Category Archives: movies

movies, music, reviews

Movie review: Atomic – Living in Dread and Promise (2015)

Wow, I didn’t expect such a powerful and emotional experience!

I watched Mogwai play live to this movie at Ex Theater Roppongi in Tokyo, and ”Atomic” – being a chronological history of nuclear disaster – obviously begins with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The emotional experience came out of watching and hearing some of the Japanese people in the audience cry when being shown archive footage of burnt bodies, babies screaming in agony, nature being destroyed and millions of people’s lives shattered due to American atomic bombs. And in the end, there was Fukushima.
Also, with President Obama visiting Hiroshima only two days ago, I guess this was even more emotional to many.

The movie in itself is nothing spectacular. Archive footage, that’s pretty much it. What makes it special is the great soundtrack. I can’t think of any better band to score this than Mogwai, the undisputed kings of shoegazer doom. And listening to it live, in a theater with awesome sound and at maximum volume, was nothing but extremely powerful. The ending noise crescendo with the pounding drums and droning guitars was like Merzbow on LSD.

Rated: 3 / 5 (the movie) 3,5 / 5 (the album) 4,5 / 5 (the concert)

movies, reviews

Movie review: Birth (2004)

A modern day “Rosemary’s Baby” directed by Stanley Kubrick? Well, almost. But without the horror.

This tense, wicked, mysteriously psychological drama is ultimately a deep dive into the psyche of a woman struggling with lost love, grief and madness. It’s wicked in that it at first glance is about a woman who opens her door to a boy who says he’s her dead husband reborn… What the hell?
But that’s just scratching the surface.

Even though the subject of this movie is absurd, the approach is 100% serious. They could have made this funny, but instead it’s eerie, and in the end it’s a heartbreaking experience.
The colours (brown, beige, gray) remind me of Lars von Triers “Riget”, making it almost like a fantasy. The dense atmosphere and the tone of the score only adds to the unreal.

Nicole Kidman delivers a stunning performance. Her fragile and desperately silent emotions are almost felt through the screen, especially in the famous opera scene, where the close-up of her face (with Wagner playing in the background) displays acting and camera work at its best. No cuts. An actor totally in character. It’s a magical moment in film history.

“Birth” left me in a melancholic state of mind, yet still in amazement. I actually watched it two times in a row, and the second time I was even more fascinated, and it made me realize how well crafted this film really is. Even though it’s losing steam along the way, a rewatch made complete sense. I don’t want to understand it, I just want to experience it, because it moved me. I will watch it again.

Some say this is the most underrated masterpiece in film history. I have to think about that. Jonathan Glazer is without a doubt a master of mood, but this mood is certainly not for everyone.
For me, it was deeply fascinating.

Rated: 4 / 5

movies, reviews

Movie review: Beasts of No Nation (2015)

War is hell, and even more so when it’s seen through the eyes of a child.

”Beasts of No Nation” is powerful, majestic, dark and emotional. It’s easily one of the best movies I’ve seen lately, and definitely one of the best war films in a very long time. Cary Joji Fukunaga, probably most known for his work with ”True Detective”, is from now on one of my fave movie makers. He gets almost everything right, especially the really hard things, like making things seem authentic.

I’m always impressed when actors are so good you don’t realize they’re acting, and I usually hate child actors. These boys are amazing all the way through (hail Abraham “Agu” Attah!), and I’d really like to know how Fukunaga worked with them.

Along with some really good footage (the camera work is astounding at times) and a moving but depressing story (child soldiers in Africa), ”Beasts of No Nation” is quite a ride that should not be missed by anyone. It might be missing that little extra which makes you praise the Lord and shit, but in a world dominated by bad Hollywood films, this one is a true killer.

Rated: 4 / 5

movies, reviews

Movie review: The Lobster (2015)

Having thoroughly enjoyed Yorgos Lanthimos’ ”Dogtooth”, one of the absolute highlights of 2009, my expectations were high. ”The Lobster” didn’t disappoint, but I wasn’t thrilled either.

This film obviously has a really odd feel to it, being some kind of dark dystopian comedy. It’s a little too much comedy for my taste, even though it’s a deep movie, essentially about loneliness and modern day relationship problems. I’d prefer a more serious take on these subjects, but maybe that’s because I’m not in the mood for joking about right now. It certainly has its dark moments as well, which makes it really interesting.

”The Lobster” is slow, bizarre and sometimes bordering on the surreal, and I will definitely watch it again, hopefully in a different state of mind. It’s absolutely worth it.

Btw, the voice-over (amongst other things) made me think of ”The Grand Budapest Hotel” and a deeply depressed/disturbed Wes Anderson. Good or bad? You decide.

Rated: 3,5 / 5

art, movies

Beyond the Black Rainbow

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I just saw a movie that was right up my alley (thanks for the tip, Claudio Marino!). I won’t tell you much about it, I think it’s better that way. What you need to know is that Beyond the Black Rainbow is  a psychotronic kind of movie, where plot isn’t as important as aesthetics. This thing is beautiful! Along with the dark and brooding soundtrack (the main theme is obviously inspired by the masters: Goblin) it strives for perfection in the genre. Of course it has its’ flaws, but if you’re in the right mood: Crank up the volume and turn off the lights and this beast will hold you spellbound for almost two hours straight.

I feel the same vibe in movies like Inland Empire, The Limits of Control, Valhalla Rising, Eraserhead, Amer and maybe even Stalker, 2001: A Space Odyssey and some Cronenberg flicks. If you like that stuff, you’ll hopefully dig this one too.

art, movies, philosophy, religion

The Holy Mountain – Part One

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Alejando Jodorowsky‘s The Holy Mountain (1973) is one of my all time favourites. It’s about symbolism, mainly focused on spirituality and the occult, death, rebirth, mysticism and the extramundane, but also on capitalist production, militarism and the absurd. The visual vocabulary is unique and absolutely stunning. Press pause in any frame at any time throughout the whole film, and you will get an image that constitutes the most amazing art. After all, Jodorowsky was trying with all his soul to make a sacred film. He wanted to change mankind with it, make it a source of enlightenment for the audience, and he believed that cinema was better than LSD…

The Holy Mountain has certainly changed me and the way I look at things, and most importantly the way I look at movies. In my eyes, this is pure gold/excrements. It operates on so many levels and is filled with so much detail, I believe you need to experience it several times to grasp its universal themes. Knowledge of the occult, religion and its’ most basic symbols is essential for understanding. Sometimes it comes out deep as fuck, and sometimes it does not (to put it simply, haha!)… That’s what I love with this piece of art: It rules even when it sucks!

These posts are based on Jodorowsky’s commentary track for the Anchor Bay DVD edition, as well as the book The Spiritual Journey of Alejandro Jodorowsky. You may want to watch the movie while you read this text, and hopefully, a deeper kind of understanding will emerge on your highway to hell/nirvana or whatever you may fancy.

Here are the first three minutes of the film, as explained by Jodorowsky in the commentary track:

First, a set decorated without furniture. It’s clean, like a hospital, with crosses on the wall to convey a sense of mysticism. There are only essential objects, like a sacred ceremony. The master’s outfit conceals his face. He hides his face, like Mohammed. He is an essential being, without ego.

These are the actual movements of a Japanese tea ceremony. All the movements are conscious.

These two girls weren’t actresses. They wanted to have a spiritual experience. They were searching for their own truth, their naked truth.

[the camera sweeps across different images]
The inner God that opens in circles towards a greater consciousness.
A heart that opens towards a greater consciousness.
The target that the arrow must hit.
The eye of Buddha.
The pearl, the soul that must be polished.
When the door is opened, a key is found with the trilogy.
Now, descend into the world of the dead, to the world of the dreamless dreams.
Descending…
Butterfly wings symbolize metamorphosis.
Back up through the serpent, Kundalini… the pearls of Eros, until it arrives at a geometric figure, which is the interior consciousness.

After this three minute introduction filled to the brim with symbols of the occult, we meet the protagonist, the Christ like figure, the Thief, lying on the ground, and who through the course of the film will experience moments of enlightenment. Jodorowsky continues:

He’s ”The Fool” of the tarot. His face is covered with flies, symbolizing useless thoughts. He is urinating on himself. He’s drunk and lost. This is the card that defines him, the tarot’s Fool card. The Fool is always represented by an animal that is his ego. The frog is the ego.

To be continued in Part Two.