This weekend's movies: Yes Nurse! No Nurse, Dancer in the Dark etc.

[illusionofjoy]

Now that I have committed an act of local blasphemy (in "dissing" the Steelers and their fans), I feel the need to re-centre myself. That is, I need to get back to what I really think is important: art. This weekend, joi_division and I glutted on movies, consuming and unheard of five in three days (one in the theatre, three on DVD and one on ye olde VHS cassette). The films, in the order in which we viewed them: Yes Nurse! No Nurse!, Almost Famous, The Village, Dancer in the Dark and Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy. Onto the reviews or my comments:

Yes Nurse! No Nurse!

After a hiatus from The Oaks Theater of nearly a month (mostly to avoid that regrettable event known as "The Three Stooges Film Marathon"), Joi and I ventured out on Friday to catch the local debut of Yes Nurse! No Nurse!. The trailer for the film had advertised this as, "a decadent Dutch treat" and the movie indeed lived up to this proclamation. Effectively, it had all the substance of cotton candy, yet the sheer camp value of the film made it impossible for me to hate it. While the plot is unbelievable and unbelievably full of holes, the sheer spectacle makes up for it. Imagine watching a high school play that is so funny you forget about the amateurism of the whole affair and simply sit back and enjoy the right; this is the correct mindset in which to watch Yes Nurse! No Nurse!. It also helps to be a gay man.

I have only one complaint regarding this film - and it isn't even about the movie! To the man sitting four rows back from me and three seats to my left: your lack of courteously was to the detriment of a thoroughly enjoyable theatre-going experience. It was completely unnecessary for you to recite every subtitle which flashed on the screen during the showing of this film, as I am quite certain that everyone in the theatre was entirely able to read them of their own accord. The fact that your verbalisations were unwelcome should have become crystalline after the first, second and third time I was forced to look back in your direction, place my index finger perpendicular to my lips and utter, "shhhh!" Your presence made me bemoan the fact that theatres have discontinued the practise of having ushers wander the aisles, at the ready to remove noisy patrons. Furthermore, being a man in his 50s, you simply should have known better! I hope that it is never my misfortune to share a viewing space with you ever again.

Almost Famous

The first time I had ever seen this film was when it first came out on DVD, back when I was making trips to Albany, New York. At the time I was acquainted with a band native to the New York State capital district and myself, along with my then girlfriend and three-fifths of that band had all settled into the home of the lead singer to view it. The plot of the film centres around a 70s rock band on the cusp of making it the big time and the young aspiring rock critic who has managed to land a gig for Rolling Stone, his assignment being to do an article on this band as he follows them around on tour. During one scene, the band's tour bus is at a rest stop, from where it drives away sans one member - the lead vocalist. The lead singer of the capital district band I was acquainted with had, before the scene, said, "this next par coming up is hilarious." I wonder what psychologists would say about that.

In any case, sucker for music movies that I am, Almost Famous is one of my favourite films. While I remain very much a product of the 80s (terminally, some might say), I have this affection for classic rock from the 70s, which I just can't seem to shake - nor do I really want to.

The Village

I suspect that M. Night Shyamalan watched a lot of episodes of "The Twilight Zone" when he was a kid. I did too. This is a really good film that you aren't able to figure out entirely within the first fifteen minutes unless you make a really lucky guess. The only reason the majority of critics disliked this film was because they are cynical bastards who don't get laid enough.

Dancer in the Dark

Many assumed that Dancer in the Dark was Björk's motion picture debut. This is inaccurate, as she first had a starring role in an obscure film from the 80s entitled The Juniper Tree. The film was a theatrical flop and remained unreleased on home video until 1990.

Dancer in the Dark fares much better, though like Björk's actual film debut, it does make for difficult viewing. The eccentric Icelandic songstress plays Selma, an immigrant factory worker in 1960s rural America who is slowing going blind due to a genetic disorder. She has a son with the same affliction for whom she has been saving up as much money as she can in order that he can get an operation which will save his sight. Selma's life is that of grinding dull routine into a slow spiral of darkness; the only things that keep her going are her hope that her son will have a chance that she never will and her love for American musicals.

Some have accused director Lars von Trier - to paraphrase a review in Salon.com - of being a sadistic bastard. His film making techniques have also been decried as juvenile, as he comes from a school of thought that could be best described as "punk filming" - the shot doesn't have to be perfect as long as it is honest. Not having viewed his other movies, I can not comment on von Trier's overall technique, however his methods were the first thing I noticed in Dancer in the Dark.

This film works on two planes of existence: one is reality. This is shot with hand-held cameras, which are constantly moving and, truthfully, do look quite amateurish. However, this works to the advantage of the storytelling in the real world, as life is an unrefined and unplanned series of events that are often confusing and irksome because one hasn't looked in exactly the right place at the right time. The other plane of existence is Selma's musical fantasy world. Towards the beginning of the film, the factory becomes a sound stage and all of the workers beginning singing and dancing. The camera work, previously shaky and unrefined, becomes like that of a music video: crisp production with a great deal of fast cuts that are always spot-on to where the most important action is. At the end of each number, however, we return the drabness and imperfection of reality.

Based on this film alone, I am led to believe that Lars von Trier, much like Stanley Kubrick, has a very bleak view of humanity. The amount of social commentary in Dancer in the Dark is staggering, if one can stomach it. For example: in one scene, Selma mentions that the Communism of her native Czechoslovakia was better because, "it's good for people to help each other." Later in the film, when she is put on trial for murder, the prosecutor uses that quote to paint Selma as someone who hates America...and what "decent person" could possibly hate America? In the 1960s it was the Communists who were going to destroy the free world; now it's the terrorists, and according to The Patriot Act, the Bush administration can finger anyone they want as a terrorist.

As an actress, Björk is rivetting. She claimed, due to arguments with the director during the shooting, that she would never again do another film. Personally, I hope she's lying.

Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy

After having our hearts ripped out via Dancer in the Dark, Joi and I needed some mindless humour. Thankfully, those wacky Canadians from The Kids in the Hall were there to oblige. A bad movie that is very funny.

Comments

[joi-division.livejournal.com]

"Two hours later, he hit a vital organ and died..." *snicker*

Too bad there isn't a real form of Gleemonex on the market; I mean, we saw that it helped people in denial. We know of plenty of people in denial who could use that chemical help. Although those coma's would suck...but... hmmm maybe not...

:D

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

I know a lot of people I'd to see in a coma...just not a happy one.

[cynic2022.livejournal.com]

Ahh Kids in the Hall, wacky fun.

I've also been thinking about whether or not I need to see The Village, so I'll take the "reviewers don't get laid enough" comment as a good enough endorsement for checking it out.

Also, just for fun -insert flirtatious gesture here-

;) Rane

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

Indeed, I really liked The Village, despite the critical disdain.

A flirtatious gesture? That could be anything...let's assume that it's work-safe, for the sake of our audience and their tender disposition, however.

[cynic2022.livejournal.com]

Work-safe it is then. ;)

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

Huh?

[ruined888.livejournal.com]

what about, the gun? did you give the gun a good cleaning?


dood, that is not a bad movie, it's one of my favorites of all time, I make it a point to subject my friends to this movie.

most of them thank me for doing so

some never speak to me again.



--Angel
It's made from monkey cum you know.

[illusion-of-joy.livejournal.com]

Bad movie = cult classic (i.e.: "Rocky Horror"). In other words, no heavy thought required, but much too much fun to not watch again.

"Two hours later he finally hit a vital organ..."