This is an essay I wrote last semester on Hsiao-hsien Hou's 2000 film, Millennium Mambo.

There has been a lot of talk over the last several years concerning the generation of the Oughts, the children growing up in the 2000s. Does the Millennium Generation have any concern for their future? Do they have any real goals or expectations, or are they simply content and doomed to wander through their lives with no ambition other than to party and take drugs? These questions are prevalent in Hsiao-hsien Hou’s Millennium Mambo.

The dreary, bleak, almost dreamlike existence of this specific group of young adults is desperately realistic, to a point that it’s quite depressing. None of the three main characters are very appealing or redeeming, yet we are asked to empathize with Vicky, a 20-something girl who seemingly exists day-to-day by drinking and smoking. Vicky didn’t graduate from high school, has no real job, and is in an unhealthy on again off again relationship with Hao-Hao. Hao-Hao is basically the same, yet he literally has no job, and is quite simply neurotic: childish, selfish, and incapable of taking care of himself in a realistic way. Vicky wants out, but has no idea of how to do so, thus is continuously drawn back to him again and again.

Vicky also hangs out with Jack, an older man who basically lives the same kind of lifestyle, but seems to have a more consistent income – it’s alluded to that he is some sort of gangster. Jack acts as a kind of father figure to Vicky, which is a good thing, yet like Hao-Hao is unable to communicate with her, and ultimately is incapable of giving her any real healthy affection.

The interesting realization that came to me after some thought and discussion, is that the film was made at the beginning of the decade, and is about a girl who is remembering in the year 2011 what happened to her ten years ago, in the year 2001; so what the audience is seeing is not necessarily a linear narrative, but an intentionally broken, disjointed and wandering one. These are Vicky’s memories, played out as anyone’s memories would be played out: dreamy and hazy, yet clear in a “hindsight is 20/20” way. There are times when Vicky describes events before we see them occur on screen, like in the opening scene when she recounts how she will eventually leave Hao-Hao, and then we eventually witness the events that lead up to their break, including Vicky repeating her opening monologue; or when she tells of how Hao-Hao stole his father’s watch and the police investigated him, then a few minutes later we actually see this happen. It’s as if we are allowed to see Vicky recall these events in an understanding and nonjudgmental way, because she’s ten years grown and a better person for it; we are both witnesses to her memory and her literal act of remembering.

Hsiao-hsien Hou puts the audience in Vicky’s world through various masterful filmmaking techniques. If this is Vicky’s memory, then it makes sense that what we see is mainly Vicky and not much else. There are rarely any establishing shots, in a classical Western filmmaking sense, which helps create a disoriented feeling as well as a heightened perspective: we only see what Vicky remembers in her sort of murky, dreamy way. Such cinematography also creates an isolated feeling. The POV is so forced that not only are we unable to get a grasp of Vicky’s surroundings, but at times we feel trapped, much in the same way that Vicky feels trapped. The techno/electronica soundtrack also helps force the audience into the world by experiencing the repetitive and enveloping day-to-day life of the characters. This style of music is also called Trance because it does just that – it puts the listener in a trance. There is no real form or standard classical musical structure to the music, and by utilizing this genre of music, Hsiao-hsien Hou further demonstrates his point that these people have no idea of where they’re going; they just keep repetitively going from one day to the next.

There is also this theme of technology that isolates, which is largely influenced by the loud pulsing techno music in the clubs – people are always together, but they are unable to successfully communicate with each other. In one scene in particular, after Vicky has apparently finally decided to leave Hao-Hao, she once again is hanging out in a club. She is bathed in blue light and surrounded by people and loud music is playing. Hao-Hao arrives and tries to talk to Vicky, but she is uncomfortable and tries to avoid the confrontation. Instead of telling Hao-Hao herself, her friends talk for her and Hao-Hao tries desperately to speak to her personally, without distraction and confusion. It’s the only scene in which Hao-Hao is somewhat sympathetic, because it really seems like he’s making an effort, but he’s blocked by Vicky’s cohorts. The techno music drowns out their dialogue and they’re incapable of communicating civilly; the scene escalates into a fight and finally Vicky succumbs to Hao-Hao and they leave the club awkwardly.

Again, it’s really amazing that Hsiao-hsien Hou was able to predict so successfully how painfully true this would be in 2010: the technology that is supposed to bring us together actually forces us apart. This technology that isolates is inorganic as well – techno music is created by computers, and the film rarely shows any earth; the only real natural world that Vicky experiences is in Japan when she visits the brothers and they play in the snow.

Which brings up a good point to close with – the film ends with Vicky having finally left Hao-Hao and Jack has apparently abandoned her. Jack was supposed to be her knight in shining armor, so to speak, yet he can hardly take care of his own daughter, as revealed in an earlier scene. The film closes with Vicky approaching becoming the person she is now, the person that’s recalling these events. Vicky is lost, but she’s in a new country, in a new environment, and with the only people that seem to be healthy and treat her with any sense of respect. She’s embracing the opportunity that’s ahead of her, and in the voice-over monologue, she describes Hao-Hao’s disappearance: she’s sad that he’s gone, but as she says this, we watch as she smiles. There is a sense of melancholy hope in the end and an image of regained opportunity and cleansing; our lives are filled with pain and sadness, but if it weren’t for that pain, we would not be able to grow. Our final moments with Vicky leave us with the notion that perhaps there is hope for her and the Millennium Generation after all.

Top 10 of '10

http://tumblr.com/xhv16ybhvk

Gender Studies Photo Project

In product advertising specific items are often shown to appeal to a certain gender. For instance, all body soap is the same, but a real man wouldn’t be caught dead using Dove, so there’s Dove “Men+Care.” Dial has a “Dial for Men” product line. Of course, Axe and Old Spice are marketed towards men, as well.

This is especially true when thinking about food. Special K breakfast cereal is always marketed for women; while something like Wheaties, while really a generic sports cereal, mostly leans towards men in advertising. Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Max are essentially the same thing, except Max is marketed towards men and has more caffeine.

How often do you see men eating salads in commercials? Fast food restaurants often portray certain genders eating certain types of food – women more often than not are shown eating chicken strips or chicken sandwiches, while men are shown eating big whopping triple layered burgers. Hardees, for instance, pretty much markets their entire brand towards “guys.”

Beer and liquor advertising is particularly gender biased. “Light” beers and wine coolers are almost always marketed for women who “want to watch their figure,” but still wanna get pissed. Pay closer to attention to Smirnoff commercials. Budweiser and Bud Light, Michelob and Michelob Light, Coors, etc. seem to always be aimed towards football and other sports, which of course involve guys getting together, because girls don’t like football, duh.

I thought it would be funny to portray an opposing, realistic side. Plenty of women eat burgers and chili and so forth. My girlfriend loves a good, dark beer, and hates sugary drinks. Guys eat salads and fruit, and a nice cup of hot tea can be really relaxing.

I wanted to present the idea as simply and straightforwardly as possible, so we shot the models straight on with no fancy angles or lighting, and no distracting props or background. We all went through several poses, contrasting masculine and feminine, and I ended up choosing which shots I thought were the funniest. It was a bit difficult figuring out which foods to have, and if I wanted to spend more money I definitely would have had a steak or hot wings involved. I thought the apple would be a nice touch because of the reference to Adam and Eve.

flub pum

About SPIRITED AWAY

written for Asian Cinema


I was first introduced to Hayao Miyazaki when I was 16 when Princess Mononoke was released in theaters here in America. My friend and I went to the small “indie” theater in Winston Salem, North Point 5, and were both enchanted by Miyazaki’s brilliant story telling, character development, and of course the wonderful animation. Princess Mononoke is still one of my favorite movies, over ten years later.

In 2002, when Spirited Away came out, thanks to John Lasseter’s influence on Disney obtaining the American release rights, I was very excited, and thankful for Lasseter. I wasn’t so sure how I felt about Disney’s involvement, though. I was worried about how the film might be cut for time, or if the dubbing would be terrible. Thankfully, Disney not only left the film intact, nor do a bad job of casting the English dub, but they also released a limited run of the movie with its original Japanese soundtrack. I was lucky enough to be in a town that screened that version.

Along with Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away is one of those movies I can watch once a year or so and still get something out of it; whether the themes still resonate, the animation still impresses, or the emotions affect me similarly or differently, the film has remained fresh, I’ve never gotten tired of it.

Spirited Away is a children’s fairy tale in the vain of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz, but make no mistake, the film is very Japanese. However culturally specific the film is, though, the themes and the messages, are universal: obtaining maturity, yet retaining one’s identity (Chihiro’s struggle to remember her real name); honoring one’s parents, even while becoming an adult as well (Chihiro’s fight to get her parents back); the importance of honoring and respecting traditions and methods (Chihiro must go through the proper channels and steps in order to obtain a job in the bath house, and then excels at said job); the precarious balance between nature and modern civilization (the stink-god who turns out to be a polluted river-god is Miyazaki’s typical pollution message); the dangers of greed and gluttony (Chihiro’s parents literally become imprisoned in their gluttony); and of course, love – friendly, familial, and romantic – and how we should all treat each other with love.

The message of retaining your identity as you grow older, holding on to who you are as an individual, is particularly interesting and rather surprising coming from a Japanese story. In a culture that for centuries impressed the idea of falling in line with one’s leader, accepting what’s been dealt, or simply being one among the many, the idea of individualism is clearly a very Western influence. However, Spirited Away never tells the audience that the individual is best, or that children should rebel against parental authority; rather, the message is that even when honoring your parents, or obeying authority, you should never forget that you are a person with a soul (a spirit?), not a number, or a tool, or a device, or an insect. Furthermore, if the authority places you and/or your loved ones in danger, the authority should be questioned and challenged, with respect and love, rather than with animosity.

It’s a big deal when Chihiro challenges Yubaba by leaving to visit Zeniba, then returning to face her. Such a challenge and disrespect to one’s superior could have resulted in death in the old days; yet, Chihiro faces Yubaba as an adult with confidence and respect, and Yubaba has no choice but to honor her own rules. And by doing this, Chihiro establishes her maturity, preserves her relationship with her parents and retains her identity.

I could definitely go further about this specific message, and indeed the other themes I listed early on, but I’ll leave that for a later exercise. Regardless, Spirited Away lends itself to such discussion thanks to Hayao Miyazaki’s profound script, full of rich and enchanting characters, exciting situations, and universally significant themes and messages.

About NOSFERATU, A SYMPHONY OF TERROR

the following was an exercise for a class to see what my professor's response would be...


Dracula, or vampires in general, whether in book, stage, film, or television form, can represent many things, and be interpreted in many ways. Thanks to performers like Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Frank Langella, and Gary Oldman, over the years Dracula has been accepted as more or less a suave, attractive, yet dark seducer of women. Bram Stoker’s original Dracula characterization was a terrible monster. Migrating from Transylvania to Victorian England, the Count represents a fear of immigrants from the East (which is a response to colonialism), religious animosity, and contemporary versus conservative sexuality. Stoker’s Dracula isn’t simply ugly – he’s down right horrific to behold, the spitting image of a “criminal type.”

F.W. Murnau’s vision of Dracula focuses the terror by simplifying the themes and getting to the bare bones of the vampire. While there still could be some loose interpretations from Nosferatu concerning a fear of immigrants, it’s the sex that seems to concern Murnau, specifically sex and sexually transmitted diseases.

As the film begins, we are introduced to Thomas Hutter (Stoker’s Jonathan Harker): a naïve young real estate agent, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. A creepy, clearly devious, old man named Knock (who is loosely based on Renfield, as we eventually discover) employs Hutter and sends him to the distant exotic land of Transylvania to visit a prospective client named Count Orlok. Hutter’s kind hearted and loving, yet dismally dreary wife, Ellen (a mix of Stoker’s Mina and Lucy), is left to pine for Hutter under care of their friends.

Hutter travels to Transylvania and serendipitously happens upon “The Book of the Vampires” in his inn room. He carelessly reads through, and light-heartedly throws it in his bag as he leaves for the rest of his journey to the Castle Orlok. One is reminded of how young people tend to shove off their knowledge of the dangers of STDs; willful ignorance, it seems, transcends generations.

Upon arrival Hutter, and indeed the audience, is introduced to quite possibly the most terrifying vision of a vampire put on film. Without Max Schreck’s iconic performance as Orlok, it could be said that vampires wouldn’t be as popular and legendary as they are today. His long clawed fingers, skeletal thin body draped in black, and rat-like nose, eyes, teeth and ears visually personify plague in a really terrific way. However, while references to the plague are explicit, it’s what is implicit that’s important.

Orlok is essentially a sexual deviant, according to what the filmmakers of early twentieth century would have imagined. He sleeps all day and prowls out at night; he’s foreign, because god forbid these deviants come from our own neighborhood; and most importantly, his promiscuous life style has left him diseased, sallow-faced, and infectious. Whatever his disease is isn’t important. What is important is that he infects Hutter and Hutter is left ill, and upon his return home, the disease is spread.

It isn’t necessary for Orlok to be a physical character for Nosferatu to work as a metaphor for STDs. Naïve Hutter travels to an exotic land, where he encounters an awakening of sorts (extra-marital or homosexual sex), contracts a disease, and upon return home, infected, he becomes a threat to his own wife and perhaps many others.

So indeed, Orlok attacks Hutter in the night (the homosexual encounter), then later is attracted to a photo of Ellen. Orlok agrees to purchase the house across the street from Hutter’s own home, and without delay leaves his castle to travel to Wisborg. While it’s true linearly that Orlok leaves before Hutter does, it’s also true that Hutter attempts to leave at the same time, and gets hurt and held up in a hospital. The implicit metaphor is that Hutter is ill stricken, and even though the doctors attempt to heal him, he isn’t cured, and his arrival in Wisborg is practically at the same time as Orlok’s – he brings the disease with him.

Meanwhile Knock, Hutter’s creepy, clearly devious boss is losing his mind. Is Knock a sexual deviant as well, who is stricken with the old maddening STD, syphilis? It’s obvious that Knock is based on Renfield because he has a connection with Dracula, he is Dracula’s slave, and Knock has a connection with Orlok, because most likely Orlok is an STD, so Knock is infected by him.

Orlok’s descent upon Wisborg on the schooner along the Black Sea is taken from Stoker’s source novel, and is mainly used as a plot device for Orlok’s travel, and to further emphasize the explicit metaphor for the plague.

As we approach the climax of the film, the townspeople are panicked in fear of plague infestation, Ellen happens upon and reads “The Book of the Vampires,” and Orlok casually moves into his new house. Somehow Ellen is clairvoyant and surmises that Orlok is a vampire, and understands that the passage she reads in the book applies to this exact situation: the only way to kill a vampire is for a woman pure of heart to sacrifice herself to him, so that he loses track of time until sunrise, which will burn his flesh. Orlok creepily, longingly stares at Ellen from across the street, and she beckons him, then faints. In the most iconic scene of the film, Orlok creeps through her house, up the stairs, then preys upon her, biting her neck. He becomes so occupied that he forgets the time and the sun rises, causing him to burst into smoke as he attempts to escape. The implicit metaphor plays out rather interestingly here: the STD preys upon the innocent by tempting them; but it’s the innocent’s blood that can eradicate the disease? By sacrificing oneself, a person who isn’t promiscuous, the disease cannot be spread, and therefore the disease dies.

Many writers throughout the years have attempted to insert metaphors for vampires as a spreading virus, Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend is perhaps the best example of this, however it was F.W. Murnau’s original adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula that seems to be the first and quite possibly the best use of vampires as a metaphor for the danger and spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

About Jim Henson's Animal Show

My CHUD.com DVD Review of Jim Henson's Animal Show

About INCEPTION, part 1

I've been watching a lot of shit lately. Partly because of the DVD reviews I'm doing, but also because I can't seem to avoid it. This year at the cinema has been mediocre at best, with even the good movies seeming to only get almost there. To be fair, I haven't seen TOY STORY 3 yet (and apparently HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON is pretty good too), and IRON MAN 2 was a lot of fun, but not Great. KICK-ASS is entertaining as hell, but only as good as its source material (which is meaning to say it's entertaining as hell, but slight, and stupid; and ultimately meaningless). GET HIM TO THE GREEK is surprisingly very funny and not mainstream (ie, it's very strange), but not a classic comedy. ALICE IN WONDERLAND is a terrible waste of decent talent, ROBIN HOOD is waste of great talent, and JONAH HEX is a waste of brain-space. I wish I could forget I sat through that one. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE and MACGRUBER fall in with GET HIM TO THE GREEK - very weird, and very funny, but kind of forgettable. Except, I think I'll be seeing MACGRUBER again before the other two. SHUTTER ISLAND, YOUTH IN REVOLT, SPLICE and EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP (in ascending order) are all very good movies, but none of them are classic, none of them are Great. INCEPTION is the first Great movie I've seen this year; indeed it's one of the best movies of the 2000s. Two days have passed and my mind is still turning those scenes around; I'm replaying certain moments over and over, truly amazed at what I've experienced. I know a lot of movie reviewers have the tendency to overblow a film, to raise one's expectations too high, but as I said in my first post I am not a fanboy, I want to remain as critical as possible. I have my issues with the film, but they're so slight that in order to keep from writing a premature review I'm going to wait. I know I will be seeing INCEPTION again very soon, so once that happens (and after I give it much more thought), I will spend a good amount of time writing a "review" of sorts.

Till then, Cheers.

About Trying Something New

LOL HAY GUYS

I have intentions of writing about movies as a career at some point, and I realized recently that having a blog isn't all that bad, as long as I don't allow myself to become "a blogger." I decided, then, that this should be be an outlet for my thoughts on movies I see; as well as television, music, literature, and various other arts I come across. I will not always be long-winded, though if I feel it's necessary, then I will be. I will be as strong a critical thinker as I can handle, though most of the time I intend to make this fun to write (and of course, to read). Because if it's not fun, what's the point?

So, to start things off, I began writing DVD reviews for Chud.com a few months back, and so far four have been posted. Here are the links:

Sleepy Eyes of Death: Collector's Set Volume 1

Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai

So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit & Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Power Squad Bod!

Temptation

Bookmark me in your favorites, or whatever you do to keep up with sites you like to read. And if you have a blog of your own, let me know and we'll be friends! I look forward to using a constructive outlet like this, rather than something that distracts me if I'm bored - because, really, if I'm bored, then I should be doing something that isn't boring.

Cheers!