Kicked in the Bolls
August 24th – August 30th
The Strangers – I frankly didn’t think the shock moments were earned. Sure, there were moments where I jumped. But it wasn’t because of the story, or the acting, or rising tension brought about by good screenwriting. There weren’t any real surprises, only crashes of too loud sounds (brought about by having to turn up the volume in order to understand Scott Speedman’s mumbling). I do appreciate that it wasn’t as gory as it could have been and that we never get to see the faces of the killers, but those seem too little. Sure, I jumped. In that respect, it worked as a thriller. But it felt too manipulative than was necessary.
Food Inc. – Basically, a movie version of Michael Pollan’s work. The documentary was filled with a bunch of good information which I do think people need to see. Foraging for food these days is not as simple as it once was. I did have a few problems with it though. The unquestioning devotion to organic food (and localvorism to a lesser extent) was a little disappointing. A movement whose greatest enemies are “chemicals” and “multi-national corporations” will naturally gain a lot of followers; I just hope it doesn’t do it at the expense of logic and science (and empathy for the less affluent). That being said, the movie does shed some much needed light on the food industry. And Joel Salatin is every much the hero he was in Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I love that guy.
Seed, Postal, 1968 Tunnel Rats – Three movies for our “Kicked in the Bolls” celebration of the cinematic “genius” of Uwe Boll. Seed, frankly, was most notable for the PETA footage that appeared in the opening. Unlike the dramatized violence that occurs in the film, this violence was all too real. It was certainly disturbing. It asks us how much we can really enjoy the violence in cinema. If Uwe Boll’s movies are generally ridiculous and we can chuckle at the campiness of its violence (among other things), then how are we to react when real violence (albeit against minks) occurs onscreen? Aside from this potential meta-commentary about violence, the rest of the movie simply lived up to my usual Uwe Boll expectations–bad, but not quite bad enough to be good, yet still somehow enjoyable.
Postal had its moments. On occasion, Mr. Boll attempted to comment on his own critics (as well as the War on Terrorism?). It was kind of funny with moments of intelligence. But its underlying juvenileness kept me distant. It was throwing too much in with the kitchen sink. It was one of those movies that pokes fun of so much that you wonder if you can possibly be offended by any of it. Because everybody is a target, then there is no need to be upset, as the reasoning goes. Except in this movie, the white male remains relatively unscathed. Freed from the burdens of morbidly obese wife and/or bimbo followers, the white man is free to pursue his destiny.
The last movie of the night, 1968 Tunnel Rats, was the best. It may simply be the restraint with which Mr. Boll approached this Vietnam movie that made it stand out from much of his other work. The sobriety of the topic, perhaps, made it seem better than it actually was. If only a competent editor had been employed, then the movie could have been quite good. Still, I was surprised to learn that Mr. Boll could indeed make something relatively poignant. A surprise indeed.
The Strangers completely ruined a perfectly good Joanna Newsom song for me forever. Now I can’t listen to the Sprout and the Bean without it conjuring up images of weird mumbling faceless murderers. The song just creeps me out now, and I rather liked it before I saw the movie. Entirely aside from that, I thought the movie was thoroughly mediocre. However, I really hold the ruining of the song against the film more than anything. If I thought it was a good movie I could forgive that small offense, but it wasn’t, so I can’t.
I realize that is not at all a logical or rational reason to dislike a film, but who among us is entirely rational in every single decision and situation? Eh, I have my reasons. At least I’m disclosing one of my stupid biases here
Even more disturbing is the fact that Victoria’s Secret used the song subsequently in an ad for push up bras. Now the song really creeps ME out.
I have to say I actually quite liked the soundtrack. Creepy indeed. But, I totally understand having the movie destroy a song that was already liked by you.
Ugh! Shame on you Joanna Newsom! I am extremely grateful that I never had the misfortune of seeing that commercial. I’m trying to rack my brain for what part of the song they could possibly use in a commercial for push up bras… maybe the part that says “should we go outside?” or the part that goes “and as I said, I slept as though dead.”
There’s just a lot of humor to be found there.
To be fair, I think the VS commercial only used instrumental portions of the song. You know, because harp music is angelic, like supermodels in push-up bras.
And to be fair to the musician, one does have to pay the bills somehow. I would probably sell out too.