NEW DARKO EXCELS
Movie Review: Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut
9/10
by Sean Harrigan
The immediate problem with Dipson Theatre’s choice to restart their Midnight Movie Madness program lies in the lineup. They have chosen a curious mix of cult favorites that teams Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut up with Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn, Dead Alive, and Street Trash: Directors Cut. Apparently they’re quite sure of their target audience. The connection between Donnie Darko and Evil Dead or Dead Alive isn’t an impossible one to make, but they take themselves seriously, in very different ways. There was an excitement going into this late night screening that was best seen in the healthy mix of all demographics waiting outside in the January wind. The crowd reaction and participation was fantastic. This is the way to see a picture.
Both versions of Donnie Darko are immediately entertaining, even hilarious in spots; but deeper than that, spending time with this movie is the only way to truly enjoy it. Its twists and turns aren’t as clear upon repeated viewings as M. Night Shyamalan’s work, and even after the third or fourth viewing, things don’t fall perfectly into place. To the people that haven’t checked out the 2001 original, it’s just one of those movies. The open-ended nature allows for theories and discussion without being incomprehensible. It begs for immediate conversation.
Donnie Darko is a movie that is equally rooted in the styles of David Lynch and Steven Spielberg. Though unlike Lynch, director Richard Kelly doesn’t screw with the viewer just for the shock value, and unlike Spielberg, he isn’t afraid to include dinnertime conversation that climaxes with what I assume to be a rhetorical question, “How exactly does one suck a fuck?” This movie plants itself in the 1980s but doesn’t once come off like a period piece. It’s got a comfortable stride that embraces the idiosyncrasies of that decade without being nostalgic and overbearing.
To think such an original and complex movie might lend itself to an extended director’s cut is questionable, but Richard Kelly’s decision to flesh out his masterpiece is understandable after the inevitable comparison. Over half the changes are not immediately noticeable. For example, soundtrack changes or extended conversations don’t change the context of the film but rather entail a more cohesive experience. For example, changing Echo and the Bunnymen’s classic “Killing Moon” to INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart” for Donnie’s introduction sounds ridiculous until witnessed. It is obvious how confident Kelly is with his film this time around.
One of the most noticeable changes comes with the addition of chapter passages. Richard Kelly’s intention with the text is either an attempt at more clearly explaining plot developments, or expanding upon his increasingly elaborate psychological games.
Fully developed dream sequences and special effects help buff out any rough spots the original may have had. A few sub-plots were added to this cut, helping to better texture the compelling drama in his life, but seeing as though the original version was near perfect by cult film standards, it is hard to argue that these are indispensably necessary.
Understanding the effect a director’s cut can have on a movie, especially one dabbling in time travel and other science fiction elements, paints a clearer picture of Kelly’s intention. It parallels the very similar DVD treatment given to James Cameron’s Aliens. Both show a great deal of consideration for the viewer’s overall experience. Donnie Darko: The Director’s Cut is a fully realized picture that is even better than the original.
HUM DRUM LOVE SONG
Movie Review: A Love Song for
Bobby Long
6/10
by Bobby Ellis
Going into a film with a title like A Love Song for Bobby Long, there is a certain amount of expectation built up for an audience. There is a feeling that at some early point in the film you’re going to meet a character named Bobby Long, and find out exactly who would write a love song for him and why. Lately, however, we have been spoiled by films that contain excruciatingly formal introductions to all of their key characters within the first few minutes. There’s no thinking involved, just passive acceptance. A Love Song for Bobby Long, while not an amazingly original film in most aspects, is enjoyable and refreshing in its reluctance to lay all of its cards on the table right away. It’s a film that is essentially about secrets; the secrets we wait to tell, the ones we forget to tell, and the ones we make a point never to remember.
The story begins with high-school dropout Pursy Will, played by Scarlett Johansson, who receives a belated invitation to her estranged mother’s funeral. She has not spoken to her mother since she was a child, but would never dare to disrespect the dead by purposely missing her funeral. When Pursy arrives at her deceased mother’s decrepit home, she finds that it’s already inhabited by Lawson Pines, played by Gabriel Macht, and Bobby Long, played by John Travolta. She comes to know these two as former friends of her mother, and also as drunks and literature fiends with delusions of grandeur. It has been their plan for the past ten years to hole up in the house and collectively write a book about the quirky life of the infamous Bobby Long. In keeping with the tone of the movie, it is not entirely clear to the audience or Pursy what their connection to her mother was, or even what their connection to each other is. One thing that is clear right away, though, is that they’re not happy about Pursy’s arrival.
From that point the story takes its time to get where it’s going, as it focuses heavily on the locations and sounds of the south. The chirps of crickets and other insects often overpower the soundtrack as the characters lie lazily around and talk about themselves. The movie takes so much time in uncovering its truths, though, that by the time it gets to its point, there is minimal surprise for the audience and no real emotional impact. A movie like this one, however, is less rewarding with its dramatic build-up to pseudo-emotional reveals, and more so with its accurate capturing of a specific mood: one of vodka-soaked dreams under a hazy and harsh sun.
Although much has been made of the acting in the film by already proven talents Scarlett Johansson and John Travolta, the real standout is the performance by Gabriel Macht, who handles his breakout role as Lawson with great care. He plays the part with a subtle sadness that only hints at the real pain he feels. His performance is actually the only one that really works to full effect, bringing with it an emotional punch that is not felt by the performances of either big name leads.
A Love Song for Bobby Long is not a movie about love in the way that you might expect. It is not a standard formulaic romantic comedy, nor is it even a particularly hard-hitting drama. It is filled with a little bit of humor, light drama, and some mystery, but never fully delivers on any one of them; the expectations are never met. The real strengths of the movie are in its romantic portrayal of a stunningly beautiful small town near New Orleans, and in the way it unfolds its story to the characters and the audience simultaneously like a charmingly slow southern drawl. Unfortunately it becomes tongue-tied and held back by its own lazy pace, and can’t be saved by the striking visuals and strong breakout performance from Macht.
DRIPPERS’ BARELY TRICKLES
Erotica Review:
Cum Drippers #4
1/10
by Christopher Ahearn
Artists are constantly trying to push boundaries; their work evolves, their styles change, and sometimes their experimentation leads to the creation of completely original masterpieces. Where would the world be if Jackson Pollock hadn’t abandoned his classical training, Thom Yorke his punk rock roots, or David Lynch the traditions of his predecessors? However, more often than not though, “experimental” art is clichéd, and almost unbearably banal. Unfortunately, the recent Voyeur Productions release, Cum Drippers #4, a film that attempts to abandon all semblance of normal structure and tenets of mainstream cinema, falls into the latter category.
Though it is apparently attempting to make some kind of radically artistic statement through its unconventional methods, Cum Drippers #4 is simply put, a mess. It lacks what would even remotely resemble a plot, and instead consists of several disjointed and confusing vignettes, all about 25 minutes in length. Each of them is independent from the next, involving completely new characters, and taking place in different locations. All of these vignettes follows the same basic structure: its female lead role is asked biographical information for several minutes until she is joined by one or two male counterparts who are briefly introduced to her, and they then proceed to consummate their short relationship.
After circulating through a myriad of different sexual positions, the filmmakers opt out of the commonplace “money shot” for an infinitely more disturbing internal ejaculation scene (known commonly among pornography aficionados as the “cream pie”), the aftermath of which makes the film’s choice of title apparent. The director is obviously trying to achieve some sort of statement through his brazen footage and lack of story, but the finished product is devoid of any such message, turning out rather as simply incoherent scenes of onscreen copulation.
Though Cum Drippers #4 stumbles because of its structure, the film’s true downfall can be attributed to the atrocious acting. What little dialogue there is is mumbled and timid, sounding more like a bad off-Broadway play than a professionally produced film. Also, during the frequent sex scenes, every single one of the females involved moans and screams unconvincingly, taking the viewer out of the reality of the movie, rather than creating the orgasmic sense of realism they intend. The acting is so bad that one almost gets the sense that the director chose his cast solely for their willingness to engage in sexual intercourse on camera rather than their thespian abilities.
The movie’s technical aspects are also botched, adding to the already jumbled and amateur feel of the film. The lack of any music is extremely awkward at several points throughout, especially when the audience hears nothing but the lapping of tongues and slurping noises for several consecutive minutes. The lighting, while not as horrible as other aspects of the film, could still use improvement, especially during scenes of anal intercourse where the women’s bruised and pimpled buttocks’ are particularly conspicuous.
Cum Drippers #4 is easily one of the worst films that I have ever had the displeasure to review. The movie is so poorly acted and terribly written without any discernable plot that it baffles me why anyone would sit through its nearly three hour running time. If you’re looking for experimental film, watch a David Lynch movie, or even Buffalo native Vincent Gallo’s recent The Brown Bunny, but whatever you do, avoid Cum Drippers #4 at all costs.
ADRIAN BELEW ME AWAY
CD Review:
Adrian Belew - Side One
10/10
by Raphael Tombasco
With Side One, guitar virtuoso and production wizard Adrian Belew (King Crimson) delivers a modern psychedelic blend of hard-hitting rock, blues, jazz, and funk that manages to encompass two decades of musical experimentation and collaboration. Being the first of three parts (Side Two and Side Three are both completed and due out before the end of 2005), the album captures an eclectic style that literally bursts out of the speakers like a fiery blast of crayon. What else can one really expect from a guitarist who plays the fretless guitar with ease and was discovered by Frank Zappa in the late 1970s?
Not having released an album since 1996’s critically acclaimed Op Zop Too Wah, Belew felt that in order to bring his tenth solo album to fruition, he would need the help of two of today’s most influential musicians; bassist Les Claypool (Primus, Oysterhead) and drummer Danny Carey (Tool, Pigmy Love Circus). In the liner notes for Side One, he notes that the first three songs needed a power trio. He got one. Their combined work is perfectly in tune with Belew’s soft vocals and intricate guitar work. The opening songs “Ampersand,” “Writing on the Wall,” and “Matchless Man” immediately engage the listener with the tight beats provided by Carey and funk-induced guitar and bass work by Belew and Claypool respectively.
Side One continues with more effects-laden rhythms, and due to Belew’s skill as a well-versed musician, Carey and Claypool’s absence in the remaining six songs is hardly noticeable. Belew takes over all instrumental duties for the rest of the album, including drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards. However, this is no surprise since he wrote all of the music and lyrics. He also created all of the artwork for Side One and took on the role of producer.
Echoes of his work in other various projects shine through at many points throughout the album, particularly the instrumental track “Madness,” which sounds as if it were a distorted mutation of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man.” Others like “Beat Box Guitar” capture a highly synthesized mix of gritty blues breakdowns and pounding dance beats. However, Belew’s genius truly shines in “Walk Around the World,” where his scale transcending guitar tracks are layered one on top of the other by use of the loop. The slow plodding beat of the song abruptly ends and is replaced by a spastic drum track and a predominant jazz bass riff. His lyrics tie it all together as he sings, “If a man can’t learn to bend like a reed does in the breeze/then how will he ever comprehend all of life’s sweet mysteries?”
His skills as a composer, lyricist, musician and artist are on full display with Side One. With a resume that has spanned decades, Adrian Belew remains one of the most influential guitarists in the music world. Since his discovery by Frank Zappa in 1977, Belew went on to tour with the Mothers of Invention, David Bowie, and the Talking Heads. In the studio, he has laid out guitar tracks with Paul Simon, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Trent Reznor for NIN’s Downward Spiral and The Fragile. He has influenced and been influenced by some of music’s greatest artists, which adds to the overall kaleidoscopic quality of Side One. This album is musical experimentation at its best. It breaks all genre conventions and leaves the listener well ready for Side Two and Side Three.
ANOTHER TELEVISION SERIES
SOUNDTRACK
CD Review:
Music from the Television Series
‘One Tree Hill’
4/10
by Evan Smith
What could be better than watching the WB’s hip new youth-geared drama One Tree Hill? The answer: Nothing! The only close-to-acceptable substitute for not watching the show would be listening to the first volume of music released by the television series this past week. Just in time for Valentine’s Day you and your best guy or gal can swing on down to Wal-Mart and pick up a copy of the album, cover all the reflective surfaces in your apartment, and make believe that you are two of your favorite love-smitten, high cheek-boned characters from the show! Swell.
But in all seriousness, WB’s One Tree Hill has followed the lead of its predecessors The OC and Dawson’s Creek and released a volume of popular music that aired during the show, including artists such as Jimmy Eat World, The Get Up Kids, 22-20s, and Trespassers William. Most of the album can be generalized by a track called “Mixtape” by singer/songwriter Butch Williams who croons about a precious mixtape given to him by an unattainable object of his desire. Like this song, the album is soft, lovelorn, and generic-sounding. In fact, the music of this release is best described as sounding exactly like a soundtrack for a dramatic television series.
The 14-track album includes three acoustic cuts. Pop-emo band Story of the Year contributes a lack-luster acoustic version of “Sidewalks” and Sheryl Crow delivers a dull rendition of her hit single “The First Cut is the Deepest.” Worse than either of these tracks is a sappy song called “Glad” played by debut heart-throb recording artist Tyler Hilton who also plays a recurring part as musician Chris Keller on the television series.
As a special treat, this compilation also includes a live version of the series’ number one radio hit theme song “I Don’t Want To Be” performed by Ithaca graduate Gavin DeGraw. While the track can certainly boast great quality for a live recording and an annoyingly catchy hook, the lyrics to this song are as flat as that can of Crystal Pepsi you’ve been holding on to. The chorus proclaims “I don’t want to be anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately.” How’s that for circular logic.
There are a few sunny spots on this album however. Brit-rockers Travis pitch-in a light, catchy tune titled “Re-Offender.” Fresh off their popular single “Somewhere Only We Know,” Keane contributes a track from their hit album Hopes and Fears called “Everybody’s Changing” that outperforms their first single and will more than likely be receiving radio airplay in the near future. In opposition to the rest of the album, a band from Oregon called Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers delivers an enjoyable, power-charged track entitled “Funny Little Feeling” that is quite heavier than the rest of the album.
On a whole, Music from the Television Series ‘One Tree Hill’ is a pretty lame collection of music that one could expect from a teen-geared television series. The album has its ups, but not nearly enough of them to outweigh the downs. Unless you’re a hardcore One Tree Hill fan, save your money for the next OC soundtrack.
