The Day the Earth Stood Still

I actually saw the original Day the Earth Stood Still a few years ago, and I really enjoyed it.  So going in to see this one, I was skeptical from the start.  However, I really enjoyed the film.  Say what you will about Keanu "wooooow" Reeves, but he did a fantastic job.  Every time he was on the screen, he really stole the show.  The acting was all very good.  I also felt that the music added a lot to the film too.

The original Day the Earth Stood Still offered a small philosophy of the cosmos; so did this one, well at least part of it.  The film presents the idea that the universe doesn't "waste" anything, but converts matter/reality.  The idea of wasting is in line with the film's green message.  While this is all well and good, I would have liked to have more substance to what humanity is doing that is so wrong.  You see in the film, the entire human race is going to be destroyed so that the planet may be saved.  The human race is portrayed as destroying  the Earth, as well as destroying itself throw war and an inability to reason.  The idea of "conversion" is introduced by Reeves' character to explain why death is not a complete end of consciousness.  However, this can move on to some good... some strange metaphysical ends, i.e. reincarnation, some creepy transcendental dualism, etc.  But at least the film never carried it that far.  Actually, I am kind of glad that it introduced some level of philosophical thought.  I could go on longer talking about this, but I don't want to give too much away for those who haven't seen it.

Another question I have is regarding its political message.  The film definitely portrays a view of man as unreasonable, wasteful, violent, etc.  The idea is that man needs to change before it's too late.  I'm not arguing with that, and I don't think anyone else would.  But my question is whether or not the film intentionally uses the the theme of change to make an allusion to current political events.  I'm really not sure.  But I would certainly encourage viewers to keep that in mind when watching the film.  Personally, I really hope that it was just a coincidence and I am thinking too much about it.  But I suppose that's another conversation.

Overall, I really enjoyed the film, but I felt that the story was lacking a bit of substance that the original clearly had.  Still, it's definitely worth a watch.  I would see it again at the theatre or rent it, but I'm not sure that I would buy it.

The Happening

I have been patiently waiting for "The Happening" for a very long time.  I remember leaving the theatre after seeing "Lady in the Water" just bummed that I'd have to wait a few years for Shymalan's next masterpiece.

"The Happening" certainly didn't disappoint.  Like all of Shymalan's films, "the Happening" uses suspense to put the audience on edge, and then the film proclaims some sort of positive message.  I've seen "The Happening" twice now, and I'm still trying to find a definitive message; however, there's many more than just one.  The film has a strong message regarding hope, family, and love.  But there's also the obvious undertones of Providence, which is a major theme in all of Shymalan's films.

The environment is also a theme that should probably be discussed.  In the beginning of the film, pollution and global warning are addressed briefly.  However, they're brought up in a way that fuels a discussion.  Nothing is definitively said, just that they're issues.  The second time I watched the film though, I noticed that as the heros of the film pull in to "hot dog guy's" house, a couple of very large and intimidating smoke stacks are in the background.  Shymalan would never put those in there by accident.  On the other hand, I think he wants us to think about and discuss these issues.  It seems like every other movie these days addresses global warming, so perhaps Shymalan is simply throwing the issues into the film, as that's what our society seems concerned about these days.

At the end of the film, the news anchors are discussing the event, and the idea is brought up that human beings are an infection of the planet... Agent Smith anybody?  This idea is clearly dismissed though.  Shymalan is way too positive of a storyteller to express something like that.  Plus, I think it's very important that the film ends with a pregnancy.  This is a very beautiful part of the film and is shot really well.  I think it expresses the idea that life continues.  Midway through the film, "hot dog" man says that Elliot is resilient - he never gives up.  The film seems to say the same thing about life.  The new child at the end offers quite a bit of hope to the story.  However, this is countered in the very last scene, where another events starts "happening" in Paris.  Still, the idea is that human life/love continue to prevail, despite the unexplainable events of life, including death and horror.  This is supported by the line in the beginning of the film "It makes you kill yourself.  Just when you thought nothing more evil could be invented."

It's a very "good parts of life" vs. "evil parts of life" story.  Look at "the Village," where a society separates themselves from the world simply to avoid its horrors.  And in "Unbreakable," one finds his ultimate purpose in life by fighting the horrors of mankind.

Like all of Shymalan's films, "the Happening" makes a great use of color.  It's really obvious with the main character's mood ring.  Shymalan has always used certain colors to throw the audience into different themes, and he's always been pretty bold about doing it, i.e. the "bad color" in "the Village."  Perhaps the best use of color as a story-telling tool was in "Unbreakable," shot in absolutely beautiful comic-book aesthetics.

It was very similar to Hitchcock's "The Birds," similar to "Signs."  Shymalan obviously loves Hitchcock.  Also, I stayed in the theatre to watch the credits to see if he made a cameo in "the Happening."  Sure enough, he played the voice of "Joey."

I really think Shymalan just wants us to watch this film and discuss the issues.  It's very rich in theme, and I could probably talk about it all day.  But it really was a great film, and I can't wait to see the next one.

As always, Shymalan isn't getting the credit he deserves, but that doesn't really bother me.  The purest forms of art are often underestimated until years later.  Some of the greatest masters died as nobodies.  Look at Edgar Allan Poe who died in the streets of Baltimore.  Vincent Van Gogh was basically dismissed as a lunatic.  Soren Kiergekaard lived as a hermit.  Sure, Shymalan appears to be a good guy and pretty mentally sound, but even in film we can find good examples of under-appreciated artists.  "Citizen Kane," arguably the best film ever made, was an absolute failure when it came out.  In fact, it hardly made enough money to give Welles a profit.  Art history is filled with under-appreciated masters.  Low ratings don't take away from a film's credibility.  After all, if our world could properly understand brilliant art... well, I'm sure it would be a much better place.

The Orphanage

I saw "The Orphanage" last night. I had wanted to see it for a while. It's from the same team that produced and directed "Pan's Labyrinth," for which I have a lot of respect. Anyway, it was advertised as a thriller/suspense, and I'm always up for a good scary movie. So last night I rented it from iTunes (great new feature from Apple lets you rent movies with iTunes instead of buying them) and watched it with a friend. It was really great. The whole suspense/scary story line wasn't as terrifying I was expecting. I remember Pan's Labyrinth was so bizarre that I trusted this one to be really terrifying. While it did have a few freaky jump scenes, the film packed much more of an emotional punch.

The story itself has many layers to it, which really adds to the credibility. Every little detail really comes into play. It was a lengthy film, but they really had a lot to cover, so the flow was pretty good.

Aesthetically, it's very beautiful. Every scene that took place on the beach and cave was absolutely beautiful. Lots of wide shots and long takes. Really a great picture.

Anybody that knows me knows that my favorite filmmaker is M. Night Shymalan. He's been my movie hero for years now, and parts of this film really reminded me of his work: 1-Good use of steady cam. Not confusing at all, very good depth and movement. Really slick cinematography. 2-The layers of the story. This was one of those scary movies that you watch and later say "that wasn't really about ghosts and horror at all."

I think the film says something about life, death, sickness, parenting, hope, so many other subjects. It uses the "scary movie formula" to put the audience on edge. At this point the audience is vulnerable and can be approached at a deeper level. This is where a good artist can inject something beautiful into the film and reach the viewer on a deep level. Even to achieve this level is impressive, but to leave something positive and uplifting is important as well. So the artist must not only be able to reach the viewer on a moral level, but he must also have something interesting to say.

My favorite part was the "1, 2, 3, knock on the wall" scene. This honestly felt exactly like a scene from Shymalan's "The 6th Sense." Simple photography, but the effect was chilling! The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and it felt so good. Excellent, excellent scene.

Anyway, this is definitely worth renting. No need to worry, it's not that scary. It's in Spanish, but if you refuse to watch a foreign flick because it's not your native language you're stupid.

Trying to Keep Up

Life in the 21st century. I guess one must continue to adapt. So that's what leads me to creating my first blog. I'm usually the first one in line for these sort of things. I mean I have an iPod and cannot leave the house without it. I can't even sleep without listening to digital media or watching a movie on my laptop - my brand new Macbook Pro. iTunes basically runs my life. I've been a musician for 15 years, and I've upgraded to digital music production. I'm a podcaster and a podcast fan. Oh yeah, and I'm an iPhone user - that wonderful little gadget that separates the casual electronic boy from the seasoned digital man.

So if I'm so into modern technology, why am I just now jumping on the blogging wagon? I mean, by the time you read this (if you read this) blogging may get old. Actually it might already be old. But anyway, I'm giving it a shot. And a shot is really all it is. A shot in the dark with no direction or purpose. I don't expect anyone to read it, and that's perfectly fine with me. Maybe I can use it as an online journal, and I can look back at stuff I wrote months and years from now.

Ok, more useless stuff to come soon...