Review: Senna

From start to finish Senna never stops delivering inspiration, hope, anger, frustration and danger, and all rooted in real events, shown only with archive footage. A documentary that steps beyond documentary trappings.

As a follower of Formula One I cannot believe it has taken me so long to watch this film, perhaps it is due to recent declining interest with the sport as a whole. I was only ten years old when the tragic events of 1994 occurred, and I only remember imagery as I wasn't avidly watching the sport then. So to watch Senna now is a truly chilling and eye opening experience for me.
The film follows Formula One's legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna from his humble beginnings as a Go-Kart racer to his dramatic, fraught years in the World Championship. Years that would forever change the face of the sport.
The film uses only archive footage and adds commentary of prominent individuals (such as McLaren manager Ron Dennis) to carry the narrative across and relay their personal experiences with the man. The total lack of "talking heads" or any modern day footage makes the film all the more intense and important.

And what importance there is! Senna shows the overriding tension when Aryton first joins the F1 scene, making waves and making an enemy within talented French driver Alain "The Professor" Prost, who would become his team mate in the McLaren team. The men are shown for who they were, not dressed up; we see Senna as an emotionally driven man with his heart upon his sleeve, while Prost is more calculating and underhanded. Betrayal and back-stabbery is rife to the point of shocking.

The film shows Senna not only as a genius racing driver, but also as an idol for an entire country; Brazil itself empowered by one man's incredible talent and ability. One cannot help but see him as an inspiration, as someone rising to the top from obscurity and giving hope to millions.

The future of Formula One is also subtly (and less subtly) addressed, and as someone who has followed the sport I fully appreciated this. Immediately you can see how vulnerable the drivers were within the cars, and we are shown several instances of how incredibly dangerous the sport really is. We are also shown something of a shift in the sports nature towards the end, the introduction of technology that replaces the need for driver instinct and skill. Very prominent!

While it is a very morose watch (whether you know the turn of events or not) there is heart and incredible honesty throughout, much like the man himself, and there are quotable moments from all of the main "cast". Senna gives his feelings on F1 multiple times: "It is square", and "is too much money, too much politics".

An honest and utterly compelling piece of reality captured in footage and music. To have so many prominent sporting figures feature and give account to one man's legend in such a way makes for a perfect homage. If you want to know one sport's greatest, and most tragic, moments... look no further than Senna.

Additional Marshmallows: Aryton Senna's openness and opinions about the sport is terrific to hear, one imagines the man would not be happy with how the sport has evolved, becoming more about the car and the technology than the man behind the wheel.

Review: Trick 'r Treat

What even just happened?

So it was Halloween yesterday, and I had one last film for October sitting waiting for me. I couldn't pass it by, but I knew nothing about this feature directed by X-Men 2 screenwriter Michael Dougherty and produced by X-Men 2 director Bryan Singer!
... That sounds like the wrong way around doesn't it.

The rather lamely titled Trick 'r Treat, I think, is an homage to the spirit of Halloween and little else, celebrating what the holiday is today with some campy scares and gore. The story is split over unconnected characters as they encounter - and are often killed - by very real monsters on Halloween night.

A good film it isn't really, but as a film I happened to watch to carve a pumpkin to... I couldn't have asked for better. The characters are stereotypes, the scares are cookie-cutter while the multiple stories are so short and interwoven you haven't the time to be compelled by them. It is the film equivalent to scanning your eyes over comic book short stories; some visual intrigue, but nothing comprehensive or grounding.
We have everything here though, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, ghouls, spooky stories about local legends, and a weird kid who looks like the Playstation 3 character "Sack Boy" (seen on the poster). There's even some familiar faces from X-Men 2, Brian Cox and Anna Paquin feature and easily steal every scene they are in.

The film is almost entirely based around one motif: "Oh snap, that's a REAL dead person / monster!" but if Cabin in the Woods hadn't done this sort of campy horror better recently, I'd say Trick 'r Treat would be worth a watch just for novelty.

I hope you all had a fun Halloween, and enjoyed Cinema Cocoa's second October of spooky films!

Banter: Leia, Disney Princess?

So yeah, Disney just bought Lucasfilm.

Wait what?

I feel like I should write a little something about my initial opinion on this revelation of cinema; and considering Star Wars and its impact upon the media (and scores of other material such as video games and comics) the term "revelation" isn't unfitting. Not to mention Lucasfilm in general!

So, the bad aspects to this turn of events, since everyone's a cynic these days (oh yes they are).
If there's one thing Disney is good at, its making money from things and producing endless sequels to anything they have their mitts on. Just look at the Disney classics that have straight-to-DVD sequels! Add this to Star Wars' history of merchandise, it practically invented movie-based toys! So yeah, that could be a lethal combination that may make episodes seven, eight and nine look like the Clone Wars movie............ shudder.

There's plenty of sarcasm too, boasting that Disney will chuck in musicals and dancing tea pots and what have you... but generally, these are reasons why this probably won't happen:

The good aspects is that, number one, George Lucas isn't in full creative control! He openly made this statement: 

"It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me." 

Wow, that almost doesn't sound like him does it?

The other motivation for me is that Disney aren't just about Mickey Mouse any more... mostly because they are consuming so many diverse elements now. They took Marvel, and look how Avengers Assemble turned out? Pretty darn good! This and how they have a knack for making things look good and feel dark, keeping some adult orientation. Tron Legacy, Pirates of the Caribbean? Prince of Persia? Okay, that last film had some things wrong with it. My point is, these films have merit and are great family films that are not overly offensive (unlike Episodes 1 and 2).

Try taking those film's budgets, appearances, production value, casting and crew selection and apply that to the Star Wars universe. Eh, not looking that bad any more is it?

The only problem I have personally, is that making episodes seven, eight and nine seems a little out-dated. I remember imagining those films being made (I had never considered prequels to be made first, if at all!) and how cool it would be to have an older Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford back (this was before I realised most of the original cast wanted nothing to do with Lucas afterwards!) but now, in 2015? Surely they are getting too old for it?

What does that mean? Recasting Han Solo and Luke Skywalker? That to me is almost worse than the entire concept of sequels! These characters are so ingrained into cinema that recasting them would be virtually blasphemous! 
My only idea would be that Disney would pay Ford and others ludicrous amounts of money to come back for cameos or supportive roles and have some new blood thrown in. See Jeff Bridges' great return in Tron Legacy.

Now I've not read the Star Wars novels that continue from the original trilogy, I know there are many and they have some excellent stories to tell. Will Disney follow these? Or the comics that followed the original trilogy? Most, if not all, follow the original cast...

2015 is the slated release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, they took no time in deciding that! I am very, very reserved, but considering how low the series has sunk, maybe it is time for a revival?

Amazing to think that Lucasfilm and all of its assets is worth $4 billion though, isn't it. Incredible. 

Review: Skyfall

Skyfall marks a defining moment in the franchise, a make or break decision to scale things down, tighten the characters and their histories, to become more the thinking man's Bond. The film does not break in the attempt.

We find Bond on assignment and liberated from the rage that had once consumed him; he is a complete agent now as he tracks down stolen intelligent that gives names and locations to undercover MI6 agents. Bond however is shot accidentally, and must recover in time to stop the further sabotage of the British Secret Service.

How incredibly different this film is to the messy, ham-fisted Quantum of Solace, I can actually see the action this time! The pacing of the film is steady, everything is given to you in malleable amounts yet maintains an intelligence not seen in Bond films since On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Licence to Kill or perhaps From Russia with Love. The camera and direction slowly relish the locations, people and vistas with care and attention.

Not to say of course that the action set pieces are toned down completely, this is a Craig film; we still get incredibly kinetic and real action! I can understand how Daniel Craig wants to do more while he is physically able; especially with Skyfall's opening chase that involves a train. I know I've not seen a train chase like that before!
The charisma is still there too, Craig possibly giving his best performance yet, taking advantage of this more human Bond. The womanising Bond trait is quite restrained; there is less focus on a "Bond Girl" relationship (which is impossibly refreshing at this point!) and all of the film's focus goes into Bond's relationship with M (great to see Dudi Dench being given presence!) and her connection with the film's villain Raoul Silva.

As seen in the trailer the franchise gives us a new Q character, played by the young Ben Whishaw, whose age brings an enlightening new angle to the character's relationship with Bond. Asides Q there are plenty of references to Bond's past, but not hammered home bluntly, and they are often used with great comedic effect! Yes, there is a great sense of humour beneath the espionage heavy story too.
"A gun and a radio," Bond mutters to Q about his new gear, "Not exactly Christmas, is it."
"What were you expecting... an exploding pen?" Q parries wearily, "I'm afraid we don't go into that sort of thing any more."

Skyfall, in my opinion, is a startlingly realised Bond film. Clearly someone wanted to show characters rather than icons and this may well divide audiences; some may want more grand scale, world-threatening stories from Bond. Personally, it intrigued me from start to finish.

Great opening theme and intro, an excellent homage to the 50th Anniversary, and a film that promises even more from Bond!

Additional Marshmallows: My only concern for the franchise, is that they stuck the traditional gun barrel opening sequence at the end of the film again... I... don't like this! But, the film uses the Bond theme effectively; the score was awesome, so I suppose that makes up for it.

Review: The Machine Girl

If I were to say that The Machine Girl is one of the stupidest, worst films I've seen in a while, would you actually accept my argument? After all, I just willingly watched a film about a Japanese school girl with a machine gun for an arm, what did I expect??

So, school children born into the Yakuza gang bully and kill two kids, one of whom is Ami's brother, and in a fit of vengeance she sets out to kill the Yakuza leader only to have her arm sliced off. This barely slows her down as she straps on a custom machine gun and goes right back into battle!

I don't even know. It is terrible, campy, nonsense. It is like the producer/director just discovered red paint and how you can spray it out of tubes; the entire film (from two minutes in) has bloody stumps spraying red water about like a malfunctioning sprinkler system!
The music is terrible, the direction is terrible, the costumes are terrible (you can virtually see her real arm tied behind her back in some shots) and while it simply becomes loony toons at the end (a drill bra, okay, I get the tone of this film now!) there wasn't any distinction for the first half... it was pretty boring really, enough to put me off for the rest of it.

More budget and this could have been passable as a silly, ultra-violent action film, or at least give us some reason why this school girl can take out three ninjas who cannot hit the broadside of a mountain! All we see is that she throws basketballs well, and handles a scythe, this means she completely owns ninjas!?

I know I am looking into this too much. I'm sure if you are drunk and/or with lots of friends, The Machine Girl is the brainless entertainment required; they spared no expense with the red paint and zany murdering here.

Nothing here but camp ultra-violence.

Review: Tetsuo - The Iron Man

So people have asked me, what do I find disgusting or horrific in horror films? You know by now that I roll my eyes at the Saw series, and positively chuckled through Hostel, and for the most part nothing has freaked me out as much as old films and television shows I watched when I was younger. See my There is Nothing to Fear post.

Fear is one thing however, but to be disgusted, horrified at something is different; a sensation of complete discomfort down to the pit of your stomach... and all the way back up again. At some point during my teens I stumbled upon a film on television, late at night, which remains the only film to ever make me feel physically sick and have to turn it off.

I had never tracked it down since, and it had become something of a legend in my mind, so just for you my humble readers, on this October, I dared subject myself to Tetsuo - The Iron Man once again.

Tetsuo - The Iron Man (1989)

Only in Japan.
Tetsuo - The Iron Man is an angry, disturbed and visually unpleasant experience that is dedicated to keeping you in a state of discomfort.
None of the characters are named, and the film begins with a man with a "metal fetish", who proceeds to cut open his thigh and jam a metal bar into his leg. He is then hit and terribly wounded by a car driven by a businessman, a businessman we then follow as he is inflicted by a strange disease after the incident. A disease that is slowly transforming his body into metal.

The film is shot entirely in black and white, and this is just one reason why the film feels potent; the film shows unnatural transformation from the realms of science fiction horror in a natural setting, so the b/w tones only add to the gritty, dreamlike grunge horror the film relishes in. That and how the camera is constantly lurching around, ducking and diving, weaving and bobbing (climaxing with rapid editing and low frame rate shots and stop-frame animation, jarring the brain). The music is thumping, metallic and repetitive. Everything about the film is unpleasant to watch; it is the actual film equivalent to having a drill bored against your skull.

And that's just the direction, we haven't even gotten into the content! The poor man's transformation is both weird and violent; pipes burst from sickly white boils on his body, wires and shards of metal grow out of his skin... he gets rocket jets from his ankles?? None of it is CG either, everything is practical, physical, real effects! (and they are quite impressive at times too) I think what happens when he and his girlfriend make love made me stop watching originally...

It is like a live action H.R. Giger painting, that's the best way I can describe it. The first and second acts are definitely the hardest to watch; rooted in real life, the film has a nightmare quality and explains little to nothing, you are merely subjected to not only horrific visuals, but also deranged and nonsensical direction! The final act goes off the deep end and breaks fully into science fiction metaphysics as the man's transformation becomes total, but it is also when the plot reveals itself.

I... don't recommend this to anyone. I watched it as I knew what I was getting myself into, but the initial shock will stay with me forever. Only the Japanese could make something so psychotic and horribly mesmerising.

Additional Marshmallows: Wow, I just discovered that this film is based off a play written, directed and performed by the the actor playing as the "metal fetishist" when he was in college...

(He also voiced Vamp in the Japanese Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots video game)

Review: Tucker and Dale Versus Evil

Why does nobody think about the hillbillies!?

That's what Tucker and Dale Versus Evil asks the viewer as it takes the tired teen slasher horror film and turns it on its head, making a gory but entertaining comedy as two hapless red necks are mistaken as killers by a group of dumb teenagers on vacation. A breath of fresh air for me!

It only has a run time of eighty minutes, and that's no surprise; the film's gimmick is very straight forward to setup, but is executed well for horror fans to see the developing spoofs. The film starts ordinarily enough with dumb teens and ominous red necks, only for the point of view to switch and we see these two men as hapless, innocent bystanders, while the teens themselves turn into a pack of raving lunatics.
That isn't even explaining it fully, the teenagers are acting like the stereotypes of  the genre; reacting blindly and taking everything at face value, scaring and winding each other up into a frenzy. It was good fun watching them go into an ignorant insanity... worryingly believable too really.

I was surprised to see Alan Tudyk (Firefly and 3:10 to Yuma) here as Tucker, he's always a fun character actor to watch. The film has a lot of heart too, in fact I was more compelled by these two men than any character in a traditional slasher film! But it really was how the film reverses the summer vacation horror on its head that made it worth watching, making the slew of murders merely slapstick accidents, the two hillbillies looking on in horror.

It is a lot of fun, and if I had to pick any holes in it I would only say that some of the teens' jumps in conclusion are a little extreme, or how the one sane kid does a 180 turn in logic to "charge in guns blazing" towards the end. They are minor gripes, but for such a simple, short film they appear more obvious.

Having subjected myself to so much of this genre, seeing a well made spoof-with-a-heart of it is greatly rewarding because... well... teenagers in those films ARE stupid! I'd say this is up there with Shaun of the Dead.