conspiracy

Death Of The Superhero (Alan Moore)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Another month, another post about The Reading List, my ever-faithful and dear readers!

In case you haven’t read that article yet, which is okay, because I’ve only been writing about it once a month, I’ll give you a quick update.

The Reading List

Every month, I turn back to The Reading List for another book to read and another artist for you to consider in your own personal journey. My goal with this project is simple, I am challenging myself to read one book a month from 5 particular groupings. The 5 L’s of Language as I’ve come to call it.

  • LIFE – Biographies/Art/Music
  • LOVE – Classic Fiction/Non-Fiction/Graphic Novels
  • LEARN – Business/Leadership/Self-Help
  • LABEL – Philosophy/Sociology/Psychology
  • LEET -The Internet

But before I dig into this month’s grouping, I’m going to share with you something of an anecdote.

Alan Moore and The Killing Joke

A few weeks ago, I wrote a film review about a movie which had finally been adapted from a beloved stand-alone graphic novel. A story which has since inspired a generation of artists and furthered an ethos about the importance of Batman as a popular cultural icon. That review was on The Killing Joke, originally created by Alan Moore and Brian Bollard.

You see friends, the movie I reviewed was not endorsed by either party, and is definitely not a faithful adaptation.

The Killing Joke is well known in the comics community and has slowly been incorporated into other Batman media outlets like film and video games. Many critics considerate it to be the best Joker story of all time and one of the key Batman stories to read. I happen to agree with that last statement. And as I also mentioned in that review, Alan Moore has expressed personal regrets about ever having written it.

The logic from Moore being that he wanted to expand upon ideas of what superheroes were and could be, to reinvigorate the industry with silly and fun stories, radical stories, stories that made you consider them and recognize how bizarre comic books truly are. A challenge to the continuity and mythos of superheroes. But after Alan Moore made that story, the industry continued to darken and darken as a consequence, and the industry has never really snapped back since that dramatic shift.

But did you know that The Killing Joke was made in 1988 and is preceded by two other well known stand alone stories that Moore wrote? V For Vendetta also came out in 1988, and the  Watchmen series had previously wrapped up in 1987. Watchmen is in fact the first story to really breakdown the superhero genre in an epic way.

And both of those films enjoyed their own adaptations, also criticized by Moore for stripping the source and energy of the original stories. You see, dear readers, Alan Moore is the type of artist that believes in comic books, but has such a respect for them that he would rather he remove has name from any film adaptations then work with movie studios to produce a variation.

As a consequence of that rationale, rights have been sold for other Alan Moore works – From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Constantine.

This demonstrates rather well the power of his storytelling ability, the success he has had in the comic industry, and also the confidence he has in not compromising his art in order to make money.

Which is why if you haven’t guessed it yet, the grouping of the month is LOVE, because I love Alan Moore’s graphic novels. His spiritual and political views are somewhat different than my own,  him being a ceremonial magician and anarchist, but I think that adds to his value as an artist you should watch, because he brings an incredible dedication to his work and the best way to become a well rounded individual is to remove barriers and ignorance.

I’ll leave you with this quote from The Mindscape of Alan Moore, and let you ponder his frankness.

Yes, there is a conspiracy, indeed there are a great number of conspiracies, all tripping each other up … the main thing that I learned about conspiracy theories is that conspiracy theorists actually believe in the conspiracy because that is more comforting. The truth of the world is that it is chaotic. The truth is, that it is not the Jewish banking conspiracy, or the grey aliens, or the twelve-foot reptiloids from another dimension that are in control, the truth is far more frightening; no-one is in control, the world is rudderless.

What do you think? Have you read any of his work? Do you think he’s a genius, a lunatic or a bit of both? I have a theory or two on it.

Tim!

Explicit Content (The Nice Guys review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Pornography isn’t supposed to be intellectually stimulating, it’s supposed to arouse your sexual organs and get your mind on the topic of sexual intercourse. It generally exploits the sexual act, but sometimes there is a story to help the viewer get into a theme and turn them on.

But what if you throw politics into your pornographic video? Doesn’t it lose it’s lustre? Well, this week’s movie review explores exactly that, with some gratuitous results.

 

 

 

The Nice Guys (2016)

Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Margaret Qualley, Kim Basinger
Director: Shane Black
released on blu-ray August 23, 2016
********* 9/10

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IMDB: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%, Audience Score 80%
The Guardian: ****/*****

 

Shane Black is an American writer, director, producer, and sometimes actor.

With a very interesting history in film, he has written the first two Lethal Weapon movies, The Monster Squad, The Last Boy Scout, Last Action Hero, and disaster The Long Kiss Goodnight before venturing into the realm of director a decade later in a great career recovery. As a writer/director he has been responsible for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 (which Chris loves to remind me is basically the same movie as KKBB) and now The Nice Guys. It should also be noted that he has The Predator sequel, The Destroyer, and Doc Savage on his plate to release in the next few years.

Are you get a theme here folks? Black is excellently prepared to create action based movie, especially those which fit inside of noir universes. So where does The Nice Guys fit into this mix, you ask?

Well, it’s kind of an amazing story about two second-rate PIs that initially start out at odds but end up working together to investigate what is supposed to be the suicide of a Los Angeles porn star in the 1970s. One of the men, Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is hired by the victims aunt to find Misty, as the aunt believes Misty is still alive. March is somewhat skeptical, but takes the job. He then finds out that a missing girl named Amelia Kutner (Margaret Qualley) is involved. Amelia hires enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) to keep March off her trail. But after he is jumped by two thugs looking for Amelia, Healy realizes they are part of something larger, and involves March so they can work together to solve the Misty Mountain suicide. March’s teenage daughter Holly (Angourie Rice) tags along as well, as she doesn’t think March will follow through.

The two PIs and Holly eventually unravel a much larger plot that involves an experimental porn/documentary which Misty Mountains starred in, and which Amelia helped create. The video exposes how Detroit automakers are working with the government to prevent a mandatory inclusion of catalytic converters into new vehicles. Amelia’s mother Judith Kutner (Kim Basinger) is an important official in the US Department of Justice, but it turns out she is part of the conspiracy as well, and has been working with the thugs to confuse March and Healy.

Ultimately, March and Healy are able to get a copy of the film to the police after it is shown at an auto show as part of a secret protest by the projectionist Misty and Amelia worked with. Judith goes to jail, but the Detroit automakers are immune from charges. Healy and March decide to continue to work together, and name their agency, The Nice Guys.

It is an excellent story wrapped about a buddy cop comedy, and featuring a healthy amount of self-aware violence and dark humour. The chemistry between Crowe and Gosling is undeniable, but Angourie Rice is excellent as the bright-eyed, yet sharp, Holly. Her inclusion manages to elevate a form of filmmaking that has seen better years.

Pros: It’s oddly refreshing given that the premise of the story is about clean air and dirty pictures. The contrasting styles of it’s two male leads, and the absurdist situations they get themselves into well keep you engaged. And the conscious efforts of young Holly March provide a ground.

Cons: The story felt a little pressured to follow through in places, it might have been nice (intentional pun) to see some breathability between scenes and set changes.

Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes

Points of Interest: As the movies starts, and Holland March is monologuing, a porno theatre is playing a movie called Bang Bang Kiss Kiss. Shane Black films typically feature Christmas in them, this one has a scene towards the ends that takes place at Christmas.

This film features incredibly common action tropes of people being thrown through windows, traditional explosions, and shootouts. But the action is never the centre of the story, rather it reminds you how odd sex and death are, and makes your head shake as work through the plot of the film. The Nice Guys is a buddy cop comedy for this generation, a little more sophisticated, but not completely removed from it’s history.

 

 

 

The Nice Guys doesn’t get too hung up on the pornography itself or even the industry as it’s story progresses along, but it does find an avenue to engage it’s audience in a rather intense way. This has a lot to do with Black’s familiarity with the action and comedy genres, and his ability to use both in interesting ways. The Nice Guys aren’t really that nice, but they get the job done.

Welcome To Americana (American Ultra review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

What do you know about mind control dear readers? Daresay I say it, but I hope the answer is nothing.

Not because your minds have been wiped, but because it’s a really weird and controversial topic and I’d rather stay away from conspiracy theories if I can help it. But they are theories… So maybe I will write about them sometime.

Anyway, today’s Theatrical Tuesday entry is about mind control. But is the movie worth watching or should you forget I ever shared it with you?

 

 

 

American Ultra (2015)
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton
Director: Nima Nourizadeh
released on blu-ray November 24, 2015
******* 7/10

AmUltra_ Poster

IMDB: 6.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 44%, Audience Score 48%
The Guardian: **/*****

From the guy that brought you Project X and literally nothing else so far. Nima Nourizadeh is a fairly green Iranian-British director. Before he he made Project X (and American Ultra) he made music videos for Dizzee Rascal, Pink Grease, Franz Ferdinand, Bat for Lashes, Santigold, Hot Chip, Yelle and Lily Allen.

Interestingly enough I think directing music videos helped him get his first gig (Project X) which was a giant party movie, and in turn this movie, which is a stoner/action movie. It’s all about proper transitions, dear readers.

But what is the story about?

Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is in a holding cell, waiting to be interrogated. A man enters, while another watches and Mike experiences flashbacks of the past few days.

Cut back to Mike in West Virginia with his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart). He had planned a trip to Hawaii where he was going to propose, but they missed the flight because he was having a panic attack in the bathroom. Coming back from the airport, they are stopped by the local sheriff, who has a longstanding relationship with Mike.

He then returns to his job at the local convenience store, which is incredibly dull.

Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) is a CIA agent reviewing files  that is interrupted by former assistant Petey Douglas (Tony Hale). She receives a scrambled phone call saying “Tough Guy” is moving in on the “Little Man”. She confronts Adrian Yates (Topher Grace) because he is responsible for Mike and a program she made called Ultra. Yates says Mike needs to be terminated and mocks Victoria before kicking her out of his office.

Mike and Phoebe getting high on the hood of his car while they watch a tow truck and several cops remove a crashed car from a tree. Mike starts to cry because he believes the tree stopped the beautiful car and that he represents the tree while Phoebe is the car. She tells him that is not true.

The next day, Mike meets his drugdealer Rose (John Leguizamo) to pick up fireworks in order to propose to Phoebe.

Back at the convenience store, working a night shift, Victoria approaches Mike and speaks code to him. He looks confused, and she leaves. When Mike goes outside to smoke he sees two guys with his car. He confronts them and they pull knives. Instinctively Mike reacts by throwing hot soup at one attacker and stabs the other guy in the neck with a spoon. He then shoots both of them. He calls Phoebe, who comes over in time for the sheriff to stop by and arrest them both.

Yates realizes that Victoria has “activated” Mike. He orders two Tough Guy agents, Crane (Monique Ganderton) and Laugher (Walton Goggins) to eliminate Mike and Phoebe, and locks down the town. The agents kill all the police but Mike and Phoebe escape the firefight. Just as they are leaving Crane throws a grenade, but Mike catches it, and throws it back, blowing up the station. 

The couple go back to the store. But Mike freaks out, and Phoebe calms him, while his is happening a bag blows onto Mike’s car, setting off an explosion. They stare in disbelief.

 

Stop! Hammer Time. But seriously, I don’t want to give you any more plot.

Pros: I continue to think that Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg work well as an on-screen couple and look forward to seeing them in the new Woody Allen pic. Topher Grace and Connie Britton also played well off of each other. The cinematography and pacing were also excellent.

Cons: It doesn’t quite reach that level of absurdity, violence, and comedy that would have made it a 9 or a 10. We needed a little more of everything.

Runtime: 96 minutes

Points of Interest: The movie is a reference to the MK Ultra program that the CIA develop to combine American and German information about the subject of mind control. This is the second movie that Kristen Stewart and Eisenberg made that has a character potentially go into anaphylactic shock.

If you’ve never heard of MK Ultra, and your interest is piqued, give it a shot. If you’ve never heard of MK Ultra, and your interest is piqued, give it a shot. If you’ve never heard of American Ultra… It’s a fun movie, give it a shot.

 

 

 

What were we going on about again? Oh right mind control.

What do you know about mind control dear readers? Daresay I say it, but I hope the answer is nothing. Till next time!

Tim!