Change Your Image
fan4ad
Reviews
Do the Right Thing (1989)
I Can't Believe It Took Me 20 Years
It took me 20 years to see this film, and I don't know why. I have always liked Spike Lee, and I teach film. Logic would suggest that I should have seen this by now. Now that I have seen it, the movie has been haunting me.
I think there is a huge misunderstanding about the film. Many assume this is pro-Black politics/world view; however, the movie seems to be squarely against Black ideology. This is a much more complex film than the silly movie Crash, and people should look at what this movie is actually showing. It does not clearly indict any ideology, and there is a strong question mark at the end.
First, many of the Black characters are silly and misguided. Sure, the "son" of the Italian restaurant owner is racist, but the father and other son clearly appreciate being a part of the community. In fact, prior to the riot, the owner is very pleased with his situation. The riot starters have a ridiculous request--to put Black pictures up in an Italian restaurant. It is clear that we are supposed to think they are not serious, and they do not really understand Black history. Even the older Black residents see them as silly.
The riot actually destroys one of the few places in the neighborhood that is welcoming. It creates distance. We do not fully understand why Spike Lee's character throws the trash can because he is even seen as a son. He seems to "bite the hand that feeds him." Nothing is resolved by the misdirected anger other than someone is dead. There is a picture placed on the wall, but the place is dead by that point. The fact that violence happens over a picture on a wall shows how superficial some race politics tend to be.
I know many think that Spike Lee is a "race" baiter--that he supports Black politics, but even Malcolm X tends to suggest that extreme Black politics can be misdirected. I suppose people can see what they want to see in the film, but the movie is much more complex than simple Black/White issues. This is a film that raises more questions than solves problems.
An American Carol (2008)
Unbelievably Stupid
Context: I am a film teacher, so I planned on seeing this. I am fairly conservative as a libertarian: socially liberal, fiscally conservative. I would be a Republican if they were not super spenders and divorced themselves from the Religious Right. I believe that there are too many laws governing public behavior, but personal responsibility is key.
This movie was advocating a thoughtless, non-questioning public ("the real America"), but its arguments were silly and unformed (and it often contradicted itself). Here are some flaws (it was not so much offensive as it was stupid): 1. The argument about supporting war in the Middle East was undermined by the fact that 3 independent terrorists were committing the plan.
2. The comparisons to the Civil War and World War II were bad since those were clear attacks on our soil (the enemy was clear).
3. There was an anti-universal medicine POV, but the poor kids could not get surgeries for their disabilities due to lack of money.
4. The 1968 professor segment was silly. Because they question assumptions, they are bong-smoking hippies. The movie suggested that unquestioning public ideas is better than being confronted by other views. College is not like that--professors who have highly ideological views are looked down on in the teaching community, and most of the 1960 professors are retired (I know--I teach at a university).
5. The ACLU is shown as zombies that should be simply shot. Yes, individual ACLU groups may have some silly lawsuits, but the majority are simply examining possible contradictions to the Constitution. Why not question if the government is overstepping bounds (we should not blankly trust the government)? And, I am sorry, but the courtroom is a secular place, not a church.
6. I find the very pro-Christian POV strange since the director is Jewish. There are numerous events that show group prayer, but it came across as confrontive and zombie-like. People would stop normal activities to do nonproductive prayer (I do not care if an individual chooses to do so, but the film suggests it is something the public should participate in to be American).
7. The film constantly points out how documentaries are useless and not watchable. Many people, like myself, watch documentaries (funny that they had a trailer for Expelled on the DVD).
I could go on and on, but this is a cheap, stupid comedy with little redeeming value. I would love to see good conservative films, but this was not one. It presented a society that is uniform and not interested in actual thought, diversity, or ideas. That is dangerous.
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)
I Learned Nothing
I had heard this documentary was pretty bad, but I decided to give it a try. Yes, I side with evolution, and I am agnostic (leaning athiest, but still not firmly athiest). I figured I might get some insight by watching the film.
It was pretty dire. There was almost no information--all fluff. The talking heads on both sides were odd, and I could not identify with any (what is with the creepy guy lying down?) No one said anything about the issue really except that he or she was for this or against this.
The people who had been "disciplined" came off as faulty. Their arguments were to simple, and I think the back stories are a bit more complex. For example, I am a chair of a department at a university. If someone is parttime, there are a number of reasons why they may not have a contract renewed. It is not uncommon. The film tried to make some of these people seem like experts in the field, but on research, I found most of them were fairly minor in their jobs and some were just part time instructors.
I expected to get some criticism of evolution (I got tired of the term Darwinists--they are evolutionists), but there was almost nothing. The only thing that was of interest was that we do not have a clear understanding of that first single-celled aoemba, but that is a so what issue. We may understand it later; we may not. To jump to the idea of ID as a rational explanation is faulty. Just because we don't know does not mean that we should throw any idea into the mix. Here is the problem with ID--there was no testing, nothing to really show that it is a relevant idea, and the biggest issue--if you demand a proved explanation of the origin of that single-cell amoeba, you would need to explain where that intelligence powerful enough to create came from. In fact, that seems much more unlikely than the crystal idea. There was no info about why ID should be a valid theory. There was a huge gap there.
The Holocaust stuff was insulting. Simply saying someone takes an area of science and perverts it for bad purposes means nothing. A vacuum is a good thing, but what if someone killed another person with a vacuum. Would we stop using the vacuum? No. The Holocaust is way more complex than the evolution idea (and don't forget that Hitler had a religious background--he was not that proscience).
The random pictures that made no sense and Stein's endless walking around made for a bad film. His questions were awkward and did nothing to illuminate the debate. To argue that ID should be explored or taught simply because some support the idea is faulty. We do not use every idea in the classroom or academia--what if someone said they had proof life came from cheese on the moon. We would think that is wrong. Back up ID with actual proof and testing--then maybe it will work, but based on what I saw in the film, ID is not an equal, competing idea at this point. In fact, I was actually turned off on the idea because of the film. The idea of ID seems vapid, immature, and silly.
Blood Feast (1963)
It is time to comment
I don't know why I have not commented, but now it is time. I have a strange history with Blood Feast. I am a horror film junkie and have been since I was a small child. In the 80s, I tried to watch as many VHS horror films at various rental places with my friends. I even came across HG Lewis stuff without realizing it. I know I saw Color Me Blood Red and Wizard of Gore. The covers attracted me, but they were nothing films--time wasters. Never thought much about them.
In the early 90s, as an adult, my spouse and I found a cheap laser disc player at a thrift store for $5. There was a local place that rented laser discs, and they had a ton of them. I would go in and get movies I had not seen like Salo, but I loved the obscure horror stuff. One day under the B section I found Blood Feast. The cover looked awful, but I had to see it. The clerk tried entering it into the computer, but it was not in the computer. In fact, that meant the item had not been rented in 10 years since that is when they set up the computer system. She was shocked. I though it must have been really bad for a film to go unrented for that period of time. It was like finding treasure. I get home and put it in the player. Our jaws were on the ground. It was an amazing experience, and the blood... We told everyone about this film, but no one had heard of it. Now I am a film teacher, and I have a huge cult film collection. Blood Feast was one of the films that got me so into searching cult films. Yes, I have everything by Lewis, but nothing compares. It is a treasure of cinema.
Because of Eve (1948)
More explicit than anything I've ever seen
Okay, this is pure exploitation wrapped up in a wholesome frame. It starts out with all kinds of explanations why the made the film. Also, it adds God and the Bible to support its view. It starts off innocently enough--a couple messing around (I think the man even cops a feel). Then, we find out she is pregos, but with the help of the most benevolent doctor in history, the couple learned the facts of life that they weren't taught. We go back to the week before their wedding and the doctor lets out a secret. They are in solid health, but he once had VD and she had an illegitimate baby. Now, what docotr would ever say that without fear of a lawsuit. However, everything is okay in the end because, despite their anger, they find out she was impregnated by his best friend who died in the war. The same friend who gave him VD (long story). Anyhow, they watch very nasty films about VD, pregnancy, and the most visual birth and cesarian birth ever. The films are nasty. Lots of penis and vagina shots. Go learn the facts of life.
The Ride (1997)
One of the stupidest, most cliched movies ever
Christian movies are such bores. They are cliched, middle of the road films that only the converted would watch and enjoy. Here of course you have the bald cancer patient kid, the sinful rancher who no longer rides, and the sweet Christians. Always funny--the Christians are always good natured and great, but the sinners are judgemental. Of course the kid wins a great victory and dies; the rancher will come to Christ after he struggles with his own nature (he doesn't want to help that kid because he is not a Christian and the kid is bald). There is the moment of course where everyone will shave their heads to make the cancer kid feel good. A heart-warming moment every 5 minutes or so, and it make me sick. THe Christian world view is so romanticized--no life is not like this, and it would be boring if it was. Avoid like a Christian crusade.
Criminal Act (1989)
Humanoid Rats and former TV actors
This is one bizarre movie. I think it is tounge in cheek, but I am not sure. Lots of TV notables from Alice, Dukes of Hazard, etc. Strange sets and set-ups, a humanoid rat that does not look like a rat (looks like Tiny Tim), homeless people and the white slave trade.
15 Minutes (2001)
Terrible
I had heard this was bad, but I sometimes find bad movies fun. THis was ludicrous. If you want social satire and commentary see Man Bites Dog, Funny Games, or (yes, because it is more effective) Natural Born Killers not this tripe. The only good thing was seeing the lead character De Niro die (which is rarely done a la Psycho). It was offensive, not because of violence, but because of the treatment of foreigners--yeah, ok--they say silly comments about law and insanity. Rent something else.
Left Behind (2000)
This one should have been left behind
I never write these commentaries, but I watch a lot of films--this is bland and bad. I have seen the Omega Code too, which is at least more entertaining than this drek. How the hell would these people not know that it was the rapture? This movie made the Christian rapture look silly. Why show the left behind video twice in the movie--we get the idea already. Who would have seen this in a theatre?--an overblown tv movie. People were suckered into this one. and what was with that message at the end of the movie by Kirk--did they anticipate people would not view it? Bad, but not fun bad, just bad!