BlackBerry Review

This is probably the first year in a while that I have seen a record amount of movies. It helps to know that my city has a local film club, which helps me get exposed to different types of movies from elsewhere and here domestically. As I explained last week, I’ll be talking about a few select films that I really enjoyed in the theater. You may have heard of them or just not be completely aware of their existence since there was a strike and publicity was extremely limited. With that, let’s start. 

1. Changing the Phone

If there’s one reason why I wanted to watch Blackberry is because of one actor. Glenn Howerton has been made famous with the FX series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. That show is a topic for another day, but Howerton’s performance in the series is probably one of the best. When acting with a bunch of rejects, you’d expect him to be the sane one. Absolutely not, his untethered rage is a sight to see in that show and in this movie. 

I’m getting ahead of myself, at the very least the film is about the unexpected rise and fall of the Blackberry phone. Since the film is a bio-pic and the only real rule is to have the one defining moment representing what the main character or in this case thing be what it’s known for. Much like the film Steve Jobs, it spans from three different years to show the company’s significant moments. Both good and bad since it would be entirely biased or just wax poetic on a neat device. 

We follow Mike and his friend Doug as they develop a new device but are extremely bad at pitching it to an investor. Juxtapose with Jim, the one hearing about the device but joins them to turn the company around. From there we see just how the characters represent Mike. While he’s an inventor, he’s very shy and timid and usually lets his friend speak for him. There couldn’t be a better duality of men when we see Doug who’s very loose and constantly wearing a head band. Then you got Jim who’s strictly business but is completely ballistic. 

Obviously, what the film is going for is having this angel/devil on the shoulder dynamic since Mike is caught in the middle with wanting to create something but also be taken seriously. Not just in personality, but we see that whenever he’s with either of him. More so when Mike’s with Jim making meetings and with Doug just hanging out. The moment when Mike changes his personality that mirrors Jim is something else. 

Aside from that, the shots where we see the development of the device is also the main highlight. It’s almost hilarious when we think that they have the raw materials to create the device, but they just go to a store to buy various products. Only to open them up to get their chips and what nots to have a prototype that would be the Blackberry. 

2. Corporate Bio-Pics

For whatever reason, this year there was an odd influx of corporate bio-pic films. Famously, you had Ben Affleck’s Air that shows how Nike signed an unknown basketball player to a shoe deal that changed everything. Tetris from Apple Films that shows the odd story of how Nintendo got the Soviet game. And then we have Flamin’ Hot from Disney. Now, this type of sub-genre isn’t entirely new. 

One of the most beloved films of this century is The Social Network. While the whole idea is the creation of Facebook, it shows just how creating one site ruined a friendship. Not to dismiss the others that were named, mostly it’s about taking a chance in something where everybody wrote them off. It works for Air in the context that nobody thought Jordan would be successful. For Blackberry, it showcases that nobody won when the going got tough. 

Specifically, it focuses on Mike being the worst of himself in terms of playing catch up to his other competitors. He loses himself when he chooses profits over creating something that is too perfect to be fixed. The final shot of the film symbolizes that with him looking over boxes of unshipped phones and slowly replacing one after one. It’s tragic and cathartic where he sacrificed everything and it all lead to his friend leaving him.

3. Overall

Blackberry is one of the best Indie films of this year. And an unorthodox corporate bio-pic that shows a rise and fall like no other. 

American Movie Review

        Always good to be back to talk about my favorite visual medium in motion. This month will be different since I’ve tapped out on talking about some of the best holiday movies. So instead of digging through a subpar list of Christmas films, I’ll talk about the films that came out this year. Specifically, the under the radar ones that didn’t get people talking. While I’ll start that off next week, as of now I’ll be taking a dive with another documentary. 

1. Making a Film

        Like most things, I think my first exposure to this documentary was through a Family Guy visual gag. When Quagmire comes out to chastise Meg, two guys follow suit holding the camera and boom mic. It went over my head like lots of the jokes that have appeared in the show. Next was when I watched the YouTube series, The Angry Video Game Nerd. Within the episodes he would pepper in a reference, and I always thought that it was his own words. 

        Time passed and inevitably the same Youtuber put out a video about the documentary. At that time, it never drew me in and much like most things it wasn’t an interest. Earlier this year, I had a chance to watch the documentary in full and I can safely say that it’s probably the best documentary I’ve seen. Just the subject matter is interesting to see just how far we see this one prospective filmmaker try and film his movie. 

        With all that, we follow Mark Borchardt along with his friend Mike Schank trying to make the former’s film. Problems arise from the production where he pivots to making a short film to restart his feature film. I’ll get to the problems in the next tab, but I’ll say that the overall presentation certainly has that grit to it. Just seeing and spending time with Mark shows just what he goes through.

        I think the most important thing for a documentary to do is duh, shoot what’s happening and then make a story out of it. With this one, it’s making the seemingly boring task of filmmaking into an interesting topic to see. I think the caveat of personal life adds itself to just how much Mark tries to make his movie and juggling his responsibilities. It’s endearing and at the same time sad. 

        Not to say that the documentary is a depressing one, it is in some regards, but it shows just how much of a unilateral challenge it is just to make a film. And how much of an accomplishment it is to see it be realized. Mark’s not alone when it comes to help, his trusted friend Mike helps him power through with making his short horror film. Mike is the trusted humble friend who helps Mark with everything. And be someone to talk to when we have those moments where it’s seemingly Mark just by himself working on the shot footage.

2. The American Dream

        With the title like American Movie, it’s mostly about that ever-elusive phrase of The American Dream. What I mean by that is Mark’s dream is to make a movie and make a name for himself. Considering just how much of a crappy situation that we see him intersperse with him shooting his movie. As I mentioned earlier, aside from seeing him shoot his film, we see his personal life. Part of it in a narrative works since he juggles with being a Dad and making a movie. 

        I think the one scene where he helps bathe his own Uncle says a lot about Mark. He takes his own time to help his one family member where others are seemingly dissmissive of him. We see his other family including his parents and brothers but mostly all of them say that Mark is doing something where it’s not going to get him anywhere. It be one thing where they lie, but they’re honest seeing just how much he’s going through where that dream of his isn’t viable. 

        And I think that’s why the documentary works when seeing it play out from beginning to end. We see earlier snippets of Mark’s work and are told that he hasn’t finished them. And it’s one of those things where it’s alluded to that if he finished with one, then he has no purpose left. So just him doing this short film is a way to delay that nightmare that he has. It’s relatable on just how tough it is to sacrifice with what you want. Especially having loyal friends or family members help. 

        Lastly, as far as how it’s presented, it’s raw with nothing fake or inauthentic for the sake of making a good documentary. I just like the style where everything is happening, and the camera never stops recording for the any sense of break. Moments when Mark is frustrated or inebriated is real since we see just how frustrated he gets when nothing goes right. It manages to capture the hilarious and depressing moments so succinctly where no dramatization could ever recreate it. 

3. Overall

        American Movie is a relic of the late 90s, it shows just how one man and his friend go above and beyond to help and make an independent movie. 

Pan’s Labrynth Review

        It’s always something to talk about Guillermo Del Toro. Quite possibly the best and nuanced director that specializes in dark and macabre imagery. I get the feeling he’s the thinking man’s Tim Burton due to how Del Toro never feels like he’s own directorial aesthetics never feel tired or recycled. As much as I can wax poetic him, I think Pan’s Labyrinth is considered among most of his fans as the director’s best.

1. Fairy Tale

        As probably a textbook example of obtuse assumption, I thought that the film was mostly in English. Far back as I remember I’ve seen commercials of the film and I thought that there was English dialogue being said. Unfortunately, I was wrong with that presumption. So I sheepishly turned on the captions to understand what was being said and to understand the story. 

        This is an interesting one, considering that mostly what I’ve covered has its shares of scares and what not. This one feels more escapist, considering that this takes in Spain during World War 2. During the Spanish Civil War, we follow a young girl Ofelia who, along with her pregnant mother are brought into a camp led by Captain Vidal. An avid reader, she soon becomes embroiled within a fantasy world. 

        If there’s a word that I can use to describe the somewhat disturbing imagery is that it’s a beautiful macabre. Nothing is too gruesome or disgusting, everything feels terrifying but it’s somewhat interesting to look at that. It’s one aspect where you must commend Del Toro due in part that everything fantasy wise is through the perspective of a young girl. She isn’t terrified but just curious with how she communicates with the mantis bug that transforms into a fairy. 

        With how it’s handled within the movie, it’s just seamless between the tensions among the fascistic Vidal and the Spanish freedom fighters. One would think that everything we see when Ofelia sees Faun and the other creatures is just in her imaginative head. It feels that way since it’s usage feels more like a therapeutic considering the main character’s circumstances. I’ll delve into that in a moment. 

2. Real World

        Aside from the fairy tale that is the central part of the film, I love how it breaks it up to focus on the Captain’s war of attrition against the rebels. I love how in one way, it’s not just scenes with him finding the mole that helps the resistance. It would’ve been too easy to just have it but not connect with the overall theme of the movie. And that’s basically rebellion. 

        We see it when we’re first introduced to Ofelia and her mother. She has among her pack of books, a fairy tale book. One that makes her mom remind her that she’s way too old to read that specific material. In one way, whenever we follow Ofelia talk to the creature Faun, there’s certain rules that she follows that gets her closer to fulfilling a prophecy. While in the real world, there are no rules since everything is against common sense and empathy when Vidal is prideful.

        When we have moments where we’re in the camp, it certainly still retains that fairy tale aspect. When Ofelia talks to the housekeeper named Carmen, she’s like the godmother to the young girl since she empathizes with her when she brings up seeing something that would be found during a fairy tale. Even when Vidal confronts the girl, it’s like having him be the evil stepparent that has her constrained to be with her mother. 

        I really like the juxtaposition because we see through the eyes of a girl just how much awful the world is for her that her only sense of safety is a world that is so inhuman and weird that she is within her own realm of control. One more thing is that the film isn’t mostly for kids at all. From what I read is that it’s an adult-oriented fantasy film. Albeit, there’s no action or a moment when the fantasy world seeps into the real world as a means to stop a potential danger. What I will say is that the film is very dark and nothing is hold back. Especially with the main character, be prepared to shed a tear. 

3. Overall

        Among his other acclaimed works from Mexico to the United States, Pan’s Labyrinth is one of Del Toro’s best film. Bar none. 

The Silence of the Lambs Review

        Much like the 50s, the 90s was a dark time for horror. As I explained years back, most of the horror icons that were popular in the last decade were already becoming irrelevant. Wes Craven would twice reinvent the genre by making it meta or self-aware. Meanwhile, serial killers were the rage at that time, specifically the psychological aspect to them. The Silence of the Lambs was the first to have that nailed down, so much so that it won Best Picture. 

1. Clarice Starling

        Before I talk about Clarice, I think people weren’t aware that there already was a Hannibal Lecter film before this one. Manhunter came out in 1986 which was directed by Michael Mann. While it was met with a mixed reaction, it gave birth to numerous procedural dramas that came out during the next decade. One last thing, the entire film franchise is based on the works by Thomas Harris. 

        Anyways, we follow a young cadet Clarice. She gets assigned to investigate and find the serial killer named Buffalo Bill. Doing so, she goes into a mental hospital for help from an imprisoned killer Dr. Lecter. This is one of those instances where see everything through Starling’s perspective. Just as the film starts we see her struggling in the training course of the FBI. More so from her perspective that she’s in a male dominated position. 

        And man is she constantly reminded just how much she doesn’t fit within her department. That’s one of the main themes in the film and it’s sexuality. She tries to figure out and find the serial killer but is constantly probed by Dr. Lecter. Jodie Foster plays her so well. As much as I want to talk about the moments between her and Lecter, he gets his own tab. But we do get an understanding as to why she's in the FBI and what's in it for her to find the missing woman. 

        This is one of those instances where we actively worry about Clarice since she takes it upon herself to investigate the whereabouts of the killer. In the context of the film, she’s just a first timer who isn’t yet an active agent within the FBI. To give us a break between her investigation, we see her in the training field, but she struggles. It reinforces that underdog feeling that the movie’s going for.

        Lastly, the investigation work is never half-baked. All of it played completely straight when Clarice and her superior Crawford investigate the victim’s body. What I love is that after that, Starling goes to a close contact to identify the cocoon that was lodged inside the victim. That offers the explanation as to what type of bug it is in the film and in the poster. 

2. Hannibal

        Anthony Hopkins deserved to win the Academy Award for his performance as Lecter. He wasn’t the first one to portray the killer. With Manhunter, actor Brian Cox was tapped to play Hannibal. When this movie was in production, Cox wasn’t available to reprise his role. Just the introduction when we see that point of view shot to Lecter’s cell is just unsettling. Among the other inmates in the mental hospital, he just stands there.

        While his overall look and demeanor are just off putting. The way he speaks and conducts himself is mostly high class. But of course, he has that serial killer within him. The way he operates when he sees Clarice is that he wants to know more about her. The scenes when we see them in the cell and in the courthouse is sort of like a game of chess. Clarice is told what to get but tries her own method. And of course, we see just how clever Hannibal is when he plots his own methods to escape. It’s one thing that he’s a killer but he’s very smart and efficient with plotting his course. 

        Just them talking about her past and trying to move through the Dr.’s misdirect of anagrams is something to see. Some people believe that it should’ve been the whole movie of just them. Of course, there’s another killer that has a hostage. The moments when we see Bill are just psychotic. I’m glad, I know it sounds wrong, that we have a scene as to how he catches his victims. Bill is unassuming and then flips the switch of putting his victim in the bottom of the well. 

        And you’re probably asking yourself just how does the film correlate with horror. At it’s core it’s a thriller movie where Clarice is finding the killer and going to Lecter. The meat and potatoes of horror lie in the moments when Clarice is by herself and when we see Bill in his lair. Just seeing the hostages manic state of wanting to be let out is heartbreaking. Making matters worse is when she sees the bloodied claw marks of past victims. It’s the “what we don’t see” aspect that makes horror so much more effective, without needing to be explicit.

3. Legacy

        The film was massively successful box office wise. People were so enthralled with the performances of both Foster and Hopkins that they were Academy nominated and winning their respective categories. So much so that the movie is the first horror film to win the coveted Best Picture award. It says something where we didn’t see an onscreen kill that is practically the genre’s identity was probably the deal breaker to win the award. 

        Of course, when you have something successful, other studios try to capitulate and do something that is on par or just missing the point. Probably the best example that is slightly in the same league as this one is David Fincher’s Se7en. Having it follow the same footprints and one intimidating killer makes it a worthy contemporary. 

        Lastly, there were sequels to this one, but of course they weren’t as good as Silence. I think it was because people loved Lecter so much that he was the basis of his own movie that came out in 2001. I haven’t seen it, but it’s the highest grossing among the franchise, but it received mixed reviews. A prequel came out which remade Manhunter with Red Dragon which starred Ed Norton. It got to a point where people got tired, especially an origin story on Lector being completely unnecesarry. 

4. Overall

        The Silence of the Lambs is one of the best films of the 90s. While it’s horror is more subdued, the performances help set the uneasiness of the film. 

The Evil Dead (1981) Review

        It only feels natural to talk about a Sam Raimi film. You can practically say that he has influenced my life involving movies. The very first exposure of him is through his 2002 superhero film Spider-Man. It’s such a stark contrast with what he made with this one compared to that. Truth be told, he did read comic books growing up and it only made sense that his own cinematic aesthetics made it possible to bring the wall crawler to life. Anyways, let’s talk about his feature debut, The Evil Dead. 

1. Cabin in The Woods

        This wasn’t the first time that Raimi dealt with something involving a cabin in the middle of nowhere. One of his early movies called “Within the Woods” was mostly shot for 100,000 dollars. The purpose was to find the studio that would take notice and give him the necessary budget to make a cinematic version. It inevitably turned to the charitable donations that Raimi’s closest contacts donated him the money to shoot a more expensive feature. 

        The film has that blue collar look to it. Considering that most of the cast are supposed to be college students just exploring the rural parts of America. Just that grittiness to it and the way of special effects give that film its charm that only Raimi himself can pull off. So, about those students, they decide to stay at a small cabin for cheap. Upon arrival, they come across a recording and inevitably the shizz gets real. 

        Man is it gory. I say that as a compliment with what the movie is going for since everybody gets possessed by the evil force. In the sequels, the demons are called Deadites and it fleshes out the overall threat. As I was saying, it doesn’t hold back with showing the blood and guts of the victims. I think the one where it just felt excruciating is when one of them gets stabbed in the Achilles. Brutal is what the movie has as far as just it doesn’t hold anything back. 

        As far as how it handles the haunted house or cabin trope is interesting. It’s established that one of the friends Scotty explores the cabin’s basement and finds a recorder along with a disgusting piece of literature called the Book of the Dead. Even prior to that, there’s an unseen presence that lingers in the area and I love just how it needed the incantation to be spoken to unleash the full power. This idea of Pandora’s Box adds new synergy to the haunted house trope. 

        It's a recurring theme among Raimi’s films that the innocent is punished. With the films that I’ve talked about here, the main character is punished either being dragged into Hell or have superpowers but at a price. With the characters in The Evil Dead, most of them go through the ringer of being possessed and Ash having to defend himself and stop the demons from wreaking more havoc. 

2. Legacy

        When it debuted as an independent feature, it immediately got glowing praises and made its return financially. No one could’ve thought that this one movie would be a franchise among its dedicated fans. Raimi ultimately continued his trilogy, while each of them has a comedic angle since the idea was it’s to offset the level of horror that’s being shown. Both Raimi and Bruce Campbell continue to work together as the years go on. 

        It was only until recently that The Evil Dead popped up into pop culture again when new films started to come out. I haven’t seen the remake from 2013 or the recent sequel that just came out, but the thing I read is that it mostly stays true to what made the originals a classic among horror fans. The franchise even had its own tv series that continues the adventures of Ash with Ash vs The Evil Dead with Raimi having a hand in it. 

3. Overall

        Among the top tier horror films of the 80s, this one sticks out by being one of the best independent horror films of that time.