Watch It Wednesdays

Welcome to the second edition of "Watch It Wednesdays", a series created because I don't really do much but work and watch movies, and coming up with blog topics is difficult.

What I Liked: Attack the Block
Why: Set aside the fact that this film came very highly reviewed from multiple film festivals and features Nick Frost in an appropriately comical role. The story follows a teen gang from South London and their epic battle to defend their apartment building from ferocious aliens. I loved everything about this film. It was a little hard to get into at first - the gang does not immediately come off as likeable (their first on-screen act is mugging a young woman at knife point) and it takes a while to settle comfortably into following their strong accents and vernacular (it's definitely a bonus if you've watched a lot of BBC shows). As the film progresses you really start to enjoy the gang characters and their relationships with one another - they are, after all, just a group of teenagers. There is a great group of supporting characters as well, when they are first seen on screen you are under the impression that it will be for one scene only, but as the story progresses you see how each character contributes in their own way. I really enjoyed the alien design as well - they're animalistic to the core (these ain't no klingons or little green men, people) and so black that you cannot see any features except their glowing (yes, glowing) teeth. And goodness, what teeth! Multi-layered, snarling, and overall terrifying, these teeth were designed for destruction.You are immidately aware of the what that these kids are up against and how incredibly dangerous their mission is. Despite how brazen, cocky, and often stupid these teens are, I can tell you I was on the edge of my seat with anxious concern for every one of them. The direction and editing was absolutely fantastic, as were the performances from all of the actors. I definitely recommend this film. It's Red Dawn-meets-Leprechaun In The Hood 2*-meets-Aliens, and it's just delightful.

* Very important distinction from Leprechaun In The Hood 1. Seriously.

What I Didn't: See No Evil
Why: It's a WWE film made for wrestler Kane (whoever he is. All I know is his name is on the poster). It's a typical teen scream with emphasis on the removal of eyeballs. I get that the killer goes after sinners because his mother was crazy and abusive and a religious nutjob, and I get that the general idea is to remove their eyes, but I'm not positive what the eye removal has to do with the sinning. Or the cleansing of sins. Is it even about cleansing sins, or just about punishing the sinners? I'm not sure. Overall, it's pretty dumb. Not that I expected it to be insightful or, yanno, good.

What I Want To See: Into The Abyss
Why: Werner Herzog is crazy and amazing. Totally effing crazy. He's a German director/writer who's been working consistently since 1962 and is known for his strong thematic elements and characters who are often on the brink of madness. True story: there is an infamous scene in Fitzcarraldo (1982) where the main character insists that - in order to bypass a mountain - they drag a 340 ton steam ship up the mountain to meet the river. Instead of using a model or special effects, Herzog decided it would be way better to physically drag the 340 ton steam ship up the damn mountain. Friggin crazy. Anyways, Into The Abyss sounds fascinating. No psychology or criminology class could give you the same insight that Herzog captures by interviewing death row inmates and those effected by their crimes to study why we kill. He's a mad genius that does not try to manipulate his films, he lets them happen, which is why his documentaries (Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams) are so engrossing. He says
"Your film is like your children. You might want a child with certain qualities, but you are never going to get the exact specification right. The film has a privilege to live its own life and develop its own character. To suppress this is dangerous. It is an approach that works the other way too: sometimes the footage has amazing qualities that you did not expect."
He also directed Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans, which, if you haven't seen it, is pretty much insanity on film. Nicholas Cage. 'Nuff said.