Valhalla Rising (2010)

I was anticipating this film with a sense of murmuring, low level excitement. Mads Madsen is a curiously intriguing presence, just like his name. He was great a few years ago in that uncomfortable little tale, After the Wedding (2006). Director Nicolas Winding Refn has the explosive Bronson (2008) and the recently released Drive (2011) to his credit. That's another film I'm anticipating with a simmering level of curiosity. Then there was a blood stained trailer that led me to believe this would be some sort of seat-of-the-pants ride. So it is with some bereavement I share the news that Valhalla Rising is mostly a trudging and indulgent test. I love a good slow-burn film, most definitely, no doubt about it, but in this film the drama between action sequences is a chore. The flat characters and shallow story don't add much weight to the scenes of wandering through paddocks. While the camera work makes those paddocks look all lovely the overuse of digital molestation was a distraction and the animated blood sprays comical.

There is still juicy marrow to be extracted though; the violent dispatching of lives doesn't get dull and the scenery is stunning. The bugged-out, nightmare journey that closes the film is a fitting conclusion to a miserable adventure. 
Well even though I pretty much just kicked this film in the guts it has its redeeming features  just likes it's hero and shouldn't be relegated to the steaming dung heap of crap movies.

3/5

  

Where the Green Ants Dream (1984)

I watched another Werner Herzog directed film. I've seen a few now haven't I? Yes ma'am! This one oddly sees the German director venture to Australian shores to tell the tale of a mining company encroaching on land Aboriginals claim to be sacred. Tall timber Bruce Spence, who I haven't seen in anything for a while, plays the engineer who's at first frustrated by the Aboriginals but becomes a sympathetic ally of sorts. Such issues have been an emotional and prickly issue in Australia over the years and it can be intriguing to get a foreigners take on things. 

Busy broadcaster Phillip Adams was involved with Herzog during the making of this film. If a recent article he wrote in The Australian is anything to go by he is still reeling about the outcome. I don't share Adam's concerns about the film but then again I don't claim to be the most enlightened on Aboriginal culture. To me it seemed like a reasonable view of events still taking place on the richly resourced lands of the outback.
Herzog manages to elicit feats of under and over acting from much of his cast, a trait I have noticed common to many of his films. This is at the bottom end of the films I have seen of his but is not a bad effort. Surely he could have satisfied us fans though by squeezing in an unrelated shot of a desert mouse feeding its young on the tit or something of the like.

3/5

  

Fantastic Planet (1973)

I do love some animation. I grew up in the 80's happily sucking at the warm, milky tit of child friendly cartoons from Warner Bros, Disney, Walter Lantz and Hanna Barbera. They were happy, giddy times but I also fed with curiosity on the charcoal flavoured nipple of Ralph Bakshi. His freaked out, anti-Nazi, rotoscoped feature Wizards (1977) has been sourced as a potential responsible party for a recurring nightmare I sweated through as a sprog (my actual birth is also another possible aggressor).

It's with mixed results I think how I would have responded to Fantastic Planet back then. Surely I would have woken up lying in a puddle of piss, muttering gibberish about escaping from my over possessive master Draag. It is a good story though; the Draags are the master race and the humans, known as Ohms, are pest-like creatures kept as pets and exterminated when their numbers swell. Themes of race relations, war and astral projection among others can be soaked up by the viewer in this textured soup. Plenty of other weird shit goes on of course but lets move on shall we? This surreal adventure features some great art that has been animated in quite a stilted manner. There is a nostalgic element that I really enjoyed about that fact but there is also something oddly creepy about it. The main theme music perfectly accompanies the sight of blue aliens meditating and making love to creatures from other dimensions (truly). Roland Topor who I have mentioned in a previous post worked on this as a writer and in the art department. He collaborated with director René Laloux on other projects and his influence was obviously quite strong. 

If everything I have written above makes watching this sound like a good idea then I suggest slating in some time for it...otherwise you will probably hate it and wake up in a puddle of warm piss. 
2.5/5

The Host (2006)

"Come 'ere meat sack". Yoink!

Admit it, it's time you saw another monster movie. It's probably what's been missing from your life and now you have no self respect. Well, now is the time to reclaim it! Some slimy beast from the undulating bowels of Korea has emerged hungry and ready to feast on as many screaming, gawping, little humans as it can muster. The special effects do the toadish alien justice as it swings under bridges and gallops about, scooping up its daffy victims. The camera work looks very sharp giving the film a crisp air of reality without going for the shaky hand help camera style. The scenes of mass panic by the river are particularly sweeeeet.

If things had been wrapped up 30 minutes sooner this could have really been a classic of the genre but some silly subplots with the central family linger on for too long. The Host 2 is due for release in 2012 so hopefully it'll tighten up the story and literally devour my balls off with its awesomeness.

3.5/5

The Hit (1984)

What?! How had I not heard of The Hit? I freakin' love this film. Every mum's heart throb Terrence Stamp, is Willy, an enigmatic chap if ever I've met one. Willy grassed on his crim mates and has been hiding in Spain for a number of years. Tim Roth and John Hurt are the heavies who pick Willy up and have to drag him back to Paris to face the ultra violence that is awaiting him. 

Opening with an Eric Clapton track and featuring the broad, barren landscapes of España this film immediately stood out to me from others of a similar vein. Stamp is amazing as the beguiling captive who has seemingly made peace with the universe. Roth's status as a newcomer to watch was solidified with this role as an apprentice gangster and he is truly believable as a stupidly dangerous, young punk too eager to impress. Hurt crackles as an old hand who is damaged from a life of crime and emits few signs of humanity. Their car trip to Paris becomes a festering mind game with intermittent outbursts of violence and hostage taking. I was also particularly joyed to see Bill Hunter in a small role. It's wonderful discovering the trail of golden film nuggets this icon left in his wake. Directed by Stephen Frears, The Hit is more slow burn and character driven than rampant gunfire and explosions which helps it shadow many of its brethren films.

The extras of the Criterion DVD release has an excellent Parky interview with Stamp from the 80s. Stamp seems to share some qualities with his character Willy and opens up about much of his colourful history. Your mum will also appreciate seeing this.

I was very happy to stumble across this underrated crime caper. It looks stunning while opening some larger, life and death puzzles to ponder. 

And pondering I still am...Ah, yep, just got them. All figured out.      
4.5/5