Jun Kunimura – People Talking

Twofer Review – ‘Doctor Sleep’ and ‘Midway’ – One Sings, the Other Doesn’t

*Note: The title is just a metaphor; neither of these films are musicals.

Written, Directed, and Edited by Mike Flanagan, based on the novel by Stephen King
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Jocelin Donahue, Alex Essoe, Roger Dale Floyd, Cliff Curtis, Zackary Momoh, Jacob Tremblay, Henry Thomas, Carel Struycken, Robert Longstreet, Catherine Parker, Met Clark, Selena Anduze, Danny Lloyd
Soundtrack: The Newton Brothers

I’ve said it before, and hopefully this is the last time I’ll feel compelled to mention it, but I’m not a big fan of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.

Maybe that sounds crazy to you, but Stephen King isn’t a big fan either (to say the least), so I suppose I’m in decent company (not saying I’m right; it’s just my opinion, man).

Now we have Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep, which is based on the
2013 Stephen King novel of the same name, which itself is a sequel to King’s 1977 novel The Shining, but 2019’s film of Doctor Sleep is also a sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film of The Shining.

So now that no one’s confused, let’s continue.

Doctor Sleep is one of the best films of 2019. Am I saying it’s an all-time great? No, but it’s plenty captivating, truly horrifying when called for, and overall it admirably juggles its multiple source materials.

The story is rather sprawling, and by that I mean it’s a movie that very much feels like it’s based on a novel; and if you’re totally unfamiliar with The Shining (which is hard to fathom given its cultural permeation) you may struggle to climb aboard, but, other than a touch of third act squiffiness, Doctor Sleep is a solid piece of intelligent entertainment from tape-to-tape.

If I have one substantial criticism (if you can even call it that), it’s that, I wouldn’t say anybody does a bad job in their performance, everybody is fine if not above average, but I didn’t feel like anyone in the cast was indispensable in their part. Perhaps it’s a huge credit to writer/director/editor Mike Flanagan, but I think he could have made this movie with a near-infinite combination of actors and we’d still have the same quality result.

If you’re a huge fan of Kubrick’s Shining, perhaps you won’t find Doctor Sleep to be up to the same standard that I do, but for me it’s very much a Blade Runner 2049 situation, where I respect the original but find the sequel more compelling.

Your mileage may vary, but I recommend it highly.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Directed by Roland Emmerich
Written by Wes Tooke
Cast: Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, Mandy Moore, Luke Kleintank, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Keean Johnson, Nick Jonas, Etsushi Toyokawa, Tadanobu Asano, Darren Criss, Brandon Sklenar, Jun Kunimura, Brennan Brown, Jake Weber, David Hewlett, Mark Rolston, Eric Davis, Peter Shinkoda, James Carpinello, Hiromoto Ida, Hiroaki Shintani, Russell Dennis Lewis, Geoffrey Blake
Soundtrack: Harald Kloser & Thomas Wanker

I probably should hate this movie.

Given that I was a history major, you might think that I should hate it, too.

For some reason though, I just can’t get that riled up about it. I think it’s because:

A. I had extremely low expectations going in (after all, it is a Roland Emmerich joint)
and
B. It might actually be more factually accurate than its 1976 predecessor (which is a fine film with a great cast, but I’m not going to pretend it’s some ultimate triumph of cinema, given how much footage it cribs from other sources), so, while I could quibble with the history of it, I always expect a certain amount of Hollywood exaggeration, so that’s not really what I take issue with.

The biggest problem is that I think the movie means to be taken seriously, but so much information is fed to my eyes and ears that is to the contrary that I can’t help but conclude that Midway is a $100 million cartoon.

Now, you read that and probably think I’m referring to the visual effects, which I am, but only partially. This movie could have been successful with the effects it has. What truly makes it cartoonish is a script with severely lacking dialogue, and a number of sub-par performances (Not to go full ‘Murica here, but can we get some Americans to play our American heroes!? Hugh Laurie playing Dr. House is the exception, not the rule).

Anyway, it’s not all terrible. Patrick Wilson in particular is extremely likable (as usual), and there are some sequences that are actually effective (there’s a submarine scene that might be the best set-piece in the film).

In the end though, Midway is essentially a big-budget Redbox movie. Not the worst thing ever made, but largely a waste.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)

P.S.
I noticed as the film was starting that there were a couple of Chinese production companies with their names on Midway, and I wondered what impact that would have on the story told. Let’s just say they make sure the audience knows that 250,000 Chinese civilians were killed in Japanese reprisals for the Doolittle Raid. Sad? Yes. True? Yes. Did it need to be included in this film? Probably not.

Movie Review – ‘Shin Godzilla’ – You Know My Name

Written and Directed by Hideaki Anno
Co-directed by Shinji Higuchi
Cast: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Ren Ohsugi, Akira Emoto, Kengo Kôra, Mikako Ichikawa, Jun Kunimura, Pierre Taki, Mansai Nomura (Godzilla motion capture)
Soundtrack: Shiro Sagisu

Other than James Bond, it’s difficult to think of another film franchise that’s both as iconic and long-running as Godzilla (or Gojira, as the Japanese say).

The original 1954 classic, while an exciting monster (or Kaiju) movie, was also a solemn metaphor for the nuclear devastation suffered in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Somehow, over the next two decades, Godzilla went from villain to hero, and the films became campier and more outlandish (and, at times, literally children’s entertainment), until Toho put a pin in Big G after the failure of Terror of Mechagodzilla in 1975.

In 1984, to celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary, the studio brought him back with a bang with The Return of Godzilla (originally released in Japan as simply Godzilla, but known more colloquially by its American release name Godzilla 1985), which is perhaps the first example of what we call a “soft reboot” these days. Over the course of another decade, Godzilla would run the gamut from villain to hero again, until he was [rather emotionally] killed off in 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destroyah. But, of course, sleeping kaijus don’t lie long,

The dawn of the new millennium brought about another half dozen films (I mean, you didn’t think Toho was going to take that Roland Emmerich abomination lying down, did you?), beginning with Godzilla 2000 (another soft reboot) and ending with 2004’s Godzilla: Final Wars, which was intended to be a 50th anniversary curtain call for the franchise, but is, in fact, more embarrassing than Die Another Day (despite featuring one particularly notable scene).

So, between the disappointment of Final Wars, and the many missteps of the 2014 American film, we need a good Godzilla movie. We deserve it. And it seems like Toho hired the right guys to do it. Writer/Director Hideaki Anno is the creative mind behind popular anime property Neon Genesis Evangelion (colloquially known as Eva), for which a proper explanation would require a dissertation, but in a nutshell it’s giant robots fighting giant monsters (also, never, ever, ever watch the last four episodes of Eva at 2:00am. It was the trippiest night of my life; I didn’t know whether I was dead or alive or awake or asleep). And, Co-director Shinji Higuchi also did some work on Eva, in addition to directing the recent Attack on Titan (more giant monsters) live-action films. Between these two guys, it’s a shoe-in that Shin Godzilla wouldn’t be a let down, right?

Right.

It pleases me greatly to say that not only is Shin Godzilla among the better films of 2016, it’s also one of the best Godzilla films ever made.

All I’ve ever wanted out of a Godzilla movie in my lifetime is a serious imagining of what it would look like if Godzilla appeared in the real world, and Shin Godzilla delivers this with aplomb. As much as I enjoy the ’84 reboot, it goes a little too far in the direction of fantastical science fiction with the “Super X” flying vehicle, but Shin Godzilla plays it about as straight as can be, even going as far as to show all of the layers of bureaucracy that need to be penetrated in order to effectively deal with the threat (pretty much Contagion with a giant monster instead of an epidemic, which is absolutely a compliment). All in all, it’s a rather fascinating look at Japan, what it means to be Japanese, their government, and their place in the geopolitical landscape; and, of course, all of this is coming in the light of a post-Tōhoku/Fukushima world (I’m sure there was a ton more of political/cultural/social commentary that went over my head as an American, but it was interesting nonetheless, even when they took not-so-subtle jabs at the U.S.).

As good as Shin Godzilla is, however (and it is good), I do have some criticisms; the primary one being that the subtitles get too intense at times, especially in the first fifteen minutes or so. I don’t have a problem with subtitles in general (obviously), and you do settle into something of a rhythm after a while, but there are multiple moments where a character’s name and position/title will appear at the top of the screen while dialogue simultaneously appears at the bottom, which is hard on the eyes (and the brain). I realize that this is more likely a distributor issue rather than an actual filmmaking problem, but I hope someone at Funmation (or whoever) figures out a more elegant solution in time for the eventual home format release.

In addition to some problematic subtitling, the movie itself has one or two strands that may or may not ever connect, a few of the characterizations seem a bit stilted, and, some of the effects don’t look as good as you’d like or expect them to (especially given that Japan is the world leader in cutting edge technology, at least as far as I know). And, let’s just be real here, for a franchise that built itself on guys in rubber suits stomping around while miniatures and models get “blowed-up real good,” it’s a little weird seeing a Godzilla movie (at least a Japanese one) that lacks the subtle charms of a guy in a rubber suit stomping around while miniatures and models get “blowed-up real good.”

However, as is so often the case, an engrossing story and a tight script, along with some brisk pacing (but not overly so), is strong enough to [mostly] make up for any deficiencies (I’d also be remiss if I didn’t give it credit for not getting caught up in needless melodrama).

Overall, Shin Godzilla is a definitively worthwhile theatrical experience, and there’s little question it makes up for the past twelve years of Godzilla-related disappointment. Unfortunately, it’s only getting a week’s release in the U.S., and it may be hard to come by, but if you can get to it, please, please hurry and get in there (I’m sure anything else you’d want to see this weekend will still be playing next weekend anyway, if you’ve got a case of FOMO).

It’s not often that fans get the movie they deserve (and also the one they need right now), but Shin Godzilla is an exceptional exception.

Rating: ★★★★☆

P.S.
Naturally, and as usual, the crew at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers gets into the spirit of things.

UPDATE June 2017: Amazon is taking pre-orders for a Region 1 home release of the movie here.

Quick Thoughts – Autumn Round-Up, Part 1

As usual, I’m horribly behind in my writing about what I’ve been seeing.

Let’s get right to it.

Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (2003)

I have a very special relationship with this movie.

When I was in high school, I went with a bunch of friends to see it, the only problem was that everybody was 17 except for my best friend and I who were still 16 (and the theater we went to was not one you could sneak into); so, we waited and waited until finally a nice South Asian couple came by and vouched for us so we could get in. It’s been more than 12 years and I’m still waiting to pay that favor forward, but kids today just don’t have the same taste.

Anyway, Kill Bill, like every Tarantino film, is a tribute to many movies of the past. This fact was a bit over my head as a 16-year-old, I have a bit more of an appreciation of it now, but that doesn’t really matter, because the movie is great on its own and still holds up today. The Monty Python-esque over-the-top violence, the witty dialogue, Sonny f’n Chiba, and the core story of a woman essentially back from the dead and out for revenge, it’s just cool. And, it’s got one of the best ending cliffhangers ever. What more can I say?

Rating: ★★★★½

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

For a very long time, I thought this was the best BTTF movie, probably because I was young and couldn’t yet fully appreciate the original (believe me, I learned to love it), plus, they actually go to the future!

Let’s get it straight right now. Back to the Future is one of the most perfect films ever made, and is the best of the trilogy. But, as sequels go, it’s hard to ask for more than what Part II gives us.

For one thing, it provided a comedic vision of the future date of October 21, 2015 (on which I got to see the movie theatrically, because awesome), which turned out to be somewhat prescient but mostly just hilarious. Secondly, there’s some serious movie magic involved with taking us back to certain events from the original while adding another layer on top of them. And, the movie isn’t afraid of some gravitas, as the alternate 1985 “Hell Valley” is stunningly bleak.

Add it all up, and you’ve got a tremendously fun and well-executed sequel (that still works just fine on its own).

Rating: ★★★★☆

Hot Fuzz (2007)

This is another movie I have a very special relationship with.

Back in the late Spring of 2007, my best good friend and I went to see Spider-Man 3 in IMAX on a Friday night. Needless to say, we hated it. In fact, had we not paid extra to see it on the giant screen, I think we’d have walked out. Come Saturday, we needed to cleanse our theatrical palate, and the perfect prescription was Hot Fuzz.

In addition to that fond memory, it was a part of my first ever experience at the Alamo Drafthouse [Yonkers], when I went to see the “Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy” on the premier night of The World’s End.

I love this movie so much that I made my own trailer for it (which I’d show you, but, copyright laws).

A lethally hilarious combination of buddy cop action, Agatha Christie mystery, and the English countryside, Hot Fuzz is the second feature from creative duo Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (along with Nick Frost and a cast of British greats). Like Shaun of the Dead before it, Hot Fuzz is not a parody, but rather a comedic love letter, embracing all the tropes that come with the movies it pays tribute to, in turn become a great example of the genre itself (I put it next to Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour as the three seminal Buddy Cop movies of the past 30 years); not to mention that you can watch any Edgar Wright movie 20 times and still not pick up on all the on-screen gags.

It’s fun, it’s bloody, and it’s over-the-top in all the right ways. Check it out if you’ve not already done so.

Rating: ★★★★½

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

I’ve only very recently been getting familiar with the film catalogue of one Mr. Brian De Palma, but I’ve come to one conclusion, and that is he is drawn to stories that start out very much grounded in reality, but by the end have gone almost completely off the rails. Carrie, Scarface, and Mission: Impossible all follow this pattern, and you better believe Phantom of the Paradise, which he wrote himself, does as well (arguably to the largest degree).

A musical at its core (songs by Paul Williams), Phantom pays homage to many classic stories, including Phantom of the Opera (duh), Faust, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, while mixing in 70s glam rock aesthetics and plenty of music business satire (which is horrifyingly brilliant).

The result is something of a wild and beautiful mess, but it’s an enjoyable enough ride that I’d recommend it to a lot of people. If nothing else, the twists and turns will keep you engaged.

Rating: ★★★½

After the screening, there was a Q&A with Gerrit Graham (on the right), who played “Beef” in Phantom, hosted by Michael Gingold of Fangoria magazine (on the left):