Still Here!

Not much of a post sorry, just decided to upload this to inform you that the blog's return on June 12th is still going ahead as planned.

I cannot apologise enough for the woeful output over the last month and hope that the middle of June sees the blog rising to new heights, with the introduction of a video format.

Dearest apologies
Jack D. Phillips

Strength.

Top Left-Bottom Right:

12 Angry Men (1957)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973)

Seven Samurai (1954)

Ran (1985)

Jackie Brown (1997)

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

Serpico (1973)

Hard Boiled (1992)

Star Wars (1977)

Attack on Titan (2013)

127 Hours (2010)

Alien (1979)

The Thing (1982)

The Wrestler (2009)

On the Waterfront (1954)

Oldboy (2003)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Bronson (2008)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Dragonball Z (1989-1996)

Yojimbo (1961)

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

The Godfather (1972)

Drive (2011)

The Dark Knight (2008)

Fargo (1996)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Mulan (1998)

The Elephant Man (1980)

Digimon Tamers (2001-2002)

Fight Club (1999)

Frankenstein (1931)

Raging Bull (1980)

Samurai Champloo (2004-2005)

Rashomon (1950)

Spiderman 2 (2004)

By Jack D. Phillips

Stray Dog (1949)

A dynamic and 

tightly controlled 

noire and a strong
continuation on the
ideas set up in Drunken Angel.











Considered by many to be one of Kurosawa's greatest noires, and a prime specimen of post-war Japanese cinema, this film is one of the most respected films in Kurosawa's entire
filmography.  So the what are my thoughts on one of Kurosawa's most beloved early works?

To begin, the two lead performances from Tishiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura are truly fantastic. Mifune is in my eyes one of the all time greatest actors and he does not disappoint here. His stature and facial expressions steal every single scene he is in, and his energy and passion is emitted in every line of dialogue. This role is notable for being on one his more restrained and respectable, focusing on his youthful innocence rather than his feral energy, and he sells the youth and drive of his character very well indeed. Shimura is also fantastic as the wise, yet loose, older policeman who acts as Mifune's mentor throughout the film. Shimura's charm and charisma is on full display in this film and he balances both experience and intuitive genius perfectly in this film. Overall, I would say that this film features one of the best character dynamics in any Kurosaw film, and marks the point in his career where the director perfected his ability to etch out distinct, realistic and memorable characters in his films.

Beyond the two lead performances, the aspect of the film which impressed me the most was it's editing and pacing. At key points in the film the narrative gives way to montages showing the poverty stricken, post-war world the film inhabits. These montages held my interest remarkably well and are some of the film's most memorable sequences, and stand as a key example of how to bring an environment to life in a cinematic manner. Furthermore, these scenes reminded me of a similarly atmospheric and potent sequence from Ghost in the Shell, a film which I am sure took inspiration from these captivating moments of captured reality.

Beyond these montages, the film is edited in a remarkably modern fashion. I have watched modern crime-noires which were edited in a far more shoddy fashion than this film, and it really stands as a testament to Kurosawa's ability as an editor (this man really was a jack of all trades wasn't he?). The film's tension grows at exactly the perfect pace, in synchrony with the weight on the shoulders of Mifune's character. This film stands as a primary example of how to intertwine character development with the film's core narrative, in a way that can only be described as alive.

Finally, the film is perhaps best remembered for it's climax. A raw sequence of pain and astonishingly restrained violence, forming one of the all-time great endings to a crime film. This ending is what makes the film truly great, and acts as a crescendo to the perfectly built tension and character.

In conclusion, I respect this film and would say it more than earns it's place as one of Kuroswa's greats. However, I feel I must agree with Kurosawa himself, who never really thought highly of this film. It is hard to describe what the issue is, however when compared to his previous masterpiece, Drunken Angel, this film cannot help but feel a little artificial in my eyes, serving it's genre more than forming it's own distinct identity. This film pushed the technical boundaries of the noire genre in a real way, and cemented Kurosawa's mastery, however I respect it more than love it. This is a great film, but not one of Kurosawa's many masterpieces in my eyes.

By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film Review

Terror.

Top Left-Bottom Right:

Attack on Titan (2013)
Les Diaboliques (1955)
The Babadook (2014)
The Shining (1980)
A Field in England (2013)
The Wolfman (1941)
Nosferatu (1922)
Sinister (2012)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Alien (1979)
American Psycho (2000)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Creepshow (1982)
Bronson (2008)
Dracula (1931)
The Birds (1963)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Chinatown (1974)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The Conversation (1973)
Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Dragonball Z (1989-1996)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Stoker (2013)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Pinnocchio (1940)
Boogie Nights (1997)
Schindler's List (1993)
Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
Digimon Tamers (2001-2002)
There Will be Blood (2007)
Under the Skin (2013)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Sexy Beast (2000)
Don't Look Now (1973)
Psycho (1960)
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
Zodiac (2007)
Rear Window (1955)
Halloween (1979)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Nightcrawler (2014)
Raging Bull (1980)

By Jack D. Phillips

Dreams.

Top Left-Bottom Right:

Ivan's Childhood (1962)
Dougal and the Blue Cat (1972)
Nocturne (1980)
Enter the Void (2009)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Birdman (2014)
The Elephant Man (1980)
Digimon Tamers (2001-2002)
The Shining (1980)
American Beauty (1999)
Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999)
Vertigo (1958)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
The Red Shoes (1948)
Watership Down (1978)
Under the Skin (2013)
Sexy Beast (2000)
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Spiderman (1994)
Shutter Island (2010)
Total Recall (1990)
Un Chien Andalou (1929)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Pi (1998)
Raising Arizona (1987)
127 Hours (2007)
Manhattan (1979)
The Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Bronson (2008)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)

By Jack D. Phillips

Childhood.

Top Left-Bottom Right:

Dragon Ball Z Budokai (2002)
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
King Kong (2005)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Terminator 2: Judgement  Day (1991)
The Butterfly Effect (2004)
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Pinocchio (1940)
Watership Down (1978)
Spirited Away (2001)
Spiderman 2 (2004)
Gremlins (1984)
Back to the Future (1985)
Blackadder II (1986)
Digimon Tamers (2001-2002)
Dragonball Z (1989-1996)
Avatar the last Airbender (2005-2008)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Spongebob Squarepants (1999-)
The Simpsons (1989-)
The Goonies (1985)
Short Circuit 2 (1988)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
Fawlty Towers (1975-1979)
The Jungle Book (1967)
The Lion King (1994)
Mary Poppins (1964)
Thomas the Tank Engine (1984-)
Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
Yugioh: Duel Monster! (2000-2004)
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (2003)
Shrek (2001)
Peter Jackson's King Kong (2005)
The Incredibles (2004)
The Iron Giant (1999)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

By Jack D. Phillips

Film Collages

Due to the previously described issues with content production over the next few weeks, I have decided to begin creating collages comprised of film stills centred around a specific theme. These collages are easier and more relaxing to create than full reviews, and so allow me to provide some form of consistent content without hindering my revision. I'm sorry if you do not find this sufficient, but it's the best I can offer.

The theme of the first collage is childhood and is comprised of the most important images of my childhood and features stills from film, television and even some video games.

By Jack D. Phillips

Inside Number 9: Episode 12: Seance Time

A creepy finale

to the season.

 One of the most

daring episodes of

 the series thus far.

Season two of the show has certainly been wrought with ups and downs. Some of the absolute best episodes of the series, mixed in with some fairly disappointing messes. So where does the season finale stand on the spectrum? Honestly, I think this episode can be seen as a microcosm for the season on the whole. A lot of amazing and daring good points, mixed with some groan-worthy low points. 

The most fascinating element of this episode is it's atmosphere. The tone and growing feeling of gnawing tension throughout the episode is top-notch and is up there with some of the best episodes of the series. Inside No. 9 has managed to capture a sense of palpable dread in all it's greatest episodes and it is this tone that I want to become the most remembered aspect of the entire show. Seance Time is notable for it's exceptional early twist, which throws it's audience off in ways that no other episode of the show has up to this point. This twist, along with the great set-design and the all-around great performances are what create the magical atmosphere of this episode, and I love every second of it. 

Despite the quality of this atmosphere however, and all the elements which contribute to form it, there are some glaring issues with this episode in my eyes. For a start, much like La Couchette and The Trial of Elizabeth Gadge, this episode suffers from misplaced comic relief. This comedic material serves to undermine the atmosphere in my eyes at points and does not server the episodes narrative in any substantial way, other than to hammer in some fairly one-note social commentary. If one compares the comedy here to the comedy in Nana's Party it becomes easy to see how much more substantial and integral to the atmosphere of the later episode the comedy is by comparison. Here, the comedy detracts for the most part rather than benefit, which is a shame.

Despite this however, we are still given one of Shearsmith's best performances of the entire season and a genuinely impress tone and atmosphere. On the whole I did enjoy this episode and, much like the season on the whole, find it more than worthwhile to dig through the flaws to find the duo's masterful achievement in televised horror which lies beneath.

By Jack D. Philips
A Zoom Film Review
Inside Number 9: Episode 12

The next few months.

 I must start this update by thanking you all for another great month for the blog. However I come with some bad news.

Exams.

Yes exams are looming on the horizon and so revision is going to have to take precedent beyond the blog. My final exam in on June 12th, and so up until that date, expect a significant lull in content. I cannot apologize enough for this, however it is not all bad news.

CONTENT WILL NOT STOP ENTIRELY. I will likely release around one full review a week from this point until the date underlined above. In addition it is my birthday on the 17th, my eighteenth birthday. I intend to use some money from this occasion to buy audio equipment. Yes, video reviews are coming. I cannot say when this'll happen, but it'll certainly be after the final exam date.

That is pretty much everything. May will be a shit month for the blog and I'm not happy about that. After that however, I will be free for several months until I go to University. I will use that time to raise my content to new heights, this I promise. Until then.

By Jack D. Phillips

Inside Number 9: Episode 11: Nana's Party

An 
uncomfortable

and deeply moving

episode. An 
emotional

high point for the series.

This is episode of the show is not for the faint hearted. Nana's Party is the ultimate culmination of he efforts made by episodes such as The 12 Days of Christine and Last Gasp, to create a fully satisfying and complex family drama in only thirty minutes. I honestly cannot say that I have ever seen such a potent and complex range of emotions in such a short space of time, this episode is simply triumphant over it's restrictive format.

The primary reason for this episodes success is the wealth of excellent performances on display here. Aside from our familiar duo, who are both equally phenomenal here and provide some of the most powerful moments of the entire show, Claire Skinner is our standout talent for this episode. The actress' greatest talent is without a doubt her relatablity, which makes watching such horrible scenarios happen around her quite uncomfortable from the beginning. It is worth noting that this is the second episode of the show to be directed by Pemberton and Shearsmith, and I am only growing to love them for the quality of performance they are able to get from their actors. Not a single line falls flat here, and I cared deeply for every single one of the main cast.

Before I ramble for too long about the acting, I must deliver some kind of praise at the script for this episode. If it isn't the strongest script of the entire series then it is certainly close, and I believe this episode sands as a primary testament to the duo's immense collective writing ability. The script here is absolutely wonderful in it's plotting, without a doubt the strongest of the series thus far and it is filled with a host of stunningly funny and heart-achingly potent moments. This episode's climax is a true marvel, perfectly built up and incorporating every character and plot point of the episode up to that point in one incredibly powerful (and surprisingly hilarious) conclusion.

Overall, this episode is a masterwork and stands a one of the show's newest highpoints. Although season two of the show is certainly less consistent than the first, I can say that it has certainly offered up some incredible television.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

Inside Number 9: Episode 11

How many ways can a similar story be told?

I was recently asked to write a piece for my film class' new blog. I was actually surprised by how well it came out, and am actually happy to share it here on my personal blog. I hope you enjoy this little slice of film theory.

How many ways can a similar story be told?

This year, this Film Studies has looked at four world cinema films for analysis and comparison. The films are La Haine, City of God, Tsotsi and Once Were Warriors. These films all demonstrate ideas and concepts that stem from the cultures in which they were created, however despite this all the films share some common ideas and concepts. So this raises the question, How many ways can a similar story be told?

Well, that depends highly on what the similarities are. For example Tsotsi and Once Were Warriors, both incorporate the idea of family into their narratives, more specifically of the violence and horror that can befal families in certain environments or cultures. Tsotsi does this through flashback, non-linearly retreating into the past to show the effects of the titular character’s past on his current actions. We see how the violence and death that surrounded his childhood has warped his view on the world, turning him into a predatory thug.

Some of these ideas are also displayed in Once Were Warriors, however the framing has changed. The horrors of a dysfunctional family is far more pressing in this film, the danger and corruption is in the present. Tsotsi often shows it’s flashbacks in the form of dreams, the character will awake to end one of these sequences for example. However, Once Were Warriors lacks this fantastical barrier. The pain and violence is immediate in this film, and the details are shown far more explicitly.

The results of these different styles are numerous. Tsotsi is a softer film, the emotions and ideas of what it means to come from a broken and violent family are felt very strongly, even if the details are vague. Furthermore the method chosen by Tsotsi allows for a greater sense of character change, we see the character as a child, a predatory thug and finally as a man. Once Were Warriors’, approach however is far more shocking. The film aims to make the viewer feel uncomfortable and sick, with the acts of violence being of greater importance than the characters participating. This film is far more visceral, aiming to move the audience in a more physical manner.

This is only a single example of how similar ideas can be used to totally different effect. There are several more present across the four films, and more importantly, across all of cinema. Other good examples are: how gun violence is portrayed across the four films, the concept of childhood in Tsotsi, Once Were Warriors and City of God, and substance abuse is displayed in City of God and Once Were Warriors.

These ideas and themes are great jumping on points for analysis, and comparing four films which differ so greatly and share so much is a wonderful way to begin thinking about film in a more critical fashion. We have four films to discuss in this part of the course, so compare and contrast their ideas and use of themes. Just some thoughts from me.

By Jack D. Phillips

Duel (1971)

One of the

most intense and

engaging thrillers of

all time.

This film is so much fun. If you simply want to see a fun and blood-pumping thriller one evening, then I cannot recommend this particular gem more. Although I have seen the majority of Spielberg's films, my memory of them has dimmed slightly over the years. This film however will be burned into my mind for a while, it is simply that memorable. A man being chased by a seemingly demonic truck seems almost too simple to work, and yet this film exists.

The biggest reasons for this are the editing and cinematography. There is a rhythm and a tempo to this film's editing that I cannot even describe, it truly feels like the viewer is travelling down that road with Dennis Weaver at breakneck speed. The film's action is never dull, a truly magical fact considering that the film is effectively a single feature length car chase. It is so invigorating, that the viewer feels compelled to yell and hoot at the screen whenever the hero outwits the pursuer, and squeal in terror whenever he is pushed towards death. 

Beyond the film's remarkable achievement in editing, Speiberg offers some truly devilish 

camerawork. He places his camera on parts of the truck's anatomy in such a way as to breath life into the creature. The camera hunts after Weaver's car in such a bloodthirsty fashion that I am sure this film went on to inspire some  of the great slasher films of the next decade. 

Duel is also significant in terms of it's pacing. Despite the film's short running time, it feels massive and epic. This is one instance wherein saying a film feels longer than it's running time is a positive, as this is a story that you do not want to stop watching. The film escalates it's tension in a way which Spielberg would surpass only in Jaws, a film which is seen by many as this film's evolved successor.  Overall, I would recommend to anyone with the intention to write a thriller that they track down this film's screenplay and study it religiously, it is that strong in it's pacing.

Sadly however, the film does have some minor flaws which hold it back from perfection. For a start, there are occasional scenes which do not make too much logical sense. Particularly a scene involving a bus, which is both slightly overlong and (more importantly) a touch confused in it's storytelling. This scene seems a little needed in my eyes and is the only fly in the sweet ointment which is this film's narrative. Furthermore, although r=the film's climax is downright perfect, the final shot of the film is somewhat confusing and gets worse when thought about too deeply.

These nitpicks aside, this film is wonderful. I have not seen Jaws in a very long time, however I am dead-set to track it down as soon as possible. Duel is certainly one of the best thrillers I have seen in a long time, and it is possibly the most impressive TV movie I have ever heard of.

By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film Review