1000 Movie Challenge

Don’t Bother to Knock (1952) 11/1000

Posted on by cinephilesanonymousblog

Don’t Bother to Knock (1952)

Rated: Approved

Genre: Drama, Film-Noir, Mystery

Directed by Roy Ward Baker

Starring Richard Widmark, Marilyn Monroe, and Anne Bancroft

Plot: After being dumped by his girlfriend, an airline pilot pursues a babysitter in his hotel and gradually realizes she is dangerous.

Trivia: This was Anne Bancroft’s film debut. It was also Marilyn Monroe’s first leading film role, although it was her 18th film. She used the opportunity as an attempt to prove to critics that she could act.

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Nothing about the opening credits particularly stand out to me in this one. It seems pretty standard for the time. As the movie opens into the first scene the first though I have is how little time can change in some ways and how much it can in other. There are still angry little old ladies around today, causing a fuss and  havoc, but then the immediate cut to a stunningly young Anne Bancroft… time marches on even when we don’t feel like it does. I have never seen her this young and the softness of her features are almost surprising. She has always been lovely, but to see her in her innocence is something else entirely. The transition of her talking to the barkeep and then singing felt off… did that really happen during this time? It feels more forced than natural. And the lip-syncing is not quite right either. I feel like it is her voice but she prerecorded it. I have no problem when it is done well, but this is not done well.

Ah, Marilyn as graced the screen at last with her beautiful face. Sweet Norma Jean will always hold a place in my heart, and her character, Nell, so far seems to play her small town girl charm well. I could watch her talk forever. The way her lips move is so soft and sensual. It is no mystery as to why she became so much more of a sex symbol than anything else. It is the unfortunate part of fame, being sold as a commodity, and her commodity was and still is sex. It isn’t until later, like with so many, that we appreciated the great wealth of other assets she brought to the table. I am reminded of the line from the reported in Valley of the Dolls when Jen dies. “What were her measurements” is still one of the only things cared about with Marilyn, even now decades after her death.

After we get some plot setup with Nell getting the job as Bunny’s babysitter, we journey back to hotel lounge where Lyn is singing again, Jed in attendance. This rendition is a little better but as she starts that third piece, her microphone is too far from her mouth… I know it is a tiny detail, but those kind of inconsistencies tend to glare at me. As she finishes her song, Jed comes to meet her at the bar and through conversation we are able to learn that the breakup letter we see him reading in the beginning came from her.

The cutaway to Nelly trying on the mothers jewelry and then running to the window as a plane passes overhead, a single tear dripping down her face, it is all very lovely as a sequence. The way the film is shot makes me feel like it is all being done in real time. Back to Lyn talking to Jed about her reasons not to marry him, I feel drawn to her character. I relate with her strongly in this scene and the conviction with which the lines are delivered makes it easy to see how she went so far in her career.

Elisha Cook Jr, who plays the elevator operator, is one of my all time favorite male character actors and he does not disappoint in this film. He adds just the right touch of comedy to lighten up the intense drama that is all the scenes surrounding him. Not so much to distract you into thinking this is a comedy, but enough to cut the tension every now and then with a little chuckle. The pun about his job having its ups and downs is prime for that. He delivers the line so easily, you have to think for a minute to make sure you really heard what you just did. Jed’s reaction is much the same and goes to show a sense that script writers seemed to have at the time about what their audience was thinking and feeling.

The meet-cute between Nell and Jed is indeed cute as she flirts back and forth with him through the blinds. People say that Disney gave girls a false expectation of reality, I say it is things like this. Marilyn Monroe can flirt using blinds, sure, but I would probably look like a spaz and have the police called on me. Though the phone call to Nell can also be seen as a false expectation. No man calls a girl like that today and gets results. At least they better not. This is the kind of message that girls get on Tinder along with a dick pic, and those are not cool. “I’m lonely, frustrated, and I have a bottle of rye” is not a good pick up line, just for future information.

More is revealed about Nell as Eddie comes up to check on her and finds her decked out, head to toe, in the mothers belongings. She has a longing for nice things, but her mourning of a lover that died (presumably involving a plane somehow) keeps her from moving on to find the happiness she dreams of. A psychologist could pick this apart, I am sure, but I will have to do the best I can with just my fascination with character building. The resolve with which she reties the sash to the robe after dismissing Eddie is not a good sign in my opinion. It seems like she will be inviting Jed over after all. At this point, I am not sure if that idea is worse for Jed or for Nell, but either way I worry for Bunny caught in the middle of all this. This is why I don’t use babysitters unless I absolutely have to. I have seen way too many movies where it all went wrong.

Through all of her hiding and setting up, I wonder if she remembers that the mother said she would be back up at 11:00 to check on things. If Nell is still dressed up in the mothers clothes with a man in the room, it is not going to turn out well at all. There are so many ways this can go wrong. This film is like a poster child for rape culture, first of all. Each word that drips from Jed’s, or should I say “Billy”, mouth makes me cringe and uncomfortable.

As Nell learns that Jed is a pilot and begins to invent an entire history for him, the true depth of her cracked psyche seems to be unearthed. She is now making Jed into the lover she lost by exaggerating any similarities and erasing the differences. As Bunny comes out and discovers them I am reminded again of why I don’t so babysitters. Gods help the person who treats my children like that if I trust them to watch them when I am not around. “If you don’t pay any attention to them, they’ll stop.” Okay, how about we use that concept on you, Nell? Oh god… is she going to push her out of the window?? No… NO! Get your hands off her, Nell! Whew… I really thought she was gonna die. Her speech to Bunny is chilling and she makes no secret to her intent. She is truly a dark person.

Nell and Eddie talking while Jed hides in the bathroom is another instance where I feel sympathy for Nell. I know what it is to be sheltered and held back, and I also know what it is like to have anxieties and depression because of that life. It is unfortunate that she did not get the right help because if this story were told today I could see it going a lot differently. Actually, this is one of the few classic movies that I feel could be remade with different story elements and be just as effective. I wonder if that is already out there. Any readers that might know of one, please let me know so I can add it to my list!

The climax of the film is building quickly as the nosy old lady and her husband come to the room to investigate. We see that Nell has trussed up and gagged Bunny, the couple witness Jed coming out of Bunny’s room, and Nell plays off her fear and depression over his escape as fear over her life. She accuses Jed of bursting into the room and holding them hostage. As the woman is calling for help, Nell locks Eddie in the closet and a murderous look comes over her faces as she turned toward Bunny’s door.

Below in the dining room as the tray of dishes comes crashing to the floor, we see that the mother’s instinct catches into gear at last and her husband suggests she go check on Bunny now. It is all fortuitous timing since Nell has just gotten the couple to leave her, saying that she had something she needed to do by herself. Everything seems to be happening at once, like clockwork. All the people (and animals) coming together at once as they realize, either fully or instinctively, that Nell is bad news and Bunny needs help. Mom comes to the rescue followed quickly by Jed, but as Jed helps Eddie out of the closet, Nell slips away downstairs.

The character development as Jed talks Nell “down from the edge” so to speak feels sincere. Nell feels sincere as well, making me feel that if the trivia I found most interesting about this film is true, then she succeeded in her attempt to prove she had more acting capabilities than she was previously given credit for. This movie was really surprising for me, though I guess it shouldn’t have been. I have always been a fan of Film-Noir and this was a beautiful example of it. I rate this a 4.8/5 and will try to find to add to my collection very soon.

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The Big Short (2015) 10/1000

Posted on by cinephilesanonymousblog

The Big Short (2015)

Rated R

Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama

Directed by Adam McKay

Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling

Plot: Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.

Movie Trivia: Author Michael Lewis revealed in an interview that Paramount, the studio distributing the film, allowed director and screenwriter Adam McKay to make this film only if he agreed to make a sequel to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (2004).

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The opening is fast paced and clue me in to what to expect as this movie progresses. The simple, childlike opening cutting without segue to a the hustle and bustle of what I have always know the banking industry to be in my life time accompanied by almost frantic jazz music. The montage of progress up to 2008 feels too familiar. This may be listed as a comedy but I feel like it is going to hinge on the idea that you have to laugh because its so depressing you have no other choice. Mike (Christian Bale) is… odd. To say the least. The first scene with him makes you feel like there is much more under the surface but the only way to know what is going on under the surface is to actually be him. He marches to the tune of his own drum and is not the kind of person I would imagine as a banker at all.

As Mark walks is (Steve Carrel) I feel myself forcing my brain not to make Michael Scott comparisons already. Immediately the first impression is of what a douche he is. I mean… wow. As we go back to Mike’s overview of the mortgage database we see more clues that confirm my original thoughts on his character having much more under the surface. It seems like he is a genius of some sort. The use of montage in this instance feels very familiar, calling to mind Sherlock (BBC series) and A Beautiful Mind. It is effective but not anything that feels new.

The voice over asking is we feels bored or stupid yet could not be more wonderful. IT is amusing and spot on because as much as I try to understand all I Can to be an informed voter in the the country I live it, I am not a math minded person. I do my best to understand but so much of it becomes muddled in my head as I try to sort it all out. I have an imaginative mind and I feel like numbers are more rational than I can easily grasp, if that makes sense at all. So at this moment I appreciate the courtesy and the humor of the voice over, almost as a nod specifically to me as a viewer. The brief pause to watch the gorgeous blonde in a bubble bath, sipping champagne an explaining what all has happened is another perfect fit, humorous and intelligent, explaining but not pandering.

Flashing through Mark’s life back to his time in school is wonderful. I love his mom’s answer to the Rabbi when she is told the only reason he studies so hard is to find inconsistencies in the word of God. That example along with what we have seen of him in the support group meeting tell a story in itself of who this character is. It is also nice to have a movie that lets you pick up on clues to who the characters are without spelling it all out as bullet points on a nutrition label.

When Mike walks from the meeting and the bankers are left laughing with hip-hop music playing I feel a sense of disgust. It may not have been that unprofessional, but I feel like in each of those bankers heads that were in that real life meeting, that is very much how it went down. They were “getting free money” because they had no clue at all what they were doing as a career, even though it was at the cost of millions of families livelihoods, homes, jobs, and very way of life. And they wonder why Millennials are bitter and miss our childhoods…

The dry humor of this matches with the pacing is perfect. It fits the mental image of how us lowly peasants imagine the meetings working on Big Wall Street, the dry humor matches the sarcasm felt about it all. This movie comments on so much more than a simple comedy or a dramatic representation of a true story. They way is goes between the two poles of its subject is flawless and funny. Even the parts that move so fast you aren’t positive you understand, living it helps the understanding. The added side bars of celebrities explaining the movie as we go along is also a commentary in itself on the generation that the makers of the film intended their audience to be. It is relatable on so many levels but that isn’t always necesarily a good thing.

As the surveyor comes to the house to talk to the man about being 90 days late on the mortgage, the real life implications of those times are made evident yet again. The entire way it went down hurt so many innocent people and changed their lives for ever.

I am finding it difficult again to take notes as the script moves so quickly and I lose myself in the story. One thing I do have to note though is how well they have me on the edge of my seat as the housing bubble begins to burst. Even knowing and living it, I am still on the edge of my seat in suspense, which is a feat in movie making in my opinion. There are no surprises in this movie, but I am still invested emotionally in what is happening.

When the movie makes the transition to Vegas and had the Phantom of the Opera opening as the musical accompaniment I was hit with how perfect the two go together. Usually I associate Phantom with New York, Paris and London, but the way that the Phantom character molds and controls every aspect of the opera house from on high does in a way match the views of both Vegas and of the bankers and politicians that made this crisis possible.

This script really is amazing. The celebrity explanations really come at the perfect times to keep everyone in line with what is happening. They realize that the reason this was able to happen in the first place was due to ignorance, so to combat that, here is a face you know and trust to break it all down for you.

As the movie comes to a close I want to cry. It has been such a true testament of what happened, how it happened, and Steven Carrel as Mark offers my personal view on everything. The disgust about the bailout, the rage at how it could happen in the first place. And now, with a Trump nomination, we see more truth in is words as the blame is being placed on the poor and on the immigrants. This movie may be listed as a comedy, but it does much what I thought it would. I makes us laugh because at this point we have to laugh to not fall into a slump of allowing this to EVER happen again. It is a scary world we live in, sometimes you have to laugh at that darkness to rise above it in even the smallest of ways. I laugh and learn because my two daughters deserve a better a future than what I can give them right now.

I really enjoyed this movie and I look forward to watching it again one day when I have more time to dissect it, but for now I give it 4.4/5 and would definitely recommend.

 

 

Valley of the Dolls (1967) 9/1000

Posted on by cinephilesanonymousblog

Valley of the Dolls (1967)

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Drama, Music, Romance

Directed by Mark Robson

Starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, and Paul Burke

Plot: Film version of Jacqueline Susann’s best selling novel chronicling the rise and fall of three young women in show business.

Movie Trivia: The character of Neely O’Hara was partially based on Judy Garland’s own history. It was Garland’s real life pill addiction that contributed to her leaving this film.

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The beginning with the silhouette of a thin woman turning into a mountain range as the narrator describes the climb of Mount Everest followed immediately by the three women becoming three pills that burst open to release cascades of granulated medication that bring you down to the opening title tell you quickly what this story is going to be about. You are given the impression right off the bat that this does not intend to be the sugarcoated reach for stardom that most pictures of this kind were at the time. The montage seems broken up and almost like pictures in a storybook rather than a flowing montage of memory. It is almost as if she is telling this from the future, after the fact, when she has already succumb to addiction, if the context clues so far tell me anything. The song during the opening credits along with the script for the credits themselves date the movie perfectly. The flashes of cemeteries throughout the journey seem very ominous, especially as the song talks about the scary joy of future.

Anne’s first taste of true show business should be her first sign that this is not the place for her, but it seems it is “possible future boss, ohmuhgah isn’t he so cute” is going to be changing her mind. As Neely takes the stage for the telethon I can see the correlations to Judy already. Her stage presence seems to be modeled directly after her. Sharon Tate as Jen is gorgeous. She is just as stunning as all the pictures and news reports made her out to be all these years. The music still dates this movie so much and not a single song has yet to be in a style I enjoy. The male singer seems so stiff, almost like a Ken doll flirting with Barbie.

As the night concludes you see the three girls separate into their different lives. Each one seems to be going in a different way, all of them seem like they are grasping at a false hope. Things look good for now but you are on the edge of a cliff and that jump could kill you. Now as Lawson performs for her first time it is even more obvious that while Neely was based off of Judy, she was meant to play this part. I think it would have been very interesting to see her in a movie that seems to match her own rise and fall in some ways. The darkened sex scene with zero nudity is one of my favorite old techniques for letting you know what was happening and still leaving just enough to your imagination. I have no issue with nudity, I enjoy it in most instances as a valid and effective story technique, but it isn’t needed all the time, especially as just a way to get views and raves from an audience. The montage of Neely advancing her knowledge and career, getting married, and beginning taking a pill of some kind.

The mysterious phone call from Tony’s sister to a doctor is very intriguing. I actually have no clue as of now what it could be in reference to. Neely seems to be doing well while Jen is being seemly used by Tony and Anne breaks off her tryst with her boss. Soon after she is offered the job of being a spokes-girl for a new cosmetic company which she readily accepts as a new challenge and an increase in quality of living. The following montage shows her popularity and glamour appeal rising steadily as the Gillian Girl becomes more and more popular. Next on the TV in Jen’s living room is Neely receiving an award. With Anne as the Gillian Girl, Neely a recognized star, and Jen married still to the love of her life and living in what appears to be great comfort, their false success seems to be lasting for a while, lucky them.

Seeing behind the scenes into Neely’s life we see the pills and the fame taking its toll heavily on her personal life, causing her husband to leave her at last. Anne seems to be back under the claws of her ex-boyfriend/ex-boss combo, which does not bode well for her innocent character at all. It seems the point of this so far is not quite learning from your lessons. Next we get the answer to the mysterious phone call to Tony’s doctor. He has a very rare genetic disease that will have him incapacitated within a year. On top of it all, Jen is pregnant and is seeming to have started her own pill regimen.

Anne seems to be the only one who has her head above water as this point while both Jen and Neely struggle to stay afloat as life deals them new heartaches and challenges. Neely is falling deeper into a spiral of depression fueled by pills and alcohol. Once her second marriage implodes it seems her spiral starts to quicken. Neely stumbling upon a porn theater advertising Jen seems to solidify this. At this moment Anne is the only one who has a hope at a chance of making it out of the world in one piece. Neely’s stoned and drunken stumble ending with her waking up in a place she has never been with a man she doesn’t remember going through her purse is reason number 294897 I am an introvert. I know that with proper knowledge and common sense and a little self defense that there are ways to protect yourself, but nonetheless, things like that scare me and I cant even begin to imagine Neely’s fear in that moment.

It isn’t until Neely wakes up in the hospital and describes how she is unable to sleep or get through the day without a doll that I realize that “doll” is in reference o the drugs not the girls. Again showing how my sheltered background makes it to where I am always learning something new that I just assume all other know automatically somehow. The scene of Jen in the porn was actually very artistic, especially when you compare it to modern porn. The way the lace curtain billows across hides just the right things at just the right times. The follow scene as Jen begs for her freedom to go home, I am brought again to the theme of the overall story. Heartbreak comes in call forms.

I remember a few months ago I said that Captain America: The First Avenger is where montages went to die. I was mistaken, I just had not gotten to this film yet. There are so many that the word is starting to lose meaning as I type it yet again. Neely’s montage about her time in the hospital is slightly different in the small fact that this time we have a thick grey-white mist around the edge of the picture to make it seem as if we are seeing this from her drug laced vision, even though she is on the shots as well. The movie feels like a mix between Mother Dearest and The Snake Pit at this point. The way that Neely delivers her monologue is very steady, almost like she is listing off something from a book, but it doesn’t fall flat the way that people usually use that phrase. In this case it feels more like Neely has cut off emotion from the experience. She is wearing a mask and she must maintain that mask. It also feels like she is attempting to send Anne through a guilt trip for playing a part in sending her there. The scene of Neely and Tony singing together is very touching and I feel like I enjoy this song much better as a duet. Tony does not feel as stiff, which I guess is ironic since he is technically considered a “vegetable” at this point.

Jen is the tragic beauty of this film, much like her real life off the screen. The makeup in this is also noteworthy. I may not be a huge fan of the music of this movie but the makeup more than makes up for that, no pun intended. As Anne is hounded by reporters as the scene of Jen’s death and the reporter asks “What were her measurements” I am drawn again to how close this resembled her actual death. She may not have committed suicide, but the focus on her body throughout her life and even into her death is foreshadowed in this film.

The phone call between Neely and Anne followed by the flashes between the two, the ocean, the pills and then Lyon seems to represent an internal struggle between the two women for Lyon and for health. I also see it as a temptation to Anne to begin a step down the same road. Anne’s overdose seems to be her last and her first as she stumbles out into the ocean waves, showing me I was right about the foreshadowing of the montage sequence between Anne and Neely after the phone call. As the theme song picks back up and the waves crash into Anne’s limp body I feel overcome with sympathy for her character. She is just as beautifully tragic as Jen but in a much different way. Like most deaths such as these, you think most about what they could have done with the life they threw away of whatever comfort they thought they had. Oh, yay! She is pulling herself back up!

The scene where Anne stumbles into her room and tosses the pills across the room feels like it is rage against so much more that the pills. Rage that she did not die, rage that she wanted to die, rage that Jen is gone and that her friendship with Neely is dissolving, rage that Lyon seems to not be with her anymore (emotionally that is). There is a noticeable lack of cemeteries on Anne’s journey back home, making you feel more hopeful as she returns home. As the film starts to draw to a close I am reminded of All About Eve as Neely becomes the monster that started her own path of self destruction. It is like that movie made all stars paranoid of the upcoming young stars even more than they already were.

Holy face of a twelve year old, Batman! Richard Dreyfuss looks amazing! And upon a quick search I have learned that this is his very first movie at the age of 20. I know I never knew that before watching this movie. He is so cute! As Neely drunken screams in the alley and paces back and forth, the slasher movie side of me is just waiting for Michael to be in the shot behind her each pass. It may not be Michael, but she is in a very vulnerable situation at the moment. As she starts listing off the people she shoved away before finally pleading to God and screaming her own name. So much is not said through words in this scene. You sense what it all really means in her head and I gain my first dab of sympathy for her.

I love that Anne walks out on Lyon, off to seek her own way separate from the hell she just left. As the theme song picks back up it feels less sorrowful and more hopeful as the lyrics tell of learned lessons and stronger wills.

This was a pretty good movie! Not a favorite, when it comes to movies about show business there are quite a few I enjoy more such as Sunset Boulevard, Mommy Dearest, or What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. I rate this a 3.7/5 and would recommend to the right people. No matter what it was a joy to watch the acting and Sharon Tate in particular after reading so much about her for so long. My last parting thought…. how perfect would Sharon Tate have been for a live action Sleeping Beauty? She looks so much like a Disney princess!

 

9 (2009) 4/1000

Posted on by cinephilesanonymousblog

9 (2009)

Rated PG-13

Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure

Directed by Shane Acker

Starring Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, and Crispin Glover

Plot: A rag doll that awakens in a postapocalyptic future holds the key to humanity’s salvation.

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The opening seems very Edward Scissorhands as we see the creation of the ragdoll with somewhat mystical and mechanical components. The animation feels very smooth and expressive. The lack of dialogue from his awakening feels perfect, like the world is destitute. His first view of the world confirms this and we are given an explanation to his silence: he lacks a voice box. With the current political climate in America, this movie feels more terrifying than it probably would had I watched it a year ago. The “Revolt!” posters alone send chills up the spine.

We are finally introduced to another ragdoll like 9 who seem elderly and kind. My first question is why he has the bullet if he recognizes its danger. The attack by the feline bone-machine type creature is very gripping all the way until the resolution of the scene with the creature bounding away and 2’s unique hat shattering to the ground as he glances back at 9. It is a swift reminder that this is not the family feature that most animated films lend themselves toward (not most families at least). And that is furthered by the flashback to the rather intense war sequence where the ragdolls are hiding and dodging guns, boots and bullets as a battle rages around them, ended by a toxic gas killing everything.

That brings us to the present of the story, the remaining ragdolls surviving by hiding and taking absolutely no risks, which means not risking the mission to rescue 2 even though 9 saw that he was still alive as he was being taken away. 9 convinces 5 to help him and again I am reminded of the current American political climate. All of this can be used as a metaphor in my head, especially with what is happening with the democratic party. 5’s need for order and control causes him to lose control and run into the dangerous path before them. It is rather funny that Elijah is the voice of 9, as this duo reminds me much of Frodo and Sam, though it has yet to become fully clear in my mind which is which.

The entire trip feels like it is sped up, but not in a hurried way. More as a way to show you that even though the perils are great, the distance is not as far as it may seem. They quickly find 2 and proceed to fight the creature holding him captive before the mysterious 7 comes to the rescue, slaying the beast and saving the day. Before anyone can stop him, 9 places the mysterious relic in the mechanism, releasing an energy ray that fries 2 and makes a large GLADOS type villain come to life. Things do not look good for our tiny heroes at this point. I can see easily why it was listed as ages 13 and up under the ratings guides. The more conservative parents would not enjoy their snowflakes being subject to such violence.

The newly activated machine immediately begins to build, ominous music accompanying this scene. The backstory we receive immediately follow that scene shows us what all there truly is to fear from this invention. The explanation by 9 leads me to believe that I have figured out by which means the machine will be defeated, but lets see where the plot takes us.

The ambush by the birdlike machine in the ragdoll sanctuary was a tad jarring for me, just because I have a deeply ingrained phobia of birds. It was beautifully choreographed and animated, the storyboards must have had this impeccably planned as each shot streams together seamlessly. The way that 9 got 2 to trust him will go very much unrewarded is my reading of 2’s character is correct. Bringing the head of the bird back to its creator seemed almost biblical in application.

The goon of a ragdoll getting high is quite the concept and goes far to explain his simpleton behavior when all the rest seem to be so advanced. You also a a huge read into 9, 7, and 1 as the true reason for 2’s capture was revealed. Then a quick flash back to the goon as he is seemingly hypnotized by an unknown force. As 1 ventures out alone, we see that it is 2, behaving much as a zombie himself with a snakelike tail. The creature introduced next is one that is near impossible to describe… the creative of look and concept alone leave me speechless, but the added animation and the application of the ideas make for a horrifying new addition to my nightmares. For the sake of ease until a name is given to it by the film, I shall dub this creature hypno-mantis-cobra (HMC)

The aftermath of the HMC leaves them all intact and with a body to reclaim and bury. They have a short-lived moment of unity (1 watched from the background) as they lay 2 to rest before continuing on to the path to find where 9 woke up and found the relic that began this entire issue. As they enter the chamber where the machine resides, they learn of its evil plan. the goon is used as demonstration as the machine sucks the life force from him and absorbs it into itself.  Even with an alarm being sound, it seems like the plan is going pretty well. The factory explodes, the ragdolls are safe. Though I am not sure I agree with 5 when he says “It’s done.” Somehow it does not feel done, especially with 1 still seeming to control the fate of the group as quasi-leader. Everything is so happy, records are playing, but as 5 looks toward the wreckage and sees spidery legs crawling, we are given a movie go to that was beautifully done.

5 bravely called the alarm but not soon enough to safe himself from being consumed by the machine. 6 discovers the truth and tried to relay to 9 the mission to find the first room still, that there is hope still. Ans again I feel like I have this movie pegged, but there is still time to be proven wrong. Back at the first room, 9 runs immediately to the papers scattering the floor of their creators lab, finding a hologram box under his creators hand addressed to him regarding the machine he had awoken. We find out that each of the ragdolls are pieces of the creators soul, broken off to become one with the machine to govern its actions for the preservation and betterment of humanity.

Invigorated with new purpose, 9 rushes back to his new friends to try to explain what they must do and stop them from killing the machine. They are firing on him and 1, as usual, refuses to listen to reason. That is until he sees that 9 is willing to sacrifice himself. At that moment he pushed 9 out of the way, allowing for 9 to take out the relic that began this all. He sets up his pyre of respect and pressed the correct sequence on the relic to release his “fallen” comrades in a holographic type medium. They take their places around the pyre and then float away to the heavens, causing rain to fall and wash away the destruction. The camera zooms in on the water drops and we see tiny bacteria inside each drop of water.

This movie was much deeper than I anticipated, but it was pretty good. rather predictable, but that does not necesarily mean bad. It was fun film and I give it 3.5/5 and would recommend to the right person, not blindly.

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A Trip to the Moon (1902) 1/1000

Posted on by cinephilesanonymousblog

I am so excited to begin this journey, and to commemorate it, I chose A Trip to the Moon as my inaugural film. You can find both the black and white as well as the color versions of this film streaming on US Netflix.

 

A Trip to the Moon is a short 12 minute film, but it is a wonderful example of fantasy storytelling in action, using special effects that seem very innovative and revolutionary for the time. At 1902 film was just becoming widely used as a medium of entertainment and Georges Méliès (the director and star) created a film a inspired an entire movement of creativity by introducing the first sci-fi film. It was originally released in black and white in France under the title “Le Voyage Dans la Lune”, but it eventually made its way to many other countries. The color version was hand-painted under Georges Méliès’ direction. It was lost and believed to be destroyed until a copy was found and a restoration was done. Both versions are available on Netflix.

The black and white version has music that seems more fitting but it also has a voice over that is pretty comical. It is important to know that Georges Méliès did not have a soundtrack for his films, but he instead had music and a narrator performing along with the film. That small fact helped me understand why a famously “silent film” was not so silent. The color version is more.. shall we say… trippy. The colors are beautiful but a little off and the electronic music makes it feel like a rather bad mushroom trip, but in a good way artistically. When you get to the moon in the color version, the music becomes soft and delicate, almost serene.

Over all I prefer the black and white over the color version, thought with the film only being 12 minutes long, why not try both? I am glad to begin this journey with such an iconic film, and cannot wait to see the next on the list!

I give this film 4/5.