My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?

            Werner Herzog’s My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009) at first seems like it will be another entry in the hostage subgenre of crime films. A lesser filmmaker would have taken the premise and carried it through to a climax involving Willem Dafoe’s cop character bravely entering the house and having a shoot-out with Michael Shannon’s deranged psychopath following an extended sequence of macho exposition.

            Herzog, of course, is not interested in convention. He turns this genre on its head as he has with countless other genres, including POW movies (Rescue Dawn) and corrupt cop movies (Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call- New Orleans), as well as his numerous meditative documentaries.

            The film is primarily set outside Shannon’s San Diego home as the police, led by Dafoe’s homicide detective, try to piece together why Brad (Shannon) has murdered his mother and holed up with two hostages. Brad’s fiancée, theatre director, and neighbors all provide narration for flashbacks that show Brad’s unraveling following a trip to Peru.

            I may be mistaken, but this film paired with the same year’s Bad Lieutenant is the first time Herzog has set his films in the U.S. Known for his ability to find uniqueness and something new in far off locales, He does the same thing with San Diego. Herzog presents Shannon’s home as a bizarre and colorful structure of 1950’s kitsch. The home informs Shannon’s character, allowing us to see that his upbringing was not quite as “normal” as ours.

            The primary reason behind Brad’s lack of normality is his mother, portrayed by Grace Zabriskie as an over controlling nightmare of a woman, unable to see that her son is no longer an eight year old. Their relationship reminded me a lot of Norman Bates and his mother in the way that they seem to be co-dependent. Brad’s murdering of his mother coupled with Psycho’s similar plot device makes me wonder if the Oedipus complex still exists in single parent houses, the mother eliciting both of the subconscious desires within a child. The use of pink flamingos as hostages serve as symbolism for Brad’s desire to keep his mother’s spirit alive even after murdering her.

            I also found the relationship between Udo Kier’s theatre director and Shannon’s crazy actor interesting. It is hard not to imagine that they are a comment on Herzog himself and his mythical collaborations with the late wild man actor Klaus Kinski. I would like to have seem a whole film focusing on that production of ancient Greek theatre.

 The film is not all gloom and doom, however. There is a lot of humor amidst the insanity, another signature Herzog touch. The scene of Brad Dourif’s uncle planning to have a little person ride a miniature pony is a call back to one of Herzog’s earliest films, Even Dwarfs Started Small. There is also a hilarious sight gag as Shannon is surrounded by the Swat team and one of the Swat members trains his gun on the flamingoes rather than Brad. This is perhaps a nod to Herzog’s passionate aversion to another bird, the chicken.

            The cast is top shelf. Shannon is perhaps the quintessential psycho of modern cinema, also playing crazy in Bug and Take Shelter. He has a face that suggests he is in a different reality from the rest of the world. Shannon is a master at using these facial tics to their maximum effectiveness. Dafoe, another actor whose image lends itself to off kilter characters, plays the straight man here. His detective character seems unfazed by the oddness that is going on around him. Having the usually unhinged Dafoe play the normal character underlines the insanity of the situation. Brad Dourif plays Brad’s racist and homophobic uncle and is presented as perhaps a cog in Brad’s meltdown. Dourif is great as always, but he seems to have worn the same costume in every movie he’s made in the last 10 years. The ensemble is rounded out by Udo Kier, Cloe Sevigny, Michael Pena, Irma P. Hall, and Loretta Devine; none of them a weak link in the cast.

            The film is very inventive and it is amazing that Herzog still continues to produce such strong work so late in his career. Many directors, even some of my favorites, tend to lose their edge as they age and have their artistic appetite replaced with a monetary one. With help from producer David Lynch, this film supports Herzog’s status as one of our greatest living filmmakers. 

Race with the Devil

            1975’s mobile home invasion film, Race with the Devil, is another example of why you should veer off the interstate highways in Texas…ever. On a backwoods getaway, two couples park their RV in a supposedly secluded area in the woods to relax, race dirt bikes, and drink beer. After sunset, they witness a sacrificial murder by some sort of a cult, and the rest of the movie is spent trying to escape from the murderous mob.

            The film is directed by Jack Starrett, a Texas born filmmaker who specialized in southern fried fare such as A Small Town in Texas, Final Chapter: Walking Tall, a couple of episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard, and the intriguingly titled Big Bob Johnson and his Fantastic Speed Circus. He also directed the blaxploitation classic Cleopatra Jones. He is in top form here, utilizing practical effects and stunt work to great effect. Race with the Devil is one of the great fast paced thrillers of the 1970’s.

            Its satanic cult premise is one that was very popular at the time; seen in Rosemary’s Baby, The Wicker Man, and The Omen among others. The sub-genre should have been revived with Ti West’s The House of the Devil. Much to the detriment of our society, we got the vampire craze instead. If taken as more than a throw away thriller, Race with the Devil can also be read as an allegory for religious extremism that is still prevalent in rural America today.

            The film’s visual style is in line with many of the grind-house films of the time. It has a documentary feel that is helped by using non actors as background characters. In true exploitation cinema style, Starrett claimed to have used real Satanists as extras in the cult scenes. The film has a very effective sense of paranoia, shown by suspicious looking close-ups of all the locals.

            Seeing the back of the RV for the first time, I expected one of those cheesy motorbike chase sequences similar to the ones in Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes Part 2. Luckily, the bikes were employed (or rather deployed) in a more realistic manner in the film, acting as roadblocks during the climactic chase sequence.

            The primary weakness of the film is the character development, especially the women. The female characters, played by Lara Parker and MASH’s Loretta Swit spend the movie screaming and cowering. I would much have preferred to see them empowered by the experience in the way that The Final Girl does in slasher films. The one substantial scene they have is the same clichéd sequence all these films have, where the protagonists research the cult at the library, finding the info they are looking for in the first and most conveniently titled book they grab.

            The male characters have it a little better. Peter Fonda gets to do some action hero business, but beyond that, there is little development of his character. The stand out is Warren Oates, mostly due to his approach to the role. He is more vulnerable and down to earth here than in any other film I’ve seen him in. Oates’ characters are typically in control of their environments and it is fun to see him flying by the seat of his pants as he leads his friends in their escape.

            This is a genuinely frightening film. The rattlesnake sequence is one of the best snake scenes I’ve ever seen, no doubt because real snakes were used. Real animals are rarely used in movies anymore, replaced by digitally rendered creatures. The prevalence of CGI today causes a disconnect between me and the action of the film. The ending is chilling as well. It has what I consider a “true” horror movie ending. Scary movies should end with evil triumphing or at the very least, a sense of uncertainty about the good guys’ fate. It’s so much more effective that way. 

Top Ten Films of All Time

There are hundreds of films that I consider great, but the following films are my personal top ten. They are the movies I can watch over and over again and each have informed the person I have become in unique ways. These are my desert island, post apocalypse, save from a fire picks.

There Will Be Blood

There Will Be Blood is a perfect storm of a film. All aspects are perfect: Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction and screenplay, Johnny Greenwood’s horrific in a good way score, Robert Elswit’s cinematography, the production design, editing, and the acting; particularly Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano. Daniel Plainview and Eli Sunday represent the greed of Capitalism and the opportunism of religious zealotry. The nearly three hour run time always passes like an exploding oil rig. A yearly birthday viewing has become my present to myself.

Annie Hall

Woody Allen and I contrast in many ways; including where we were raised, our age, our religion, how we carry ourselves, and our physical attributes. Despite these differences, there is not a filmmaker I know of who I relate to more. Our worldviews are surprisingly in sync and I enjoy all of his films, even finding something admirable in his unsuccessful ones. Annie Hall is his masterpiece. I have not seen a more realistic depiction of remembering lost love.

Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard belongs to Gloria Swanson. Her unsympathetic, pseudo autobiographical portrayal of aging silent film star Norma Desmond is the definition of ballsy. Today, actors routinely give performances without regard to their image or persona. In 1950, it was revelatory and served as a predecessor to the warts and all approach that method actors such as Marlon Brando and James Dean would soon popularize. Wilder’s cynical exposé of Hollywood is largely considered to be one of the most truthful films about movie making ever released.   

The Wizard of Oz

When I was three or four, I would wake up every morning before my mom, make a bowl of cereal (usually with water instead of milk) and pop in my VHS of The Wizard of Oz. It’s the epitome of timeless. The transition from sepia to Technicolor as Dorothy arrives in Oz allows us to experience the amazement from her point of view. With the exception of Star Wars, no other film has a more iconic group of characters.

Harold and Maude

This is always the film I turn to when feeling down. Equal parts romantic comedy and dark reaction to Nixon conservatism, Harold and Maude is both uplifting and depressing. Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon are at the top of their game as the titular couple. The film teaches that there is someone out there for everyone. Cat Steven’s music in the film is almost as iconic as Simon and Garfunkel’s in The Graduate.

Midnight Cowboy

Growing up in Texas, I moved to the Philadelphia area when I left home. It was around this time that I discovered Midnight Cowboy. It is flawless in its depiction of the loneliness, freedom, optimism, and sense of dread that comes with being on your own for the first time. The plight of Joe Buck (Jon Voight) and Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) is also a reminder that life can always be worse.  

The Jerk

Easily the funniest movie ever, Steve Martin puts on a comedy class as Navin Johnson. His hillbilly naiveté crossed with dead pan delivery makes Martin both the dunce and the straight man of the film. The humor is edgy in the same way that Mel Brook’s films of the era was. The envelope pushing cleverness of those films have since been replaced largely with gross-out gags and lowest common denominator jokes.

The Ox-Bow Incident

The first time I watched this, I was expecting the standard cowboys and Indians fetishizing of the American Myth that most westerns of the time put forth. I was overwhelmingly surprised to find that it was much more than that. A cautionary tale that warns against mob reactionary mentality, it should be mandatory viewing today. In dealing with issues such as school shootings and other disasters; this film can teach a lesson to both the report first, ask questions later media and the internet users who make a habit of spreading misinformation and rumors as gospel; particularly on social networks. Plus, watching Henry Fonda films have been proven to fight cancer.

Scream

Scream is directly responsible for me being a movie geek. At the impressionable age of twelve, my best friend and I rented it on Pay-Per-View. Available for 24 hours, we stayed up all night and watched it nine times in a row. There is something magical about a world that is filled with people as hyper literate about film as the characters in Scream are. Wes Craven manages to both celebrate and subvert the conventions of the slasher genre and led to the rise of Meta.

Jurassic Park

My parents took me to see Jurassic Park during its initial release. It was the most terrifying experience I've ever had in the theater. I spent most of the movie crouched under my seat and literally burst into tears the first time the T-Rex showed up. The CGI is now dated and the seams are now visible, but to a seven year old in 1993, there were real dinosaurs on screen. Growing up as a movie geek in a post Star Wars/Pre Lord of The Rings era, this was my quintessential popcorn flick.

Notes on James Bond

Connery

            Eon productions released their first film, Dr. No, in 1962 based on Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 book series. The film was a success and has produced twenty three films total in the series over fifty years, pioneering the modern action film. Known for elaborate action sequences, beautiful women, and exotic locations; the combined series has grossed almost 8 billion dollars worldwide.

            Aside from two other adaptations of Casino Royale, six men have played the part of James Bond. The first and most famous 007 is Sean Connery, who appeared in 6 of the Eon films. He established the character as cool and clever. The role made Connery a sex symbol and launched his career. Connery’s Bond was slightly paranoid, reflecting the Cold War mentality. He often checked his hotel rooms for microphones or other tampering and was often right in his suspicions. Easily the most popular actor in the role, all who followed him have been compared to him.

Lazenby

            George Lazenby starred in only one film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He brought a youthful swagger to the role and until Daniel Craig, was the best brawler of the Bonds. His take on the part was derided by fans of the series and his off screen behavior led to Connery’s return for one more film. I found him very entertaining in the part and would have liked to have seen more him in the role.

            Following Connery’s return in Diamonds are Forever, Roger Moore assumed the role for the next seven films over twelve years. He brought a winking sense of humor to the part and his Bond relied more on his charm than his physicality. Because of Moore’s lack of action star appeal, his Bond films became more and more absurd, almost parodies of the earlier films. His later Bond’s became increasingly distracting as he aged with the role while the Bond Girls remained youthful.

Moore

            Moore finally relinquished the role in the late 1980’s. The first choice for his replacement was Pierce Brosnan, who couldn’t take the job due to his commitment to NBC’s Remington Steele. Instead, Timothy Dalton assumed the 007 mantle. Dalton was a much more serious Bond than the previous actors, doing away with the one-liners. The AIDS scare also affected Bond’s sex life, meaning fewer women being bedded by Dalton. The fans were not ready for such a drastic change in tone and rejected him after two films. His last outing, License to Kill is actually one of the best films in the series. Making Bond’s mission personal refreshed the tired megalomaniacal plots of the previous films.

            Following a six year absence from the screen, Bond returned in Goldeneye. Pierce Brosnan was finally 007 and brought some of Moore’s humor back into the fold. He was extremely confident as Bond and was very popular in the role. His Bond suffered from increasingly bad screenplays and by 2002’s Die Another Day, Bond had once again become too absurd to handle.

Dalton

            Timothy Dalton was in many ways ahead of his time as Bond. The tongue in cheek aspects of the role were no longer relevant in a post 9/11 world and the part was once again recast with the current Bond, Daniel Craig. Early fan reaction was overwhelmingly negative due to Craig’s blonde hair and much different physique from the previous Bond actors. Casino Royale changed the minds of the fans. Craig is both the most physically intimidating and the most emotionally vulnerable of all the Bonds. He has updated all the traits of Bond and made them in line with current times.  

            Bond is backed up by many allies from MI6 throughout the series. The most important is his direct superior, code named M. Bernard Lee originated the role and played the part with exasperated charisma as he tried to keep Bond focused on his missions. Following Lee’s death in 1981, Robert Brown took over as M. Brown’s M was serious and lacked the personality that Lee brought to the role. Beginning with Goldeneye, M was portrayed by Dame Judi Dench. Dench brought a no-bull shit authority to the role, as well as a loyalty to Bond that was often tested. Dench’s stature as an actress allowed for an expanded role for M, especially in Skyfall, whose plot was focused on M’s past. The conclusion of Skyfall sets up Ralph Fiennes as the newest M. Fiennes is great in everything and I look forward to him and Craig testing each other’s patience in future films.

Judi Dench as M

            The Bond films are well known for their gadgets, provided by Q. The character was played by Desmond Llewelyn from 1963-1999. Llewelyn is the heart of the bond series, the only link from the original Connery films through the Brosnan films of the 1990’s. His Q was excited to show off his new inventions and innovations, while constantly scolding Bond for destroying them. His final film, The World is Not Enough, introduced John Cleese as his replacement. Cleese only appeared in the final two Brosnan Bonds. He continued the comedic touch of Llewelyn while injecting his own unique personality into the part. The casting of Cleese always struck me as stunt casting. Q was absent from the first two Craig films, but returned in Skyfall, this time played by Ben Whishaw as a young tech nerd. The casting of Whishaw seems perfect as his age is in line with most of the leaders in the technology field. His age should allow him to stay in the role for the foreseeable future, possibly breaking Llewelyn’s seventeen film record.

Desmond Llewelyn as Q with Dalton

            My personal favorite supporting character is Miss Moneypenny. Moneypenny is the assistant to M and seems to carry a torch for James Bond. Lois Maxwell is most associated with the role, appearing in the series from Dr. No until Roger Moore’s final appearance in 1985’s A View to a Kill.  She starts out as a sex-pot in the earlier films, always ready to trade a double entendre with Bond. Her chemistry with Connery was electric and their scenes together were some of the best in the films. As she aged with the role, Maxwell became less flirtatious and suffered from decreasing screen time. Caroline Bliss played Moneypenny in the two Dalton films. Like Robert Brown’s M, she lacked the charisma of her predecessor. Goldeneye introduced Samantha Bond as an updated Moneypenny. Working for Dench’s M, This Moneypenny was less sexy secretary and more modern personal assistant. Miniskirts were replaced with professional pant suits, however, Moneypenny still carried a flame for 007. Bond’s best scenes as Moneypenny were from Die Another Day, were she gets a chance to make out with Brosnan, albeit in a fantasy sequence. The character would not return after that until Skyfall, this time portrayed as more of a badass by Naomie Harris. Paired with Craig’s Bond, This Moneypenny comes the closest to the original Connery/Maxwell chemistry.  

Lois Maxwell and Sean Connery 

            Other Bond allies appeared in the films, including CIA agent Felix Leiter and MI6 Chief of Staff Bill Tanner. These characters lack the consistency of having the same actors in the role for multiple films and rarely made as big an impact as the likes of M and Q.

            007’s love interests, popularly known as Bond Girls, generally fall into 3 categories: A partner who teams up with Bond in sharing a common enemy, A lover of the villain who has a change of heart and helps Bond in his mission, or a Villainess herself who uses her sexuality to get to Bond. Whether a Bond Girl is effective as an on-screen character often depends on the actresses’ chemistry with Bond. The first, Ursula Andress, is perhaps the best. Honey Ryder as played by Andress is strong, smart, and sexy. Other great Bond girls include Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Barabara Bach in The Spy Who Loved Me, and Eva Green in Casino Royale. The most high profile actress to play a Bond Girl would have to be Halle Berry in Die Another Day. I expected not to like the character due to stunt casting, but the opposite turned out to be true. The film as a whole is ridiculously over the top and the effects have not aged well, but Berry is the one saving grace. She is the closest Bond has come to meeting his match and I understand why there was talk of giving her a spin-off franchise. Not all Bond Girls are spectacular, however. Denise Richards seems over her head in The World is Not Enough, and most of the later Roger Moore Bond girls are unbelievable due to their age difference from Moore.

Andress in Dr. No

            Equally hit or miss is the villains of the film. In an attempt to differentiate between them in the films, the writers often give them odd idiosyncrasies or physical malformations which tend to make them cartoonish. However, in the fifty year history of Bond films, 007 has gone against some great bad guys.

            Without doubt, Bond’s greatest nemesis is Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The leader of the terrorist group SPECTRE, Blofeld is at first portrayed as a man behind the curtain, seen only from the waist down or from behind. His is recognizable by his gray jumpsuit and the fluffy white cat he is often stroking. Blofeld has been played by a different actor in each film he is in. The most effective is Donald Pleasance in You Only Live Twice. Pleasance brings a manic energy to Blofeld that explains the motivation behind his deeds. I wish that Pleasance would have returned to the role, but his successors, Telly Savalas and Charles Gray did a great job at filling in. Legal issues behind the scenes kept Blofeld and SPECTRE from officially appearing after Diamonds are Forever.

            Before Blofeld, there were two other classic titular villains in Dr. No and Goldfinger. Dr. No was the first to feature the physical abnormality that has become a trademark of the series. He lost his hands in a previous accident and have been replaced by steel stumps that make fighting easier, but climbing difficult. Goldfinger is portrayed by Gert Frobe as ruthlessly obsessed with gold and is usually one step ahead of his enemies.

Donald Pleasance as Blofeld

I enjoyed Christopher Lee in The Man with the Golden Gun. Lee is a master at playing the heavy and his deep voice and dark persona was a good counterbalance to Moore’s lighter take on Bond. Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill makes his character a full on sociopath, not matched in menace until Javier Bardem’s Silva in Skyfall. Joe Don Baker contributed another looney bond villain in The Living Daylights as wanna-be military power player Brad Whitaker. Baker’s appearance in the later Brosnan film as a good guy CIA agent were less effective due to being over shadowed by his Whitaker. Sophie Marceau is the best of the villainess’s as Elektra King in The World is Not Enough. The Daniel Craig films have had the strongest antagonists in Bardem as well as Mads Mikkelsen’s ball busting Le Chiffre.

            For every menacing baddie, there is a less than intimidating one. Hugo Drax in Moonraker has the silliest of all the plans for world domination. His attempt to destroy the earth and repopulate it with only good looking couples is the epitome of the series disconnect with reality. Jonathan Pryce’s Elliot Carver in Tommorow Never Dies is another example of the character being overshadowed by his motives. Attempting to be timely in the internet age, his media mogul stages crimes to sell his newspapers and television broadcasts the next day. He is the least intimidating of all the adversaries.

            In addition to the big baddies, unique henchmen also grace the series. From Russia with Love gave us Rosa Klebb as the one woman Bond could never bed. Her small stature was offset by her hidden shoe knives and her determination not to become shark bait for Blofeld. Goldfinger’s Odd Job was another early menace, using his razor sharp hat brim as a throwing weapon. Famke Janssen in Goldeneye effectively used her sexuality to literally crush her targets.

Brosnan

            Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd are perhaps the most bizarre of the henchmen. Appearing in Diamonds are Forever, they seem to be in another movie entirely. Their style and personality are offbeat and strike me as an attempt to appeal to the counter culture by being “far out”. Nick Nack and Jaws represent the cartoonish nature of the era and never seem like credible threats. The most dated of the henchmen would have to be Grace Jones in A View to a Kill. A mixture of body builder and punk, she has 80’s MTV culture written all over her.

            The final thread that run throughout the Bond series is the elaborate opening title sequences and theme songs. In some cases, these serve as the best part of the films. Dr. No’s opening is pretty straightforward and features the signature Bond score. Goldfinger sets the bar for openings with its classic theme performed by Shirley Bassey, who also performed the themes for Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker. Paul McCartney’s theme for Live and Let Die has taken on a life of its own. Duran Duran’s theme song for A View to a Kill is the worst of the theme songs. Like much of the aesthetic of the film, it is now dated and cheesy. The majority of the Brosnan films opening titles are also underwhelming due to its use of CGI, which was still pretty new and has been greatly improved on since then. The Craig openings are good, particularly Casino Royale which uses a simple template that is similar to the opening of the AMC series Mad Men.

Craig

            The influence of the Bond series on modern action films cannot be overstated. Most summer blockbusters now open with an elaborate action sequence and over designed title sequences. The Bourne films and the Mission: Impossible series also borrow heavily from Bond’s blueprints. With the success of Skyfall, Bond is as popular as he has ever been. I would like future films to introduce a villain similar to Blofeld who will stick around for multiple films and present 007 with a larger challenge. The introduction of the Quantam organization in Quantam of Solace provides the chance for this to happen. Until then, I just look forward to spending more time with Bond, M, Q, and Moneypenny.

Psycho and the self-seriousness of criticism.

Psycho promotional material

            1960’s Psycho is, along with Veritgo, widely considered Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece among critics. The film, a low budget horror/dark comedy, is credited with being one of the earliest influences on slasher film cycle of the late 70’s and 80’s. The only common criticism against the film is the final sequence, which has a psychologist explaining the motivation of Norman Bates.

            In his review for the New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote that, “There is not an abundance of subtlety or the lately familiar Hitchcock bent toward significant and colorful scenery in this obviously low-budget job…The consequence is his denouement falls quite flat for us.” Roger Ebert also condemns the scene in his essay, stating that, “For thoughtful viewers, however, an equal surprise is still waiting. That is the mystery of why Hitchcock marred the ending of a masterpiece with a sequence that is grotesquely out of place.”

            Critics accused the scene of being unnecessary exposition that was better found in a lesser “B” movie. What these critics seem to miss is that Hitchcock set out to make a “B” movie. Rather than use his usual film crew, he shot the film with the crew from his television series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, in order to give the film a cheap look that would match its budget. Hitchcock envisioned the film as a comedy, a film that serves at a joyride for the audience, and little more.

Simon Oakland as Dr. Fred Richmond in Psycho (1960)

            The fact that Hitchcock would produce an exploitation film was unfathomable to the critical community and when a trope of these lower films appeared, they choose to condemn it. The rest of the film is rightly regarded as the masterpiece that it is, especially the heralded shower scene, perhaps the most written about scene in film history.

            It is possible, however, to be both a perfect film and a “B” film. To dismiss the final scene is to deny the atmosphere of fun absurdity that the film has. Much like the William Castle or Roger Corman films, it is not meant to be taken seriously. Critics and cinephiles sometimes take films too seriously and forget to have fun and enjoy them, the reason they love films to begin with. To take Psycho too seriously is a disservice to one of the most entertaining films in history.