del Toro Time: Pan's Labyrinth

El Laberinto del Fauno/Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, Guillermo del Toro)

Fairy tales and other stories about the fantastic have frequently been used throughout human history to better understand the way the world functions. The natural laws of physics, astronomy, human behaviour and traditions, morality lessons, all these and more have been given the some sort of fairy or sci-fi treatment. Such tactics are still employed till this day when explaining certain things to children. Before they have a better grasp on the events that shape their universe, we often help them relate to the world through stories. Such is the way little Ofelia (Ivana Baquero)  sees the trees, bugs and shadows of the Spanish countryside in Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. The story is set in 1944, and young Ofelia is living under the auspices of her sick and pregnant mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) and her stepfather, the terrifyingly intimidating Vidal (Sergi López), Captain for the Spanish army under the fascist government, which was in the midst of a civil war with rebels. 

Capsule reviews: Bad Lieutenant (1992), Bad Lieutenant (2009), Battle Los Angeles

Bad Lieutenant (1992, Abel Farrara)

Another marathon coming soon...

Hello readers,

I have another project in mind, one that will be larger than the regular marathons which only last anywhere from 3-6 films. No, this is something that will resemble the Homemade Summer Movie marathon from last year, which lasted a good few months (although there is nothing wrong with doing another one of those). It's more specific than just random action movies. In fact, the films will be from one studio in particular. The details haven't been ironed out yet, but it should be a lot of fun if you're in to this sort if thing...

review: 127 Hours

127 Hours (2010, Danny Boyle)

It is difficult to pinpoint what sort of director Danny Boyle is. The characters of his movies frequently get into loads of trouble and are therefore forced to find unusual ways to return to safety (by re-igniting the sun, by becoming a contestant in a game show), but that isn’t necessarily a running theme. Claiming Boyle to be a ‘director for hire’ is just as inaccurate. His films may feel very different from one another, but the director always succeeds in giving the audience a little bit more than what they expected. That is the sign of a unique talent. One does not know what exactly to expect from the director, but by the film’s end, one is neither surprised to learn that it was ‘directed by Danny Boyle.’ Boyle may have accomplished his greatest coup to date. 

del Toro Time: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008, Guillermo del Toro)

It was time for a bigger budget. More action, more special effects, more monsters, more characters, more of everything people loved about 2004’s Hellboy. Guillermo del Toro would once again serve as screenwriter with the aid of Hellboy’s father, Mike Mignola, but this time he would be aided by all the prosthetics, makeup and computer wizardry money could buy. Much of what made the original installment such a wonderfully coloured comic book film was not merely del Toro's visual flourishes. It was equally the director’s understanding of Hellboy’s nature and of his uncomfortable, emotionally compromising place in the world he inhabited. Would del Toro continue to explore this venue or would this potentially great franchise suffer from the dangerous ‘overstayed welcome’ syndrome so many sequels are afflicted with?

Capsule reviews: Blood Work, War

New Joint Marathon: Westerns. Sunday, April 3rd

You’ve read us dissect the Star Wars franchise like a couple of manic fanboys. Then you witnessed our valiant battle through the thick, dangerous jungles alongside John Rambo. Now join Bill from his Movie Emporium and I as we stand off against some of the slimiest, dirtiest foes from the wild, wild west…and possibly against each other! 

Far East Specials: An Empress and the Warriors

An Empress and the Warriors (2008, Tony Ching Siu-Tung)

There are only so many action adventure epics that feature a woman in the starring role, particularly those whose stories transpire in the past. For long stretches of human history, women have been relegated to third and fourth string roles in power politics. Military campaigns? Forget it. The empowerment of women on the international stage is a recent phenomenon, which partly explains why, in film, period epics frequently fail to highlight female characters.  Tony Ching Siu-Tung’s gloriously decorated An Empress and the Warriors tries to play ball with a female lead, the beautiful Kelly Chin from the Infernal Affairs films, who, as an empress, has at her command legions of armed men to protect her kingdom after the mysterious murder of her father. Even when a movie legitimately tries to empower a female character, there are always some forces pulling the weight of her depth back down to stereotypes. 

del Toro Time: Hellboy

Hellboy (2004, Guillermo del Toro)

‘Give Evil Hell’

The tag line quoted above graced the theatrical trailers of 2004’s Hellboy. Heavily marketed and highly anticipated, it was a dream collaboration between a filmmaker and a comic book artist who both showed unabashed love for marvellous and terrifying creatures. The director, of course, was Guillermo del Toro and the comic artist-writer was Mike Mignolia. Fantasy action fans geared up to rejoice in what promised to be one hell of a good time. The tag line was suitably chosen play of words. The ‘Hell’ in question is one of the more unique anti-superhero creations to emerge from the world of graphic novels, a man-sized demon straight from the underworld, but rather than wreaking havoc on humanity, he is trained to protect us from havoc. Guillermo del Toro’s understanding of the character goes far beyond what the adrenaline induced tag line has in mind. Despite appearances, Hellboy represents qualities human beings should convey but often fail to.

Review: Des hommes et des dieux/Of Gods and Men

Des hommes et des dieux/Of Gods and Men (2010, Xavier Beauvois)

In this day and age of great tension between cultures which dominate the western world and those that flourish in the Arab world (a silly term, if you ask me. Do I live in the ‘White world’?...), it seems reasonable to explore the depths, points of contention, and complexities which make up this rivalry. The historical wrongdoings perpetrated by a number of European states would be a decent place to start. I stress the word ‘states’ here and avoid the term ‘nations’ or ‘people’ because I do not think those would apply entirely. Ethnocentrism could be another. There can be hundreds of reasons, and in the worst case scenarios, they drive blind hatred. Hate on one side, hate on both sides. When certain people gain the means to express said hatred and put their words into actions, that is when the situations becomes dangerous.