The Dark Knight

Incredible.


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the killing joke serves as a good source for the dark knight

Now I know each and everyone who reads this blog is going to be sitting in a theater July 18th, anxiously chomping away on their popcorn, grabbing with their greasy fingers at a sweating 32 oz cup full of the most carbonated beverage the establishment offers, awaiting for the lights to dim and for the words The Dark Knight to rush across the screen. I know this because you have good taste. You have good taste because you are an intelligent human being with enough common sense to read what I have to tell you. Or, it's because I literally do know each and everyone who reads this blog. How humbling.

But I digress; the real point of this post is to talk about one of the influences of this summer's biggest and inevitably best movie, The Dark Knight. The influence is a highly revered comic by Alan Moore called The Killing Joke. For those who may not be aware, Alan Moore is basically the Charles Dickens of graphic novels and comics. Or maybe the Janet Evanovich. I'm not sure. Regardless, he's been known for works such as Watchmen (which is being adapted to film currently), and V for Vendetta, among many others. His book The Killing Joke is actually a source of inspiration for how Heath Ledger's Joker is portrayed in The Dark Knight and, upon reading it, I can't think of a more bad ass way to do The Joker.

The book is very dark and touches on some very cool psychological aspects that are somewhat void in comic books aimed at a younger crowd. We get into the mind of The Joker, and its less cliched and more humanistic than one might think. Of course, that inkling of decency gets crushed and we see a Joker that is more complex than many other interpretations. The artwork, done by Brian Bolland, is also very imaginative and resonant, creating an overall mood that I look forward to seeing manifest in The Dark Knight.

The Killing Joke was just rereleased this March as a deluxe edition, and features new coloring by Bolland himself that is meant to capture the real feel that was intended with the original. Check it out, even if you're not a comic geek. FULL POST

dirty harry 2-disc special edition

Out and about yesterday I got a chance to see the box to the Dirty Harry 2-Disc Special Edition that just released. It's one of the best DVD covers I've seen in a long time (There Will Be Blood's is a recent gem as well). There seems to be so many cover designs these days that are overdone and over-embossed. This one is simple and balanced, and I think what stands out to me the most is the type, which, given my mediocre if not horrible knowledge of typography, I'd have to say is some form of every designer's love/hate font, Helvetica.

I'm interested in seeing some Dirty Harry, and I'm a bit embarrassed that I haven't yet. As far as westerns go though, Clint Eastwood is a major bad ass and starred in some of the best movies the genre has ever seen. I'm confident that persona transfers over pretty well to the crime flick. FULL POST

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Last night I saw Indiana Jones: Dumbest Movie Ever, and really enjoyed the trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt. While the movie is based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald story, don't be one of those people who say the book was better. Be one of those people who say the short story was better. Obviously, I have not seen the movie, but Fitzgerald's story is awesome, and I think if you watch the movie or trailer first, it ruins the tone of the story. So, come on now, check it out.

"Where in God's name did you come from? Who are you?" burst out Mr.
Button frantically.
"I can't tell you--exactly--who I am," replied the querulous
whine, "because I've only been born a few hours--but my last name is
 certainly Button." FULL POST

savages

I got a chance to rent Savages the other day, and really enjoyed it. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney and, per usual, Hoffman was amazing. He's grown to be one of my favorite actors. Laura Linney also provided a perfect compliment to Hoffman, playing Hoffman's sister.

The basic rundown of the story is Hoffman and Linney's (Jon and Wendy Savage's) father has been diagnosed with dementia and has to be placed in a nursing home . The film chronicles their battle with and denial of the inevitability of death and the process of caring for their dying father. It's got a good mix of dark humor and sincere drama (for a lack of a better term) and does a good job in approaching a subject that is often taboo in American society. It's worth a look, add it to your queue. FULL POST

where in the world is osama bin laden?

Just saw the film last night, and while it wasn’t the greatest documentary or (spoiler alert) a completely successful quest, it succeeded in giving a new, fresher perspective to Middle East questions. Where most works on this topic center on foreign policy, military operations, or mass statements, director Morgan Spurlock (the same who directed Super Size Me) talks to typical, average people in a multitude of environments ranging from Morocco to Egypt to Pakistan.

The film’s opening moments, while funny, are a little weak. Morgan has just found out that his wife is pregnant and is consequently begun worrying about safety. So he decides to take this worry the furthest it can go: he will try to track down Osama. This emotional sentiment, while compelling, mostly made me wonder why he is trekking to all these dangerous places when he could be at home not missing everything. But as Spurlock moves from country to country, the tone quickly shifts, becoming more penetrating with each new person he meets. Whether talking to Afghans in the desert, Jews and Palestinians near Gaza or a whole host of Pakistanis and Egyptians, these are not the people we see giving wild denunciations in the midst of chaos on CNN. In fact, more than a few of them are no different than us. Only culture separates things. They do denounce, for sure, but they also give answers that we often give, and that also force you as the viewer to see the differences between the individual and the state. In the end, we see that the moderate voice has been lost amid the explosions and rockets over religion and land.

While not the most overtly powerful film on the subject, its quiet buildup replaces irrationality with a growing understanding of humanity and the human condition, and should be taken in at a theater near you. FULL POST

Harvey: An Essential?

Much of 95total’s work has attempted to shed light on current goings-on, whether they are in the realms of technology, entertainment, or random finds, respectively. This all makes perfect sense. One of the best ways to study and/or reveal aspects of a culture is to stay one step ahead. In so doing, certain truths or patterns are revealed about our own time. But there are also some truths and patterns in life, or rather perspectives, which are timeless and should ring out in every culture. I am reminded of some of these when I watch Harvey.

The plot of the story is simple. Elwood P. Dowd is an endlessly pleasant and delightfully eccentric rich bachelor, and the most likable drunk you ever met. His equally eccentric, though not as likable, sister, however, has had enough of him, and decides to place him in an insane asylum. Her daughter, Myrtle May, cannot enter society with a man like him around. This is not because he is a drunk, but because he has a 6’3” friend named Harvey who no one else can see (well, almost no one else). To make matters worse, Harvey is a pooka, or rabbit. In moment after moment of misunderstanding brought on by the typical old movie system of never letting any character completely explain what is occurring to another, chaos takes over. Elwood’s sister winds up in the asylum, the doctor for the asylum wants Harvey to stay with him, and Elwood takes people out for drinks and invites them to dinner. In the end, of course, things wind up all right, though I won’t spoil the obvious ending for you.

What makes the movie brilliant is the character of Elwood, brilliantly played by James Stewart. He is so nice and so genuine that he clearly touches all those he talks to. He reminds us that life is quirkier than we ever imagined, and that it is for this reason that we should embrace it. In posing the question of who is really crazy in this world, the film responds by at least saying that Elwood is an ideal. All he wants to do is sit at Charlie’s, his favorite bar, with Harvey and watch the people go by, talk to a few, and make friends where strangers once stood. Here are a few quotes, both funny, amusing, and remarkably wise.

“Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.”

Dr. Chumley: This sister of yours is at the bottom of a conspiracy against you. She's trying to persuade me to lock you up. Today, she had commitment papers drawn up. She has your power of attorney and the key to your safety box, and she brought you here!
Elwood P. Dowd: My sister did all that in one afternoon. That Veta certainly is a whirlwind, isn't she?

“You see, science has overcome time and space. Well, Harvey has overcome not only time and space, but any objections.”

“After this he'll be a perfectly normal human being. And you know what stinkers they are!”

“Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it.”

Is it an essential? Maybe. Check out TCM to make up your own mind. It will be on in April. I say that at certain times, there’s nothing better.

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Yeah, funny things happen in the world: Born For Hard Luck

I don't know if there is anything better than a good story teller. It's great when are stories true, it's great when they're exaggerated, and it's best when you can't tell which the story is. That's definitely the case with Peg Leg Sam. Real name Arthur Jackson, he was born in 1911 and grew up in rural, like, rural rural, South Carolina. If you have seen the movie Amelie, the clip of the old man with one leg dancing is from this documentary Born for Hard Luck. (video links are on the left of the page.)

It's hard to say what he was. He was a blues harmonica player who could play two harps simultaneously, one with his mouth and one with his nose. But generally, he was a cool old man who spent his life traveling on freight trains and doing whatever he could. At one point he worked in medicine shows, following in the long rural tradition of selling snake oil.

The life he lived and the stories he tells seem like they would be impossible. I never hear stories like his today. Peg Leg was never a rich man, but he seemed genuinely happy with how everything turned out. And everyone around him seems like they wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I can't even imagine doing half of what he has done, but I also can't imagine watching anything cooler than this short documentary.

Quotes I'm partial to:

"To show you that I IS in hard luck, if I go up the street walking fast, I run over something. I'm in such hard luck, if I go up there walking slow, something run ofer me. I'm in such hard luck, if I'm sitting down I'm in everybody's way. I'm in such hard luck, if it's raining down soup at this very minute, everybody'd be standing there with a spoon--why, I'd have a fork."

"I said uh oh lady, I forgot bout my fingernails"

"Somebody carry me. Get a car quick!"

"But that was a funny thing. three years I done saved up. Two days after I quit work, broke as a he-haint in Georgia Yeah!" FULL POST

"2 Days in Paris" delights

Although I'm inevitably behind the trends on movies (Netflix over theaters for me), it's still hard not to let you know when I find something good. In this case, go rent 2 Days in Paris.

2 Days in Paris stars Julie Delpy (who is also the director) and Adam Goldberg. IMDB's plot outline says:

"2 Days follows two days in the relationship of a New York based couple; a French photographer Marion and American interior designer Jack-as they attempt to re-infuse their relationship with romance by taking a vacation in Europe. Their trip to Venice didn't really work out,--they both came down with gastroenteritis. They have higher hopes for Paris. But the combination of Marion's overbearing non-English speaking parents', flirtatious ex-boyfriends', and Jack's obsession with photographing every famous Parisian tombstone and conviction that French condoms are too small, only adds fuel to the fire. Will they be able to salvage their relationship? Will they ever have sex again? Or will they merely manage to perfect the art of arguing?"

This movie has quirk to it, and I mean the kind of quirk that isn't overplayed. It's intelligent; hysterical at times, touching at others. The film offers a great balance of ups and downs that end up mimicking what the story is all about: relationships. 2 Days in Paris has accessibility, even with the "romantic comedy" label some might give it. Anyone who's been in a relationship, or has friends in one (read: everyone) can find a way to relate to it. The ending monologue given by Delpy's character is incredibly poignant and sobering, putting a fitting and essentially perfect end to a funny and charming flick.

This is the funniest movie I've seen in a long while, check it out. FULL POST