End Of The Week Shorts #8.2
Surprisingly stupid, though, equally interesting and, with its own sense of style, kinda cool.
This is a short cartoon from the original Fleischer series - the first to ever depict the character of Superman. It is about a group of scientists that discover a frozen Tyrannosaur in the arctic, bring it back to America (**refrigerated, of course**), but, through an unlikely accident, it is thawed out, allowing it to come back to life and terrorise the surrounding city. Superman then has to fight it off as Lois does a whole bunch of dumb shit.
Story-wise: horribly executed. But, with a strong aesthetic when it concerned non-humans, The Arctic Giant was ultimately somewhat fun. I can't wait to see DC's remake of this one.
Technically brilliant and highly immersive, Chungking Express was a film I thoroughly enjoyed watching. Despite being an expressive exploration of isolation, loneliness and romance, I wasn't drawn into this film's characters and story. I was much rather thrown into a cinematic spiral by the all-consuming tone conjured by the style and tone.
This, however, doesn't mean that the story or characters are weakly constructed. Instead, I just need to watch this movie again - which certainly won't be a task.
Tremendous.
This is the second time I've watched this stand-up special from one of my favourite comics, and it holds strong. Whilst it's not the funniest content I've seen from Diaz as he seemingly holds back a little, this is a brilliant hour that covers some of his staple topics. Let it be known that this is not for the faint-hearted, nor will it have a proper punch if this is your introduction to Joey Diaz. As one of the most unique comedic personas out there, this is a special that's aimed at a core audience who've probably grown to know Joey through all the podcasts, live streams and series he appears on.
So, personally, this was a pure blast. The only issues I had with this was the editing and camera work that let a fucking dickhead sitting in the front row interrupt the frame. Nonetheless, great content that I probably shouldn't recommend.
This is an excellent film; essentially, a meeting of Fellini's 8 1/2 and Powell and Pressburger's The Red Shoes.
Starting with its downfalls, as this isn't a perfect film, All That Jazz isn't very well paced - especially in the latter half. The sequences are often too drawn out, which is somewhat understandable considering that this is a musical of sorts, but these sequences usually fail to add new layers to the subtext of the narrative. Moreover, the musical numbers simply aren't very good - judging the music unto itself. This ultimately leaves All That Jazz as, in some ways, lacking in atmosphere and a dramatic/spectacular punch.
That said, the formal achievements in this film are pretty immense. Exploring a self-absorbed artist through his work, much like Fellini does in 8 1/2, we also see exposed a complex commentary on the momentum of life in face of death by this narrative. With the direction, cinematography and set-design embellishing these elements of the script, it's then pretty undeniable that this is a hugely significant feat.
So, all in all, whilst I wasn't fully immersed into this narrative, I was struck by all that it was and have a sneaking suspicion that this is a film that will grow on me as I re-watch it over time.
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End Of The Week Shorts #8.1
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Logan - Role Reversals
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