Director's Report Card: Satoshi Kon (2003-2006)

3. Tokyo Godfathers
“Tokyo Godfathers” is easily Kon at his most light-hearted and whimsical. It’s also one of his most cartoonish films. The character’s faces are very animated, more so then usual, and often exaggerated in order to emphasize emotion. It’s a bit of a break from Kon’s more realistic style and seems to correspond with the comical tone of the film.

The story is a character piece, revolving around three very different characters coming together over the care of a child. One is a worn out old drunk. The other is an over-the-hill drag queen. The last, a run away teenage girl. As the film goes on, we find out that each character has the same problem. Each one made a big mistake and now can’t go home and face their family.

One of the primary factors in the story is coincidence, to the point where that’s almost a determent. I get it, I understand why our gang encounters who they need to at just the right moment, but it can’t help but stick in my teeth. It’s a little too easy for them. Though, after it happens over and over again, you realize it’s not sloppy writing but intentional.

I really like the way the opening credits are written out on the building’s signs. The music, with the way it incorporates Christmas carols but in a new, different, way helps establish the off-beat, holiday mood. The animation is rich and full of details. The ending involves a big, high speed chase. That’s handled with humor but, at the same time, I feel like going that big maybe wasn’t the way to properly end this.

Anyway, it all wraps up a-okay in the end. I don’t have a lot to say about “Tokyo Godfathers.” It’s sweet, funny, and fairly minor, but still enjoyable and worth seeking out. [Grade: B]


4. Paprika
Definitely the most visually intense film I’ve seen this year, probably in a couple of years. All the freedom that animation allows a filmmaker to explore is completely taken advantage of and that’s something that’s rare in and of itself. Some of the images produced here are utterly fantastic and potentially unique. There are grotesque, absurd, hilarious even. “Paprika,” simply put, looks nothing like anything else out there right now and is probably the most important animated film in quite some time.

Other aspects fall a little bit short of the visual side of things. While I enjoyed everything, I’ll admit to not completely understanding the story and I feel the logical thread gets lost before the end. (Being all about dreams, the movie does, more or less, allow itself to stop making sense. But still…)

The characters are lovable and very well realized. I found the detective’s subplot to be really well-written and Atsuki and Takusa’s relationship is bittersweet and realistic. Satoshi Kon’s love of cinema really comes through here as many different homage are paid. The fine line between fantasy and reality and the perception therein, a theme first seen in “Perfect Blue,” is revisited here though explored on a far more in-depth level. “Paprika” is all sorts of crazy awesome, landmark not only for anime, but animation in general. [Grade: A]


I'd also highly recommend Kon's television series, "Paranoia Agent." It is every bit surreal and visually intense as his best film work. If you can compare most anime to American television in the early nineties in its reliance on easy audiences and formula, "Paranoia Agent" is like "Twin Peaks" in the way it breaks the mold and impresses. I might do a full review of the series in the future.

Satoshi Kon had all ready started work on a new film called "The Dream Machine," which, just based on the title alone, I can tell would've been an ideal project for him. Wither or not that film will be completed or released, I can't say.

As it is, Kon currently left a fantastic legacy behind with his small but potent body of work. He deserves to sit among the greats of the genre.

DIrector's Report Card: Satoshi Kon (1998-2001)

Satoshi Kon's death came as a depressing and surprising blow. At only 46, he was certainly taken before his time. Mr. Kon has proven to be one of the most talented directors to work within the animation genre in recent years. His ability to create visual tapestries was unrivaled and, over the course of only four feature films and one television series. he proved himself to be a master filmmaker. This Report Card was planned some time in advance and Mr. Kon's passing is a sad coincidence. May it stand as a minor tribute to his body of work.


1. Perfect Blue
“Perfect Blue” is a real mindfuck. It starts out as a study of celebrity status and self-image, and how easy it to confuse other people’s perception of you with your actual self. This is pretty good, in and of itself.

Then towards the middle of film, the vision becomes more surreal, and we really do begin to wonder what’s really happening. We are even given the possibility that the character’s lives are actually imaginary. It’s manipulative, yes, and at times frustrating, but Satoshi Kon and his co-creators get serious points for wrapping their audience around their thumb with such expertise.

By the end however, there is a master reveal and we are given a neat wrap-up, one that you would expect from a more conventional thriller. It’s a satisfactory conclusion but I felt a little let-down. Still, “Perfect Blue” is a really well done character study filled with more then it’s fair share of great thrilling moments, excellent use of music, and beautiful animation. [Grade: A-]


2. Millennium Actress
I was admittedly disappointed in “Millennium Actress,” especially after all the praise it received. After exposing myself to the reality-bending nature of his first and fourth films, as well Kon’s excellent television series, “Paranoia Agent,” this one was more down to earth. The laid-back tone was a surprising shift.

Still, “Millennium Actress” has plenty to offer. First off, the animation is gorgeous. It easily meets, and in some ways, surpasses the high standard of theatrical animation. The way real life and fiction weave in and out of each continues many of the visual motifs of “Perfect Blue.”

The vocal performances are fantastic. Miyoko Shoji and Shozo Iizuka in particular give resonant, heart-felt performance. If this had been a live-action film, I know for certain their acting would have received several awards. The story tracks the development of the Japanese film industry from World War II on, and we get homages and references to the propaganda driven melodramas, Kurosawa style historical epics, fifties character studies, and the Japanese sci-fi of the sixties. A Godzilla type creature even shows up at one point. The film studio at the story’s center is obviously a parallel to Toho Studios. I like how the rocket scene shows up in every act, each time in a different context.

Despite weaving film history so nicely into its story and the main character being a total movie nerd, the film has surprisingly little to say about the relation cinema devotees have with their favored art form. I find this surprising, considering how critical Kon has been of the nerd lifestyle in some of his other works. The script focuses more on how life and fiction parallel each other, a less interesting concept. Ultimately, its Chiyoko Fujiwara’s unending quest to find the man she fell in love with as a teenager that drives the story. It’s a touching, bittersweet tale that wraps up perfectly at the end.

However, its also a little unbelievable and features themes mostly unrelated to the movie’s other goals. The narrative is sometimes confusing as well. Maybe it’s just because I was tired when I watch this, but the way we shifted from reality to the world of movies without warning threw me off at times. So, despite being technically proficient and having an honest emotional core, “Millennium Actress” never quite comes together as a whole. [Grade: B]

Review: Piranha 3D (2010)

5. Piranha 3-D
I had low expectations for “Piranha 3D.” The trend was ongoing when it was greenlit, but the horror remake fad is now winding down. I’m already sick of the new 3D. I figured the awful trailer was final evidence that Aja had left behind his European style and was strictly functioning as a director for hire.

Sometimes, low expectations are good. “Piranha 3D” is a blast, a campy, over-the-top throwback to exploitation cheese of the eighties. Right from the beginning, it’s obvious this was made by fans. The movie opens with Richard Dreyfus playing a character named Matt who sings “Show Me the Way to Go Home.” This is the first of many good signs.

The movie has two selling points: Blood and breasts. It doesn’t skimp on either. This might be the goriest horror film I’ve ever seen in the theater. The vicious piranhas tear their victims to literal pieces. Flesh is chewed down to the bone, limbs are eaten off, and the water quickly becomes red with blood. The highlight of the film is when the piranha menace hits the Spring Break partiers. Literally hundreds of victims step out of the water, their skin gnawed away, while others are left below to become fish food. Boat related carnage actually provides the gore highlights. A girl has her face torn off by a propeller. Another is literally bisected by a whipping wire. Eli Roth, the Paris Hilton of horror directors, has his head crushed in what might be the most satisfying horror movie death in years.

And what about the T&A? The first shot of gorgeous, top heavy model Kelly Brook is of her wiggling backside. I’m not made of stone, people. Puerile as it might be, the movie has no shame in showing off its actresses assets and, I’ll admit, it added to my enjoyment. Miss Brook and porn star Riley Steele have a fully nude, underwater ballet. The movie stops for about five minutes just to ogle these women. It somehow doesn’t come off as exploitative, but rather goofy, fun, and genuinely erotic. (That the characters hold their breath for ten minutes might be a good indicator of the cheese factor at work here.) In the scene most indicative of the movie’s mentality, a topless parasailor, played by 34DD-cupped porn starlet Gianna Michaels, first thrust her jugs into the camera and then has her legs eaten off by killer fish. 3D tits, covered in blood. You can’t argue with that.

Most amazingly though, despite being a gore and boobs delivery system, this is the first time in a while were I actually cared wither the characters in a horror movie made it out alive or not. Steven R. McQueen plays Jake. He is clearly crushed on Kelli, played the capable and cute Jessica Szohr, but never comes off as too whiny. The romantic tension between the two proves to legitimately sweet. Moreover, at the end, Jake proves himself to be a capable and resourceful hero, and pulls off the kind of “Smart teen saves the day” style scheme that was a hallmark of 1950 creature features. Adam Scott is similarly smart and badass, especially when he jumps on a water ski and goes after the piranha with a shotgun. Elisabeth Shue provides us with a strong female authority figure, a rare sight in a horror movie, and it’s a great performance. She plays both a mother and a cop with equal strength. Christopher Lloyd has a great cameo as the resident fish expert. Ving Rhames kicks a lot of ass, especially when he picks up a boat propeller and faces the aquatic threat one-on-one. Jerry O’Connell gets maybe the meatiest role as the Joe Francis stand-in. O’Connell has made a career of playing obnoxious douchebag, so much that I’m not convinced it’s an act. His eventual, 3D prolonged, incredibly painful death gives the movie its most over-the-top, gruesomely funny moment.

Aja direction is not as fierce as in his previous film but this suits the movie’s wacky tone. He does, however, get one great moment when he copies the reserve dolly shot of “Jaws,” a moment that caused me to cheer it was so cool. The piranhas themselves are vicious little fuckers, and brilliantly brought to life. The movie mixes CGI and practical effects extremely well. And did I notice a reprise of Pino Donaggio’s beautiful score from the original film at one point? “Piranha 3D” sets out to be the guilty pleasure of the summer and, goddamn, does it ever succeed. There will probably be competitors later on, but for the moment, this is the best, most entertaining horror film of the year. [Grade: A-]

Director's Report Card: Mel Brooks (1991-1995)

9. Life Stinks
Definitely feels like experiment on Brooks’ behalf. The film is slightly more straight-faced then what you’d expect from him as it does attempt to seriously examine the world of homeless people. However, you get the feeling that he can’t completely commit to the material. So there are just as many typical Brooks gags as there are serious moment. But these goofy moments feel totally out of place and stick out like sore thumbs. They hurt the film in the long run, especially considering that many of these gags aren’t the best.

Lesley Ann Warren gives a really good performance, surprisingly, bringing a real melancholy to the role, though you do feel like the part was written for Madeline Kahn. The scene were Brooks and her dance around an abandoned factory plays like a scene from a forties’ musical-comedy and is easily the best part of the film, full of a sweeping, goofy, sincerity. Sadly, this feeling is missing from much of the rest of the picture. [Grade: C+]


10. Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Better then it gets credit for. Easily on the same level as “Spaceballs” and number four, behind “Young Frankenstein,” on my list of favorite Mel Brooks films. Almost all of the gags hit, with the rapping minstrels and Don Deluise’s godfather being the only real duds. There are an enough solid gags in this one, that if one misses, you’re immediately sent to another funny set-up, just like in the best of stupid gag movies.

Cary Elwes gives his best performance since “The Princess Bride,” Roger Rees gives a great riff on Alan Rickman, and Mark Blankfield sacrifices all dignity in his role. Also watch out for a pre-fame Dave Chappelle, Isaac Hayes, Tracey Ullman, Patrick Stewart, and Dick Van Patten.

“Men in Tights” is extremely goofy but not in a simple-minded way. It’s silly but rarely all that dumb and enduring in its own way to its audience. Probably one of Brook’s more minor films, but I like it none the less. [Grade: B+]


11. Dracula: Dead and Loving It
Another fairly obvious attempt to recapture the success of “Young Frankenstein.” I’d like to say that this doesn’t hit as much as that one simply because I’ve never like “Dracula” as much as I do “Frankenstein,” but truthfully, this just isn’t as good.

Peter MacNicol is a great Renfield and gets the most laughs. Leslie Nielson gives it the old college try as the Count and produces a couple of chuckles. Mel Brooks is a good Van Helsing, proving again he does better in supporting role then in the lead.

The number of gags that work and those that don’t can pretty much be split right down the middle. There are some enduring goofy moments, such as the chandelier gag or Dracula’s dream. However, too many of the moments, some of which are potentially hilarious, such as the foundation of blood bit, fall flat. And none of the gags are as hilarious as anything from the other horror parody. The picture is sadly lacking in replay value too. This is just a silly gag movie, with little else to offer. [Grade: B-]

Mel seems more-or-less retired these days. And why shouldn't he be? The dude is friggin' old. His legacy is secure.

Director's Report Card: Mel Brooks (1976-1987)

5. Silent Movie
Brook’s potency as a comedy writer comes from verbal wit, so doing a silent picture cuts down on how funny this could have been. What we are left with are a handful of amusing sight gags and some half-cooked satire on Hollywood.

We’re doing okay until about halfway through until momentum is lost, like it often is in gag based comedies, and we just have to trudge through the rest of the movie as the story goes through its steps.

The central cast of Brooks, Marty Feldman, and Dom DeLuise are actually composed of some of Brooks’ weakest reoccurring actors. The collection of celebrity cameos feel more like they where put into the film for marketing reasons then for anything else. Supposedly this was suppose to be a parody of silent comedies ala Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton, but I didn’t really get that feeling nor is it a good idea to do a parody of comedies. [Grade: C]


6. High Anxiety
Similar to “Young Frankenstein” in that it takes pot-shots at a specific set of films instead of just a wide genre. In general, parodies of this sort are not as successful simply because they limit themselves so much.

Still, “High Anxiety” does get pretty good mileage out Hitchcock’s stuff. There’s never too long a period without at least a chuckle producing moment. The movie also has the best “Psycho” parody I’ve ever seen. The story does drag in the middle because the mystery is given more focus in parts then just being silly.

Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman are given thankless jobs in pretty one-bit roles though Madeline Kahn and Ron Carey get a couple laughs. Decent but not a must-see. [Grade: B]


7. History of the World, Part I
Definitely the worst thing Brooks has ever had his hand in. The thing that really bothers me about “History of the World, Part I” is it’s reliance on low-brow humor. Not to say that Brooks hasn’t made naughty jokes before and not to say he hasn’t done it well, but the majority of the jokes here are of that variety. In small doses it works, but that type of humor just isn’t where Brooks’ strengths are. “The French Revolution” segment is definitely the worst victim of this. The Roman segment seems to go on forever and is mostly laughless. (And also features a pot joke. Come on, Mel, are you really stooping that low?)

A group of celebrities march through and do their cameo thing but nobody is really memorable. The Spanish Inquisition musical number is really the only part that reaches the gut busting levels of his past films and pretty much the only reason to see this one. The ending also features a dancing Hitler (always good) and a more-or-less preview for Brook’s next film. Still, I can’t say I’d look forward to Part II. [Grade: D+]


8. Spaceballs
Most professional critics, at the time of its original release, pointed to “Spaceballs” as the turning point for Mel Brooks, when his films went from being on the cutting edge of parody to something slightly less then the cutting edge. I can’t really tell you where that attitude came from because, all things considered, “Spaceballs” is pretty funny.

The movie is, as you’d expect, packed from start to finish with gags and, surprise!, most of them are actually good. Maybe not super-inspired comic genius, but the funny is brought. Ludicrous speed, the ship execution, and John Hurt’s cameo all classify as minor classics in my book. The movie also proves to be one of Brooks’ most quotable. (In the right area a “What didn’t anybody tell me my ass was so big?” or a “Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.” will get you a nice response.) One of the best reoccurring gags in the movie is the mocking of “Star Wars” merchandising. (Lucas would only give the movie the okay if Brooks promised not to produce any merchandise. Little bitter perhaps, Mel?)

One of the best things about the movie is just how successfully it copies the “Star Wars” look. I’d say the special effects are at least as good as anything else you’d find in the original trilogy. The cast also help things along. Dark Helmet might not be the role Rick Moranis was born to play (That’s Seymour Krelborn, by the way) but his “villainous” turn is still one of his best. Bill Pullman is underrated. Let’s face it, the guy has proven his skills in just about every genre and he’s pretty funny here to. And hey, let’s give the required shout-out to John Candy and Dom Delusie. (Am I the only one who thinks the Pizza the Hut make-up is a little disturbing?)

I can fault the movie for some of its really obvious visual jokes. (They still made me laugh) and its bad ‘80s funk/soul soundtrack, which is distracting. All things considered, “Spaceballs” is a great time. Brooks, forget about that awful cartoon show and give us “Spaceballs II: The Quest for More Money!” [Grade: B+]

Director's Report Card: Mel Brooks (1968-1974)

So, here's some older reviews I've been sitting on for a while, debating wither or not I should rewrite them to be more up to snuff with my current quality or just be lazy and post them as they are.

Well, today I decided to be lazy. Here's the first part of the Mel Brooks Director's Report Card.

1. The Producers
Perhaps what makes this film work more then anything else is Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Wilder is a nervous, twitching wreck while Mostel is trying to swindle everyone. The two play off each other nicely.

The central premise of the film is hilarious stuff. Not just purposely creating a flop to get rich, but making a musical about Hitler. It’s this kind of thinking that makes (Or made?) Mel Brooks the comic genius he is (Was?), taking something nobody would think of as absurd, and making it so. This kind of tactic could just be offensive. Luckily Brooks is a really funny guy. Some of the skit here are just side splittingly funny, the Nazi playwright, the beatnik lead in the play, the flamboyantly gay stage director. These are just really great comic moments and there really isn’t any more to say about it, other then perhaps I’ve never really liked the stage musical version of this. [Grade: A]


2. The Twelve Chairs
When you think about Mel Brooks’ films today, it’s surprising to watch his first two features. While “The Twelve Chairs” and “The Producers” certainly aren’t short on zaniness, compared to the gag-driven parody films that dominate his career, they are more character based and even somewhat restrained.

All the best humor here comes from the interaction of the three very strongly rendered lead characters. There is plenty of physical humor, I mean, this is basically a chase film after all, and while a good deal of it is funny, some of it very funny; it can’t compare with the barbs the leads trade.

Ron Moody is quite good as the short-fused and usually nervous Ippolit Vorobyaninov. Frank Langella, back when he was still a heart-throb, brings a great deal of wry slyness to his part. And, even though I know it’s hard to believe, Dom DeLuise was actually funny once. He fully commits himself to the goofiness of his part, never stopping once for the sake of personal dignity. Mel Brooks himself also gives one of his best performance in a small supporting role as the simple and often drunk man-servant Tikon. The very catchy opening song, “Hope for the Best (Expect the Worst)” also deserves mention.

The story does drag a bit in the middle and I don’t think it would have hurt the movie any if some of the gags related to the theater trope was cut. The occasional use of sped-up footage doesn’t work either. Mostly forgotten today, “The Twelve Chairs” has plenty of laughs in it and, though not the director’s funniest film, is one of his better written. [Grade: B]


3. Blazing Saddles
It’s sad to say that this movie would probably never get made today. It’s so rare that a film tackles a serious subject, one like racism, with humor. And it’s not like Mel Brooks’ humor is exactly subtle either. Basically, “Blazing Saddles” is a knee-slapping funny film, not beyond fart jokes and silly sight gags, but still has a brain about it. Somehow the two methods blend and we are presented with what I’ll call smart stupid humor. The movie makes points with gags. That is such a simple concept but works so incredibly well.

The cast is excellent, with the supporting parts being the most memorable. Not to say Cleavon Little is bad in the lead, he’s good, with his constant state of bemusement at everything. But the likes of Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Alex Karras, and Slim Pickings easily walk away with the show. And how about the ending when the movie explodes out into full fledged goofiness? Comedy gold.

Its mixture of astute, if blunt, social commentary, sublime silliness, and an occasional naughty streak makes “Blazing Saddles” the director’s best film and one of the funniest comedies ever made. [Grade: A]


4. Young Frankenstein
This is probably better appreciated by horror fans then by most other people. Sure, “Young Frankenstein” works great as a gag comedy, full of wonderfully funny actors being wonderfully funny, as well as a very interesting melancholy undertone; but there are so many subtle nods and riffs on scenes from just about every one of the classic Universal Frankenstein films. Yes, the bogermeister with the wooden arm or the dart throwing gag, are great, but if you know where they come from, they are better. I known because I remember watching the film years before I became a big horror geek and laughing a lot, but I remember laughing more watching it more recently.

Of course the cast is great, with only Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman being some of the great performances here. Though not as smart as “The Producers” or “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein” certainly stands as one of Mel Brooks’ best films. [Grade: A-]

So, I made a movie...

I know I don't normally use this blog to promote my other projects. But since this is a film-related blog, and we're talking about a film, I figured it was at least appropriate.

I wanted to upload it to a classy website like Vimeo, but was having trouble making that work. So then I tried a less classy website, like Veoh or Dailymotion, but was still having trouble getting the upload to go all the way through. So it wound up on Megavideo. (Where I expect it to be ignore. The only thing people watch on Megavideo are pirated movies and TV shows.) Yes, I'm aware of the pop-up that appears when you click play. I apologize for that.

It's called "Knowing Mike Barton" and is suppose to be a depressing comedy. I worked very hard to pull off this lo-fi look so, yes, if you're wondering, it's suppose to look that crappy. It's about a half hour long and does contain adult language.

Anyway, here's the link:

Knowing Mike Barton - MEGAVIDEO

I'd really appreciated if you took the time out of your day to watch and leave a comment on this blog below. Viewer feedback is essential.