Cinema Verite: You Know Exactly What It Is

Megan's snotty little movie secret? I love Cinema Verite style movies.

When I saw the movie Cloverfield it solidified an already growing love of Cinema Verite style filming. With the subsequent release of Quarantine I was hooked. There's something infinitely more cathartic about living the movie through the character instead of the director. Another trick played on the senses.

So I was trying to take a trick back into the archives of my movie knowledge. Try to accumulate a list of current and older movies utilizing this trend to make us squirm in our seats. Here is the list I compiled.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Directed by: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez

I was only 12 in 1999 but I do remember this movie universally scaring the shit out of everyone. We also remember it pissing a lot of people off when they found out this was pure fiction. If you remember it was released under the ruse that it was real. But one camera and a group of actors with strong improvisational skills was all it took to have everyone sleeping with the lights on.









Quarantine (2008)
Director: John Erick Dowdle


Quarantine is a remake of a 2007 Spanish horror film called REC. They sure didn't give it time to settle did they? This movie utilizes single camera shooting to present to you a realistic and startlingly eerie 'what if' scenario. Two night time reporters are covering a story on fire fighters when they are called to the scene of a disturbance of an apartment complex. Said disturbance actually turns out to be a rabies viral outbreak that activates nearly immediately and turns the residents into vicious man-eating creatures out for blood. Despite some questionable marketing tactics; like the fact that the cover RUINS the ending. (It was a remake I know... but in Spanish. They could have left something to the imagination) But definitely worth a watch.






Cloverfield (2008)
Director: J.J. Abrams


This is one of those movies that teaches you the difference between a monster movie and a horror movie. Seeing as monster movies have in my eyes become a dying art. I mean we got a remake of Godzilla again in 1999 but that would mark the 24th film in the series. Not to mention two cartoons that I can recall. So they're pretty much beating a dead dinosaur. Aside from a man with no formal training and a digital camera being a damn remarkable camera man Cloverfield is a true monster movie. But I'll save that for another blog. The point is it's totally cathartic. The movie is chaos and terror and evokes all the same emotions in the audience that the actors feel. You almost feels as if you yourself are looking up at gigantic eel-squid-monster thing. And guess what? It's a female.





Paranormal Activity (2007)
Directed by: Oren Peli


Fairly recent and self-explanatory but if you were one of the many who flocked to see this film or the others listed above you've already been well introduced to this style of Cinema that's been around for decades.












This is a trend new to me. Upon researching I realized that television has been utilizing this method of filming for years and some very popular television series use it to. Including a personal favorite of mine Reno 911!

I'd like to blog about this subject again when I become more well versed. The purpose of today's blog was to simply share with you what I think Cinema Verite is. A wildly cunning way to snare a film audience and make box-office millions if the success of the above movies is any indication. Quarantine was such a radically good idea they couldn't wait to cash in on it. The Celluloid barely had time to cool before the remake was already on DVD. But Tinseltown is efficient like that. It's also why sometimes I almost believe the famous 'exhaustion excuse'.

Anyways; this was a style of filming long overdue to be adopted into major motion pictures. And I just feel like we're going to be seeing a lot more of it. So be on the lookout.

It Was Bound To Happen Sooner or Later or Anime: I'm Not Going to Shove it Down Your Throats But It's Worth a Shot

Hayao Miyazaki is not a familiar name to most Americans. His niche audience are Anime fans and movie-philes like me. Little secret though; he shouldn't be. For this blog I want to take a flash back into the 90's. Any devout anime fan knows that in the 90's Manga art was shoddy and the only anime available to the general public or being aired on television wasn't exactly doing wonders to justify this unique little genre of entertainment; Toonami and Saturday morning cartoons was pretty much all one got.

Needless to say it's rare that any Anime get a theatrical release in America. Even a limited one. So for Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (1997)(released in America in 1999) to garner a theatrical release in America (albeit limited) was a pretty big deal in certain circles. And considering the recent 'Go Green' trend sweeping the nation this movie easily came to mind.

Before we continue; I feel it is important to the reader to give you an idea of the body of this man's work and his accomplishments.

• When Princess Mononoke first came out in 1997. It was the highest grossing film in Japan only to be knocked from the throne by the Jame's Cameron epic Titanic. It took Titanic to knock a 'cartoon' from the top.
• A later released Anime of Miyazaki's Spirited Way has been the only Anime to ever win an Academy award. It also later trumped Titanic at the Japanese box-office for all time highest grossing film. (In Japan)
• He was named one of the Time 100's Most Influential People.
• Howl's Moving Castle another Anime released after Spirited Away was nominated for an Academy Award.
• He's also a feminist. So his movies leave the female character always more empowered and independent than lovestruck and useless. (Not really an accomplishment but I like it. I'd rather say Uma Thurman stomp some ass in Kill Bill than watch a guy 'solve all your problems with my penis'. <----- Say what you will about Family Guy they're endlessly quotable.)
• And finally; this was an Ebert pick for top 10 best movies of 1999.
  

So now. About the movie.

Princess Mononoke is a historic fantasy film set late in Japan's Muromachi Era. You don't have to know what that is; the movie is fraught with so much fantasy that it may as well not be set in any sort of era at all.

The movie starts by introducing us to the antagonist. An Emishi prince by the name of Ashitaka. (Again you don't have to know what Emishi is; I provide links only for the sake of any history enthusiasts out there) A demon that has taken the shape of a boar is attacking the village. In his defense of the village he fights the demon boar and it wounds him. He later finds out the wound is cursed.

He exiles himself from the village to keep the curse from spreading and ultimately killing himself and any he comes into contact with. A helpful monk leads him west. And he goes there in search of the God of the Forest; this is his only hope of breaking the curse.

His journey takes him west to a place called Iron Town ran by Lady Eboshi. This is where Miyazaki's recurring themes of feminism and environmentalism begin with the introduction of this town which becomes the focal point of the entire story, and the introduction of San; a human girl raise by the wolf spirits of the forest. Iron Town is a rather successful business, jealous feudal lords seek to take the profitable land from under her, boars and other angry forest spirits are attacking the village in retaliation against their diminishing forest. (They have to clear it to make charcoal to smelt it)

Everyone has something to lose. Lady Eboshi stands to lose Iron Town if not to the angered spirits of the forest then to the Daimyo. The forests spirits and all the animals dwelling within including the absolutely adorable Kudama (pictured left) all threaten to lose their home; along with San the human girl they raised seen on the cover. And Ashitaka stands to lose his life. And so the battle begins.

What I like about this movie is it's complexities. No, character wants the same thing. Lady Eboshi wishes to keep control of Iron Town, San and the forest spirits want to keep their home, the helpful monk Jigo Ashitaka meets along the way to his journey wants the head of the God of the Forest (something rumored to grant immortality) as a result of a deal he struck with the Emperor of Japan himself, and Ashitaka wants the curse lifted from him. (Something only the God of the Forest can do)

One thing I like about Miyazaki's environmental theme as that it doesn't come off as preachy. It delivers a current comparison to today's environmental woes but at the end you don't feel like you've watched a two hour sermon. The animation is far from the anime norm too. (You know; giant eyes, poorly proportioned bodies. Don't let that throw you off Anime though! It's awesome.) And it's a story through and through to the core it is a story about a group of people just trying to make it. Each individual is an honest and thought out character and none of them are line fillers.

Another plus, the romance that develops between Ashitaka and San doesn't seem forced. Predictable but not forced. And even with love in the equation or strong 'Tarantino-esque' female lead doesn't lose her head or motivations. The characters stayed individual. San and Ashitaka stayed their own people until the situation was resolved.

So what I didn't like about this movie. Honestly. I liked most everything about it. Of course there are some things lost in translation but it hardly does much to take away from the story. There are a few scenes in which one might get a little confused or uncertain about what is happening. Ultimately the different culture and history make it a little difficult to be completely drawn in. However it's not what you'd call a culture shock.

Ultimately there aren't a lot of flaws with this movie. Animated or not this movie does what not many others can do. And that's really tell a story. And you will feel that distinctly setting down to watch Princess Mononoke. You didn't just watch a movie. You watched a story. And after watching this movie you'll understand what I mean.

A Double Feature: Trailer Parks and Segue Kills

In the sea of crap that is straight to DVD movies; two recent ventures really stood out to me. Two rather clever little movies that wouldn't strike you as being anything special. And while these DVDs are not groundbreaking ventures into horror. They have their own individual identity and a little more spirit than let's say 'Steven Segal Generic Action Movie Title #63'. So let's talk about them.


Trailer Park of Terror (2008)

At first glance the title and cover of this movie doesn't look promising. At first glance this is just another stale B-rated journey into movie land and it was easy for me to pass this movie over several times. And when I finally rented it. After watching it from start to finish... I had a shitty little grin on my face. It was actually a good movie. With a good story, good dialogue, and wildly profane humor.

So here's the plot. Poor Norma lived all her life in a trailer park and died there. But not of old age. After her first love and only chance at escaping the wildly violent clutches of her depraved neighbors the Devil himself seeks her out and makes a deal with her. That she can be queen of the trailer park. For the cost of one soul. A deal is struck. Norma kills her neighbors and burns the park down to the ground. And at night it rises again to lure unsuspecting tourists to their doom.

That's one of the problems with this movie. Nothing you can say makes it sound anything better than what you initially think it is. Only a sense of humor and one really boring Monday night lead me to rent this DVD at all. And it's just full of surprises. Here are a few.

• Trace Adkins plays the Devil. Though in the movie he's simply known as 'The Man' and his part is sparse.
  
• There is actually a really good soundtrack accompanying this movie. Trace Adkins does only one song on it. The songs are a little hokey and cliche. But they're sexually heated and sincere and serve the purpose of complimenting the movie.
  
• It was based on a comic book series by Imperium comics. I did not know this until I later googled the information. And the series is still running.

First let me say that Imperium Comics is chock full of some very talented writers and artists. And if you're an avid horror fan; even if you don't read comics; they're worth giving a shot to and they're not expensive at all. So from the beginning there was going to be a little more to this movie than meets the eye. Imperium it seems; had a heavy hand in writing the script. Some of the dialogue is tense and heated. Especially in the dramatic scenes were in most B-Rated or Straight to DVD Stinkers where they get overly dramatic and sound like two teens arguing with each other.

That's not to say this movie doesn't take the drama a little too far. Especially in creating the antihero Norma (Picture on the above covers) Where Imperium was able to incorporate tragedy with tongue in cheek humor (or tongue out of cheek because these guys are always falling apart) the movie was not able to do this. In trying to make her sympathetic her horrible past of sexual abuse and the depravities of the people around her come off as trying to hard. Instead of feeling sympathetic the viewer feels awkward.

Norma the sexually abused 'Queen of the Trailer Park', forced into pornographic videos by the local sheriff and Step-dad. Watched her mom murdered before her eyes. And years later her first love as well. All of that kind of played out like an X-Rated Soap opera. Nonetheless you were glad when the Devil gives her an impressive double barrel and tells her to have at it. Which she does.

The cast is a veritable whose who of no-names. One of my complaints is that the only truly memorable characters in this movie are of the Zombie variety. Like Roach; the zombie musician played by Myk Watford. Or Norma played by Nicole Hiltz. Or Lew Temple's role as Marv. Whom even while in the midst of literal Hell on earth still has the gumption to try and woo a perpetually disdained Norma.

However the cast was committed and they put everything into the filming and it shows through several intense scenes. One involving a rather brutal scene involving a video camera and an air compressor.

For it's flaws the movie keeps you entertained. The dialogue is better than most movies of it's ilk. And though it goes a bit overboard at the ends you're left with a host of memorable lines and scenes. These zombies can deliver some pretty hilarious one liners. And can perhaps further your interest in comic books. Make you realize what's hidden behind the racks of Spiderman and Superman. If it does see the following blog: Comic Book Candy

Trick 'r Treat (2008)
So this one came out of nowhere on me. I have two weaknesses in life. Halloween and interwoven stories. This movie caters to these obsessions and has mastered the art of the segue kill.

As the name suggests it takes place on Halloween night. That strange character pictured left; his name is Sam and he's out to make sure the traditions of Halloween are upheld in the strictest sense of the word. Failure to comply means death. And in this movie sometimes complying doesn't help either. The movie is full of familiar faces.

Dylan Baker plays Steve Wilkins. A depraved serial killer who within the opening minutes of the film he kills Brett Kelly who most will best recognize as Therman from the movie Bad Santa. Anna Paquin also takes on a role in this movie but unfortunately one is too much reminded of her character Sookie from True Blood. Being a fan of both the show and the books I found myself making the comparison constantly. Miss Paquin might be in danger of becoming typecast.


There are several interwoven stories. Like the bus of mentally disturbed children rumored to rest at the bottom of a quarry and the strange connection one grumpy neighborhood character Mr. Kreeg has with it all. A group of kids up to a little mean-spirited Halloween mischief. A serial killer's folly, a group of girls assumed quest of finding 'dates' for a Halloween party, and even an innocent couple.

The ambiance of this movie is great; scenes like this and other similar locales throughout the entire movie cast the constant spirit of Halloween. This movie unlike many other horror movies released during the month of October truly embodies the spirit of Halloween and isn't just another bone chilling slasher film.

There's a fun spirit to the movie despite all the deaths. My only qualm is that they went to too great of lengths. The neighborhood can remind someone of a stereotypical haunted neighborhood like one would read about in a teen novel. I suppose that was the point of the movie. And despite all that I was delighted by the atmosphere even if at some points it seemed a little over done.

The School Bus Massacre was my favorite part of the movie. The scene most originally done that almost runs the risk of being cliche were that not the intent of this movie from the start. To purposefully embody Halloween no matter how cliche. Like Trailer Park of Terror this movie makes very intelligent use of stereotypes to convey a certain message.

As the title suggests you will be Tricked. If you think this movie is predictable you're right to a certain extent and it's one of my complaints. I expected the ending a good hour before it happened thanks to an earlier event. But the stories of Laurie (Paquin) and Steve Wilkins (Baker) results in a rather clever twist that doesn't leave you so disappointed by the end.

But the spirit and intent of this movie is fun. And it was clever enough to spawn a DC comic book graphic novel adaptation. And if you're still uncertain you can watch the short film it was based Season's Greetings by Michael Dougherty here.

Tyrone Power or Black and White But Not Boring

Actors have always been actors; real ones who totally immerse themselves in their characters, bring on a little crazy and throw themselves into a world of total fiction. So how crazy did these people have to be in let's say the 50's when they were churning out film after film? Taking on a new ego month after month; totally recreating themselves for the sake of their craft; that's nothing short of madness.

These people felt as their characters felt and hurt as they hurt. That intensity is all consuming and sometimes fatal when that passion collides with physical limitations. But that's why we love actors so much. Because the good one's they're no longer John Superstar or Heidi Long Legs. Those people are long forgotten.

Tyrone Power is the perfect example of this. Before Clooney, Pitt, or Banderas women were flocking in great number to fantasize a life with him via silver screen. Tyrone was often cast as a romantic male lead or a swashbuckler. He was even the first Zorro. (The Mark of Zorro 1940) Sadly Power took his craft to the grave.

One of the last movies he ever did really hung with me and I'd recommend it to anyone as their first foray into Black and White cinema. It's called Seven Waves Away however the last time I saw it on television they used the U.S. title Abandon Ship! So if you're stateside ask for the latter; elsewhere look for the former.


Seven Waves Away is a simple movie. My best analogy for it would be the Open Water of 1957. It's a 'what if' movie that even at the age of 14 when I first saw it was powerful enough to hold my attention; even when I was too young to appreciate it.

At the beginning the film declares that this movie was inspired by the true events of the sinking of William Brown in 1841. It's what makes this film especially powerful.

The movie starts out on a luxury cruise liner called the SS Crescent Star and it strikes a minefield while in the Atlantic taking all the passengers with it save 27 who cram aboard a life raft only meant for nine. Tyrone Power plays Executive Officer Alec Holmes who is put in command after the mortally wounded Captain passes on.





With a storm approaching the ship threatens to become swamped. Holmes (Power) is forced to make a difficult decision under the advice of one of his peers who says the only recourse is to jettison the survivors. Cast them adrift to sea and to certain death.

As the poster declares. Alec Holmes does just that; takes on the job of Judge, Jury, and Executioner. The movie is full of intense dialogue, harsh truths, and one's man concept of the value of life. Especially in one scene where he sends a famous atomic scientist over in lieu of a mobster and other unremarkable fellows.

The ship's nurse who is assured survival because of her status is played by Mai Zetterling and she is the voice of conscious throughout the entire movie. Rallying against Holmes from the beginning. She does an amazing job. The entire movie is fraught with the highs and lows of human desperation. From amazing compassion to sheer desperation without the benefit of technicolor, a multi-million dollar budget, or even a wave machine.

As for the end. It'll totally knock you off your ass. And it's my little secret until you go out and rent the movie.

There are of course some downsides to this movie. Little preparation was given for these roles. The actors threw themselves in a little too frenetically and melodramatically. The water was relatively flat for braving the perils of a storm; and some of the characters are eerily calm throughout the whole ordeal, more like ornaments than the ensemble. However this same frenetic energy carried over well through the entire performance. It made them manic and a little crazy and their eyes held a certain truth to them in it's darkest moments. The melodrama is just something one has to deal with in the older films.

This was one of my favorite Powers movies. The perfect example of old school Hollywood intensity that really made it the billion dollar industry that it is today. An amazing ending point to his career. He died a year later filming a dueling scene; suffered a massive heart attack from the stress brought on required by the role. And not to mention he'd taken a physically intensive role on before that.

Tyrone died doing what he loved. Any of his movies are truly worth the watch but Seven Waves Away is still current. Still a survival horror story. It's still an example of something we'd watch on Discovery Channel or TruTV recreations in rapt attention. Only in this case it's a movie and not a crappy low budget recreation. One must remember that Power and Zetterling were the Pitt and Jolie of their day. This was an all star cast full of amazingly talented actors.

If you ever watch one black and white movie let it be this one.