Not an Animal

In a couple of weeks we hit one of my favorite directors, Martin Scorsese. He is one of the most iconic directors of modern America, and whenever his name is uttered ears perk, and attentions focus. It is a shame we only get a total of five hours to experience Scorsese when he has such an extensive list of films, and award nominations to match. He has been described as a being not a Hollywood director, and I don’t think he would disagree. He doesn’t make films for Hollywood, they are more works of art for him to enjoy, and those who worked alongside him. After looking at the films to be viewed concerning this gentleman I was disappointed that I didn’t see one of his best on the list. One considered to be the best film of the eighties, and earned two academy awards. This film was Raging Bull. Although Scorsese did an amazing job, it wasn’t always his first choice to make. It took some persuading by its star Robert DeNiro, and a personal crisis for Scorsese to get involved.
This film is beautifully shot. Boxing had never been seen like this, and has never since. Scorsese put the camera in the action, up close and personal, using various montages of cuts, demonstrating the power and emotion that goes on during a fight. He also showed how this can leak into a boxer’s everyday life, making violence a staple of their diet. This film follows Jake La Motta through his boxing career, two wives, and to his overweight future: owner and operator of Jake La Motta’s, a restaurant. It is violent throughout and I love it. The fight scenes are spectacular shot with one camera based off Scorsese’s storyboards. One of the best additions to the film was the decision to shoot in black and white. It is beautiful and wouldn’t be the same movie in color. Scorsese is the rare director who actually deserves the caption “A Martin Scorsese Picture”. He has his hands in every aspect of the film making process, and his perfectionism shows. This is a pretty crude description so if you haven’t seen it, do, and check out Who’s That Knocking at My Door?, and Mean Streets.

Graphics Drown

I have had the unpleasant pleasure of witnessing a horrible movie. A type of movie seen more and more these days, and almost creating another genre of film. This genre’s title would be both fitting and descriptive. The title would be Disaster. Before watching it I avoided this film like an air-born infection, not wanting to be near it or any of my other movies near it, for fear of its disease spreading to my great collection. But when returning home for spring break, I found my mother had purchased this atrocity, this pathetic excuse for film, and admitted to its slow plot, but enjoyed the action. This film was 2012. Maybe I am biased, because at first, when this Mayan 2012 thing first took off on the Discovery channel next to Nostradamus predictions, I was incredibly interested. But after this channel had saturated its air space with nothing but disaster, and a new show about how the world will evolve after our race has been destroyed, I can’t handle it anymore. This film was long, and I fought to get through it every second. 2012 is weighed down by its own grandeur, and token action movie stereotypes. There is the father who chose work over family and is separated from his wife, was once a writer but now a limo driver, and has formed a bad relationship with his son who calls him by his first name, because of his decision, but there is still a connection between him and his ex. The film’s plot is so basic and average, that it can only be pushed forward by action, with near misses, and thought-you-were-dead-but-now-you’re-nots, token moves for any average action epic. It explores relationships between people, and shows people’s real colors when death is near or certain (there was potential here, but they lost it). Not only has all this been done, it has been overdone, and the director relied on the spectacle of computer graphics to tell the story (these graphics weren’t even that great, they were just okay). Not only does this do nothing for me, I can’t get over how they expect us to believe the scientific B.S. they spoon feed us about the core heating up, the solar flares, the shifting crust, and that they could survive the Yellowstone explosion, by out-racing it with a Winnebago, and a small plane. I appreciate the effort but this was a swing in a miss. Not only did they miss, they gave me a cold, and hit themselves in the back of the head, even though this movie made money. I think we should instigate a boycott of movies like this. I don’t go to the movies to see what they can do with a computer, I go to watch a story unfold, and presented well. Computer based movies focus on graphics and less on story. I don’t care if computers are used, just make sure there is a great story to support all the visual B.S. That is why I applaud Tarantino for sticking with reality, and showing us on screen, what they actually filmed. P.S. I haven’t seen Avatar, but I heard the story is pretty average too.