However, those who have seen the original may wish to approach this version only to witness what Fincher brings to it, as the story remains unchanged in all but minor details. Many scenes seem shot on the very sets of Niels Arden Oplev’s 2009 film. What Fincher grants is a sharper, crisper look; a brisker […]
Rod Lott
Posted inArts & Culture
Breaking Wind
I kid. Clearly, there are jokes, fired at a regular, near-rapid pace. It’s just that none is funny. Consider these random examples:• A Capt. Jack Sparrow impersonator holding salad tongs asks a group of frightened women, “Anyone in the mood for a good salad tossing?” • An Edward Scissorhands impersonator lets loose a fart, sniffs […]
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Wizards
Spanning 3,000 years, give or take, the DayGlo colorful tale of warring wizards — siblings at that — doesn’t even attempt to disguise its political leanings, but kids today can appreciate it just for the pointy-eared fairies and various beasts, especially the low-IQ goons armed with laser guns. Splendidly drawn on cels, the fantasy epic […]
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Urbanized
Having previous explored how our life is affected by typefaces (Helvetica) and manufactured objects (Objectified), director Gary Hustwit provides the final chapter of a trilogy of sorts by exploring the language of urban city design. More thought is put into it than you realized, by more people than you would have guessed. An early observation […]
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Splintered
If that sounds like a familiar trope, how about another? Like, say, a killing on such a spree that it requires tracking via a complex wall map peppered with thumbtacks, Post-it Notes, newspaper clippings. There are more, from scenes of terror that turn out to be dreams, to nocturnal campground “didja hear that?” exchanges. This […]
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Camel Spiders
The giant spider invasion begins after U.S. military forces fight a Middle Eastern enemy in an unspecified desert, and not everyone survives the gunfire or, in case of the enemy, the spiders who pull their bodies into caves for feasting. One spider clandestinely crawls into the coffin of a dead American soldier, and upon return […]
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Vault of Walt
Many big names can be found in the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman: van Gogh, Monet, Piglet. Wait … Piglet? The Winnie the Pooh character and his popped balloon are the focus of just one animation cel among 83 that constitute the venue’s latest exhibition, A Century of Magic: The Animation of […]
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Strip Nude for Your Killer
The killer in question is a motorcyclist decked out head to toe in black leather, and whose identity is shrouded by a matching helmet. Although it’s not spelled out until the end, we can assume he or she is taking revenge for the woman who dies of a massive coronary in the prologue sequence, while […]
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National Lampoon’s The Legend of Awesomest Maximus
Joining 305 and Meet the Spartans to compose a trifecta of terribleness is National Lampoon’s The Legend of Awesomest Maximus, which finds time also to spoof the likes of Troy, Gladiator, Braveheart, Alexander and TV’s Spartacus, yet fails to conjure a single good gag. Example: Instead of a Trojan horse, we get a Trojan penis. […]
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A Lonely Place to Die
In the Australian thriller by director Julian Gilbey (the dreadful Doghouse), five bikers (two couples and one fifth wheel), tummies full of smoked-mackerel-and-egg sandwiches, have just embarked on their high adventure when one hears a muffled cry for help. It’s coming from a pipe poking out of the ground. Digging into the earth, the hikers […]