A couple months ago, a rather odd (viral) film emerged out of the Icelandic ashes of one Valtari* (XL; 2012), the latest soundtrack-friendly album by Sigur Ros — one of the seminal pre-millennial disestablishmentarian tilrauninas (Icelandic for “experimenters”) that helped define and shape the very landscape of what many music connoisseurs affectionately refer to as “post rock.”
Once upon a time, Morpiedra promised the editor a brief write-up about Fast5. A million years later, the article still hasn’t happened. Having recently gained access to HBO, I stumbled on this movie among the OnDemand choices and finally got a chance to watch it. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve seen all of the films in this franchise. Also, I’m unashamed to say that I like most of them. Maybe it’s because the films are popcorn fare, so they get a pass. Maybe it’s because I’ve always liked cars. I was never a tuner, but anyone else frequent New Carrolton Metro in the early 2000s? Maybe it’s because, as an Asian American man, I’m always hoping for more POC (people of color) on the silver screen. So while Morpie (pronounced more-pee) roams the great yonder doing his hermit thing, I’m taking the reins of this write up as well as stealing a page from his book (with his blessing) to scribble five thoughts on Fast5 (Justin Lin, 2011). Enjoy.
This piece intends to comment on Ridley Scott’s Prometheus in relation to its allusions to deities, creation and religion. Being that I come from a Christian background, however, much of this article (unavoidably) relies on Prometheus’ supposed Biblical allusions — as it appears to have been Ridley Scott’s intention to draw from such themes. Still, because I axiologically write from a Creationist perspective, it is in no ulterior way meant to challenge secularist interpretations of the film.
This is not an essay. As of now, there is no structure, MLA formatting, citations, or working thesis.
The Cabin in the Woods represents a new, albeit peculiar, breed of twists to the horror genre. It’s a movie about a certain archetype of movie, and as such, it’s an especially difficult film to review.
After writing that Kentucky Fried Christianity piece, I told IHL Editor Richie that my next review/commentary would be for Justin Lin’s Fast Five (2011). Said piece has yet to be written. This is, in part, because I recently encountered and became enamored with another Lin film: Finishing the Game (2007). An article that addresses both will come eventually.
In the meanwhile, lest I become known as the dude who only likes to talk about old-ass films, here are my thoughts about a slightly more-recent film: Drive (2011).
As I’ve fervently opined heretofore, the American studio adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo‘s cyberpunk anime classic, Akira, was a fantastically terrible idea, particularly in how the studio was set to dumb down its stirring and cerebral philosophical underpinnings; as well as attenuate its inherently violent aesthetic to better suit mainstream, PG-13-friendly audiences in the Occident.
Imagine my schadenfreude when confirmed news of the adaptation’s demise leaked through the InterWebs yesterday, beginning with Borys Kit’s report via HollywoodReporter.com.
Kim Jong-il’s death made me sentimental. This is what I actually said to someone when recently asked about my feelings on his passing. Yes, sometimes, I’m rather inarticulate. In such moments, my temporal lobe probably grasps at lingering plumes of an alien language learned first and long since forgotten. Also, my friends don’t associate with many Koreans, it would seem. So I get asked things like this from time to time.
