my thoughts on.... 'Rubber'

In this day and age, it's hard to find anything original to watch. 'Rubber' is a movie that when you watch it, you can honestly say you've never seen anything like it before. The film maker, Quentin Dupieux, has laid it all on the line to make something completely fresh and unique. When I first head about it, I was geeked to see it as it sounded unusual and fun. I can honestly say that it lived up to my expectations, but it also surprised the hell out of me. What I actually saw vs. what I was originally expecting were two totally different things. Not bad things, just unexpected things. I had no real expectations of what I was going to see and wasn't entirely sure which direction the movie was heading. All I knew was that I was going to enjoy the ride. With the movie being over now and in hindsight, I can say that I did in fact enjoy the ride. All of this because some crazy guy wanted to bring a tire to life and make it his main character. Robert the tire.

According to Netflix.com, the story is somewhat like this: "'Rubber' follows a car tire named Robert that rolls through the desert Southwest using its strange psychic powers to blow up birds, bunnies, human beings and more. But when Robert spies a gorgeous woman motoring down the highway, he decides to follow her and take a chance on love." It sounds completely insane and impossible to do without being stupid, 'Rubber' pulled it off without much effort. I mean, they gave an inanimate object a life and a personality.... that's not an easy task. It's like being a Kardashian's agent.All in all, love it or hate it, this movie is a breath of fresh air. Not unlike the works of Eugène Ionesco. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Ionesco This is a film makers version of the theater of the absurd. I really enjoyed this movie and am looking forward to what comes next. It also gives me hope that there is still something new under the sun. I can't call this the best movie I've ever seen or one that I need to watch very often. It is what it is. A movie about a tire with a bad attitude and a love of a human girl.

I really want to give you more details about what happens here.... I really, really do. However, if I was to spoil the ending then there would be no point to go back to the beginning. Needless to say, it's a perfectly absurd ending to a perfectly absurd beginning. It leaves you wondering what will happen next and it plays upon one of my favorite sub-genre's of horror. But wait, is this a horror movie? Honestly, I don't know what I'd call it. Granted there is a LOT of head explosions and violence. At the same time, there is a lot of other things going on that aren't horrifying. I'm not even 100% sure if this was to be some kind of commentary on the world at large or if it is just what it claims to be: a movie about how all movies revovle around events that happen for "no reason". 3 out of 5 bizarre stars. Go watch it, but watch it with an open mind and a clear head.

If you like this, also check out: your car tires, perhaps they're plotting against you RIGHT NOW....!

my brief thoughts on.... 'Kynodontas aka Dogtooth'

in all my years as a film lover and film student, i can't say that i remember ever seeing a Greek film before.... but thanks to a tip from a friend, this film was recommended to me.... and as of last night, i am can no longer say i've never seen a Greek film before.... if this film is any indication of what the Greek cinema is like, i think i'd like to learn more about what's out there.... granted, this film was strange and sometimes hard to follow, but it was still impossible to stop watching.... the director, Yorgos Lanthimos, has such a solid vision.... it just screams at you from the screen.... and if you ever wanted originallity from a screenplay, this has it in spades.... i'm still processing what i saw and i think it might take a repeated viewing to really absorb it all, thank goodness it's available OnDemand right now.... now before you run out and throw this in your queue, understand that this film is the 'deep end of the pool'.... it takes an open mind to view it.... i can't say that you'll like it, even if you're a well schooled film major.... it's something different that takes a willingness to think outside the box....

as far as the story goes.... i don't know that i can encapsulate exactly what happened.... as i see it, the story revolves around a family that lives behind a huge fence in their own little world.... the only ones who ever leave are the parents.... the three, possibly adult, children have lived there their whole lives and know about the world only from what their parents have tought them.... and the two parents control the information in such a way that the kids see things exactly how the parents want them to see it.... they even created their own language that replaces well known words with other well known words, like a zombie is a tiny yellow flower.... (you just have to see it to understand).... there is only one outsider ever brought into the home and she's basically brought in as a sex partner for the eldest son.... things begin to fall apart after the outsider starts bringing in things from the outside world.... the rest has to be seen to be believed.... (actually, the whole film is like that)
i can only hope that people who watch this can see beyond the absurdity of it all and find the art.... i can honestly say that i don't know what the message of this film is exactly, but i really enjoyed trying to figure it out.... i also am looking forward to see what else the Greek have to offer.... this film is 100% original.... i've seen dysfunctional family films, but none quite like this one.... and in a sea of copycat films, re-imaging an re-boots, it's refreshing to see something new.... even if it's hard to understand and challenging to watch.... i think one of the strongest aspects of this film is the actors.... they commit themselves to this film with all their hearts and sell it as reality.... you loose yourself in their world for the duration of the film.... i am so thankful that i took a risk on an unknown quantity, as it paid off in a big way....

i gave it 4 out of 5 stars and suggest you seriously consider watching it, but keep an open mind and watch it all the way through.... i can't promise that it'll make anymore sense by the end, in fact you'll probably be even more confused.... but the journey is the most important thing.... it's one you can only take once, so pack a lunch.

if you like this.... well.... i can't recommend anything else quite like it.... perhaps a stage play by Eugene Ionesco....?

my brief thoughts on.... 'The Sarah Silverman Program' and 'Jesus is Magic'

i like Sarah Silverman.... i'm not sure why exactly, but i do.... i'd never seen her stand up.... or her show.... so i figured it was time.... plus Brian Posehn is in it and i really enjoy his work.... anyway.... i saw it finally appear OnDemand on Netflix for season 1 and 2 as well as her 'Jesus is Magic' special.... so i added them all.... and sat down to see what all the fuss was about and to possibly give myself an actual reason to like her.... about midway through the first episode, i could already see myself enjoying the series.... it was just absurd enough for my tastes.... there were some uncomfortable moments and some laugh out loud moments.... overall it was a fun experience.... i didn't realize how mean spirited it was going to be in places, but yet it had it's semi-touching moments.... Sarah's character is not very likable.... she's self-centered, rather mean to the people around her.... she's not very smart in a lot of ways.... she does a LOT of stupid things and gets away with them.... i could see a lot of people really not liking this.... because people want to connect with the characters on the show.... and that's where the rest of the cast comes in.... they make up for downfalls.... not too mention her dog Doug....

the basic premise is that Sarah lives in an apartment that her sister pays for.... she's jobless and has two gay neighbors.... she lives with her dog and does goofy things all day long.... her sister (played by her real life sister) is in love with a cop whom Sarah hates, but he's always getting her out of jams regardless.... and that's about the whole premise of the show.... and from this we get 21 minutes of comedy....
i gave it 4 out of 5 stars.... i'm still not 100% sure why.... and i'm still not sure why i enjoy her work.... i guess it's a guilty pleasure of sorts.... by watching it, it allows you to live through her.... and do and say all of the things you may have wanted to, but couldn't.... because you had a filter for saying awful things.... Sarah doesn't.... after i watched the first season, i ended up watching the full 2nd season as well as the 'Jesus is Magic' stand up special.... this stand up was even harder to watch then the show was at times.... she leaves no taboo topic untouched.... and despite that, i still gave it 3 out of 5 stars.... and i admit that i enjoyed it all.... however, i have a feeling that God may strike me down because of it.... and if you've seen the show or the special, then you know why.... i can't wait for season 3....

if you like this, watch: 'The Sarah Silverman Program: season 2 - volume 1', 'The Sarah Silverman Program: season 2 - volume 2' and 'Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic'

(there is no trailer for this movie to embed.)