AZN flicks part II

Ok, so next is Shutter..a very much under-exposed (no pun intended) film which is the surprise package I intend to talk about in detail.

The film starts as your standard ghost story, a person dies early on, and only reveals herself to the initiators of her fate thru photos (hence the title). But this film is so.. so much more, with a twist I would argue bigger than that of the aforementioned flick and even the much acclaimed Sixth Sense!

Nate n I began watching this film, joking around with what was presented to us as we would any horror, but our comments steadily turned towards plot developments and the dilemmas each of the characters faced. We were indeed getting sucked in~! How did this happen?...

Without introduction, the director manages to purvey realistic, three dimensional characters through the believable choices they make - refreshing for the horror genre. The viewer finds themselves on a journey alongside the protagonists, allowing the subtlety of each performance to shine as we can associate.. we're in there riding with them!, working out this mystery as we go. Now as our minds get pre-occupied in the mystery (and the girlfriend.. who is a dead-set babe might I add), unbeknown to us, a couple of big scares are on their way. Now I'm happy if I jump once in a horror film.. I think I was rewarded with 3 or 4 genuine scares here and many more minor ones. And I was dirty on the director at one stage for making me jump solely through the use of the soundtrack without any visual to back it up! wtf~! how'd he get away with it? Anyway, he did. So needless to say, this film isn't out of the Sam Raimi book of horror. The stunt was two-pronged in that it also set a tone as the viewer reluctantly fears anything may lie round the corner with formulaic familiarity now out the window.. we become introduced to the unknown, which heightens the tension no-end! At another tense point in the film, my dog burst through the door as he has done many times.. but on this occasion he scared the bejesus out of me! That's when I realised I was watching no ordinary horror.

For the attentive viewer, it's possible to work out the mammoth twist with the clues provided, you'll at least get some way there before (towards the end) you are shown the signs in rapid succession in flashback form. The direction here is brilliant as I was able to piece it all together at the exact point of the twist being revealed.. Nate got it seconds earlier, and as he fumbled for the remote and the pause button to exclaim this, I put it together as well with the help of some more flashback shots.. dirty all the while that I couldn't put it together sooner. So we're given two chances at working this thing out, a satisfying way to tell the story and a technique I'd urge every screenplay writer of the mystery genre to use.

It's sad that 99% of film goers won't ever see this flick cuz it's foreign and contains subtitles, but it's number one for mine as far as horrors go. The American remake did get more of an audience, but of course they fuct the film up in the process. The Asian film experience is always a more sensual affair and pays much more attention to the emotional journey without talking down to its audience. Couple this with a rip-roaring story, and you get a kick-ass film such as 'Shutter'. Too bad the critics write off the Thai movie industry, indeed there are many shockers. But there are also some gems. Many Thai's believe believe their ghost fables to be based in truth which may be what gives them an unparalleled sense of authenticity. I dunno.. but Shutter draws from this rich pedigree of the likes of 'Nang Nak' and beyond, holding it's head up high (I laugh as I write this.. watch the film and you'll understand ;) and you'll also no doubt concur that 'Shutter' ..is one such gem!

AZN flicks

So I've never really been a fan of the horror genre, simply cuz they just don't scare me. But that's now changed as I realise I had just been watching the wrong ones! cue 'Old Boy' (Korean) and Shutter (Thai) yes you heard me correctly, Thai~!!

Now it's known that the Koreans have been able to spin an emotional web thru film for a while, but I didn't realise that they could translate this gift into horror. But think about it, of course its possible.. in fact now I believe it's a prerequisite, as only once you understand the human psyche, can you manipulate it! In the west we can tell a ripping yarn thru celluloid to be sure, but us luddites lack the subtlety and emotional depth necessary to really get under the viewers skin. With this gift enabled however (a talent many eastern directors seem to posses), the capacity to transcend the gratuitous gore barrier is overcome, with the viewer provided an emotional attachment and thereby primed for genuine scares.



'Old Boy' stands on its own as a masterpiece. Many people I'm sure are left puzzled half an hour in as to what the hell is happening, but if you hang in there.. you'll find every seemingly bizarre and pointless occurrence is very much integral to the films narrative. And as the story progresses, you'll catch yourself thinking 'ohhh, that's why!' in ever decreasing intervals until you get to the ultimate twist which I kid you not had me reacting with an out loud 'no fuking way' expelled in appreciation of the gravity of the revelation. Needless to say, it came together beautifully and I still feel a little uneasy about it all which no doubt was the directors intention.



Ok, so next time I'll review 'Shutter'.. the very much under-exposed (no pun intended) film which is the surprise package I can't wait to to talk about in detail.

Donnie Darko

The only film I know which uses its soundtrack to add to the storyline (at one point it introduces the characters through one song – Tears for Fears no less – in a way other films can dedicate ½ the running time to). It's also a thought provoking intelligent post-modern story told in a classy way..  **watch it!**

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Think Rocky Horror but with better songs and maybe even a bit more cheek.
Now I don’t particularly like musicals, but once you throw in a bit of charactor developement the way this film has, you get an extra dimension that many don't. Chicago goes close (closer if they cast Kylie as the lead) likewise ‘Rio Bravo’ and ‘Moulon Rouge’ (had it been ½ an hour shorter) and even Singing in the rain, but there's still daylight between these and anything else in the genre.

Mullholland Drive

Once you get it, you can’t help but be impressed at David Lynch’s ability to take you to another place – not a flick where you can just switch off from it and just go along for the ride.

Jean de Florette and it's sequel Mannon Des Sources

For their simplicity and ability to take you back to another time and place (however at 4 hours in total, it’s a big investment).

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

What a clever way to show how the romance can go out of a relationship with time! The film is a thought provoking (in more ways than one – you have to of seen it) journey to boot.

film rant

Don't you just detest two-dimensional Hollywood blockbusters? I do–unless they deviate a great deal from their traditional format. Now take cutting edge movies that push the boundaries of film making, that's a different story (literally)–film making should be an uncensored medium (unlike TV) and a visit to the flicks should not just be entertainment but an informative, eye opening or even a soul-searching experience. Leave the formula driven happy ending fodder to telemovies.

When it comes to rewarding these filmmakers, there are also some fundamental problems. Presently, the movies that appeal to the lowest common denominator get the kudos. The Academy Awards speak for themselves in this respect with members of the academy–who more often than not have one foot in the grave, given the power to allow a film to go down in history as great. They are a relatively small cross-section of the film-going public, so they lack depth, and the middle of the road films of course, win out–cuz the independent flicks with something to say don’t appeal to this group on a whole. Now, this is hardly a conducive way to get cutting edge results! And the Golden Globes are far LESS legitimate. To achieve their results, they pretend to be all-inclusive by using the foreign press, a group of 90 or so hand picked ‘journalists’ (read: invited members who all now reside in Hollywood) who can be bought–and often are! and who become no more than puppets to the might of the big studios.

Now there's no point bagging sumthing unless you have an alternative right? So what is it? Simple.. films of each particular flavour that are voted on by people who understand this flavour i.e. If you like and understand Film Noir, YOU vote for the films that fall under that umbrella. Or if you can identify with Chinese gangster flicks, once again, YOU vote for it. This concept has been put into practice online with some websites allowing people to give their own ratings on the film of the day. If the site is well patronised and universally recognised, it can achieve a vast wealth (database) of knowledge. The end result is that people with more than a passing interest in films and also a knowledge of the subject matter of the particular film, are given the power to judge it. When we look at upwards of 10,000 (now knowledgeable) people voting on the film, it irons out individual bias and we get a clearer picture of it’s worth. Any person can therefore find and watch a Japanese Samurai film that has scored well, with confidence that it is one of the best of it’s type around–power to the people! And if that person understands the culture and identifies with its characters, he may be compelled to vote on the film himself!

That said, let's get into em..