a Mexican drug cartel owned by Hayek. Del Toro is simply menacing in this role.
on DVD:
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
****
Directed by Robert Rodriquez
I had forgotten how much fun this movie was. Though the vampire horror make-up looks a bit over the top these post-Twilight days, it was state-of-the-art back in the day. The creepiness factor rules this film with Tarantino's role taking the cake (he also wrote the screenplay). Really a Grindhouse movie stylistically with a bigger FX budget (master Special FX man, Tom Savini even has a starring role) this one is just a hell ride from start to finish. I love Lewis and Keitel's performances and the opening sequence in the liquor store is edgy and twisted in a Peckinpaugh-Meets-Pulp Fiction way. Great color and score add to the garishness of the whole shebang. Not to mention one of my favorite songs, DARK NIGHT by always riveting L.A. band, The Blasters (hear the abbreviated version under the FDTD credits above and a cool more recent live version below.
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