The Color of Magic (Part One)

Written humor rarely translates well to the screen.  Usually it requires a narrator, and narrator humor just falls flat.  That said, this is an adequate retelling of the story, and the actor selections - with the exception of Rincewind - are superb.  (I never picture Rincewind to be that old; a ragged imcompetent fop in his 30s is closer to my image.)

As a British production, the use of rubber over CGI is noticeable but fine, given that low-budget CGI looks much worse than a low-budget gorilla suit.

I'll watch part two in a few days and finish my review.

The Color of Magic (Part One)
2008, 101 minutes, directed by Vadim Jean

Ink

This film strives to tell what it feels is an important story through imagery, art, and imagination.  It's high-concept premise is simple: what if dreams are not of our own making, but introduced by outsiders?  Good and bad forces strive to inject happy dreams and nightmares, while battling out unseen in our rooms and on the streets.  In this case, a young girl's spirit kidnapped by a third party - Ink - who wants to sell her for acceptance with the nightmare-givers, while the girl's physical form languishes in a coma.

It reminds me of several other "high fantasy" films I've seen recently - most notably Pan's Labrynth and The Fountain (both from Fantastic Fest 2006, before I started this blog).  The Fountain, in particular, gripped me in a way that few films do, in that its story fit with my own struggles.  Ink, like Pan's Labrynth, doesn't relate as well, and so the message is diluted.  Still, it is an enjoyable film for the story and imagery.

Ink
2009,  107 minutes, directed by Jamin Winans

Retroactive

I tend to enjoy time travel films.  There are many possibilities for mechanics, scenario, and cast, so almost every film offers something different.  This film portrays time travel as of the mind, not the body (except for video tape), so those sent back have knowledge of future events but little time to act, given that it only works for 20 minutes or so.

Karen, the hero of the film, is the primary traveler, as she attempts to prevent villain Frank from killing (at various times) his wife, her lover, the cop, the store clerk, and the happy family.  As a psychologist with the Chicago police, she's perfectly suited to manipulate time and Frank to achieve the desired goal.

Except the script just ruins it.  James Belushi as Frank, the Texas redneck with a trigger temper, a degrading opinion of every minority group (especially women and Hispanics), and a gun in his belt, is so over the top as the be unbelievable.  But the biggest problem is Karen.  She's supposed to be a native Texan returning home after losing some hostages in a standoff.  As the story progresses, she loses her midwest stride and devolves more and more into a Texas redneck herself.  It's totally inappropriate for the character, and really distracts from the story.

Let's see if I can find a better time travel film to watch next.

Retroactive
1997, 91 minutes, directed by Louis Morneau

Æon Flux

I never really watched Æon Flux on television, even though it aired when I was in college and MTV was regularly playing on the common room TV.  That said, I'm familiar enough to know that the series existed, and lasted more than three or four episodes.

Sadly, this film really, really feels like they had to cram an entire series into an hour and a half.  Start to finish the pacing is just too fast.  Maybe if I didn't know it was an adaptation I'd be more comfortable with it, but I kept feeling that all these characters have bigger stories to tell that were shoved under the carpet so the arc could play out on screen.

Æon Flux
2005, 93 minutes, directed by Karyn Kusama

Surrogates

In an idealistic / dystopian future (your pick) no one ventures from their house again, choosing instead to roam with their mind through lab-grown bodies called avatars.  No, wait, through nanite-controlled convicts.  No, that's not right.  It's through humanoid robots called surrogates.

It was a good film.  I don't have any complaints.  There's no hiding behind a mask.  Not forever.

Surrogates
2009, 89 minutes, directed by Jonathan Mostow

Epoch

This one starts out fine as far as low-budget sci-fi goes, with a solid hook, decent characters, reasonable dialog.  As it builds it keeps getting better.  But I sense that the original author struggled with an ending.  Sadly, it feels like it just ends.  I think they could have done so much more.

Epoch
2001, 96 minutes, directed by Matt Codd

While looking up the release date, I just noticed that there is a sequel.  I'll see if it picks things up and provides a more suitable ending.

Sphere

This sci-fi adventure consists of a Series of Unfortunate Coincidences, and while the characters fall in the they-should-talk-to-each-other-but-instead-keep-secrets school of stupid people.  The ending tries to justify it all, but it just falls short.

Sphere
1998, 134 minutes, directed by Barry Levinson

The Man from Earth

Netflix brought my attention to this independent science fiction film.  With no budget but a varied, dynamic cast, the film is a pure intellectual exercise.  The story is set entirely at the home of John Oldman, a young professor who unexpectedly resigns and plans to move away.  When his colleagues surprise him with a going-away party, he decides to share with them his history - as a man who has lived, unaging, for 14,000 years.

The story advances through the revolving dialog, as well as by the arrival of a late guest - a psychology professor called in to assess John's mental state.  There are some plot holes, mainly "proof" that should exist but is never mentioned, but overall it's a solid story.

The Man from Earth
2007, 89 minutes, directed by Richard Schenkman

Cool World

I think I saw part of this film in the early 90s.  That said, I certainly didn't remember it being so raunchy.  Honestly there were few redeeming qualities at all: bad acting, bad dialog, weak plot, poor stitching of life acting and animation.

Cool World
1992, 102 minutes, directed by Ralph Bakshi

H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer

Our recent trip to Chicago for Lollapalooza (my first to the city) included a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago and an architectural boat tour, as we tried to pack in some tourist activities around the music festival and my unexplained vertigo.

My wife had recently read The Devil in the White City, and so naturally the history of Chicago included mention of H. H. Holmes.  It was a fortunate coincidence, then, when our search for a film to stream on Netflix led to H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer.

The film does a good job of telling the story, though I'm not a fan of reenactments, especially when filmed with cheesy camera effects.  That said, the number of images of the Castle and Holmes himself seemed very small, and they did a good job to keep the visuals interesting given so little source material.

H.H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer
2004, 64 minutes, directed by John Borowski

Ocean's Twelve

I didn't care for this Netflix offering nearly as much as its predecessor.  I was looking for the Big Congruence of events to be amazed at how it all fit together.  Instead, it seemed like a Series of Discordant Events as they jumped from heist to heist and attempt to attempt.  It lacked a polish I expect from this sort of film; editing let me down.

The sequel is next in queue.  We'll see if that one fares any better.

Ocean's Twelve
2004,   125 minutes, directed by Steven Soderbergh

Live Free or Die Hard

This week's Netflix special is 2007's Live Free or Die Hard.  I liked the first movie quite a bit, and I remember being somewhat let down by the second and distinctly disappointed in the third.  I didn't think the fourth film, set and released some 12 years after the third, was worth a trip to the theater.  Honestly, I was right.

I can watch a shoot 'em up, if the shooting is good.  I can watch a big explosion film, if the explosions are good.  I can watch an action comedy, if the action's good or the comedy makes sense.  Big story arcs don't have to be perfect, but basic plot points just need to make sense.  Where did the cars come from that filled the side of the tunnel with the helicopter hovering just overhead?  Why does BMW vehicle assist work when the cell phone network is down?  Why is Bruce Willis' dialog just so plain awful, and his joy at each kill somewhat creepy?  And when did we get to the point that they have to dub in the curse words?

Let this series return fallow.  It's done.

Live Free or Die Hard
2007, 129 minutes (unrated version), directed by Len Wiseman