Adventures in Netflix-#1-Gabriel Ricard
Adventures in Netflix
By Gabriel Ricard
Hi, my name is Gabriel Ricard, and I am a movie geek.
I’m going to pause now, so you can stand up and do that bit where you all say “Hi, Gabriel.”
Or not.
You don’t have to.
I’ll leave it up to you.
I don’t have much to say for this introduction, except to kind of give you a rough cut idea of what the whole point of this column is going to be. Like a lot of people in this strange country that is the United States of America, I’ve given up on Blockbuster and even the local video stores, in spite of their stellar adult film collection. I’m sick of dealing with smug, stupid teenagers, and I’m sick of the one copy of Girl in The Café being out, but finding that there are still several thousand copies of Little Man ready and waiting for the moment I give up all hope on the common decency of humanity itself.
I’m sick of that and much more. Paris Hilton getting even richer off of stupid white girls, for instance, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with this. So, like anyone else who’s run of options, I’ve turned to Netflix to suit my addiction to film. The disease, as Frank Capra called it, has to be fed, because I refuse to get a real social life.
I’ve had the account for a while now. And so far, I’m pleased to say that it’s working out quite well. With the exception of that stellar adult section I technically don’t need anymore, Netflix not only suits my heroin like desire for films to watch, but it also gives me more than I could ever need in the way of Anime (Japanese cartoons), pro wrestling, obscure TV shows, and a bunch of weird crap in between that no one else but me would ever admit, in print, to renting.
Which sort of brings to where we are right now.
Because I’m going to make this very clear. My Netflix queue borders on some kind of new age insanity. There are five hundred slots in all to fill, with five titles being sent to me at a time. And I have easily filled those five hundred slots with not only things I like, things I hope I’ll like, and things other people swear I might like, but stuff I probably have no business renting. Telling me that I have a good variety going would be just about the same thing as telling that I should probably give up cigarettes and really cheap vodka. Meaning that it’s kind of obvious. I’m hoping that comes through in this. I always try to see the new thing that’s coming out, and that will come through in this. But more than that, I’m really up for anything at all. New, old, obscure, and everything in between.
And to those who live in places that do not have services like Netflix, I can only say that I’m sorry. If you’re into films and the like, it’s really your best bet for variety and a decent chance at something you’ll enjoy. But if it’s not available to you, there’s no reason why you still can’t get something out of this column. And that’s because I’m assuming that you either live near a good old-fashioned video store of some kind, or you have an Amazon.com account that you indulge in liberally. You should be set.
So, unless anyone wants to do the smart thing and shut me down before I really get started, let’s get going.
And to anyone who wonders why this is appearing in a magazine like this one?
All I can tell you is that you’re asking a very, very good question.
Tideland (2005)
Directed By: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Jodelle Ferland, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Tilly
*** ½ out of ****
-A lot of people didn’t care for this what does come out to be a very strange, even for Gilliam. And this is from the guy who’s career has included being the only American member of Monty Python and directing such films as 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Brazil, Time Bandits, and numerous others. Gilliam is no stranger to the surreal and the controversial, and here, he pretty much surpasses anything he’s done in either one of those realms. Ten-year-old Jodelle Ferland turns in a mesmerizing, powerful performance as a child whose entire world is shaped by her vivid imagination. An imagination she retreats into even further as her real world crumbles to the tune of two junkie parents (Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Tilly) and being moved to a decrepit farmhouse in the middle of Texas. The movie is told entirely from Ferland’s perspective, to the point where we see the world directly though her imagination. And because it’s Gilliam, it’s not always an easy ride from the beginning to the end. But make no mistake about it, this is one of his best films to date. After his impersonal, commercial work on The Brothers Grimm, it’s good to see Gilliam getting back to stories that are clearly interesting to him. At sixty-five years old, the former Monty Python alumni has crafted a film that has the energy and enthusiasm of any twenty-year old film student working on their first film and desperate to make a name for themselves. This is a wonderfully offbeat, occasionally troubling descent into the mind of a child. Between that and the incredible work from Bridges, Tilly and the rest of the cast, especially the young Jodelle Ferland, who’s going to be somebody to watch over the next few years, this is definitely worth checking out. Even if you don’t care for it, you’re still in for an interesting ride.
Urusei Yatsura-TV (1981-1984)
Directed By: Various
Starring: Fumi Hirano, Toshio Furukawa, et al
**** out of ****
Before Innuyasha, before Ranma ½, before becoming one of the richest people in Japan, Rumiko Takahashi brought us Urusei Yatsura (which roughly translated, means Those Obnoxious Aliens). Originally a successful manga, the series was developed into a cartoon in 1981 and turned the series into an iconic cornerstone of anime and Takahashi into one of the most successful writer/artists in all of Japanese comics and animation. Basically, the story is that of sixteen-year-old Ataru Moroboshi, a leach and perennial loser of almost epic proportions who somehow finds his way into being the only means of survival for humanity. This comes up when an alien race, modeled after the Japanese Oni (demon) race and threatens to blow up the world unless Ataru can best their top representative in a game of tag. Their top representative winds up being the daughter of the alien leader, a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl named Lum, who has the power to fly and harness electricity, amongst other things. And Ataru has only a week to catch her. But when it gets down to the last day, and Ataru hasn’t even come close, his girlfriend, Shinobu, promises to marry him if he can save the world. This motivates him a little more. On the last day, at the last moment, he catches Lum by grabbing her Oni horns, and declares at last that he can get married. Lum misunderstands this as a proposal for her, and as such, decides to stay on earth so she can be near her new fiancé (whom she refers to as Darling). Ataru is violently opposed to this, and it pretty much snowballs from there. This is the basis for the nearly three hundred episode series, which also spun off into an OAV (think direct-to-video) series and several theatrical films. The series plays on the relentlessly chaotic, back-and-forth relationship between Ataru and Lum, with dozens of other characters joining in along the way to add to the general madness. In that respect, it’s sort of like The Simpsons, with the massive cast and their back-stories providing a wealth of material to work with. And obviously, they did a lot of work with what they had. There’s a very good reason why this series has remained popular as it enters its third decade of existence, to the point where it’s still even occasionally seeing reruns in Japan (which is exceptionally rare). Like a lot of Rumikio’s later work, the series deftly balances slapstick stupidity, meaningful character relationships, tireless action, and a sense of emotion and personality that’s seriously lacking from not only a lot of today’s anime, but also a lot of American shows and films as well. It’s a little on the old-school side, but that truly shouldn’t stop you. If you’re an anime fan who hasn’t seen this yet, get a hold of it, because it’s essential viewing. And even if you don’t consider yourself a fan, check this out, because it may very well surprise the hell out of you.
Titus (1999)
Directed By: Julie Taymor
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming
*** out of ****
Of all the modernized Shakespeare flicks to have come out in the mid-to-late 90’s (and a couple in 2000 and 2001), this one is my favorite. Not only does it throw some love towards one of Shakespeare’s greatest, occasionally neglected tragedies, but it’s also the kind of movie that you don’t even need LSD to enhance. It’s enough of an acid trip on its own, which just happens to have a small pile of brilliant performances to back it up. The story is indeed Shakespeare’s classic Titus Andronicus, but with various twentieth century elements thrown in for good measure. As I said before, there were a few movies that took this approach around the same time. Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, A Mid Summer Night’s Dream, 10 Things I Hate About You, O, and Tromeo and Juliet were the major entries in this strange market that was fairly active for about five years and then pretty much disappeared. Though this one got its fair share of attention, press, good reviews, awards, it was also accused of being overbearing and a little pretentious. Maybe so. But to me, that doesn’t take anything away from the incredible visual power of this movie. At times, it feels more like a terrible fever dream than an actual movie. And while most directors wouldn’t be able to handle this kind of approach, especially at a long running time (two and a half hours), Julie Taymor does a fantastic job here with keeping the movie focused and on course through the entire brutal story of revenge and redemption. But it wouldn’t mean anything without a cast to keep the interest going, and this one certainly has that. Anthony Hopkins, the kind of guy you think of when you think Shakespeare in the first place, gives one of the greatest performances of his career. Same goes for Jessica Lange in her desperate, crazed bid to seek revenge on Hopkins for the murder of her son. And I couldn’t get out of this review without something for Alan Cumming, who almost steals it away from Lange and Hopkins in every scene he’s in. This movie isn’t for everyone. It’s long, occasionally disturbing, and pretty much moves at a pace and style that assumes anyone who can’t keep up shouldn’t be watching to begin with. But if you haven’t seen this, and you’re a fan of anyone in the cast, or if you just want something a little different to what you’re accustomed to this, then you’ll probably do just fine with this.
Hollywood Land (2006)
-Amazing performances from a stellar cast is pretty much the only reason to sit through this take on the death/possible murder of 50’s Superman star George Reeves. The story has private investigator Brody wading through the disaster that is his personal life to get a job looking into the circumstance death of Reeves, which is told through flashbacks. The plot in of itself is nothing special. It starts off strong, but loses steam quickly in its lengthy running time and poor pacing. And the visual aspect of the film, which is somewhat important when you want people to believe that they’re witnessing a different era in history, isn’t going to knock you back either. But it’s not a complete lost cause. The one thing that does make this movie worth a look is those performances I mentioned before. Everyone, from Brody to Lane as the studio head’s wife Reeves was reportedly attached to for a number of years, to the great Bob Hoskins as said studio head, throws in some great work. But it’s Ben Affleck, of all people, who really sets the bar for this thing. Moving through something of a career slump not unlike his character’s, Affleck throws everything he possibly can into the role of George Reeves. And it shows. He is absolutely on fire in this movie from start to finish. The only question about it I have at this point is how he was overlooked for an Oscar nomination. People who have seen the last ten or so movies Affleck has made are probably not expecting a lot from him at this point. Trust me, there’s a good actor behind crappy movies like Gigli and Jersey Girl. And if you don’t want to trust me, then watch this and get back to me. I’m willing to bet that you’ll be extremely surprised.
Hell Comes To Frogtown (1989)
Directed By: Donald G. Jackson and R.J. Kizer
Starring: Roddy Piper, Rory Calhoun, Sandahl Bergman
** out of ****
Basically, I rented this because I’m a lifetime pro wrestling fan and Roddy Piper is one of my all time favorites. And as far as wrestler trying their hand at acting goes, he’s not bad at all. Go check out John Carpenter’s They Live if you don’t believe me. And though he’s good in this low-budget Mad Max rip-off, I really can’t recommend this to anyone who isn’t already a fan of bad horror movies. Because believe me, this is one of the bad ones. But it does have some good performances, including the great character actor Rory Calhoun, of Hotel Hell and How To Marry A Millionaire (with Marilyn Monroe) fame. And there’s a sense of good old-fashioned stupid fun that can make it a good time if you’re willing to let it. Roddy Piper is hilarious as one of the last virile men on earth, sent on a government mission to rescue a group of women from a small town of man-sized, evil frog people, so our boy Roddy can knock them up and keep the human race going. If that sounds like fun to you, then you’re in. If it doesn’t, then nothing I can say is going to bring you around. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I have to believe that unless you’re into this kind of movie to begin with, you’re probably going to hate it.
And that’s gonna do it for this first edition.
Comments, feedback, suggestions, death threats, and marriage proposals are welcome at deep_in_liquid_indigo@yahoo.com
Thanks for reading.
Copyright C 2007 Gabriel Ricard
October 14th, 2007 at 1:54 am
Good morning Gage and congrats to your new site. What is interesting is that I once had a site like this about ten years ago as I too am a huge movie buff. I truly hope yours gets more hits than mine and you don’t get all the crazies. I also like the pleasing backgound and unpretentious grahics. I especially like your style of writing for these reviews. You state your views subjectively but add enough information about the movie, i.e., plot, directors, actors, etc. to give me a sense of whether I too may like the film. I have seen none of the above as I am more of an old movie buff, like “Going My Way” or the 1930’s “All Quiest On the Western Front”. But Terry Gilliam, and a few others are exceptions to tat rule. I will definitely check out Gilliam’s “Tideland” since I am a fan of his movies and his days as a part of the Python troope when I was a teenager! Anyway, Cheers and Good Luck!